The History of China in 50 Events by Henry Freeman

August 20, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The History of China in 50 Events by Henry Freeman
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

☆ Chinese History in 50 Events ☆
As one of the oldest civilizations in the world, China has a vast, rich history. In order to assist with the study of Chinese history, this book has been broken down into a series of straightforward, easy-to-read vignettes.

Inside you will read about…
✓ The Great Flood
✓ The Great Wall is begun
✓ The Terra Cotta Army is created
✓ Gunpowder is invented
✓ Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution
✓ Marco Polo travels to China
✓ The Forbidden City is completed
✓ First Opium War
✓ SARS outbreak
And much more!

This book will provide in-depth insights into some of the most important events in Chinese history while providing an overall context within which these events took place. Designed as an introductory overview of Chinese history, this book is the perfect resource for those who are seeking to expand their knowledge of China and world history.

History lovers will likely appreciate this quick, accessible book about the history of China. Within these pages, readers become enlightened about China, dating back thousands of years. The good part is that this information is compact and straight to the point. You get to the core of the matter.

The topics discussed are chosen for their relevance and familiarity, but even if readers have heard about certain of these subjects, they are sure to learn more interesting aspects about them. Some of the topics brought up are: The Great Wall of China, Confucius, The Terra Cotta Army, the invention of paper, important dynasties, when the Romans first reached China, and many other good themes.

This book is short and an easy read. It is definitely worth the time to advance one’s knowledge in world history. The writing is engaging, not a dry history book, and readers can get through it quickly then feel like they’re taking away something good from the experience.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Elizabeth Barrett & Cupid’s Brooch by Donna Ann Brown

August 13, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Elizabeth Barrett & Cupid’s Brooch by Donna Ann Brown
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Time Travel
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Legend has it Cupid’s Brooch sends you to your one true love…

Actress Liz Barrett, adored by millions, wields Cupid’s Brooch and trades places with Miss Elizabeth Barrett of 1812, a young lady without connections who fears having no choice in whom she must marry.

Either Liz’s rabid fans have made up this crazy story, while Elizabeth suffers what is surely purgatory, or they’ve traded places in time and perhaps even fallen into the arms of their one true love.

But what will Lord Whittington and Dr. Demfry do if fate is determined to switch them back?

This is a delightful time-travel story where the confusion of the protagonists upon transferring to another century are often humorous. Their discovery is realistic and suits their personalities.

Vivid sensory details immerse readers in the scenes, and wonderful historical (or modern-day) minutiae brings these settings to life. The dialogue adds much to put us in the place and time.

The lead character, Liz, is quite critical of the earlier time and its people, judging them by modern standards. She doesn’t try to fit in and has a tendency to be selfish; though she does try to help out others as well. It must be her way, even in someone else’s time. However, Liz is clever and proves this often while she interferes with known history.

The middle of the book switches to another point of view, but it won’t take readers long to figure out what just happened. Elizabeth is a Regency woman trying to adjust to modern-day times. She is charming and likable. The people around her try to figure out if she is mentally ill. Will anyone believe she has truly traveled through time?

In a clever switch-of-bodies scenario, the women go about in the other’s era. This makes for interesting scenarios, while each finds her true love. The points of view of these out-of-time women are refreshingly honest when they face such strangeness.

The book is wrapped up with an informative epilogue. For an engaging time travel story with a great cast of characters, why not give this one a try?

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Vikings’ Sightless Bride by Scarlett J. Rose

August 6, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Vikings’ Sightless Bride by Scarlett J. Rose
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance, Historical
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

After her father’s death, Alfild’s life will change forever…

Being born blind in the time when Vikings had reached the shores of England, she has little to look forward to but a lifetime of service as a nun unless she can find a man to marry and take over the family farm—until she discovers two men with strange accents in her stables.

Who are these two men, and why does her body respond in such a confusing but arousing way when she feels them near her, when their voices carry to her ears, or their scent to her nose? Will she find a new life with Jorgen and Aldric, or will they abandon her to her fate?

Completely alone after her father’s death, Alfild knows her world will become far more difficult. Born blind, she knows her options are limited, though she strongly wishes to remain on her family farm. When Vikings come to conquer their small village Alfild sees her chance to avoid a life in the nunnery.

