Down River by Karen Harper

 The remote wilderness near Talkeetna, Alaska appears to be the ideal spot for creating love and stopping murder. 

All the way from Florida, Lisa Vaughn and a few select attorneys vying for partnership attend a corporate retreat at Lisa's former fiancé's Lodge.  The competition includes rugged challenges on the river, in the air, a lot of secrets, and running from a killer.

Mitch Braxton left the corporate world when he inherited the Lodge.  He also left Lisa, and they both hope to tie up loose ends of their relationship.  Turns out, that's the least of their problems when Lisa is flung into the Wild River and fights for her life.

Finding her nearly hypothermic, Mitch does his best to rescue her miles from the Lodge.  Not only is he on a mission to save her life, but her heart also.  

The killer doesn't rest after Mitch and Lisa return to the lodge, and everyone on the grounds is subject to murder and suspicion.  

Mitch and Lisa team up to find out who is after her.  Motive and opportunity are available for all present, so how many attempts and how many people will be killed before the crimes are stopped?  Will the former engaged couple have a chance to sort out their feelings?  Can romance grow between other suspects?

Will they all live to reach a happily ever after?  Alaska can be dangerous.  Alaska can be beautiful.  Let's hope beauty prevails.

Happy reading,

Dawn    

 

Dark Road Home by Karen Harper

A great mix of romance and suspense mixed with the Amish lifestyle!

A quiet Amish community in Maplecreek, Ohio finds itself plagued with a tragedy, change, and acceptance.

Brooke Benton moves into town to leave behind the corporate lawyer world and looking for peace and quiet.

Daniel Brand grew up in Maplecreek, left to see what was beyond the quaint border, and has returned to reclaim his Amish heritage. 

Not long after they both move to town, a brutal murder of several young people in a vehicle/buggy collision tests the strength and Amish ways of the community. 

Amish want to mourn the lost children and keep the outside legal system from intruding.

Brooke yearns to use her legal knowledge to find the killer.

And then there’s Daniel, who struggles with the need to remain truthful to Amish ways, not let a worldly woman like Brooke enter his heart, and whether to find or ignore the killer.

Justice must prevail, and Daniel grudgingly and slowly partners with Brooke to search for the killer.  And who knows, maybe it’s okay to be Amish and love someone of another belief.

Brooke didn’t want to meet a man.  Simple is better, but when you have to deal with justice and high emotions, sometimes lovely things arrange themselves.

Keep reading,

Dawn

Review: The Irish Princess by Karen Harper

I’m intrigued with the characters Karen Harper chooses for her historical romances.  As many novels are available highlighting the kings and queens of England’s history, Harper spotlights the lesser known subjects.

Elizabeth “Gera” Fitzgerald, an Irish princess, constructs a long term plan to seek revenge for her family’s destruction ordered by King Henry VIII. 

Beautiful and ambitious, Gera maneuvers her way into England’s royal court, her most detested place on earth.  All of her actions have a purpose, unknown to her English contacts.  Except Edward Clinton. 

Edward begins as a courtier of King Henry, yet sees the fire and rebellion beneath Gera’s subtle exterior.  He agrees with her unspoken goal, yet must remain loyal to England to keep himself out of the Tower. 

As I read The Irish Princess, I lived and imagined the difficulties all the way from the harsh weather, lack of an easy meal, and constant shifting of Faith and alliances at the court.  The fact that Gera stood her ground against the mighty royal family and court to prove her Irish family’s worth exhibited her strength in a day when women rarely had a voice.

My heart ached for the long separations of Gera and Edward, their inability to pursue the obvious, smoldering passion, and the fear they would never have an opportunity to love.

True to history, the ending will stun and leave you to search for more of Karen Harper’s exceptional historical works.

Dawn

Review: Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper

Karen Harper’s MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE is a historical romance not to miss.  I had a hard time getting to bed on time as I was in the midst of the life of William Shakespeare’s “other” Anne.

There has always been the rumor that Anne Hathaway, known wife of Shakespeare, had competition.  The theory is that Anne Whateley was his other wife residing in London where Shakespeare spent his time becoming the famously revered playwright for tragic romance and other dramas.

In MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE Anne Whately tells her story.  She is a strong minded woman and incredibly independent for her time.  By her account, Shakespeare had secretly wed her the day before he was forced into a marriage with the other Anne who had a baby on the way.

Whately’s parents passed and she took on her father’s courier business.  With or without Shakespeare, she would survive.  Yet, when Shakespeare appeared in London to act and write, she understood his predicament and gave him a chance. 

It may appear that she’s the other woman and weak, but considering the seventeenth century she understood his dilemma in protecting the Shakespeare family name.  Shakespeare made every attempt to be with his true love, Anne Whateley.  Except for the necessity of his family and random visits to his known wife-Anne Hathaway-his attentions were directed to Whateley.

Of course, they had unavoidable conflicts, which made me love this story for their deep desires to live their dream and to work around the demands of society.  To get a renewed understanding of the power of love, definitely read this story.

Dawn