My Review - She Walks in Power

 Far beyond 5 stars!!

SHE WALKS IN POWER is INCREDIBLE! High praise from a person who stays away from the medieval/mythical genre.

Alexia D’Clere is many things, but being Protector of the Spear is by far her highest honor. Passed to her at the age of eight—it is an honor that comes with both responsibility and danger; something she knows all too well.

After the death of her parents, Alexia and her sister are elevated to caretakers of their family castle, along with a trusted steward. But, when Alexia becomes the target of a murder plot, a friar who knows the responsibility she shoulders, spirits her away to live in the forest. Once there, Alexia learns the ways of archery and comes to be known as The Falcon of Emerald Forest. She is a Robin Hood figure to the townspeople of the local village, providing them with game and sharing Scripture even though it is considered criminal for anyone outside of the church to read God’s Holy Word. But Alexia knows there is comfort in God’s Word and refuses to be silenced. Though Alexia would like nothing more than to go back to the castle of her birthright, not knowing whom it is who wants her dead, keeps her incognito. Though her life is in danger every time she goes near the castle, she refuses to stay away because of her ailing sister.

So, as you can see, Alexia wears many hats: Protector of the Spear, The Falcon of Emerald Forest, heir to a castle, provider to the local village. Somehow, she manages to balance her many roles without the slightest trouble; that is, until she meets Ronar LePeine, one of the King's elite guards.

Guard Ronar LePeine, along with his two closes friends, is escorting Bishop Godfrey to Luxley Castle. The Bishop is convinced The Spear of Destiny is hidden there and is determined to find it. While traveling through the Emerald Forest, Alexia decides the Bishop’s band of men have gotten too close to the hiding place of the spear. She sets out to distract the elite guardsmen and ends up coming face to face with Ronar.

From their very first encounter, Alexia and Ronar are befuddled with each other. At first, they want nothing more than to best each other. Alexia is determined to protect the spear from Ronar, the Bishop, and anyone else who searches for it, while Ronar is sure the forest sprite is up to no good because of her mastery of deception and her knowledge of the Scriptures. However, the attraction these two feel for each other is undeniably scintillating.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Marylu has an amazing way of building such chemistry between her characters; it wouldn’t matter if the story took place in a forest, a castle, or a shoe store. It is that good! The concept was brilliant, and Ms. Tyndall’s attention to detail in creating her world was flawless. The repartee between Alexia and Ronar is so incredibly delicious; you can’t help but smirk as these two banter in a battle of wits—a battle neither of them realizes is based more on attraction then one-upmanship.

SHE WALKS IN POWER is another amazing book from Marylu Tyndall. I am convinced; no one writes Adventure/Romance likes she does. The only unfortunate thing about finishing SHE WALKS IN POWER so quickly . . . the time I have to wait until the next installment.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

My Review - To Follow Her Heart

3 out of 5 stars

TO FOLLOW HER HEART continues the saga of the inhabitants of Southold, Long Island. Like A PLACE IN HIS HEART and TO CAPTURE HER HEART books one and two in The Southold Chronicles, I found myself frustrated with the main characters, and the arduous journey of their relationship.

Patience Terry has the perfect name for her character. She has shown plenty of patience waiting for Captain Jeremy Horton to give up the sea and settle in Southold, and has had to terry many years waiting for him to prove his love. When his ship is lost off the coast of Barbados, Patience refuses to believe he is dead, even though the report is no survivors.

When Jeremy returns to Patience, she is overjoyed; but her happiness is short-lived. The potential of war pulls Jeremy away from Southold as soon as he arrives. After the war, Jeremy is without a ship and decides he wants to become a shipbuilder, and though he pronounces his love to Patience, he spends all his time at Winter Harbor building a ship with his friend, Harry.

This is just a sample of the many situations that keep Patience and Jeremy apart. Time after time, Jeremy proclaims his love for Patience, but somehow, she always is relocated to the bottom of his priority list. In the end, it is Patience who makes the ultimate journey to be with the man she loves.

