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A Forever Kind of Thing by Carrie Thomas and Melinda Harris – Review by Julie Johnson

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A Forever Kind of ThingA Forever Kind of Thing by Melinda Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“‘You’re a unicorn,’ I breathed, as I took her face in my hands. ‘Rare and magnificient. And I’d set the world on fire just to get a taste of that magic.'”

Mina is tired of all the bullies. She can’t help her looks or her wardrobe, not to mention that she’s fortunate to have had a meal today. Life is rough in this small town where she is called all sorts of names. She’s never really had a friend until 5th grade and that’s when she met the “new kid” Wes.

He came in and sat down next to her. She tried to warn him away but he wasn’t having it. He was more into her than anyone else and she couldn’t understand it, even after he told her that he lived in New Haven.

Both kids dealt with their share of tragedy but they dealt with it together. That is, until the day that Wes just up and left with not so much as a goodbye. Mina was devastated and thought life would end for her. In a way, her life as she knew it did end and nothing would ever be the same again.

This is an angsty teenage romance novel of lost first loves. There are times it was a little much for this mom raising teenagers but overall I really did enjoy this story. The challenges that Mina and Wes are pretty real life for many people, at least the first part of life. My favorite part of this book is the mention of my current hometown. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that mentions it. The locations mentioned within are fictional but it was still pretty cool to see it mentioned.

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The Guardsman (The Olympic Peninsula Series Book 2) by Cat Treadgold – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Guardsman (The Olympic Peninsula series Book 2)The Guardsman by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liam Ryan was presumably dead after being involved in an explosion in Israel. His twin sister, Ali, has been looking for him ever since. Ali and her husband Joe hire a private investigator to seek him out since Ali senses he’s still alive. The PI lets them know that he’s pretty sure he found him but just in case, a family member should go scope him out.

Theresa is the one chosen to go. While she’s not blood kin to Liam, she is Ali’s sister-in-law. Theresa lays an eye on Liam and immediately knows who he is. Once Liam moves back to the States and into a cottage on Ali and Joe’s property, he finds himself playing protector to Theresa. He’s not a fan of people with money, especially the way that Theresa flaunts it around, but sometimes the heart will override all other emotions.

Another stellar read by Cat Treadgold! I do recommend reading this series in order since they build on each other. It would be super helpful to know the progression of the relationships in order of them happening. I look forward to reading the remainder of this family’s stories!!

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The Silent Woodsman (The Olympic Peninsula Series Book 1) by Cat Treadgold – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Silent Woodsman (The Olympic Peninsula series Book 1)The Silent Woodsman by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ali Ryan is on a quest to find out what has happened to her twin brother, Liam. She’s heard that he was involved in an explosion while in Israel but she keeps hearing his voice (twin telepathy). In an effort to “hear” him better, she goes exploring in the Hoh Rain forest. She’s marked her path well but then the weather starts to get dicey and she finds herself standing on the porch of a cabin.

Joe Bob Blade is on vocal rest after having a surgery for the nodes on his vocal chords. He’s hoping that by hiding out at the cabin in the woods that he’ll get the rest he needs without his adoring fans finding him. Next thing he knows, a “wood nymph” appears on his doorstep and he has to rethink his thoughts on his girlfriend and duet partner, Rina.

This is a fun, romantic read that will have you cheering for different character depending on the situation. There were a few areas where the story dragged but they were short-lived. A great little story that will continue with another O’Connell family member! I’m looking forward to Theresa’s story but I think I’m most intrigued by David’s story.

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Dead Keen (Things Unseen Book 2) by Anise Eden – Review by Julie Johnson

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Dead Keen (Things Unseen #2)Dead Keen by Anise Eden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great read by Anise Eden!! I don’t want to say much about this one in case you haven’t read the first book yet. It would be super helpful to read it first to get the background on Con and Neve.

Con is finally getting to go home to Ireland after being away for five years. It will be a difficult journey home but he has Neve at his side. Con’s purpose in going back to Ireland is to help his brother out with a potential life altering medical issue. At the same time, he will have to deal with his parents and their psychosocial issues within the family.

