The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I probably shouldn't use the word delightful when describing a murder mystery, but this book was delightful.

This story takes place in the late 1800s, and it was such a fascinating time in history and Ms. Allen did a great job of creating the setting and what life would have been like back then, especially for women who were gaining more rights and freedoms. Amelie such a likable and endearing heroine. She is a Woman of Independent Means, working at her aunts newspaper and living in her own apartment. She is innocent in a lot of ways, but savvy and witty. Our hero, the serious and handsome Detective Michael Baker is also very likable and it as fun to see this hardened detective melt around Amelie. They were really cute together!

I dont read a whole lot of mysteries, but I thought this one was well done. I loved the setting and how everything played out. Kept me engaged and turning the pages. I like the supporting cast a lot and hope Ms. Allen will make this a series and write about Amelie's cousins.

Content PG13 for mild violence
Romance: Kissing
Language: None
Violence: Plot surrounds a murder investigation(s), a kidnapping & attack, nothing overly graphic or gory.

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Royally in Trouble by Jenny Jones

Royally in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Super Cute!

This is my type of cozy mystery!

Small-town charm
Mystery that keeps me guessing
Likable and realistic heroine
Swoony leading man
Endearing and quirky supporting characters
Witty dialog that gives me a chuckle

Sure, I would have liked out leading man to have a bit more page time with our heroine, but the time he does show up...swoon! These two have Chemistry! I also liked that even though its been ages since I've read the first book, I could dive right into this one and not miss a thing. I love when books in series can stand well on their own.

I don't read a lot of mystery, and haven't read too many cozy mysteries. If they were all like this I would though. While the focus is more on our heroine, Paisley and the mystery she is thrown into, there are some nice side stories going on to keep things well-rounded. I thought it was well written, have a nice pace, lots of funny dialogue and a mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Highly recommend this series.

Content
Romance: Clean, swoony kisses
Language: None
Violence: Mild - murder mystery, a couple attacks - nothing graphic

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How to Kiss a Billionaire by Cami Checketts

How to Kiss a Billionaire by Cami Checketts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun!

This was a fun contemporary romance with a touch of suspense. Miriam goes into hiding when her ex boyfriend Greg starts stalking her. Her father is worried about her and asks her old high school friend, Clay Browning, to watch over her until they can catch her ex. Miriam always had a crush on Clay, but he's a ladies man and she wants to be with someone she can trust. Clay always had a crush on Miriam, but she chose Greg over him and he never got over that. Now they're thrown together and the chemistry is off the charts! They try and fight their feelings, but when they're forced to spend so much time with each other and realize how much they enjoy each others company they can't help me explore their feelings.

I enjoyed this one, kept me engaged, I liked the characters and their swoony chemistry. Just a touch of suspense, more focus on H/h relationship. Very little Christmas elements, but it does take place during December and Christmas is mentioned in passing a couple times. Overall, a good read, well written and fun story.

Content
Romance: Clean, kissing. Talk of waiting for marriage and past relationships
Language: None
Violence: Mild, nothing graphic
Religious: None
Series: Standalone, part of Billionaire Beach Romance series

Source: Kindle Unlimited

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Rodeo Rescuer by Lynette Eason

Rodeo Rescuer by Lynette Eason
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Starts out very exciting, sucked me in and definitely had me wanting to find out what was going on. our main character Tonya is on the run, hiding from her ex-boyfriend turned stalker. After he attempted to kill her, he was locked up but for some reason got out of jail and started stalking her again, forcing her into hiding. The book picks up a few years later when Tonya has established a new life and successful career. Somehow her stalker has tracked her down and wants to finish the job, once and for all.

I enjoyed the overall idea for this one and loved the rodeo setting. I went to my very first rodeo just a couple months ago and absolutely loved it. I loved seeing behind-the-scenes and having the story based around a rodeo. While I loved the setting and plot idea, the execution didn't quite do it for me. Tonya was a likable enough character, but she had so many near misses it seemed a little over the top. Seth was just okay for me, I never really felt that much romantic chemistry between the two. I think the suspense angle could have been developed a little better.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and look forward to trying more of Ms. Eason's books.

Content
Romance: Clean. Mild kissing
Language: None
Violence: Mild. Attempted murder (a few different times, not graphic)
Religious: Very mild
Series: Wranglers Cove, Book Two. I haven't read the first book, and thought this stood well on its own. This does talk about who the bad guy was in book one though.

Source: Netgalley

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The Secret of Secrets Series by Stephanie Connelley Worlton

The Secret of Secrets

This was a fun series, each book is a little under 100 pages so I'd recommend just reading them all together as one book. Samantha works for the NSA as a hacker and stumbles upon something she shouldn't. To protect her, they send her into hiding. Under a new identity she continues to work on her project and ends up falling for the handsome neighbor next door. Seth may be handsome and seems almost too good to be true. When the truth comes out and his motives revealed Samantha is left picking up the pieces. Time passes and Samantha just can't let Seth go and starts digging around to find out who he really is. After tracking him down she jumps on a plane and goes after him.

Sounds fun, right? Well, it was. I really liked the idea for this series and while I did enjoy the story I think it could have been a little better. If it had been written as one full-length novel we could have had a little more character and plot development. I go into a little more detail on my Goodreads reviews, but I'll just leave it that I thought it was a fun, light romantic suspense. Nice if you have a couple hours and want to escape for a bit. Of the three, I think the first book was the best. Grabbed my attention and had a fun storyline. 

Thrills & Chills Reading Challenge 2017

I have totally been in the whole mystery-suspense reading mood lately so it's perfect timing to join the Thrills and Chills reading Challenge over at New LDS Fiction. This challenge starts today, I did read that the host has been under the weather so there may be a slight delay, but I'm starting my reading today.

What do we read in October?

Books with thrills and chills and things that go bump in the night, of course! This includes Mystery/Suspense, Action/Adventure, and all kinds of Speculative Fiction—for all ages, from Middle Grade to Adult. Every Thrills & Chills* novel by an LDS author that you read and/or review from the genre categories listed below, can earn points to win more books. All you do is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter Points page, then wait to win! (No blog needed!)

Mystery/Suspense: Traditional Who-Done-It • Suspense • Psychological Thrillers • Crime Drama • Police Procedurals • Private Investigators • Political Intrigue • Legal & Medical Thrillers • Techno Thrillers • Amateur Sleuths • Cozies

Speculative: Science Fiction • Alien Invasion • Cyberpunk • Dystopian • Post-Apocalyptic • Epic Fantasy • Sword & Sorcery • Fairy Tales & Folk Tales • Myths & Legends • Urban Fantasy • Paranormal • Contemporary Fantasy • Time Travel • Magic • Superheroes • Steampunk • Space Opera • Magical Realism • Horror • Alternate History • Dark Fantasy

Action/Adventure: War & Military • Survival Stories • Pirates • Sea Adventures • Spies

Other: Romantic Suspense & Speculative Romance (if SUSPENSE or SPECULATIVE is the main storyline, and the romance is the supporting storyline)

Since I love making lists, here's the one's I'm hoping to read this month. Not all of them are from LDS authors, but I'll only be entering the LDS authors in the challenge. Lots of fun, spooky reading to  look forward to!

Blog Tour: A Cowboy to Keep by Karen Rock

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

A Cowboy to Keep

by Karen Rock
Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
February 7th 2017 by Harlequin

Can't stop running from the past

Dani Crawford has a secret…and if bounty hunter Jackson Cade finds out, he could ruin everything. The scarred yet handsome cowboy has tracked a dangerous criminal to the dude ranch Dani manages, and to get rid of Jack she'll have to help him catch his man. But the closer they get to cornering their quarry the more Dani wants Jack to stay. Spending time with him is making her long for things she can never have thanks to a past mistake. And if the truth comes out she may be spending her future behind bars rather than safe in her cowboy's arms…

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo
Book Depository│Harlequin

My Review

I really enjoyed this one. I thought the plot and setting were a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the characters of Dani and Jack. Both have troubling pasts that they're trying to get over and neither are looking for romance. They have great chemistry together, I enjoyed their playful teasing. I also loved how Dani was able to see past Jack's gruffness to the good mad underneath. I really enjoy contemporary westerns and this had an added mystery that kept things interesting. Overall, I thought I really enjoyed this one. I thought the plot and setting were a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the characters of Dani and Jack. Both have troubling pasts that they're trying to get over and neither are looking for romance. They have great chemistry together, I enjoyed their playful teasing. I also loved how Dani was able to see past Jack's gruffness to the good mad underneath. I really enjoy contemporary westerns and this had an added mystery that kept things interesting. Overall, I thought this was a fun contemporary romance. I hear it's the start of a new series and I can't wait to read more!

About the Author

In a quest to provide her ELA students with quality reading material, educator Karen Rock read everything out there and couldn't wait to add her voice to the genre. In addition to her work as a Young Adult romance novelist, she's now an author for Harlequin's Heartwarming line and thrilled to pen stories that moms can share with their teenage daughters. She's loved Harlequin books since she spent summers going through her grandmother's Presents books that she passed along in paper grocery bags each year. As half of the writing duo J.K. Rock, Karen also pens young adult romance. When she's not busy writing, Karen enjoys scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother's family recipes, reinventing her gardens to suit her moods and occasionally rescuing local wildlife from neighborhood cats. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, her very appreciated beta-reader daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels, who have yet to understand the concept of "fetch" though they know a lot about love. For more information about Karen's upcoming books, check out her website.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Tumblr│Pinterest

  

   

Tour Schedule

February 4th: Launch
February 5th:
Christy's Cozy Corners
underneath the covers
Rockin' Book Reviews
Katie's Clean Book Collection
Bookworm Nation
February 6th:
I Am A Reader
Nicole's Book Musings
With Love for Books
Reading Is My SuperPower
Urban Book Reviews
Mythical Books
February 7th:
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium
Hearts & Scribbles
Brooke Blogs
Okie Dreams Book Reviews
Falling Leaves
February 8th:
Paulette's Papers
Getting Your Read On
Thoughts of a Blonde
Becky on Books
Book Reviews
Heidi Reads...
February 9th:
Fire and Ice Book Reviews
Mel's Shelves
Lola's Reviews
Zerina Blossom's Books
Anny Books
February 10th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

- 1 winner will win the above Prize Pack: 7 Paperbacks & a $50 Amazon Gift Card (US only)
- 1 winner will their choice of an ebook of one of Karen's backlisted titles (open internationally)
- Ends February 14th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Walk of Infamy by Sharalyn Pratt

Walk of Infamy by Sheralyn Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was really excited to hear about this one. I enjoyed Ms. Pratt’s Rhea Jensen series and was looking forward to this conclusion (If you haven’t read that series, no worries this stands well on its own), I’m also a big fan of her new Pimpernel series and was a little giddy to see how these two tie into each other (this is a prequel to that series). Again, this stands well on its own if you haven’t read either series, but after reading this I’m sure you’ll want to check them out.

This is a great book if you’re looking for some excitement and adventure. This will definitely keep you on your toes and keep you on the edge of your seat. I love Rhea, she is a tough character, very smart and kind. She is loyal and really tries to do the right thing. This book really adds a lot to her character and background. Overall, just a fun read.

Content: Clean romance, mild innuendo. Mild violence - mention of rape, no language


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Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt

Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loads of swoony fun!

It may have taken me a little while to get into this one, but then everything clicked and I couldn't put it down. Claire is a genius and has OCD, when she finds out her mentor and professor has been arrested she'll do anything she can to help clear his name. She doesn't understand quite how deep the waters run though.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'll have to keep this review on the shorter side. I ended up really liking Claire. I wasn't quite sure I could handle her POV at the beginning, but it was good to see things from her OCD perspective. I loved Jack and when we were in his POV. I also loved his team and how they were so loyal and worked so well together. I loved the two together, lots of tension and great chemistry.

The story was a lot of fun and moved along at a nice pace. There were a few surprises along the way and even though I wasn't quite sure how things would wrap up, I ended up being very happy. Everything is wrapped up nicely, but I sincerely hope this becomes a series, so much potential and so many characters I'd love to see again and especially see their HEAs.

Overall, a super fun read and one I'd easily recommend!

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Mild

*This has been nominated for a 2016 Swoony Award, you can vote for it here.

Source: Received review copy in exchange for honest review.

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Everard Legacy by Regina Scott

This was a fun new regency series, one that you would definitely want to read in order. There is an overlapping mystery throughout and you may be a little lost if read out of order. Each book also has a lovely romance that really outshines the mystery aspects. It did feel at time that the mystery was there to help bring the characters together. I read these more for the relationship than for the mystery. The first three books focus on the story of three men, two brothers and a cousin. They all at one point in their lives came to live with their uncle and are very close. They are brought together again when their uncles dies under mysterious circumstances, but also when they find out he had a daughter they never knew about. The first three books of the series focuses on uncovering the truth behind their uncles death. The last book takes place about eight years later, but has strong ties to the first three books. It is probably the only one that could really stand on its own, but would probably be better appreciated if read in order.

Overall, I thought it was a fun series. I liked each of the different romances and thought we were given some very likable characters. It was fun to see the different couples come together. I especially liked the last book, it was nice to see how close everyone was. These would fall under Christian fiction, to be honest, I kind of skipped some of the preaching stuff and all of the prayers were in italics (which were easy to skip). Not that there is anything wrong with that stuff, but I prefer to have good characters without the obvious preaching. It was pretty mild compared to some and again easy to overlook if you don’t like that stuff, but also well done if you do.

Content: Clean

Reading Order:
Book One: The Rogue’s Reform
Book Two: The Captain’s Courtship
Book Three: The Rakes Redemption
Book Four: The Heiress Homecoming

Variant by Robinson Wells

Synopsis: Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life. He was wrong. Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive. Where breaking the rules equals death. But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape--his only real hope for survival--may be impossible.

Review: I keep jumping around on what I should rate this. If I overanalyze it I would give it a three, but since I did enjoy it and it totally kept me interested I have to go with four stars. I liked the story, I thought it was original. I thought the story progressed well, for me I was never bored or thought things were moving too slowly. In fact, I was sucked in right from the start and thought it had a fun eerie vibe to it that made you want to keep reading. Some have called this a “boy book” and I can see where they get that. It’s told entirely from our main character Benson’s perspective, is somewhat violent and has little to no romance. By the end I still didn’t feel like I had really connected with Benson. I liked him, I was glad that he wasn’t just submitting like so many others had, but there was just something missing for me. I think a little romance would have really gone a long way here. What little was in the book felt flat, unreal, and lacked chemistry. Benson didn’t act like a guy in that regard. I’ve read plenty of books with male POV, and it can be really fun to see a guy fall in love with a girl, and this book was missing that fun element. Like others have said, there are a few twists and a huge cliffhanger ending. I wasn’t too surprised with the twists, but was a little disappointed that some of my questions still weren’t answered by the end. The ending was way too abrupt. I can see why an author would enjoy having a huge shocker ending, but I need a little more closer and a few more answers. I’ll definitely be reading the next book though.

I saw on the author’s blog that this is actually only a two-part series and the next book, Feedback, is scheduled to come out around October 2012!

Welcome to Salt Lake City by Sheralyn Pratt

Synopsis: Deciding to go "off grid" for a while, Rhea Jensen can think of no better place to disappear than Utah. She settles into a quiet Mormon lifestyle—unless you count the skydiving, racecar driving, mountain climbing, and overly obsessive workouts. But when her best friend, Kay, tips her off to a stalking case, Rhea takes the job out of sheer boredom. Only then does Rhea realize two things—first, being good is hard; and second, she knows way too much to get out of the PI game. Everyone's favorite private investigator is back in this second installment of the Rhea Jensen Series by Sheralyn Pratt. Packed full of new mysteries, new relationships, and all of Rhea's old habits, Stalk Lake City will hold you hostage from the very first page.

Review: This is the second book in the Rhea Jensen series. While I still loved the book, I don’t know if I liked it as much as the first. I think I want a tad more romance. Other than that, it was great. Pratt writes a fun, engaging mystery. I liked that it was about stalkers (which is what my thesis was on in college). I thought Pratt did a good job in that regard, very realistic. I liked Rhea a lot, she is a great heroine. I didn’t fall for her new love interest right way, but he really grew on me. I would have liked a little more interaction between the two. I’m not sure I bought their ending, there needed to be a little more time spent with the two characters to build up more chemistry, IMO. I want to know more about how they met and what their relationship was like before the story picks up in the book (why was Rhea in a bar if she is a new convert? Why did he kiss her? Why did he decide to stop drinking and sleeping around?). I was just left with too many questions when it came to him.

I'm glad in this book that we find out a lot more about Ben, I like how things were handled, but at the same time would have liked Rhea to be a little more upset about their situation. She was too understanding. I would have been pretty mad and hurt if I had been in her place and I wanted to see more of that. Maybe she wasn’t mad because she wasn’t as in love with him as she thought? Anyway, the story moves along well, the culprit isn’t who I thought it would be. Actually, I wanted a little more explanation where that went. More of a motivation, how they got some of their information, etc. There are at least two more books in the series and I can’t wait to jump in!

City Limits by Sheralyn Pratt

Synopsis: In the third installment of the Rhea Jensen series, Rhea's best friend Kay McCoy moves to Salt Lake City to keep a closer eye on Rhea, and Rhea worries that Kay wants things to go back to the way they were in Los Angeles - clubbing, dancing, and men. But when Rhea agrees to do a simple, harmless favor for Kay, she unwittingly sets off a series of events that ends up with a secret society appearing right at her door. The stakes are higher than ever - solving the case means more than just collecting her weekly paycheck. This time, it's a matter of life and death.

Review: I really enjoy this series. I really like Rhea and Kay. I like that they help each other out and enjoy their close friendship. This installment has plenty of action and not a dull moment. It moves along quickly and you have to keep turning the pages to find out what will happen next. I do wish we had a little more background on Rhea. The first couple of books she’s just a cool PI, but this time around she is like a Super-PI. Maybe her background will be brought up in the next book, but at times I felt a little lost in this one. The bad guy seemed to come out of the blue and seems it will take the series in a totally different angle than just a cool PI solving mysteries. So, while I totally enjoyed the story and will keep reading the series I’m only giving this one three stars because I was just a little lost in this one. Besides not knowing more about Rhea’s past, there are a couple other reasons holding me back from really loving this one.

First, the relationship with Ty and Rhea, I just don’t buy it. I don’t really know who Ty is and what purpose he has besides being Rhea’s “trophy-boy” who looks good and is there occasionally to lend moral support. I think their relationship is just too private. I didn’t get to be there for when they first met, or the three months leading up to them dating. I missed the four weeks they are dating and any important conversations they might have had. I think Ty’s past is brushed over too much and it’s too easily accepted that he’s “changed”. I don’t really know what he was like before and I just have a vague idea of who he is now. In my mind, they don’t know each other near well enough (or long enough) to be making the kind of commitments they are talking about making. And, he just seems kind of useless compared to Rhea, almost pathetic. Like he’s the old-fashioned wife who is told to stay at home while the “man” takes care of business. I’m all for a kick-butt heroine that is smart and can take care of herself. But, at the same time I’m kind of traditional and like my men to be men and women to be feminine. I wouldn’t mind Rhea being a little more feminine and actually have Ty be more manly and maybe help her out a bit more, instead of being the obedient and disapear into the background when trouble comes knocking.

