Book ~ "Say You Still Love Me" (2019) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.

On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus, she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé - a fellow VP - on the other side of her glass office wall every day.

Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller - the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group Industries, and coincidentally the first love of her life.

The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counselors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.

Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is not only alive but stronger than ever, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences. 

Though her family was very extremely wealthy, when Piper was sixteen, her mother got her a job at a summer camp as a counselor.  Her mother, who didn't grow up rich, had gone to this camp and had fabulous memories and wants her daughter to experience the same thing.  Piper wanted go to Europe like her friends but soon changed her mind when she spied fellow camp counselor, Kyle.  Even though Kyle was poor and most of his family is in prison, they fell in love over the eight weeks.  Their relationship didn't survive the summer and Piper's heart was broken.

Thirteen years later, Piper is working for her father's company, being groomed to take over.  She has recently broken up with her ex-fiancé, David, who works for the company and whom Piper's dad loves.  Piper, though, still thinks about Kyle and what could have been.  Then she discovers that he is working as a security guard in her company's building and wonders if she should confront him to find out what happened all those years ago and perhaps pick up where they left off.

I've read and liked many books by this author ... but this one didn't do it for me.  I knew going in that it was a romance and while I don't mine romance in stories, I like there to be some substance besides that.  But because I like this author, I went ahead and read it.

It's written in first person perspective in Piper's voice.  The story alternates back and forth between the summer at camp and now (the chapters are labeled).  I found the characters a bit stereotypical ... an overbearing controlling rich dad, an older employee who does all he can to sabotage our heroine, the brother who was strong enough to break away from the family and do what he wants, the quirky friends, the poor boy ~ rich girl combo, etc.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I had a hard time believing that Piper was still obsessed about Kyle.  Piper had it all ... friends, money, education, a high-power job and even an ex-fiancé ... but she still pined over a boy she fell in love with 13 years ago for eight weeks when she was 16!  No way!  I wasn't buying it.  The Piper of today sounded just as immature as the Piper from 13 years ago, which was not realistic.

I couldn't decide who the target audience was for this book.  When it was back in the camp days, it seemed more directed to young adults.  I found it icky as an adult reading the details of teenagers Piper and Kyle making out or thinking about making or talking about making out in the summer camp.  In the "now" timeline, it seemed more directed to adults ... though it was basically a repeat of what they did and felt at the camp but in a nice condo rather than in a cabin or on rocks.

Book ~ "Be the Girl" (2019) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Almost sixteen-year-old, Aria Jones is starting over. New postal code, new last name, new rules. But she doesn’t mind because it means she can leave her painful regrets behind. In the bustling town of Eastmonte, she can become someone else. Someone better.

With the Hartford family living next door, it seems she will succeed. Sure, Cassie Hartford may be the epitome of social awkwardness thanks to her autism but she also offers an innocent and sincere friendship that Aria learns to appreciate. And Cassie’s older brother, Emmett - a popular Junior A hockey player with a bright future - Aria wishes that friendship could lead to something more. If he didn’t already have a girlfriend, maybe it would.

But Aria soon finds herself in a dicey moral predicament that could derail her attempt at a fresh start. It is her loyalty to Cassie and her growing crush on Emmett that leads her to make a risky move, one that earns her a vindictive enemy who is determined to splinter her happy new world.

Fifteen-year-old Aria and her mother move from Calgary to a small town about an hour outside of Toronto to escape their past and start over.  They move in with Merv, her mother's elderly uncle.  Next door live the friendly Hartfords.  The Hartfords have a daughter named Cassie, who is a year younger than Aria and autistic.  She is friendly and happy and thinks everyone is her friend.  They also have a son named Emmett who is a year older than Aria, and popular, a hockey star and protective of his sister.

Aria and Cassie become friends and Aria and Emmett become friends, though Aria would like more.  Emmett, though, has the perfect girlfriend in Holly.  When Aria discovers that Holly isn't so perfect, she debates whether to let Emmett know.  She eventually decides that Emmett needs to know the truth.  Emmett breaks up with Holly, who does everything she can to win him back, and Emmett and Aria become close.

I've read lots of books by this author.  I liked this story (there was twist at the end) and the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective in Aria's voice.  It was interesting to read a book where an autistic character had such a prominent role.  As a head's up, there is some swearing and "adult" activity.