I really enjoyed this short story. Told by Alfild in the first-person perspective I was initially concerned this would make it difficult to fully grasp Jorgen and Aldric’s characters and intentions. But I was relieved when instead this perspective really helped me appreciate both how lucky and smart Alfild was. Her father had helped set up their little farm in a perfect – and completely historically believable – manner to suit her blindness, using different stones and wood beams so her staff could tap different tones and sounds to lead her in various directions. Seeing the world through Alfild’s sightless eyes was interesting, refreshingly different and educational for me. After reading this short story once I immediately re-read it (something I don’t do very often) to pick up all those smaller aspects I might not have caught on the first reading. The author did an amazing job with this and I found the story and Alfild’s perspective in particular gripping and delightful.

While set long in the past, readers who really love their historical accuracy might need to give a bit of leeway. I feel the author did an excellent job with balancing the actual harsh realities of the historical time period with making the story palatable and readable. I fully understand most Vikings and their actions were not hero material or romantic in the least, but with just a little bit of flexibility in this area I feel the author has kept much of the richness and difficulties of the historical setting alive and accurate, but still softened enough areas to make the story steamy and a delicious read. Personally I really enjoyed the story and setting and feel the author did well with this.

Sensual and steamy, I found Alfild falling for both Aldric and Jorgen to be a little fast-paced, but understandable given her circumstances. Readers looking for a refreshingly different style of story should find this suits their needs wonderfully. I enjoyed both the historical setting and the outlook Alfild being blind gave to the story and romance as a whole. This will definitely be a story I reread a number of times into the future and an author I plan to keep an eye on. Recommended.

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

The Scoundrel’s Wager by Laura A. Barnes

August 5, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Scoundrel’s Wager by Laura A. Barnes
Tricking the Scoundrels, Volume 4
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

A wager on a young lady’s virtue leads to…

She wanted to seek revenge against the gentlemen who ruined her father. He desired to earn her love. Can he strike a new wager to entice her into his arms forever?

Devon Holdenburg cannot remember a time when he hadn’t been in love with Kathleen Beckwith. At his every attempt to court her, she waylaid him with her fiery exchanges. As he kisses the words from her lips, Devon strokes the flames of their passion higher. Can Devon convince Kathleen of his love?

Ever since her family’s ruination, Lady Kathleen Beckwith had set out to expose Devon Holdenburg as a scoundrel to the Ton. However, her mother had different plans by throwing Kathleen in his path at every opportunity. With whispers of seduction and passionate kisses, will Kathleen be able to fight off Devon’s charms?

A few years past, Devon won a wager on Kathleen’s innocence. He only joined the game to protect Kathleen from an evil lord. Kathleen not aware of the true nature of the bet from that game, entices the two lords who destroyed her father into a new game with higher stakes. As their story unfolds, so do the lies and deceit surrounding them. When they place their final wager, will Devon and Kathleen confess their true love? Or will their past leave a cloud of doubt hanging over them forever?

Laura A. Barnes is one of my favorite authors. Every time one of her books appears to review, I’m quick to request it. I’ve read all the books in the Tricking the Scoundrels series. Each one can be read as a standalone but I’d never recommend reading just one. That would be like eating one bite of your favorite dessert. That’s practically a criminal act in my mind!

The synopsis is descriptive therefore if this book sounds appealing to you then I highly suggest reading it. I couldn’t put it down. I long awaited to read Kathleen and Devon’s love story. It didn’t disappoint. Their romance made me want to swoon. Their chemistry was sin worthy. I was delirious when I reached the end of the story and found an epilogue. I couldn’t get enough and wanted more. In fact I felt triumphant when I found out that there is going to be a fifth book! I’m not ready for this cast of characters’ stories to be concluded. I was euphoric when I read that book five will be Belle’s story. Who will be the mystery man that broke her heart? Surely it will be a scoundrel but which one? I haven’t a clue. I have to wait until September.

I’d like to thank Laura A. Barnes for writing wonderful books to escape reality. Everyone has trials and tribulations in life and it’s a blessing when you can depend on a certain author to write a book that allows the reader to find a few hours of enjoyment. I look forward to reading the next story in the series.

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

The Queen’s Man by Sharon Penman

July 28, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Queen’s Man by Sharon Penman
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Epiphany, 1193: the road out of Winchester was hidden by snow, and Justin de Quincy was making slow progress when he heard the first faint shout. It came again, louder and clearer, a cry for help. Spurring his stallion, de Quincy raced toward the source.