Secondly, the first couple of books there is a nice side story of Rhea joining the LDS church. I was a little lost in this book, and I guess so was Rhea. I was left wondering why she even bothered to join? It seems like she is kind of negative about the church and even the members, especially poor Andy (why are they so mean to Andy? Making fun of his clothes, car, etc. They think he is judgmental, but really I think Ty, Kay and Rhea are the ones being judgmental). There wasn’t as much of the church stuff in this book, it seems like it was just pushed to the back burner. I’m left wondering why she joined if she is going to be so blasé about it and not really commit.

The Rhea Jensen Series:
Book One: City of Angels
Book Two: Welcome to Salt Lake City
Book Three: City Limits
Book Four: Kay'sVille

A Clever Disguise by Kathleen Fuller

Genre: Regency Romance

Publication Date: December 2008

One Word Review: Okay

Author Website: www.kathleenfuller.com

GoodReads Synopsis: For years, Michael Balcarris has loved Emily Dymoke from afar. However, because of his secret profession, he is unable to admit his feelings for her and show his true self. Instead, he must continue to present himself as a frivolous fop to both London society and the woman of his dreams. As a young girl, Emily had a private crush on Michael, who had been her brother Colin's handsome and dashing friend. Yet upon Michael's return to London after attending university, she is unable to abide his insufferable presence. To make matters worse, he insists on being everywhere she is--including her family's country home when they go on summer holiday. During their time in the countryside, however, Emily starts to see a new side of Michael. She also has to fight her growing attraction to him, leaving her to wonder how she could be falling in love with a man she can barely tolerate.

Kathy’s Review: I think I liked the first book a little more, but this was still an enjoyable read. It’s lighthearted and fun, the mystery was a little obvious and could have been built up a little more. The twist was kind of out of the blue, and I didn’t think it was explained that well. At least I would have liked a little more explanation. I liked Emily’s character as well at Michael. Michael reminded me a bit of The Scarlet Pimpernel, although I’m still not sure why he needed to act like that for his disguise. I liked that Emily spoke her mind and didn’t necessarily conform to the rules of society. I thought they had good chemistry and it was fun reading their story.

Bookworm Rating: 3.5

Reading Order:
Book One: A Brilliant Deception
Book Two: A Clever Disguise
Book Three: A Daring Return

A Brilliant Deception by Kathleen Fuller

Genre: Mystery, Romance, Regency

Publication Date: February 2008

One Word Review: Fun

Author Website: www.kathleenfuller.com

First Line: “Another robbery!”

GoodReads Synopsis: Lily Thornton, daughter of the Duke of Breckenridge, unwittingly finds herself a suspect in a rash of jewelry thefts. In order to clear her name, she teams up with her best friend Emily's brother, the handsome Colin Dymoke, to find the real thief. To make matters worse, Lily's scheming former fiance keeps turning up and causing trouble while making Lily question her own self-worth. Thankfully, she has Colin by her side to help and protect her. As they work to solve the mystery, Lily fights her growing feelings for Colin, who is considered one of England's most eligible bachelors. Having been hurt in the past, she's reluctant to entrust her heart to someone again. Before long, the two of them are caught up in a web of intrigue and deception. They need to clear Lily's name before she and her family are ruined and all hope for romance with Colin is lost.

Kathy’s Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, lighthearted mystery with a touch of romance thrown in. Lily comes from a very wealthy family and is surprised when someone begins to frame her for the mysterious robberies that have been going on throughout the Ton. Colin is there from the beginning and comes to her rescue; soon they start working together to figure out who is framing Lily. I thought they had good chemistry, I’m not sure how believable it was that someone like Colin (who is supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous) would fall for Lily (who is supposed to be more than plain). I guess after getting to know each other they are able to look past his good looks and her plain ones? The mystery could have been developed a little more, like the reason why the burglar was stealing the bracelets could have been explained further and the end suspect was a little predictable. Overall, it was a fun read and I look forward to reading the other two books in the series.

Bookworm Rating: 4

Reading Order:
Book One: A Brilliant Deception
Book Two: A Clever Disguise
Book Three: A Daring Return

Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt

Genre: Mystery

Publication Date: 1960

One Word Review: Ok

GoodReads Synopsis: As Martha Leigh approached the sprawling mansion of her new employer, Connan TreMellyn, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her. Soon whispers of past tragedy and present danger began to insinuate themselves into Martha's life. Powerless against her growing desire for Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love — and the freedom to find a golden promise of forever . . .

Kathy’s Review: When I read reviews comparing Mistress of Mellyn to Jane Eyre and Rebecca I knew I had to give it a try. It didn’t quite live up to those books, but was still entertaining and kept me reading to find out what would happen next. I liked Martha, she was a smart, kind heroine. She is a bit curious, but not as much as I would have liked. The love story was a little lacking; it had a slow build up and then all of the sudden they were in love and yadda, yadda, yadda. I think this is one of those novels that would have benefitted from two POVs, maybe then the actual “being in love” part wouldn’t have seemed so sudden. I also find it HARD to believe that Martha would forgive him his past so quickly, especially since some of his adventures seemed to be pretty current. I guess I just didn’t believe him, if he truly was in love with her he had an odd way of showing it. Anyway, the mystery aspect and the motivations seemed weak, but there was enough suspense to keep me curious.

Bookworm Rating: 2.5

Similar Reads:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

Genre: Historical/Regency

Publication Date: January 2010

One Word Review: Enjoyable

Author Website: www.julieklassen.com

First Line: “For years, I could not recall the day without a smoldering coal of remorse burning within me.”

GoodReads Synopsis: Believing herself guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home, eventually stumbling upon a grand estate where an elaborate celebration is in progress. But all is not as joyous as it seems…. Lord Bradley has just learned a terrible secret, which, if exposed, will change his life forever. When he glimpses a figure on the grounds, he fears a spy or thief has overheard his devastating news. He is stunned to discover the intruder is a scrap of a woman with her throat badly injured. Fearing she will spread his secret, he gives the girl a post and confines her to his estate. As Olivia and Lord Bradley's secrets catch up with them, will their hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?

Kathy’s Review: I was originally drawn to this because of the cover; I love all the covers of Klassen’s books. Anyway, the story started off interesting and there was somewhat of a mystery (actually a couple) throughout the story. I enjoyed that it was a different perspective of the regency setting than I am used to. In this story we follow Olivia as she becomes an under nurse and moves up as a governess. I rather enjoyed getting to know the “servants” and seeing things from their perspective. I also liked Edward, or Lord Bradley. He has a few secrets of his own, but mostly I liked his interactions with Olivia. They have a sweet romance and it was fun to watch it grow. I do wish there had been more, I don’t know, banter or something between them. They kind of lack some of the chemistry that I like, but they did have a very sweet relationship that grew over time. The story was enjoyable and I liked all the characters. Would recommend to any regency fans!

Bookworm Rating: 4

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Genre: YA Fiction

Publication Date: February 2010

One Word Review: Great

Author Website: www.allycarter.com

GoodReads Synopsis: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected. Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Kathy’s Review: Ally Carter has become one of my favorite YA authors. Her books (at least the ones I’ve read) are clean, have cool storylines with super smart heroines. I really enjoyed Heist Society. I admit, the story did remind me of a few spy movies (The Thomas Crown Affair, After the Sunset, Entrapment, etc.), but it still holds its own and to be honest I think it would make a great teen movie. I liked Kat, her conscience is working on her and she wants to get out of the “family business”, but gets sucked back in and as much as she wants to go clean, she is also very good at what she does. I loved the relationship with Kat and Hale, I thought he was great! I wasn’t expecting a love triangle, but I was pleasantly surprised when it slowly crept into the story. I’m still Team Hale and I’m hoping for another book so I can find out what happens with them. Great, entertaining story.

Bookworm Rating: 4.5