Archives for September 2013

Declan’s Cross by Carla Neggers

September 13, 2013 By 1 Comment

CROSS
Declan’s Cross by Carla Neggers
Publisher: Harlequin / Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (314 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

An escape to an idyllic Irish seaside village is about to turn deadly in this riveting new novel by master of romantic suspense Carla Neggers.

For marine biologist Julianne Maroney, two weeks in tiny Declan’s Cross on the south Irish coast is a chance to heal her broken heart. She doesn’t expect to attract the attention of FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan—especially since a Donovan is the reason for her broken heart.

Emma and Colin are in Ireland for their own personal retreat. Colin knows he’s a reminder of everything Julianne wants to escape, but something about her trip raises his suspicion. Emma, an art crimes expert, is also on edge. Of all the Irish villages Julianne could choose…why Declan’s Cross?

Ten years ago, a thief slipped into a mansion in Declan’s Cross. Emma’s grandfather, a renowned art detective, investigated, but the art stolen that night has never been recovered and the elusive thief never caught.

From the moment Julianne sets foot on Irish soil, everything goes wrong. The well-connected American diver who invited her to Ireland has disappeared. And now Emma and Colin are in Declan’s Cross asking questions.

As a dark conspiracy unfolds amid the breathtaking scenery of Declan’s Cross, the race is on to stop a ruthless killer…and the stakes have never been more personal for Emma and Colin.

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FBI special agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are in Ireland for R&R. Their relationship is an undercurrent that bubbles up often to keep the reader wondering how two people with so many secrets can ever make a love match even though sexual attraction and a unique love connection draws them to each other.

Author Carla Neggers lures the reader into the Irish community, making one feel, see, smell, taste, and hear the things the characters are experiencing. The beautiful green landscape and breathtaking rainbows, the cold rain and gusty winds, the warm fire in open fireplaces and in the whiskey are woven into the suspense to keep the reader firmly on the emerald green island and near the sea that roars and crashes against the rocks. It seems the setting that ranges from harsh to beautiful parallels the action.

Julianne Maroney, a friend of the agents, comes to Declan’s Cross to help her new friend Lindsey Hargreaves set up a marine science research facility while she tries to recover from being “dumped” by the love of her life Andy Donovan, Colin’s brother. She, Emma and Colin become involved in a police case when her friend Lindsey goes missing. The suspense, mystery, danger, tidbits of information, and the clues form a web with filaments that reach all the way back to Heron’s Cove and Rock Point, Maine.

The only-once-seen Lindsey Hargreaves is a driving force throughout the story as is the never-once-seen art thief that has plagued the Sharpe family for over a decade. Other characters that appear in HERON’S COVE and SAINT’S GATE are woven into Declan’s Cross at just the right times and places. Even if the reader has not read these two previous books of this series, the characters fit in with ease as vivid and life-like as one can imagine. Their unique personalities and their contributions to the rising action add to the spine-tingling suspense, the subtle humor, and the strong undercurrent of love that has a firm grip on more than one couple in the story.

Sean Murphy and his Uncle Paddy add a touch of mystery as well as a peek into their uniquely Irish characteristics that make them memorable. Kitty Doyle and her son Philip add another touch of Irish. They very much live in the present yet call up much of a hurtful past. Emma’s grandfather Wendell Sharpe and her brother Lucas of the Sharpe’s Art Recovery do their share to add to the ever present thread in the story about the uncaught art thief that thwarts the Sharpes. He or she just might be involved in the case at Declan’s Cross.

Declan’s Cross, though replete with suspense, mystery, and danger, is a love story, actually more than one love story. Ms. Neggers takes strong, diverse personalities and conflicts galore, and weaves them together with amazing skill to create bonds of love that are tested and tried to the limit and found to be steady, true, and forever.

The unique flavor of Carla Negger’s stories is one to be savored. I would invite you to enjoy them all. Declan’s Cross is one of the best of them.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Ghastly Dandies Do the Classics by Ben Gibson

September 13, 2013 By 1 Comment

DANDIES
The Ghastly Dandies Do the Classics by Ben Gibson
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: Preschool, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, picture book
Length: Short Story (64 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rated: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Poppy

They’re dapper. They’re monstrous. They’re erudite. They’re the Ghastly Dandies, a breed of beast that happen to be as well-versed in classics as they are well-dressed in knickers and neckties!

