#BookReview: Sweet Wine by Danica Winters ~ Contemporary Romance @DanicaWinters #ShortStory

Book Information:

Title:  Sweet Wine

Author:  Danica Winters

Print Length: 34 pages

Publication Date: June 30, 2017

ASIN: B071HY4JLP

Purchase from Amazon

Add to Goodreads

About the Book:

If klutzy had a name it would be Annabelle Everett. What can go wrong, will... Especially when it comes to falling in love. 

In this short story, you will find yourself laughing out loud as you live through a day in Annabelle's shoes... Fancy pants ones to be exact. When she meets the oh-so-sexy wine merchant, Jim Sharp, she pulls out her finest moves and almost her hip. Through laughter and just a bit of teasing, they learn that they may have far more in common than either had assumed, and no matter what kind of luck a girl has, she always has what it takes to find the man of her dreams.

My Review:

Sometimes you find love in the strangest of places and in the most awkward of situations.  That is basically the story of Annabelle and Jim.  Annabelle owns a bookstore in a small Montana town.  She wants a little change of pace so she drives 50 miles away to join a wine club.  She meets Jim, the owner of the wine store.  After a series of unfortunate events, Annabelle sneaks out of the wine club meeting not expecting to see or hear from Jim again.  After he shows up at her book store, a sweet romance blossoms.

Sweet Wine is a contemporary romance short story that will leave you smiling.   I was completed engaged by the story. The characters are realistic, believable, and quirky.  The story is sweet and the chemistry between Annabelle and Jim pops off the page from the moment they meet.  Love at first sight completely works in Sweet Wine. 

I love the writing style of Danica Winters and am a longtime fan.  I highly recommend all of her work.  She writes wonderful paranormal series' , romantic suspense novels, and so much more.  Her ventures into several book genres works great for those of us who prefer an eclectic array of books to choose from.  

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books but has been updated in the current post.

This post contains affiliate links.

If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Reviews by Saph.

Book #Review ~ Mr. Serious (Mystery Christmas #2) by Danica Winters #RomanticSuspense

Book Details:

Print Length: 256 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue; Original edition

Publication Date: October 1, 2017

ASIN: B06XW7SH8Z

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Book:

Duty and danger bring an alpha hero to Mystery, Montana 

Waylon Fitzgerald had a life of adventure all planned out--one that did not include returning to his family's ranch to bring his missing ex-wife into custody for murder. With so much bad blood between them, the sexy military police officer understands why his ex's sister, Christina Bell, hates him. And yet he and Christina spark a sizzling attraction.

What changes everything for Waylon is Winnie, Christina's adorable ward...and the startling revelation that he's her father. When she goes missing--her mother a killer at large--Waylon's world is upended. Will he redeploy to follow his passions around the world...or stay where his heart has found an unexpected Christmas present?

My Review:

Mr. Serious by Danica Winters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Waylon Fitzgerald’s life plans did not include returning to his family’s ranch to help search for Allie, his ex-wife. Yet, here he is doing just that. Her murder spree and disappearance has shaken the town and his family to the core. Allie’s sister, Christina, adds to Waylon’s tension but not necessarily in a bad way. Then he finds out he has a daughter, a secret everyone in his family kept from him. Nothing about his visit appears to include any positivity, except his daughter, Winnie.

As Waylon begins to unravel the last few days before Allie’s disappearance, oddities present themselves. He and Christina work to figure out what really went on with Allie. As he and Christina begin to put pieces together, the ranch is robbed and Winnie is kidnapped. The race is now on to find out where Winnie is before it’s too late.

Mr. Serious has some awkwardness that detracted from my enjoyment of the book. When Waylon returns home, he has no clue to the identity of Christina. How does he not know that Christina is his former sister-in-law? Also, the interactions between Christina and Waylon gave me whiplash. She was cold and emotionless one minute and had feelings of lust the next. Waylon wants her but isn’t sure he’s willing to stay in Mystery. Both characters have qualities and interactions that remind me of episodes of Jerry Springer. Once Christina and Waylon get on the same page, things smooth out a little more and they begin to work together. The romance moved too quickly for me, especially with everything else that was going on.

I must say that despite the awkward character interactions, I enjoyed the novel. Trying to figure out where Allie went and what her motives were kept me interested and engaged in the story. Winnie’s kidnapping kept me on the edge of my seat. The twist at the end was shocking and heartbreaking but the author concealed the twist well.

I was given a paperback to read.

View all my reviews

Book #Review ~ Hidden Truth (Stealth, Book #1) by Danica Winters ~ @DanicaWinters ~ #RomanticSuspense

Book Details:

Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue; Original edition

Publish Date: November 19, 2019
ISBN-10: 1335604804
ISBN-13: 978-1335604804

Amazon

About the Book:

Wary of each other’s secrets

Neither knows the other is undercover.

Rancher Trevor Martin has as many dangerous secrets as his housekeeper, Sabrina Parker. She’s undercover FBI, investigating whether Trevor is a gunrunning terrorist. She doesn’t know he’s CIA. But living under the same roof and in close proximity becomes a liability. Trust is uncertain, but attraction is undeniable. When they become embroiled in a series of grisly murders, will their secrets cost them their lives in the end?

My Review:

I love the premise of this book - both the hero and heroine are undercover for two different government agencies. Trevor Martin is CIA and Sabrina Parker is FBI. Sabrina is investigating the Martin family's involvement in illegal arms dealing. Trevor is laying low...for now. When Trevor and Sabrina meet and must live in the same house; Trevor as a rancher and Sabrina as their housekeeper, sparks fly. Early on, the duo become involved in a murder of some squatters, and as their investigation  continues, the danger for both of them escalates. 

The author has a masterpiece with Hidden Truth. I enjoyed the characters and how the author developed them. Trevor and Sabrina have secrets and a sheer mistrust of strangers, yet they managed to come together, professionally and romantically. The world building was impeccable and I was able to visualize the story in my mind and feel the emotions of the characters. I was completely engaged in Trevor and Sabrina's story.

The entire book was excellent but my favorite part of Hidden Truth involves the cat-and-mouse game. The author includes so many twists and turns involving Trevor, Sabrina, the squatters, and other factors in the story. The huge twist at the end was a complete shocker I did not see coming. Well done, Danica Winters, well done!!!

My Rating: