GOING ALL THE WAY

GOING ALL THE WAY                              CYNTHIA COOKE

After a failed marriage and quitting her high-pressure job, Carrie Steinhem is ready for uncomplicated fun. Love? Not what she’s looking for. She’d rather crash a wedding with her friends and find a hot hookup. The bride’s father is onto her, though. But just as her night out veers toward public embarrassment, a sizzling stranger sweeps in and claims Carrie as his date.

Potential hookup? Check. If she doesn’t get cold feet first.

Ryan Burton is on the fast track to a promotion…assuming he can avoid distractions and nail this new account. Except the woman he rescued at a friend’s wedding ends up not only being his new neighbor—she’s his client’s ex-wife. And his client has every intention of winning her back.

Carrie and Ryan would love to leave complicated alone, but when two people share a duplex and irresistible chemistry, temptation—and love—is right around the corner…
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This book opens up with Carrie and her friend crashing a wedding and she is knowing that they are going to get caught. When the father of the bride is starting to figure things out she bumps into a hot and sexy guy, Ryan. But no names please after a much needed check of both of the merchandise in a closet Carrie is happy and ready to go. Not wanting or expecting to see Ryan again only to recognize him later as her neighbor in the duplex she lives in. Then it turns out that the new client that Ryan is trying to land for a promotion at his job is her ex-husband. Now you have the makings for a fun and at times serious story about two people coming together and realizing that if they want something together you have to fight for it and be willing to sacrifice yourself for the other person. Wonderful story. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

FLOODPATH : The Deadliest Man-Made Disaster of 20th-Century America and the Making of Modern Los Angeles

FLOODPATH                                        JON WILKMAN

Just before midnight on March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam, a twenty-story-high concrete structure just fifty miles north of Los Angeles, suddenly collapsed, releasing a devastating flood that roared fifty-four miles to the Pacific Ocean, destroying everything in its path. It was a horrific catastrophe, yet one which today is virtually forgotten.

With research gathered over more than two decades, award-winning writer and filmmaker Jon Wilkman revisits the deluge that claimed nearly five hundred lives. A key figure is William Mulholland, the self-taught engineer who created an unprecedented water system, allowing Los Angeles to become America's second-largest city, and who was also responsible for the design and construction of the St. Francis Dam.

Driven by eyewitness accounts and combining urban history with a life-and-death drama and a technological detective story,FloodPath grippingly reanimates the reality behind L.A. noir fictions such as the classic film Chinatown. In an era of climate change, increasing demand on water resources, and a neglected American infrastructure, the tragedy of the St. Francis Dam has never been more relevant.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Growing up in Southern California we have always heard about Los Angeles grab of water from many different sources. This book goes into that in the first part with the building of the aqueduct, to the taking of water from the Owens Valley. The author gives you plenty of backstory from the 1800’s to the 1900’s of L.A grab of water and how they incorporated more cities around to increase their land and population. He also shows you the rise of William Mullholland who becomes the head of the water department and for the most part uses any means to either secure water, or to find an area to store water. Now you come to the story of the St. Francis Dam and its failure on the night of March 28, 1928. This one story growing up here that I never heard about when we are taught about California history in school. As someone who drives that area for many, many years I have always wondered about the sacred earth when I travel along Hwy 126 through Santa Paula, on my way to Ventura. With the scars still in place from the drive I can get a sense when the author describes the amount of water and debris that is picked up along the way as it goes 54 miles to the Pacific Ocean. Lives would be lost, and changed forever. He takes you back in time when the investigation was done and presented to a court in a week's’ time, many theories are presented but the main one of course is that Los Angeles is not criminally responsible of these deaths. Money is paid out which is really not much. More for Anglo than Hispanic farm workers and for one man who lost his wife and eight children. It should be noted that more Hispanics died than Angelo's that night. The real injustice is how this event has been wiped away from the history of California. How still to this day Los Angeles votes for example to dump waste in Kern County and this is okay. That this has been going on from Los Angeles for over 100 years is still amazing to me. Sorry I got side track. This is a wonderful book full of information regarding the water shortage in L.A. since the city was incorporated up to today. A wonderfully history of California that I have now been exposed to and I thank the author. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at 
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SHIFT (Hot Rides #2)

SHIFT                                                SIDNEY BRISTOL

Nothing shines like classic cars under the Miami heat. With engines revving hot and emotions running high, sparks are sure to fly . . .

Tori Chazov isn't exactly the girl next door. For one, if the neighbors found out she's an FBI asset and the daughter of a KGB defector, she'd have to grab her go bag and run. Then there's her day job: making magic happen under the hood of big beautiful muscle cars. She's more likely to be wearing engine grease than mascara, and most guys don't fantasize about their mechanics.

But then most girls don't fantasize about FBI tech geniuses, either, and Tori has it bad for Emery Martin. Emery has a past. She can see it in the way he keeps his body honed like a weapon, in the mysterious scars under his snap-button shirts. She can see it in the way his eyes follow her around the room, even though he never says a word.

