creek - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Anna J. Stewart (Hunting Colton’s Witness)

October 11, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Hunting Colton’s Witness by Anna J. Stewart is part of a series where each book has different stories written by different authors. In this book, the heroine, Vivian Maylor, becomes Detective Nate Colton’s key witness. He is attracted to her from the get-go. His determination to keep their relationship purely professional falls apart after an attempt on her life almost succeeds. With help from his newfound Colton family, Nate is hoping to keep Vivian …

Interview with Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm, and Jackie Ashenden (Sweet Home Cowboy)

April 8, 2022

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Sweet Home Cowboy is the third installment of the compilation written by Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm, and Jackie Ashenden. What readers get out of these four talented authors, who happen to be friends, are funny and riveting characters and a story that touches on sisterhood, womanhood, family, and friends. The story begins with all four half-sisters, Teddy, Joey, Georgie, and Elliot, reunited in Jasper Creek, Oregon after their grandfather, Jack Hathaway had …

Interview with Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Jackie Ashenden, Nicole Helm (A Good Old-Fashioned Cowboy)

February 5, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Good Old-Fashioned Cowboy is the second in the Jasper Creek series written by Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Jackie Ashenden and Nicole Helm. This is a compilation of authors who write about cowboy heroes and heroines. They focus on four best friends, similar to the authors views of each other. The plot begins with these four friends deciding to return to their small hometown of Jasper Creek Oregon. The best friends, Hope Marshall, Charity …

Interview with Margaret Mizushima (Hanging Falls)

December 23, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima is an excellent mystery. But readers get a bonus with this series as they learn about the bond between dog handlers and their canine partners. There is also a subplot that delves into the background story of the main character. While on a scouting mission to pinpoint trail damage from flooding, Officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo, along with game warden Glenna and her dog Moose, find …

Elise’s Review – Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler

December 3, 2020

Book Review by Elise Cooper Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler is the third in the Weaver’s Creek series. It delves into family bonds and faith, where forgiveness, love, loss, and resilience play a role. The plot starts off with Jonas Weaver returning home after being a medic during the Civil War. Coming home with him is Aaron Zook, a Confederate soldier who lost his leg in the battle of Vicksburg. Jonas’ sister, Elizabeth Kaufman, is trying to get …

Strawberry Hill by Catherine Anderson

November 4, 2019January 30, 2019

Title: Strawberry Hill Author: Catherine Anderson Series: Mystic Creek #5 Likable characters but terribly unfocused plot I liked this story, I found it both tragic and heartwarming, but it had some big problems narratively. At the center was Slade and Vickie, two sixty-something has-been sweethearts who were to be married until distrust broke them apart forty years ago. I didn’t relate to them all that much, but I liked Slade quite a bit. Vickie was meh. My biggest problem with …

Review Roundup Fall 2018

August 23, 2019December 16, 2018

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. …

Interview with Joan Johnston (Surrender)

October 10, 2018April 8, 2018

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Surrender by Joan Johnston is a romantic western. The main characters, Brian and Taylor have a history, they dated in high school. Playing on the Hatfield/McCoy feud, Johnston has the fathers hate each other. The plot begins with the protagonists forced to land the plane in the middle of a wild fire. With disaster looming, they must struggle to survive. Injured and starving, the threat of imminent death reignites something deep and powerful between …

Spring Forward by Catherine Anderson

October 10, 2018January 12, 2018

Title: Spring Forward Author: Catherine Anderson Series: Mystic Creek #4 — Stars Boring, didn’t finish I really don’t like reviewing a book I didn’t finish, so I won’t rate it (except on Amazon I have to in order to leave a review, so I gave a neutral three), but I did want to share my thoughts on the third I did read. Anderson’s a great writer, mechanically, and it’s obvious she puts extra effort into her descriptions. Several times I …

Blackthorne’s Bride by Joan Johnston

October 10, 2018June 28, 2017

Title: Blackthorne’s Bride Author: Joan Johnston Series: Mail-Order Brides/Bitter Creek Historical #4 Flawed upon closer inspection…only a fraction of a larger world I would like to thank Joan Johnston, Dell at Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Josephine Wentworth despises the Duke of Blackthorne. He’d saved her life, nursed her back to health, and promised to return her to her family—then shut her up in one of his …