Book Review: Last Man Standing by Julie Miller

Last Man Standing by Julie Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Back Cover: Undercover cop Cole Taylor had his hands full sustaining a secret identity as he worked to expose a Kansas City crime boss--while living under the enemy's roof! The last thing he needed was a snooty intellectual type interfering in his investigation, asking suspicious questions and snooping where she shouldn't. Besides, with all that fiery red hair and miles of silky skin, Victoria Westin didn't look like any professor he knew....

She had the touch-me-not beauty of an aristocrat and fit right in with their upper-crust hosts. But the streetwise Taylor from working-class roots would have to persuade Miss High-and-Mighty to cooperate with his plan to save his life--and now hers, too. And if he couldn't gain her cooperation by his usual methods, he'd blackmail her with bedroom fantasies to "maintain cover."

The title of the final installment for the Taylor clan series fits both as a fitting end to the series as well as an apt description for hero, Cole Taylor. Literally the ‘last man standing’ without a committed relationship amongst his family of five brothers and one sister, Cole has been working undercover for several years for a Kansas City crime family. Unbeknownst to him, Victoria “Tori” Westin has been sent in by the FBI to conduct her own investigation into the family. Initially suspicious of each other, they eventually start working together to take down a vicious syndicate.

Like the others in the series, “Last Man Standing” can be read alone, but if you’ve read the others, this book provides some additional closure to the other couples and families introduced throughout the series. Ms. Miller provides a very effective and satisfying end to a great family series.

The next of Ms. Miller’s books included a four-book mini series titled “The Precinct” which I never realized I didn’t have until I started doing these reviews. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get them so my next review will start up with the “Vice Squad” mini-series and “Up Against The Wall”. I hope you’ll come back to check it out soon.


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Book Review: “Unsanctioned Memories” by Julie Miller

Unsanctioned Memories by Julie Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Back Cover: FBI agent Sam O'Rourke was on an unsanctioned mission to hunt down his sister's murderer. The steely-eyes lawman's investigation led him to Jessica Taylor - the one victim, in a string of many, who'd escaped with her life and whose missing memories made her a target for a demented madman.

Posing as a ranch hand, Sam was determined to gain the fragile woman's trust to solve this crime. However, Sam hadn't counted on this lone witness awakening his deadened heart with her sumptuous beauty and unflinching courage. A case that had begun as an unrelenting thirst for vengeance suddenly roused his every protective instinct. Now Sam had an intensely personal stake in reeling in a killer...

This was my least favorite of the series. Jessica comes off as tough and resilient in parts while at other times she’s almost too stupid to live. I can’t count the number of times she put herself into danger making Sam have to come to her rescue. When she ran into the woods by herself despite orders to stay put, I wanted to slap her, especially when her dog ended up getting hurt. That little mutt was quite a scene-stealer but regardless I don’t like it when animals are put in danger by dumb owners. Fortunately, Sam was there to save the day yet again and Harry lived to bury another bone.

Don’t get me wrong though, Sam is not without his own faults. After discovering Jessica is the only survivor of the serial rapist/killer who murdered his sister, he lies to her. Instead of telling her he’s a federal agent bent on tracking down the creep that attacked her and bring him to justice, he pretends to be a handyman doing odd jobs around her place. Why to build the trust. Not cool.

Survivors of these types of situations have a hard time redeveloping trust. In themselves and in others. But the first thing he does is deceive her with his intentions. I had a really hard time with that.

However, despite these personal issues for me, Ms. Miller managed to create a story that allowed the characters some redemption by the end so we can assume a satisfyingly happy ever after for them. If nothing else, read the story for Harry the dog. He’s well worth your time spent on this novel.


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Book Review: “Kansas City’s Bravest” by Julie Miller

Kansas City's Bravest by Julie Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Back Cover: Arson investigator Gideon Taylor had his hands full with three suspicious fires and no leads. Complicating matters were his unresolved feelings for former colleague Meghan Wright—the one woman he'd never got out of his system. She'd become the target of a stalker, whose proximity to Gideon's assignment was no coincidence.

But as Gideon and Meghan joined forces to uncover the secrets scorched to cinders, it was clear a five-alarm inferno was about to ignite between them. Could they reveal who was responsible for what appeared to be an elaborate plan before the sizzling embers of their relationship were permanently extinguished...?

Firefighter Meghan isn’t the typical chick in a man’s job that some authors think readers want to see in their books. She experiences realistic struggles in regards to her job. She’s not seen flinging around a ladder or managing the hose by herself like its nothing. Still she really loves what she does and still retains her feminine side.

