Author's last name starts with G/H

When You See Me by Lisa Gardner🙂🙂👍👍

When You See Me by Lisa Gardner is an excellent thriller.  The book contains some seriously bad*ss women, a twisted plot and unknown killer(s).  The author’s story catches your attention and does not let it go until the surprising end.  

This book includes one of my favorite characters DD Warren and both Flora and the newer character Keith.  A body has been found in a small town in Georgia and looks like it might have been the work of Jacob Ness.  A task force is formed that includes Flora and Keith and FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and is designated to start the investigation. Only to find this case is soooo much bigger...and then there are some twists.  

This novel is full of suspense with characters of dubious motivations and some truly evil.  I loved the surprises that were uncovered and the turns and twists that were taken. Lisa Gardner knows how to weave a thrilling mystery.  When You See Me is a great read that will keep you totally caught.

The Shape of the Night by Tess Gerritsen🙂🤭👍👍

The Shape of the Night by Tess Gerritsen was a thriller. A mixture of paranormal and creepy stalker that was interesting to say the least.  The main character, Ava haunted by guilt and remorse moves to a remote location in Maine. She moves into an old mansion set on the cliffs right out of a horror story.  However, Ava is determined to finish her newest book, a cookbook, and find herself. The problem with that, includes a ghost from the past, Captain Jeremiah Brodie, local legends, gossipy old ladies, one huge Maine Coon Cat and a couple of nice guys.  Hard to believe all that works into this mystery, but it does. 

I liked the story line, which is saying a lot as I do not normally like anything with paranormal elements.  I loved how the house became an integral part of the story and made the story seem more gothic in nature. Tess Gerritsen’s newest novel The Shape of the Night was a good read. 

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin 🙂🙂❤❤👍👍

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin was a different type of thriller, but a thriller none-the-less.  We start out with some type A people, wanting to get rich fast in an investment banking industry.  We have the opportunity to see how they interact with each other and the cut throat strategies they use even with their closest co-workers.  Into this mix comes a younger woman who has struggled for every step she has taken, and through luck has found herself a job with these people.  The competitive nature of the business and the cut throat atmosphere leads to a series of incidences that are cruel and slowly move to … Four of these people are invited to an escape room for team building.  In reality they are concerned that they will be fired because their year has been so poor. Little do they truly understand.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is not a traditional thriller.  No one is chasing anyone down the cellar stairs. However, it is a thriller of another type:  one of people pitted against others, trying to stay a step ahead, hoping to maintain their luxurious and decadent lifestyle.  The majority of the characters are not likable, but you find yourself intrigued by how far they will go and how low they will fall.  The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is a good read with lots of twists and turns. People can go really, really low!

The Bad Luck Bride by Jane Goodger🙂🙂❤❤👍👍

The Bad Luck Bride by Jane Goodger is the first book in the St Ives Series.  I had not realized I had missed the first book and decided to read it right away.  In some ways I am glad this was not the first book I read, as I did not fall in love with it until I was almost 2/3 of the way through the book.  It is not that the story wasn’t interesting, as much as the pretensions of the “ton” irritated me to no end.  

The book introduces us to a group of girls (women) who are unmarried from the town of St Ives. Each of them wishes for a forever love and children.  They have been friends forever and love to spend time together. Lady Alice Hubbard has had the bad luck to be betrothed three times with each wedding falling through.  She has been dubbed the bad luck bride. Secretly she is surprised that she i not falling apart like she thought she would.  Perhaps it is because Henderson Southwell has shown back up and she is quite interested in him.  

Henderson Southwell left for India after his best friend Joseph died.  He could not imagine what happened and was devastated to lose him. However, when his grandmother wrote him to tell him that Joseph’s sister Alice was getting married a third time, Henderson realized he had to marry her himself.   Henderson does not know who his father is and is lucky that his grandparents didn’t care and loved him anyway. But he knows that his parentage will always be an issue.

