When Maura Collyer was noticed at his ball, Ashton “Ash” Wilde, Marquis of Beaufort was perplexed by the beauty’s action of giving a come-hither look to the obnoxious Lord Deering.  As far as Ash knew his sister’s very best bosom friend, Maura, wasn’t even interested in men, but if her actions were any indication he’d best find out what sort of woman her sister had befriended.  Ash stayed in the shadows watching what he assumed would be a tryst, when in actuality it became a heated argument between the two parties.  Ash came to Maura’s rescue and discovered she was only trying to buy back her stallion Emperor, whom her step-mother had sold behind Maura’s back.

***  PRINCESS CHARMING was a perfect story, combining two things I love the most, a wonderful romance and a wonderful horse!   In Ms. Jordan’s deft and capable hands she has brought together the scandalous Wilde cousins and turned the very rakish Ashton Wilde into somewhat of a Prince Charming with Maura the implausible Cinderella.  True she had a somewhat wicked step-mother, who did sell Maura’s horse behind her back, but her two step-sisters were kind and caring, and there was no magical fairy godmother.  However, Jordan did contrive to make Ash’s sister Kate into a very meddling ‘matchmaker’.   No spoilers here but I will tell you Ms. Jordan does come up with a wonderful explanation of the lost shoe.

Maura is very much put out at her BFF, Kate, trying to hook her up with her very handsome and rakish brother. Yes, she couldn’t deny that Ash made her stomach do flip flops, and the one kiss he stole was something of a dream come true.  However, Maura just didn’t have time for any matchmaking at the moment – Maura had her priorities.  The author made it abundantly clear that the first course of action was to rescue her stallion (the one with four legs!!)  Ms. Jordan never the less, kept Ash continually in the forefront to remind Maura of the pleasures that could be hers.

All in all, the action was evenly paced, the romance was subtlety sublime making PRINCESS CHARMING a book not to be missed.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

It was going to be her last job- and the last time she’d have contact with her family….

Audrey Callahan has worked hard to escape her family’s history of running cons in the Edge. Despite her misgivings, however, she is unable to refuse her father’s request for one last con. Unfortunately, it goes horribly awry and now she’s caught between two factions, the Mirror and the Hand. She’s forced to align herself with Kaldar Mar, a con man working for the Mirror. Will Kaldar and Audrey succeed in stopping the Hand?

FATE’S EDGE is the third book in the Edge series. While it can be read as a stand alone tale, the subplot involving George and Jack is best appreciated in the context of the series as a whole. Readers familiar with the series will already know how the Edge, the Broken, and the Weird work, but new readers will have missed the world building that has occurred over the course of the series.

The ongoing battle between the Hand and the Mirror escalates in the prior book, BAYOU MOON, where Kaldar’s desire for vengeance emerges. Kaldar isn’t going to let anyone get in his way, even as he finds himself falling for Audrey. Audrey has her own issues to contend with. She’s been repeatedly burned by the con men in her family, most especially her brother, and she’s unwilling to trust Kaldar as a result.

However, it is not the romance between Kaldar and Audrey that makes FATE’S EDGE so appealing. Quite honestly, they are my least favorite couple of the series. Instead, it is the prominent role Jack and George play that make FATE’S EDGE truly work as they steal the show. Their adjustment to their new lives has not been an easy one but the spirit with which they attack their problems is enjoyable to see. I only hope we will continue to see more and more of them in future books!

Courtesy of Amazon

Hannah Albury is a young girl at a Boston orphanage. When she comes to the ago she can no longer stay in the home, Hannah is sent to central US , only to be struck so ill, she had to immediately return to the east, and take a position as a scullery girl in the rich Boston home of the Hawleys. There, Hannah starts to really question who she is because of an irresistible urge to be close to the sea, her propensity for shedding small sparking crystals wherever she goes, and leaving a residue of salt in the tub after bathing.

When a famous painter is hired to do a portrait of the three Hawley children, including the troubled and destructive Lila and her seemingly evil cat, he immediately notices Hannah and recognizes something in her. Now Hannah is on a quest to discover who she really is, and to hopefully claim the destined life of the sea awaiting her.

While I enjoyed a peek into the life and times of a wealthy 19^th century blue blood family, the minutiae of daily life bogged the story down with unnecessary details, taking up time that could have been better spent on uncovering the mysteries of Hannah and company.

I was a little bit confused about why some of the characters were introduced and so much attention given to them. For example… Lila. There is this huge build up around her, her destructive ways, and her “evil” cat. So much time is spent detailing her antics, that I was expecting some huge showdown between her and Hannah, or some deep dark secret revealed about her and why she hated Hannah so much. But when the moment is there, it’s so anticlimactic that I was left wondering why there was so much buildup. Then there is Mr. Wheeler, the painter. While his impact on Hannah is of a positive sort, the same type of thing happens. We are given so many hints to his secret, which I had figured out after the first “mysterious” mention, that there is an implication he will have a huge impact on Hannah’s discovery of her true nature. But again, when the big reveal occurs, all I could think was “that’s it?”

While Hannah had an intriguing premise, the slow pace of the story and the buildup to climactic moments that aren’t all that exciting, it just didn’t keep the pages turning non-stop for me. I kept reading, waiting for something exciting to happen, or one of the great revelations that were hinted at throughout, but when those moments should come, there was just a feeling of let-down. I don’t really believe that has to do with the fact this is a young adult novel, since  I read almost as much YA these days as I do “grown-up” books. I do think however, that this trilogy would make better children’s fiction than YA since the slower pace may make for easier reading for younger children and pre-teens.

I do have to say though, even though the story is written the way it is, I do plan to finish the series. Mainly because I want to meet the other Daughters of the Sea, and find out what will happen in the end.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2011. All rights reserved.

Shay Brennan is feeling a little bit lost. After losing her parents very close together, and two failed engagements due to the men being more interested in her money than in her, Shay needs a new start. Finding herself in South Dakota, with the newly purchased historical Buckhorn Saloon under her belt, Shay’s life is about to get more change than she expected.

The Buckhorn has been home to tragedy in the past, as Shay is finding out when a female ghost beseeches her for help, and a male ghost seems intent on her destruction. What is even stranger is the connection Shay finds to these ghosts, once she begins researching the history of her new home. Help from the skeptical realtor she purchased the saloon from, Colt Morgan, makes Shay start to wonder… Did A Haunted Twist of Fate bring them together, or will it spell the end of Shay’s life?

Things get even more complicated when Shay finds herself, however reluctantly at first, in a romantic relationship with Colt. He doubts her insistence that there are multiple ghosts in her home, some of which who mean her harm. Though Colt questions the existence of supernatural entities, he finds himself a partner, in more ways than one, to Shay as she continues her quest to get answers and solve the mystery of the Buckhorn Saloon.

The story of tragic events unfolding over 100 years ago dominates the tale we find in A Haunted Twist of Fate. However, the darkness is tempered by the romance brewing between Shay and Colt, as they grow closer, even while danger increases. An intriguing cast of secondary characters adds depth to the story, bringing in more opportunities for emotional development throughout the story.

Stacey Coverstone drew me in to A Haunted Twist of Fate from the very first page. That spooky beginning sets the tone for what we can come to expect throughout the rest of the novel. The mystery is carried throughout the whole book as we try to figure out who the ghosts are, what they want, and more importantly, why they are so strongly drawn to Shay. The twists brought about by revelations into all the players of this saga, will initially surprise readers, before making us wonder why we didn’t figure it out sooner.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2012. All rights reserved.

This novel interweaves the stories of three women, each facing a very real-life struggle. Rachel loses her high powered job and her boyfriend.  She inherits her aunt’s house and kennel of rescue dogs, and since she has no other good options at the moment, decides to try to untangle the problems of the rescue along with the leashes of the dogs within.  Zoe is a divorced mother of young children who has just had her last straw dropped when her ex gives the children a new puppy. Natalie has what appears to be the picture perfect marriage, but foster dog still isn’t enough to replace the baby she longs to have.

You guys know how much I love a good dog story and a story with a hunky veterinarian.   We get both with this delightful novel by Lucy Dillon. As well as a load of adorable four footed characters, the stories of the women as they face very real challenges of life touch deeply and the reader grows to care for each of the characters.  The novel follows the typical chick lit genre formula in that it doesn’t provide neatly tied up stories.  What I did like was that we are still left with a positive feeling of hope for each of the women at the novel’s close.  I couldn’t finish this review without mentioning Bertie. I absolutely loved this mischievous Basset hound and laughed out loud over his antics. Anyone who enjoys chick lit or stories full of dogs will like Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts.

The Vampire Files omnibus series, allows new readers to catch up on all the past stories of Elrod’s famous vampire gumshoe , Jack Fleming. Volume 4 reprints Elrod’s 8^th and 9^th Fleming adventures: Lady Crymsyn  and Cold Streets.  Jack Fleming is a vampire private detective in Chicago during the 1930’s. These stories open with Jack deciding to open his own nightclub. The problems arise when the guys remodeling the building discover the dead body of a woman, handcuffed and seemingly buried alive.  Jack immediately springs into action! Jack’s problems with his nightclub continue into the second novel, Cold Streets.  His nightclub is a place for the rich and powerful to gather, but the mob and the bad guys are still causing mayhem.  This time Jack is trying to bring kidnappers to justice, but finds himself under fire as one of the guys figures out Jack is a vampire and targets him for extinction.

I’m new to the Vampire Files series.  I became interested in Jack after reading a few of his short stories in several of anthologies edited by P.N. Elrod.  By the way, I highly recommend Elrod’s anthologies; they are always a compilation of great authors and fun stories.  I’ve discovered several new favorite authors that way.   All of the Vampire Files books are written in first person, with Jack narrating, just like all the detective noir stories from the past and each one that I have read so far are great fun! Jack is an appealing character that somehow gets under your skin and the 1930’s Chicago mob setting adds so much color to the storylines, as do the many plot twists and turns that keep readers guessing. I recommend this series for a refreshingly different kind of vampire story.

Juliet has lost the love of her life, Ben. In her grief, she withdraws from friends and family, not leaving her house except to walk Ben’s dog, Minton.  Her mother convinces Juliet to walk Coco, her elderly dog, and before long, Juliet finds herself with the new career as pet sitter and dog walker.

Walking Back to Happiness is a warm, sensitive novel about a woman’s journey from the grief losing a loved one to moving on with her life and finding the hope of happiness in life again. I just wanted to hug Juliet and could so identify with her struggles to deal with her crushing grief. I also really loved all the supporting characters and side stories that Lucy Dillion always builds into her stories.  They add so much richness and depth to the novel.  I also love the personalities that Dillon comes up for her dog characters.  I enjoyed her dog characters first in her previous novel, Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts.  She’s done it again in this book with totally new canines, and I positively loved reading about the elderly Coco, Hector, the Don Juan of the neighborhood, and the adorable spaniel, Damson.  I loved eavesdropping on Juliet’s world and hated to see the novel end. Keep a hanky nearby when reading this for it definitely has its sad moments, but the overwhelming feeling the reader is left with is one of hope.  I think you will enjoy this novel.

Jeremy (JB) Edwards is a successful construction company owner, a loving uncle and a man of faith. Monica Kittelski  runs the Sunny Horizons Daycare Center, where Jeremy’s nephew goes. Jeremy runs to pick Jeffrey up from the Center when he is sick and the father is tied up and unable to get to him. JB and Monica are jointly attracted at once, but there are obstacles for both to overcome before their happy ending can be reached.

I love Marianne Evans’ books. This is another book in her Hearts Crossing series, and each one I am sure is better than the one before.  I love the gentleness and love that both Monica and Jeremy show for people in their lives, and my heart ached for Monica’s heartbreak over her inability to have children.  Ken, JB’s pastor, is a wonderful character who offers such love and wisdom to both JB and Monica as they struggle with the choices and paths ahead of them.  I love to read good inspirational romances like Heart’s Communion because they remind me of God’s love and power in our lives. I always finish novels like this feeling full inside and feeling hopeful again myself.  I have Evans’ next novel ,Heart’s Key, in my TBR pile and can’t wait to get started!

Stacy Graysin co-owns the ballroom dance studio, Graysin Motion, with her former fiancé and dance partner, Rafe Acosta.  One night Stacy finds Rafe dead in the studio and she becomes the prime suspect.  The police are happy to accept an easy solution to the murder, so she realizes she will have to solve the murder and clear her own name.  Rafe’s cousin, Tav, arrives from Argentina.  This is the first Stacy has heard of a cousin, but circumstances has her working with Tav to find the real killer and save the studio.

I have been eagerly waiting for this mystery for months.  As a long-time ballroom aficionado, I couldn’t wait to read a cozy mystery series with ballroom dancers.  Barrick delivers with a glittering first novel in a hopefully long string of future ballroom cozy mystery novels. The depiction of the ballroom studio, complete with colorful characters, ballroom competitions and professional squabbles is dead on (no pun intended!) and a delight to read.  The mystery kept me guessing, and I loved the light, breezy feel to the novel . There were several very engaging characters whom I look forward to seeing more of in future novels, and the hint of possible romance with Tava and Stacy offers appealing possibilities as well.   If you love any of the reality dance shows on tv these days, or already love ballroom dancing, you will find this new series a gold medal winner.  The second novel,  Dead Man Waltzing, is due out June 2012.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=175_133&products_id=4693

Piper Johnson is determined to have a boyfriend to kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas.  So she puts a classified ad in the paper for a temporary boyfriend.  Her best friend, Alex Miller is agast, especially at the number of replies she receives.  He’s been patiently waiting for years and he isn’t about to let someone else steal Piper away now!

This was an adorable story, just like one of those wonderful romantic comedies they show at Christmas on Hallmark channel or Lifetime.  The shorter length is the quintessential good news/bad news scenario.  The good news is that the story provides a wonderful easy romance fix to get even the most determined Ms. Scrooge in the holiday spirit.  The bad news is that the characters are so engaging that seeing the story end so soon is a bummer.   Piper has definitely embraced her adventuresome spirit as she meets men who respond to her ad.  Alex is the perfect good friend/secret adoring lover who races around trying to keep Piper out of trouble.  It is the age-old theme of best friends becoming lovers which I particularly love, and it is delivered with a sweet story that will leave readers smiling and saying ahhhhhh. Thanks for the delightful Christmas present, Ms. Snow!