Her One and Only by Becky Wade

Her One and Only by Becky Wade is the fourth book in the Porter Family series.  

NFL Dallas Mustangs tight end star Gray Fowler has been receiving death threats in the mail from a stalker.  The managers on his team hire an executive protection agency to follow him and protect him 24/7.  Gary is frustrated with people needing to follow him around all the time, and he finds it especially difficult when one of them turns out to be a beautiful lady.  He's convinced he can take care of himself and protect himself.

Dru Porter is a former Marine, expert markswoman and a black belt.  None of the training prepared her for what happened on her last assignment.  When she is hired to protect Gray, she is determined not to let it happen again.  She is determined to protect Gray, find his stalker and rebuild her reputation.  What she doesn't count on is falling in love with the person she is to protect, something that is strictly forbidden with her job.

As Dru works around Gray (with much ridicule from her old brothers as they are all die hard Cowboy fans!) she not only comes closer to finding his stalker, but she falls more and more in love with him.  As she falls more and more in love with him, the danger around them from the stalker continues to grow.

Becky Wade has written a sweet romance story.  I love the story line between Dry and Gray and how they fall for each other.  Both of them go through struggles and learn several lessons along the way.  The mystery of who the stalker is, who some of the people who seems to follow Gray all the time, keeps you guessing until who the stalker really is emerges.  There is also the unexpected twist at the end!  That's all I"m saying about that!

I do love Ashley's character.  She seems like the ideal wife - or whatever you want to call her position as she works for Gray!  

Dru's family seems like a tight family who all love and care for each other and wants what best for each other.  They are a type of family that are there for you and except what you want, even if that means you are in love with someone playing for the team that is your team's arch rival!

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Fading Starlight by Katherine Cushman

Lauren Summers was ready to start her career in the fashion industry.  She was working as an intern for a high profile company when a disaster happened at a high profile even, leaving her needing to leave the city.  She gets a job working at a school for their drama production.    The job comes with little pay, but she is given a home rent free to live in. A run down little cottage beside a mansion.  Lauren does her best to befriend the owner, Miss Charlotte Montgomery, but she feels as if she is being rejected with every turn.

Kendall Joiner is researching her neighbor, Miss Montgomery, who is a former Hollywood star, who now lives alone.  In exchanging for Lauren given her all the information she can, Kendall promises to find out the truth  of what really happened that night that sent Lauren to where she is now. 

As Lauren gets Miss Montgomery better, she realizes that everything things are always the way the seem to be.  Lauren learns and grows  in the short time that she is there.  She encounters several hard times with her neighbor, and while her neighbor things Lauren is just like everyone else,  she slowly starts to realize there is something different about Lauren.

Lauren is desperate to get her career back on track, but is she desperate enough to ruin the fragile friendship that is developing with her neighbor?  Will she put it all on the line to get back where she is, or will she follow her heart and what she knows is right.

Kathryn Cushman weaves a remarkable story.  She keeps you reading and wanting to find out what will happen with Lauren next.  Will her and her neighbor ever get along?  Will the truth about what happened that fateful night ever come true?  Will Lauren's dreams for her career every take place?  This is the first book I've read by Ms. Cushman and I want to read more of her books!

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Delilah by Angela Hunt

Delilah by Angela Hunt is the Biblical story of Delilah and Sampson.  While little is known about Delilah, much of what is contained in this story is fictional and what the author imagined might have happened.

Delilah has found herself begging for food and is determined to find a way to defeat the men who have taken advantage of her.  She does what she can to overcome obstacles to find riches for herself.  Along the way she meets Samson.  Samson is the judge in Israel and is known for his great strength.   She's heard many of stories about him and what he has done and is determined to meet him to get him to help her.  She wants to win and seduce the hero of the Hebrew people so she can have a prominent position with the Philistines.  She will do what ever she can, including using her own beauty.  Her beauty though isn't the only thing she uses, as she is also very smart and easily able to charm those around her.

While most of the Biblical accounts are accurate (the story of the gates, the lion, the foxes and the changes of garments) the Biblical account of when Delilah seduces Sampson is not accurate.  Judges 16:4-5 states "And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.  And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by whatmeans we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver."  The Lords of the Philistines came to her.  NOT the other way around as portrayed in the book.  While it is fiction, it should maintain Biblical accuracy, and in this one place it does not.

With the exception of that one accurate according to Biblical accounts, the remainder of the book is very well written and keeps you wanting to read more.

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Sins of the Past by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey and Lynette Eason

Considering this book is a three book collection of romantic suspense books, I feel like it needs to have three separate reviews.

The first book in the collection was Missing by Dee Henderson.  John Graham is the chief of police in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but he needs to go home to Chicago when his mother goes missing.  He is paired up with Lieutenant Sharon Noble who is leading the case in finding his mother.  They race around the clock to find out what happened to his mother and to who is behind all of it.

The romantic interest between John and Sharon is there, but they know they need to keep it professional while they work together.   The other aspect of love  that can be seen is between John and his mother.   When a secret is revealed to John, you can clearly see the ache that he feels, but the love he feels at the same time.   

Dee Henderson is masterful of keeping the suspense in play and keeping you wanting to read and guessing as to what all the answers are.

The second book in the series is Shadowed by Dani Pettrey.  Libby is a competitive open water swimmer.  While in Alaska she goes out on a whale watching tour with Ben -- no one else shows up for it.  With a storm approaching, they discover a body floating in the water.  Libby is shocked to realize it`s her Russian competitor Kat.  When they get her back to land, both Libby and Ben find that people are now after that.  What was the hidden message in Kat`s swim cap?  What is going that people seem to be wanting to attack them?

Dee Henderson is another masterful suspense writer.  She keeps you guessing until the very end.  The draw between Libby and Ben is wonderful told and you can see them falling for each other.

The final book in the series is Blackout by Lynette Eason.  Macey was implicated years ago in a robbery gone bad; however, she can remember none of what has happened. She now works as an EMS,  As memories of what happened start to come back, she finds herself being attached.  Her neighbor, Chad is a homicide detective,  but takes the lead to help her, as he as found he is falling in love with her,  They work together to see if she can clearly remember what happened that night, and what happened to the items that were stolen - the items that have never been found.  The closer they get to the answers they are looking for, the more dangerous it becomes.

Like the previous two books Lynette Eason is also masterful at keeping you in suspense and wanting to keep reading until you find out what happens.  The romance factor in this one starts earlier, as it is shows on Chad already cares for Macey, but he doesn't know if she has the same feelings.

All three of these books were wonderfully written and work well together in this set up books.

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me by Alexandra Kuykendall

Alexandra Kuykendall opens us up to nine months of her life where she rekindled her love with her ordinary life and all that she was doing.  She bases the nine months on the fact that a pregnancy lasts for about nine months and school lasts about nine months of the year.  For each month of the of that time period she focuses on one goal, and one way she can enjoy that aspect more fully.  These aspects include mornings, dates with family members, health, organization and many more.  

Each chapter is dedicated to one month and what the goal for that month was.  The end of each chapter summarizes what she has learned and the prat ices she has started that she will continue.  She ends each chapter with questions for us to reflect on and a Bible verse.

This book felt like Alexandra was opening up her diary to us and showing us her personal life and struggles she was experiencing.  While as a single person I don't see how a lot of what she talked about applied to me (as most is good for a wife and mother), there were aspects that I can look at for myself.   This book would be best suited for someone who is a wife and mother.

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.