Book Blurb:
Posey Osterhagen can't complain. She owns a successful architectural salvaging company, she's surrounded by her lovable, if off-center, family and she has a boyfriend—sort of. Still, something's missing. Something tall, brooding and criminally good-looking…something like Liam Murphy.

When Posey was sixteen, the bad boy of Bellsford, New Hampshire, broke her heart. But now he's back, sending Posey's traitorous schoolgirl heart into overdrive once again. She should be giving him a wide berth, but it seems fate has other ideas….

In My Own Words:
Living up to her parents expectations is something that Posey hasn't ever been able to quite accomplish.  Living in the shadow of her famous cousin, she has that one down pat.  When her first love comes back to town with a teen age daughter in tow, Posey decides the best thing for her, and her heart, is to ignore him, maybe he will go away.  Unfortunately, her luck can't be that good.  Circumstance after circumstance seems to have them both thrown together.  What she doesn't need is her mother making goo goo eyes at Liam for her traitorous cousin who by the way, has never had anything nice to say about Posey at all.  Will Posey finally stand up to her family and take what she has always wanted, happiness.

Notable Quote:
"Well, I love you, even if you did ruin my life by turning into a teeneager"... (Liam and his daughter disagreeing....again)

Review:
I loved so many things about this book.  Posey was eccentric and sassy, but also kind and faithful.  Liam had his heart broken by losing his wife and trying to raise his daughter alone.  I felt for him a lot during this book.  I think I connected with him before any other characters.  Posey's family....you just can't help but laugh.  Posey has such wonderful friends that aren't afraid to tell her how it is, and put her straight.  I can't think of one thing that I didn't really like about this book.  It was a great comfort contemporary read, and one I would recommend to anyone.

Have You Seen Her? ~ Karen Rose

Book Blurb:
One by one, the girls disappear from their beds at night. Each one is pretty, with long dark hair. And each one is found brutally murdered.

Special Agent Steven Thatcher has sworn to find the serial killer preying on this small town. As the investigation pulls him one way, his family pulls him in another. A widower haunted by loss, he now worries about his son Brad slipping away. But there's a bright light in his life: his son's teacher, Jenna Marshall, has reached out to help. She's beautiful, kind, and considerate--and slowly, tentatively, she and Steven are starting to fall in love. But both have been hurt before--badly. And as the two try to find the courage to bare their souls, a murderer who has slain many looks for the real treasure he craves. He sets his traps. And waits. For Jenna...

In My Own Words:

When Jenna Marshall decided to become a teacher, the last thing she thought she would have to deal with was a football player's family and friends threatening and terrorizing her for failing him, thus keeping him off the field.  When the threats become a bit overwhelming, she turns to the father of another student, Special Agent Steven Thatcher, who has had his own bouts with someone terrorizing his family when his son was taken 6 months prior.  Since that time, little Nicky hasn't been or had much joy in his little life.  When meddling Aunt Helen starts her plan to get Steven married off, the plan couldn't have backfired more when Steven thinks that Jenna is part of the plan.  When the cards are stacked against them, they seem to find their way back to each other, but when the body count starts to rise, even Jenna's friends aren't safe.

Notable Quote:

..."I was going to have icecream for dinner. Want some?"

"You really need to have better nutrition, Jenna."  Seth stood up. "Butter pecan is my favorite."

"It's Rocky Road."

....."Like I said, Rocky Road is my favorite."

Review:

I have to admit, I had a hard time getting in to this particular book in the series.  We met several different people right away, and trying to keep them all straight got a bit trying at times.  I also didn't feel any chemistry with really any of the characters.  After about 1/3 of the way through, I began to piece it together, and I started to feel for Steven, it wasn't until then that I started to enjoy the book.  Several parts of this book stick out in my mind, the relationship between dad and sons.  There are two completely different family dynamics that you witness, and they are polar opposites.  The way that Steven always seemed to be saying "I'm sorry" to Jenna, and seeming to truly mean it.  The meddling Aunt and neighbor were highlights to me.  I did figure out "who done it" before it was revealed, but I had quite a hard time deducing the perp until a few things slipped.  I wasn't put off by knowing who the bad guy actually was, though.  All in all, I would say, this is a good book.  It wasn't one of my favorites, but I enjoyed it eventually, and was pulling for some of the main characters.  I hope Davies gets his own story.  He played a pivotal roll in the investigation and in Steven & Jenna's relationship.