Scarred by past events, Gideon could very well be the “to hell with life, I just want to have fun” type of guy, but he’s not. He actually wants a wife, kids, and the white picket fence. Unfortunately, the woman of his dreams walked out on him two years ago.

Now with a stalker arsonist after her, Meghan must rely on the man she abandoned to help find the person(s) responsible before she ends up one of the victims.

A great mix of romance and suspense, “Kansas City’s Bravest” is a welcomed addition to the series. With a niece currently in the fire academy, I enjoyed re-reading book 5. I’ll probably share it with her and get her opinion as a female firefighter. Of course that won’t be until she’s out of the academy. I get tired listening to all they go through and I don’t have to do it. I can only imagine how exhausted they all must be.


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Book Review: "The Rookie" by Julie Miller

The Rookie by Julie Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Back Cover: Suddenly something was more important to rookie officer Josh Taylor than busting a campus drug ring and making detective. Because when Josh's undercover investigation strangely intersected with his older and pregnant professor, Rachel Livesay, sparks of danger--and passion--ignited.

Rachel had no one to turn to until Josh vowed to protect her from the sperm donor who threatened to snatch her newborn child from her arms. But Josh was her "student," not a knight in shining armor--and falling for him could be deadly for them both!

“The Rookie” was the first of Julie Miller’s books that I read and it will always hold a special place on my bookshelf. It caused my obsession with the Taylor Clan and Precinct series as well as Ms. Miller's work in general.

Josh is a somewhat cocky 20-something who we get to watch mature as the storyline progresses. The kid brother of a clan of cops and firefighters, he feels he has a lot to prove but in reality it seems as if he’s already proven it. He just needs to learn he’s not a lone ranger in the deal.

On the other hand, Rachel is forced to work alone by life’s circumstances. Her ex-husband found more interest in other women than the wife he had at home. She didn’t have any family to lean on and now she’s pregnant by a sperm donor that wanted to lay claim to her unborn baby. She had nowhere to turn but the ever-chivalrous Josh felt it his duty to protect her.

The age difference between the two (she was 35 and he was 28) kept getting brought up but that didn’t bother me as much as the teacher-student aspect. Even though he was just pretending to be a student it could have caused a great deal of ethical trouble for her. While that was sort of addressed but sort of left open, it kind of left a question there, but since it’s not really relevant to the romance or the mystery/suspense resolution, I guess it doesn’t matter. Just me being nosy. LOL

Josh's brother Mac from "In the Blink of an Eye" (the 3rd book of the series) makes a cameo appearance in this book as does his brother Gideon, the arson investigator from book 5 in the series "Kansas City's Bravest". When I read this book the first time, I read it in before Mac's story so I didn't really care about the references to his returning to work but I liked the inclusion of the two brothers in this book. Wasn't too much to make you think "Who are these guys?" but enough to make you want to read their books.

I recently learned that Harlequin Intrigue has re-released these in Kindle format through Amazon. The Rookie’s link is here. I highly recommend the Taylor Clan series for anyone that likes romance with a touch of suspense. Julie Miller does it well.




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Recap: Dancing with the Stars – Season 14: The 1st Results Show

After two weeks of dancing, we learn now who will be the first to get the axe.  Following an energetic opening dance by the pros and the troupe, the lowest scoring women and their partners are brought up to learn their fate. Melissa and Maks, Gladys and Tristan, and Martina and Tony.

The first to be revealed as safe was Melissa and Maks followed by Gladys and Tristan. Martina and Tony are revealed to be in jeopardy tonight. Martina responded with an amused “Really?”

Next up, Sugarland joined Matt Nathanson on stage to sing “Run”, with a sexy dancing assist from Tristan and Peta.

Brooke gets to interview the highest scoring men who are all having a good time. Jaleel’s little 2 year old daughter appeared to have agreed with the judges on his week 2 dance by taking one look at the replay, saying “Dora” and walking out of the room. LOL. Now it’s time for Jaleel, William, and Roshon to have the opportunity under spotlights to learn their fate.    

Jaleel and Kym are the first of the male stars to be revealed as safe while Roshon and Chelsie are in jeopardy. The audience didn’t like that and responded with a lot of boos. Happy to avoid a riot, Tom announces that William and Cheryl are also safe.

The new troupe including some old and some new members take the floor. Oksana, Kiki, Sharna and Sasha are joined by new dancers Emma and Henry. Some really good talent here and it looks like we might have some potential future pros. Nice.