But he was already too late. As the two assailants fled, de Quincy cradled the dying man, straining to make out his whispered words. “They did not get it,” he rasped. “Promise me. You must deliver this letter to her. To the queen.”

Eleanor of Aquitaine sits on England’s throne. At seventy, she has outlived the husband with whom she had once scandalized the world. But has she also outlived her favorite, her first-born son? Richard Lionheart, England’s king, has been missing these last months. It is rumored that he is dead. Many think his youngest brother plots to steal the crown. Only Eleanor’s fierce will can keep John from acting on his greed. Only a letter, splattered with the blood of a dying man murdered on the Winchester road, can tell her if Richard still lives.

With the same sure touch she has brought to her historical fiction, Sharon Kay Penman turns to the mystery form. Setting her story in a period she captured brilliantly in earlier novels, she introduces Justin de Quincy. Bastard-born, de Quincy is the son of a high cleric who never acknowledged him, bestowing on the boy–in lieu of name or fortune–only an education. As it happens, it is a gift that will take young de Quincy into the very centers of power–and into the heart of danger, making him the Queen’s man.

Moving from the royal chambers in the Tower of London to the alehouses and stews of Southwark, from the horrors of Newgate Gaol to the bustling streets of Winchester, de Quincy proves his mettle as he tracks a brutal and cunning murderer and uncovers the sinister intrigues of Eleanor’s court.

It’s Epiphany of 1193 and after learning some recent truths that shake up his whole life, Justin De Quincy is at a loss what to do. On the road, he is witness to a brutal killing in what he first assumes is a random robbery. Justin offers the dying man solace and aid – and is given a blood-soaked letter destined for Eleanor of Aquitaine, a missive that will change the course of Justin’s life forever. Now on a highly secret mission for the Queen, with no knowledge of who can be trusted or what path is safest to tread, Justin’s life careens onto a completely different course.

I need to admit up front I’m not a massive reader of Historical stories. Sure, I love some Regency romance (particularly Amanda Quick) when I’m in the mood, and I’ll dabble occasionally in other styles of historical fiction. But I’m usually not keen and find they miss the mark with me. The only other author I generally find an exception to this rule is Sharon Penman. Her epics (particularly the Plantagenet series and the Welsh Princes series) are enormous tomes and well, well worth the time and effort to read them through carefully. Here Be Dragons is still one of my favorite books ever.

All that gushing aside, Penman tends to write enormous books that take a large effort to read. Her Queen’s Man series (four regular sized novels) are a marked difference and in some instances a welcome relief. These stories are much more digestible, they’re a regular paperback length and best of all they are basically a regular Medieval Mystery style of story. For readers just wanting a spot of historical fiction they are ideal and an excellent way to be introduced to Penman’s excellent characterizations and writing style.

The historical setting and accuracy are still very strongly woven through the stories – readers wanting a clean, wholesome and “whitewashed” style of history setting won’t find that here. There are public hangings, lepers and beggars and plenty of treachery and political intrigue. Penman does not tone down her style or historical details just to make the story more palatable for readers wanting a sweet and happy reading escape – but neither does she dwell or give too much gruesome detail to this harsh and often uninviting time period. I feel she makes an excellent balance between what were the realities of the time and a reader wanting a good read.

The plot itself is fairly standard. The Queen charges Justin after reading the missive into investigating the death he witnessed and seeing if there was deeper treachery lurking behind the seemingly simple murder-robbery. The real joy – aside from the exceptional detail to history and day-to-day life and realities that the book shares – is in the vibrant cast of characters and how they all slot together. Penman has managed to condense the joy and addictive qualities of her enormous epics into a bite-sized regular paperback sized story and I love this series simply because it’s so much easier to access.

Readers looking for a realistic and exceptionally researched and detailed historical novel with a solid mystery and a slew of royal and political shenanigans should find this story exceptional. I also adored the strong cast of characters and found the plot – while not overly taxing – to be engaging and well paced. Recommended.

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

A Duke Too Far by Jane Ashford

July 28, 2020 By Leave a Comment


A Duke Too Far by Jane Ashford
The Way to a Lord’s Heart Book 4
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

This heart of mine cannot be mended…

Peter Rathbone, Duke of Compton, is mourning the loss of his sister Delia, but the work of keeping his family’s deteriorating estate afloat is never done. When Miss Ada Grandison, a close friend of his sister, arrives with a mysterious letter that she claims holds the secret to saving the family home, Peter is skeptical to say the least…and his life is about to get even more complicated.

This one is mine to help heal…

Ada is eager to do whatever she can to help the Rathbones. She brings clues that Delia claimed would change everything for the family and that lead Ada and Peter on a hunt to unravel the past. But they’ll have to face their painful memories—and their true feelings for each other—to discover the truth.

They were connected by loss and drawn down the same path by a mystery. Peter and Ada will have several obstacles, both literal and emotional, to overcome before they find their HEA but I could tell it was going to be so very worth it.

Peter is the last of the London gentlemen that Earl of Macklin is determined to see settled. This matchmaker has seen some beautiful success in his last three adventures so there was no doubt he’d make this stubborn Duke and his late sister’s best friend see that they were made for each other. It wasn’t a difficult argument to convince sweet Ada, she’d been attracted to the Duke for years. The Duke was a whole other matter. Bitterness and disappointment have a way of blinding a person to what’s right in front of them.

I liked that this wasn’t insta love. They had to get to know each other on a deeper level and trust was a big part of that. The build up is a slow burn. I would have liked for the pacing to not have been quite so slow but it was worth the read to finish the book.

Ms. Ashford introduced several new possible future heroines with this book. I would like to see them explored and allowed their own adventures. Ada’s aunt was fun, too.

Readers who enjoy a good mystery with a lovely dose of romance may enjoy Peter and Ada’s story. The Earl of Macklin’s quest is complete with this book but I could easily imagine this world expanding and the lives of those he brought together building and growing.

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

The Reincarnation of Tom by Aden Simpson

July 27, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Reincarnation of Tom by Aden Simpson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tom was a daydreaming office schlub. What will he be like as a chicken, cow, tiger, tree and Austrian art teacher from 1896?

Napoleon was a pig with dreams of revolution. What will he be like as Joseph Stalin?

Shirley was a zoo keeper with a big heart and a weakness for helping others. When will she learn?

Sal was a cop. Then a cop. Then a cop several times after that. What will he be like as the leader of a coalition sworn to hunt Tom for the rest of his lives?

What would you do differently if you knew every one of your deeds was being carefully recorded and judged?

Tom’s character development was marvelous. He was a deeply flawed man when the audience first met him in the first scene. Honestly, I completely understood why his subsequent lifetime wasn’t a human one based on how much bad karma he accrued when he was Tom the person. The only thing better than getting to know him was seeing how slowly and unevenly he evolved from that point. Just like us real people, he made plenty of mistakes in his many lifetimes. Sometimes he’d seem to learn a lesson only to reveal that it hadn’t sunk in after all. In other cases, he surprised me with his personal growth in areas that I expected him to continue messing up in. It was delightful to watch him change and keep trying to become a better soul no matter how often he missed he mark.

There were several subplots in this book that wove in and out of the narrative depending on what was currently happening to Tom and how well he was following the rules that might eventually allow him to return to his original life again. I deeply enjoyed seeing how they all tied together. Sometimes their bonds were so tight that it was hard to separate them all out again, while in other sections the audience was given much more time to tease out the new developments in all of them. These changes always felt natural to me as a reader no matter how things were panning out.

I was thrilled with the world building. While some of the main character’s lifetimes involved creatures that were barely even aware of humanity at all, many of them were much more interested in how the system of reincarnation worked in this universe and what someone can do to be reborn into an easier life next time around. The more I learned about how it all worked, the more I wanted to find out! This became even more true once Tom’s main source of conflict with the ones who oversaw it all was revealed and developed.

The Reincarnation of Tom was a delightful tale that should be read by anyone who loves the science fiction genre or who wonders what it would be like to live many lifetimes.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Dangerous Liberty by Mary Sheeran

July 20, 2020 By Leave a Comment


A Dangerous Liberty by Mary Sheeran
Women of Destiny Series
Publisher: Prairie Rose Publications
Genre: Historical, Romance, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Alstroemeria

World-renowned composer and pianist Elisabeth Winters returns to the United States from Europe only to discover her life is in terrible danger. Though she wants nothing but to perform her concerts, she finds herself embroiled in layers of political and personal turmoil that have intertwined through the years she’s been abroad. The stakes are high—her life is in certain jeopardy.

