Whenever You Come Around by Robin Lee Hatcher

Charity Anderson turned her back on Kings Meadow years ago, with good reason, and has avoided visits to her hometown whenever possible. But with her house in Boise damaged by floodwaters and a book deadline bearing down, staying in her parents' empty home seems her only option. However, being in Kings Meadow dredges up a painful secret, and old fears threaten to overwhelm her.

Charity's former high school classmate Buck Malone never left town, instead sacrificing his dreams to take care of his family. Now he enjoys an uncomplicated life as a wilderness guide and confirmed bachelor. The last thing on his mind is settling down.

When Charity's dog causes an accident that leaves Buck with a broken ankle and wrist at the start of prime tourist season, Charity has little choice but to render aid while he recuperates.  Soon Buck becomes the inspiration for Charity's hero, both on the page and off. Can he also help her face and overcome her fears so they might find their own happily ever after?

I had a little bit of trouble connecting with Charity.  You were told that something bad had happened to her before she left town.  About three-fourths of the way through it was explained.  But I still didn’t feel connected to Charity for some reason.  I also didn’t understand why she didn’t try to find another publisher since they wanted her to change her style of writing to adult romance.  I understand that was part of the story.  I connected better with Buck.  He made a perfect hero for the story.  He is very independent and hates to rely on anyone.  He has to concede that with a broken arm and leg he has to accept help.  Of course Charity and Buck get together at the end of the book.  As expected.

I would give this book 3 stars because it is a good book.  Just not a great book.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

The Inn at Ocean's Edge by Colleen Coble

A vacation to Sunset Cove was her way of celebrating and thanking her parents. After all, Claire Dellamore's childhood was like a fairytale. But with the help of Luke Elwell, Claire discovers that fairytale was really an elaborate lie . . .
The minute she steps inside the grand Inn at Ocean's Edge, Claire Dellamare knows something terrible happened there. She feels it in her bones. Her ensuing panic attack causes a scene, upsetting her parents. Claire attempts to quiet her nerves with a walk on the beach, to no avail. She's at too great a distance to make out details, but she believes she witnesses a murder on a nearby cliff. When local police find no evidence of foul play, they quickly write off the "nervous" woman's testimony as less than credible.
But Luke Elwell, home on leave from the Coast Guard, has reason to believe Claire. Years ago when his mother went missing, Luke's father suspected she'd been murdered. So when an employee of the grand hotel doesn't show up for work, Luke steps in to help Claire track down the missing woman.
As Claire and Luke put together the pieces of a decades-old mystery, they discover that some family secrets refuse to stay buried. And some passions are worth killing for.
What a great book.  Claire finds out that she was kidnapped and was gone for a year and it all happened at Sunset Cove.  She keeps having flashbacks and remembers bits and pieces of what happened to her.  Luke and Claire discover that her past and his mothers are connected.  There are so many twists and turns with this story that it kept me guessing and surprised at every turn.  I don’t want to spoil anything but I never expected one turn of events.
I would recommend this book to everyone.  I am excited about reading the next book in the series.
I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Wood's Edge by Lori Benton

The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.

On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.

When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?

I could tell that a lot of research has gone into the writing of this novel.  I thoroughly enjoyed the history that was woven into the story.  At first I thought I would get lost with all the characters that were being introduced.  But as the story progressed they were all an integral part of the story.  The story shows how Reginald’s one impulsive act affected so many people and how they dealt with it.  Watching the characters grow up was interesting as well.  It is a long book but well worth the read.  I wouldn’t consider a light read but instead one you have to think about as you read.

I was given this book by the Blogging for Books for an honest review.  I was not compensated in anyway.

A Stranger’s Secret by Laurie Alice Eakes

Lady Morwenna Trelawny Penvenan indulged in her fair share of dalliances in her youth, but now that she's the widowed mother to the heir of the Penvenan title, she's desperate to polish her reputation. When she's accused of deliberately luring ships to crash on the rocks to steal the cargo, Morwenna begins an investigation to uncover the real culprits and stumbles across an unconscious man lying in the sea's foam—a man wearing a medallion with the Trelawny crest around his neck.

The medallion is a mystery to David Chastain, a boat builder from Somerset. All David knows is that his father was found dead in Cornwall with the medallion in his possession after lying and stealing his family's money. And he knows the widow who rescued him is impossibly beautiful—and likely the siren who caused the shipwreck in the first place—as well as the hand behind whoever is trying to murder David.

As Morwenna nurses David back to health and tries to learn how he landed on her beach, suspicion and pride keep their growing attraction at bay. But can they join together to save Morwenna's name and estate and David’s life? Can they acknowledge the love they are both trying to deny?

The story line was good and I did enjoy the book. A few things I found to be a little repetitive. We were always being told how poor Morwenna was and all she had to do was marry someone of her grandparents choosing and her dowry would be released. Of course they had a couple of men picked out for her.  Forget that she didn’t love either one of them. I realize in that day and age women didn’t have much say in who they married.  David was always being referred to as being of an inferior class to Morwenna. There was some mystery to the book but not as much as I had anticipated from reading the description by the publisher.

This was the second book in the Cliff’s of Cornwall series.  I did not read the first book in the series and I feel it might have made this book a little easier to understand. There were references to people that made me think their stories were told in the previous book.  I enjoyed reading about the history of the area.  I really wanted to give this book five stars but I couldn’t. I found the book to be slow in several places.  Therefore, I can only give this book three stars.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon

After seven years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant has hit a wall. Ready for a kinder, gentler life, she takes a job as a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes the resources of her department. A call for assistance brings detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, to her doorstep. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn't want this dead person telling any tales--and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried.

I will start out saying I did enjoy the book.  I was expecting more of a suspense story line than there was.  Maybe that is why I was a little disappointed.  Also, I didn’t feel like I got to know Lisa very well.  She still had her secret about Chicago by the end of the book.  Mac on the other hand, was given more depth of character.  The story line was great.  I did enjoy reading how the long ago crime was solved through diligent police work.  Even though the perpetrator(s) was shown during the book, it was still interesting to see how they were caught and what they did to avoid being caught.

All that being said I would recommend this book to anyone and I look forward to the next book in the Men of Valor series.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.