Review :Be My Valentino by Sandra D. Bricker.

This is the second book in a trilogy,: The Jessie Stanton Series. I reviewed the first book in  the series, On a Ring and  Prayer recently. The book series follows Jessie a woman whose sudden exit from her life leaves her with no rounds and no idea where he is or what is going on. She hires Danny Callahan, a private detective to help her find out some information and uses the only thing of value she has, her engagement ring  to finance her new store. The store rents out designer wear to people who love the look but cannot ord to buy. . Along the way she has met Danny's friend Aaron Riggs who becomes her landlord, Amber who works with her at the store Adornments. and  .cast of other characters. In this book she travels to Louisiana's to see the grandfather whose voice appears throughout the book. He gives us background and insight into Jessie. It is a device continued from the first book and works wonderfully.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Jack Stanton is still causing trouble both directly and indirectly. Jessie is impacted by these intrusions into the  new life that she is making for herself but shines through. The wonderful support  of friends is seen in this novel as it is in other works by Sandra Bricker. As in real life it really makes  a difference. Broken things are mended and throughout  is the echo of one who is closer than  a brother.You really root for Jessie because you feel like she deserves a break. She seems like  a nice woman who thought that she knew what she wanted and discovered maybe it wasn't what she needed. It is  Avery human story. You also find yourself rooting for Danny as more of his own past comes to light and he deals with its echoes. He could use a second chance . There is an easy humor as  well as drama in this book as well as life insight. an all around good read and good second book in a series which is not always easy to pull off. 

Review:Double Cross. FBI Agent Laurel Evertson's investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she's vowed to forget Wilmington--and what she sacrificed to put him away--he is now her best lead.Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer's next targets, and he'll do anything to protect his family--even force interagency cooperation. But he's quickly drawn to Laurel's empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon.As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington's claims of redemption,or if he's leading them into a double cross.                                                           The characters in this book were great. A kick as s granny does it for me every time. Abby was cool. Loved  Laurel and Danny aswell. The plot was great with plot twists, danger and explosions along the way. All the way through to the end I was trying to figure out if the ex-fiance had changed or was still a crook especially when it was not clear through much of the storyline. The real bad guy was surprise and it was therefore masterfully done. My hat goes off to Ms.Mills. I also even began to suspect another agent for a.second. also good work on the plot.

Review Heart of Betrayal

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen. Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny                                                                                                                            What can I say. This is the second installment in the Remnant Chronicles and again it ends on a cliffhanger. Mary Pearson, girlfriend what are you doing to me? Intrigue , tunnels, plot twists and is there anyone who doesn't fancy marrying Lia? Wow. We pick up where we left off in Kiss of Deception . Kia has been brought to Venda by Laden instead of being killed byKaden. Race has followed and promises that his men will arrive shortly and rescue them. Shortly is not how long they wait. When they do appear it is very near the end of this book . Nail biting waiting for them. Also the character of Kaden' s boss the komizar is introduced and presents a whole new set of problems. Strange alliances are revealed and  a little more of a glimpse into the prophecies role of Lia are beginning to become more clear. Very exciting from the middle to the end as things really start to move and things get more complicated. I love Lia' s sass. In really like her now and things look kind of dark. I can't believe that I have to wait to find out how it turns out. You're killing me here Me. Pearson. I recommend continuing with the series if you have read Kiss of deception.

Emma Lee Raines knows there's only one cure for a bad case of murder! I told you I was sick, reads the heastone abouve Mamie Sue Preston's grave. She was the richest woman in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, and also the biggest hypochondriac. Ironic, considering someone killed her-proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral HOme, know all this? Because Mamie Sue's ghost told her, that's how! And she's offering big bucks to find the perp. The catch is, Mamie Sue was buried by the Raines family's archrival, Burns Funeral Home. Would the Burneses stoop to framing Emma Lee's granny? With an enterprising maid, a penny-pinching pastor, and a slimy Lexington lawyer all making a killing off Mamie Sue's estate, Emma Lee needs a teammate-like her dreamboat boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross. Because ith millions at stake, snooping around is definitely bad for Emma Lee's health..

