Category: Romance/Adventure - GRANT LEISHMAN

finding hope by mary crawford

13/5/2020

Reading a Mary Crawford novel is a bit like coming home, for me. The characters that are spread across her different series are all related and inter-connected to each other and over the years I have invested quite a lot of empathy and emotion into the lives of these flawed but wonderfully drawn characters. Her latest offering, Finding Hope, part of the Hidden Hearts series follows this heart-warming trend. Its principal characters Nick Weston and Dr Dakota Crenshaw are not familiar to me but are surrounded by my old friends, all Crawford's wonderful and endearing characters.
Dr Crenshaw is a forensic genealogist, a DNA detective who uses science to try and identify bodies and track down killers. Dakota has experienced her own trauma early on in her life that has left her scarred physically, mentally and emotionally. When she begins searching for the identify of a two-year-old baby girl stuffed down a well in Tennessee, her science points her in the direction of one particular family, Nick Weston's who works for Identity Bank and the Cold Case Group. Nick has his own personal trauma going on after returning from active military service. Nick has been jilted by his long-time childhood sweetheart and fiancee and is feeling the pain of loneliness and rejection, himself. Despite Nick being a potential suspect in the murder of the little girl, the electricity between Dakota and him is obvious from the start. Can these two lonely individuals find each other amidst the suspicion and doubts created by the science Dr Crenshaw uncovers.
Like all of Crawford's works, Finding Hope is a powerful expression of how love can overcome all manner of obstacles we may face. The beautifully written words of love, friendship, camaraderie, tolerance, and understanding just pour from every page of Crawford's work. I am always a sucker for a sweet romance but Crawford takes that to the next level with her wonderfully drawn, full, somewhat damaged characters that ooze self-doubt, angst and suffering yet are powerful and triumphant in their own areas of expertise.
This is certainly not my first genre, as a reader, but it is one I come back to whenever I feel overwhelmed by the negativity of the books I've read. Crawford's gentle, loving, family of characters is just what a reader needs to remind him or herself that it is not necessarily as grim and as heartless out there as we are led to believe. Yes, we can all make stupid choices in life and we may have faced high hurdles in our journey but there is always love and the redemptive power of that love shines through all of Mary Crawford's wonderful books. In this genre she has no peer and I can make no higher recommendation than that. Another superb read from a master of flawed characterisation.

You can find Finding Hope, along with all of Mary Crawford's Extensive portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

seize the day (the unbrcable women series book 2) by kathryn r. biel

3/11/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite By Grant Leishman

Erin McAvoy is a woman on the horns of a dilemma. In Seize The Day (The UnBRCAble Women Series Book 2) by Kathryn R Biel, Erin has some difficult choices to make. In her early thirties, Erin is a zoo worker who loves her job and her animals more than anything, perhaps even more than people but she knows she is in a race against time to achieve all she wants to achieve in life. Erin is the recipient of the BRCA variant gene that massively increases her chances of breast and ovarian cancer. As with many BRCA afflicted women in her support group, Erin knows she needs to have a mastectomy and a hysterectomy, as a preventative measure before any signs of cancer appear. The problem – Erin is desperate to have a child, before her chance disappears. Her conservative parents believe strongly in dating – love – marriage and THEN children but Erin may not have that luxury. All of the men she meets on her dating app. are wholly not what she is looking for and she truly despairs of ever making her dreams come true.

Writing a novel with humour, wit, and grace that deals with such a difficult and sensitive topic is an art in itself and in Seize The Day (The UnBRCAble Women Series Book 2), author Kathryn R Biel has achieved that perfectly. Her lead character Erin McAvoy is perfectly drawn as a woman full of self-doubt, who lacks self-esteem and belief yet is prepared to overcome her shortfalls and stand up for herself and fight for what she believes in and desperately wants. The mixture of doubt and daring that the author wove into this character goes straight to the readers’ empathetic bones and although at times you almost want to shake her and tell her to wake up to the reality, you also know she eventually will see the obvious and grasp the opportunities. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Erin and her mother, one that was typified by that eternal problem of over-protection and parent-projection and the child that just wants to break free and do her own thing. The love interest in the story was the central theme, of course and this was beautifully built up to a crescendo that I really appreciated. This book is slated as “women’s lit” however I would suggest it is a fantastic read for anyone who needs a lift in their morale and an object lesson in “when life throws lemons at you – make lemonade”. Funny, witty, sad, moving, this story has it all. It’s a winner and highly recommended by this reviewer.

You can find Seize The Day, along with the rest of Kathryn R. Biel's extensive portfolio, here, on her Amazon page:

forever, lately: a regency time travel romance by linore rose burkard

28/10/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Forever, Lately; A Regency Time Travel Romance by author Linore Rose Burkard brings us the character of author Claire Channing, a moderately successful Regency Romance writer who has struggled with her last two books. Living in her missing grandmother’s, deserted cottage in Maine, Claire is determined that this time she will write the Regency Romance of the century and cement her reputation as one of the best in the genre. When strange things begin appearing around her cottage and she finds an old, beautiful shawl belonging to her grandmother, Claire suddenly finds herself swept away into the past, back to 1816, to be exact, where to her astonishment she appears to be inside her own novel. When she meets the hero from her book, Julian St. John, she slowly comes to the realization that perhaps this is all real and her characters truly are historical figures from 1816. After returning to the current day, Claire does some research and discovers, to her horror, that Julian St. John, according to the history books is about to be tragically killed in a coach accident a few weeks from when she was transported to. Claire knows she has to do whatever is within her power to stop this occurring and thus begins the first real adventure of Claire Channing’s short life, to date.

It’s often hard to find a new angle for a time-travel adventure but author Linore Rose Burkard has certainly hit on one with her novel, Forever, Lately; A Regency Time Travel Romance. As a reader, I appreciated the novelty of the approach and enjoyed the intricate and often unexpected time shifts. The author successfully, it seems, managed the time-travel paradox well and the story flowed fast and smooth. The characters were both believable and well-developed. I particularly liked the antagonist Clarissa who gave the story that darkness and tension that even a good romance requires. Claire, as a modern woman, thrown into an alien society, albeit one she thought she knew extremely well through her writing, was both strong and independent as any good, leading lady character should be but was well-rounded enough to still feel the need for romance and the electricity between her and the good gentleman, Mr. St. John was a highlight of the read for me. My only gripe about the story would be the length of the chapters; in my opinion they were just way too short and didn’t allow the reader to settle into and relax in a scene before a jolting chapter end stop. That having been said, this story was an excellent read and one I really enjoyed and can highly recommend.

You can find Forever, Lately, along with the rest of Linore Rose Burkard's portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

georgette alden starts over by annie hoff

26/10/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

For around thirty years, Georgette Alden’s life had revolved around her career as the incredibly sexy and devious Electra Holmes, on the day-time soap, Our Time Tomorrow. In Georgette Alden Starts Over, by Annie Hoff, we meet Georgette just as she is contemplating life as Georgette rather than her alter ego, Electra Holmes. Her character has been unexpectedly killed off by the producers who want “young and sexy” for their audience now. Confronted with the prospect of unemployment for the first time in her career, Georgette is persuaded to participate in a Public Announcement spot for a local charity, Helping Hands, which provides for the many homeless of New York City. When Electra first meets the charity’s director, the wheelchair bound, but still incredibly handsome Tony Rodriguez there is an instant and palpable connection that neither of them want to deny but is Tony ready for a full-on relationship, especially with a woman he once fantasised over, on television, as a College student? Georgette has to come to terms with whether she is really Electra Holmes or the hitherto hidden and less obvious, Georgette Alden, whilst Tony must decide if he is ready to put it all out there on the line and risk the possibility of rejection from a woman he still thinks is probably way out of his league.

If there’s one thing I do love it is a good, quirky, romance and author Annie Hoff has certainly brought me one of those with Georgette Alden Starts Over. There is nothing terribly complicated or deep about these characters and their interactions and yet the author manages to weave a tale of faltering, yet determined love between two unlikely partners that not only works but creates great empathy in the reader for both of the main characters. I particularly enjoyed the “aha” moment when Georgette finally realized she was truly Georgette Alden, a mature woman who was simply lonely and what she wanted more than anything in the world was to be loved for herself, not for some sexy character that she was immortalized as on the square screen – what she really wanted was Tony Rodriguez. I also enjoyed the battle Tony was going through as he panicked about his ability to satisfy such a glamorous woman, especially given his condition. The writing is simple, sweet and draws you into the two characters’ psyche as we ride along with them down those first tentative relationship steps. If you like a good, modern romance with quirky characters, especially so with the fringe players, then this would be a fantastic read for you. I certainly enjoyed it very much.

You can find Georgette Alden Starts Over, here on Annie Hoff's Amazon page:

cats, chaos, and condo board wars by nikki leclair

14/10/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

In Cats, Chaos and Condo Board Wars, Hilary Brandt is an up and coming event planner who has made her mark in the industry by sheer hard work and dedication to her clients. Author Nikki LeClair brings us this tale of a successful, thirty-something woman who struggles with the eternal life balance between career and potential romance. Living in one of the city’s top condominium buildings, courtesy of her late grandfather’s bequest to her, with roommate and BFF Luna, Hilary and the rest of the tenants are dogged by an autocratic, Condo Board Chairwoman in the face of Mrs Glover, who it seems has been the tenant’s nemesis for almost forever. Incredibly unfair and favoring certain tenants over others, Mrs Glover has long been the bane of many of the condo’s residents. A group of them decide it is time to overthrow the ogre and Hilary, with her well-known organizational and people skills is the obvious person to do it. When Mrs Glover forbids Hilary from eating “very smelly” Indian Takeout in her apartment and makes her sit outside in the pouring rain to eat, that is the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Hilary and she throws herself headlong into the nasty, backbiting struggle to win the tenant’s support in the upcoming elections.

Cats, Chaos and Condo Boards is an unpretentious chick-lit romance that stands out primarily for the depth of characters that author Nikki LeClair manages to infuse into her story. I am probably as far removed from LeClair’s target audience as you can get and yet I found myself entranced by the political backbiting and general nastiness of this minor election. The author does a great job of instilling humour into the tale to give it an excellent balance between the drama and the fun. The relationship issues that Hilary has with both her friends and her potential love matches are genuinely funny and well-written. If you are looking for a break from the horrors, drama and angst of much of today’s offerings in both reality and the book world then this book will give you that. It is well-written and flows seamlessly from one dilemma to the next. As a character, I wanted to slap Hilary for being “too nice” and slap Eli for being “too camp” and that, in my opinion is the mark of an excellent author; one who can raise emotions within the reader. This is no literary masterpiece but what it is, is a fun, enjoyable romp away from reality that leaves the reader grinning to him/herself at the end and that is what we all look for in a romantic comedy. Kudos to Nikki LeClair and I am tempted to read more from this author.

You can find Cats, Chaos and Condo Board Wars, along with the rest of Nikki LeClair's portfolio, here on Amazon:

Circle in the sand (oceanic dreams book 3) by tracy krimmer

4/10/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Circle in the Sand: Oceanic Dreams Book 3 is a novel in a romantic comedy series by Tracy Krimmer based around romance on cruise ships. Isla Hunter is a librarian, about to turn 30, who allows her two best friends, the vivacious and adventurous Charlotte and the gorgeous “player” Asher to convince her to celebrate the event by going on a cruise. Charlotte hopes the cruise will allow Isla to forget her old boyfriend, who left her a year ago, after eight years together and that she might “hook up” with someone and just have some fun for a change. But when Charlotte unexpectedly has to cancel her participation in the trip, it is just Isla and Asher, alone on a big cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean. When Asher appears to immediately hook up with an old childhood friend Isla begins to feel pangs of jealousy. Although she tries to rationalize it as just annoyance that Asher is not celebrating her birthday exclusively with her, she also begins to question whether, perhaps, she might have feelings for someone she had always thought of as being in the “friend zone”, albeit, the best-friend zone. This cruise maybe will allow them both to discover and explore anything that may be between them.

I love a good romance and especially a romance with a twist of comedic writing, which, as an author, I know is not an easy thing to do. In Circles in the Sand, author Tracy Krimmer is able to develop a character in Isla that appealed to my sensibilities and my sense of humour. Her self-deprecating manner and her habit of studying people (people watching) definitely resonated with me. She was, at her core, a fairly old-fashioned girl and not about to throw herself at the first man that gave her a cheesy pickup line and yet, a little part of her longed to be free, easy and sexually loose like her best friend Charlotte but she wasn’t actually sure she was capable of that. The author did a great job of developing Isla through the story and Asher was well drawn also, as the archetypal “player” who perhaps was not a player at all and had some extraordinary hidden depths. I particularly enjoyed the interplay between the two old friends who perhaps were not just old friends. The read is seamless, well edited and not at all pretentious; it is a straightforward romantic comedy that makes no bones about being anything else. I can definitely recommend this book if you love romance but require a slightly edgier and tougher format than perhaps your typical Mills and Boon. I’m impressed with this author’s style and will keep an eye out in future for work by her.

You can find Circle in the Sand: Oceanic Dreams Book 3) here, on Tracy Krimmer's Amazon page:

the eyes of love by j.e. smythe

29/9/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Ruth is closing in on forty, still single and basically can’t figure out why. She’s always had the picture of the perfect man for her, in her head but where exactly is he? A few times in her relationships to date she’d thought she was with “the one” but then something happened and they drifted apart and eventually broke up. All she wants is to find that one special man who wants and needs her as much as she wants and needs him. Her only consolation in her constant introspection is the beautiful saxophone playing that seems to call to her on her back porch, from the mysterious new neighbor who recently moved in across the road. The Eyes of Love by J.E. Smythe sees Ruth, with a push or two from her two best friends, embark on a journey of discovery as she contacts all her previous boyfriends, many of whom she hasn’t seen for years, to try and ascertain from them, what exactly went wrong with their relationship and why she wasn’t “the one” for him? It is a journey sure to be ripe with self-discovery but also a fair share of pain and hurt at the revelations she discovers. Ruth is on a journey to find the one who was meant for her but what she discovers is she’s not everything she thought herself to be.

The Eyes of Love by J.E. Smythe has an interesting premise that will resonate with many readers – what do our ex-partners truly think about us and why did they break up with us? It was always going to be a journey fraught with pain and an element of self-doubt and angst but I felt the author did an excellent job of presenting Ruth, the main character, as anything but the neurotic woman she could have so easily become, without a firm author’s hand. I particularly liked her two friends, who couldn’t be more polar opposites; one happily married with two children and the other still a party girl thoroughly enjoying the single life. Their interplay with Ruth and with each other was definitely a highlight of the story for me. Although the ultimate outcome of the journey was probably way too obvious to an outside reader, that didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the journey and the recognition that many of the feelings and confusion over past relationships that Ruth felt, have been felt by all of us at one time or another. If you love romance and if you like your female leads with intelligence but also with a simplistic naivete of life, then this book will be right up your alley. I’m not the author’s target market audience by any stretch of the imagination but I can still say this story was an enjoyable read.

You can find The Eyes of Love, along with the rest of j.E. Smythe's portfolio, here on her Amazon page.

the devil and dayna dalton (book 9) A bulwark anthology by brit lunden

26/9/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Devil and Dayna Dalton (Book 9) A Bulwark Anthology is a short, novella from the pen of author Brit Lunden. Dayna Dalton is known as what we might colloquially call, “trailer trash”. She grew up in Bulwark, Georgia and like her mother had gained an unfair (in her case) reputation as the town slut. From an early age, Dayna had designs on the gorgeous Clay Finnes but all through High School, Clay seemed impervious to her charms, placing her fairly and squarely in the “friend zone” or the “sister zone”. Unable to achieve her ambitions of a life with Clay, Dayna managed to escape the incestuous small-town atmosphere of Bulwark and attend Georgetown University, on a full scholarship, where she studied journalism. Just as Dayna’s career was beginning to take off, she loyally returned to Bulwark to take care of her mother who suffered a cancer scare. Now a reporter on the local Bulwark newspaper, she is still drawn to Clay Finnes, now the town’s sheriff but also now married, with a child. Realising she can never have Clay she runs through a coterie of men, never quite finding the love and care she craves, until… strange things begin to happen in Bulwark.

As a reader, I’m not a big fan of novellas, as I like the characters to develop and grow over the length of as novel, however, for The Devil and Dayna Dalton (Book 9) A Bulwark Anthology, I’m prepared to make an exception. Author Brit Lunden has given us a complex character in Dayna Dalton who, having run the gamut of the worst in relationships is ready, willing and able to give herself utterly and totally to the man who steals her heart… and what a man he was! The paranormal feel to the novella coupled with the author’s vivid and breathtaking description of the people and the environment of Bulwark was a true bonus to this story. The story flows and yes, I was a little annoyed when it ended so quickly but rather than dwell on that, I’d just say Lunden has given me a thirst and desire to read more of her work and indeed more about this fascinating female lead she has created. I loved the way she so accurately portrayed the dynamic between the public and private persona of Dayna Dalton. Written off, virtually from the day she was born, Dayna has the spirit and the intelligence to rise above people’s perceptions of who she is and most importantly, not care what people think of her. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read and one I can highly recommend, especially if you love strong, female, leads, as I do and the paranormal touch doesn’t hurt at all.

You can find the Devil and Dayna Dalton, here on Brit Lunden's Amazon page:

soul scars (hidden hearts - protection unit #3) by mary crawford

17/8/2019

I often say that reading a Mary Crawford romance is like coming home. The characters are all familiar and although each story focuses on a different couple they are invariably surrounded by other characters who are familiar and comfortable with me, as a reader, from previous iterations of her series. The author has built a magnificent portfolio of interrelated and intertwined character who all have one thing in common - they are flawed (physically, emotionally, or mentally) but equally they are all seeking love and acceptance in a society they don't often feel a part of.

In the latest iteration of the Hidden Hearts - Protection Unit #3, SOUL SCARS, we meet Toby, a genius computer programmer who was kidnapped as a young boy and held hostage for five years by a manipulative and sexually exploitative woman, along with Detective Pauline Lawrence, a young woman born to be a policeman. Pauline's father was invalided out of the force when he was shot several years ago and it seems Pauline is determined to prove to her bosses and the world that she is not only a capable and efficient law-enforcement officer but that she is better than any man in the force. Her impetuosity and desire to prove herself have got her into trouble in the past and this episode will be no exception.

When Toby and Pauline meet, both realise there is something special between them but for differing reasons they both are unsure if they can cope with a full-time relationship and more importantly whether they are ready to commit their entire beings and trust to another person. Will their work, together, on child kidnapping, trafficking and child-sex rings bring them closer together or ultimately will their fears and past scars re-emerge in this white-hot environment and drive them apart?

I make no bones of the fact I love Crawford's work. Her simple, easy-to-read stories of love between individuals who have difficulties, mirrors real life for many of us and more than once, I've recognised myself in some of her characters. This is what makes her stories so compelling - they hit home hard, close to where we live.

To anyone procrastinating on whether to read Crawford or not, I would say she is so much more than a typical romance writer. Her stories are about life, life's complications, life's choices and battles but ultimately about the ability of love to lead to our salvation, from ourselves. Give it a chance and read one of her books even if you don't think they are your thing. I'm sure you will be genuinely surprised by how invested you become in her work. I know I have become on of her biggest fans.

You can find Soul Scars (Hidden Heartgs - Protection Unit #3) along with Mary Crawford's immense portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

tied lives by jonathan finch

11/6/2019

I've read a number of author Jonathan Finch's books over the years, both poetry and prose. I've always been impressed with his grasp of the language and his ability to write poetry that transcends the norm. He is truly a craftsman of words. It is fair to say that sometimes I have criticised his prose for being too verbose, too obscure and often too pretentious. Instead of focusing on the characters and their development it sometimes seemed that the descriptiveness of the writing was more important. One of the things about being a reviewer is it allows you to watch an author grow, develop and change. Finch's latest work Tied Lives is living proof of this adaptability and for that reason is an absolute winner.
Finch brings us a story that is both simple and complex, one that allows the most unlikely of characters to connect, to develop and to expose their vulnerabilities.
Reginald Washington is the archetypal British senior civil servant - stiff upper lip and all. Extremely successful, well respected and an authority on gender equality in society, Reggie, has achieved it all. Close to sixty, Reggie is unmarried and still lives at home, with his parents and adult sisters, though. When a chance encounter at the local pub introduces him to the beautiful, exotic, and alluringly sexy, thirty-year-old, Thai domestic helper, Siri-Srai, Reggie's whole world turns upside down. He is smitten and no amount of "common sense" from his family is going to change that. Reggie is in love and embarks on a journey of discovery that will take him away from his "safe place" the halls of parliament, halfway across the world to the "Land of Smiles" where he will discover exactly how the "other half" lives and what it is like to be a "foreigner" (farang) in a strange land.
This is a beautiful love story, a poignant and touching portrayal of devotion and betrayal that will pull at any reader's heartstrings. The story resonated so deeply with me because of the personal connection to the experience, yet Finch invites us all inside that very different world of cross-cultural relationships and bathes the reader in understanding, empathy and a deep connection to the characters. I can honestly say I loved this story and I particularly loved the telling of it in a straight-forward narrative. Jonathan Finch is to be commended for his exceptional work on this book and I think, from my perspective, he has truly arrived as a novelist. Congratulations on a job well done. Oh, and the little pun in the title of the book was just the icing on the cake for me.

You can discover Tied Lives and indeed all of Jonathan Finch's work, here on his Amazon page:

two hearts under fire (two hearts wounded warrior romance book 8) by tamara ferguson

5/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Tamara Ferguson regularly brings us new iterations of her wounded warrior series and Two Hearts Under Fire (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 8) is the latest story in that franchise. Airman Russ Quinlan and his team are targeted and their transport destroyed en-route in Iraq. When Russ returns to the States he realises that someone has been trying to frame him and the subsequent inquiry may well lead to his own court-martial and a lengthy prison sentence. Whilst looking for help, he contacts his old friend, AFOSI Agent Brand Reardon but instead finds the beautiful Claire Ellis at Brand’s apartment, a friend of Brand’s fiancé, Sarah. When a gunman attacks the pair, for no obvious reason they aren’t sure quite who the target was Russ or Claire. Clair it seems is on the run and hiding from a violent and deranged ex-husband who wants to kill her. The pair takes to their heels in a mad dash across country in upstate New York and the Great Lakes area, to try to escape whoever is after either one of them. The attraction between the pair was electric from the first moment they met and can only get deeper and more intense the more they are thrown together in this race for their lives and safety with their friends Brand and Sarah in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin.

This is not the first Tamara Ferguson book I’ve read. I can honestly say Two Hearts Under Fire (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance book 8) is up there with the best of the stories I’ve read, from her, to date. Two things I particularly love about this book and about all of this author’s work is the immense amount of action, excitement, plot twists and romance, she can jam-pack into what is essentially a smallish novel. I’ve read some books with this much excitement that are double the size of this and yet Ferguson loses nothing in the paring down of her work. There are no wasted words or padding in her books, which make them simple and easy to read in one sitting. In fact, it is always hard to put a Ferguson novel down and this one is no exception. The second thing I love about her writing is the sensitive and caring natures she manages to build into to these giant, hulking men, many of whom are ex-special forces operatives, who she shows are capable of feeling and expressing deep emotion, without shame. I also appreciate that much of the action takes place against the backdrop of The Wounded Warrior Hospital and the school for children with disabilities, both in Crystal Rock. These are obviously twin passions of the author and they fit perfectly with her stories. This is a great read and one I can highly recommend.

You can find Two Hearts Under Fire, along with all of Tamara Ferguson's fine portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

the master of ships: charles's story (novella #2) by naomi finley

27/5/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Master of Ships by Naomi Finley is a short historical novella that follows the lives of Charles Hendricks, a wealthy American, slave-owner and merchant, in the 1840’s and the woman he fell in love with, in England, the half-black, former slave, Isabella. This novella is obviously a continuation of a story begun earlier, but it is not necessary to have read the previous book to obtain enjoyment from this one. Charles, despite being cheated on by his wife and his brother, a union that produced a child, was madly and deeply in love with his wife and was happy to raise the child as his own. When his wife is murdered by fellow whites for being a “nigger lover” (apparently she was active in the Underground Railway helping fleeing slaves in the American South), he is devastated and distraught, taking to sea and to drink to try to numb the pain of his loss. When he finds Isabella, beaten and unconscious in a London alleyway, in his inebriated condition, he determines to help her. What starts out as friendship rapidly turns to love, but Charles cannot let his wife’s memory go and more importantly perhaps, as a slave-owner himself, loving a black woman would ruin his business, his reputation and endanger the lives of Isabella, his daughter Willow and himself.

The Master of Ships is a novella and as such is a little short for me to be a totally satisfying read, however, what there was I found intriguing, exciting and fulfilling. Author Naomi Finley has created some archetypal characters from the era. Charles, especially, conflicted as he was by the love of his late wife and the need for him to ensure his daughter (niece, in reality) received the upbringing she deserved, along with his deep and abiding love for Isabella made him a fascinating study in morals and beliefs, at a time when people were routinely subject to ownership and subjugation. Charles was caught neatly between two worlds, unsure what the right move was but knowing he did not want to, indeed, could not lose Isabella from his life. As perhaps I’d intimated earlier, my only regret with this exceptional story was that it wasn’t a full-length novel. What I particularly enjoyed about the story was the moral debate over the appropriateness of slavery and the idea that somehow slaves or black people are in some way lesser than white or even sub-human. This was a debate that rattled through Charles’ mind the entire time. I note the author is planning the next chapter in this saga soon and the greatest compliment I can perhaps pay her is to say, I will be waiting for the next instalment, to find out what happens in this love story and where the main characters move on from here.

You can find The Master of Ships, along with the rest of Naomi Finley's porfolio, here on her Amazon page:

devil's claim by dariel raye & muffy wilson

17/5/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Even as a child Katala felt a deep attraction to David Stringfellow, one she neither understood nor indeed, knew what to do about. Despite the pair hardly ever seeing each other after their childhood both still retained the memory of their deep affection and attraction. When David’s father dies and leaves his immense wealth to his only son, the will has some strange stipulations that will forever change the lives of Katala and David. In Devil’s Claim, authors Dariel Raye and Muffy Wilson bring us a tale that spans the generations and cultures. They take us back to the old west, where Native American’s are being forced from their land and African-American’s, even the free ones, are consistently captured, rounded-up and forced back into slavery and subjugation. David and Katala’s forebears set in motion a chain of events that will see a curse follow the Stringfellow clan down the generations until the present day. Can David and Katala finally break this horrific curse that has held his line in its thrall for so many years?

Devil’s Claim was a veritable romp through so many different and new ideas; black magic, curses, witchcraft, Native American traditions and customs, spirits, and demons. Author’s Dariel Raye and Muffy Wilson have crafted a wonderful romance that links Karma across the generations and requires the two main characters to break the Karmic cycle somehow. Although in its early chapters the story felt slightly disjointed and as a reader I struggled to come to terms with the connections and more importantly the effects of the Karmic events, through the ages, the more I read, the more entranced I became, with the story. Both Katala and David were wonderfully drawn characters who exhibited the difficulties and challenges of different cultural histories living together, in harmony, in the 21st Century. The clash of their cultures and beliefs with modern life was one of the keys to the success of the story. This certainly isn’t a book for the young and the relationship scenes between the two were exciting, frank, and hot, without crossing that invisible line into smut. The sex scenes were intrinsic to the understanding of the depth of their relationship across the generations and were beautifully handled by the authors. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and if a love story with an esoteric and magical background is your thing, you will love it too. I’ll give big “up’s” to these two authors.

You can find Devil's Claim along with a ghost of other good reading here on Dariel Raye's Amazon page:

changing angels by julie elizabeth powell

24/4/2019

Changing Angels from Julie Elizabeth Powell was a warm, romantic, change of pace for me. I found the story of two star-crossed lovers who somehow just missed each other quite touching.
Jake came from an abusive home where he was treated like garbage by both his parents and even his older siblings. He left home to escape from the pain as soon as he was able and although he flirted around the edges of the law, he always had a strong moral compass that kept him roughly on the straight and narrow and at least out of serious trouble. A chance encounter with a young girl on a bus would leave Jake and the girl, Faith, with the belief there was something destined for them both, together.
Faith's life was thrown into disarray when her beloved father died and her mother remarried a wealthy businessman, which gave them the security they needed but it also gave faith a step-brother she could well do without. Faith knew Lawrence was evil and had designs on much more than brotherly love, so was relieved when her mother sent her away to boarding school.
Jake and Faith briefly reconnect while she is at boarding school but when Faith mysteriously disappears one day, they are again torn apart. Despite the years that pass, Jake always believes he will find Faith again but will it all be too late for the lovers?
This was an enjoyable and satisfying read. I've been a fan of Julie Elizabeth Powell for some time and this was the first non-fantasy book of hers I'd read. In some ways it reminded me of the emotions and angst in one of my own books and I certainly identified with that.
If you like a good, solid, story-line with real, strong characters both male and female, I'm sure you'll love this and if you're a hopeless romantic, like me, I know you will. An excellent read and one I can highly recommend.

You can find all of Julie Elizabeth Powell's wonderful books, including Changing Angels, here on her Amazon page:

out of thin air (hidden Hearts #11) by Mary crawford

21/4/2019

Opening a new Mary Crawford book, whether it be from the Hidden Beauty or Hidden Hearts series is, for me, like coming home to my family and friends. The many and varied characters that Crawford has brought into my reading life over the years are a part of me now. It is true that not all the characters pop up in every book, but enough of them do to provide that continuity and comfort that is so much a part of Crawford's work, for me, as a reader.
Out of Thin Air, her latest Hidden Hearts book is no exception. This story of Dylan and Lauren's love affair and story is a little darker than some of her earlier works but, as always, Crawford's ability to show the deep humanity and also the angst of her characters shines through. Dylan is a Florida police detective who is young and successful at his job. He is committed to his role in society of putting away the "bad guys", often to the detriment of his personal life. Dylan's success leads to his appointment as the leader of a task-force to investigate cold cases where children went missing and to try to discover what happened to them and if, perhaps, they are still alive somewhere.
Lauren was only six when her nine-year-old sister disappeared, some twenty-odd years ago. Lauren and April were just playing outside and one moment April was there, the next she was gone. For the next twenty years Lauren's mother played the role of the victim to perfection often blaming Lauren for her sister's disappearance and even suspecting the little six-year-old of somehow being involved. When Lauren's beloved father committed suicide just three years after April's disappearance, Lauren was left alone to suffer her mother's hateful and spiteful invective. Now twenty-nine, Lauren still lives with her mother and although she is a relatively successful businesswoman she is beset by doubts, insecurities and is subject to panic attacks.
When April's disappearance becomes Dylan's first cold-case to investigate, the emotions and the attraction between him and Lauren is obvious but how can Dylan separate his emotions from his job that may eventually lead to the knowledge that Lauren's beloved sister is actually dead.
Like all Crawford's works, I loved this story and appreciated the fact that the author was delving a little deeper into her character's psyches. This was a wonderful story that I was instantly caught up in and invested in. Crawford has a writing style that is simple, unpretentious and extremely readable.
I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves good, honest romance with characters that are both very human and flawed. Another absolute winner from my "go to" author when I need some reassurance that there is something special about humanity. Thank you Mary for reminding us that flawed as we may be, we are all capable of great warmth, great love and great compassion.

You can take a look at Out of Thin Air plus all of Mary Crawford's extensive portfolio, here on her Amazon page.

the letter (hidden beauty #11 by mary crawford

15/3/2019

The Letter by Mary Crawford is yet another in her fantastic Hidden Beauty series. Crawford's ability to take people and situations full of angst, pain, loss and suffering and then allow the light of love to shine through, is legendary, in my opinion. Her understanding of her characters innermost fears and insecurities is what makes her a master in this genre. The Letter is no exception.
Although the initial premise of the story - how Rocco and Mallory came together did seem to stretch the limits of believability just a tad, it didn't detract from the story at all. When Rocco, a paramedic, receives a letter from the hospital to tell him that his non-existent wife may have breast cancer, rather than bin it as a silly mistake, Rocco is determined to find Mallory and ensure she gets the follow-up treatment she clearly needs.
Mallory, an investigative journalist is at the height of her professional powers, well-respected in the industry and determined to make a difference. The possibility of cancer at her young age is a body blow for her, but fortunately the circumstances that bring Rocco and her together will also be her greatest support for the future.
What I love about Crawford's novels are she never shies away from the raw emotion, pain and suffering of her characters, but instead infuses the tale with love, concern, caring and responsibility that softens the hard edges of whatever disability(ies) the characters may have.
The Letter is another triumph for Crawford and I can not only recommend this book, but her entire series of Hidden Beauty, as well as her other series Hidden Hearts. The characters are frighteningly real and serve to remind us always that our health or lack thereof is just a fleeting moment from changing but that it is not the determinant factor in finding love and happiness. I am a Crawford fan, for sure.

Be sure to pop on over to Mary Crawford's Amazon page where you can find The Letter along with all her other magnificent novels.

the scream behind her smile by athena daniels

15/3/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Scream Behind Her Smile by Athena Daniels is a love story that brings a lot more to the party than your traditional romance novel. Claire is a successful designer to the stars and the elite in Western Australia but her clothing design has served a greater purpose than just fame. It was what saved her from the morass of grief over the death from brain cancer of her little baby girl. After three years of hell, during which time she struggled to even get out of bed, following the death of her beloved Katie, the designing has given her some sense of worth again. To the casual outsider it appears her husband Derek has been the ultimate rock and support for her during these trying times, but appearances can be deceiving. When Derek suddenly turns up with an “old school friend” Jasmine (Jazzy) and offers her the chance to stay with them until she sorts herself out, Claire feels something is wrong but seems unable to act on her suspicions. It’s only when Claire meets the enigmatic, yet successful artist Zach that the reality staring her in the face seems to take hold. The chemistry between Claire and Zach is obvious and intense, yet Claire still needs to deal with her troubled past before she can move on.

Author Athena Daniels has brought an extremely readable and relatable tale in The Scream Behind Her Smile. As a lead character Claire was real, believable and someone the reader clearly wanted to root for while at the same time feeling this intense desire to shake her out of her complacency and her naivety. What I particularly liked about this story was the author’s obvious desire to not minimise the incredible loss losing a child has on the parents. No amount of advice, “to move on” or “to let it go” is ever going to make any difference. No parent dreams of this ultimate tragedy and when it happens it is totally devastating to the parents. This whole premise was beautifully and sensitively portrayed by the author. Until you forgive yourself for what happened, you can never make peace with the present or the future. The relationship between Zach and Claire was moving, powerful and incredibly sexy. I did love that Zach not only had a past but that he was actively dealing with reconciling with that past. Both Claire and Zach felt they had huge impediments in their lives to them ever being happy again but Daniels skilfully showed us that there is a way to let go without forgetting. I can highly recommend this book, especially if you love romance with some real meat on its bones. This is what this book has.

You can find The Scream Behind Her Smile by Athena Daniels here on her Amazon page, along with the rest of her portfolio:

