(Image from Barnes & Noble)

In 1914, a period when women are most valued for their femininity and domestic skills, 35-year-old Constance Kopp sticks out like a proverbial sore thumb.  Towering over most men, she's a substantial lady who isn't afraid to declare her desire never to marry or have children.  She's (mostly) content to live out her life on her family's remote New Jersey farm with her two sisters, Norma and Fleurette.  Mostly, people let the eccentric Kopps be, which is how Constance prefers things.

While in the city one day, the sisters' buggy is almost run down by a reckless driver.  When Constance confronts their assailant, she comes face-to-face with an indignant and powerful factory owner who's none too happy about being contradicted by a woman.  The conflict begins a dangerous battle between the Kopps and the owner's goons.  When Constance is recruited to help the police department take down the gang, things get even uglier for the Kopps.  Constance soon finds herself having to defend herself, her sisters, and their property all while confronting the secrets of her past and facing an unknown future.

Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart is the first in a mystery series starring Constance Kopp, a real woman who became one of the first female police officers in the U.S.  Not surprisingly, she's an interesting heroine, who's likable and easy to root for.  A supporting cast of quirky characters adds humor to this based-on-a-true-story tale.  As for the plot, it might move a little slowly for some readers.  The pacing worked just fine for me—in fact, I found the story both exciting and entertaining.  In addition to being an enjoyable read, Girl Waits With Gun is also a clean one.  It touches on some sensitive subjects, but it does so in a tasteful way that's not graphic or lurid.  I appreciated this PG-rated mystery for that as well as for all the reasons I listed above.  I'll definitely be reading more in this fun series.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of the Maisie Dobbs mystery series by Jacqueline Winspear)

Grade:

Running a beachside taco stand gives Sophie Newton a front-row seat from which to view other people's happiness.  From the newlyweds who coo at each other over carne asada to the exuberant families sampling homemade salsa to sun-kissed teenagers flirting over fish tacos—it gets a little nauseating for a 28-year-old woman who hasn't quite gotten over a bitter break-up nine months ago.  The accusation her ex-fiancé flung at her ("You're already married to your taco stand!") might be true, but that doesn't mean The Sandy Tortilla is all Sophie wants out of life.

When her teenage employees flake on her at the worst possible time, Sophie finds herself desperate for an extra set of hands at the taco stand.  She ropes in a gorgeous stranger, offering Montgomery "Mont" Winters more money than she can afford to if he'll promise to help out for a few weeks.  Intrigued by both the cash and his pretty new boss, Mont agrees.  

It soon becomes obvious that the jalapeños aren't the only thing that's hot at The Sandy Tortilla.  But as the relationship between Sophie and Mont heats up, both began to doubt it can really work.  Mont's an up-and-coming movie star with an unpredictable schedule and, as one man has already pointed out, Sophie's more than a little tied to her booming beachside business.  Mont's a spontaneous free-wheeler who follows his heart; Sophie's a planner who lives by her lists.  Can two such opposite people make a lasting relationship out of their sizzling summer romance?  Or will it endure only until summer ends?

Perhaps best known for her YA books, Elana Johnson also pens romance novels for an older crowd.  Until Summer Ends, an easy, breezy story of sun and surf and unexpected love, is her newest.  It's a fun read with a warm, enchanting setting populated by characters who are engaging, though not terribly complex.  The plot's as predictable as the sunrise, but it's still fun to see Sophie and Mont fight for their Happily Ever After.  Yeah, they're both kind of shallow, yeah Mont's "passion" for being an actor doesn't feel very authentic, and yeah, the whole book's pretty cliché.  Still.  Bottom line?  I enjoyed this one, even if I wasn't blown away by it.  If you're looking for a light, sexy summer sizzler, definitely give it a go.

Bonus:  To celebrate the release of Until Summer Ends, the author is giving away a Kindle Paperwhite.  Click here to enter.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen and The Distance Between Us by Kasie West)

Grade:

Tiana Lambrose, a 21-year-old LDS woman from Malibu, is studying entomology at UC Riverside.  When she captures a bee that has been engineered to kill, she brings in the first real clue to what is happening with the insects.  No one knows who has the money, technology, and motive to create such a thing.  But Tiana vows to figure it out.  With the help of FBI agent Stu Whiteleather by her side, she continues the professors' research.  The closer she gets to the truth, though, the closer she's coming to sharing her professors' fate.  Can Stu keep her safe?  Or is she, too, destined to die from the silent and deadly sting of a killer insect?

Remember what I said about LDS romantic thrillers?  Namely, that they're not my favorite?  Well, Silent Sting by Clair M. Poulson is an excellent example of why.  I've been hesitating to write this post because contrary to popular belief, I don't actually enjoy writing negative reviews.  Especially about books written by nice old men.  But, I have to be honest—Silent Sting is a mess.  Not only is the plot confusing, but the prose is dull and the characters are cardboard stereotypes.  Poor editing makes thing even more befuddling (is Tiana's surname Lambrose or Lambert?  Is her dad Lloyd or Connor?).  Although I appreciate the fact that Silent Sting is a clean "thriller," I just found it boring, confusing, and difficult to slog through.  I had to force myself to finish it.  Considering LDS romantic thrillers aren't high on my list of favorite genres, I really

Jack is no 007.  She cashiers at Forever 21, for heaven's sake!  Still, when Agent Damon Wade asks her to help with the case of a local woman who went missing after meeting several men from Eter-knit-ty, Jack can't say no.  Scoping out potential killers is way more exciting than writing essays for English lit—even if she doesn't get to drive a sleek Bondmobile.  Jack's survived countless bad dates.  What's a few more?  Especially if her sacrifice helps the FBI find out what happened to Natalie Paul.  At the very least she'll get some free food out of the deal.  

As Jack meets with the men who also asked Natalie out, she realizes just how desperate the singles scene in Utah Valley really is.  She's been bored to death, groped by a human octopus, suffered the side effects of a major sugar coma, and still, she's no closer to finding out what happened to Natalie.  Sure, Damon's annoying, buttoned-up personality is growing on her, but that's a relationship that's clearly going nowhere.  

Jack's convinced the mission's a total bust until she, herself, is threatened.  With the FBI now determined to pull her off the case, Jack has to up her spy game and find Natalie before she, too, vanishes off the face of the earth.  If she wasn't convinced before, now she's certain—dating can be murder.  

You've probably noticed by now that LDS romantic suspense does not top my list of favorite genres.  Despite the number of such novels that are published every year, I've yet to come across one that feels even a little bit realistic.  Too often, they're not just ridiculously far-fetched but terribly written as well.  Biased as I am, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from A Date With Danger, a debut novel by Kari Iroz.  The generic Sandra Bullock-y cover didn't bode well for what was inside.  And yet, I was pleasantly surprised by the story.  Not because the tale is super realistic (it isn't) but because it's light, funny, and more entertaining than I expected it to be.  The novel doesn't take itself too seriously—it's more rom-com than mystery/thriller.  Unapologetic about it, too.  I liked that as well as the lighthearted fun-poking at LDS dating culture (which, thankfully, I never had to suffer much through).  These things make the novel entertaining, even when Jack and her adventures get a little too absurd.  Sure, I saw the big reveal coming from several miles away, but still, A Date With Danger remained a fun, satisfying read throughout.  To my great surprise, I quite enjoyed it.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of A Date With Danger from the generous folks at Covenant Communications.  Thank you!

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Want more opinions about A Date With Danger?  Check out the other stops on the book's blog tour:

June 27th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

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June 29th: http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/

June 30th: http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/

July 1st: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://littlelightdesigncollective.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/

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Will and Hannah have such a comfortable, easy relationship that he turns to her for help when he decides to use an Internet dating site to find himself a wife.  Seething on the inside, Hannah does everything she can to sabotage Project Marriage.  Everything except telling him how she really feels.  Been there, done that—with disastrous results.  As all of Hannah's plans fail miserably, she begins to wonder if she's the one standing in the way of his happiness.  Is it time to put her Will obsession to rest, allowing both of them to move on?  Her own Internet dating exploits have landed her with the perfect rebound guy.  Can Hannah's heart beat for anyone but Will?  Or is she doomed to watch the man she's loved for fifteen years walk down the aisle with someone else?  

