Wednesday, September 17, 2014

My Review - Love's Fortune

3 out of 5 stars

LOVE’S FORTUNE, the third installment in the Ballantyne Legacy was good, but not necessarily great.
Rowena “Wren” Ballantyne is something of a lame duck.  Though she is an heir to the Ballantyne fortune, she has lived in relative obscurity in Kentucky.  All that changes when her father is summoned to Pennsylvania and Wren must accompany him.  Thrown into a world of formality, ball gowns, etiquette, and suitors; she must maneuver the upper crust with the propriety expected of a Ballantyne. When she is expected to have a ‘season’, her aunt arranges for James Sackett to be her escort.  Completely taken by the former steamboat pilot, Wren is excited to spend time with James.  She only wishes he saw more in her than just the duty of being her escort.
James Sackett, is like an adoptive son to Silas Ballantyne.  When he is asked to escort his granddaughter through a season, he does so willingly.  Though he feels a growing infatuation for Wren, he must not show it. There are those seeking to harm James for his abolitionist leanings, and he refuses to subject Wren or any of the Ballantynes to such dangers. 
I have had a love-hate relationship with this series.  While I loved LOVE’S AWAKENING, LOVE’S RECKONING fell short.  LOVE’s FORTUNE fall somewhere in-between.  I love the characters of Wren and James, and many of the secondary characters as well.  I just feel as if the story was a bit drawn out and slow.  There were so many sub-plots going on, at times, it got a bit confusing.  The drama towards the end of the book made up for some of the lag time in the middle, I guess I just would’ve preferred more pages being devoted to Wren and James.  I must admit, this time period isn’t one of my favorites so my patience is easily tested. For someone who loves this period, I am sure the book would hold your attention better than mine.
Book provided for review purposes.
Available September 2014 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

 

Friday, September 12, 2014

My Review - Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard


4.5 out of 5 stars
DEADLY DEVOTION is book one in the Port Aster Secrets series. Romance, suspense, and more twists than a mountain road.

Herbiest, Kate Adams insists her friend Daisy did not kill herself.  But the Port Aster Police Department does not agree.  Though she knows Detective Tom Parker is annoyed with her, she doesn’t care.  Kate will do whatever is necessary to prove Daisy was murdered, even if she has to use herself as bait.
Detective Tom Parker is beyond frustrated with Kate Adams.  With her wild accusations and uncanny way of getting herself into dangerous situations, he has no choice but to look into Kate’s allegations, if only to keep her out of trouble.  Unfortunately, his chief doesn’t want him wasting time on a closed case so Tom’s is unofficially keeping his eye on Kate.
While Kate and Tom sidestep their growing attraction for each other, they have come to the agreement Daisy was indeed murdered - now to prove it.
I really enjoyed DEADLY DEVOTION and BLIND TRUST, book two in the series.  Though I read them out of order (book two was sent to me as part of a contest so I couldn’t post a public review), both books kept me interested and involved.  I enjoyed the characters of Kate and Tom.  Kate is a go-getter and Tom has just the right mix of exasperation and protectiveness.  Tom’s family and the other members of the Port Aster community added small town charm to the story, and lent to the myriad of suspects.  I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next installment in the series.

 

Monday, September 08, 2014

My Review - Nowhere to Turn


5 out of 5
NOWHERE TO TURN was fast-paced and intense, from beginning to end.
Danielle Harding’s life has taken one difficult turn after another.  Wanting nothing more than to protect her eleven-year-old son from her abusive husband, Danielle decides to flee.  But, in a freak turn of events, Kurt Harding is killed.  And with his death, Dani finally feels safe.  Unfortunately for her, the danger is just beginning.  It seems Dani’s husband has been working with less than reputable people.  When these people suspect Kurt has taken something of value, they go after Danielle.  Dani has no idea why someone is stalking her and her son.  All she knows is there is nowhere to turn but to Operation Refuge – a privately funded organization that helps people disappear.  Dani experiences a rollercoaster of emotions.  She immediately finds herself trusting Adam Buchanan the man assigned to protect her, but her wounded psyche questions if she should trust another man with her life and the life of her son.  But the more time she spends with Adam, and seeing the positive and caring interaction he has with Simon, she feels her heart softening and allows herself to believe maybe there could be something more between them.
Adam Buchanan of Operation Refuge moves in to assist Dani and her son, Simon.  Though he feels an immediate attraction for Dani, Adam recognizes he needs to keep his demeanor professional.  What he thinks will be a smooth transition in moving Dani and Simon to safety quickly turns into an intricate game of cat and mouse.  Barely being able to keep one step ahead of Dani’s pursuers, Adam does all he can to keep them safe, find out who is calling the shots, and why they want Dani dead.
NOWHERE TO TURN was the consummate page-turner where the action never seemed to stop.  Dani and Adam were great lead characters.  And Simon was a wonderfully written charmer.  I am a real fan of Lynette Eason and was shocked to find out she had a new series I was unaware of.  NOWHERE TO TURN is the second installment in the Hidden Identity series.  I will definitely be going back to purchase NO ONE TO TRUST, the first book in the series.  If you like action-adventure with romance, you definitely want to read NOWHERE TO TURN.
Book provided for review purposes.
Available August 2014 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.