Currant Creek Valley-RaeAnne Thayne

Currant Creek Valley


RaeAnne Thayne

Harlequin HQN, Mar 26 2013, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373777471



In Hope's Crossing, Colorado thirty-something Alexandra McKnight feels good about her life as she has a wonderful family and friends who care about her just like she does about them even if men who matter seem to always hurt her. Further adding to Alexandra’s euphoria is that she will soon run a restaurant owned by Brodie Thorne. However, the contractor renovating the place left on a family emergency so Brodie hires Sam Delgado to finish Alexandra’s kitchen.



When they meet at the restaurant over an identity misunderstanding, she believes the temp is ideal for a short term relationship. Instead, former Ranger, widower Sam and his six yeas old son Ethan are relocating to start fresh. As Alex and Sam fall in love, she expects him to hurt her so she refuses to take a chance on father and son.



The latest Hope's Crossing contemporary romance (see Sweet Laurel Falls, Crossing Woodrose Mountain and Blackberry Summer) is an engaging drama starring a likable widower, his overly precious child and a doubting Thomasine; although her denial eventually becomes an irritant. With a wonderful natural background and a strong support cast add depth to the coming together of three people forging a family if Alex takes a chance on love.



Harriet Klausner

The Cherry Cola Book Club-Ashton Lee

The Cherry Cola Book Club


Ashton Lee

Kensington, Mar 26 2013, $15.00

ISBN: 9780758273413



For six years, Maura Beth Mayhew has been the librarian in Chericho, Mississippi. She has asked for nearby parking and internet access, but the council says no. Now head councilman Durden Sparks tells Maura she has five months to increase usage or the library will be closed and replaced by an industrial park.



Maura visits her friend Twinkles Diner owner Periwinkle who tells Maura to be tough. New resident Connie McShay mentions she and her husband Douglas were in the Music City Page Turners. They form the Chericho Page Turners Book Club. Maura’s friend Voncelle Nettles joins the book club. Cooking show radio host Becca Broccoli also joins, but cannot persuade her Stout Fella to sign up too. At the first meeting, they discuss the rules while Durden attends too. They change the name to the Cherry Cola Book Club and meet in a month to discuss Gone With The Wind. Library assistant Renette tells Maura she and her friends discussed whether they were a Melanie or a Scarlett. The club does likewise except Locke says he is a Rhett. Maura begins a concerted effort with the other book club members to save the library and meets Douglas’ nephew Memphis English teacher Jeremy.



Small-town politics comes across powerfully influential with little things like no parking or net access to make in this case a library visit unpleasant; yet at the same time the importance of libraries is emphasized also at a time when cuts reduce their effectiveness. Although the dispute between the council and the librarian never comes across as very threatening and people volunteer too easily, readers will enjoy The Cherry Cola Book Club’s book discussions and their fight to save the library.



Harriet Klausner

Slow Burn-Anne Marsh

Slow Burn


Anne Marsh

Kensington Brava, Mar 26 2013, $9.95

ISBN: 9780758287861



In Strong, California, photographer Faye Duncan is working on a piece on firefighters. Concerned for her safety, Los Angeles firefighter Mike Thomas asks his friend Evan Donovan to keep her safe as her ex knows she is apt to drive a Corvette though flames on a curving mountain road. More comfortable with blazes than women, Mike reluctantly agrees.



Evan is stunned by the fire in his lower body when he meets Faye; while she is equally as shocked by how hot he makes her by just being nearby. When she takes a photo of a probable arsonist, Evan keeps Faye safe. As they fall in love, she wonders if she can cope with his dangerous occupation as it is rhe second time for her; and he tries to deal with feelings he never had before.



The latest Smoke Jumpers romance (see Burning Up) is a fabulous thriller due in part to the lead characters and the arsonist coming across as genuine and even more critical as Anne Marsh does not romanticize the danger of fighting fires. In spite of the Slow Burn title and a relatively leisure boy and girl meets beginning, this accelerates into a fast-paced heated tale.



Harriet Klausner

Too Hot To Handle-Victoria Dahl

Too Hot To Handle


Victoria Dahl

Harlequin HQN, Mar 26 2013, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373777464



Merry Kade feels great when her best friend Grace Barrett (see Close Enough to Touch) hires her to change Providence, Wyoming into a tourist attraction as a ghost town. Euphoric she leaves Los Angeles for Jackson Hole, Wyoming only to find the Trustees responsible for funding the project hording the money; worse she concludes her employment is a sham as the board only uses her as a pretense to elude a lawsuit.



Still Merry decides to go ahead with the project. She hires Shane Harcourt, BFF of Grace’s boyfriend Cole Rawlins, who resides in the same apartment complex as she does, to begin the renovation. Shane and Merry are attracted to one another, but he feels guilty as he knows he will darken her sunshine when he devastates her optimism and affirms her belief no one would truly want her.



The latest Wyoming romance is an entreating contemporary tale starring a woman with low self-esteem and a man at war with his family. Readers will adore aptly named Merry, but disdain Shane whose avarice seems out of place until we learn the rest of the story. Although more on the project would have added depth to the somewhat thin storyline, fans will enjoy the love tale of two individuals reluctant to take a chance on love.



Harriet Klausner

The Love Shack-Christie Ridgeway

The Love Shack


Christie Ridgeway

Harlequin HQN, Mar 26 2013, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373777150



Combat photographer Gage Lowell returns to his family’s childhood summer home in Crescent Cove, California for his twin brother’s wedding (see Beach House No. 9 for Griffin’s tale). However, his recent stint on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has him shook up though he is stateside. Gage knows his correspondence with Cove childhood friend Skye Alexander kept him sane.



However, instead of a warm greeting, Skye keeps her distance from Gage. She has a secret she fears being exposed; and does not want to be hurt as she has loved Gage since they were children, but he never showed an iota of reciprocation. Skye expects once his sibling marries he will leave her life forever.



The third Crescent Cove summer romance (see Bungalow Nights) contains two engaging romances (the married sister of the twins Polly and firefighter Teague). Ironically, the Polly-Teague supporting subplot is the fresh entry while the main storyline between Skye and Gage comes across as similar to the previous tales. Readers will appreciate this warm summer romance starring likable characters with personal issues to overcome to achieve loving permanent relationships.



Harriet Klausner

Shades of Passion-Virna DePaul

Shades of Passion


Virna DePaul

Harlequin HQN, Mar 26 2013, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373777426



Still grieving the murder of his girlfriend, a psychologist, California Department of Justice Special Investigative Group Detective Simon Granger works the most dangerous cases while vowing never again let anyone get inside his heart. He is irate and frustrated when SIG assigns him to partner with psychiatrist Dr. Nina Whitaker. Ironically, like Simon, she does not want to pair up with law enforcement and she too grieves the murder of her sister.



After their teaming proves successful, an unknown deranged individual targets Nina; holding her culpable for a death and seeking revenge. Simon vows not again as he risks his life to keep safe his partner who he has fallen in love with.



The latest SIG romantic police procedural (see Shades of Temptation and Shades Of Desire) centers on how law enforcement and mental health providers deal with the criminally mentally ill; as each side comes from a different perspective due to their respective missions. Although the protagonists’ disagreement on the fundamental underlying mental health premise is raised too frequently, fans will enjoy this twisting thriller, which pays homage to Hitchcock.



Harriet Klausner

Breaking Point-C.J. Box

Breaking Point


C.J. Box

Putnam, Mar 12 2013, $26.95

ISBN 9780399160752



Authorized to carry weapons, Denver based EPA Special Agents Tim Singwald and Lenox Baker drive to Cheyenne where they meet Corps of Engineers’ civil servant Kim Love. The two EPA agents are delivering notification documents that neither read; but Love did and uses a separate car to take them to their location in the Bighorns. Love vanishes while Singwald and Baker die from gunshot wounds.



State game warden Joe Pickett investigates a hole in the fence that separates private and public land. When he finds his friend Butch Roberson, Joe warns him and orders him to repair the fence. Soon afterward, angry law enforcement officials accuse Butch of murdering the two EPA agents. Led by EPA regional director Juan Julio Batista, a horde of officials begin a manhunt for Butch who has vanished in the mountains. Wanting to insure Butch is not exterminated, riding horses, Joe and a posse of friends also search for Butch while avaricious former sheriff Kyle McLanahan, seeking the reward, likewise hunts the fugitive



The latest Joe Pickett suspense thriller (see Force of Nature) is an action-packed tale that focuses on the dispute between Federal government and local residents over use of government land with the former as evil and the latter innocent. Thus ignored are bureaucracies (even the Feds) are a microcosm of society with everyone knowing someone employed by the government and most Feds adhere to and enforce laws passed by legislatures and executives. Still fast-paced from the moment the two Feds lie dead, fans will relish this entry with its strong wilderness confrontation.



Harriet Klausner