Narwhal's Otter Friend by Ben Clanton

I adore the Narwhal and Jelly stories and this is no different.  A new creature come into the life of the two friends and captivates Narehal's attention. Otter even seems to like waffles as much as Narwhal. Jelly begins to feel a bit left out and tries to find a new best friend but it is hard work.
Another lovely addition to the series. I didn't love the inset story and wish this had been longer but otherwise a great read.

Four stars

Followed by Happy Narwhalidays
This book comes out February 5
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

Corned Beef and Casualties by Lynn Cahoon

Jill Gardner's small touristy town is holding a St. Patrick's Day festival. She is overwhelmed and not really loving the number of people who are walking around drunk in the middle of the day. But she is charmed by one young woman. Too bad the young lady later ends up dead and Jill wants to know why.
I really like the full-length Tourist Trap mysteries but the novellas are just too short. Jill is not as likeable in these stories as her ruminations about not linking how much her boyfriend has to work get annoying. And we don't get to see as much development in the other characters meaning that everyone is just sort of stagnant. Then there are the touches of magic that happen only in the novellas. Why only the novellas? If magic is part of the series, make it part of the series. It was cheeky in the Christmas novella but felt really last-minute wedged in to this story.

Two and a half stars
This story comes out February 5
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

Danger on the Downs by Bianca Blythe

Cora Clarke was a child star who didn't age quite fast enough; her voice is still high, she is a bit short to be a real leading lady. Everyone knows that she's older so audiences just aren't seeing her the same way. And she's not really sure she wants to be an actor anymore anyway. She's traveling in England and her great-aunt asks her to come visit. Her aunt is one of the maids for a woman who was married first to a wealthy man and now to a foreign prince. When the hostess of the house, Mrs. Ivanov, finds out who Cora is, she invites her to join the dinner party upstairs. But she has a problem that she wants Cora to figure out (since Cora played a girl detective); who is trying to kill her husband? Cora isn't really excited about that plan but she's delighted to find out one of the guests is her best friend, Veronica. Too bad someone kills Mr. Ivanov anyway. At least that means Cora gets to see investigator Randolph again.
I wish this book had had about 80 more pages for a little more exposition. It was a nice, quick read but would have benefitted by a little more filler. The story was so pared down that I felt a little whiplashed by how fast the "ending" changed. It would have also served to make the ending a little less abrupt.

Three stars
This book came out January 18
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

In a Badger Way by Shelly Laurenston

I just go the excerpt of this book where Stevie from Honey Badger Chronicles book 1 and Shen from the Pride books are set up as the romantic interests. Shen has been set up as a super laid-back, continuously bamboo eating panda shifter. Stevie is a highly strung tiger-badger hybrid who is also ridiculously smart. The beginning of the book has Stevie freaking out about the number of bears in her kitchen while her sisters (normally the only ones who can calm her down) are not in the area. It's going to be up to Shen to help figure it out.
I'm a little hesitant about this book but am pretty sure it's going to be the fun ride we can normally expect from Laurenston.

Three stars (for the excerpt)
This book comes out March 26
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli

This book is exactly what I thought it would be - light and fluffy but with a peek into a culture I know nothing about. Raina Anand is a likeable character who is more or less ready to get married but is not ready to be pushed into it by her family. Her Nani has a list of potential suitors ready for her but Raina tells a lie (to help a friend) that changes everything. 
While the book isn't perfect (dragged in a few places and was a little uncomfortable in others), I will try to re-read this book before my ARC expires.

Four stars
This book comes out February 5
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

Caleb Parker and Sadie Lane have been circling around each other. Both are attracted but neither wants to get involved. Sadie has a dark past including an ex who was a suit, like Caleb, and who treated her very badly. Caleb is a little more interested but doesn't really want to get involved with anyone. He was a sickly child, almost died as a baby, and his history has made his family more than a little overprotective.
One night, Caleb is trying to coax a three-legged stray out of the rain when Sadie comes to help. Because they both helped, they decided to coparent (or "co-pet") and that leads to more and more interactions where each can discover who the other truly is.
Shalvis is the queen of building characters and both the h/h are fleshed out amazingly well. There were a couple Big Misunderstandings too many but this was otherwise a really enjoyable book.

Four stars
This book came out January 22
ARC kindly provided by publisher and Edelweiss

Three Little Words by Jenny Holiday

I've been ready to read Gia's book for awhile. She's a jet setting model who seems, in the last few books, that she has something to hide. And she is definitely going through some life changes. About to turn 30, her body just isn't working the same way it used to. It's out of her control. In her control? Getting Wendy's dress from New York to her Florida wedding. So when a storm hits and Gia isn't going to make it on time, she goes nuts.
Bennett Buchanan knows entitlement and isn't impressed by it. But when he realizes he is connected to the woman throwing a hussy fit, he decides to help.
Eventually the two decide to drive to Florida and that means enforced time in close proximity.  And in a romance novel, you can be sure that will lead to an HEA.
Maybe my expectations for this book were too high. I felt like Gia's problem was too quickly solved by Twu Lurv and that the romance between the two felt shallow. I get that they spent a lot of time together but a LOT of that time was spent with misconceptions and irritation rather than dawning feelings of love.

This book comes out January 29th
Three stars
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley