I don’t review every book I read. Not nearly. As much as I wish otherwise, I simply don’t have time—or sometimes the brain energy—to write dozens upon dozens of reviews. Plus, sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy a book without having to analyze as I read. But I wanted to talk about some of the books I read recently, so I thought perhaps I could compile a series of brief overall opinions for them. A review roundup, if you will. I don’t know if this will become a regular occurrence, I just know I keep thinking about these books and need an outlet. Luckily, I have a blog for that exact purpose. 😉
Title: Death is Not Enough
Author: Karen Rose
Series: Baltimore #6
I listened to the audiobook while I was cleaning house this week, and I was satisfied. I don’t remember getting the impression that Thorne was so emotional when he popped up in previous books, or that he was so into Gwyn, but apparently he had a tough-guy act that we got to see beneath in this one. I liked Gwyn, though I couldn’t relate to any of her experiences in life (thank god). I’m glad she’s healing from her trauma, and I’m glad they realized they love each other. It was also nice to see the rest of the cast once again, that all my other faves are happy and healthy. Also, I realized that the Sacramento books won’t be completely new: Clay Maynard’s biological daughter’s step sister will be the heroine of the next book coming in February. That’s cool; I’m interested in getting to know her. And she’s my age, so perhaps I’ll be able to relate to her better than I did Gwyn, who’s in her late thirties. Anyway, the plot in this book tied up some loose ends from previous books and wrapped Baltimore all up in a neat bow. I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed all the others—which is lots and lots!
Title: Tailspin
Author: Sandra Brown
Series: N/A
Another audiobook that filled the silence as I did other work. The narrator was amazing. It was everything I expected from Brown, and again, I was satisfied. I don’t think I felt as close to Rye and Brynn as I did to, say, Shaw and Jordie from Sting. Or maybe Tailspin didn’t make as much of an impression because neither of the leads were grievously injured (I love when that happens). But I liked them both well enough and enjoyed watching Rye struggle with wanting to not want to be with her. I love how Brown writes her male protagonists; they’re so real and romantically unromantic, if that makes sense. They’re irreverent to the romances they get caught up in, and they don’t realize they’re in love until they’re neck deep and sinking. As for the suspense plot, it could be considered a bit convoluted or confusing because within a matter of two or three days they traveled to several different places by various means. Here to there to here to there and back again. It got to the point that I ignored which city they were supposed to be in and just paid attention to who they were interacting with and what was happening, which was the important information.
Title: Hero’s Return
Author: B. J. Daniels
Series: Montana Cahills #5
Another audiobook, and my first B. J. Daniels novel in general. And I loved it! The mystery fascinated me and kept me guessing, though I kind of consider twists involving twins, triplets, etc., to be a bit of a cheat. Regardless, it was as fabulous web of darkness and lies. The characters were awesome—I found both Tucker and Kate funny, endearing, strong, and confident. I was particularly fond of Kate and her attitude. She was so headstrong, but in a good, self-sufficient way. She got a little too close to crossing the line into foolishly headstrong territory, but she owned it and acknowledged her bad decisions. Her jealousy might seem immature and pointless to some, but I related to it and appreciated that humanizing element. I was a little surprised things regarding Tucker, such as interactions between him and his family, weren’t a little more awkward considering he’d disappeared without a word for twenty freaking years. He was kind of just brought back into the fold like nothing could have changed. But that’s also a credit to his family, a cast of likable characters I want more of. I intend to check out the other books in the series and see if they’re just as good.
Title: Lone Rider
Author: Lindsay McKenna
Series: Wind River Valley #5
This audiobook was painful to listen to, and I don’t know why I didn’t just turn it off. Too lazy, I guess; it was noise. This book was terribly written. It might have been only fifth in the series, but all the backstory that was thrown at us made it seem like this was the tenth installment at least. There was SO MUCH exposition; it seemed like every time a character was introduced, no matter how secondary or tertiary, we got their life story right then and there. Talk about info dump… And the characters’ dialogue was so unnatural. Loads of exposition was delivered via dialogue without finesse or subtlety, and the characters spoke to each other of their emotions with so much openness and frankness that it was laughable. Tara and Harper were okay characters in general, but they had touchy-feely conversations that just don’t happen outside a shrink’s office, and maybe not even then. A ranch whose employees were all vets suffering PTSD was heartwarming, and I acknowledge and admire the gratitude and respect McKenna tried to convey for our veterans through that creative choice, but I feel kind of embarrassed that it was delivered so poorly. The theme of combat-related PTSD was so heavy and suffocating that by the end I’d gone numb to it, and that’s not the effect you want to have when you’re trying to show respect. I mean, it was a blatant PSA with a weak and terrible suspense plot shoehorned in, and I did not enjoy it.
Title: Surrender
Author: Joan Johnston
Series: Bitter Creek #11
This one was frustrating, because it started out okay. The tension and unresolved emotions between Taylor and Brian were intriguing and tragic in that missed-opportunity kind of way, and the plot promised to be exciting and action-packed. But partway through chapter six, I had to stop the audiobook, because it was pissing me off. I couldn’t spend another minute listening to Taylor whine about wanting to have sex. She and Brian had just jumped out of a plane that was about to crash—her first jump out of a plane—barely managed to drop onto the tiny spit of land that hadn’t yet been engulfed in flames, survived a bear attack, and gotten trapped in a cave without a way to contact anyone. All in quick succession. And all she wanted to do was have sex. That first life-affirming encounter I’ll buy—grudgingly—but did she really have nothing more pressing on her mind than sex? Like, I don’t know, maybe survival? But that’s not what really bothered me. If she was that horny and that unconcerned about their survival, then fine. What sickened me was that she practically begged Brian to screw her, while he’s trying to make responsible decisions. Where was her dignity? I don’t think birth control was even mentioned. And their backstory was so cliche. I don’t have time to read books that fail to earn my respect by chapter six.
Title: Mistletoe Miracles 
Author: Jodi Thomas
Series: Ransom Canyon #7
Ransom Canyon? We’re still on that series? Oh. Kay.
You know, these books that contain several separate stories in one novel have their merits, but this one is not a good example of them. The plots are far-fetched to the point of ridiculous. In one, a rancher on the brink of ruin finds a perfect solution—a woman with a powerful ranching heritage who has money to burn and needs a cover story for her accidental pregnancy. The conflict? She’s forbidden him from falling in love with her, which, of course, he does almost immediately. Then he pretty much just bides his time until she’s fallen in love with him, too, and they live happily ever after with their perfect solutions to each other’s problems.
*deadpan stare*
In another, a soldier by the name Johnson is found unconscious and delivered to the home of a woman who also has the name Johnson, and who has claimed to have a husband in the army to avoid sexual harassment at work. The cops just assume he’s her husband—because there are so few Johnsons in the world—and leave him there. The fake Mrs. Johnson comes home to find a stranger living in her house—and pretty much just rolls with it. She can’t tell the truth without exposing her own lies, and he has no where to go and nothing but the clothes on his back. They decide to play house, and then to make it permanent because why not?
*eye roll*
In the last, a firefighter with a gigantic guilty conscious witnesses an accident on a road near his hovel. Turns out the driver was on the run from an abusive ex; the ex-firefighter takes her and her dog in and protects them while they recover from their injuries. This is probably the storyline that was most neglected. As the woman recovers, she can’t speak, so they don’t talk to each other for a good portion of their story, yet somehow they come to care for one another. He stops her ex when the numbskull comes creeping up, and when she’s recovered enough to take care of herself, she asks him to leave with her and start a new life in the city. He hasn’t figured his shit out yet—what with the other two plots leeching pages—so she leaves and he goes to find her when he’s finally gotten his head out of his ass.
*sigh*
There were good, heartwarming moments, and at points I did enjoy them, but overall I feel like Thomas is cheating by pretty much combining three novellas with the thinnest of threads and claiming they’re a complete novel. I wish she would do the work and flesh out these plots into full, individual novels. I mean, why not? She’d make more money that way. Series centered around a town instead of a family never really took off as a trend, and I think she should let it go.
Title: Marry Me by Sundown 
Author: Johanna Lindsey
Series: Callahan/Warren #3
I don’t remember why I gave this book a middling rating. I know I was disappointed because neither of the leads were grievously injured. The opportunities for life-threatening illnesses or injuries were endless—but no, even living in the 1800s, isolated in the wilderness, working in mines, and being kidnapped, the leads remained hearty and healthy. *pouts, then squints* Why didn’t I… Oh, I think it was that I found it so unbelievable that Violet couldn’t say something to convince Morgan of her identity. Any other spunky heroine would have just started reciting her life story, giving as many details as possible and driving the hero nuts with her chatter until he finally believed her just to shut her up. I think there were other instances like that, where I wondered why he or she didn’t just do this or that to solve problem x or y. Faults in logic or flimsy reasoning.