He's going to have to start talking now, though. A vicious Russian hit squad is on the way to Miami to take Tori out for good. And without Emery's help, she might not make her last great escape . . .
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is a fast paced story about spies, fast cars, and two people Emery Martin the geek of the group and Tori Chavoz, one of the twins that the team is protecting. Their father an ex KGB defected many years ago but people in Russia still want the dead. They are now all working undercover with the FBI. When Roni the other twin and three members of the team leave Emery has set his sights on protecting Tori. When he cannot contact their handler when he finds out of a hit team arriving he decides to take her out of town. This is what Tori has been wanting for awhile now. To be alone with Emery and she can only hope that he feels the same way for her. When they are alone and she finds out some secrets of his she is drawn more towards him. When she finds out that he is not just a computer geek, but someone who has to be reckoned with in a fight, shooting, and driving this only makes her want him more. Emery cannot talk around Tori everything is one word answers and this is driving her crazy not realizing that he is totally attracted to her he feels if he lets go he won’t be able to real himself back in. this right here is worth the book the sexual tension is great along with the banter really makes this book. For when there is a slow part you still have that. A good story and very fast paced. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. 
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KNOCKED OUT BY LOVE (Love to the Extreme #5)

KNOCKED OUT BY LOVE                ABBY NILES

Brody Minton has loved Scarlett Harris for years. But she’s his best friend’s wife, so he’s worked hard to keep his distance. Hearing the marriage is over shouldn’t change anything. Only an ass would make a move on a friend’s ex… Except Scarlett wants help getting back in the dating game, and Brody’s torn. If he helps her out, he can keep an eye on her and guard her vulnerable heart. But having the woman he’s longed for for years in arms’ reach is hell on a man’s restraint, no matter how iron strong his will.

But loving Scarlett is only half the fight.

All Scarlett Harris wants is to get away for a while and rethink her life after filing for divorce from her lying, cheating bastard of a husband. The gorgeous Bahamas sounds like the perfect escape, except she’s booked in very resort Brody “The Iron” Minton is staying at for his sister’s wedding. Now her ex’s best friend is dogging her every move, and is a witness to her first pathetic attempts at flirting in years. If Brody isn’t going to leave her alone, then she’ll just recruit him to help get her reacquainted with her single self.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Brody is on a vacation in the Bahamas because his sister is getting married. He is also hoping that this will continue to push away the memories of his best friend’s wife Scarlett, who he has always thought had a hot body, and a great personality. For the last year though he has been coming up with excuses as to why he can’t go to their house like he used to. Now on the island and hoping for some fun he spots Scarlett and her friend, not knowing that she has filed for divorce from her lying, cheating husband, and thinking that Brody was in on the lies which was why he could not hang out at their house like he use too. She is planning on starting a new life. Problem the first night that she gets drunk and some guy tries to leave with her out of the bar Brody “The Iron” Mitton the MMA fighter shows up and tells the guy to leave. He takes her back to his place to allow her to sleep it off and calls his friend only to find out that a woman answers the phone and now he wants to beat his friend’s ass. The next day when she awakes and they talk she realizes that he did not know about her ex and is happy because they actually have a lot in common. Once they are back home and she asks for his help to get back into the dating scene he decides to slowly take her to places he thinks she will like and see if he can win her over. A very good story and seeing Brody change to a softer side is nice. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars.
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EVERY YESTERDAY (Boot Creek #2)

EVERY YESTERDAY                     NANCY NAIGLE
Megan Howard used to be a successful painter—but that was a long time ago. These days she’s struggling to move forward, convinced her heart is permanently broken after her last relationship and grief stricken over the loss of her father. Clinging to memories of happier times, she holds tight to her father’s most cherished possession: a 1958 DeSoto Adventurer. Though she needs the money, she’ll never sell it—even loaning the prized automobile to her best friend on the day of her wedding stirs up painful memories.
Avowed bachelor and car collector Noah Black has never seen a car he can live without…or a woman he can live with. Reluctant to see his best friend condemned to matrimony, he flies to Boot Creek from California to be the best man in the wedding. But after discovering that the gorgeous maid of honor owns the car of his dreams, Noah makes a pricey bet that he’ll add the DeSoto to his collection, no matter what it takes.
Despite their determination to stay single, Noah and Megan soon find they can’t resist each other. His attention turns from getting the car to getting the girl, and thanks to Noah, Megan can imagine a life in the present. But when the truth about Noah’s wager comes to light, will it threaten to throw Megan’s new perspective into reverse?
HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is a fun fast paced book about a car, a woman, and a man Noah who is a car collector and has been looking for the exact same 1958 Desoto Adventurer, and wouldn’t you know it he has to travel across country to find one. Arriving in a small town for a friend’s wedding in Boot Creek N.C. He is amazed by the car and sets in motion a plan to buy it. Not knowing that he does not have a chance in h—l. when he finally realizes this it is too late for he has fallen for Megan and she has finally allowed a man back into her life which has been years. When it falls apart by her finding out about the bet that was made the first day she is crushed and how will it end read the story and find out. a good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

TALON (Uncompromising #1)

TALON                                           SYBIL BARTEL

Talon 

I surf. 
I fuck. 
I pretend to smile. 

