July 2022 – My Sanctuary

The Review Card – Residual Burn By Kelly Moran

Some flames can’t be extinguished…

Jason Burkwell is all about the next adventure. Whether it’s an emergency call as lieutenant on Redwood Ridge’s fire department or a pretty woman between the sheets, he gets in and gets out. He has no interest in being trapped by anything or anyone. But when he’s manipulated into a charity auction for his station, something tells him he’s about to get hosed. Especially when the town matchmakers shove quiet, shy Ella Sinclair in his path. Constantly. Every encounter with the brown-eyed beauty makes him realize the simmering attraction and strange tug of emotion is beyond basic heat. Together, they’re combustible. If only he can figure out what she’s hiding…

Ella Sinclair’s been burned before, and she’s got the scars to prove it. Ever since her return to Redwood Ridge, she’s had more than a little crush on a certain gorgeous firefighter. Except Jason doesn’t know she exists. To trigger his memory would mean reliving the worst day of her life, and she’s worked hard to move past the pain. Venturing out of her safety zone is tough enough, never mind that hero worship leaves her with a horrible case of babbling-itis. Her heart’s becoming more engaged the longer they spend together, but his sudden interest can’t possibly last when he discovers she’s not the ideal image of perfection.

My Favourite Quote

About The Author

Kelly Moran is a romance author of enchanting ever afters. She is the winner of the 2013 Catherine Award and a 2014 Award of Excellence Finalist through RWA, plus she earned one of the 10 Best Reads of 2013 by USA TODAY’s HEA. She is a proud Romance Writers of America member.

Kelly’s been known to say that she gets her ideas from everyone and everything around her and there’s always a book playing out in her head. No one who knows her bats an eyelash when she talks to herself. Her interests include: sappy movies, MLB, NFL, driving others insane, and sleeping when she can. She is a closet caffeine junkie and chocoholic, but don’t tell anyone. She resides in Wisconsin with her husband, three sons, and her black lab. Most of her family lives in the Carolinas, so she spends a lot of time there as well.

Link to Purchase

Book Review – First Bride To Fall By Ginny Baird

A shy woman. Her outdoorsy crush. And the bet that could bring them together…or implode spectacularly.

Nell Delaney will do almost anything for her parents and her two sisters. But enter a marriage of convenience to save the family’s coffee shop? Too far. So Nell and her sisters strike a deal: whoever hasn’t found love in thirty days has to step up to take one for the team. The good news? Nell knows the perfect guy to fall in love with. The bad news? She’s going to have to pretend she likes the outdoors…a lot.

Adventure guide Grant Williams knows immediately that Nell is not exactly Little Miss Outdoorsy. She’s a walking natural disaster—an amazingly adorable disaster. And whoa, their chemistry is unbelievable. Everything between them is so perfect, he’s not even a little bit shocked when he starts thinking of forever…

Right up until he catches the town gossiping about the Delaney sisters’ bargain and realizes she’s just using him to win a bet. His family’s unreliable reputation means he can’t just dump one of the town’s sweethearts. No, she needs to dump him. If she’s going to pretend to be the perfect doting bride, well, he’ll just pretend to be the worst bachelor on the market.

Let the games begin…

My Review

3 sisters make a pact that the last person among them who couldn’t find love and be engaged within 30 days is to agree on a prearrange marriage to save their family’s coffee shop.

This is the 1st book of the series focusing on Nell who have secret crush on Grant for many years now. This pact is forcing her to step out and take matters into her own hand and hearts. She decided to join on a hiking excursion organised by Grant’s company and due to bad weather and Nell’s inexperience, Nell injured herself and found herself end up at Grant’s cabin together w him. The story then continue with a lot of miscommunication between the two of them.

The story is a fun and quick read for me and narration of the story flow very well. I love the shy banter between Nell and Grant and chemistry between the two of them. Love how they fall for each other. Can’t wait to see what happen to the 2 other sisters. Am curious and wonder who will be the one who is going to marry the rich Billionaire, Aiden.

My Rating

The Review Card – First Bride To Fall By Ginny Baird

A shy woman. Her outdoorsy crush. And the bet that could bring them together…or implode spectacularly.

Let the games begin…

About The Author

New York Times and USA Today
bestselling author Ginny Baird writes wholesome contemporary stories with a dash of humor and a lot of heart. She enjoys taking walks in the park, cooking with her husband, and creating worlds where romance is a given and happily ever afters are guaranteed. After spending many years in Virginia, she returned to her home state and now lives in North Carolina with her family.

Link to Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 28 July 2022

She wanted an adventure. What she found was so much more…

Adira Summers has spontaneously quit her high-flying career as a barrister in London. She needs to escape from the rat race and, encouraged by her bohemian gran, has bought a campervan to do so.

Taking off for a tour around Britain, disaster strikes early on when her van breaks down outside the quaint village of Lilacwell. But things look up after she meets handsome Jasper, who is visiting to check on his ailing uncle and his crumbling estate, The Laurels.

As Adira falls for Lilacwell, she is torn between forgoing her travel plans to stay, or continuing with her adventure. Jasper must also choose between returning to his job in Dubai or moving back for his uncle – and Adira.

Book Review – How to Seduce a Cavanaugh by Marie Ferrarella

A lone wolf who’d prefer to work solo, Detective Kane Durant has been through six partners. His latest? A chatty, go-getter blonde he can’t seem to intimidate with his killer stare-downs and deadly silence. But when they’re assigned a case of home invasions in the ritzy section of town, he’s impressed by Detective Kelly Cavanaugh’s quick mind, her determination to catch the perp…and how badly he wants her.

With one month to prove herself to her tall, tough and sexy new partner, Kelly works overtime to crack the case—and the hardened detective by her side. But when late nights on the job lead to passion, Kelly’s heart is suddenly on the line, too.

Published Date: 7 July 2015

My Review

Kane and Kelly were tasked to work together. Kane is not happy about the arrangement as he prefer to work alone. Due to his past, he kept to himself and have been driving away all his partner. Kelly, on the other hand, is trying to make him to talk as her objective. Kane come across as a strong but a loner while Kelly, a bubbly and nosy colleague. Whilst Kane prefer to keep to himself, Kelly will strive to find the information.

Overall it is a sweet read for me. Love the main characters: Kane and Kelly and their interaction. I enjoyed the detail of the investigation and reading how both Kane and Kelly solved the mystery.

My Rating

Happy Publication Day – 26 July 2022

Cherie Renee Thompson is finally ready to dive into change. After two summers vacationing on Coates Island, she’s now a permanent resident, studying to be a teacher, and has formed invaluable friendships with two remarkable women, Kayana and Leah. Their summer book club, which meets weekly at the Seaside Café, has taught Cherie to seize the day. And as the ex-mistress of a powerful politician consistently unable to commit, Cherie is determined not to waste any more time—or try romance again…

When Cherie meets new sheriff and ex-army veteran Reese Matthews, there’s an immediate, undeniable spark between them. For his part, Reese has survived ongoing loss and believes that Cherie is as open and uncomplicated as she appears—until her former flame returns. Free of his responsibilities, he’s offering Cherie the luxurious life he always promised…

Now, in a summer of glowing potential, tranquil days, and book club meetings filled with insight and caring, Cherie must weigh past dreams against new chances, search her heart for what’s real—and what will fulfill her most.

Book Review – A Leap of Faith For The Cornish Midwife By Jo Bartlett

Midwife Izzy is devastated to learn that her beloved grandmother is dying. Abandoned as a baby by her own mother, her grandparents have been the only family Izzy has ever known and she wants to spend every last precious moment with them.

New locum vicar, Noah, is a wonderful support – kind, considerate and always there for Izzy whenever she needs a shoulder to cry on. But secretly Noah is battling his own doubts about his faith – how can he offer Izzy comfort if he doesn’t truly believe his own words?

