The Witch of the Breton Woods by Jennifer Ivy Walker

August 12, 2024 By 7 Comments


The Witch of the Breton Woods by Jennifer Ivy Walker
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Snapdragon

Traumatized by horrors witnessed during the Nazi invasion of France, a young woman retreats to the dense Breton woods where she becomes a member of the clandestine French Resistance. When she finds a critically injured American paratrooper whose plane was shot down, she shelters the wounded soldier in her secluded cottage, determined to heal him despite the enormous risk. Ostracized by villagers who have labeled her a witch, she is betrayed by an informant who reports to the Butcher-the monstrous leader of the local paramilitary organization that collaborates with the Germans. As the enemy closes in, she must elude the Gestapo while helping the Resistance reunite the American with his regiment and join the Allied Forces in the Battle of Brittany. Can true love triumph against all odds under the oppressive Third Reich?

Survival in occupied France is a struggle, but Yvette has no choice. Her home and her family are destroyed, and she lives with constant fear. The little village of Le Vivier-Sur-Mer houses not just French Resistant fighters, but also Nazi collaborators. She lives by bartering, fishing and taking enormous care. So, discovering a foreign solder is not welcome, and not safe. Even so, Yvette hurries to find him help. Finding this soldier adds to her (and her friends’) danger. Beau’s injuries, as well as his predicament, require ongoing help and Yvette steps up.

From the first moments of their meeting, Yvette is shown as caring and unselfish. The author uses everyday activities to show the dedication of her character. Yvette’s efforts to find food and plan special menus for Beau exhibit not only her generosity, but something more. The food (in such short supply!) becomes a link between them, showing both her caring and his appreciation. It cleverly parallels their relationship.

The reader is distantly aware of the happenings of the war, of atrocities committed, of concerns about what might be next: but in every moment, it is Beau and Yvette and their relationship that is important.

I did not care for the presentation of the bad-guy’s point of view; I did not care to read his thoughts or motivations. I have to admit I have a personal dislike of stepping away from the main characters in any work, so it is possibly not quite a fair complaint here. However, this is my only complaint.

Overall, this is a wonderful, captivating novel, and I highly recommend it.

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Research Can Be Murder by Caryl Janis

July 18, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Research Can Be Murder by Caryl Janis
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Emma Streyt hated to admit she was bored. But her newly retired brother puts an end to that by dropping a stash of old family memorabilia on her doorstep. Cheered on by her best friend, Emma enthusiastically dives into these boxes of antique treasures. But some faded diary pages convince her that century-old jewel thefts— and maybe something worse—are tied in with their past.

Eager to dig deeper into this mysterious puzzle by doing some serious research, she settles into a neglected New York City archive with an eccentric cast of characters. But more sinister matters than history soon unfold there when a fellow researcher is murdered. And Emma’s determination to solve the case makes her a dead-center target for the killer.

This book drew me in from the first few pages. It’s true half of my career was in libraries, but somehow it is the picture of this wonderful old home made into a research study with archival materials that made me so comfortable and want to read on. The author’s description of each studious researcher had me smiling while picturing the coziness of such an institution. Heck, I wanted to go and study there.

Emma, our main character, is at loose ends and while sorting through family papers decides to research a few interesting pieces she finds. It is in this research archive and with these highly motivated bookish people that the real story begins.

My first thought of this story was that there was too much discussion of each scholar’s research, a situation that would surely make for slower reading. Somehow that wasn’t the case. My interest never wavered. It does take the author a long time to mete out the clues. I can’t quite complain about this, because I sure had no idea who the evildoer was until the last couple of chapters.

In summary, an easy read with an author excellent at crafting oddball and occasionally quirky characters combined in a good cozy mystery.

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Waiting For Spring by Sonya Rhen

July 4, 2024 By 2 Comments


Waiting For Spring by Sonya Rhen
Jelly Beans and Spring Things Series
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Returning to belly dance at the annual Kirkland Crocus Parade with the Habibi Nile Dancers, Shayna vows to forget her breakup after last year’s parade and guard her fragile heart. However, her best friend is just as determined to find her a new love interest. Shayna would rather not think about matters of the heart and just concentrate on entertaining the spectators by dancing with her dignity intact. Which is harder than she thought. As the parade participants march on through Kirkland’s quaint downtown streets, the Easter Bunny, her fearless leader, her best friend, an eye-catching drummer, and a jelly-bean-tossing clown, might give Shayna a reason to open her heart…after all, spring is in the air!

