The Wicked Duke’s Wallflower (Duke Hunt Book 4) by Belle Lovatt

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Clarity, Control, and a Lesson Learned
I went into this wanting to champion Blanche, but good heavens—there were times she bit off her own nose just to spite her face. Her determination to be her own woman is admirable, but a working marriage is a two-way street, a truth even our resident control freak of a Duke had to learn the hard way.
To be clear, Heath isn’t wicked. He is simply a master manipulator who demands the world cater to him and insists on controlling every narrative—his fatal error being an attempt to orchestrate the terms of Blanche's father’s return.
Ironically, the best thing Blanche learns from Heath is how to step back and assess a situation with clear objectivity. Once Heath gives her the space to speak with her father on her own terms, the scales drop from her eyes. She is able to see both her husband and her father for who they truly are—flaws, egos, and all. After all, it is only with clarity that any of us can perceive the whole story.

Marriage Deal with a Cold Viscount by Elizabeth Everly

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unraveling the Secrets
Amelia finds herself with nothing on the day of her uncle's will reading, as the document has disappeared and left everything in the hands of her cousin, Frederick. Enter Lord Strathmore—a man who cannot resist a good puzzle. He agrees to help her search for the truth.
Their investigation starts with corrupt clerks at the lawyer's office and leads straight to a break-in at Frederick's home. Finding the will is only the first step; the document itself contains a coded message pointing to her uncle's cause of death. The clues are left specifically for Amelia, but Strathmore stays by her side to help her decode them. Along the way, her resilience and curiosity win him over completely.
What starts as a search for an inheritance quickly turns into a full murder and embezzlement investigation. The layers of Frederick's cover-up keep the momentum strong, making it easy to keep turning the pages until every secret unravels.

Two Believe: A Silas McKay Suspense Book 2 of 5: Silas McKay Suspense Series by Luana Ehrlich

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Tightly Wound Case of Privilege and Principles
This second book hits its stride with high-stakes tension and sharp realism, taking Silas completely out of his usual DCSS corporate espionage territory. When his boss pushes him to investigate a high-end jewelry store theft, the assignment is delicate: all signs point to the landlord’s son, Todd, threatening to blow up a major business relationship and tarnish the store's elite reputation.
The investigation forces Silas to partner with Ashley, exposing a deep spiritual incompatibility between them. Yet, navigating her skepticism becomes the exact catalyst Silas needs; talking about his faith forces him to confront his own backtracking and pushes him to pray and make things right with God.
While the story is light on action, it relies heavily on tactical precision and sharp dialogue. The pacing builds perfectly to a satisfying trap after Silas and Ashley flip Todd’s accomplice for a full confession. Watching a rich kid get his comeuppance for thinking his daddy’s money makes him untouchable is incredibly gratifying. For readers looking for a clean, intelligent, and deeply grounded thriller, this is a must-read installment.

Five Alive A Silas McKay Suspense Book 5 by Luana Ehrlich

 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Best of the series 
This story is easily the best of the series, delivering high tension and tightly wound suspense from the very first page. The stakes are immediate as the team faces major friction going into the mission to retrieve the five hostages, but they absolutely come through in the end.
What elevates this installment is how it perfectly balances the high-stakes rescue with a deeper story of healing the past and looking to the future. Silas is forced to deal with a woman from his history, a reunion that completely changes how he has viewed his past with her. Meanwhile, a compelling secondary conflict emerges as Ashley builds her new company. Her decision to hire two veterans from DCSS leaves the boss absolutely furious, though strangely, Silas isn’t upset with her at all.
I do have to call out the elephant in the room: five books in, and I still just don't like Ashley. She feels like a bad fit for Silas. Someone like Lillian is much more his style, but the way this series is going, they will probably only end up as friends. For anyone looking for a clean, razor-sharp thriller with genuine emotional stakes, this is a must-read addition to the series.

The Carpenter’s Heart by Cherri Cain

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Beautiful Story of Worth and Dreams
This Christian romance is a poignant reminder that will bring tears to your eyes without being overly dramatic.
Bethany moves to Hartwell to open a Christian bookstore after walking away from a two-year engagement. Her fiancé wasn't abusive in the traditional sense, but his constant, subtle demeaning left her looking at herself in a wedding dress, unable to recognize the woman she had become. Enter Eli Parker, a man who walks past the empty storefront next door to Bethany's every day, dreaming of opening a woodworking shop. Bound by duty to support his mother and sisters, Eli has spent years making himself small, convinced he isn't worthy of his own aspirations.
When Eli steps in to help Bethany build her shop's shelves and counters, their connection forces both to confront their self-imposed limitations. The emotional turning point pivots on a profound piece of advice from Eli’s mother: “You can’t have the life you want if you don’t reach for it.”
It’s a convicting question for any reader: How many of us shrink ourselves and fail to reach for our dreams out of fear or obligation? Bethany claimed her life despite the emotional toll of her past relationship, and Eli finally reaches for his when love reshapes his perspective. This is an excellent, thought-provoking story about reclaiming your worth and using the God-given talents you were meant to share with the world.

A Highland Bride Forgotten by Maddie MacKenna

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Engaging Highland Romance Loaded with Mystery
Archer begins as a cold Laird who promises his new bride, River, that they will never have children. Banished to the far wing of the castle, River spends a year in isolation with only the loyal servants her father provided. Everything shifts when an accident leaves Archer with amnesia. Finding himself married to a woman he cannot believe he left untouched, he sets out to woo her back over seven nights.
Archer’s harsh behavior stems from a grim reality: someone has spent years trying to murder him through botched poisonings and staged "accidents." The story moves quickly with continuous threats on his life, building to a climax when the villain targets River once she is carrying Archer's child.
I enjoyed the characters, though River felt naive for shutting herself off from her clan entirely rather than building allies. Still, the brisk plot and high-stakes courtship make for an engaging read. 

Crime, Conpiracies and Courtship by Aubrey Wynne

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Entertaining, Messy, and Full of Missteps
This story has a bit of everything. Harry works as a spy for the Home Office while taking on work for an Earl. Lady Matilda, the Earl’s sister, finds her confidence in Harry, a Peeler who saved a young girl from a swan and needed his wound tended after the encounter.
The two meet secretly and enjoy each other’s company. By night, Harry keeps watch over the Earl’s townhome while the Earl is out of London. As Harry tracks a target for the Home Office, he uncovers and stops conspiracies against the Crown.
Along the way, Harry and Matilda fall in love. An Earl’s sister cannot simply marry a Peeler, but fate intervenes. With solid historical background, mystery, intrigue, and crime, the hero still manages to win his lady.