These ghastlies are guaranteed to delight readers of all ages with their clever renditions of Moby Dick, Hamlet, The Odyssey, Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes, and more.

These classic, illustrated tales told by monsters are sure to make your own little “ghastly” giggle. It’s the kind of book you’ll want to read to your kids, read again with your friends, and show off on your coffee table when you’re done.

Don’t miss the first compendium of adult classics ever to be told by monsters!

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The author tackles seven different classics in only a few pages, and I think that’s the only fault I found with this book. I wish he’d done fewer books in order to spend just a bit more time with each. I’m familiar with all the stories he features, and he just barely touches on the themes behind them. I realize preschoolers don’t have long attention spans, but I do believe the author’s talent with words and humor would have made things work.

There are some large words that parents will need to explain (even just in the blurb … erudite isn’t something you see in many preschool books), but I like that the author challenges the kids.

Things that made me laugh? When one of the dandies takes a bite out of Moby Dick and exclaims, “EW! Gross! Slimy whale blubber!” and then goes on to suggest they head home because rhubarb pie tastes better than revenge.

Some of the stories worked for me, like “Moby Dick”, but others were so briefly touched upon that they made little sense (“Hamlet” and “Pride and Prejudice” were two of the weakest).

Still, I completely enjoyed the pictures and the fun. I think preschoolers will take everything at face value and will, at least, know there are books with those names. It’s a decent intro and hopefully will intrigue enough that these new readers will seek out the actual stories when they’re older.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

What Child Is This? by Victor J. Banis

September 13, 2013 By 1 Comment

CHILD
What Child Is This? by Victor J. Banis
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (6 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What had happened to her own daughter? Where had this child come from, the mother wondered. Who was she? Why did she sit for hours staring at her baby brother, contemplating…who knew what?

It was enough to drive you mad…especially, if you had a history of madness. But the doctors had assured her that was all behind her, a thing of the past…

Wasn’t it?

Every parent worries about their children, but some concerns are much scarier than others.
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The narrator of this piece has spent years anxiously attempting to predict the future. Her racing thoughts keep reverting to the same horrifying conclusion, but she’s having a difficult time getting anyone to listen to her. Occasionally doctors and well-meaning family members treat certain adult patients as if they are children, and the narrator’s reaction to this new dynamic in her closest relationships was quite similar to how I’ve seen other people in the same situation react in real life. Her reaction to the paternalistic treatment of her emotional state fleshes out this character’s personality and made it easier for me to like her when she makes certain choices.

While I completely understand that short stories generally don’t include a great deal of background information, I would have had an easier time understanding the ending if the narrator’s troubled past had been explained in greater detail. Everything was wrapped up so quickly and with only one or two hints about the truth that it took me a few rereads to realize what was actually happening to the narrator and her children.

Even with my confusion about the ending I was eager to figure out the narrator’s jumbled point of view. Mr. Banis creates an extraordinarily creepy atmosphere in what should have been ordinary scenes from the daily life of a young family. Sometimes the most frightening things in the world are also the most familiar ones.

What Child Is This? sent a shudder down my spine. This is a good choices for readers who prefer horror that is suspenseful instead of gory.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Secret Desire by Susan D. Taylor

September 13, 2013 By 2 Comments

DESIRE
Secret Desire by Susan D. Taylor
Publisher: Etopia Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (141 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Gardenia

The problem with twins is that they look so much alike…

By day, Claire Robertson is a staff writer for a small publication in Seattle. But when the lights go down, she writes sizzling and oh-so-naughty erotica. She keeps these stories safely tucked away, hiding her secret fantasies of her hero, Dustin Murray. The man who stole her heart six years ago before becoming involved with her sister, Fran.

Dustin never forgot Claire or the extent that he hurt her. Nor has he forgotten that her sister’s threats have kept him silent for six years and cost him the woman he loved. Now that Claire’s returned home, Dustin isn’t about to lose her again. But it’ll be another thing to convince Claire he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to win her back.

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Sibling rivalry at its worst can be more than cause to break the heart. When your twin sister goes after your boyfriend and takes him as her own, you would say that would be unforgivable.

Claire has lived all these years under Fran’s shadow. She has survived so far by staying as far away as possible from her sister. Claire lives in Seattle and Fran in New York. Personality wise, they could not be more different. Regardless, they are both identical twins and that can definitely dampen individualism between the sisters.

Now that their parents have died in a car accident, it is up to the sisters to sort out the estate. They must go back home and face not only the loss of their parents, but all the buried emotions they have both dreaded to face.

