Tag Archives: Natalie Walters

Mini-Book Review — Blind Trust

19 Dec

I am a big Natalie Walters fan. Her series are great for fans of romantic suspense — sizzle and non-stop action! Blind Trust is the final book in Walters’ SNAP Agency series, set in the NOVA area. While I did enjoy it, I have to admit it is not my favorite of the trilogy. Not sure what it was about the book — I liked the main characters and the plot was intriguing. I just had a very hard time getting into the story. Towards the end I was turning the pages fast and furiously to find out just what in the world was going on! Maybe that’s what I had trouble with — a lot of random-feeling threads I didn’t think would ever come together. But they did, and I am glad I have a conclusion of the gang at SNAP. The series taken as a whole is excellent and certainly binge-worthy. So start with book 1 and keep going. You’re welcome! 😉

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Lyla Fox knows she has a reputation at the SNAP Agency for impulsivity, but when she receives a threatening letter from a man she helped put in prison, she can’t stop herself from going all in to find out why he’s coming after her. Unfortunately, she’s going to need the help of the one person who questions her reckless choices more than anyone else.

Explosives and weapons specialist Nicolás Garcia agrees to help Lyla in order to keep her safe, but her recklessness continues to be a major concern, especially when her investigation into a conspiracy puts a target on her back. Dealing with bombs is dangerous. Working with Lyla is proving to be just as treacherous–to both the mission and his heart.

Natalie Walters closes out her SNAP Agency series with a bang with this nail-biting story of a deadly government conspiracy, an unlikely couple, and an ending that will leave you breathless.

Natalie Walters is a best selling author who loves writing romantic suspense with dynamic plots, memorable characters, humor, heart, and adventure.

As an Army wife, she fills her stories with the right balance of romantic and suspenseful tension to get the heart-racing and a cast of witty characters–all of which, may or may not be inspired by true people and/or events.

When she’s not writing, she’s dreaming of her next vacation, spending time with her family, or chasing after her sock-eating Goldendoodle, Scout. Annnd binging CourtTv.

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If You Liked . . . The Christmas Tree Farm

15 Dec

My book club chose The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson for our December selection. It was not my favorite by Carlson, but it was a quick, pleasant, Christmas-y read. If you liked it (or share my viewpoint) I have some more recommendations for you. I read all three of these books during the 2023 Christmas season and LOVED them! I usually schedule my If You Liked . . . posts on the last day of the month, but you really need to read these books before Christmas!

All’s Fair in Love And Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all.

Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham–Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they’ll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she’d be a contender in her company’s holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?

Jeremy Fletcher’s life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year’s promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew, he needs the salary increase to support his family. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she’s his rival, he can’t stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he’s afraid that if he can’t get his head on straight, the promotion isn’t the only thing he’ll end up losing to Mackenzie.

Better Watch Out by Natalie Walters

An accidental meet-cute, a case of mistaken identity, and a bucket-list of Christmas activities befitting a Hallmark movie make this holiday romantic adventure the perfect Christmas read.

Leave the candy canes, take the pepper spray!

Nothing screams Christmas like a week spent ice skating, visiting Santa, and sharing a kiss or two under the mistletoe. Frannie Frost has crafted the perfect bucket list of romantic activities to surprise her boyfriend in the most magical place at Christmas time—New York City. When he unexpectedly becomes her ex, her plans are derailed leaving her with a choice. Wallow in self-pity at Christmas time or take matters into her own hands.

Former NHL defenseman turned personal protection agent, Andrew Bishop, loves his job—when things go as planned—but Frannie Frost is definitely not part of the plan. Still, when her brother, the man who saved Andrew’s life last year, asks him to deliver his sister safely to the airport, he can’t say no.

The only problem? Frannie isn’t leaving. She’s determined to make the most of her trip by checking off a bucket list of cliché Christmas activities that would make even Santa’s elves jealous. Andrew’s content to let her go until he learns that Frannie’s been mistaken for his client and thrust into the midst of danger.

Better Watch Out is a sweet romantic holiday adventure that gives you all of laughs of a rom-com while adding a touch of suspense. Tropes you’re sure to love include the new girl in the city vibe, stranded at Christmas, under the mistletoe, forced proximity, and a touch of enemies to lovers. Enjoy this romantic adventure that’s sure to make your holidays merry and bright.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh

It’s the most wonderful time of the year–for everyone except Starr Lewis.

As if going home for the holidays jobless and single wasn’t bad enough, she’s dragged into a holiday season full of activities leading up to her sister’s uber-romantic Christmas Eve wedding–to Starr’s ex-boyfriend. But when her brother’s best friend, Waylon Emmerson, attends their family Thanksgiving, she starts to wonder if maybe coming home for Christmas isn’t so bad after all.

As Starr finds the perfect distraction in helping Waylon make over his late mother’s Christmas shop, the most wonderful time of the year works its magic and the spark between them grows. But with the holidays fast approaching, Starr must decide what she wants out of life after the gifts are unwrapped and the ornaments are put away–to go back to New York City or to open her heart to a love that will last beyond Christmas Day?

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Happy Release Day! — Cornered

19 Nov

Happiest of release days to Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters! Their 3-novella collection, Cornered, is now available! If you like fast-paced romantic suspense, then this one is for you. The authors return to favorite places and people too — I loved reconnecting through these stories!

Prepare for three times the thrills with these nail-biting page-turners from your favorite romantic suspense authors!

In In the Dark by Lynette Eason, accountant Steph Cross is cleaning out a coworker’s desk after her untimely death when she finds cryptic notes that lead her to believe her friend’s car accident was no accident at all. Detective Tate Cooper is determined to help her crack the case before someone else gets hurt. But can he protect the woman who has so quickly laid claim to his heart?

In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, chef Cassie Quinn gets an offer she can’t refuse: to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort. But when the kitchen is destroyed and it becomes clear Cassie is in danger, she’s forced to accept the help of her ex-boyfriend, Detective Donovan Bledsoe, to find the culprit and keep her safe.

In Perilous Obsession by Natalie Walters, teacher Lahela Young becomes the target of someone with a twisted obsession of righting a wrong. The first person she turns to is her good friend Briggs Turner. Briggs may have left his career as a police officer, but he still has the instinct to protect–especially for Lahela.

Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publisher’s Weekly, CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.

Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing romantic suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she’s a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters and loves putting them into all kinds of terrifying situations while she’s sitting at home safe and sound in her pajamas!

Lynn lives in South Carolina with her family. You can stay up-to-date by signing up for her newsletter at her website and following her on social media @LynnHBlackburn.

Natalie Walters is a best selling author who loves writing romantic suspense with dynamic plots, memorable characters, humor, heart, and adventure.

As an Army wife, she fills her stories with the right balance of romantic and suspenseful tension to get the heart-racing and a cast of witty characters–all of which, may or may not be inspired by true people and/or events.

When she’s not writing, she’s dreaming of her next vacation, spending time with her family, or chasing after her sock-eating Goldendoodle, Scout. Annnd binging CourtTv.

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Book Review: Cornered

18 Nov

Sometimes I am just in the mood for a quick-paced, suspense-filled story to escape to. Cornered, the 3-author novella collection checked all my boxes! I can’t recommend enough this book authored by Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters. Find out more about the book and my thoughts below.

Prepare for three times the thrills with these nail-biting page-turners from your favorite romantic suspense authors!

In In the Dark by Lynette Eason, accountant Steph Cross is cleaning out a coworker’s desk after her untimely death when she finds cryptic notes that lead her to believe her friend’s car accident was no accident at all. Detective Tate Cooper is determined to help her crack the case before someone else gets hurt. But can he protect the woman who has so quickly laid claim to his heart?

In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, chef Cassie Quinn gets an offer she can’t refuse: to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort. But when the kitchen is destroyed and it becomes clear Cassie is in danger, she’s forced to accept the help of her ex-boyfriend, Detective Donovan Bledsoe, to find the culprit and keep her safe.

In Perilous Obsession by Natalie Walters, teacher Lahela Young becomes the target of someone with a twisted obsession of righting a wrong. The first person she turns to is her good friend Briggs Turner. Briggs may have left his career as a police officer, but he still has the instinct to protect–especially for Lahela.

Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publisher’s Weekly, CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.

Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing romantic suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she’s a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters and loves putting them into all kinds of terrifying situations while she’s sitting at home safe and sound in her pajamas!

Lynn lives in South Carolina with her family. You can stay up-to-date by signing up for her newsletter at her website and following her on social media @LynnHBlackburn.

Natalie Walters is a best selling author who loves writing romantic suspense with dynamic plots, memorable characters, humor, heart, and adventure.

As an Army wife, she fills her stories with the right balance of romantic and suspenseful tension to get the heart-racing and a cast of witty characters–all of which, may or may not be inspired by true people and/or events.

When she’s not writing, she’s dreaming of her next vacation, spending time with her family, or chasing after her sock-eating Goldendoodle, Scout. Annnd binging CourtTv.

My Impressions:

In busy times of my life (like right now) I crave fast-paced suspense. Cornered, a 3-novella collection from Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters checked all my boxes! With stories inspired from my favorite series by these authors, this collection combined intriguing plots, characters to love, and inspirational themes. If you are a fan of any of these authors, you are in for a treat! Each novella contains a twisting/turning plot that keeps the characters and readers on their toes. I never knew just where the next threat would come from or just whodunit. I love when I can’t quite figure out just what is going on. In addition to the puzzles, the characters are realistically drawn and relatable. Finding a place and purpose in which to fit is a universal theme. These stories are clean too, but there’s plenty of sizzle between the main characters. Romance fans will find much to love. I really didn’t have a favorite among these novellas — each was supremely satisfying. The bad guys always get caught and the main characters have a HEA.

So if you are looking for a fun book that you can read this holiday season, then I recommend Cornered. Be careful though, once you start each novella you are not going to want to put them down. 😉

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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First Line Friday — Cornered

15 Nov

Happy Friday! I am off on a reading adventure! *HINT* — it’s a rendezvous with reading. Yes, I am at the Reader’s Rendezvous hosted by JustRead Book Tours! I hope to share a little more about my bookish travels later, so stayed tuned. I took along Cornered by Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters to read in the airport and on the plane. Look for my review next week. Today’s FLF is from the second story, Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn. Here it is:

Cassie Quinn dropped her speed as she approached the employee entrance to The Haven.

Prepare for three times the thrills with these nail-biting page-turners from your favorite romantic suspense authors!

In In the Dark by Lynette Eason, accountant Steph Cross is cleaning out a coworker’s desk after her untimely death when she finds cryptic notes that lead her to believe her friend’s car accident was no accident at all. Detective Tate Cooper is determined to help her crack the case before someone else gets hurt. But can he protect the woman who has so quickly laid claim to his heart?

In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, chef Cassie Quinn gets an offer she can’t refuse: to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort. But when the kitchen is destroyed and it becomes clear Cassie is in danger, she’s forced to accept the help of her ex-boyfriend, Detective Donovan Bledsoe, to find the culprit and keep her safe.

In Perilous Obsession by Natalie Walters, teacher Lahela Young becomes the target of someone with a twisted obsession of righting a wrong. The first person she turns to is her good friend Briggs Turner. Briggs may have left his career as a police officer, but he still has the instinct to protect–especially for Lahela.

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First Line Friday — Cornered

8 Nov

Happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but at this time of year I want to read mystery/suspense. There’s just something about getting dark earlier that makes me want to snuggle in with a great whodunit. Cornered, a 3-novella collection by Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters fits the bill. It releases soon — November 19 — so I am going to feature the first lines of each story for the next 3 Fridays.

Here’s the first line of In The Dark by Lynette Eason:

The September sun had barely risen over the mountain town of Lake City, North Carolina, casting a warm, golden glow that filtered through Stephanie Cross’s kitchen window.

Prepare for three times the thrills with these nail-biting page-turners from your favorite romantic suspense authors!

In In the Dark by Lynette Eason, accountant Steph Cross is cleaning out a coworker’s desk after her untimely death when she finds cryptic notes that lead her to believe her friend’s car accident was no accident at all. Detective Tate Cooper is determined to help her crack the case before someone else gets hurt. But can he protect the woman who has so quickly laid claim to his heart?

In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, chef Cassie Quinn gets an offer she can’t refuse: to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort. But when the kitchen is destroyed and it becomes clear Cassie is in danger, she’s forced to accept the help of her ex-boyfriend, Detective Donovan Bledsoe, to find the culprit and keep her safe.

In Perilous Obsession by Natalie Walters, teacher Lahela Young becomes the target of someone with a twisted obsession of righting a wrong. The first person she turns to is her good friend Briggs Turner. Briggs may have left his career as a police officer, but he still has the instinct to protect–especially for Lahela.

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Top 10 Tuesday — Bookish Coworkers

20 Aug

Happy Tuesday! This week’s TTT is all about relationships. The books I have chosen involve close knit coworkers. Besides their cool jobs, the characters are friends — and sometimes more 😉 . It would be fun to be a part of the whole office dynamic if I could be the one to answer the phones. I love to read suspense, but I don’t want to actually live it! The books below are the first in each series — lots of time to spend at the office!

For more relationship lists, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books with Cool Coworkers

Active Defense by Lynette Eason

Beneath The Surface by Lynn Blackburn

End Game by Rachel Dylan

The Escape by Lisa Harris

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

Lights Out by Natalie Walters

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

Operation Joktan by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn

Standoff by Patricia Bradley

Vanished by Irene Hannon

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Top 10 Tuesday — Suspense That Kept Me Guessing

16 Jul

Happy Tuesday! I am little late posting today, but as they say, better than never! I twisted today’s topic to give you 10 books that are examples of what keeps me reading suspense novels — they kept me guessing! I loved that. I read A LOT of suspense and I often figure out whodunit before the main characters. So if an author can surprise me, I count that as a big reading win. If you like suspense too, then check out my list. Please note, I reviewed all of these books here on the blog and I did not have to give a positive review. But they were so good, that I did! 😉

For more bloggers’ lists, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Suspense Novels That Kept Me Guessing

8 Down by Kimberly Woodhouse

Better Watch Out by Natalie Walters

Broker of Lies by Steven James

Double Take by Lynette Eason

Facing The Enemy by DiAnn Mills

Into The Fire by Irene Hannon

Last to Know by Brandy Heineman

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard

The Vanishing at Caste Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

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Top 10 Tuesday — Most Anticipated Books of The Last Half of 2024

25 Jun

Happy Tuesday! Can you believe that 2024 is almost half over? Even though I am so behind on my reading, I can’t resist adding upcoming releases to my staggering TBR pile. No apologies, though. 😉 There are a variety of genres (although there is A LOT of suspense) represented in my list, so I hope there is one that will pique your interest.

For more bloggers’ lists, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of The Last Half of 2024!

Between The Sound And Sea by Amanda Cox

Cold Vengeance by Nancy Mehl

Cornered by Lynette Eason/Lynn Blackburn/Natalie Walters

Every Moment Since by Marybeth Whalen

The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock

Lethal Standoff by DiAnn Mills

Over The Edge by Irene Hannon

Specters in The Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright

Something Borrowed by Susie Finkbeiner/Rachel Scott McDaniel/Allison Pittman

Target Acquired by Lynette Eason

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Top 10 Tuesday — Quick Reads!

6 Feb

When time is short, but you still want to read, I think the best choice is a novella. I don’t read a lot of novellas; I really prefer a full length novel. But I do appreciate a quick read during those busy times of life. Novellas and novella collections have been my go-to for a quick reading getaway from all the hustle and bustle of life. A novella is also good when you want to try out a new author. My list includes novellas in a variety of genres, so no matter what you are in the mood for, there’s a book for you.

For more quick reads from bloggers, head over to That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Quick Reads

Better Watch Out by Natalie Walters

The Christmas Heirloom (novella collection) by Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade

Her Country Gentleman (novella collection) by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, and Rebecca Connolly

Medical Mystery by Richard L. Mabry, MD

Protecting Tanner Hollow (novella collection) by Lynette Eason

The Shifting Current by Dani Pettrey

Targeted (novella collection) by Lynette Eason, Lynn Blackburn, and Natalie Walters

The Unbroken Song by Jennifer Q. Hunt

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