Two years ago my life was perfect, until it wasn’t. I scattered my wife’s ashes then walked away from the Marines. I didn’t think I had anything left to lose. 

I was wrong. 

The blonde showed up on my doorstep beaten and stabbed. I did what I was trained to do—I stitched her up. I didn’t have a clue who she was and I told myself I didn’t care. Until they came looking for her. 

I swore I’d take my last breath before I let anyone else hurt her, except I didn’t know she was keeping a deadly secret. Now I had two choices, her life or mine. 

Marriage and combat taught me the same thing—I was no one’s hero. And I was about to prove it. 

Warning: This book contains offensive language, violence and sexual situations. Mature audiences only. 18+ 

TALON is a 95,000 word standalone novel

HUBBY'S REVIEWS:

This book takes a bit to get used to. The main character Talon can be a jerk to most people and those are his friends. They give him room because his wife is dead and along with PTSD from being a combat medic he is drinking, and having one night stands. He also owns a surf shop and the women who is there is the one that actually runs it. That is at least how it feels in the story. Nichole is a wife to an ex-marine that they know and she shows up at his shop looking like she was in a boxing match. After finding a little part of the story he helps her to get fixed up. He wants to help her but she does not want his help, and that make him search for the reason. Once he finds out he now wants to help her more, but also his whole being is starting to change when he is with her. When his friends find out her problem as well they also come together to help him in assisting her with her problem. I will say that there is a lot of things going on in this story and at times it takes over from the characters. That I think is the one thing I did not like was the jumping around. I did get a handle on it by the end but it was still difficult at first. Not a bad book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 3 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com


ALMOST FOREVER: An Austin Heroes Novel (Austin Heroes #2)

ALMOST FOREVER                                   KATHY CLARK

A cold case leads to blazing-hot temptation in this novel of romantic suspense from bestselling author Kathy Clark. For readers of Nora Roberts and Karen Robards, Almost Forever pairs a rugged lawman with a woman who may just be a murderer.
 
Justin Archer is a Texas Ranger through and through, a loyal man devoted to the dangerous job he loves. But when the grisly discovery of a skeleton in a local vineyard turns an old missing-persons case into a vicious homicide, Justin finds that the toughest challenge of his professional career will be keeping his hands off his chief suspect: the dead man’s beautiful, young trophy wife. Did Lori Roberts kill for vast material gain? The only thing Justin knows for sure is that their chemistry is instantaneous—and overpowering.
 
Lori worked hard to build a new life for herself and her daughter. She turned her husband’s struggling vineyard into a thriving enterprise, and now she stands to lose it all over something that happened eight years ago. Justin could lock her up and throw away the key, but Lori desperately wants to trust him. More than that, she wants to let him into her wounded heart. Because Lori’s been running from the past for a long time . . . and she’s ready to start living for the future.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is the second book in this series. It opens with a discovery of a body in a field and it has been there awhile. Turns out eight years and a Texas Ranger Justin Archer is assigned the cold case. He first must drive out to a winery and notify the widow that they found her husband and the condition he was in. he is surprised by the look of the winery and by who many people are there. He is a beer drinker. He is surprised that the widow is not that old and is very good looking, and that she has a nine year old daughter. Once he makes the notification he begins to dig into the case and he finds out that the husband was not a very nice man, he had multiple affairs, and spending money they didn’t have, and was planning on selling the winery before his death. It is looking like the wife, but she cashed in a life insurance policy and the more he looks into it the more he is thinking she is innocent. They are also starting to become attracted to one another, and this gets him kicked off the case. This is a very good story of who done it with another mystery also going on. Along with the Justin and Lori working on themselves to see if they can have a relationship. A very good story. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. 
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WINNER TAKES ALL (Champion Valley #1)

WINNER TAKES ALL                              ERIN KERN

THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Money. Fame. Endorsements. Blake Carpenter had it all—before his professional football career spiraled out of control. Determined to rebuild his life, he takes on coaching the high school team in his Colorado hometown. Despite a few fumbles, Blake knows he can lead these boys to victory. As long as he can keep his eyes on the prize and off the team's distractingly gorgeous physical therapist.

Annabelle Turner knows all about the scandal that cost Blake his NFL career, and she'll be damned if she's going to let his mistakes hurt her team. What she doesn't count on is the intense attraction that turns every heated run-in they have into a wildly erotic competition. Point by point, play by play, kiss by kiss, they try to keep things professional for the good of the team. But when the score is this close—and the passion this fierce—it's anybody's game...