Tom announces Dancing with the Stars Live in Las Vegas opens April 14^th at the Tropicana Joey Fatone, Sabrina Bryan, Kyle Massey, and Carson Kressley. Lacey Schwimmer will be among the pros.

The highest scoring ladies interview in the skybox with Brooke. Katherine is compared to Kristi Yamagochi who also started out this well and went on to win with Mark. Then Maria is revealed to have had broken ribs and not just strained while Sherri confesses she’ll need a restraining order to keep her away from the dance floor. Under the spotlights while the ladies hold hands across the stage it is revealed that all three are safe and coming back next week.

Before we find out the fate of the remaining dancers, Sugerland returns to the stage with their latest single. Sasha with Sharna, Oksana, and newbie Emma provide the dance accompaniment. Sugarland will be appearing on the new ABC show Duets with Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie and Robin Thicke. .

The last three to learn their fate are Jack and Anna, Donald and Peta, and Gavin and Karina. The next couple coming back is Donald and Peta while Gavin and Karina join Roshon and Chelsie and Martina and Tony in jeopardy. Jack and Anna are also safe.

With Roshon and Chelsie announced as safe, Gavin and Karina along with Martina and Tony are revealed as the bottom two after the votes were combined with the judges’ scores. Martina is hoping for another week while Gavin wants to improve “about 5 points out of ten”.

Unfortunately for her, Martina and Tony have the lowest score and eliminated tonight. Gavin hugged her and admitted to being a big fan and honored to be on the show with her. I think many agree but with the level of dancing on this season’s show, Martina just didn’t have a chance.

What did you think? Did the right person go home?

What do you think about Gavin being in the bottom two as well? Did he deserve it or should someone else be there instead?

Leave your comments below.

TV Review: Season 14 "Dancing with the Stars" Week 2

Another great week of dancing on DWTS. The scores spread out a little bit more than the six points we had last week but there are still some pretty clear top, middle, and bottom of the pack contenders. How did your favorite do?

1. Roshon and Chelsie – Quickstep

In describing this dance, Tom Bergeron took the words out of my mouth. “Very high energy.” Don’t know about the judges but that’s what I’m looking for in the quickstep and that energy has to last throughout the dance. I think Roshon did that well tonight. It was very enjoyable and surprised me a lot. He transformed his hip-hop background very well into this sophisticated dance. Score 26 Total 49/60

2. Sherri and Val – Jive

Fun. Energetic. Wish I had that much oomph in my caboose. The flicks and kicks I normally see in that were lacking. Totally missed the pulling between his legs but I loved that she just kept going. Made me wonder if it was on purpose or not. Enjoyed it. Score 23 Total 46/60

3. Melissa and Maks – Quickstep

Maks makes them cry no matter what he does. If he’s strict, they cry. If he praises them, they cry. The boy just can’t win. Over all, there were some fumbles but the complexity of the dance deserved higher than 6s and 7s. They at least did everything in their dance do it sort of irks me they got low scores. Part of it makes me wonder if they are holding Maks to a higher standand for teaching since he does it all year long. Do they expect him to be able to teach a student better in the same amount of time as the others? Makes you wonder. Overall, I think Melissa did a great job and kept in hold. I do wish she smile or something. Show us she’s having fun, even if “the Quickstep is harder than giving birth.” LOL Score 20 Total 40/60

4. Jack and Anna – Jive

I really liked their pass-through, very unique going from front to back. It had good content and for the most part seemed energetic. There was parts where Jack looked like he couldn’t wait until it was over, not that I blame him. The Jive is a MONSTER! Technically it had some difficulties but I think that will become better with the more confidence he gets. Score 21 Total 44/60

5. Gladys and Tristan – Quickstep

NICE! The music a little slower than expected for a quickstep but don’t want the woman to have a heart attack. Her frame wasn’t as formal as it should be and she sagged a lot towards Tristan. Overall, it was entertaining and the five was not called for. I’ve seen worse performances in previous years get higher scores. Not cool, Len! Score 19 Total 42/60

6. Katherine and Mark – Jive

I love that a big star like Katherine could still get so embarrassed by the suggestion to “shake her naughty bits”. Mark is one choreographer good at getting the shaking going on the dance floor, though parts were a little over the top. Katherine has some amazing legs and did the flicks and kicks like a pro. I worried last week that she might not be able to keep up with the sexy dances but she’s proving me wrong. WTG! Score 26 Total 52/60

7. Jaleel and Kym – Jive

Great energy in this but the precision wasn’t there. I was really disappointed in the kicks but overall it was enjoyable. Jaleel showed a lot of ability last week but this week was just so-so. He sort of fell into the middle of the pack this week and I’ve seen many in the middle fall due to lack of votes. I don’t think he has much to worry about though. I’m really hoping he redeems himself next week. Score 22 Total 48/60