I found Dustin (the boyfriend from high school) endearing and adorable. He is a successful businessman now and has finally grown to realize the missed opportunity for a life-long love with Claire. What ensues is a battle of wills to clear the past, claim his love and secure his future happiness.

The beginning of the book, I found a little confusing. After reading the first few chapters, I was able to figure out what was going on. From that point on, the story developed nicely. It has a happily ever after and that is a fitting end for our lovers.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Ruthless by Debra Webb

September 13, 2013 By 2 Comments

RUTHLESS
Ruthless by Debra Webb
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (310 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

He has a ruthless past . . .

Three photos of three unknown women. Sent to Deputy Chief Jess Harris by the Player, one of the world’s most sadistic killers. The Player is taunting her, and Jess is more than ready to take on his challenge. Only one thing could distract her from the Player’s deadly game: the appearance of a clue to long-unsolved cases. For years Birmingham’s children were vanishing-one per year, always on a full moon-until the disappearances stopped and the Man in the Moon case went cold. No leads on the children were ever found-until now.

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A package with pictures of unidentified women arrives bearing Jess’ name, sending all of Birmingham PD on a chase to discover who they are – and just which one The Player has taken for his own game. As if that isn’t enough, a killer long believed to be dormant has started to kill again. Will Jess be able to keep herself safe from the serial killer out to get his hands on her and solve the case of the Man in the Moon at the same time? Only time will tell. But one thing is for certain, Jess Harris had better watch out because The Player has returned and is up to no good!

I’ve mentioned this before but I have a bit of a twisted love for Eric Spears. Yes, he’s the bad guy and yes, he does an awful lot of gory evil. And yet, there’s just something that draws me to him. It might be the way he’s so playful with Jess while he taunts her or it might just be me waiting for him to make that one mistake that gets him caught. Either way, it shows exactly how talented a writer the author is. After all, she did just make me fall a little in love with a sadistic SOB, didn’t she?

This is the book I’ve been waiting for however, and not just because of the return of The Player, Eric Spears. In this sixth installment of the Faces of Evil series, Jess and Dan finally manage to find some common ground on her safety and her independence. The couple makes some real progress in their relationship here and neither really has to give up much of themselves to do so. It gives me great hope for the next novel.

Ruthless gives us the return of Eric Spears as well as another double layered story keeping us on the edge of our seats. I don’t know how the author manages to pile more suspense and tension into each novel, but I love that she’s able to do so. I’m not sure if another series has ever captured me like this one has, they have become an addiction that I’m more than happy to feed and feed often.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Shadows by Robin McKinley

September 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

SHADOWS
Shadows by Robin McKinley
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (368 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rated: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

Maggie knows something’s off about Val, her mom’s new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won’t have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But—more importantly—what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie’s great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago.

Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He’s from Oldworld too—and he’s heard of Maggie’s stepfather, and has a guess about Val’s shadows. Maggie doesn’t want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage.

In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie’s discovering the world will need both to survive.

Robin McKinley’s new book Shadows is classed as fantasy, yet is a world apart from anything else in the genre.

Fans of McKinley will recognize the key elements of her works in Shadows, a writing quality that immerses readers in the place and thoroughly into the mind of the main character. Another McKinly trait is that faint ‘fairytale’ influence; Both the sense of whimsy in that comes through in so many fairy tales, as well as the oft-grim underpinnings that are so often the dark side of fairytales.
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We are at once plunged into the world and life of a teen girl, in a town that is not-quite the norm. It’s not a magical world, but only because magic has been banned.

However, Maggie’s problems are typical enough: she doesn’t care for her step father. She has a strong memory of her love for her own father, so we can understand that she might not take to Val right off. Then there there are the less typical problems, like the fact that his shadow doesn’t seem to fit him very well…and in fact, sometimes appears to be doing its own thing entirely. It’s creepy, there’s no getting around it. And, the primary dangers within the community (cobeys) seem to be occurring closer and closer these days, for no good reason. Although there are official precautions one can take to remain safe, Maggie suspects these are not always effective. She doesn’t quite believe in ‘the authorities.”

She’s got the typical issue of really being attracted to such a nice looking guy, while wondering what that really means in terms of her long-time best friend, who happens to be male. He is also a bit more than simply human, but she doesn’t realize that for ages, and it’s hardly his fault, anyway.

Charm always infuses McKinley’s works, and Shadows is no slouch in that department. From Maggie’s careful training of her dog, to her desire to learn origami, we come to sympathize with this young girl who so strives, in her ‘just me’ kind of way, to make her community – school and family, a better place. She is a kind person, and that will make all the difference.

In Shadows we share Maggie’s personal growth and recognition of self – as well as that sense of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ that we, too, perhaps learned from fairy tales.

As always the writing quality and character development are simply extraordinary. Shadows is a must-read for any McKinley fan…and if you are new to the world of fantasy, only McKinley’s own Damar books might be a better place to start.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

The Christmas He Loved Her by Juliana Stone

September 12, 2013 By 2 Comments

HER
The Christmas He Loved Her by Juliana Stone
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Full Length (321 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed Camellia

His best gift this holiday is her.

In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire. For Jake Edwards, it shouldn’t be a time to give in to the feelings he’s always had for Raine–especially since she’s his brother’s widow.

No one annoys Raine quite like her brother-in-law does. But when Jake brings home a tall blond thing from the city who’s bad news, Raine needs to stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life. Does Raine want this woman to leave Crystal Lake because she’s all wrong for Jake? Or is it because she wants him for herself…?

Want, need, desire, pain, guilt, and soul-wounding grief make The Christmas He Loved Her an emotional, heart-engaging experience.

Raine, a widow swamped with depression, feels abandoned even with the loving care of her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Marnie and Steven Edwards. At first I was impatient with her for not facing reality and getting on with her life; but, as the story unfolds, I feel heartbroken for all she’s lost—so much more than just her husband. Her strength to hold on and hope for a better time had me cheering for her. I wanted to explain a few home truths to Jake, her deceased husband’s twin and her life-long buddy that she’d always been so close to. Adding to Raine’s misery is her mother with her ‘too-much-too-late’ efforts to do the mother thing. As Raine’s back story unfolds and she struggles mightily to find her balance and live again, the story enthralls.

As an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, Jake Edwards saw horrors that haunt his nights and bedevil his days. He saw how his twin Jesse died, how Blake St. Claire, a friend and fellow Ranger was mortally wounded along with so many others. Jake is plagued with survivor’s guilt. His PSTD drives him to his limit. Also, another time, a time with Raine when they were both devastated with grief at Jesse’s death keeps his emotions in an uproar. “Doing the right thing”, at least to his way of thinking, has cost him immeasurably for a year and a half as he absented himself from family and old friends. He returns home still broken, angry, and overwhelmed with life in general. He knows settings things right with Raine is a MUST—but finding the courage and emotional strength to do it has him on edge. He has no idea just how much damage he has done.
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Lily, Blake St. Claire’s sister, is a unique character that the author brings to life vividly. Even though Lily is super rich, looks it, and like to stirs things up, she is steadfast in her care for her dying brother while the rest of her elite family are too busy to be bothered. She and Jake form an unusual relationship. She becomes a catalyst for a lot of the pivotal action.

To me, Marie Stevens, Jake’s mother is the most enduring, steady, ‘keep-on-keeping-on’ character in the unfolding of the plot. She has a strength that helps her as her husband recovers from cancer, as she deals with the death of one son and the absence of another, and all the times tries to help Raine cope with her grief.

On a just-plain-fun note, Gibson, Raine’s puppy, is a sweetheart, Juliana Stone reveals him in such a way one can almost feel his warm, squirmy little body and hear his happy little barks in his exuberance for life.

The Christmas He Loved Her is a “A Bad Boys of Crystal Lake” novel. If you’ve read previous books of this series, you’ll probably remember MacKenzie, the rich boy with an abusive past, and Cain Black, the singer who married Maggie. These two are forever friends to Jake and to Raine and set things up for some significant events.

If an action or a place can be considered a character then hard, backbreaking labor and Wyndham Place certainly qualify. They have a strong influence on Both Jake and Raine as they strive for ‘normal’, albeit a new normal. Both of these things help then two broken-hearted characters find their way back to a solid footing so they can live again.

