When We Touch (Whiskey Creek)

When We Touch (Whiskey Creek Novella) is the current eBook release from Brenda Novak. From the author’s website.~

You're invited to a wedding in Whiskey Creek, Heart of the Gold Country

Unfortunately, it's the wrong wedding. Olivia Arnold is arranging the festivities—and it's the hardest thing she's ever done. Because she should be marrying Kyle Houseman. They were together for more than a year…. But her jealous sister, Noelle, stole him away—and now she's pregnant.

All their friends in Whiskey Creek know as well as Olivia does that Kyle's making a mistake. His stepbrother, Brandon, knows it, too. But Kyle's determined to go through with it, for his child's sake.

Olivia's devastated, but surprisingly Brandon—the black sheep of the family--is there to provide comfort and consolation. The intensity between them, both physical and emotional, shows Olivia that maybe Kyle wasn't the right man for her….

But is Brandon?

I’m a big fan of Brenda Novak and was really excited to see she was offering up her novella for her new Whiskey Creek series for free. I have to say this story was an excellent start to a new series.
I absolutely loved Olivia Arnold so very much. I have to say she is totally a better person than me, because if my sister had stolen my boyfriend and gotten pregnant, there is no way I would be at the wedding, let alone plan it. Luckily, she runs into Brandon when she first arrives back in Whiskey Creek. She has someone who is on her side, since even her parents expect her to be supportive to her sister. Olivia and Brandon went to prom together and Brandon has wanted Olivia ever since. I found myself falling pretty fast for Brandon. He seemed to always get the short end of the stick from his family and be put in Kyle’s shadow, even though Brandon is very successful in his own right.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never disliked 2 characters as much in any book as I did Kyle and Noelle. I totally believed they deserved each other so much. Anyone who would cheat on the woman they dates for a couple of years with her sister, deserves anything he gets. Kyle and Noelle both seemed to have a major problem with Olivia and Brandon spending time together. Olivia and Brandon have a really strong attraction to one another. While they fight their attraction for a while, readers get some pretty sexy and emotional scenes.

The official release date for When We Touch was August 1, 2012 and can be purchased at any of your favorite on-line retailers. I’m not sure how much longer it will be available for free download, but know it is more than worth the regular $1.99 price.

Fragile

The mass market paperback release of Fragile by Shiloh Walker was released on August 7, 2012. Fragile is the first book featuring the Rafferty brothers. From the back cover.~

Sometimes the last thing you want is exactly what you need...

BATTLE SCARRED

Six years after trading in his combat gear for hospital scrubs, Luke Rafferty still hasn't found what he's been searching for: a normal life. At his job, Luke is faced with things just as heartbreaking as those on the battlefield, none more so than the abused children brought in by a pretty red-headed social worker.

HEARTBROKEN

For Devon Manning, being a social worker is a rewarding job, but also a constant reminder of her own troubled youth. Devon takes everything one day at a time--unable to form a relationship with anyone except the children she rescues.

A DESIRE TO HEAL...

When Luke meets Devon, he thinks he might have found what he's been looking for, but in order to get the life he wants, Luke has to break through Devon's emotional barriers and make her realize that his healing touch might be just the complication her life needs...

You can pick up your mass market paperback at your favorite bookstore and I'm including the buy links for both Amazon and B&N.

The Inn at Rose Harbor

The Inn at Rose Harbor is the newest release from Debbie Macomber. From the back cover.~

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes a heartwarming new series based in the Pacific Northwest town of Cedar Cove, where a charming cast of characters finds love, forgiveness, and renewal behind the doors of the cozy Rose Harbor Inn.

Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast—the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn—ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine.

Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they can reconcile their differences. But a long-lost acquaintance from Joshua’s high school days proves to him that forgiveness is never out of reach and love can bloom even where it’s least expected.  

The other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother’s wedding. Back for the first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn’t come, the picturesque town harboring painful memories from her past. And while Abby reconnects with family and old friends, she realizes she can only move on if she truly allows herself to let go.

A touching novel of life’s grand possibilities and the heart’s ability to heal, The Inn at Rose Harbor is a welcome introduction to an unforgettable set of friends.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of The Inn at Rose Harbor thanks to NetGalley. I’ve been a fan of Debbie Macomber for years and was excited to read her newest book early. The official release date is set for August 14, 2012.