Love is everywhere.

There are so many little details that go into organizing even one section of a parade, much less the whole event. I was not expecting the narrator to discuss such matters, but I’m glad she did. It taught me some new vocabulary words and gave me a sneak peek into something I’ve never done. This was also a nice way to get to know the main character better, from her occasional absent-mindedness while preparing for this big day to the exuberant joy she felt while dancing in the Kirkland Crocus Parade.

The chemistry between Shayla and her possible match made my heart flutter. Obviously, parades aren’t exactly the ideal setting for small talk, but there are plenty of nonverbal ways to communicate one’s intentions instead. I enjoyed seeing how many of them the author used in order to build tension and make this reader curious to find out what would happen next.

What a nice ending this short story had! It wrapped up the most important storyline but also left plenty of space for interpretation or even for a possible sequel if Ms. Rhen decides to write one. I must admit that I wondered how she was possibly going to resolve everything when I first began reading. Some of Shayla’s problems felt a little too big for a piece of this size, so it was wonderful to be proven wrong about that.

Waiting For Spring felt like a hug from a new friend. It was so warm and delightful.

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Sunset Ledge by Darlene Deluca

June 25, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Sunset Ledge by Darlene Deluca
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Jack Armstrong lives like a recluse on his Texas ranch. In the difficult years after his wife’s death, he goes through the motions of life and wants to be left alone.

Caroline Tate, a widowed ecology professor, arrives at the ranch for a much-needed break and to take nature photos for her sabbatical project. But relaxing is a challenge when she finds herself at odds with the curmudgeonly cowboy who owns the place.

Jack generally steers clear of the guests, but this time, it’s not so easy. Vivacious Caroline doesn’t fade into the background. This city gal comes with pearls around her neck, a big red flower on her floppy hat, and way too many questions. Her self-assured, adventurous spirit gets under Jack’s skin, and she soon stirs feelings long dormant inside him.

Can a college professor from Nashville find common ground with a reclusive Texas rancher?

Caroline has taken to traveling since losing her husband several years ago, after their only child left home. When she finds herself on sabbatical from work, and looking for a place to reset and unwind she finds herself on a ranch in the wilds of Texas. Not sure what to expect, she sets out taking nature photos for a book she’s working on and ends up making quite the impression!

Jack Armstrong has only ever known ranch life, and that suits him just fine, thank you! Yet, when when he finds himself running into the renter of one of his ranch cabins, he can’t seem to shake the feeling that she’s different from the other women he’s met. The two quickly spark a unique friendship and take readers on a fun adventure of their own!

The characters in this one were fun and the small town near the ranch offered a unique glimpse of small town life along with the fun ranch life experiences Caroline gets to enjoy in her time on the Armstrong Ranch. Things like the snickerdoodle cookies and the town dance added another layer to the charm in this one!

The romance was well paced and fit well with the story. Both Jack and Caroline were previously married and had lost their spouse giving them a bit of common ground, and a more matured sense of what they wanted in a relationship, should they choose to take the risk. Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read.

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Wild Irish Yenta by Joyce Sanderly

May 24, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Wild Irish Yenta by Joyce Sanderly
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Do killers, stock manipulators, and kidnappers stalk the Temple? After the body of Roberto Gomez is discovered in Temple Israel’s parking lot, Patricia Weiss, nee Reilly, exchanges her suburban-mom sneakers for gumshoes to investigate the supposed hit-and-run. Inspired by her police detective dad, Patricia feels compelled to uncover who killed the hardworking custodian and why. Before she can progress with her investigation or work on problems in her difficult marriage to a busy cardiologist, and his controlling Jewish mother, she is plunged into the Temple’s troubles. Her mentor Rabbi Deborah, who has guided Patricia through her own recent conversion to Judaism, disappears after delivering a controversial sermon in support of interfaith marriage. Despite her husband’s concerns, Patricia joins forces with her buddy Brenda. Designating themselves The Yenta Patrol, they unravel the mysteries.

Not everything is as simple as it may first appear to be.

Patricia was a memorable and likeable protagonist. She was insatiably curious about the world around her, and sometimes this led her to making decisions that her cautious husband disagreed with. I appreciated the way the author shared both of their perspectives on what are and are not acceptable risks to take in life. It made sense given the cultural differences between Patricia and Michael, and it also helped me to understand her as a character better. No one is perfect, after all, but this flaw was a good way for the audience to understand where she was coming from and why she assumed the world was a much safer place than her husband did. Novels that encourage readers to pause for a moment and think about the assumptions we all make in life before going on to reveal what happens when two people have opposite reactions to the same situation are part of the reason why I have continued to review books for so many years. Reading and reviewing are excellent ways to explore the world through other perspectives.

As much as I enjoyed learning more about Patricia and her relationships with everyone around her, I struggled with the slow pacing of this book. More time was spent exploring what various members of the synagogue thought about each other than pushing the plot forward with more clues about why Roberto Gomez died or why Rabbi Deborah disappeared. This made it difficult at times for me to remain engaged with the plot since it often took quite a while for the next important twist to be revealed.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed the long process Patricia went through to convert to Judaism. There were classes to attend, holy texts to study, and cultural and religious traditions to start observing. What made it even more interesting to me was to see the wide range of reactions her conversion elicited from other members of her temple, from deep suspicions about her motives to total acceptance and everything in between those two possibilities. There was so much depth and emotion included in those passages that they sped up the reading process for me when they happened despite my earlier criticisms about the pacing.

Wild Irish Yenta kept me guessing.

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Beyond Stonebridge by Linda Griffin

April 22, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Beyond Stonebridge by Linda Griffin
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In this sequel to Stonebridge, it is 1959, and Rynna Wyatt’s abusive husband Jason has fallen to his death after a fight with his bookish, disabled cousin Ted Demeray. The police would like to know exactly what happened, but it’s impossible to tell the whole truth.

Jason’s death doesn’t end his relationship with them. Rynna is pregnant with his child and traumatized by his abuse. She and Ted leave Stonebridge Manor to start a new life in Brenford, where Ted teaches at the university, but Jason’s restless spirit follows and haunts Rynna’s dreams. He wants her back. He wants revenge. And he wants his son. How can Ted and Rynna oppose his claims and finally put him to rest?

The past never truly sleeps.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that highlighted the many social differences between the era this was set in and life in contemporary times. Let me give two examples of what I mean. First, men were not allowed in the delivery room at this point in history and were highly discouraged from supporting their wives earlier in the labor process either. Second, learning anything new took much longer back then than it does now that most people have a smartphone and can look up any topic in a few minutes at most. I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover the rest of the societal changes over the decades and how they affected the storyline in all sorts of ways, but I was intrigued by how such things have shifted over time.

I struggled with the slow pacing of this novel. So much time was spent discussing previous events in the lives of these characters that there wasn’t much forward motion for the storyline until I was more than a hundred pages into it. The paranormal themes took an even longer period of time to appear which surprised me. As happy as I was to reconnect with the characters and as much as I wanted to give this a higher rating, these issues made me hesitant to do so.

The romance was handled nicely. I enjoyed seeing how Rynna and Ted’s relationship had blossomed since I first met them and how they both adjusted to the beginning of their life together. They were a good match who shared the same values and many of the same interests, too. I was glad to see them both finally find some happiness after all of the difficult things they’d previously endured.

This is the second book in a series that I’d strongly recommend reading in order for character and plot development reasons.

Beyond Stonebridge was a thoughtful read.

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Amour In Avignon by Jennifer Ivy Walker

March 19, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Amour In Avignon by Jennifer Ivy Walker
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Adrift and lonely, Lily Greene travels to Provence to spend the summer with her aunt in the sunny south of France. In the vibrant city of Avignon, she meets Ludo and Auguste, two expert fencers who are also local actors performing in the upcoming Festival of Theater where they will present the classical tragedy, Cyrano de Bergerac.

