Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Review Round Up ~ December 17




New Releases:


My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Would Recommend to a Friend

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Ms Locke is known for her series about families, and while Between Now and Forever is a stand-alone read, that family theme is front and center.

Gabby and her boys moved back to her hometown a year or so after a traumatic loss. Her cousin lives down the street, and they have built-in friends and a social circle to help them adapt. An unexpected development lives next door in the form of a reticent neighbor, Jay.

I enjoyed how Ms Locke had things unfold between Gabby and Jay. She gave us a front-row seat to both of them fighting their demons to try and be friends and more. Initially, Gabby seems to be further down the road regarding emotional growth, but Jay's struggles make more sense once he opens up. One of the things I most respected about this story was the weight Ms Locke gave to the feelings of Gabby's kids.

I know this is a stand-alone read, but the secondary cast of Bittersweet Circle has me curious about what might be going on in other houses!


Amazon

Contest Reads:


My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Would Recommend to a Friend

Review Copy Provided

I picked up this new to me author in book 4 of a series. That’s usually a hard spot to be because either the series is wrapping up and the author is sprinkling a million bread crumbs for past characters or there is a lot of world building as the series gets ready to go a different direction. This did not suffer from either of those fates.
Bas and Shana’s story read very much as a stand alone! Both are layered characters that were easy to embrace and root for. I appreciated the fact that she seemed to be the first person to really see him and make him want a life potentially different than what he’d had.
Since this is book 4 in a series, there is a large secondary cast made of Bas’s family (mostly), but they integrated into the story well. You could see how Shana’s presence helped mellow relationships there as well.
I had the feeling that loyal series readers would be glad to see where previous leading couples were today, but as a new reader, I had no issues navigating this entertaining historical.

Amazon


Cliffhaven: A Novel Of Romantic SuspenseCliffhaven: A Novel Of Romantic Suspense by A. M. Grimm

3.5 stars - - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy Provided

Overall, an interesting read. Elizabeth, Adam, and Caroline were interesting characters. They all bring a great deal of baggage to the story.
I enjoyed getting to know them and the character that was Cliffhaven.
The mystery element here is strong and there are several convincing potential “bad” guys that could be blamed for the misfortune that haunts the house and Elizabeth in particular.


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