Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz

When she was a teenager, Grace Elland stumbled onto a murder scene and rescued a child. An incident that left the killer dead. But now she's found another murder victim, that of her employer, Sprague Witherspoon, a motivational speaker.

The current murder investigation get entangled when the chief of police introduces her to Julian Arkwright at a blind date. The chief is married to graces best friend and they both think she need some companionship. As long as it turns out that she isn't a murderer.

Julian and Grace are drawn to each in ways that are more than just physical. Grace hires Julian is her consultant and Julian allows Grace to help him punch up his "Speech from Hell." But somebody sending Grace some nasty emails and now they're upping their game. So it's time for Julianne to step in and help Grace figure out exactly what's going on.

The story was very reminiscent of many of Krentz's older stories - in the very best ways. This book reminded me of why I love this author so much and why I continue to read all of her books under whatever name she's writing.

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 6, 2015

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Prime

Opinions are my own

Family Man by Jayne Ann Krentz

Katy Wade is the personal assistant for Justine Gilchrist, head of the Gilchrist food empire. Justine gave Katy a job when her parents died so Katy feels indebted to her. To the rest of the Gilchrist family, not so much. Even (especially?) the one Gilchrist Katy doesn't know. Justine disowned his father when he ran away with his secretary leaving a socialite bride at the altar. But Justine needs Luke now, he's the only one who can save the floundering company. And Katy is the one who gets him to come. But what will happen when he gets there?

This was one of the earlier romance novels I read so it's hard for me to separate that joy from what I read now but I think it holds up.

Four stars

This book came out in 1992

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher

Olive loves her triplets. She does. And she's ecstatic that they've found the loves of their lives. But. Could she maybe catch a break? Chubby, with dirty blond hair that doesn't hold a curl or a color, Olive is generally happy about her life but she really could use a break. Or two. Moving into her crush's apartment isn't exactly the break she was hoping for. However, she's decided to take on the assignment she's given her students and try to stretch her wings. And now that her roommate seems happy to help...

Baxter Donovan is a Guardian Angel but he doesn't much like the position. He likes it even less now that he's been assigned to guard Olive. There are three rules to being a guardian angel: don't tell your Assignment you're their designated guardian, don't get your Assignment Killed, and don't fall in love with your Assignment. Bax has come a little too close for the Guardian Angel Affairs lately and his father isn't pleased. It's just too bad that this latest assignment might find him breaking more than one of the rules. 

Three and a half stars

Supernatural Singles #2

This book comes out February 13, 2024

Follows Not Your Ex's Hexes

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz

Isabel Wainwright has just been fired. She worked for a dream lab as a Level 5 extreme dream analysis. Her former boss had postulated that there were five levels of dreaming with very few people who are able to reach the fifth level. So far, Isabel is the only analyst they know of. There is an unnamed government agency who has been using Level Five dreamers to solve particularly nasty crimes. Isabel then interprets their more enigmatic dreams.

But her boss has died and his son fires Isabel. She is frantic since she just spent a lot of money on some very expensive furniture. Eventually she ends up asking her sister's husband, who runs a motivational center, for a job as one of his teachers.
The romance aspect comes in to play when one of Isabel's client, Ellis Cutler, who she had privately dubbed as "Dream Man," finds her and tries to draw her into the unnamed government agency. But he's not the only one who wants her expertise. There's someone else who is willing to kill to make sure Isabel doesn't leave with Ellis.

Four stars

This book came out September 30, 2004

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

The Princess Protection Program by Alex London

Rosamund wakes up suddenly. She's been kissed! Now the dude is babbling about how he's a prince and they're going to live Happily Ever After. But she's not interested. Instead, Rosamund runs. And she ends up in the Home Educational Academy with other princesses who have run right out of their stories.
This world is odd and Rosamund is figuring out how to live in it. There are classes on things like social media, and languages, and cleaning. There is so much cleaning. It's here that Rosamund will figure out how to make friends and figure out what she really wants her life to look like. Will it be in the Academy with Verna? Or will she venture out and face the Uponatimes that might drag her back to the fairy tale?

I enjoyed the first three quarters of this book quite a bit. The last part got even a little more wacky and I was disappointed that the princess weren't more a part of their narrative thrust in overcoming the last hurdles of their life.

Three stars

This book comes out February 13, 2024

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace

Jo Jones has had a very fraught couple of years. Her much-older husband sold their publishing company out from under her for a pittance and then divorced her. Right as that was happening her mother died. On the Monday before this book starts, she finds out that she's inherited an estate in England from her mother and the book opens with her arriving there with her solicitor, Rupert Selkirk. It's just unfortunate that the next person she meets, Sid Randles, the caretaker of her livable cottage, is such an unpleasant jerk. He even leaves a lawn mower running and seems to be the obvious suspect when a painting goes missing from a previously locked room. 

It is the painting that Jo focuses on during this story even though Sid turns up dead in her cottage. And it's very refreshing to see an amateur sleuth sort of staying in her own lane. 

This was a really nice read about an autistic main character. The author didn't avoid the dread love (interest) triangle but I think this is going to be the start of a series with characters I really enjoy. 

Four stars

This book comes out February 13, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Stepping out of her regular stories, Phillips adds a murder into this one. But, it doesn't detract from the romance, the genre she is really known for and trying to solve the mystery lets our two main characters get past their initial meeting which was both good... and not so good.

Rory Garrett (she uses the name Meadows so people are less likely to connect her to Clint Garrett, Chicago Stars football player) is used to things going wrong in her life. But her recent life is really taking the cake on that. A failed business, a bad attempt at a one-night-stand, and breaking up her best friend in Chicago and Clint are just some of the recent examples. But she's not prepared to find a body. Nor is she able to understand why Clint's agent is so darn hot, even if she knows there can never be a real relationship between them. 

Brett "The River" Rivers is used to being perfect. His life is built around being the best sports agent in the business. And that's about to be paid off with a promotion to Vice President at Champion Sports Management. But he's just made two massive mistakes and now he's not sure how to hang on to Cliff as a client. And it seems foolhardy to run around with the man's sister when Brett just can't help but be so darn attracted to her. 

I'm really not sure about the murder but it does create an external reason for Rory and Brett to be thrown together. Of course, there was a last Big Misunderstanding and a rather over-the-top end scene to the two being together but I overall enjoyed the book. 

Chicago Stars #10

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 14, 2024

Follows When Stars Collide

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own