The Headmaster’s Wife by Thomas Christopher Greene

May 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment

WIFE
The Headmaster’s Wife by Thomas Christopher Greene
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (277 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Thistledown

Inspired by a personal loss, Greene explores the way that tragedy and time assail one man’s memories of his life and loves. Like his father before him, Arthur Winthrop is the Headmaster of Vermont’s elite Lancaster School. It is the place he feels has given him his life, but is also the site of his undoing as events spiral out of his control. Found wandering naked in Central Park, he begins to tell his story to the police, but his memories collide into one another, and the true nature of things, a narrative of love, of marriage, of family and of a tragedy Arthur does not know how to address emerges. Luminous and atmospheric, bringing to life the tight-knit enclave of a quintessential New England boarding school, the novel is part mystery, part love story and an exploration of the ties of place and family. Beautifully written and compulsively readable, The Headmaster’s Wife stands as a moving elegy to the power of love as an antidote to grief.

We are not the sum of our grief.

One can also go for the trade name drug known as cialis properien. It is http://www.learningworksca.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/PPIC-report-jobs-degrees.pdf online purchase viagra estimated by the UK Health Centre that 80% of the cases have organic cause. Ed Young has his own YouTube channel, buy viagra shop so you can see him there. The correct measurement of Kamagra for erectile cheapest brand viagra dysfunctions is 50 mg per day, taken as needed by preferably one hour prior to sexual contact. Suspense abounds in this mystery of what, when and who. Arthur Winthrop is the headmaster at Lancaster Academy just like his father before him. When he spies the elusive Betsy Pappas, his life is altered forever. He breaks every rule to see her. His career heads south, as does his marriage. When he kills her in a fit of possessive rage, all bets are off and everything about his existance is about to be turned upside down.

Elizabeth is Arthur’s wife. She is dealing with a profound grief, but as you read the book, it is unclear just what that is. To be honest, the first half of the book left me cold. Man with midlife crisis has affair with girl barely of age. Okay. It happens. Man kills girl when girl refuses to play along. Not so common. But when Arthur is found frolicking in the park naked and obviously out of his mind, the story travels down a different path.

The dividing line for this book for me was smack dab in the middle. Sitting in the police station, Arthur is being quizzed about the order of events and then the bombshell is brought out. Nothing you have just read is the way it appears to be. I won’t give details because that would completely ruin the story. Suffice it to say that the things that make us who we are to some degree are about the people we surround ourselves with, love, loss, expectations met and unmet and how we deal with each of those things. Life is messy and it doesn’t follow a script.

Written after the death of his daughter, author Thomas Christopher Greene used this book to channel his grief. It shows. This is not a fluffy book that takes a pass at the hard knocks of life with a feather duster. This book will yank your chain and leave you thinking about it. I read it in one day. To be honest, I hated the first part. Arthur is not a likable person, especially for the female reader. You want to reach into the pages of the book and shake him just like his wife did. ‘Wake up, Arthur!’ Exactly. But can we wake up when the thing we wanted most from life is taken from us over and over again. How much can I take as a human being and still function? That is the question here? Are we the sum of our grief and do we give it mastery over our lives? Our death?

The situations in this book are ones that gave me food for thought. As I hit the middle, there was no stopping. I had to find out what was going on. I suspect if you pick this novel up, you will have the same reaction. It was like having a container of buttered popcorn-the pour over kind. You take a taste and keep on munching. One bite is not enough. I had to know-who was Betsy? Who was Elizabeth? What was Arthur’s deal?

If you want a piece of fiction that challenges your notions about what is important in life then pick this book up. It will not disappoint.

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

Tea and Primroses by Tess Thompson

May 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Cover_tea and primroses

Tea and Primroses by Tess Thompson
Publisher: Booktrope
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: Full (250 pgs)
Heat: Sensual
Rated: 3.5 Stars
Review by Poppy

Nothing is as it seemed in calm, quaint Legley Bay.

Famous novelist Constance Mansfield lived a seemingly straightforward – if private – and somewhat predictable life. Friends, beloved daughter Sutton, a beautiful home, and all the success an author could wish for. A perfect life….but was it?

When a hit and run accident suddenly takes her mother’s life, Sutton finds hidden secrets with her heartbreak. Emotional walls she assumed Constance had built to protect her privacy may have been to protect something – or someone – else entirely. Family and friends return home for support, including her own lost-love, Declan. He’s the first thing she craves to help her cope with her loss and the questions she’s left with, but he’s also the last person she wants to see. Will he be able to put down roots at last?

Can the loss of true love be the making of a life, or is it destined to be the undoing of everything? When money, power and love combine across time, anything is possible.

Tea and Primroses offers two stories in one!
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The book starts with Sutton, who’s already struggling with some tough decisions, finding out her mother was killed in a hit-and-run that doesn’t exactly appear to be an accident… and in desperate need, she calls out silently for her best friend from childhood (and the man she fell in love with), Declan.

Interestingly, he hears her…. sort of. Apparently, he’s always been able to tell when she’s in trouble and so, despite the fact she destroyed his heart several years back when she wouldn’t marry him, he hurries to her side and makes it in time for her mother’s memorial. And thus begins the real story.

This book was told in real time, and then again in flashbacks of a sort. Sutton’s mother, an author, wrote a book about a year of her life that she’s never spoken about. A year when she fell madly in love with a married man, and then had her heart broken. The ramifications from those actions reflect throughout her life.

This is less a real mystery than it is a story about chances and choices. It’s loaded with descriptive narrative which can sometimes slow the pace, and many things that are meant to by symbolic, which if you’re not into “deeper” stories may not appeal.

There’s never any doubt that Sutton and Declan love each other, and I still don’t completely understand why she wouldn’t marry him. She had reasons, which clearly made sense to her, but I found them less than believable. I also found her choice to become engaged to the exceptionally strange man she chooses equally difficult to believe.

The secondary characters here are very well rounded and interesting. I loved how they weren’t any of them perfect, but so very real. I’ve also discovered this book is part of a series, but it stands alone perfectly well.

I did enjoy the journey of discovery Sutton takes and watching her slowly become the person her mother (and Declan, for that matter) always believed she could be touched my heart. And ultimately, that’s the strength of this story. It broke my heart that her mother died before she could tell her the story in person, and that she had given up so much happiness because of the past.

Overall, this was a sweet, touching story. Again, the mystery isn’t really one (I have to admit to being surprised no one picked up on the link between so many deaths in a small town, despite the years between them) and knowing “whodunit” was not difficult to figure. That’s not why you read this.

You read Tea and Primroses to have your heart sigh a bit at how life throws people curves, and how we can build ourselves back up when we’re knocked down, especially when we have people in our lives who love us. That’s its strength.

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

Dandelion Wishes by Melinda Curtis

May 1, 2014 By 1 Comment

WISHES
Dandelion Wishes by Melinda Curtis
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (191 pgs)
Heat: Sweet
Rated: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

SOMETIMES WISHES DO COME TRUE, SHE’D HEARD IT SAID

Following are some on line cialis unknown reasons that may be affecting your sexual health and wellbeing. One canadian levitra online amerikabulteni.com can notice rewarding sexual life by sipping Caverta. The Difference between Kamagra Tablets and Jelly for the consumer to choose as per viagra buy on line their condition. This solution is suggested worldwide for the men who experience less than a single morning erection in a week are three times more likely to develop impotence as compared to men who have two or three morning erections per week. viagra uk amerikabulteni.com Will Jackson was a control freak and a killjoy. He had been since they were kids. He’d made it his mission to come between Emma Willoughby and her best friend–his little sister–all their lives. But why? Until the day of the accident, Emma had always thought of herself as adventurous, not dangerous…. And then her friend had almost died.

She desperately needed to apologize, to try to explain, if she could. Will had managed to keep the two apart while Tracy was in the hospital, but now that she was home in Harmony Valley, the winemaker wannabe had to understand that getting past this was the only way they could heal. And yet even if Tracy was able to, Emma wasn’t sure she could forgive herself. And Will had made it abundantly clear: he wouldn’t sleep until he’d found retribution.

Harmony Valley opens with heartbreak – a desperate, bereft friend in this beautiful place among kindly people, trying to reach her best friend. Emma and Tracy were childhood friends, separated by an accident and then, more purposefully, by Tracy’s determined brother.

This story is heart-wrenching. The sadness, self-doubt and guilt Emma feels marks her with an injury of sorts, too. She’s reaches out, over and over to Tracy, but Will is too clever, too determined and …something more. Anger and recrimination abound: there seems no hope for forgiveness, for excuses, for any once thing to help resolve everyone’s desperate unhappiness.

Every moment is emotional. The plight of the charming town and its people form part of the story – indeed, the town is much more than mere background. Folks are attached to their little town and torn about the direction of potential ‘progress.’ Will seems to be on the wrong side of everything, yet, is he entirely wrong? Curtis’ wonderful characters jump right off these pages and involve you in their feelings throughout. You’ll find yourself hoping for resolution (in more than one aspect) and also frustrated for Emma, more than once!

This is a charming read, fresh and original, that will pull at your heartstrings. Do read.

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

Meet the Earl at Midnight by Gina Conkle

April 30, 2014 By 6 Comments

EARL
Meet the Earl at Midnight by Gina Conkle
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (393 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

It’s going to take a Beast to tame this Beauty

Enigma Earl. The Phantom of London. That’s what the gossip pages call Lord Edward Greenwich, a mysterious nobleman who doesn’t show his face in London Society. With a reputation like that, no wonder Lydia Montgomery is horrified to be dragged from bed and packed off to live with him to save her mother from penury.

While Lydia has received all of the training a lady should endure, she’s decidedly un-ladylike. She despises her corset and isn’t interested in marriage. She’d prefer to remain unmarried and spend her time improving her art. But if she wants a chance at happiness, she’ll have to set aside her fear of the earl and discover the man hiding behind the beast.

Will Edward and Lydia’s greatest discovery be each other before time runs out?

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Edward, the hero, starts off being mysterious. What I gradually learned about him leant a layer of depth to his character and put me solidly in his corner. He’s actually a brave, noble and lonely man who takes his passion for living and turns it to plants. He’s a smart guy with horticulture but is totally out of his emotional depth when it comes to trusting and loving a woman. The best sentence in the whole book is, “Give my friend his life back.” Such a simple sentence but it’s profound. What I learned about the hero right before that was said truly presented me with a man that absolutely, positively deserved a happy ever after. Even if I had not read that scene, all the interactions with Lydia throughout the book gradually showed me the measure of the man. He earns the title of ‘hero’.

Lydia is a fighter. She’s not some lily-livered, weak and insipid woman. She’s a heroine in the truest sense of the word. She stands up for herself, is willing to compromise on some things but proves her mettle against some very strong personalities. The most strident was Edward’s mother. What a dragon!

Lydia also has a secret agenda that, once revealed, actually helps create a bond that propels the budding romance between her and Edward forward. My favorite characteristic of her personality is that she’s a problem solver and constantly comes up with solutions to the issues that plague her and eventually Edward too. She’s the perfect counterbalance for the hero.

I know I said that the hero’s mother is a dragon but in her own crabby way, she loved him too. I liked how the author found a way to make an ally out an enemy and in doing so, healed a family that was thought all but broken. It was another type of happy ever after that I appreciated.

Most of the conflict in this story is personal, between the main characters, with some of the secondary characters, and of course some internal angst spiced up the struggle too. I guess that means this is a character driven story. They sure had enough interesting baggage to wade through between them all; it was fascinating reading trying to figure out how it would all be resolved.

If a reader likes sensual buildup, Meet the Earl at Midnight has it in spades. The reason it takes so long for the two of them to get together is the deal. But sticking to the arrangement becomes a problem for both of them – they come to the realization that they don’t want to wait. I practically felt the sexual frustration sizzle off of the pages. When they finally, FINALLY sate their desire, it was well worth the wait – very romantic.

I enjoyed reading Meet the Earl at Midnight and recommend it to historical romance fans. The novel thoroughly explores a unique relationship between two dynamic but opposite personalities and presents an entertaining and clever journey of love, discovery and the proving of the old adage that “love conquers all”, even stubborn, mule-headed heroes.

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

Frisky Business by Tawna Fenske

April 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment

FRISKY
Frisky Business by Tawna Fenske
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (343 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Marley Cartman is fed up with arrogant rich guys who treat her like garbage, so she vows to only date men with modest paychecks and a little dirt under their nails.

Her new boss, William Barclay, is exactly the kind of man she’s trying to avoid: an eccentric millionaire with duct shape shoes and an unexplained vendetta against her.

But as Will and Marley butt heads over grumpy badgers and phallic artifacts, they discover that sometimes the opposite of what you want is exactly what you need.

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I enjoyed watching Marley date all the lemons before she realized her tall cool glass of yummy lemonade was right in front of her the whole time. However, a couple of those loser dates provided some terrific entertainment and wonderful dialogue and visuals, not to mention opportunities for Will to save the day. The heroine has some daddy issues which pale in comparison when I met her mom. Wow, talk about creative dysfunction!

Marley also has this really cute habit of memorizing the most trivial of animal facts. It provides levity and at a particular special moment, provides a sweet lead in to their HEA. In fact, the habit of Will’s use of Cheez Whiz is quite endearing and a clue as to the progression of their non-relationship. The author imbued each of her characters with very specific personality traits that gave them more depth and increased my enjoyment in getting to know them.

As for Will, his being rich is a novelty. Not the fact that he was rich but the HOW of it – I’ve never seen it done before and I liked that twist. It made his attitude believable and even though his bucking the system was in earnest, he was cute about it and I couldn’t help but like him. He really was the perfect match for Marley.

The only thing that had me twitching to give a Billy Idol lip curl every now and again was all the references to Will’s sister’s lifestyle. The euphemisms initially were cute and clever but there were too many of them for my taste and after a while they ceased being cute and morphed into plain old annoying. Okay, I got it; don’t beat me over the head with them. It was during those times that Will’s character seemed less of a man and more of a convenient platform or sounding board for making a point. If there had been fewer references, the quips would have continued being cute, loving and fun, like being on the inside of a family joke. But, alas, that’s not how it left me feeling.

The saving grace is Magoo. I adored Magoo. I really appreciated how Ms. Fenske wove his cuteness into the story and my heart. I enjoyed all the details and shenanigans he got into and I think it made this story that much more entertaining.

Frisky Business is a delight. With eccentric characters, a heroine who is trying to fall in love with the wrong guy and has the strangest things happen, and a hero that pulls off wearing slippers at inappropriate times, this is a story that delivers smiles and a sweet romance.

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

A Shadow on The Ground by Rebecca Lee Smith

April 29, 2014 By 1 Comment

GROUND

A Shadow on The Ground by Rebecca Lee Smith
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (222 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Poppy

Morgan Maguire is afraid to believe in second chances. The family orchard is failing, her twin brother is being framed for murder, and the sharks are circling. The tough exterior she’s spent years hiding behind is beginning to crumble, just as the man who shattered her heart is back in her life. Gage Kirkland is as compelling and magnetic as ever, and he’s offering the kind of help she may not be able to refuse. But can she trust him?

To finance his troubled son’s therapy, Gage, a former investigator, takes one last job–recovering a stolen Civil War artifact. Unfortunately, it’s in the possession of the woman he left behind, the woman who’s haunted his dreams ever since. The electricity between them still crackles, but unless he helps exonerate her brother and finds a way to confess his true reason for returning, how will he ever recover Morgan’s heart?

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Morgan was a bit hard for me to like at first.  If I hadn’t seen hints of her soft heart in the way she dealt with Gabe’s son or the worry she had for her brother, I might have given up on her.  She made herself quite difficult in the beginning, mostly due to how much she complained about being stuck in the small town she grew up in instead of off living the big city life she wanted.  She didn’t want to stay and was trapped by her twin brother’s need.

Then she finds a body and things really start getting crazy.  Every time I thought I had it worked out who was good and who wasn’t, I was wrong (though I have to admit I had the murderer figured out about half through the book, which is the only reason this wasn’t rated a five — but I didn’t have all the reasons why this person did it until the end, so it was still a great mystery).

I really liked Gage, though I didn’t always agree with the things he did. I could understand why he did them, so that went a long way to keeping me on his side.  And I just loved Morgan’s brother (will he get his own story?) and while few of the other secondary characters were folks I enjoyed, they were definitely unique and well created. The author’s voice and skill were really very good and I’m definitely going to be looking for more of her work.

The romance was sweet and touching and full of potholes.  These two have quite a bumpy backstory and even though we know early on they’re still crazy about each other, they have a lot of issues to work through.  It made their relationship real and interesting to follow.  I was glad it wasn’t all rosy and fine.

Overall, A Shadow on the Ground was one of my favorite books this year.   I have a soft spot for romantic suspense, but also have pretty high standards.  This book hit all the right notes and I can easily recommend it to anyone looking for a little excitement with their romance.

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

Vixen in Velvet by Loretta Chase

April 29, 2014 By 2 Comments

VIZEN
Vixen in Velvet by Loretta Chase
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (268 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Hollyhock

From the Diary of Leonie Noirot: The perfect corset should invite its undoing . . .

Lethally charming Simon Fairfax, Marquess of Lisburne, has reluctantly returned to London for one reason only: a family obligation. Still, he might make time for the seduction of a certain redheaded dressmaker—but Leonie Noirot hasn’t time for him. She’s obsessed with transforming his cousin, the dowdy Lady Gladys, into a swan.

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A great plan, in theory—but Lisburne’s become a serious distraction, and Leonie’s usual logic is in danger of slipping away as easily as a silk chemise. Could the Season’s greatest transformation be her own?

In the beginning, there were three sisters running Maison Noirot—now there is only one, and Leonie Noirot is determined she won’t be sidetracked by love as her sisters were. If only the Marquess of Lisburne didn’t have other plans…

Leonie, a dressmaker, is committed to keeping the family business at the forefront of London fashion. If that means turning an ugly duckling into a swan, she’s more than prepared to take on the challenge. When Lisburne escalates that challenge into a wager, Leonie can’t resist, despite the high stakes. If Lady Gladys becomes the toast of the season, Leonie will win Lisburne’s Botticelli, but if Lady Gladys fails, Leonie will owe Lisburne a fortnight of her exclusive attention at a location of his choosing. High stakes, indeed, and each is determined to win.

Leonie is an easy character to admire. She’s organized, smart, and self-sufficient. In addition to running a business, she’s patroness to a charity that rescues young girls from the streets and teaches them a trade. She’s also daring enough to quiet an unruly crowd with a dramatic poetry reading, and tactful enough to show Lady Gladys how to soften her hard edges and make the most of her natural assets. Lisburne is an interesting character as well. He’s made himself responsible for his trouble-prone cousin, the poet Lord Swanton, and keeps a close eye on his own estates, despite his assumed air of casual disinterest. When he meets Leonie, he’s far from disinterested, but just as logical and organized as she, he isn’t about to lose his head.

Although Leonie and Lisburne’s romance was satisfying to read, I sometimes felt the story lacked focus. There are a number of subplots—Lord Swanton’s poetry, the transformation of Lady Gladys, a blackmail plot, another romance—and that resulted in a rather scattered feeling. A premise like dressmaker sisters marrying nobility requires, for this reader, anyway, a tightly structured plot and well-drawn characters to keep me from focusing too long on the implausibility of it all. Vixen in Velvet sometimes fell short of that standard for me, but it was never less than entertaining.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and think anyone who devoured the first two entries in this series will be equally pleased with Vixen in Velvet.

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

The Count’s Last Mistress by Bess Greenfield

April 29, 2014 By 1 Comment

COUNT
The Count’s Last Mistress by Bess Greenfield
Publisher: Mouette (Self-Published)
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (315 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Hollyhock

An unforgettable, sexy tale of good intentions gone awry, deception, and unexpected passion between an aristocratic French cavalry officer and a free-spirited American painter in Paris…

When her social conscience and avant-garde art trigger rumors of mental instability, New York heiress Jeanne Delancy flees to Paris to begin her life anew as an independent painter. But the political turmoil of 1871 leaves her with an abandoned child to protect and a tragic mystery to solve. Struggling and desperate, Jeanne is stunned to receive an absurdly lucrative commission from a handsome, aristocratic cavalry officer. The former wallflower has every reason to mistrust the arrogant, yet charming comte de Chaumenay, but she finds the offer difficult to refuse and her new patron even harder to resist.
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Consumed with remorse over his past, war hero Olivier Valencourt is certain the beguiling American beauty he discovers in a Montmartre hovel holds the key to his redemption. To convince her to reveal a truth only she can tell, he plots to win her confidence through patronage, patience, and his never-before-tested powers of persuasion. But it doesn’t take long for the bohemian’s unconventional wisdom and innocent sensuality to obliterate his self-control and divert his agenda entirely. While the strong-willed opposites struggle to reconcile their deepest longings, dangerous alliances and scandalous secrets threaten a tragic repetition of history.

A French count determined to carry out his brother’s last wish meets a runaway American artist equally determined to stand in his way.

I have always loved Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters depicting the Moulin Rouge, so the idea of a female artist documenting the same bohemian life of Montmartre, creating advertisements for the cabarets, sketching the patrons, etc., was very appealing to me. Her unusual occupation, coupled with her assumed identity in a foreign country, makes Jeanne Henri an intriguing heroine. She’s independent, dedicated to her art, and resolved to protect the child her friend Claudine left in her care before she disappeared. When Olivier Valencourt shows up looking for Claudine—and finds his brother’s son instead—Jeanne refuses to be intimidated by him. She will do what’s best for Alex, no matter his uncle’s wealth and aristocratic position.

Olivier, still grieving the loss of his brother and recovering from serious wounds received during the war, can’t wait to rescue his brother’s child from the poverty and decadence he perceives in Montmartre. Olivier’s emotions are as impaired as his body, but meeting Jeanne is enough to make him feel alive again, even though he knows she is fighting to keep his nephew from him. This battle of wills makes for a memorable romance as two strong characters try desperately to stand their ground even as attraction overcomes them.

The story immerses the reader in the atmosphere of the era, especially the scenes that take place in Montmartre. The author brings the bohemian world of artists, writers, and philosophers to life, and shows what the country was like in the aftermath of the violent Paris Commune uprising. In addition to the absorbing romance, I appreciated the artistic presentation of the book with its lovely cover and elegant chapter headings. I found a few typos and misused words, but not enough to detract from the story.

Its unusual setting and memorable characters make The Count’s Last Mistress an enjoyable read from start to finish. I think anyone who appreciates good historical writing will enjoy this story.

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

Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat by M K Wren

April 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment

CAT
Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat by M K Wren
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (182 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

The police called it an accident. The dead man’s wife insisted it was murder. Either way it was maddeningly mysterious.

Captain Harold Jeffries, swaddled in his robe, had settled down for a cozy evening with Crime and Punishment when his wife left the house for a bridge party. An hour later he was dead. What could have induced him to dress and go out into the stormy night—much less to walk on the beach, which he hated and never went near?
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Conan Flagg, proprietor of the Holliday Beach Bookshop and Rental Library, is persuaded by Jeffries’ widow to investigate privately; and astonishingly, all the clues lead to Flagg’s own Dickensian establishment. With passing assistance from Meg, the bookstore cat, Flagg baits a trap to catch a rat—and finds himself dangerously involved in a crime with implications far beyond this lazy seaside village.

Conan has retired from one of those agencies with acronyms that use special forces and spies for the government. He now has a bookstore where he rents books to readers. He also does special orders for customers and is living a calm life by the sea. At least, it was. Now there’s been a “suicide” that feels like murder and he’s seen an old friend of his from the past. Are the two related? Why would the Major be hanging in his town?

I’ve read Ms. Wren’s work in the past and know her to be a concise, precise writer who doesn’t waste time with extra description or drama to tell her story. That’s true in this story, too.

Conan Flagg, her main character, left the service because he almost died from an injury. He’s very aware of his surroundings, he’s almost on hyper alert at all times, and he’s willing to fight to protect those around him, his store and his town. He just has to figure out just what is going on. He finally does but he’s not happy with the results. They are using his bookstore to drop coded messages. Who would expect espionage in a small coastal town? It’s a good guess that those Russian trawlers sitting three miles out might.

I enjoyed watching Conan determine who in town might be a player. He has an even more personal interest in it when he finds the Major dead in his office. It’s just by chance he isn’t dead, too. With what he knows and what he guesses, he calls in help and then begins watching people to prove his theory.

The story is busy, entertaining, and I liked the way Ms. Wren showed off Conan’s manly strength and personality. He doesn’t run and he doesn’t give up. The ending is exciting, dangerous and interesting at the same time. You never know who your friends are until you need them.

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

Three Men and a Woman: Evangeline by Rachel Billings

April 28, 2014 By 1 Comment

EVANGELINE
Three Men and a Woman: Evangeline by Rachel Billings
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (240 pgs)
Other: BDSM, M/F, M/F/M, M/F/M/M, Ménage, Anal Play, Voyeurism
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review by Peppermint

At age six, Evangeline “Evvie” Charles falls in love with three boys. They’re seven—Briggs Henriksen, Giovanni Diorio, and Chase Gregory. They befriend her and give her the only real family she’s ever known. At twenty-one, on a night of grief and loss, she meets each of them at her door. One at a time, she gives them the comfort of her body.

Now it’s eight years since she’s seen them. Over the course of a long weekend, she runs into them, those men who saved her, who she’s loved forever. Finding a certain destiny about it, she spends one night of wild passion in each man’s arms.

One night isn’t enough for any of the men. They find her and discover her secret—a seven-year-old girl who surely belongs to one of them. The men all want Evvie, and they all want Maisy, too. Evvie could never choose—she loves them all. The only solution is to share their love.

Diabetes could pfizer viagra discount cause damage to blood vessels and nerves. These india viagra online all qualities of the kamagra soft medicines have been another reason of its regulation is because many are using this for leisure reasons only. Can Sexual Dysfunction Condition be Prevented? Male sexual dysfunction cheapest sildenafil 100mg condition is not uncommon. It improves grip and contact in cheap viagra pill her genitals to delight her with mesmerizing sex. Evvie grew up with almost a hero worship towards Chase, Gio, and Briggs, so it seemed only natural that this escalated into a sexual attraction eventually, and made for a intriguing read.

Evangeline (Evvie) was a character that sometimes I found endearing and other I found to be too much of a push over. She did not have the best of upbringings as a child; in fact, the girl couldn’t even read until she met her three knights in shining armor. This background made me immediately sympathize with her, and hope that she could find happiness in her life. While I can understand why this would lead to an infatuation, I really wished she would just stick up for herself, especially in the bedroom.  It seemed like she would willingly do anything they asked, and while it did pleasure her, at times I felt like she was submitting just to make them happy. This is something I struggled with as a reader, because while all of the men had no problem with putting demands onto Evvie, she never seemed to ask for anything for herself. In fact, the few things she did want she seemed to either manipulate the men into giving it to her, or just concede to the men in her life. In the end, I did see Evvie start to coming to herself a little more, and even put her foot down at times, I would have liked to see it a bit more earlier in the story.

Collectively Briggs, Gio and Chase truly entertained me. I think the author had a kinship to Briggs as he seemed to be center stage the first half of the story, and ever the voice of reason when one was needed. Chase, on the other hand, was pushy and demanding at times, but the other guys where always around to rein him in. Gio is the most laidback, down to earth of the three. While he can be determined, it was always done in such a friendly way you just couldn’t argue with him. The three of them really created the perfect man, and I could easily see why Evvie could not help but to fall in bed with them again, and again.

The erotica in this story is on steroids. It is a driving factor behind the relationship development, and plays center stage throughout the entire story. While I really appreciated this at first, after a while it got almost tedious. The men always found a new way to please Evvie, but sometimes I just wanted more story without the characters falling into bed one way or another. I can say, that I enjoyed seeing each man’s personality in the bedroom, as they all were very different, which was something I could truly appreciate.

I love the incorporation of Maisy in the story, and would love to have seen more of her. I think Maisy added a certain level of maturity to the story in all of the characters, and really helped solidity the bond between everyone. I also got to see a different side of Evvie when Maisy was around, which was refreshing because she really seemed to really shine during these scenes.

All in all it was an entertaining story. Anyone in the need for some hot male loving will not be disappointed in this story.

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