January Mini Musings

Cold Case Tracker:  This one was just OK. While I did enjoy the action and the ultimate romance, there were so many things about it that just didn't sit right with me. I had a hard time buying into Amy not recognizing Jackson. I mean he is her best friend's brother who apparently did something so upsetting that she never forgot it.  I'm not sure I would forget what that person looked like.  And really, the reason for the grudge was over the top. Also, there were way too many coincidences in this one especially with the reveal at the end.  I can suspend my disbelief, but that one was just too much. Finally, what 6 month old says "doggy"?  If you can ignore those issues, then you might enjoy this one.

Standing Watch:  So far, this one is the best out of the Dakota K-9 Unit series.  I really enjoyed watching Zach and Eden realize they should stay together.  Their issues were a clear case of mis-communication and untold past hurts. Especially Zach who finally realized he would be a great father. I also enjoyed the mystery and action in the story.  I do recommend this one.

The Asylum:  I know it's a prequel and a novella, but it was honestly kind of boring. I'm not sure why but I thought it was set in the earlier 1900s, not in modern day.  It just had an old time feel to it.  Maybe I wasn't paying too much attention to be honest. I might try the first full book in the series. 

Never Fall Again:  This was a very sweet romantic suspense.  I love romances where the heart disagrees with the brain and wins in the end.  Landry and Cal's fall into love was very endearing.  I also really enjoyed the other characters in Cal's world.  The mystery was also very solid and had me guessing.  I highly recommend this one.

Release Blitz: Grumpily Ever After by Teagan Hunter

 Grumpily Ever After by Teagan Hunter is now LIVE!

An obstinate ex–NHL player meets his match in a cheerfully resilient wedding planner prone to chaos in this sweet and spicy romantic comedy about game-changing second chances.

Wedding planner Odette Chambers has a knack for ruining every ceremony she touches. But her latest gig could be a curse breaker. The bride is her best friend, Izzy, and the venue is a local cidery with the Pacific Northwest mountains as a beautiful backdrop. The cidery’s only rotten apple is its owner, former NHL player Noah Stevens—Izzy’s older brother and a recently divorced, fully committed grump who doesn’t believe in happy endings.

But Noah can’t say no to his hopeful little sister. His decision sends Odette barreling into his life, and she insists on making picture-perfect renovations to his cidery. She’s demanding, irritatingly optimistic, and quite possibly the prettiest woman he’s ever seen. Noah is turning Odette’s head, too, but if she wants a wedding to finally go off without a hitch, he’s a handsome distraction she can’t afford. Right?

As Noah risks a second chance at love, Odette’s luck might change as well. For better or for worse.

 

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

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Narrated by Chloe Ryan & Nelson Hobbs 

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Review: The Last One You Loved by LJ Evans

Author: LJ Evans
Publisher: That's What She Said Publishing
Publication date:September 2022

 Maddox Between my badge, my daughter, and my hometown, I’ve got a busy life. It’s a mostly happy one. But late at night, when the house is quiet, I still see her face. McKenna may have left me and this town behind a decade ago, but a century wouldn’t be long enough to get over her. There’s only one thing worse than never seeing her again. If she came back, the secret I’ve been keeping would destroy lives. Mine included. As long as she stays gone, everyone is safe.

McKenna When my world catches fire, destroying the dreams I’ve sacrificed so much for, there’s only one place I can think to go. One man I can run to. But going back is no homecoming. Sheriff Maddox Hatley hasn’t forgotten me. And he sure hasn’t forgiven me either. He’s hiding something beneath all that anger. I’m going to stick around until I find out what it is.

I picked this up as a random Kindle unlimited pick.  I'm so glad I did.  In The Last One You Loved, McKenna is back in town after her career path is temporarily derailed.  She's looking for a place to lay low.  What she didn't bargain for is that the love that she walked away from is now occupying that place.  Maddox is surprised to see McKenna. He holds a secret that could jeopardize his relationship with his daughter.

I thought this was a really sweet second chance romance with a bit of suspense thrown in.  I loved watching McKenna and Maddox getting to know each other again and realizing that they belong together.  Both of them have changed and grown. Both of them are still wrestling with their past as well.  Maddox's daughter was adorable and I loved their relationship.  Maddox's extended family and their relationships rounded out the story nicely.  I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt from Track of Courage by Susan May Warren

TRACK OF COURAGE

by Susan May Warren

January 5 - 16, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

CALL OF THE WILD

 

A hijacked plane. A pursuing killer. And a K9's instinct to help them make it out alive.

