Exclusive / A Touch of Heaven by Samantha Chase

Exclusive
Jonathan Wade is famous for his mysteries and famous for not allowing himself to be interviewed. So it's a shock that Taylor Scott is invited up to do an in-dept interview with man. When she gets up to his house, she's surprised to see her old classmate Mike Green. And she's surprised at their connection...
The story of two classmates reconnecting because one is an author and the other is a reporter has been done and been done better. Mike was a jerk and I could not connect with him.

Two Stars

A Touch of Heaven
Regan is upset that her mother is selling their family home. Especially when her mother wins a remodel at their local hardware store with a father/son TV duo.
Sawyer Bennet is getting a little tired of being on TV. He'd like to go back to just being  contractor. Maybe with the perfect woman he can make that a reality.

An okay story. Might have been nicer as a fleshed out story.

Three stars.

This book comes out November 6
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Not Quite Over You by Susan Mallery

When they were eighteen, Silver Tesdale and Drew Levato had had a flaming affair. Then she broke up with him and sent him to college. Right after that, she discovered she was pregnant. Both decided they were too young and gave the baby up for adoption.
Twelve years later, Silver is trying to get a loan from the bank that Drew works in. But his aunt takes a special delight in turning her down. Then Drew swoops in and buys the Airstreams she had her eye on. He wants to get back into her life and figures that becoming a business partner is the way to go. Silver agrees, but only to be business partners. Drew is willing to start with that. And he's also ready to do the work that he needs in order to prove that he's grown. Of course, he'll also have to find out about the secret Silver has kept for so many years...
There was maybe a little too much drama in this book but it was, overall, a fast, fun, and fluffy read.

Three and a half stars
This book came out October 27
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley
Opinions are my own
Followed by Meant to be Yours

A Brand New Ending by Jennifer Probst

Kyle Kimpton is coming home after becoming a successful screenwriter in Hollywood. But not everyone in his home town is ready to welcome him with open arms. In fact, there at least one person who is decidedly UNhappy to see him. His former flame Ophelia. Not just his former flame but the woman who had gone to Hollywood with him to make it big. The same woman who left him without a word. And now she's refusing to let him stay at her B&B. But that's where Kyle needs to be, it's the place he can face his past.
Ophelia remembers a different past than Kyle. In her memory, she fought as hard as she could to make him understand her. She tried so many times to make him listen. But he left her. And now he's back, trying to act as though everything has changed. But has it?
I wish there had been a little longer ending but overall a very nice story.

Four stars
This book came out October 23
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Suddenly Mine by Samantha Chase

In previous books in the series, Christian Montgomery made an appearance as a workaholic heading toward disaster in pursuit of winning his father's approval. And his health does become a problem in this book but luckily, his mother and aunt have just hired a nurse for the company and she is there to

make sure he's okay.
Christian is somewhat disappointed that Sophie is his employee. He's been admiring her determination to surf for weeks and now she's loathe to have a relationship with him because he his her boss.
Except that he's not really her boss, she's a contractor and reports to someone else. And he's willing to make it work.
Didn't love the ending but most of the story was pretty good. Looking forward to hearing Carter's story, how opening up an everyday restaurant in Montauk is going to shake up his life.

Three stars
This book comes out January 29
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley
Followed by A Dash of Christmas

Naughty But Nice by Donna Kauffman

Melody doesn't want her small town to change. That's why she's so so against Griffin coming to town. He's a developer who wants to help the town grow and he's surprised that some people might be opposed to that process. However, Griffin is determined to win the cupcake baker over.
In this series, this wasn't my least favorite but it was not a great story. Very shallow and not enough time to see why the two fell in love.

Two stars
This comes out October 30
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Ghost It Was by Richard Hull

James Warrenton is one of those unpleasant old patriarchs who so often get murdered in books from the Golden Age of detective fiction. He's old, wealthy, a little deaf, and enjoys toying with those in his purview. They include his niece (and housekeeper), his four nephews, his sister, his servants, and the local priest. The happenings in this book are spurred by an article in The New Light, a smallish newspaper, about Mr. Warrenton buying a house that is supposed to be haunted. As Warrenton himself is interested in spiritualism, this might not seem like such an odd thing. But it does bring to town the only relative who has never asked for money, Gregory Spring-Benson, one of the nephews. Gregory is finding himself behind on his bills and would like to get a job as a newspaperman. Perhaps finding out the rest of the story behind his uncle's estate will at least get him some freelance money.
The bulk of the book was enjoyable but the ending was... meh. It felt a little flat though it was fairly clued.

Three stars
This book came out October 4
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theater by Dana Simpson

Phoebe goes to drama camp while Marigold visits her sister. The two don't really get to spend a lot of time together because Marigold is so busy trying to repair the relationship with her sister.
This book seems shorter than the others in the Heavenly Nostrils series. There was really only one story line which was good but, again, short.

Three stars
This book comes out October 23
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps

I've been really into celebrity biographies lately and Busy Philipps seems like a pretty awesome person in general so I requested this book from NetGalley and did not regret it. Yes, there are some writing quirks that took me out of reading occasionally and I didn't love everything about Ms. Philipps but it is an honest look at her life detailing even the parts where she herself was not the greatest person and times when she thought she could have stepped up but didn't but also times when she did step up and it helped. Readings stories like this make you really realize exactly how human actors are (well, most of them) with their own foibles and good points.

Four stars
This book comes out today
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Lionheart by Thea Harrison

Dr. Katheryn Shaw is one of the most well-known surgeons on Earth. Her skill is virtually unmatched. But there are other surgeons so she's confused as to why the warriors of Lyonesse are so insistent that she has to be the one to save their lord, Oberon. He had been poisoned 15 years ago (in Lyonesse time, it was two hundred years ago on Earth because of the time slippage) by a needle that is slowly, magically working it's way toward Oberon's heart. And even though he's physically alive, the magic in the needle has killed all of his emotions. Even though he sleeps, his power rages around his countryside making it impossible for anyone to live there because it is so cold.
This was a fast-paced novel with action on every page. It made the romance a bit shallow but the reading was quick and interesting. I definitely would read the other two books in the series first but, if you have read the other two, you should like this one.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out today
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley
Follows Spellbinder 

Murder at Archly Manor by Sara Rosett

Olive's new stepmother has pushed her rather forcibly out of her father's house. Unfortunately, Olive has no skills. Her father spent her college money on some scheme. And, unfortunately, his schemes never come out. She's rather desperate when her cousin asks her for help. It seems her other cousin, Violet, is engaged to a man who is wholly ineligible. Or at least he seems so at first glance. Olive agrees to look into the man's past for a slight fee.
Invited to a party at Alfred's godfather's house, Olive finds herself among the fast set. And it gets even faster when Alfred is thrown off a balcony. Violet immediately becomes the most likely suspect. Especially since she was one of the only people upstairs at the time of the murder.
I really liked this story and look forward to the next in the series.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 1`5
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble

If you like the 1920's historicals that are popping up, you'll like this one from a slightly earlier period. Lady Dunbridge is only 26 but she's already a dowager. When her father gives her two untenable options, she decides to make her own, third option and heads across the Atlantic to stay with her friend Bev. Too bad Bev's husband is murdered at the pickup and die in the lap of his mistress. What the heck is going on? It seems that the man had a lot of shady dealings so there are a lot of people who become suspects.
It's a nice start to some world building and I think further books will be even better.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 16
Followed by Tell Me No Lies
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

JELL-O Girls by Allie Rowbottom

I heard about this book on a couple of different book podcasts and was delighted to see that it was still available as an ARC on NetGalley. I immediately started reading it and then... about a month passed. This book just didn't capture me like I thought it would. A history of the family behind Jello, one that is cursed? Cool. But, tbh, even with the Jello hook, this book just didn't capture my imagination. I did slog through it but it took a long time.

Two stars
This book came out July 24
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig

I think I would have liked this book more had I known that it was part of a series. I felt like I was dumped into the middle of the story of Amelia, a human in Elfhelm. She is trying to navigate a world in which she really doesn't feel like she belongs. And there are definitely elves who would rather see her gone. Then, the Easter Bunny gets involved....

Three stars
This book comes out October 16
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Snoopy: Boogie Down! by Charles M. Schulz

I did not know there were so many strips where the cat next door took swipes at Snoopy's dog house. There are also touches of baseball, Lucy and Schroeder, and all of the favorite Peanuts characters. A lovely series of strips.

Four stars
This book comes out October 16
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas

Thomas knocks another Charlotte Holmes story out of the park. I didn't love every beat but it was an entertaining story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Charlotte and Mrs. Watson are at Lord Ingram's country estate. Well, the town just outside it. Charlotte is there hoping to be taken up on her proposition.
Unfortunately, a nearby house part has relocated to Lord Ingram's with two of society's most notorious gossips. And they, along with Charlotte's sister Livia are the ones to discovery Lady Ingram dead in the ice house. Though Treadles is one of the people investigating the case, his boss seems hellbent on making sure Ingram is hanged for the crime.
Another good addition to the series. I wish we had seen a little more of Charlotte's quirks but overall a pleasant read.

Four stars
This book came out September 2
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

A Gift of Bones by Carolyn Haines

Cece Dee Falcon is one of Sarah Booth's dearest friends. So, when her cousin is kidnapped, Sarah's willing to do anything, even hide her involvement from Coleman. Their relationship is pretty strong right now and she doesn't want to mess it up... but it's Cece. And her pregnant cousin.
I really enjoyed that Christmas was woven into the story but not super in your face. A nice addition to the series.

Three stars
This book comes out October 16
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Touch the Sky by Kari Cole

Vaughn defies the rules of weres. He the offspring of a wolf shifter and an eagle shifter, a rare double-were. Even his own pack doesn't completely accept him.
Hannah's on the run from some very bad dudes. She's only in Montana to talk to her cousin Jessie about how to control the psychometric talent that is suddenly causing her to have seizures despite the blocks she's had in place since her childhood. But there's some bad dudes experimenting on the weres and they're bringing the fight to Vaughn's back yard.
I really liked this book. Even though it was the second in the series, I didn't feel like I missed any of the world building.

Four stars
This book came out September 24
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

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