Looking for a Cowboy by Donna Grant

 Release Date - October 27, 2020

Her days as an officer ended when Marlee Frampton's sister was found butchered and her fetus stolen from the womb. She became a private investigator devoting every minute of the day to finding stolen children. Her current case brings her to Texas where another woman has been murdered and another infant is missing.

Cooper Owens is immediately attracted to the stranger in his town. Why he's not fond of her approach and suspicions, he and his friends do jump in to help her with her case. If someone in his town is running an illegal adoption ring, he'll do everything possible to put an end to it. Winning Marlee's heart will be an added bonus.

Looking for a Cowboy is part mystery and plenty of heated romance. Marlee and Cooper click from the start. I liked that she was able to balance her work with the possibility of romance. I loved that he was willing to work with her and that his friends quickly joined in. The characters all had a bond that you could just tell wouldn't be easily broken.

It's a quick read that's perfect for curling up with. Grab a blanket, find a cozy chair, and indulge in this latest edition to Donna Grant's Heart of Texas series.

The Hollows by Steve Frech

 Release Date - February 20, 2020

I admit to being a sucker for books set in Vermont. Steve Frech does a good job creating the fictional town of The Hollows where Jacob Reese is renting a cottage on his property on an upscale take on AirBNB. The owner of a local coffeeshop lives quiet, happy life splitting time between his rental and his shop that has the potential to become a chain.

Jacob's latest renter leaves him puzzled. She checks in and disappears after leaving an ominous note in the guest registry. After that, another renter spots a ghost of a woman on the shore. Jacob finds several clues that the girlfriend who died years ago is alive and seeking revenge. He's not sure what to make of it, but it's clear someone is after him and plans to turn his life upside down.

Dark Hollows had a great premise and I loved the setting. As the mystery builds up, I was hooked. That's where the book lost me. The ending just seemed like a cheat to me. One of those "not sure how to end it so let's just do this..." situations. It didn't seem to be as well thought out as the rest of the story. 

My Darling by Amanda Robson

 Release Date - November 3, 2020

This is one of the creepiest psychological suspense books I've read in a while. It's hard to like the characters. Don't go into this novel thinking you will. Some you will like even less than others.

Here's the plot. You have two couples. Husband and wife Tomas and Jade move into their new home. Their new neighbors, Alastair and Emma, seem to be a very happy couple. Alastair, a single dad, is only around on weekends, but he's crazy for Emma.

Jade isn't particularly happy though. She's certain that Emma is exactly Tomas's type and that it won't be long before he's having another affair. When he has an emergency tooth ache and goes to see Emma, a dentist, Jade is certain that her worst fears are coming true.

Events escalate to a shocking night where all of their lives will be changed forever. Soon, these people are fighting for their freedom and the chance to get back to normal.

I don't want to give away spoilers, but this was such a wild ride of suspicious behaviors, mental depravity, and twists you don't always see coming. It's a chilling story that had me reading well into the night to see how it would all play out.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

 Release Date - November 17, 2020

Within Funiculi Funicula, patrons enjoy their coffee. Some know of the rumors that if you sit at one particular seat, you can go back in time. You can't change the present, but you can go back to the time you wish to revisit. The issue is getting the ghostly woman that spends a lot of time at that table to leave it so that you have a chance.

Each story within Before the Coffee Gets Cold tells the story of this cafe and those that wish to sit at the seat. Ages vary and reasons for wishing to go back are often different. What never changes that if you don't drink your coffee before it goes cold, you can be stuck forever.

I enjoyed the premise behind this collection of short stories. I loved the cover art. Something about its simplicity and warmth drew me in. I wish the rest of the book appealed to me as much. I liked some of the stories, but I never loved them. The characters came and went and I never found myself wondering about them after I was done their chapter. In the end, it was simply good rather than something I'll remember weeks from now.

As a note, this is a translation of Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Japanese short story collection. It's also a reissue. The international edition was released last year.