miahpaws@gmail.com – The Spine View

Blue Collar Billionaire by Amy Andrews

Blue Collar Billionaire, by Amy Andrews, has one of my favorite troupes, opposites attract. It also has just the right amount of steam along with great characters, and explosive attraction. It was a blast to read and perfect for readers who enjoy a steamy cup of goodness.

I absolutely fell for the main characters. I loved Holly, she is an eclectic mix of intelligence, quirkyness and old-school notions. As an ER doctor she is driven and hyper focused on her goals. Then she meets Danny and gets to know him. Danny makes her melt and their attraction is off the charts. As for Danny, he most certainly knew how to get under her skin. He always makes her a melting mess of hormones. In contrast to Holly, Danny is you typical laid back, fly by the seat of your pants, musician. He is good looking and he knows it. He reeks of masculinity and cocky attitude. The total opposite of Holly. Yet they work so well together.

Holly doesn’t have time for a relationship and Danny feels like he is a plebian compared to her. Therefore, despite the attraction both of them feel they tell themselves they are just scratching an itch. Then the most unexpected thing happens. Danny’s Uncle, who raised him, dies suddenly and leaves him a straggling amount of money. Money can be a good thing or a bad thing. The ten dollar question is, will Danny be mature enough to handle the windfall responsibly.

In summary, this book is an enjoyable, quick and fun read. I was fully invested in Holly and Danny’s story, which felt real, and I was routing for them throughout the book. If you like a romance story with a decent plot and a good dose of steam, then this is the book for you. Enjoy!

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan

Rating: 5 Stars
Pub. Date: April, 18, 2017

This story really grabbed me and I am so gone for Finn the MMC. He is perfectly imperfect and totally swoon worthy. Combine him with Chess, who is an awesome, strong female main character that I enjoyed reading about, and I couldn’t get enough of them.

The two main characters, Chess and Finn, meet during a photo shoot. Chess is the photographer hired to take tasteful nudes of some members of the local pro football team for a charity calendar. Finn is the young, cocky QB for the team.

While it was not instant love there was some chemistry between them. Chess won a lot of points with me on how she handled Finn when he was extremely uncomfortable with the photo shoot. I believe she saw a venerability in Finn that he usually did not show people and it intrigued her. Then her small act of kindness had me routing for them.

From the beginning, I could see these two together. That feeling got stronger the more I got to know them. It helped that the story developed organically and it felt like I was reading about a real life couple. Another aspect of the story that I liked was the characters start out as just friends despite their chemistry. It made for a tension filled slow burn delight.

This book is number four in the Game On series; however, it can be read as a standalone. I had previously read book three, but not one and two. I have enjoyed both books I have read so far in this series; therefore, I plan to read book one and two also. I highly recommend this book and the series. I also feel this book would be a great choice for a book club. There are a lot of subjects that were touched on in the story that would make for a lively discussion.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Blackthorn by J. T. Geissinger

Mavon returns to her ancestral home, with her young daughter, in order to attend the funeral of her grandmother. It was supposed to be a quick trip and she would return to her life in the city. Of course, even the best laid plans go awry when witch craft is involved and her grandmother’s body goes missing.

To add insult to injury, it was inevitable that she would run into her arch enemy Ronan Croft. Ronan is the billionaire heir and current CEO of Croft Pharmaceuticals. However, they were not always enemies. They had been lovers and even if Mavon wants to forget, her body has not. With each encounter more of their past is revealed and some secrets are not going to remain in the dark.

I love books that are character driven. It is the main thing that drives my quest for great stories. However, this book was all about the multi-layered plot and witty, cutting, banter. Yes, the characters were great; however, I got so wrapped up in the plot I didn’t pay as much attention as I normally do to character develop. In fact, I got so invested in this story that it had me reading until 2:00AM to finish.

The chemistry between the MMC and FMC was off the charts and I liked how the author built up the tension. Both characters had a lot of past baggage they each had to unpack and there were a couple of questions I had that were not answered until the very end. The book definitely had my complete attention the entire time I was reading.

The plot was fast based and there were plenty of twists. A couple of big twists actually. There was one twist at the end I figured out, and you will too if you pay addition to the details. I liked that the author allowed me to figure it out. It was as if she was seeing how clever her readers could be.

This is a dark romance; so, read the warnings carefully. That said, this is on the lighter side of dark romance. If dark romance can have a light side. In addition, this book has a lot of the same vibes as PenPal. Therefore, if you read and enjoyed that book you need to read this one NOW. For those readers who have not read any books by Geissenger, you need to read this book if you are into dark romance. In summary, an enjoyable read and I highly recommend.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

The Solider by Susan Stoker

Pub. Date: August 12, 2025
Rating: 4 Stars

When their dad passes away, it is a no brainer for the four Young brothers return home to Lobster Cove in order to help their mom with the three businesses their parents own. Chad, a former sharp shooter in the military, is the one to return first.

While out doing errands Chad meets Britt, a woman in distress. Britt moved to Maine with her deadbeat boyfriend who left her stranded without money after just two weeks. She has had no luck finding a job. So when Chad offers her a job, and she talks to Chad’s mother, she gladly accepts a job helping with the rental cabins at Lobster Cove.

Chad and Britt are both living in the large main house and cross paths often. Therefore, it is not surprising that they catch feelings. Britt especially loves that she gets treated like family, something she never had growing, by the various people who work on the property. Despite the hard work she is falling, for not only Chad, but all things Lobster Cove. Unfortunately, not all is well there. There are some sinister things going on and Britt finds herself right in the middle of it all.

Lovely descriptive prose was the star in this book. It made me want to go visit the Maine coast. In the summer, of course. I enjoyed reading scenes, like the one with the rope swing, that enhanced that small town, tight family vibes this book exuded. Very well executed and the story gave me a lot of feels.

My only complaint (and it is minor) is the plot felt a little rushed. I would have preferred more of a slow burn to the love story. This would allow for more character development too. Of course, this is personal preference and there will be other readers that don’t care for the angst that goes with a slow burn plot. The rest of the plot worked well, I thought. The twist was not a big surprise but it did add to the tension and worked to kind of wrap things up.

In short, The Solider, is a cute story about found family and finding love when you least expect it. It is always a pleasure to read a book that checks a lot of boxes for me. Therefore, I can confidently recommend this one to anyone who likes a feel-good, small-town romance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review. If you want to read more of my reviews, check out my book blog at www.thespineview.com.

Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose

Pub. Date: June 22, 2024
Rating: 5 Stars

Book Blurb:

What happens when you’re snowed in on a mountain ranch, with the one man you definitely should not be fantasizing about?
I’ve always done what was expected of me. Layla Birch, the good girl.
Forced to grow up too fast. To take care of everything myself. I had a plan.
Only, I didn’t count on him. Colton Wilder. The cowboy nearly twice my age.
He’s my dream man. One who takes care of me, gives me a job, and makes my pulse thud harder every time he comes near.
My ex-boyfriend’s father.
The nights are long and cold on top of this mountain. As the snow grows thicker and the tension builds between us, we’re both inching closer to a line we shouldn’t cross.
Each day, it grows harder to resist the man who looks at me with longing in his eyes.
It’s tempting to forget about being the good girl for once.
No one would find out. Would they?

My Thoughts:

This is my first time reading a book by this author, Elliott Rose, and I will definitely be reading more by her. Actually, I don’t know what took me so long to discover her. Her writing style reminds me a bit of Carian Cole, another author that I am fond of.

There are several things that made this book hit me just right. To begin with, I’m a sucker for age-gap and grumpy/sunshine troupes. This story had that going for it before I read past the first chapter. Combine these things with great characters that had depth, a healthy dose of spice and a beautifully written story and just wow. I stayed up late to finish and I’m still thinking about this one. Yeah, it was that good.

I highly recommend; especially, if you have read and liked any of these books: Birthday Girl, Don’t Kiss the Bride and Older. Note, there are a few triggers, so be sure to read the warnings.

Immortal by Morning by Lynsay Sands

Pub. Date: July 29, 2025
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Book blurb:

Being an immortal rogue enforcer is never easy. But when human bones are found buried in a residential garden—and they happen to be discovered by your life mate—things get even more complicated in this latest installment of the Argeneau vampire series.

Crispinus Delacort is an immortal rogue enforcer and a homicide detective. But in his quiet city, he’s more likely to be rounding up truant teens than investigating murders. So, when he learns that human bones have been found in the garden of a sprawling rural home, it’s unexpected to say the least.

Abril Newman can’t believe her bad luck when she discovers a body buried on the grounds of her boss’s home, while chasing after Gina’s mischievous lab Lilith. She was just supposed to be house-sitting for a few days! And then Detective Delacort arrives. She knows she shouldn’t be thinking about love when there’s a crime scene outside the door. But ignoring her attraction to gorgeous Crispin is easier said than done.

