Colton by Jenna Myles

March 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Colton by Jenna Myles
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Love men who fall first? Like strong curvy heroines? How about I throw in a high rise full of billionaires and a hero with some serious golden retriever energy?
Evie did the right thing, she saved a life, and it cost her almost everything. I’m going to make damn sure she’s made whole again.

So I’ve been carrying her picture around with me for a couple of months.
So I argued with the guy at the hardware store over glitter paint for her little girl’s bedroom, a bedroom in an apartment I want to give them.
So I’ve been checking on that empty apartment every night for months.

That doesn’t mean anything though. I’m not obsessed.

When I finally get the call she’s ready for our help, I hop in my jet and go get her.

I expected to find a worn-out, exhausted woman. And I did. But she also called me Conan (as in barbarian) and didn’t tolerate any of my bullshit. And that little girl, well she has me acting like an idiot just to make her smile.

Ok, so maybe I am obsessed.

Colton Brash has been focused on Evie and her toddler daughter Mia for months now. A nurse and good friend of his sister-in-law, Evie’s living situation is dire after she risked everything to help Holly out of her abusive relationship. Colton and his brothers desperately wanted Evie and little Mia in the safety of their apartment high rise, with a secure job and plenty of safety. Can Evie accept their help, and can Colton be patient enough to wait things out?

I picked this book up on a whim and found it an enjoyable romance. With a slow burn and Colton absolutely the first to fall in love, I found this a fun and enjoyable story. I loved the strong cast of secondary characters – mostly Colton’s eight brothers and the two partners (presumably from the two previous books in this series). Having not read anything prior to this I can absolutely state that this book stands well on its own and I found it a fun and steamy book.

I will admit towards the halfway point I was getting a bit tired of Evie’s distrust and her unwillingness to rock the boat or admit to her growing feelings for Colton. While a part of me understood I think some of her choices began to grate on me a bit. While in real life there is sense in being cautious and hedging your bets, and some of that needs to drip into books for reality’s sake – I personally feel there really comes a time when you need to just throw caution to the wind and go with the plotline and enjoy the fact it’s a book and not real life. Evie held out a bit too long for my personal tastes. And while Colton is not blameless here (he could have just as easily expressed his feelings more clearly to Evie) I’m willing to grant him the fact Evie was the vulnerable one here and so it was up to her to make the first move and show Colton she wanted more and allow him to take those steps.

When Evie finally pulled her head out and she and Colton finally admitted their feelings to each other the rest of the book moved well and I enjoyed it. The romance was spicy and fun, and the huge cast of family just made the whole read even more enjoyable to me.

Readers looking for a spicy romance with a slow burn and a seriously smitten hero should find this to be a fun and enjoyable read. I’ll be interested in some of these other brothers and books in the series. Recommended.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Secret Places by Heather Peck

March 6, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Secret Places by Heather Peck
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A body in a bunker: a secret buried for decades…

When a skeleton is discovered in a long-abandoned WWII bunker, goat farmer Tristan Smith’s quiet life on the Yorkshire moors shatters overnight.

DI Greg Geldard takes the case, uncovering a tangle of lies that reach far beyond the moors. Each clue draws him closer to a truth someone is still desperate to hide.

As another victim disappears, past and present collide in a deadly pattern. Will Geldard expose the killer before history repeats itself?

DI Greg Geldard and his team is called to investigate when a human skeleton is found among other sheep remains in an abandoned WW2 bunker. Very few people knew about the bunker – though the current farm owner had been told by the previous owner that the shaft was a waste disposal site used for normal deaths of the various farm animals. Who was responsible for the remains, and can DI Geldard and his team uncover what really occurred?

This was a new to me author and while I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and plot it was a refreshingly different manner of the story being told. The author regularly moved the perspective from the current investigation back to the previous owner and slowly pieced together what occurred in some of the lags as the investigators dug deeper into the story. I often find perspective shifts – and time shifts in particular – quite jarring but I have to admit I found the author did a smooth and excellent job with this. I do admit I don’t think this will suit all readers, and in particular the reader is exposed to some of the story that the detectives aren’t privy to – which I did find unusual.

