Freebie Friday for Historical Romance Fans!

I am definitely ready to snuggle up with a good book this weekend. If you are a historical romance fan, Sally Britton's book, Miss Devon's Choice is free today and it looks good!

Get your free copy here

Here's the back copy:

A scarred and lonely viscount and an independent young woman are forced into an arranged marriage. What hope do they have for a happily ever after?

Rebecca Devon lives under the severe eye of her aunt and the iron will of her father. Though she wears what she is told and befriends the people they choose for her, she spends every moment longing to do as she wishes. Knowing freedom will only come through marriage, her hopes for a happy union are stolen away when her father arranges her marriage to a complete stranger.

Christian Hundley, Lord Easton, has learned the hard way that English society won't accept a person who looks or behaves differently than their ideal. He has hidden himself away from scornful eyes for years, until his aging grandfather takes matters in hand and finds Christian a bride. Knowing he must agree to the marriage, Christian shields his heart. If the whole of society cannot accept him, why should his bride?

Rebecca knows she must have love in her life, but Christian is convinced there is nothing so fraught with danger and pain as entrusting one’s heart to another. Rebecca does everything she can to change his mind, but Christian is determined to remain aloof. Can an arranged marriage ever be anything other than a business partnership?

What I'm Reading Now (I'm So Excited!)

When I first saw that one of my favorite authors, Nancy Campbell Allen, was writing steampunk fairytale retellings, I wasn't sure I would like those stories. But since I loved Nancy's writing, I decided to try them and I'm so glad I did!

This series is amazing and I just got an Advanced Copy of the new one coming out, Brass Carriages and Glass Slippers. I couldn't wait to start reading, so I stayed up late last night. It is SO good! I don't know how I'm going to get anything done today when all I want to do is keep reading. (I'm right at the good part!) Definitely do not miss this one.

You can preorder your copy here

Here's the back copy:

A steampunk retelling of Cinderella.

Emmeline O&;Shea has been an outspoken advocate for the shapeshifter community, which has come under unjust attack from a political body known as the PSRC (Predatory Shifter Regulations Committee), and her robust efforts have landed her a prestigious position as the spokesperson for the International Shifter Rights Organization. She has been selected to give the final address in Scotland before they vote on legislation that will grant protective rights to the shifter community. Because she is fundamentally changing the laws, she is also receiving death threats.

Oliver Reed is a by-the-book detective-inspector who has dealt with Emme&;s borderline-illegal activism in the past, and there is little love lost between the two. When his superior tasks Oliver with guarding Emme around the clock to keep her safe until the summit is over, he is frustrated. He has several open cases requiring his attention, and his spare time is occupied with chasing down leads about the whereabouts of his brother, Vincent, a rogue vampire bent on causing trouble in Scotland.

When their airship is hijacked, Emme and Oliver are forced to parachute away before they exit British soil. They take refuge in Emme&;s family&;s hunting lodge where Oliver is introduced to her abusive stepsisters.

Together the pair must make their way to Edinburgh so as not to miss the summit meeting where Emme will be key in helping to pass legislation that will disband the corrupt PSRC. But between her vindictive sisters and Oliver&;s rogue vampire brother, they face danger at every turn, not to mention dealing with their growing attraction for each other.

When Emme is kidnapped &; leaving behind only one shoe as evidence &; Oliver must find her before it&;s too late &; and the summit ends at midnight.

Book Review: The Wish and the Peacock

Since I still have young children at home about the age of the heroine in The Wish and the Peacock, I was excited to read this book with them. The story was so well-told and the underlying message a poignant reminder of what's important---that change will happen, but home is with the people you love.

Paige is a very relatable character. She's trying so hard to deal with the grief of losing her father and wanting to do all she can to hang on to the family farm and keep her promise to her dad. She's balancing a lot in her young life with her problems at home and school and friends. Then, her brother Scotty finds a wounded peacock that she wants to take care of, and once she finds out her mom and grandpa are going to sell the farm, she keeps the peacock a secret. Paige is determined to do everything she can to make sure the farm doesn't get sold---including resorting to some really funny, and yet awful, sabotage schemes.

I loved Paige's reactions and thought her growth arc was realistic and sweet. Though the book dealt with a grief theme, there are definitely some laugh out loud moments as well as some tender ones to create a heartwarming story with charming characters. The author has also drawn a wonderful secondary cast with Paige's friends, her mom, her Grandpa, and her brother. The peacock itself is such a great symbol and plays an understated role in the story, yet is central to the message. While the book is not preachy at all, I definitely will be thinking about what things I'm hanging onto in my life that may be holding me back, just like a peacock's tail can do the same for them if they don't let it go. This is such an inspiring and entertaining read! It's definitely a book I will read with my children again. The Wish and the Peacock has earned a special place on our keeper shelf!

Get your copy here

Here is the back copy:

Paige's favorite family tradition on the farm is the annual bonfire where everyone tosses in a stone and makes a wish. This time, Paige's specific wish is one she's not sure can come true: Don't let Mom and Grandpa sell the farm.

When Paige's younger brother finds a wounded peacock in the barn, Paige is sure it's a sign that if she can keep the bird safe, she'll keep the farm safe too. Peacocks, after all, are known to be fierce protectors of territory and family.

With determination and hard work, Paige tries to prove she can save the farm on her own, but when a real estate agent stakes a "For Sale" sign at the end of the driveway and threatens everything Paige loves, she calls on her younger brother and her best friends, Mateo and Kimana, to help battle this new menace. They may not have street smarts, but they have plenty of farm smarts, and some city lady who's scared of spiders should be easy enough to drive away.

But even as the peacock gets healthier, the strain of holding all the pieces of Paige's world together gets harder. Faced with a choice between home and family, she risks everything to make her wish come true, including the one thing that scares her the most: letting the farm go.

Things That Make This Worth It

Recently, I met a lady who was telling me about her daughter's medical struggles. I was so sad for her and all they were going through! Then, she told me that the only thing that takes the worry away even for a moment is when she can come home and just escape into one of my books for a little while. 

I was stunned and I nearly cried. 

Just hearing things like that make all the time and effort to write my stories worth every minute. Even if she was the only person to ever read my stories, it was worth it to help her. Just feeling grateful today.❤️

Hawaii Five-0 Recap & Review: The One With The Author

We start out with previouslies of the Big Bad Tokyo guy telling Adam to be his eyes and ears on Five-0, then Adam coming back to the task force and giving info, burying bodies with Endo, and his Yakuza contact Huru tells him to watch his back.

Then we're in a hotel room in 1920 and a bellboy is heading back to work after a liaison with an author named Maureen Townsend. Before he leaves, he says he's a big fan of her work and wants an autograph. Maureen is annoyed, at first, but signs it and tells him she threw her newest manuscript in the trash. He's shocked and takes it out. She tells him that sometimes you have to know when to let things die. (So true. But hard when it's a manuscript you've poured your heart and soul into!) Then we switch back to present day at a high school when a janitor sees a pool of blood coming from under a door and opens it to see a dead teacher with his throat slit.

Cue music.

Junior is home and Tani is waiting for him. They hug. She's trying to make small talk in the car, when he asks her to pull over. She picks a place overlooking a beach and he kisses her. (Duck lips!) She quickly gets on board and things progress with a fade to the ocean and when we see them again they're in the back seat. She tells him that was nice and they laugh. (Poor Junior. That was nice is all he gets? LOL For me, with all the buildup we've had with those two, the backseat was kind of a letdown.)

Steve and Danny are meeting Harry Langford at a literary festival! Love Harry. Steve tells Danny that he likes to read and has a Tom Clancy novel on his nightstand right now. (*swoon*) Danny doesn't believe Steve has time to read, but really, the man has to have some down time and I love that he reads. They meet up with Harry who tells them that he wrote a book in two weeks based on his experiences, and adding some artistic license. He sent it to his friend in the publishing business and got a seven figure book deal. (I really wish it happened like that for everyone. *sigh*) Suddenly, Harry zones out and starts talking about a dead drop, and it turns out he's talking to his literary alter-ego in an earpiece. He hired an actor to play him at the festival since MI6 regulations say he can't appear at events like that. He doesn't want a target on his back and Gabe, the actor he hired, is totally safe because he's got his eye on him. Steve says it's very Cyrano and leans in for Danny's benefit to say "de Bergerac." LOL

Steve's phone rings and it's Lou, telling him about two linked murders. We have the teacher we saw earlier who was garroted with an antique ukulele string. He also had a note pinned to his chest. Now there's been a bookstore own stabbed in the chest with a vintage letter opener who also had a note pinned to her chest. Both notes were handwritten quotes and mention the name Deirdre Naismith, a fictional crime writer who appeared in crime novels by author Maureen Townsend. Steve ominously says the murders are just beginning.  (It reminds me of the Castle pilot where someone was copycatting the murders in Castle's books. I miss that show!)

Steve has Adam in his office, talking about how HPD can't find Endo anywhere, even though they locked down the island. Adam is Mr. Obvious and is all, yeah, the Yakuza don't want Endo in Five-0's hands because of all he knows. Steve tells him to get back out there and lean on his connections to find out if Endo is still on the island so they can bring him in. He also assures Adam he trusts him. Adam thanks him and leaves. Poor guilty Adam.

Danny calls Steve to the Chatting Table to tell him that this is like a vintage murder art project since both victims had ether in their system. Junior comes in and gives Steve and Lou a hug while Danny awkwardly announces he's been sleeping in Junior's bed. Alrighty then. Back to the case. The ink from the notes pinned to the victim's chest is from the 1920s and were written by Maureen Townsend. However, none of the sentences were found in any of her published novels. Luckily, a Maureen Townsend expert, Suzanne Ridge, is on the island at the literary fair!

Steve and Danny head back to the fair to talk to Suzanne and she's definitely a ball of energy! She  shows them Maureen's journal entries---which do match the handwritten notes---and the quotations are word for word copies of passages taken from an unpublished manuscript. She tells them the whole story about how she had access to Maureen's diaries and read about the tryst with the bellman and since there were rumors about an unpublished manuscript, Suzanne contacted the bellman's descendants and found the handwritten manuscript in a box in the attic. (So, the bellman from the first scene got to keep it? Hmmm...) It was a complete first draft and in good condition, so since Suzanne has exclusive rights, she's going to unveil Maureen's plans for her last installment in the Deirdre Naismith series. Steve tells her that what she just said makes her a person of interest and Suzanne seems giddy at the idea of being incriminated in a real life murder investigation. Woot! Danny asks her where she was between six and eight, but she was having breakfast with her assistant Kevin. Since the killer is using the books as a blueprint Steve asks her what they can expect next and it's a butler poisoned with arsenic at a colonial mansion and then Deirdre herself is the last victim and she's tossed off a sailboat with an anchor around her foot. Poor Maureen felt imprisoned by her Deirdre character and wanted to kill her off and write something new, but in the end, she couldn't do it. (I'm curious, though, what did she give her publisher instead?)

Suzanne could be the fourth victim since she's going to publish the work, but Suzanne won't cancel the event since it's been planned for months to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Maureen throwing the manuscript away. (That's a weird anniversary!) She won't let a psychopath steal the moment from her and will avoid sailboats. Kevin comes in and she introduces him. He needs some book dedications for the VIP guests and Suzanne pulls out a pen that actually belonged to Maureen that a fan gave Suzanne at a book signing. Steve looks at it and when it rattles he takes it apart and finds a transmitter. Uh oh. If the pen was in close proximity to a laptop, whoever was on the other end would have access to hard drive and Suzanne would have no idea, so that's how the killer would have gotten their hands on the manuscript. The lab confirms that opinion and Junior tells Steve that Suzanne and Kevin's alibi checks out, so now they're going to try and ID the guy who gave her the pen and get closer to finding the killer.

A suspicious looking guy heads into a hotel the back way and Gabe, the actor playing Harry at the festival is in the bathroom pretending to be 007. He hears the door open and thinks it's Harry, but it's the suspicious looking guy who injects him in the neck. Tunior come into the lobby to meet Harry who was worried about Gabe when the earpiece wasn't transmitting, but now it's turned back on and Gabe is in the trunk of a car somewhere. Yeah, he's in trouble since the kidnappers think he's Harry and will interrogate him. Tani traces the signal off the comms link to some swelling, patriotic-type music. (And I'm disappointed Harry doesn't get to work with Steve!)

Lou tracked down the four people who went to the book signing where Suzanne got the pen and traced them in Hawaii. He texted Suzanne the four pictures and she ID'd Collin Hansen, an unmarried mechanic. Steve wants to go pick him up before he drops another body.

Adam goes to Kenji to ask about Endo and Haru. Kenji is cagey and says he sent them both to Japan. (Uh huh. Sure you did.)  Kenji says if Adam is feeling the pressure, he can put Adam on a plane, too. (Where's Tamiko? So weird we haven't even had a mention of her for so long.)

Junior is driving Harry's rental car to chase down Gabe and Harry tells him to drive it like he stole it. (Haha!) They end up at a warehouse and will notify HPD to set up a perimeter. (*zips lips) Gabe is inside trying to convince the kidnappers he really is just an actor, but they're aren't buying it. They've read his book and know he has bank accounts all over the world, so they're going to take all his money. They drag Gabe's chair over to the laptop to start the transfers. Harry calmly gives Gabe all the info he'll need to make the $10 million transfer (His password is Lan6f0rd, and Tani mentions that for a spy he should have a stronger password, ha!) Gabe messes up and talks out loud to Harry so the kidnappers know he has an earpiece and before they step on it, they tell whoever is on the other end that they'll spare him hearing his friend die. Tunior is outside the warehouse with Harry and he's going in unarmed. If he needs a gun, he'll just borrow one from the kidnappers. (So 007) Harry walks in, assures them he's unarmed and just wants to make sure they get their money. All they have to do is stay calm and make sure no one gets hurt and since they've read his book---a big thanks by the way since publishing is a brutal business---(and it totally is!) but they know it's not an idle threat that if they become unreasonable he'll put them down. He sits down at the laptop and makes the transfer, then tries to leave with Gabe, but they won't let them go anywhere until the transfer is verified.

Steve and the gang are at Collin Hansen's place, but no one is there. They do find photocopies of the manuscript pages that appeared on the murder notes. Noelani checks in because she has another body at a private residence that also had a handwritten note. He was Joel Butler and a vintage bottle of arsenic was placed deliberately by his body, but there was also a human hair that didn't match the victim and his DNA isn't in the system. Danny finds some surveillance pics of Suzanne and they all realize she's next and needs to cancel her talk.

Adam is out in the forest, grabbing an SD card from a camera he had hidden there in the trees.

Kevin is walking down the hotel hall with Steve and Danny, saying that Suzanne is headstrong, but they can try to convince her to cancel the talk. The officer outside the door says no one has gone in or out, but Suzanne isn't answering their knock. Kevin unlocks it and Steve and Danny go in guns drawn. Water is coming out from under the bathroom door. Suzanne! She's in the bathtub unconscious, a little red and white boat floating on top of the water, and tied to her ankle. Steve gets her out while Danny calls for the paramedics. Steve wills her to breathe and she magically does, spitting out water. She's out of it, so Steve thinks she's had ether, like the others. The last page of the novel was on the bathroom counter and the air duct vent open so Steve has the hotel locked down and every cop on the island looking for Collin Hansen.