I think this book is written for teens so I'm not the target audience.  I found it hard to believe that Emmett would be dating perfect Holly for a year, drop her and pick up with awkward Aria the next day.  Also, I found the scenes where Aria and Emmett are making out kind of icky considering they are teenagers and just started dating.

Book ~ "The Simple Wild" (2018) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Calla Fletcher wasn't even two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when Calla learns that Wren’s days may be numbered, she knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional - dear God - outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this rugged environment, Jonah - the unkempt, obnoxious and proud Alaskan pilot who helps keep her father’s charter plane company operational - can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. Soon she finds herself forming an unexpected bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship - or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried - and failed at - years ago. It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

Almost 30 years ago, Susan and Wren met in a bar in Vancouver ... she was from Toronto on vacation and he was a pilot in a remote area of Bangor, Alaska.  They fell in love, got pregnant and married and Susan moved to Bangor to be with Wren.  A couple years later, she headed home to Toronto with their daughter, Calla ... Susan had had enough of the remoteness and being left alone so much.  She hoped Wren would follow her and he hoped she would come back.  Neither happened.

Twenty-four years later, Calla is now 26 years-old and still living in Toronto.  Susan is married to Simon, a well-to-do psychiatrist.  Calla lives rent-free with Susan and Simon and her only chore is to take out the garbage once a week.  Yes, she is spoiled.  Calla was working for a bank and got laid off.  That night she gets a call from Agnes, her father's friend, who tells her Wren has cancer and is about to start treatment ... it would be nice if Calla could come visit him.  So Calla heads to Alaska for a week.

After a few connections, Jonah, one of Wren's pilots, picks her up for the final leg of the journey but the plane is too small for all her luggage so she is only able to take what she needs and the rest will follow on a larger plane shortly.  Unfortunately, her suitcases get lost and don't arrive as promised so she has to make do with what she had hastily jammed into a duffel bag.

When she arrives, she discovers Bangor is a lot different than Toronto.  There are only two grocery stores, things are a lot more expensive and scarce like soy milk for her coffees and Bangor is "dry" (no alcohol is sold).  Jonah continually gives her a hard time because she refuses to go out without make-up and seems to be a bit of a "Barbie".

At first, being with her father is tense because they haven't had a lot of contact over the years.  But things get better as Calla and Wren get to know each other and even things with Jonah become less hostile.

I've read lots of books by this author.  For the most part, I liked this story and the writing style.  It's written in third person perspective with Calla being the focus.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Calla is a typical 26-year-old living in the big city ... concerned about her appearance and into social media.  Yes, Jonah was a bit mean (though honest) at times with her but he was used to being in the wilds of Alaska where there were more important things to worry about.  I found Wren a bit dull.  Yes, he was battling cancer so had other things on his mind but I thought the reason he neglected Calla over the years was pretty lame and he didn't seem overly excited that she had come all that way to see him.  I found it a bit hard to believe that after all these years Susan and Wren still carried a torch for each other and Simon was a bit of a doormat for putting up with being #2 even though he was Susan's current husband.  Calla seemed to care more about him and his feelings than his wife did.  I didn't find Susan likable at all.

Book ~ "Keep Her Safe" (2018) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that's been rattling in her closet for years and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family's life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn't born in a trailer park but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it's all she knows anymore. At least here people don't care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive ... until a man who clearly doesn't belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department's dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Noah is in his early twenties and living with his divorced mother, Jackie, who is the Chief of Police in Austin.  She has been drinking a lot lately and rambles some crazy story to him one night about how her ex-partner, Abe, was actually innocent and she was a party to bringing him down.  Abe had been a respected police officer but fourteen years ago his image was tarnished forever when he was implicated and killed during a drug deal gone bad.  That night Jackie kills herself and leaves Noah with instructions to make things right and deliver something to Abe's widow, Dina, and his daughter, Gracie.

Noah follows his mother's last wish and finds Dina and Gracie.  Life hasn't been kind to them ... they have been living in poverty in a shabby trailer park in Arizona.  Noah and Gracie band together and head back to Austin to find out the truth about Abe and possibly clear his name.

I've read a few books by this author.  I liked this story and the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective from Noah's, Grace's, Jackie's and Abe's point of view (the chapters are labeled so you know whose voice it is).  The story jumps back and forth in time from today to the spring of 2003 (also labelled in the chapter heading).  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I liked the characters.  I thought Noah was a nice fella.  Though he is grieving and is shocked by the death of his mother, he still feels honour-bound to fulfill her last wish.  Plus he has wonderful memories of Abe.  I found Gracie a bit annoying at times, though, because she was so impulsive and wouldn't listen.  But she was young (about 20ish) and didn't have the maturity at times, I guess.

Book ~ "Until it Fades" (2017) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.

For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine ... before the spark fades? 

Catherine is a 24-year-old single mother working in a truck stop and barely getting by financially.  She is driving home from a disastrous blind date one night when she comes across an accident.  The driver is dead but she is able to pull the passenger out of the car before it explodes into fire.  Because the passenger turns out to be a professional hockey player named Brett, there is a lot of media attention.  Catherine had been part of a scandal in the town when she was seventeen and doesn't want to draw attention to herself or her daughter.

When Brett meets Catherine to thank her for saving her life, they become friends and then more.  But Catherine's life is very different Brett's.  She's living paycheque to paycheque with government assistance.  Money and media attention has never been an problem for Brett since he is a hockey player whose team is in the playoffs.

I've read a few books by this author.  This is a departure of style for her (not as intense) and I liked it.  I liked the story and the writing style.  It's written in third person perspective with a focus on Catherine.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I liked the characters.  Catherine has had to endure some hardships ... raising her daughter as a single mother with very little money.  She had just gotten back to having a relationship with her family (there was a riff because of the scandal seven years ago).  Despite having a privileged childhood (his mother is a famous actress) and now being a star hockey player, Brett wasn't pretentious or annoying.  He seemed pretty down to earth and valued honesty.

Book ~ "Surviving Ice" (2015) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Ivy, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is finally looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have found it in San Francisco but all that changes when she witnesses a terrible crime. She’s ready to pack up her things yet again, when a random encounter with a stranger keeps her in the city, giving her reason to stay after all. 

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter wasn’t random. Not at all.

Ivy is in her mid-twenties and after bouncing around a lot, she settles down in San Francisco to work with her uncle, Ned, in his tattoo shop.  One night he and a client are killed and Ivy stumbles upon it and hides.  As such, she is only able to give a partial description of the killers.  Was it a robbery gone bad?  Or was it because Ned might have had large gambling losses?

Sebastian is a former navy SEAL who now does for-hire "security" jobs working for his former navy boss.  His latest mission is to retrieve an incriminating video.  It's suspected that Ivy has it and Sebastian is to do whatever he has to get the video, even if it means killing Ivy.

This is the fourth in the Burying Water series and I thought it was okay.  We were introduced to Ivy briefly in the first one, Burying Water, and she had a large role in the third one, Chasing River.  Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background information provided.

I liked the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective in Ivy's and Sebastian's voices (the chapters are labeled so it's obvious).  Though I enjoyed the tattoo and biker gang aspects, I didn't feel connected to Ivy or Sebastian.  Bobby and Dakota added some humour.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Chasing River" (2015) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Armed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn't let her die but he also couldn't risk being identified at the scene - so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it's because he saved her life or maybe it's because he's completely different from everything she's left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn't the kind of guy she'd want to catch. 

Amber is a nurse in rural Oregon and has been saving to travel the world.  She starts off exploring Canada and then heads to Ireland to start her European tour.   She is only in Dublin a day when a bomb goes off in a park she's in and she would have been killed had a stranger not pushed her out of the way.  He takes off before she could thank him.

River and his brother, Rowan, run the family's pub in Dublin.  Their older brother, Aengus, is the black sheep of the family and is a member of the IRA.  It's Aengus who had left the bomb in the park as a statement.   River had been following him that day to see what he was up to and felt compelled to save Amber once he was realizing what was happening.

Amber tracks River down and there is an instant attraction, though they both know it can't work.  She lives in America and has a quiet rural life.  River lives in Dublin and has a troublemaker for a brother.  But they can't resist each other and become involved.  Being with River puts Amber in danger, plus she considers cancelling her dream vacation to be with River.

This is the third in the Burying Water series and I liked it.  I found it to be a bit too political, though, as there was a lot of time devoted to the history and happenings of the IRA in Ireland.  We were introduced to Amber in the first one, Burying Water, and some of the characters from that book appear in this one.  Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background information provided.

