Marvelous May with Harlequin and DELORES FOSSEN

 Welcome to May and Harlequin's fabulous selection of reads for the month! Here's the wonderful, Delores Fossen and her May title, LUCAS... 

LUCAS

By USA Today bestselling author

Delores Fossen

A Texas Lawman will do anything to protect his son – even if it includes reuniting with the boy’s on-the-run mother…

Lucas Ryland has always had a way with the ladies. That is, until Hailey Darrow dropped him after a single night of passion. Then he discovered her unconscious body in a wrecked car with a fake ID and enough money to disappear. Unbeknown to him, the one who got away was leaving town with his baby…

Now Hailey is out of her coma, but still in danger. However, hiding her at his Silver Creek ranch ignites old passions and introduces new threats. Lucas must use every protective instinct in his arsenal to keep Hailey and their infant son safe. And to keep his body from remembering how good it felt to hold her in his arms.

LUCAS

By Delores Fossen

April 18, 2017

$5.75 U.S.; 256 pages

ISBN-978-1-335-720955

LUCAS by Delores Fossen

1)      What is your favorite part about writing LUCAS?

LUCAS is the 12^th book in the Lawmen of Silver Creek series so I really enjoyed visiting with all the cowboy heroes from the previous stories. It was like going home to a family reunion.

2)      Is there anyone who you based Lucas and Hailey off of, or who you drew your inspiration from?

I was inspired by Rayland Givens from Justified. I thought he had that edge that I wanted Lucas to have.

3)      How many books have you written? Is there one that you would consider your favorite?

LUCAS is my 88^th published Harlequin, and I’ve written 12 other books. It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I think for now it’s BRANDED AS TROUBLE, an HQN that comes out July 1^st.

4)      When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, but I didn’t begin writing seriously until my kids were old enough to start to school.

5)      What is your favorite thing about writing contemporary romance?

It’s fun to “build” the ranch where my cowboy heroes and heroines live. And, of course, the best part is creating happily-ever-afters for them.

6)      What is the biggest misconception about your genre?

That the books are easy to write and all the same. They’re very different, and they’re definitely not easy. It takes a lot of work to pull a story together.

7)      What are a few of your favorite books? Do you have any recommendations?

I have SO many favorite books and authors. I love B.J. Daniels, Julie Miller and Lori Wilde. I also read Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

8)      What are your future projects are you working on?

I’m working on three new HQN books for my Wrangler’s Creek series. They’ll be out in 2018.

9)      Do you have any tips for people suffering from writer’s block?

I think it helps to make a schedule and then stick to it. That way, I know what I’m supposed to be doing every day.

10)  Do you have any advice for new writers?

Write as much as you can and experiment with various ways to do the same scene. That’s how to learn the best way to tell the story.

PLAYLIST FOR LUCAS!

·         Song Playlist: A prepared playlist of songs that embodies the book’s characters and their love story.

·         Austin - Blake Sheldon

·         Come a Little Closer - Dierks Bentley

·         Let's Be Us Again – Lonestar

·         Don’t Cry - Guns N Roses

·         Blue Ain’t Your Color - Keith Urban

·         You're The Love I Want to Be In - Jason Aldean

·         I Won’t Give Up - Jason Mraz

·         Stay - Rhianna 

Into Dust (The Montana Hamiltons #5) by B.J. Daniels

Every single title in B.J. Daniels' Montana Hamiltons series has made me shout out OMG at the end, shake my fist and wish I had a magic looking glass into the next book to find out what is going to happen. I have even tried to bribe B.J. to no avail. I have come to the conclusion that she just loves to torture her readers.... In a good way of course, but it's torture nonetheless.

Cassidy Hamilton, youngest daughter of Presidential hopeful, Buckmaster Hamilton, has spent her life in the spotlight along with her five sisters, and she's tired of it. For a while she was traveling the world and staying off the radar, but a attempted kidnapping yanks her back into an insane reality.

When handsome Texan, Jack Durand foils the kidnapping in progress, he and Cassidy are thrown together into web of lies, deceit and intrigue that no twenty-something has any business being embroiled in. When Jack discovers that his own father and possibly Cassidy's mother are involved in not only the abduction, but also a nefarious plot against the government, survival becomes the real deal for this unlikely pair. 

Being tossed together by these unbelievable circumstances, Cassidy and Jack feel the inevitable pull of their attraction for one another where they both begin to think that fate has put them together. With all the insanity going on around them all they have is the comfort they can give one another and the amazing instincts that Jack has for survival. Who can they trust? Possibly no one. And so goes yet another intriguing BJ Daniels thriller of a story.... I don't think I will keep sane until the final installment.

Ok, so this is a monster of a book with twists and turns that will have you biting you nails down to the nub, and I am seriously not kidding. B.J. Daniels is a master storyteller who keeps her readers on the very edge of their seats, especially with INTO DUST. Not only is Jack and Cassidy's tale fabulous, but my favorite couple, Nettie and Frank are knee deep in trouble too and their secondary storyline will have you gasping for air. One of my fellow respected reviewers noted that this series needs to be made into a TV mini-series and I so totally agree with her. It's just THAT good. Bravo Ms. Daniels for giving me so many gray hairs that I must dye it constantly. Yes, I am blaming you, Barb. 

An FYI for all, I found out today that Barbara Johnson Heinlein/B.J. Daniels dedicated this book to me and fellow Book Obsessed Chicks member, Janet Rodman. While I am over the moon and thrilled about this, it unequivocally has no bearing on the review of this book. INTO DUST is a treat that can't be missed.  

~KIMBERLY~

BETH WILLIAMSON DEVILS ON HORSEBACK REBOOT

Happiness is one of my favorite series getting a fabulous reboot and new release! Get a look at these sizzling new covers for author, Beth Williamson's DEVILS ON HORSEBACK series. 

If you have never read this exciting series, don't miss out on it now!

Devils on Horseback Book 1   NATE

Amidst the post-war chaos that rains down around them, a controlling man and a desperate woman must choose between life and love.

Nate Marchand grew up as the only son of the town drunk. As a Confederate soldier, he found that order in the chaos was the only thing that kept him sane. Numbers, information, keeping everything in its proper place became second nature. The chaos of the war and its aftermath sent him into a rigid state that he couldn’t seem to overcome.

He and his friends, nicknamed Devils on Horseback, leave behind the aftermath of war to start fresh in the west. Their new business venture flounders and desperation drives them to take whatever work they can.

The Devils are hired to remove the Taggert family from land claimed by Samuel O’Shea, the largest landowner in Grayton, Texas. When he meets Elisa Taggert, his entire world shifts beneath him. Attracted, bewildered, and off-kilter, Nate ignores his conscience in favor of his wallet.

The simple task of removing a woman, a boy, and an old man, along with a small herd of cattle, resembles a Medieval siege. Nate wrestles with what he knows is right with what he must do. Will his love for Elisa overcome his need for survival?

Devils on Horseback Book 2    JAKE

Haunted by war, a thief finds salvation in the arms of an angel.

On the surface, Jake Sheridan is an easygoing man whose problems roll off him like water off a duck’s back. Truth is, Jake holds so many past demons inside him, he daren’t let them out for fear he’ll never get them all back in.

He and the Devils are hired to help rebuild a town ransacked by marauders. Everywhere they turn, they encounter secrets—enough secrets to turn the town to dust if they don’t uncover the truth.

Only one person in town isn’t glad to see them: Gabrielle Rinaldi, the miller’s daughter. A strong and independent woman who is used to being disrespected for speaking her mind, she makes no secret that she doesn’t believe hired guns are the answer to the town’s woes. Yet she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic and charming Jake.

In spite of himself, Jake falls hard and fast for Gabby. But she’s wary of handing her heart to a man who lives by his guns.

When tragedy strikes, Jake and Gabby must fight to find a way to save the town—and their hearts.

Devils on Horseback Book 3    ZEKE

A cool man, a fiery woman, a love destined to ignite.

Intense, reserved and known for his strategic thinking, Zeke Blackwood has struggled to find his place in the post-war world. After the violent death of the first woman to capture his heart, Zeke retreats into a whisky bottle—until he’s handed the position of town sheriff.

Zeke sobers up and tries his damnedest to be the best lawman he can be. He hadn’t counted on the tempting new saloon girl to jeopardize his cold, unhappy existence.

Naomi Tucker is a survivor, a woman who made it through the war on her own wit and strength. She hoped moving to Tanger, Texas would bring her the peace and stability she yearns to find. Instead she runs head-on into a cool-eyed sheriff who welcomes her to his bed, only to push her away.

The wildness of the West is far from tamed. It threatens the town’s efforts to rebuild, Zeke’s bond with the Devils—and his fragile relationship with Naomi. As Zeke’s hold on sobriety slips, he and Naomi must choose between settling for half a life apart, or embracing all they could be. Together.

Devils on Horseback Book 4     LEE

When anger and tenacity collide, sparks are inevitable.

The Civil War took more than Lee Blackwood’s arm. It took his confidence, his pride…and hope that any woman will see him as more than half a man. His friendships helped keep the demons at bay—until now. As each Devil has found happiness, Lee is left alone to cope with the darkness that claws at his soul.

Genevieve Blanchard has only one thing going for her: her no-good late husband’s run-down farm. That, and a fancy name no one can spell might get her a cup full of dirt in Tanger. Room, board and seamstress skills aren’t much, but it’s all she can offer any man willing to help her bring in her wheat crop.

Reluctantly Lee takes on the job, enduring the widow’s smart-mouthed daughter and his growing attraction to a woman who stubbornly refuses to see him as anything less than whole. Slowly, his bitterness begins to fade under the light of their blooming love.

Then the truth of her past threatens to rip away everything: her farm, her child—and the man she loves. But this time, there’s a line of Devils between her and looming disaster.

Devils on Horseback Book 5     GIDEON

Handing over the reins is hard. Handing over his heart…damn near impossible.

Gideon Blackwood is on the run—from Tanger’s meddling matchmakers. With no intention of following the rest of the Devils down the aisle, he heads for the hills to reassess a life spent leading and caring for others…and runs smack into the business end of a shotgun. At the trigger: a curmudgeonly woman with a broken axle and a load of responsibility.

In Chloe Ruskin’s experience, men take what they want and leave a mess of trouble behind. The safety of two orphans and her granny is at stake, and the last thing she needs is Gideon’s “help”. This time, though, she has no choice but to allow the big cowboy to fix her wagon.

As they work into the night, grudging admiration grows into attraction—and desire. Gideon finds he can’t dig his boot heels in hard enough to avoid falling for the opinionated little female.

When Chloe’s family disappears, her suspicion threatens to destroy any spark of love before it catches fire. Gideon finds himself making promises his pride won’t let him break—even if it costs him the love of the woman who owns the missing half of his soul.

REVIEW: Texas Mail Order Bride (Bachelors of Battle Creek #1) by Linda Broday

This first book in the Bachelors of Battle Creek series by Linda Broday, Texas Mail Order Bride, is a gratifying trip into the old West.

The lovely Miss Delta Dandridge has answered a Mail Order Bride advertisement. Eager to begin a new life in a new town, Delta arrives in Texas only to be thwarted by her intended, Cooper Thorne. Evidently, Cooper did not place the ad, some ne'er do well , believing to know what was best for the confirmed bachelor did. 

Cooper, Rand and Brett  are as close as brothers can be, but the meddling that one of Cooper's handsome brothers does in this case makes for a wild ride. Cooper may want to run from Miss Dandridge, but the more he is in her presence, the more he is attracted to the beauty. The Bachelor's Club will do anything to thwart the marriage market, but even sometimes the most diligent naysayer gets drawn in. 

Delta is shocked and dismayed when she finds out that she isn't to be a bride after all, but she can't return to whence she came. Delta sticks it out in Battle Creek, where she finds herself self sufficient and very well liked.  Penniless but not without determination, Delta gets a job in the mercantile and things begin to look up for her. Now she doesn't exactly need her groom, but it sure would be interesting to see these two together. 

This first venture into Battle Creek, Texas Mail Order Bride, is a wonderfully written tale with solid characters who draw the reader in. Delta has pluck. I love her tenacity as well as her ability to adapt and endure. Watching the determined to stay single, Cooper wilt in Delta's presence is fabulous. Cooper also has an issue with someone trying to put him out of business and that mystery lead to a few tense and action filled moments in this book by author Linda Broday.  A true fan of the Mail Order Bride sub-genre, this is a wonderful read and I eagerly await the next installment of the Bachelors of Battle Creek, for it is a pleasure to watch them fall.

~KIMBERLY~