The Best of Intentions by Susan Anne Mason

In the aftermath of WWI, Grace Abernathy is determined to reunite with her family, crossing an ocean to convince her widowed sister to return home to England. Yet Toronto holds more tragedy and her nephew Christian is now in the custody of his paternal relatives, the formidable Easton family, who rejected Grace's sister because of her low social status.

Unconvinced the Eastons can be fitting caretakers, Grace jumps at the chance to be Christian's nanny and observe the family up close under an assumed name. In the course of her new position, she is shocked to discover herself falling for Andrew Easton, the boy's guardian. Unfortunately, Andrew is promised to a spoiled socialite who will make a terrible stepmother for Christian. Will Grace be able to protect her nephew . . . and her heart?

This is the first book I've read by Ms Mason.  If her other books are like this one, I will be reading more of them.

Grace is full of guilt for how she has disappointed everyone in her life.  Andrew wants to please everybody especially his father.  He believes he has been second best and now that Frank is gone he can now have his father's love.  Grace and Andrew have one thing in common.  Their love for Christian.  When Grace takes the nanny position she doesn't mention the fact that she is his aunt.  That in itself creates problems when she is found out.   As the story progresses,  we of course see Andrew and Grace fall in love.  How they end up together is a good read.  I recommend this book to those who enjoy a good romance.

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

A Secret to Die for by Lisa Harris

Psychologist Grace Callahan has no idea that she has a secret--one worth killing for. But when she finds out one of her clients has been murdered, she quickly realizes that the computer security specialist wasn't simply suffering from paranoia.

Detective Nate Quinn has just been cleared for active duty after a bombing killed eighteen people, including his partner, and left him dealing with PTSD. His first case back on the job involves the murder of Stephen Shaw, and his only lead turns out to be an old friend, Grace Callahan--and her life is in grave danger. Someone believes Shaw gave his psychologist information before he died. Information they are willing to kill for.

With her signature pulse-pounding suspense, Lisa Harris takes readers deep into the heart of fear in this race against the clock.

Right from the beginning this book grabs you.  Grace is at a vulnerable time as the story unfolds.  Nate is also recovering from a very traumatic time in his life. Grace has come to terms with God after her tragedy.  Nate is struggling with answers.    The reconnect after years and its like they have never parted.  The problem is neither one think they are ready to let anybody else into their lives.   All that will have to go on hold as Nate tries to protect Grace from the people trying to kill her.  This is an edge of your seat mystery.  Ms. Harris does it again.  I highly recommend this book.

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

Wait for Me by Susan May Warren

Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he's no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness--with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he's learned to find Jess and Esme--and pray that his past mistakes don't cost him the life of the woman he can't stop loving.

What a great ending to the Montana Rescue series.  Pete and Jess finally find their happy ending.  Of course we knew they would.  But the journey was great.  This book started with a bang with Pete in a rescue that about cost him his life.  From there the story just keeps getting better.  At first I wasn't sure about Jess.  She came off as kind of whinny.  A lot was explained along the way that helped me understand her situation.  Pete was just trying to get over his love for Jess when he hears she's engaged to her former fiancee.  There's a lot of action to get Jess and Pete together to show them God's love.  A great book and I highly recommend it.  I can't wait for the next series.  I wouldn't mind reading books about Ned's family.

I received this book as a complimentary copy from the author for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

The Cost of Betrayal by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason

In Dee Henderson's novella "Betrayed," Janelle Roberts is freed--thanks to people she doesn't know--after serving six years of a twenty-year sentence for a murder she did not commit. But a murderer is still at large, and Janelle needs to be somewhere safe with someone she can trust. She may not survive another betrayal.

In Dani Pettrey's "Deadly Isle," Tennyson Kent is trapped on the isolated island of her childhood by a storm surge, and she is shocked when the typically idyllic community turns into the hunting grounds of a murderer. Cut off from any help from the mainland, will she and first love Callen Frost be able to identify and stop a killer bent on betrayal before they become the next victims?

In Lynette Eason's "Code of Ethics," trauma surgeon Ruthie St. John saves the life of Detective Isaac Martinez. After a betrayal leads to him getting shot and then attacked while in recovery, Isaac is now a key witness determined to testify. But someone is intent on silencing him--and those around him--forever. Together, Ruthie and Isaac go on the run, desperate to escape the killers hunting him. 

Betrayed was a procedural book which told the story of how Janelle was sent to prison and how she was freed and her life after imprisonment.  There was no edge of your seat suspense.  Good, but not very suspenseful.

Deadly Isle was very good.  Suspense and reconnecting with and old love is throughout the entire story.  I really enjoyed reading it.

Code of Ethics was the most suspenseful of all three books.  Ruthie and Isaac are on the run to save their lives.  The killers don't seem to realize they are messing with the St. John family when they mess with one of them.  Very book.

All three books were good and I would recommend all of them.

I was give a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

The Christmas Heirloom

In Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love," Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman's grandson, a man far above her station.

In Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart," widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love.

In Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love," Fleeta Brady's rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her family's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance.

In Becky Wade's "Because of You," Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

I loved following the story of the brooch throughout the years.  Heartwarming stories of love and hope.  It would be hard to pick a favorite novella out of these.  They were all good.  I would recommend this book to anyone.

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

Delayed Justice by Cara Putman

Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jaime, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.
Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.
This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

This was quite an eye opener book for me.  The story reveals the trauma experienced by children who have been molested in childhood and how it affects them into adulthood.  Jamie was a victim of sexual molestation by her uncle.  As an adult, she now feels she is strong enough to press charges against him.  This is the story of Jamie's journey.  I recommend this book to everyone.  It is the third in the series.  But can be read as a stand alone book.

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

Cowboy Charm School by Margaret Brownley

When Texas Ranger Brett Tucker accidentally derails a wedding,
he's determined to bring the estranged couple back together...
but he never dreamed he'd start falling for the bride!

Texas Ranger Brett Tucker hates to break up a wedding, but the groom―notorious criminal Frank Foster―is a danger to any woman. So he busts into the church, guns blazing...only to find he has the wrong man.

STOP THAT WEDDING!

Bride-to-be Kate Denver is appalled by her fiancé's over-the-top reaction to the innocent mistake and calls off the wedding―for good. Guilt-ridden, Brett's desperate to get them back on track. But the more time he spends with Kate, the harder he falls...and the more he yearns to prove that he's her true match in every way.

This was a very good story.  But it would have been much better without the implied swearing throughout the book.  I was very disappointed in that aspect.  I have read other books by this author and this was not in the book. I feel as Christians we should not "swear like a trooper" as was stated in the last of the book.  For this reason I will lower my rating.

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

Stratagem by Robin Caroll

A High-Stakes Simulation Adventure Leaves Grayson Thibodeaux the Prime Suspect. . .for Murder

Deep in the gritty underbelly of New Orleans, psychologist Grayson Thibodeaux loses everything when his wife leaves him to climb her company’s corporate ladder. He buries himself in his job of creating mind-bending adventure games for businesses as team-building explorations. When his ex-wife’s company hires Grayson’s to create an elaborate game, he doesn’t see how things can get worse. Until she dies during the course of the game he created…making him the prime suspect for murder.

I'm assuming such things exist as grown up games like was in the book.  I can safely say I would never want to participate in one. This was still an interesting book.  I never knew where it was going to take me.  It took me awhile to figure out who did it.   The characters were well developed real.  The female detective had a chip on her shoulder that I didn't think she was ever going to let go of.  If you like mystery you will love this.

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