When Crispin realizes that a rogue is involved, he knows this won’t be a simple investigation. Especially because he’s so distracted by Abril’s presence that all he wants is to kiss her senseless in every room of the manor. But he can woo her, solve the case, and stop a dangerous rogue by morning… right? All in a day’s work.

My thoughts:

Immortal by Morning is book #37 in the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands. Even though I have read over ninety percent of the books in the series, I am still loving the world and characters. This is one of my favorite paranormal series, if not number one, it is in the top five for sure. The proof is that I am still reading and enjoying after thirty-seven books. Most series this size I do good to make it to book seven or eight. A true testament to the writing skills of Sands.

Not only did I like the characters and felt they were the right fit for each other, I also liked that there was believable drama (well as much as you can believe in vampires, aka immortals because we all know how they hate the term vampires). The sexual tension and the tension from the mystery the immortals were trying to solve held the story together and added a significant amount of depth to the plot.

I enjoyed the humor and felt it lightened various situations. For example, I can only imagine the thoughts the enforcers were able to read from Crispin when he was thinking about Abril, his life mate. And don’t get me started on Lucian, he is so impatient, among other things. I wanted to tell him to give Crispin a break it was his life mate, let him explain things to her in his own way.

If you have not read this series, and you like paranormal books, you need to check this series out. You don’t have to start with book one; however, if you read the first few books before you tackle others in the series you will get more out of each story. If you have already enjoyed books in this series, this book is a solid addition to the series.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

The cover is what piqued my interest in Starter Villain, the latest book from John Scalzi. At first pass, the story appears to be a lighthearted, frivolous tale that is served with a side of buffoonery. Upon closer inspection, Scalzi is actually taking a sartorial view into all things capitalism.

The protagonist, Charlie, is a down on his luck teacher struggling to make ends meet. He has been living in his father’s house, with his cat, since before his father’s death. He does not seem to have many prospects at the moment.

This all changes with the death of his billionaire uncle. He soon finds out he has inherited his uncle’s entire estate, including the title of Villain. Along with this title, he also inherits, a secluded island, high tech security in the form of talking dolphins and let’s not forget the talking cats who have had him under surveillance for several years.

While his money problems have been solved, he now has a whole host of others. Like being the target of other Villains who want to wheedle, bribe and/or cajole billions from him. Did I mention they also might want him dead? He finds he has to negotiate the land mines that are now his life with the help of his uncle’s assistant and his cat.

There are several laugh out loud moments in this book. Couple the humor with great dialogue and the insightfulness into corporate/billionaire idiotic, and dare I say, asinine behavior, it made for a highly entertaining read.

I highly recommend this to readers who appreciate a creative and humorous story about modern day capitalism. An entertaining read, for sure and I enjoyed the laugh I got at modern-day foolishness.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

All That Glitters by John Anthony Miller

Rating: 5 Stars Pub Date: 13-Mar-2023

This WWII thriller, by John Anthony Miller, is an edge of your seat kind of story about a female spy, working for French Intelligence, who is given a near impossible task. I immediately fell into this one and was captivated by the outstanding story telling of the author.

Camille is the heroine of the story. She along with her partner, Roger, in this operation are tasked with stealing industrial grade diamonds from a vault in Belgium. There is one catch, the Germany army has already invaded Belgium and the town in which the vault is located will shortly be overrun by Germans. These diamonds are not only highly valuable, but of the highest importance to the war effort since they are being used for advanced technologies. It will be a race to see who can get there first.

Camille and Roger beat the Germans to the vault, but only barely. They know that the German army is already in the city and hear them getting closer. It will not be long before they reach their location. They work quickly to open the vault and remove the diamonds. As they are making their escape the Germans arrive and Roger is killed. Fortunately, Camille is able to get away with the diamonds; however, her escape car is damaged by the gun fire and she is forced to abandon it along the roadside in a rural part of Belgium.

She must now find another way to get out of Belgium and to England, the final destination of the diamonds. To do so she needs to contact her handler, Nichols, in Paris. Fate seems to be smiling on her when she runs into Dr. Lucien Bouchard, a physician that once saved her life. With his assistance and the help of others in the French Resistance, she heads for Paris where the diamonds will be rerouted to England. However, there are others nefarious players, i. e. the Gestapo and a German spy who is married a high ranking French Official, who also want desperately to have the diamonds.

