Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer


Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer
Publisher: Clarion Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Snow is coming, and it’s time to get ready! The squirrel gathers nuts, the geese soar south, and the snowshoe hare puts on its new white coat. But what should the fox do? Each animal advises the fox that its own plan is best, but the fox thinks otherwise—yet it’s not until he meets a golden-eyed friend that he finds the perfect way to celebrate the snowfall.

Stunning illustrations by the new talent Richard Jones are the perfect complement to the Newbery Honor winner Marion Dane Bauer’s lyrical and playful homage to the natural world.

Surviving the winter should be easy if you have a good plan.

This was such a poetic picture book. The words rolled off my tongue smoothly as I read it aloud. I especially enjoyed the lines that talked about the fox’s reasons for not taking the same approach to winter that other animals did. He obviously couldn’t spin a cocoon, fly, or dig a place to hide in the mud all winter. The way these ideas were shared with the audience were simultaneously amusing, beautiful, and completely impractical. This combination of emotions often felt like pure poetry in and of itself, and it only made me more curious to see what the fox’s eventual solution to the winter dilemma might be.

I would have liked to see a little more time spent explaining what foxes do in the winter and why they do it. There was so much time spent building up to this moment that I felt slightly let down by the small amount of story space that was given to exploring this part of a fox’s life. This became even more true once I realized that this section was based on things that real foxes have been known to actually do in the wild on snowy days.

The fox was such a friendly, curious, and sociable character. I truly enjoyed getting to know him as he wandered around the forest talking to the other animals and trying to decide how he’d spend the winter. No matter what he thought of the suggestions he received, he was always polite to the animals who were trying to help him in the best ways they knew how to.

Winter Dance was a wholesome read.

At the Crossroads by B. J. Daniels


At the Crossroads by B. J. Daniels
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

They’re running for their lives, desperate for a second chance…

Once, Alexis Brand and Culhane Travis were partners, both on and off the job. Now the former deputy turned bounty hunter is on her former lover’s trail after he’s charged with killing the ex-wife Alexis didn’t know he had. Burying the feelings that still tie her to him, Alexis tracks down Culhane easily enough. But deadly trouble has followed him to this small Montana town, forcing them to flee from the law together and Alexis to guard secrets she hoped she’d never have to reveal.

Culhane’s desperate attempt to find out who’s framing him is the reason he’s returned to Buckhorn, Montana. Instead, he’s unwittingly dragged the woman he loves into danger. Alexis offers Culhane forty-eight hours to clear his name before turning him in—plenty of time to realize he never wants to be without her again. But will it be long enough to get the answers they need…before their enemies close in?

When Culhane Travis went to bed, he was a happy man, cuddled with the love of his life. When he awoke, he was accused of murder and suddenly on the run. He has a plan – of sorts – to find the one person who might be able to help him and finds himself in a whole different situation, one that might change his life forever.

Culhane Travis is the kind of cowboy I adore. He’s handsome, he’s smart, but he also has a quick wit and isn’t afraid to use it. I can’t lie, I’m sucker for a smart aleck and he fits the bill. He also has a protective streak a mile wide which extends to anyone in his vicinity, even if he doesn’t know them.

Alexis Brand is a fiery woman, sharp, brave, and fearless. Even when it puts her life and her future on the line. She’s the perfect partner for Culhane. As much as she loves him, she doesn’t put up with any of his baloney either. It’s nice to find a heroine who is both strong enough to put her man in his place and be sweet and tender when she wants to be, too.

I’ve recently become a big fan of this author. At the Crossroads is the third in B. J. Daniels’ Buckhorn, Montana series. As much as I liked this book, it was definitely the weakest of the three so far. It had a much slower start and the ending felt more rushed. However, I did love the relationship between Culhane and Alexis. You could tell that they were friends long before they were ever anything more. The progression to lovers felt very natural and like it was meant to be. Also, the addition of Earl Ray into the story is never a bad thing. He was almost my favorite character in the first book. The author has a way of creating dynamic and fun couples who aren’t afraid to look danger in the face and overcome it. I look forward to the next in this series.

*Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne


Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement.

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But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society’s rules doesn’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.

Made in Manhattan pairs a Park Avenue princess with a southern hayseed in this opposites attract story. Cain and Violet couldn’t be more different from each other. Violet is a blue blood who wears pearls and is always polite. Cain, a product of a one-night stand, was brought up by his single mother and grew up in the south. Cain is rough around the edges and isn’t afraid to speak his mind and has no interest in living in Manhattan.

Cain and Violet’s story is fun and enchanting. Even though they are total opposites they are perfect for each other, and I enjoyed all of their bantering. They go back and forth between being annoyed with each other and fighting their growing attraction. Along the way, they realize they may have more in common than they realized.

I always enjoy everything Lauren Layne writes and this one is no exception. The characters are delightful and entertaining, and I was hoping they would work out their differences and end up together. Cain and Violets story left me with a good feeling.

The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl


The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

For as long as he can remember, Leo has lived in the blue house with his dad, but lately the neighborhood is changing. People are leaving, houses are being knocked down, and shiny new buildings are going up in their place. When Leo and his dad are forced to leave, they aren’t happy about it. They howl and rage and dance out their feelings. When the time comes, they leave the blue house behind–there was never any choice, not really–but little by little, they find a way to keep its memory alive in their new home.

Starting over again in a new place is never easy.

I adored the fact that Leo and his dad were part of a low-income household. There aren’t enough picture books out there about families who struggle to make ends meet and who live in homes that are leaky and creaky because the people who live in them simply can’t afford to fix everything. What endeared me to it even more was how matter-of-fact the narrator was about their social class and living situation. It was simply part of their tale, but by no means was it the focus or the most interesting portion of it. That was the perfect note to strike, especially for this age group and for readers who might be in similar circumstances.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed how Leo’s dad encouraged him to express difficult emotions like fear and grief. The father was so loving and supportive of his son no matter how much the boy struggled with leaving their beloved blue house and moving to a new home. Change can be difficult for adults, much less young children. Leo’s father couldn’t have done a better job of making that transition as easy as possible for his family.

It was delightful to see how the author mixed the sad moments in with happier ones that showed why this family loved the blue house so much and how they planned to keep the traditions they started there going after they moved away. There is definitely something to be said for remembering the past fondly and actively looking for the good in life no matter what happens next.

The Blue House made me blink away tears. I can’t recommend this poignant tale highly enough!

Happiness Is Listening to Your Dog Snore – Humorous and Inspirational Dog Quotes to Celebrate Our Canine Friends by Sandra Murphy


Happiness Is Listening to Your Dog Snore – Humorous and Inspirational Dog Quotes to Celebrate Our Canine Friends by Sandra Murphy
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

From Afghans and Akitas to Yakutians and Yorkies, and everything in between, there’s a very special connection between dogs and their owners. Our four-legged friends put smiles on our faces, comfort us when we’re down and make us laugh with their antics. They aren’t just “man’s best friend” but a terrific companion to women, children and anyone in need of the perfect companion.

Bestselling author and editor Sandra Murphy (Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the 60s, From Hay to Eternity) has compiled a collection of quotes celebrating canines; our furry friends who bring so much joy to our lives. Some quotes will be familiar, many will be new, but all remind us how wonderful it is to have dogs in our lives.

Dogs make the world a better place.

One of the things I liked the most about this collection was the way the author separated all of the quotes out in various sections. The first portion was dedicated to humorous quotes, while later ones included themes that ranged from inspirational to what the author’s peers at Untreed Reads thought about dogs. It was nice to know what to expect from each section before I read it, and it also made it easy to flip ahead or back to a specific theme if needed.

As much as I enjoyed reading these quotes, there were times when I found them repetitive. The same themes and ideas were repeated over and over again in the various sections. It would have been nice to have a wider range of thoughts on the topic as dogs are creatures almost everyone loves. Had this been the case, I would have happily gone with a much higher rating as the concept itself was well worth checking out.

Some of my favorite sections were the ones that pondered what the world might look like through canine eyes. For example, one quote discussed whether the writer’s dog might have given them a name and, if so, what that name might be. That was exactly the sort of content I was hoping to read about! It’s fascinating to gaze into the eyes of a dog and try to figure out what they’re thinking about.

I smiled as I read Happiness Is Listening to Your Dog Snore.

The Christmas Pawdcast by Emily March


The Christmas Pawdcast by Emily March
Narrated by: Andi Arndt , Jason Clarke
Series: Audible Original Stories
Publisher: Audible Originals, LLC
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Holiday
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Mary Landry and her pregnant rescue dog are on their way home for Christmas when the unthinkable happens: Her car breaks down along a deserted stretch of mountain highway in the middle of a blizzard. Facing dire conditions, Mary seeks shelter from a lone cabin in the distance whose warm light beckons her like a Christmas star.

