Summary

Just when you thought you had heard the last of the #Hashtag crew, Romeo decides to take his family on a much needed vacation to go skiing in the Rockies. But this #Vacay, wont be your average family get away. Dodging the press is always a full-time job for this family of football royalty. Add in a healthy dose of love, humor and Rimmel's affliction for finding danger, and this vacation is sure to be one for the records.

I have long enjoyed Cambria Herberts #Hashtag and accompanying #Gear Shark series. Naturally, when I learned of the release of #Vacay, I was anxious to hear what Romeo and Rimmel's family was up too. I was also pleasantly surprised by the addition of Liam Mattison's family at the BearPaw resort in this crossover novella.

The characters didn't disappoint. Roman (Romeo) Anderson and his wife Rimmel steal your heart as their love continues to grow. His protective-alpha nature and her accident prone yet stubborn independence are sure to make any girl swoon. Their family always makes the reader feel welcome and it is refreshing to see they way they tease and banter with one another. Liam and his family were a perfect mirror of the #Hashtag crew. They had a similar dynamic and blended seamlessly with the Anderson's family.

The plot was well planned out and flowed pretty seamlessly throughout most of the book. I found myself immersed immediately in the story and found myself traipsing along with the characters up the Colorado mountain-side. Herbert did a great job with her descriptions and the natural action of the characters, really making the scene come to life. I also enjoyed the introduction of wolf. She added a fun twist that added the the story's feel-good atmosphere.

As wonderful as this story was, however, I felt like the ending was rushed. The relationship between Daniel and Meredith moved to quickly for my taste. I would have liked to see more development between the two of them. It felt as if there were a chapter missing that should have bound the beginning and end of their story together.

In all, I have to admit that this was an excellent book. I love the characters and had a lot of fun with this in this short but sweet novella. I would have loved to have given it a 5 star rating, but felt that the under-developed nature of Daniel and Meredith's relationship prevented it. That said, I absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for great "feel-good" read. I do however caution, that this is NOT a stand-alone novel. And really should be read after reading at the very least, the #Hashtag series. As a final note, I will be adding the BearPaw Resort series to my own reading list, as I am hoping to spend a little more time getting to know Liam and his family.

Summary

Billie lost everything, her home, her career, her husband. Two years later, she is back and city better watch out. With a new outlook on love, a a few sizes smaller and her roommates wardrobe, she ready to take the city by storm. A chance encounter with Satcher Gable, her ex-husband's best friend and business partner sets the stage for a series of fortunate events. After losing everything, it looks like Billie is about to reclaim everything she once had.

I have heard the name of Tarryn Fisher mentioned several times in a book lover's group over the last few years and decided to give her a try when I found this book on a my recommendations list for kindle. I was really excited to read this particular book. The image on the cover drew me in immediately and the title was an excellent hook in of itself. Once I got into it though, I really had mixed feelings about the plot and the characters, most especially Billie.

Billie is quite the character, quite literally. She has an unhealthy habit or trying to reinvent herself when life is hard. She even goes as far as renaming herself "Wendy". A name that never quite stuck with the other characters, and she eventually discards. I also found her character to be rather immature for a woman who has run a successful business and dealt with struggles of a divorce. Her character did however go through a development of sorts and after a near death experience, she began realize the errors in her behavior.

Woods, the ex-husband was disappointingly predictable. I found his character to be quite flat. He seemed to be after only one thing, the woman he cant have. There was no real turmoil with him. His character felt robotic and under developed. Considering the impact his character has on Billie, I felt that Woods' character really needed more substance. Instead, he felt more like a place holder for an event rather than true person in the story.

Satcher, was by far my favorite character. He was consistent and well developed. He was the perfect character for his role. Calm, assertive yet reserved, allowing Billie to navigate her way through her new professional/personal relationship with Woods, while also offering advice. He balanced her erratic behavior and added a bit of charm to the story that was undeniable.

The plot, I found to be quite predictable and as such, slightly boring. There were moments that were entertaining but there were equal parts that I found to be drab and uneventful. One of the most difficult things to write, is a new version of the same old story. This plot, felt very much like a retelling of every "woman scorned" tale, without anything spectacular to set it apart. In general, the story line was acceptable. There were a few twists, but nothing I felt were substantial enough to make it unique.  

With this book's kindle rating for Best Contemporary Romance being above the 400 range, I can confidently say that I was a little disappointing. In general I thought this book was okay. It had a few good moments, but the characters felt under developed and the overall story didn't have enough "oomph" for me. I expected more of an aggressive character in Billie than the whiny girl that graced most of the story and in general felt that it was overly predictable. The one saving grace for this book, for me, was Satcher. 

This book is a good one for anyone recovering from a "book hangover" or just in the mood for something that isn't too heavy. It is an easy read, with very little in the way of serious drama.

Summary

Reagan is beautiful, smart and awkward in all the right ways. Rhett is sexy, charming and predictably unavailable. They are neighbors who never spoke, but when they do finally meet, it is a disaster of epic proportions. One naked man, a crazy lady and a hospital trip later, and you will find yourself laughing out loud in to this romantic comedy of errors by JB Heller.

Summer always brings about a feeling of fun and laughter, which is why I sought out another romantic comedy for my summer reading list. "Pink Bits" came up in a recommendation list on my kindle, so I decided to give it a try. JB Heller is an indie author from Australia and has already published 15 books. Pink Bits is rated #1467 on Amazon'ts best seller list and #14 in its best selling short story list.

The hook line in this particular book was extraordinary! I was equal parts shocked and intrigued and found myself laughing out loud after reading just the first sentence. With such a bang-out beginning, I was slightly disappointing with the remaining first chapter. I felt that it spent too much time explaining and less time showing me about Reagan and Rhett's characters. However, this slow tediousness ended with the chapter and the promised humor made an appearance in the second chapter.