I thought the characters were well drawn and interesting. I also found the setting of rural York gave a good atmosphere and was different to a lot of the more city or London based police procedural stories. The pace of the mystery was a little slow – but that was mostly as the investigation moved along actually trying to uncover what had happened. Readers eager for a fast-moving plot might not enjoy this book as much as I did, but I thought the writing and pacing was really quite good.

Fun and fresh, I found this an interesting book and a good first read – for me – of this author. A good story and a series I hope to continue with. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Dirty Deal by Mira Lyn Kelly

March 4, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Dirty Deal by Mira Lyn Kelly
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

I’m not exactly “Daddy” material…

Fatherhood blindsided me.

There I am, working to get a rise out of my cranky little rule-following, fun-wrecking, soon-to-be ex-neighbor when my one-night stand from last season shows up… in labor.

Next thing, I’m a single-dad begging for a crash course in caring for this tiny miracle from the neighbor who loves to hate me.

Turns out, Nora raised half her siblings.

She knows things.

And I know my son needs her.

Unfortunately, she’s not impressed by my NHL career, my legendary charm, or the rumors surrounding the size of my stick (all true btw).

But I’m not trying to impress her. Not anymore. I can’t.

I’m asking her to help me out, because my son deserves better than some player who hasn’t even had a chance to read the manual yet.

Which means no matter how hot I find her spitfire mouth and those rules she doesn’t break… Nora is off-limits.

Axel is a star player on the Slayers Ice Hockey team and loves his carefree life. Until the day a one night stand from the previous season literally goes into labor on his front doorstep and Axel’s life is turned upside down. With a brand new son and zero knowledge, Axel turns to his neighbor Nora in desperation. The situation is far from idea for them both – but with tiny baby Otto acting as the glue, can these two find a way forwards?

Having never read anything previously by this author I was a little uncertain whether it would enjoy this first-for-me ice hockey romance novel. I was pleased that while Axel’s work on the hockey team has a good amount of time in the book – the sport and team itself doesn’t overshadow either the plot of Axel as a new father nor of the slow blossoming romance between Axel and Nora. I really felt the author did a good job with both the pacing and layout of the plot here and this made the book really enjoyable to me.

I found this book to be modern and somewhat light. I could easily see myself reading plenty more of them with a fun drink and a long weekend ahead of me. These are the story of steamy romance books where the relationship builds and grows at a logical, realistic and enjoyable slow pace and then finally culminates in a wonderful spicy series of sparks. More than the romance though I found this to be a strongly emotional and supportive book. Both Axel and Nora have their baggage and drama, and each have their own hang-ups and issues. Neither are perfect and I found them both so much more engaging and relatable because of this.

If you’re wanting an emotional and heartwarming slow build for a romance book, one with an adorable newborn baby front and center and a fun set of secondary characters in the side lines this is absolutely an excellent book. While it’s mid-way through the series I haven’t read anything previous to this and found it easily pick upable and I had no problems following along and I got strongly invested in Otto, Axel and Nora. A wonderful book and a great read. I’ll be looking into more of these.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Storm Stayed by Yvonne Rediger

March 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Storm Stayed by Yvonne Rediger
Publisher: Brown Wolf Publishing
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Review by Snowdrop

Welcome back to Musgrave Landing. Accessible by ferry across the Samsum Narrows, this island village is home to some quirky characters and some even odder visitors. Sometimes the visitors bring misfortune with them and other times the villagers supply their own brand of trouble. Whether the people are locals or from away, apparently a few are capable of murder.

Maisy Wyatt, is on loan from Jane’s Eats & Treats to Mrs. Roque. The housekeeper has a grand vision for the Highmere House Conference Centre. She has spared no expense with the food or service for the minor literary celebrities who will be their first guests. It won’t matter if the December weather turns bad, it takes a lot to faze Mrs. Roque.

The other new employee Tiffany Zach, will work alongside Maisy to care and feed a cantankerous group of authors from Dunn Wolf Publishing. The situation doesn’t improve when the lead author and owner of the publishing house, Ziola Nutt, announces she has a six-figure media contract with a video streaming company. This news causes shock, disappointment, and anger among the rest of the writers when they find out she will not give them credit for their work, nor any of the royalties.

