Unlucky Charms by Linda O Johnston

Blurb:

Rory Chasen, manager of the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, California, hopes her new line of good-luck doggy toys will be a hit, especially the stuffed rabbits with extra-large feet. The timing of the line’s debut proves ill-fated, though, as several local shops—including Rory’s—are ransacked and vandalized with spilled salt and other unlucky charms.

The most likely culprit is disgruntled real estate agent Flora Curtival, whose issues with the town give her a motive. But after Flora is murdered and one of Rory’s toy rabbits is found with the body, Rory needs all the luck she can get while trying to determine just who killed the superstitious vandal.

My review:

Unlucky Charms is a fun cozy mystery. It is the third in the series which I didn’t know when I got it but it can be read stand alone.  Destiny, California is a town built on superstitions. It’s their hook. Its what makes them a unique destination. So when local businesses start suffering a string of bad luck the town needs it to stop quickly. The pressure is on police Chief Justin Halbertson to solve it. When his girlfriend Rory Chasen becomes the prime suspect in a murder things get really intense. Who will solve the mystery first? I really enjoyed the interaction between Rory and Justin. I love the supporting cast even the four legged ones. I think I would have enjoyed this more having read the first two but on its own it is still a fun read.

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The Trouble with Mistletoe (Heartbreaker Bay #2) by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

If she has her way ...

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her ...

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him ...

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice ...

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let the mistletoe do its work ... 

My review:

Jill Shalvis proves you can write a small town romance in the big city. Neighborhoods are small villages in the big city. Cowtown is one such neighborhood in San Francisco and where this story takes place.  The Trouble with Mistletoe is a rapid fire romance. Willa and Keane go from cold to combustible in a few short weeks. I liked Willa. She has a heart of gold and a great support system. Keane grew on me and I ended up liking him a whole lot as well. I really like these characters and really want Elle & Archers story.

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ARe

His Big Bad Wolf by Lia Davis

Blurb:

Handyman Shannon Foster is tired of having to move from place to place before others notice he isn’t normal. And for the first time since contracting the werewolf virus, he wants to settle down in one place—with one man in particular. Neal stirs up emotions like no other and raises a possessive need to protect within Shannon. Just when Shannon starts to believe he could make a life in the small town and seduce the handsome ranger, things turn south. Fast.

Forest ranger Neal Hartman can’t get his mind off the new hottie in town. However, when a large wolf attacks two boys and one of them is killed, Neal has to focus on hunting down the beast. The full moon brings even more strange happenings, and yet another attack, where his partner claims to have seen a werewolf. But that’s impossible, right?

Neal turns to Shannon for help to track down the rogue wolf, but working together stirs emotions neither of them expected, and a fiery passion that makes it impossible for them to stay away from each other. But is Neal ready to learn all of Shannon’s secrets? 

My review:

m/m

His Big Bad Wolf is a short sexy tale of a turned werewolf finding his mate. This story is short and intense. My only real problem was Neal’s easy acceptance of  Shannon’s wolf after having seen it at a grisly murder site. But other than that I really enjoyed this story.

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Legal Wolf's Mate by Eve Langlais

Blurb:

Part of the "Growl" anthology (Also available as a single)

In Legal Wolf's Mate, taking on a pro bono murder case isn't a problem for a lawyer who enjoys a challenge. Discovering that his new client is his mate? A tad more complicated. Gavin has no intention of settling down, especially not with a woman accused of murder, but once he sets eyes on Megan, his fate is sealed.

My review:

Legal Wolf's Mate by Eve Langlais is sweet, sexy and full of surprises. Gavin is a successful lawyer and turned werewolf. Megan is a bad girl who is wrongfully accused of her boss’s murder.  Gavin agrees to take the case as a favor for a friend. What he doesn’t expect is for the curvy bundle of trouble to be his one true mate. He isn’t happy and neither is Megan but Gavin loves a challenge and Megan is the sexiest challenge he has ever had. I love the interplay between these equally strong partners.

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License to Shift (Grizzlies Gone Wild #2) by Kathy Lyons

Blurb:

BEAR MEETS GIRL...

Julie Simon returns to Saginaw, Michigan, to find her ailing father's missing research on local shapeshifter lore. Unlucky for her, the only person who can help her is the darkly sexy Mark Robertson, the guy who spent an entire summer giving her the cold shoulder-and one white-hot night of pleasure...

Mark is a hair's breadth away from going feral. Soon, his grizzly side will destroy everything that makes him a man. And after years of fighting, Mark is ready to give in to the beast. Then Julie-the gorgeous, curvy book nerd who awakened his most primal desires as a young man-shows up at his door. Now, he's fighting an insatiable longing to claim her as his mate. But Julie isn't the only one after her father's research. Someone-or something-evil is tracking Julie's every move...

My review:

A sweet, sexy second chance romance License to Shift is well worth the read. Mark is a grizzly shape shifter fighting not to go feral. Julie’s dad is an academic collecting stories that may hold the answers. Now Julies dad is in the hospital and Julie is back to take care of him. But Mark isn‘t the only one who wants the answers and Julie may be in danger. Mark is going to protect her from all threats even if he is the biggest one. I really enjoyed these characters.

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A Wolf's Deception (Black Hills Wolves #55) by T.L. Reeve

Blurb:

At twenty, Graham Truesdale found the love of his life. He would do anything for her…until the night she died. With a broken heart and death lurking in the shadows, he leaves Los Lobos with his family, fully expecting his life to end.

In one horrific night, Elle St. Claire’s life changes forever. Fleeing pack lands, she leaves behind everything she’s ever known. And once she hops a bus to North Carolina, she can never return.

Ten years later, the matrons decide true love needs a kick in the pants. It’s time to bring Elle St. Claire home. A single phone call changes Elle’s life once again. And though deception isn’t really her game, her life on the East Coast along with her dual nature have given her more than a few secrets to bare.

Pulling strings as they do, the matrons push the destined mates together, and Elle must find a way to combine her new life with the past. Can the she create a future with her one true love, or have the matrons yanked so many strings that everything has become a tangled mess?

My review:

After ten years of thinking his fated mate was dead and then finding she is alive I would have thought Graham would have run the gamut of emotions from elation to outrage. Not so much in this story.  Not that this is a bad story, far from it but that is my first thought. I liked Elle. She seemed real. Confused maybe but real. All in all a sweet sexy story well worth the read.

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ARe

You Never Know by Catherine Scott

Blurb:

Raul was abandoned by his parents and hurt by the one person he loved most in the world on the same day. So he has one rule. Don't get involved... that strategy worked really well until Sam showed up.

Sam is recovering from a humiliating break up. But he has a goal... to build his dream house. The last thing he needs is to fall in love again.

Sam and Raul struggle through jealousy and daily stress take a toll over time and threaten to destroy Raul and Sam's future.

My review:

m/m

I really enjoyed the characters in this story, neither was looking for love but when it hits you need to grab on with both hands. The story started off a little slow but picked up speed as Raul and Sam stole your heart. The ending was a little choppy but oh so worth it.  This was my first Catherine Scott book but it won’t be my last.

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