SEAL Strong by Cat Johnson

Omgoodness yes yes yes!!! Did I just absolutely freakin' love this story!!

Older couple, married/2nd chance. Emotional, but yet, still delivers a feel of good/low drama/angst.
Suspense/mission objective to keep people safe, which turns into one heck of an amazing rescue mission. Heart pounding. Then flip the coin and experience a heart melting beauty of a love story.

I adored how Silas pursued his wife/ex and stayed in love with her and went all out for her. I loved how Maggie got things figured out and didn't allow the past to keep them from claiming their hea, and went after Silas herself too. Happy sigh!!

This is definitely going on my favorite and tbrr shelf!!

Her Loving Hero by Caitlyn O'Leary

Emily and Wyatt's story is a sweet, exciting, adventurous story that shared both quiet heart melting moments and nail-biting moments.

Loved the truth of how important family is and how much these guys and their women recognize the beauty of that and bloom under the love.

For You by Kristen Ashley

For You by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2019 audio reread

It's been long enough since I last read it, this time it felt familiar, but yet, almost new again to me. And I don't think I could love this book any harder. It's definitely one of my top favorites of KA, and has reminded me why The Burg is still one of my top 3 favorite KA series. I almost wanted to dive back in from the boas soon as I heard the last words.

*****

The Burg series is one of my top fav KA series - with Colt and Feb's story staying super close to my heart!

Getting to be a part of Colt and Feb's 2nd chance at love was a mind-blowing trip! The drama, the suspense, the conversations, the emotions, the intimate moments - all of it put together was amazing. I've yet to meet a KA couple who didn't make me fall in love with their story and *feel* deep down every emotion from the highest highs to the lowest lows right along with them.

Rereading this story fully for the 2nd time made me fall even more in love with Colt and Feb. I was able to pick up on and understand things better, why they did/felt the way they did.

Kristen Ashley is an amazing story teller and this is not a book to be missed!

Anthology: Little Black Dress

Read "Lucy's a Dreamer" by Brynne Asher first - and absolutely fell in love and was charmed by the story! Lucy and Vaughn were meant to be and the fun of the chase after Vaughn caught on was giggle-filled and swoony. Vaughn proved himself to be a quiet(ish) and stand-up rarity of a man and Lucy was quirky-cute along with being easy going.

Abby's Angels is a heart melting and heart pounding story with such precious beauty. Abby and Whit had both a easy marriage, but also one that had heartache too. And unfortunately, space and time drifted them apart. This is the story of them knowing something needs to change, and setting about making that happen. I melted with all the heat and sweet blessings contained here. Plus, it's awesome to get a story of a couple that's living out their hea.

Layla Frost's Winnie Mae was something I totally didn't expect and I loved how it all worked out. Cutsey and spicy, Win and Max have a unique beginning and easy going relationship that makes this a fun and light hearted story.

Kiss me, Katie was a great way to end this little anthology (for me, as I totally read these stories out of order!). Ethan and Katie have worked together for 6mo and both have fallen in love with the other, but didn't want to ruin their working relationship or friendship by admitting anything. Until finally Katie needs a way to deal with her parents and is brave enough to ask for Ethan's help. Super sweet, hot, sexy, and oh so good, these two melted my heart with their connection, spark, and charm.

This is a perfect lazy-Sunday-on-the-deck-in-the-sunshine kinda read - completely easy, fun, and just as hot as the sunshine.

Running into Love by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Sweet feel good.

I'd describe this book as a great kinda "reset" story. It's fun, sweet, lighthearted, easy going, but yet keeps your attention and has you falling in love with all the characters. Levi and Fawn made an adorable couple who just worked well together.

I'm looking forward to getting the rest of the siblings' stories.

Mamacita Needs a Margarita by Mayra Statham

Jasper and Kayla's story provides a short, but full feeling hea complete with giggles, cuteness, steam, and just a touch of drama to make the make-up moment even sweeter.

I loved how Jasper and Kayla both learned how to deal with foot-in-mouth issues and for the most part, fess-up quickly and were adults about things. Kayla's daughter was so stinkin' cute and even had a few moments where she showed off just how awesome of a job Kayla had done raising her. Add in a few laughs, alot of anticipation and moments-to-make-you-feel-young-again and this book is a perfect summer afternoon read.

Bad Situation by Brynne Asher

Give me a sexy, danger-edgy, laid-back, uber-confident, bossy, protective, alpha hero and I'm putty in his (and the author's) hands. And omgoodness did Elijah Pettit make me melt!

I absolutely adored Eli and everything about him from his values and honor to his bossy mouth to his booty-lovin' hands! haha! And Jen was the perfect mix of woman for him - she was definitely capable and smart and strong, but still all feminine and soft, simple and sweet. They each needed each other, and gave to each other in ways that clicked perfectly.

This story just worked for me - the way they connected, how Eli pursued Jen and they fell in love, how family was shown to be the mix of blessing and beautiful-burden, the bad-guy story line, and just simply the characters themselves.

If you're looking for a low on silly drama, but high on excitement and intrigue, laughs and swoons, you definitely found the right book!! Don't miss their story!

The Captive by Julie Coulter Bellon

The Captive is a fast-paced action adventure story that takes us from the US to Algiers as a team is put together to rescue two hostages. It felt like something that could be taken straight from today's news headlines, except we get to see all the unexpected hiccups that lead to the happy ending.

I enjoyed watching the team interaction and watching how they bonded and worked together.... well, mostly (again, ...hiccups). I simply adored Jake -- the way he led his men (and woman), his bond with his sister, his honor and respect for others, his strength and determination to fulfill his mission (whether personal or professional).

Mya was a hard one for me. First impressions of her weren't great, even as much as I tried to empathize and remember where exactly she was coming from and what her head space was like at that moment. All through the book I'd alternate between being drawn to her and admiring her tenacity..... to just not quite understanding her actions and wanting to shake some patience and sense into her.

Despite my struggle with Mya at times, I still felt the attraction and connection between her and Jake and enjoyed how things played out for them.

And just sayin', Colt sure captured my attention as well!

Overall, this made for a great modern day romantic suspense story full of intrigue and excitement, but wasn't overly heavy.

I listened to this via audible (audio book) and the narrator did an excellent job bringing the story to life. Great voice, great acting (I could recognize which character was talking and who's point of view we were in just by the voice inflections) - I'd enjoy hearing more stories from him.

Harper's Rescue: A Novel of Redemption in the Civil War by Sean K. Gabhann

Picking up right where Harper's Donelson, book 1, left off, we find Harper and his men figuring out how to fill their time being stuck in Paducah KY while they wait to be able to get back to active duty. Gus starts to realize the burden of leading men, making decisions, and learning who he is to become. Katie, the saloon girl, is still trying to find her place while she struggles with protecting herself.

While there are still some rough and tough moments, and some spy-games at play, I think this 2nd part of the trilogy is my favorite (well, so far, seeing there's only book 1 and 2 out). Seeing how everyone's stories intertwine and everyone acts and reacts to events... you find yourself mixed up between cheering the characters on, and on edge wondering what's going to happen next and who might find a little reprieve from their trials.... and just how twisted evil can be.

This is a great continuation of Harper's Donelson and I'm looking forward to an amazing (I have faith!!) conclusion with the last part of the trilogy.