Worse still, the electricity goes out during a nasty storm. Cell phones are going dead, roads are blocked by fallen trees, and ferry traffic is halted. No one can get off the island. Not even the murderer.

When you have a story set in a lovely, grand bed and breakfast full of authors as guests, you know there could be trouble. And the publisher, oh my, the publisher, has nothing but bad news to deliver. Most of it has to do with less money in people’s pockets, and then there are bragging rights they find out she has about her own new book. What a brewing tempest for trouble. But what is really blowing up is a terrible storm trapping them on an island with no electricity. Have I set you up for this? Good.

This is the first book I have read by Yvonne Rediger, and it is Book 4 in a series titled “Musgrave Landing Mysteries”. I will say there were just a few spots that I thought slowed down a bit. There are a lot of characters, all quite interesting, but a little difficult to keep track of now and then.  It’s still a very good plot and a fun book to read. Hope there are more.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Impulse Caught by Emily Carrington

March 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Impulse Caught by Emily Carrington
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Riku takes charge in bed, but will he have any control over the day-to-day decisions of a marriage?

Money and status differences challenge Riku and Theo to find a middle ground. Their passion is white-hot, but their ideas of living comfortably are at odds. As their wedding nears, driven forward by Theo’s parents’ sense of guilt, Riku feels the old urge to run.

Riku refuses to give into this impulse at first, but as the comparison between his emotional scars and the mountains of Theo’s familial expectations grow, Riku fears running will be the only less-than-honorable course left to him.

Theo isn’t blind to Riku’s struggles but he doesn’t understand what’s wrong. Each time he reaches out, Riku reaches back, yet they never quite connect. Will their need for each other overcome their differences, or will their passion be subsumed by a wave of conflicting desires?

Riku and Theo are passionately in love, planning their wedding. But money and status differences continue to challenge them both. While their love is strong, they still struggle to trust and connect with each other. Can they work through these conflicts and find each other again?

I found this to be an interesting and emotional love story. Riku and Theo both have a number of challenges – physical and emotional – and it was deeply interesting to see them try to navigate everything between them. While it was clear they loved each other, this didn’t immediately help them fix all the problems that came between them. I found this both realistic and interesting to read.

I admit I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series, so I did have to play a bit of catch-up on the history between the two men. While I found this fairly easy, I have to admit this might irritate some readers. I also didn’t enjoy the characters Theo’s parents too much. I found them a bit too controlling and overbearing and while I expect this was the point, a part of me doesn’t really understand why Theo didn’t limit his interaction with them more or be a bit firmer in setting boundaries. That irked me a bit with this book.

Overall, I found this a deeply interesting and refreshingly different story. While there is some very steamy sex between the men there is a huge amount of plot and conflict and that really helped carry the book to my mind. I’ll definitely be looking into other books by this author.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Box Of Chocolates by Sean Michael

February 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Box Of Chocolates by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

As a single guy, Dorian isn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day, but he loves chocolates and when someone brings in a box for the office to share, he falls in love with the heart-shaped truffles he tastes and decides to get himself a box or two at the new-to-him chocolatery before treating himself to a supper out.

Smoke owns Smoke’s Chocolates and Valentine’s Day is his busiest time of year, between making the chocolates and helping to sell them at the front counter, he’s putting in long hours. When the last minute rush slows down, though, Smoke goes out for dinner only to encounter the also flying solo Dorian. The two men get to talking and sharing appetizers and discover a mutual attraction.

Can they both come to love Valentine’s Day for a reason that has nothing to do with chocolate?

Dorian is buying some chocolates for himself as a treat for Valentine’s day and while his eye is caught by chocolatier Smoke, their interaction is brief and the shop is slammed. When they bump into each other later that evening at a bar, they’re able to sit and talk for a while, and both men realize there is attraction sizzling between them. Can they each have a very special Valentine’s day?

