I’m an aficionado of creepy house stories, so that was the very first thing I thought of when I saw “Location Location Location” as a prompt. I tried a couple of gothics that didn’t quite do it for me, and then as I combed through my books, I saw Shattered Haven. The mention of a house…
I love romantic suspense, so “secrets and lies” was a perfect prompt for me. I went digging through my category romances and came up with one that has a rather unusual twist. I’ve dealt with books that have big secrets or people living double lives, but could your whole life be a lie without you…
The Ice Swan captures émigré life in early twentieth-century France quite well, but the soapy trappings of the plot stretch credulity more than a tad and hreaten to collapse inward and crush the old skool romance that lies at the book’s heart. It’s 1917, the Russian Revolution is happening, and Princess Svetlana Dmitrievna Dalsky ,…
Mary Connealy is known for books filled with cowboys and humor. The synopsis for A Man With a Past promised the story of a man who had lost his memory, and I’m all about a good amnesia story. However, the beginning lags because the memory loss happens much later in the story than readers might…
Power Play is the third installment in Rachel Dylan’s Capital Intrigue series which follows the dangers and romances of characters from several US government agencies. The novel follows two pairs of investigators as they untangle murders with international consequences. The plot contains interesting twists and turns but lacks the edgy suspense I expected. I have…
Prince of Spies is a tale of star-crossed lovers with a charming hero and heroine who are a delight to read about. However, it combines that appealing romance with some troublesome plot points which made grading the tale a conundrum for this reviewer. This is book three of the Hope & Glory trilogy. The backstory…
Court of Swans provides a fairly decent opening for Melanie Dickerson’s A Dericott Tale series, which will focus on the Dericott siblings and retell various fairytales through the lens of their love stories. Court of Swans is a half-realistic/half faith-based retelling of The Seven Swans, though is tendency to lean toward bloody violence might disturb…
If I were to use just one word to describe Julie Klassen’s writing it would be the word gentle. Gentle – almost leisurely – pacing is a hallmark of her style and kindly, amiable folk people her tales. Even her villains are milder than most. All of that is in full force in her latest…
Let me say this right up front. I’m not fond of practical jokes. I don’t see the humor in going out of your way to annoy someone, and it’s not a style of humor that I enjoy. But if you like pranks and love watching inventiveness play out between two worthy opponents, The Cul-de-Sac War…
I’m a big fan of epistolary novels and books set in the WWII time period, so Things We Didn’t Say, a story told in letters, snippets from newspapers, and telegrams about a WWII prison camp for German soldiers in a small town in Minnesota was a perfect fit for me. Johanna Berglund was always an…