Beachcomber by Karen Robards

 Leaving everything all behind is harder than you think, even if Christy Petrino moves to Ocracoke Island.  Small and peaceful, the residents and tourists think.  So, why doesn't it have the same atmosphere to her?

She left behind her job as an attorney at a large firm - mob owned-, a fiancé -mob family-, and her mother and sisters - mob controlled.  What could be worse?

It gets more perilous.  

The Beachcomber is hunting beautiful brunettes on the same beach Christy rented her cottage.  She looks like his typical target.  Adding to that, she might identify him because she saw him kill a girl.  It's dark during the murder, but any witness is a dead witness.

Luke, staked out next door, is quite an annoying tourist to Christy.  He shows up out of thin air on multiple scenarios.  If only she could know he works for the FBI and she's under surveillance.

That is partly bad (the surveillance) and fortuitous (he's always around).  

It's a cagey show between the hot and sexy man next door repeatedly saving her from being murdered, or whether his job to catch her in connection with the mob wins out.

Happy reading,

Dawn

The Interview by Donna Alam

 What every woman wants is a great interview.

Mimi got a lot more than she could possibly imagine.  

Showing up at the bank owned by her brother's best friend, Whit, whom she hadn't seen in years, her resume' states a perfect reason for her to be hired.  

This is where normalcy flips us the finger, and spice is added to our bland January.  

Whit must be expecting someone else because in the darkened office he doesn't ask for her resume' but rather takes physical control of her body.  

She loves it!  With the decades old and nearly forgotten crush, Mimi encourages his examination of her talents.

 After the hour of lust, begins the embarrassment, denial, anger, bargaining, and any other form of handling the situation.  

Whit would like to turn off his attraction, not employ her, and pretend nothing ever happened.  Although, he can't stop thinking about her and imagining another interview scene.

Mimi deserves the job and intends on getting it.  Life is too short not to take chances and not to enjoy life every day.  

The characters are well developed along with many heartwarming scenes.  The black moment in the story is a unique and difficult scene to envision, yet the characters pull us to a bright day. With a few typos but many great scenes, the romance is something you don't want to miss.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson

 Yes, this is my salute to Halloween! 

I love the characters; they are quirky, fun, and have such real emotions and habits.  The atmosphere, or setting as you may call it, is divine.  A village called Goodwinter in Essex oozes funny, witchy, creepiness.  

It all starts with Essie Winterscale and her love of doing magic and living however she wants.  She shares her house with a goofy group of other witches, all having their own specialties in magic.

The coven of witches has an enemy- no surprise, I'm sure.  Essie is the one who keeps the enemy at bay because she can freeze him at every start to winter.  Granted this story is in the autumn coming up on Halloween.  Winter is right around the corner and Essie needs to practice her talent.

In comes Josh, the new owner of her Victorian and ever changing and growing house.  Apparently, he inherited nearly the whole village and needs to collect back rent from the last couple hundred years.  

Essie's home is impossible to find without help.  Maybe because Josh is so sweet and handsome, she allows him a visit.  She does not trust herself to have a boyfriend.  Had to state that fact.  But she really likes him.

Josh could easily spend many hours with Essie, if she allows him.  

When the coven enemy rallies to take over the house and the land, Essie confides in Josh.  As long as he can handle that her and her coven are witches for real, he has an in.  He also has to help destroy the enemy to open the door to her heart.

The amount of trust and magic used to free the heart is grander than a magic carpet ride, and I hope you're all aboard for a fantastic trip!

Happy reading,

Dawn

The Witch is Back by Sophie Morgan

 I had to dive into a witchy book before the season because I love them!  I'm sure I'll have more for you this fall.

Emmaline Bluewater has left her witch family of her own accords.  Chicago offers her a new family of friends, including her mixed mutt familiar, a suave bar named Toil and Trouble, and purposefully not using magic- most of the time. 

Contracted to marry Bastian Truenote in order to bring hierarchy to her family, Emma wanted OUT after he left without a word, note, or any explanation.  That's when she found her new and very pleasing lifestyle owning a bar and running her own life without her meddling mother.

Always the cavalier and carefree warlock, Bastian left for Egypt and any other location he fancied immediately before the marriage was to take place to Emma, his BFF in childhood.

They both didn't know why he left, avoiding the nuptials.  

Curses and hexes played a part in both their naivete of the sudden change in course, but Bastian came back.  He had to marry Emma to save his mother.

And the story gets more tangled on who threw the last spell, how to undo them, and who's to really blame in the game of love and marriage.  

Choose this romcom as your start to the witchy season only a few short weeks away!  

Spooky reading,

Dawn

No Perfect Love by Rue Lennox

 Avery has a lot of walls built all around her with a conviction that they won't be knocked down.  She loves and hates children.  She loves being a teacher but hates the fact she can't have her own.  

She leads a rough biker life on the outside.  Inside, there's a lot more to her.  

Carter has been a bad boy all his life and wants to hold on to that philosophy.  It's a tough ride of pretending especially when he's taken on the task of being a police officer.  

When Avery needs help, Carter is at her feet.  She doesn't pull and he doesn't push.  They kind of stalk each other's sensitivity, wondering and examining the others' reaction to new situations.

Family and friends see the match for what it is...something they should pursue.  The tricks and games played need to come to a finale because that's where love will be admitted and cherished. 

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar

A fabulous contemporary/historical romance!  As an auctioneer in New York, NY, Emsley Wilson's life is on auction.  Her grandmother, Violet, passes after a "free bird" life in painting and social connections.  

Emsley inherits Violet's New York brownstone and a blue box with an old painting and a pile of yellowed letters.  The initial intention is to sell the home along with saving her auction business, ditching one of the partners who wants to ditch her, and meeting the real estate attorney Violet suggested.

Can we add a little more to Emsley's to-do list?  Of course.  

Bram Dekker, attorney, meets with Emsley to help her with legalities.  He wears a wedding ring, so Emsley doesn't understand his interest in her.  He's gorgeous, kind, and respectful, but he has a ring on.  

In between cleaning the house, and everything else. Emsley takes a minute to transport us back in time through the old letters in the box.  The letters are written about Johanna Bongor-van Gogh. 

The story is rich in contemporary and historical romance along with such an interesting background of Vincent van Gogh.  I may have to pick up his biography to see how close the information is.  It also exemplifies the fight women take up to be recognized.  

I hope, if you pick up any of the books I review, this is one of them!

Happy reading,

Dawn

 

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

 It doesn't matter who you are, reading is a sanctuary and everyone has a need and purpose to read.  

In the Kentucky Appalachians, Cussy Mary Carter is the Book Woman.  She travels by donkey with books, magazines, pamphlets, and any other reading material the local library can scrounge up and send to the hill people.  

Cussy Mary lives with her dear father.  Working in the coal mines, her father is fearful of an early death while he attempts to get a mate for Cussy.  Mating season in the hills is noted by placing a burning candle in the window.  A lit candle means an available bride.  

With little faith in the candle, she knows her unique blue skin places her status on the lowest rung of humanity.  Cussy's job as Book Woman gives her all the freedom she can hope for.  She teaches the mountain people to read and surprises them with materials of interest, when available, to keep them excited about knowledge.

On Cussy's route, Jackson Lovett settled himself in a cabin after traveling the country.  He appears to have an eye for Cussy, which she refuses to acknowledge.  No man of such wondrous standing would want anything to do with a blue woman.  

The local doctor repeatedly requests testing on Cussy's color.  Maybe there's hope to change from blue to white.  Or is the color of a person a vanity issue while the person remains the same?  Another problem for Cussy to encounter.

Jackson is held back from approaching Cussy, but he does show interest in simple ways when she approaches his home with her reading materials.  A bouquet of wildflowers confuses her.  Yet, does she sense his interest? 

Tragedy's are exchanged for hope.  Hope in life, reading, and love.  With each show of anger, jealousy, and prejudice, a page turns with strengthened friendship and love.  

Richardson's story is an intelligent, hopeful, and heartwarming tale.   It's easy to get involved with Cussy's life and wish her the best.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Courting Catherine (the Calhoun Women) by Nora Roberts

The Towers sits on a cliff in Maine.  Beautiful and majestic until a closer look at the need for repair puts Catherine "C.C." Calhoun in a struggle with her sisters and Aunt Coco on how to afford the costly mansion and keep it from falling into disrepair.

C.C. owns and works diligently at her auto shop.  Her temper is good for creating adrenaline in getting the vehicles repaired to perfection.  Dirty clothes and grease smeared regularly on her hands and face can give an unusual first impression.

Trenton St. James arrives in-tow with his broken down BMW.  Work boots sticking out from under a car aren't telling of the woman who pops out from underneath.  And the surprises never end as C.C.  lets him know she won't put up with his demanding and callous order to fix his car fast.

He's in town to buy the Towers and change it into a luxury hotel.  That's what he does all over the country, and this is just another business deal.

Parts need to be ordered.  Trenton is stuck in town.  Out of her family, C.C. is the only one that isn't aware of Trenton's offer to stay at the Towers until they run into each other in her house.

Aunt Coco, deciding that if their home is to be sold, at least one of her nieces is going to get a marriage out of it.  Not sure which one, she sets up a séance.  This is one of my favorite passages as the women sit around, with the invited Trenton, and believe their ancestors are sending a message. 

Trenton is usually all business, but something warm and familial draws out his feelings, ones he didn't know he had.  When C.C. begins to treat him more like a human being, something sparks to the surprise of everyone.

The problem is, will Trenton still buy the house and kick the women out of their dream life, or will he find a way to help them and stay in C.C.'s heart?

Happy reading, 

Dawn

 

 

Mystic Creek by Kati Ella

 Mystic Creek, the name gives you an immediate feel for the atmosphere.  A foggy, dark, and mysterious small town.  The curfew was set to keep the residents safe.  Most of them don't know the reason, especially the younger crowd.  those who sneak out at night, and those who don't want to be told what to do.

Rebecca looks young, but feels her centuries of existence.  She's made friends where she works, Joe's Tavern, but her main job is to keep them from being ripped apart and left for the scavengers.

New to the town, she's known to be friendly, but distant.  As a witch, she has a lot of responsibilities while everyone else sleeps.  The demons want to overtake the town, and there's another creature waiting in the forbidden forest.  It's not quite a demon, but it's not human, either.

Her concentration is on pushing back on the evil from the forest, when Brody comes to town in the façade of a federal agent.  She hasn't seen him in a hundred years. Really, it seems like it was just last week.  His angel wings are hidden, but she feels the flutter of her heart when he confronts her about the strange being trying to take the town down.

Angels and witches aren't a match in the supernatural world, so why do they want to be together?  Or are there too many forces against them to allow a relationship?  Or are they here on coincidence only to eradicate the evil? Will a kiss tell them?  Or do they have to go further?  

The read is tense, creepy, and full of hormones.  The magic, the reality, and the fear tangle with a romance that wants to live.  A great romance for a cold winter night.

The Maid by Nita Prose

Sometimes it might be nice to look at life in a simple and easy way to live.  That will keep things moving along in a steady and manageable path.

Molly Gray didn't choose this agenda, but rather it chose her.  She has trouble interpreting what people mean by their actions and words and how to respond.  Her gran used to decipher situations for her and lead her in a proper direction, but after gran's passing Molly is left on her own.

She'll do fine.  Highly motivated to be the best maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, her four years as a maid and quarter century learning from her gran make a pleasing repertoire. 

 Sure that her impeccable work ethic will impress him, Molly makes a morning trip through the bar of the hotel to greet Rodney, the bartender.  She's sure his good looks are just a bonus to the engaging young man.  His pleasant hello's are soon to turn to a second date.

The other employee Molly visits with daily is Juan Manuel.  There's a mutual respect between the two and and a true friendship.  

Molly's well planned life turns into a hurricane when a top client of the hotel is found dead by herself.  

She doesn't have gran to figure out what she should do or how to answer to the police when they charge her with murder.

But Molly isn't alone.  Friends she didn't know she had come to her aid.  

It's a delightful and easy read.  With a mystery solved in crime and the a mystery of which man is her true soulmate come to a happily ever after.

Happy reading,

Dawn

The Duchess and the Highwayman by Beverley Oakley

 The early eighteen hundreds in Norfolk, England is rough on the young ladies.

Phoebe may be known as Lady Drummond, but she isn't treated like a lady.  Her ailing husband, Ulrick, has abused her and left her for his cousin, Wentworth, to create an heir before Ulrick dies.

Ulrick's death is surprisingly fast and gruesome leaving Pheobe to run from an upcoming accusation.  She acts as a maid and runs without money, direction, or any hope of survival.

An alleged highway man, Hugh Redding, saves her from Wentworth who is pounding down on his horse within a stone's throw.

No one can know she's really Lady Drummond.  Not even the man with crystal blues eyes who takes her to his rented cabin.

Hugh and Phoebe are honest about their ambitions in taking Wentworth down, each for strong reasons.  Their true identities are kept deep in their pockets even as their hands begin to roam over each other.

A few details may make it hard for Hugh and Phoebe to keep their idyllic dreams a part of the future.  Let's see if they can make their way past the hidden truths and the law chasing Phoebe and make the rest of their lives a happily-ever-after.

Happy reading,

Dawn 

Secrets Hidden in the Glass by Cate Beauman

 Callie Davis wants nothing more than a way out of her rich life created by world renowned glass art.  Amazing that a gift of talent can result in anxiety and the need to flee.

Leaving the glam of Manhattan, Callie rents a cabin on a quiet, touristy island in Massachusetts.  Maybe she'll get her muse for art back or disappear into a world she's not known.

Her new landlord is more than a plumber who fixes her sink but also the town sheriff.  She can't get around Carter Island without his influence.  Nate Carter is either related to or knows everyone.  He wants to get to know the beautiful visitor.

Couldn't imagine a couple getting along any better at first sight.  Yet, Callie has secrets from her childhood that keep appearing in her attempts at art and to fit in with the locals.  She's leery of getting into a relationship as she digs for answers of her past.

Which, might I add, would be the perfect tension in the romance, but that strain is missing in the story.  Nate has no reason to not pursue their relationship, and Callie constantly decides it's okay to continue.

I love a good relationship, although in a story I want to be on the edge of my sofa wondering how they're going to make it work.  Callie's origins and job are up in the air, but not her romantic feelings.  Nate cannot imagine letting Callie out of his arms, even with her unknowns and former lifestyle.  

The romance is solid, but if you're interested in answers to the side problems, it's an enjoyable read.

Happy reading,

Dawn

  

  

Always Believe in Love by Maureen Driscoll

 1823 near London.  

Nicholas Chilcott, Earl of Layton, must relieve his mind of the accusations of his late father as a traitor.  Nicholas's cousin, Simon, has other ideas such as relieving Nicholas of his duties, even if it means by death.

Traveling to Weymouth looking for evidence of his father's

                              

past, Nicholas encounters the church archivist.

Kate Winston pens the records of the church under the new vicar who has planned to marry her out of his necessity.  She wants nothing to do with him.  The previous vicar, God rest his soul, had lovingly cared for her since her parents demise.  Now she must survive without a family and few friends.  Her wit and determination make her a strong character and ready to deal with an Earl looking for information.

Nicholas does his best to fit in and befriend the locals by giving a helping hand in trades he's never done along with traveling in perilous conditions.  With Kate lending a hand in dangerous ways, their hearts seek each other out.

Yet, Nicholas doesn't want to mix Kate up in his family mess, and Kate feels she won't fit into his royal circle.  

Their story is a delightful read with matching wit and strength between lovers from different backgrounds.

Happy reading,

Dawn

The Waratah Inn by Lilly Mirren

 Set near the warm and sunny beaches of Australia, Kate finds herself returning to her childhood home of Waratah Inn.  The unhappy reason, her grandmother's death, takes her away from a busy chef's life and her fiancé.  

Not so picture perfect, Kate believes her life is what she wants.  Sometimes, being too busy takes the spotlight off the imperfections.  

Her two estranged sisters travel to the Inn for the funeral.  Initially, they feel like strangers and have to break through the years of separation to retrieve the bond they once had.

A silent mystery surrounding Grandma Nan is found in her journal as the sisters attempt to recycle the rundown Inn before the decision of to sell or not to sell.  

Nan's story is a loss and a finding of love, which plucks at Kate's heart.  Maybe she needs to lose and find love again, too.  Riding the stable horse gives her time to ponder the vacancies in her life and find the man, Alex, who tends the horses.  

Widowed several years ago, Alex teaches math and tends horses as a hobby.  Meeting Kate renews his spirit.  It may be slow and subtle, but love can happen again.

Several months of decision making about the Inn, her life, and where her love leads her, brings Kate to an ultimatum.  To settle, or to thrive... When one life ends, another begins!

Happy reading, 

Dawn

 

  

The Accidental Text by Becky Monson

 The only way to handle a difficult loss is to text them.  Even if they are dead.

Maggie's mom passed after a hard battle of cancer in the heat of Phoenix.  Maggie resorted to texting her mom's phone, making sure no one else touched the phone and found her out, to keep the connection alive.

Maggie's brother, sister, and father work together at the family's car-wrapping business.  Plenty people around for Maggie to talk to, but she requested that her dad kept her mom's phone line paid for for a little while.

Well, the number was paid for and a mysterious recipient reads the texts and finally answers.

How ironic, but Chase just lost his mom, too.  

An interchange of texting and a couple innocent meet-ups, brings two sad and lonely hearts together.  Granted, it can't be perfect because that only happens in the movies.  What would the family think of how they met?  Do they need each other for more than just consolation?  

A cute and simple story , which doesn't go deep into personalities or plot.  If you're in for an easy, peaceful read, this story will fill the glass.

Happy reading,

Dawn

  

Tidelands by Philippa Gergory

 Hard to find someone to love?  Try being Alinor in the fifteenth century during the civil war of England.  So many restrictions.  So little independence.

Alinor's husband leaves on a work mission and hasn't returned, leaving her wondering if she's a widow or deserted.  The treacherous tideland homes a select group of typically poor farmers.  Alinor's neighbors always whisper about her and her magical herbs. 

Herbs aren't magical. She just knows how to use them.

James gets lost in the marshy lands where Alinor finds him and leads him to his destination.  Little does she know that he's her enemy and has come to help King James escape.

Whenever there's a mutual attraction, their opposition isn't enough to keep them apart.  Distance, rumors, and civil wars can't compete with love.  

I always get anxious when I read romances from eras before cars and planes because when the couple has to separate, it takes months for them to reunite.  I can only imagine the angst they feel waiting for the reunion, wondering if the other hasn't changed their mind, or one of them gets killed.  

And that makes for good reading.  Not to mention that Philippa Gregory writes the most fantastic historicals.  

Happy reading,

Dawn 

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

The story opens in the thirteenth century, Ireland as we meet the Dark Witch, her children, special pets, and the evil man, Cabhan, who wants her more than life.  And he proves it, which takes us to current day at the same spot in Ireland and with several generations later of the Dark Witch's descendants.
Little did Iona know that her reason to spontaneously leave her uncaring family and move to Ireland wasn't the same reason that Ireland "called" her.  She wants to meet her two cousins and make a life near them.
Iona wants freedom, to work with horses, a friend would be nice, and possibly a nice man to pay attention to her.  I don't think she's asking for much.
It's a magical story, literally, as we encounter Iona's cousins, Branna and Connor.  Iona is welcomed into their home and life.  The cousins explain to Iona that she makes the trio of witches to complete the power to fight the evil witch, Cabhan, who still survives to this day.
Wait!  The cousins are witches, and...wait! So is Iona!  She knows nothing about magic, but is easily convinced to give it a whirl.
This doesn't mean she's giving up on the rest of her ideas.  And with her new connections, she is accepted to work at a horse ranch for a man, Boyle, whom she can't keep her eyes and maybe her hands from touching.
As Iona is taught the magic of the witches, she is tested in scary ways.  Between herself, her cousins, Boyle, and a few friends, Iona finds out whether she's cut out to be a witch and if Boyle can accept such a powerful woman in his life.
A challenging group of characters who had to figure out how to fit together and figure out their puzzle, and a beautiful puzzle it was!

