UNFORGOTTEN by Kristen Heitzmann

This is the Michelli Family series of books and you will want to read them all, in order, to fully appreciate each one individually. This second story picks up days after the first story ends. In this book you get to know more of Lance's family, the Michelli Family, and you will also get to know his Nonna Antonia and her history much more. Lance and Rece come back to the Little Italy of the Bronx to show Nonna Antonia what they have discovered at her home as a child in Sonoma, California. Lance and Rece are still learning to be open with each other and trust each other and Rece is trying to learn how to be in the midst of all of Lance's family. Rico and Chaz and Star are also living with Lance's family, which are all characters from book one. You will learn to love the family and Lance and Rece even more. You feel like they are real people and everyone has struggles they are trying to deal with and work through. But when Lance learns the truth about his Nonno Marco and how he died he finds himself at a crossroads as to what to do about it. It affects his relationship with Rece also. There is so much going on in this story that you just need to get the series and start reading. You won't be disappointed! I am ready to start book 3!

SECRETS by Kristen Heitzmann

Secrets – that is the name of this book and this story was filled with all kinds of secrets! I won’t give any of the secrets away, but will tell you a little about some of the characters in the story. But before that, I must say, pay attention, to the first couple of chapters, because a lot of history is taking place and you need to understand the “jump” in time as you begin this book.
First there is the main lady in the story, Rece. She has grown up trying to be the best carpentry person she can be to make her carpentry Dad proud of her. But she has decided to start over again and has bought a old villa in the wine country and is restoring it as a bed and breakfast. She is tough lady to get close to, but deep down, she is yearning for acceptance and praise. Then there is the leading man, Lance. What a great character! He knows how to cook and reading about his dishes made me “drool” and wish for what he was making. He is in search of something for his grandmother and he ends up answering the add as a cook for Rece’s bed and breakfast, because what he is looking for is somewhere on her property. He tries so hard to break through Rece’s tough exterior. I loved it when he helps her “stress” at times by just taking her in his arms and giving her a good “ole” romantic kiss. Rece finally starts to share some of her secrets with Lance, but the problem is Lance does not reciprocate by sharing his. So when Rece realizes she has not been told the truth, she wants nothing more to do with Lance. There is also the feisty tell-it-like-it-is neighbor lady Evvy who doesn’t pull any punches, and Star, Rece’s friend from childhood who has a hard time knowing what true love and friendship really are. I enjoyed the story a great deal and I am getting ready to read the next book in the series and see what happens next with Rece and Lance and their relationship

The VIGILANTE'S BRIDE by Yvonne Harris

This was my first time reading anything by this author and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and I loved the cover they chose for this story!!
Luke Sullivan finds himself robbing a stagecoach and kidnapping a young lady on Christmas Eve. He didn't plan to, but he wanted to "get even" with the man, Axel, who stole all his parent's owned many years ago. He wasn't expecting Emily McCarthy to be on that stage and headed to Axel's ranch to be his bride (Emily didn't know it at the time, but she needed to be rescued from Axel, a man she had not met yet, but planned to marry). Luke ends up taking her to New Hope, an orphanage there is Montana, the place Luke grew up in after his family died. Emily is such a feisty little woman and Luke is a very determined young man. The way they bicker and fight and try to irritate one one another was at times hilarious! I was laughing out loud at times.

This had a little of everything in it; adventure, danger, killings, indians, cattle rustling, and of course romance (it isn't called "The Vigilante's Bride" for no reason). It had a real western flair to it and I enjoyed reading it very much! You won't be disappointed by reading this story and I look forward to reading more by this author.

I would like to thank Library Thing Early Reviewers for giving me this book for review!

FIRE and ASH by Anne Patrick

This was another good story by Anne Patrick. Sadie McGregor is a fire investigator and the story starts right out with a deadly fire that Sadie is called out to in her home town of Emerald Point, Missouri. Although the fire was made to look like an accident, Sadie begins to uncover clues that it was arson and that someone took the life of a local college student, buy why?? Sadie finds herself working with the new Sheriff in town, Quinn Harrington. Sadie and Quinn quickly become friends and I enjoyed reading their interaction between each other; they both had a good sense of humor. But Sadie is still struggling with guilt from her childhood and the loss of her parents and brother when she was seven in a fire. Quinn tries to help her find her way back to a God who loves her, and also help her discover who the arsonist is and who is trying to "get rid of" anyone who comes to close to the truth.
This was a suspense, mystery and romance package all in one. I enjoyed reading it and learning how detailed a fire investigation gets and how much can be learned from the fire. A good job Anne Patrick!

IN HARM'S WAY by Irene Hannon

This is a book filled with suspense and tender romance. Once again Irene Hannon has written another in the Heroes of Quantico series that is fast paced and heart stopping good. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it completely.
FBI agent Nick Bradley has been around for awhile and heard it all, but when Rachel Sutton walks into his office with her story, and a far-fetched story it is, he can't dismiss her or her story, because in his gut he believes she is telling the truth. Rachel has found a Raggedy Ann doll buried in the snow and when she goes to retrieve it she touches it and gets terrible feelings running through her. She feels danger in the doll, but will the FBI laugh her off, or listen. And why is this happening to her??

The chemistry between Nick and Rachel is real and wonderfully written. The child abduction was scary but also well done. And all the twists and turns of this book keep one glued to each page. I think the best line in the book was the one "a coincidence is a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous". There were alot of "coincidences" in this story, which one can see as God's hand working all things out for His good. You won't be disappointed at all the discoveries you will find as you read this suspense filled, action packed story.