Some authors love to keep readers guessing by experimenting with different genres, characters, and themes.  That's great.  But, there's something to be said for a writer who sticks with what works.  That's one of the things I love about Melanie Jacobson.  I can always count on her for a fun, upbeat romance that will make me laugh and swoon in equal measure.  Always Will, the author's newest, is no exception.  Like all of Jacobson's heroines, Hannah is no shrinking violet.  She's a smart, successful professional who's proud of both her brains and her beauty.  Not to mention her physique, which she maintains with a rigorous running schedule.  While Hannah's confidence and good humor make her both likable and admirable, her self-absorption gets annoying.  Will's constant thoughtfulness toward Hannah shines a harsh, contrasting light on how little she does for him (or anyone else for that matter).  Still, I enjoyed the duo's warm friendship, with its realistic irritants and slow-burning tension.  If felt real.  The banter between the two is especially engaging.  Plot-wise, the story isn't very original, but it does take a turn I didn't see coming.  I appreciated that little twist because it made the whole story more authentic, more mature, more true-to-life.  All in all, then, I found Always Will to be an easy, fun romance that sparkles with the typical wit and warmth I have come to expect (and always find) in  a Jacobson novel.  This is what keeps me coming back to her books.  I've said this before and I'll say it again:  If Melanie Jacobson writes it, I'll read it.   

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Melanie Jacobson's other novels:  The List; Not My Type; Twitterpated; Painting Kisses; Second Chances; and Smart Move) 

Grade:

*October 5th: http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/

*October 6th: http://fireandicereads.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/

*October 7th: http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/ 

*October 8th: http://www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://littlelightdesigncollective.com/, http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/

*October 9th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/

One of the hottest young actresses in Hollywood, Emma Taylor is used to life in the limelight.  And that's before the 18-year-old is cast in a lead role on Coyote Hills, a new t.v. drama.  The series also stars bad boy Brett Crawford, who's been Emma's crush for years.  As if the thought of working with him isn't making her nervous enough, she also has to deal with snooty Kimmi Weston and Jake "The Bod" Elliott, a famous model who's so down-to-earth he's making Emma rethink her feelings for Brett.  Although Emma's made a vow not to date another co-star (been there, done that), Brett's proving very hard to resist.  Then there's Jake, whose humble kindness makes him even more attractive.  

Try as she might, Emma can't seem to help falling for Jake.  The more she does, the guiltier she feels, as she promised her childhood BFF that she'd set her up with The Bod.  With the paparazzi recording her every move, Emma has to decide what—and who—she wants before the media spins its own story about her.  At risk of hurting everyone she loves, Emma needs to straighten out her confusing life—and fast.

There's lots to love about Not in the Script, a debut novel by Amy Finnegan.  The story's light and fun, with an interesting, behind-the-scenes peek at life on a t.v. set (Finnegan mined her brother's experiences working on-set for Fox to make the tale authentic).  Minus a little violence and innuendo, it's a clean book that maintains a bright, upbeat tone.  As a lover of teen books as well as a mother who worries about the content my 13-year-old daughter finds in popular YA offerings, I consider all these elements plusses.  

Why, then, didn't I love Not in the Script?  Let's start with Emma.  I appreciate good girl heroines, but it annoys me when these fictional lasses have perfect little lives where nothing ever goes seriously wrong.  Without conflict—real, tough, life-changing conflict—Emma doesn't have a story.  Sure, she hits little bumps here and there, but overall, everything sails along smoothly for her.  Because of this, I had trouble empathizing with Emma.  I just didn't care that much.  Since the other characters felt really cliché, I felt the same way about them.  This ambivalence about the story people and their situations made Not in the Script seem like a really, really, really long book.  Overall, I found the novel boring and, because it was really just a romance that worked from the start, kind of pointless.  If I hadn't been reading Not in the Script for The Whitney Awards, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

To be fair, I seem to be in the minority on this one.  Not in the Script gets mostly excellent reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.   

(Readalikes:  Not in the Script is part of Bloomsbury's If Only line; although the books are all standalones, presumably they're similar?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for sexual innuendo and violence 

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Crooked House, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Erica Coleman mysteries.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

When Megan Kemp calls Erica Coleman with a plea for help, Erica responds immediately.  She can't leave her best friend's daughter in the lurch, no matter how crazy Megan's story sounds.  And it does sound a little loony.  Megan, a sophomore at Delaware State University, is convinced someone is trying to kill her roommate, Liz Johnson.  After the deaths of her parents, Liz inherited a ramshackle old mansion aptly named Crooked House.  The recent victim of several "accidents," the young home owner seems to have become a target for someone with deadly intentions.  But why?  Has Liz's failure to restore her historic home finally pushed her impassioned neighbor over the top?  Is an angry ex-boyfriend out for revenge?  Or is Megan reading too much into a few unlucky mishaps?

As a former police officer and current private eye, Erica is in a unique position to help Megan and her roommates get to the bottom of Liz's recent misfortunes.  Leaving her police officer husband in charge of the kids at their home in Farmington, Utah, Erica moves in with the college girls at Crooked House.  Living with the roommates (while spoiling them with her scrumptious baking and obsessive cleaning rituals) gives Erica a chance to observe their goings-on firsthand.  Something fishy is definitely going on.  As Liz's "accidents" escalate in severity, Erica knows she must find out who's responsible for them—and quickly.  One person has already died.  Any one of the women at Crooked House could be next.  

While I'm not huge on cozy mysteries, I do appreciate a story that's both entertaining and clean.  So, when I read the plot summary for Crooked House, a new mystery by Marlene Bateman (Sullivan), I thought, why not?  Not realizing it's actually the third book in a series, I dove right in.  Maybe it's because I "met" Erica Coleman mid-series, but I didn't feel much of a connection to the obsessive-compulsive private investigator.  She struck me as a pushy, overbearing, annoying know-it-all.  I just didn't like her that much.  Plot-wise, Crooked House moves along fairly quickly, offering a few surprises here and there.  Prose-wise, however, the storytelling feels sluggish because of Bateman's over-reliance on telling rather than showing.  The inclusion of LDS doctrine in the story gives it a unique slant.  Although it's dropped in rather abruptly at times, the religious aspect never gets preachy, keeping the novel accessible to non-LDS readers.  Another fun element is the recipes included in the book; they sound different and delicious.  A winning combination, for sure.  Overall, then, I found Crooked House entertaining, if not wholly satisfying.  While I appreciated its PG-ness, its uncommon setting (not many novels are set in Delaware), and its yummy-sounding recipes, I would have liked tighter plotting, more dynamic writing, and a warmer, more likable heroine.  Crooked House can definitely be read as a stand-alone, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I started with the first book in the series.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of the Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mysteries by Josi S. Kilpack [Lemon Tart; Pumpkin Roll; English Trifle; etc.])

Grade:

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After the devastating scandal that broke her heart and shattered all the illusions of happiness her fancy Manhattan life seemed to offer, Lia Carswell came home.  Six years later, she's still too paralyzed to paint the pictures that made her famous.  Instead, she throws her energy into less lucrative projects—slinging hash at a local diner, babysitting her 3-year-old niece, and soaking fresh mountain air into her soul.  She's too busy helping her younger sister make ends meet to worry about petty things like romance and art.  But both are about to come crashing back into her life.  With a vengeance.

When Lia receives word that a wealthy buyer would like to commission a painting from her, she wants—desperately—to refuse.  She promised herself she would never again allow pieces of her heart to be sold to the highest bidder.  And yet, her niece needs expensive therapy to help with her developmental delays.  Lia can't afford to say no to any paycheck, let alone one that could send Chloe to the best school around. 

Crippled by fear and doubt, Lia picks up her brush.  While she struggles to find the muse that turned her art into the most sought after in New York, she's got another problem:  Aidan.  A regular at the diner, he's determined to break her hard shell.  Lia's not into players and their games.  Maybe her laidback, ski-obsessed neighbor has a better chance of warming her heart?

As Lia rides the ups and downs of her suddenly complicated life, she must re-discover who she really is and what she truly wants.  But knowing her heart means finding the courage to follow where it leads, a risk Lia's not sure she can ever take again ...

Melanie Jacobson has published six novels.  I've read them all.  I've liked them all.  But, this one?  My favorite.  Hands down.  At less than two hundred pages, Painting Kisses is a quick, enjoyable read.  Unlike her other books, Jacobson's newest is written for a mainstream audience instead of an LDS one—still, aside from a little innuendo, it's as clean and uplifting as her previous novels.  Filled with her trademark warmth and wit, this one seriously gave me all the feels.  It made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me swoon ... Was the story predictable?  Absolutely.  Contrived?  Yep.  Did I care?  No.  (Okay, a little.)  Overall, though, I loved this one.  It spoke to me.  Jacobson once told me she was determined to write a story that would earn an A from me.  Guess what, Melanie?  You did it.  

(Readalikes: Reminded me of Falling Home by Karen White)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Painting Kisses from the generous folks at Covenant Communications in exchange for my participation in the book's blog tour.  Thank you!

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