The Architect of Deception by Debbie Baldwin

 

The Architect of Deception by Debbie Baldwin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a new-to-me author so I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I sat down to read (actually devour) this book. I planned to sit and read for a couple of hours and take a break for life but found myself reading this one all in one setting.

It starts off slow, simply because there is a lot of background information to be laid. Kinda like a real life murder investigation...it has to start out slow but also with a sense of urgency so that the culprit doesn't get away. However, when it picks up, WOAH NELLIE!!! I wasn't quite ready for that roller coaster ride just yet. I was still warming up but these characters were like, Nah, we're going!

I made a list, checked it a few times for my suspects and I was still wrong. Every time. Every turn of the page came a new revelation that had me second guessing everything. There are plot twists you never see coming, a couple were suspected, and the story is not near what I thought it would be. It was so much better than that!!

Read this one and thank me later. It does contain R rated content, so keep that in mind when picking this one up. I wasn't aware that it would be like this. If you can block all of that out, it's still a great story overall.

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The Wrong Time for Love (The Anderson Sisters Book 3) by Jennifer Raines

 

The Wrong Time for Love by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed every story that has been woven by Jennifer Raines so far. This is a shorter read and like most of her stories, I found myself wanting her to write just one more chapter or two in this story. She writes very authentic, emotionally gripping stories that have you feeling like the characters are your friends or members of your own family. The story of Helen and Bluey is no different.

Both Helen and Bluey have experienced devastating losses in their lives. They aren't doing the best with coping with these losses, as is the case in many situations. Helen is trying to keep her head and her farm above water while Bluey is working to ease the pain. They find common ground but at what expense to their families?

Buckle up and plan on reading this one all in one sitting!!

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Flash Point (Pinegrove FB Novel #4) by Libby Kay

 

Flash Point by Libby Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Javi Ortiz is well known around Pinegrove. He's a firefighter and heats up relationships faster than a 5 alarm fire to move on to the next lady with his casual dating style. He's quite the ladies man but has recently decided he's ready to slow down and maybe even settle down.

Lola Peabody and her daughter are looking for a quiet, quaint town to live in. Lola is a photographer trying to get herself established in her new life. She's not looking for love or drama!

Pinegrove is a very small community so it's almost impossible not to run into the same people everyday. Lola and Javi seem to find each other all the time and it's soon just easier to get over denial of the feelings and let the relationship go where it will.

A great series and each book can be read as a standalone. Characters from previous books in the series do make small appearances so if you're curious about the relationships, be sure to read them all! You should just read them all anyway!

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The Bone Nest by Shanessa Gluhm

 

The Bone Nest by Shanessa Gluhm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a new-to-me author and boy was this a great introduction!!! The Bone Nest, first of all, the title grabbed my attention right away and I had to know what this was about. Then I read the synopsis and was like, how soon can I get into my comfy chair? I knew this was going to be a "read it until your finished, not quitting for nothing", kind of book! I wasn't wrong!

I do struggle with dual timeline stories whether it's in a book or a movie so that was a bit challenging for me at first until I got the rhythm of the story down. The way in which the author wrote this book though, wow...I felt like a part of the story, right along all the investigators, the attorneys, and the set of friends who have all gone their separate ways, some more eternal than others. There were times I wanted to throw my kindle, other times I was sobbing...I truly believe I went through the five stages of grief reading this book. I'm not mad about it either!

Do yourself a favor and block off an entire day, put on a pot of coffee or grab plenty of your favorite caffeinated beverages, put on your comfiest jammies and sit in your favorite chair and just dive in. Stay hydrated but food may have to wait until you can finish this fantastic story that will have you wondering, "what just happened here"?

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Second Chance Highway: A Sequel by Lori Keesey

 

Second Chance Highway: A Sequel by Lori Keesey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a bit surprising for me. It starts off in panic mode. Ginny is leaving an abusive relationship with just her daughter and a prayer. She sets off to her new life and there are twists and turns along the way. Then things start to calm down and there is a sense that Ginny is going to find her peace. That is, until more drama ensues, but this time a more welcomed drama. I almost gave up on this story at one point but I'm glad that I didn't because it turned out to be a very good read. Redemption and finding oneself are the common threads through this one.

This is part of a series and while most books these days in a series don't require them to be read in order, I highly suggest that this series be read in order. There is something about the connections from the first book that carry over into the second that will be missed if these are read out of order.

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Dodging Mr. Right (Hooked In Series) by Anastasia Alexander

 

Dodging Mr. Right: A Novel by Anastasia Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tiffany is pretty happy with the life she has planned out for herself. Everything is going just as planned until the job promotion comes with an added bonus she was not expecting. Not only is she being promoted, but she now has to travel with the most annoying nephew of her employer.

Xander is very free-spirited, quite the opposite of Tiffany, and together they are going to travel around evaluating different accounts that are undertaken by the company that Tiffany works for. She's not sure she can handle this wild and crazy man in her life, she'd just assume do the work herself.

This is another fun read by this new-to-me author. This is third book I've read by her, but I have not read them in order. It's all good though because these are stand alone reads. This has been a great series and I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's works. She does a great job of creating characters that are realistic and could be your family and/or friends.

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Catching Mr. Perfect (Hooked In Series #3) by Anastasia Alexander

 

Catching Mr. Perfect: A Novel by Anastasia Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There probably aren't a lot of women reading this book that can avoid finding some common ground with Opal. She is the picture of most modern women today. She's hardworking and doing her best to stay afloat, all while balancing thousands of other things in the background. I am Opal!

Denver shows up one day and leaves a huge mess, which causes Opal loss of time and finances. He keeps coming back like a sore thumb wanting to help out and he asks a lot of questions. Opal just doesn't have the time but maybe if she made some for him, things would get better.

This book is very relatable with characters that feel like family and friends. This book is a stand alone in a part of a great series by this new-to-me author. I'm really enjoying her books!

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