So Tough to Tame by Victoria Dahl

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Dahl has been one of my favorite contemporary writers for quite some time and I've even <gasp> bought a few of her books new in the past few years (much preferring library and used books).  But this latest series has been nothing but infuriating. I had high hopes for this book but it didn't start off well.
Walker Pearce is a real cowboy. Even down to the part where he's sleeping with his boss's wife. Well, he's sort of trying not to, but he's actually just been fired so now he can start sexxxing her up. But the thrill is gone so... maybe he won't now. What the what? This is the hero we're supposed to be impressed with? Maybe the heroine will be somebody better.
Charlotte, Charlie, Allington has had something go wrong her in her life. Something that caused her to come home to Jackson Hole where she was once part of a promising clique of girls. A clique that now delights in looking down on her. And doesn't she feel sorry for herself? Yes, yes she does. Because we get to hear about it through her POV. Nope, not really loving her either.
And unfortunately, the description of Jackson is off as well. I'm sure if you didn't live close by, you would enjoy the description. But actually knowing the town... Meh.
So Charlie is rebuilding a life, Walker is helping her while she helps him. Just not a book that I connected with.
But I love Dahl and I can't wait for her next series. Hoping it's better than this one.

Butterfly Cove by Christina Skye

Just gotta start of with... WHAT THE HELL? Major plot point ends NOT tied up? (Okay, technically it sort of, kind of is resolved, but not really and not well) Bad Christina Skye! Bad Christina Skye's editor! That was just ridiculous. I spent thirty minutes reviewing to see if I had missed a paragraph somewhere. Nope. We're just left hanging. Maybe to be resolved in the next book in the series... But we're sure as hell not told that. At least in the ARC.

What happened to Olivia's father's money? And hers? And what was in the envelope his lover left him? And why include the fact that he had an... interesting... sex life?

Rafe Russo was the town bad boy and Olivia Sullivan was the good girl. A familiar story. They're both returning home with varying degrees of success. They meet up when a newly unemployed Olivia swerves to avoid a bus full of children and ends up in an accident herself. She's still pissed at him for leaving without a word and he's not sure that he wants to stay.
It's a testament to Christina Skye that SO MANY things pissed me off about this book (major cliches included) but I still hesitate at giving it less than three stars. The majority of the book had well-drawn characters who were slowly finding their way back into the normal world (and having protected sex while doing it.<oops, bad pun. But I'm keeping it>) there were characters from earlier books (we get to see Jilly and Walker again) but not so many that your head spins and their story is only a little intrusive.

Seeing Red by Jill Shalvis

"Seeing Red" is one of a trio of color-themed titles about firefighters. The H/H are Joe (formerly fat high school friend, now fightingly fit arson inspector) and Summer ("Red" apparently flighty world-traveler who is never home for long.
Their friendship seemed unbreakable in high school. Joe used to sneak over to Summer's house when his dad was drunk and they were fairly inseparable at any point. Until the fire. Summer was with her crush in the basement of her family warehouse while Joe was trying to figure out a way to let them know he was there, without revealing his breaking heart. Fire erupted and Summer's father died and everything changed.
Now Joe is battling a fire at the same warehouse. One that brings Summer home for a short stay. One that is extended when a fire at her family's main shop occurs.
Joe is gobsmacked. He doesn't want to go through the same pain of losing Summer. For her part, Summer is realizing just what an m-a-n Joe grew up to be. She's interested in a quick fling but has no interest in long-term plans.
A good book. Not one that measures up well against current Shalvis books but okay. And the characters show good common sense when using protection during sex. While Summer's issues are fully explored, Joe's aren't which was a disappointment but didn't destroy the book for me.

Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait by Grace Burrowes

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Lady Genevieve Windham is the last in married hold of the Duke of Windham, the man who has worked so hard to marry off his children in the previous seven books of the series. She's resigned herself to being alone and taking care of her parents because she will never marry. Unlike her sisters who all had the *exact same reason* for not wanting to marry, Jenny is an artist and knows that if she marries, she'll be forced to stop.