TO FOLLOW HER HEART was frustrating to read. Jeremy most definitely takes Patience for granted, and because of her strong love for Jeremy she gives him chance after chance. I’m all for give and take in a relationship, but Jeremy had a lot of take and very little give.

Book provided for review purposes.

Available July 2016 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

My Review - Without Warning

4.5 out of 5 stars

WITHOUT WARNING immediately jumps into action in this whodunit-and-why novel.

Instead of a much-needed vacation, Katie Singleton—a member of the Elite Guardians Protection Agency—finds herself at the scene of a murder, quickly followed by an act of arson. It appears Daniel Matthews—the uncle of one of Katie’s self-defense students—is being targeted. But why? Out of concern for Riley, Daniel’s niece, Katie inserts herself into the investigation to find out what’s going on. When it’s obvious Daniel’s life is in danger, Riley hires Katie to be her uncle’s bodyguard.

Daniel Matthews is horrified to find a body in the basement of one of his restaurants, but his horror soon turns to shock when another of his restaurants goes up in smoke. Confused as to why someone is targeting him, Daniel tries to figure out who’s behind the attacks. Ex-military, Daniel has the skills to take care of himself, but to ease Riley’s concerns; he agrees to let Katie shadow him until the perpetrator is caught.

Katie and Daniel, along with the rest of Katie’s agency, try to figure out who wants Daniel dead. With long hours spent together, neither Katie nor Daniel can deny the attraction developing between them. Wanting to remain professional and free from distraction, they decide to put their personal feelings on hold until after the investigation. Their priority is to catch a killer before Daniel, or even Riley becomes the next victim.

WITHOUT WARNING definitely has a lot of action. Though guessing who was behind the attacks was easy, the added twist at the end definitely caused me to say Oh no! I didn’t think the plot was as deep as I’ve come to expect from Lynette Eason, but the genuineness of the characters easily made up for it. Riley seemed wise beyond her years, and I enjoyed the tenderness between her and Daniel. As in all romance/suspense books that I read, I wish the romantic interaction between the hero and heroine wouldn’t be put off until the end. I feel we miss out on a lot of the story development between couples when it is quickly summed up in a last chapter or epilogue. Other than that, WITHOUT WARNING will definitely be added to my recommendations list.

Book provided for review purposes.

Available August 2016 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

My Review - Realms of Darkness

5+ stars 

There are not enough adjectives to describe The Secret of the Journal series. As I have stated in my previous reviews—of the first three installments—the story of Matthew and Emma is captivating, intriguing, intelligent, and evocative.

I don’t even know how I can give a synopsis of REALMS OF DARKNESS without giving something away, but I will try to give an overview of the whole series.

Emma D’Eresby’s love of history is a passion passed down to her from her grandfather. However, the study of one particular journal has consumed her and turned Emma’s life upside down. Having survived the abuses of others, Emma isn’t looking for a relationship, but Matthew Lynes—the focus of her research—is the most intriguing person Emma has ever met, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. As their relationship develops, there are those who would like nothing more than to tear them apart, both from inside Matthew’s family, and others from Emma’s past. However, Emma and Matthew recognize they have something special. Yes, they have numerous obstacles to overcome, but they know they’re meant to be together, so they pursue a relationship.

Fast-forward to where we join the story in REALMS OF DARKNESS. Emma has recovered from a near-fatal collapse, and is ready to take the next step—becoming Matthew’s wife. But someone from Emma’s past is determined to ruin her and find out what it is Matthew is hiding. Emma refuses to let this happen and goes to extreme lengths to keep Matthew’s secret safe.

That’s all I can say without giving too much away. The Secret of the Journal series is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Each time I read an installment, I am completely consumed by it, not wanting to put it down until I have read the very last page. I am so thankful I only have to wait until September to read the conclusion of Matthew and Emma’s story. The Secret of the Journal series (and I only have two others) is definitely on my re-read list.

Book provided for review purposes.