Posted December 23, 2020 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, NetGalley / 0 Comments
There’s magic in the Cornish air this Christmas…
Rosie Anderson was hoping to whisk her young son Danny away for a lovely Christmas with family, far from the hustle and bustle of her life in London. But then her boss at the head office – aka Susan the Sacker – suddenly assigns her to go in incognito and save a tiny inn in Cornwall from being closed permanently. Rosie doesn’t know why The Old Bell Inn is performing so badly but it’s on her to sort it out!
Hours in the car later, Rosie arrives at the inn to find she’s been double booked – there are no rooms left. And she isn’t there for more than a minute before she’s butting heads with the manager, Irishman Mitchell Fitzpatrick. He seems to dislike her on sight, so it’s confusing that he seems to get on so well with Danny… But if he’s as terrible as his reputation, Rosie will have to be the one to fire him.
This really isn’t the Christmas Rosie was dreaming of. But maybe, just maybe, it could be a whole lot more.
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Posted December 19, 2020 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments
In June 1972, John Creighton determines to build his wife Joan a kitchen table. His largest project to date had been picture frames but he promises to have the table ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Inspired to put something delicious on the table, Joan turns to her mother’s recipes she had given to Joan when she and John married.
In June 2012, Lauren Mabrey discovers she’s pregnant. Gloria, Miriam, and the rest of her friends at Glory’s Place begin to pitch in, helping Lauren prepare their home for the baby. On a visit to the local furniture builder, Lauren finds a table that he bought at a garage sale but has recently refinished. Once home, a drawer is discovered under the table which contains a stack of recipe cards. Growing up in one foster home after another, Lauren never learned to cook and is fascinated as she reads through the cards. Personal notes have been written on each one from the mother to her daughter and time and again Lauren wonders where they lived when they lived, and in a strange way, she feels connected to this mother and her daughter and wants to make the mother proud.
The story continues from 1972 to 2012 as Joan battles breast cancer and Lauren learns to cook, preparing for the baby’s arrival. As Christmas nears, can Lauren unlock the mystery of the table, and find the peace she’s always longed for?
Titles in the Christmas Hope series include – The Christmas Shoes – The Christmas Blessing – The Christmas Hope – The Christmas Promise – The Christmas Secret – The Christmas Journey – The Christmas Note – The Christmas Light – The Christmas Town – The Christmas Star – The Christmas Table –
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Posted December 19, 2020 by Marsha in Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Modern Western Romance, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments
A cowboy with a wild side.
Kirby Regan isn’t opposed to living on the edge. After all, she just quit her career in Washington, D.C, so she could move back to Wyoming and buy her family’s ranch. But hiking the Tetons after dark during a snowstorm goes beyond being adventurous, especially when Kirby’s boss warns her that an escaped convict is at large. Sheltering in a cave seems the safest option to ride out the blizzard-until Kirby realizes it’s already occupied . . . by a ruggedly handsome cowboy.
Like the mustangs he treats, veterinarian and rancher Casey Merrick prefers to live wild and free, which is why a relationship is not in the cards for him. He doesn’t mind sharing his space with a gorgeous stranger, as long as they can both keep their distance-a task that begins to seem impossible as the attraction between them heats up. But before they can worry about the spark smoldering between them, Casey must find a way to protect Kirby from nature’s most ruthless conditions . . . and a convicted killer on the loose.
Titles in the Wranglers of Wyoming series include — My Kind of Cowboy – This Cowboy of Mine – Meant to be My Cowboy –
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Posted December 19, 2020 by Marsha in Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Mystery, NetGalley, Romantic Suspense, Series / 0 Comments
FBI agent Brie Ryan’s latest mission is personal. She’s posing as a waitress at the Black Diamond strip club, the same club where her estranged half-sister worked until she turned up dead. When Brie’s undercover assignment is compromised, she turns to the only man she knows who can help her: Connor Pierce, a too-sexy-for-his-own-good, rule-breaking cop with a knack for solving cold cases.
