MARES AND MURDER by Leslie Langtree
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Humor (coming May 2026)
5*****

Blurb: Hold your horses! The end of summer still holds surprises when ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath Ferguson gets an offer to take her troop of girls to a dude ranch in Colorado! Demon’s Point Dude Ranch is owned by a college friend who wants Merry’s troop to test the staff and trail ride. The girls are gung ho, rounding out the troop with goth girl Draconia and Future Espionage Agents of America member Ardith. You can’t look a gift horse in the mouth… The troop is really champing at the bit to go on the remote, three-day trail ride through the Rockies and find the abandoned gold mining camp hidden there, until disaster happens and they find themselves cut off from the rest of the world. When the only person who knows another way back ends up murdered, the group has to change horses in midstream to figure out how to get back to the ranch. Merry needs her horse sense to find the killer before Happy Trails turns into Murder Trails!

THOUGHTS: I have to say that I think this was my favorite book in the “Merry Wrath” series. In this one, we had just the Girl Scouts (plus two) and Merry and Kelly. Even without the others, this was still full of action, adventure, and mystery. I will admit that I would love to have Inez and Betty handle my paperwork and “stuff”. But Betty does scare me! LOL

In this one, an old friend of Merry’s is starting up a Dude Ranch in Colorado and asks Merry and her girls to be their first guests for a trial run before they open. The staff (all women except the cook) and they plan to take the girls on a trail ride. One member of the staff–the trail leader and the only one who knows the trails–is hated by all and ends up dead. And because of a landslide, they cannot turn around and go back the way they came. Unfortunately, nobody else knows the way back to the camp so they are stranded in the mountains.

But that’s no problem for Merry’s girls. They set up camp, pan for gold in a stream (and find a bundle!), talk to a deranged mountain lion who acts like a big cat, while Merry quietly investigates the murder. She has five suspects – and no clues. At least, not until they finally get a sat phone that works and can get word out about what has happened.

My favorite quote was near the end when Merry asks one of the new girls if she’d like to continue with the group. The girl’s answer: “If my first outing with you guys,” Draconia began, “included murder, sabotage, theft, gold nuggets, and kidnapping that ends in a knife fight…I’m in.”
LOL – This is just one of many “nuggets” in the story.
Best Merry Wrath story yet!

HIS SWEET OBSESSION by Twilla Kay Lamm

Fiction, Historical Romance, Western

4****

Blurb: Following the Civil War, Captain Ethan Reed is recruited to find the truth behind the Lincoln Conspiracy. The facts are not as they appear. John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger, but did someone else point the gun? Ethan’s job is to answer this question and see justice served, no matter the personal cost. Tormented with no answers about the death of her fiancé, Doctor Sabrina Clay seeks the truth—was it suicide or murder? If there is an answer, she must find it. On a hot day in Fort Hex, Kansas, Sabrina’s and Ethan’s lives intersect. They’re soon entangled in a web of deceit as attraction sparks. Will they discover the truth, even at the risk of their love?

THOUGHTS: This story takes place in 1866 in a western fort – Fort Greer – shortly after the end of the Civil War. Army Captain Ethan Reed has been assigned to investigate Lincoln’s assassination and the people involved. Booth may have fired the shot, but there were others who worked with him. His investigation leads him west to Fort Greer where the fort doctor has supposedly committed suicide. The doctor, William Nelson, was suspected of being a conspirator and Reed needs to discover the truth.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sabrina Clay refuses to believe her fiancé, William, killed himself so, with the blessings of the Secretary of War (a friend of the family) she heads west to find out what really happened. At first the head of the fort refuses to accept a woman as a doctor, but she saves the life of a woman giving birth as well as several injured men. Oh, and she saves a wolf who was attacking their horses! I loved that part!

The connection between Sabrina and Ethan is well-done, at least until she discovers he has lied to her about William from the beginning. I also love the relationship between Sabrina and her mother and sister. The way the author brought out the reasons behind her sister’s animosity was well done, as was the reason behind her mother’s “abandonment” when Sabrina was little.

I really enjoyed the story, the suspicions and suspects are multiple – and I actually did not really guess the perp! An unusual failing on my part so kudos to the author. The only thing I had a problem with was the ending. It just seemed abrupt to me. Yes, everything was wrapped up nicely, but… it just felt like there could have been more.

Still, recommended as a good read with a lot of suspense and a satisfying outcome.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

WITH THIS HEART by Heather Alexander

Fiction, Time Travel Romance, Third in Kincaid Brothers Series

5*****

Blurb: When a mysterious portal thrusts 19th-century physician, Dr. Caroline MacKenzie, into present-day Montana, she discovers two irresistible cutting-edge medicine and the smoldering gaze of James Matheson Kincaid. Despite his burning hatred for the portal that once tore his family apart, James can’t deny the fever the raven-haired beauty from another time ignites within him. Their days together become more precious when they learn about the portal’s looming Caroline must return to 1883 before December 31st or cause severe catastrophic reconfigurations to the timeline. The couple gives in to the passionate desire building between them and confesses their love for each other. But Caroline uncovers a painful truth that tips her decision and sends her back through the shimmering portal to save her mentor. Can James overcome his deepest fear of the portal to reclaim the woman who’s captured his heart…or will Caroline be trapped in the past forever without the love of her life? 

THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this book though I did have a little trouble getting into it at first. I wasn’t sure who some of the people were and what the relationship was between them all, but the author brought in the backstory in such a way as to make it clearer. By the end of the story, I was completely invested in the relationship between Caroline and James. And yes, there was an issue since she was in 1883 and he… wasn’t. But come on, this is a romance so you knew something had to work out between them somewhere and somehow.

In this story, Caroline is a doctor in a small western town in 1883. While it’s unusual for a woman to be a doctor in that time, she works with a trusted doctor and the townspeople come to trust her (eventually). When a bright blue light appears in her barn, she investigates and gets pulled into current day and into the life of James Kincaid. His two brothers and their girlfriends/wives got pulled back in time and then back to now so he knows what’s going on—sort of. Over the months that Caroline is here, he falls hard for the smart, beautiful, intriguing woman. When she gets pulled back, he feels as though a part of him has died.

I do recommend that you read the entire series, especially the first two books first so you know what’s going on better. I love the whole “Malachai from the future” part. This is a good story with an intriguing background. Recommended as long as you read the first two first.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

A BLUE RIBBON MURDER by T.C. LaTempio

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Urban Tails Pet Shop Series

4****

Blurb: When the organizer of a major cat competition is murdered and the grand prize is stolen, Shell McMillan will have to claw through the clues to catch a killer . . .
The Kitty Club Cat Show has come to Fox Hollow, and everyone from casual cat lovers to competitive breeders has shown up for the contest. Pet shop owner Shell McMillan has two cats entered, and like everyone else she has her eye on the grand prize, a vibrant red leash with a solid gold cat-head figurine attached. As the judging begins, cat owners clash and the fur flies, until a power outage throws the whole arena into darkness. But when the lights come back up, the event’s organizer is found dead and the grand prize is missing. Shell knows the obvious suspect is the victim’s stepson, who’s up to his neck in gambling debts and would kill to get his hands on his inheritance. But there are plenty of disgruntled competitors to consider too, including some who had an old score to settle with the victim. Every clue is catnip for Shell, especially as she puzzles out whether the thief and the murderer are the same person. Either way, with two crimes to solve and a killer on the loose, she’ll have to tread carefully so that her dreams of Best in Show don’t end with Rest in Peace . . .

THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this story, but was a bit lost on some of the characters. I will note that I haven’t read the other books in the series so I was coming into this without that background. The mystery was well done without the background, but the relationships between the characters was a touch confusing. At first, I thought Shell and Gary were a couple. I mean, they live in the same house and work together. Then I find out that she has a boyfriend, Josh, and Gary is just her bff. They used to work together on a hit TV show but now work in a pet shop. And Shell has three cats who help them solve mysteries. In this one, there’s a cat show competition going on and Shell has entered two of her cats. There’s a $25,000.00 grand prize and a special secret prize from a noted artist. So of course, there’s a murder and a theft.

It was obvious to me from the start that the two things were connected, though not everyone in the story thought so. And there are a lot of suspects. Shell and Gary go to work trying to solve the mystery. Who killed the two women? Who stole the special prize?

I especially loved the ending with the cat helping to take down the perp. Nicely done.

Recommended, but like most series, I suggest starting with the first one in the series first so you know who’s who and what the relationships are.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Blurb: Joss Dane is not overly worried about her husband Sam going alone to London for the 1814 Peace Celebration until she gets a letter from his former commander telling him he must assassinate an innocent Quaker, an advocate for permanent peace. She rushes to the city to consult with Sam. Sam is staying at Dane House but cannot control his former captain or make sense of the minor official who wants to hire Sam to protect the Quaker. The suspicion that both Sam and the captain are having their strings pulled forces Sam to protect the innocent man on his own while looking for another target higher in public recognition.

Buy link

https://amzn.to/4av936A Amazon Barnes & Noble

Kobo Google Books ITunes

Bio: Barbara Jean Miller taught in the Master of Fine Arts, Writing Popular Fiction, graduate program at Seton Hill University from 1999 to 2024, when she joyfully retired. She writes in several genres but her favorite is historical romantic suspense where the heroine and hero share equally in the solution. Barb lives with her computer expert husband on a farm in western Pennsylvania with a pack of unruly dogs and a pride of contented cats who now have their own observation deck.

Find her at her newsletter site:

https://barbarajeanmiller.substack.com

Substack link

https://barbarajeanmiller.substack.com/

LEGACY LIES LOYALTY by Darlene Fredette

Blurb: When loyalty is tested, and lies run deep, the legacy they inherit could cost them everything. Bound by a loved one’s promise, Jordan McKenzie is devoted to caring for the historic estate she calls home. But a string of mysterious accidents pulls her into a web of danger. When a hidden family connection surfaces, and an innocent kiss lands at the worst possible moment, she’s left questioning trust, devotion, and the people closest to her. Chef Logan Crane returns to Redford Falls, hoping to claim an inheritance that could make his dream restaurant a reality. Meeting Jordan changes everything, and her warmth becomes an anchor in the storm he never saw coming. As old wounds reopen and loyalties shift, he realizes she’s the one person he can’t imagine facing the truth without. With danger looming and long-buried secrets emerging, Jordan and Logan must decide what—and who—is worth fighting for.

#LegacyLiesLoyalty #RedfordFallsSeries #SmallTownRomance #ContemporaryRomance #RomanceMystery #RomanceSuspense

Buy Links:

Amazon

Author Bio: Darlene Fredette is a multi-published author of contemporary women’s fiction that celebrates resilience, romance, and the small-town magic woven into ordinary days. Step inside her world for heartfelt stories, character-driven moments, a touch of charm, wit, twists, and just enough intrigue to keep you turning the page. Residing on Canada’s scenic Atlantic Coast, where summers are too short and winters too long, she finds inspiration from family, nature, and the quiet moments that ignite the imagination, and enjoys life with her husband, daughter, and two oversized, loveable dogs.

Social Media

Website: http://www.darlenefredette.com/

Blog: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenefredette1/

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/darlenefredette.bsky.social

Note: A few years ago, I read this book under a different title (Finding Home Again). I loved it then, and it’s still a good read. Definitely recommended.

Blurb: How do you fight something that has the ability to turn into fog? It’s up to Jade Pike and her team to figure that out before an ultimate evil is released in the world.