Happy reading,
Dawn

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

How can love rip a family apart?  Karin Slaughter has that twist in her novel.
Lydia and Claire, two sisters left to figure out their lives after their oldest sister disappears and their parents fall into their own despair, end up with a problem that bring them back together after twenty years.
The problem is still their missing sister.  
Lydia is my favorite character.  She's the one that fought hard to correct her life, the addictions, the search for something right in her life, and dealing with the estrangement of her family. Her boyfriend of ten years doesn't sound so enticing on the outside, past criminal convictions, but loves her and really loves her!
Claire acts too perfect, the rich husband, has everything material, and doesn't see the truth.
That is, until it all unravels.  Claire's husband is murdered, evidence of her missing sister surfaces along with letters her father wrote to the missing sister (never delivered, of course), and letters from her mother to Lydia, also never delivered.
The proof of the sister's disappearance definitely points to one person, but who else is involved?  Local police?  The FBI? family members?  This is where the real love breaks free of the lies and repairs tattered relationships!

Happy reading,
Dawn

The Kremlin Conspiracy by Joel Rosenberg

Oleg Kraskin impresses the Russian president and is honored to be given the right to marry his daughter.

Oleg didn’t know there’s a price to pay when marrying into the oligarchy at the highest level.  Can he keep his marriage filled with love alive? Will his thoughts and actions as he realizes the intent of the president separate or kill the marriage?  Especially for what Oleg feels he needs to do for the love of his country.

Marcus Ryker already met the end of his marriage in a shooting that shattered his life.  In the U.S., being a secret service agent never leaves the blood even after Marcus took a hiatus for four years.  A close friend requested Marcus to return to action on a simple detail, protecting a senator traveling to Russia.  He’d try it just this once.

In Russia, Oleg sat next to the Russian president.  Oleg approached Marcus, on the side of the senator, and congratulated him for his many honors.

That was the start of Oleg’s precarious activity in contrast to his loyalty to his president.  And Marcus’ biggest test to protect his country.

Oleg And Marcus have a treacherous goal that may cost them lives and love, or strengthen both.

Well written and spellbinding.  Each scene heightens the possibility of growth or destruction in nation and in personal love.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Until Dark by Mariah Stewart

Kendra Smith has experienced the old adage of “you can run, but you can’t hide” from your problems.

Her problems include an emotionally distressing past in the loss of her family members one at a time ranging from murder, suicide, and just plain unexpected death. 

Kendra took herself and her work as an FBI sketch artist from the west coast to the east, back to the scene of the (former) crimes.

As soon as she moves to her original home space she’s called in to sketch for a serial killer.  Not only is she in the scope of the killer, but she’s on the team of an old flame, Special Agent Adam Stark.  They have a short history that never evolved.  As the reader, I hope it does this time!

And I have to keep hoping because Kendra has so much going on with the loss of her brother then her mom, that it’ll be hard for her to separate mixed messages from their graves, her current work, and a man she wants, Adam, and doesn’t know if it’s still reciprocated.

The story moves along rapidly with many twists.  Although, my mind may have been unusually sharp to Stewart’s writing because I had the plot figured out in advance and the romance, well let’s say it was an add-in and could’ve been more complete at the end.

Sometimes a light romance with a heavier suspense plot is in order, and then this is the book for you!

 

Happy reading,

Dawn