Pop singer Keely Williams's search for her biological mother in Alaska has been painfully unsuccessful. Now she just wants to escape this wild frontier and never look back. But when her plane is hijacked, she's suddenly plunged into a race against not only an Alaskan blizzard but also a killer who's on her tail.

After a career-ending injury, ex-cop Dawson Mulligan has only one friend--Caspian, the stray dog he adopted. Dawson just wants to figure out how to get his life on track, but during a flight home to Copper Mountain, he spots a downed plane and stops to help. Except, when his not-a-rescue dog runs off into the woods and discovers the trail of a missing survivor, it's up to the former cop to stage a rescue.

But Dawson has no idea he's being pulled into a deadly pursuit, or that Caspian is more than he seems. There might be redemption and second chances waiting for both Dawson and Keely if they have the courage to face their wounded pasts and fight for their future.

Join master storyteller Susan May Warren for a propulsive ride through the Alaskan wilderness, where love might be the riskiest--and most rewarding--adventure of all.

Prepare to experience edge-of-your-seat action combined with heart-stirring romance and heroic K9 companions in this exhilarating romantic suspense that will thrill fans of Lynette Eason and Elizabeth Goddard.

Book Details:

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense Thriller
Published by: Revell
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Number of Pages: 320 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780800746056 (ISBN10: 0800746058) Pbk
Series: Call of the Wild, #1
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | ChristianBook | Baker Book House

My thoughts:

    Track of Courage is a Christian romantic suspense that takes place in Alaska. It's the first in the Call of the Wild series.   This one involves ex-cop Dawson, who is just trying to get his life on track after being injured on the job.  And Keely, also known as pop singer Bliss, who is looking for her birth mother.  Throw in a plane crash and a deadly pursuit and you have non-stop suspense and romance.

I did enjoy this one.  It was a little slow to start, but the descriptions of Alaskan scenery more than made up for that.  I enjoyed the suspense part of the book.  It made for some edge of the seat moments.  More than that, I really enjoyed the romance between Dawson and Keely.  Both of them have some major baggage, but their time in the blizzard and close proximity allowed them to work through it together.  I loved how Dawson kept denying the fact the Caspian was more than "just a dog" he adopted.  It was amusing.  I do recommend this one.  I look forward to the next book in the series.

Read an excerpt from TRACK OF COURAGE:

 

 

Author Bio:

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of nearly 100 novels with more than 1.5 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and Montana Rescue series. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota.

Catch Up With Susan May Warren:

SusanMayWarren.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @SusanMayWarren
BookBub - @SusanMayWarren
Instagram - @SusanMayWarren
X - @SusanMayWarren
Facebook - @SusanMayWarrenFiction
YouTube - @SusanMayWarrenFiction

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

Click here to view the TRACK OF COURAGE Tour Schedule

 

 

 

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Review: The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: April 2023

 Claire’s grown up triple-checking locks. Counting her steps. Second-guessing every decision. It’s just how she’s wired – her worst-case scenarios never actually come true.

Until she arrives at an off-the-grid summer camp to find a blackened, burned husk instead of a lodge – and no survivors, except her and two other late arrivals: Reyva and Mariana.

When the three girls find a dead body in the woods, they realize none of this is an accident. Someone, something, is hunting them. Something that hides in the shadows. Something that refuses to let them leave.

I was hoping for a good start to 2026 in terms of reading  But sadly, The Lake House did not deliver.  The premise of the book was great. 3 teens dropped off at an off-grid summer camp.  Each one hoping for a great summer and a new start.  But they instead find a burned building and a dead body. 

My main issue with the book was that it was boring.  It was way too slow. UNtilt he end I never felt an urgency of danger.  There was too much introspection from Claire that really added nothing to the story.  I get it, she is super cautious and not brave.  How do I know? Because she keeps telling me.  Except when she, of course, proves that she can be super brave. I honestly got tired of being in her head. 

 I am going to get a bit spoilery, but one of the reveals was really dumb.  They find out they are on an island after walking the shoreline for a day and ending back up in the same place.  I was confused. I thought that was implied from the beginning of the book. If I knew, why didn't they?  After that I kind of checked out of the story.  The ending was fine.  But nothing earth shattering.

Kari's Top 10 of 2025

In no particular order, here are my top 10 books that I read in 2025: