Her One and Only By: Becky Wade

Back of the book

Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, is being pursued by a stalker, so his team hires a protection agency to keep Gray under the watch of a bodyguard at all times. When Gray meets Dru Porter, an agent assigned to him, he's indignant. How can an attractive young female half his size possibly protect him?

But Dru's a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt. She's also ferociously determined to uncover the identity of Gray's stalker. And she's just as determined to avoid any kind of romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past. But the closer they get to finding the stalker, the closer they grow to each other. As the danger rises, can Dru and Gray entrust their hearts--and their lives--to one another?

My thoughts

Her One and Only starts of with a bang, and in just a few short pages all of the characteristics you have learned to hate about Dru have changed.  Dru's character has developed and molded into a loving and strong willed woman that just keeps drawing you in as the book progresses.  While Gray is selfish and a player, only glimpses of that lifestyle are talked about in the book.  The entire Porter family bends and twists thru the pages as you get a glimpse of how the family dynamics have changed as they have grown.  While tensions are high throughout the book, you will still feel the sweet romance we all enjoy in a Becky Wade novel.

I was given this book free from Netgalley for my honest review.

Change of Heart By: Courtney Walsh

Back of the book

A Colorado senator’s wife, Evelyn Brandt seems to have it all. But her carefully constructed life comes toppling down when the FBI crashes her society brunch with news that her husband has been arrested for embezzlement, and he’s far from repentant. It turns out this was only the start of his indiscretions—for which he has little regret.

As the weeks following the scandal turn into months, Evelyn withdraws, even shirking her duties with the philanthropic Valentine Volunteers. The inquisitive women of the group are determined not to let Evelyn’s divorce destroy her. They have big plans for her to use her long-forgotten artistic talent to reimagine the city’s iconic lamppost hearts. But doing so will force Evelyn to work closely with Trevor Whitney, her ex-husband’s former best friend. Though she and Trevor used to be close—and he’s been letting her hide in his guesthouse—his gruffness conveys his unease with the situation.

Amid the beauty of Trevor’s farm and the comfort of a paintbrush, Evelyn starts to reclaim the dreams she sacrificed to become the perfect politician’s wife. And as creativity inspires them both, Whit begins to see the girl he fell in love with before his friend—and his own mistakes—stole his chance. Possibilities for a new beginning emerge, but long-kept secrets threaten to ruin everything. After so much time, is a change of heart too much to hope for?

For more on Courtney Walsh visit her website or facebook page

My thoughts

Skip the Hallmark movie and open this book!  Change of Heart is everything you have come to love and expect from a Courtney Walsh novel and then some.  Eveleyn is such a wounded character, left with so much to deal with that you just want to give her a hug.  While Trevor will make you crazy, his quiet demeanor makes you want to kick him in the shins.  These two alone make the book entertaining and thought provoking, but then you add the witty and blunt comments from the Valentine Volunteers and you might as well put life on hold to finish this book. This book is as clean as a whistle while dealing with lies, betrayal, and deception.  

I was given this book free from Tyndale Publishing for my honest review.

Always Watching By: Lynette Eason

Back of the book

The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have more than just skill and prowess in common--they're also all women. When it becomes clear that popular psychiatrist and radio personality Wade Savage has a stalker, his father secretly hires Elite Guardians in order to protect his son.

But when Wade's bodyguard is attacked and nearly killed, agency owner Olivia Edwards must step in and fill the gap. Olivia's skills are about to be tested to the limit as Wade's stalker moves from leaving innocent gifts at his door to threatening those closest to him. Olivia has the feeling that she's next on the list. And to complicate things even further, she realizes that her heart may be in as much danger as her client.

Bestselling author and fan favorite Lynette Eason drops readers right into the action in this fast-paced new series with a unique twist. Readers will love these strong female characters who put it all on the line to save lives.

My thoughts

Lynette Eason is once again putting your detective skills to the test with her latest novel, Always Watching, the first book in her new series Elite Guardians.  Always Watching is entertaining,  intense, and fun to read.  With a few major twists and turns, and some small ones in between, this book will keep you guessing until the very end and beyond.  As soon as you finish, you will go back to the beginning to see what clues you missed.  This new series will definitely be a hit, and it starts now!

I was given this book free from Revell Publishing for my honest review.

Cold Shot By Dani Pettrey

Back of the Book

In college, Griffin McCray and his four best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world--and friendships--crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet--until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern--a young social justice lawyer missing since spring--and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he'll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he--and those he cares about--are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

My thoughts

Dani Pettrey is back!  If you are a fan of the Alaskan courage series, you will quickly become enthralled in Cold Shot.  This book starts off running and never slows down, even while introducing a LOT of new characters, and a new town, and tons of back story, it all comes together nicely.  Finley and Griffin are the perfect starters for this book series, her spunky personality and his quiet presence make this a story everyone will love.

I was given this book free from Bethany House Publishing for my honest review.

Where She Belongs By: Johnnie Alexander

Back of the Book

Can love redeem a broken past?
Shelby Kincaid is ready to move forward after the death of her husband left her devastated. With high hopes for the future, she longs to purchase her family's homestead, Misty Willow, so she can raise her young daughters in the only place she ever truly belonged. She plans to transform the abandoned house into the perfect home of her memories. But she has her work cut out for her.

AJ Sullivan never wanted Shelby's family homestead in the first place. His grandfather left it to him as punishment for not following his wishes, and he's let it fall into ruin. AJ's more than happy to unload it to this spitfire of a woman. But even after angry exchanges over the state of the house, he can't get her off his mind.

With writing that evokes a strong sense of place and family history, Johnnie Alexander deftly explores the ties that bind us to home--and the irresistible forces that draw us to each other.


Johnnie Alexander is the award-winning author of Where Treasure Hides. Johnnie is an accomplished essayist and poet whose work has appeared in the Guideposts anthology A Cup of Christmas Cheer. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, spending time with her grandchildren, and taking road trips. She lives near Memphis, Tennessee.

My Thoughts

If you are looking for a sweet Christian romance or Hallmark type book, this is not the book for you.  Where She Belongs is clean, but, some characters use women and relationships for personal gain, the book is blunt and honest about the manipulative world that we live in.  With that said, once I realized it wasn't a Hallmark movie in a book, and got in a different mindset, I found it really enjoyable. 

With an underlined theme of finding your place, this story will pull at your heart strings as Shelby works to find peace and strength after great tragedy.  AJ is a kind, loving person, who is trying to prove he is nothing like his family.  Great scenes and wonderful dialog keep this book moving, and kept me entertained to the very last page.

I was given this book free from Revell Publishing for my honest review.

You're the One That I Want by: Susan May Warren

Back of the book

Owen Christiansen has been in a downward spiral since an injury ended his NHL career. But a job on an Alaskan crabbing boat offers a fresh start . . . maybe even a shot at romance with Elise “Scotty” McFlynn, the captain’s daughter.

Used to being one of the guys, to never relying on anyone, Scotty doesn’t believe in happily ever after—especially with someone like Owen. Her instinct is confirmed when Casper Christiansen arrives to drag his prodigal brother home, bringing with him a truckload of family drama—and even worse, the news that Casper is wanted for questioning in connection to a crime back in Minnesota.

But Owen is more than the sum of his mistakes, a truth both he and Scotty discover when she escorts both brothers to Deep Haven as part of her new job on the Anchorage police force. Thrust into an unfamiliar world of family, faith, and fresh starts, Scotty begins to see potential for a happy ending . . . if she’s brave enough to embrace it.

My thoughts

If you have been impatiently waiting for the final novel in the Christiansen series, and eager to see what happened to Owen the wait is over!  This is, by far, the best Susan may Warren novel I have read.  With so much hanging in the balance I was expecting a large novel and was somewhat worried when I noticed the book size.  I will assure you that nothing is left unfinished, things all wrap up, and you will just go wow, that was a good book and start the series again,  

Scotty is a hard around the edges person, but has so much love inside with no direction and she just fits Owen perfectly.  With the entire Christiansen clan in and out of this book you can expect loud family dinners with lots of dialog and DRAMA!  Don't pass this book up, sit back and enjoy!

I was given this book free from Tydale Publishing for my honest review.

Step by Step By: Candace Calvert

Back of the Book

Three years after a tragic accident left her a widow, ER nurse Taylor Cabot is determined to move on, checking off one item after another on her survival list. Her relationship with a handsome plastic surgeon even gives her hope for the last point—“fall in love again.” At least until crisis chaplain Seth Donovan steps back into her life, reawakening unanswered questions about her husband’s death.

While in San Diego to train community volunteers, Seth hopes to learn why Taylor is backing away from the crisis team and from their friendship. But nothing prepares him for the feelings that arise when he sees Taylor again . . . and sees her moving on with another man.

When a community crisis hits home and puts lives at risk, emotions run high and buried truths are unearthed. Will hope make the survival list?

My Thoughts

Step by step moves just like the title, Step by step.  I have always found Calvert novels to have a great blend of tension and entertainment, but this lacked the tension I was expecting.  That being said, I enjoyed the story and liked that Calvert wrote a book about Taylor and Seth.  Basing the novel in San Diego was a new twist but a good one to move the book, and series, along.  I would emphasize that if you have not read Candace Calvert's past books, you will be totally lost and most likely will not like this book.  If you do take the time to read her past novels, you will not only like this book, but will find a great author and a bunch of clean suspenseful novels to keep you entertained for hours.

I was given this book free from Tyndale Publishing for my honest review.