Secretly Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt

Book Description:
Summer, fall, winter, spring--Smitten, Vermont, is the place for love . . . and mystery!

There's a secret in Grandma Rose's attic--a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic?

The mystery intrigues Rose's three granddaughters--Tess, Clare, and Zoe--and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women?

Join popular romance novelists--and real-life BFFs--Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue.

My Thoughts:
I loved being back in Smitten!!!  In Smitten, there is a secret that has to be figured out.  How did old dog tags get into Grandma Rose's attic?  When they find out they belonged to her first love that was killed in war, the mystery gets more intriguing to the three sisters and they can't help digging into the past and maybe setting up their futures along the way!
Tess is self-conscious but beautiful on the inside and outside!  Zoe is loving and loves taking care of the people in Smitten.  Anna is their mother and is afraid of what the girls' meddling will do to the family but deserves to be in love as well.  Claire has a green thumb and is afraid of change.  Each of the men love the women for who they are and the stories are wonderfully touching!
I rate this a 5/5.  4 really good love stories!
Thank you to Booksneeze for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson

Book Description:

Feisty wedding photographer Hannah McDermott has dealt with her share of difficult brides. But none can compare to the ultimate Bridezilla she's dealing with now. Still, she's trying desperately to impress Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most sought-after wedding planner, so she can take the top spot in Bella's list of recommended photographers--a spot currently occupied by her arch-rival, Drew Kincaid. What she doesn't count on, however, is falling head over heels for the competition. 
With her contagious humor and cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives readers more of the bridal business drama they want in a brand-new series all about those long-suffering people who make beautiful weddings happen. Readers are desperately waiting for more of Bella and this new series brings her back in a big way, while introducing new characters fans will love. Fans will laugh out loud as they experience this breezy and entertaining novel from a great storyteller.

My Thoughts:
This was an enjoyable read.  Hannah is a photographer and she is determined to be the top wedding photographer!  Getting the wedding gigs and on the top of the wedding photographer is competitive work.  Drew is also a photographer and wanting that top spot.  As she gets to know Drew, Hannah realizes he is nothing like she'd thought and might just be perfect for her!
I really liked Hannah.  She was a great character to get to know and you understood how she felt throughout.  Drew was a good ole Irish boy and I really liked the Irish sayings.  Hannah and Drew's relationship development was wonderful to 'watch' and the author did a great job with the supporting characters and their stories. 
I rate this a 4/5.  It is a good start to a new series!!
Thank you to Revel for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Available February 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Fanged Princess by Elizabeth Wheatley

Book Description:

I will not let my brother suffer the same loss…
Hadassah’s father, the Vampire King, punished her harshly for her choice to love a human. Now her brother, the only person in the world who still matters to her, has fallen for a human girl. Determined to keep the girl safe, the three of them flee from their home in New England and find themselves cornered with their father’s minions closing in. If they want to escape, their only hope may be to join forces with the mortal enemies of their kind…

My Thoughts:
Good novella.  Hadassah is determined her brother will not suffer the same way she did simply for falling in love with a human.  He and his girl deserve the choice on who to love, not have that choice and the person taken from them.  She will now give her life to protect this human girl.  Her uncle, the enforcer, is after them and they have to befriend people who would be more than happy to kill both she and her brother.
I liked Hadassah.  She was a loving sister, had loved deeply and was determined not to let someone suffer when she could stop it.  Her choices were impressive and I wasn't surprised by many of them but I was touched.  I disliked Uncle Devin, he was terrible!  Madelyn was stronger than anyone gave her credit for and Damian is just in an impossible position.  Good story!
I rate this a 4/5.  It was an enjoyable quick read.
Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Heart of Ice by P.J. Parrish

Book Description:
Detective Louis Kincaid cracks a murder case frozen in time in this new work of “crime fiction at its finest” (Lee Child) from bestselling author P. J. Parrish. Florida PI Louis Kincaid wants to wear a badge again. But before he can, he must return home to Michigan— and some unfinished business. He hopes to bond with ten-year-old Lily, the daughter he only recently learned existed, and reunite with girlfriend Joe Frye. But new clues to an unsolved murder put his plans on ice. A trip with Lily to enchanting Mackinac Island turns grim when the child falls on a pile of old bones; the dangerous discovery reopens the cold case of Julie Chapman, a teenager from one of the wealthy summer families, who vanished two decades ago. And when Louis is forced to cooperate with a tough state investigator who once worked with Joe, tensions skyrocket. Now, what was supposed to be a time of building lasting ties splinters into disturbing fragments, personally and professionally, as Louis pursues a mystery entangled in dark family secrets and twists even he can’t predict.

