Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Knox (The Montana Marshalls #1) by Susan May Warren

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring the latest release from one of my favorite authors - Knox (The Montana Marshalls #1) by Susan May Warren. I can't even tell you how much I loved this book. It was so, so good!

About the Book

He's not looking for trouble...

Montana rancher Knox Marshall's danger years are behind him. A former bull-rider, he now runs the Marshall family ranch, raising champion bucking bulls for the National Professional Bullrider's Expo (NBR-X). Wealth and success are his, but life is stable, expected, and…ordinary.  But he wants more from life...

But trouble is looking for her...

Kelsey Jones just wants a safe life, a family, a home. Onstage, the beautiful rising star of the Yankee Belles becomes the person she longs to be - vivacious and confident - burying the brokenness she carries from a violent assault. Becoming NBR-X’s next country act is key to outrunning her past and achieving the success and security she craves.

When trouble finds them both...

Knox and Kelsey's paths collide when an explosion at an NBR-X event traps them in the rubble and leaves them reeling. Kelsey’s crippling nightmares return, but for Knox, an obsession to find the bomber is ignited.

What will it cost him to protect her? 

When Kelsey’s past threatens Knox’s family, he'll have to choose between saving the Marshall legacy or becoming the protector he's always longed to be.

The explosive first book in the Montana Marshall series!

Book Beginning

Oh goody, now Knox got to watch his troublemaking little brother break his ornery neck.

Friday 56

Tate stood outside the bathroom stall of the Twenty-Fourth Precinct. He was probably leaning against the sink, arms folded, but Knox had heard his brother stifling his own nausea when Detective Rayburn finally showed them the file.

What have you been reading lately?

Mini Review: Artificial Love by R.J. Conte

About the Book

Deep in the heart of the wild west, rebel marauders are drawing out a bloody civil war that no side can win. Many ranchers, including Lisbeth's father die trying to save their farms, leaving their women to fight to keep their land and stay alive.

When Lisbeth and her mousy younger sister Ruth come face to face with the uncouth land pirates who seize their farm as a scouting base, they only have one plan to protect their virtue: pretend to be commonplace, advanced domestic robots. Suppressing their fears, enslaved to the ruffians, the two young women are determined to convince the men they're not human.

Their plan hits a snag when they meet Dane: a gorgeous prisoner-of-war who has a secret belief that robots can become sentient and develop emotions on their own... and he's determined to use Lisbeth as proof.

Can the sisters keep up their ruse and survive?

For fans of The Twilight Zone meets Gone with the Wind and Magnificent Seven 

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

Artificial Love was great! It was a short read, taking me probably 30 minutes, but it packed a big punch. It was so unique, so original. And that ending! What a shocker! I'd love more stories set in this fascinating western steampunk world.

Four stars

Can't Wait Wednesday: Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm featuring Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner releasing May 21.

About the Book

After four years with her boyfriend, Cadie McCaffrey is thinking of ending things. Convinced Will doesn't love her in the "forever" way she loves him, Cadie believes it's time for her to let him go before life passes her by. When a misunderstanding leads to a mistake, leaving her hurt, disappointed, and full of regret, she finally sends him packing.

But for Will, the end of their relationship is only the beginning of his quest to figure out how to be the man Cadie wanted him to be. With the dubious guidance of his former pro-athlete work friends and tactics drawn from Cadie's favorite romantic comedies, Will attempts to win her back. It's a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong?

Bethany Turner is back with more of the heart and humor readers love. Anyone who enjoys a good romance or binges romantic comedies on Netflix will devour this delightful story.

Why I Need It

I absolutely adored Bethany Turner's previous novel, The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck, and have been waiting, rather impatiently, for a new one from her. Wooing Cadie McCaffrey sounds like so much fun and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

What upcoming release are you excited about?

Review: Never Let Go (Uncommon Justice #1) by Elizabeth Goddard

About the Book

As a forensic genealogist, Willow Anderson is following in her late grandfather's footsteps in her quest for answers about a baby abducted from the hospital more than twenty years ago. The case may be cold, but things are about to heat up when someone makes an attempt on her life to keep her from discovering the truth.

Ex-FBI agent--and Willow's ex-flame--Austin McKade readily offers his help to protect the woman he never should have let get away. Together they'll follow where the clues lead them, even if it means Austin must face the past he's spent much of his life trying to forget. And even if it puts Willow's tender heart at risk.

