Dog-Eared Daydreams

Note: This ARC was provided by Diversion Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My family and close friends know how much of a dog lover I am. From the time I can remember, we've always had at least one dog in our house and even though we've had other creatures come and go as pets (i.e. rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, turtles, fortune lobsters) and my home has had cats and the re-emergence of tropical fish, the one constant has always been dogs. Books about dogs usually catch my attention so I simply had to put in a request to read and review Rex and the City: A Memoir of a Woman, a Man, and the Rescue Dog Who Rescued Their Relationship  by Lee Harrington when I saw it on NetGalley. ^.^ A bit of searching online shows that this book has had two prior incarnations: Rex and the City: A Memoir of a Woman, a Man, and a Dysfunctional Dog (originally released in 2006) and Rex and the City: True Tales of a Rescue Dog Who Rescued a Relationship (originally r

Note: This ebook was provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Santa to the Rescue  is a novella by Adele Downs and was originally released in November of 2013 under Entangled Publishing's Flirt imprint. It's now being re-released under the Bliss imprint in time for the holidays. I never read the book during its first release so I can't really say if the story has stayed intact. This review is based solely on the re-released edition. ^.^ James "Jamey" Tucker has only been a firefighter at the Appleton Fire Station for a few months and is still feeling his way through. With the holidays right around the corner, it's a little difficult for him to truly get into the Christmas spirit. When he comes across a woman in scrubs singing Santa Baby along a supermarket aisle, he wonders if this is his chance to finally have a merrier season. Heather Longhurst is a pediatric nurse who hasn't had much luck in the l

Note: This ebook was provided by Victory Editing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Can't Get Enough is the second book and third release in the River Bend series by Molly McLain. Readers were introduced to Tony Dunn in the first book, Can't Shake You , as Josh Hudson's right-hand man in his construction business and a friend to both Josh and his now-fianceé Carissa Brandt. We also learned about Tony's legal battle to gain sole custody of the infant daughter he never knew about. From that time on, he became one of those supporting characters that simply deserved to have his story told in his own book. And voila! Here it is in this sequel. ^.^ Tony Dunn has gone from ladies' man to focusing all his attention on just one female--his daughter Brianna. When his regular babysitter is unable to care for Brianna due to health issues, he takes Carissa up on her offer to hang flyers around town advertising his need for a new one. When a woman named Nicol

Can't Hold Back is a novella in the River Bend series by Molly McLain and was released after the first book. Readers were introduced to Dan and Maddie Hudson in Can't Shake You  as a then-engaged couple and Josh Hudson's brother and Carrie Brandt's best friend, respectively. In this novella, they're in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on their honeymoon and while things are hot and heavy between the newlyweds, Maddie wants something more from Dan but is afraid of how he'll react if she tells him. In their relationship, it's always appeared as if Dan takes a backseat to Maddie, indulging her when she goes a bit hyper and aggressive. Maddie has never complained and loves Dan unconditionally, but now that they're husband and wife, she wants Dan to be the more dominant one. While she doesn't tell him what it is she wants, she decides to push him into action by flirting with a surf instructor. Dan may be turned on in the beginning but when the surfer takes th

Can't Shake You is the first book in the River Bend series by Molly McLain and is about two people who spent one memorable night together only to be separated after his deployment. Upon his return, he discovers that the girl he couldn't forget is now dating his oldest friend. Fast forward three years later and while they're still very much attracted to each other, they've successfully avoided each other, pretending as if that night never happened. It's a secret that they've kept from their family and friends until he decides to step in when she needs his help the most and people begin to notice the sparks between them. Carissa Brandt isn't the type of girl to do things on a whim except for that one night three years ago. She hasn't felt the same intense passion she did then but she knows that the guy she was with is off-limits. While on break from work as a teacher, she's concentrating all her attention on a house she's invested on and ho

Note: This ebook was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Goodness and Light by Patty Blount is the fourth and final book in the multi-authored  Christmas in New York  series. The series tells the tale of a group of girlfriends and the men they fall in love with. I read all four books in one day. Once I started with book one, I just couldn't help myself and had to find out what was in store for the other friends. ^.^ While each book can be read as a standalone, I do recommend that they be read in order because the stories are loosely connected.  Elena Larsen has never been able to fully deal with the pain of losing her mother when the World Trade Center was hit on September 11, 2001. Along with still mourning her loss, Elena carries with her the guilt of having gotten into a disagreement with her mother the night before that fateful day, believing that her mother died thinking Elena hated her and wished her dead. From that time on,

Note: This ebook was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A Light in the Window  by Joslyn Barnett is the third book in the multi-authored  Christmas in New York  series.  The series tells the tale of a group of girlfriends and the men they fall in love with. I read all four books in one day. Once I started with book one, I just couldn't help myself and had to find out what was in store for the other friends. ^.^ While each book can be read as a standalone, I do recommend that they be read in order because the stories are loosely connected.  After years of doing everything that other people thought was best for her and following a plan that hasn't led her to anything fulfilling, personally or professionally, Jade Engel finds herself at the proverbial crossroads of her life. She used to be the girl who walked to the beat of her own drummer only to decide that maybe normal and safe was better for her. That meant conforming and le

Note: This ebook was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All I Want for Christmas by Jennifer Gracen is the second book in the multi-authored Christmas in New York series. The series tells the tale of a group of girlfriends and the men they fall in love with. I read all four books in one day. Once I started with book one, I just couldn't help myself and had to find out what was in store for the other friends. ^.^ While each book can be read as a standalone, I do recommend that they be read in order because the stories are loosely connected.  Cassandra "Cass" Baines is living a life many women her age would envy. She has a job that she enjoys and lives in a city she loves. She's surrounded by her closest girlfriends, each one more of a sister than anything else. The one thing that's missing is someone she could consider a soul mate. She thought she had that years ago but he abruptly ended their relationship, one

Note: This ebook was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This Christmas by Jeannie Moon is the first book in the multi-authored Christmas in New York series. The series tells the tale of a group of girlfriends and the men they fall in love with. I read all four books in one day. Once I started with book one, I just couldn't help myself and had to find out what was in store for the other friends. ^.^ While each book can be read as a standalone, I do recommend that they be read in order because the stories are loosely connected.  When she was just nineteen, Sabrina "Bree" Gervais found out she was pregnant. She swore her best friends to secrecy as to the identity of the baby's father and she refused to let him know about the pregnancy, especially after he decided to end things with her when his former fianceé informed him she was having their baby. With a very broken heart and her dreams put on hold, she went on with

Captivated by You  by Sylvia Day is the fourth novel in the bestselling Crossfire series and has been sitting on my TBR list ever since a fourth and fifth installment in what I originally thought was a trilogy was announced over a year ago. On its release day, I received a text that the paperback I had reserved at my favorite bookstore had arrived and I dropped everything just to go get it then and there. Yup, that's the Gideon effect at its finest. ^.^ I finally took one day off from the other books on my TBR list that were up for review to make time for Gideon (and Eva) and finished this in one sitting. After the events in book three, Entwined with You , we find Gideon Cross and Eva Tramell back in New York after their whirlwind wedding. They're still keeping their elopement under wraps, with only a couple of people knowing about it, preferring to make their family and friends think that they've just gotten engaged and are now planning for their wedding. However,

Note: This ebook was provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. There have been books that have brought me to tears or have made me laugh out loud but very few have rendered me at a loss for words or a coherent thought by the time I'm done reading them. The Flesh Cartel: The Complete Collection  by Rachel Haimowitz & Heidi Belleau is one of those books. I had to take several breaks while reading this omnibus because of just how intense certain scenes got. The story and characters ran me through a gamut of emotions and by the end, I felt rung dry...which just goes to show how astoundingly well-written this book is. Mathias "Mat" Carmichael is a 29-year-old MMA fighter who wants to be able to provide the best life possible for himself and his younger brother Douglas "Dougie" Carmichael, a 23-year-old studying for his doctorate. Mat's always been protective of Dougie and would do anything for him, something t

Note: This ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Movie Star's Red Hot Holiday Fling by Christine Glover is a prequel novella in the Sweetbriar Springs series and is set several years prior to the events in book one. Its release comes months after that of the first book and while I read both books in the order of release, they can be read out of order. Actually, I think it would be better if you read this novella before reading book one, The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion , for the sake of continuity and the series timeline. But that's just a suggestion on my part. ^.^ Jessie Sullivan is a former marine who returns home after an IED explosion that nearly cost her a leg, badly injured a couple of members of her team, and ended the life of their team leader. She's living with her injuries but is even more burdened by the guilt she feels over the explosion. She's pushed away her family and friends and wants

The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion is the first book in the Sweetbriar Springs series by Christine Glover and is a second chance romance about two people who were once very much in love and engaged to be married. When a devastating loss and discovery forces one of them to end the engagement, both are heartbroken but go on to lead separate lives. Five years later, they unexpectedly meet again, this time to work together to make their best friend's dream come true. Zach Tanner is considered a maverick in the corporate world and it's taken hard work and dedication for him to get to that point. He's earned the trust and respect of his father and while there have been other women in his life, no one has ever gotten as close to him as his ex-fiancée. When their mutual best friend Michael Sullivan is diagnosed with ALS, Zach returns to North Carolina to oversee the renovation of the Sullivan family-owned Sweetbriar Springs Resort that Michael was working on prior to enter

Note: This ARC was provided by Less Than Three Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Chase and the Catch by A.F. Henley is one of those novellas that is able to convey an extremely well-written and original story that has you flipping the pages without realizing just how quickly time has passed. Add to that characters that are so flawlessly flawed that there are moments you find yourself wanting to give them a pat on the head one minute and then wanting to smack them upside the head the next and you've got yourself one hell of a fantastic read. John Liege and Parker Chase don't appear to have much in common other than they're well known in their respective fields, with John being a famous and successful romance author and Parker a far more famous and successful Hollywood actor. They're perspectives on life in general and love in particular are at odds but John is at Parker's home to do a job, even though writing a biography isn't

Note: This ebook was provided by Season Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Crashing Down by bestselling author Cathryn Fox is the first book in the multi-author Summer Lovin' series. Each book in the series appears to be a standalone though they are all set at the fictional Stone Cliff Resort in Canada and the characters are part of the staff and/or are guests. If this first book sets the tone for the rest of the series, then it did one heck of an excellent job because this was difficult to put down and I couldn't help but read it in one sitting.  Noah Ryan is not one for adhering to rules and regulations. He's been known to bend them, and if he ends up breaking a few, it doesn't really count if he doesn't get caught. He knows what it's like to do what's expected of you, living each day meeting deadlines and surpassing the standards set by others. He refuses to be tied down again, believing that his rigidness and ambition

Note: This ARC was provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Three of Hearts by Kelly Jamieson is part of the multi-author Share the Love  series. All books that are part of the series will be donating twenty percent of all proceeds to the It Gets Better Project , an organization geared towards the LGBTQ youth. To learn more about the  It Gets Better Project , please visit their website  here . Each of the three books fits into its own genre, with the two others, Lucky Strike by Jane Devitt and Three the Hard Way by Sydney Croft, belonging to science fiction and paranormal, respectively, while Three of Hearts is new adult. The one thread that binds all three books together is that they all involve ménage relationships, though the book I'm reviewing is the only one that has two guys and a girl. Haylee Tremayne is living her dream--she's on tour with her band that's composed of her two best friends, Ben Radcliff and Luca