NetGalley Reviewer nix21230

Cowboy's Christmas Heart is the third book in the Carson Christmas Games series written by Leslie North, but can be read on its own.  If you love the books by Leslie North, you won't be disappointed. It is based on the same winning structure and themes as the previous ones, and with a Christmas theme thrown in for a seasonal read; in short a perfect romance novel with the expected HEA.  Taison enjoys his solitude up on the farm at the top of the hill, where he can focus on his horses and not having to try to be sociable. Unfortunately Christmas is around the corner and his family ranch has always sold Christmas trees to homes near and far. He's really struggling to figure out how he can do it all on his own this year.  Reluctantly accepting help from Cassie, the master event organiser at the local church, he may just pull it off. In the end there are other things being pulled off too (sorry for the cheesy pun). A heart warming, feel-good, easy to read story, perfect for C...

Emotional, heart wrenching and beautiful, all wrapped up into one story, where the difficult subjects of mental health and attempted suicide are driving the story forward and dealt with sensitively.  Nora puts her own life on hold to step in and cover her sister's whilst she is recovering from her suicide attempt. With no children of her own, Nora is thrown in at the deep end when she has to go and look after her seven-year old nephew Ted.  It's heart warming how Kiki's friends rally around Nora to help her with Ted, but gut wrenching how they are all trying to understand why they didn't notice that Kiki was unhappy and struggling. In the process Nora's own marriage goes through a transformation, and in an extra layer to the story, we are given snippets from her childhood in Spain. Everything is brought together in a beautiful, feel-good ending. Trigger warnings: mental health and suicide attempt This book will be released on 10 January 2023, but you can pre-order y...

Enormous Christmas Cosy Feels!!! This is one of the best Christmas stories I've read in quite a while. Entertaining, family orientated, romantic and with a little bit of a complication and some magic.  This book will be available on 8 November 2022, but I suggest you preorder it now to have some seasonal reading to look forward to.  #TheNaughtyOrNiceClause #NetGalley

I picked Last Circle of Love by Lorna Landvik based on the promises of a "funny, heartwarming story about a feisty group of women who shake, spice, and heat things up with a “recipe” book for romance". I had not read any of Landvik's books previously, but had high hopes based on reviews of her previous writings including the acclaimed Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons . The parts of the story are funny and heart warming, but I found it really hard understanding and 'feeling' the storyline; the many good parts just didn't gel properly.  I really wanted to know more about the various member of the All Souls and especially the feisty ladies of the Naomi group, their partners and extended families; but I felt like the 'ABC of Erotica' came in the way and made it all piecemeal, rather than a full story.  Having finished the book, I am left with so many questions. Did all letters of the alphabet get covered? What were the actual stories? Was there a resolu...

Nettie's childhood sweetheart Andy is deployed to Vietnam with very short notice. To cope with her anxiety for his safety, she throws herself into work as a nursing intern.  Running Andy's story in parallel with Nettie's, we get an interesting insight into the real life struggles of a covert military reconnaissance squad in the Vietnamese jungles, the camaraderie of the men and the not so professional superior in charge.  Mr Pepper was a delightful character, so gentle, caring and thoughtful. The tranquility he created with his plants brought a calm to the story, in stark contrast to the events facing Andy and his men. I liked how Mr Pepper got a second chance of living and dying.  Life Dust will be available from 11 October 2022. It's available to pre-order now.  #LifeDust #NetGalley

A Las Vegas fling five years ago is suddenly back in full force when Jackson moves in next door to Beatrice.  I loved how this was not just a romance story, but also focusing on the struggles Beatrice was facing juggling the family business and her own venture, how Jackson was adamant of being open and honest, The Cathy Hill, the feud between the two families, the strained relationship between Jackson, his mother and his father - oh, and let's not forget Roxy the dog. Lucky Streak by Tif Marcelo will be released on 27 September 2022. It's the third book in the Heart Resort series following It Takes Heart and Know You by Heart.  #LuckyStreak #NetGalley.

