War Brides - Helen Bryan (Montlake Romance - June 2012)

With war threatening to spread from Europe to England, the sleepy village of Crowmarsh Priors settles into a new sort of normal: Evacuees from London are billeted in local homes. Nightly air raids become grimly mundane. The tightening vice of rationing curtails every comfort. Men leave to fight and die. And five women forge an unlikely bond of friendship that will change their lives forever.

Alice Osbourne, the stolid daughter of the late vicar, is reeling from the news that Richard Fairfax broke their engagement to marry Evangeline Fontaine, an American girl from the Deep South. Evangeline’s arrival causes a stir in the village -- but not the chaos that would ensue if they knew her motives for being there. Scrappy Elsie Pigeon is among the poor of London who see the evacuations as a chance to escape a life of destitution. Another new arrival is Tanni Zayman, a young Jewish girl who fled the horrors of Europe and now waits with her newborn son, certain that the rest of her family is safe and bound to show up any day. And then there’s Frances Falconleigh, a madcap, fearless debutante whose father is determined to keep her in the countryside and out of the papers.

As the war and its relentless hardships intensify around them, the same struggles that threaten to rip apart their lives also bring the five closer together. They draw strength from one another to defeat formidable enemies -- hunger, falling bombs, the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, and a traitor in their midst -- and find remarkable strength within themselves to help their friends. Theirs is a war-forged loyalty that will outlast the fiercest battle and endure years and distance.

When four of the women return to Crowmarsh Priors for a VE Day celebration fifty years later, television cameras focus on the heartwarming story of these old women as war brides of a bygone age, but miss the more newsworthy angle. The women’s mission is not to commemorate or remember -- they’ve returned to settle a score and avenge one of their own.

Interesting book that takes place mostly between December of 1937 and August of 1944, with a prologue and ending in 1995. It is the story of five very different young women who were brought together in a tiny English village by the events of World War Two. The prologue and ending show them reunited in that same village on the fiftieth anniversary of VE Day, with more than just catching up on old times on their minds.

Alice is the quintessential English country girl. She's the daughter of a vicar, straight-laced, practical, educated, and likes the outdoors. She's been friends with Richard, son of the local gentry, all her life, and is ecstatic when he proposes to her. The engagement doesn't go as expected though when he returns from a business trip to the US with an American wife. Hurt and disappointed, she moves on with her life. She is involved in the local war effort, doing everything from planting gardens to working as an air raid warden.

Evangeline is the American southern belle who captured Richard's attention. Her story began in New Orleans, where she was in love with her cousin, a mixed-race young man. This was a forbidden relationship because of it, so they kept it a secret. But events happened to separate them, and in desperation, she married Richard to escape scandal. She is a fish out of water in the village, where they have never met anyone quite like her. Her mother-in-law detests her, and her husband is always away doing his thing with the Royal Navy. His absence also leaves her free to reconnect with her cousin Laurent.

Tanni is a young Jewish woman from a well-to-do Austrian family. She barely escaped the Kristallnacht in Austria, as her parents married her off to a Jewish professor who had a job as a professor in England. Her younger twin sisters were due to be evacuated on a children's train on its way also to evacuate youngsters to France and then to England. Her parents and mother-in-law also had papers to make their way to England. She arrived in England with her husband, pregnant, and not knowing the language. Once the war begins in earnest, her husband gets a job with the war department as a translator, and Tanni and her son are evacuated to the country for safety.

Frances is an English debutant, daughter of a brigadier, who is a bit of a wild child. After getting up to some scandalous behavior in London, her dad sent her to her godmother in the country to get her away from the bad influences there. She still manages to find trouble in the country and spends a fair amount of time sneaking out with the local young people. She becomes one of the local Land Girls but is bored silly by the job.

Elsie is a girl from one of the poorer parts of London who was also sent away for safety. She is old enough to be given a job as a housemaid, a job that she is not very good at, but gives her a chance at a better life. While there, she meets up with an acquaintance from her old neighborhood, a young man who is well known for his criminal activity.

I enjoyed the look at what the lives were like for each of the women over the course of the war. Though very different, they are drawn together by the hardships of day to day life. I liked the support they provided to each other, even during those times when they disagreed. I ached for Tanni and her fears for her family, especially as we got glimpses into what was happening to them. I will admit that Evangeline bugged me through most of the book. I thought she was selfish and blind to what her cousin was really like. She did redeem herself in the end, and I liked how she came to love Richard. Alice remained pretty stiff during her time in the village. I liked seeing her finally step out of her comfort zone toward the end of the book, and loved her first meeting with the American airman. It was sweet to see the way they connected so quickly. Elsie was quite the trip as she grew up and grew closer to Bernie. She had a way of looking at things that was very different than the other. My favorite was Frances. Once I saw what drove her to be the way she was, I became much more sympathetic to her. Her frustration with her father's attitude was understandable, though as a parent, I understood where he was coming from also. I enjoyed her determination to take a more proactive part in supporting the war effort. I also enjoyed her relationship with Oliver and loved seeing them together.

Throughout the book, there were two big stories going on. The first one was the effort taken to bring the various members of Tanni's family to England, especially her two little sisters. Official channels weren't working well, and an idea hatched during a drunken evening took a different route. I enjoyed seeing the (sometimes unwilling) teamwork among the women as each used their special talents in the plan. It was interesting to see the outcome of that plan. The other story was one with far-reaching consequences. Somewhere in the vicinity of the village was a German sympathizer who was transmitting weather reports to the Germans, making it possible for them to do their bombing runs. One of Frances's assignments was to keep her eyes open for any indications of who it could be. I was pretty sure I knew who it was early on. The motivations for some of the things he did were pretty disturbing.

The modern segment of the book dealt with the reunion and the things that the women had recently discovered. I liked seeing what they had made of their lives. Elsie's was both the most and least surprising. I enjoyed how they pieced together the story of the spy. Their confrontation with him was enlightening, but I really didn't like the actions that they took. The reporter that was covering the reunion was extremely annoying and I didn't blame the ladies for trying to avoid her.

Facing Fire - HelenKay Dimon (Avon - Oct 2015)

Series: Bad Boys Undercover (Book 3)

When his uncle is brutally murdered, Josiah King knows that business just got personal. His uncle's ties to the Alliance can mean only one thing: Josiah and his black ops team are targets, along with everyone they love. Primed for vengeance, Josiah is determined to unravel the plot--until long-legged redhead Sutton Dahl becomes a dangerous distraction.

Sutton is very good at uncovering other people's secrets -- and protecting her own. When Josiah bursts into her life she's torn between pushing him away and asking for his help. Mysterious, strong, and much too sexy, he's a puzzle she longs to solve, and a temptation she can't ignore.

Thrown together in the face of Alliance's most lethal threat, Josiah and Sutton become unlikely partners, fighting for their lives even as the attraction between them flares into real passion. Torn between his team and the woman who means everything to him, Josiah will risk it all to save Sutton, even if that decision is his last.

Good book that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Josiah is the leader of Alliance's Delta team. The team has been working to track down their nemesis, Benton, the one who got away at the end of Falling Hard. It hasn't been easy, as the man always seems to be one step ahead of them. The search became personal for Josiah when Benton brutally murdered Josiah's uncle. This was Benton's opening shot in his war of revenge against Alliance. 

Sutton is a PI who has spent the last several years on a quest to find the man she holds responsible for her mother's death. Her search has brought her to Paris and the office next door to the man now calling himself Bane. A covert trip into Bane's office revealed a puzzling file of names, photos, and code of some kind. After barely making it out of his office undetected, Sutton went to work investigating the list of names, trying to find their connection to Bane.