SURRENDER THE HEART by MaryLu Tyndall

MaryLu Tyndall has done it again! She has created another great story on the open seas. It takes place as we begin the War of 1812. Marianne Denton is being made to marry a man she has known since childhood, and has disliked the whole time, so that she can get her inheritance to save her mother's life. Noah Brenin is being forced into this marraige by his family for the money, even though he also has despised Marianne all these years. At their engagement party Noah must leave to sail his cargo to England before war breaks out. Marianne chases him to his ship in anger and outrage at his leaving "their" party. What happens that finds Marianne sailing to England with Noah and how she finds ways of getting him to turn the ship around was amusing to me. But when one of her "tricks" gets them taken as prisoners of the British navy it turns ugly and dangerous for all involved.
I appreciated the struggles Marianne and Noah were both going through throughout this story. Letting go of the past, forgiveness, seeing God for who He really is; all these were important themes throughout this story. I felt the boy they both encounter named Daniel; he had the answers they were searching for. He taught them about ones destiny. It is easier for people to think of God as "aloof and distant" than that He has a plan, a destiny for each of us, if we would just accept the good with the bad and trust Him for the way He will work all things out for our good.
This was a great story, and I am anxious to read the next book in this series. I would like to thank Barbour Publishing and MaryLu Tyndall for sending me a copy for review! Keep up the good work!

FINDING ANNA by Christine Schaub

This is a novel that was made from the story of how the hymn "It is Well With My Soul" came to be written. It is the story of Anna and Gates Spafford. The author takes the historical facts and intertwines it with the fiction part of how these characters felt, and what they might have said and did during this historical time of their lives. It begins with the horrible fire that destroyed much of Chicago, which is where the Spaffords lived. Gates was an excellent business man, who had a loyal and devoted wife and 4 little girls. But recovering from that fire took its toll on both Anna and Gates. Then comes the tragic voyage. How these people dealt with tragedy and with each other through these tragedies was very humbling. Without a firm foundation in their faith, and their ability to call upon their God, it would have had a whole different ending to this story. I will sing this hymn with a better understanding of the history behind it from this time forth.

SECRETS of OLD SANTA FE by Marion Kelley Bullock

A book of mystery and romance. Who is out to "get rid of" Elise Wells, when she shows up in Santa Fe for her mother's funeral? And did someone kill her mother?? Elise has alot of unanswered questions when she finds out her mother has died and she has alot of guilt to get over when she realizes she should have gone and visited her mother when her mother asked her to. And who is this man Ramon who contacted her, picked her up at the airport and seems to be a man of many moods. Then there is the matriarchal Aunt Maria and a few other relatives thrown into the mystery mix and you have to figure out "who did it". I enjoyed trying to figure it out myself as I was reading what everyone was trying to cover up and who the bad guy/girl really is/was.

FLASHPOINT by Stephanie Newton

This is the 4th book in the Emerald Coast 911 series and I think I liked this story better than #3. Matt Clark is a firefighter with his partner Lara Hughes. They find themselves at a house fire that turns into a "time bomb" and they just get out before an explosion. When Lara sees a man lurking around the house after the fire, she realizes she has seen someone who did not want to be seen. Lara is now a witness, in need of protection and Matt, her partner wants to be her protector. Lara doesn't think she is worthy of anyone's affections because of her family and how messed up they have been. But Matt can't help how he feels, even though he has to play it "cool" so he doesn't scare her off.
I liked the way Matt and Lara "danced around" how they really felt about each other. They were partners so they know each other very well and liked to joke and have fun, but getting serious about each other was a whole new realm to their friendship. The ending of the book was an intense scene and I loved the way it turned out and the way Matt and Lara dealt with their true feelings. A good read! (You can read this book without reading the other books in this series, but it uses alot of characters from the other books in this series, so I recommend you read them in order.) I am looking forward to reading book 5 in this series!

SMOKE SCREEN by Stephanie Newton

Jack Rollins was a firefighter until he got hurt in a fire and now is the firehouse chaplain and pastor in his small coastal town. First his fiancee is murdered, than a dear friend, and it looks like the same arsonist in both fires and that someone is out to get anyone who gets close to Jake. So the FBI is called in and Chloe Davis has been assigned to the case. She is used to working on her own, but Jake Rollins is a man who is starting to get to her. Can they find the vengeful killer before anyone else gets hurt?
This was a good suspenseful story. I wasn't sure who the arsonist was myself until near the end of the book. It is book 3 in the Emerald Coast 911 series and I am enjoying the fact the the characters from the other books all tie in with this story too. Although you can read each book by itself, it is always nice to have characters from other books that you have come to know stay a part of the whole series.

CONTROLLING INTERESTS by Tracie Peterson

Denali Deveraux has never been given answers to who her father is, why her grandfather wants nothing to do with her and why her aunts (who have raised her) won't talk of her mother, Rose Deveraux. Now she has been summoned to Texas by her grandfather to help on an account in the family design business. But her grandfather has told employee Michael Copeland to take charge of her and make sure she does not come in contact with him. Michael gets a big bonus for doing this and since he has no desire for a relationship he can easily fake an interest in her. But Denali will not take no answers any longer and pushes until she gets some. But when the truth comes out, it is not at all what Denali thought.
I thought the book was a story with alot of secrets and I was surprised by some of the secrets that came out at the end of the book, so that is always a plus. It was a quick read that kept my interest all the way through.