When she meets handsome William de la Cuesta under odd circumstances, she can’t deny her immediate feelings of trust. Yet, there is something that disturbs her about him, as well…a memory she can’t quite grasp. How can she trust someone she doesn’t know—someone like de la Cuesta, who could have everything to gain by her murder? Does she have a choice?

As Elisabeth invokes controversy on many levels, her world becomes even more chaotic with the treachery she discovers taking place in her own inner circle. As the daughter of a prominent senator who was murdered many years before, she takes up the causes he fought and died for—and discovers those powerful men who killed him are now out for her blood, as well.

In a post-Civil War America, can one woman fight to vanquish the same injustice her father battled? Elisabeth believes she can—for love of family, country, and William de la Cuesta—the love of her life— taking the risk of A DANGEROUS LIBERTY is worth everything!

A Dangerous Liberty challenged me. A novel that is supposed to wrap you up in the injustices of America’s past has instead artfully reflected that of our present. Fighting for liberties and freedoms for different races and genders, this is the kind of novel that could wake society up about our not so distant indiscretions and failings.

The language in this novel is so poignant and clear that it has reached out of the pages and grasped hold onto my mind like a vice. And even through this revolutionary rhetoric, we find undeniable love. William de la Cuesta and Elisabeth Winters are characters that resonate deeply with an aching world. Their own lives within the story are painted with many painful memories that hold them back from their true desires, but they have not held them back from trying to change the world around them for the better.

Watching two main characters setting their lives on the backburner for the greater good of the rest of their society is truly unique, and the tension created within this dynamic is incredibly tantalizing. The differing perspectives on each situation is enlightening and delightfully frustrating when the two are together but not hearing one another’s thoughts.

Elisabeth Winters is an ethereal beauty and extraordinarily talented, but it is her voice of reason and her resilience that are her true strengths. William de la Cuesta is devastating in form and stature, but his beauty comes in second to his righteousness as a character who will stop at nothing to right the wrongs of the past, while making moves strategically in a land that hardly accepts him.

While reading and waiting for the explosive love story to unfold, I was enriched with the wisdom of generations before me fighting for many of the same things we fight for today. Waiting for the work day to end so that I could get in a few precious hours of unwrapping this incredibly woven story, was possibly one of my greatest works of patience that I have performed to date.

Mary Sheeran has taken the genre of Historical Romance and created something timeless, while also extending a narrative that reaches far more than the tender places of the heart. A Dangerous Liberty is completely engaging, and it entirely encompasses its readers in thought. Pages filled with incredible longing for everything that is just beyond grasp, this novel keeps you running along Elisabeth in the Sierra’s, clinging to hope and the promise of changes yet to come.

Do not pass up the chance to experience this novel. It has all the elements of mystery, romance, intrigue, and historical significance that one could hope for, and it does not leave you wanting. An enamoring read from start to finish, A Dangerous Liberty is not a novel to be taken for granted, and it is certainly not one that will be forgotten.

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

Bonfyre by Becky Brinkley

July 17, 2020 By 2 Comments


Bonfyre by Becky Brinkley
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Bonfyre, a little red convertible, mysteriously changes the lives of its drivers. Bonfyre sparks Suzanne into finding the courage to escape and ignites Becca’s heart to risk love again. Stacy stops a stalker and Dorothy finds a reason to go on. Bonfyre drives Rachael to overcome her phobia and inflames Grandy’s desire to expand her horizons. Tracy creates a red-hot masterpiece and Amber leaves her smoldering secrets behind. Bonfyre! The sisterhood of the traveling convertible.

It’s never too late to start fresh in life.

This book regularly introduced new human characters as Bonfyre was bought and sold over and over again. I loved getting to know all of the women who knew this car no matter how short or long their times together happened to be. Each one of them was coming from a unique set of circumstances that influenced how they reacted to this car. I won’t mention any specific names, but I should note that some of their backstories included sensitive material such as domestic violence and stalking for any readers who prefer not to be surprised by these subjects.

It would have been nice to have more character development. While the various women who owned Bonfyre did make changes in their lives, there wasn’t as much time devoted to exploring why these changes happened as I would have liked to see. Given the wide variety of problems they dealt with, this was surprising. There was so much space here to show how ordinary people can transform their lives in marvellous ways, but it wasn’t explored very deeply at all.

Some of the best scenes involved acts of true human kindness. Whether the characters involved in it had been friends for years or had met five minutes beforehand, it was heartwarming to see just how far they’d go to help someone who desperately needed it without any expectation of reciprocation or reward. That’s something I could read about all day and never grow tired of. It’s so wholesome.

The other thing I would have liked to see developed more fully were the conflicts in this tale. As mentioned earlier, these characters dealt with pretty serious issues in many cases. It came as a surprise to me see how quickly and easily their problems were solved. While it happened more than once, this was especially true when it came to the domestic violence subplot. As much as I wish we all lived in a world where abuse could be permanently resolved this fast, knowing that this generally isn’t the case pulled me out of the storyline because of how unrealistic it is for most victims.

I enjoyed the fact that the paranormal elements were allowed to simply exist without the need to dig into how they worked or why they attached themselves to a convertible. Bonfyre was an incredibly special vehicle that brought good things into the lives of everyone who owned it. Sometimes readers really only need a basic understanding of why impossible things are happening, and this was one of them.

Bonfyre should be read by anyone who loves seeing storylines tied up neatly and happily.

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

Tightrope by Amanda Quick

July 16, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Tightrope by Amanda Quick
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

An unconventional woman and a man shrouded in mystery walk a tightrope of desire as they race against a killer to find a top secret invention in this New York Times bestselling novel from Amanda Quick.

Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn moved to Burning Cove to reinvent herself, but things are not going well. After spending her entire inheritance on a mansion with the intention of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast, she learns too late that the villa is said to be cursed. When the first guest, Dr. Norman Pickwell, is murdered by his robot invention during a sold-out demonstration, rumors circulate that the curse is real.

In the chaotic aftermath of the spectacle, Amalie watches as a stranger from the audience disappears behind the curtain. When Matthias Jones reappears, he is slipping a gun into a concealed holster. It looks like the gossip that is swirling around him is true—Matthias evidently does have connections to the criminal underworld.

Matthias is on the trail of a groundbreaking prototype cipher machine. He suspects that Pickwell stole the device and planned to sell it. But now Pickwell is dead and the machine has vanished. When Matthias’s investigation leads him to Amalie’s front door, the attraction between them is intense, but she knows it is also dangerous. Amalie and Matthias must decide if they can trust each other and the passion that binds them, because time is running out.

This was a refreshing read. It’s classic Amanda Quick – a strong heroine, Gothic-like hero, a mystery to solve and hints of otherness to make a reader wonder if it’s coincidence or supernatural senses. This novel may feel comforting for fans of the author, because if a reader is looking forward to the elements that make reading an Amanda Quick suspense mystery fun and entertaining, they’re all there to enjoy.

This is the first historical novel I’ve read by the author that takes place in a time period other than Regency. It’s more like the early thirties because the Crash is mentioned; I guess that qualifies as early 20th Century. The Jones family is going strong and getting into just as much trouble as their ancestors used to. Again, the novel has that feeling of continuity because the Jones’s family talents still make it hard to find that perfect woman who can complete them, who won’t run away screaming or having a hissy fit because they don’t fit into a clear societal mold. The heroine, Amalie, is wonderfully perfect for the hero, Matthias, because she’s a bit different too. Not so much in the ‘other’ factor, but because of her career. I don’t believe I have ever read a story where the love interest is a trapeze artist. I was fascinated.

I was delightfully puzzled as to who the bad guy could be. There were layers of motive and possibilities to choose from and it’s safe to share that all my guesses were wrong. How fun!

I would have rated my review higher if there were any surprising, jaw-dropping, Oh-my-gosh Wow moments, but alas, I didn’t find any stunners. I’m still a happy reader because the book provided just what I needed; what I was looking forward to and hoped the author delivered. She did. I needed pure escapism and Ms. Quick took me on a grand adventure.

This novel is enjoyable, entertaining, and has the requisite happy ending with a delightful mystery solved in efficient fashion. I enjoyed the romance between Amalie and Matthias and its culmination. Tightrope is well worth reading.

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