Jade Pike is a paranormal bounty hunter for Scythe, a part of Other World Logistics (aka OWL). When her old training partner, Malachai, meets up with her on a job, she knows something is wrong. And when her twin brother and Mal’s cousin also show up, there’s no doubt trouble is brewing. Together, they must solve a 300-year-old mystery in order to keep an evil witch from becoming unstoppable. But it will take everything they have…and more to overcome their foes.

Buy links:

Amazon

Author Bio: It seems like I’ve been writing and editing forever. And, in a way, I have. But only professionally for the last twenty years or so. I’ve worked for newspapers and magazines, done policy and procedures manuals for organizations and the government, and worked as an editor for a variety of publishers and private clients doing everything from novels to college-level textbooks.

As a writer, I write fantasy, science fiction, paranormal and romance novels and novellas. At various times in my life, I have been a teacher, librarian, computer specialist, short-order cook, DJ and more. I’m married to the most supportive guy in the world and together we raised four great kids.

Social Links:

http://www.vicky-burkholder.com

Instagram Facebook Bluesky Goodreads

Amazon

SUCH A COZY MURDER by Haley Jordan

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

5*****

Blurb: Oh, bother! Rosie Alexander has a lot of problems, such as juggling running her cross-stitch shop with caring for her beloved husband, who has Alzheimer’s. She doesn’t need the aggravation of a pushy customer who shows up with an old, mysterious cross-stitch sampler he wants appraised. She definitely doesn’t need the aggravation of that same sampler getting stolen…with a dead body left behind. And when another murder happens in her orbit, a former friend is implicated, and an aggravating reporter tries to paint her as running a multi-national crime ring? Maybe she should adopt a dog. Because they’re not aggravating at all. This is the first book in a contemporary cozy mystery series set in the small town of Cozy, Florida.

THOUGHTS: Rosie is such a great character. She runs a cross-stitch shop. She cares for her husband who has Alzheimer’s. And she takes on pushy customers with aplomb, especially when that customer has an old sampler that may be worth a lot of money. When the sampler is stolen and an old friend is the main suspect in the owner’s murder, Rosie jumps in to prove their innocence.

I loved the characters, but I really enjoyed the information on cross-stitching, something I tried at one time with little success – and now, I know why! The book almost made me want to take a stab at it again. The setting in Cozy, Florida works well for the story and the ending is satisfying. I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author and this one was no exception. I hope to see more from Rosie in the future – with or without a dog.

Recommended.

I’LL BE SEEING YOU by Jana Ricards

Fiction, Paranormal (angels), Romance, Second Chances

4****

Blurb: When apprentice angel Gabriel takes Frank back in time for a second chance at love, they both learn lessons about trust. My name is Gabriel Daniels, and the first thing you need to know about me is that I’m dead. The second thing you need to know is that I’m an apprentice angel. At least, that’s what Thomas tells me. Thomas is a senior angel, and I know he’s real because I’ve seen his wings. He’s the one showing me how things work up here. Or near here. Heaven itself is agonizingly close, close enough to feel, but Thomas says I don’t belong there yet. Not until I earn it. And this is where things get… unreal. According to the Heavenly Council, the only way I can earn my wings is by giving three mortals a second chance at love. Thomas and I will take them back to the time they made the choice that shattered their hearts. My task is simple in theory and terrifying in practice: I have to convince them to choose differently this time. To trust. To stay. To love. Our first client is Frank Brennan, a World War II veteran. In 1944, in Plymouth, England, Frank fell deeply in love with Claire Cartwright. But when he found her in the arms of another man, he walked away without listening—without believing her when she swore things weren’t what they seemed. Now it’s my job to help Frank find the courage to trust her love again. I can’t fail. I need to get into Heaven.Thomas has promised that once I become a full-fledged angel, I’ll be allowed to watch over my mother and my brother back on Earth. They need me. With their mental health struggles, the world is often too much for them. And maybe—if I’m lucky—I’ll be allowed to watch over Sloane, too. She was the love of my mortal life. Even though she said goodbye, even though I never told her what I should have, I never stopped loving her. Not for a single moment. What I didn’t expect was that earning Heaven would require me to relive my own failures. Thomas never mentioned the part where I’d be dragged back through my every mistake. He claims understanding myself is vital if I want to be allowed into Heaven. But the more he shows me my relationship with Sloane, the clearer it becomes: it wasn’t fate that ruined us. It was my inability to trust. Like I said, I can’t fail. But Frank is stubborn, wounded, and carrying decades of pain. Before either of us can get what we want, he’s going to have to confront the past he’s been running from. And so am I. I’LL BE SEEING YOU is the first book in the Twice in a Lifetime time-travel romance series. This paranormal romance with closed door love scenes, duel-time line love stories and plenty of angel magic, is intended to be read first in the series. Follow that up with book 2 (NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE) and then book 3 (WHEN I WAS YOUR MAN) for your complete reading pleasure!

THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this story, but I just wasn’t completely sure why Gabriel was being shown his life except maybe for atonement. Still, the characters were great. Especially Thomas and how he is so enigmatic with not answering Gabriel’s questions. I loved Frank and how curmudgeonly he was at first. Having him go back and relive things…and how he can’t change certain things, but can change others (and does). I really enjoyed how Thomas told Gabriel how his life turned out after all. I laughed a little at the “waiting room” and Gabriel getting stuck there at various times. And the ending tells you that there will definitely be more to come as Gabriel has to save three people and Frank is just the first. It’s a journey of discovery for Gabriel, and us as we read about him.

Recommended.

STAND BY YOUR HITMAN by Leslie Langtry

Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Romance

5*****

Blurb: Missi Bombay invents things–fatal flowers, Jell-O bullets, stroke-inducing panty hose and other ways to kill a target without leaving any trace behind. Living a solitary life on her family’s island, she’s a great asset to her family of assassins. Unfortunately, the family that kills together also meddles together, and when Missi’s mom decides her daughter’s life is a little too solitary, she packs Missi off the Costa Rica for an undercover assignment on a low-budget Survival reality TV show. Amidst the ridiculous challenges, tribal voting, and late-night sneaking to the nearby resort, Missi finds herself not only scoping out her family’s latest target, but also Lex Danby, the hottest contestant on the island. But Missi’s hormones get put on the back burner when someone starts sabotaging the show…and Missi is squarely in the sights of the deadly culprit.

THOUGHTS: Oh. My. Word. I loved this story. It’s hilarious! Missi (main character) is so much fun, and I loved Lex, Isaac, Sami, and Missi’s twin sons. The others, not so much, but that was on purpose. Missi’s family (who are all assassins) believe she needs to get out of her lab (where she invents new ways to kill people), off their private island, and meet a man (her husband died 18 years ago). So they enroll her in a Canadian reality show ala “Survivor”. Only instead of a remote part of Canada, they end up on the beach of a fancy resort in Puerta Rica. They can see the resort from their “camps”! But they’re supposed to rough it. The host. Alan, and his assistant, Julie, are not exactly the best people to be around. He gives them challenges that could actually kill them (like wrestling a crocodile) and is living way too high (for many reasons) in the resort. Missi becomes her team leader as she knows the most about how to do things (like wrestle a crocodile). But she does meet the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, there’s a saboteur in the group and she needs to find out what’s going on before someone really does get killed. Oh, and her two sons are there (in hiding) in order to help her out.
I really did not want to put this down. Okay, when I first started it, I was skeptical. A book about hitmen and women? Was this going to be nasty? Nope. Could I read it while eating breakfast? Yep. It’s fun, the characters over the top, the parodies of the real reality show funny, and the setting added to the stupidity of the entire story. It really is a silly look at reality shows and how to do them so wrong. Oh, and the romance – nah. It’s more about the sex than the actual romance. But overall, the story is just something to laugh at.

Recommended.
Thanks to the publisher for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own and were not solicited or influenced by anyone.