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Blake Carpenter has moved back to his hometown to become the head football coach of the high school. His pro football career over because of injury and PED’S, now he must move ahead with his next phase of life. The person who knows about his injuries and wants him to succeed is physical therapist Annabelle Turner who also moved back to her hometown to take care of her mother, and she also helps with the team but Blake is leery of her presence because he feels he can only trust a few people and those are the ones he grew up with. She is determined not to be dismissed and that begins this fun story. There are some serious moments in this story but the main part is relationships, Blake’s with the team, and people who think he is a cheat and don’t want their son to play football with him being the coach. Also his and his two friends which are more like brothers since they grew up together and they look out for him, and the one between Blake and Annabelle. You also have her and her mother and her and her sister. A lot going on but the author makes it work. I really like the scene were Annabelle buys a fireproof safe because it is on sale and after getting it to her car realizes that her truck is full of groceries, and does not know what to do with the safe until Blake takes it out of her arms, but how many times do we get caught up in life doing so much and forget? That is just one example of a good and fun at times story. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com


SEE EXCERPT FROM: THE BACHELOR AUCTION BY: RACHEL VAN DYKEN AUTHOR

SEE EXCERPT FROM:

THE BACHELOR AUCTION 


 BY:
 RACHEL VAN DYKEN
 AUTHOR







“Jane.” It was a whisper, it was a question, and then his mouth was on hers—harsh, forceful, but so inviting she whimpered at the contact and leaned into him, begging him with her body to take what she couldn’t voice aloud.
It was a bad idea.
He was a bad idea.
Taken.
Ready to be married off.
But here, in this moment, he was hers.
So she kissed him back with as much passion as she possessed, her hands digging into the front of his shirt while his teeth nipped at her bottom lip.
His hands slid beneath her shirt, unhooking her bra with ease as he nudged her thighs apart.
“You feel so soft,” he murmured against her mouth. “Perfect.” Another plundering kiss, his tongue flicking hers before his lips slid down her neck. “So damn good.”
With a moan, she pressed as close as she could against him, nearly riding his leg in an effort to get more of him.
“That’s it,” he encouraged while she clawed at him.
“Brock!” Bentley’s voice pierced the air. “Did you need help?”
Brock froze above her, his face filled with irritation. “Open that door, Bentley, and I’m selling every car you own and replacing it with a Honda!”
Silence.
“You don’t mean it.” The knob turned.
Jane’s eyes widened in alarm as Brock quickly moved away from her and tossed the blanket…over her head. Right, like that was going to look normal. She pulled the blanket off her face and tried in vain to fix her bra while frantically pulling her hair back into a ponytail.
Bentley entered, took one look at both of them and smiled. “Clearly this room was dirtier than we thought?” He tilted his head at Jane. “Or maybe not dirty enough?”
“Out!” Brock barked.
“But—”
“Go!”
“Fine,” Bentley grumbled. “I’m leaving. I just thought you should know that Grandfather called and wanted to know how the maid was working out. I told him that you’ve been helping her since she sprained her ankle. He was concerned about her finishing the job.”
“What did you say?” Brock grabbed Bentley by the shirt and gave a little shake.
Bentley held up his hands. “Chill. I told him that she would make a full recovery, that she refused to sue, and that you were taking care of the situation. Because that’s all you’re doing, right Brock? Taking care of the situation…” He peered around Brock at Jane.
Feeling suddenly more naked than she actually was, she covered herself up with the blanket.
What had she been thinking?
It was beyond unprofessional.
Tears burned the backs of her eyes.
 “Thanks, Bent.” Brock sighed, running his hands through his already mussed hair.
Bentley saluted him then added quietly. “For the record, any girl that can get Boring Brock to bend the rules is a keeper.”
Brock bit back a curse as Bentley shut the door.
“Boring Brock?” Jane asked.
“It’s about as bad as it sounds.”
“Well, I’m Plain Jane, so…I understand.”
He turned. “You’ve never been plain a day in your life.”
“I think you’ve already learned that you don’t need to give me pretty compliments to get me to kiss you.”
“You have seven freckles. You press your lips together to keep yourself from saying things you shouldn’t. You hum when you clean, and though I’m not sure what the tune is, it’s familiar. When you eat, you watch people rather than your own food, and I’m just going to come out and say it: you eat like an animal, the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen.”
Jane covered her face with her hands. “It was flattering until you said that last part.”
Brock laughed. “Seeing a woman dig into her food like she hasn’t eaten in weeks? It’s one of the most erotic visions I’ve ever had.”
Emotion flashed across his face as he made his way over to her and kissed her again, pulling away with her name on his lips. “Jane, I want you.”
“Thought I was just the help.” The walls around her heart started to slip; she felt it in the way her body rose against him. He’d noticed things about her nobody ever had, he was helping her, and he was beautiful. Was it so wrong to want this? For herself? Once in her life?
“You’re more than that, and you know it.” His eyes locked on to hers as his deep voice washed over her.
“You’re getting auctioned off in two weeks and you know it.”
He paused, his expression going completely ice cold before he looked away and then back at her. “And if I wasn’t? What then?”
“Then…” She bit down on her bottom lip. “I’d ask you to kiss me again.”

Excerpted from THE BACHELOR AUCTION by Rachel Van Dyken. Copyright © 2016 by Rachel Van Dyken. Used with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.

MELT MY HEART COWBOY (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 1)

MELT MY HEART COWBOY                        C. J. CARMICHAEL

Who is the handsome cowboy who comes into small town Marietta’s chocolate shop every week to buy a box of chocolates? More importantly…who is he buying the chocolates for? These are the questions sales clerk Rosie Linn asks herself as she waits for her sadly neglected childhood home to sell so she can pursue an exciting new career in L.A.

Rosie finds out the answers the day rugged ranch hand Brant Willingham introduces himself and asks for her help in managing the care of his younger sister. Brant’s mother has recently died, leaving him the sole guardian of eighteen-year-old Sara Maria–who has been a puzzle to Brant ever since she began exhibiting signs of autism at age two.
Rosie and Brant come up with a plan. She’ll help with his sister if he handles repairs and a new paint job for her old house. It seems the perfect solution, but a new dilemma is created when the couple start spending time together. Brant discovers he doesn’t want Rosie to sell and leave, and Rosie fears she will have to choose between love and her dreams.
 

     Rosie Linn has a heart made of gold with hopes and dreams enough to fill the moon.  She has been raised as an only child you could say.  Truth be told she has an older brother Daniel who is twelve years older than she is.  So when he went off to college she was just six.
     Her dad was a very important man in her life since he was the one at home mostly since he was a writer.  He was a mystery and thriller writer very famous in fact.  Her brother wrote screenplays and scripts for movies and TV. He now lives in L.A. with his movie star wife.  Her mom has passed away years ago from cancer and her father more recently from kidney failure from diabetic setbacks.  She cared for him sole on her own for the past five years.  She chose not to go to college.
     When her brother would come home he would ask her to proofread his screenplays.  She may have given up college to nurse her father she was still brilliant with words and writing.  So at times she would reword or rephrase or totally rewrite scenes and Daniel would end up loving them.  So he gave her a credit on whatever she helped with. But it got to the point where it became more of a collaboration so he wanted a partnership of equal billing.  So her dreams were coming true.  She just needed to sell the house.
     So while Daniel was trying to sell some of their projects they had collaborated on and she was trying to sell the house life went on for her.  She still worked at the Copper Mountain Chocolate shop where she’s been since it opened working for Sage the owner.  She loves it there but she is so ready to leave Marietta, Montana, she has kept her dream job of writing a secret.  They know she will be moving as soon as her house sells but it has been six months and still nothing.  And in the last three months there is just one thing that peaks her interest about staying.  NO! But he sure is sexy.  It still can’t beat the glamorous stories of Hollywood parties she is so envious of.
     The house was in disrepair and she called her parents handyman but he seems to be busy.  Seeing he was her dad’s best friend she thought he just didn’t want to see her move.  That was about to change.  You see her “Five Thirty Cowboy” was going to come to her rescue.
     Every Friday at five-thirty a cowboy by the name of Brant Willingham would come in and buy a box of 12 pieces of dark chocolate caramels with pink Himalayan salt.  Nothing more.  As time progressed over the three months he had been coming in he would speak, flint, and linger a little more not a lot on all three.  Never sharing or speaking to much.  Rosie tried to figure out who the box of chocolates was even for.  She was even a little jealous.
     Three months ago Brant’s world was turned on its ear.  He thought when his parents got a divorce and his dad moved away it was as bad as it could get for his sister, mom, and himself.  It wasn’t even close.  He found out that his mother being killed in a terrible car accident topped the charts big time.  Which meant he was left sole care of his sister Sara Maria, 18, with autism.  It had been ten years since he had lived in the home with his sister and mother.  He is ten years older than she is. 
     It was odd for him to be watching her for his mother, but she had a rare doctor’s appointment. That day she asked him to please watch her and he did.  So when he had to tell his sister he knew what was coming.  But never to the degree it had hit.  She had gone into total meltdown where she could not function, at all.  It was unlike anything he had ever seen or heard his mother ever talk about.  She was in shock.  He didn’t know if she would ever make it back.  He had to put her into a care facility.
     After three months though they were calling over and over to let him know that she was improving leaps and bounds and that she needed a new place to live because she was bored there since it was mostly seniors.  Sara Maria was a brilliant mind but she had autism and had certain things that would set her off.  One was her brother.
     Once he wrapped his mind around the what they were saying he thought of what his sister needed, a friend.  That lead to a friend who could take her out on outings.  And when he thought of that, he thought of Rosie at the candy shop.  Well, Rosie doesn’t think it’s so rosy.