Juliana Stone writes love scenes that sizzle, heat the blood, and send the heart racing while revealing the truest, most heart-felt love one can imagine as she gives the reader a special vicarious experience with Jake and Raine in The Christmas He Loved Her.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Unthinkable by Nancy Werlin

September 12, 2013 By 1 Comment

THINK
Unthinkable by Nancy Werlin
Publisher: Dial Books (an imprint of Penguin Group, USA)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA
Length: Full Length (393 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Thistledown

Fenella was the first Scarborough girl to be cursed, hundreds of years ago, and she has been trapped in the faerie realm ever since, forced to watch generations of daughters try to break this same faerie curse that has enslaved them all. But now Fenella’s descendant, Lucy, has accomplished the impossible and broken the curse, so why is Fenella still trapped in Faerie?

In her desperation, Fenella makes a deal with the faerie queen: If she can accomplish three acts of destruction, she will be free, at last, to die. What she doesn’t realize is that these acts must be aimed at her own family and if she fails, the consequences will be dire, for all of the Scarborough girls.

How can she possibly choose to hurt her own cherished family not to mention the new man whom she’s surprised to find herself falling in love with? But if she doesn’t go through with the tasks, how will she manage to save her dear ones?

When all you ever wanted is a normal life with your family, what would you be willing to do to get it? What if you just wanted it all to end?
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Fenella was cursed. There was no way around it. She was taken into Faerie and has lived there for hundreds of years as a captive to the “Mud creature” Padraig. Essentially a slave, she demands her right to die and her freedom from the Faerie Queen. One thing about faeries…nothing comes without a price and that is one thing Fenella should have learned. When she is told that to die she must perform three acts of destruction, she agrees blindly. Not until it is too late is she informed that the very lives she sought to protect will be the ones in jeopardy. If she performs the tasks, she will be free to die. If she does not, she returns to Padraig, a slave once again. The Faery Queen councils her to live out her life and forget about her need to die but Fenella is set on her path, and it very well might cost her more than she ever thought possible.

This book is a continuation of Impossible. Coming into it not having read the first book, I was a bit lost at first. Who were these strange tree creatures and why was this odd girl trying to kill herself and not doing a very good job at it either? As I read, I realized that it was completely readable without the backstory and settled in for a ride through faery trickery and betrayals. I was not disappointed in that regard. Full of twists and turns I found myself wondering at the theme of destruction that permeated the book. There is an element of romance that got a little close to the scorching edge of what constitutes normal in young adult these days.

One of the hardest things for me about this book was the main character. Fairy tales, I love. Fenella I really did not like. Her reactions were a bit off for someone who had been alive for four hundred years or so. If the character is going to be a teen, then great. If they are mentally four hundred than you expect a level of maturity (or at least I did) that was not there. Some of the choices she made in the series of trials were questionable and that kind of soured my feeling about the book in general. My suspension of disbelief was not working in this particular case.

While I love a great faery story and appreciate the overall quest for the impossible that this book had going for it, when you can’t identify with the main character it makes the book a tough read. I wanted to like this girl who stood up to the Faery Queen and her captor but I just could not connect with her. The opening message with the goal being to kill one’s self as the goal of the story was a little off, too. The imagery and the author’s style of writing were thought-provoking, as was Ryland and his snarky cat comments. How interesting that destruction was used as a theme in this book, but in the end there were some good things that rose up from the ashes if you will.

Overall, if you enjoy a story about insurmountable odds and the things you are willing to do to set yourself free than this book may be for you.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Guilty as Sin by Jami Alden

September 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

SIN
Guilty as Sin by Jami Alden
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (430 pgs)
Heat: Hot
Rated: 4 Stars
Review by Poppy

For over a decade, a killer has been waiting, silent as death and . . .
GUILTY AS SIN

Fourteen years ago, Kate Beckett was a teenager more interested in summer romance than babysitting. Then the unthinkable happened: her younger brother was kidnapped and murdered on her watch. Now she is an advocate for missing children, and her newest case brings her back to the small town where she lost her brother-and where she left behind the first boy she ever loved.

Tommy Ibarra’s world fell apart after Kate broke his heart, and he’s spent his adult life making sure that he’ll never be vulnerable again. When a teenage girl vanishes, he offers his expertise as a high tech security expert to help find her. Although he’s determined to keep his distance from Kate, it isn’t long before he’s falling under her spell all over again.

Man is the best creature that has countless cialis on line abilities and can switch and adapt new innovations easily. Chocolates- We cannot skip talking about the chocolates that contains added amount of feel ingredients that improve feel good chemical in the brain and help nitric levitra 10 mg oxide to be flown in plentiful amount. Until you would have the knowledge about sexual dysfunctions, the therapist allows on line viagra downtownsault.org couple an easy way to tell your health is headed in the wrongdirection. The spa has also offered various offers to the customers. viagra france As they race against the clock, their investigation leads to a brutal killer with a shocking connection to Kate’s tragic past. And this time, the killer has Kate firmly in his sights.

This was one smoking hot suspense. I’ve seen it called “erotic romance” in a few places, but I wouldn’t go that far. Yes, there was sex and a whole lot of it, described in great detail, but it’s pretty vanilla and doesn’t stray into the territories the majority of erotic romance does these days.

Now let’s talk plot… first off, the beginning of this book which takes place fourteen years prior to the rest about broke my heart. The heroine’s father is a complete jerk and even up to the end of this book, I struggled to forgive him. He went out of his way to tear down his daughter and fill her with guilt, and also to destroy our hero before he was old enough to defend himself.

I had some issues with Tommy’s hatred of Kate — as if it were somehow her fault that her father was a creep. Yes, she didn’t defend Tommy when they were teens, but they were both very young and traumatized. I loved, LOVED, Tommy’s mother. What an amazing lady.

Ms. Alden really created some solid characters that I came to care about. Her writing is polished and flows nicely as well. The plot was good, though I wasn’t honestly surprised at the villain, it was still interesting to read through and follow our protagonists as they followed clues to rescue the kidnapped girl.

I admit that sometimes Kate and Tommy’s sex scenes seemed a bit out of place, almost as if they were able to forget there was a girl out there being held against her will and just give into their screaming hormones. I wish, too, that there had been just a little more tension and build up to the actual deed. Still, for folks who crave heat in their books, this one will certainly fit the bill.

This was my first foray into a story by Jami Alden. I was impressed by her skill, her creative ability and her fantastically real characters. Although the sex was a bit overwhelming at times, I still very much enjoyed the story and will be certain to check out more books from her in the future.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Freedom’s Embrace by Kianna Alexander

September 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Freedom’s Embrace by Kianna Alexander
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Historical
Length: Short Story (103 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Jonathan is the only doctor within several days’ ride of Graham, Pennsylvania, and he’s desperate for a nurse to assist him. His salvation comes in the form of Naomi, a runaway slave who shows up ill on his doorstep. When she agrees to be his nurse in exchange for treatment, his world lights up. Unfortunately, not everyone in town approves of Jonathan’s new nurse. His mother and some of his patients express their distaste, but she’s captured Jonathan’s heart, and he’ll defend her at any cost.

When Naomi’s former master rides into town, Jonathan discovers just how far he’ll go to keep the woman he loves from being torn from his arms, and from freedom’s embrace.

This moving novel travels back to Pennsylvania the year 1849 to a young scared run away slave girl named Naomi Weathers and successful, available town doctor, Jonathan Doyle. Both are looking for freedom and both find much, much more.

This is a charming novel that I really enjoyed reading. The characters were warm and memorable.  Considering the events surrounding this time in history, I realize the story could have been so much more devastating, but I appreciate the author giving such a sensitive subject a happy flow and even happier ending. I was so wrapped up in the love between Naomi and Jonathan that my heart couldn’t have handled an unhappy ending for them.
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The entire novel from the time that Jonathan laid eyes on Naomi in distress, I fell in love with them and wanted the two to find happiness with each other. Naomi is a runaway slave who took a great risk to find freedom. Sick with fever she didn’t plan to stay in Graham, Pennsylvania but agreed to assist Dr. Jonathan Doyle as his nurse as repayment for treatment of her illness.

Jonathan is a bachelor that all the town’s women throw themselves at. Jonathan is not interested in any of the town’s women, nor does he appreciate his mother’s meddling ways to see him married to someone of prestige. Once Naomi stepped into his office and he saw her enchanting beauty beneath all the grime and turmoil he wanted her for much more than a nurse. As they spent time working in the office he found himself falling for Naomi, so much so he declared “This dark, beautiful flower had taken root in his soul, altering the course of his life in the process”.

I felt the love connection between Naomi and Jonathan. Jonathan is a man any women would desire. He stood up to one of his patient’s harsh verbal out lashings to Naomi and he also stood up to his mother and her display of disrespect to Naomi. He also stood up where it counted the most when Naomi’s former master came to claim her.

Freedom’s Embrace is a gripping novel that made me feel and believe that love does exist and happy endings are possible. If your heart is in need of a smile, Freedom’s Embrace is a novel that will give you a happy loving feeling.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,
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