Running Red by Jack Bates
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (129 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Rebellious teen Robin “Robbie” Willette thinks her life sucks.

Her grades aren’t the greatest. Her dad hates her “older” boyfriend. And her mom keeps Robbie on a short leash after her straight A, perfect, older sister gets pregnant and has a baby. As the tension builds in her family, Robbie runs away with her boyfriend Lane only to wind up sleeping on the sofa of her ostracized sister.

But it’s not all that bad. Robbie has a taste of independence. She’s working on getting her diploma through night school. She has a job–not a great one but it’s legit. And she’s finally beginning to figure out that her relationship with Lane is a dead end. For the first time in a long time, Robbie Willette is getting her life together.

Just as her life is improving, the world around her begins to crumble. Literally. A plague crawls over the planet, mutating humans into blood-lusting zombies that help spread a deadly fungus. It isn’t long before society collapses. In fact, in less than a year, all of society’s norms are gone. Robbie quickly finds herself separated not only from her family, but from all humanity. Hoping to reunite with her sister and niece, Robbie sets off with the most loyal companion she’s ever had: a yellow Labrador she names Yuki.

The road she travels is not easy. She must confront personal fears, untrustworthy humans, and aggressive mutants. Will Robbie fulfill her dream of finding her family, or is the world just too dangerous a place to discover what she needs most–hope?

How do you outrun an enemy that can hide inside your own body?

Running Red has the pacing of an action movie. From the very first paragraph readers are thrust into Robin’s chaotic, dangerous world. Most of the character development and exposition in this tale actually occurs in the flashbacks which made certain plot twists even more unexpected. Everyone who has survived so far is far too busy staying alive to worry about their emotional health, but I was surprised to see how much Robin matured during the year or so she lived on the run.

I never quite understood the logic behind how the disease spreads or why Yuki appears to be immune to it. While the descriptions of this invasion are terrifying the explanation for why some people were more susceptible to it than others would have made more sense had the author described the disease as a virus instead of a fungus.

While I initially harboured a few doubts about a decision Robin makes as the end of this tale grew near the final scene stays true to everything we learn about her personality and moral code. All of the major plot points were resolved satisfactorily, but a few answers were open-ended enough to justify a sequel in the future if the author ever chooses to revisit these characters.

It’s difficult to write a novel about zombies without including a lot of violent scenes. This book is full of graphic descriptions of characters hurting and killing one another, and while it may be appealing to younger audiences it definitely should not be read by anyone under the age of 16.

Anyone in the mood for a fresh twist on the zombie meme should give Running Red a try. It reinvents some of the most common tropes in the genre while paying homage to the expectations of hardcore fans.

Nemesis: Lanyon For Hire II by John Paulits
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (156 pages)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Lanyon runs into trouble when he tries to keep a crucial memory disc out of the hands of a ruthless band of blackmailers. If that isn’t bad enough, Jophena, an eleven-year-old Selenian girl and Lanyon’s traveling companion, turns what Lanyon expects to be a simple chore into an all out war. Just when he thinks everything might turn out all right, the Vermenian blackmailers return to exact a vicious revenge on Lanyon.

Lanyon left Earth when the planet was no longer habitable and moved to the Malcosian system, where he became a gun-for-hire. This novel contains three of his latest cases. The Malcosian system supports a number of different species and life styles, and as expected the different species do not necessarily get on well together.

I found John Paulits’ descriptions of the different life-forms to be intriguing and well-thought out. I especially liked the purple skinned Argonians. The varied worlds were nicely described so that the reader could get a real feel for what they were like. The first chapter draws the reader in nicely and the first adventure is captivating. However, I had trouble staying with the story in the second chapter when Paulits introduced a lot of characters and places all with very different names but without a lot of context. Eventually I caught up and I was hooked again. Nevertheless, the action did seem to drag a bit in several places, but never enough to lose my interest. I just would have liked to have had either more pace or more depth or ideally, both.

The individual assignments are well-connected with reappearing characters so the plot is certainly a novel rather than just three closely connected stories, and a several of the reappearing characters are well-defined and appealing. Lanyon himself is most engaging and his adventures make for a fun read. When he is landed with a precocious eleven-year-old Selenian girl as a side-kick, the action is both exciting and humorous. And Lanyon may be a gun-for-hire, but most of the villains are captured using long-acting stun weapons, keeping the violence down, which I found refreshing.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any readers who enjoy fun, light, space adventures.

Billion Dollar Cowboy by Carolyn Brown
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (333 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Colton Nelson was 28 when he won the Texas Lottery and went from ranch hand to ranch owner overnight. When women started lining up wanting some of his millions, even going so far as to drug his beer, his family asks the lovely new ranch assistant to help out by pretending to be his girlfriend. They make her an offer she can’t refuse, so even though she doesn’t like it one bit, Laura agrees to help. Laura Baker and her sister, Janet, had been raised in foster homes. Though she was the younger of the two, Laura was always bailing Janet out of trouble. Janet thinks Laura should take advantage of the billionaire cowboy but Laura is getting to know Colton intimately and she doesn’t give a damn about his money. True love isn’t for sale.

This book packs a wallop!

Let me start by saying I love the work of Carolyn Brown. Her cowboys simmer and the way she writes them, I can see them. Yes, she’s that descriptive. Her writing flows well and snagged me into the story right away. I know when I’ve got one of her books, I’m in for a good time.

Billion Dollar Cowboy is definitely a good time. Colton doesn’t want to be rich. Heck, he wants to run his ranch. He needs a little help, but that’s okay. Some of the things he goes through are a tad hard to believe, but people win the lottery–or wish they could–every day. I liked that story arc. The way he deals is to struggle and who wouldn’t? Going from some money to a whole LOT of money in a short time, it’s easy to see why he reacts the way he does. Laura is interesting, too, but not as much as Colton. There were times when I didn’t like her very much. Times when I wondered what the heck she was doing. But those times made me realize how emotionally involved I was in the story.

As with many of Carolyn Brown’s stories, there are a lot of characters to keep straight. At times, this is a tough order. I had to go back and re-read more than a couple times to be sure I knew who did what and why. But in the end, it was worth it.

If you love a story that’s got a homey feel with great characters, then this might be the book for you.

Power by Debra Webb
Publisher: Grand Central
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (290 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Agent Jess Harris is back in another thrilling installment of Debra Webb’s Faces of Evil series.Jess is ready to start the next chapter in her life as the new deputy chief of Birmingham’s major crimes division. But with her first love, Chief of Police Dan Burnett, acting as her new boss, it looks like Jess won’t be able to put the past behind her that easily.Jess has decided to focus all of her attention on work when a celebrated ballet instructor is found dead by one of her students. Though Jess’s instincts tell her otherwise, the death is ruled an accident, and the case is assigned to another division. Still, Jess can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to the story, and her investigation leads her into the worlds of Birmingham’s gang culture and its powerful elite.Now Jess’s investigation has dug a little too deep, and there’s a target painted on her own forehead. Will she be able to solve the crime before her own life is in jeopardy?

A beloved ballet teacher falls to her death with no witnesses. When it’s ruled an accident, Deputy Chief Jess Harris cries foul. Before Jess can investigate further, she’s derailed from the case by the disappearance of a straight-and-narrow kid from the wrong side of the tracks and is redirected to finding him at all costs. What she doesn’t yet know is that the more she digs, the more danger she’s putting herself into.

I’m still having a bit of a love and hate relationship with Jess. I understand that she has to be arrogant, determined and sometimes a bit pushy to get things done, especially in such a male-dominated profession, but her constant refusal to accept any kind of help makes me a bit crazy. She is slowly learning, however, and if she’d just let go of her pride a tiny bit, she’d be a much more likable person. However, as a detective, all those things that make me crazy, make her awesome. That she doesn’t let propriety or Southern hospitality get in the way of getting answers makes me proud.

Jess and Dan have a new obstacle to overcome in this novel, in addition to all the crazies that seem to populate Birmingham. Their attempts to find a balance between work and fun isn’t as easy as they’d hoped it’d be. I found it very interesting to see how such a career-minded woman handles a budding relationship with a man who is essentially her boss.

Each new installment in the Faces of Death series by Debra Webb is better than the last. I love the way that they pick up within days or even hours of the previous book ending. I just think this poor woman needs a new identity if she’s going through this much in two weeks’ time! Power was an exciting and enjoyable mystery touched with enough romance to soften up the harsher edges of the crimes being investigated. The author does a fantastic job of getting to the nitty-gritty of the case while balancing it out with humor or love. I love this series – and author – more and more with each novel.

Highland Quest by B. J. Scott
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (241 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

No longer content in the shadows of his older brothers, and on a quest to find his destiny, Bryce Fraser’s chosen path is fraught with danger, passion, and decisions. Can his unspoken love for spirited, beguiling Fallon be triumphant in a time of war and uncertainty, or will they both fall prey to the devious plans of a traitorous laird from a rival clan?

A young woman alone and making her way in the perilous times of early fourteenth century Scotland is easy prey.

Fallon MacCrery, a healer, is bereft of family after the death of her uncle that took her in after the death of her parents. Even though she’s a petite raven-haired beauty, most people avoid her because of her second sight. She has visions of deaths to come. She’s had visions of the deaths of those she loves since the age of four. She feels like her second sight is a curse that she cannot get rid of and is more inclined to run than to be proactive about impending dangers. She loves the irascible rogue Bryce Fraser, but fears he too will die if he should ever choose to commit to her. Yet, deep down in her heart she knows he is her own true love.

Bryce Fraser has neither land nor title. He is a restless soul driven by a horrifying memory of what happened to his first love while he had to watch, unable to stop the cruelty of it all. Moreover, he is wanted by the English for treason and murder. He has pledged his sword to Robert the Bruce, the man Scottish patriots feel is the true king of Scotland. After the war in Scotland is settled, he plans to go to the continent and sell his sword and skill as a warrior to the highest bidder to make his fortune. While he loves women, he commits to none—he feels unworthy after what happened to his first love. He is truly a flawed hero searching for redemption.

The relationship Fallon and Bryce forge gets tested to the nth degree as they strive to stay alive through battles, deaths, captivate and way too many harsh words between them. How love wiggles its way in amid all the strife and works its magic to nudge these two along toward their destiny kept me turning pages.

If you read B. J. Scott’s Highland Legacy, a previous novel about the Fraser clan you will get to catch up on what is going on with many characters you met in the first book. Highland Quest will give you insightful side stories about Connor and Caitlin at Fraser Castle as well as actions of the crude, older brother Alasdair who abdicated his position as Laird of the Fraser clan. He fights alongside the Bruce and tries to watch his little brother Bryce’s back in battle, all the while trying to send Bryce home to a better way of life. Their reactions to each other give the reader insight into each of their true characters.

The antagonists with their lack of conscience about their abhorrent deeds, their greed, and their lack of loyalty to Scotland create barbaric conflicts. Some of their actions create heart-pounding moments that seem to be impossible for the hero and heroine to escape.

Even though I felt as if I were on the outside looking in on the happens part of the time and the writing didn’t seem quite as polished as in the first book, I still didn’t want to put the story down because of the skillful way Ms. Scott wove together the events of turbulent times with its horrific cruelties yet never let that strong thread of love fray. Highland Quest entertains and is often spellbinding.

by Amanda Forester

Hello and thank you for inviting me today!  I started my writing career in a bit of a different way. I began in academia, writing grants and research papers. If I were to tell you I learned to write romance novels by writing grants you might cross my book off your TBR list.  But while the topics are surely different (they’re different, I swear, it’s safe to put my book back on your list), I did learn a few things from academic writing that have helped my fiction career.

1. The discipline of writing.  Granted, sitting in a chair might not seem like the most taxing of career choices, but actually it takes discipline to sit your tushy in the chair and keep it there to actually write.  One of the things about writing that is so difficult is that it is so easy to do something else.  It would be easy to only write when the muse was singing and the words were flowing like melted chocolate all over the page in a cascade of romantic deliciousness… but most of the time it’s a slow slog.  Academic writing trained me to sit and power through it.

2.  Make the deadline.  Grants are due at a certain time, and if you are on contract, so are manuscripts.  Miss a grant deadline and you will no longer be considered for funding.  Miss a manuscript deadline with your publisher and you could lose your sale.  Bad news either way.  Perfectionism is the enemy of creativity.  Magic happens when you allow yourself to not be perfect.  Strange as it may sound, making the deadline forced me to trust in my internal voice and let the creativity flow.

3.  What’s the point?  Both academic writing and fiction writing tell a story.  One might be a little more dry than the other, but both have a point and message they are trying to convey. The challenge with academic writing is to take complex, dry material and present it in a way that is compelling.  There are always lots of data that can be reported, but the important question is “why does this matter?”  This is an important question in fiction writing too.  Every scene should serve a purpose. What is the point?  Why am I writing about this?  These are essential questions in every style of writing.

See now—there are more similarities between academia and fiction than you thought, including nice numbered sections with bolded titles for ease of reading. Despite the similarities, I greatly enjoy writing fiction because I don’t have to worry about getting it “right” and I can let my imagination fly.

My newest release, A WEDDING IN SPRINGTIME, is the first book in a new series set in Regency England.  I am thrilled these characters, who have haunted me incessantly, are finally getting their chance to see their stories in print.

Here’s the blurb for A WEDDING IN SPRINGTIME :

Five minutes into Miss Eugenia Talbot’s presentation at court, notorious rogue Mr. William Grant makes her laugh before the queen, ruining her debut. To hush up the scandal, Genie needs to make a brilliant marriage, and fast.  Genie’s aunt hires a matchmaker to find a suitor—anyone except the infamous William Grant—but amiable Genie shows a disturbing tendency to follow her heart.  When a traitor creeps closer, threatening to ruin more than just her reputation, Genie and Grant are drawn into a dangerous world of deceit and intrigue, where losing their hearts could mean their ultimate undoing.

I hope you will enjoy reading A WEDDING IN SPRINGTIME.  I love to hear from readers so come visit me at my website, facebook, or twitter.

Ten Things I Love About Steampunk

Steampunk is a movement, with various outlets (fashion, music, literature etc.), but today I’m going to talk about what I love about the genre I write in, and more specifically steampunk romance:

1. Exploration. When I think of the Victorian era (which could be set in the Americas, the Orient or the Empire), for me it was a time of great exploration. Again, whether that’s exploring the globe, exploring technology or simply exploring societal guidelines, the one thing that springs to mind is adventure. Steampunk is all about the adventure – and yes, it’s not always limited to history. Sometimes it can be futuristic as well, but that spirit of adventure lingers.

2. The fashion. Corsets, garters, top hats, pith helmets, military-style uniforms, sexy boots… Hoo-boy, the romance writer in me can have a lot of fun with this.

3. Tea. Seriously, this is a significant part of the Victorian era and I regularly immerse myself in Twinings or a delicious Darjeeling just to capture the mood before I write.

4. Mechanical men. Or men with mechanical parts. And no, I’m not saying which parts though the mind does boggle.

5. Goggles. No self-respecting steampunk hero or heroine can be without them. Whether they’re used to identify forensic evidence, view the opera (see My Lady Quicksilver, book 3, coming out in October 2013) or bracing the head of an explorer as he sets off on his airship, I love them.

6. Equality. It’s not uncommon to find an intrepid heroine in what is usually a male-dominated role in your steampunk. Pirate captain? Detective? Aeronaut? Even if your heroine wears a corset and bustle, she’s still not the usual simpering miss. She’s often out to change the world – or her role in it – armed with a parasol and a good fortifying tisane. This also applies to multi-cultural characters or LGBT. Steampunk is liberating.

7. The aesthetic sensibility of most steampunk creations: clockwork is sexy. Silk, lace, brass; it’s all about the appearance of a creation.

8. The weapons. Where else (apart from Star Wars) can you have a ray-gun? Or, in my case, a steam-driven pistol that fires fire bolt bullets, meant to explode on impact.

9. Science. I’ll be honest. I like my science with a dash of mad, a touch of laboratories and the faintest hint of Frankenstein. I studied Biology for two years: I know it’s more about data, statistics and endless calculations. But in my steampunk, I want something a little freaky, a little horrific.

10. The possibility… Steampunk is all about what could have happened. After all, da Vinci designed a ‘helicopter’, why can’t we assume that someone actually created it? And that it worked?

So take all of those things, combine them together, give them a little shake and what do you have? My London Steampunk series. You can start with the first book, Kiss of Steel, with its devilish hero, codes, cures, a heroine determined to protect her family from a vicious duke and blood-drinking, or, if you’re after something with a virgin hero, a flirtatious debutante out to change the world, verwulfen warriors and political plots, you could try Heart of Iron, which is in stores this month!

For a sneak peek at the London Steampunk world, I’m offering an e-novella called Tarnished Knight (set after Kiss of Steel and before Heart of Iron) for free download for the month. See here for details.

Want to win a copy of Kiss of Steel to start you on the adventure? Just let me know in the comments what parts of the above list interest you the most.

HEART OF IRON BY BEC MCMASTER – IN STORES MAY 2013

In the mist-shrouded streets of London’s dreaded Whitechapel district, werewolves, vampires and a clockwork army are one step away from battle…

NO ONE TO TRUST…

Lena Todd is the perfect spy. Nobody suspects the flirtatious debutante could be a rebel against London’s vicious elite—not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can’t twist around her little finger.

Will Carver, is more than man, he’s a verwulfen and he wants nothing to do with the dangerous beauty who drives him to the very edge of control. But when he finds Lena in possession of a coded letter, he realizes she’s in a world of trouble. To protect her, he’ll have to seduce the truth from her before it’s too late.

“Deftly blends elements of steampunk and vampire romance with brilliantly successful results…darkly atmospheric and delectably sexy.”

—Booklist, starred review for KISS OF STEEL

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. The third book in the London Steampunk series, My Lady Quicksilver will be in stores in October 2013. Read more about her at www.becmcmaster.com or follow her on Twitter @BecMcMaster.

To purchase Heart of Iron:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books-a-Million

IndieBound

Chapters/Indigo

Discover a New Love

Sourcebooks

Legacy of Truth by Genie Gabriel
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Length: Short (75 pgs)
Heat: Sensual
Rated: 4 Stars
Review by Rose

Thomas O’Shea is the bad boy in a family of overachievers, haunted by what he saw as a child. When he turns to a woman known as The Wizard to help him solve the mystery of his adoptive father’s death, the killers start closing in. His childhood memories hold the key to saving his family–if they can uncover the truth buried beneath years of fear and deceit.

Legacy of Truth is the 8th book in Genie Gabriel’s Halo Legacy series and can be read on its own. However, I have to admit that I think the reader would get the full effect of the book better if they were more familiar with the series. This is the first book of the series I read and there were times I found myself confused with the characters. I’m thinking that if I had read the series from the beginning, I might have found the read easier going.

That said, I loved the main characters—I really liked how the author put two damaged people together and showed how they could help heal each other. The mystery portion of the book was well done as well.

There were parts in the story that seemed to make leaps from one situation to the other and I had to go back and reread some of those sections. I don’t know whether they alluded to things that might have happened in earlier books or not, but that was the only drawback I saw to the book.

I am definitely going to go back and pick up the rest of the series–I’d really like to get to know these characters better and find out more about them and their lives.

The Folly at Falconbridge Hall by Maggi Andersen
Publisher: Knox Robinson
Genre: Historical romance
Length: Full (350 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Snapdragon

Vanessa Ashley felt herself qualified for a position as governess, until offered the position at Falconbridge Hall.

Left penniless after the deaths of her artist father and suffragette mother, Vanessa Ashley draws on her knowledge of art, politics and history to gain employment as a governess. She discovers that Julian, Lord Falconbridge, requires a governess for his ten-year-old daughter Blyth at Falconbridge Hall, a huge rambling mansion in the countryside outside London.

Lord Falconbridge is a scientist and dedicated lepidopterist who is about to embark on an extended expedition to the Amazon in search of exotic butterflies. An enigmatic man, he takes a keen interest in his daughter’s education, but Vanessa feels that he may disapprove of her modern methods.

As she prepares her young charge to enter into the modern world, Vanessa finds the girl detached and aloof. As Vanessa learns more about Falconbridge Hall, more questions arise. Why doesn’t Blythe feel safe in her own home? Why is the death of her mother, once famed society beauty Clara, never spoken of? And why did the former governess leave so suddenly without giving notice?

The opening of The Folly at Falconbridge Hall  immediately fills the reader with anticipation; especially if you are a fan of the classic romance novel. It is England in the late nineteenth century, and the new governess Vanessa arrives at Falconbridge Hall. It is The Perfect Setting. Vanessa admits she is less than beautiful – and penniless; our perfect heroine.

She is shown in ‘to the master’s study.’ What phrase could sum up the situation better? It is both a backdrop and statement about the style of life, the man of the house, even the stature of the house. The master is neither cuddly nor dashing, and we see no great hope in him right off the bat. He is, shall we say …intriguing? With a variety of intellectual interests. There are moments when we sense kindness, yet we cannot quite be sure. There is also that rather too interested groom, Lovel, but the romance part of this romance is in no hurry. And there are no early spoilers – just hints, so I’ll make no further comment. At this point, you are as sure as I that when love arrives it will be ‘just right’ as is everything here.

Vanessa’s tale progresses at just the right pace, and we are slowly drawn into the world that is Falconbridge Hall: the community of staff, events and operations of the great hall. Ms. Andersen’s star quality is truly her superbly strong and interesting main character, yet her descriptions are worth notice as well. “…rode around the estate enjoying the titter of swallows in the trees, past the gnarled old apple trees, the grass dotted with fallen fruit after the harvest…” The genteel old world aura is enjoyably supported in the most subtle ways throughout.

Oh, but a tiny, almost unnoticed thread of disquiet twists its way through the tale. The thread regards a ‘captive’ beauty and that too, is worth waiting for. It is a curiosity, but also, perhaps, ominous. Vanessa’s life will go on an unpredictable course…Author Maggie Anderson never disappoints in the wonderful romance, that truly transports readers to this other, older world. Reading this novel is sitting down hoping for a proper tea and being served fruit cake along with the plum jam and scones. My recommendation: put this right to the top of your reading list.

Lady Mercy Danforthe Flirts with Scandal by Jayne Fresina
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (377 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

When a Perfectly Proper Lady…

Lady Mercy Danforthe always has a plan. It’s what makes her such a successful matchmaker, and why she’s obligated to spend a great deal of time generously organizing the lives of her friends and family. But there’s one man beyond her help. One man whose recklessness she can’t rein in; whose chaos she can’t contain. Her ex-husband, Rafe Hartley. Her one—and only!—mistake.

Flirts with a Reckless Rogue…

Rafe has never forgiven Mercy for running out on him. Their hastily annulled marriage may have one lasted three hours, but that doesn’t mean he needs her help finding a proper wife. Someone needs to teach little Miss Know-It-All a lesson about keeping her adorably freckled nose out of other people’s business. And it just so happens that Mercy “Silky Drawers” Danforthe still owes him a wedding night…

A Scandal’s Never Far Behind

What goes around, comes around, especially for a mysterious lady in black. Imagine my surprise, shock and delight when I figured out that this book picks up where another had left off, but years later. There is no doubt that this is a standalone read but when I realized that this Mercy Danforthe is the same one from The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne it tickled my fancy to realize that this young girl is all grown up and is still as opinionated and full of herself as before. What kind of trouble is she going to get into now?

What a tangled mess of yarn. It’s as true now as it was then – things that happened in our youth shape our decision making process in the future, for better or worse. I remember Mercy as being outspoken and quite a little lady of action. That inner motor, that drive to do and to make a mark has been honed and perfected in the Lady Mercy of the present. Readers will have no trouble at all figuring that out.

What they won’t realize although I had a sniggle of memory from before, is why she is the way she is. I blame it on her brother. Readers will be quick on seeing that as well. It’s tragic, really. You know the old saying, “attention for being bad is better than no attention at all”? That sums up the backdrop that drives the overall motive of the story. It started out that way but became a way of life. It’s pitiful! But don’t let Lady Mercy hear you say that, she’d be affronted. She has things all planned out and all the logical details dance to her whim. Or so she likes to think. As the tale goes on, a reader gets to understand that Mercy isn’t shallow but very passionate, caring and still has her bonnet hung on one man. The worst sort of man – Rafe.

Rafe is borderline anti-hero. He has a veneer, a role he plays and he makes sure no one sees anything other than what he wants them to see. The rest see what they want to, and that’s just fine with him. Except, there’s this delightful older woman who sees in him something much more and it was gratifying to see that he took her words to heart. One of them will rue the day but half the fun is in figuring out who, why and when. As a reader gets to know him, the nuances that make up the man begin to show and he’s actually a pretty good guy. He’s really confused, confounded and tied in knots whenever Mercy is on the scene but that’s part of his charm. I suspect readers will pick up on the clues long before Rafe, the man who makes denial an art form, figures out his true feelings. Until then he has the misguided notion that Mercy should find him a bride. That has ‘disaster’ written all over it and I had a ton of fun watching that intent unravel.

When Mercy and Rafe do experience that long delayed wedding night, it’s well written and does not go according to plan. Nothing between them actually does which is perfect.

Speaking of which, I mention Mrs. Pyke. What an odd duck. Ungrateful wench too. Both Rafe and Mercy had dealings with that woman and I’m still of undecided mind if she was a helpful secondary character to have, or a hindrance. I felt bad for the kids and I kind of expected someone to say or do something, but they never did. Not really. It got my dander up.

Other secondary characters were much better received and I thought they did a splendid job of highlighting both Rafe and Mercy’s personalities not to mention prodding the plot and/or conflict along as needed. Most were interesting and gave the scenes flavor.

The most silly, endearing and fun scene came towards the end. I cracked up at the part when someone fainted and Lady Ursula made her demands. Those couple of pages were well written, pure genius and had me grinning from ear to ear. The best part was the reward of a satisfying happy-ever-after. Well worth the journey.

Lady Mercy Danforthe Flirts with Scandal is an eventful book about a busy lady who learns the value of being true to herself and that perfection is way overrated. It’s entertaining, well told and dare I say, cute. It’s light on the suspense and there’s no dark drama. Sometimes, airy but with substance is exactly what I need and on the day I read Lady Mercy Danforthe Flirts with Scandal, it was perfect.