When Lily joins their thespian troupe, portraying the lead female role, she discovers that real life mirrors the play they are rehearsing, for–just as Cyrano and Christian vie for Roxane– Ludo and Auguste become intense rivals for Lily.
Handsome as a Hollywood movie star, Auguste is used to women falling into his bed. But when Lily spurns his amorous advances, drawn instead to the enigmatic Ludo, jealousy drives Auguste to seek revenge.

Will tragedy strike with a cruel twist of fate? Or will love triumph with Amour in Avignon?

Lily has come to Avignon to spend a few months with her bohemian spirited Aunt Agnes. Agnes rents the small apartment above her shop to her paramour’s nephew, Ludo. A young, strong carpenter. Ludo shares the room with his blond friend, Auguste. Lily feels an instant attraction to Ludo, but Auguste is equally smitten with Lily. Can the three of them find what they really want?

I really enjoyed this short story. I felt the pace of both the plot and the romance was really well balanced – fast enough it didn’t feel like it dragged, but slow enough I loved getting to know a bit about Lily, Ludo and Auguste before their relationships tangled together. I strongly felt all three characters were both realistic and relatable and I definitely think most readers will find the appeal of them a good draw into the book. Aunt Aggie was also a delightful free spirit and a great addition to the small cast of characters giving light and vibrancy to the book as a whole.

I thought the author added a lot of wonderful charm and realism into the story that really gave the vibe of sun-drenched Avignon. There were a number of small French customs – the food, the greetings and such – and this really had me feeling like I could immerse myself in the feel of the town and setting. While I did feel the book lacked freshness with the plotline of the theatrical trope’s play mirroring the complicated relationship between Lily, Auguste and Ludo, I also did enjoy that Lily’s actions were quite modern and she stuck to her guns. While there are plenty of stories out there where plays and real life cross over, I was glad Lily made her own decisions and showed a good backbone without being bitchy or overbearing. I feel Lily’s character really should appeal to a wide range of romance readers.

With some delightfully sensual love scenes and the mirroring of a play within the book there was plenty of things going on in this story and I strongly feel it should hold readers attention from start to finish.

Readers who enjoy a sizzling romance with plenty of action, jealousy and an exotic location as the setting should find this quick read a wonderful story to greatly enjoy.

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The Fog Ladies: Date with Death by Susan McCormick

March 13, 2024 By 3 Comments


The Fog Ladies: Date with Death by Susan McCormick
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

The Fog Ladies are at it again, spunky senior sleuths and an overstressed young medical resident solving murders from their elegant apartment building in San Francisco. They join a senior dating group, and romantic intrigue soon turns to murder. Graham Parselle, lady killer extraordinaire, plunges off a cliff on a Senior Singles outing. Did one of his dates pitch him over? Or is Olivia Honeycut’s new beau to blame?

Upon picking this one up, I knew I was in for a fun read. These ladies are a hoot and I loved getting to join them for this exciting mystery! I haven’t read the others, but found that I was able to follow along without trouble and got to know the ladies who formed the group of friends lovingly referred to as ‘The Fog Ladies’ fairly easier regardless, Still, if the others are as much fun as this one, I recommend reading them all, and in order to get the most enjoyment out of the series!

The Senior Singles sound like a fun place to make friends, enjoy outings and events together, and maybe even find that special one. Dating over sixty is no walk in the park, and the Fog Ladies are intrigued when one of them mentions the group. What sounds like harmless fun quickly becomes a quest to find a killer and the ladies are on the hunt!

The humor in this one made this story, and I loved meeting these ladies and getting to join in in the fun at their impromptu meetings! I loved the differing personalities and even enjoyed Sarah and Chantrelle’s special place in the story. And Boris, we can’t forget Boris!

The mystery was intriguing, and I loved unraveling it along with the Fog Ladies! While I did guess the killer before it was revealed, I admit the story kept me guessing for a while which is always a treat in a mystery! I tend to peg the killer pretty early on, so the twists and surprises in this one provided a fun puzzle to unravel.

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Shattered Promises by Linda Trout

March 5, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Shattered Promises by Linda Trout
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

While investigating a plane crash in rural Arkansas, FBI Agent Wade Malone is stunned to find the only woman he ever loved living close by. As a hardened criminal closes in, putting Miranda in the cross-hairs, he’s conflicted on how to protect her, yet keep his well-guarded emotions from resurfacing.

