Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Trail of Lost Hearts: two broken hearts and an unexpected second chance at love

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves is a story of two broken hearts who find the unexpected chance to love again. Thirty-four-year old Wren Waters believes the universe will send you what you need, you only need to pay attention. Her world is shattered when the death of her fiancĂ© reveals secrets she wasn’t expecting. Falling into a deep depression, the only thing that seems to get her out of bed is geocaching, the outdoor activity using GPS to find hidden objects. Wren decides to take a weeklong trip to Oregon for a solo geocaching search. While on the first leg of her trip, she meets Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist on his own much needed trip. After a close call, Marshall suggests teaming up for the rest of the cache searches. Wren is hesitant at first, but decides to trust the universe one more time. As the road trip begins platonic enough, it soon blooms into something deeper and the more she spends time with Marshall, the more she wants to know about him. 

The Trail of Lost Hearts is my first book by Tracey Garvis Graves and it definitely won’t be my last. The story starts with a woman in a dark place, trying to take each day at a time, when a trip to clear her head changes her time. My heart broke for Wren who thought her life was on track when the sudden death of her fiancĂ© made her question everything she thought she knew. My heart also broke for Marshall, who is also hurting from his own tragedy. Both characters felt real as they deal with grief, guilt and questioning decisions they cannot take back. I loved that their relationship truly starts platonically so much so that when the romance develops it was a pleasant surprise. Overall, I was hooked from the opening chapter and could not put it down. There were twists and turns to this story that is a wild ride of heartbreak, emotional breakthroughs and an ending that I thought wasn’t in the cards. I highly recommend The Trail of Lost Hearts


The Trail of Lost Hearts is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook. 


Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Off the Air: a journalist searches to solve a murder

Off the Air by Christina Estes is a murder mystery as a local reporter chases the story of her career. Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona. She usually covers general assignments from the monsoon storms to a newborn giraffe at the zoo. When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene races to the scene as she and other journalists rush to report the facts first. As the victim is identified as the controversial talk show host, Larry Lemmon, Jolene realizes that she conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an edge for now.  The circumstances around his death are suspicious, the story heats up as the competition to be the first to report grows as well. Jolene is determined to solve this murder as it is the story that could make or break her career. 

Billed as “equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining,” Off the Air is the debut novel for former Emmy Award winning reporter Christina Estes. I was intrigued as the main character is a journalist which doesn’t cross my path often. I opened the book eagerly for a fast-paced mystery. However, it fell fast. It wasn’t thought provoking or entertaining. I was bored. I didn’t care about the characters, especially Jolene. She is unlikable from beginning to end and didn’t help put journalists in a positive light. The constant mention of politics, while I understand that it fits the story with the death of a controversial figure, it really bogged down my enjoyment. The mystery quickly becomes secondary to the story and the story quickly becomes more of a love letter to journalism. Overall, the story was okay. If you enjoy journalism centric stories, you may enjoy Off the Air


Off the Air is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook


Sunday, March 24, 2024

Moment in Time: one night can change the course of one's life and friendships

Moment in Time by Suzanne Redfearn is a follow-up to In An Instant (2020). It’s been eight years since the tragic events which changed Maureen “Mo” Kaminski and Chloe Miller’s lives. Now in their mid-twenties, they share an apartment in San Francisco with their roommate, Hazel. Life seems to be relatively normal as they both work through the challenges of adulthood and career. Suddenly, one night when Hazel ends up in the hospital after being raped, their lives are again turned upside down. When the suspected perpetrator turns up drugged and beaten and Hazel has disappeared, the mystery of what happened that night becomes the forefront of their lives. Mo and Chloe are desperate to find out what happened to their friend and bring her home. Despite being familiar with tragedy, Mo and Chloe will find themselves tested personally as well as their friendship. Will their commitment to their friend, finding the truth and seeking justice bring them closer together? Will they be driven apart for good? 

I read In An Instant a couple years ago and loved it. When Moment in Time was suggested for me, I grabbed it and couldn’t wait to read it. Unfortunately, something felt off about the story. I’m not sure what it was but I was bored and confused. While the subject matter needs to be taken seriously, I found myself not caring about Mo and Chloe as they searched for their friend and discovered what happened that night. At one point, one of the characters decides to get revenge on a cop for not taking the rape report seriously and then is shocked when she is arrested for it. Seriously?!?!? There were also too many plot holes and inconsistencies that just didn’t add up. Moment in Time just doesn’t have the same emotional impact that In An Instant did. It wasn’t as gripping and emotional as I expected. Overall, I did not enjoy Moment in Time. Despite my enjoyment and recommendation for In An Instant, I cannot recommend Moment in Time


Moment in Time is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook


Friday, March 22, 2024

A Soul as Cold as Frost: a twist on Christmas and winter characters

 A Soul as Cold as Frost by Jennifer Kropf is the first book in the Winter Souls series. Sixteen year old Helen Bell knows tragedy. She knows what it is like to be bullied and fight for all she has. She thought she was prepared for anything, however, she wasn’t ready for what was coming next. When a strange girl gives her a crystal orb, Helen’s eyes are opened to the realm of Winter, a world that intersects with the real world. A world where monarchs rise and fall and the name of The Dead King is forbidden to be spoken. Helen is summoned to The Crimson Court to participate in The Quarrel of Sword and Bone, a traditional duel to the death performed in front of one thousand witnesses, with the deranged Queen, a queen with a cold soul. She must find a way out or die in the wintry world. 

