DIAMOND FIRE (HIDDEN LEGACY #3.5)

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

Release Date: November 6, 2018

Avon Impulse

Hidden Legacy #3.5

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Review copy provided by publisher/Edelweiss

Liza's Review:

Diamond Fire is a novella set in the Hidden Legacy world. I was super excited to get Nevada and Rogan's wedding story, and really enjoyed getting to learn more about Nevada's sister Catalina. I will say I wish we had gotten a little bit more from Nevada's point of view, but did love her sharing how she first met Rogan's mother at the start of the book.

Catalina and her sister Arabella are forced to become the wedding planners/coordinators when Nevada pretty much can't work with anyone else. When a Rogan family heirloom goes missing, Catalina makes it her main job to find it before the wedding. While Catalina had been a part of the Hidden Legacy series, she was more a supporting character and I felt like she just is starting to come into her own in Diamond Fire. I enjoyed seeing Catalina's style of investigating, and seeing her explore her magic powers and how they could work to get the answers she needs. I felt like Nevada was more a fly by the seat of her pants investigator; Catalina tends to be methodical in her investigating. 

I really enjoyed Diamond Fire and seeing Nevada and Rogan get their happily ever after. I also really loved getting to know Catalina more. I'm excited to read future Hidden Legacy novels from Catalina's point of view and see her grow even more in her magic and as a character.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (B+)

THE NEGOTIATOR (GAMES PEOPLE PLAY #2.5)

Lauren Gallagher’s life changed almost three years ago. After her husband disappeared at sea, she was left with a failing pleasure boat company and more than a few secrets. Now, after years spent rebuilding the business and paying off the pile of debts, she finally feels in control. But when she finds her husband, actually dead, on the floor, she becomes the leading suspect in his murder investigation.

Garrett McGrath wants Lauren in his bed, not his heart. He doesn’t do emotions, but every time he sees her, holding himself back gets harder and harder. When Lauren comes under suspicion for killing her previously presumed-dead husband, he knows he has to help her, any way he can.

But as the danger becomes more intense and Garrett and Lauren grow closer than either planned, they’re in danger of losing everything…including their hearts.

Release Date: November 14, 2017

Avon Impulse

Games People Play #2.5

Romantic Suspense

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

With The Negotiator we finally got Garrett's story. I absolutely adore him and am pretty sure I might have squealed a bit when I saw we were getting his story.

As The Negotiator is a novella length story, it is really set at a fast pace and I felt like the pacing was absolutely perfect. I felt like Lauren and Garrett had been circling around each other long enough and needed to move forward. With the reappearance of her husband, and his subsequent death, Garrett was the perfect person to help her solve the mystery.

I loved the banter and chemistry between Lauren and Garrett. I knew it would take a strong woman to make him lose his heart and Lauren is just the woman for the job. She is such a smart and strong woman who really has taken care of herself with help from no one for too long. Part of what I loved about Lauren was when she knew she was outside her abilities she had no problem asking Garrett for help.

I did figure out the real killer of her husband pretty early on, but the elements of suspense were still strong without overshadowing any of the romantic times between Lauren and Garrett. I love when a romantic suspense has such a perfect balance in the story. I highly recommend The Negotiator as well as the other books in the Games People Play series.

Rating: 4 stars (B)

HOLIDAY WISHES (HEARTBREAKER BAY #4.5)

It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.

The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate.

But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air.

Release Date: November 7, 2017

Avon Impulse

Heartbreaker Bay #4.5

Contemporary Romance

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

Holiday Wishes was a fun, sexy, and fast-paced romance. It was filled with all my favorite characters from the Heartbreaker Bay series, and we got to see Sean O'Riley get his story.

I feel like we haven't really learned much about Sean in the first few books, so I liked that his book was the Christmas novella of the series this year. I loved that he was reacquainted with his high school sweetheart at the B&B he booked for his brother and future sister-in-law's bachelor/bachelorette weekend. I also loved that Lotti totally blew him off when they first saw each other for the first time. I had to laugh just a little as the weather trapped everyone at the B&B longer, Lottie ended up helping Sean pull off an amazing wedding celebration.

I liked the chemistry that still remained between Sean and Lottie, and enjoyed the banter between them as well. As this is a novella length story, the romance moved fast, but because of their history, I could buy into the fast building romance between Sean and Lottie.

Jill Shalvis once again delivers a wonderful holiday romance. The Heartbreaker Bay series has quickly become one of my favorites from Ms. Shalvis, and Holiday Wishes was an excellent addition to the series.

Rating: 5 Stars (B+)

ONE SNOWY NIGHT (HEARTBREAKER BAY #2.5)

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Heartbreaker Bay with a fun and festive holiday novella!



It’s Christmas Eve and Rory Andrews is desperate to get home to the family she hasn’t seen in years. Problem is, her only ride to Lake Tahoe comes in the form of the annoyingly handsome Max Stranton, and his big, goofy, lovable dog Carl.



Hours stuck in a truck with the dead sexy Max sounds like a fate worse than death (not), but Rory’s out of options. She’s had a crush on Max since high school and she knows he’s attracted to her, too. But they have history… and Max is the only one who knows why it went south.



They’ve done a good job of ignoring their chemistry so far, but a long road trip in a massive blizzard might be just what they need to face their past… and one steamy, snowy night is all it takes to bring Max and Rory together at last. 

Release Date: November 8, 2016

Avon Impulse

Heartbreaker Bay #2.5

Contemporary romance

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza’s Review:

One Snowy Night was a wonderful novella length story from Jill Shalvis. I really enjoyed getting to see Rory and Max get their story.

I love when there is a history between the hero and heroine. Add in a high school crush, and you are giving me a favorite trope. I loved both Max and Rory were insanely attracted to one another, yet hated the shadow from their past kept them initially from acting on said attraction. Even though One Snowy Night was a novella length story, I loved we got more background information on both Rory and Max and it honestly only made me love Rory even more as a character. She is such a strong person and I think with Max she found someone strong enough to love and support her. Max and Rory had amazing chemistry and while everything moved fast, I totally could see them working as a couple.

One Snowy Night was an enjoyable and fast-paced story. I am a big fan of books in a series and find that Jill Shalvis is a master at pulling her readers into her series whether it in a full length story or a novella length story. 

Rating: 4 Stars (B)