Danger on the Downs by Bianca Blythe

Cora Clarke was a child star who didn't age quite fast enough; her voice is still high, she is a bit short to be a real leading lady. Everyone knows that she's older so audiences just aren't seeing her the same way. And she's not really sure she wants to be an actor anymore anyway. She's traveling in England and her great-aunt asks her to come visit. Her aunt is one of the maids for a woman who was married first to a wealthy man and now to a foreign prince. When the hostess of the house, Mrs. Ivanov, finds out who Cora is, she invites her to join the dinner party upstairs. But she has a problem that she wants Cora to figure out (since Cora played a girl detective); who is trying to kill her husband? Cora isn't really excited about that plan but she's delighted to find out one of the guests is her best friend, Veronica. Too bad someone kills Mr. Ivanov anyway. At least that means Cora gets to see investigator Randolph again.
I wish this book had had about 80 more pages for a little more exposition. It was a nice, quick read but would have benefitted by a little more filler. The story was so pared down that I felt a little whiplashed by how fast the "ending" changed. It would have also served to make the ending a little less abrupt.

Three stars
This book came out January 18
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

In a Badger Way by Shelly Laurenston

I just go the excerpt of this book where Stevie from Honey Badger Chronicles book 1 and Shen from the Pride books are set up as the romantic interests. Shen has been set up as a super laid-back, continuously bamboo eating panda shifter. Stevie is a highly strung tiger-badger hybrid who is also ridiculously smart. The beginning of the book has Stevie freaking out about the number of bears in her kitchen while her sisters (normally the only ones who can calm her down) are not in the area. It's going to be up to Shen to help figure it out.
I'm a little hesitant about this book but am pretty sure it's going to be the fun ride we can normally expect from Laurenston.

Three stars (for the excerpt)
This book comes out March 26
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli

This book is exactly what I thought it would be - light and fluffy but with a peek into a culture I know nothing about. Raina Anand is a likeable character who is more or less ready to get married but is not ready to be pushed into it by her family. Her Nani has a list of potential suitors ready for her but Raina tells a lie (to help a friend) that changes everything. 
While the book isn't perfect (dragged in a few places and was a little uncomfortable in others), I will try to re-read this book before my ARC expires.

Four stars
This book comes out February 5
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

Caleb Parker and Sadie Lane have been circling around each other. Both are attracted but neither wants to get involved. Sadie has a dark past including an ex who was a suit, like Caleb, and who treated her very badly. Caleb is a little more interested but doesn't really want to get involved with anyone. He was a sickly child, almost died as a baby, and his history has made his family more than a little overprotective.
One night, Caleb is trying to coax a three-legged stray out of the rain when Sadie comes to help. Because they both helped, they decided to coparent (or "co-pet") and that leads to more and more interactions where each can discover who the other truly is.
Shalvis is the queen of building characters and both the h/h are fleshed out amazingly well. There were a couple Big Misunderstandings too many but this was otherwise a really enjoyable book.

Four stars
This book came out January 22
ARC kindly provided by publisher and Edelweiss

Three Little Words by Jenny Holiday

I've been ready to read Gia's book for awhile. She's a jet setting model who seems, in the last few books, that she has something to hide. And she is definitely going through some life changes. About to turn 30, her body just isn't working the same way it used to. It's out of her control. In her control? Getting Wendy's dress from New York to her Florida wedding. So when a storm hits and Gia isn't going to make it on time, she goes nuts.
Bennett Buchanan knows entitlement and isn't impressed by it. But when he realizes he is connected to the woman throwing a hussy fit, he decides to help.
Eventually the two decide to drive to Florida and that means enforced time in close proximity.  And in a romance novel, you can be sure that will lead to an HEA.
Maybe my expectations for this book were too high. I felt like Gia's problem was too quickly solved by Twu Lurv and that the romance between the two felt shallow. I get that they spent a lot of time together but a LOT of that time was spent with misconceptions and irritation rather than dawning feelings of love.

This book comes out January 29th
Three stars
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

The Whole Package by Marie Harte

Naomi Starr is running her own PR company. She just needs a few more good clients to prove to the "Big Fish" that she's the perfect person to help run their campaign so she can take her company to the next level. To that end, she knows that he's a veteran and she thinks that helping Vets on the Go!, a moving coming, will help prove how good she can be.
Reid Griffith, now out of the Marines, is trying to get enough business to support his whole team. But when one of his moving groups foils a robbery, they are instantly famous. And he understands that Naomi can help them channel that fame.
There are some problems with this story, it's the first in the series so there's a lot of world building (i.e. setup for future books in the series (e.g. the mover that looks exactly like Reid's (half?) brother)). There is also a LOT of back and forth on Reid and Naomi's relationship being a real relationship but they shouldn't be doing it because he's a client but she's so hot... blah, blah, blah.
Overall though, a nice fast, fun and fluffy read that didn't perturb me overly much.

Three stars
This book comes out January 29
Followed by Smooth Moves
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

A Murderous Marriage by Alyssa Maxwell

Lady Phoebe Renshaw is worried about her sister. She knows Julia is in love with Leo but she is marrying Gilbet Townsend who is wealthy, but decades older than her. Gilbert's sister Phoebe doesn't seem to like either Golbert or Julia and his secretary is weirdly possessive.  Phoebe was surprised that the honey.oon was to be aboard a yacht and is aghast that Gilbert's best friend is slated to accompany the newlyweds on their honeymoon. There are many things that are off about the scenario. It gets worse when Julia has a spat with her husband that evening and flees the boat. But she decides that she has to return. The next morning, her husband is found dead in the water and Julia is the main suspect. It will be up to Phoebe and the family maid cum surrogate mother Eva to figure out what is going on.
This was a good book by Maxwell but I am enjoying her other series just a little bit more.

Three stars
This book comes out January 29
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley