FBI agent Brie Ryan’s latest mission is personal. She’s posing as a waitress at the Black Diamond strip club, the same club where her estranged half sister worked until she turned up dead. When Brie’s undercover assignment is compromised, she turns to the only man she knows who can help her: Connor Pierce, a too-sexy-for-his-own-good, rule-breaking cop with a knack for solving cold cases.

When someone breaks into Brie’s apartment, Connor’s detective skills aren’t the only things that kick into overdrive. Although his job demands he remain detached, now he finds himself tempted not only by Brie’s beauty but also her intelligence and bravery. As the investigation—and their attraction—grows more intense, lives are in jeopardy, and Connor finds the most important rule he must break is his own. But can he put his heart on the line?

In the prologue of this book we learn of Detective Connor Pierce’s demons. The ones he can’t let go. We jump three and half years ahead to today as Brie Ryan is following a Porsche driven by one Dillon Armand. Of course she’s speeding and ends up being pulled over. It doesn’t help that the car she’s driving was ‘borrowed’ from the parking lot of the Black Diamond Strip Club. She almost gets away with it, but the cop gets the word the car was stolen. What happens next was just plain fun, for for her and humiliating for the cop. It also lets us know she is acquainted with Detective Pierce.

Brie had just returned to her car when her cell rang. Caller ID said it was Carlos, her partner. Only it wasn’t him on the other end of the call. A police officer looking for information as to the owner of the phone. What she tells him is not something he wanted to hear. The critically injured man now in surgery, Carlos Olvera, is FBI.

It’s Carlos’ husband Tory who tells her what Carlos hadn’t had a chance to, one of their team is a mole and leaked information on a big case. One that may be connected to the one Brie is looking in to, albeit unofficially since the victim was her sister and the FBI refused to look into it.

Connor and his team Juan Acosta and Mark Sutton work cold cases, but their boss pulls them into Carlos’ attack. He wants answers and an arrest quickly. He knows Connor’s team will do that.

Brie and Connor both know they shouldn’t get involved, but the inevitable happens and then Connor screws it all up. The thing is neither one of them understand that there are more than just a impulse happening.

There are many twists and turns as this story unfolds and several cases intertwine and new ones open.

I truly didn’t see everything wrapping up, but it happened an in a most surprising and interesting way.

5 Contented Purrs for Christie!

Christie Craig

New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig is an award-winning writer, photojournalist, motivational speaker, writing teacher, and author of thirty-four books.

An Alabama native, she is a NEW YORK TIMES Best-Selling author of more than 30 books and thousands of magazine articles. During her 25 year career, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone.

Also writing young adult books as C.C. Hunter, her complete New York Times bestselling young adult paranormal series, Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark, are available now from St. Martin’s Griffin. Her new young adult series, The Mortician’s Daughter, is now available and her contemporary young adult debut, This Heart of Mine, will release from Wednesday Books in February 2018. She also has a new romantic suspense series coming from Forever Books in 2018.

She currently resides in Texas.

Police detective Juan Acosta doesn’t only carry scars on the outside. He’s filled with guilt and anger ever since his undercover job led to the murder of those he loved the most. Now he’s living for one thing: revenge. That is, until Juan meets his beautiful new neighbor.

Vicki Holloway prides herself on being capable and independent, but her life is turned upside down when her sister Sara is killed by an abusive ex. Fearing for the safety of her niece, Vicki and the little girl go into hiding…resurfacing in Texas with new identities.

Juan finds his once-frozen heart thawing around Vicki, but he knows she’s hiding something. Juan needs answers, but Vicki isn’t talking. She has to keep her secrets if she wants to keep Bell safe, which means resisting her growing feelings for the sexy, scarred man next door. But when Juan’s quest for justice brings danger to her door, divulging the truth might be the only thing that keeps her alive.

Juan Acosta has a new neighbor, he knows this because he saw his dog making the acquaintance of a child. Now his dog has alerted him to something else and he sees someone trying to break in the back door.

Being a cop and a good neighbor he starts to give chase. This becomes my first giggle in this book. Never underestimate the power of a woman alone with a child.

When the officers she called get there, Juan knows he’s never gonna live this down. In the aftermath, he also realizes his neighbor is hiding something.

Twists, turns and danger abound as Juan falls for his neighbor Nikki and her daughter Bell. They both have issues they need to face and work on but this journey is one best undertaken together.

I couldn’t put this book down as Juan’s past surfaces with Nikki’s present.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Christie!

Christie Craig

New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig is an award-winning writer, photojournalist, motivational speaker, writing teacher, and author of thirty-four books.

An Alabama native, she is a NEW YORK TIMES Best-Selling author of more than 30 books and thousands of magazine articles. During her 25 year career, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone.

Also writing young adult books as C.C. Hunter, her complete New York Times bestselling young adult paranormal series, Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark, are available now from St. Martin’s Griffin. Her new young adult series, The Mortician’s Daughter, is now available and her contemporary young adult debut, This Heart of Mine, will release from Wednesday Books in February 2018. She also has a new romantic suspense series coming from Forever Books in 2018.

