From the Start (Walker Family #1) - Melissa Tagg

In the past, I’ve read one other book by this author, Made to Last.  I really liked that one, so I was pleased when I had the chance to read this one.  This book is the first full-length title in the Walker Family series.  There’s also a novella, Three Little Words.  It looks like the second one is due out in 2016 and is called Like Never Before.  All are set in a small town in Iowa.

Kate isn’t having the best of luck with her writing.  She’s been writing about romance, but a hurtful relationship in her past has left her questioning everything and stalled her career.  When she hears about a tornado hitting her hometown, she leaves Chicago and heads off to small-town Iowa to check in on her father and help put things back together.

Colton is also not having much of a lucky streak.  His career as an NFL quarterback has been ruined by an injury, and the woman he was planning to propose to is marrying someone else.  His best friend, Logan, offers to bring him back to his family’s home and help dig them out from the tornado’s damage.  Colton is apparently staying in Kate’s old bedroom, and when she arrives home in the middle of the night, he’s in for an unusual awakening.

Colton’s agent has been trying to revive his career in new ways, including a book deal.  Colton hasn’t gotten along with any of his ghostwriters, but when he learns that Kate is a writer, he enlists her help.  She sees it as a way to raise the money she needs to finally do something meaningful and important.  Her plan is to write Colton’s book and then take a writing trip to Africa.  First, though, she’s going to have to actually learn about football.

This was a cute story that I really enjoyed.  Colton is having issues with flashbacks from his childhood and his past is a real heartbreaker.  I like how Colton’s past was used to help him connect with a troubled teen that he could sympathize with.

The novella, Three Little Words, is a story about Ava and Seth.  Seth is Kate’s cousin and runs the restaurant in From the Start, but you don’t have to read it to enjoy this book.  As of today, it’s still free, so check it out!  I look forward to reading more in this series.  Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Through the Fire (First Responders #1) - Shawn Grady

This is one of the books I chose to read for my challenge.  I've never read anything by this author and this one has been up for free more than once.  I had it on my Kindle, then I'd take it off.  It's one of those books that I'm not sure I'll enjoy.  Not because I doubted the writer's ability to write a good story but it's not the kind of story I normally read.

This is the first book in the First Responders series.  The other two are called Tomorrow We Die and Falls Like Lightning.  They appear to all be stand alone stories.

Aiden has been struggling since the death of his father.  Bad decisions and rebellion have led him to put a fellow firefighter's life at risk.  When he's placed on leave, he heads down to Mexico to spend some time with his uncle.  While he's down there, a tragic accident has him hanging on to life by a thread.

When he wakes up, he finds that he's needed back at the station house.  An arsonist is heating things up in Reno and lives are being lost.  The number of fires being linked to this particular arsonist keep piling up, but the most significant one is the fire that took the life of his father.  He teams up with an investigator, Julianne, who intrigues him.  One of his friends isn't what he seems and with tensions rising, Aiden isn't sure who he can trust.

This was a pretty good book.  For the most part, I enjoyed it.  Some of the descriptions had me a little lost at times.  I'm not sure if that was because I couldn't follow the terminology or I wasn't paying enough attention.  The main focus of the book is for Aiden to accept his father's death and find the arsonist.  While this was a decent read, I don't plan on tracking any more of the books in the series.  Not because it wasn't a good book, but it's just not the type of thing I read very often.  I still give this my Good Book! review.

Where the Truth Lies - Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery - DTB

This is a Heartsong mystery.  To me, that means it's a diet book.  A light, fun read that I can get through in one to two days.  I had this one because I got this book for my church library and decided to read it before placing it on the shelf!  I chose it because of the authors. I've read multiple books by both these authors and haven't been disappointed.

Casey's come to town because her aunt is missing and the police assume that she has committed suicide.  Casey will never believe it, but when the police don't have any interest in pursuing the killer, she decides to use her sleuthing skills to solve the case herself. Thank goodness she's read all of the Brandy Purcell detective novels!  Now she's armed with her Post-It notes and a desire for the truth.

Luke seems to meet up with Casey when she's involved in accidents.  When they first meet, he's wielding a shovel, and she's suspicious that he's the one who drove her off the road in the first place.  He's one of her main suspects, but when he continues to help her, he quickly becomes her confidant.  He seems to really care about her and that makes her nervous.  But when there are multiple attacks on her and a break-in at her aunt's home, it becomes clear that someone doesn't want her to discover the truth.

This was a great read, but I'm sorry to say that it isn't available on Kindle at present.  It's a shame, really, since it is a cute book.  I really liked Casey's fumbled attempts at detective work, especially when she suggests the police use her fingerprinting kit.  If you come across a copy of this, it's worth picking up if you're in the mood for a lighthearted, unique romantic mystery.  Good Book!