Sommersgate House by Kristen Ashley

Sommersgate House by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2019 audio reread - forgot just how much this story feeds my reader's soul. Loved it, and all the feels it delivered!

~~~~~~~~~~
Giggle -- Here's a story for you:
*slight spoilers are marked out

(from Jan 23, 2015 post to KA)

So I started reading Sommersgate House for the first time this week. I'm not a huge fan of scary ghost stories. Like, I get nightmares and paranoid reactions... It's a mix of sad and funny really. Anyways, I knew I still wanted to try out your ghost series (it's the only books of yours I've got left to read) I read Penmort Castle and absolutely fell in love!! Plus, no nightmares!! Woohoo!! Let's move to the next book. Great start, no worries... I got to the point in Sommersgate where (view spoiler)[Julia starts feeling the cold draft.... (hide spoiler)]Again, ok, I can do this, no problem. Then EEEKKK!! she's (view spoiler)[hearing and seeing a man trying to get in through the bedroom window???? (hide spoiler)]OK so that's a bit scary, but (deep breath in, and out) keep going. It's about midnight, I'm sleepy, but really want to finish the chapter. Just as I turn off the light and roll over, my dogs leap up and start barking!! I sit up fast, look out the window and see (view spoiler)[a shadow of a man with his arms up!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!! Dogs settle, I try to breathe.... And look again. The light across the street is on, shining through the trees in the front yard, which just happen to form this shadowy type figure against the window with the thick trunk and branches. (hide spoiler)]Whew!!! Boy, this book might just get to me. Haha!!! Despite that, I'm gonna keep preserving through. I'm loving the story! Can't wait to see how Douglas convinces Julia to marry him. Besides him just being used to having his orders obeyed. And anyways, if I'm gonna get scared by something, who better to freak out with than a KA alpha?? Haha!! He can handle me!


Needless to say, I adored this story!! Definitely Kristen Ashley's version of scary ghost stories are ones I can enjoy even while totally freaked out! haha!

Harper's Donelson: A Novel of Grant's First Campaign by Sean K. Gabhann

When you crack open this book, you're immediately sucked back into a living and breathing history lesson.

This book takes you on a journey following several characters as they live and survive through the Civil War - and as it's part one of a trilogy, I'm definitely hooked and excited to see what happens next.

James Harper wants so desperately to prove he's leadership material, but ego-driven superiors and some questionable decisions lead to more struggles and trials to prove himself capable. He isn't the "perfect" hero in that he does make mistakes, or he seems more "real" or "regular" - we can identify with him more. But at the same time, his sense of honor and determination shines through when it's needed most, and you can respect that. He also can back up what he says (as far as skills and gumption to proceed). He definitely got into more scrapes and situations that what I think I could put up with! ha!

Katie has to learn how to adjust being sold to a whorehouse and just what it will take to survive and become more than what it seems life fated her with. I enjoyed seeing her still cling to some innocence, and my heart ached with the hardships she faced.

There's several other characters you get to experience life through that make you think, or give you heartburn... Once you get settled in and have the setting grow around you and learn who all the characters are, you are hooked into seeing how everyone interacts and what will happen next.

I can't help but believe that if we as a society went back to a truth-filled story-telling way of passing down history, more people would be intrigued and want to discover more about our past, and maybe even learn some invaluable lessons. Thank goodness for authors who have a story to tell and weave in historical events, breathing life into dry textbook narrative.

Logan's Lady by Rosanne Bittner

Logan and Elizabeth's story is a giggle-filled, heart-melting, and nail-biting journey to get to their well deserved and much needed happily-ever-after.

Elizabeth had some growing up to do and life lessons to learn - and then add in the culture shock changes going from London to the wild west of America and she was definitely in over her head. She had an underlying strength to her that pulled her through all the situations she faced. My heart went out to her through the beginning struggles and then fell in love with Logan right along side her.

Logan had a larger-than-life feel to him, flowing off the pages with his physical presence, his control, his honor code, his protectiveness, his power, his charm, and his sense of humor. The demons chasing him worked to give him the inner determination to heal and built the foundation for him to become stronger than his crippling past. There's a reason women were drawn to him, and I was not immune to his power. Just Logan being perfectly Logan kept me coming back for more of the story and made me fall for him hard.

The only thing I didn't really like was that it took till 40% before Logan and Elizabeth even met each other. I understood the importance in us living out the back-story and following their journeys to each other, because that gave us the exact mindset they were in when they each were ready to finally find the other and were in desperate need of the other. But I still would have loved to have spent more time with them together and experienced more of Elizabeth learning new survival skills from Logan. However, what helped to make up for it for me besides how quickly they bonded together once they were together, was the epilogue at the end which jumped forward about a year and gave us a glimpse of their settled future - which is a huge rarity in a RB story (in fact, I'm struggling to remember if she ever did a jump-forward epilogue before?!).

Logan's Lady is an awesome story to spend a weekend being lost in. Definitely not one to miss if you're a fan of Rosanne Bittner and/or historical western stories.

A Knight's Choice and Other Romances by Lindsay Townsend

A Knight’s Choice

What's a "seed-pot" woman to do when faced with a future with one of two brothers and not much of a voice in which one she gets (ah, daddy's ambitions!)? Travel with both of them back to their home and quietly watch, observe... and discover who they truly are. And maybe find a way to make the choice for herself. Swoony cute story!

Midsummers Maid
Clare and Haakon have a mix of a beauty and the beast and a damsel in distress story that is charmingly cute. Both outsiders in their own ways, things happen on a midsummers night that allows fate to step in and entwine the two together. She's got a chance to show her grace and courage and acceptance, gifting him with exactly what he needs, and he's got a chance to be provider, protector, and leader, gifting her with exactly what she needs. Love feeling their connection and see their love blossom.

The Philosopher and the Herbalist
Super short story but with a huge gut-catching message I don't want to spoil. Definitely a beautiful truth we all need a reminder of, both sides of the coin....

The Bridal House
This is a quick glance at Alis discovering her hea. Short and sweet.
And I want her house. (jealousnotjealous)

The Seal of Odin
A twisted story with a gentle lesson in forgiveness and faith. I wasn't sure what to expect, but didn't guess what happened!

Ugly Meg
Whew!! What a way to end this little anthology of stories. Meg had a beautiful life, and then it was taken away from her... or so she thought, until someone found his way past her fears and hurts.
This was another story that had a few surprises in it (I was not expecting the "special items" haha) and delivered a sucker-punch of a beautiful lesson - seeing deeper beyond skin deep and finding the beauty there that shines through. Definitely a story to remember and take the truths deeper inside.

What I truly loved with this whole group of stories is the common thread weaved through each of them in some design. Seeing past skin deep or other's judgement and pursuing what's truly valuable and worthy. This is a great set of stories to enjoy and absorb truths from.

Lambert's Lady by Susan Stoker

Cute!

This is a cute little wrap up story for the commander of the Sleeper SEALS. It's his turn to get his hea and he's got his girl in mind and just needed to claim her.

Cute, sweet, just a hint of sexy protectiveness, steamy. And proof that being 50 (H) and in your late 30s (h) doesn't mean you can't have all sorts of good swoony stuff.