The Bad Luck Bride had a slower start than I like, but once I made some headway the book got better and better.  The characters were fun and quirky. The situations interesting. The Bad Luck Bride was a good read.

 Broken Rebel by Sherilee Gray🙂🙂❤❤👍👍

Broken Rebel by Sherilee Gray was a fun read.   The main characters of Neco and Ruby made me root for them and their love.  Nico and Ruby had been together forever.  Neco protected her from her crazy mom and Ruby helped Nico with her love.  Both found a sense of family in the other one.  However Nico thinks he is not worthy of loving Ruby because of all the bad things he has done.  Ruby tries to get over him again and again.  To top it off, Ruby wants to work with the King Agency where Neco works, but not as the receptionist.  

The King Agency handles problems and finds out information.  The employees are men who are a mixture of hard, bad, sexy and alpha.   I enjoyed the bad guys to mostly good guys plot line.  I enjoyed the twists and turns of the thriller aspect.The story certainly had some dark elements, but I did not find them to be overwhelming. Reading Broken Rebel by Sherilee Gray made me want to read the first book of the series and all the others that will come out.  

Broken Rebel by Sherilee Gray was a good read.

Gone With the Rogue by Amelia Grey is the second novel in the First Comes Love Series. Julia Fairbright just wanted to reach the net and free the butterfly.  She didn’t expect to be caught by her collar in the tree. Garrett Stockton came by, saw her, saved her and now wants her. 

Julia’s life is very circumspect as she has a young son and her son’s grandfather is very strict and is not allowing her any freedom.  She knows that The Duke is not as good as he tries to make people believe. She overheard a tibbit and now is searching for proof. Garrett Stockton is not willing to give up and agrees to help Julia.  Together, the sparks fly and all starts to seem hopeless.

Gone With the Rogue was a fun read.  The strictures around a widow’s life are pretty strong during this time period.  I enjoyed Julia and her friends. Their determination to find a new way forward which is not expected was a key element in the novel. Gone With the Rogue by Amelia Gray was a good read.

Total Control by Laura Griffin🙂🙂👍👍

Total Control by Laura Griffin is the fourth book in the Alpha Crew series.  Let me tell you the Alpha Crew are hot, hot tickets. They are SEALS - need I say more?

Jack Heath is a SEAL who works and works more.  He has been part of many important missions and has not formed a lasting relationship because of the job. BUT then he met Alexa Mays, a kickass FBI agent and he fell.  She however does not want a relationship, because of her past and her job. Jack ends up helping her do some investigation, which turns a bit more lethal than either thought.  

This is the first book I have read in this series by Laura Griffin.  I have enjoyed other books she has written so I wanted to read more of her books. Total Control can definitely can be read as a stand alone book.  There are great chase scenes, hot scenes and some fun repartee between the characters. I enjoyed the book plot line and found it a quick fun read.  Total Control by Laura Griffin is a good read!

Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin🙂🙂❤❤👍👍

Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin is the second book in the Wolf Security Series.  The book follows Laura Griffin’s style with the romantic thriller genre. She also writes the Tracer Series, which are kickass stories as well.  

Private investigator Kira Vance is learning her job as she works under Ollie.  She is feeling a little used and ready to have words with Ollie when an armed gunman comes in and shoots up everything, killing Kira.   Kira immediately goes into PI mode and starts to investigate what truly happened. Luckily, she is hired by the same lawyer who has hired an elite security team Wolfe Security.   Jeremy and Trent are assigned to Kira. She continues to investigate only to draw the killer’s sight on her.

Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin is the usual gritty police, investigation drama.  I like Kira’s determination and doggedness. I did note that the book seemed to focus more on the drama than the love story between Kira and Jeremy, but I was not bothered by that.   I liked how Jeremy was willing to help Kira with her investigation, but was so worried about her getting hurt. There were some nice twists and turns. Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin was a good read. 