Neve has resources that can help Con out but at what price? Can they make a difference in the lives of those at stake?

Again, another read that I highly recommend!!

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Dead Sound (Things Unseen Book 1) by Anise Eden – Review by Julie Johnson

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Dead Sound (Things Unseen, #1)Dead Sound by Anise Eden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, this is a good one!!!

A social worker is stabbed while on duty at the hospital and is coming back for her first day of work. No one thinks she’s ready but Neve has had it with sitting at home and playing Scrabble all day. As soon as she walks into her unit, mass chaos starts taking place and Neve is shaken to her core. Maybe she should go home?

Amos is in the ER…again. Dr. Con is prepared to see him for his endocrine issues and Neve is ready to help him with restarting the program that they came up with that was supposedly successful. Amos admits to Neve that he’s the leader of the group that surrounded her a few hours earlier and all of a sudden, everything changes again. Amos begs Neve to read his book and then come back and talk to him. However, Amos ends up having a medical emergency and isn’t able to have visitors for awhile.

I’ll stop there because I don’t want to give anything about this book away. It’s gonna grip you in the first page and have you holding on until the end. There is a little bit of romance, but it’s all very classy. There’s mention of angels being seen. There’s a lot of suspense and tense moments to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I highly recommend this riveting read!

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Firewall by Jessica Mehring – Review by Julie Johnson

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FirewallFirewall by Jessica Mehring
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a read!! This one is going to grab you within the first page and hold you in until you finish it. Just plan to clear your schedule for this one!

I did begin to wonder about halfway through if the book was really going to be long enough to cover all the things that needed to be addressed but thankfully, it was all fully covered! I’m used to books with this kind of plot having many more pages but this was a welcomed site to cover so much in a short period.

Veronica is the cream of the crop when it comes to IT security. She’s also one of the few women in the field. Things look a little shady one day and a coworker comes to ask her about checking into one of the servers. Next thing, there’s a fire alarm and everything goes crazy.

Angus is a firefighter who is working his tail off for a promotion to Chief. He gets a call from his sister Cara one that day her best friend Veronica might need a security detail and could he go and help. Being the hero Angus is, he jumps right up and becomes security that Veronica needs. Little did they both know exactly what they were getting into.

I loved this book, even with a bit of a surprise twist and would highly recommend it!

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Back to the 80s by S.E. Reichert and Kerrie Flanagan – Review by Julie Johnson

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Back to the 80'sBack to the 80’s by S.E. Reichert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

I feel like I’ve taken a walk back through time with this novel! I had so much fun reading about Blaine’s store with all her retro clothing, clothes, music, and more! It’s the kind of store I’d visit and spend hours in just remembering the “good ole days” of my childhood.

Blaine inherited this awesome store from her mother and she’s super proud of all her accomplishments with it. One day, JT, the hairstylist next door in the strip mall, comes to deliver some bad news though. The mall has been bought and is scheduled for demolition. Everyone must be out and there’s not much time.

Blaine, not one to back down from a challenge, makes a point to be present when the land developer crew walks through for a final inspection. Eric is in awe of her store but is really gunning for that title of partner in the family business. After meeting Blaine, Eric isn’t so sure about these plans now. Then Blaine issues a bet that Eric can’t pass up.

This is a fun read that transported me back in time, even if just for a few hours. I loved all the references to the time honored traditions of the 80’s and even had a few great memories myself reliving this fun era of time.

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Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend by Terri Sabol – Review by Julie Johnson

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Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-ReturnOscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a sweet story that is also educational. Oscar and Emmy are the house cats and they start to see a black cat come up to the door of the house they live in. Oscar and Emmy’s owners start to set out food for Shadow, the new cat. The parents of the home teach their children about house pets vs feral cats and what they need to do. The children learn about Trap-Neuter-Release and then have an opportunity to continue to see Shadow after her procedure.