Three Little Words (Walker Family) - Melissa Tagg

This little freebie is another one of my efforts to diminish the amount of things I need to read.  This novella is about 133 pages and didn't take much time to read.  It's a tale that's tied to From the Start, the first book in the Walker Family series.  From the Start comes out March 31, 2015.

This story is about Seth and Ava.  They meet back up at a college reunion.  Ava has no desire to be there, but her favorite professor is retiring and she wants to see him.  When he has a sudden heart attack, she meets up with Seth and they start emailing each other. I liked the transition between the words "email me" and the time in between.  "One year and 1,473 emails later" - super cute.

Seth's big dream is to open up a restaurant and his goal is in sight.  Ava has enjoyed emailing him but knows that he has a girlfriend.  Seth's dedication to commitment has him feeling obligated to his girlfriend, but Ava is coming to mean a great deal to him as well.  I think you can probably guess what the three little words are but getting there is the real story.

The characters in this short story are well developed and I'm impressed at the author's ability to write a complete story in such a short time.  I loved all the characters.  There's a teaser in there for From the Start at the end, and I'll be posting my review for that title on the 31st.  This one happens just before the book, but you can read this one alone if you want to.  As of today, it's free, so you're not losing anything by trying it out.  This looks to be a great series and I look forward to more!  The author has a great writing style that makes you want to keep reading.  Good Novella!

A Proper Marriage - Dorothy Love

I haven't posted anything lately since I've been getting caught up on some NetGalley titles.  Since I have a break, I picked the shortest book on my TBR (to be read) pile and read through it.  I needed the sense of accomplishment by getting a title off my list of reading material!

This novella is posted as connected to the Hickory Ridge series, but it's definitely a stand alone story.  Olivia has made some choices she regrets and finds herself on a wagon beside a man she doesn't love off to start a new life.  Luke's brother is the reason she's in trouble.  Luke has stepped up and offered her a life, but is it the one she wants?

I have to say, this story was a little more depressing than I had expected.  I found Olivia to be a little condescending and unappreciative of Luke's efforts for much of the story, so I didn't get a chance to like her character until the story was just about over.  For being a novella, it was a pretty well written story.  Many times, the novellas end up feeling rushed and incomplete but not this one.

Overall, I'm torn about how I feel about the story.  I thought it was well written, but the darker aspects of the story leave me giving this one 3.5 stars.

Firethorn (Discarded Heroes #4) - Ronie Kendig

This is the fourth and final book in the Discarded Heroes series.  The other three are Nightshade, Digitalis and Wolfsbane.

Chaos has erupted at The Shack.  The team has been attacked and its members scattered.  A few of them have gotten away, but they're MIA and no one has heard from them.  On top of that, people are also after their families.

When the attack went down, Griffin "Legend" was in a maximum security prison for a high profile murder he didn't commit. Trying to protect his family from what's happening to him isn't easy.  When a woman visits him, suddenly it becomes a prison break.

They're going to have to work together to get the team back.  Kazi is a spy that is focused on her mission.  That's her one and only goal.  Griffin is used to being part of a team, and these two butt heads right from the start.  He's not sure he can trust her, and she's not willing to give up any of herself to him.  She's trapped under the thumb of a ruthless man she fears she will never be free of.  If she finishes this mission, she should be able to disappear and retire.

This book was a whirlwind from beginning to end.  From the moment the warehouse is attacked, you're going back and forth between many characters.  At times, almost too many.  You end up reading through at least seven characters' eyes.  More than once, I came across a change in scene and thought, "Oh yeah, I forgot about them!"   It all comes together in the end, you just have to hang in there!

Overall, it's a good book.  I was a little teary eyed at the end, so be warned that it's not all sunshine and roses.  This was a great series and I recommend it.  I also recommend you read them in order, just so you get a sense of who everyone is and their role in the team before it's scattered to the wind!  Good Book!

The Outlaw Takes a Bride - Susan Page Davis

I've read a few of Susan Page Davis's books in the past and liked her writing style..  When I had the opportunity to read this one, I was excited to read it.

Johnny is on the run.  He hasn't done anything wrong, but when he's suspected of murder, his friend convinces him to make a run for it.  They decide to head for Texas and the ranch Johnny's brother owns.  When they arrive and find his brother dead, they have to form some new plans.  People in town mistake Johnny for his brother and one little lie leads to another.  Circumstances get even more complicated when Johnny finds out his brother has paid for a woman to come be his bride.

Sally is excited to start her new life with the man she's come to know through his letters.  She ends up being puzzled by the behavior of her new husband and wonders what's wrong with her that he keeps his distance.  Add to that her dislike of his ranch hand, and Sally isn't sure she's made the right decision.  With the huge secret separating them, it's hard to see how you'll get a happy ending out of this one!

This book was a nice read and told a valuable lesson about how one little lie can snowball and not be so small anymore.  I liked both Johnny and Sally's characters, especially Sally's determination to get to the truth.  Good Book!

* I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.