She currently resides in Texas.

What would you do
if everything you thought was true about your family
turned out to be a lie?

Annie Lakes has had the same recurring nightmare for years. Her heart pounding in her chest. A panicked voice, begging her to run faster. Her own bloodcurdling scream. But now Annie is starting to realize it’s more than just a bad dream. She’s starting to remember things about the night her cousin Jenny disappeared all those years ago. Things that make her believe her family was involved–and what they’re hiding is much worse than she ever imagined. But she can’t unravel this alone. She needs someone she can trust, someone like sexy Detective Mark Sutton ….

Mark has seen enough–too much–to assume that Annie’s story is a dead end. It turns out that her family is hiding some killer secrets. A long time ago, Annie was just an innocent little girl who saw something she shouldn’t. Now she’s a target, and Mark’s running out of time to protect the woman he’s starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?

Annie Lake has nightmares, they have her waking with a scream and pounding heart. The way it ends also leaves the impression there’s more to it. Her parents have told her it’s only a dream and the scar on her knee was from a fall off her bicycle, not a fall in the woods. When at her Uncle’s funeral she sees her cousin Fran and suddenly memories start flooding back. Now she needs to know the truth, and there’s only one person she can think of to help with that.

Detective Mark Sutton works cold cases with two others on the force. They have gained a reputation for closing these cases. Annie sees the handsome detective every day as he picks up his coffee and usually buys for another person on the line, calling it his good deed for the day.

Annie summons the courage to report her suspicions. However, she only recounts her dream and the reaction she had with her cousin Fran. She doesn’t mention the problems she’s had that relate to those dreams.

When Mark pretty much dismisses her as ‘crazy’ she decides it was a mistake and leaves.

This is a favorite scene.

She hugged her purse. “I didn’t remember…until now.”

He rolled the pen between his palms. “It just came to you. Just like that?”

“No. I went to an uncle’s funeral and…” Her words faded. “I guess I never really forgot. I’ve dreamed it, over and over again. Well, some of it. But when I was there, I remembered.”

He leaned forward. “You dreamed that this happened?”

She nodded.

Yup, crazy. And it’s Monday! “If you dreamed it, and then forgot it, how do you know it really happened?”

Her chin inched up, a tiny gesture that spoke of her guts.

“The shoes.” She pointed to the photo. “I dreamed I was wearing them. And the scar. I fell in the dream, and I have a scar.”

His grip on the pen tightened. “Normally, it takes more than a dream to report a murder.”

“I’m sorry,” she said breathlessly, her tone hinting at a touch of anger. “It was a mistake coming here.”

She stood.

Guilt tugged at his gut. “If it happened in Pearlsville, you should talk to someone there.”

“I thought you’d…” She inhaled as if to pull the words back in. As if she decided he wasn’t worth her words.

“You thought I would what?” He clicked the pen.

Instead of answering, she bolted out of his office with a hell of a lot more energy than she’d come in.

Frustrated, he finger-locked his hands behind his neck and closed his eyes. His mind flashed the image of the haunted look he’d seen on her face. And while he still didn’t know why she looked familiar, he knew that look. He’d seen that same expression in the mirror every morning when he woke up, or when he crawled out of bed and hadn’t slept, because the images robbed him of sleep and sanity.

Determined to focus on the Talbot case, a real case, he leaned forward. He saw her picture. Picking it up, he stared at the younger girl’s image, the sweet face. He thought of his half sister. Sweet, innocent, and dead. Her body tossed in a dumpster. “Well, shit!” He took off, hoping to catch Ms. Lakes. What he’d say to her when, or if, he caught her, was anyone’s guess.
Craig, Christie. Don’t Close Your Eyes (Texas Justice) . Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Locations (459-474). Kindle Edition.

Taking on this case becomes so much more when Mark starts a relationship with Annie.

Lot of twists and turns, dysfunctional family, threats and so much more make this a page turning read.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Christie!

Christie Craig

New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig is an award-winning writer, photojournalist, motivational speaker, writing teacher, and author of thirty-four books.

An Alabama native, she is a NEW YORK TIMES Best-Selling author of more than 30 books and thousands of magazine articles. During her 25 year career, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone.

Also writing young adult books as C.C. Hunter, her complete New York Times bestselling young adult paranormal series, Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark, are available now from St. Martin’s Griffin. Her new young adult series, The Mortician’s Daughter, is now available and her contemporary young adult debut, This Heart of Mine, will release from Wednesday Books in February 2018. She also has a new romantic suspense series coming from Forever Books in 2018.

She currently resides in Texas.

It’ll take a tall, hot Texan and a little holiday spirit to mend a broken heart and catch a Christmas killer . . .

Savanna Edwards is feeling downright Scrooge-like. Who can blame her? A truly unjolly Santa—suit, beard and all—just repossessed her car because of her ex’s shady business dealings. She’d like to murder the no-good lying cheat, but somebody already did that for her—and left him right in the middle of her kitchen, wrapped up with a bow.

