Saving Sienna by Katie Reus


Saving Siena by Katie Reus
Publisher: KR Press, LLC
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

He likes law and order…

Detective Carson Irish follows the rules. But somehow he’s fallen for a sexy PI who likes to break all of them. When she gets in over her head, he’ll do anything and everything to keep her safe. But she refuses to stay on the sidelines, safe and protected. And when her life is threatened, he won’t hesitate to stand between her and the man who wants her dead.

She’s never met a rule she didn’t want to break…

Private Investigator Sienna MacArthur may have questionable methods in her work, but she gets the job done. While working a case, she unwittingly finds herself the target of an unknown threat. So she reaches out to the sexy man she’s been keeping her distance from—Carson Irish. They might be polar opposites, but she trusts him to keep her safe, and when people around her start dying, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands.

Can two people with very different personalities fall in love? The third book in the MacArthur family series is about Carson and Sienna. Even though Carson and Sienna are very different from each other, they can’t ignore the strong attraction zinging between them.

I have enjoyed reading all the stories in this series. They are short, romantic, suspenseful and engaging. So, I was excited to dive into this one about Sienna and Carson.

Carson is a detective and he is serious and protective. While Sienna is a PI and she is mischievous and isn’t afraid of anything (which usually gets her into trouble). Carson likes everything about Sienna, including her propensity for getting into perdicaments, but it takes some convincing from Carson to make stubborn Sienna let go and take a chance on him. Carson and Siena are great together and share a lot of chemistry. Along the way, they help solve a crime and discover who wants to hurt Sienna. I enjoyed this short and entertaining story.

Not Sleeping by Alan Winnikoff


Not Sleeping by Alan Winnikoff
Publisher: Crowsnest Books
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

It is said that over 70% of special needs marriages fail. This is the story of one. Not Sleeping depicts a suburban New York couple, Josh and Claudia Sherman, separated though not yet divorced. As they struggle to navigate their way through the painful process of uncoupling, they also must continue to co-manage the difficult demands of their nine-year old autistic daughter. It was Josh who decided to leave the marriage. But, in an unanticipated turn of events, Claudia is the one who quickly finds a new relationship. As the story moves forward, Josh’s Plan B, as he calls it, begins to take shape. It is centered around a possible new job and his own nascent romance. But Plan B also necessitates him to moving to California and leaving his familiar life, and specifically his children, behind. Josh is drawn toward this powerful chance at reinvention…but with no guarantees and at what cost?

Life is filled with surprises, and not all of them are necessarily cheerful ones.

Some of the most compelling scenes were the ones that explored what it was like for Josh and Claudia to raise a severely disabled child. While there were resources available for their daughter through the local school system, she had many needs that were outside the scope of this institution. Parents often need to pick up the slack in these cases, and the pressure it placed on these characters and their marriage was enormous. I was fascinated by all of the work-arounds they’d come up with as well as what happened when their coping skills couldn’t quite stretch to meet all of this child’s needs over the long term.

The slow pacing of this novel made it tricky for me to remain interested in the plot at times. As intrigued as I was by the characters, they spent so much more time mulling over their decisions than they did actually picking a course of action and seeing what happened next. It would have been helpful to have more action in the storyline, especially when it came to Josh’s indecisiveness about signing his divorce papers.

This wasn’t exactly a typical ending for a novel that included multiple romantic subplots, but it fit the tone of the storyline perfectly. I appreciated the author’s willingness to stretch the boundaries of the genres he was working with when the characters and plot called for it. That is always something I enjoy as a reader, and it made me want to look up the rest of his catalogue.

Not Sleeping was a thought-provoking read I’d recommend to anyone who is interested in a peek at special needs parenting or the less glamorous portions of romantic relationships.

Unchosen by Katharyn Blair


Unchosen by Katharyn Blair
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

For Charlotte Holloway, the world ended twice.

The first was when her childhood crush, Dean, fell in love—with her older sister.

The second was when the Crimson, a curse spread through eye contact, turned the majority of humanity into flesh-eating monsters.

Neither end of the world changed Charlotte. She’s still in the shadows of her siblings. Her popular older sister, Harlow, now commands forces of survivors. And her talented younger sister, Vanessa, is the Chosen One—who, legend has it, can end the curse.

When their settlement is raided by those seeking the Chosen One, Charlotte makes a reckless decision to save Vanessa: she takes her place as prisoner.

The word spreads across the seven seas—the Chosen One has been found.

But when Dean’s life is threatened and a resistance looms on the horizon, the lie keeping Charlotte alive begins to unravel. She’ll have to break free, forge new bonds, and choose her own destiny if she has any hope of saving her sisters, her love, and maybe even the world.

Because sometimes the end is just a new beginning.

How many times can the world end before it ends for good? Every time Charlotte Holloway thinks that she’s seen the worst, something worse happens. Now, she’s looking at the choice between saving her sisters and saving herself. Trouble is, none of them might make it through this alive.

Charlotte is a hot mess when all of this starts. She’s in love with her older sister’s boyfriend for starters. In addition, she feels like she’s forever in the shadow of her older sister, Harlow, a talented musician before the Crimson, and now a leader you don’t want to mess with. She also feels overshadowed by her younger sister, Vanessa, an adept gymnast and the Chosen One. As a middle child myself, I could fully relate to Char’s feelings regarding her sisters. Knowing what it’s like to be in her shoes (sort of), I was even happier as I watched her come into herself and fully grasp the person she was meant to be.

Harlow has a tendency as the older sister to be both overbearing and overprotective of her sisters. While this might be normal and natural, she kneecaps Char a bit with her rules and expectations. I think Char wouldn’t have taken so many risks if Harlow had given her more level footing to work from in the beginning. Vanessa isn’t given a whole lot of page time, which is a shame. She doesn’t get a chance to really develop as a character until near the end of the book.

The pirates were some of my favorite characters. Seth, of course, is the handsome, alpha captain, without many of the alpha hangups. Rielle, Lucia, and Thomas are his crew, each of which has their own endearing personalities. Rielle is sweet and funny and takes no time to warm up to you. Lucia is a bit gruffer, but you soon learn she’s a softie when she wants to be. Thomas was there to keep Rielle and Lucia from going off the rails, I think.

Probably the most interesting thing about this novel was the Crimson. It’s a deadly curse of sorts that’s spread via eye contact and, once you’ve caught it, you deteriorate into what’s basically a zombie. I thought that having it spread this way was a different sort of angle on the usual super flu or something similar. I also really adored the pirate angle. You have runners kidnapping those who haven’t been exposed and selling them off, and then the ones working against the runners to save their cargo. It made for some exciting reading.

Unchosen is a different sort of adventure story. One where the not-chosen takes on the role of the chosen in an attempt to save the true Chosen One. A true story of love, family, and determination against the odds.

Secrets of the Ravine by Brenda Whiteside


Secrets of the Ravine by Brenda Whiteside
The Mackenzie Chronicles, book one
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

When a ringer for her long-dead love walks into her life the same day skeletal remains are found at the edge of town, Magpie MacKenzie can’t ignore what the universe is telling her…solve the mystery, or become the next victim.

Lawyer Zack Peartree’s life is orderly and entanglement-free until he visits purportedly haunted Joshua, Arizona, and meets free-wheeling shopkeeper Magpie. Despite experiencing troubling visions and odd moments of déjà vu, Zack’s instantly drawn to Magpie and to the unsolved murder which troubles her so.

Using clues from her father’s past and Zack’s déjà vu moments, Magpie and Zack race to solve the mystery, avoid a murderous fate, and to discover their future…together.

This is my second Brenda Whiteside book. I remember reading and enjoying one of her books previously and, after reading Secrets of the Ravine’s synopsis, I thought I’d enjoy this one as well.

I have no qualms saying that I enjoyed the story. It was well written. Most of the characters were well developed and many were relatable. The plot was creative, interesting and unpredictable and the pace moved along in waves. I had moments where I didn’t want to put it down. Then I had moments where it was a good time to pause and go to bed. I enjoyed that writing style. I don’t need to be on the edge of my seat having an anxiety attack on each page of the book.

I personally struggled with the age of the heroine, Magpie. The synopsis didn’t allude to her age at all. I’m not use to reading a romance involving a woman with children in college. I have children in college so I couldn’t relate to Magpie’s characteristics.

The hero, Zack, was younger but mature. Zack and Magpie had an instant connection. A connection that was beyond a logical minded person. There was some universe/Deja vu plot threads. My logical mind was okay with that line of direction because it was more behind the scenes. The visions and odd moments were mildly integrated in the story. It was quite interesting to read despite that I typically don’t read books with psychic traits. I can say that Zack and Magpie definitely had love and chemistry working between them.

The murder mystery was very good. I was intrigued with that process throughout the story. I was actually more into solving the mystery than Zack and Magpie finding their happily ever after. However, in the end I was pleased that everything worked out.

I definitely don’t have any reservations about recommending this first book in The Mackenzie Chronicles series, Secrets of the Ravine. If a reader enjoys romances with older heroines then this book is a good fit for you.

33 Minutes by John Charles


33 Minutes by John Charles
An Asher Radman Gay Mystery

Publisher: Manifest Vision Publishing
Genre: Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

It only took 33 Minutes for them to die

Three dead, two in critical, but why? One fact in common – all had purchased their morning coffee from the same place. Were they the intended victims, were their deaths a cover to ruin the transgendered owner of The Coffee Stop, or were their deaths in vain?

Routine didn’t exist for Senior FBI Agent Asher Radman. He was highly respected and had proven himself with hard unsolvable cases. To Asher, his job was his life. Everything else slipped into the background as he worked to solve the impossible cases he was assigned

Despite intensive interviewing of coworkers who knew the victims, Asher was at a loss. Who was the intended victim? Was this the start of a serial killing spree? Was there another reason why the killer poisoned only the regular coffee in The Coffee Stop? And how did the killer get the poison into the pot of coffee?

To complicate matters, Kyle, his long-term lover had professed his undying love that very morning. His emotions were running high, but his love for Kyle would have to be put into the container where he held all his personal passions while working a case. There would be time for him to open that box. It just wasn’t now.

Coffee isn’t supposed to be this dangerous.

Asher was a friendly, likeable protagonist who had a soft spot in his heart for people who are misunderstood or excluded. This was my first introduction to his mysteries, so I appreciated the background information he shared about his childhood. While it wasn’t directly connected to the case he was currently working on, it sure went a long way in endearing me to him. It was nice to get to know him as an individual and learn about some of the early life experiences that shaped his personality in all sorts of pleasant ways.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to developing the mystery itself. Poisoning a coffee pot in a busy café was such a disturbing crime, especially since the killer’s motive was unclear and none of the victims seemed to be anything other than ordinary strangers. If the author had spent more time exploring this part of the storyline, I would have been quite happy to pick a much higher rating as everything else was well done.

The steamy romance between Asher and Kyle was handled nicely. They’d been dating for a little while but had yet to discuss certain things or take their relationship to the next level. I liked the way they discussed their feelings as both men tried to figure out when or if to make their fledgling relationship a little bit more official than it had been before.

33 Minutes: An Asher Radman Gay Mystery was a short and snappy mystery that I’m glad I read.

Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Leah’s Surrender by A.M. Westerling


Leah’s Surrender by A.M. Westerling
The Ladies of Harrington House Book 2
Publisher: BWL Publishing
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

With the threat of scandal hanging over Lady Leah Harrington, her parents arrange a temporary position for her in Australia as a companion to her aunt. Leah vows that on her return to England, she will forge her own future as a published lady of letters. However, now that she’s learned men are not to be trusted, having her sensibilities muddled by a dashing navy captain is not what she had planned for herself.

Despite France’s ever-present menace during the Napoleonic Wars, Captain Heath Trevelyan is ordered to transport a load of convicts aboard HMS Charlotte Mary destined for the penal colony of Australia. As a favour to a friend, he also provides passage for an alluring young woman and her aunt. When his ship sinks during a storm, a battle of endurance ensues for Heath and the survivors, including several convicts and the beauty who has captured his senses.

Which will he obey? His orders or his heart?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Leah’s Surrender by A.M. Westerling


Leah’s Surrender by A.M. Westerling
The Ladies of Harrington House Book 2
Publisher: BWL Publishing
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

With the threat of scandal hanging over Lady Leah Harrington, her parents arrange a temporary position for her in Australia as a companion to her aunt. Leah vows that on her return to England, she will forge her own future as a published lady of letters. However, now that she’s learned men are not to be trusted, having her sensibilities muddled by a dashing navy captain is not what she had planned for herself.

Despite France’s ever-present menace during the Napoleonic Wars, Captain Heath Trevelyan is ordered to transport a load of convicts aboard HMS Charlotte Mary destined for the penal colony of Australia. As a favour to a friend, he also provides passage for an alluring young woman and her aunt. When his ship sinks during a storm, a battle of endurance ensues for Heath and the survivors, including several convicts and the beauty who has captured his senses.

Which will he obey? His orders or his heart?

Well, I’ll be the first to eat my words. I read and reviewed book one in this series and didn’t really think I’d read the next one considering the heroine was going to be Leah Harrington and I wasn’t a fan. I admit that I was wrong. When will I ever learn to “never say never”? I love how this book turned out!

In truth, Leah’s Surrender can be read as a standalone but you might want to read about her in the first book in the series. Why? Because I think you might be surprised about Leah. She caused quite the conflict in the first novel which made for an excellent plot. Because of that, I wasn’t sure how she’d be redeemed in my eyes enough to have her own story. I assure you that the evolution of Leah was well written.

Actually, upon further pondering I’ve changed my mind. I absolutely recommend reading the first one prior to Leah’s Surrender because a reader should fully feel the effect of the scandal hanging over Lady Leah’s head. The more I reflect on Leah’s character, the more my opinion changes. I have to consider her age and that her reactions and choices were appropriate in Sophie’s Choice. I didn’t put much consideration into that fact at the time. As you can see, this series could very well be a great choice for a book club debate. But I’ll give credit where credit is due. Heath helped redeem Leah in my eyes. His perspective of her swung me around to team Leah. I would have preferred her age to be slightly higher, but given this is an historical book, I realize that was probably how it was back then. So, as I said before, her behavior was appropriate for her age and therefore necessary to be accurately written as such.

Even though I’ve gone back and forth about the heroine’s character, the unquestionable fact is that A.M. Westerling’s writing style is absolutely remarkable. I have a memory like Dory in the movie Finding Nemo so the fact that I remember my emotions from Sophie’s Choice is a testimony in itself. The Ladies of Harrington House series is unforgettable and I attribute that to the writing style. It made me feel as if I was in the story as a witness. Oh, I can’t forget to mention a certain villainous character that reappears in Leah’s Surrender. That was a nice plot twist.

If you are debating if you should read Sophie’s Choice first or not I’m going to share what’s in my heart. I think Leah’s Surrender will be better for readers after reading the first novel in the series. The characters are very well developed and a strong relationship is built between the reader and the characters. Book two continues that sense of connection. A.M. Westerling has succeeded in wiping out all previous reservations I might have had early on.

Now, I could re-write this review to try to share even more of my favorite parts because there is a great deal of content to reflect upon. One of them is when the hero, Heath’s, ship sinks during a storm. I should have had my life jacket on reading that scene. I’d love to be saved by Captain Heath Trevelyan! Not only does he meet all my book boyfriend qualities but his name alone is swoon worthy. I just love the name Heath. In the words of an Italian Chef, al bacio!

Regarding Heath and Leah’s relationship, I did find it entertaining and I was in full support of their satisfying happily ever after. I’m pleased at how the entire flow of the book kept me guessing what was going to happen next from beginning to end. Leah’s Surrender was hard to put down. Catherine is the next sister in line for her own story and now I can’t wait to read the third book! This is one series I’m glad I discovered and definitely recommend others to discover it too.

Parts of Me – From Me to You by Cisel Ozbay


Parts of Me – From Me to You by Cisel Ozbay
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Poetry, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

There is always one person who changes you in ways nobody else has or ever will. That person will always be a part of you because they’ve helped you find yourself. There is a you before them and a you after them. It is not the connection or the person here which is important as such, but the ways in which they have transformed the writer. This collection of poems captures the author’s journey with that one person, with all the bitterness and pain, there is something beautiful in this journey of finding the self in love.

Love has many faces.

I truly enjoyed seeing how many details the author was able to fit into her concise poems. Some of them were only two lines long, and yet they were every bit as vivid as they needed to be. There is definitely something to be said for trusting the reader to fill in certain blank parts of the plot ourselves, and I was grateful to have the opportunity to do so when I read things that suddenly stopped when I was expecting them to keep going for at least another stanza or so.

The story of this love affair was told non-linearly at times. That is to say, the narrator might share a big fight the two characters had once they’d been dating for a while only to leap back to a lighthearted, romantic moment between them from earlier and happier days on the next page. While I generally do enjoy putting the pieces together in something like this, it was jarring for me as a reader to move between such contrasting emotions over and over again. Anger, lust, joy, uncertainty, and contentment all require such different responses from the audience. It would have been nice to make those shifts between themes less often even if I were still expected to figure out how all of the scenes fit together chronologically.

With that being said, the ending was written nicely. I was glad that Ms. Ozbay decided to keep things more or less in order for the last several poems. They all played an important role in describing what the narrator learned from this relationship and how it affected their life moving forward. It was interesting to me to observe the obvious character growth in this section of a protagonist whose name and gender I’d never figured out. Luckily, those things aren’t required in order to get to know a character quite well, indeed, especially when the audience’s goodbye to them is as meticulous as this one.

Parts of Me – From Me to You was a heartwarming collection that should be read by anyone who loves romance.

Wilde Child by Eloisa James


Wilde Child by Eloisa James
book 6 of 6 in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

He wants a prim and proper duchess, not the Wildest of the Wildes!

Already notorious for the golden hair that proves her mother’s infidelity, Lady Joan can’t seem to avoid scandals, but her latest escapade may finally ruin her: she’s determined to perform the title role of a prince—in breeches, naturally.

She has the perfect model for an aristocratic male in mind: Thaddeus Erskine Shaw, Viscount Greywick, a man who scorned the very idea of marrying her.

Not that Joan would want such a dubious honor, of course.

For years, Thaddeus has avoided the one Wilde who shakes his composure, but he’s horrified when he grasps the danger Joan’s putting herself in. Staring into her defiant eyes, he makes the grim vow that he’ll keep her safe.

He strikes a bargain: after one performance, the lady must return to her father’s castle and marry one of three gentlemen whom he deems acceptable.

Not including him, of course.

I have never heard of the author, Eloisa James ,who is a New York Times Bestseller. Based on the one book that I just finished, Wilde Child, it’s clear I’ve been missing out. One of the other reviewers here at Long and Short Reviews, Xeranthemum, has reviewed all the previous books in the series. I took the time to read her reviews of the Wildes of Lindow Castle series and promptly went to Amazon to purchase the box set. I can’t wait to start from book one. I enjoyed this novel immensely and want to read the previous five stories in this series as soon as possible.

Wilde Child can be read as a standalone although I wish I hadn’t requested it. Based on the knowledge that I have gathered, I prefer to start the series from the beginning. I wish I knew Xeranthemum was following the series so she could have reviewed this novel. I agree with all of Xeranthemum’s earlier reviews. The Wildes family of Lindow Castle are unique, refreshing and entertaining. The best characteristic of the Wildes is their family loyalty to each other.

I fell in love with the heroine, Lady Joan. She was independent, feisty, possessed a witty sense of humor and was guided by her tender heart. The hero, Thaddeus, was preparing to be the ever-so-proper Duke. He lost perspective of any joy in his life, that is, until he met Lady Joan. At first the two of them shared a dislike of each other that turned from protectiveness to love. It was an entertaining read to see their perceptions of each other evolve from disgust to lust to true love. It was a scandalous process that resulted in several book glows.

The plot contained several memorable scenes. Joan’s good friend Otis was hilarious as Ophelia in the Hamlet play. The banter between him and Joan had me giggling. The back and forth repartee of Joan and Thaddeus was equally funny. The aging peacock, Fitzy, and Gully, the castle goat, had me cracking up as well. There were some serious scenes such as the ones between Thaddeus and his father. There were joyous scenes such as the birth of Joan’s sister, Viola. Then there were some sad scenes such as when they shared their past hurts. Then there were a few scenes where I hated Thaddeus’s father. All in all when put together, Wilde Child was a book that I didn’t want to put down or have it end.

I’m thrilled to have discovered a new author, Eloisa James. I anticipate the Wildes of Lindow Castle series will be going on my “keepers’ bookshelf” once it’s delivered by my favorite book store. Happy Reading!

Spirit in Time by Julie Howard


Spirit in Time (Spirited Quest Mysteries) by Julie Howard
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Time travel isn’t real. It can’t be real. But ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester discovers otherwise when an enigmatic spirit conveys her to 1872 to do his bidding. Jillian finds herself employed as a maid in Sacramento, in an elegant mansion with a famous painting.
The artwork reveals another mystery: Why does the man within look exactly like her boyfriend, Mason Chandler?
Morality and sin live side by side, not only in the picture, but also within her. As her transgressions escalate, she races the clock to find the man in the painting, and hunt down a spirit with a disconcerting gift.
But will time be her friend or foe?

Can the past truly be changed?

My review of House of Seven Spirits, the first book in this series, mentioned my desire to see more character development for Jillian. I was pleased to see her gradually begin to grow and change in this sequel as a result of her experiences. Just like it often happens for people in real life, her evolution was filled with stops and starts. She often needed to learn the same lesson more than once, but I did begin to see the progress with this character that I originally wished the audience could have observed in her first adventure. I will continue to hope for more advancements in this area for Jillian as this series hopefully continues, but I’m glad the author paid more attention to it here.

The mystery storyline wasn’t given as much time to shine as I would have preferred to see. While basic information was provided as needed, it seemed to me that the author could have gone into much more detail about why Jillian and her boyfriend were sent back in time and what they were expected to accomplish there. It would have been nice to dig into the hints about these things in greater detail.

Some of my favourite scenes were the ones that described the many ways in which life in 1872 was wildly different from how people live in the present day. This was especially true when it came to how women and people from minority groups were treated. Jillian’s reactions to the double standards and deep-seated prejudices of that era made perfect sense. It’s one thing to read about them in a history book and entirely another to experience them first hand, especially since the social safety net was so sparse back then. She had to adjust quickly to a world that was much harsher than our own in many ways. I appreciated the fact that the author took these things seriously and made them such an integral part of the plot.

This definitely can be read as a standalone work, but I would recommend also checking out House of Seven Spirits to anyone who wants to follow Jillian’s adventures from the beginning.

Anyone who enjoys history or paranormal mysteries should check out Spirit in Time.