A great learning tool for youngsters to teach proper pet responsibility.

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Lilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney – Review by Julie Johnson

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Lilly Tames Her WorriesLilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sweet Lilly smells an awful smell one day. She soon realizes that it’s her favorite bunny rabbit that goes everywhere with her. When her sister grabs her attention and they need to run out the door to catch the bus, Lilly realizes that HunnyBunny is not with her. She panics and isn’t quite sure what to do. School is hard that day because she isn’t feeling well. The school nurse teaches her about her amygdala and ways to calm herself down using the square breathing method. As other situations present throughtout the day, Lilly is able to build on her newfound strength and confidence to help her survive these other situations.

This is a super cute book that has excellent ideas for youngsters (and us older folk too!) in dealing with stress and anxiety. It would be a great book to have in any library and to share with those you love!

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I Am An Outer Space Alien (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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I Am An Outer Space Alien (I am an Alien)I Am An Outer Space Alien by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great read by Lois Wickstrom!! She hasn’t disappointed me yet, nor do I think she will. The illustrations in this book are so well done it’s like they are popping off the page too! Young readers will love this story about Shirley, who is know known as Shirl, and how she doesn’t feel like she fits in on Earth. She’d rather talk to aliens on her radio than play sports or eat creamed spinach like people on Earth do. Super cute read!!

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Shadowed Obsession (Shadow Defense Security Series Book 1) by Mavery Ellscott – Review by Julie Johnson

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Shadowed Obsession: An Action-Packed Romantic Suspense Thriller (Shadow Defense Security Series Book 1)Shadowed Obsession: An Action-Packed Romantic Suspense Thriller by Mavery Ellscott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my kind of book right here!!! Give me a Navy SEAL or any other military character and a psychological maniac on the loose and weave some words together and you’ve got me hooked!!!

Keira O’Ryan is a PR rep and she loves her job. She’s works with various entertainers so when a stalker shows up after her, it’s not completely surprising. Not to mention that college ex-boyfriend who got really creepy. After receiving a series of photos on her phone, she starts to become even more alarmed.

Cade Hartford and a few of his retired military buddies run a security firm. He’s recently moved in next door to Keira and senses that something is up with her. When she comes to him confessing the pictures and the strange happenings going on, Cade knows that he has to jump in and do something to be a great neighbor.

There are many things I want to say about this book but I’m not going to say much as to not ruin anything about it. Just know that if you’re into a good psychological thriller, look no further than this book! It kept my attention all afternoon and I read it in one setting. The writing is very well done and the there are a few twists and turns that try to throw the reader off track (as well as the detectives). I did have it figured out pretty early but a few times I questioned whether I was right or not due to the the twists and turns. It wasn’t quite as I suspected though! Buckle up and enjoy this read! I’ve already downloaded the prequel to this book and I look forward to reading it and future books by this author soon!!

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Leaving No Traces (A Commissario Scala Mystery in Rome) by P.J. Mann – Review by Julie Johnson

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Leaving No Traces (Commissario Scala #5)Leaving No Traces by P. J. Mann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

If ever there was a need for a detective, I could only hope they’d be as dedicated and determined as Detective Scala!!

He’s at it again, trying to sort out who is behind the disappearance of a woman last seen in a service station buying cigarrettes. All they have so far is her car and a lot of questions.

As Detective Scala digs into the case, he learns that his victim is involved in a couple of affairs. This makes his suspect list even longer than he originally thought. Also, everyone he interviews comes across as cagey and hiding information.

However, after a bunch of twists, turns, and adventures, along with a mandatory vacation, Detective Scala is able to cuff the appropiate people involved in this case.

Another very well written and entertaining mystery by P.J. Mann!

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Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman – Review by Julie Johnson

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Complicated ChoicesComplicated Choices by Risa Nyman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Imagine having the weight of the world on your shoulders your senior year of high school. Responsibilities include keeping grades up, picking the right college, cleaning house, taking care of your baby brother, and taking care of your mother. That’s Claire’s situtation and she wasn’t given a lot of choices as she entered into what should have been the best year of her life.

Claire’s parents divorced a few years back and her mom went on a business trip earlier in the year. A few weeks after she returned home, she found out she was pregnant. She refused to tell Claire who the dad was and even left that spot empty on Harry’s birth certificate. Everything changed when she got pregnant and Claire had to start picking up the pieces.

Claire’s friends come to her aid but they have limited resources, especially when Uncle Pat starts to stick his nose into everything. Claire will stop at nothing to keep her little brother and mom together with her. Her senior year is nothing like she expected but she is also learning valuable lessons along the way.

This book was a challenging read for me. Maybe it’s because I had to grow up fast and have “adult” responsibilites at a young age. Claire’s story really resonated with me though. I found myself becoming angry at all the people around her who were letting her deal with all of this alone when some of them could have stepped up and helped her. Claire became so much stronger through this experience and learned to love, forgive, and plan a future that she wanted, not what others expected of her.

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The Anchor Knot (The Knot Series Book 2) by DonnaLee Overly – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Anchor Knot:securing the knot of truth (Knot, #6The Anchor Knot:securing the knot of truth (Knot, #6 by DonnaLee Overly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ll start off by saying that I was not aware that this was a book deep in a series when I picked it up. This can be read as a stand alone but for me, I’m going to go back and read the previous books to understand more of the back story.

This book is full of emotion…some that came to me a bit unexpected. There is also, as with any book with a political figure, lots of lies, secrets, grief and more. I appreciated that this was a clean romance novel with a sweet story of two people who are broken and needing each other.

I look forward to reading the previous books in this series and “catching up” on the characters!

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The Secrets they Hide (A Commissario Scala Mystery in Rome) by P.J. Mann – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Secrets they Hide (Commissario Scala #2)The Secrets they Hide by P.J. Mann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first read by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more by her! This is the second book in a series but was easily read as a standalone. I’m going to go back and read the first book in this series though!

This book held me from the beginning and didn’t let up until the end. It’s a riveting police procedural featuring a setting in Rome. What could be more interesting than a murder in a place known for their love? Just when you think you might have “whodunit” figured out, more plot twists and turns come up that will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Very enjoyable read!

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How to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

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How to Catch Little Boys and Eat ThemHow to Catch Little Boys and Eat Them by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very clever take on the story of Jack and the Beanstalk! Jack is a typical Earth boy and the ogre/giant is watching his every move. He’s got a plan to get Jack to visit but Jack might be a little more cunning than the ogre.

This is a cute book that kids will love. They won’t expect the ending, which will make it more fun!

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The Magic Carousel (The Brass Ring Series Book 1) by K.L. Small – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Magic Carousel (The Brass Ring #1)The Magic Carousel by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book in one sitting and I imagine many others will as well.

We meet Russell right away. He’s in the 5th grade, and well, it’s just not his year. So many changes have occurred over the past year that it’s really affected his performance in school. Grandpa moved in, resulting in his room to change, his dad starting drinking more, and Tyler became a bully. That’s a bit much for a young man to have to take on.

Grandpa loves going to the carousel everyday, much to Russell’s chagrin. One day, that all changes for both Rusty and Grandpa though. Things will never be the same again…and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

This book is pretty deep and one that teenagers could likely relate to. There are some intense topics covered and there are ways to help those issues throughout the story. I’ll also admit, I cried at the end!!! Have a box of tissues handy if you’re soft hearted!!

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Ten Little Starfish by Kim Ann – Review by Julie Johnson

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Ten Little Starfish: A Counting BookTen Little Starfish: A Counting Book by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a cute little book that will be great to teach a little one how to count. The illustrations are very vibrant and can help to teach colors as well. The story is narrated by a crab and tells about various aspects of starfish. At the end of the story, there is a brief activity to reinforce learning, as well as a song that can be downloaded to sing along.

This book would make a great gift, be an amazing find in a library (personal, public, school), or even in a daycare setting.

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Broken. (Green St. Girls Series) by N.D. Jackson – Review by Julie Johnson

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Broken. (Green St. Girls #2)Broken. by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Green Street Girls are Athena, Gywn, Indigo, and Charlie. They came together from all of their unfortunate circumstances. These girls have made a way for themselves though and are now successful in life.

Indi’s story is featured here. She’s met Athena’s brother, Gideon and he’s an angel in disguise. However, as things progress, Indi has past traumas to master dealing with before she can go any further in her relationship with Gideon. Her gamer skills are spot on but the threats keep coming from all around. Her Girls are there to help her but Gideon’s wings are stronger.

Another great read by N.D. Jackson that I read in one sitting. I’m looking forward to more stories about these girls.

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Broken. (Green St. Girls Series) by N.D. Jackson – Review by Julie Johnson

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Bared. (Green St. Girls #1)Bared. by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Athena, Gwyn, Indigo and Charlie are known as the Green Street Girls. Each girl has had a difficult life but they have found a way to turn things around and are now successful.

Bared is Athena’s story. Abandoned by her family at the age of 13, she’s lived a rough life. Things got better when she found her new family in the Green Street Girls though. She’s a night club owner with sites all over the world. She’s living the high life and her family would never believe where she is now. No one can find her though. Athena’s managed to keep her life under wraps from those in her past. Even meeting Tru pushes her to her limits but she’s immediately smitten with him. Can he get Athena out of the past and more into the present?

This was an enjoyable story to read and I read it in one setting. I’m looking forward to reading Indi’s story next.

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The Secret Humankind (The Discoveries of Julia Xero Book 1) by Gloria Oliver – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Secret Humankind: An Urban Fantasy Thriller (The Discoveries of Julia Xero Book 1)The Secret Humankind: An Urban Fantasy Thriller by Gloria Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This is a book that is really hard to put down! It’s a different kind of book for me in some ways, in others it’s not. I got a bit of an X-Files vibe from this book and I really enjoyed it!

Julia Xero is an orphan who’s faced more adversities in life than she should have. She has a roommate who is a model and whom I believe uses Julia. When an opportunity for a new job comes to light, Julia is ready for a change. She’s interviewing for a cleaning job but not your typical cleaning job. It’s a crime scene clean up gig. Not many people could endure such a job and her interview was pretty grueling to make sure she could make the cut.

Things start out as great as they could for someone cleaning up crime scenes, but then one night, a very strange call comes in. Life will never be the same after that! Not to mention, Julia learns that she’s been implanted with a sensor that could cause her carotid artery to explode. No worries, right?!?!

There are many interesting characters and lots of action in this book. I feel like it’s maybe geared more towards young adults but as a more mature adult, I enjoyed this too! I’m looking forward to the next book!

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Flowers of Evil (Hani’s Daughter Mysteries Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Julie Johnson

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Flowers of Evil (Hani's Daughter Mysteries Book 1)Flowers of Evil by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fairly new author to me, I’ve read one other book that she’s written, but she is becoming a favorite! N.L. Holmes writes stories with Egyptian backgrounds, not something I’m accustomed to reading about but thought I would give this a try. I’m glad I did!

Neferet and Bener-ib are two women healers. In their time and custom, this was virtually unheard of. However, they are pretty talented and have served their king prior to branching out on their own. Business is slow until a man is brought to their doorstep who was mortally wounded and there was nothing that they could do to save him. All they know is that his dying word was “rabbet”. Neferet, not one to step down from a challenge is now also putting on an investigator hat along with her healer hat to find the person who took this man’s life.

Along the way, the ladies learn that their competition is spreading bad omens about them and trying to steer people away from their healing practice. Neferet and Bener-ib come up with ways to spur business to their side of the aisle. This shows their perserverance and it will pay off. I’m looking forward to more books in this series.