Detective Mark Donaldson has a rule against getting involved with his neighbors. He can look—and he’s studied every sweet curve of Savanna from across the street—but he can’t touch. So when she lands on his doorstep in need of help, he finds himself torn between being naughty or nice, and fights every urge to unwrap her like a shiny new Christmas present.

Trouble is, even Mark can’t resist a little holiday magic . . . and there’s definitely something magical happening between him and the girl next door.

So I went on a little book hunt on Amazon looking for Christmas Romance titles. Now normally I don’t do that, but I wanted some new to me authors.

I thought I had read Christie Craig but I hadn’t and of course I started with the second book in this series. This book stands alone but I did go get book one when I finished.

Nothing like having your relaxing bath and evening destroyed by your car being repossessed.

Even though Savannah recruited her sexy cop neighbor to help, it was taken away by a tow truck driver dressed as Santa. I mean with the paper work in order there really wasn’t much he could do about it.

Having been divorced myself I totally get wanting to murder your ex. I’m going to jump right to one of my favorite scenes where Savannah is out with her friends after Santa took her car.

“I don’t love him!” Savanna snapped. “He used the title of the Honda to get a loan, and didn’t pay it. I’m soaking in the tub with my blue mask on when a wrecker driver dressed like Santa pulls up and starts hooking up my car to take it away.”

“You didn’t get the title turned over to your name after the divorce?” Bethany asked.

Savanna shook her head. “I know I was supposed to. It was on my list to do, but—”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Jennifer said. “Grief screws you up.” Jennifer who’d lost her mom when she was sixteen was still grief stricken. But then again, Savanna could understand. Losing your mom sucked.

“I can’t believe Clint did that!” Bethany seethed.

“I can,” Mandy added.

“I told that asshole what would happen if he messed with you again!” Vengeance, the kind she used in the courtroom, tightened Bethany’s tone.

Savanna rested her palm on Bethany’s hand. “It’s not your fault.” Because Clint was Bethany’s cousin, and the one who’d introduced them, Bethany felt responsible. “I married the jerk. You even warned me.”

“Give me the information and I’ll look into it,” Bethany said. “I swear, I’ll chew his ass up one side and down the other in court! He’ll pay for this.”

Savanna reached into her purse and pulled out the paperwork. “Here’s everything Santa gave me.”

Bethany looked at the paperwork. “Is the guy’s last name really Claus?” She grabbed her phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Claus,” she said,” this is Bethany Carver. I’m Savanna Edwards’ lawyer. Can you tell me . . .”

“Only five more days till Christmas.” Leonardo popped over to the table. “Have you beautiful bitches decided what you want for Christmas yet?”

“I want a body lift,” Jennifer said.

“Your body is tight,” Leonardo said.

Mandy huffed. “I want my new boyfriend to stop lighting up his farts.”

Bethany, still talking to Santa, held up her hand. All eyes went to Savanna. “I want my ex dead with a ribbon tied around his pecker!” She frowned when she realized she’d said it too loud. Laughter filled the restaurant.

“Sorry.” Savanna looked up at the waiter and Bethany moving away from the table. “Can I have a margarita?”

Leonardo chuckled. “Honey, you don’t have to explain. I’ve had more than one guy break my heart, too. Men can be evil creatures. But we still love ’em, don’t we?”
Craig, Christie. The Cop Who Stole Christmas (Tall, Hot & Texan Book 2) (pp. 10-11). BookEnds,LLC. Kindle Edition.

Normally when you blow off steam like that and have a good time with your friends you feel good, go home and life goes on. Well, in this case Savannah’s day goes from bad to worse when in the dark she trips over her naked dead ex, complete with ribbon.

Her neighbor cop, Mark was waiting to apologize to her, but it was too late when he saw her arrive home. He had just gotten in bed when she woke him screaming for help.

From here the book just gets better and steamier. Mark and his partner are trying to find the killer.

Savannah is the number one suspect along with her friends and the owner of the restaurant where she made her Christmas wish.

A series of twists and turns, a couple of embarrassing moments, steamy scenes and a few laughs too.

I enjoyed this book, it was just the right amount of different to make it a Christmas favorite.

5 Contented Purrs for Christie!

  Christie Craig

New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig is an award-winning writer, photojournalist, motivational speaker, writing teacher, and author of thirty-four books.

An Alabama native, she is a NEW YORK TIMES Best-Selling author of more than 30 books and thousands of magazine articles. During her 25 year career, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone.

Also writing young adult books as C.C. Hunter, her complete New York Times bestselling young adult paranormal series, Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark, are available now from St. Martin’s Griffin. Her new young adult series, The Mortician’s Daughter, is now available and her contemporary young adult debut, This Heart of Mine, will release from Wednesday Books in February 2018. She also has a new romantic suspense series coming from Forever Books in 2018.

She currently resides in Texas.