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.

If You Give a Rake a Ruby by Shana Galen

Why, oh why, do I have a beer and then request books on NetGalley that I'm not sure I'll like? Obviously, because I have good taste.
I didn't read the first book in this series so I felt like I missed some of the byplay, but it wasn't absolutely necessary to have the full background.
Fallon No-Last-Name is one of three "Jewels of the Ton." Beautiful courtesans with mysterious pasts who were actually sponsored (not... quite... the right word, but the closest I can get) by an earl and his countess. But Fallon is now in the sights of Warren Fitzhugh. Not because he wants her for his mistress. No. He thinks she has information that will lead to the man who is threatening to kill his friends. He quickly discovers that, not only is she not one of the baddies, she's actually someone he could spend the rest of his life with.
Fast, fun read that took a little bit to get into but was something I fell into quickly.

Surprising Lord Jack by Sally MacKenzie

Frances Hadley's aunt is trying to sell her into marriage. But... the guy is a scumbag. So she does the only rational thing - dress like a boy and run away. Only, she doesn't get very far. Her horse comes up lame and with the rain... she ends up in a room at an inn. It's a very full inn and the room is generally reserved for the Valentine family. But there's a big party at their house so they probably won't need it.
Except... that Jack Valentine, the youngest son, is trying to escape his mother's machinations. So, he ends up sleeping with someone he thinks is a young boy. No problem. It happens during this time period.
Except... someone recognizes that Frances is not a Francis and, when Jack realizes that, he realizes that she is compromised. Apparently, not so much for sleeping with him but for sure being dressed in boy's clothes. But, she's not really traveling in their circles so Frances doesn't see this as an issue.
Except... there's a slasher in town and he's killing "unchaste" women, a category into which Frances seemingly now falls.
A fun romp and a cute love story. I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait for the next book, Loving Lord Ash.