Apples and Oranges make a good combination so do Caden and Lilibeth.

 

My review of:

Wilde Flame (Love is a Cowboy #3)

Author: Kelly Elliott 

Firstly, my thanks for my ARC copy of this book. This was an easy 5 stars to award. This series started out with a bang and each book gets better and better. I adored Lilibeth and Caden and it was great to see grumpy turn into sunshine. What a great and accepting family the Wildes are and how they stick together is beautiful to witness. Kelly writes magnificent stories. She uses just enough narrative to explain situations without waffling on and boring the reader. Her conversations are so real that I sometimes feel as if I am intruding on a private moment. There honestly wasn't anything about this book that I didn't like and I know I am looking forward to going back to Wilde country in book number 4. For fans of this author, do not miss this one it is a page turner from beginning to end and may even have you finishing in one sitting just as I did. If you have not read Kelly before, pick this one up. You will feel right at home with the Wilde family and I bet you will want to go back and read the other two. Don't worry you won't feel lost if you happen to choose this one first. Thanks Kelly for always keeping me on the edge of my seat and I look forward to more Wildes and anything else you share with us in the future.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Silence Sometimes Speaks Louder Than Words.

 

My review of:

Silent Witness (An Amish Book Club Mystery 3)

Author:  Tracy Fredrychowski

Firstly, my thanks to Tracy for my ARC of this wonderful 5 star story. What a true delight this was to read from beginning to end and I devoured it one sitting. Tracy clearly researches the Amish very well and I love how she combines their beliefs and lifestyles so easily into her books and mesh them with the different lifestyles of the "Englisch" (non Amish). These three elderly women sleuths are beyond adorable in each and every way and this book I found extremely touching. The patience and kindness of these three women was seen so clearly in this story. I found this one more of a mystery to solve but by the end I was there with the women in their conclusions. So clever how they work with and against the Sheriff to come up with the correct answers and how they see something important that everybody else is willing to overlook. I hope that Tracy is giving them the summer off to enjoy their lives and to rest from sleuthing but I hope and pray she will give them another mystery to solve in the Fall. These ladies are truly too sweet and precious not to read more about them. Thank you Tracy for this truly lovely series and as always your writing is superb. Using narrative that is pertinent and doesn't ramble and truly beautiful real conversations this series is one I shall remember for a long time to come. Fans of Tracy's books should definitely read this one and if you are new to Amish fiction, please consider this book. You honestly don't need to have read the first two to jump into this third one but I am sure you will want to read the others because they are just so "gut".

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

An ending that has left me wondering if there is more to come!

 

My review of:

Z For Butterfly Man 

Author: N. J. Adel

Firstly, I must thank N.J. for my ARC of this book. I debated about how I felt about this book. It left me kinda speechless. I ended up giving it 4.5 stars rated down to 4 for Goodreads, etc. I must be an amateur sleuth. Several of the bits came together for me in book one. Book two had me rethinking myself briefly and book three right from the start had me confirming my feelings from book one. Amazingly well written as all of N.J. books it also had me on the edge of my seat a couple of times not believing what I was reading. I worked out several of the things along the way from the narrative and intense conversations. It lost a star for me with the ending. While we had most questions answered by the final page I was still wondering about a couple of things and wondered if the ending had been written this way for a possible book 4. I have enjoyed every single of book of N.J.'s that I have read and I loved the references in this book to characters from previous books. This book was food for thought and had me wondering about the author's childhood and life prior to us knowing her as a great book writer. Some of the things I was reading had me thinking that they didn't all sound completely fictional. I sometimes get great gut feelings but even now still not sure about the ones I had when I finished this book. I devoured it one sitting and hope I didn't read it too fast. A must read for those who have read the prior 2 books in the series and I think one I may have to read again to see if I still feel the same.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Adorable children and a beautiful love story.