My Thoughts:
This was a good book.  Louis Kincaid is a PI and is on vacation with his 'newly found' daughter.  Lily goes exploring where she shouldn't and finds a cold case that no one expected.  The island where they are vacationing is remote and the case is older than most people still on the island!  Kincaid is supposed to be healing his relationship with girlfriend, Joe, but can't ignore the call for help with the local cops are in over their head.
Louis is a good, solid lead character.  He has experience as an investigator and I like how willing he was to help the police, even when met with hostility, and even worked with a defense attorney.  Joe was a good match for him.  Flowers was a good man and I liked how much he really wanted to be involved, even when he didn't know what to do or how to do it.  Rafsky I liked and disliked at the same time.  The storyline kept you guessing and the author revealed slowly what they wanted you to know...really good story!
A solid 4/5.  Good mystery and plenty of twists and twistedness!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Deployed by Mel Odom

Book Description:

Lance Corporal Bekah Shaw joined the United States Marine reserves to help support herself and her son when her ex-husband, Billy Roy, decided they were no longer his responsibility. But when her team is activated and sent to Somalia on a peacekeeping mission, Bekah struggles with being separated from her son and vows to return safely.Once a successful Somalian businessman, Rageh Daud has lost everything. Determined to seek revenge on the terrorists who killed his wife and son, he teams up with a group of thieves, killers, and others displaced by war. Despite his better judgment, Daud becomes the protector of a young orphaned boy--who becomes a pawn between the warring factions.To defeat the terrorists and bring peace to the region, Bekah and her team must convince Daud that they are on the same side.

My Thoughts:
This was a good book.  Bekah is a single mother, waitress and Marine reservist.  She has been deployed twice already but shortly after some significant trouble at home, she is activated and sent to
Somalia.  Rageh Daud grew up under a man who taught him everything he knew, but none of it was of the respectable nature.  He since went to college, married and had a son.  While he was a respected businessman, all that changed when he lost his wife and son.  Now he is exactly what his father trained him to be.
This book was exceptionally well researched.  I liked Bekah.  She wants to take care of herself, her son and her granny and became a reservist to do just that.  Her ex husband was a louse and I could have happily seen bad things happen to him and other certain characters!  The author writes the book from different character's perspectives and I enjoyed getting to know all three of them through their actions and thoughts.  The message that God has a plan for each of us is woven quite well into the storyline but isn't 'in your face'.  I think the author did a great job with this book.
I rate this one a 4/5.  It was good and eye-opening.  I will definitely read the next in this series.

Thank you to the author for providing the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

The Unspeakable by Tessa Stockton BOOK BLAST!!!

Pump Up Your Book and Tessa Stockton will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC or Paypal Cash, one autographed copy of her book, The Unspeakable, and one autographed copy of her other book, The Unforgivable! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

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ABOUT THE UNSPEAKABLE

Who said forgiveness was easy? When a furtive conflict is pitted between violent leftist guerrillas and a rightwing paramilitary group in Colombia, a North American woman mistakenly gets caught in the middle. “I spent four months, one week and two days in a clandestine prison referred to as The Water Cave. Every day I stared hell in the face, and each day I wanted to die. I don’t want to share too much too quickly. To understand fully, you must join hands with me, fasten your heart to mine, and course through my book. Stumble over the incomprehensible human rights journey with me. I’ve pondered it to the brink of questionable sanity, and it is the only way. It’s the only way to explain. I suppose I should consider myself lucky I survived at all—for many did not—yet, perplexingly so, that’s not the premise of this narrative. He altered my life, marked me forever. But it’s not how you might imagine. This is a story involving Horacio Botello, my torturer known as Puma.”

Purchase your copy:

BARNES & NOBLE | WINGS PRESS

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ABOUT TESSA STOCKTON

A veteran of the performing arts and worldwide missions, Tessa Stockton also contributed as a writer/editor for ministry publications, ghostwriter for political content, and headed a column on the topic of forgiveness. Today she writes novels in a variety of genres, often laced with romance and intrigue. In addition to her Christian suspense/thriller, THE UNSPEAKABLE, she’s the author of the political intrigue/romance, THE UNFORGIVABLE, a fable, LOVE AND LULL, and the upcoming inspirational fantasy romance, WIND’S ARIA, with more in the works.

Visit the Author:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

Book Description:

A daring rescue. A difficult choice. Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom---but can she trust another person to keep her safe? Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible---she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else---he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what. When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help---but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them---they must also protect their hearts.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this 'Snow White' remake!  Sophie is a servant, in fact she is a scullery maid to  Duchess Ermengard.  An old woman sneaks away from the Duchess' grasp to deliver a secret message to Duke Wilhelm's son.  It is a long kept secret but one worth dying for.  Now Gabe has left to find Sophie and rescue her if she is in fact his brother's intended.  As the danger of escape follows them, they are drawn to each other but each has an intended waiting on them so they must avoid danger and temptation!
Sophie is a wonderful 'Snow White'.  She is strong, brave, honest and caring.  Definitely not the damsel in distress but needing saving nonetheless.  Gabe was a good, solid lead.  He isn't a knight in shining armor, that is his brother.  But he is strong, courageous and determined.  I like that he isn't the typical warrior but takes it upon himself to save her.  The seven were awesome!  The author did a wonderful job of turning this fairy tale story into a realistic portrayal of what could have happened.
An absolute 5/5.  I cannot wait for the next one from this author!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Defending the Duchess by Rachelle McCalla