A Ghostly Murder by Tonya Kappes. This book is part of  a series. I recently reviewed the installment proceeding this one. This series follows Emma , a funeral director who discovers that she can see and hear the departed after a blow on the head. She discovers that she is entrusted with the task of assisting those who are not at peace to find justice by catching their killer. in this case there are some very strange things going on and there are a string of deaths which looked like natural causes but we're not. Emma has her work cut out for her following the money trail, unearthing long kept secrets and dealing with the possible career move her boyfriend is considering. On top of it all Emma's sister is making some changes.                                                                                                                                                                               Emma just can't catch a break . There are so many zany goings on and more in between ghosts are popping up. This story blends the crazy and amusing with the serious and suspenseful well. You've got to feel for Emma because if she won't gettingnintona scrape then one of her family like her grandmother. The charafters are quirky and interesting. The plot has twists and action in the right places. The plot tied together unicellular the end. The main character is facing several situations that are difficult in her personal life adding some dimension. I also learned some interesting facts about tombstones and bells that I did not know before. This was a fun and yet suspenseful romp.

Review: A Heart's Promise by ColOwen Coble. At Fort Laramie, soldier Isaac Liddle determines he will court and win Emmie Croftner's hand. Though courting seems improbable for a woman in her condition, Emmie begins to care deeply for Issac and chafes as Jessica Dubois sets her bonnet for him. When Jessica learns of Emmie's secret pregnancy, she blackmails her. With the Sioux Wars raging outside the safety of Fort Laramie, Emmie knows she cannot lose Isaac. But will he reject her--and her child--if he learns the truth?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      This is part 5 in a series. I timed my review to go up as.the next book in the series is becoming available for all of you who have been the victims of the cliffhanger effect. That is when you are stoked to find out what happens next and have to wait months or sometimes years to find out. Luckily this is a previously published series which is being re-released. It is one of the authors earlier series and one that has special meaning for her. This is because she wrote it to her to deal with the loss of  a loved one.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The story takes place in the Wyoming Territory and since I am calling it a territory rather than a state you probably just put together that it is  a historical novel. It follows Emma who is the wronged "wife" of a vocalist who is pregnant with his child. The man passed away . She is in a fort with some other military officers wives. She is staying with friends. Two of the other wives are also pregnant. One is having  a difficult time. Emma is attracted to an officer named Isaac but believes that if he knew the situation he would not want her. To make matters worse another female enters the picture and signals her intentions to snag Isaac for  a husband. She threatens to out Emma to the whole fort if she doesn't stay away from him. Can't a girl get a break here?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          This book is more of  novella in length and that is good because as I indicated earlier you want to get on to the next installment to find out what happens next. You really root for Emma because she is very caring and decent. She did not have the ideal situation growing up and feels for the other women at the fort. The spectre of her childhood colors her current life situation as first she was ashamed because of a men(her father and brothers) and now another man(her duplicitous husband to whom she was never really married) make her life miserable with effects of their bad choices and behaviors. Isaac has the character that these men lacked so you really want them to get together. The sense of solidarity and sisterhood among  the women  in the story was lovely and well presented as was the camaraderie among the men. The women though are definitely the stars here and get the most attention.The realities of their situation in the wilderness is well portrayed. The next installment in this series A Heart's Home releases August 4th so pick it up along with this to keep going and not keep hanging from that cliff.

Review: The Cacuts Creek Challenge. Anything he can do, I can do better. At least that was what Cassie Bucknell thought before she pinned on Ben Wilder’s badge and took to patrolling the streets of Cactus Creek, Texas. Cassie has been in love with Ben since primer school, but Ben treats her like a little sister. When they are picked to swap jobs for a month as part of the annual Cactus Creek Challenge in their Texas hometown, the schoolhouse is thrown into an uproar, the jail becomes a temporary bank vault, and Cassie and Ben square off in a battle of wills that becomes a battle for their hearts.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This book was a western romance with a twist. Two couples were involved rather than just one and , as throttle suggests were involvedninna contest for prize money. This was an original and creative concept. The world building, plot line and character development were all solid and well done. The author worked well with the historical period displaying  a knowledge of the physical environment related details that her characters would encounter but also the social and cultural factors present at the time. The children  in the book were written beautifully. They were funny, smart, brave, loyal and resourceful. The romantic elements were well balanced with action, humor and tension. The writing of the characters inner conflicts and thoughts demonstrated an understanding of the human mind and heart and the source of inner motivations. This story was a pleasure to read and I will be looking for more by this author.