Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne

Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne

Lucy Drake moved away to Seattle hoping to escape the one thing that she wanted most Brendan Caine. They shared one steamy night together and she was hoping for more but then she never called. Once she finds out that her cousin/best friend Jesse and Brandon are now together she hopes that distance will help her forget what happened.

Fast forward a couple years later and now Lucy Drake is back in the town she never thought she would step foot in again. However, things have changed for her. Now she is jobless and in charge of a mansion that her great aunt left to her. Lucy hopes she will be able to restore the house enough to be able to sell it and get out of town before anyone recognizes she is home. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned when her fireplace starts and fire and it forces her to  see the one man she thought she would never see again, Brendan Caine. 

Will Brendan and Lucy be able to keep their distance while Lucy is in town fixing up her Aunt Annabelle’s house or will their romance rekindle?

Review

This is the second book of RaeAnne’s that I have read and the second book that I have read in this series. I thought that RaeAnne did a great job of giving enough detail about the characters that allowed you to feel like you really knew who they were.  In addition, I think she did a great job of making this story able to stand on its own as if it wasn’t part of the series. The only reason that I knew that it was part of a series is 1) I read the previous book before this one and 2) it said it was number 7 in the Hope Crossing Series.

In addition, what I really liked about this book is that it was realistic. She had the characters laugh, cry, be mad at each other and make up. I really felt like these were two people that could be real people that I would know. What also was nice about the story was how she incorporated family into the story. She made you really feel like you were a part of the Caine family.

Although they say this may be the last book in the series I would have to disagree. I think that there is so many more great stories that she could get into this series. Can't wait to read what new book that she will come out with next. 

Undetected by Dee Henderson

Undetected by Dee Henderson 

Mark Bishop has always put the Navy first in his life. However, that all changes when Gina Gray shows up on base with a discovery that can help the US Navy but also could put them in harms way if anyone ever finds out.  In an effort to discover if her theory could actually be true she accompanies Mark on to his ship to test the theory. After Gina’s theory is proven true the General of the navy intrusts Mark to keep her protected no matter what it takes.  

Gina Gray has always had the brains and the beauty. But relationships have never gone right for her. So when her last breakup occurs she heads to her brothers base hoping to find a quiet place to be alone and work on her sonar work. However, things change when she discovers new things about Sonar and has a theory that can both help and could potentially hurt her brother’s job.

Will Mark be able to protect Gina and also convince her that he is the right man for her even though their age difference? Will Gina be able to open up her heart to  a man that is not her family?

My Review:

This is not the first book of Dee’s that I have read, however this is the first book that I have read in her new series. As always Dee’s writing is superb. She does a great job of giving you all the details and the past on the characters so that you know who they are and what their life has been like. In addition, I also like how she incorporates religion into the story. She does it without you even knowing that it is a key part of the book. This is nice especially for those readers who may want to read the story but who may not want to read an over abundance on religion.

The only part that I found difficult about the book was all the scientific and Navy terminology in the book. I think there is a need for the information in the book but it felt like it took up half the book. It is reason that it took me a while to get through the book because at times I felt like it overshadowed the story that Dee was trying to tell. About half way through the book I finally felt there was a story and I wanted to find out what happened.

I think that the book was very well written and had a great story. I felt that after reading it I had a better understanding of the Navy and about submarines that I didn’t know before.  I think that Dee wrote a great story that needed to be told and has not been told before. I am very interested in reading more of Dee’s books and can’t wait to see what she has in store for the next one in the series.  

Wild Iris Ridge Release Giveaway

Do you love to read? Is your favorite author RaeAnne Thayne? If you answered yes to either of those questions then you need to check out RaeAnne's new book Wild Iris Ridge! Below is a description of the book if you want to learn more! 

"Lucy Drake and Brendan Caine have only one thing in common… 

And it's likely to tear them apart. Because it was Brendan's late wife, Jessie—and Lucy's best friend—who'd brought them together in the first place. And since Jesse's passing, Brendan's been distracted by his two little ones…and the memory of an explosive kiss with Lucy years before his marriage. Still, he'll steer clear of her. She's always been trouble with a capital T. 

Lucy couldn't wait to shed her small-town roots for the big city. But now that she's back in Hope's Crossing to take care of the Queen Anne home her late aunt has left her, she figures seeing Brendan Caine again is no big deal. After all, she'd managed to resist the handsome fire chief once before, but clearly the embers of their attraction are still smoldering…"

For your chance to win RaeAnne's newest book comment below with what makes a small town the best place to live in rather than a bigger city! All comments will be entered in to a drawing to win RaeAnne's newest book or your choice from one of the earlier books in the  Hope Crossing's series!

Contest ends Sunday at 7pm CST

Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Blackberry Pie Murder 

Hanna Swensen's life has never been as quiet as it has been the last four months.  So rather than relaxing and sitting still she decides to spend as much as time in her bakery as she can. However, things go downhill when she is driving home one rainy night with her friend and co-owner of the Bakery and they end up hitting a person by accident. From that moment on things go down hill for Hannah and she is forced to get back in crime solving mode to clear her name. Hannah will have to use her detective skills and her families help to find out who the unidentified victim is and why he was in town.

My Review:

I am an avid reader and have read a variety of books so this was not my first mystery novel that I have ever read, however, this was the first book that I have read of Joanne Fluke's. Having not read any of her books prior to this one I was unsure of the story behind the characters and Joanne's writing style. I thought although it would have been nice to know more about the main character Hannah Swensen and her family it was not necessary to read this book.

In regards to her writing style I thought Joanne did a good job of giving you the necessary back story on Hannah and her family in the beginning of the book that allowed you to understood how they would be incorporated into the story. In addition, I liked the love triangle that she had between the dentist, Hannah and the deputy. Their love triangle is something that I would like to see continue to grown and evolve in future books.

As far as the mystery part of the book I think that she did a great job of keeping you as the reader on the edge of your seat. I didn't know until almost the end of the book who the murder was and the reason behind it. Joanne did a great job of having you think you knew what was going to happen and then threw something into the book you didn't see coming. The book had me enthralled from the start of the book to the end wanting to know what happened. It was hard to put the book down and not be able to finish it one sitting.

I am very interested in reading the first book in the series. I would recommend this book to readers who like mystery, crime solving and romance.