Nick Carstairs has one wish this season – to ride out his least favorite time of the year in peace while working on the latest episode of his hit True Crime podcast. The sexy-voiced podcaster didn’t plan to host a stranger and her pregnant dog, but he’s happy to help a traveler in need…it’s an extra perk that she’s gorgeous. Now if she would just stop trying to change his mind about Christmas.

As they spend time warming up by the fire – and an unexpected attraction roars to life – will Mary help Nick discover the wonder of the season after all?

My goodness, I didn’t know stories came this sweet! Sweet as in adorable, lovable, cute, tender, loving, romantic and PUPPIES!

It was really cool to have two narrators, one for the heroine, Mary, and one for the hero, Nick. It’s the first time I’ve read/listened to a story about a hero who is prematurely gray. Since this is a Christmas holiday story, it was great that a hunky Santa look-a-like owned and rocked his natural look sans belly.

Of course, the story uses the well-known trope of being stranded in a stranger’s home, and as they get to know each other, they fall in love. What I found amazing is the personality and realness the author imbued her story with. When a guy is delicious looking and a hunky treat for the eyes, it’s natural for the heroine to lust after him. These days, stories tend to follow through with the instant attraction and the character driven plot turns into a vehicle for sheet action. I’m thrilled that this is not that kind of book and Mary, though acknowledges Nick’s blatant masculinity and how much she’s drawn to him, the author had Mary and Nick stay on track. This is foremost a romance. A story of two strangers accidentally coming together and, by being forced by a blizzard to stay together, have to communicate, share and compromise. She’s a great cook, an avid Christmas holiday fan, and is committed to finding orphaned/abandoned pets their new furever homes. Nick is a divorced dad who dotes on his son, a son who is unfortunately spending the holiday with his mom. The hero is a bit of a Grinch. Not because he despises Christmas, but because he’s lost focus on the simple joys that bring the true Christmas spirit to life. He’s lost, and I’m tickled that his own Elf on a Shelf worked that holiday magic making sure he could get ‘found’. Nick’s holiday recovery is pragmatic, influential, timely and surprisingly fun.

You know, I don’t believe I am using the right words to adequately convey how charmed and delighted I am with this novella. It took a little over 2 hours to listen through the whole thing and The Christmas Pawdcast has everything, and I do mean everything, a romance reader needs to believe that this growing love between Mary and Nick is real, powerful, healthy and has a bright future. There is character accountability, emotional growth and healing as well as forgiveness. This is an absolute gem of a holiday story, packed with feel-good moments, and wishes for a puppy just as personable as Frank *ahem* I mean, Angel.

The pace is perfect and every moment kept me engaged, interested and charmed. The Christmas Pawdcast is, as far as I know, only available in audio format. If romance fans have access to audiobooks, then this is a story not to miss and I highly encourage giving this book a try. This was a splendid listening experience and worth all five stars of its rating especially since the narrators did an awesome job of bringing the story to life.

I had the best time, had a lot of fun and was thoroughly enchanted. My hope is other romance readers will have just as good a time as me when they read/listen to The Christmas Pawdcast too.

Beautiful Soul by Cooper McKenzie


Beautiful Soul by Cooper McKenzie
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Mystic’s All Night Café—where the city’s supernatural world meet for the best coffee, tea, and pastry.

Five years after her ex-husband left her scarred, 51-year-old Lena Wellings continues to hide from the world. In the wee hours of the morning, she meets a man online. When he invites her to Mystic’s All Night Café, she reluctantly agrees.

Mage Kingsley James gave up on love decades ago, devoting himself entirely to his craft, and to his position as the city’s negotiator between the city’s supernatural species. Meeting Lena online intrigues him. Meeting her face to face enthralls him.

When rogues kidnap Lena, Kingsley must bring vampires, shifters, and other supernatural creatures together to rescue her.

Will Lena learn to see herself as Kingsley does? Will Kingsley rescue Lena in time? Will they be able to keep the city from war between the supernaturals?

After continually waking within minutes each morning of 2am and being unable to go back to sleep, Lena joins a local online chat community for insomniacs and workers on the graveyard shift. One of the frequent chatters in particular has helped ease Lena’s transition into embracing being awake for much of the earlier hours – someone with the screen-name of KingJames. Kingsley James has no idea what, exactly, it is about Lena that draws him, but he can’t resist the allure. His nights are crammed full of mediating between the constant bickering between the local vampire coven and the restless shifter clan and so joining the message board on a whim had seemed like a good, lowkey way to keep his mind off his real-life troubles. Can Lena and Kingsley find something special together during their very long nights?

I admit I just couldn’t go past the idea of a mystical all night café where people get set up – there’s just something inherently romantic about that sort of image to me. While the plotline itself is fairly dated (I recall reading countless “magical cat/shoes/busybody sets the hero and heroine up together” style of stories in the late 90s and early 00s) I have to admit it’s still to this day a strong storyline and plot device. Even in these pandemic times people want to connect with each other and feel that magical spark of attraction and romance. So I really feel this storyline will appeal to a wide range of readers, especially those looking for something fairly straight-forward and maybe even slightly vintage in style of plotline.

Added to this slightly old-school feeling I absolutely loved the more modern reading elements. Lena was not some shy, retiring virginal miss, but a middle-aged, battle scarred woman who had survived an abusive and difficult previous relationship and come out the other end. I was so pleased Lena wasn’t a cookie-cutter style of heroine and – even more importantly – was still willing to take careful and calculated risks to help change her own life for the better. I really feel she will appeal to many modern readers. The paranormal aspects to the story, while not delved into in great depth, also really helped give the whole story a more modern and slightly whimsical feel to my mind.

Readers looking for an intense and graphic sexy story should find that this fits the bill. While Lena and Kingsley don’t jump into bed immediately, they do become sexually intimate very quickly and I feel the speed of this likely will mostly appeal to readers who like insta-love stories or those where the hero and heroine don’t spend a lot of time getting to know each other outside the bedroom first. I was pleased that even though Kingsley and Lena become intimate very quickly they do begin to grow a far strong and more emotional connection that helped sell me on the believability that their relationship should last long-term. This helped me feel more connected and invested in their relationship rather than just feel they were a fling or more interested in a quick romance.

Readers who like a steamy and sexy story with elements of the paranormal world dabbled through should find this a quick and enjoyable read.

The City Below by William Meikle


The City Below by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

THE CITY BELOW continues the adventures detailed in THE LAND BELOW and THE SEA BELOW

Our adventurers have escaped a conflagration only to find themselves in a great underground city.

They quickly discover they are not alone.

And when a natural disaster threatens to engulf them it becomes a battle for survival.

Can they find the route home to the sun before it is closed to them forever?

Danny, Ed and Stefan have made a monumental discovery – a hidden city under the Earth. With paves streets, temples, homes and even terraced gardens the abandoned landscape was equal parts eerie and amazing. Can the three adventurers find their way back up top amidst all the dangers that lurk below?

This story picks up exactly where the previous story left off (The Sea Below) and in a similar vein to both the other books in the series is an action orientated adventure style of short story. This time though, Danny and Stefan are determined to escape back up to the surface and Ed, too, soon realizes the three of them need to regroup and agrees to head for the surface.

I have to admit I’ve come to adore our three main adventurers – the younger Ed who has an unquenchable thirst for adventure and discovery, the more elderly Stefan who remains brave and strong – the wiser, more seasoned local and calm head of the ground. And Danny, the old soldier and reluctant hero of the group. I love how while the three characters are quite different, they’re each at heart strong, brave and heroes in their own right, and through those adventures they’ve forged a friendship and bond that has been amazing to follow along with and watch develop. While I absolutely found their time discovering amazing sights and monsters under the ground has been well worth the read – these three characters and their interactions, growth and slowly building friendship has been a true joy to read and journey along with.

While our group’s explorations are full of new discoveries, danger still lurks everything – from enemies as well as monsters. I really enjoyed the pace to this story – it wasn’t crazily fast but it was definitely a good clip most adventure readers should really enjoy.

This book seemed to me to span a good mixture of adventure, suspense and paranormal “monsters dwelling below the earth” and I feel should appeal to a wide range of readers and they should thoroughly enjoy it. While it can definitely be picked up by itself, I feel reading this will have a stronger impact and better experience by going back and reading the two previous installments first. These are short, sharp, witty and exciting stories and well worth the investment in reading them in order.

