Western mountains, wide-open skies, rugged individualists, and leather clad cowpokes. All these bring the strong image of manliness and macho-ism that pervades the idea of the Wild West. But among all those images, are stories. The tale of No Bull brings a very honest modern day version of this west, one that a person who lives that life, can authenticate.

Being stubborn as a bull is "no bull" but the norm for characters Diana and Jake, who run bullrings around each other, all the while the rustling of cattle, murder, mayhem, distrust of one another because of family names, and all the other good trappings of a mystery are taking place in a western setting. No Bull comes across with real science in veterinarian medicine: from the birthing of a calf, to the care given to various larger animals a veterinarian has to contend with. Not only does Diana have to earn the trust of the large and small ranchers from the old vet who is retiring, she has to get them to see her for herself, and not her much older sister who betrayed a large ranch owner almost two decades before. But memories run long in the mountains.

I am sure everyone has heard the saying that blood is thicker than water. In some cases that may not be true. Families are not always the big happy families everyone likes to believe they are. Friends can fill in the spaces where families should be for some people. When they are true friends they can become even more of a family to you than your real family. The Reward by Beth Williamson, shows that friends can and will help through thick and thin, when family can't or won't.

What happens when a very proper British lady meets a rough-hewn blacksmith living deep in the heart of Texas? A conflagration worthy of any lightning fed wild fire. Cynthia Scott brings the story of Will Donegan and Lady Grace Aldridge to us in a fast-moving historical romance.

Will Donegan feels like he's been cursed most of his life. It's more than a birthmark that most people whispered about. It's the fact that he lost track of all his siblings when they were all farmed out to various families. Despite his searching, he hasn't been able to locate any of his brothers and sisters, even his twin, Lee. If being alone in the world isn't bad enough, add to that the absentee landlord who is also a British Lord, who is coming to visit the ranch. Will knows, from reading Mr. Dickens’ books, that the British always hate the Irish, especially the poor Irish, and even more so the poor Irish orphans. He expects to be fired as soon as they arrive.

Short, sweet and sassy: three words that can describe a memorable story or an unforgettable heroine. In the case of Sable Grey's Hired Hands novella from Venus Press, short, sweet and sassy describe both.

Tessa Marks might be blind and married to a worthless man who leaves for days at a time without reason but she is by no means helpless. Blinded by scarlet fever as a child, Tessa has figured out how to get around her North Dakota farm and do what needs done – without anyone's help.

If we erase bad memories, what do we learn from them? Everything in life will teach you something, and the worst memory will haunt you, but you may learn a valuable lesson because of it. Mistakes you will never make again; things that have been done to you; or things you have done to others. Though I'm not sure if it is possible to erase them from your mind, there is one way to ease the pain, and that is through forgiveness and grace. In Beth Williamson's book, The Prize, Jack has to learn to do just that. The past always comes back to haunt you in some way, does it not?

What does it take to trust someone who holds your life in their hands? What if that person has no reason to believe in or trust you? What can you do? How far would you go to make that person believe in you? In The Bounty, the first of the Malloy Family series by Beth Williamson, Nicky Malloy is faced with these questions. She must find a way to overcome the wall of resistance that Tyler Calhoun has built around his heart. When all he has seen is the darker side of people, can he let go of that mistrust in order to find the underline truth?

I loved The Wren by Kristy McCaffrey, and when given the opportunity to read the second book in the series, The Dove, I jumped at the chance. In all honesty, my initial expectations were mediocre at best given the quality of many series books. In general, it seems as though many series leave me feeling as though the author's creativity is lackluster and the novels are formulaic. The Dove, however, was an excellent sophomore novel in and of itself, and Kristy McCaffrey has proven her writing savvy once again.

Catherine Snodgrass has a way with words. Her ability to manipulate the English language to produce vivid description is excellent. From the first line in THE MARRIAGE COMMITTEE, I was able to imagine the setting, the characters, the action, and feel the emotion that was emitted from this work of Historical Fiction. Setting her story in the Old West, Ms. Snodgrass brought history to life with her deft skill in THE MARRIAGE COMMITTEE.

Grace Marshall encompassed the virtues of a hard-working, quick-thinking, compassionate, and loyal woman—everything that you would associate with the term grace, except for one thing. She was clumsy. Regarding herself as nothing extraordinary to the point that she believed she was plain—and only passable at that—she longed for the freedom that came from escaping her home, her parents, and six siblings. Given the opportunity to do so, had she jumped from the frying pan into the fire?

Honor Among Thieves begins with Honor, the heroine, making a trip to New Mexico to visit her brother, Fergus. Her trip goes well until she reaches Santa Fe where ‘an outlaw’ enters her carriage uninvited and threatens her not to continue her journey to Fergus. Honor persists making mental plans to enlist military aide to escort her to her brother’s ranch. Though she has planned well, still the outlaw, K.D. interrupts her plans with plans of his own. Honor tries to get K.D. arrested, but he kidnaps her and takes her to the ranch. En route Honor learns that K.D isn’t as bad as she made him out to be.

When I pick up a romance book there are hopes attached. I hope to be entertained. I hope for a beautifully told story. I hope for memorable characters that stay with me long after the last page. I hope for an escape as I immerse myself in the story. Kristy McCaffery's The Wren met my hopes for a good romance.

Matt Ryan, a man tortured by the tragic loss of a young girl named Molly to a Comanche raiding party, has never been able to forgive himself for not protecting her. When remains assumed to be Molly's body are found, his life becomes a quest of vengeance. Matt joined the army and then the Texas Rangers to rid the world of degenerates who commit atrocities like Molly suffered. But Matt Ryan can't escape the nightmares of losing Molly. Because he blames himself, he often visits her gravesite to ask forgiveness. Molly Hart has returned from the dead.

Brandon McCallum took his time riding through the beauty of the Great Plains on his way to the Wet Mountains of Colorado. He had much to put behind him as memories of the Civil War and the death of his wife, Lilly, still haunted him much of the time. Coming into the town of Pueblo, he set eyes on the beautiful Gaileen Burdon.

Much to his dismay, Brandon discovered that Gail was to be married off to the banker Tom Wadsworth and tried to forget all about her while building his homestead and finding a little gold. After a snowbound winter, he made a trip into town and learned that Mrs. Gail Wadsworth had been kidnapped by a band of outlaws and her courageous husband had been killed trying to rescue her.