The action ramped up when Sutton's investigation came to the attention of the folks at Alliance - because it was their names she was searching. Josiah and Mike went to Paris to discover what Sutton knows. I loved the confrontation between Sutton and Josiah. He is adamantly convinced that she is working with Benton, as he and Mike kidnap her to find out what she knows. Sutton does not give in easily, even when they are attacked and she has to depend on Josiah and Mike to keep her safe.

The development of the relationship between Josiah and Sutton is fast and intense. Josiah is quite a jerk at the beginning with his threats and refusal to believe in her innocence. Sutton doesn't exactly make things easy either, by keeping much of what she knows to herself. It was pretty obvious that part of Josiah's extreme attitude toward Sutton is because he is fighting his attraction to her. Sutton is more accepting of the attraction and has no trouble calling Josiah out on his attitude. I loved watching the push and pull between them as the attraction deepened to something more. I really like the way that  Sutton understood Josiah and sees past his walls to the man inside. Some of the scenes between them are heart-wrenching as Josiah deals with the things that happen. I ached for both of them as Josiah pushed her away because of his feelings of being broken. I loved the conversation with Mike that helped open Josiah's eyes. His big moment at the end was pretty great, especially when he let his vulnerability show.

The suspense of the story was great. The horror of the murder of Josiah's uncle and the subsequent threats made by Benton showed just how evil the man is. The additional information that Sutton provided gave the Alliance team the boost that they needed to get closer. With some of the story told from Benton's POV, we also get to see his actions and reactions. The intensity increased with each attack, as the team faced seemingly impossible, and sometimes heartbreaking choices. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat as I wondered if Benton would slither away again.

I loved the various team members. It was immensely satisfying to have two such strong women on the team. Tasha and Ellery were awesome in what they could do and the respect that the others had for them. I also enjoyed how Benton underestimated them and Sutton.  Harlan was the one, among the men, who seemed to be the voice of reason. He was just as intense as the others, but he also had a way of cutting through the emotion and bringing them back to the reality of what had to be done. Mike was my favorite. I loved the close friendship he had with Josiah. He had a terrific way of cutting through Josiah's angst so that he could see the whole picture. Mike was also the center of some other drama that was completely unexpected.

Cowboy Blues - Delores Fossen (HQN - May 2018)

Series: Wrangler's Creek (Book 5.5)

He promised he’d stay away…but he can’t resist keeping her close

Setting rules and following them to the letter is part of cowboy Nick Haskins’s code. It keeps life uncomplicated, and his heart intact. The love he had for his high school sweetheart is ashes in the wind, but he’s not counting on her twin, Lindsay Gavin, to show up on his ranch -- or in his dreams.

Lindsay’s got a code of her own: hands off her sister’s guy. But now that Nick is free to share his bunkhouse and his bed, she can’t help but take what he’s offering. There’s no harm in satisfying years worth of curiosity. There’s no shame in indulging in the sexiest fun of her life. Only, when Nick and Lindsay let desire set fire to the rules, will they both end up getting burned?

Short, sweet, and steamy story. Nick is a horse trainer on the Granger ranch and is stunned to find himself sharing the bunkhouse with the newest trainer - his high school girlfriend's twin sister. He has a rule about siblings of exes - don't mess with them. Except he'd broken that rule six months earlier with a beer-fueled kiss that he hasn't been able to forget. But he's determined to stick to his rules and keep his hands off Lindsay.

Lindsay has had feelings for Nick for years, even when he belonged to Carol Ann. She can't deny the attraction and doesn't want to. What she'd like is to see where it goes. But first, she has to get past both his and Carol Ann's objections.

I had fun watching Nick fight his feelings. It was a losing battle and he knew it. The only question was how long could he last. I loved watching the pot finally boil over, and the heat between them was intense. But Nick still needed to reconcile his rules and his feelings. The story finished with a conversation between Nick, Lindsay, and Carol Ann that had an unexpected twist to it.

Just Like a Cowboy - Delores Fossen (HQN - May 2017)

Series: Wrangler's Creek (Book 2.5)

A bad-boy bull rider comes back to Wrangler's Creek to claim his ranch…and win back the woman who still owns his heart

Inheriting his uncle's ranch is a dream come true for Wynn Beck -- until he discovers that half the property belongs to his ex-wife. Carlene has been running the place for years and claims she doesn't want Wynn anywhere near it. But Wynn senses she, too, feels the intense pull that reminds him how well they fit together…in every way.

Their scalding-hot marriage fizzled when Carlene realized Wynn was more interested in winning a rodeo buckle than putting down roots. Now she intends to protect her home -- and her still-fragile heart -- by buying Wynn out. Too bad the man's as stubborn as the bulls he rides. And that her cooled desire can quickly heat right back up with the right cowboy…

Short but intense second chance story. Carlene and Wynn had been married for five years when Wynn's desire to become a bull rider took him on the road. Meanwhile, Carlene's roots were buried deep in Wrangler's Creek. Since their divorce three years ago, she has been running his Uncle Joe's ranch and had plans for what she wants to do with it. That is until Wynn shows up with the news that Joe has given the ranch to him.

Wynn has retired from bull riding and has big plans for his uncle's ranch. He knows that Carlene is there and has instructions that she is to be kept on. That's fine with him, as he has a lot of regrets about their past and would like to do something about it.

The sparks flew from the moment Wynn reappeared. Carlene wasn't happy about it; she still remembered what happened to her the last time she saw him as he drove away. Unfortunately, her resistance to him is nearly nonexistent. There is also her anger at the situation with the ranch to deal with. It quickly became clear to both Carlene and Wynn that Joe is matchmaking. 

I liked seeing Wynn and Carlene try to deal both with sharing the ranch and their rekindled attraction. Finding a way to coexist on the ranch was much easier. Dealing with their emotions was much more complicated. I loved the way that they sat down and talked things out. I ached for Carlene and what she had gone through, and for Wynn and the guilt he felt because of it. The story ended with an unexpected twist that solved a lot of their problems, along with a very personal celebration.

Lone Star Cowboy - Delores Fossen (HQN - Nov 2016)

Series: Wrangler's Creek (Book .5)

Money can't fix this dilemma - but love might No falling for the ex... 

Jake Monroe became the most eligible rancher in Wrangler's Creek, Texas, at the drop of an inheritance. With land, horses and a fortune to protect, he can't let gold diggers into his pockets. But he can let people believe he and his ex are back together while she's in town working on the ranch. Trouble is, faking a relationship with Lily Rose Granger isn't nearly as hard as pretending their desire isn't real. No sleeping with the boss...

Playing pretend isn't supposed to be so complicated, but Lily Rose won't give up. She's determined to prove to everyone that she's the best horse trainer around - and prove to herself that she's moved on from Jake. All she has to do is stay out of the cowboy's bed...or trust that this time around he's worth every risk.

Though I read this out of order (I've finished the Wrangler's Creek series except for a couple of the novellas), it was a nice opening to the series. Though Lily and Jake make few appearances in the future books, this did introduce a few familiar characters.

Lily's dream is to have her own horse training ranch. In the process, she has worked for several people, one of whom was her ex-boyfriend Ian. She broke things off with him when she caught him cheating on her; then he fired her. Now she's working for Jake, the ex from her teenage years and the one she's never forgotten. The problem is, she still wants him. Complicating matters is that Ian is still a pain in the butt.

Jake has finally made his dream come true thanks to a significant inheritance from his grandfather. Unfortunately, that has made him the target of ambitious women all over town. He's really tired of fending them off when he has better things to do with his time. Things come to a head when he finds a naked woman in his room and retreats to the barn for safety.

Jake and Lily still have intense sparks flying between them, but Jake is adamant about not getting involved with someone who works for him. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and he agrees to Lily's suggestion that they pretend to be back together. Playing that game is also playing with fire, and resisting gets harder every day. But Lily has also kept a secret from Jake and others, one that is about to create some complications. I ached for Lily and her fears of what it would do to her relationships with Jake.

The ending was pretty good. I liked the support Lily got from Lawson and enjoyed the sibling interactions. I loved seeing Lily's response to Ian. Once Jake got over his initial reaction, he came through nicely for Lily. I enjoyed how the author brought in Logan McCord from the previous series and the plans that he and Jake have for Ian. I also liked how Jake and Lily cleared the air between them and admitted their feelings.

The Last Rodeo - Delores Fossen (HQN - July 2018)

Series: Wrangler's Creek (Book 6)

The most important two words for this Wrangler’s Creek rodeo cowboy? I do...

Lucian Granger isn’t winning any Mr. Cowboy Congeniality awards. Known in his small Texas town as “Lucifer” thanks to his surly nature and knack for scaring people away from getting too close, the handsome rancher has no trouble ignoring the gossip. But when he’s in danger of losing the land he’s put his blood, sweat and tears into maintaining, Lucian sets out to prove he’s a changed man -- by claiming he’s about to settle down with his invaluable assistant, Karlee O’Malley.

Their pending nuptials may be just for show, but from the moment they kiss, the proverbial fireworks start going off in his head -- and in his heart. Before long, the man who’s usually as emotional as a brick wall is tired of pretending and wants to share a real future with Karlee. With his world suddenly turned upside down, Lucian will risk losing the business and the ranch if it means holding on to the one woman worth becoming a better man for.

Good conclusion to the Wrangler's Creek series. Lucian, aka Lucifer, is the last of the unmarried Grangers. No one is surprised by this because Lucian can be a real SOB, in and out of the business world. He's well known for his short relationships - thirty-four days is the record. Women take second place to work and he has no intention of changing that. That is until his life begins to implode.

Karlee is Lucian's assistant and has been for ten years. She keeps his life and business organized, often knowing what he needs before he does. She has also been in love with him for years, though he is quite oblivious to it. Karlee has finally realized that nothing will come of it and has decided to move on with her life, giving Lucian her notice and getting ready to start her own business.

I liked both Lucian and Karlee. Though Lucian has been something of an ass in the previous books, it was always because he thinks he's doing what is best for the family. Lucian took over the business, the ranch, and caring for the family at the age of eighteen when his father deserted them. It was his hard work that turned it around from the debt-ridden mess that Jerry left to a multi-million dollar success. Karlee has done the same for her family, ever since her mother ran off with Lucian's father. She took over care of the home and her younger brothers while her father sank into an alcoholic mess. She had to step up even more when he killed himself when she was seventeen.

Lucian's hard-nosed business ways have put him at odds with the town. That becomes a huge problem when Jerry comes back to town and takes back control of the family business. Jerry's actions put the financial future of the businesses and the family in jeopardy, all because of his own bad decisions. Lucian needs help to stop his father from destroying everything he's worked for, and that means he needs to change his reputation. Regina comes up with the idea of Lucian showing that he's a new man by becoming engaged to Karlee, whom everyone likes.

I liked the development of the relationship between Lucian and Karlee. They have been friends for a long time. Lucian has also felt the sparks of attraction for Karlee but has kept them well buried, not wanting to screw up an excellent working relationship and friendship. He has also been oblivious to Karlee's feelings for him. But the fake engagement has opened the door and now he doesn't know how to cope. I loved seeing how he can't keep Karlee out of his mind, which freaks him out quite a bit. He's kept himself away from any long-term relationships because of one failed one when he was younger - a relationship that still has a hold on him. Karlee has tried to protect her heart, but the "engagement" activities remind her of all the things that she wants to be real. One of the things that she wants is the chance to experience what all his other women have enjoyed - time in Lucian's bed. But just when things look like it could happen, Lucian's ex comes back to town. Lucian's emotions are in a turmoil as nothing feels the way he thought it would. I loved seeing Karlee stand up for herself and tell Lucian that he has to figure out his feelings first, then he could find her. Even with that obstacle, the connection between Lucian and Karlee is unmistakable. I loved how well each of them understood the other. I loved Lucian's protectiveness when it came to her new business and his understanding about her father. It took time for him to sort through his feelings, especially with everything else that was going on. I loved his big moment at the end, as he opened himself up in a scene that was both emotional and funny.