* Until April by Aurora Rose Reynolds


Until April by Aurora Rose Reynolds
Publisher: self-published
Genre: Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

With happily ever after being something that happens to other people, April Mayson has decided to put all her energy into her career and living her best life, and things are better than ever.

Little does she know that her world is about to be turned upside down when she’s asked to help out a family friend, Maxim Kauwe.

Now, she’s dealing with a man unlike any she’s ever met before, her ex—a famous musician who’s decided he wants her back—and a possible serial killer.

With all the drama suddenly swirling around her, she will have to figure out if she is brave enough to trust Maxim with her heart and maybe even her life.

Until April is a spicy and suspenseful story that reunites Maxim and April. This fast paced, second chance story has great dynamics between the characters and Maxim and April have a lot of chemistry. In fact, I could feel the intensity between them jumping off the pages as I read their story.

April and Maxim reconnect after not seeing each other since they were teenagers. Although Maxim and April get together very quickly in the beginning, their story is beautifully written. The character development is realistic and they each have layers and vulnerabilities.

This is the perfect combination of romance and suspense. Someone is killing real estate agents and April could be next. So, Maxim does everything within his power to keep April safe.

I loved Maxim. He doesn’t hesitate to let April know he wants a relationship with her. Yes, Maxim is a possessive, dominant alpha male, but he is also affectionate and caring and I loved how he treated April.

April is an independent and successful woman, who isn’t used to a man like Maxim. He is protective and opinionated and expects April to follow his directions. Sparks fly as they disagree with each other because April doesn’t like to be told what to do.

I love everything Aurora Rose Reynolds writes. She knows how to write romance with alpha males who are demanding and protective, yet also sweet and willing to do anything for the woman they love. I also enjoyed the entertaining secondary characters, they add even more interest to the story. I listened to this story as an audiobook and I thought the narrators did a great job. Maxim and April are the perfect couple and I never wanted this story to end.

Portrait of a Love by Joan Wolf


Portrait of a Love by Joan Wolf
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

“I swore I would never get involved with a man again….”

Gifted artist Isabel McCarthy vowed to keep every moment spent with Leo Sinclair strictly business. Painting a portrait of this popular young senator could give her reputation a tremendous boost, but did she dare spend long hours alone with such a devastatingly handsome man—especially one who had a reputation for charming and disarming women? In Leo Sinclair’s brilliant blue eyes, Isabel clearly saw what he wanted from her. But while she was supposed to be fighting his passionate overtures, reminding herself how badly she had been burned by love before, her twice-foolish heart told her it was too late…the banked fire within her was ignited….

I undoubtedly would have rated this Best Book if there had been an epilogue. I absolutely loved this romance story. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I knew I was nearing the end and I didn’t want it to end. I started to scroll slower hoping I wasn’t as near to the end as I feared. I wanted to keep reading, I wanted to know more, I was so happy and then…I scrolled and saw “About the Author”. I crashed and burned feeling bereft. I will never know what happened to my book boyfriend. I had a major book glow that dimmed when I realized I couldn’t be part of the hero and heroine’s life anymore. All the plot threads were tied up into a pretty bow, but I selfishly wanted more. The synopsis says “the banked fire within her (heroine) was ignited…” I really like that analogy. I think my love for romance books is like a “banked fire”. Either the book ignites me or it doesn’t. Portrait of a Love by Joan Wolf definitely ignited me.

One of the reasons I enjoyed this book was because there weren’t any mind games between the hero, Leo, and the heroine, Isabel. They were forward and honest with each other. Both characters were relatable and well-developed. The sincerity between all the characters was tangible and realistic. I really felt part of the book.

Leo was intelligent, respectful, patient and genuinely kind-hearted to everyone. Leo was also rich and famous. Isabel was just as wholesome and well-rounded as Leo, but she was close to poor and not famous. Together they made a formidable pair. Their romance was sensual and heartwarming. The banter between them made me smile and/or laugh. They were comfortable as individuals and as a couple. I love that kind of balance between a hero and heroine. True best friends.

I can’t find any constructive criticism to mention about Portrait of a Love other than I wanted to see into Leo and Isabel’s future. This book is definitely a keeper to re-read some day. This novel is a must read to be put on someone’s “to be read” list. I hope this book ignites other readers’ “banked fire” and they read the story too.