2 mile lunch run

Marrying the Marquess by Suzanna Medeiros

The premise described in the NetGally caption intrigued me. Louisa Evans is in danger pf losing the roof over her (and her sister and brother's) head and has to turn to the man whose family ruined her father for help. The Marquess of Overleaf knows that he is going to die soon but doesn't want his cousin to inherit, so he comes up with a scheme to marry some girl then have another man father the child so that his illness isn't passed on.
A great first book in the series with some rather convoluted complications like the Marquess' grandmother threatening to announce his marriage (he had already come up with a plan, why add the extra urgency?). The writing was good and the book brought in some enticing characters for follow-up. I had some frustration with how darn FAST the plot moved which made the romance less believable but, overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the rest of the series.

Call of the Wilder by Kris Fletcher

JPG from Goodreads

This was a really interesting take on romance. Rather than following the hero and heroine into love, we start with a proposal and then follow the first-person heroine as she tries to figure out whether marriage, especially to this man, is something that she can do.
Gemini Wilder has an unconventional family, to say the least. Her rock star mother is involved, and has been for a number of decades, with her bandmates, twin brothers. None of her aunts are married either. They're flashy dressers with out-sized attitudes. But the family is all brought together in Vegas when one of her aunts passes away. This includes Gemini's Elvis-impersonating ex-husband to whom she still feels a pull.
This was a surprise enjoyment for me,one of a trio of books I requested from NetGalley on a whim and was happily surprised to enjoy after a string of three and even two star books. Not sure who I'd recommend this book to. Maybe readers who enjoy exploring characters who are coming into their own.

Matchpoint by Elisa Sax

I squeed out loud when I got the okay to download this book from NetGalley. I love, love, loved the first book in the series and the second did not disappoint.
Gladys (Gladie) is still in Cannes, California working with her Grandmother Zelda as a matchmaker. This time, she's trying to help the receptionist at Bliss Dental find her true love. However, when Gladie goes in for a late night filling, what she finds is a very dead dentist.
Add to this already crazy story a group of alien worshippers who have invaded the town and a group of wine who have chased the local sheriff right into Gladie's bed to hide out, and you've got a fun and enchanting read.

Five miler

Three dogs, two people, and tons of mountain bluebirds. It's spring!

Can you see the birds in the trees?

Look at them all behaving so well!

True Love by Jude Deveraux

Oh, Jude Deveraux. I don't know why I still read your stories. They are so... twee. Alix is just TSTL and Jared... why the hell is he keeping all these secrets from her? He knows that she is the One For Him but still won't let her know all of the information she should be privvy to. These are the things that piss me off most in reading romance novels. Add to that the insistence that Jared has that he's too old for Alix (why spell it like that anyway?)
Well, part of the reason I still pick up your books is nostalgia because you, Ms. Deveraux, were one of my favorite authors  when I started reading romance and I can't get enough of the Montomery/Taggert family. We get to see Jilly again! She's one of my favorite characters that never got a story. So happy to see her HEA.
But the main reason is because even though I have all of these frustrations with the story, you absolutely pull me in to these people's lives. You even address Jared's secret keeping and how Alix deals with it! When she forgave him, I immediately did as well. What other author can make you do that?
Overall, this book is a wonderful addition to the Deveraux canon and I can guarantee that if you loved "Sweet Liar," "High Tide," or any of Deveraux's contemporary novels, you will LOVE this book as well.
Solid three and a half stars here.

New Dog

And now the running may be cut down further. I have... acquired a dog. She is a ten-year-old Golden Retriever who I inherited from my grandmother. While she is an older dog, she is still incredibly active and I'm walking her three times a day about .75-1 mile each walk. It takes up some of my time and, while lower impact than running, it is sapping some of my energy. Good thing she's so darn cute.