the power of will (hidden beauty #12) by mary crawford

8/3/2019

As a regular reader of Mary Crawford's wonderful novels about love, I am always excited to receive a new story from her. The Power of Will (Hidden Beauty #12) definitely did not disappoint me.
As with all Crawford's stories, they revolve around a close group of family and friends whose lives are interlinked and occasionally blessed with romance. Also, like most of her stories, the characters are either physically disabled or have issues with mental health. This has always been one of the things that has drawn me to her writing and to her characters. They are invariably good, honest human beings but flawed, yet Crawford allows us to see past the exterior and catch a glimpse of the magic of romance and love.
This was definitely the case in The Power of Will. William Kordes, by all conventional wisdom, had it all. He was rich, successful and had made his money from his own creativity and inventions. From the outside, his life was perfect, but inside it was a totally different story. Inside, Will was the still the shy, introverted young nerd who was bullied at school and considered unteachable by many of his instructors. His lack of confidence in himself he managed to shad in the facade of success but it was never far below the surface waiting to pounce and drag him down. Mariam Fischer was fighting an internal battle herself, but this one was with a degenerating body. Suffering from the incredibly painful and barely understood affliction of Fibromyalgia, Mariam was in pain constantly and although she projected as a beautiful, strong, self-assured woman, her disability was invisible to others and few could understand the pain and stress of simple everyday life for her.
When Will and Mariam meet, the attraction was instant but the signs were not good. Mariam was not taken in by his good looks, his charm, or his success. She basically told him to "take a hike" but thankfully it takes more than that to stop Will from "trying to fix things".
This was a wonderfully sweet and bittersweet romance that reminds us we all have to be grateful for everything we have. There is always someone worse off than us. Crawford's style is unpretentious, uncluttered, simple and most of all "clean". If you love romance, if you love "real" characters with problems, you'll love this story.
It's another absolute winner from Crawford's prolific portfolio and one I highly recommend.

You can find The Power of Will, along with the full, extensive Mary Crawford portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

a bend in time: Never without her book 1 by anne c. maxwell

8/2/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

A Bend in Time: Never Without Her Book 1 by Anne C. Maxwell was a love story with a science fiction/time travel twist. Elena Villiers is a beautiful, determined young woman who is an Agent working for MI6 in counter-terrorism. Very successful at what she does, she is shocked when she is sent to infiltrate a Saudi Bank in London that is suspected of laundering money and funnelling it to terrorists. The CEO of MGB just happens to be her childhood companion and major crush, growing up in Riyadh, Omar McGovern. Struggling to keep her priorities straight Elena finds herself deeply drawn to the now grown-up Omar and the feeling is clearly mutual. How can she carry out her spying activities when she is falling in love with the man she is spying on? Whatever happens, neither Elena nor Omar are prepared for the weird and wonderful time trick that is about is to be played on them as they are both thrown into alternate time universes, one into seventeenth Century France to the court of King Louis XIII and one to a rural Baron’s house in nineteenth Century England. How will they return to their own time and their real lives?

I was impressed with the premise on which A Bend in Time: Never Without Her is based and was keen to see how the author would handle three different stories essentially with the same characters. Author Anne C. Maxwell did an excellent job of keeping the reader on-track throughout the narrative. The characters, Elena and Omar are both overachievers and extremely successful at what they do and it could be assumed readers may have some difficulty with identifying and empathising with them. This was certainly not the case and Maxwell gave both characters enough flaws to make them vulnerable and recognisable as ordinary people. I particularly enjoyed the passionate love scenes in the story, of which there were a number. Her poetic word choices and deeply descriptive passages gave the scenes a sense of beauty and magic, rather than any tawdriness or crudity. What Maxwell has done here, in what I am assuming is a debut novel has beautifully set up her series with these characters. I cannot wait to find out where the “Bend in Time” might take this pair next. For me, I can pay no greater tribute than that to this author.

You can find A Bend in Time: Never Without Her, here on Anne C. Maxwell's Amazon page.

like a girl out of water: the miller's creek trilogy by halle b atherton

4/2/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

David Blackledge and Josh Walker had been friends forever, since first-grade in fact. Growing up, next to a river in rural Virginia, the pair were inseparable and although a rambunctious team who at times got into minor trouble, the general consensus in the region was that these two were “good boys”. In, Like A Girl Out Of Water: The Miller Creek Trilogy by Halle B Atherton, a chance encounter on the river when the boys are thirteen will come back to haunt them many years later. When David met Allie Wainwright the attraction between the pair was instantaneous and both had felt they had met their soul-mate. But, as so often happens, as teens grow into adults and drift apart physically, attending different colleges, petty jealousy and doubts arise and what seemed perfect just a month ago, no longer seems so. David, Allie and Josh will all go on to be incredibly successful in their chosen fields, but even as the years go by, neither can forget that first, perfect love and keeping them tied together is both of their deep friendships with Josh, now a Navy SEAL serving in Afghanistan. David is a major league baseball player and Allie, an Olympic champion swimmer, but it will take a tragedy to bring these two back together.

Like A Girl Out Of Water: The Miller Creek Trilogy is a wonderful exposition of young love and the accompanying angst that we’ve all felt at some point. Author Halle B Atherton has produced three gross over-achiever characters here that somehow seem to work and despite their phenomenal success are readily identifiable and draw empathy from the reader. I loved how, despite all their successes, all three remained grounded to their morals and their rural Virginian roots and family. Yes, at various times they all made poor decisions and yet, with grit, determination and sheer-bloody mindedness they still made their circumstances work for them. The narrative was well-written and flowed seamlessly from one POV to the next. I felt the passionate love scenes were exciting and sensual without crossing that line into crudity. This was a fantastic read and definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Yes, it is a romance, but it is much more than that; it is a life-affirming tale of simple, honest folk achieving great success over sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds. I can highly recommend this read and look forward to the remainder of this trilogy. I am invested in these characters now and want to see where the author’s story-line will take them next.

You can find Halle B. Atherton's Like A Girl Out Of Water: The Miller's Creek Trilogy, here, on Amazon.

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