One of the things I love about indie authors, is the creativity that comes with self-publication. Indie authors are not confined to the mainstream expectations of novel writing, and I felt like Pink Bits was an excellent example of this. It did lack quite a bit of realism, there were few scene descriptions, so my mind was forced to produce its own settings and some of the dialog was a bit ridiculous. Both of these however, added to the books charm and aided in the sense of "awkwardness" whether intentional or not.

I gave this book a 3 star rating. Pink Bits a a great quick summer read if you are looking for something lighthearted with little expectation of reading a best seller. The book is amusing, funny and easy to read with little mental stumbling. The story was good, however not exactly exceptional which is why it only received 3 stars. I recommend this one for anyone looking for a book to read by the pool or on the beach.

Summary

Gwen Proctor had worked hard to rebuild her life after her husband shattered it with his secrets. But when Melvin Royal escapes from prison, he sets his sights on "Gina Royal" and their kids. Gwen is no stranger to being on the run. When Melvin partners with Absalom, it becomes impossible to outrun the past and the hunter becomes the prey.

When I heard that Rachel Caine was released a sequel to Stillhouse Lake, I couldn't wait to read it. Stillhouse Lake was a powerful thriller that gave me a "book-hangover" for days. Naturally, I had similar expectations with the second novel, Killman Creek.

One of the things I love the most about Rachel Caine, is her ability to really make you care about the characters. Gwen Proctor is one of the most well developed characters I have read in a long time. She is both fierce and fragile. She functions on instinct and self-training. I always thought that serial killers were dangerous, but Gwen Proctor, with nothing to lose, is a creature I would never want to meet in the dark

The relationships between characters is another great feature of this book. Not only the relationships between Gwen and her kids, but her partner (for lack of a better term) Sam. There is a whole dynamic between Sam and Gwen that defies logic and yet is so completely relatable that it nearly tears you in two.

I found that most of the book was written with a similar sense of realism. It was easy to picture the scenes as they played out. The gestures of the characters and actions seemed logical and natural. This allowed me to feel as if I was immersed in the story, following along easily with Gwen and the other characters.

The pace was excellent. It kept me ramped up with only slight reprieves that let me "catch my breath" between tense moments. I didn't find any editing stumbling blocks, making the read smooth and effortless.

I will admit, that I wish that there had been more interaction between Connor and his Dad. I felt as if much of what was implied was simply assumed, and although it worked, I think something more tangible would have been better. I liked the way Connor was torn between what his mother taught him and what his father was telling him, but I felt that there was too few scenes in which this came into play.

Killman Creek was an excellent read. I would have rated it a 4.7 or 4.8, but for the sake of this review, I am rounding it up and giving it a 5. This book must absolutely be read following the first in the series, Stillhouse Lake. I do not recommend it be read as a stand-alone novel.

Killman Creek was excellently written.The characters and imagery really draw you into the story. Gwen Proctor is a fierce warrior that you can not help but fall in love with. With Melvin Royal and her past looming over their heads, her relationship with Sam is both complicated and dangerous, making this one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Summary

This independently published Rom-Com by Teagan Hunter resides as #655 on Amazon's "New Adult and College Romance" list for Kindle.

Life changes when the unexpected happens. When a slight mix-up regarding a text message occurs, Zach and Delia set course on a path that will lead them on a collision course that will change everything.

Delia is an introverted college girl, recovering from what should have been a broken heart. Instead, she is texting a stranger. Zach is a nerd. He works in his basement and has a penchant for video games and Harry Potter. The real question is, can he live up to the fantasy she has created him to be, or will this charmer turn out to be a "Slytherin" snake?

I first discovered this book through Amazon Kindle's recommendations. After reading the story's overview and the author's biography, I was intrigued. Teagan Hunter is a budding new author and has self-published 10 books since 2015 with "Lets Get Textual" being her 6th book. It received 4.8 stars out of nearly 700 reviews on Amazon, so my expectations were a bit on the higher side.

Unfortunately, I felt that overall, my expectations fell a bit flat. One of the biggest downfalls of this book, is the lack of realism. The relationship between Delia and Caleb is so far from being life-like that I found it nearly impossible to believe. I almost believed that the two had fallen into the stage of their relationship where it is "easier to be together than not" until Hunter revealed they had only been together a mere 6 months. Had the two been together since high school, I may have bought into the concept a bit more. And the way they continued their friendship as if they were the best of friends that had not just split-up romantically...I could not get on board with that fantasy.

I also struggled a bit with the dialog, It felt unnatural and almost forced. Characters that were supposed to be best friends called each other by their complete names, rather than a more natural nickname. The dialog felt choppy and didn't flow conversationally either. This was rather disappointing because about 90% of the book was dialog. The book lacked essential descriptions of scenery, characters and even character actions. I didn't learn that Delia had long dark hair until I was about three-quarters of the way through the book.

On a positive note, I really enjoyed the overall concept of the story. It has a lot of potential. There were a few pleasant twists, like the adorable baby goat "Marshmallow" that kept the story light. I also found very few editing errors in regards to grammar and sentence structure, which was a pleasant surprise, as I found this to be a common weakness in many self-published novels.

Overall, I felt that the final product of this book was just a bit unfinished. The plot and characters were pretty well put together, but the lack of realism really hurt its credibility. My opinion, is that this work is more like a first or second draft. I has a lot of potential, but still needs a bit more polishing. 

Summary

When Peter’s past is revealed, the two ban together against the forces of Kristen Wood. But the battle against secrecy doesn’t end with the revelation of Kristen’s betrayal. Violet has a secret of her own and this one might be more than Peter is willing to forgive.