mini-series

     I really enjoy Tessa Radley's writing a lot and finding this book was nigh impossible... or at least I thought it was.  This was a loaner, but I've since ordered my own copy from eHarlequin... gotta love a place like this.
     When I first started reading this story I thought that I knew how it was going to proceed and wasn't terribly excited.  But I was wrong!  The characters didn't behave as I had thought they would; they were just caricatures but, seemingly, real people with minds of their own... not formulaic at all.  I really shouldn't have been surprised.  The books that I've read by Tessa Radley have been anything but predictable or formulaic.
     I really loved how Jess was able to look past her own expectations and see that Ryan needed her to be there; and Ryan was finally able to take off his blinders and really see that what he feared wasn't going to be.  Both were people that were mature enough to step out of their own comfort zone to be there for someone else ~ and those kind of characters work for me every time.  Excellent read and a wonderful continuation of a series that has really gripped my imagination.  VERY, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

RATING:
Excellence: Excellent to Outstanding ~ 4.5 stars
Steaminess: Sensual

     Once I read my first Janice Kay Johnson (aka JKJ) book I was hooked ~ big-time ~ and I've been searching out this rather prolific author's books ever since... earlier this year (or maybe since later last year ~ whatever, eh?)
Her stories are always chock-full of emotions ~ happy, sad, light-hearted, serious ~ she covers the whole gamut of human emotions, and she does it beautifully!  Like so many series and mini-series that I read I didn't start at the beginning ~ this time I started with the last of the three books.  But, for me, that's not a problem... and I dearly hope to find the other two books ~ Taking a Chance (HSR #1140) and The Perfect Mom (HSR #1153)~  soon.  Then I can read back to Jo and Ryan and Kathleen and Logan's stories.  VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

RATING:
Excellence: Excellent ~ 4.0 stars
Steaminess: Sensual

     After the first of Janice Kay Johnson's books that I read, she became a favourite and auto-buy author; so of course I'm on a backlist hunt!  But I do so enjoy hunting down books like this so it's no big deal. 
     I have another seven of her books on tap, many that I found at the book sale the end of April, and while I think that I'll be reading all of them one-after-the-other now, you never know.  But after this story, I'm all gung-ho to do just that.
     Once again JKJ has created characters that not only come to life, but whose trials, emotions, lives and circumstances become very real.  I love the way that she imbues so much emotional strength into her h and H, and that they know quite early on that the other is the one for them.  The road to a lifelong love may not be, indeed isn't, smooth and easy, but they work towards a common goal.  They're fascinating people with hearts that respond quickly to the other ~ the best kind of romance.  And the mysteries that JKJ has set up for this trilogy are of the sort that I had serious difficulty setting this book down to sleep last night... and it's going to be driving me nuts until I get the next two books in the series.  I can hardly wait to find out how it all ties together!  VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

RATING:
Excellence: Excellent ~ 4.0 stars
Steaminess: Sensual

     I got this book for a couple, or more, reasons. 
   First is that the second book in the series is by Trish Wylie who's become a favourite and auto-buy author.  The first book ~ Vows &  a Vengeful Groom ~ was easily available, so point one. 
   The second reason is that it fits nicely into this month's New-to-Me Challenge as Bronwyn Jameson is definitely NTM. 
The third reason is kind of tied to the fourth reason; the common point being Theme.  All six of the authors writing the series are from Australia or New Zealand and fourthly is that this is a reunion story... I LOVE reunion stories!  So the reasons all came together and allowed me to broaden my horizons once again.  Gotta love it when that happens. 

RATING:
Excellence: Very Good to Excellent ~ 3.5 stars
Steaminess: Sensual

     Well, like so many other new-to-me authors that I've tried during the 2007, and now this year's, challenge, C.J. Carmichael has become an autobuy author.  Part of the attraction is the fact that I know where she's writing about; I've been there and I love the country.  But the rest of it is that she creates people with whom I can care about, whose lives intrigue me and her story just draws me in and makes a home for me.  So, yes... yet another author that I'll be adding to my must-have list... Wonderful!!

RATING:
Excellence: Great to Excellent ~ 3.5 stars
Steaminess: Sensual

     Well this book kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat until the very end.  The tie-in with the previous book was excellently done; I just wish that I had the next book in hand!  A story that really made me feel wonderful at the perfect ending. Superb!

RATING:
Excellent to Outstanding ~ 4.5 stars
Sensual

     Another winner in the Bravo Family Ties series.  Even though I am reading these books one after the other because of the One Thing Leads to Another challenge, I would be reading these books just because, for now anyways, I just can't get enough... and with this story I'm up to seven in the series ~ with another seven to go... that of course doesn't count that books that are not presently in my collection.  They will be of course, but I'm patient... kind of. 

RATING:
Excellent ~ 4 stars {yet another of Ms. Rimmer's heartwarming tales of love}
Sensual