Review: 'The Marriage Season' by Linda Lael Miller (2015)

Since Hadleigh, Melody and Bex—the best of best friends—entered into a marriage pact, two of them have found (and married) the men of their hearts. But Bex doesn't think she'll be as fortunate as the others. Her own first love died years ago in a faraway war, and Bex has lost hope for a happy marriage of her own. She concentrates on her business, a successful chain of fitness clubs, instead.

Then, when single father Tate Calder comes to Mustang Creek with his two sons in tow, who befriend Bex's eight-year-old nephew, she and the handsome, aloof newcomer are constantly thrown together. But is the marriage season over? Or can a man with doubts about love be the right husband for a woman who wants it all?

On the 1st of June the third part of Linda Lael Miller's the 'Brides of Bliss County' book series, 'The Marriage Season', was released by HQN Books; a release which I had definitely been looking forward to! I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first two parts of the romance series: 'The Marriage Pact' (click here to read my review) and 'The Marriage Charm' (click here to read my review), which I both really enjoyed. 'The Marriage Season' is the third and last part of the series and I had my fingers crossed, hoping I would end up enjoying this final part just as much as I did the other ones.

Becca, known to her friends as Bex, has made a marriage pact together with her best friends Melody and Hadleigh, vowing they will do their very best to find their Mr. Right and get married. Hadleigh and Melody found their men and are now happily married and pregnant, but Becca is still living the single life. Several years ago she lost her fiancee in Afghanistan, and Becca knows it is time to move on, question is: who will be the right guy for her? Next to her search for a husband, she also has to take care of her nephew because her sister has, once again, decided to leave her cheating husband. A few blocks away from Becca, Tate Calder has built up a nice life for himself and his two sons. His previous marriage was a terrible mess, but is he perhaps ready to fall in love again...?

Linda Lael Miller is known as the Queen of Western Romance and even though I’m definitely no expert when it comes to this particular book genre, I have a good feeling she definitely deserves this title. I loved the other two parts of this series, ‘The Marriage Pact’ and ‘The Marriage Charm’, and ‘The Marriage Season’ is a great ending to this wonderful romance series. The book provides its readers with another visit to the inhabitants of Mustang Creek and I loved being back with Becca, Hadleigh and Melody, with a special focus on Becca’s love life this time. The leading male character is Tate Calder, a single father who is busy setting up his own horse breeding business, and the chemistry between him and Becca is impossible to ignore. I immediately started rooting for the two of them to get together and really enjoyed both of their stories.

Linda Lael Miller has really written a stunning romance series with everything needed to make it a success: a great collection of characters that are interesting and easy to warm to, a good setting (I personally really loved the western small town feeling of Mustang Creek), and a romantic and captivating plotline. Her writing style is well-paced, comfortable to read and suits the type of story really well. I don’t think ‘The Marriage Season’ is my favourite part of the series, but undoubtedly a well-deserved great ending to the series. ‘The Marriage Season’ is a wonderfully entertaining romance read about love, family and friendship, and I’m already looking forward to the author’s next release!
Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'The Marriage Charm' by Laura Lael Miller (2015)

The women of Bliss County have a pact—to find husbands. The right husbands. 
One already has: Hadleigh Stevens, who married rancher Tripp Galloway a few months ago. Now Melody Nolan thinks it's her turn. Melody has recently found success as a jewelry designer, and her work is the focus of her life. She's not exactly unhappy, but she wants more. She's always been attracted to Spence Hogan, the local chief of police, but she's convinced that Spence, a notorious charmer, isn't what you'd call husband material. 
Spence is a good cop who isn't scared of anything—except love. And he's done everything he can to preserve his reputation as a womanizer—a reputation that keeps marriage-minded women, including Melody, at bay. And yet…there's something about Melody he can't forget. Something his heart can't ignore.
On the 27th of January 2015 Linda Lael Miller's newest novel 'The Marriage Charm' was published by Harlequin Books. This book is the second part of the Brides of Bliss County romance series and last year I was given the chance to discover Linda Lael Miller's work when I received a review copy of the first part of the series, 'The Marriage Pact.' I really enjoyed the book and was already looking forward to the other parts, which explains why I was immediately excited when I was contacted about possibly reviewing 'The Marriage Charm.' I couldn't wait to go back to Mustang Creek, Wyoming, and read more about the already familiar group of characters, hoping I would end up enjoying this novel as much as I had the first one!
In 'The Marriage Charm', the focus lies on Melody Nolan who works as a jewelry designer in the small town of Mustang Creek in Wyoming. When she was younger, Melody was madly in love with Spence Hogan; so in love, she even proposed to him. However, he declined and that was also the end of their romance. Now, nine years later, Spence is the town's chief of police and he still makes Melody's heart beat faster whenever she sees him. Yet, Spence has a reputation as quite the womaniser and Melody made a pact with her two best friends Hadleigh and Bex to start looking for their future husbands, the real thing; not just another fling. And Spence Hogan is not exactly husband material... Or is he?
'The Marriage Pact' is the second part of 'The Brides of Bliss County' series, which focuses on 3 best friends who have made a marriage pact in order to help each other find suitable husbands with whom they can start a family. This book focuses on Melody and her quest for love. I already knew the characters from the first part of the series and it was great to learn more about Melody, her background story and her search for love. I personally really enjoyed that the story was told from both a male and female perspective, so we as readers get to see what both Melody and Spence think and feel. It's not just the romance that is focused on, though; there are also other aspects to the story, such as a number of mysterious thefts in the town, which managed to keep my attention until the very end. 
This is only my second Linda Lael Miller novel, but she's already becoming one of my favourite romance authors. Her writing style is so easy to get into and combined with a fascinating group of characters and a captivating storyline, her books are really enjoyable reads. I do think it's best to read this as a sequel, so you know the background story and the different characters, but it can also be read as a standalone. If you're a fan of western romances, and you're not yet familiar with Linda Lael Miller, you definitely need to pick up one of her books because you're missing out on something! 'The Marriage Charm' is exactly what a fast-paced and fun romance read is supposed to be like; nothing too complicated, thoroughly enjoyable and with a happy ending. I really enjoyed this novel and already look forward to the third part of the series! 

Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: 'Finding Justice' by Rachel Brimble (2013)

Sergeant Cat Forrester lives by her own set of rules. When her childhood friend is murdered, Cat's world is thrown into chaos. Especially because Jay Garrett—a man from her past—is a suspect, and he needs her help to prove he's innocent. After all they once shared, how can she say no?

The attraction flares between them, and getting involved with a suspect is a huge risk. But the more time Cat spends with Jay, the stronger the tug on her heart. He is the same caring, irresistible man she remembers. Yet she can't let her emotions interfere with the case—solving it is top priority. And as she digs deeper, she discovers Jay has secrets that may jeopardize any possible future together.

Almost every chick lit or romance fan has heard of Harlequin novels; small pocket books with a romantic tale inside. Over the past few decades, these books have been immensely popular and have obtained a particular status. ‘Harlequin’ is often automatically associated with book covers with a half-naked handsome man staring longingly at a beautiful woman, and it’s been said that these novels are really about the romance, not the plotline. When Rachel Brimble contacted me about reviewing her debut novel ‘Finding Justice’, part of the Harlequin Super Romance series, I was curious to try my first Harlequin novel. The blurb promised an appealing and entertaining story, and as a sucker for everything to do with romance, a Harlequin novel couldn’t possibly disappoint, right?

 

 Cat Forrester works as a police officer; a job she obviously has a strong passion for and does well. From the outside, Cat presents herself as a strong and independent woman, but behind this front, she is dealing with some heavy emotional baggage. When she was younger, her father was killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Since his death, Cat’s mother has turned to alcohol herself in order to deal with her own heartache. Because of these circumstances, Cat was forced to make some important decisions in her life, including leaving her best friend Sarah and first love Jay behind. Out of the blue, Cat receives a phone call: Sarah has been murdered and Jay is one of the main suspects. Suddenly, Cat finds herself travelling back to Templeton Cove to track down the person who killed her best friend. She knows she can’t let her emotions interfere with the case, but as soon as she sees Jay again, old feelings come back to the surface...

I was surprise to find out this is actually Rachel Brimble’s debut novel. She has a great writing style that flows naturally and keeps the reader interested. I liked the storyline (I loved the fact that there was a murder mystery to solve, something to keep me wondering and guessing) and the characters (Cat is a strong and independent woman, and seeing how she acts around the charming and kind Jay, re-discovering her feelings for him, was great). In a way, it reminded me a bit of the TV show ‘Castle’ (which I love), which focuses on a strong-minded female police officer called Kate Beckett, a character which Cat Forrester definitely reminded me of.

As soon as I sat down with this novel, I was taken in by the story and managed to forget everything around me. Even though the story deals with a murder investigation, it was a truly relaxing and enjoyable read. The mix of romance with the element of suspense and a touch of mystery was great, and I think that is what makes the Harlequin Super Romance series really interesting for any fans of romance who haven’t picked up a Harlequin novel before. The basic recipe for a romance tale is there, but combined with a bigger storyline and a dose of intrigue. I definitely will be picking up other Harlequin Super Romance novels in the future, and I really hope people who will read this will also give the genre a chance. Next to that, I also can’t wait to read more of Rachel Brimble’s work; a promising new author on the scene!

Rating:8/10