Book Review: Her Kind of Sheriff by Ellen Knightley

This is a pleasant historical western romance.

Her Kind of Sheriff
by Ellen Knightley

150 pages
Publisher: Ellen Knightley
Genre: Clean, Historical Romance, Sweet
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0.

Life in Black Shaw is a constant struggle for Eve Stanton, between helping her mother with her six siblings and working as a seamstress. When her father approves a marriage proposal she has no interest in without even asking her, Eve is horrified. Barely eighteen, she’s not ready to commit to a life without romance. Making matters worse, a false accusation made against her suddenly turns her into an outcast. In the midst of her despair, she finds an unlikely ally in the handsome new sheriff. She can’t allow herself to hope he could ever be interested in her, but she also can’t seem to stay away from him. With her life in turmoil and her would-be husband looming, will Eve be brave enough to go after what she truly wants?
Logan Andrews has always dreamt of being a sheriff, so when an opportunity opens up in a small town of Texas, he jumps at the chance. Being a man with a strong sense of justice, he has a burning desire to put away all the criminals that have been terrorizing the town of Black Shaw. However, when he locks up a man who has everyone convinced he’s a hero, Logan becomes the town’s number one enemy. His only support comes from a beautiful and captivating young seamstress, with dazzling blue eyes he can’t stop thinking about. While he doggedly works to prove his worth and change people’s minds, will he also allow himself to give in to a love that could change his life forever?
Logan and Eve find common ground when their place in town is threatened and their integrity is questioned. Having each other to rely on, they struggle to regain everything they’ve lost while their feelings intensify beyond measure. With everything against them and their feelings intensifying, will their tender love survive the trials coming their way? Will they manage to stand up for what they believe in without losing each other in the process?

Review:
Eve is a sweet young woman who has had the burden of helping her mother raise her six siblings. Their father is out drinking his sorrows most of the time. Now that Eve is eighteen, her father decides that she should marry, and he has approved her marry the wealthy banker in town. Eve isn’t ready to marry anyone, much less a man she doesn’t love. It isn’t fair her father thinks she should marry to get a wealthy relative. When Eve turns down the offer of marriage to the banker, she sees a touch of anger. She has no idea how the rejection will impact her reputation in town.

Logan is a new sheriff in town. He was pleased to move up from a deputy position at another town but he has an extra reason for coming to Black Shaw. Logan has studied the patterns of robberies over the past six months, and he suspects that there is an outlaw ring leader in Black Shaw or its neighboring towns.

Logan has occasion to ‘rescue’ Eve from an aggressive discussion with the town banker. The banker is well liked in town and has developed a large group of favors from other town members. When Logan spots the man meeting two other strangers late at night and in stealthy circumstance, Logan begins to suspect the man is not as upstanding as everyone thinks.

After Logan arrests the banker he faces hostility from the townsfolk. Meanwhile, Eve has lost her job over accusations of theft and she is struggling to get another job in light of the false accusations. Logan and Eve become friends in their outcast situation. Their interaction leads to a developing friendship. When the banker escapes jail, can Logan keep Eve safe from the angry man?

I liked the personalities of Eve and Logan and the slow development of their relationship. The plot of the story, although not new, is one that is plausible. My biggest struggle with this book is the writing which was choppy, totally predictable, and seemed unskilled. I still liked the story and characters but hope that the author works on her writing skills to make for a smoother read with a little more intrigue and build up. Readers who like sweet, clean, historical romance should enjoy this story.

Source: November 2022 Bookfunnel download from Newsletter This qualifies for 2023TBR and 2023eBook goals.

Audible Book Review: Crisis Shot: The Line of Duty, Book 1 by Janice Cantore

I enjoyed this Christian police procedure thriller and will want to get more in the series.
Crisis Shot: The Line of Duty, Book 1
By: Janice Cantore
Narrated by: Alice Anne English

Series: The Line of Duty, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
Release date: 09-05-17
Publisher: Two Words Publishing, LLC
Genre: Clean & Wholesome, Police Procedural, Thriller & Suspense
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Tess O'Rourke dreams of becoming the first female chief of police in Long Beach, California. As commander of the East Division, she is well on her way...until the night she responds to an officer-needs-assistance call and fatally shoots an unarmed teenager. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury, Tess is so hounded by the public that she takes a job in Oregon to escape the bad press.
Winning over the residents of Rogue's Hollow might be more difficult than adjusting to her new role as police chief in the small backwater town - especially when her closest friend, the pastor's wife, goes missing and the woman's cousin is found shot. Tess finds an ally in sheriff's deputy Steve Logan, but as they track down Rogue's Hollow's first murderer, she worries that she's breaking one of her rules and getting too close to him.
©2017 Janice Cantore (P)2017 Two Words Publishing LLC

Review:
Tess O’Rourke became a police officer like her father. She was working hard to become the first female chief of police in Long Beach, California. One night she responds to the call of another officer and finds four teens beating the officer with a baseball bat. Three of the boys flee but one stays and ignores her demands to step away. When he reaches for the fallen officer’s gun, Tess fatally shoots him. A local radio journalist starts a campaign against her, ruining her local career even though she is ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.

Tess sends out many resumes but only gets one likely interview. She is hired as the new Chief of Police in a small Oregon community with mixed reactions by the hiring team and the residents. When her new friend in town, the pastor’s wife, goes missing, and the woman’s cousin is found shot, Tess finds herself under great scrutiny as she conducts her investigation. She is glad to have an ally and friend in sheriff’s deputy Steve Logan, even as she tries to resist their growing attraction.

There were several good twists in this story, and it moved along quickly. There is a good bit of Christian faith sharing which might not suit all readers, but I found uplifting. I plan to seek more titles in this series. I recommend it to readers who would enjoy a Christian Police Procedural thriller.

Audio Notes: Alice Anne English does a good job with the narration. She provides distinct voices and accents for the female and male characters. She also presents the story with fitting emotion. I enjoyed the audio experience.

Source: 1/2021 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: Rescuing Harmony Ranch by Jennie Marts

This second chance romance brought tears to my eyes near the end.
Rescuing Harmony Ranch
By Jennie Marts

ASIN : B08KHQ9XVF
Publisher : Hallmark Publishing (February 23, 2021)
Print length : 209 pages
Genre: Clean, Small Town Romance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

A bearded blacksmith
and a marketing exec
join forces...and sparks fly.
After her grandmother calls her asking for help, Jocelyn drops everything and heads back home to Harmony Creek, Colorado. Her grandmother runs a living history museum: a ranch and homestead where volunteers wear clothing from the early 1900s and demonstrate how things were done in the old West, from making soap to shearing sheep. The place is in financial trouble, and it needs the revenue from the annual festival to survive.
There’s just one thing that makes this a little awkward: Mack, who’s divorced, and who’s now the caretaker and blacksmith at the homestead. Jocelyn and Mack have their own shared history, which includes both stolen kisses and teenage rivalry.
Even as the past and present collide, they have to save Harmony Ranch. Matchmaking grannies, a meddling mutt, and a flood of fun festival activities might just be enough to overcome their differences and forge two broken hearts back together.
This heartwarming romance includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Turkey Sliders with Mac and Cheese.

Review:
Jocelyn was a teen when her mother took her from Colorado to New York. Jocelyn had initially planned to go back but after her high school sweetheart married someone else, Jocelyn poured herself into her college and marketing career. Years later Jocelyn returns home to help her injured grandmother. Jocelyn always loved Harmony Ranch, the living history museum that it is her grandmother’s ranch, and Jocelyn is distressed to learn it is in financial trouble.

Mack is the caretaker and blacksmith at the ranch. He has a history full of abandonment and betrayal, including his perception of his parting with Jocelyn. Now he is divorced but not sure he can risk his heart to Jocelyn.

Jocelyn and Mack are pushed together by their grandmothers, and they find it necessary to work closely together as they take over the planning of the upcoming festival which is the hope of raising money to save the ranch. The pair have a history of miscommunication and initial reluctance to be open with one another. However, their never forgotten feelings soon become clear even if Jocelyn’s limited visit back to Colorado while she works toward a promotion at work is still an obstacle.

I enjoyed the tense start to the couple’s relationship and how it grows but still has misunderstandings. The cute, stubborn basset hound, Savage, adds a fun furry friend element. The ending may be predictable but it was fun getting there through the festival and the lovely sounding living history aspect of the ranch.

The writing flows easily and the romance is sweet and clean. It is totally enjoyable. I recommend this to fans of clean, second chance romance.

Source: NetGalley 2020. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021NetGalley and 2021Alphabet goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: Forever Phoebe by Chalon Linton

I did enjoy this sweet historical romance.

Forever Phoebe
by Chalon Linton

ASIN : B08KYM3Q47
Publisher : Covenant Communications (February 8, 2021)
File size : 1582 KB
Print length : 217 pages
Genre: Clean, Historical Romance, Regency
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

At the dignified age of eighteen, Phoebe Jamison knows she should behave in a manner befitting her station, as her three loving elder brothers often tease. Unfortunately, the lively young woman has a personality every bit as fiery as her red hair, a fact brought to her attention in the criticism from the gentleman she has long pined for. But not every man is of the opinion that a woman should be decorous above all else. The newest resident of Somerset, Mr. Franklin Everly, is considered a most eligible bachelor, and he is immediately drawn to Phoebe’s spirited nature as he becomes acquainted with the delightful Jamison siblings of Primly Park. Franklin embarks on a friendship with Phoebe that quickly deepens into a warm and thrilling connection. But even as he fights for Phoebe’s attentions, a very real danger is revealed: girls in neighboring villages have gone missing, and the kidnapper is moving ever closer to Primly Park. Despite the guard of her fiercely protective brothers and Franklin, Phoebe must rely on her own strength when she finds herself in the sights of the Bride Snatcher.

Review:
Red-haired Phoebe has three older brothers, so she tends to be a bit bolder than most young ladies her age. She does have interest in one long time neighbor although he doesn’t seem to see her yet as anything other than as his friend’s younger sister whom he can correct on decorum issues.

Franklin Everly is a new neighbor taking over management of a nearby estate. He seeks assistance from the men at Primly Park and discovers that he is interested in their fiery sister, Phoebe. He begins to develop a friendship and soon seeks a more significant relationship.

Meanwhile Phoebe is a little concerned that her eldest brother may be leading on her best friend. This violates the pact the brothers made not to become involved with Phoebe’s closest friends.

While life moves on for these young people, there is concern and danger in the area. Several young women have gone missing and there is a hunt out for the “Bride Snatcher”. The brothers and Franklin think they can keep Phoebe safe but her independent spirit may defeat their best efforts.

This is a gentle romance that focuses on the characters and their life interactions. I enjoyed the slowly developed romance which carried most of the story. The author reveals Phoebe’s natural confusion between her interest in one man and the sweet pursuit by another. I kept anticipating the danger from the kidnapper. It was well done although it did not occur until late in the book.

I would be glad to read more by Ms. Linton. I recommend this easy reading, sweet historical romance to those who enjoy the genre.

Source: NetGalley 2020. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021NetGalley, and 2021Alphabet goals.