Summer at Firefly Beach by Jenny Hale🙂🙂❤👍👍

Aunt Clara’s beach house is a place to relax and connect as a family.  However, now Aunt Clara is gone, Hallie is not looking forward to going there.  This is, to her, another straw in the camel’s back. Things have been really hard, but this loss is almost too much.  In the last piece of correspondence from her aunt, was the to do list Hallie made when she was twelve. Hallie is expected to accomplish the list in order to receive her inheritance, but how can she when she is mired in despair.  

Once there with her family and her best friend forever Ben, Hallie immerses herself in moving forward by trying to accomplish her list of todos. The hopeless feeling comes and goes, yet Hallie moves forward...That is when the book gets very interesting…

Summer at Firefly Beach was good, but not great.  I really did not like how Hallie wallowed in her grief in the beginning, however once more information became known and she moved forward, I began to enjoy the book more.  Jenny Hale’s description of a small vacation town with the heat, sand and family was spot on. Summer at Firefly Beach by Jenny Hale was a good read.

An Inconvenient Duke by Anna Harrington🙂🙂👍👍

An Inconvenient Duke by Anna Harrington is the first book in the series called Lords of the Amory.   Marcus Braddock, Duke of Hampton is back from the war.   He returns only to suspect his sister was killed and did not die by accident. He is determined to get to the bottom of everything.  It is his sister’s best friend, Danielle that he believes has more information.

Danielle has been avoiding Marcus since his return.  She is just devastated by her best friend’s death and just can not face Marcus knowing the pain will be revealed.  She also has her own secrets to keep. She has been helping abused women escape and start again. Marcus starts asking questions and following Danielle only to “help” her with a problem.  

The problems compound.  Marcus and Danielle fall for each other.  Danielle’s charity has some difficulties with men determined to shut her down.  We have lots of bad men trying to take them down and lots of good men trying to help Marcus and Danielle. There were twists and turns and a  hotness factor. An Inconvenient Duke by Anna Harrington was a fun read.

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a wonderful book of friendship and finding happiness.  The story centers around Gray Howard, a woman with more than a full plate.  She is going through a divorce while sharing custody of her son with her soon to be ex and his young fiance.  She is fighting to main her company, one she started when she was in college.  She has lost her mother and feels that hurt deeply.  

The second main character is Diana Harrington.  She too has too much she is struggling with.  She has lost her job (not that she was good at it), lost her no good boyfriend (even though he represented safety and had a house), so she is living in her car.  

Gray and Diana end up helping each other and slowly a friendship begins to happen. Gray is surrounded by other wonderful characters who are funny and irreverent.   With Diana’s help, Gray begins to move forward and with Gray’s help, Diana moves forward as well.  

Feels Like Falling was a book that made me fall in love with the author. The author kept me totally engaged. The setting made me want to savor the warmth of the sun and the people.  I wanted to put my feet in the sand and watch the sunsets with the ladies.  The characters were wonderful, with a captivating story.  The story lines pierced the heart and then filled it back up.  The theme of women finding their happiness and letting go of the past with their friends and taking care of each other was key.  I have a new favorite author to follow.  I loved the book! Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a great read!

South Dakota Showdown by Nicole Helm is the first book in the series Badland Cops.  The series focuses on 5 brothers (Wyatt) who have escaped their father’s ruthless gang called Sons of Badland.  Jamison is the oldest of the brothers.  He was the one who helped the other brothers escape and when he left, he took Liza with him.   However Liza went back to the gang, tearing out Jamison’s heart.  Jamison went on to become a sheriff and move beyond his past.  So imagine how surprised he was when he ran into her breaking into his office.  

Liza never explained why she returned to the Sons of Badland and she is not doing a lot of explaining why she returned looking for Jamison.  All he knows is that Liza needs his help to save her youngest sister.  Suffice to say, he has to help her, but not all is clear about who is saving who. 

Jamison and Liza were two strong characters.  I liked their devotion to their siblings and to each other (even if they were clueless about it).  South Dakota Showdown by Nicole Helm was a fun read.