     This was such a well thought out, thoughtful story of a young woman with special needs and how she sees the world and reacts to it.  More importantly how her loved one sees her and interacts with her after ignoring her for so long and seeing her as he used to and not how she is now.  With no one to guide them through the minefield of unhappiness.  Someone with a kind loving heart but a third party as a buffer can be there to guide and sometimes push and see what can be there to save them from themselves.  With or without a handicap we all needed a bit of saving.  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS: Three Holiday Stories

IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS                         JENNIFER CRUSIE

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when love is in the cold and frosty air—and desire reaches the boiling point. . .

Hot Toy 
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Crusie comes a hilarious, sexy story about a determined shopper who grabs the last action figure off the shelf, only to find herself plunged into the arms of a sexy secret agent. Mayhem under the mistletoe ensues. Business as usual this Christmas season…right?

Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher 
Nate wants to stay away from all the women who want his money in Mandy Baxter’s story set deep in the heart of Texas. But when gorgeous do-gooder Chloe Benson comes knocking at his door—in search of funds for her charity—Nate can’t ignore the passion he feels for her. Maybe love is priceless after all?

Christmas at Seashell Cottage 
’Tis the season in Jewell Cove when local doctor Charlie Yang finds her quiet, steady life disrupted by both an abandoned baby in the nativity manger and ex-SEAL Dave Ricker. Are these turn of events too good to be true? Or is Christmas working its magic—for real— Donna Alward’s heartwarming holiday story?
 

    
Hot Toy
     Trudy Maxwell is a woman who has been wronged by several men along the way and disappointed by even more.  Most of all her father.  She doesn’t let it keep her down she keeps on going.  This librarian is not your simple minded manner gal.  No she is bubbly and outspoken.
     That is exactly why Nolan Mitchell had asked her out.  But when he had taken her on a grand total of three dates she was soft spoken and quiet.  Nothing like at work.  Where he is a Chinese Literature Professor.  So, by the third he just never called after that.
     On Christmas eve she bumps into him while shopping for her nephew Leroy.  You see her sister, Courtney, is going through divorce since her ex-husband ran off with the nanny.  Which is really not surprising since he originally ran off with Courtney being he was originally Trudy’s boyfriend.  Well, before he left he promised him Santa would bring him the hot toy, Major Mac Gruffin.  So, Aunt Trudy’s the one out looking for it since Leroy just mentioned it.
     So there in the store with her is Nolan.  She is not happy.  He wants to let bygones be bygones. She says NOT.  He says he’s sorry he never called but could she blame him because she was nothing like herself on the dates.  Which really pissed her off and she wanted to blow but they were in public.  She said well he took her to two faculty functions that behavior matters she should know her father is a professor so she was trying to help his career.  The last date if he could recall she said is that awful Chinese foreign film he took her to.  Which by the way was a total downer which he would not know about since he had gotten a call soon after it started and left to take it.  Leaving her with a theater of weeping depressed people.  So, no she didn’t want to be friends. 
     Then this this turns into a whole cat and mouse game of chase with a third party that just never fit right for me.  I just never got totally engaged with the story.  It was cute though just not engaging for me. I give this 3 stars.

Christmas at Seashell Cottage
     What a fun story.  This couple had you from the beginning.  Their chemistry is fun, sassy, and serious all rolled up into one.
     This is about Dr. Charlie Yang.  Who has been lusting over a guy on the docks during her lunch hours.  After a year of living in Jewel Cove, Maine, she decides it’s time to start becoming an active part of the community.  Until now only a select few would dare address her as Charlie.
     So she signed up to help with the Christmas festivities.  Her job was setting up the statues and hay for the manger and untangling the lights.  She was pretty well set but the lights were giving her trouble and she just couldn’t put the baby Jesus on the hard hay with no cover on it.  So, until she could find something she had him in a box and was talking to him since there was no one else and it had been a while. 
     She started telling him about the injustice of having to work out in the freezing cold and then about her fantasy boyfriend that she sees at lunch.  Then she tells him that he works on the docks and that he has to be new to town since he has not shown up as one of her patients.  Which works for dating purposes. 
     When someone with a deep smooth voice asks her who she is talking to?  Scaring the heck out of her.  When she turns she doesn’t even realize that picked up the baby doll and secured it like a football.  When she turns around…her lustful dream man had come to life.  Dave Ricker as he introduced himself.  Ex-Navy SEAL.  Who now works on the docks on boats.  He is even bigger and sexier in person so it throws Charlie.  So much it throws her off her game and makes her speechless.  Not to mention she is not sure she knows if he heard what she told the doll so she is heating up from the inside out.
     He finds out she’s the doc all the guys on the dock call “pit bull.”  They say she is all business.  She seems shy and soft spoken to him.  He can’t get over how beautiful she is and how tiny and petite.  She lets him know about a tree lighting the next night they kind of make plans to both be there.  After the lighting they decide to go to the bar with friends for drinks.  As they are walking past the church with the manger Dave sees something out of corner of his eye.  He walks to the manger and finds a baby and walks back to Charlie on the sidewalk and says, “We have a problem.”  She goes into “pit bull” mode.  Which turns him on.  It shows her confidence, concern, giftedness, and love for children.
     See how they resolve the issue with the abandon baby.  Will this make or break a new relationship?  What secret will be revealed to Charlie on this night that Dave hadn’t told?  You will get totally invested with this couple and the community as I did I am sure.  You won’t want to
see how they work through it all.  I give this 5 stars.

Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher
I had read this before in a review and had given it 5 stars.
http://www.1rad-readerreviews.com/2015/10/christmas-with-billionaire-rancher.html

Overall I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:

www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

We are going to the InD'tale 2016 Author Reader Conference So Let's Talk...


Hubby & I
will be attending our first Conference one ever.
Will you be there?
Hey Everyone,
      We are so excited to be going to our first writers reader conference ever.  There are several authors that we were lucky enough to have read their books. There will be workshops, parties, workshops, RONE awards, and book cover models did I mention that?  Well, you get the picture.  Or maybe you wish you did.
     We are really excited.  We would love to touch base with you.  Authors, other blogger or readers and even readers who stop by our blog who may just be stopping by for the day to meet your favorite author.  We will be wandering around to doing the same being groupies and attending the classes. Please stop us if you see us we would love to meet you.  Talk about what is going on with your writing, your blogging or what fun you are having at the conference.
    We have a house and dog sitter and a Baby Girl sitter all lined up.  We so wanted her to come but we have special family things lined up so she can’t miss to come to this. She needs to be at school. : ( In order to miss for the family events coming up.  But we promised to take pics of all the goings on.  We plan on doing a daily blog to let you in on the happenings also.  If I can figure out the Facebook live I will add that to our:
1 Rad-Reader page.
     If I can get it on here will do that too or just add video.  So, as you may have figured out no author interview this week other than the Rachel Van Dyken Blitz on today for her new book THE BACHELOR AUCTION.  I am so excited because she will be at the conference so I will finally get to meet her.  Yay!!! J
     I am including a list of all our fun happenings so if you didn’t or can’t go this year’s event maybe think about next year.  Took me three years but I’m finally doing it.
Make it a great day!

Char & Pat

Please note: conference schedules are subject to change.

Thursday, October 6, 2016



  • 2:00 pm - 4:00 pmEarly Author Registration – Promotion Set-Up
    (General)
  • 4:00 pm - 6:00 pmConference Registration and Signing Room Set-Up
    (General)
  • 4:00 pm - 5:00 pmRock the House! Promo tips & tricks to help you get the most out of the conference and your career
    Kim HornsbyChristine M. Fairchild (General)
  • 7:00 pm - 11:00 pmThe Enchanted Dreamweaver’s Costume Ball and Kick-off Party!
    (Social Event)

  • Friday, October 7, 2016



  • 9:00 am - 10:00 amConference Keynote Speech – Jennifer Probst
    Jennifer Probst (Keynote Speech)
  • 10:15 am - 11:00 amAll You Need to Know to Create an Kick-butt Audiobook!
    Ann Richardson (Workshop)
  • 10:15 am - 11:00 amBook To Blockbuster
    Margery WalshawMarina Adair (Workshop)
  • 10:15 am - 11:00 amLet’s Make a Plan!
    Anne Perry (Workshop)
  • 11:15 am - 12:00 pmEssential Edits You Must Make to Be a Bestseller
    Christine Fairchild (Workshop)
  • 11:15 am - 12:00 pmSmashwords: An Introduction to Ebook Self-publishing
    (Workshop)
  • 11:15 am - 12:00 pmSpouses: How to work together without killing each other!
    Rachel Van Dyken (Workshop)
  • 12:15 pm - 1:00 pmAuthorpreneurship
    Linda Rae Sande (Workshop)
  • 12:15 pm - 1:00 pmWhat Good Writers Do Badly, Avoiding the Mistakes and Missteps That Even the Best Writers Make
    Megan Close, Literary Agent/Keller Media (Workshop)
  • 12:15 pm - 1:00 pmWorking Both Sides of the Publishing Industry
    Jennifer Ashley (Workshop)
  • 1:15 pm - 2:30 pmAuthor Luncheon
    (Social Event)
  • 2:30 pm - 5:30 pmSigning Room Open
    (General)
  • 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm12 Steps To Writing Success
     Aaron Michael Ritchey (Workshop)
  • 3:00 pm - 3:45 pmSaucy Sidekicks: How Supporting Character Become the Perfect Foils!
    Julie BrownKerri ZaneLisa BeckerHeather B. MooreRJ Tolson (Panel)
  • 3:00 pm - 3:45 pmTo Be Witty or Not To Be Witty… but Seriously, Be Witty!
     Jennifer Peel and Becky Monson (Workshop)
  • 3:30 pm - 5:00 pmPublisher and Business Pitch sessions
    (General)
  • 4:00 pm - 4:45 pmLet’s Hear It for Love After Forty (or How Old Is Too Old For Sex?!)
    Linda Rae Sande Maureen BetitaCatherine BybeeRebekah GaniereSuzan TisdaleHebby Roman (Panel)
  • 4:00 pm - 4:45 pmVillains We LOVE To Hate!
    Andy PeloquinArial BurnzManda Pepper LanglinaisKathryn Le VequeBeth Carter (Panel)
  • 4:00 pm - 4:45 pmWe're Talkin' the 'B' Word
    Rebecca Forster (Workshop)
  • 6:45 pm - 7:45 pmCorporate and attendee mixers: Companies TBA
    (Social Event)
  • 8:00 pm - 9:00 pmMock Photo shoot and fun with the people from Killion Group!
    (General)
  • 9:00 pm - 10:30 pmTimeless Romance Through the Ages!
    (Social Event)

