The Irresistible Rogue by Valerie Bowman

The start of this book really didn't draw me in. I felt like it was a bit havey-cavey what with all the action that we're just dropped into the middle of. which can be an interesting way to start a book but didn't work here. And then there's a couple of info dumps that aren't as well done as previous Bowman books.
It seems that Daphne Swift, our heroine, married Rafe Cavendish because she can speak Russian and her brother wanted her to help. 
I'm not sure if I just had a harder time suspending disbelief or if this book truly was as silly as I was finding it. I won't quit reading this author but this book wasn't quite as good as the previous in this series.

Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore by Rose Pressey

This is definitely not a series to be read quickly one after the other. What is kooky and fun well-spread apart just becomes predictable and repetitive. I really hope our characters move along in the next book because I didn't see much growth from Cookie in this one. It may not have been as annoying if I hadn't read all three within a few months of each other.

But our intrepid ghost-seeing Cookie is back. This time the ghost is a former private investigator who is tied to a hat. And the victim is a not-so-nice fashion designer who ends up dead in an alley with no shortage of suspects.
Three stars

Followed by Haunted Is Always in Fashion

What Happens Under the Mistletoe -- Anthology

<i>The Heiress and the Hothead</i>by Sabrina Jeffries
Whoa. I mean, whoa. Never has danger boner been so egregious. And yet, still -- this was a solid three and a half star story. Alexandra Keane, Jeremy's sister and a mill owner, is shocked when an unknown man kisses her at her brother's Christmas house party. Even more so when she discovers that he is Lord Stephen Corry (younger brother of sequel bait Warren and, I can only assume, Warren's ward, Clarissa) who is a reformer who writes exposes on various... English mills. So she's immediately suspicious about his motives. But they find out that they might have more in common than they think and that might include love.
>>
>> <i>Twelve Kisses to Midnight</i> by Karen Hawkins
>> Marcus is not happy to see his former fiancée standing at the Christmas house party he's attending. Kenna left him a month before their wedding then married a man nineteen years her senior. It's been ten years but he's having a hard time remembering that.
>> And, of course, they've both changed. Luckily, an unexpected snowstorm gives them time to explore those changes.
>> I definitely liked this, warts and all. 4 stars.
>>
>> <i>By Any Other Name</i> by Candace Camp
>> Rylla is worried about her brother. He's been missing for weeks and she just wants him home for Christmas. So she does what any good romance heroine would do and dresses like a man and heads to a gambling establishment to find him. Luckily, when she is robbed on the way out, she is rescued by Mr. Gregory Rose who not only promises to help her brother, he falls in love.
>> Cute. A bit whirlwind but enough for 3 1/2 stars.
>>
>> <i>Sweetest Regret</i> by Meredith Duran
>> Two years ago, Lucas Godwin started to court Georgie but then abruptly left Munich. She has never forgotten that. But now a diplomatic mission to find a lost letter gives them a second chance at love.
>> A little trite maybe, but a cute story. 4 stars.
>>

Say You'll Love Me by Ally Broadfield

I assumed this was the author's first book because it seems somewhat unpolished (according to Goodreads, it looks like it's her third). Of course, I did read an ARC so maybe some of the jerky story telling will be smoothed out in the final product.
Lady Abigail Hurst is delighted to be engaged to her childhood friend. At least until her engagement ball (when the book opens) and she sees her fiance trying to seduce one of his sister's maids. She's heartbroken. Even more so when the made later turns up dead and her fiance is the main suspect.
There was a LOT going on in this story and some parts of the story seemed like they were just stuck in to various pages. What with Abigail deciding that she's going to investigate the murder and then falling in love with her best friend's brother (a relationship that never felt developed) etc., etc.
Overall, an okay book with bones that make me think that this author might produce some great stories soon.

Comes out 

Hot Holiday Nights by Jaci Burton

Holy menage, Batman! Warn a woman, NetGalley! This book suffered for me because this is NOT one of my favorite romance tropes. I generally like Burton's writing, even if it does get a little more explicit than I like. For the rating, this is my personal opinion. Do I think that regular Burton readers will enjoy the story? Probably. Do I like that Victoria was the leader in initiating this triad? I gave it a whole extra star because of that. I liked that she was confident in herself and her men.
When Victoria Baldwin finally takes a vacation, little does she suspect that she'll be falling in love. And falling in love.

Santa Claus Man by Alex Palmer

Generally, I try to avoid biographies written by family members who aren't children. People tend to be glamorized. And while that did happen in this book, it was still a well-written book. And an entertaining read about an interesting con man.

Snoopy: Contact! by Charles M. Schulz

Snoopy rides again! Mainly stories connected to the Red Baron, this is a fantastic look at the work of Charles M. Schulz. And so many of the stories still work today. Simple, awesome. Definitely worth a read.

Will come out next week, October 20.