Covert Complications by Nicole Helm is the second book in the series Badland Cops.  The series focuses on 5 brothers (Wyatt) who have escaped their father’s ruthless gang called Sons of Badland. Cody has been with a secretive group who have targeted the Sons of Badlands, however once his father was put into prison, Cody’s task was completed.  He is searching for what is next when a surprise shows up.  

Nina left without a backward look.  She knew her one and only job was to run from Cody’s father and keep her baby safe.  She never looked back and never told Cody, he was a father.  Everything changed though when a man broke into her house and tried to kill her and her daughter.  She immediately went to the ranch for help.  She needed the Wyatt’s to help take care of her little girl.   She was the next target for Ace Wyatt, Cody’s father and the head of the Sons of Badlands.  Cody and Nina are on the run to pull out whoever is trying to kill Nina and Brianna.  

Nina and Cody are good together and I found myself really cheering them on.  I love how Nina managed to introduce her family to Brianna, even though they were not nearby.  Cody’s response to being a father made the story convincingly real. Covert Complications by Nicole Helm was a great read. 

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes🙂🙂❤❤👍👍

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes was a fun, sweet read.  The book is a fictional novel based on the time after Evvie Drake’s husband died when she was trying to find her way out of her stupor.  I enjoyed the main character of Evvie and felt that her character, a fixer was a character I could be friends with. According to Goodreads, this book seems to be linda Holmes’s first fictional novel.

Evvie Drake’s husband died and she has been stuck in a stupor since his death.  She seems to be struggling without him. Her bestie, Andy asks her to help him out and rent an apartment in her house to a friend, and ex pitcher.  Dean moves in and they agree to not talk about the two major elephants in the room, her dead husband and his dead career. As time moves on they become closer and even avoided conversations happen and where things become clearer.

I enjoyed the book Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes for various reasons.  I enjoyed the fact it took place in midcoast Maine and the structure of a small town that expands during the summer.  I enjoyed the relationship between Dean and Evvie. I understood some of Evvie’s grief and wanted her to move forward with Dean.  Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes was a fun, sweet read.

Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter starts with a bang - literally - over the head of Chase Radnor.  Now granted he has snuck in the house to gather information, but it was for a just reason in his mind.  Minerva Hepplewhite has him hogtied before he even comes to while she is brandishing a pistol at him.

Chase’s uncle, The Duke has died and left money to three unknown people.  Minerva was the first one he found and he wanted to learn more information, like did she kill his uncle and why so much money.  On top of that the government is also interested in the how and why of the Duke’s death and want Chase to investigate.  

Minerva Hepplewhite has not had an easy life.   She escaped a horrible situation to fall into a worse one.  She struggled with starting again and has been getting by. Finding out she is an heiress is a surprise, especially as she has no knowledge of who the Duke is.

The two main characters both work to investigate the situation and it is fun to watch them find information especially when they do not share it with each other.  I like the strength in both characters. The story was a fun historical romance. Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter was a good read.

 Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde🙂🙂❤❤👍👍

Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde was interesting.  The main character, after the death of a close friend and colleague went for a drive and ended up in the middle of nowhere.  She then buys a piece of land nearby with an old house, shed and barn. The farm has lots of acres and squatters. Soon Roseanna is living there with the squatters without any warning to her family, friends and coworkers. She has found she does not want to go back to Manhattan or any city ever again.  She calls and lets everyone know, she is taking some time. Suddenly, this high powered lawyer is living a simpler life and is finding her way. Until she is found and her new existence is threatened.

Catherine Ryan Hyde writes books about people who are broken.  People who need a family or connections with others. In this respect Heaven Adjacent is similar, but for me the main character was not as likeable as some of her others.  As the book went on I found myself liking the main character more and more and perhaps that is what the author wanted. To take a person who was unlikable and make her change to someone we might like better.

Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde was a good read.