I liked the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective in Amber's and River's voices (the chapters are labeled so it's obvious).  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Becoming Rain" (2015) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Luke Boone doesn't know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it - the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he's finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set - one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it's not exactly legal, Luke's never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game - at only twenty-six years old, she's one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington D.C. major crime unit, and she's just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the west coast's most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she'll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle's footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she'll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she'll even want to. 

Luke works in the garage that is owned by his uncle, Rust.  Rust has promised the garage to Luke but first he has to gain experience in running it.  In addition, Rust is involved with the Russian mafia in stealing cars and shipping them overseas.  Rust is gradually including Luke in this side business and Luke isn't saying no to the extra cash and all that comes with it.

Clara is a cop who goes undercover as Rain to get close to Luke to bring him and his uncle down.  The problem is that as Luke starts to fall in love with Rain, Clara steps over the boundaries and starts to have feelings for him too.  She becomes torn between wanting to solve the case and to protect Luke.

This is the second in the Burying Water series and I enjoyed it.  We were introduced to Luke in the first one, Burying Water, and some of the characters from that book appear briefly in this one.  Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background information provided.  I look forward to reading the others in the series.

I liked the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective in Clara's and Luke's voices (the chapters are labeled so it's obvious).  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Burying Water" (2014) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives - but she awakens with no idea who she is or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body - the only clue to her past. 

Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer - and happier - that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface. 

NOW
A woman is found beaten nearly to death in a snowstorm by the Chief of Police of a small town in Oregon.  She is rush to the hospital and eventually survives ... physically, that is, because she has no memory of who she is and eventually names herself "Water".  When she recovers and is well enough, she moves in with the Chief's neighbour, Ginny, who lives on a horse farm with her dog, Felix, and her two horses, also named Felix (she likes the name "Felix").  Ginny is 65-years-old, cranky and doesn't want anyone on her property but Water and Ginny eventually become friends.  Water gets a job in a store and eventually starts her building her life.

THEN
Jesse and Alex meet when she has a flat tire on a rainy night.  They know people in common so keep seeing each other.  There is an attraction and they start seeing each other.  The problem is that Alex is married to Viktor, who is a Russian mobster who has no qualms in beating Alex up when she is not being the perfect wife to him.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective in Water's voice in the present and Jesse's voice in the past (the chapters are labeled so it's obvious) ... given how the two stories (the "now" and the "then") intertwined, this worked for me.  I thought the author did a good job with the character development.  As a head's up, there is swearing, violence and adult activity.

It is the first in the Burying Water series and I look forward to reading the others.

Book ~ "He Will Be My Ruin" (2016) K.A. Tucker

From Goodreads ~ Twenty-eight-year-old Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what’s left of her best friend’s belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a bottle of Xanax and a handle of Maker’s Mark, and never woke up. 

But when Maggie discovers secrets in the childhood lock box hidden in Celine’s apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man who Celine herself claimed would be her ruin. 

On the hunt for answers that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine’s private life - and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered. 

Maggie's best friend. Celine, lived in New York and had recently committed suicide.  Rosa, Celine's mother, lives in San Diego, and is in remission battling cancer.  She can't handle packing up Celine's things so Maggie agrees to do it and moves into Celine's apartment.  Celine worked in an office and was an aspiring antique collector.  Though she lived in a small apartment, she had accumulated a lot of stuff.  Rosa tells Maggie to sell everything and start a foundation in her daughter's name.

Maggie finds it hard to believe that Celine would kill herself.  She hires a private detective to investigate after the police tell her it's been deemed a suicide.  Maggie wants to know the truth and realizes that there was a lot about Celine's life that she didn't know.  She discovers that Celine was in love with a wealthy investment advisor named Jace and Maggie tries to get close to him to see what he knows.  Living in Celine's apartment, she becomes friends with Ruby, Celine's elderly neighbour, and Grady, the super of the building.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice in the present and Celine's voice in the past (the chapters are labeled so it's obvious).  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I liked the characters.  Despite the physical distance and monetary difference, Maggie and Celine were good friends and Maggie would have done anything for Celine had she asked.  Even after Celine's death and Maggie learned more about her friend, she never gave up wanting to know the truth.  Ruth was a fun nosy neighbour and Grady provided laidback support.  Doug, the private detective, and Zac, his computer hacking assistant, provided a bit of humour.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.