The kidnappers are happy the money came through and their friend in the Caymans is cashing it out. They leave and Gabe mocks Harry's plan. Watching him just roll over and give those guys $10 million was the least James Bond thing he's ever done. Harry tells him to calm down, he's got it handled. Down in the Caymans the kidnappers' friend is approached by a woman with a gun and she takes the duffel full of money.  When she's on the phone with Harry, he is happy he could count on her and since they didn't discuss terms, will she be taking a cut? She says since he didn't call when they were stationed in Athens, she's taking it all. Live and learn, right darling? Poor Harry. Tunior is there handcuffing the kidnappers, staring sadly at Harry. They all heard what happened since Harry was on speakerphone.

Back at the literary festival, Steve, Danny, and Lou approach Suzanne who is about to go on stage. She asks if they've made any progress on the maniac who tried to kill her and Steve sits down to tell her the news. They traced that air duct to an access point to see if they could get any security cam footage, but the duct has been blocked for some time for air conditioning repairs. Which means whoever is behind this was inside the room this whole time. She staged it almost perfectly, knowing they'd rush in to save her and her acting all drowned in the bathroom, but she couldn't have known about the sealed off air duct. She tells them that's crazy, but, Lou points out it did give a steroid boost to the new book and it's standing room only for her speech. The investigation ended up as publicity some writers would kill for! Lou accuses Kevin of leaking to the news media about the investigation and his only response is that they can't prove that, but what they can prove is that Kevin's alibi didn't hold up. There was blood in the trunk of Kevin's rental car that matched the hair near the arsenic bottle left at the third crime scene. It was a perfect DNA match. Kevin killed Collin Hansen, put him in the trunk of the car, and then planted his hair at the scene to set him up. So now they're going to sit in some uncomfortable chairs until they tell what they did with the body of poor Mr. Hansen. Lou pulls out handcuffs and tells Suzanne, "Look, bracelets to go with your outfit." LOL

Harry is in his hotel room saying goodbye to Gabe, and Gabe is wondering why he has this expensive suite when he lost all his money. Harry tells him he hasn't lost his taste for the finer things in life and this is his happy place. Gabe heads out for a boring deoderant commercial and Tani, Danny, Junior, and Steve show up with beer. They open the bottles and commiserate with Harry losing all that money. Harry says he was getting bored with retirement anyway and so maybe he'll go back to work. Steve offers him a spot on Five-0, but Harry doesn't want that much work. They all go out on the balcony to watch fireworks and Tunior hold pinky fingers. Awww.

We end with Adam looking over the footage from the jungle camera and it first shows Endo's murder, then has Kenji shooting Huru on it. Adam says, "Gotcha" just as some masked men with guns roll up to his building. Uh oh.

So, a lot of storylines packed into this ep. My favorite was the author storyline though, and finding out Steve likes Tom Clancy. :)

What did you think? Did you watch?

Did you miss my review from last week? You can read it HERE

Deal Alert for Romance Fans!

If you are looking for a good weekend read, Jennifer Peel's My Not So Wicked series is on sale today for only .99 cents! 

That's THREE full-length romances that will suck you in and make you forget everything around you, so be sure to block out some time once you start! 

Get your sale copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

My Not So Wicked Stepbrother

Loveless is more than a name, it's a curse.

I, Emma Loveless, have a destiny. It's not the greatest of destinies, but when you have a name like Loveless, what can you do? I'm cursed to always be the friend, never the girlfriend. Unless you count my love affair with Duncan Hines, Dr. Pepper, and the ever-lovable Pillsbury Doughboy. They've seen me through it all, but a girl needs more than refined sugar to curl up to every night. It doesn't help that I have a meddling, albeit wonderful, mother who can't help playing matchmaker. Thanks to her, I can say I've been on a date with a felon. Now she swears she's found the one for me, her new optometrist, Dr. Sawyer King. Meanwhile, I'm preparing for the inevitable restraining order. That is, until I meet the sexy doctor and have to admit my mother is right--love at first sight does exist.

Unfortunately, my last name means business. Not only do I find myself in the friend zone, but also the twilight zone. Only in my world would Mr. Right turn into my stepbrother. To top it off, he brings with him a wicked stepmother who will do anything to keep us apart. Despite all this my heart--or is that my mom?--keeps telling me Sawyer is the one. But what if true love isn't strong enough to interfere with my destiny? It'll be me and the Doughboy...for eternity.

My Not So Wicked Ex-Fiancé

He rocked her world. She wrecked his. Now their worlds are colliding again.

Expensive schools and etiquette classes never prepared Shelby Duchane for Ryder Prescott. He taught her more about life in his hay field classroom beneath a blanket of stars than anyone. Under that Georgia sky, she pledged forever to the farm boy with soul-melting chocolate brown eyes, even though it meant forfeiting her large inheritance. She couldn't wait to clip coupons and buy clothes off the sales rack until death do they part. But then she receives some photos of her intended with someone she had not intended. Brokenhearted, Shelby flees her hometown for Colorado without bothering to say goodbye to her cheating ex-fiancé.

A year later and wiser, Shelby's doing her best to move on while running her boutique in Carrington Cove, when Ryder shows up and challenges all she thought she knew. Perhaps he wasn't the wicked ex-fiancé she believed him to be after all. But will Ryder be able to swallow his pride enough to see why she was so persuaded? Will he realize before it's too late that the only way to heal his own broken heart is to mend Shelby's?

My Not So Wicked Boss

Love knows no contract.

Aspen Parker's life can be summed up in one word. Unexpected. For instance, she never expected to become a mother at twenty. Her divorce at twenty-one really threw her off. She certainly didn't see losing her promotion at the bank to that weasel Stephen. And she most definitely didn't see Miles Wickham, better known as Taron Taylor--international bestselling author, the man whose words have captivated her--offering her a job to be his nephew's nanny.

But there's a caveat to accepting the position; she must sign a contract agreeing to no romantic entanglements between her and the debonair Brit. Aspen doesn't expect this to be an issue seeing as she's not particularly fond of men. Once again, though, life is not turning out how she expected.

While Aspen and Miles traverse single parenthood together, there's no denying the chemistry between them. She can't figure out how her charming boss knows how to pierce the protective layers of her heart, and it's driving her mad. Mad with desire that is. Miles, too, is finding it hard to resist the reserved beauty who brilliantly takes care of his nephew and him. But with both their tentative hearts on the line, can they risk taking a chance on each other? Which will win? Love or the contract?

Love Your Pet Day! I Have A Question For You

Today is Love Your Pet Day and I love my little parakeet, but I want to ask you something and not have you think I'm weird. (Okay, I don't want to CONFIRM to you that I am weird, haha!) 

My bird sits by my desk when I write. He sings and is good company for me. But when I play music and it gets to a certain song, he goes crazy singing along with it! Do you think birds have musical preferences? Or am I imagining things?

(His jam is "Pump It" by the Black-Eyed Peas.) 

Here's a little video:

In the Non-Fiction Corner: Her Quiet Revolution

In the Non-Fiction Corner With Lauren

I have always been fascinated by Church History, and I was so excited to read this book about Martha Hughes Cannon. The story begins with “Mattie” as a young girl crossing the plains, where she loses family members on their trek west to Utah. You instantly fall in love with the character and are invested in her journey to become a doctor and help those around her to not suffer as she had suffered. The book moves very quickly through her life, but it spends a few chapters on all of the high points including her time in medical school and her journey to Europe as a young mother. Sometimes I wished there was more information and more added to the story line, but the book runs very smoothly and I feel like the author tried to stay as historically accurate as she could. I very much enjoyed learning more about the life of this remarkable woman.

The author, Monson, also put emphasis on a few things that are controversial today in the church. Heavenly Mother, women’s roles in society, and women giving priesthood blessings were all mentioned. I appreciated her not shying away from hard topics and wanting to accentuate the truth, but after about the third time of women giving blessings, I began to think that perhaps the author had an underlying message in her book. However, I did love the theme of the book that women can do anything and that we owe the rights and privileges we enjoy today to strong women who paved the way for us.

You can get your copy here

Here is the back copy:

A novel based on the life of Martha Hughes Cannon, a pioneer woman who overcame tremendous odds.

When her baby sister and her father die on the pioneer trail to Salt Lake City, Mattie is determined to become a healer. But her chosen road isn’t an easy one as she faces roadblocks common to Victorian women. Fighting gender bias, geographic location, and mountains of self-doubt, Mattie pushed herself to become more than the world would have her be, only to have everything she’s accomplished called into question when she meets the love of her life: Angus Cannon, a prominent Mormon leader and polygamist.

From the American Frontier to European coasts, Martha’s path takes her on a life journey that is almost stranger than fiction as she learns to navigate a world run by men. But heartache isn’t far behind, and she learns that knowing who you are and being willing to stand up for what you believe in is what truly defines a person.

Her Quiet Revolution is the story of one woman’s determination to change her world, and the path she forged for others to follow.

My New Audio Book! Come Listen!

I am SO happy to announce that The Marquess Meets His Match is being made into an audio book with the amazing voice talents of Jessica Elise Boyd! She's a British actress who is truly bringing Christian and Alice's story to life. 

I got a sneak peek and it was an awesome way to start the day! I can hardly wait to share it with you!

Click HERE to hear a little snippet. Tell me what you think! 😍

Hawaii Five-0 Recap & Review: The One With A Valentine's Day Hostage-Taking!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We start out with a catchy Love is in the Air tune while people are surfing. Since it's Valentine's Day, a delivery man gives a bouquet to a woman who takes the flowers inside her house. She puts them on the counter and reads the card, then sets it next to a bloody, dripping hammer that leads to a body on the floor. Ew. The police pull up and she comes out with her bloody hands and says she just killed her husband.

Cue music.

Aww, Noelani is taking surfing lessons from a guy named Errol while Tani stands there and claps for her. (It sort of reminds me of when Danny took surfing lessons.)

StillSortOfMadLou meets with Adam, who immediately apologizes for how everything went down last week. Poor Adam looks so anxious to be back in Lou's good graces. He doesn't expect forgiveness or trust, but just wants Lou to understand that everything he did was to keep Bonnie safe. Lou gives a little and says, well, at the end, everything turned out okay, and he's grateful, but since Adam put Bonnie's life at risk, it's going to take him a while to get over it. (Um, without Adam, she would be DEAD! They were going to shoot her in that jungle and you wouldn't even have her body!)

Back at McG's house, he's ironing his shirt while Danny critiques him and then wonders why Steve is ironing in the first place. Steve has a date! The woman named Brooke from Charlie's school. Steve didn't want to tell Danny because last time he went out with Brooke Danny wouldn't stop calling and texting and it was too much. Another new bit of information, Steve has lost count of how many dates he's been on with Brooke, even though it sounded like he hadn't been on any when he talked to the vet. Hmm... Danny is glad Steve has a life, but he looks sad, so Steve says if he finishes up early with Brooke, they can hang out. The Secretary of State calls and Steve and Danny head down to HPD for a briefing on Lorena Massey, the woman from the beginning who killed her husband. Apparently, the husband was a high ranking diplomat from Thailand, so the State Dept. is in a delicate position and want to avoid an international incident since a U.S. citizen killed a Thai diplomat and all. Enter the Five-0 task force! Then they can say they have their best people on it and it's being handled discreetly.

Steve and Danny go in and introduce themselves. Lorena isn't very talkative, but Danny pegs her right away. She's wearing a long sleeve shirt in 85 degree weather, has perfect makeup to cover the wounds her husband gave her. What did he do? Was he violent? they ask. She tells them that every time it happened he said he would change, but last night it was so bad she had to go to the ER, so this morning after he said he was sorry, she got the hammer and hit him hard in the back of the head. Hmm...Danny and Steve go into the hall to discuss it and Danny says he worked domestic cases back home and she did not kill her husband. There's a pattern of violence, apology, and calm. Victims rarely fight back and when they do, it's almost always in self-defense, not pre-meditated. Steve will back him up, but if she didn't do it, they need to figure out who did, ASAP.  Danny agrees and goes over her confession with her again and she tells him that no matter how many times he asks her, the consistent and detailed story will be the same. He throws it out there that she's probably protecting someone (she denies that) and his job is to keep her out of jail. The guys back at HQ tell Danny that the evidence at the crime scene says she did it. Heck, the only prints on the hammer were hers! But Danny is all, yeah, that's odd. Didn't her diplomat husband use it? She probably wiped it down and put her prints on it to protect someone, so Lou and Quinn will dig deeper for signs of a secret relationship and see if she has an alibi at the time of death.

Tani and Noelani are headed to the car, dishing about Errol. Noelani needs some water so they stop in at a convenience store where a suspicious looking man and woman walk in and give each other the eye. Yep, they pull out guns and tell everyone to get down. The clerk puts a couple hundred in a bag, but the GirlRobber wants more so she takes him to the safe. The GuyRobber is twitching and unsteady. That can't be good. Everyone hears sirens and the cops are outside because the clerk tripped the alarm. Uh oh. They're on the bullhorn telling the robbers to come out with their hands up. (Does that ever work?) The robbers have hostages so they lock the door instead, telling each other they'll figure this out together. Awww. Valentine Robbers. How sweet!

Back at the Chatting Table, everyone reports in. Quinn says the yoga studio has Lorena in class, but she was done by 7:30. Lou is giving up and thinks she probably did it. Adam says none of the neighbors saw her this morning, but a guy driving a Jaguar took her to the ER last night. Well, no Uber driver uses a Jaguar, so how did they communicate for the ride? Quinn has a secretive niece who uses an app to hide texts and photos from her parents, so they look and find a secret Calculator app on Lorena's phone. She's been texting a Dr. Ray Poulsen. And he drives a Jaguar! Well, now we know who she's protecting and who the killer might be!

Next we get a back and forth of Danny questioning Lorena and Lou questioning the doc in the Blue Room of Doom. They've texted 6500 messages between the two of them! Doc says he cares about Lorena, but she's a married patient. Well, hey, your last text said if he hurt her again, that will be the last thing he does. Ooooh. The doctor also seems shocked that Lorena confessed to his crime. Danny is pointing out that Lorena sacrificed for her husband and now the doctor, when will she take care of herself! Is it worth going to jail for the rest of your life? She asks him if he's ever sacrificed for love and Danny says he moved to Hawaii for his daughter. (I wonder if that still feels like a sacrifice to him?)

Well, there's a development. The doc has an alibi! He was getting gas when the husband was killed. When Lorena hears that, she quickly tells the truth. She thought the doc did it because he was so mad when he drove her to the hospital last night. She did it to protect him, but she doesn't know who did this and doesn't want to go to jail. (Should have thought of that a little sooner!) Danny asks her to help him find the real killer.

Back with the ValentineRobbers, Noelani fakes an asthma attack and goes to the back with GirlRobber. Tani takes out GuyRobber, but Noelani didn't win and GirlRobber is holding a box cutter to her throat when Tani gets there. Well, that didn't work out well. She gives GuyRobber his gun back. (Since Noelani is going to hang around the task force people and she's already been kidnapped once, she should probably take some self-defense classes.)

InfoAdam is back and says CSU found a flower petal just inside the door that doesn't match anything in the bouquet Lorena received this morning. Since the husband had an armed guard, his only vulnerable time was when he was at home, and probably wouldn't think twice about a flower delivery guy on Valentine's Day. So poor old HPD has to go back to the neighborhood and ask around about a delivery guy. Also, Adam is the only person who realizes Tani hasn't come in and will go check on her. Good old backstabbing Adam! (I still hope he isn't betraying the team, though.)

Duke comes to Steve to say that Undersecretary Yang is there with an attache from the Thai consulate who want to take Lorena to Thailand for prosecution. Steve isn't down for that and says, yeah, you can't take an American and throw her in a jail cell in Bangkok. Oh, but wait! They have papers that say Lorena gave up her citizenship! But she denies she did that. It must have been her evil husband! With those legal papers there isn't much Steve and Danny can do about it, but she begs them not to let them take her.

Back with the ValentineRobbers the phone is ringing and Tani is annoyed they don't answer it. She tells them it's the hostage negotiator and if they don't answer, they'll breach and probably kill them. GirlRobber tells her to shut up, so Tani is all, hey I'm a COP! I know what I'm talking about. So there! Well, GuyRobber has a seizure and Noelani says she's a doctor and wants to help him. GirlRobber unties her hands, but says if she tries anything, she'll put a bullet in Tani's head.

Steve is wearing his blue shirt, but the Undersecretary is not dazzled. She wants to get rid of Lorena since they already agreed to turn her over to the Thai officials to stand trial for her husband's murder. She already confessed, so the Undersecretary is all, bye, Lorena. Steve tells her she recanted that confession and don't you want to find the real killer? Nope. She tells Steve to step aside. Steve says, fine, you can have her, but you have to find her first. And then we see Danny and Lorena running out the back with Duke's help and getting in a truck. He promises her she's going to be fine (he promised that to Joanna, too. Sad!) They're going to keep her off the grid for a little bit at Kamekona's safe house. And he looks happy to see them, too!

So, GuyRobber's seizures started a few weeks ago, but his epilepsy meds aren't working and they robbed the store so they could pay for the blood tests and MRIs that he needs. Noelani listens to the symptoms and says it's probably brain tumor related epilepsy and likely needs surgery, but right now he needs oxygen badly. She wants to take him to the EMTs outside, but GirlRobber says no way. Noelani is going to go to the ambulance and get supplies, even though GirlRobber isn't sure she can trust her. Noelani gives her word, though, that she'll come back alone. Outside, Adam shows up and gets the rundown of what's going on. Noelani comes out for the supplies and the guy in charge wants to send one of his men in with her, but Noelani says no, she's afraid of what GirlRobber will do. Adam backs her up and is all, hey, you guys can't even get the robbers on the phone! Noelani knows what's what. So she gets to go back in alone.

Danny gets a sketch of a delivery guy that was seen at Lorena's house that morning, but Lorena's never seen him before. She didn't get out much or know anything about her husband's work life. But it wasn't always like that. He swept her off her feet at a luau, so she moved to Hawaii to be with him. Luckily, he'd just gotten reassigned from his post in Mumbai because it was too hot there, or they never would have met. Danny thinks that's weird that he asked to be reassigned and so do Lou and Steve. They check it out because moving to Hawaii from India would be a big step down for a Thai diplomat.

Noelani gives GuyRobber the oxygen and some meds and Tani tells GirlRobber I know you're scared of going to prison. But GirlRobber is all, nope, I just can't be without him and he needs a surgery we can't afford. Tani has the solution, though! Just turn yourself in because prisoners get mandatory medical attention! He'll get treatment and Tani will speak to the judge at sentencing to tell why she did it and maybe they'll go easy on her. (Wow. What a sad statement on the healthcare system and what a terrible solution to put out there. Hey, go commit a crime so you can get free healthcare in prison!) GirlRobber is surprised Tani would offer to do that and lays both guns down in front of her. The end. We never see or hear anything else about the Valentine Robbers for the rest of the ep. (Also, I guess it's not a big deal anymore when someone from the team is held hostage because no one says a word about it. LOL)

Steve tells Danny that a week before the dead husband was reassigned there was an incident, but it's sealed so he's calling in some favors. But Danny has to go because the Undersecretary has found the safehouse! Danny and Lorena run, but it's too late and they're caught and cuffed. Steve gets Danny out pretty fast, though, threatening to make some noise when the State Dept. wants to keep everything quiet. Sounds like the State Dept. was eavesdropping on HQ's secure line, so that's a problem. Lorena is on her way to the airport to be flown to Thailand, but wait! Quinn and Lou have the unsealed records! Seems the husband used his diplomatic immunity to get away with killing a woman while drunk. And guess what? The dead woman's husband matches the description of the delivery guy that was at Lorena's house that morning. Steve hurries to stop Yang's motorcade and she is not happy. He tells her they have the real killer and Lorena is innocent, but Yang reminds him she's not a citizen. Steve pushes on that they had to unseal a bunch of records and Lorena's husband had DUIs, harassed women, oh, and sold visas to the highest bidder. So, if that came out, that could cause friction between the two governments since selling visas flagrantly violates another country's national security. Our happy ending is back at HQ, Danny brings Lorena in and the doc is in Steve's office and they hug. Oh, and HPD took the killer into custody and he confessed.

The not-so-happy ending part is Adam getting into a car telling some guy about HPD patrol patterns and that they're looking to shift more resources to Filipino teritory. The guy he's talking to looks spooked and says that Kenji isn't pleased with the Endo for Bonnie exchange and he's unpredictable. Adam says he's not afraid and Kenji is unstable. (What happened to Tamiko? Did they break up?) The guy tells Adam to watch his back.

Back at McG's Danny comes in and the whole gang is there with Brooke and McG. They decided to stay in and watch the movie, Love, Actually, since there's traffic and Valentine's Day crowds. Danny sits next to Brooke on the couch so Steve squishes in and the movie starts. Cute.

So, what did you think of the ep? Did you watch?

If you missed my review from last week, you can find it HERE

Free Romance For You Today!

I hope you know how much I appreciate all of you! As a little Valentine's gift from me to you, my romance, Love's Journey Home, is free today! ❤️😀 

Download your free copy here

Here's the back copy:

Olivia is a D.A. with a job to do. Mick is a man with a hidden past. When their lives collide, choices must be made---and nothing will ever be the same.

Olivia Dalton has a reputation in the DA's office---tough, thorough, and fierce when she's closing a case. Those skills are essential in the courtroom, but not in the relationship department---until Mick Donovan crosses her path. Everyone thinks he's a player, but when an unexpected situation arises, she glimpses an honorable man instead. Olivia is drawn to him,but he pushes her away, unable to shake the past that still haunts him.

Mick Donovan learned at a young age never to let anyone close because those you love never stay. Keeping people at arms-length has never been hard for him---until he meets Olivia Dalton. Mick is caught up in a case she's prosecuting, and he can't deny his attraction to her, but when she uncovers the past he's kept carefully hidden, he's sure she'll turn away. Yet, even with all his secrets in the open, Olivia reaches out.Can he let his guard down long enough to let her in and take a chance on love?

Come Party With Me!

Don't forget I'm taking over the Sweet Historical Romance page TODAY from 3:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m. MST. I would LOVE to have you join my party and win some prizes!

To join the Loving Sweet Historical Romance group and participate in the games, click HERE to join the group. See you there!

Heart of Africa Movie Spotlight & $50 Giveaway!

I am super excited to see this movie! It sounds amazing. It's the first Congolese-American co-production of a feature film and was filmed entirely in the Democratic Republic of Congo by a Congolese film crew. It's coming out in mid-March and I think it will be on my don't-miss list!

Here's a little more about it:

Gabriel Ngandu is a young Congolese revolutionary running from the terrible mistakes of his past. His journey of escape leads him to new experiences and even a new religion that challenges long-held beliefs about his destiny and world around him. He find himself torn between the influences and expectations of two very different father figures- Mwabila, his revolutionary leader, and President Kabasubabu, his new religious leader. Called to serve as a missionary, he is sent back to his native village to build an orphanage with Jason Martin, an American who also has a tragic and secret past. Together, they struggle to understand and overcome their histories, cultures, and prejudices to serve the people around them.

Caught between enmity and reconciliation, revenge or forgiveness, intolerance or understanding, they begin to see the potential for a better; more peaceful future for themselves and for the Congo. Worlds finally collide when explosions rock the new orphanage and Kabasubabu is kidnapped by Mwabila's revolutionaries. Gabriel is faced with choosing between the two different worlds of these father figures... or finding his own path toward a new world inspired by understanding and redemption.

You can see the movie trailer HERE

Find out more information about this phenomenal film HERE

And don't forget to enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Calling All Sweet Historical Romance Fans!

Do you love sweet historical romance? In honor of Valentine's Day this week, I will be taking over the Loving Sweet Historical Romance page on Thursday, Feb. 13th from 3:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m. MST!

There will be fun games and lots of prizes, so if you love Sweet Historical Romance, you'll want to hop over! (There is fun stuff going on over there every day this week, so you can join the group and play at any time!) But I hope you'll come to my party on Thursday, too! 

Click HERE to join the group so you can enter to win!

Hawaii Five-0 Recap & Review: Bonnie is Kidnapped

Previouslies of Danny's car accident and the as-yet-unnamed-woman's death. Also Adam leaving and saying he can't give Steve the truth, as well as his under-the table-deal with the big Yakuza guy in Tokyo saying that he'll be the Yakuza stoolie inside Five-0. Oh Adam.

We start with Adam who is driving in the forest with another guy named Endo. Endo asks if it's safe and Adam tells him it's safer than the last spot since Five-0 will be all over that other dump site. They have shovels and three dead guys in the back. Endo thinks Adam is the reason Five-0 found out about the other dump site, but Adam shuts him down and tells the little punk to keep his theories to himself or Adam will be burying four bodies instead of three. That shuts Endo up and they get to it. (I really hope Adam has a plan that will still keep him loyal to Five-0.)

Cue music.

Danny comes to the ME's office and meets the sister of the UnnamedWoman from last week. And we have a name! It was Joanna. Apparently, Joanna texted her sister from the bar when Danny took Steve's call and said she met a funny, good-looking guy. Danny guesses that's him. LOL. The sister read the police report and tells Danny it wasn't his fault and he did everything he could. It means a lot that he's there and was there when Joanna died. He's sorry, she cries and they hug. Danny goes out to the car where Steve is waiting and Steve asks him if he wants to talk about it. He says no, let's go. They leave. (I sort of thought that since Joanna gave him the last bit of the guy's license plate from the car that caused the accident, Danny might look into it. I guess not!)

Tani is oddly teaching at the Police Academy (Where she was kicked out of, LOL) and Lou's niece is there! Lou floated the idea to Captain Keo that Tani teach a class and then report back to him on Bonnie. (Isn't Bonnie living with him? Why not just ask her what he wants to know?) Bonnie and Tani chitchat for a minute before she starts the class and guess who comes to sit down by Bonnie? It's that punk Endo who was annoying Adam! And he's holding hands with Bonnie. Uh oh.

The recruits are at the shooting range with Tani and Endo is only average at shooting, but Bonnie is amazing! Surprise! Bonnie and Tani go to lunch to talk about boys. Bonnie saw Endo with a second phone and thinks he might be cheating. Even though they haven't had the Define the Relationship talk, Tani tells her to run. Or, ask him about the phone since it's early enough that she can cut bait. When Bonnie goes back to training, she sees Endo with the second phone again and since he's in a hurry, he doesn't want to talk and by the way, can't study with her tonight after all. Bonnie looks at him suspiciously as he leaves.

Adam meets Lou at Kame's for a coffee date. Lou just wants to check in since they were all worried about him. Adam says he's sorry, but Masuda's death brought back a lot of painful memories about how his dad died so he went to Toyko to reconnect with family. Lou reminds him he has family right there in Hawaii. He goes over to get the coffee and calls Steve who is searching Adam's bedroom and tells him to finish up. Danny isn't excited to be there and says Steve should just sit down and talk to Adam instead of searching his house. Steve is just plain suspicious and reminds Danny that Adam never explained what his watch was doing at the crime scene. There's something they're not seeing and he wants to keep an eye on Adam so he let him come back to the team. (Smart thinking!) They get back to HQ and Quinn tells them that HPD found three excavated pits at the Yakuza dump site, which means someone was tipped off and moved the bodies. Who do we know who had access to that information and would know about an HPD raid in advance? (Hmm....)

Bonnie is parked at Endo's house and calls him. He says he's with a friend right then and can't hang out, so she creeps up to the house to spy on him. He's there, talking to another guy about HPD shifting resources and the guy should let his dealers know. Bonnie isn't great at surveillance yet and gets caught. Not good, Bonnie.

The next morning Lou comes to the Chatting Table upset that Bonnie didn't come home last night and he can't get hold of her---her phone goes right to voicemail. She also didn't show up at the Academy either and it isn't like her. He tried all her friends and the local hospitals. Tani pipes up to say maybe she spent the night with her boyfriend. Lou had no idea she had a boyfriend. Since he's a recruit they pull him up and Adam is next to be shocked, since he recognizes EndotheAnnoying. They track Bonnie's phone, which was powered down near EndotheAnnoying's house. Tani tells them all about EndotheAnnoying's second phone and that Bonnie was worried he was cheating so Tani recommended she go talk to him. They're going to get Endo picked up while Adam heads out to the parking lot to call Kenji, who is also Endo's godfather. (Well, that answers a few questions on the annoying front.) Kenji doesn't know where Endo is and didn't know about him dating Bonnie. Adam tells him to get up to speed and if they don't get Bonnie back safely, the deal is off the table. Yep, Adam is MAD!

Lou is sitting in his office, worried, when Tani comes in. She apologizes for not telling him about the boyfriend and he apologizes for talking rudely to her. He's emotional about telling Bonnie's dad that he didn't watch out for her and now she's . . . Tani doesn't want him to think like that because they're going to find her. Danny comes in with news that Endo is also MIA and his phone is switched off, too. He has a class at 11 a.m., though, so they'll grab him if he comes in. And Bonnie's car was found by a bridge with the keys in the ignition and her purse and cell phone in it. They're going to do a forensic search.

Bonnie is tied to a chair in a little cabin when EndotheAnnoying comes in with some food and water. Bonnie is not impressed, but Endo is all, hey, after what you saw I didn't have a choice. She tells him she didn't see anything and he should just let her go. She won't tell anyone! Oh, and by the way, the cops and Five-0 are going to be looking for her. Endo gets mad and pulls a gun on her, so she dares him to do what he's got to do. He can't shoot her, though. She almost has him convinced to let her go, telling him he's just scared and in over his head, but he can trust her and they'll figure this out together. But his phone rings and it's GodfatherKenji who is mad since the cops are looking for him and everything they did to get him into HPD is ruined! Endo tells Kenji where she is and Kenji is going to take care of everything, so Endo should just go about his day. Endo says he's sorry to Bonnie and heads out. Because he's a punk. And annoying.

We find out that CSU finished up and the car is clean for blood and DNA. Oh, and Endo was intercepted on his way to the Academy. He's downstairs in the Blue Room of Doom where Steve and Lou are about to question him. Adam looks worried.

Lou is all up in Endo's face. He claims he doesn't know where Bonnie is. She called and wanted to talk, and he broke up with her. She was upset so he offered to drive her home. Just thought she needed time and he's worried about her. He asks if Lou thinks she might have hurt herself and Lou almost loses it. Endo claims he went for a run this morning and turned his phone off and he doesn't have a second phone. Steve and Lou are going to go check his story when Endo says all he cares about is Bonnie's safety. Lou grabs him and gets in his face. He is very mad. They get upstairs and Adam says the divers are going to dredge the canal because of where car was found, but it's just protocol. Lou doesn't believe anything Endo says, that he probably parked her car himself to give the impression she would hurt herself. They find out that Endo's phone was powered off the same time as Bonnie's so he lied about that. Quinn and Tani search Endo's car for the second phone, chatting about how flirty Endo and Bonnie were when Tani saw them. No indication they were on the rocks. (But Tani told her to confront Endo about the second phone and cut bait, so that has no bearing on anything really, but whatever.) They find the phone in a vent.

Adam visits Endo in the Blue Room of Doom and tells him that if anything happens to Bonnie, he's as good as dead. Endo is still acting like a punk and tells Adam not to worry about it and he's in no position to make threats. It's being taken care of. Adam can't believe Endo told Kenji and wants to know where Bonnie is right then. Endo taunts him with what happens if I don't tell? Are you going to tell your friends how we know each other? How will that work out for you? Poor Adam. Bonnie is still in the cabin trying to get free. Tani is at the Chatting Table showing Steve and Lou the secret burner phone contacts who are all Yakuza guys. They go back down to talk to Endo, but he's gone.

Bonnie spots a metal part of a table leg sticking out and uses it to get free of her bonds. She runs out the front door, but Kenji's men are there pointing guns at her. (Always go out the back! And sneak out!) But never fear. Adam has a plan! He calls Kenji and says he's got Endo in the trunk and he's taking him to a nice secluded spot in the jungle where he can dig a hole, put a bullet in his head and bury him. Very efficient! Kenji isn't on board and says Adam would pay with his life if he does that. But Adam isn't afraid and will exchange Endo for Bonnie. If he doesn't then his godson's blood will be on his hands. He hangs up and we see Kenji's goons marching Bonnie through the jungle to a nice secluded spot. They push her to the ground and point their guns at her. She raises her bound hands to her chest like she's praying when one of the goon's phones go off. There's been a change of plans. (The ringtone was I Wanna Sex You Up from Color Me Badd which was funny.)

Steve and the gang are watching the security footage of Adam taking Kenji and putting him in the trunk. They seem flabbergasted and no one can explain why he would do this. Steve thinks he's involved, working for the Yakuza. He's about to call Adam, when Adam calls Lou. He says he's going to get Bonnie back, but he has to give them Endo. Lou is still mad, this is his niece's life and they weren't looped in on the plan! Adam patiently goes over how hostage-taking works (like Lou and his family haven't been kidnapped before!) and that they'll just work with him and will kill Bonnie if they think Five-0 is involved. He's going to text where to meet him and he'll get her back safely. Lou ungratefully says he better. When Lou is in the car with Steve, he's stone-faced and still upset. Steve reassures him that he had his doubts about Adam, but his gut is saying he'll deliver. Lou says if Adam is mixed up in any of this or Bonnie is hurt he ain't coming out of the woods. Yikes. (Does this mean he's kicked out of the "Hawaii family" now?) At the exchange point, Adam has Endo and the goons have Bonnie. The prisoners walk to the middle and give each other a look before they pass. Lou and Steve get there and are looking around for Bonnie. (It reminded me of when they got to Cath's exchange point and were looking for her!) They finally see her coming out of the jungle and Lou rushes over to hug her. He tells her that next time she has a boyfriend, tell him so he can check him out and see if he's good enough. I love yous are exchanged and then Adam comes out of the jungle, too, and Steve gives him a nod. (Another successful hostage situation for the task force!)

Back at McG's house Steve is making eggs and giving them to Eddie. Danny comes in from a run. Apparently he was late so Steve gave his breakfast to the dog. They talk about how Duke said Endo hacked into the HPD central database so he could be the reason the Yakuza was up on Five-0 knowing about that burial ground. Danny asks if Steve still thinks Adam is still working with Yakuza, but he doesn't answer. He decides to cook Danny more eggs, a little burnt, like he likes them. The contractor said things are going good at Danny's house and he'll be out of Steve's space soon. Steve offers to let him stay as long as he wants. Danny says he'll stay and hang out with Eddie so he's not so lonely. They argue about the eggs and Steve tells him you get what you get and you don't get upset. And no, he can't have any bacon, it's not a bacon day. (Really, every day should be a bacon day!)

I liked the episode overall. There were some nice moments and Adam's story is obviously being fleshed out. I think that the hostage storyline has been a bit overdone on this show with the task force and their family and friends. What did you think? Did you watch?

Did you miss my review from last week? You can see it HERE

New Streaming Service and an Offer For You!

Back in the day we bought our kids the Living Scriptures Videos and we really enjoyed them together. But now, there is a new Living Scriptures Streaming service out there that has all the well-loved videos we remember, but also hundreds of other movies that we've enjoyed as a family like The Fighting Preacher, The Other Side of Heaven, and 17 Miracles. 

We have loved having a family-friendly choice in our home where we can sit down together and spend some time watching a show that I don't have to worry will have any cringe-worthy moments. Living Scriptures Streaming was easy to set up and so fun to scroll through and decide which show we were going to watch first. (There are seriously SO MANY choices! It's tough to choose!) Living Scriptures Streaming is so affordable and for what it offers, I think it's worth every penny. (And one other unexpected perk is that we can watch on all of our favorite devices, Apple TV, Roku, browsers, tablets, smartphones, you name it, which is so convenient!)

If you're thinking about it, but not sure yet, they are having a free one month trial just for you! You can click HERE

You can also see more information HERE  

I Need Your Thoughts!

All right, I'm putting together my gift basket for the Facebook Live of Authors Off the Page on Tuesday night. (February 11th at 7:00 p.m., I hope to see you there!) 

Tell me, what do you love most in a gift basket? Signed books? Gift cards? Chocolate? Other treats? Mugs? Bookmarks? What would you love to win?

Book Review: Adoring Abigail

 

Chalon Linton has a new Regency romance out called Adoring Abigail. (Isn't that a great cover?)

In it, we are introduced to a young woman named Abigail who has lost her parents, her brother has been sent to America, and her sister is in another town employed as a governess. She gets sent to a horrid grandmother and is so lonely, and that loneliness is compounded by her speech impediment which earns her scorn and ridicule and labels her as simple-minded. It is so sad to see how she is treated for something so small. The one bright spot in her life is her walks in the neighboring estate's gardens. It is during one of those walks that she meets the new owner, Mr. Robert Wilkins. He has returned from his duties in the military to his new role as an estate owner, but is unsure of how to go about everything. He finds a sweet friendship with Abigail that could turn into something more, and as he sees the reality of her situation, he wants to help. But there are forces all around them that would keep them apart and dastardly plans are afoot. Can Abigail and Robert overcome all to find their path to happiness and love?

I really enjoyed Robert's character. He is a worthy hero and he attempts to do right by those around him. He makes several mistakes and it was endearing to see how he handles the women in his life. I loved how he treated Abigail and their slow burn romance. The pacing was a little too slow in some places, which made the book easy to put down, but there were parts that could set your heart to racing that made up for it. Abigail is such a complicated character with what life has dealt her, but she soldiers on. I liked the similarities in how both her and Robert carried insecurities about their expectations for the rest of their lives and how they resolved it. Robert's mother and sister were wonderful characters as well, and the villain was definitely quite villainous---which makes it all the better when he receives his just desserts.

This was a sweet romance that will make your heart happy.

Get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

Captain Robert Wilkins has never aspired to grandeur. So when the returned war hero unexpectedly inherits the vast estate of Cattersley from his great-aunt, he feels woefully inadequate in his new role. Out of place in his lavish surroundings, his first glimmer of hope comes when he happens upon a lovely trespasser in his gardens.

Words have never come easily for Abigail Rutherford, and she prefers the solitude of exploring the gardens at the neighboring country estate to engaging in uncomfortable conversation. But when she unexpectedly encounters Captain Robert Wilkins in her place of solace, she is surprised at the immediate ease she feels in his presence. Soon her brightest moments are those spent with the captain. But even as their friendship grows into something more, outside forces have other plans for the two. Mr. Mead, the handsome vicar, has also taken a liking to the quiet and timid Abigail—and he will stop at nothing to ensure she becomes his wife.

Save the Date for Fun and Prizes!

I have a fun announcement!

In one week from today, Authors Off the Page (Jennifer Peel, Becky Monson, and me) will be welcoming best-selling romance author, Sariah Wilson! 

We're going to talk about what makes a great romance, and maybe we'll get to hear all about how Sariah met Adam Driver! I can't wait. And we'll also be offering several fun Valentine's Day giveaways, so save the date and head over to my Facebook Author page HERE at 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 11th!

