My Review - The Ransom by MaryLu Tyndall

5 out of 5 stars

All I can say is WOW!!  MaryLu has done it again!!  THE RANSOM is swashbuckling, romance and adventure personified. 

Juliana Dutton’s life is becoming more complicated by the minute.  As her father’s health continues to decline, she secretly runs the family shipping business, hopeful he will recover and life will go back to normal.  But that is not to be.  As she struggles to continue her charade, her drunken brother is destined to gamble away the family fortune.  To keep up appearances, Juliana puts in time at social events but has her hands full deflecting the enamored attention of both Captain Nichols and the outlandish Lord Munthrope.  But it is her clash with the notorious Pirate Earl that upends her world. 

Grasping at straws to protect her secret, Juliana accepts a proposal from Lord Munthrope in order to keep Captain Nichols at bay.  And while she sees her betrothal as nothing but a business proposition, she gets the feeling there is more to the foppish Lord Munthrope than meets the eye.  When she has yet another encounter with The Pirate Earl, her senses once again betray her.  She hates herself for the attraction she feels towards the rogue, but the protection, help, and care he has shown her, and those she feels responsible for, makes Juliana question if she has lost her ability to distinguish good from evil.

The Pirate Earl, may live by the sword, but his heart belongs to the fair Juliana Dutton.  While he positions himself to see to her protection and care, Juliana sees only that he is a Pirate.  Though he knows there is no way a lady of Juliana’s character will ever see him as anything more than a renegade, he still does what he can to prove to her he means her no harm and wants only the best for her.

I absolutely loved, loved, loved, THE RANSOM!  The chemistry between the characters was so tension-filled and electrifying, I could feel every tenuous moment as if I was there.  The wit and sharpness The Pirate Earl had with both tongue and sword made for a suave and captivating hero.  And Juliana’s spunk and determination to save not only her family business, but those around her, made her a true heroine. 

THE RANSOM is a must read, and easily one of my favorite books to date.

 

 

 

 

My Review - The Pelican Bride

4 our of 5 stars 

THE PELICAN BRIDE by Beth White is rich in history and characters with genuine appeal.

It’s 1704, and Genevieve Gaillain, along with her sister, is looking for a new start in the new colony of Louisiana.  Passage on the frigate Pelican, comes with one stipulation.  She and her sister must agree to marry one of the men in this new colony.  Since her religious beliefs will only bring her persecution if she were to stay in her homeland, Genevieve decides the new colony is the safer of the two evils.  Especially since she has already been labeled a criminal and will be sought out for her crime.

Tristan Lanier is not looking for a wife.  Already having suffered the loss of his beloved, he chooses to live a solitary life on his own plantation.  Respected by many in the nearby Fort where his brother is still an officer, he makes himself available to this burgeoning colony whenever his talents are required.  Unfortunately, there are those that detest Tristan’s involvement and would like nothing better than for him to go away . . . permanently.

When Tristan helps the passengers of the Pelican make their way to their new home, Genevieve finds herself at odds with the older of the Lanier brothers.  But the mutual animosity between Genevieve and Tristan soon blossoms into something more.  Though both of them struggle with the secrets they are keeping, they can’t seem to fight the powerful forces drawing them together. 

Unrest in the new colony, along with sinister happenings that are hard to explain, soon drives a wedge between Tristan and Genevieve.  The sting of betrayal may be an obstacle too big for them to overcome  When it becomes obvious someone is trying to silence them both, they realize it’s not just their love for each other on the line, but their very lives.

Once I got into the story, I really enjoyed THE PELICAN BRIDE.  At first, the introduction of so many characters, especially the different officers, was a bit hard to keep straight.  I couldn’t tell who was on whose side.  But, as the story progressed, I was better able to identify the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The main characters were fleshed out very well.  I fell in love with Genevieve and Tristan, Nika and Deerfoot, was exasperated with Aimee’s petulance, understood the struggle Marc-Antoine felt to be recognized on his own merit, and loathed Dufresne.  A good book should make you feel a gamut of emotions for the characters involved.  Ms. White accomplished that in THE PELICAN BRIDE.

Book provided of review purposes.

Available April 2014 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

2014 Carol Awards Judge

Hey there everyone -

Just wanted to let you know I have not forsaken my blog.  I am once again a judge in the ACFW Carol Awards.  The Carol Awards are ACFW’s (American Christian Fiction Writer's) recognition for the best Christian fiction published by traditional publishing houses in the previous calendar year.

I am in the process of reading and judging seven entries.  Since the judging is anonymous, I can't very well post reviews regarding them.  I love being a part of the judging panel because I have no control over which books I will receive.  In the past few years, I have come to discover authors I hadn't yet been introduced to.  Authors that are now on my favorites list. 

So, bear with me.  I will have a review at the end of the month and several more in May and June that have no association to the Carol Awards (or are at least not on my judging list).

Happy reading to you all!