The Fruitcake Murders

I received a copy of The Fruitcake Murders by Ace Collins from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fruitcakes never die…but people do!

As Christmas 1946 draws near, thirty-something marine officer-turned-homicide detective Lane Walker has his hands full. Three men with seemingly no relationship to each other have been murdered, including the powerful District Attorney. The only connection between the crimes? The weapons: twenty-year-old unopened fruitcake tins manufactured by a company that is no longer in business. While some foods may be to die for, fruitcake isn't one of them! This heaping helping of murder will be no easy task for Walker, and he certainly doesn't need the determined and feisty Betsy Clayton, the political reporter for The Chicago Herald, getting in the way. Employing witty dialogue and historical accuracy, The Fruitcake Murders offers equal parts murder, mystery, and mayhem in a perplexing whodunit set in the days just after World War II.

This was a book that kept me guessing until the last page.  Having three people murdered buy an unopened fruit cake tin is definitely a different way to go.  Can Walker and Clayton find out who's behind the murders before the killer strikes again?

All Is Calm, All Is Bright

I received a copy of All is Calm, All Is Bright by Colleen Coble from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All Is Calm
Brendan Waddell needs a place to recuperate. Lauren Everman needs a place to hide. It's going to be an unexpectedly romantic Christmas at Bluebird Ranch.
Brendan Waddell has always considered Bluebird Ranch a little piece of heaven: an idyllic ranch that pairs abused children with abused horses, run by one of his old Marine buddies. Now, recovering from an on-the-job injury, Brendan thinks the ranch is the perfect place to spend Christmas healing up.
When Lauren Everman was a seventeen-year-old foster kid, Bluebird Ranch was the safest place she knew. Now it's the perfect hideout for a woman on the run. As the witness to a murder, Lauren needs somewhere to lie low, and her skill with horses means she'll be able to lend a hand with the troubled kids at Bluebird—without answering too many questions.
Lauren's rich hair, high cheekbones, and dark eyes immediately get Brendan's attention—but so does her secretive behavior. This Special Ops Intel man knows a woman on the run when he sees one, and he's not about to let her put Bluebird Ranch at risk.
But as Brendan and Lauren get to know each other, their suspicions evaporate and romance starts to sizzle. But this would-be couple has more to worry about than each other—there's a killer on the loose who wants Lauren kept quiet.
All Is Bright
A romantic, Christmas wedding at her seaside hotel gives Delilah a chance to shine with her unique gifts. But will her light be snuffed out before the bride and groom say “I do”?
As manager of the Tidewater Inn, Delilah Carter has been planning a spectacular Christmas wedding for her friends at the grand hotel overlooking the ocean. While picking up still more twinkly lights and some last-minute groceries for the reception dinner, a huge truck runs her off the freezing, wet roads into the dark night. Her car stops just short of an enormous tree and the truck speeds off into the night. Delilah escapes with her life and has almost convinced herself the whole thing was an accident, but then she begins to receive threatening phone calls. With the wedding just hours away, she's distracted and anxious. Then Sheriff Tom Bourne stops by the inn and volunteers to help.
Tom has always had a soft spot for Delilah, and he's determined to protect her. But he is pulled away by a bizarre Christmas stunt that has the neighborhood reeling, and Delilah is attacked again.
Will Delilah have to cancel the Christmas wedding at Tidewater Inn? And will Tom's protection be enough to save Delilah from the shadowy figure looming in the background?

Another great book by Colleen Coble with two stories.  Brendan and Lauren are both at Bluebird Ranch to find themselves.  Brendan feels an instant connection with Lauren but also feels that she's hiding something.  Can they each work together to keep Lauren safe?
Delilah has been mothering everyone in Tidewater Inn for years.  She's doing all she can to plan the wedding of a lifetime for Elin and Marc.  Tom is the Sheriff in town and has had a crush on Delilah but hasn't had the courage to ask her out.  When she's targeted can Tom keep her safe and let his feeling show?

Miracle Drug

I received a copy of Miracle Drug by Richard L. Mabry, M. D. from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug—it will take a miracle.
The infection wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn’t. Then Dr. Josh Pearson discovers why—his patients, including the former President of the United States, have been dosed with a different strain of the original virus, one that is universally fatal. The only chance for survival is treatment with an experimental drug, but the manufacturer might already have discarded its supply.

As if treating the President of the United States isn’t stressful enough, the situation goes from bad to worse when Rachel Moore, a nurse Josh is falling in love with, falls ill. With the nation’s eyes on him, Josh must pull off a miracle to save a man who holds a good deal of power and the woman who holds his heart.

I really wasn't sure if I'd like this book when I started it.  The more I got into it the more I liked it.  Mabry has a way of drawing you in and keep you guessing.  Dr. Josh Pearson becomes the primary doctor for the ex-president, David Madison, after the other doctor has a heart attack.  Josh is surprised and takes his responsibility very seriously, which is a good thing because Mr. Madison is fighting for his life.  Can Josh find the reason why and more importantly keep him alive?

Eve

I received a copy of Eve by WM Paul Young from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When a shipping container washes ashore on an island between our world and the next, John the Collector finds a young woman inside—broken, frozen, and barely alive. With the aid of Healers and Scholars, John oversees her recovery and soon discovers her genetic code connects her to every known human race. She is a girl of prophecy and no one can guess what her survival will mean...

No one but Eve, Mother of the Living, who calls her “daughter,” and invites her to witness the truth about her story—indeed, the truth about us all.

Eve is a bold, unprecedented exploration of the Creation narrative, true to the original texts and centuries of scholarship—yet with breathtaking discoveries that challenge traditional misconceptions about who we are and how we’re made. As The Shack awakened readers to a personal, non-religious understanding of God, Eve will free us from faulty interpretations that have corrupted human relationships since the Garden of Eden.

Eve opens a refreshing conversation about the equality of men and women within the context of our beginnings, helping us see each other as our Creator does—complete, unique, and not constrained to cultural rules or limitations.

Another great book by WM Paul.  It took me a while to put everything together, just like Lilly did.  Lilly is found thought to be dead but is dearly hanging on to life.  John the Collector finds her and helps nurse her back to life.  She doesn't know where she's from or who she is but with John's help begins on a journey of a lifetime.

Falling Like Snowflakes

I received a copy of Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the Christmas season finds Eden in Summer Harbor, Maine, she’s on the run from trouble. Romance is the last thing on her mind.

Riding in a bus in the thickly falling snow, Eden Davis wonders how it ever came to this—fleeing under cover of night with young Micah sleeping fitfully in the seat beside her. When a winter storm strands them in Summer Harbor, Maine, Eden wonders if what might have been the end could be a new beginning.

Beau Callahan is a habitual problem-solver. He’s recently left his job with the sheriff’s department to take over the family Christmas tree farm to save it from insolvency. But he’s flummoxed. During the busiest season of the year, he’s shorthanded. Then Eden shows up looking for work, and Beau believes he’s been rescued. Competent, smart, and beautiful, Eden’s also guarded and quiet. He soon figures out she comes with a boatload of secrets. But Beau can’t seem to help himself from falling for her.

As Christmas Eve approaches, Beau discovers he’ll do anything to keep Eden safe. But who’s going to protect his heart from a woman who can’t seem to trust again?

Loved this book!  Denise Hunter has done it again.  Eden and her son, Micah, are on the run and have car trouble in Summer Harbor Maine.  After her car breaks down and her backpack is stolen they're left with no money and no where warm to stay.  In search of work Eden finds the Callahan family, but will she be able to trust enough to get the help she needs?

The Lopsided Christmas Cake

I received a copy of The Lopsided Christmas Cake by Wanda E. Brunstetter from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Join the Hochstetler twin sisters on stage as they bumble their way through baking a cake for a charity auction in front of a live audience. The take-charge Elma and the klutzy optimist Thelma manage to entertain their audience—and attract the admiration of two bachelors, an outspoken woodworker and a shy harness maker from a neighboring Amish community. As fall leads into the Christmas season, could romance be blossoming for one or more of the Hochstetler twins? Find out in this brand new romance from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, writing with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter.

This book was different than I expected.  Twins Thelma and Elma Hochstetler inherit their grandparents farm and store.  They are for the first time in their lives are on their own and running a household and business.  Even though they are twins they couldn't be more different.  Can they each use their own strength to fix up their grandparents house and keep store going?

Counting on a Cowboy

I received a copy of Counting on a Cowboy by Debra Clopton from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After losing everything dear to her, Abby never wants to love again. But a certain cowboy spurs her to wonder if maybe love is worth the risk.

Running from a past that haunts her, Abby Knightly is drawn to the homey town of Wishing Springs, Texas, after her favorite advice columnist found love and a home there. Maybe this small town could offer hope and healing and a future for Abby too . . . if she’s brave enough to reach out and take it.

Bo Monahan isn’t interested in the new romantic destination his little town has become—or the women who might be looking at him like he’s their next Mr. Right. Between taking care of his Pops and his growing stirrup business, he isn’t looking for serious romantic commitments. But unexpectedly the young child he never knew about appears on his doorstep and Bo’s world is turned upside down.

This confirmed bachelor might not need a wife, but he sure needs a woman . . . and newcomer Abby Knightly is definitely a woman. When she comes to his rescue to help him navigate fatherhood, he slowly uncovers her own history. And suddenly Bo’s thinking maybe, just maybe, together they can help each other work through the problems of the past to create a future of their own.

This is the second in the Four of Hearts Ranch series and is just as good as the first book.  Abby is heading to Wishing Springs for a new start after losing her husband and baby.  The last thing she's looking for is romance.  When on her way into town she wrecks her car avoiding a steer in the road, she meets Bo Manahan.  Bo also isn't in he market for romance because he has enough on this plate taking care of his stir up business and his ailing grandfather.  Will they each realize that they are a perfect pair?