I really enjoyed The Inn at Rose Harbor. Jo Marie Rose bought the bed-and-breakfast following the death of her husband to move on with her life. I’m not sure Jo Marie was prepared for how her life would change thanks in part to being with her guest. Both Joshua Weaver and Abby Kincaid would rather be anywhere but in Cedar Cove when they arrive for their stays at Rose Harbor Inn. I loved watching the changes that came over both as each of their stories progressed.  Joshua’s changes come thanks to an old high school friend Michelle, and finding forgiveness for his ailing stepfather. Abby’s changes again start because of old high school friends, but she had a few more ghosts to deal with to come full circle. I also really loved the handyman Mark who comes to Jo Marie’s aid on more than one occasion. I see a budding romance between the two that I think will grow over many books in this new series.

While you don’t have to read the Cedar Cove series before reading The Inn at Rose Harbor, I really think the series gives you a great background to the town and so many of the characters that appear in The Inn at Rose Harbor. Macomber gives her readers another strong story from Cedar Cove and I can’t wait for my next visit to Rose Harbor Inn.

Blade Song

Blade Song is the first book in the Colbana Files series from author J.C. Daniels. From the author’s website.~

Kit Colbana--half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades--has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake .So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters--especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money. Or maybe it's all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she's gotten in over her head. Or maybe it's because if she fails--she's dead .If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she'll even live long to collect her fee...

I was lucky enough to get a copy from NetGalley of Blade Song and since J.C. Daniels is also Shiloh Walker, I was over the moon to read it. I’m a huge fan of Shiloh Walker and will read and devour anything she writes.

I absolutely loved everything about Blade Song! It is fast-paced and has some pretty amazing characters. Kit and her blade are two of my favorite characters in the book. Yes, I totally believe Kit’s sword is a character in its own right. It speaks to Kit and can come to her when she needs it. I didn’t really trust vampire Jude Whittier from early on, but still really liked his character. I loved the alpha-ness of cat shifter Damon Lee from the moment he showed up to hire Kit to help find his alpha’s missing nephew. I liked that Kit and Damon rubbed each other the wrong way at first, but could tell as they came to trust one another more, the sexual tension was there all along.

 Loved the supernatural world created filled with witches, shifter, vampires and half breeds. I have to say part of the story I loved best of all was I was off I didn’t figure out who was taking the missing kids until the actual reveal. I usually figure out the bad guy early in a story, but with Blade Song I was kept guessing until the very end. The development of the romance between Kit and Damon moved at the right pace for me. While they didn’t seem to really get along at first, I could see even when they each complained about the other; the attraction was there between them.

Blade Song is a great start to a new series for J.C. Daniels. I’m already counting down the days until the release of Night Blade, book two in the Colbana Files. I'm including buy links for Blade Song for both Amazon and B&N. Trust me you want to read this series!

Forever and a Day

Forever and a Day is the latest book in the best selling Lucky Harbor series from Jill Shalvis. From the author’s website.~

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT

Grace never thought she'd be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh's lovable mutt to caring for his rambunctious son. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad . . . 

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family-until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "good bedside manner." Josh and Grace don't know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day . . .

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Forever and a Day from NetGalley. I’m a huge fan of Jill Shalvis and couldn’t wait to read the next installment in the Lucky Harbor series.

I know I said I loved At Last best of this current trilogy, but I spoke too soon.  Forever and a Day jumped to the top my Lucky Harbor favorites for this current trilogy. Can’t say it’s my favorite of the series, since Tara and Ford are still my favorite couple, but it is a really close second.

I’ve loved Grace since she first came to Lucky Harbor and wanted to know more about her background. Once again, the friendship between Grace, Mallory, and Amy is a major factor in the story. Mallory and Amy are both in loving relationships and want to make sure their friend Grace follows suit. However, because of Grace’s family, she feels like Lucky Harbor is just a temporary stop on her way to a bigger job in banking. One in the big city that will make her doctor parents proud of her. The fact that she keeps taking temporary jobs in Lucky Harbor kind of makes other think she doesn’t want to leave.

When Grace takes on the job of dog walker for Dr. Josh Scott, she gets way more than she bargained for in the deal. Not only is Tank the dog from Hades, but she is soon watching Josh’s son Toby when his nanny leaves with no notice. Add in Josh’s sister Anna and you have a family for Grace to take care of. Both Grace and Josh are attracted to one another. However, Grace doesn’t want to get involved with Josh because he is a doctor with no free time on his hands, and Josh just doesn’t really believe he knows how to have a real relationship. Not that they can seem to keep their hands off each other. Shalvis gives her readers the sexy love scenes they have come to expect from her stories. Josh and Grace have some of the best chemistry both in and out of bed.

Forever and a Day is a must-read for anyone who loves fun and super sexy reads. Jill Shalvis has been an auto-buy author for me for years, and I can’t wait to get my keeper shelf copy of Forever and a Day. The official release day is July 31, 2012 and you can buy your copy from Amazon, B&N, or your favorite bookstore.