It's Christmas, Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Two great characters who come together again because of a horse. Of course horse Is owned by the Chance brothers and one character works on the Chance ranch. A fun read that is easy to read and easy to follow their journey to a HEA. Pick up for a afternoon of fun reading.   I receive a free copy from the author.

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The End

The Untold Story by Genevieve Cogman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The end of the story and I do not know how I feel about the ending. Loose ends are tied up and the final confrontation is presented. Irene and her friends all join her on this last journey. I just was not expecting the journey to go where it went and end as it did. Still a nice end to the series.

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First

Overlord by Anna Hackett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rhain and Mal Are the first couple in the new Galactic Kings series. Their story follows the familiar path that previous series followed. Thrown across the galaxy, not way home, rescued by alien leader and then a fight to stay together. Lots of sex, tension, danger and romance. Anna Hackett always tells a good story.

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Rare???

Anna's Bounty by Deysi O'Donal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting but not as rare as first suggested. Anna is human and they are thought to be long gone. That is how the story works. Plenty of sex along with danger and tension. First in a series so not really a end just a line thrown to let us know there will be a next book.

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New Series

Last Duke Standing by Julia London
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First of a new series this has two really great characters. They start as enemies and become lovers but not without a whole lot of trouble. The secondary characters are a little shallow but they do their job in creating havoc. Loved all the suiters who just did not suit. Fun read with tension all the way to the end.

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Welcome Back

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the Kinsmen's world when the first books came out. Lots of time has gone by since then so I was surprised when a new book set in the world came out. It did not disappoint. All the essential elements are present. There is danger, tension, enemies, and romance. This is a great addition to the series and I hope the success of the book leads to more exciting stories set in the Kinsmen world.

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Fun Mix

Better Off Wed by Susanna Craig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Stirling meets Lord Stirling and things heat up. This is a fresh look at history and how being a Lord or Lady has its problems. Fun story with some interesting twists and turns. Pick it up if you want some light reading.

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Another Type of Robot

Requiem For A Genocide by Michael Drakich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While this reminded me of Murderbot Jax is a very different robot. For one thing he is all metal and built for war. That is something he hates and has high hopes for peace When he is called on to kill again a small human girl crosses his path. Follow his journey as he works to save Hannah and stop all the killing.

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Together Again

At the Crossroads by B.J. Daniels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alexis Brand and Culhane Travis enter the story at the crossroads and end up together again. They were partners until a corrupt sheriff fired them. Now both end up on the run. This is a fast paced plot with a lot of danger and tension. Of course there is room for romance even as danger draws near. Nice to be back in Buckhorn, Montana for the third time.

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Beside Not in Front

The Powerbroker by Anna Hackett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bynn and Vander should not be an item. Turns out Vander cannot leave Bynn alone and they are a perfect match but not before they but heads over her job and the danger she is in. Bynn just tells Vander to stand beside her not in front of her. She needs a partner not a protector. Good addition to the story arc. Plenty of danger, tension and romance in a fast moving story.

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Weak Ending

Claimed by the Cyborgs by Grace Goodwin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is plenty of tension in the story. Thomar and his second, Varin are damaged and feel that they cannot claim their Interstellar Bride. She does not agree. When they face a dangerous mission all go and all are successful. That leads to a very weak ending and the reason for the 4. The big problem is just given a throw away solution almost like a afterthought. It should have been the main issue but was not.

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Someone to Love

The School Mistress by Tess Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A nice sweet love story. Kisses without the over the top sex. I loved the main characters. Quinn and Alex are both wonderful people who just need someone who cares in their lives. Of course they fulfill that need for each other. The children add to the story line and help keep things moving. Some funny moments, some moments with danger, and some just how a family should be.

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One of Life's Surprises.

Finding Paradise by Barbara Dunlop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love this series and what is not to love. Brave women and hunky men are at the heart of the story. How can a LA woman and a Alaska man ever get together. That is the heart of the story. Loves both Marnie and Cobra. Neither are interesting in finds romance so when all the women arrive both take off to be alone. Guess we all see what is about to happen. Can't wait for the next book in the series. Works as stand alone but read book one first to get all the background.

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Dealing With Loss

Keep Me Warm at Christmas by Brenda Novak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What do you o with loss. Especially lose that changes your career path. Tia and Seth have both experienced loss and getting together is just not in the books. I loved had Tia finally choose how to expose her loss. Now Seth just has to wise up. If he does I see a HEA fo both.

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Good Story - Interesting Romance

Marriage or Ruin for the Heiress by Lauri Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another sweet story from Lauri Robinson. Joliet and Randal are made for each other but only if the get past several problems. It was fun watching them work hard to keep from falling in love only to have it win in the end.

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Everything is Set Up

Insurrection by Nina Croft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Rico and he is a side character in Insurrection, side but important. As this came to a conclusion everything is set up for Dark Desires to start that series. Of course it came first so of course everything is ready to go. Malpheas is staying to get his powers back and he needs a lot of help. Of course there is someone he must protect and one by one the rings that bind him fall off. Great story with plot twists that keep the story line moving. Loved visiting this group of characters and finding out how they knew discovered the immorality treatment. As big surprise there.

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Clean Romance

Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Feell good story with two HEA's. The trip to the ranch was to be a final good by to their Grandfather and to the family ranch. Things did not go as planned. Between Christmas, two cute 6 year old twins and the heat between the characters you just know the ranch will stay in the family and four of the characters will be more than just fine with that.

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Feel Good Story

Dinner on Primrose Hill by Jodi Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A typical Jodi Thomas story. This time there are three couples we follow through out the book. At first they have nothing in common but as time goes by their lives intertwine. Each faces a challenge as well as the danger that brings everyone together. I was sorry that it was over. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the three couples.

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A Lot of Tension

Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This Time it is mostly Eve who solves on one but two deaths. Each has its own unique flavor and requires time in both the past and the present. I really nice addition to the series. Plenty of tension as the plot develops and added information is added. Can stand alone but great if you started at book one.

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Love Silver Creek

Strength Under Fire by Lindsay McKenna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dana and Colin are interesting characters who come from different backgrounds but share a reaction to events in their lives. I loved how there was a cross over from the Wind River books. There is all the danger, tension, and romance you in the plot. One thing for sure - if there was really a Silver Creek I would be packing and moving. A town almost too good to be true and full of great secondary characters.

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Familiar Trope

The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love Wishing Tree and would love to move there. I received the Xmas ornament from Susan as well as a card with a map of the town. That added to my pleasure in the story. Reggie and Dena were really interesting sisters. Each not looking for love but finding it anyway. The tropes were familiar but made the tension in the story more real. I did thing the ending was. a little abrupt but both sisters got their HEA's.



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Worth Reading Again and Again

On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old by Parker J. Palmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aa series of essays and new thoughts for helping cope with the later years of life. Best used in small doses. This was another zoom course. We did one chapter a week for eight weeks. After the course was finished I started over at the beginning and read a few pages a day. This one is well worth doing more than once.

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A Self Help Tool

The Mindful Twenty-Something: Life Skills to Handle Stress…and Everything Else by Holly B. Rogers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While this stays 20 something's it is really for everybody. This time has been very stressful for me and many others. I took a mindful course that used this book. There are so many useful exercises that were part of the course. After finishing this course I am currently enrolled in a much longer course. All are part of the tool belt I am using to help with the anxiety.

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Another art form

Haiku—The Sacred Art: A Spiritual Practice in Three Lines by Margaret D. McGee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am using this in a class that is on Zoom. It is a fun exercise writing these little three line poems. It is exciting to see how other class mates react to my poem and how I relate to theirs. We have a accepting group taking this online course and that makes it even better. One of my Haiku:

Sun on brown leaves
Early Autumn
Need tears from the sky

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Another Book Used For Art Class

Zentangle Collection 11 Books Set By Suzanne McNeill, by Suzanne McNeill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I used only the first book but could not find it listed alone. It has some nice examples of Zentangles for trial. It also has spaces in the book to draw your own. This is a soothing practice for these times. Part of a course I took on doing Zentanles.

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Book Used For Art Class

Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are by Danny Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lot of things to try. This was the book we used for a zoom class on art. It was not as basic as I needed but it was fun to try the different exercises. Again not really for the beginner.

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Wonderful Stories - Interesting Pets

 Pets in Space 6 (Pets in Space #6) 

by 

S.E. Smith (Goodreads Author), 

 

Veronica Scott, 

 

Honey Phillips (Goodreads Author), 

 

Carol Van Natta (Goodreads Author), 

 

Cassandra Chandler (Goodreads Author), 

 

J.C. Hay (Goodreads Author), 

 

S.J. Pajonas (Goodreads Author), 

 

Greta van der Rol (Goodreads Author), 

 more… 

Jo (Mixed Book Bag) Jones's review 

Oct 07, 2021  ·  edit

it was amazing

bookshelves: science-fiction-romance 

11 Wonderful Science Fiction Romance stories. There are some of my favorite authors and some new to me. This time I am going to read in order. On the other 5 I skipped around and did not read all the stories. So far, so good. First two stories are authors new to me and they just added books to my TBR pile. So many books, so little time.

More Christmas Romance

Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology by Eloisa James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Four stories written around the same theme. Fun reads. Each is easy to read in one setting. Get this for Christmas fun and romance.

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Christmas Time Is Here

A Yuletide Kiss by Madeline Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A nice group of stories by well known authors. Each is easy to read in one setting giving you three days worth of romance and Christmas cheer.

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Another Legend

A Cowboy Christmas Legend by Linda Broday
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have not read many of Linda Broday's books and was not familiar with the Legends of Texas. This one features Sam the grandson of one, son of another who does not think he is a Legend. Of course the story tells otherwise. Throughout Sam and Cheyanne keep working to save a family and bring the villain to justice. A sweet story set at Christmas.

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Good Story

Sirena by Gideon Marcus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kitra Yilmaz has been busy since the last book. She and her crew have taken on a new client and they are off to find a new home on a undiscovered planet. They find more than they bargained for when 10000 lives depend on their action. A fun filled book with a lot of tension and great characters. Looking forward to more books by this author.

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A Must Buy

State of Affairs by Marie Force
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

NIck is President, Sam wants to keep her job. What a pickle. First in the new series (First Family I). This follows both Nick and Sam as their world changes again. Love the Littles. They are good addition to family. Hard to believe that Nick and Sam have only been together for two years. A lot has happened during that time. Hope everything is some calmer for the next 2 years or make that three years since that is how much long Nick will be President if he does not run for a full term. This series is on my must buy list.

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Not My Favorite

Missing and Endangered by J.A. Jance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not my favorite in this series. I just never got into the story line or the two story lines. The pace seemed slow to me and the mystery not that riveting. Still I will continue to read the series. This book slipped under the radar for me. I usually read Jance's books as soon as they come out.

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More to Come

King of Eon by Anna Hackett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 9 and its is great to finally get the King of Eon's story but sad that this is the last book in the series. But do not despair there are hooks to a new series set in the same universe. Loved how the bride selection fell through. Not surprised a the one who became Queen of Eon.

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Old Friends and New

Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Al is back with all of his friends plus some new ones. While there is plenty of tension and danger there is still a big amount of laughter. Some characters just stay true to form while others are a little bite off center. A old favorite joints Al. Your. guess as to who. Entertaining but Al's biggest problem is still not solved.

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Second Book Failure

The Devil You Know by Kit Rocha
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This falls into what I call the second book chasm. It fills a need to get everyone on the same page. It sets up the next book. It gets two characters together. It just does not make that good a read. I kept waiting for the plot to reveal itself as I read the first half. The second half did get two characters together. There was danger and tension with the romance. It just took getting to the ending to set up the next book. I loved book one. Was somewhat interested in book two and have hopes that book three is a have trouble putting it down like book one. Not a stand alone.

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Big Surprise

Holiday Rescue by Rebecca Zanetti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Expect a twist. Quint Albertini is dodging his matchmaking relatives. He is not ready or is he. What happens when he rescues Heather who ticks all of his expectations. Great story. Loved the start when Heather looks into the perfect pair of brown eyes. Not Quint so guess who. Romance, tension, danger and surprise.

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Great Views

One Last Kiss by Kat Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sam Bridger and Liberty Hale should be oil and water. After all he was a Colorado rancher and she was a high priced makeup model. Turns out someone know what was what in bring them together. Loved the look at the Colorado outdoors. Against that scenery there is trouble, tension, danger and of course romance. Loved the side characters and hope we get to see their HEA. Sam and Libby find their HEA is a record amount of time.

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Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This caught me from the first page and that lasted until the last quarter of the book. From there it was getting the two main characters in bed together and a weak finish to the story line. Still this is worth a read especially if you are a SciFi fan. The story is interesting with a lot of secrets that no ones knows and keep revealing at important points in the story. First in a series. Getting everyone in line for the next book was part of the weak finish.

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New To Me

The Anatomist's Wife (Lady Darby Mystery, #1) 
by 

Anna Lee Huber (Goodreads Author)

 

Jo (Mixed Book Bag) Jones's review 

Sep 01, 2021  ·  edit

it was amazing

bookshelves: historical-mystery, series 

The Lady Darby series is on its 11th book so I have a long list to read. This is Book 1 and it lays the ground work for the additional books in the series. I found this after doing a Zoom meeting with Jayne Anne Krentz and Victoria Thompson two of my favorite authors. Anna Lee Huber was also part of the meeting. That lead me to try her books and I was very pleased with the plot, characters, tension and hint of romance.

Look First

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tommy and Philippa are both different from other girls and women. If they can just get together then everything would be OK. Except both are female and that makes a difference. The Wild Wynchesters strike again. This is a fun series with some different love stories. If you dislike F/F stories you should skip but know that you are missing out on a entertaining story.

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Fun Trope

Wilde Child by Eloisa James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun enemies to lovers story line. Both main characters have appeared before. They have just been waiting in the wings for their turn. There was a little mystery and tension woven into the story line. In the end love won and there was a nice HEA.

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Keeping Everyone Safe

Tratus: A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel by Veronica Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Badari have a few weaknesses. One is that you are born Alpha. That works well if the Alpha is a good leader but not so well if he is not. That is what Tratus is facing as he tries to keep the pack safe. A hard job when the Alpha is putting the pack in danger. Then to complicate the issue Tratus finds his mate in one of the humans being held captive. Everything unwinds from there. I love how Tratus is so aware of what his mate needs and how strong his mate is when he is betrayed. A lot of tension and danger. It takes awhile to get everything straight and for Tratus to take his rightful place in the pack. Love this series. This was my main read as soon as it was released.

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Interesting Concept

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nora Seed sees her life as a failure so she decided to end it. In that space between life and death she arrives in the Midnight Library. This was very hard to put down. Nora gets to survey what would have happened if she made different decisions. In spite of the serious nature of the plot it was a fun book to read. I thought that she would decide (no that would be a spoiler). Pick it up and see all of her choices.

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Interesting Plot

Salvation Day by Kali Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First this is a stand alone so no follow up. It does come to a satisfying ending as in things may get better. The book was a surprise to me. Very readable and easy to follow the plot. That was what was a surprise. I expected several things before I started but not what happened or the order it happened in. Good characters, interesting world building, needed tension, and a well thought out plot make for good reading.

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Not My Cup of Tea

Alien Warrior's Promise by Sue Mercury
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not that much danger or tension. Most danger was in the past, left far behind. What is in the present was just a plot point. A OK read but I will skip the rest of the Vaxxlian Matchmakers.

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Writing to Passive

A Judge's Secrets by Danica Winters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Too much passive story line and not enough active for my taste. There was tension and romance as the story progressed. A lot of danger but the bad guy was the one I suspected from the beginning.

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Interesting

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This caught me for the first half, bogged down in most of the second and left me wondering at the end. This is pure Science Fiction and the Architects are a very unusual and interesting life form. The characters were interesting and there was tension and danger throughout the book. If you want a pure SciFI book this is for you.

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What Happens in Vegas

Tigre by Cara Bristol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kat and Tigre strike sparks the first time they meet. What a pair. Kat with trust issues and Tigre just trying to win her over. They have a rocky road but the HEA does come for both of them. There is danger, tension and romance as well as what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Until it does not.

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Free at Last

<Servant Mage by Kate Elliott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fellon longs to be free but when the opportunity comes it is not what she expects. That is the start of a tension filled journey. This has the problem that Fellon was recruited for and the long range problem that is yet to be solved. This is an easy and enjoyable read. The world building and character development is folded into the plot. The plot is not straight forward and the twists and turns kept my attention. Everything is set up for the next book.

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