Three French Inns by Patricia Kiyono

December 7, 2016 By 1 Comment

inns
Three French Inns by Patricia Kiyono
Publisher: esKape Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Short Story (73 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Peter Brown joined His Majesty’s Army in the fight against Napoleon, but when he was wounded, a lovely French woman tended him. She was a recent widow, and they were on opposing sides of the war, so they went their separate ways. But he never forgot his “bel ange” — his beautiful angel.

Caroline Bouchard Duval marched with her husband in Napoleon’s army, eager to leave her sleepy village and see the world. But after being widowed, she returned to her childhood home in the French Alps. When a bloody traveler enters her father’s inn, she recognizes him immediately. Could this man give her another chance to fulfill her dreams?

When in France Peter Brown goes by the name of Pierre le Brun. Born in France of a french Mother and English father, he had grown up in England and fought for that country in the Napoleonic wars.

Caroline Bouchard Duval cooked for the guests in her father’s inn which was near the castle Pierre’s grandfather had owned, but been forced to sell. The two met toward the end of the wars and then went their separate ways.

Years later, on his way to Geneva Pierre had fallen from his horse and been taken to the inn where Caroline worked. They recognised each other, but Caroline concentrated on to helping her father while Pierre had business in Geneva. His journey was delayed by the injuries he sustained in the fall from his horse. This forced him to remain in the area for a few weeks.

Caroline and Pierre are two well rounded characters who are gradually drawn to one another. Neither wants to force their attentions on the other. A well written book which kept my interest throughout the pages. As I read, it was difficult to tell what the outcome would be, so I was pleasantly surprised by the events that took place.

Although short, this book had attraction, conflict and an undercurrent of a puzzle to be solved. A sweet romance set in the rural area of France so that the after effects of the Napoleonic wars did not trouble the population of the town. Good story.

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Skunk Chronicles by Dallas M. Collet

December 7, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Skunk Chronicles by Dallas M. Collet
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical, Holiday, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (380 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Stargazer

A hit-and-run pickup truck driver severely injures twelve-year-old Trent Stone and kills his best friend. He is left shattered, alone, and struggling with the reality of permanent loss.

As Trent tries to put his life back together and uncover who was driving the truck that fateful day, he is met with an onslaught of ever-mounting problems. He attacks his challenges with the naïve and playful honesty of youth, while at the same time experiencing the overwhelming miracle of a first love.

When Lindsey, the subject of that love, disappears, Trent is not only implicated in her disappearance but accused of her murder. How can he prove his innocence when she made him promise not to tell what he knows?

One amazing read that keeps you guessing!

The Skunk Chronicles follows the world from the view of Trent Stone. Trent is a small town boy with very adventurous friends. In a hit and run accident, Trent is severely injured while his friend Seth is killed. Trent’s life is turned upside down from this event forward and the following events make his life almost unbearable.

The author does a wonderful job at bringing the reader to see the world from Trent’s eyes. The reader feels the concern, anxiety and stress that Trent feels. When Trent befriends Lindsey, the world becomes so much lighter. Yet when the malicious teacher, Usher Riggins, becomes involved, Trent’s life becomes much more difficult.

The author keeps the reader guessing, from the aggression of Usher Riggins to the second guesses as to what happened to Lindsey, there is so much going in the story line to keep the reader stuck to the book. I found myself unable to put the book down even for a short time as I wanted to know what happened next or what trouble Trent would find himself involved.

The author has an amazing way of making Trent’s internal monologue come alive and avoid the tedious narration that some books have. The lively interactions and conversations as well as the in-depth description make this a real-world experience for the reader.

The Skunk Chronicles is a fantastic read that brings life in the 1950’s to the forefront and even transports the reader back into the adventurous times of youth! Be sure not to miss this amazing read!

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

Preacher’s Wife by Sarah Christian

November 30, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Preacher’s Wife by Sarah Christian
Publisher: Salt of the Earth Press
Genre: Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (105 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Hiding from a man who wants him dead, Matthieu Whitney has finally made a peaceful life for himself as the pastor of Sweet Town. Much of that peace relies on passing as white, which proves agonizing as he finds himself driven to distraction by the beautiful and sharply intelligent Beulah Douglass. He knows from experience courting and secrets don’t mix.

Already struggling as a young mother alone, Beulah isn’t looking for trouble. Certainly not the kind of trouble that comes in the form of a tall, dark, and handsome pastor with haunting green eyes and a protective streak as wide as the Mississippi. After he’s injured rescuing her from an accident, she’s happy to help Matt, though it means trying to deny the growing connection between them. As danger mounts and their enemies grow, can Beulah have any hope of being the Preacher’s Wife?

In the shadow of wild Deadwood sits quiet Sweet Town. Established in the Dakota Gold Rush of the 1870s, Sweet Town is surrounded by gentle hills and fields of clover. It’s a place where anyone can start over and redemption is never out of reach.

Even though Beulah Douglass, a freed slave new to Sweet Town, felt like she was making a good start she wasn’t fully secure in her new environment. With Hiram Bell after her she is left with the feeling as if she is waiting out a storm instead of truly living. Pastor Matthieu Whitney has a past and a secret that he is hiding. Will his past life soon be exposed? Is Sweet Town a place where anyone can find redemption and start anew?

Pastor Whitney saves Beulah from being stepped on by a horse. Indebted to him, she sees to it that he gets proper treatment along with feeling obligated to care for him while he recovers from his injury. During his recovery time they learn a lot about each other which sets up the foundation for other parts of the book to unfold.

This is a sweet read that I enjoyed. It’s proof that a book can be entertaining and it doesn’t have to contain adult language and context. The plot is well laid out and easy to follow. When I started reading the book I didn’t realize that it is book 5 in a series. Thankfully the author gave enough background that I wasn’t lost. Reading this book and the host of wonderful characters and their lives in this small town made me want to read the previous books in the series.

The characters are strong and proud. Bridget O’Cuinn is a red headed Irish immigrant. At the onset of the book, she is opening a small laundry business. Beulah is a freed slave who works along with Bridget at the laundry service. Beulah’s heritage is evident by looking at her coiled and curled hair. She was held captive and her son was conceived from that unholy cruelty and her display of being proud and brave helps Pastor Whitney speak his truth to the congregation.

Though life isn’t perfect the citizens of Sweet Town show examples of the good and the bad; it also shows it takes the unity of a village to conquer out bad. And in that village you have those that will take a stand to help protect along side you.

Decisions must be made in order to protect Beulah and her son Jonah. Though this is the old west and Hiram Bell was tracking Beulah, as well as Beau Jennings looking to expose Pastor Whitney there wasn’t a lot of action.

It’s a feel good read that shows that even though the world may be surrounded by hatred, and unkindness makes us afraid, we have the power of forgiveness and we are blessed to give that to ourselves and others. This is one I would recommend to a reader that not only is looking for a happy ending but a clean read where the characters leave you with a positive message.

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Fallen Men by Brian O’Hare

November 7, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Fallen Men by Brian O’Hare
Publisher: Crimson Cloak Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday, Inspirational
Length: Full Length (299 Pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Stargazer

Fallen Men by Brian O’Hare is a story of three priests. All are good, spiritual men but why does young Father Ray Canavan Ray find himself on trial in a Dublin court for statutory rape of a minor? And why is his equally popular friend, Father Dan Patterson, raucously accused of murder by a member of his congregation as he attempts to celebrate a Requiem Mass? And why does Canon Tony Mulholland so lose sight of his priestly responsibilities that he tries to cover up Ray’s indiscretions by sending him to hide in Italy ?

When one sin destroys not just one life but several others, all the while leading them to a stronger faith.

Father Ray Canavan is a diocesan priest who struggles with a troubling past that he can’t quite remember when he meets beautiful Maria and less than charming Father McGennity. The diocesan priest struggles to come to terms with his vocation, a family tragedy and the desire to do God’s Will.

Fallen Men is a phenomenal story of tragedy, redemption, and the amazing Grace of God. The immediate sin and subsequent attempt at cover by the Church is one that the reader may often see in the newspapers and tabloids. Yet, what happens behind the scenes is where the real magic by Brian O’Hare occurs.

The reader learns about the heart of the priest at the center of the scandal, the pain that the media and presses cause as well as the desire to be free from the sin of sexual immorality. The humanness that the author shares with the reader is one that cannot be understated. It is easy enough to believe that the transgression was horrific, but the pain and suffering that the transgressor feels is not one that should be overlooked. When the Church looks to control the future damage that will inevitably come, even more damage is done to both the priest and the victim.

The full impact of the events that occur are not lost on the reader. What I truly enjoyed was the deeper plot of becoming more Christ-like. Father Dan, one of Father Ray’s best friends sees spiritual ethics as black and white; immediately causing a rift in the strong friendship. The initial knee jerk reaction by Father Dan and the impact that the search for redemption has on all of the priests in the diocese are lessons that the reader is drawn into first hand.

This is one book that you do not want to miss if you truly want to know what happens in the heart of a priest!

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Safe Harbor by Jennifer Moore

October 27, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Safe Harbor by Jennifer Moore
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (112 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The shy daughter of a powerful politician, Melanie Owen is fed up over her father’s attempts at controlling her life. Hiding out in Lobster Cove seems like the perfect solution. But a misunderstanding and unwarranted act of heroism bring the town’s doctor, Seth Goodwyn crashing to—and through—Melanie’s front door. Seth’s attempts to repair the situation insert him into her life, raising Melanie’s worries of losing her new-found independence to another controlling man.

His inability to save his sister has impacted Seth Goodwyn’s entire life, and Doctor Seth is a fixer. He meets quiet, unassuming Melanie and figures she needs his help. But before long, he struggles against the realization that to keep her, he may have to let her go.

Seth sees Melanie every day, but he still hasn’t quite managed to work out how to talk properly to her and get her to trust him. He’s a self-confessed fixer, and it’s clear that Melanie needs help. Seth is determined to become that man, he just needs the right opening.

I found this to be a lovely, really sweet story. Seth and Melanie don’t rush into everything – they’re both quite layered characters who have plenty of skeletons in their closet. I really enjoyed the fact neither were simple, easy people. Seth is definitely a fixer and needs to save those around him – but that need stems from a very specific time when he couldn’t do so. And Melanie is on the surface a shy young woman, determined to make her own path – but there’s so much more that lies in her previous life, where her determination takes root from. I found these to be really interesting, complicated people who grabbed my attention and it was a pleasure to watch them not only come together, but learn about each other.

This story is set in Lobster Cove – and while it’s clear there are plenty of other stories set here, I had no problems following along, even though I picked up this book up without having read any of the previous other stories. I was a little disappointed with the ending. While Melanie was awesome confronting her demons from the past, I felt the resolution to the problem was just a little too pat. After such a momentous build up – pretty much the entire story – having everything just fall perfectly into place and be accepted in the final moments really felt unrealistic to me. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a happy ending, I need that from my romance, but after a huge build up to this climactic scene, it felt so easy and smooth I couldn’t help but wonder if that was it and I’d missed something.

Having said that I strongly feel that for me; the most important aspects in a romance story are a) the romantic relationship and b) the characters. Both of these were excellently handled to my mind. I loved the slow, sweet blooming of the relationship between Melanie and Seth and I particularly enjoyed some of the baseball humour and the way they both kept it light but their connection flourished.

A lovely, sweet and warm love story between two deep and interesting characters.

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Camp Wedding by Kay Springsteen

October 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Camp Wedding by Kay Springsteen
Publisher: EsKape Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (120 pgs)
Heat: Sweet
Rated: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

A blind Marine, a nervous bride, and an adorable child with Down syndrome who loves them both is an equation for another tug on the heartstrings in the story behind the Heartsight nuptials. Is Trish ready for life as a military wife? Is Dan ready for the challenges of being a father to a precocious 6-year-old? How will Bella add her special brand of magic to the day?

Wedding jitters magnify every little thing that seems to be going wrong right before Trish’s wedding. She’s even more frustrated at how her husband-to-be handles those small ‘bumps in the road.’ Readers become conscious, early on, that these are two very different people. However, Springsteen does a wonderful job building our belief in their mutual and heartfelt feelings. This only makes us more impatient as even more ‘bumps’ appear. Right from the start, the characters carry this wonderful little story. Subtle humor lightens some conversations…as does the odd embarrassing predicament.

There are too-sweet moments, and abrupt changes in point-of-view disturb the flow of the story. However, these are small complaints in what is overall an engaging, heartwarming tale.

Although this is a continuation from the story ‘Heartsight,’ it is a story unto itself and reading the precursor isn’t necessary. Camp Wedding is utterly charming on its own:

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Cowboy After Five by Fleeta Cunningham

October 20, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Cowboy After Five by Fleeta Cunningham
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (183 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Review by Fern

Mickey Brandt’s heart is in his nightclub, but the sudden death of his father burdens him with Brandt Enterprises until he can get an administrator. To help manage Mickey’s Place and trace irregularities in the nightclub’s books, he hires Leanne Young as assistant manager.

Leanne is glad of the additional income so she can afford care for her grandmother, once a well-known singer. As she tidies Mickey’s haphazard bookkeeping, she discovers the cause of the club’s financial difficulties and alerts him to the illegal activities going on behind his back. Meanwhile her beloved grandmother shares a secret with Mickey that jeopardizes his budding relationship with Leanne.

Caught between his promise to the grandmother, his admiration for the granddaughter, and an illegal operation threatening the business he built, Mickey realizes he could lose it all—his club, his father’s business, and that strawberry blonde who thinks she has a calculator in place of a heart.

Mickey was stretching himself thin. Between helping out at his father’s office and working at his own club – Mickey’s Bar – Mickey doesn’t have a lot of spare time on his hands. He does love his after-hours sing-alongs at the old people’s home, though, where he becomes a singing cowboy after five. When he meets the granddaughter of one of his favourite ladies, Leanne, Mickey just knows here is a lady he wants to get to know better.

I really enjoyed this full length story. I found the characters were interesting, layered and vibrant – I particularly liked some of the people at the old folks’ home, Miss Cordelia was a delight! Leanne and Mickey were clearly the main hero and heroine, and I greatly enjoyed their slow, sweet drop into love with each other. There was also plenty of interesting and really well written plot to keep me turning the pages. Between the nefarious happenings at Mickey’s club, Mickey working office hours where possible for his dad at his business and Mickey’s moonlighting as a singer there is more than enough action happening I feel to keep most readers interested.

I found this to be a wholesome, really well paced and lovely story to read. Very romantically sweet, it’s the sort of story I’d happily share not just with my friends, but also my mother or younger women just beginning to explore sweet romances. While there’s certainly romance to it, the happiness and sweet spark is something that lends itself to being shared with family and friends. While I was a little disappointed that much of the plot was fairly predictable, that in itself was rather like a cosy, warm blanket to wrap myself in. The fact nothing too outrageous or crazy happened is sometimes exactly the sort of romance story one wants to read.

A delicious, sweet romance full of good plot and excellent characters.

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Death by Diploma by Kelley Kaye

October 14, 2016 By 1 Comment

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Death by Diploma by Kelley Kaye
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (235 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Emma Lovett leaves her philandering husband and crosses the country to begin her teaching career at a high school in Pinewood, Colorado.There, she meets Leslie Parker, a fellow teacher given to quoting Shakespeare to fit all situations, and the two become fast friends.

Arriving at work early one morning, Emma discovers the body of the school custodian, a man who reminds her of her late father. When the police struggle to find the killer, the ladies decide to help solve the murder. Their efforts lead them to a myriad of suspects: the schizophrenic librarian, the crude football coach, the mysterious social studies teacher, and even Emma’s new love interest.

As Emma Lovett discovers the perils of teaching high school, she and Leslie learn more than they ever wanted to know about the reasons people kill.

School is supposed to be a place to learn, not a place to die.

Emma and Leslie’s budding friendship was one of my favourite things about this tale. I learned a lot about both of them by seeing how quickly they started spending time together and what a good time they had every time they met up. Their personalities complemented each other nicely. I also liked seeing how both of the characters were different from each other. Emma seemed to be a little more quiet and shy, so it was fascinating to watch Leslie bring out parts of her personality that no one else could.

There were a few mild pacing issues in the beginning. The main character spent a lot of time telling the audience about how she was handling her new job and what she thought about the people she met there before the circumstances surrounding the murder were discussed. This did slow down the plot a little at first, but the rest of the book more than made up for that.

The mystery was really well done. I enjoyed seeing how Emma snuck around the school and other places in order to find new clues about the murder since there weren’t many of them in the beginning. She definitely had her work cut out for her. The fact that nothing was revealed easily made this a lot of fun to read. I silently cheered every time she uncovered another clue or learning something new about an existing one.

I’d recommend Death by Diploma to anyone who likes a little romance in their murder mysteries.

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

Operation Christmas Hearts by Kay Springsteen

October 11, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Operation Christmas Hearts by Kay Springsteen
Publisher: esKape Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Full Length (268 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Ashley Torrington never cared much about Christmas before. But this year she’s having a particularly blue holiday because Marine Special Operations Team member, Nick Turner got under her skin just before he was deployed to Afghanistan. With her neighbors’ precocious daughter Bella volunteering Ashley for a special project at school, and a mysterious white-haired stranger named Estelle in town buying gifts from Ashley’s shop, not to mention the odd assortment of presents Ashley’s been receiving from an anonymous source, she shouldn’t have time to worry about her guy. But when he and his team go missing the week before Christmas, she realizes only a Christmas miracle will reunite them.

Captain Nicholas Turner never backed down from challenges—on the battlefield or in his personal life. But he’d never met a challenge like Ashley, who doesn’t want to be anyone’s “girl back home.” Now he’s on the other side of the world, wanting to be anywhere but in Afghanistan for Christmas. About to embark on one of the most dangerous missions of his life, he needs Ashley to know she’s much more than the girl he’d left behind, and he does plan to come home to her. But in the meantime, a little Christmas magic would be appreciated. Little does he know, he’s about to get his wish.

In the sleepy coastal town of Lookout Island, North Carolina, Ashley looks forward to Christmas with her friends, but her heart misses her boyfriend Nick who is overseas with the marines. Although he can’t tell her his location, she guesses it is somewhere dangerous and when he goes missing Ashley finds it hard to keep her faith in his return.

Ashley, a very independent woman, is reluctant to give her love to a man who spends his life fighting the enemy. However, her heart has other ideas.

Nick has a hard job convincing Ashley they belong together. He has very novel ways of proving his love and Ashley finds it hard not to give in, but she must resist him if she is to keep her resolve not to be a woman waiting for her man to come home.

Quite a poignant story with adventure and romance, all bound together with the Christmas festivities and celebrations. This is another wonderful book in the “Heart” series from Kay Springsteen. As well as the romance side of the story, there is also the cosy Christmas feeling as the local school packs parcels to send to the troops for Christmas. By the time I finished reading I had a feeling of satisfaction with Christmas as a family affair. Good book and well written with loveable characters and highlights to grab the attention.

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Where the Heart Is by Jennie Marsland

October 10, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Where the Heart Is by Jennie Marsland
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Short Story (138 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

When Rochelle McShannon moves with her father from Morgan County, Georgia to the Yorkshire Dales, she thinks she’s leaving behind everything that matters to her. Her mother has passed away, her twin brother is going west to avoid the looming Civil War, and her family’s unpopular views on slavery and secession have destroyed her relationship with the man she hoped to marry. If returning to her father’s childhood home eases his grief, Chelle asks for nothing more.

Martin Rainnie understands grief. Since the loss of his wife in childbirth, he’s known little else, except anger. He’s retreated to his farm and turned his back on the world, including his baby daughter, who’s being fostered by Chelle’s relatives. With little Leah drawing them together, Martin begins to wonder if he can love again – and convince Chelle to do the same.

But the war overseas has far-reaching consequences, even in a small English village. Can Martin and Chelle overcome danger, loss, and bitterness to make a home where the heart is?

A rite of passage and a sweet love story, Where the Heart Is takes the reader to nineteenth century England.

Young Rochelle “Chelle” McShannon, uprooted from America and transplanted in her father’s homeland, is in bereavement, not only for her dead mother, but also for the loss of a love that she’d believed was real and true and for her twin brother, Trey, who chose to stay in America.

In the small community of Yorkshire Dale, she runs afoul of the mores of the villagers. Befriending a girl who is an unwed mother is bad enough, but spending two nights helping the precious baby girl Leah get accustomed to a new home with just the baby’s widowed father and a housekeeper in residence is an absolute non-no. Moreover, she danced with said widowed father, Martin Rianne at the community dance; AND he did not dance with anyone else.

Martine Rianne, a successful farmer, still mourns the loss of his wife when baby Leah was born. He had farmed the baby out to live with a wet nurse and never went to see the child. His dead wife’s parents become the bane of his life—antagonists this reader REALLY didn’t like.

Jennie Marsland wove together a short, but heart-touching love story that keeps one turning pages. She shows the reader the plight of the mill workers in the community, the moral corruptness of the ‘straight-laced” people who look down on Chelle, the story of her brother Trey, along with the happy, productive life of her father’s brother’s family. Chelle’s being involved in all these things transforms her.

A good evening’s entertainment!

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