A Little Dare by Brenda Jackson

 Ten years ago, Rachelle Brockman and Alisdare Westmoreland were hot and heavy. But then he told her that he wanted to break it off so that he could go into the FBI. She loved him so she let him go even though she had news of her own. 
Now, it’s time to come home and to finally tell Dare about his son. I actually liked that he 

admitted his own culpability and worked with Rachelle to let AJ make his own choice about when to be a part of the family. Didn’t love that Dare made up his mind and decided to chase her so hard even when she said no but she actually didn’t protest hard.

Three stars

Followed by Thorn's Challenge

This book came out September 3rd, 2003

Borrowed this as an audiobook from Audible Escape

Opinions are my own

The Witch’s Halloween Hero by Kristen Painter

It is a novella wherein the mother of the heroine from the last book accidentally drinks a potion meant for a teenage girl who wants to completely forget her ex. Like, completely. To the point that she can’t even see him if he is 

standing right in front of her. Which seems fairly problematic in it’s own right but then Corette Williams drinks 

it instead and completely forgets her long-time boyfriend Bartholomew Stanhill. And just on the night he has a very important question to ask...
A lot of nonsense about true love’s kiss, etc. and why her daughters didn’t have an antidote recipe at the ready seems weird but... fine. It was short and not horrible but not as good as longer books in the series.

Two and a half stars

Follows The Professor Woos the Witch

Followed by The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish

This novella came out January 20th, 2016

Opinions are my own

A Witchly Influence by Stephanie Grey

 Carmen Devereaux is a witch. But that doesn’t mean she’s not susceptible to heartbreak. Divorcing her husband might not quite reach that level but it still sends her home to North Carolina. It may not be entirely where she grew up but it’s where her family is now. And Fate has decreed that Carmen will no longer be working granting permits. Instead, she will be an Influencer, helping to age sure that people get to where they should be in life. Her first two people are both in the town she’s moving to and one is her stepbrother. She struggles a little, even going through time to help them out.

This was just a nice book. Is the solution for the friend a little bit of a cheat? Yes. Are all the solutions she comes up with a little too pat? Yes. Is Carmen just a little bit of a Mary Sue? Yes. But this is just a nice story at a time that I needed to read something light and sweet.

Four stars
This book comes out October 1st
ARC kindly provided by BHC Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Happily this Christmas by Susan Mallery

 Many a romance has started with the guy next door and this one is no different. Wynn Beauchene has a 14 year old son but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t admire Garrick McCabe, the cop who lives next to her. When he comes to her asking for help with a pregnant 21 year old, Wynn is taken aback, until she realizes the woman is his daughter. It seems that Garrick and Jolyn were close when she was younger but now their relationship is more strained, especially since Jolyn’s pregnancy has been difficult and that isn’t helped by the fact that her husband is currently deployed. 
As Wynn and Garrick spend more time together, attraction starts to grow. Both have been burned in the past though and the upcoming holiday season brings f

amily obligations and outside expectations that they might not be willing to bend to.
A typical Mallory romance: mostly closed doors for the romance; nice character development; an attempt to involve almost everyone from previous stories in the series; just a low-stakes, sugary, and fun read.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out September 29th
ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Three and a half stars

Professor Woos the Witch by Kristen Painter

 Nocturne Falls is a pretty amazing place to live if you’re a paranormal. That’s why Cole Van Zant’s daughter is stoked that they are moving there even if it is temporarily. See, her mother just told her that she’s a witch and she is ready to learn more. Cole is definitely not impressed with his ex-wife’s parenting skills. She’s more or less completely out of their daughter’s life and only shows up to tell her some hogwash about being a witch? Nonsense. It’s all nonsense.

But Pandora Williams doesn’t think it’s nonsense. In fact, she comes from a long line of witches. It’s just too bad that her power is broken. All of her spells go just a little bit awry. 

But she recognizes the power in Cole’s daughter and wants to help. The fact that Cole is pretty hot doesn’t hurt. And he’s in town to fix up and sell his great-uncle’s house? Even better. It’s just strange that her power actually seems to work when she’s around Cole. And that his great-uncle was very happily married to Avery powerful witch, who seems to still be hanging around deepens the mystery.

A fast, fun, and fluffy book. The “villain” is a little two-dimensional but it was an easy listen and Cole and Pandora were easy to relate to.

Three stars

Follows The Gargoyle Gets His Girl

Followed by The Witch’s Halloween Hero

This book came out October 8th, 2015

Borrowed from Audible Escape

Opinions are my own

Reaper’s Blood by Kel Carpenter

 

Hostess cupcakes might kill you but Salem didn’t expect it to be quite so immediate. After an animal with red eyes runs out in front of her car, she finds herself in a literal out of body experience. There, a strange girl Salem dubs “not Morticia” tells her that she has to go back. When Salem touches her body, she sets off a chain of events that start to tell her more about her family, including why her brother insisted on joining a fraternity and why he and Salem’s father died. 

Salem and her crush, Graves who is the one to find her, are new adults which is not my favorite genre to read but the book was short and I love the take Carpenter has on Grim Reapers and the supernatural world. Her characters range from quirky and fun (e.g. Ralph, the pot-smoking Reaper) to sometimes stereotypical (the other frat boys). I did really like Salem’s best friend, the succubus. She’s not ashamed of her sexuality and is willing to fight the patriarchy who are simultaneously trying to keep the succubi down but taking advantage of their sexuality. Some good discussion on consent.

Three stars

Followed by Reaping Havoc

This book came out June 13th, 2020

Borrowed as an audiobook

Opinions are my own

Her Scandalous Pursuit by Candace Camp

Thisbe Moreland is a scientist even if she is a woman in a time when women are not considered to be intelligent. HarrisoBut she still attends lectures. And that's where she meets Desmond Harrison.  Most duke's daughters wouldn't be interested in a shopkeeper's assistant, especially one who works for a scientist trying to prove that ghosts exist, but one of the Mad Morelands would definitely be willing to defy convention.
Thisbe hates the name but she can't deny that she is having odd dreams. Dreams that are connected to the artifact that Desmond is looking for, one that might prove the existence of ghosts. Something her grandmother, the feared Dowager of Broughton owns.
This book was written after the rest of the series, even though it is a prequel. It is a nice, quick story though sort of surface, even though it tops four hundred pages.

Three stars
This book came out January 8th, 2020
Hard copy I didn’t keep
Opinions are my own