She comes into contact with Mr. Elijah Harrison who is trying to get accepted into the Royal Academy of Arts when he's hired to do the portraits of her nieces. Well, meets him *again* (she saw him... ALL of him... when she was an art student and he was a model). And now he wants her help with painting the children. She agrees, but only if he'll pose for her again and give critiques.

There is an obsession in this book (as with the others in this series) about family and having children that just rubs me a little bit. Also, Burrowes reliance on a Big Misunderstanding but it's overall a pretty fun read and perfect for the holiday season.

Yip/Tuck by Sparkle Abbey

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When I read the first book, Desperate Housedogs, I loved it so much that I immediately gobbled up the second. I had to skip book three because I couldn't get ahold of it before my NetGalley ARC for Yip/Tuck had been on my ereading bookshelf for what felt like too long.
I do feel like I'm missing parts of the story having not read the third and I'm worried about spoilers when it finally comes so I would recommend reading the series in order but it's not an absolute deal-breaker.
Melinda's at it again. This time, the body of plastic surgeon Dr. O'Doggle has been dumped in front of her shop door. The man ha been dating Melinda's enemy, lingerie model Tova. But he also had a secret life. One that earned him a lot of enemies. It's not up to Melinda to solve the crime, but she sticks her nose in anyway. And the results are a fun, fun read.

Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery

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I don't know why but Gideon's (one of the heroes from Fool's Gold #12, Two of a Kind) twin brother captured my imagination even from the one throw away conversation he had with Mayor Marsha. I couldn't wait to read this book.
It turns out Gabriel is also in the army, a doctor. He knows he's been slipping a bit lately, even going so far as to accidentally injure himself badly enough not to be able to work on a patient. Of course, Gabriel has his demons (what good hero doesn't?). His father was career military and very harsh to an artistic dreamer. Coming back to the States to visit Gideon and his new family seemed like a good idea even though Gabriel will also have to face Christmas with his parents (who have visited Blackberry Island!) as well.
But then he meets an umbrella-wielding Noelle. She was just trying to feed Felicia's puppy (Felicia is Gideon's fiancee) and didn't realize Gabriel was in the house. The two fall into a nice patter and Gabriel decides to help fill the void left by Felicia's college students (she has a Christmas store and they're more interested in skiing than in working) thinking that will be an excellent way to avoid family complications.
Usually Susan Mallery books are a firm three-stars for me but I really enjoyed this one and bumped it up to for stars. Why not five? The HEA was a little rushed and the ending was a wee bit twee, though Eddie and Gladys saved it from being over the top sweet.

Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters

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I know I'm in a minority but, for me, there is only one Elizabeth Peters mystery series and it's not Amelia Peabody.
Jacqueline Kirby is the woman I want to be when I grow up. Former librarian turned world famous romance writer who has a quick quip for every situation. A little brash yet able to charm. Maybe without so many dead bodies though...
I read the Kirby books about ten years ago and enjoyed them immensely. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately hit 'request' to see if they were as good as I remembered.
Oh, they are. Or, at least this one is. Yes, it's a bit dated (word processors anyone?) but most of it holds up amazingly well.
Jacqueline jumps at the chance to finish the last two books in a trilogy. The author wrote one fabulously received book and then, one rainy night, vanished. Seven years later, she's now officially been declared dead and authors are vying to be the one chosen to finish out the series. Some are in deadly earnest, though that doesn't throw Jacqueline off her stride. She tries to finish the next book but is distracted by what happened to the original author. Okay, and a little distracted by the increasingly dangerous "accidents" that seem to be occurring to her.

Naked Once More

Follows Die for Love
This book came out August 1st, 1989
Borrowed from Audible Premium Plus
Five Stars

Reread as Audible Premium January 2021, October 2022