Chemistry knows no borders, and breaks all rules of what should and shouldn't happen - but the consequences are still there. Would you risk your life and your career for love? Jess Montell, a parole officer, meets Trace West, the Mafia bad boy and heir, at a hockey game and the attraction is immediate. After finding out who the other one is, they both knows that logically the relationship is completely impossible - since when does police and crime enter a relationship? Events continue bringing them together and their story develops at a great pace throughout the book.  Highly enjoyable and addictive!   The only negative is the end, and the fact that the next book in the "Kings of New York" series in not available until April 2023. Keep an eye out for A Cruel Arrangement. #ADirtyBusiness #NetGalley

If you love the books by Leslie North, this one will not disappoint. It's based on the same winning structure and themes as the previous ones, and with a Christmas theme thrown in for a seasonal read; in short a perfect romance novel with the expected HEA.  Starting their relationship based on lies - not to each other but to everyone around them - Will and Suzanna, try to live up to expectations but unexpected emotions are developed in the process.  A sweet, feel-good, easy to read story, perfect for Christmas.  This is the first book in the Carson Christmas Games series, and it is available now. The two following books will be available later in September; Cowgirl's Christmas Partner (15th) and Cowboy's Christmas Heart (22nd). #CowboysChristmasGirlfriend #NetGalley

I really struggled getting into this book, waiting for a story line to kick off and start flowing. There was nothing of that, but instead what felt like snippets of smaller stories, sort of connected but still not, and they were not really making any sense. I was very close quite a few times to not finishing the book, but as I had been given a free copy to review, I persevered - the strong reviewer duty took over.  Having finished reading the book, I must say it's clever, convoluted and with a very unexpected ending. If you do have the time and the patience, it's worth a read. #TheHouseontheLake #NetGalley

Coming in at just under 200 pages in the printed version (although I read an eARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review), this is a fast read. Unfortunately the storyline wasn't that fast to start with; focusing on describing scenery which then wasn't taken any further.  Still, it's a fantastic read, bringing Christmas spirit despite a Not-Christmas-Tree and an escape to France to avoid all things festive (and baby related). It's a story about friendships, new opportunities and letting go of grief; to becoming a better version of oneself. All nicely wrapped up in some snow and to the smells of gorgeous French food.  This book, and the previous two in the Escape to France series are all available now.  #TheRecipeforHope #NetGalley

Don't believe everything that's written in the press, especially not if it's about superstars with headline grabbing and sensational font all over the internet. Marcus is one of these celebrities who's constantly chased by the paparazzis, hardly able to even go for a short walk without being hassled. He is most happy when he manages to escape the hustle and bustle and go hiking on his own. During one of these events he has an accident and needs rescuing by the Nighthawks, a search and rescue team of volunteers. Impressed with their professionalism and skills, Marcus arranges to be trained by them in preparation for a new film he's planning, and their best coach Emma is assigned to him. She couldn't care less for the superstar and tries to wriggle out of the assignment, but reluctantly agrees. Working together, Emma and Marcus start to develop a mutual respect and Marcus slowly becomes one of the Nighthawk team. Public life is full of challenges and being the sup...

When Scott's new-found twin asks him to swap places with him for a few hours (well, at least that's what he said...) so he can sort out your farm business - something which you didn't even know was needed - Scott agrees.  Scott is told to stay put in his brother's home, but he gets bored and gets dressed in one of Jesse's suits before heading off to his office. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, actually! Ruth Cardello has created a highly entertaining story with a few twists, some STEM content and likeable characters.  This is the second book in the The Switch series and follows Strictly Business . I hadn't read the first book, but reading the synopsis on Amazon for the first book and reviews, the first book seems to be Jesse's story, whereas in this one we get Scott's story. If I had known, I would have read the first book before starting on this. Still, it's a great book, but I do feel like a missed some of the back story. This book will b...

When long term wishes and dreams come true, but perhaps not in the way one expected... Be Your Everything by Catherine Bybee is the story about the sister (Chloe)  falling for her brother's best friend (Dante) and suddenly being married to him after a drunken night in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, or should that be fortunately, not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  This is an enjoyable and easy to read story, with a few surprises including a trip to Bali, but all in all with the expected ending. It is the second book in the The D'Angelos series and as I hadn't read the first book I understand from other reviews that I may have missed out on some of the background story, especially in regards to Dante.  This book will be available in November 2022, so, do yourself a favour and read the first book now. It's called When it falls apart and can be found on Amazon.   I was given a free copy of this book by Montlake  and Netgalley in exchange for my h...