A large part of the story is the family drama that takes place with Jerry's return. He has wrenched back control of the family business for reasons of his own, which takes some time for Lucian to uncover. In the meantime, Jerry's ongoing feud with his ex-wife (Regina) creates some ridiculously funny moments (the taping off of the house into his and hers is hysterically described). There are also some very emotional scenes, as Karlee's mom returns, knowing that it was the affair between her and Jerry that caused so much trouble. I ached for Lucian as he watched everything he had worked so hard for fall apart under his father. An abundance of twists and turns makes the business troubles a convoluted problem to solve. I loved the solution that Lucian came up with, as once again, he is the one the family relies on when there's trouble.

The secondary characters were great, too. Jerry was the biggest presence. Mostly, he was the one I loved to hate for what he did, but there were a couple of times I felt a little sorry for him. Regina was a trip with her snarky comments to Jerry and his fiancée Candy. Candy was a bit of a surprise. She definitely gave off the clueless bimbo vibes for a good part of the story but showed herself to be a little more savvy than expected at the end. Karlee's mom, Glenda's return was unexpectedly complex. I liked her acceptance of the harm she did to her kids, and that she didn't try to give any excuses for it. Her other reasons for returning were quite a surprise. One of my favorite characters was the family cook, Abe. I was intrigued by his mysterious paper bag deliveries to Lucian and truly moved when Lucian told Karlee about them.

Cowboy Heartbreaker - Delores Fossen (HQN - Mar 2018)

Series: Wrangler's Creek (Book 4.5)

This bad-boy cowboy doesn’t know what to do with a good girl—but after one night together, he sure isn’t ready to let go…

Commiserating over a mutual friend leaving town, best pals since childhood Ryder Crowley and Allie Devlin wind up drowning their sorrows in booze—and each other. For Allie, Wrangler’s Creek’s resident good girl, it’s a secret fantasy come true. She’s been aiming to finally change her straitlaced reputation and knows a night with Ryder will do the trick. She just didn’t count on wanting so much more…

Bad-boy ranch hand Ryder is no stranger to one-night stands, but this is different. This is Allie. She’s not the kind of girl you love and leave, and that’s all he knows. But when Allie tempts him with a naughty, no-strings-attached weekend, Ryder can’t resist, soon realizing Allie might have his heart more tied up than he ever thought possible.

Quick and fun story. Ryder and Allie have been best friends for years, along with Ryder's sister Bree and their friend Curt (aka the CRAB posse). Now Curt has married and will be leaving the area, breaking up their gang of friends. In their efforts to drown their sorrows over this, Ryder and Allie wake to find themselves naked and hungover in the hayloft of the ranch where they both work.

Allie has had feelings for Ryder for a long time but has kept them to herself until now. I loved the way she took the bull by the horns and made her move on him. Ryder's shock was obvious, but it didn't keep him from participating fully in the hottest kiss he'd had in a while. I also loved the way she nipped his backtrack in the bud with "If you want to cross any more lines, you know where to find me." 

It was great to see how Ryder was unable to get Allie off his mind, no matter how he tried. I loved the scene in the barn as their newly admitted attraction bursts into flame once again. Ryder still fights hard against it, and Allie throws down the challenge of meeting her after work at her place. After a delayed arrival caused by Bree, Ryder finally showed up, still fighting the inevitable.

I loved Allie's way of showing him that just being friends wasn't possible any longer, and Ryder's realization that she was right. Nature took its course in ways that were better than either expected. The morning after was pretty funny, involving an unexpected visitor and cans of cheese spread. I liked how it helped both Ryder and Allie admit their feelings.