"Just Three Dates" by David Burnett








I was lured in by the description and completely enjoyed the beginning of this book; the meddlesome but endearing mothers convincing their children to agree to three dates in hopes they'd fall in love or at least marry for convenience's sake. The urgency to wed didn't make sense when Mark and Karen were both rather young. Mark was hung up on his ex-girlfriend for most of the story, and that made it a little awkward for me; especially when the truth about their break up was revealed. Some scenes seemed far fetched; Karen falls down a mountain, gets badly-injured, and can hardly move but goes dancing for hours immediately afterward; but the setting and descriptions drew a beautiful picture in my mind, and I was happy with the ending.


"Here The Truth Lies" by Seb Kirby




  



Emma Chamberlain is an investigative journalist, and she's also an alcoholic who reaches an all-time low when she works on cases her boss has warned her away from, and she's suspended. Corruption of police officers and an imprisoned man that Emma believes was wrongly convicted; she can't let go of them. She has no memory of her childhood, feels the people she's told are her parents are strangers. A ghostly little girl visits her bedroom at night, but Emma's not afraid of her. She wants to help the girl, and she'll have to follow clues to uncover her true identity, and in doing so, several layers are peeled and merge in this intriguing story that leads to a satisfying ending. I didn't want to stop reading. I highly recommend this book.


'Memoir of a Mad Woman' by Vashti Quiroz-Vega








'Memoir of a Mad Woman' by Vashti Quiroz-Vega was a short read made quicker by the desire to find out what happened to this little girl, Emma, or what happened to those around her. The 'evil' deeds committed upon this girl and the way she interprets and responds to them make you wonder; was she disturbed before the torturous events or was her mental state caused by them? You also feel sympathetic towards her; even though the revenge she exacts is quite brutal, a little part of me thinks they deserve it. Well done, Ms. Quiroz-Vega with a few tantalizing final lines that lead the imagination to what trouble Emma will find herself in next. 


"The Duke's Bride in Disguise (Fairfax Twins Book 1)" by Claudia Stone











Twins separated at birth by unfortunate secret circumstances find one another as young women. What do you know? One twin is engaged to a man she wants nothing to do with, and she plans to trade places with her sister who will have a much easier time chasing away the unwanted fiancĂ©. But, wait, her sister is in love with him.
 I enjoyed this story; it made me laugh, made me angry, and made me sad. Each character had something that drew a connection; and as a romance blossomed, a mystery was solved. I recommend this book.


"Crazy Little Thing" by Tracy Brogan







Tracy Brogan has done it for me again. I originally read a historical romance by her and went in search of her other books. I was not disappointed. Best book of its genre I have read in months. A perfect blend of comedy and error, serious and playful; these characters were a hit. The terrific small-town setting and crazy Aunt Dody made me feel at home. My favorite was Sadie's cousin, Fontaine. A romance with more. I highly recommend this book.