There is a fairly extensive glossary of terms and a directory of people in the beginning of this book. I found that super helpful as I’m not well versed in Egyptian history and there are some historically named characters in here. Also words like “sunet” (healer) are defined. This gave me a much better appreciation for the book before I even began reading it.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Julie Johnson

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine a community that is for retired folks who are still completely independent that is surrounded by lush green grass, a garden, and lots of nosy neighbors! Sounds like Hometown, USA these days!!

This story focuses on people who live within the Oaken Acres community who are all fractured in some sort of way. You have a widow who plots to kill someone just because she doesn’t like them, a lonely woman who hates the sound of the dog barking next door, the abused woman trying to escape the evil hands of her ex-husband…this book mostly features women.

I struggled a bit to get into this story because I thought it might be a bit more of a thriller. It’s really more of a laid back, sometimes snarky, sometimes funny story about this lovely community. All the things that happen within a HOA are covered here. The murder happened long ago and you learn more about it but I was hoping for a bit more with this book.

Overall, a good book to read. Many will be able to substitute names of those they know to make this story more interesting.

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Planting Hope by Jennifer Raines – Review by Julie Johnson

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Planting HopePlanting Hope by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gardens are places for healing and Mona has dedicated a portion of her land to young people who’ve been through some extremely traumatic experiences to come for healing. It’s a project she’s wanted to do for years and with the help of local professionals, she’s hoping that the program will become completely funded and acceptable.

When Mona gets sick and finds herself in the hospital, her business partner calls her grand daughter Holly to come be at her side. Kit isn’t impressed with Holly and wishes Mona hadn’t wanted her called. Afterall, she’s a party going, money hungry leech and Mona doesn’t need that right now.

What Kit doesn’t know is that he’s completely wrong about Holly. Will the program pass all the inspections with Mona unable to attend to the daily tasks? Can he figure out what Holly’s about and look past his previous preconceived notions?

This was a fun afternoon read! There were a few times I had to stop and look up a word, as the author is an Aussie and uses some terminology I’m not familiar with. However, it was minor and I learned some new words and spent an afternoon in a great book!

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Tequila Midnight (Southwest Suspense Novels Book 1) by Kathryn Dodson – Review by Julie Johnson

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Tequila MidnightTequila Midnight by Kathryn Dodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is set in El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. Jessica has had a pretty horrible life. Her parents abandoned her when she was 16 and she was left with family friends to oversee her teenage years. A time when she needed her parents, especially her mother, she was left. Her dad was in a lot of trouble with a bad business deal and he wanted to escape those who were after him. He didn’t consider the toll on his daughter.

Jessica is now grown up and is a real estate agent settling deals between the borders. When Tomas approaches her with a new job, she is ready to take it on, especially when she hears what the payout will be. She’s not quite prepared for where it may take her though. Jessica deals with the angst in her life by drinking a lot of tequila and having one night stands in bar bathrooms. Then she goes home to her best friend Angus who’s dying to save her from all this turmoil.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, fast paced read. There is a lot of action taking place throughout and many times I wanted to smack Jessica because of her poor decisions. Some may disagree with me but I felt that there was a tad bit of a cliffhanger there at the end. I’ll be happy to read more books in this series.

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Sage Advice by Cori Cooper – Review by Julie Johnson

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Sage AdviceSage Advice by Cori Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m a fan of Cori Cooper and I do believe this is my favorite read by her so far!

Pyper is a senior in high school. She’s beautiful and all the boys clamor to be near her. She’s taken, however, by Jason. When an opportunity comes up to present an idea to the student council that can save the senior class some money, Pyper jumps to share her wonderful idea to the bunch of jocks that servce on the council.

The jocks don’t like her proposal. As a matter of fact, she’s not even sure they heard her. No one voted in support of cancelling prom. Now, Pyper is trying to cover up for past mistakes and help others to not make the same mistakes she has.

Can she keep her personal feelings out of all of this though? Can she still manage to keep her friendships going through all of this?

I loved this book! It’s nice to read a fun, clean romance novel that isn’t overly sappy involving young adults. So refreshing! There are moments of humor but mostly, it’s just a fun story to follow along!

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The Misery House (The House on the Hill Book 1) by David Kummer – Review by Julie Johnson

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The Misery House (The House on the Hill #1)The Misery House by David Duane Kummer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love a good mystery/thriller/horror story and this one did not disappoint!

The Woods family lives in New Haven, a small family oriented town. The kind of town where everyone knows everyone and everything that happens there. Lots of farmland, historic homes, and nothing for teenagers to do except find trouble at the closest watering hole. I grew up in a place like this!

There’s this house on a hill that is just plain weird. No one wants to go near it except for the kids taking stupid dares on a weekend night in the middle of a thunderstorm.

One day, a fire breaks out and two bodies are found. Then a girl goes missing. What else could go wrong? Oh, yes, there’s a new family in town and anytime someone new moves in, they are automatically labeled as “suspicious”.

This book ends in a cliffhanger, so if you don’t like that kind of stuff, well….you’re missing out. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and a few mysterious characters that I must learn more about. The next book can’t be dropped soon enough!

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Notebook Mysteries ~ Parisian Intrigue (Notebook Mysteries Book 6) by Kimberly Mullins – Review by Julie Johnson

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Parisian IntrigueParisian Intrigue by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This is my favorite of this series so far. Each of these can be read as a stand alone but it would be helpful to have some background information on the relationships between all the characters.

A mysterious invitation has appeared Emma, Jeremy, Tim, and Dora. They are expected to leave the next day for a 5 week vacation in Paris. Everything is paid for and arranged….not one bit weird, right?!?!? Of course, Emma’s hackles are immediately up but she’s not one to turn down a challenge.

The group arrives in Paris but not without some unexpected and uncomfortable situations. There are 3 people from the ship over that are becoming rather clingy to the group, but not all at once. Julian is more concerned about Emma and Jeremy, while Lenora and Michael buddy up to Tim and Dora.

Next thing, there is the girl in the lobby who looks scared. Then someone comes up missing, a few bodies are found, and the trip is in full swing work mode for this group. Will they ever get to enjoy the City of Lights and the Paris Expedition?

Lovers of crime set in historical settings will love this book!! It was an enjoyable afternoon read. There is plenty of action involved along with a smidge of romance (nothing overly done at all). I love reading about Emma and her clothing and how she uses it to her advantage and has taught Dora the same. I am excited to read the next edition of this series!!

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Smooth Hoperator (Love on Tap Book 2) by Sylvie Stewart – Review by Julie Johnson

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Smooth Hoperator: A Fake-Relationship Romance (Love on Tap)Smooth Hoperator: A Fake-Relationship Romance by Sylvie Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sylvie Stewart has done it again! I loved meeting the Brooks family in the first installment of this series and now we get to know more about Carter in this story. I can’t imagine growing up in this family and surviving the antics that take place amongst all these boys!

Carter is a bit grumpy. He’s been through a lot though and maybe he’s entitled to his grumpiness. Enter Sunny who is the exact opposite…bubbly, quirky, and just a fun soul to be around. It’s true that opposites really do attract!

This is a second book in a series but can easily be read as a stand alone. There is a lot of humor interspered with the romance and makes for an enjoyable read.

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Ale’s Fair in Love and War (Love on Tap Book 1) by Sylvie Stewart – Review by Julie Johnson

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Ale's Fair in Love and War (Love on Tap, #1)Ale’s Fair in Love and War by Sylvie Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve not read anything by this author prior to this book but I love the humor she interweaves within the story that she writes.

Hollis (I love this name by the way) is the dog groomer next door to the bar that Cash owns with his brothers. These two DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, get along. Sarcasm is strong between the hedges and a few pranks are executed. However, when the bar is hit with an inspection citation, Hollis considers coming to the rescue.

This is a pretty steamy (much more than I anticipated) read but the storyline itself was enjoyable. I love how Cash’s parents chose their names. The humor of the story had me laughing out loud. Overall, an enjoyable read.

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