Mountain Magic by Trana Mae Simmons

Jon is learning how to become a mountain man. After he's cut out of his step father's will and his half brother marries Jon's fiance, he leaves Virginia to become a trapper in the west. With the help of an old trapper, Silas, Jon is learning all he needs to know to become a good mountain man. When Jon wins a woman from a Nez Perce Indian playing bones, he doesn't want her. He doesn't want the distraction of a beautiful woman, but can't help the feelings that start to develop.

Caitlyn doesn't want a man to tie her down or children to take away her freedom. She was taken in by her paw's Indian woman after his death by Grizzly bear. She remembers Silas as a friend of her paw's so decides to let him and Jon accompany her to her paw's cabin in the mountains. Cat tries to fight her feelings for Jon but soon realizes she loves him. When she finally remembers what she blocked out as a very small child, she knows that she never wants to have to choose between her children like her mother chose between her and her younger brother so many years before. Can these two overcome their fierce protection for the other to realize that they were meant to be together?

I know I say this a lot, but I couldn't put this book down. It held my attention from the beginning. It's beautifully written with wonderful descriptions. The characters are very well rounded and make you love each in their own way. They become your friends as well up on that mountain. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Simmons.

Stars- 5
Passion- 2
Length- 312 pages

Sahara: A Shifter's Tale by Ruth Soloman

Sahara has just watched her last hope die. As the chief's daughter, the two men battled for her hand and the title of the new chief. Shadron won the battle. A violent and brutal man, Shadron has decided to make Sahara pay, and pay dearly, for not accepting him when he won the fight to the death.

On the night they're supposed to marry, Sahara flees. She crosses through the veil into the Darkworld, only to discover she's not in the Darkworld, but Alabama. She's in her wolf form and roaming through the woods when she happens upon a road. Something she's never seen before. It's even worse when she gets hit by a truck. At least the driver is a vet.

Jeremy can't believe he's hit a beautiful black wolf. He takes her home where his clinic is also located and gives her a good once over. While she's recovering, he decides to check her blood. For some crazy reason she has human blood. Now he has to figure out what a wolf is doing with human blood. A few days later, when his beautiful wolf turns into a beautiful woman he's freaked out and amazed. Unfortunately, she doesn't speak his language. Now he has to help her learn English so he can help her get back home. When Shadron comes looking for Sahara, will Jeremy be able to protect her?

I couldn't put this book down. I was caught up in it from the very first sentence. I loved Sahara and how loving she was. Celia was a wonderful woman and friend. Bowser the basset hound even had some thoughts on a the pretty wolf. Finally, Jeremy. Jeremy was a kind and sweet man. He might have yelled a lot, but in a way it was endearing. Ms. Soloman wrote a beautiful story that just sucked you in with such detail you felt you were there.

Stars- 5
Passion- 5
Length- 303 pages

Her Best Friend's Brother by T.J. Dell

Libby loves Tony. Tony loves Libby. Through an uncanny amount of misunderstandings these two finally figure it out. Libby has loved Tony since she was a little girl and seen him for the first time at her best friends house. Tony has loved Libby since she was sixteen and played Monopoly with him in some skimpy pajamas.

This book was cute, but I did get very frustrated with how many misunderstandings were in this book. It took these two WAY too long to finally get anywhere. I'm talking some serious years here. It did need a proofreader as there were several sentences with a missing word here and there, but still readable and, like I said, cute.

Stars-3
Passion- 2
Length- 149 pages

Broken by Kimberley Reeves

When Mitch Kincaid has to tell his twin brother's girlfriend that Adam has died, he decides that he just can't do it without giving her one more happy time with Adam. Mitch decides to pretend he's Adam for a few weeks and then leave, sending her the news of Adams death after. What he didn't bargain for was falling in love with the sweet and beautiful Jessie. Now, how does he tell her he's actually Mitch without losing her?

I thought this was a very sweet romance. It's fairly straightforward without a whole lot of conflict. It was well written and gave me the warm and fuzzies.

Stars- 4
Passion- 3
Length- 246 pages

Forever by Theresa Weir

What do you do when you go from being thirty-eight to nineteen? This is what Sammy has had to do. He's been in a cat wreck and when he woke up he was nineteen. Not physically. Mentally. The horrible VA hospital he was in had already written him off as a lost cause after only two weeks. His sister, Molly, comes to visit him and sees the horrible way he's being mistreated and decides that he needs to be transferred. When he gets transferred to the university hospital things get a little better. His new doctor, Rachel Collins is a wonderful psychiatrist, but she has her own pain and broken past. Sammy has a way of seeing right into her and knowing where her pain lies and what buttons to push. He's angry and confused and wants to lash out. Rachel can't handle the pain that he brings forth in her and decides to leave, but when she finds out that Sammy is being mistreated by another doctor, she comes back to save him with a vengeance. Together, they learn to heal each other.

Okay, I just couldn't stop reading this book. It's kind of a taboo subject, doctor falls in love with a patient. I just wanted to hold Sammy and I did, at a couple points, cry for him. I felt so horrible about what he was going through. He was also so strong and vibrant that I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Rachel had me groaning for her as well. I felt horrible when I learned what happened in her past and how she still felt about it. I just couldn't imagine. The characters were beautifully written. I'm not sure if it's the Kindle edition or in both Kindle and print, but the words that end in "t", the t was replaced with an r. So you got bur instead of but. I just noticed it a few times, definitely not enough to disrupt me.

Stars- 5
Passion- 2
Length- 217 pages

A Road Well Traveled by Rosemary Fifield

While cleaning up a burnt out house they just purchased, Becky's husband Rob decides that he can't do it anymore. He can't live without his mistress and leaves Becky to go back to their old town and his mistress. Becky is shocked but not blind sided. She thought he might be wanting to leave her. Her friends are there to help her out. Dean and Greer help hold her up, all while Becky watches the marriage of her best friend Lauren and Chip fall apart. Then there's Hayden Flynn. Lauren told her to stay away from the Flynn's, but there's just something about Hayden that Becky can't deny. Through fears, heartache, new love, and manipulations, these people share their lives with us.

This book enraptured me. I couldn't put it down and read it in one day. I ached for these people. I smiled for these people and I cheered for these people. This was a beautifully written story that I never wanted to end.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- 440 pages

The Sometime Bride by Ginny Baird

While on a romantic weekend getaway, Carrie St. John gets the surprise of her life. Her fiance tells her that he's leaving her for another woman, tells her to spend the weekend on his dime, gets in his car and leaves her there. Now what should she do? She throws her engagement ring in the pool.

Mike Davis is having a really crappy day. He proposes to his girlfriend and she turns him down. On the way out, she throws her ring in the pool. Now he's got to go swimming to find the thing. While he's down there he discovers another ring. When he comes up he sees heart breaker standing there. What's with the women at this place? Do they all break hearts and then throw the rings in the pool?

When they get to talking, Mike decides that he wants to help Carrie out by pretending to be her fiance at her bridal shower. In exchange, he wants her to pretend to be his fiance at his twenty year reunion. What are they to do when they're not sure if it should just be pretend?

I really enjoyed this book. I found myself frowning and smiling. It evoked emotion. The Sometime Bride was well written and very sweet. I would really like to see more from Ginny Baird.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- 121 pages