In this fast-paced and emotional page-turner, bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard keeps the stakes high, the romantic tension sparking, and the outcome uncertain until the very end.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

Never Let Go was an exciting and intense nail-biter that was hard to put down. It features one of the most attention-grabbing prologues in recent memory. I was instantly invested in the story and had to reach the conclusion as quick as possible.

Willow's job as a forensic genealogist was so interesting. I loved learning about all that goes into that career. It's so fascinating!

This was the first book I've read by this author and wow, was it good or what! I'm anxious for the next book in the series! I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.

Four Stars

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: A Meddled Match (Resort to Romance) by Jill Kemerer

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring the first novella in the Resort to Romance series - A Meddled Match by Jill Kemerer. I liked it a lot. It was a nice change from what I've been reading lately. 

About the Book

Get ready for ten weeks of romance in the Bahamas with a new series brought to you by some of the best authors in the inspirational and sweet romance genres…
 
Ten delightful - and standalone - novellas linked by one matchmaking week. You’ll want to devour each one!

A MEDDLED MATCH

Gavin Sterling wants no part of Matchmaking Week, but his eccentric great aunts insist he fill in for a no-show or he won't have a chance at inheriting their island resort. Surprisingly, his match intrigues him. Mollie is blunt, sassy, and best of all, has no idea he’s the son of a billionaire.
 
Mollie Macomb needs a relaxing vacation without the dating drama. A relationship with Gavin would never work in the real world, anyhow. He’s a gorgeous businessman. She's a quirky failure. But even the unlikeliest couple can find love during Matchmaking Week…

RESORT TO ROMANCE SERIES

It’s Matchmaking Week at an all-inclusive resort on a private island in the Bahamas. Each guest has been expertly paired and is here to enjoy one full week with their match. While there’s no money-back guarantee on the paid trip, the participants are guaranteed to find love!

Book Beginning

Gavin Sterling was not getting roped into Matchmaking Week. His great aunts could beg and plead and fake heart attacks all they wanted, but there was no way he was giving into their demands.

Friday 56

"You're awfully quiet." Mollie sat next to Gavin on the boat as it sped out to the nearby reefs. Water sprayed up and the engine made it hard to hear. But she didn't need to listen to his reply to know he was upset. "Is something wrong?"

What have you been reading lately?

Early Review: Romanov by Nadine Brandes

About the Book

From the author of Fawkes comes a magical take on the story of Anastasia Romanov.

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are either to release the spell and deal with the consequences, or to enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved Romanov! I was completely captivated from word one and couldn't get enough of it. I got so frustrated when real life interrupted my reading and let me tell ya', it got interrupted quite often. But once things settled down and I was able to hunker down and read to my heart's content, I flew through the pages. It was utterly compelling. The seamless way Brandes weaved the magical element in with the actual history was brilliant.

I hate to admit this, but I didn't know a whole lot about the Romanovs before this book. Though, you can be sure that through the course of reading this novel, I looked up information, did more research, and quickly became fascinated by the actual history behind this historical fantasy. I love when fiction does that! Some of my favorite novels are ones that teach me new things, lead me to new interests, and make me want to learn.

This is a book that's definitely going on my favorites list. It was beautiful and, yet, heartbreaking. There were times I was laughing so hard at Anastasia's mischievous antics and then tearing up, heartbroken, over the cruelty of what was happening to the Romanov family.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Five Stars

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Story Raider (The Weaver Trilogy #2) by Lindsay A. Franklin

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm featuring The Story Raider (The Weaver Trilogy #2) by Lindsay A. Franklin releasing April 30.

About the Book
Deceiving an empire is a treacherous game.

Tanwen and the Corsyth weavers race to collect the strands of an ancient cure that might save Gryfelle. But Tanwen has a secret—Gryfelle isn’t the only one afflicted by the weaver's curse.

As Queen Braith struggles to assert her rule, a new arrival throws her tenuous claim to the Tirian throne into question. Braith’s heart is turned upside down, and she’s not sure she can trust anyone—least of all herself.

The puppet master behind Gareth’s rise to power has designs on Tanwen and the story weavers and will stop at nothing to reclaim the throne. A plot to incite the angry peasants of Tir takes shape, and those dearest to Tanwen will be caught in the crossfire. As the fight for Tir consumes the realm, no one can remain innocent.

Why I Need It

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and have been anxiously awaiting the sequel. The magic system is really interesting and the characters are great. Plus, I can't forget to mention the awesome cover!

What upcoming release are you excited about?