I saw this book come highly recommended on BookTok and other sites. I was intrigued by the premise of a series that “blends action and warm Christmas traditions” with “new and grittier versions of famous characters out of holiday legends, folklore and myths.” I was excited to start reading this story as the opening prologue was poetically written. However, I was quickly lost and bored. While I get that as a first book in the series, there would be a lot of world building going on; however, it felt disjointed. I also didn’t believe Helen as a 16 year old. She acts more like a child, than a teen. The book is marketed as a young adult novel; however, it doesn’t read like it. Overall, I was disappointed as it was not the story I was expecting. However, if you enjoy fantastical stories, you may want to try A Soul as Cold as Frost


A Soul as Cold as Frost is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook


Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Saving Easton: a wounded POW has a second chance at life and love

Saving Easton is the second book in the Oakside Military Heroes series by Kaci Rose. Easton Mathews was a POW. The mental scars run deeper than the physical ones. He is content to stare out his room’s window, avoiding human contact if he can. Paisley Sutton is Oakside’s resident therapy dog trainer newly assigned to Easton. She is also the little sister of his childhood best friend. He has had a crush on her for years but she was completely off limits but the only face which helped him through his darkest moments. Paisley is shocked when she realizes her new client is Easton, the boy she had a crush on so many years ago. But the man in front of her is deeply wounded. Can she help him back to life or will he be forever a prisoner of the past? 

Saving Easton is a hard hitting, heartbreaking and yet hopeful story. I loved Paisley’s gentle and patient urging to help Easton pick up the pieces of his life. Once they confess their mutual feelings, their romance blooms and gives him a reason to truly keep fighting. There are moments of drama and heart stopping fear but there were also poignant moments of tenderness and oh so steamy love scenes. I also loved the personalities of the dogs featured in Paisley’s training. I love that while each story focuses on one military hero at a time, it leads into the next hero at Oakside. Overall, I enjoyed this story so much and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. If you love steamy romances with military men, and small towns, I recommend Saving Easton


Saving Easton is available in paperback and eBook


Monday, March 18, 2024

The Spinster: a clean historical romance

The Spinster by Tess Thompson is the second book in the Emerson Pass Historical series. In  Emerson Pass, Colorado 1920, the first World War is over and Josephine Barnes mourns the loss of her beloved fiancĂ© as he fought in the trenches. Devastated, she vows to never marry and calls herself a spinster as she focuses on building the town’s new library. Her world is turned upside down when she receives a letter from someone who fought with her fiancĂ©, asking to visit and return the letters she wrote. Phillip Baker survived the war and survived a bout with the dreaded Spanish flu but he is burdened with a distressing secret. Plagued by guilt, but unable to stop, reading Josephine’s letters brought him comfort and finds himself falling for the woman and her words. When Phillip arrives, Josephine is torn between loyalty to her deceased fiancĂ© and her growing feelings for Phillip. As Phillip prepares to tell her the secrets he carries, will her new feelings be crushed and push her away from Phillip forever? 

The question of “Can the tragic death of a soldier entwine the souls of two strangers?” asked in the book’s description spoke to me as someone who descends from two people who met because of the death of a soldier on the battlefield. I fell in love with the Barnes family in The School Mistress and enjoyed seeing them growing up. First up is the eldest Josephine. The bookish Josephine who would rather hide in a book and take care of her loved one convinced she is not pretty enough to find love again. She believes her one chance at love died on the battlefield was heartbreaking. The arrival of Phillip brings new joy to her life despite her best efforts to stay neutral. My heart broke for those who returned from war with memories and horrors plaguing them. I loved that Ms Thompson did not shy away from that. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. If you enjoy wholesome historical romances, I highly recommend The Spinster


The Spinster is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook



Saturday, March 16, 2024

Miles and Miles of You: road trip adventures and romance

Miles and Miles of You by Jennifer Bonds is the first book in The Harts series. Lucy Gonzalez had had enough! She quits her job as a personal assistant to Miles Hart. She’s decided to take the jump and hit the road as a travel influencer. She hitches up her grandma’s vintage Airstream and takes a trip along Route 66 as @SoSavvyTraveler! Her plan is to show the best places to see and eat on a shoestring budget in two weeks. What she didn't plan on was company. Miles Hart shows up, determined to bring her back to Triada, his company with his brothers. He is also determined to prove to her that she can’t make it as a travel influencer. They make a bet. If Miles wins, Lucy will give up the influencer plan and come back to Triada. If Lucy wins, he will never bother her again. 

I actually read the second book in the series, Not Today, Cupid, last year and immediately placed Miles and Miles of You on my TBR list. Miles and Miles of You is a great story with fun banter, road trip adventures and a bit of spice. Lucy and Miles are great characters with personal past hurts that they struggle with and this trip helps bring them forth and works toward growth. Lucy’s grandma, Celeste, was a great source of laughs as she interacts with Lucy’s Instagram posts. While I did not enjoy Miles and Miles of You as much as I did Not Today, Cupid, I enjoyed this story. I laughed. I smiled. I closed the book with happiness and eagerness for the third brother’s story. If you enjoy a road trip romance with fun banter and great adventures, I highly recommend Miles and Miles of You


Miles and Miles of You is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook