A surprise baby trope that's well done. We met both Theo and Winter in previous books. He's a bull-rider and she's a doctor, not a pairing I saw coming, but it works.

Beau Eaton wants his family off his back and Bailey just wants the town to get off her back due to her family's reputation. They go for a fake engagement, but the sparks are real.

Jasper is a hockey star and Sloane has been in love with him since they were kids. Now there's a chance for them to get together, but she wants him to work for it. Another good book in this series.

I really like Ms. Silver's writing. The first two books in this series are great, and I'm definitely going to read the rest. Cade and Willa are awesome.

This is one of those books that was advertised to me for a while, but I kept resisting, not sold by the blurb. I finally caved and loved it. Rhett and Summer are a great couple, lots of banter and romance.

When Hellie's father owes big money to Erick Costa, so the mob leader takes Hellie in retaliation. He expects her to forge painting for him, but she quickly realizes there's more tieing her to the handsome mobster. There's some good twists.

Mercy has vampire trouble and demon trouble, both in the same body. She also has Adam and Sam, her two wolf shifters, vying for her attention and love. It's a great follow-up to the first book, with interesting characters and story.

When Lady Johanna is widowed, her brother suggests she marry his friend, Gabriel MacBain. He's a Scot who can protect her from King John. At first, she's intimidated by the big Scot and baffled by their customs, but gradually, the two move to an accord and then love.
This is one of those Medieval romances that is weak on historical details, so much that it's annoying sometimes. I had to think about 'Bridgerton' because the book had so much wrong. But the story is well-written with some very funny moments, and I ended up enjoying it.

Reese Dewar has returned from the Crimean War injured and ready to settle down at his estate. The only problem is his neighbor Elizabeth, the woman who jilted him and married another man for his wealth and prestige. All is not as it seems, as Reese gradually discovers. Someone is trying to murder Elizabeth and her son, so Reese steps in to save them.
I felt like I read this book before. It was fairly predictable but interesting anyway. There were a lot of communication issues between the couple that seemed to be solved by sex rather than talking.

Will Tucker needs a cook and housekeeper, but Linnea McConaughy is not what he expected. The young widow is a slip of a girl, not the robust woman he thinks he needs. But she's tougher than she looks and exactly what he needs on his ranch.
It's a sweet story. Will is big and gruff, while Linnea is petite and determined to prove herself. No surprises here, but a nice read.

Charles and Anna travel to Seattle to present the Marrok's proposal for revealing wolf shifters to humans. The Fae have already come out, and Bran (the Marrok) feels the timing is perfect for the wolves. It's a complicated story with a lot of politics, shifters, vampires, and other supernatural creatures - exactly my cup of tea.

Charles is maybe the number three wolf in the North American wolf packs and a son of the Marrok. He's found his mate in Anna, an Omega who was abused by the pack that had her before he brought her to his home in Montana. They're still trying to find their footing with each other when they are called out into the mountains to face the enemy of a member of their pack, Asil the Moor.
I didn't read the novella or other stories that preceded this book, so I was a bit lost on Anna and Charles' back stories. Some of it was revealed but I felt like I was just catching up for the first part of the book. Once the action starts, then the story picked up for me. I want to see what else is going to happen in this fascinating world.

Mercy Thompson is a mechanic and a coyote shifter. The wolf pack in town mostly ignores her, except for the Alpha, Adam Hauptman. Her roommate Samuel is also her ex, an independent wolf shifter, and son of the Marrok, the ruler of North American wolf shifters. The Fae have come out to the public and live on reservations, and the Marrok is also planning to bring out the werewolves. When a plot involves Mercy, she must rescue Adam's daughter Jesse from kidnappers with the help of her various companions.
It's a great start to the series, though I first read two Alpha and Omega books (intertwined but separate series). All the characters are intriguing, and I like how the author has mixed in fairytales, Celtic mythology, and Native American stories. Mercy is weaker than the wolves, but manages to use her other attributes to save the day.

George, Duke of Canwell, divorced Sarah after one day of marriage. Four years later, they meet once more. She's acting as a companion to her elderly cousin while he is in Bath with his new, young fiancee. Divorce in Regency England was rare, and it was always the woman who suffered the scorn of society, so Sarah used her mother's maiden name but lived in fear of being discovered. George worries about her moral influence on his sister and his fiancee.
Through judicious use of flashback memories, what went wrong with the marriage is gradually revealed. I loved both Sarah and George, but I didn't see how there would be a HEA in this book, so I was pretty tense while reading. Ms. Balogh comes through in a compelling and lovely way. This is an older book, one of her back catalog that is being released as ebooks. Some of those have been hit or miss, but this one is definitely a hit!

Noah seduces Stella and releases a sex tape to get revenge on her father. She's crushed, and he quickly realizes he's made a huge mistake as he falls in love with her.
I would have liked to see more grovel from him and a bit more bravado on her side. I found it hard to like Noah and while I felt bad for Stella, I also wanted her to stand up for herself more.
3 1/2 stars

Gabriel is wealthy, and his primary concern is his young daughter. Aurora is a quiet woman whom Gabriel met when she designed one of his hotels. Gabriel is in love with her, but his ex-wife manipulates both him and his daughter to break them up.
It's a weird situation; Gabriel lives in the house next to his ex-wife and the two basically live like they're still married, with their daughter moving back and forth (as well as the wife). It seemed pretty unrealistic, especially for poor Aurora to put up with. But it does provide a lot of tension, so I just accepted it and waited for Gabriel to get his act together.

Miceli is supposed to marry her older sister, while Alessia is supposed to marry his rival. However, there's a mix-up, and he ends up kidnapping and marrying her. Her former fiance is unhappy, and Alessia isn't sure Miceli is right for her, even if she's attracted to him. They both have to deal with the repercussions from the changes in true Mafia fashion.

Harlow Keaton and Ian Wilder became best friends at age 5 when he gave her his winter coat. Their friendship has endured, but they haven't seen each other for a while now. Harlow is back in town with her daughter, and Ian gives them a place to stay in his spare room. Romance has always been off the table for them, but now things feel different.
It's a lovely story about a sweet couple finally finding their way to each other. It's a slow-burn, second-chance romance that is beautifully written.

This is the latest installment of the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy is still under the influence of the Soul Taker artifact from the last book, but she and Adam head to Montana to rescue her brother Gary. Turns out there's a fierce winter storm generated by one of the Jotnir and Mercy and her husband are caught up in it. To make things right, they must find another artifact before the Winter Solstice.
I just read all 14 books in a row, and I've really enjoyed them all. This one was just okay, maybe because I'm on overload or because the author changed her writing style a bit. I found the first half extremely slow, and the jumping around didn't help. I've also seen other reviewers' remarks, and I'd like to second this: instead of recapping everyone's back story to fill out the story, maybe put a small note at the beginning of the book. After such a long series, it's annoying to keep reading about how Mercy was raised by the Marduk, her foster parents died, she's a mechanic, etc.
The second half was much better-paced, but the story was just okay. With fourteen books, it's fine to have one I didn't enjoy as much, and I'm still looking forward to the next one.

Spider is part of the Irish mob (see book 2 in this series), and an alliance with the Mafia is needed, so he agrees to marry Lili, even if he's more attracted to her Aunt Reyna. Circumstances make it so that he ends up with who he wants, even if Reyna isn't who he needs. But they both have a dark past and bond over it along with their banter and hotness connection. Great entry in a strong series.

Riley is on her way to her sister's wedding (Sloane from the second book) when a Bratva head kidnaps her. Malek thinks she's responsible for his brother's death. This has been a great series, well-written with lots of twists and reluctant alliances. Riley and Malek are a lot of fun together despite the drama.

Nat's fiance disappears, leaving her behind with no resolution. Five years later, Kage shows up to collect a debt; since he can't find the fiance, Nat must pay instead despite their attraction.
I really like this author and this book is a strong start to this series. There's some good twists to the story and the romance is great.

Isabel is Con's assistant; he's the head of the Costa family's Western territory. He's also a playboy and gets in trouble when he sleeps with the nineteen-year-old daughter of a general who's running for President. To get him out of trouble, Isabel enters into a marriage of convenience (and for a lot of cash). Things progress as one would expect, but I like that this was a bit different from the usual run of Mafia romances. Both Con and Isabel are good together and I enjoyed their interactions.

Evan and Noelle, as high school classmates, are kidnapped and placed in cages next to each other in a dark basement. They have a history; his father shot and killed her mother. But now they are in a dark game where wealthy men bet on their actions as the two teenagers are exposed to more and more depravities. They manage to escape with the help of the Collector, one of the game's viewers.
Years later, they're still recovering from the trauma. Evan has become a PI and is still investigating the crime.
This is a twisted and very dark story, but it is also well-written. I like thrillers where I don't know how the story will end, and this one was excellent. Evan and Noelle are great; they must learn to put their differences aside and work together to beat their captives and escape. They're intelligent and brave, a wonderful couple. It takes a while to get all the backstory, but the pacing is good, and I didn't see the ending coming. Great book, but maybe not for everyone(I did say it's dark).

At first, I thought this would be one of those cookie-cutter rejected mate stories where the guy is a jerk to the girl. It turned out much differently than I imagined into a pretty good story. Mai knows Ryan is her fated mate, but he rejects her, so she runs away. After her new guy abuses her, she returns to lick her wounds and figure out what to do next. But Ryan has been keeping secrets and has other plans for her.

Evie is a runaway on the streets when Rhett rescues her because she reminds him of his sister. He pays for her college and an apartment while maintaining a hands-off attitude with her. She's in love with him, so this breaks her heart, and she leaves after graduation. Years later, they run into each other again.
It's a lovely story with a lot of angst. Rhett is upset when Evie leaves him, but she needs a break from him and his philandering. There's a lot of darkness, but also sweetness.

Anna is neuro-divergent, while Cian is a dark Mob boss. They shouldn't make sense together, but somehow the author makes it work. Another well-written mafia book by Ms. Monroe with a different take from the usual Mafia romances.

Severu is looking for a docile wife in his arranged marriage but he can't stop thinking about his fiancee's older sister Catalina. When her younger sister flees, Cat is forced to don the wedding gown and take her sister's place. There's the usual Mafia drama with a rat messing up Severu's plans. But Cat and Severu are an interesting pairing, though maybe too many sex scenes, especially in the beginning. But the story is interesting, nothing new but well-written.

Nathan James enters into an arranged marriage with Melanie because his father wants grandchildren and her brother needs money? There's drama and lots of sex scenes (I think because there is a realistic plot and the author needed to pad the pages). I think this could have been a lot better because Nathan and Melanie are an okay couple, but they needed a lot more development. The brother thing was just weird; he's out doing real crimes and never really gets punished.

Brielle is an Omega and unmated, which means she must answer the call from the King of Wolves to attend a matching ceremony. Of course, she's almost immediately paired up with the prince, Kane. There's nefarious politicking as the two fumbles to cement their bond.
It's an okay story, but one of those books where you're supposed to get most of the resolution in the next books in the series. I just wasn't that interested.