 

My review of:

The Rulebreaker (The Dugout Series Book 3)

Author:  Piper Rayne

I must firstly say thank you for my ARC of this book. This was a 5 star read for me. I knew that after reading Foster's story that his twin Decker would have an equally great one and I love that I wasn't proved wrong. Decker and Penelope were a truly adorable couple from when they were kids until the very end of the book. As they grew into their relationship throughout the book, so did Decker's relationship with Foster grow. To see these twins coming together was absolutely beautiful. Each one thought the other had the better life but in reality they didn't know and they fought through jealousy and mistrust to become brothers again. Several twists that I didn't see coming and had me guessing almost to the very end. Hazel and Monroe were such a delight. Children and dogs have a way of bringing us into a story even deeper. This book had me chuckling out loud on several occasions and I won't lie, I did shed a few tears through this story. Each of these players are unique in their own way as are the women they choose to spend their lives with. As we move forward I am excited and awaiting patiently the next story, Easton's. Fans of Piper Rayne are hopefully, like me, eating this all up and for new people, this can be read as a standalone but I am sure you will fall in love with the Colts and want to go back and read the other stories. Thank you again for my ARC of this wonderful 5 star book.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Boy to Man and Good Girl with a Naughty Side

My review of:

Fair Game  (The Rules of the Rink Book 1)

By: Ruth Stilling 

Firstly I must thank the author for my ARC via Hambright. This was a 5 star easy and sweet read for me. I thought I was going to dislike the male main character. He was arrogant, spoiled and very cocky. However, as I saw his character progress I liked him and by the end of the book I adored him. The female main character was an interesting lady and I really liked her from the start and as the book progressed I wasn't disappointed. Each of the side characters were extremely relevant and were made to be important to the story so I can see some fabulous sequels to this first in the series coming up. This was a definite opposites attract and the story was written and developed beautifully right up to the very end. I loved the narrative and the banter and conversations were a delight to read. I am definitely excited for the next book and to see where this series takes us. Will they be lifting a cup by the end of the series? Lots still to be told.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

A 3 book series that can be read a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and more times around!

 

My review of: 

Coffee Loft Collection: Denver Edge Hockey Romances

By:  Kerry Evelyn

Firstly, I must thank Kerry for my ARC of this collection. Each of these books read separately in the past brought together in a collection should be considered a 15 star read....5 stars for each.

That Thing You Brew.
I originally read this in March 2024. I absolutely loved the book then and loved it even more second time around. The characters were familiar, like friends. It was sitting around a fire and chatting with them about their story and remembering how it all was for them. Xavier and Penny brought out all the emotions in me that they did the first time. I laughed and I cried and I knew that I would meet them again in other books.

Pumpkin Spice Baby.
This 5 star book which I originally read in September 2024 brought us the story of Monty and Tasha. A totally different couple to many but their story was a total delight and Monty was too adorable to be true. So real and true and not like the spoiled rich boy at all. This book had me laughing, crying and all the emotions in between. I think this one was even better a second time around and I remember glowing over it the first time. A definite must read.

Sew Matcha in Love.
Yup. Another 5 star awesome read about a Denver Edge Hockey Player. Zaki creates magic on the ice and Arwyn creates magic with her creations out of fabric as she is a seamstress who has turned nanny and is amazing at both. The twins are endearing and might be a couple of my favorite book children. Another one that had me smiling and in tears and was beautiful from beginning to end.

This collection was absolutely worthy of a second read and I can see it being read again and again it is so good. Kerry has become one of my most favorite authors, but more than that she is a very caring, genuine, sweet lady and I love being able to call her a friend. I thank her for this collection. It is great having all 3 amazing books together.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Sweet apples and dark mystery!

 

My review of Embers & Echoes by R.C. Stephens

Firstly I must say thank you for my ARC. This 5 star read was absolutely fantastic from beginning to end. The story was beautiful and also a little different. The main characters were wonderful together. Their conversations were always lovely to read. There were lots of laugh out loud moments between the main characters and all of the many side characters in this story. Maple Valley Orchard and all the attached businesses and land sound enchanting and seems like once there the magic grips folks and they don't want to to leave. This book can be read well as a standalone and I know that if folks read this one they will go back and read others about other characters involved in this book. I hope that there is another book as there still some single brothers and several single workers in the orchard who would make great stories. Loved this one and cannot wait to read more by this author.