The Hero (Sons of Texas #1) By Donna Grant
3 stars
Owen Loughman has been taken out of commission from his Navy Seal assignment to search for his missing father. Owen is not having a good day. Getting word that his father had been kidnapped was bad but now he has learned that the only woman that he has ever loved had been employed by his father. Now, he is going to have to work with Natalie in order to locate his father and also retrieve a secret weapon. Working with Natalie has proven to be difficult due to the attraction from both of them. However, both Natalie and Owen are professionals and know that each has a job to do.
I enjoyed the storyline, but there were several issues for me with this book. First of all, this reader just didn’t see the attraction between Owen and Natalie. Secondly, the book basically left the reader hanging, meaning that now one has to now read book 2 in order to continue with the storyline. This reader does not like cliffhangers!
Thanks to Tantor Media for giving me this book in exchange for a honest review.
In Safe Hands (The Safe House #1) By Leslie North
3.75 Stars
Alexa Volkov has lived a very privileged life but now could pay the price of her mafia boss father. Alexa is in a position that could destroy the Mafia family, including her own dad. She now has a price on her head and fears for her life. Ex-NYPD cop Damian Stone was on his way to becoming a FBI agent when his partner was killed in the line of duty. Now, Damian has taken on another role and that is of protector with an underground group. Damian hates where Alexa came from but is now her protector and must do whatever it takes so that she can testify. Damian has a dilemma since Alexa’s father was the man who supposedly killed his partner.
I really enjoyed this short read. I have read several books by Leslie North and this one did not disappoint. I will definitely continue with this series.
In Safe Hands (Search # Rescue #4) By Katie Ruggle
4.25 Stars
The odds of reading two books back to back by the same name are unusual for me. At least the plots were different! Chris Jennings is a member of the Field County Sheriff’s department located in the Colorado Rockies. He has always upheld the law and protected one woman who has no interest in him until the day that she witnessed a brutal crime outside her bedroom window.
This reader did not realize this book was part of a series until mid- way through the book. However, this book can be read as a stand-alone although some characters were already introduced. I loved Daisy and how sympathetic that she was, but her background is also heartbreaking. Daisy is an agoraphobic woman that can’t leave her house. She happened to witness the death of her mother and for the last 8 years, she’s only had her father and Chris to keep her company.
I am definitely going to go back and read the prior books and also hunt for books by this author. I also enjoyed the narrator who brought this book to life!
Thanks to Tantor Media for giving me this audio in exchange for a honest review.
The Protector (Sons of Texas #2) by Donna Grant
4 stars
This installment starts right where book 1 left off so I highly suggest that you read that one first. Marine Force Recon Captain Cullen Loughman receives word that his father has been kidnapped. Cullen will do whatever it takes to locate is dad and bring him home. In order to do so, he must team up with ex-Air Force pilot Mia Carter, who happens to be a stunning woman. Mia was the last person to see Cullen’s dad before he disappeared. The only problem is that Mia is neck deep in trouble dodging the cartel. Cullen and Mia take the reader on a wild ride in order to locate Orrin. Both the hero and the heroine are bad asses, but realize that they must trust the other in order to survive. This is an excellent portrayal of love, loyalty, and trust. Kudos to Ms. Grant for an excellent plot and to Ms. Carly Robins who was an enjoyable narrator. This reader especially enjoyed this installment and is looking forward to more! Highly recommended!
Thanks to Tantor for giving me this audio in exchange for a honest review.
Cutting Loose (Sisterhood Diaries #1) by Susan Andersen
3 stars
Jane has always had a cool head until she met Dev who happens to be the contractor restoring the Wolcott mansion. Jane and her two best friends had recently inherited the mansion. To Dev’s defense, he was jet lagged and had two stiff welcome home drinks prior to meeting Jane. Dev could easily renovate the house in the dark, but he wants to see discuss issues with Jane. By all appearances, Jane is a very conservative woman until she meets Dev.
The plot was well devised with Jane and Dev each coming from opposite backgrounds. Jane’s parents were drunks, which scared Jane into thinking that she may eventually turn out like her parents. Although she wore conservative clothes, she always had wild shoes. Dev’s family was very devoted but at some level almost too much. For instance, Dev’s brothers tended to flirt some with Jane and she right back at them – no concern from Dev. How many men will allow their brothers (or buddies) to flirt with their woman?!
This reader saw some passion between the two characters but not enough wild passion to be believable. This reader also didn’t care for the narrator attempting to impersonate a male voice. Overall, an enjoyable read but not sure if this series will remain on my radar.
Thanks to Tantor Media for giving me this book in exchange for a honest review.
The Widower’s Wife by Cate Holahan
3 stars
By all appearances, Tom and Ana Bacon have it all – lavish lifestyle, extravagant trips, mansion, and money to burn. However, all of this is the furthest from the truth. Creditors are repossessing their belongings and foreclosure is imminent. Ana is attempting to keep her small family afloat since Tom has lost his job.