When someone breaks into Brie’s apartment, Connor’s detective skills aren’t the only things that kick into overdrive. Although his job demands he remains detached, now he finds himself tempted not only by Brie’s beauty but also her intelligence and bravery. As the investigation-and their attraction-grows more intense, lives are in jeopardy, and Connor finds the most important rule he must break is his own. But can he put his heart on the line?
Titles in the Texas Justice series include – Don’t Close Your Eyes – Don’t Breathe A Word – Don’t Look Back –
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Posted December 18, 2020 by Marsha in Connection to another series, Contemporary Romance, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley, Owned, Romantic Suspense, Series / 0 Comments
Ryn Jansen must put her trust in the one man she wants — and the one man she can’t let herself have.
Ryn Jansen has no interest in taking a risk on Boone Sadler. Thanks to a long list of men who’ve done nothing but let her down, Ryn vows to stay far away from the caring, protective commando. And when Boone confronts Ryn with evidence that her loved ones are conning her, Ryn is less than thrilled — with her family and Boone. But even as Boone proves he’s the kind of guy to meet her every need, she doesn’t trust him to stay when life gets hard . . .
Boone Sadler’s never been one to back down from a challenge. He’s determined to show the funny, sexy Ryn that the irresistible connection between them is worth exploring. But caring for Ryn’s heart and body becomes a matter of life and death when Ryn’s beloved niece and nephew are put in danger and dirty cops begin gunning for Ryn. Soon Boone realizes their romance is in danger of more than heartbreak — and to have any future together, they’ll have to put their trust in each other.
Titles in the Dream Team series include — Dream Maker – Dream Chaser – Dream Spinner (May 2021) –
There is a connection to the Rock Chicks series and the Dream Man series in Dream Team – you’ll run into lots of old friends from both series.
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Posted December 7, 2020 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, NetGalley / 0 Comments
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collide, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
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Posted December 7, 2020 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Connection to another series, Contemporary Romance, Series, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments
Belinda ‘Lindy’ Jamison has moved to the Cotswolds for a fresh start and to open a dancing school—her lifelong dream. Pushing forty and still looking for Mr. Right, Lindy is determined to no longer wait for happiness but to reach for it with both hands. So she packs up her life and heads south to Wychwood-on-Lea to start up her school.
Soon Lindy has a motley crew of would-be dancers. But her most intriguing pupil is Roger Wentworth, a forty-something bachelor with a shy and awkward manner, but a heart of blazing gold. When Lindy decides to showcase her pupils in a Christmas show, Roger is deeply reluctant but finally agrees. Lindy longs to bring Roger out of his shell—but she didn’t expect to fall in love with him in the process.
Soon it is Roger teaching her how two lonely hearts might be able to embrace a second chance this Christmas…if they can just believe they’re both worthy of love.
Titles in the ‘Return to Willoughby Close‘ series include – Cupcakes for Christmas – Welcome Me to Willoughby Close – Christmas at Willoughby Close – Remember Me at Willoughby Close
Connection to the Willoughby Close series which included – A Cotswold Christmas – Meet Me At Willoughby Close – Find Me at Willoughby Close – Kiss Me at Willoughby Close – Marry Me at Willoughby Close
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Posted December 6, 2020 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Mystery, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments
Christmas cheer has sent the griddle into overdrive at Robbie Jordan’s popular country store and café. And this year, there’s a new seasonal special to feast on — murder!
As December sweeps through South Lick, Indiana, Robbie’s life seems merry and bright like the string lights glistening around town. But strange happenings signal a bumpy ride into the holidays.
First, a man raises eyebrows at Pans ‘N Pancakes when he claims to be the long-lost half-brother of Robbie’s assistant. Then a fire destroys the home of a controversial anesthesiologist, exposing skeletal remains in his attic.
Helplessly intrigued, all Robbie wants for Christmas is to stop her winter wonderland from becoming a real nightmare. With a decades-old mystery taking shape, can she run as fast as she can in pursuit of a killer who’s harder to crack than a stale gingerbread man?
Titles in the Country Store Mystery series include – Flipped for Murder – Grilled for Murder – When the Grits Hit the Fan – Biscuits and Slashed Browns – Death Over Easy – Strangled Eggs and Ham – Nacho Average Murder – Candy Slain Murder – No Grater Crime –
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Posted December 6, 2020 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Kensington Books, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments
Christmas is more than just a celebration for Lauren Montgomery. For generations, it’s been her family’s livelihood. Their Christmas shop, Razzle Dazzle Décor, has seen seasonal fads come and go, but there’s one trend they can’t escape. Online superstores are swallowing their sales, and this Christmas season will need to be their best ever if the store is to stay in business.
To help keep the shop afloat, Lauren also has a sideline, writing biographies for business figures. She’s thrilled when her literary agent contacts her with a new proposal—before learning that the subject will be none other than John Gerald Giompalo. He’s the titan behind Globalgoods.com, the online retailer that has spelled doom for hundreds of small businesses just like Razzle Dazzle Décor. Despite her misgivings, Lauren travels to Seattle to confer with the mogul and is caught off guard when his son, John Jr., attends the meeting too. Handsome, intelligent, and deeply kind, he’s perfect—apart from the fact that he’s part of the company threatening everything Lauren loves.
As her deadline, and Christmas, draw closer, Lauren knows that there’s more than her family’s shop at stake. Her heart is, too. But there’s no better time than the holidays to make a secret wish on the brightest star you see—and let the season’s magic take hold.
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Posted December 6, 2020 by Marsha in Modern Western Romance, Series / 0 Comments
When it comes to love and chocolate, it’s game on…
When traveling chocolatier Vivian Dawson comes to Marietta to open Delish, a chain chocolate shop, she’s unfazed by angry locals. She’s not looking for friends—she’s the competition, and her target is Sage O’Dell’s Copper Mountain Chocolates. To create marketing buzz and a friendly rivalry, Vivian declares Delish’s hot chocolate the best in town and will prove it at Marietta’s Christmas Stroll. Everyone takes a side, and Vivian hopes a certain deputy will take hers for another unforgettable night.
Sheriff’s deputy Reuben Price can’t believe his luck when the woman he’s been thinking about since a rebound one-night stand opens a shop in town. He’s shocked when Marietta’s normally friendly citizens become hostile, but he’s ready to welcome Vivian with open arms and more.
As Vivian is seduced by the charming town and the sexy deputy, she wonders if she’s finally found a home. But when tragedy strikes before Christmas, will Vivian run like she always has, or will her growing feelings convince her to stay?
Titles in the Marietta Chocolate Wars series include – All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate –
Love any story connected to Marietta, Montana? Then check out our Marietta, Montana page(s) for series, titles, and links to reviews done here at Keeper Bookshelf.
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Posted December 4, 2020 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Kensington Books, NetGalley, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments
Successful, secure, and still very much in love, middle-aged couple Eugene and Rosemary Johnson have never given up on one special wish–to be parents. And while Christmas always brings happiness and a whirlwind of holiday fun, their hopes for children of their own seem further away than ever. Especially this year, when Rosemary must have emergency surgery and home help to recuperate. Wanting to lift his wife’s spirits, Eugene suddenly has inspiration from back in the day . . .
Faithful and sensible, Ethel Perkins raised Eugene and his brother. Unforeseen tragedy has left the sixty-something widow struggling with little money and two jobs to keep her great-grandchildren off the streets. She’s glad to help Rosemary back on her feet. But she can only stay until Rosemary is well enough to resume her normal routine. For Ethel, survival means keeping to her grueling schedule, being there for everyone but herself, and, as always, handling her troubles all on her own . . .
As Ethel’s problems go from bad to much worse, Rosemary and Eugene find themselves helping her more and more–and growing close to her lively youngsters. Soon, there’s only one way both families can salvage the season: by celebrating it together. But will their temporary family work into the future . . . and possibly make a lifetime of happiness?
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