The plot is full of surprises and unexpected players. In addition, two other things are worth mentioning about the plot. First, is the complexity., There were lots of moving parts and everything had to work just right for Camille to achieve her goal. Also, the romantic development between Camille and Lucien added a lot of depth to the plot, and characters, that made the story realistic which, in turn, caused me to become further invested in the outcome.

Then the danger of what she, and later Lucien, were attempting took my breath away at times. I felt like at any moment some little something, or twist of fate could happen, and all would have been for nothing. This made the tension almost unbearable at times. Whether you call it “nail biting” or an “edge of your seat” suspense, this expertly executed story is one that will stay with me for a long time.

In summary, All That Glitters is much more than your average thriller. It also a story about love and redemption among other things. It will appeal not only to lovers of Thrillers, Historical Fiction, and Romance, but also to a more general audience that enjoys a complex plot and memorable characters. I highly recommend this to everyone.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Last Time We Loved by Christine Miles

Rating: 4 Stars Pub. Date: 28-Sep-2021

There are so many good things about this story, Last Time We Loved by Christine Miles, that stuck with me after I finished reading. Written with great plot tension and solid characters, it is one of my favorite stories in this genre I have read recently. Mostly because the story went well beyond the second chance troupe. Definitely much more than your usual fluffy romance and well worth the reading.

Ten years ago, David’s parents were killed in a tragic car accident that left his younger sister paralyzed and in a wheelchair. At the time, he was in college devoting all his energy to music and his girlfriend, Alyson. He abandoned all of that, including Alyson, and became an architect to be able to support his sister Rebecca.

Alyson has tried to move on since David and has become a successful businesswoman with a florist shop that specializes in weddings and parties. The only man in her life currently is her dog and she likes it that way. That is until David, the only man that ever mattered to her, walks right back into her life.

This is definitely a slow burn story. The tension between David and Alyson was palpable. I get that both David and Alyson were traumatized, in different ways of course, after the accident and while I didn’t always agree with their actions, especially David, I could at least see their side of the story. Therefore, there was a lot of hurt that Alyson had to work through before she could forgive David.

The plot was fast paced and the subplots really helped move things along. I thought the drama about Alyson’s floral business and David’s decision of a career path change added to the story. In real life things don’t happen one at a time. In my experience, changes always seem to come in waves and the fact that multiple things were happening at once gave the story creditability.

I liked all the characters in this story. I had a lot of empathy for them, especially David and Rebecca. The tragedy they suffered was so heart wrenching. The author did an outstanding job showing the reader the emotions of the characters and this added a lot of depth to them. The minor characters, though not as fleshed out, also worked well and were an enhancement to the story. The author put a lot of thought behind the characters and it showed. All the characters had a purpose to the story and it all appeared seamless.

Not only is the book a great second chance story, it is also about being able to forgive and the, sometimes necessary, sacrifices one makes in life and ultimately being true to oneself. I recommend this book to those readers who love a complex and thoughtful second chance story. In addition, this would make a great book club choice because of all the themes this book touches on.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

His Christmas Bride by Lara Van Hulzen

His Christmas Bride, by Lara Van Hulzen, is a feel good second chance romance story set in the picturesque town of Marietta, Montana. It has all the necessary ingredients of a magical love story.

Lucas has always loved the town of Marietta and has fond memories of his visits there. He feels it would be the perfect place to get married. He and his fiancée, Vanessa, come back to the town looking for the ideal spot to have a dream wedding. Vanessa finds this ideal setting in the Tanner ranch.

Erin Tanner, and her father, run the ranch. It has not been easy and there are bills piling up and repairs that need to be done. Despite that she has loved Lucas since her teenage years and it is breaking her heart to watch Lucas get married to someone else, Erin puts her feelings aside for the financial benefit of the ranch.

As the wedding plans proceed forward and Lucas has to interact with Erin more and more. He discovers that he has feelings for her. To complicate matters, Vanessa is starting to show another side of herself and Lucas is questioning his choices.

Even though this is the third book in the series, it works well as a stand-alone and I was able to jump right in. The plot was executed nicely and there was enough excitement to keep my interest. I especially liked that the story, while fiction, was totally believable.

Another aspect that made me enjoy this story is the characters. As with the plot, they were believable and well rounded. I was able to quickly identify with the characters, especially Erin, and I became invested in her story and wanted to see everything work out for her.

This is the prefer book for those readers that love a holiday romance with a HEA. It has all the feels and I am hoping to read the other books in this series soon.

I received a free electronic copy in exchange for my honest review.