My American Duchess

My American Duchess by Eloisa James is another great read. I enjoyed the romance, the characters and seeing them grow together in love. James writes wonderfully romantic stories and this wasn't any different. It is not exactly a fairy tale novel. But it does have similar quality of fairy tales plots where an American heiress who arrives in London in search of a husband and ends up a duchess to her great surprise.

James combines a handful of proven  tropes in this one: love at first sight, twins, love triangle, and marriage in trouble as well as the obvious American in London. If you know James's work, you will not be surprised that she gives each of these a twist that makes it her own. *JK*

Savage Secrets

Elise and Scott are a young couple who are in the Hamptons taking care of her dying father, Victor. Victor is an evil man. He abused Elise and her brother and has mistreated Scott. While Elise spends her days at the hospital, Scott stays at Victor’s house, drinks his liquor and looks for something to end his boredom. He watches a timed light go on in the house next door and decides to investigate. When he finds the door unlocked he ventures in. Later he convinces Elise to join him there for a little forbidden pleasure. What they discover is shocking. Soon the couple becomes involved in a heinous situation that spirals downward and threatens everything they have. The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich is a dark psychological thiller that stuns the reader with wicked deeds. DB  

An Improper Arrangement

An Improper Arrangement by Kasey Michaels was surprisingly a good read! The story grabbed me immediately with its wit and smart humor, and kept me smiling all the way to the end. Thea was an excellent heroine: intelligent, bold, cheeky and unafraid to show up to Gabe at every chance. Gabe was totally enchanted by her personality. He couldn't help acting like a little boy around her who would pull the pigtails of little girls he liked. The two of them, however, had excellent chemistry, but also a fun companionship that kept me going.
Kasey Michaels doesn't seem to be afraid to rattle the cage in regards to her stories. She is an author that whether it be contemporary or historical is not afraid to throw in a few surprises along the way. She kept the story interesting and she proceeded to do it without ever losing the precision of the flow within the story. *JK*

Going to the Dogs

If you’re a dog lover, Elias Weiss Friedman has put together a book you will adore. The Dogist features over 1,000 portraits of dogs for total enjoyment. Most of the photos have been shot on the streets of New York. Why? It seems Elias found himself unemployed at age 25, and after being involved in several start-ups with friends, decided to try something on his own. After an enlightening trip to Europe, during which he took pictures of a unique Boxer, he decided to claim the “Dogist” title for his very own. He publishes a blog and has Twitter and Instagram accounts with the same name. The book features dogs of all kinds, some rare breeds, clothed and pampered pooches and rescue dogs. Give a Dog a Bone is a charity Friedman started to help place shelter dogs in homes. Doggone Good! DB

New Orleans post-Katrina figures prominently in the novel The Lower Quarter by Elise Blackwell. The story revolves around various characters as they inhabit the city that has been ravaged by the storm. These characters include a art restorer and former sex-trafficking victim, a father and son of an old moneyed family, a young artist who pursues S&M as a way to understand herself, and a Puerto Rican artist, ex-con, and investigator. Multiple points of view and a lot of duplicity from everyone involved make this an interesting and compelling read. ML

Anything for You

If you want a sweet, funny, lovable read that will leave a smile on your face and sometimes happy tears in your eyes, Kristan Higgin's Anything for You is the right choice. You will love her writing style and humor and heart that she bleeds into every single page.

Her Blue Heron series is by far one of my most favorite series and I love everything there is to love about it. The small town setting, the nosy neighbors, the lovable Holland family and of course, all the other characters that make this town so unique, fun, and enjoyable. But my heart went out for Connor and Jessica-their ups and downs, torment, and love/hate relationship. It was an emotional and yet a beautiful story. *JK*