Book Reviews

500 Miles From You (Scottish Bookshop #3)

500 Miles From You (Scottish Bookshop #3)

By: Jenny Colgan

Blurb:

Lissie, is a nurse in a gritty, hectic London neighborhood. Always terribly competent and good at keeping it all together, she’s been suffering quietly with PTSD after helping to save the victim of a shocking crime. Her supervisor quietly arranges for Lissie to spend a few months doing a much less demanding job in the little town of Kirrinfeif in Scottish Highlands, hoping that the change of scenery will help her heal. Lissie will be swapping places with Cormack, an Army veteran who’s Kirrinfeif’s easygoing nurse/paramedic/all-purpose medical man. Lissie’s never experienced small-town life, and Cormack’s never spent more than a day in a big city, but it seems like a swap that would do them both some good.

In London, the gentle Cormack is a fish out of the water; in Kirrinfief, the dynamic Lissie finds it hard to adjust to the quiet. But these two strangers are now in constant contact, taking over each other’s patients, endlessly emailing about anything and everything. Lissie and Cormack discover a new depth of feeling…for their profession and for each other.

But what will happen when Lissie and Cormack finally meet…?

Review:

I missed that this was the third book in a series. I could tell which couples I had missed, but their stories were never explained, so reading them out of order seems alright to do.

Lissa saw a young man killed in a hit and run. As a nurse, she tried to save him, but she wasn’t able to. She ended up with PTSD after the event. She was unable to sleep, was always jumpy, and had anxiety attacks. It was rough for her. Since the healthcare system was understaffed, they weren’t about to discharge a usually competent nurse. Instead, they sent her off to the country.

Cormac was a former military medic, now working in the small town he grew up in as a nurse. Deciding a change might be good for him; he takes the opportunity to trade places with Lissa. London is a new place for him, and he’s able to learn some things about himself and the world around him. His parts are probably the least interesting. He was an okay character, but his parts were more focused on him experiencing London.

The two exchange emails about their patients, and after a while, personal observations are included. It evolves from there. Sadly, you don’t see many of these communications. They’re occasionally referenced, but it’s more about growing feelings without seeing the reason for those feelings.

I hesitate to call it a slow burn because there never seemed to be any passion between them. It was a sweet romance. They were two people who were hurting. Who were, eventually, able to find comfort sharing with each other. It wasn’t until the end of the book when they were actually in the same physical location.

I loved the Scottish setting. The supporting characters were great. There were a lot of parts that were emotionally moving. So I cried, a fair amount. All in all, it was a lovely book.

3.5/5

In the Company of Wolves (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #3)

In the Company of Wolves (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #3)

By: Paige Tyler

Blurb:

He opened his mouth to order her to drop the MP5 she had aimed at him, but nothing would come out. It was like she’d robbed him of the ability to speak. Shooting her wasn’t an option, though. And the idea of arresting her didn’t make him feel any better.

There’s a new gang of criminals in town who are organized and ruthless in the extreme. When Eric Becker, along with the rest of the Dallas SWAT team, ends up in the middle of a shootout, he immediately senses werewolves-a lot of them. Turns out, the new bad guys are a pack of wolf shifters.

In a spray of gunfire, Becker comes face-to-face with the most gorgeous woman he’s ever seen. Becker does the logical thing. He hides her and leaves the scene with the rest of his team.

Jayna Winston has no idea why that SWAT guy helped her, but she’s glad he did. Ever since she and her pack mates got mixed up with those Eastern European mobsters, everything had pretty much fallen apart.

So what’s a street-savvy thief like Jayna going to do with a hot alpha-male wolf who’s a police officer?

Review:

I didn’t like In the Company of Wolves as much as the previous book in the series. Wolf Trouble was one of my favorite books of the year, so there was a lot to live up to. I still enjoyed In the Company of Wolves, but I wanted certain things more fleshed out. It also dragged in a few places.

I wasn’t expecting Becker to be the next wolf to find love. He’s been almost a running joke in the series up till this point. He’s obsessed with yoga pants and a young werewolf, but he came off as almost an oober alpha in the book. It was unexpected, to say the least.

Jayna believes she’s a beta wolf in a pack with other beta wolfs, whose lone alpha has made a series of bad mistakes. It comes as a surprise to her that she’s actually an alpha, and it’s never clear if she became one when her pack needed it or if she was born one.

Like the previous books, their attraction is instantaneous. As soon as they meet, Becker is doing something completely stupid, and it just goes from there. After the last book, I don’t understand why he didn’t go to his own alpha. Dixon is coming off as an utterly inept alpha at this point. His pack does not share anything with him.

I liked the idea of a pack of betas and enjoyed the werewolf lore being expanded. I wanted more of that, though. Jayna barely had her alpha moment, where she embraces her role and is a total badass. The moment she takes out the previous alpha is anticlimactic and glossed over because of what else is going on.

The book’s plot holes and how slow certain things took to develop made this book less enjoyable. It was a shorter book than the previous one, and I wonder if it was longer if Tyler would have been able to fix things. Fleshed some things out and added more. Or maybe this book should have been a novella. Honestly, I’m not sure.

I don’t have the next book checked out, and considering how many books I have out from the library right now, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to read the next in the SWAT series. So far, there have been two books I’ve found to be okay and one book I’ve loved, so I’ll be continuing. I’m just not sure when.

3/5

Wolf Trouble (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #2)

Wolf Trouble (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #2)

By: Paige Tyler

Blurb:

He’s in trouble with a capital T…

There’s never been a female on the Dallas SWAT team and Senior Corporal Xander Riggs prefers it that way. The elite pack of alpha male wolfshifters is no place for a woman. But Khaki Blake is no ordinary woman.

When Khaki walks through the door attractive as hell and smelling like heaven, Xander doesn’t know what the heck to do. Worse, she’s put under his command and Xander’s protective instincts go on high alert. When things start heating up both on and off the clock, it’s almost impossible to keep their heads in the game and their hands off each other…

Review:

I loved Wolf Trouble. Soooo much. I flew through this book and had such a hard time putting it down when life called me away. I liked the last book, but this one was so much better.

Khaki, the heroine, was a werewolf and a police officer. She was also dealing with a crazy ex-boyfriend that was doing his best to get her killed on the job. She was smart and strong. She was able to hang with the dudes but not lose her femininity. She balanced a very careful line perfectly. Least favorite part was her name.

Xander was an alpha male, like all the others, but he recognized that Khaki was also an alpha. He didn’t dominate her at all. If anyone was dominant in the relationship, it was Khaki. He fought his attraction because he didn’t understand it, but he never stood a chance the way things work in this universe.

As a couple, they worked out perfectly because of how soulmates work. It didn’t even bother me that he was her superior officer. There was never any question that they were both attracted to each other.

The action was great. I loved the crazy ex storyline. The team dynamic was a lot of fun. I’m so glad I already have the next book in the series and can’t wait to read it.

5/5

Say Yes to the Duke (The Wildes of Lindow Castle #5)

Say Yes to the Duke (The Wildes of Lindow Castle #5)

By: Eloisa James

Blurb:

Miss Viola Astley is so painfully shy that she’s horrified by the mere idea of dancing with a stranger; her upcoming London debut feels like a nightmare.

So she’s overjoyed to meet handsome, quiet vicar with no interest in polite society — but just when she catches his attention, her reputation is compromised by a duke.

Devin Lucas Augustus Elstan, Duke of Wynter, will stop at nothing to marry Viola, including marrying a woman whom he believes to be in love with another man.

A vicar, no less.

Devin knows he’s no saint, but he’s used to conquest, and he’s determined to win Viola’s heart.

Viola has already said Yes to his proposal, but now he wants her unruly heart…and he won’t accept No for an answer.

Review:

This is the fifth book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series, and so far, the series has remained remarkably consistent. The family is entertaining to read, and seeing little peeks into past relationships is always enjoyable. Ultimately, I hope that the oldest brother who died in a bog ends up returning to life in the last book, but we’ll see.

Viola is the step-child of the Duke of Lindow. Technically, she’s not of noble birth, but they’ve always considered her family. Since the rest of society isn’t as nice, she knows that her family is some of the few who think of her that way. So she’s got a bit of an anxiety problem.

Meanwhile, Devin had parents who hated each other. His mother died when he was relatively young, and his father challenged everyone he could to a duel. It was not a very healthy environment for a child, but that seems to be the life of a lot of dukes.

There were more than a few conversations eavesdropped on, and those were some of the best scenes. Viola was a wonderful heroine, she could be a bit shy and anxious, but she was never really that way with Devin. I like it when that’s done well, and it was here.

They made a great couple. The story was nice and sweet, with several steamy moments. All in all, I found it a very enjoyable book.

4/5

A Duke, the Lady, and A Baby (Rogues and Remarkable Women #1)

A Duke, the Lady, and A Baby (Rogues and Remarkable Women #1)

By: Vanessa Riley

Blurb:

When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband’s mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow’s Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion . . .

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she’s breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?

Review:

A Duke, the Lady, and A Baby had a title I love. I was hoping for something over the top and amusing. Once again, I’ve disappointed myself with my expectations.

Things did not start well because I was quickly taken out of the story. Patience, the heroine, was committed to Bedlam for ten days by an evil man out to steal her son’s fortune. She was saved by a woman in charge of a secret society of widows who’ve been screwed over by the system. She spends weeks searching for her son before finally finding him again. What took me out of the story was her ability to breastfeed her son immediately. The stress of being in Bedlam would have taken that ability away if, by some miracle it hadn’t, the weeks away would have most certainly done it. It’s possible she would have been able to restart her production, but it would have taken weeks of trying. I might have been able to roll my eyes and move on, but breastfeeding her son and her milk production are mentioned several times. It’s such a misunderstanding of female anatomy that it bothers me a lot. It could have easily been researched, but it would have ended up requiring a lot of rewrites. I’m not sure if it wasn’t caught or if it was decided it would be too much work. Either way, it took me out of the story very early on.

Busick, the hero, is not consistent. He’s almost immediately attracted to Patience, even though he knows she’s lying to him. He is gruff, but not? It’s weird. He was confusing to me, and it would take too much thought to figure precisely why, and this book already took up too much time.

As a couple, they made about as much sense as the rest of the book. There wasn’t much romance, and the book lacked a lot of the couple’s usual internal emotion. They didn’t kiss until closer to the end, and it was not described. It was a pretty chaste book. Considering in the acknowledgment, at the end of the book, Riley starts thanking her heavenly father and quotes a Bible verse in her Author’s Note, it’s obvious why. I wish it had been explained before I started reading this was a Christian romance. That’s the genre that fits this best.

Many plot points sound exciting in the blurb but were either explained in the first few pages of the book or dragged out so long that I didn’t care; I just wanted it resolved. The only positive I can think of in A Duke, the Lady, and A Baby was that the heroine was a woman of color.

2/5