2020 in Review...March 2020 Reviews

 A homicide detective’s violent family history repeats itself in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of murder, secrets, and retribution.

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide…Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her. 

My Thoughts…

I am a fan of Melinda Leigh.   With each book, she brings characters to life, a story that I become invested in, and a book that I cannot put down.   Cross Her Heart is the first book in the Bree Taggert series, and I am so excited to read more in this series.  

We meet Bree Taggert 25 years after her parent’s murder-suicide.   She gets a call from her sister and heads home to find her sister dead and her brother-in-law missing.  I was so invested in Bree finding Justin not guilty that I had kept turning pages, looking for clues, and hoping for the best for all.   Erin’s children needed Bree to take care of them, Bree needed to find the closure she was looking for, and I needed to know who killed Erin.  

The relationship between Bree and Mike was interesting.   I could feel the heat but like that they didn’t let their emotions get in the way of the reason they were working together.   Their focus was on the crime that was committed, and I hope their relationship will just grow naturally as this series continues.      

I recommend Melinda Leigh’s Cross Your Heart to anyone looking for a good thriller and mystery book.

Fall in love at Bayside, where sandy beaches, good friends, and true love come together in the sweet small towns of Cape Cod. Bayside Summers is a series of standalone steamy romance novels featuring alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They're fun, flirty, flawed, deeply emotional, always passionate, and easy to relate to.

Tegan Fine has never had a plan—life, business, or otherwise. But she’s always had goals—to laugh daily and to pay it forward as often as she is able, just like her favorite uncle always did. After inheriting her great-uncle’s amphitheater, Tegan makes a risky move to a charming small town on Cape Cod to carry on her uncle’s legacy and hopefully expand the business with her new friend, Harper. Unfortunately, those goals aren’t doing much to help her plan a business strategy for her new endeavor. With Harper counting on her and her uncle’s legacy at stake, she swears off all distractions, determined to succeed. If only she could stop bumping into a certain arrogant, witty, and excruciatingly hot businessman who tweaks her nerves and invades her every thought. Including her late-night fantasies.

Self-professed workaholic Jett Masters never slows down. He lives life with no attachments—except to his clients, to whom he gives his all. A reluctant trip to his hometown has him itching to shake the ghosts of his past and get back to spinning deals and adding to his investments. But when he comes face-to-face with a gorgeous, handsy woman who is quite possibly the snarkiest and most disorganized person he’s ever met, sparks fly, and his sharp mind stumbles. He doesn’t even know her name, but he can’t get her out of his mind.

A chance encounter turns into a wild, sexy night, and their chemistry is off the charts—even if their ideals, and their lives, are worlds apart. Neither Jett nor Tegan is looking for more. Becoming friends with benefits seems like the perfect solution. But when they are trapped together in torrential weather, they work side by side in the aftermath, and every passionate kiss deepens their connection. Secrets are shared, trust is built, and no promises dare be made. As their lives move on, lines begin to blur, hearts get hurt, and their true selves come into focus. Tegan and Jett are left wondering if they make the perfect storm, or if they’ve reached the end of their bayside fantasy.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

My Thoughts…

I’ve heard about Jett in the previous books in this series.   He is driven, focused, and has a chip on his shoulder that he just cannot shake.    When he met Tegan, the sparks were flying.   Tegan, from the first meeting, kept him on his toes.   She didn’t take his attitude, called him out on his arrogance, and made him take a second look at how he is living his life.    I loved how Tegan kept him guessing, changing his life for the good, and making him work to becoming a better person.

Tegan and Jett were just the couple I was looking for.   They are sweet, they are sexy, and they are so perfect for each other.   Neither person is perfect, but together they make sense.   The wild, crazy, live life to the fullest Tegan takes the orderly, everything has its place Jett and pulls him into a world that he didn’t know he was looking for.    Jett does the exact same for Tegan, helping her organize her business plan for the theatre and finding out what is important in life.  

If you are new to Melissa Foster Bayside Fantasies is the perfect place to start enjoying her fun, sexy, and sweet stories.   If you are a fan of Melissa Fosters jump into this book and get caught up with some of your favorite characters while meeting some new ones also.   

One car. Two strangers. Infinite possibilities.

Grace Mackie is having the worst day.

Finding out her fiancé only proposed for the sake of a promotion is one thing. But discovering he’d also knocked up his assistant? There’s no coming back from that. Desperate to escape her own destination wedding, she’ll do just about everything to get back home and put the whole mess behind her. Even driving cross-country in a rental car.

Finn Kavanaugh’s day is even worse.

What had started as a brother bonding trip has now left him stranded three thousand miles from home without a car or credit card. Because his brother took off with both. So much for bonding, right? As much as he might want to throttle his brother, he first has to find a way to get home. His only option? A rental car and a cross-country trek.

Neither of them expected their trip would come complete with a surprise passenger. But desperate times and all that.

Warning — This sweet, sexy and laugh out loud funny romance is filled with all the most ridiculous road trip stories you can imagine and sure to drive you crazy with all the feels!

My Thoughts…

Two people stranded with only one rental vehicle for them both to use.   What could go wrong?   What could go right?  

Grace and Finn are so opposite each other.   Grace is carefree, looking for fun, and a risk-taker.   Finn plays it safe and doesn’t really want any adventures.    They are made for each other.    Grace pulls Finn out of his shell while Finn pulls Grace back from the edge.   I loved seeing how they complimented each other.   They fought, the enjoyed, and they had adventures.   With each new town, they found something unique to do and saw the sights while learning more about each other and growing their friendship into something more.   

Drive Me Crazy is a sweet and sexy story with so many laugh out loud moments.   I enjoyed meeting Finn and Gracie.  

Harley

My best friend asked me to be his best man at his destination wedding.

With a demanding and stressful job with NYPD life for me was all work and no play, but a
week-long trip to Hawaii to celebrate Jameson's nuptials sounds like the perfect excuse to get
away.

Leaving work behind wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, though.

That was until she walked up to me at the bar.

After a night of unbridled passion, I discover...she’s the maid of honor in Jameson’s wedding.

Raylynn

My best friend asked me to be her maid of honor at her destination wedding.

After finding my now ex-fiance in a compromising position, escaping to Hawaii is the perfect
excuse to find myself again.

With nothing to lose, I approach the hottest guy in that bar and take a chance on getting my
own groove back.

There's just one hiccup...he's actually the best man in Liv's wedding.

It was only supposed to be a fling, but when returning home leads to chaos and one relocation
to New York, can these two love birds go from fling to forever? Time will tell.

Afterall...425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love.

My Thoughts…

Nothing to lose for Harley and Raylynn as they hook up in Hawaii not realizing that they were both in Hawaii for the same reason.    A one-night stand turns into more as feelings develop, attraction grows, and their hearts open.  

Harley is a tough as nails cop not looking for love or a relationship.   He lives at 425 Madison, of course, and when relocation forces Raylynn to move in across the hall there was no way to avoid seeing her.  They try to stay away, they try to fight their feelings, and they try to keep their relationship easy with no strings.  

Love Under Protection is a sweet, sexy, and fun story.   The friendships are real, and the feelings are realistic.   I love this series and the fact that each book is a standalone book, the location is the common thread but the stories are all entirely their own.