Book Description:

He'll keep her safe—at any costProtecting the royal family is Linus Murati's job. So when the queen's younger sister is attacked, the devoted Lydian royal guardsman goes into action and saves her life. But this was no random occurrence. Danger has followed Julia Miller across the Atlantic from Seattle. Now Linus has two missions: to keep the maddeningly independent future duchess in his sights at all times, and to catch the culprit who threatens the woman whose trust—and love—he desires above all others.

Protecting the Crown: The royal guardsmen serve their country with honor and integrity

My Thoughts:

I loved this one.    Linus is a member of the Royal Guard.  His job is to protect the new queen's sister, the Duchess.  Julia is a lawyer and has traveled to support her sister in her new role as Queen.  It seems she has brought trouble with her and it is Linus job to keep her safe.  When she is attacked, neither understand the reasons or how deep the danger is.

I liked both of the leading characters.  Juila's thoughts for her family and especially her sister's well being and safety were just great.  Linus has a past that he isn't proud of but is an exceptionally good Guard.  He is caring, attentive and strong...all things women want!  I loved that he was memorizing Psalms and how the author worked that flawlessly into the story.  

I rate this a 5/5.  I'm ready to read more about the royal family.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Stronger than Magic by Melinda VanLone

Book Description:
Tarian Xannon fights demons, like the rest of us. This time, the demon just happens to be real.

When Tarian tracks down a petty magical criminal in Philadelphia as a favor for a friend, she ends up fighting with a demon instead. He steals some of her blood during the struggle, which doesn’t seem like a big deal until she learns that he can use it to siphon away her power and subject her to his will. She’ll be nothing more than a puppet in less than a week unless she can find a way to stop him.

This is bad news for her and for the family throne, a magical object she didn’t want to inherit, but now feels pressured to protect. Nothing could stop the demon from killing anyone in his path once he has the throne’s power.

The demon’s attack on her also triggers the Succession Ritual. Tarian must have sex with three or more men in order to produce a child who will carry a blend of their magic, or the throne can be won in battle by anyone. With a demon ready and willing to fight, Tarian has no choice but to follow the rules of succession, even though she thinks the idea is outdated and stupid.

The pressure of family obligations, combined with the loss of her magic, pushes Tarian to rush in when she should plan, and to make deals that have consequences for her and her future child.
She’s not ready to be a mother, or a leader. But Tarian realizes her inner demons are nothing next to the evil which threatens her life and the throne.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book.  Tarian is a tracker.  She tracks people with her magical abilities and has someone apparently with a plan for her.  On a simple mission, a demon attacks and steals some of her blood.  Now, she has a deadline to find him and remove the hold he has over her.  Add to it she is next in line for the throne and the attack has started a magical clock she has no way to stop, but she can control it in her own way.
Tarian is a great character.  She is strong, independent and loves her family.  Her friends are great.  Alex is strong and capable as is Frankie.  Her sister is amazing in her own way.  The fact that she has to have sex with at least three men before the demon takes control over her body is a nice twist.  The plot really was original and I am ready to see what happens next. 
I rate this a 4/5.  I will definitely be reading the next in the series!
Thank you to MyReadingAddiction for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Desert Wedding by Penny Kim

Book Description:
There is nothing more exciting than when your best friend gets married. And for Elsie McKenna, it seems like she's got the maid of honor thing figured out. But as the big day date gets closer and wedding planning takes over, Elsie's friendship with the bride-to-be, Res, begins to go downhill. To make matters worse, Elsie's boyfriend, the long-suffering Jonah, becomes increasingly distant. It's not too soon before Elsie begins to wonder if there's something in the air in Phoenix, or if it's just a nasty case of wedding fever.

My Thoughts:
This was an entertaining romantic read.  Elsie's best friend is getting married.  Res is going to be a beautiful bride, even if her husband-to-be is a complete jerk.  Elise's boyfriend on the other hand is patient adn kind.  A 'friend' is also a brides maid and ups the tension between everyone involved!
I liked Res, though she really had some blindess issues when it comes to her fiance.  Elsie was abrasive and hard to deal with but loves Res like a sister.  I liked Jonah, he was a strong and loving man.  He deals with a lot in Elsie but loves her despite all the issues.  The storyline was good and a fairly typical romance.
This one was a 3/5.  It was a quick romance read.

Thank you to PumpUpYourBook for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.