Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

I wouldn't have read this book except that several blogs and podcasts kept singing this book's praises. And rightly so, the writing is beautiful and the story unique. I did not especially love the ending but am not sure how it could have been better except that a couple more chapters would have served. I was surprised that a book that seems like it could be complicated (and it is -- Oona of the head is a different age than Oona of the body) and still hold my attention right now.

Four stars
This book  came out February 25th, 2020
Borrowed this as an ebook from the library
Opinions are my own

Captive Star by Nora Roberts

MJ O'Leary doesn't understand why her friend Bailey sent her a giant diamond but she doesn't have a lot of time to try and figure it out as she is confronted by a man in her own home and he claims that he is there to take her in since she's skipped her bounty.
Jack Dakota is a skip tracer and he's seen a lot of things. But this job seems a bit odd. Even more odd when someone else barges in demanding that Jack turn her over. He decides that taking off with MJ is going to be the better bet. Maybe not safer but something is definitely hinky and he wants to know what's going on.
I would read the whole series in order. I don't think you absolutely need to but it is much better with all of the info. This is a very 90s romance but still enjoyable (if a little dated - flip phones anyone?)

Three stars
Follows Hidden Star
Followed by Secret Star
This book came out November 1st, 1997
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

Flora Donovan's father deserted her before she was born. Her mother died when she was eight and she grew up with an aunt who saw her as baggage. Her past has made her very sensitive to others who are hurting. And she sees the daughters of Jack Parker hurting. He came into the flower store where she worked and was immediately intrigued. A widower for almost a year, he knows his daughters are in pain but he isn't able to see how deep. When he introduces Flora to seventeen-year-old Izzy and seven-year-old Molly, it doesn't go well but he isn't able to see.
And I think Morgan does a good job of showing the emotions of each character and the blocks that each one has as well. The book was a bit narrow compared to some of others of Morgans books -- the focus is super tight mainly on Izzy and Flora but I strangely felt like they were a bit one-dimensional as well in places. Definitely on par with others of Morgan's books that aren't strict romances (though there is an HEA here) but didn't pull on as much emotion as others.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out May 5th
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Taken with You by Shannon Stacey

Reading the Kowalski stories made me an instant Shannon Stacey fan. She does not disappoint with a book about Hailey (who's been introduced in other books), the Whitford librarian and Matt, the new game warden.
Matt's a scarred hero (because, what else?). One of his exes not only objected to his erratic hours and coming home muddy and smelling of animal urine, she absolutely tried to change him. I didn't really get where the deep scars were coming from just based on these descriptions, but then again, I live in Montana where stuff like this is the norm, so... It seemed more like he was being super-rigid about women having to appreciate him and his lifestyle and even went out of his way to try and scare subsequent girlfriends.
Hailey is looking for a man who will appreciate opera and five-star restaurants. When she meets a bewhiskered man who hasn't showered in several days while lost in the woods, she's not immediately attracted to him. But when he cleans up so nice and seems like a rational human being... he might actually might make a good companion. For awhile. But not forever, of course!
I did not like that Matt was being such a baby about the outdoors thing and I very much liked that Hailey was willing to be more compromising about how they spent their time. She was right to be pissed when he acted like a child in the French restaurant. I had to appreciate the end of the book when it looked like they were going to create a better balance of what they both loved. Just because they didn't have the exact same tastes didn't mean they couldn't be together.
I absolutely loved that there was a five year age gap (she's 40, he's 35) and there were no mentions of cougars, no argument over "she's too old", or any of the things that you might expect from an older female-younger male-type relationship. Instead, it's simply Matt and Hailey falling in love.

Kowalski Family #8

Four stars
Follows Love a Little Sideways
Followed by Falling for Max
This book came out March 25th, 2014
Listened to on Audible Escape
Opinions are my own

Reread as hard copy of mine March 2024

Close Up by Amanda Quick

Vivian Brazier is just trying to make a living as a photographer. It's an emerging field in the 1920s and very few people are making Art. She's making ends meet by being a photojournalist, taking pictures of crime scenes. And it's the latter job that brings her in contact with the person known as the "Dagger Killer." Her second sight when she uses the camera helps her capture nuances that no one else can see. When she becomes a target, a bodyguard is arranged.
Nick Sundridge is that bodyguard. He also has visions and manages them through lucid dreaming and being a detective (being a good guy balances the horrible parts of his visions.)  He saves her life and then decides to take her up to Burning Cove where the Hollywood glitterati goes but he can control more of the security.
The romance between them felt a bit thin but it was overall a fun read and a nice addition to the Burning Cove series. We are starting to learn a little bit more about Luther Pell's work behind the scenes; it's unfolding slowly, hint by hint. I'm still holding out hope for Luther and Raina's story as well.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out May 5, 2020
Follows Tightrope

Followed by The Lady Has a Past
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Reread September 2022 as audiobook from Libby

Go Fetch! by Shelly Laurenston

Miki Kendrick just wants to finish her PhD. She doesn't want to deal with mysterious people calling her from alleys and she darn sure doesn't want to deal with overly large shifters who are obsessed with her. Yet here she is with Conall Víga-Feilan a wolf descended from Loki himself. And the man is hot. Distractingly hot.
Super-smart and well trained in the art of the hunt, Miki takes no prisoners. And in Conall's case, she doesn't want to be caught with him either. But trying to make it through her dissertation may prove harder than she originally thought.
Early Laurenston shifter, a little rough but a fun read nonetheless.

Three books
Follows Pack Challenge
Followed by Here Kitty, Kitty
This book came out March 6th, 2007
Audiobook from the library
Opinions are my own

Reread July 1, 2022, March 2023

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

January Scaller does not live with either her mother or her father. Instead, she lives with Mr. Locke while her father travels the world, searching for treasures for the New England Archeological Society. And Mr. Locke seems to care for her. She cares for him. Her life is distressingly normal for a girl who is neither white nor black in (I think?) the early 1900s. But her life begins to change at seven when she briefly sees a blue door and goes through to another world. When her father dies, her life changes irrevocably. Her first person narration pulls us into the story, into her feelings and sense of wonder.

Her story intersects with two others whose identities are originally concealed from us by the third person narrator. All of them, explorers, trying to discover all 10,000 doors (which is actually "too many to count" but 10,000 works well.)

Great character development, awesome world building, and a happy ending. All things that make me happy. I did skim a couple of sections but not very much.

Four and a half stars

This book came out September 10th, 2019

Borrowed as audiobook from library

Opinions are my own