Miranda Johnson loves the life she has carved out as an artist, but she never expected to see her former lover again. Can they reconnect and move past the hurts each inflicted on the other, or will the secret she has kept from him all these years cost them everything?

After nine long years, Randi Johnson finds her life once again thrown into a tailspin! Unexpectedly finding herself face to face with the man who left her without a word nearly a decade ago is just the tip of the iceberg.

This was a quick read, and one that can likely be enjoyed in a sitting or two for most readers. The story was entertaining and grabbed my attention from the opening pages. FBI Agent Wade Malone and Miranda (Randi) Johnson were both interesting characters, and kept the story going. I enjoyed seeing them reacquaint each other after so long a separation, and seeing them both discover the truth about the past they once shared.

The story was good, and the action, suspense, and romance were all well balanced. I did feel like some of the plot points were left open, and the loose threads left me slightly frustrated while reading. The story we do get was fun, but the face that we never really learn about the plane or why and how it went down, among other related loose ends dropped my rating of this one.

The villain also felt like kind of an odd choice to me, as his character seemed to be more or less thrown in to give an otherwise quick moving steamy romance a bit more suspense and thrills along the way, the shared trauma and danger drawing the love interests closer together. While it does serve to make for a quick and exciting read, it left some to be desired as the plot overall left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.

For those who enjoy a quick read with just the right amount of romance with just a hint of spice and a thrilling suspense, this one is probably a great story. I tend to like a little more meat and a slightly more fleshed out story and more of a complex character and plot, but know many enjoy these fast reads. This one hits the spot for a read that can be enjoyed in a couple of sittings and is written in such a way that keeps the reader entertained and engaged from cover to cover!

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

Embracing Amelia by Elaine Violette

January 31, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Embracing Amelia by Elaine Violette
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical, Romance, Holiday
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Lady Amelia Pierce has a forbidden dream: riding in equestrian competitions. When she loses a family ring in the stable, her brother finds her foraging for it in the hay with Lucas Grey, a duke’s bastard son. Amelia’s outraged father sends her to London to salvage her reputation and find a suitable match.

Despite his ignoble birth and rakish reputation, Lucas is much admired for his management of Winston Equestrian Stables. He and Amelia are fascinated by each other. But the missing emerald ring and a viscount’s greed lead to disaster and imprisonment for Lucas. Will scandal and secrets keep him from Amelia forever?

The blurb on this one intrigued me, but it wasn’t until I started reading that I realized how much I was going to enjoy this one! Embracing Amelia by Elaine Violette is a lovely British regency tale that had all the swoon of a regency read, with some added twists that made this one fun and unique! Amelia isn’t your typical heroine, sure she is excited to fulfill her role in planning for the upcoming winter holiday parties, but she also has a secret. She aspires to compete at the horse jumping arena she’s so fond of!

Lucas has a reputation, one he’s quite proud of. At least, in part, but is there more to this broody bachelor than a notorious reputation that follows his every step? When he ends up in the middle of yet another scandal, and this one quite by accident he finds his life and the Lady Pierce’s suddenly become both intriguingly complicated.

Will Amelia be able to salvage her reputation and earn her father’s forgiveness in time to finish the holiday planning? And how will she ever explain the away the fact the Lucan Grey seems to find a way into her already messy life at every turn?

There’s so much I enjoyed about this one, the delightful twists and swoony romance were spot-on! This is a sweet romance that was overall clean. As for language, there were a few minor curse words and a instance or two with innuendos, mostly about past events. There is also one place where Amelia has to run away from an unwelcome advance from another character, but it is vague and dealt with quickly. This is a quick read, and once I started I couldn’t stop reading! I was pulled into their story immediately, and am so glad I got to read their story!

I loved meeting Amelia and Lucas, but also really liked her banter with her Aunt Libby, and meeting Georgette as well! The characters were wonderful and fit so well into this wintery tale! Amelia’s love for horses and Lucas’s devotion to Mr. Winston gave the story a deeper tone that also played beautifully into their story. Such a good read, I definitely recommend this one!

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