  • Saturday, October 8, 2016



  • 9:00 am - 10:00 amConference Keynote Speech – Jennifer Ashley: How Indie Publishing Saved My Life
    (Keynote Speech)
  • 10:15 am - 11:00 amMaster the Art of Pitching your work to Publisher, Agents and your Audience
     Angie Fenimore and Michael T. Sheen (Workshop)
  • 10:15 am - 11:00 amSmashwords 2: The Secrets of the Bestselling Indie Ebook Authors
    (Workshop)
  • 10:15 am - 11:00 amSprinkling in the Back Story
    Catherine BybeeMarina Adair (Workshop)
  • 11:15 am - 12:00 pmBook Signings Revamped for Success: Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner!
    Rolynn AndersonDebra HollandKim Hornsby, Donna Michaels (Panel)
  • 11:15 am - 12:00 pmMaking Good Into Grand!
    Anne Perry (Workshop)
  • 11:15 am - 12:00 pmNavigating Amazon & the KDP Platform
    Kathryn LeVeque (Workshop)
  • 12:00 pm - 1:15 pmAuthor Luncheon
    (Social Event)
  • 1:30 pm - 5:00 pmSigning Room Open
    (General)
  • 1:30 pm - 2:30 pmTeen Day Extravaganza!
     Rachel Van DykenAaron Michael RitchieSofia St. AngelesRebekah GaniereElise FaberRJ Tolson (Panel)
  • 1:45 pm - 2:30 pmManaging Your Publishing Team: From Agents to Publishers, To Personal Assistants and Accountants: Making your writing a business!
    Catherine Bybee and Jennifer Probst (Workshop)
  • 1:45 pm - 2:30 pmThe Amazing Reading World of Kindle Worlds!
    (Panel)
  • 2:45 pm - 3:30 pmBFFs – Better For Fiction
    Julie Brown, Lisa BeckerKate O’KeeffeKerri ZaneShelly AlexanderBeth Carter (Panel)
  • 2:45 pm - 3:30 pmCharacter Themed Stories
    Elizabeth EssexDebra HollandManda Pepper LanglinaisLaura Hawks (Panel)
  • 2:45 pm - 3:30 pmWho Is the Master at Heart-Melting?
    Victoria VaneLinda Rae SandeSuzan TisdaleMaureen O. BetitaVictoria Zak  (Panel)
  • 3:30 pm - 5:00 pmPublisher and Business Pitch Sessions
    (General)
  • 3:45 pm - 4:30 pmGotta Love a Zombie… or Shifter, Vampire, Warlock…
    Rebekah GanierePaty JagerMarina MaddoxLaura Hawks (Panel)
  • 3:45 pm - 4:30 pmRomantic Pursuit – Romance Trivia Game
    Victoria VaneCollette CameronTami Jarecki LundDonna MichaelsArial Burnz (Panel)
  • 3:45 pm - 4:30 pmWhere Did THAT Come From? When Art Imitates (Real) Life!
    Lisa BeckerLori CedergreenKerri ZaneRebecca ForsterKathryn R. Biel (Panel)
  • 6:30 pm - 7:00 pmRONE Awards Red Carpet
    (General)
  • 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRONE Awards Gala
    (General)
  • 9:00 pm - 11:00 pmRONE Awards Gala Celebration Party
    (Social Event)

  • Sunday, October 9, 2016



  • 10:00 am - 11:00 amAuthor Reader Farewell Brunch
    (Social Event)
  •                                                                       Back to You #1 Hard Crush HARD CRUSH                                  ...