Tom’s financial woes may be solved when Ana drowned after falling off the deck of a cruise ship. Ana’s life insurance policy was ten million dollars. Ryan Monahan, a private investigator for ISIS Insurance Company, the carrier for Ana’s policy, has been assigned to determine if Ana’s untimely death could have either been from foul play or a suicide. Ryan immediately suspects Tom, but Tom has an ironclad alibi. Could Ana have possibly committed suicide since the financial ruin was too much for her to handle?
The story took on several twists and turns and was always a page turner. However, this reader found several points of Tom and Ana’s marriage to be unreal. The ending was also rather unbelievable as well. The cover for the audio book in this reader’s humble opinion was very poor. The cover appeared to be a 1970’s retro rather than a current picture. This could prove costly for the author when many readers do get sucked in from just the cover alone. The narrator was new to me and did help to keep the storyline going. Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me with this book in exchange for a honest review.
Someone Like You by Laren Layne (Book 3 Oxford)
4 stars
Lauren Layne is one of my favorite go to authors, especially in audios. This one certainly did not disappoint. I have been waiting for Lincoln’s story, and this installment was even better than I imagined. The narrator, Ms. Rebecca Estrella was also well performed. Although this book can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend that you do read the first two books in order to better understand the characters. I also highly recommend Ms. Layne’s other series as well.
Lincoln is not the care free guy that I have come to hate. There hasn’t been a woman who has not been dazzled by his charm until he meets Tori, the new copy editor. Daisy is shy, timid, and awkward. She attempts to ignore his charms, which confuses Lincoln. The harder that he tries to win her over to his team, the more that she resist.
Daisy has had a rough life during college due to a mean spirited prank that has left her running from men, especially the playboy type. However, as she gets to know and understand Lincoln, she realizes that there is damage behind the façade. Both Lincoln and Daisy have so much to give but so much to shelter as well that their past is comingled with their future until both realize that they can trust the other.
Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me this book in exchange for an honest review.
Girls Weekend
Three ladies are friends due to their children or spouses and live in the same town. Each thinks that the others have the perfect husband and perfect life. However, this is far from the case. Each lady has issues or dreams that never materialized. These forty’ish women decide to go for a girls only weekend. There is a chapter devoted to each woman on her struggles. One begins to understand why the ladies want to start over and what their life would be like.
The ladies were open and honest with each other and became closer friends because of the week-end. What I really enjoyed about this book was the character building of each lady, and I could actually relate to some of their issues. A very close friend of mine and I take two week-ends a year and have quality girl time. Although we don’t sit around and discuss these types of issues, we do discuss what is going on in our lives. We both come back refreshed and energized. We also craft all week-end, which is something these ladies could do to de-stress!
When the ladies do return home on Sunday, I had a feeling that they would have a difficult time. However, this is further from the truth. The week-end helped them to focus and find peace. I’m a true believer of the girls week-end, and I am so glad that I found this book.
Thanks to Tantor Media for giving me this book in exchange for a honest review. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books from this author as well as the narrator.
Shadows of the Past (Logan Point #1) by Patricia Bradley
3.5 stars
Taylor Martin is a psychology professor and part-time criminal profiler. The only case that she can’t solve is of her missing father. For twenty years, she has wondered what happened to him without a trace or any clues. She is good at her job and knows it. She does have self-doubt in her personal life where men are concerned.
In walks, or more accurately stalks, Nick Sinclair whose brother is accused of murder. Nick is in desperate need of Taylor’s help in order to acquit Scott. Nick’s wife died in an accident years before, and he has absolutely no plans to fall for Taylor.
This was a very slow character build. Several other characters were introduced so this reader is sure that they will be front and center in future installments. While the story was very clean (Christian novel), the particular writing style was not for me. The narrator did an excellent job in switching back and forth between characters. Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me this audio in exchange for a honest review.
Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig
4 stars
Juliet Langley is distraught after her music career crashes. Tucking her tail between her legs, she is forced to go back into food service. As if she hadn’t already been down on her luck, she is thrown yet another curve ball. Her two timing fiancé runs off with her best waitress and in the process steals from Juliet. Packing up and moving back to Nashville, Juliet is offered a job to manager a friend’s coffeehouse.
By all appearances, Java Jive has not changed since the last time Juliet was here. To her surprise, the staff is revolting, and an employee is found dead in the dumpster. Unfortunately for Julia, this occurs on her first day back on the job. Just Juliet’s luck, the corpse is the cook who had gotten into a heated battle with Julia over code enforcement. Now, the employees are too happy to spill the beans to the cops regarding Juliet’s bad temper. Questions that Juliet can’t answer are being thrown at her, and she is finding that not only the coffee is in hot water. If she doesn’t solve the case, her next job maybe making coffee in the slammer.
This was a cute cozy read. Juliet is fun, witty, and very likeable. The narrator brought Juliet to life and the listen/read was very easy and fast. This is definitely a listen if you don’t want to think and just enjoy the moment. Grab a cup of java and be prepared to be swept away into Juliet’s crazy world. Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me with this audio in exchange for a honest review.