8. Maria and Derek – Quickstep

Better than last week, but I’m still not sure if she’s going to make it for the long run. She maintained a great frame throughout, good hold/body contact when needed, though it did look like a lift in that front corner. Guess the lift police wasn’t paying attention. Overall it was good job and I think Derek has enough votes to keep her in next week regardless. Score 25 Total 46/60

9. Martina and Tony – Jive

I loved, loved, loved the inclusion of the judges in the beginning and end of the dance. It’s always cute to see their expressions (and I’m sure it doesn’t hurt to distract them a little from the actual dance). Martina still seems very hesitant on the dance floor and with the caliber of celebrities this year, I’m not sure if she’s going to have time to get that confidence. Hopefully, she’ll be able to pull it off, but I think she’s going to be one in jeopardy tonight. Score 17 Total 37/60

10. Donald and Peta - Quickstep

This guy is adorable and totally rocks since he got Len to admit to under-marking him. WTG Donald!!! He has great moves on the dance floor and lots of stamina. Another lift the lift police didn’t catch but you gotta give them (as well as Maria and Derek) for risking it. While Donald has middle of the pack scores, I think he’s going to do well and move into the top soon. Score 24 Total 45/60

11. Gavin and Karina – Jive

The kicks and flicks were not as sharp as they needed to be tonight for great scores but still better than last week. Gavin needs to learn some confidence in himself so that his charisma shines through in the dance. He still seems too much in his head while he’s dancing. He’s a musician. The musicality should flow through him like a Jedi but so far, it doesn’t play well on the screen. Score 21 Total 41/60

12. William and Cheryl - Quickstep

William has awesome sex appeal which is evident by all the screaming when he took the floor. Unfortunately the Quickstep requires a little more than just sex appeal. His frame was weak towards the end and he needs to learn to pull his butt under when he dances. Technique is very specific in this dance and the points should have reflected this. However, I feel that only Len’s did. He did have good connection with Cheryl though the dance was over scored. Score 25 Total 49/60

So who do you think will get the boot tonight? Who is going to make it to the finals? And who has the potential to take home the coveted Mirror Ball? Leave your comments below and check back tomorrow for a recap of tonight's elimination.

TV Review: Season 14 "Dancing with the Stars" premiere

I know I'm kind of late but due to my work schedule this week I wasn't able to watch the whole show until last night. I'm also not a dancer so all comments are based on my opinion only regarding entertainment value.

1. Maria Menounos & Derek Hough

I didn't see the first season and there were some shows in the seasons I didn't watch, but this is the first time I can remember Derek and his partner ever going first. I've heard at other fan sites and forums through the years that Derek is considered sort of the 'golden child' of DWTS so it made me wonder if perhaps he's fallen from grace. Or maybe the show execs are doing what they can this year to show he's not all that favored. Who knows but it was quite interesting.

Anyway, the dance wasn't bad for a first dance of the season. Not anything to write home about but not awful. Maria sort of had a deer-in-the-headlights plastic look on her face throughout but that could be attributed to nerves. She was first after all and from what I understand, she has like zero dance experience. If she loosens up and looks like she's enjoying herself, she just might become a contender. Score: 21

2. Jack Wagner & Anna Trebunskaya

I’ve always loved the 'redheaded Russian' and her choreography and tonight was no different. For anyone else, the cheesy intro might have made me turn the channel (or in this case fast forward) but she makes it work with the rest of the dance. She really showed how Jack could take the dance and have fun with it. It was light and airy. Jack did a wonderful job and Anna complimented his strengths well. Still he seemed hesitant at times but for a first week dance, it was pretty good. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do next week. Score: 23

3. Donald Drive & Peta Murgatroyd

Last year, Peta was off first and if this dance is any indication, she shouldn’t be first this time. Donald is pretty well-known in the ‘Cheesehead’ community so he should garner some fan votes and he’s got some moves too. With as big as he is, I’m not really sure how he’s going to manage the elegant formal ballroom styles but he can definitely get ‘funky’. The first boos of the season were heard when his scores were revealed and, entertainment-wise, I felt it better than Maria and Derek’s so I have to agree. Score: 21

4. Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff

I’m going to admit when he was first announced as a contestant this year I had no idea who he was. But after Googling him I realized I’d heard his songs on several TV shows I watch and really liked them. Just never paid attention before who performed them. Sad, isn’t it? Anyway, Gavin made me think of Joey Fatone when he danced. He’s fun and entertaining, even playfully dished some back to the judges during the comments. He needs to work on making some of the moves sharper if he plans on making it to the end like Joey but he’s got potential. Score: 20

5. Roshon Fagon & Chelsie Hightower

This was another one I had to Google, but unlike Gavin, I still had no idea who he was after I did. His hip-hop style was a little what I expected from Romeo in Season 12. Chelsie really did well capitalizing on those skills and allowing Roshon to take the spotlight on night one, something not normally done in my opinion. But that ‘flash’ isn’t going to work for every dance but I do hope he at least makes it to the freestyle dances. I can only imagine how awesome Chelsie would be able to choreography that with Roshon’s skills. Score: 23

6. Sherri Shepherd & Val Chmerkovskiy

I love Sherri but who wasn’t jealous when Val told her to squeeze his rear? WOW! As Sherri put it, “There is a god!” LOL. Overall, Sherri really looked like she was enjoying herself in the dance. Though the score seems to indicate she did fairly well, I can’t say how she did technically. I was too caught up in how much fun she seemed to be having. I hope she stays around for a while. Score: 23

7. Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Like many others of my generation, I grew up watching Half Pint, I mean, Melissa Gilbert on TV. When I heard she was going to be on DWTS and paired with Maks, I knew I’d be watching this season. Unfortunately I wasn’t blown away. The choreography was extremely difficult, especially for week 1, but I don’t know if that’s what bothered me. I tend to expect more fun and flirty dancing in the first week to help us get to know them but they seemed so serious. Then again, it could have been that outfit distracting me. Whoa! In the past, the pro dancer has had input on the costumes and if that’s still the case, I don’t’ know what Maks was thinking. Hopefully next week will be better or she could find herself in jeopardy soon. Score: 20

8. William Levy & Cheryl Burke

William was the third star I had to look up this year but considering it was only three of twelve that I didn’t know this year compared to three of twelve I did know, that’s not too bad. Anyway, Googling him (especially the pictures) made me want to know him. HOT! HOT! HOT! I love that Cheryl seems just as taken with the guy as the rest of us. The dancing didn’t seem much more than a bunch of hip gyrations, but since the Latin dance involve that ‘skill’ and the ladies like it, I guess it’s not so bad. I do expect him to go far as long as he doesn’t get tripped up on the more serious ballroom styles but we’ll see. Great scores! . Score: 24

9. Martina Navratilova & Tony Dovolani

Did anyone besides me have flashbacks of Kate Gosselin when they saw Martina in that dress? Not the dancing. Just the image. *shakes head* Not good. Did they recycle that thing from Kate’s season? Fortunately, Martina did better on the dance and wasn’t as stiff but you could still tell she was totally out of her element. I guess you need to give her credit considering she’s spent nearly all her life involved in a tough, physically demanding sports career. Like Laila Ali, it’s got to be hard making the transition. For now, she just seems very timid. I’m hoping she comes out next week or she could be at the bottom. Score: 20

10. Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas

I love, love, love this woman’s voice and really can’t wait to see her doing a waltz or a tango after that foxtrot. Her classical training and musicality should give her the grace, elegance and yes even passion to knock those styles out of the park, er, ballroom. I hope Mark can get her to loosen up a little more and have some fun on the floor. She seemed so polished and professional throughout the whole dance I totally expect her to belt out an aria or something any moment. Definitely one to watch though. Score: 26

11. Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus

The Pips really should have let Ms. Knight take a turn on the stage. She’s got rhythm. She’s got class. And like Bruno said, she’s “a star, a real one.” Not at all what I expected for a woman her age (or even half her age). Very impressive. My only concern is her stamina for the quicker songs like the jive and quickstep, because after all she is nearly 68. Hopefully, she’ll be able to keep up because I’d really like to see her stick around for a while. Score: 23

12. Jaleel White & Kym Johnson

Urkel can dance!!! LOL! I don’t know if Jaleel has any past dance training or experience but the comparison to Gregory Hines in the movie White Nights was right on the mark. That spin/leap at the beginning of the dance was very reminiscent of the one in the movie. And it totally rocked!!! He’s coming out of the gates strong and if he can continue to channel a bit of Stefan, especially for the ballroom dances, he might just have this one locked up. Really can’t wait to see him dance next week! Score: 26


I hope you enjoyed this season’s premiere as much as I did. They really picked a great, talented cast. Who were your favorites? Who do you think might go home first?

See you next Tuesday before the elimination show and then again on Wednesday when we’ll talk about who got voted off. Until then, keep dancing!