Month: July 2021

Book Talk Tuesday: BURIED EVIDENCE

Published on by Live Vi-Carrie-ously

Laney Hamilton planned to never return to her hometown of Sandy Bluff, Indiana. There were too many memories there. She left ten years ago for good reasons. But the chief of police called and said he needed her help to identify recently discovered bones. Bones that could belong to Laney’s long-missing best friend. The police chief’s daughter. And twin sister to Ryan, Laney’s first love and the man she can’t get over.

Ryan Mitchell has never forgotten Laney, even though she broke his heart when she left Sandy Bluff after his sister, Jenna, disappeared. Now, Laney’s back to help with the investigation and excavation of newly discovered remains. That would be hard enough, but someone is determined to hurt Laney. She’s threatened at every turn. Ryan has to keep her safe, even if it means she’ll just leave him again.

This sweet inspirations romantic suspense is fast-paced. It kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The characters have real chemistry. The secrets keeping them apart felt believable, not contrived. There’s a convincing twist at the end.

I enjoyed this book a lot and I wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of heart-pounding suspense with a dash of romance and happily-ever-after endings.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not induce me to write a review, favorable or not.

Book Talk Thursday: SWEET TEA

Published on by Live Vi-Carrie-ously

Althea Dailey has finally arrived. She’s made partner at her prestigious New York law firm. She’s left her hometown of Milford, Georgia firmly in her rearview mirror. Even having to travel south for her new case doesn’t induce her to visit her grandmother in Milford.

But when Allie hears that a filmmaker is making a documentary featuring her grandmother and Granda’s famous recipes, Allie determines to come home and protect both Granda and the recipes.

Jack Darwent may be a trust fund frat guy, but he’s passionate about food and films. Filming Miss Ada, the legendary cook/chef at Milford College, a historically Black college, is going to be the centerpiece of his newest project. When Miss Ada’s granddaughter shows up, with a chip big as a brick on her shoulder and attitude to match, he can only help Miss Ada’s plan to thaw Althea’s hard shell.

The title, SWEET TEA, is a play on words. Sweet tea is at the center of Allie’s lawsuit, and T and Sweet T are her grandmother’s nicknames for her.

SWEET TEA is another departure for Hallmark Publishing. They are definitely trying to diversify their line and it’s showing. With its interracial couple, SWEET TEA is a welcome addition to the Hallmark family. 

Allie and Jack are well rounded characters, not stereotypical and not shallow. I enjoyed their story a lot and I highly recommend it!

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I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not induce me to review it, favorably or not. 

Book Talk Tuesday: THEN CAME YOU

Published on by Live Vi-Carrie-ously

My first Susan May Warren book was NOTHING BUT TROUBLE, featuring PJ Sugar, a heroine I fell in love with from the first line. The man from her past, Boone Buckram, was swoon-worthy, but they were not to be. PJ ended up with someone else.

THEN CAME YOU is Boone on vacation in Deep Haven, where he runs into Vivien Calhoun. We first met Vivien in CRAZY FOR YOU, Peter and Ronnie’s story. I love how these books cross over, but each stand alone.

Each time I open a Deep Haven book, I smile, because I know I’m in for a great story, with relatable characters, in a setting that feels as welcoming as cool sand and water on a hot day.

THEN CAME YOU, by Susan May Warren and Rachel D. Russell, met all my expectations, and then some.

The first line grabbed me: Vivien Calhoun needed a man within the next five minutes.

How can you not keep reading after that? (I’m noticing a trend here. I’m not becoming a first line snob. I promise I give books more than one line to hook me!)

Boone has been put on mandatory vacation status with the Kellogg Police Department after an incident. He picks Deep Haven for his retreat, finds a lakeside cabin, checks-in with the required therapist, and prepares to–if not enjoy, then endure–his break.

Until he meets Vivie his first morning in town. He rescues the vivacious brunette from a situation, then ends up a parade through Deep Haven. Before you can say, Lake Superior, Boone is drawn to Vivie, wanting to help her with her situation, then her amateur theatre group. But after each step closer, Vivie pulls away.

Vivien returned to Deep Haven from New York, determined not to look back. But someone won’t let her go that easily. She can’t let Boone get close, she can’t risk hurting anyone.

Warren and Russell have written another winner entry in the Deep Haven collection. I loved it and can’t wait for the next one!

I received a free advance copy of this book, but that did not induce me to review it, favorably or not.