Serendipity - Carly Phillips

Book Blurb:
Faith Harrington was the classic girl of privilege–until her father was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and then her marriage crashed and burned.

Now Faith is back in her hometown, hoping for a fresh start. But her father’s betrayal has rocked Serendipity – and not everyone is ready to welcome her with open arms. Then she runs into her teenage crush — the dark, brooding Ethan Barron. Ethan, no stranger to scandal himself, never imagined he’d own the mansion on the hill, much less ever again come face to face with Faith–the princess he once kissed senseless. The chance meeting reignites the electric charge between them.

Still, when Ethan hires her to redecorate what was once her childhood home, Faith is sure that getting involved with the town’s notorious bad boy will only lead to trouble. But her heart has other ideas. And so do the townspeople of Serendipity …

In My Own Words:
Classic story of good little rich girl, falls for bad boy on a motorcycle.  But, Serendipity gives us a twist.  In the years since Faith and Ethan's spark charged kiss on the back of his motorcycle, many lives have changed, and not necessarily for the better.  Ethan's parents were killed by a drunk driver on the way to bail Ethan out of jail, thus starting a tailspin affect where Ethan leaves his two younger brothers to try and make it on his own.  While he has amassed lots of fortune and has come back to make things right, neither Nash or Dare are ready to buy what he is selling.  Old wounds cut very deep with these three.

Coming back to her hometown licking her own wounds, Faith stops by the one place that she will always remember as home.  Her mansion on the hill.  After her father is arrested for bilking people out of millions of dollars, to basically keep him in the style he has been accustomed.  When the arrest is made, her husband of convenience (on his part) decided to make it known he himself had a side attraction, to other females.  Coming home seemed the right thing to do, until her visit to her childhood home brought her face to face with Ethan Barron.

Faith and Ethan come to an understanding and start a working relationship while Faith helps him decorate his new mansion and he helps build her new design company.  All seems to be going well, and headed towards great things, until one night he is delivered a gift, by way of a teen with a chip on her shoulder.  Can this teen-goth-hellion be the glue this family so desperately needs?

Notable Quote:
"It's interesting how the mighty have fallen" (Ethan and Faith's first conversation since coming home)

Review:
I really enjoyed Serendipity.  I thought the teen brought a huge element to the book and made Ethan seem more....human.  There were several relationships to the story.  One the friendships that people make throughout their lives, the friendship between Kate and Lissa which are very different, but very dear to Faith.  The relationship between mother and daughter.  It was interesting to see their interaction and watch Faith stand up for herself.  The relationships between brothers.  As Ethan tries to put his family back together after tragedy.  It was almost heartbreaking to read, to know so much pain existed.  The relationship between brothers and sister.  That was an interesting dynamic.  Watching Tess bounce off each and every one of them, and then bonding to tightly with the one everyone swore had no heart.  Finally the relationship with the town.  As much as both Ethan and Faith hated what home represented, they both wound up there to heal.  I am VERY interested in Nash and Kelly's story.  The spark almost made my Nook burn up when she appeared.

Against The Storm - Kat Martin

Book Blurb:
Redheads like Maggie O'Connell are nothing but trouble. But Trace Rawlins, a former army ranger turned private investigator, takes the case anyway. After all, he knows a thing or two about women.

Trace can sense that something is wrong—Maggie isn't telling him everything. If these menacing calls and messages are real, why won't the police help her? And if they aren't real, what is she hiding?

As Trace digs deeper to find the source of Maggie's threats, he discovers a secret that no one was meant to uncover. And the only puzzle left to be solved is whether the danger comes from an unknown stalker…or from the woman he's trying his hardest not to fall for.

In My Own Words:
When Maggie can't ignore all of the weird hang-ups and notes left for her, she decides it is time to take matters in to her own hands and hire the best private investigator she has heard of...Trace Rawlins.  Trace has a sweet spot for redheads, and knows he looses his mind when they are near.  But can't help but take her case when the danger seems all to real.  As Trace begins to dig deeper in to the case, he realizes that Maggie hasn't been 100% honest with him, and he isn't sure what part of her story is real or fake.  As the calls become more frequent, and the danger becomes really close, will Trace bite the bullet and believe Maggie and help, or will Maggie be left to her own devices?

Review:
We met Trace in one of the previous "Against" books, and I loved him since then.  A rugged cowboy type that has a military background and a love for life...and redheads.  I really liked the secondary characters, I enjoyed getting to know them almost as much as the main characters.  Roxanne, the bestfriend....I sincerely hope she gets a story, she seems like she has a lot to say, I think she would be a kick in the pants.  The flow of this story was good, and I didn't ever feel like I was bored, but I also wasn't riveted to the pages like I have been with previous Kat Martin books.  So while this was a good edition to the "Against" series, I guess I look for more action when it comes to this series.  I did like it though, and am looking forward to the next book.

Love Me Tender - Alison Kent

Book Blurb:
Leaving behind her exciting career as a New York City fashion editor, Eden Karr - pregnant with twins - moves to small town Texas and opens a clothing boutique. Life in Arbor Glen is a far cry from the fast pace she's always thrived in, and she wonders if she's made a mistake - until sexy carpenter Jace Morgan strides into her store.

One look at beautiful Eden, and Jace know he's found his woman. Trouble is, she's still yearning for New York and his roots are now firmly planted in the Texas Hill Country. Somehow, he's got to show Eden that life here with him could be rich and full, and that the growing love they share is strong enough to keep them living happily ever after.

In My Own Words:
Retreating to small town America, seemed like the best idea to Eden.  She left her big career and big heart ache behind in NY when she found out she was pregnant and the father refused to make an honest woman out of her because he was married.  A fact she didn't know until that faithful day when she asked him, with her heart on her sleeve, to marry her and be a family with their unborn baby.  Moving to Arbor Glen was the best decision she has made.  She started up a clothing boutique and quickly started making life long friends with some of the residents.  When lots of business means lots of inventory, Eden decides she needs some work done to The Fig Leaf.  Jace is just the man she needs.  With haunts of his own in his past, Jace doesn't feel he can be a good friend, to anyone, and tries, without success, to distance himself from Eden and her unborn babies.  The two become fast friends with a spark that neither can or want to put out.  Will Eden's hold on NY hold her back from true love?  Will Jace's thought that he can't be good enough for her overcome his need for her?

Notable Quote:
Jace closed the door behind her and turned to Eden.  "What was that?"

"That....was a teenager."

Review:
I really liked the story of Jace and Eden.  The secondary characters were great, and you really got the feel that you were in the town and could really picture everything the writer was trying to get across.  I enjoyed watching the struggle Jace had with himself and when he finally gave up and couldn't stand it anymore, and Eden welcoming him with open arms.  I did tear up a little when he delivered her a special gift for the twins.  I had two issues with this book.  At times, for lack of a better word, the book was a little wordy.  The author seemed to describe things to death, to the point where I skimmed quite a bit.  My second qualm was some of the dialogue closer to the end was pretty cheesy.  When I pictured Jace in the beginning, I didn't picture him as someone that would cave so quickly in the way he spoke to his lady love.  I agree that to a degree some cheese is necessary because it is a love story, but it came to a point that I skimmed some of that too.  I did like the story, and I was surprised there wasn't a love lost point, where the biological dad showed up, but that didn't take from the story at all.  I enjoyed watching Jace and Eden fall in love and I really enjoyed watching Eden fall for the town.

Circle of Desire - Carla Swafford

Book Blurb:
As the top assassin at The Circle, a shadowy group of mercenaries, Olivia St. Vincent can hunt down anyone. She's been trained since she was a teenager to kill without feeling, to interact with men without love. But when she's kidnapped by the enigmatic leader of a rival organization, she learns she's been lied to for years. She never worked for the good guys.

Collin Ryker believes the sultry woman he's abducted knows more than she's telling about The Circle and its plans for complete domination. Over time, as they work together, Olivia's tenacity and vulnerability captivate him. But if he isn't careful, Collin will fall into the biggest trap of all: caring for a woman who can betray him to his greatest enemy.

In My Own Words:
On her way back to base, Olivia is abducted by a team of people that she believes are the enemy.  As the top assassin for The Circle, she takes out some of the worlds most dangerous and despicable men, or so she thinks.  While in captivity with OS, the company that branched off from The Circle, Collin Ryker must get Olivia to not only be a team player, with HIS team, but get intel she may have about The Circle and it's chief operator.  Olivia is shaken to her core when she realizes that the work she has done for many years, hasn't been for the good of mankind.  The only thing that can make her whole again, is love.  Can Collin provide what she needs?

Notable Quote:
"Damn, she's going to be pissed again.  We can't keep knocking her out." Collin scoped her into his arms. "let's go.  Thank goodness we've got a private plane back."

"I'm all for dumping her out over Texas." Rex followed, leaving the cleanup for his crew.

"Now what has Texas ever done to you?"

Review:
This book had many facets of suspense involved, which I really liked.  For a while, you weren't sure if Olivia was working for the good guys or the bad guys.  The secondary characters were easy to like, Rex...I have a soft spot for him.  The romance scenes were spicy and well written.  I guess my complaint about it would be that the sex scenes seemed to be....forced.  Like they were added just to have them in there.  Some of them, I remember saying...huh?  Like I said, they were well written, I just thought a lot of them were unnecessary and out of place.  The budding relationship with Collin and Olivia was fun to watch.  The unease of both of them, not sure who to trust, and the quips between them both, was very entertaining.  I am curious to see where this series goes, there were lots of twists and turns in this one, and intrigue is high for me for the 2nd book.

Under Fire - Rita Henuber

Book Blurb:
Coast Guard helicopter pilot Olivia Carver is on a very personal mission. Her twin brother, an undercover officer, was murdered by a drug cartel and she won't stop until she finds the man responsible for his death.

In the course of her own investigation, Olivia meets informant Rico Cortes. He's mysterious and sexy and despite her reservations, the two share a night of passion. But Rico turns out to be more than a one-night stand. He's a DEA agent, deep undercover in Miami's drug world, and possibly the one man who can help Olivia find the justice she seeks.

When Rico realizes his cover is blown, he isn't sure whether it was someone in the cartel or an inside agent. Olivia is the only one he can trust and together they venture on a dangerous, rogue mission to infiltrate a drug lord's inner circle…with Olivia as bait.

In My Own Words:
The one thing that Commander Olivia Carver wants in life, is to get justice for the murder of her twin brother, Danny.  What she didn't expect was to meet a tall, dark and handsome DEA agent that is undercover in the same organization that she needs to take down.  When Rico sees Olivia in the bar, his original intention of sending her packing with a stiff warning, goes out the door.  After a steamy night of sizzling passion, Olivia is ready to give herself a pat on the back for her first one-night-stand success.  When Olivia encounters Rico again, it is in not so friendly circumstances.  When he turns to Olivia for help, she must decide if getting in bed with the devil is worth the intel he may provide.  Having to go undercover herself, she realizes how much she has come to care for Rico, but when she is made, will the training and love persevere?

Notable Quote:
"Commander, if it's all the same to you, you get in that kind of trouble again, call the Marines.  Once flying with you was enough.  And, we aren't all that great.  It's just that everybody else sucks."  He winked and without another word, turned and hobbled away.  (SEAL rescuer to Olivia)

Review:
I LOVED THIS BOOK.  I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with.  I was surprised to find out this is her debut book.  This book has it ALL.  I was hooked from the first few pages when Olivia showed she was a pilot not to be messed with.  Olivia is a strong woman full of spunk and sass with the know-how to back it all up.  Rico is a tough as nails DEA agent that is sexy, with a killer smile and to many secrets for him not to be irresistible.  The secondary characters were just as much fun to read about. Mouse is a KICK!!  I was so happy for his own happy ending.  This book had non-stop action and some steamy hot sex scenes.  The banter was refreshing and Rico and Olivia had great chemistry.  My only complaint about this book, was it ended rather abruptly.  I am hoping that means we are being set up for another book :)