When Izzy and Noah are brought together to support grieving parents, Noah reaches breaking point. He can’t stay in Port Agnes and live a lie. But Izzy is adamant it’s the only place she can be….

Will love find a way or will Izzy’s hopes of a future be dashed?

Published Date : 29 June 2022

My Review

Izzy’s grandma is terminally ill but it didn’t deter Eileen from renting a houseboat in Port Agnes for the summer to be closer to her. Eileen enjoyed tending to her flowers and found herself at St Jude doing what she love to do. Noah, a temporary pastor in the absence of Reverend Sampson found formed a friendship with Eileen which at first suspicious of the friendship between them. But Eileen’s health began to deteriorate, it was Noah that Izzy sought support from. Noah is fighting his own demon and he is struggling in trusting God.

This is an emotional read for me with good balance of warmth yet uplifting and well balance emotion between negative and positive feeling when the loved one’s is facing life and death situation. Love to see both Izzy and Noah’s relationship blossom at the end of the book.

My Rating

The Review Card – A Leap of Faith For The Cornish Midwife By Jo Bartlett

Will love find a way or will Izzy’s hopes of a future be dashed?

About The Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Her first title for Boldwood is The Cornish Midwife – part of a twelve-book deal.

Link to Purchase

Book Review – Taming Her Navy Doc By Amy Ruttan

The one woman to tame him…

Finally the injured navy SEAL who had once been brought to surgeon Erica Griffin in the dead of night has a name: Captain Thorne Wilder—her new commanding officer! Five years later he’s just as gorgeous as Erica remembers…but now he’s totally off-limits!

Thorne has been left damaged, brooding and untamable after the loss of his dreams—and beautiful Erica is an unwanted complication! She might be as wary of relationships as he is, but fighting temptation will be the biggest battle of all…

Published Date: 1 July 2015

My Review

Erica was the one who amputated his leg. Five years later they met again and Erica wonder whether he remember her. Thorne knew who Erica is even before her request to work was approved. Both of them battling their own demons and neither of them want long term commitment but couldn’t help when they were attracted to each other.

It is a sweet and emotional read for me. The storyline is well written about how love heal two people who really have been through some tough times and found found the happiness they deserve at the end. Loved watching the chemistry between Erica and Thorne.

My Rating

Book Review – The Friendship Pact By Jill Shalvis

Alone in the world, Tae Holmes and her mother April pretty much raised each other, but as Tae starts asking questions about the father she’s never met, April, for the first time in her life, goes silent. To make matters worse, Tae is dangerously close to broke and just manages to avoid financial meltdown when she lands a shiny new contract with an adventure company for athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors.

Her first big fundraiser event falls flat, but what starts out as a terrible, horrible, no-good night turns into something else entirely when Tae finds herself face-to-face with Riggs Copeland. She hasn’t seen the former Marine since their brief fling in high school, and while still intensely drawn to him, she likes her past burned and buried, thank you very much. Hence their friendship pact.

But when April oddly refuses to help Tae track down her father, it’s Riggs who unexpectedly comes to her aid. On a hunt to unlock the past, the two of them find themselves on a wild ride and learn a shocking truth, while also reluctantly bonding in a way neither had seen coming. Now Tae must decide whether she’s going to choose love . . . or walk away from her own happiness.

Published Date: 14 June 2022

My Review

April got pregnant with Tae when she was a teenager and was raised by her and they barely scraped by growing up. Given their close in age, they rely heavily on each other. Tae want to know about her real father but April is trying to avoid to revealed it. Tae met Riggs when she join a new company dealing with athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors. Riggs had trouble pasts and has put up walls to keep their emotional stable. Riggs came from a tough home life and lived as a Marine for years while Tae, growing up taking care of her mother more than her mother took care of her. He remembers Tae from high school where they have a brief flings and never spoken again.

This book is the 2nd book of Sunrise Cove series. It is an emotional book about 2 broken people who needed each other for support. Love Tae & her mum’s dynamic relationship i.e like sisters or best friends and the depth of the characters, their hearts, struggle and joy.

My Rating