I enjoyed this fun and sexy short story. I liked that while Dorian and Smoke weren’t shy with each other, they didn’t jump immediately into bed. The author did a good job of balancing the sexy shenanigans with some semblance of “getting to know you” and reality. Readers should be aware this is an erotic short story – so there is not a complicated, in depth plot outside of the growing relationship between the two men. For a short, erotic story, it is a delightful and enticing quick read.

With two interesting and believable characters and a whole lot of sizzle, this is a fun and engaging read by an author I really enjoy. Recommended.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Stained With Blood by MS Morris

February 24, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Stained With Blood by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A battle. A killing. An echo of history.
Scarborough Castle, high on the headland, is the picturesque backdrop for an English Civil War re-enactment. But the day takes a sinister turn when the town’s MP is shot and killed in broad daylight. DCI Tom Raven is quickly on the scene, but the investigation is soon commandeered by a senior officer from Counter Terrorism, leaving Raven sidelined.

When cryptic letters are received, taunting the police, it becomes clear that democracy itself may be the target. The MP had received a number of credible death threats and suspicion quickly falls on a Russian tycoon with interests in the town. But the murdered man had many enemies, and the list of people wanting him dead quickly grows longer.

As more lives are claimed by a ruthless mastermind driving the narrative, only Raven stands between justice and an outcome stained with blood.

DCI Raven is at the end of a well earned week off when at a local Civil War re-enactment the local MP is brazenly shot and killed. With questions of potential terrorism hovering DCI Raven is fine when a Super is brought in to lead the investigation, confident that his team is up for the challenge. Can they work out what was really going on behind the scenes?

I have been enjoying this British police procedural mystery series and found this to be a strong addition. I like how these books have a good balance between the murder mystery plot and movement in the main character’s private lives. As the series has moved along I also have appreciated that the authors somewhat highlight different team members through each of the stories so over time we readers get a better feel and connection to the characters.

While I feel this book absolutely progressed a number of the team members’ personal story arcs I didn’t feel this detracted from the main mystery in any way – the killing of a local MP at a community civil war re-enactment. The various layers of a small town overlapping also added what I thought was an interesting context in how everyone’s lives interweave together and how normal it was for people to simply know each other and have shared histories.

I’m very much enjoying the fairly recent addition of DCI Raven’s daughter – Hannah – to the mix and absolutely am hoping that she sticks around for at least a while. Her character in itself interests me, but I also admit to really enjoying that she brings out some of Raven’s better qualities and makes him more relatable to his colleagues. I see this as a very positive aspect to the story as a whole.

With a solid murder mystery and a number of interesting sub-plots that are slowly moving along I thoroughly enjoy this series and am looking forward to the next one coming.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Death In The Long Walk by Hilary Pugh

February 19, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Death In The Long Walk by Hilary Pugh
Publisher: Housemouse Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Is it ever too late to be a detective?

Jonny Cardew is bored. He’s worked hard all his life at a financially rewarding but dull job when all he ever wanted to do was to solve murders. Now he has retired he has a chance to fulfil his ambition. A meeting over breakfast with three quirky characters and a dog in need of rehoming will change his life.

When a body is found at a nearby beauty spot the police believe it to be a case of death by natural causes. Jonny and his friends think differently and set out to discover the truth. On the way they meet some decidedly suspicious people all with motives to kill.

The Breakfast Cub detectives are on the case but will they solve it?

Jonny Cardew has worked his whole adult life in a financially stable and reliable job, but has been deadly bored. He’s always had a secret desire to solve a murder, and now he’s finally retired he’s eager to do so – just unsure how to go about it. When a body is found locally and the police think it’s natural causes, Jonny is determined to investigate. With some newly acquired friends and a bunch of enthusiasm, can Jonny and his Breakfast club friends really become detectives?

I’d never heard of this author nor the series, but it sounded deeply intriguing and so I bought this on a whim. I found the murder-mystery to be highly enjoyable with a strong cast of secondary characters and a realistic and relatable main character with Jonny. I thought this was a slower burn kind of mystery, while the plot and pacing was good it definitely wasn’t an action-oriented kind of story and readers should be happy to settle in for the gradual build up.

As the mystery unfolds there were a few good scenes where the action did move at a good clip, but overall, this had more the feel of “amateur sleuth’ rather than spy or espionage action heavy adventure. I thought the mystery itself was well plotted and I particularly enjoyed that there were a few red herrings – as Jonny and his crew tried to put everything together.

I found this to be an enjoyable and strongly relatable story about normal people working together and building friendships and coming together to solve a murder. A fun and well written story I’m eager to read the next in the series. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Foaming Deep by MS Morris

February 17, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Foaming Deep by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A hidden cove. A tangle of lies. A deeply buried secret.
When a young woman’s body is found at a cave entrance by the pretty fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay, DCI Tom Raven is called to investigate. A trail of footprints leads from the body on the shore to the nearby youth hostel. But the killer’s identity is far from clear as the picturesque façade of Robin Hood’s Bay conceals more than it reveals.

Meanwhile, Raven has been given a tantalising clue to the truth behind his mother’s death at the hands of a hit-and-run driver over thirty years ago. As he works to untangle the facts, he discovers a secret far darker than anything he could have imagined and must battle the inner demons that threaten to destroy him and everything he holds dear.

A young woman’s body is found on the beach at the entrance to a local cave. DCI Tom Raven and his team are called to investigate, but with a number of people upset at the returned local lady the case appears quite murky at first. When things begin to lead in a number of different directions Raven and his team need to keep a handle on a quickly escalating situation.

I have been enjoying this Yorkshire based British police procedural series and found this to be an excellent addition to it. There were a few sub-plots revolving around the main murder mystery and I thought this really helped keep the pace of the book feel like it was moving forward at a good clip. There was also progress on a few of the longer-term story arcs which I also thought were very well woven into the story.

Readers looking for a high action story might not find this book really suits those sorts of tastes. I enjoyed the smaller town feel and the fact that we had space to learn about the numerous secondary characters. The mystery is absolutely front and center here and I think more traditional mystery readers should feel this is a great book. I did think that readers should be able to pick this up as a standalone. While it’s well into the series aside from the background history between DCI Raven and his team all the plot really is well contained in this book, and I feel readers should be able to enjoy this without having read anything previously.

With well drawn characters and a multi layered mystery plot I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable story and a great series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

A Friend for Hope by Amie White

February 16, 2026 By Leave a Comment


A Friend for Hope by Amie White
Publisher: Noctilune Publishing
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Nine-year-old Zoe Meadows is the new kid in Ivy Creek. For homeschooled Zoe, every day starts the same: breakfast, then to the living room where Miss Ellis awaits. Only today, Zoe can’t focus—not when she notices neighborhood children playing outside, children she’s yet to meet. Watching all this unfold, Zoe’s parents decide it’s time for a companion—the furry kind, to be precise.

Everything changes when Zoe meets Hope at the dog shelter for the first time. The two girls form an inseparable bond over the following months and find in each other the one thing they both craved for a long, long time: a forever friend.

Loneliness isn’t forever.

Zoe was a sweet and kind protagonist. Many of the picture books I’ve reviewed have focused on more extroverted and sometimes noisy children for a variety of reasons, so it was refreshing for me as a reader to have someone leading the storyline who was a gentle and quiet soul. There’s something to be said for including all sorts of different personality types in fiction, after all!

I did find myself wishing that the plot had explained why Zoe didn’t seem to spend much time with people her own age since homeschooled children can still participate in all sorts of classes and extracurricular activities that will introduce them to potential friends. My first thought was that maybe she was immunocompromised or had some other serious health problem that made socializing in large groups unsafe for her. While I don’t know if this is what the author was intending to hint at, I would have loved to know more about her backstory and would have chosen a full five-star rating if the narrator had told us why adopting a dog was a better option for the main character than socializing with other children.

With that being said, I thought the adoption of Zoe’s new pet was a heartwarming chapter in her life. I especially appreciated the fact that Hope needed some time to warm up to the family after the stress of being abandoned and living at the noisy animal shelter for so long. This was a great reminder that how a new pet behaves at the shelter or at home for the first little while isn’t always the same as how they’ll act once they feel safe and loved.

A Friend for Hope was charming.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,
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