A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas by Maisey Yates

McKenna Tate isn't looking for a handout. She's looking for her family. That's the only reason she's in Gold Valley. Her mother died when she was young, McKenna grew up in foster homes. She's recently found her birth certificate and it seems that she might have some blood relatives in the Valley.
Grant Dodge is known for one thing. He married his high school sweetheart even knowing that she was going to die. He loved; he lost and on one lets him forget it. Except that McKenna doesn't know who he is. The look in her eyes is different. It may be a fling... but it may be something more.
This one was not my favorite Yates book and the short story with this one (Chloe's and Tanner, step siblings decided to take their family relationship to the next level) was about two and a half stars for me.
I am ready for Beatrix and Dane to get together but I have to admit I am a little nervous about it as well. Will be interesting to see how it happens.

Three stars
This book came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Nick Offerman; Megan Mullally

Disclosure: I love both Mullaly and Offerman. They are both so amazing on TV and in real life. And they seem so in love. There are great stories about their childhoods, their meeting , their acting. This is set up to be an oral history and reads, in the main, like a transcription. I think that this will be much better as an audiobook and I plan on listening when the book comes out..

Three stars
This book comes out October 2
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge by Laura Levine

Jaine Austen is spending her Christmas housesitting with her friend Lance. Prozac, though supposed to be boarded, had gotten herself kicked out. Luckily, the next door neighbor, Missy, offers up her home. Her husband Scotty, the titular Scrooge, is less impressed. He says that Jane can work off the boarding payments by helping him edit his screenplay.
It seems that Scotty played Tiny Tim in an early Christmas movie and has been riding the residuals pretty much ever since. He's a wealthy man but his mansion is empty, he has a renter (who appears to be in love with Missy), his wife is on a tight allowance, and his ex-wife comes over regularly to try and pry her alimony checks out of his fingers.
The title of the story reveals the conflict of this story; Scotty ends up dead. Turns out, in addition to being tightfisted, he was mean-spirited as well; complaining about his neighbors decorations via megaphone and blackmailing at least one person.
A nice addition to the series but nothing standout.

Three stars
This book came out on September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Lock, Stock & Jingle Bells by Donna Kauffman

Holly hates the yuletide season more than ever since she inherited her mother’s Christmas novelty store, but her childhood pal Sean’s determined to warm her up - to Christmas and to him. When they uncover a diary concealing secrets involving both their families, this could be the Christmas that changes their lives forever...
Reprinted from a previous anthology, I remembered this story about halfway through. It is much better having read the first in the series and I'm wondering why the publisher didn't just release all three novellas in one book.

Three stars
This novella came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Haunted Hayride with Murder by Auralee Wallace

Autumn is a great time of year for Erica Bloom. At least it is this year. Otter Lake Security (OLS) has a job with a family that Erica used to babysit for, her... friendship... with Sheriff Grady Forrester is going well, and, well, Halloween is just a good time all around.
Too bad local legend, the Apple Witch, rumored to haunt the apple orchard Erica and Freddie are supposed to be guarding, seems to be rearing her ugly head. When OLS is rousting some local teens, a boot is discovered. One with a bony foot still inside. And it seems to belong to a former Romeo who was supposedly out filming a reality show about ghosts.

Four stars
This book came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Putting Down Roots in Kinsey Falls by Gayle Leeson

Joanne Farraday's adoptive parents were older when they decided to grow their family. Now her mother is gone and her father has descended into Alzheimer's. She knows that her birth mother is also dead so Joanne goes to her mother's home town to see if she might have any other living family. But she's setting off alarm bells. The reading group, the Silver Sleuths, have decided that, with all the questions she's asking, she must be up to no good.
This was a surprisingly short story (around 100 pages) and that made it harder for the characters to really develop but there was a nice story arc and some set ups for further books in the series.

Three stars
This book came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

A Willing Murder by Jude Deveraux

Kate Medlar only recently found out that her father's sister, Sarah Medlar, is a famous romance author. She's excited to find out that the town she's just found a realty job in is the same town as her aunt and she can live with her aunt while she finds a place to live.
Jackson Wyatt is living with Sarah Medlar while he recovers from a broken leg. And to make sure that this long-lost-niece isn't just after Sarah's money. Then their lives get tangled up even more when the three of them find two dead bodies buried beneath a tree and discover that Jack knew one of them.
Kate's a little annoying and the "mystery" is easily solved if you've read Devereaus before. The author also has a disconcerting habit of spelling out everything (making a joke and then pointing out that it was a joke, etc.) Even so, it was fast, fun, and fluffy.

Three and a half stars
This book came out September 18
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley