Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander

Sloan is up against murder again. This time, the victim is a man who was trying to make their town dry. Considering the fact that most of the town makes money off the tourism based around the local breweries. If the town went dry, there would be no money coming in. It's just too bad the man is found in April Amblin's office. The "official ambassador " to Leavenworth may have been annoyed by Kristopher but that doesn't mean she killed the man.
In the course of trying to (some what ambivalently) April's name, Sloan runs up against a number of people who were indebted to Kristopher who seemed to be tricking townspeople into borrowing money from him and then trying to swindle them out of their business.
A nice addition to the series but it took me a little bit to get into it. Definitely worth a read if you like the rest of the series.

Three stars and a half stars
This book came out October 1st
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Meant to Be Yours by Susan Mallery

Renee Grothen doesn't especially want to get married, even though she's a wedding coordinator. Instead, she's willing to indulge in some fun and then go her separate ways from the guy. At least that's what she's telling herself. And the guy she happens to have her eye on is Jasper Dembenski, local and author extraordinaire.
Jasper is just coming off a book tour which he did in an RV. On his last stop, he discovered a starving dog and adopted it. He's always thought that his military past made him unsuitable to have a normal life but there are others who would disagree with him, even his ex-flame Wynn who is a friend of Renee's (that complication is handled in a very adult manner, nicely done.) Renee isn't going to be his forever after but she's definitely hot and the fact that she's helping him get past his writer's block is an added bonus.
A really nice addition to the Happily Inc. series. I'm excited to read Wynn's story (hopefully soon!)

Four stars
Follows Not Quite Over You
This book came out October 22nd
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Once a Spy by Mary Jo Putney

If you've read previous books in the Rogues Redeemed series, you will remember Simon Duval, the man who has helped our other heroes find love. In "Once a Scoundrel," Susan Duval, widow of Simon's cousin, helps the heroine escape a harem, the same harem where she was held for years. It's sort of understandable that she's not real keen on sex at this point. But when Simon suggests they marry for companionship, Susan is read to do it. Shunned by the other French emigres, Susan is not sure about the marriage at first but then she meets his friends and realizes that not everyone is as close-minded. She decides that, if Simon is not serious about wanting intimacy, she's in. So they marry and Simon soon realizes that his desire is not as lost as he thought.
The two work through her issues even as they also have to deal with going to Brussels, even knowing that Napoleon has escaped and England may once again be on the brink of war. They are looking for Simon's cousin, Lucas, who disappeared from a war camp and now may be wandering the countryside as a Franciscan monk.
This is a typical Putney novel, generally fast, fun, and fluffy. There are some heavy themes in this book that aren't exactly treated lightly but they are sort of skimmed over. Readers will again experience an unusual bent into religion, something that happened at the end of the Lost Lords series. I say unusual because it doesn't happen in every Putney book but shows up unexpectedly here and there and I was surprised there wasn't anything about it in the author's note, why was this book different? This time it was a little less preachy and more in the line of miraculous. I don't mind it if it's used consistently in a series but am sort of bemused that we have several fairly straight-forward novels and then one with overt magical realism. It will be interesting to see if future books in the series continue this trend, especially if Lucas gets his own HEA.

Three stars
This book came out September 24th
Follows Once a Scoundrel

Followed by Once Dishonored
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Someone to Trust by Mary Balogh

Elizabeth, Lady Overfield had a horrible marriage. Her husband abused her to the point that her family actually not only took her in, they kept her. Something unheard of in their time. But she's relatively happy where she is. In her mid-thirties, she can't ask for much more.
Colin Handrich, Lord Hodges, is twenty-six. And he decides to use the holiday house party to start looking for a wife. He's known Elizabeth from previous parties and has always been inspired by her quite confidence. She may not be a raging beauty but she is striking and has a pull. When circumstances make it so that they are sort of forced into marriage, he's not upset.
In most Balogh stories, I feel like there is so much character development, which we do see here, and so much romance building, which I missed.

Three stars
This book came out November 27
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley; Opinions are my own

The Unsinkable Walker Bean and the Knights of the Waxing Moon by Aaron Renier

Walker Bean is back with his friends for more adventures. This time, he's looking for treasure and dealing with pirates. With a tough riddle to solve, can he figure out where the treasure is before the bad guys? And why does his friend Genoa seem so involved?
I have to admit that I thought this was a part of a different series when I requested it from NetGalley. But I thought I would read it anyway. It took some time to figure out what was going on as I hadn't read the book before this one. It was okay but took some time to wade through which I wasn't expecting from a comic. Would definitely be a lot of bang for your buck.

This book came out October 23
Four stars
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley; Opinion is my own

Putting Down Roots in Kinsey Falls by Gayle Leeson

Joanne Farraday's adoptive parents were older when they decided to grow their family. Now her mother is gone and her father has descended into Alzheimer's. She knows that her birth mother is also dead so Joanne goes to her mother's home town to see if she might have any other living family. But she's setting off alarm bells. The reading group, the Silver Sleuths, have decided that, with all the questions she's asking, she must be up to no good.
This was a surprisingly short story (around 100 pages) and that made it harder for the characters to really develop but there was a nice story arc and some set ups for further books in the series.

Three stars
This book came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Once a Scoundrel by Mary Jo Putney

After his grandfather tosses him out, Gabriel Vance changes his last name to Hawkins and heads out to sea. He is the captain of his own ship (and his own destiny) when he's approached to help rescue Lady Aurora "Roarin' Rory" Lawrence, from Barbary pirates. She's an adventurer in her own right but she might need a little help to get out of this one.
Putney adds a lot of elements to this book, adventure, storms, kidnapping, a B plot love story. But all of that tends to overshadow the main love story. This is a good book but not one of my faves.

Three stars
This book came out September 25
Followed by Once a Spy
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Why Not Tonight by Susan Mallery

In earlier Happily Inc. books, we met Ronan Mitchell and his brothers. They were a holdover from the Fool's Gold series where we learned that Ronan and his twin... weren't... twins that is. Ronan was, in fact, the offspring of his father's affair with another woman. Since he found out, he's been drawing more and more within himself.
Natlie Kaleta isn't too impressed with his brooding artistic nature. She'd revel in a life where she'd be able to just do her art rather than having to cobble together jobs so that she can do a bit here and there. When she's trapped at his house after a mudslide, she's surprised by his welcoming nature and the time they spend together lets them work to know each other a little more...
Another fine book in the Happily Inc. series. I didn't totally buy Natalie and Ronan's romance but overall a very nice addition to the series.

Three stars
This book comes out September 18
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Love You by Stacy Finz

Win Garner and Darcy Wallace have both been introduced in this series before. Win is the playboy of his family, the one who wines and dines women but never gets serious. In fact, he tries not to get too serious about anything. Or that's the perception; there have been glimpses of a deeper Win.
Darcy doesn't want Win to be deep. She just wants to break her dry spell. So she's fairly astonished when she crawls into his bed one night but gets rebuffed. Because her mother has been wearing on her self-confidence her whole life, she assumes that it's her. But Win is just trying to stay on the straight and narrow. He suggests they be friends but can't stop flirting.
The two are thrown together in order to help bring in a corporate account for their family business, Garner Adventures. It lets them both shine as well as spend some more time together.
This is a fast,fun, and fluffy with some toe-dips into the serious but nothing deep. Perfect reading for a summer's day.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out July 31
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley
Follows Want You

How to Keep a Secret by Sarah Morgan

Sisters know how to keep a secret. Lauren and Jenna learned that when they were young. Even if htat secret still haunts them, they know not to let it out. It's 24 (ish) years later and they're now adults. Adults who are in the middle of crises. Jenna has the perfect husband, the perfect job but can't seem to get pregnant. Neither can turn to the mother, except when Lauren's husband dies and her whole world implodes. Lauren and her daughter, Mack, move back to the States to stay with her mother. But Nancy has problems, and secrets, of her own.
At the end of the book, Morgan mentions that this book is a departure for her. This is true and it is one I most heartily enjoyed. Her last two fast, fun, and fluffies were a little too shallow for me. This book was a welcome change. Did I love all the characters? No. And we didn't get to see enough of Lauren and Scott's new romance to feel like this was anew love not just echoes of their puppy love. But I really enjoyed this book.

Four stars
This book comes out July 10
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith

If you've read any story set in a mid-1800s house where there is an old man who controls the family's wealth with an iron fist and it's Christmas, you can probably predict what is going to happen. This book is notable in that we not only get to see who the murderer is, we get to see how he puts together his cover up, and then how it all goes wrong.
This was an interesting book, especially since it was first published in 1933. It was a little slow in many places and I didn't get into it completely but the idea was a good one.

Three stars
This book comes out April 3
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss (apparently I liked the premise so much I requested it twice)

The Secret of Flirting by Sabrina Jeffries

Monique Servais knows who she is. She's a woman trying to put together a good life for the grandmother who raised her; the grandmother whose mental health is slipping away. She also knows she's a damn fine actress. So when an overbearing pair of gentleman push their way into her dressing room one night and one insults her, she's not taking any bull from him.
Gregory Fulkham is immediately to this actress and also immediately irritated by his attraction. But he sure as heck remembers her, even three years later when she's being passed off as a Belgian princess. Yes, it's a "Prince and the Pauper" type situation (but with more intrigue) and Gregory is Not Amused. But he's still attracted. And he's super-pissed that someone is taking potshots at the Monique, whether she's a fake or not.
This was an okay book but not as good as others in the series. This book also suffered from a surfeit of trying to introduce/catch up with other couples in the series.

Three stars
This book comes out March 27
Follows The Pleasures of Passion

The Woman Left Behind by Linda Howard

Jina Modell works in Communications. She's not a field agent... until Axel MacNamara decides that ten people from various deparments are going to be assigned to specific teams. Jina's team?  The one led by Levi "Ace" Butcher. She is not excited; that team usually gets the worst assignments. And that's before her training starts.  Jina is the only one who ends up training with her team -- all of the rest of the new "recruits" get to train together. She eventually considers herself lucky because she gets to bond with her group before they get out into the field. It's hard. The guys on her team aren't exactly excited to be working with a woman but Jina is stubborn and decides that she's going to make it, no matter what.
Ace really doesn't want a rookie on his team. Even worse, he's highly attracted to this person who is most definitely off-limits. But what is he supposed to do when they're on a mission and she gets left behind?
The title of this book was incredibly deceptive as was the description. Both make it sound like this is going to be the story of Jina fighting her way back to the teams but it is mainly about her journey joining the team. Less than 50 pages are about the mission where she gets "left behind." While I really liked the journey of Jina and Ace, I am confused by the ending.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out March 6
ARC kindly provided by Edelweiss

Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins

The book opens with Nora Stuart believing that she is dying. But then, she realizes that she's overhearing her current boyfriend hit on the ER nurse. That opens up her eyes that maybe she's not quite on the track that she wants to be with her life. Yes, she's an awesome gastroenterologist who graduate from Tufts and lives in Boston but... there are things left unraveled in her life.
She decides to go back to the island where she grew up, Scupper. Even if it means facing up to the demons she hasn't quite left behind; the mother who's not exactly warm and fuzzy, the daughter of her sister who is in jail, the town that thinks she had something to do with the meteoric fall of her grade's golden boy.
This was an okay story, but not up to the regular Higgins standard. I'm used to a little tears, maybe a chuckle. This book... was fairly static in the emotional ups and downs.

Three stars
This book comes out December 26
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

This was a quiet mystery, moving back and forth between the past, when Ivy Thorpe is trying to discover who killed a young girl and shoved her body into a hollow tree, and the present, where Kaine Prescott has moved from California to Wisconsin to rehab a house in the town where her great-great-grandmother grew up.
The writing was not a style that I particularly enjoy and the story was still a bit rough in points. This read more like two half-formed novellas than one story. Still, it was readable and quick.

Three stars
This book came out November 21
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Attraction Equation by Kadie Scott

Max Carter is a pretty rigid dude. He only sleeps with women, he never dates them. This is a practice that gets him into trouble when he blurts out at the family Thanksgiving dinner that his family can stop fixing him up- he's already got a girlfriend. Too bad that's not true. So he decides to blackmail the first woman he sees into being his fake girlfriend.
All Gina Castillo wants to do is sneak a small puppy into her friend's apartment. She doesn't want anyone to know about the dog because her friend might get kicked out. The dog wasn't supposed to be adopted yet since he's a gift for Gina's brother for Christmas which is still a month a way.
This is a romance novel so of course peripatetic Gina and uber-rigid Max are going to fall in love. Did I buy it? The attraction, yes, the long-term possibilities for their relationship? Not as much.

This book comes out November 13
Three stars
ARC provided by NetGalley

The Cycling Wangdoos by Kelly Pulley

I read this book with a two- and a five-year-old. There was a little too much text on some of the pages to keep the two-year-old's interest. But they mainly seemed to enjoy the pictures. The theme (teamwork is important) is great and the rhythm of the rhymes was very nice. I'm not sure if my ARC was damaged in some way but the book ended really abruptly; it would have been nice to do a wrap up of realization that everyone was doing their part rather than having the book end at the trophies.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 24

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

In this gender-flipped, updated version of the beloved P&P, Darcy Fitzwilliams is high-powered, beautiful, and rich. She doesn't get home to Pemberley, Ohio very often but her mother has suffered a heart attack so she's back for the Christmas season. She's been "dating" a family friend, Carl for eight years on and off but hasn't been able to commit. It is that lack of commitment that caused an estrangement between she and her father. It's at her parents annual party that she realizes another reason she hasn't committed, there are no sparks. At least, not like the sparks she's getting with Luke Bennett. They've had a contentious relationship since high school and it's morphed into... well, one hot kiss. But then they get engaged quickly afterward. To other people.
This book had a nice start but it veered too far from the original story. The best adaptations show the author's love for the original work but I didn't really even get that de la Cruz had even read P&P much less enjoyed it. The heart of that book are the relationships that already exist between the main characters and the new ones they are starting to build. Elizabeth and Luke barely interacted.
I liked that Darcy's best friend Bingley was still male and that he fell in love with one of Luke's brothers. But then there was a lot of exposition that was just... bleh. And Luke's explanations for his behavior both in present day and in high school were just gross.

Two stars
This book comes out

Necessary Roughness by Julie Brannagh

Tanner Cole was a football star until one bad tackle took him out of the game. Now he’s just struggling to get through rehab and move on with his life. Too bad he doesn’t really know what he wants to do. Physical therapy is not one of the things, he knows that. Too bad his physical therapist is dealaing with his own mending after a car accident which means that Tanner is about to get reassigned.

Jordan loves her job. No, like really, enjoys going to work every day. Until she meets Mr. Full-of-Himself Tanner. Him, she doesn’t like. His house, she does. And since she needs a place to live (not a great plot point) and he has space (and the hots for her), she moves in. So that she can be his in-house physical therapist. Or something. Living together leads the two to believe that the sparks between them might be more than just annoyance with each other.

Wow. This book REALLY struggled with pacing issues. The first 2/3ds was just a discussion of how much Tanner and Jordan really disliked each other with some growth toward friendship. Then, suddenly, in the space of 10 or so pages, they’re suddenly desperately in love and dying to be together even though they’re geographically apart. And whatever happened with Star? She was set up to be a much larger plot point and then just ended up as the psycho ex-girlfriend.

If this weren’t from an author I know could do better, I don’t feel like I’d be as disappointed.

This book comes out October 10

Two and a half stars

Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander

The book opens with brewer Sloan Krause walking in on her husband in flagrante delicto with one of their new barmaids. She'd had a general sense that he might be cheating on her but now there's proof. So she leaves. Not only him but his family's brewery.
But her start at the new brewery in town (a destination town where beer is king) is more than a little rocky. Her ex seems determined to win her back, the supplier seems squirrelly, and Sloane discovers the body of a rival brewer in one of Nitro's beer tanks.
It's an interesting start to a new series but I'm a little trepidatious about whether it will be one that I will continue to enjoy. This book includes a LOT of set up so not as much story.

Three stars
This book comes out October 3