Hawaii Five-0 Review & Recap: The Very Sad One

This one was sad all the way around. The season has been a bit of a downer for both Steve and Danny in the relationship department and keeping people they love safe. Sigh.

Anyway, we start out with Eddie running into traffic and Steve nearly getting killed trying to save him.

Cue music.

We open with Danny in a bar nursing a club soda. A beautiful woman approaches him and flirts a bit so he invites her to sit down and she does. She orders him a sweet drink that she thinks will help his mood and they are all smiley and flirty together. They're not going to give names or talk about jobs, they're only going to discuss interesting and original things. First, though, Danny gets a call from Steve, telling him about Eddie running into traffic, but the vet is coming over soon---the one he didn't ask out again. Danny says he thinks Adam is on his way back from wherever he was. Steve invites him to get a bite to eat, but Danny finally tells him he's sitting in a bar with a pretty lady. Steve counsels him not to blow this rare opportunity. Danny goes back to flirting, figures out she's from the east coast by her outfit and is new to Hawaii. (He also doesn't like the drink she ordered him.) She shares that she's not too sure about the island, which Danny can relate to, but he assures her that it grows on you. Next thing we know they're having a quickie in the bathroom and afterwards, he tells her he can drive her home.

They chat in Danny's car about how she's looking for a room of her own and she name drops a late 90s baseball guy that Danny knows, which helps her figure out he's from Jersey. One of her favorite things to do was go to her aunt's place and watch movies and eat pizza from Romeo's, which is also familiar to Danny. They see another driver right in front of them who isn't paying attention, but looking at his phone. Danny swerves to miss him and goes off the road and down a steep incline. The other driver speeds away.

Back at McG's, the vet is there. Steve tells her how Eddie hasn't been himself, is skittish and jumpy, like he's on high alert all the time. The vet examines Eddie and comes to the conclusion that he has Post-Traumatic Stress. Steve is surprised, but the vet tells him that PTS is complex, and Eddie must have a long-buried trauma that has resurfaced. (When are we going to have an episode that deals with Steve's PTS? The man has been through a lot of stuff!) Steve walks her to the door and brings up the fact he never called and assures her it wasn't because he didn't like her, because he did, but he has a problem balancing his job with his personal life and historically, his personal life always gets the short end of the stick. It definitely wasn't a problem with her, it's him. The vet believes him and says she's dating someone now anyway. There's no hard feelings. Steve opens the door and says, "I don't want to hold you hostage," which made me laugh. (That has to be a writer's inside joke since so many episodes of this show feature the team and anyone associated with them held hostage. Ha!) The vet says to keep her posted and leaves.

Lou calls Steve to ask about Eddie since he can't be there. He's helping his wife set up Will at his new off campus apartment during parents weekend. Steve tells Lou that the vet just left and Eddie was diagnosed with PTS, but guess what? Lou is psychic and already knew that and set up an appointment with an Army veterinarian! Wow!   

Back to the car wreck. Danny is hurt, but not as bad as the woman he's with. Her legs are crushed under the dash. (Oddly, no airbags deployed). The situation goes from bad to worse when they realize they don't have cell service where they are. Before Danny goes up the hill to try and get cell service, TheWomanWithNoName tells him the last three numbers of the license plate of the guy that caused the accident. Danny manages to get out of the car to go to the road for service, but doesn't get a signal. (But how did the guy that caused the accident get service? Huh.) TheWomanWithNoName is moaning, so Danny goes back down to be with her.

The army veterinarian examines Eddie and confirms the signs of PTS. Steve is blaming himself, but the doctors says that PTS can stay dormant for years until something sets it off to bring old trauma back, so Steve shouldn't beat himself up. Eddie was probably alone when the triggering event happened, so Steve has to figure out what triggered Eddie and remove it from his environment. Apparently, Eddie's first handler was killed in action in Afghanistan, but Steve doesn't know any details, so he's going to start there. Since he doesn't want to leave Eddie, he calls in Tani and Quinn. Crime on the island must be slow because they rush over to talk to a Colonel O'Donnell who has details about Eddie's old unit. He finds a Marine from the old unit that is still on active duty as a radio operator in Okinawa. They're going to get in touch with him.

Danny is trying to open TheWomanWithNoName's door because he wants to get her stable. There is a sharp metal object stabbing her in the back, so he removes it. There's a lot of blood. He goes around to pry open the trunk and get a first aid kit out for a compress for her back wound. He also bungee cords her leg for a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. She's scared, but he tells her it's going to be okay and to just hang tough. To distract her, he shares a story about how he got into a fight when he was in seventh grade right outside of Romeo's. Some high school basketball players were calling his friend Butterball and teasing him, so Danny stood up to them and got beat up for his trouble. WomanWithNoName tells him he's a good guy.

Before the Okinawa Marine calls, Tani is thinking about Junior and how he's not invincible and she hasn't heard from him. Quinn reassures her that Junior's tough and he'll do everything he can to get home safe. The radio officer guy from Eddie's old unit calls in and tells them about the day Eddie's first handler died. The area was littered with IEDs and they were marking them on the road when one went off. The radio operator went down and the first thing he saw was purple flowers covered in blood. Eddie's handler was dead and Eddie went over to lay by the body. The purple flowers were called Restharrow and were all over the place.

TheWomanWithNoName is looking bad. Danny is changing her dressings, which you shouldn't actually do in that situation. (He should have just added more compresses, but whatever.) She's asking him questions like why were you in the bar? He says it's because he was in a mood over his ex-wife. They've been trying to work it out for the last year or so but are better off as friends. We finally hear a car coming, and Danny rushes up to the top, but the driver doesn't stop. Danny comes back down and tries to keep TheWomanWithNoName awake, but she's shivering and cold and tired. He makes another compress out of his shirt and gets frustrated, yelling and honking the horn. He finally hears a semi-truck coming and runs back up to the road. The driver stops and lets him use his radio. Help is finally on the way.

Tani and Quinn go next door to Steve's neighbor who happens to be a botany professor. She loves the plants of Hawaii and surprise! She's growing those purple flowers, too! They tell her about Eddie being triggered, so she'll have them moved to the greenhouse on campus. Case closed!

Steve is on the couch holding Eddie, and Tani and Quinn are watching them. Tani says rom-coms want us to believe that racing to the airport tops the list for romantic gestures, (didn't Steve do that for Cath?) but dodging traffic has that beat. (Well, Steve has done both, I guess.) Steve talks about when he was trying to get Eddie out of traffic, the dog made eye contact and Steve could see his panic and fear. He could relate to that after everything that's happened to him this year. That exactly where he would be if he didn't have the dog to lean on every day and the team. (And Mr. Pickles I assume.) Tani and Quinn assure him they're not going anywhere. There's a knock at the door and it's Adam! He apologizes for being gone so long, but says he had to get away and clear his head. Steve doesn't look all that happy to see him, but says he gets it and "welcome home, bro." Steve gives him an awkward hug and you can tell he's not really buying into the prodigal son routine. (I'm interested to see where Adam's loyalties lie, for sure.)

Danny slides back down the hill to TheWomanWithNoName. She looks terrible. He has good news, though, the ambulance is on the way. He wants her to stay awake. When he chuckles, she opens her eyes to ask what's so funny and he tells her that he has all the luck like she said. Just when he meets the girl of his dreams, he gets in a car accident. She tells him that things are going to work out for him and asks his name. He tells her it's Danny and then says, "Are you going to tell me your name now?" But she dies. Danny is crying and holding her hand, when he hears the sirens. He goes to the top of the embankment and walks away. The ambulance gets there, but it's too late.

So, both Steve and Danny are still killing it with emotional scenes, but honestly, it's been such a hard year for them. I'd love to see them have some happiness in their lives to balance all the sadness. Next week we get another kidnapping! Haha. Honestly, pretty soon there won't be anyone on the show who hasn't been kidnapped a few times.

What did you think of the episode? Did you watch?

Did you miss my recap and review of the last episode? You can see it HERE