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I'll be on vacation for the next two weeks.
And yes, that graphic is representative of what I'll be doing
(I'll tell you all about it when I return).
Here's to cold beverages, smooth sailing, and exploring new places.
Nancy will be here on Monday, July 29 with a review of
Nalini Singh's Primal Mirror.
I hope you all have a wonderful July filled with summer fun and
great books. See you on the flip side!
~PJ
Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady—until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée’s unconventional sister. Torie isn’t perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he’s actually chosen her.
She wants to marry for love…
Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is… but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny.
But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he’ll have to give all he has to win her love.
Santa Says:
If you are looking for a slow burn, lust-to-love on second sight where the hero falls first - look no further than Eloisa James’ new series starter Viscount In Love. This five star read will fit perfectly into your summer beach reading tote bag.
Dominic Kelbourne, Viscount Kelbourne, is in the market for a spouse. He has very specific requirements for his bride to be. She is to run his household, be agreeable and play hostess. At first glance, Leonora Sutton seems to fit the bill. Her drunkard of a father is of no concern to him. And her sister is quiet enough to not cause him any concern. Their two year engagement doesn’t bother him, as he always seems to have more important matters to address at Parliament.
Leonora’s sister, Victoria (Torie) prefers staying in the background painting and visiting with friends. She is also very beautiful and attracts some very ardent admirers but her reputation as a dullard eventually turns all suitors away. This label is repeated in front of others, specifically Kelbourne, by her own sister and father! Brutal. After all, they would say, how can someone who could not seem to read or write hope to run a household?
Torie for all her faults is a kind and considerate person with strong convictions. She has a fantastic memory for any information told to her. It is how she learns new information, books, and stories. Her compassion comes to the forefront when Kelbourne becomes guardian to his orphaned twin niece and nephew, Valentine and Florence. He embraces them immediately in a way their own parents never did. They immediately bond with Torie. Meanwhile, her sister would banish them back to the countryside.
Viscount Kelbourne is immediately faced with another dilemma when Leonora sneaks off to marry a much older man. The twins start to play cupid for a match between Torie and Dom. He sees the merit as he becomes more attracted to Torie. She stirs up a wealth of emotions in him from lustful thoughts to the sheer joy of everyday life.
He proposes and Torie hesitantly accepts. However, the road to happiness does not run smoothly. They seem perfectly matched but she is not the docile perfect hostess he thought he wanted. But sometimes, what you thought you wanted pales in comparison with what you gain.
There is quite a bit of angst in this book. The heat level is scorching, so make sure you have a fan handy. If you love a bit of groveling, you will also love this book. Dominic and Torie are products of some pretty harsh environments they grew up in. Dominic’s father was a cruel and harsh man. Torie suffered verbal abuse and some neglect because of her learning disabilities of both dyslexia and dyscalculia. They survive and thrive with the twins, finding a love that offers them the hope and home they never really had before.
To claim her rightful legacy and her only chance at a happy future, Ashley sneaks into the lighthouse behind the Inn with the intention of scaring her estranged husband off the premises by pretending to be a ghost. Unfortunately for Ashley, Christopher knows she's back. He's spent the last decade running the business and hating himself for not following her. Her father forbade him from telling her the truth of the Inn's financial circumstances. In an act of love, he saved the resort and has been supporting her with an allowance ever since.
When Ashley accidentally sets the lighthouse on fire, she runs into Christopher's arms. He hopes her return means a relationship resolution and a chance to show how much work is involved in managing the property, hoping she will gladly hand over the reins. However, Ashley isn't giving up, and Christopher doesn't want her to leave. Convinced the Inn's lighthouse is haunted, she starts an investigation. Together, they uncover one mystery after another. Will they discover the secret to a happy future and a second chance at love?
PJ's Thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about this one. Parts of the story were enjoyable while others left me frustrated. I guess the bottom line is, I just wanted more. This is a husband and wife who have been separated without contact for ten years which presents a good opportunity for hashing out emotions on the road to a possible reconciliation. Good potential that had its moments but didn't quite live up to my expectations.
I'm not a huge fan of secrets, especially when in this case those secrets were kept - and continue to be kept - for the other person's "own good." Ashley and Christopher grew up together, fell in love, married, and are still married, though estranged. This is not an age-gap romance yet he's still treating her like a child, just as her father did. Yes, some of the things she's done have been immature but maybe if the men in her life had been upfront and open with her instead of withholding facts and opportunities from her, her life would have taken a different course. As it is, both main characters need to do some growing up - and they do - but, for me, it took way too long to accomplish. Others may feel differently. By the end of the book I did feel better about them as a couple but I'm also hopeful that we'll continue to see their relationship grow and solidify in the rest of the series. And yes, I do plan to give the next book in the series a go. There are locals introduced in this book who have me intrigued.
While the romance part of the book wasn't all I had hoped for, the mystery was well crafted, keeping me guessing with unexpected twists and on the edge of my seat with some suspense-filled moments.
In the end, I'd give The Ghost of Loon Lake 3.5 stars. It didn't keep me up reading late into the night but it piqued my interest in Loon Lake and her citizens enough to return for the next book in the series.
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The randomly chosen winner
of Caridad Pineiro's giveaway is:
ButtonsMom2003
Congratulations!
Please send your full name and mailing address to:
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com
I’m so excited to be visiting with you all on The Romance
Dish! It’s such an exciting year for me since besides having the brand new
South Beach Security K-9 Division
spinoff series beginning in May, we’re also waiting for our first grandbaby in
the next week or so! All joyous new releases! Read on to find out about these
new releases and how to enter a giveaway for a $10 gift card and an e-copy of
BISCAYNE BAY BREACH.
This month’s release in the SBS K-9 Division series is ESCAPE THE EVERGLADES which features some very interesting heroes. Carlos Ruiz is a marine who’s now a single dad because of his wife’s tragic death. Carlos is an environmentalist who also runs a tour business in the Florida Everglades. The heroines, K-9 Agent Natalie Rodriguez and Missy, a Labrador Retriever, are both Army veterans suffering from PTSD after being injured while on deployment. It was a labor of love to bring Carlos, his son Luke, Natalie, and Missy together to help them heal from the wounds in their lives.
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In ESCAPE THE EVERGLADES, Carlos and Luke are out in search
of a Florida panther they are tracking when they run across alligator egg
poachers. They have to flee the area when the poachers fire on them but manage
to save the eggs by bringing in game wardens to assist. But that prompts a
series of attacks at Carlos’s home and business and he calls in South Beach
Security to help.
What follows is an action-packed and emotional story as
Natalie and Missy protect Carlos and Luke and as both father and son begin to
love again after the loss in their lives. That love and the beauty of the
Everglades will help Natalie and Missy heal from the wounds of war.
One of the fun things about writing all the stories in the
SBS K-9 series was picking the dogs for each story based on their special
skills.
In the first book, SABOTAGE OPERATION, the SBS K-9 agent is
needed for protection so the K-9 heroine is a Belgian Malinois.
Since Labrador Retrievers are great in watery situations and
search and rescue, Missy was perfect for ESCAPE THE EVERGLADES!
In KILLER IN THE KENNEL (November 2024), the K-9 heroine is
a bloodhound since the story involves searches for missing women and cadavers.
Finally, DANGER IN DADE (Christmas 2025) a pit bull is the
top dog since she’s needed for protection.
You may be asking yourself what’s next since I’m happy to say I’ll be doing another 4 book spinoff which will also have some puppers in the stories. Would you believe a corgi is the K-9?
Thanks so much for visiting with me. For a chance to win a
$10 gift card and an e-copy of BISCAYNE BAY BREACH, #3 in the earlier South
Beach Security Series, let me know if you love stories with dogs!
Okay, readers, tell us if you love stories with dogs in them. And if you have dogs in your real life, feel free to tell us about them too!
One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, July 14 will receive Caridad's giveaway of a $10 gift card and an e-copy of BISCAYNE BAY BREACH.
Until, minutes before the ceremony, Nat learns that Rob wrote a one-star review of her new novel, which has them both reeling: Nat from imposter syndrome, and Rob over the reason he needed to write it.
When the reception ends, these two opposites hope they’ll never meet again. But, as they slip from their twenties into their thirties, they’re forced together whenever their fast-track best friends celebrate another milestone. Through housewarmings and christenings, life-changing triumphs and failures, Natalie and Rob grapple with their own choices—and how your harshest critic can become your perfectly imperfect match.
After all, even the truest love stories sometimes need a bit of rewriting.
Hellie’s Heeds:
I wasn’t sure how to rate this book. On the basis of a “romantic-COMEDY”--I wouldn’t put this in that category. But honestly I’m so confused by the rom-com category nowadays. I suppose if this book were set next to Bridget Jones’ Diary–which was more painful to read than laugh-out-loud funny, perhaps this fits the category. But I thought Bridget Jones fit the category because in essence, the story-line was a bit fluffy. The stakes were lower–the most Bridget had to lose in most of the episodes was her dignity, of which she had very little. But this story–oh, so many stakes. I decided to rank the book by how I felt at the end–as just a story, neither particularly romantic or comedic, and decided it was worth 5 stars because this book made me FEEL ALL THE FEELINGS. I admit, I hated feeling most of them.
If a book could be a soulmate, this was my soulmate. I could identify with Natalie hard–the artist writer girl who spends the whole of her 20s flailing around, failing left, right, and center, making incredibly bad decisions and/or not dealing with her issues (mainly because she doesn’t make enough money to get the therapist she so desperately needs.) I shared scenes from the book and tried to explain the heroine to my husband–he hated her. *LOL* And I admit the first third of the book, I didn’t like her a lot either (even if the heroine was me in fiction form.) The hero, Rob, was much more likable, but he had his quirks. There was a point in the book where Rob meets a lovely woman who you think he’ll marry–and you think he should because Natalie is definitely not emotionally mature or available to date him–and for reasons I can only think of as “Hermione-Ron Wish Fulfillment”, they don’t end up together and Rob and Natalie finally work it out…but it felt like a stretch at some points.
Where this book shines though is Angus. Angus the unlikely hero. I could write odes to Angus, the bumbling goofy guy who somehow ended up marrying way out of his league, but ultimately proves he is more than worthy of her and she is worthy of him. The places I laughed the hardest…and cried the hardest featured him. May we all be worthy of our own Angus one day. (I’m glad to say I found mine.)
The “romance” between Natalie and Rob is a distant third…or dead-last compared to the relationship between Natalie and Gabby. From the first page, Natalie would be content to keep the Clubhouse girls only. Gabby is her best friend–and she can’t imagine anyone or anything coming between them. But then there was Angus. It was like being stabbed through the heart because Natalie’s insecurities and hurt that her friend had replaced her with “some guy” was something I could relate to. (My husband could not relate to it, but my husband has always been too old for friends, I think. Or maybe it’s a girl thing.) Reading this book healed a lot of hurts I still had; and in a romance sort of way, there is a happily ever after for all involved. No animals or beloved characters were killed in the writing of this book.
If you are wanting a romance that primarily focuses on the hero and heroine–this is not really the book. Sure 99% of the scenes are either in the hero or heroine’s POV, but the story itself revolves around Gabby and Natalie, or Angus and Gabby, most of the time. It’s how I fell so in love with Angus actually–the real hero.
If you are wanting a comedy, aside from the fabulous wedding scene, prepare instead to bawl a lot. (Or if you didn’t have a bestie who gave you abandonment issues and you think your girlfriends should automatically understand that they’re just friends while a husband is family, well, you may want to set the book on fire in several spots–I’m not sure you’ll ever like Natalie.)
But if you want to read about Angus, a hero for the ages, I think you’ll agree he’s definitely worth all the stars. I’m not sure if I want to thank Laura Hankin for this story–or yell at her, “How dare you!” while sobbing into some tissues. I’ll have to check out her other books–I have a feeling they’re all of the complicated variety.
Brides have whispered that Bailey can see if their true love is faithful, or if their marriage will be a success. Her aunt Charlene has always warned her, “It’s safer to stay out of White folks’ business.” But Bailey will reluctantly provide a reading during a fitting, as long as the bride promises to be discreet.
Now Elsa Grimes, daughter of one of the richest oil men in Oklahoma, has come to the Regal Gown as the least joyful bride Bailey has ever seen. Elsa’s big society wedding is imminent and her gown is gorgeous, but what Bailey’s intuition uncovers when she touches Elsa’s hand horrifies her. Against her better judgment, she’s determined to help Elsa in whatever way she can. But when the son of a prominent family turns up dead on the eve of Elsa’s wedding, and the bride-to-be is arrested for his murder, Bailey is suddenly at the center of a firestorm that threatens to overtake her and everyone she loves.
PJ's Thoughts:
This was a good story set in a different era from what I typically read. It's 1950's Oklahoma (which I still have trouble thinking of as "historical") where there's a clear divide between rich and poor, black and white, the town elite and those who serve them. And then there's Bailey Dowery, a Black dressmaker who finds herself somewhere in between. An employee of a white business owner, Bailey is in demand for her fashion skills as well as her psychic skills while clearly not someone who would be welcomed into any of the white women's homes. And yet she finds herself in an alliance, a friendship of sorts, with the white daughter of one of the most powerful families in town, a relationship that won't go down easy for either side. Add in a murder, secret relationships, betrayals, complex family dynamics, and Bailey's "second sight" and this story turns into a compelling drama that kept me flipping pages right up until the end.
Thomas explores multiple themes in this book that weave in and out of the storylines, connecting unexpected characters as events unfold and secrets are revealed. She isn't hesitant to shine a spotlight on the racial divides that existed, impacting the lives of more than a few of the characters. She touches on the complications and heartache of social restrictions placed on certain characters, particularly women, and of the inability to live an authentic life. She also explores the many layers of relationships - family, romantic, friendship - which bring another level of emotion and understanding to the lives of these characters and enough unexpected twists to keep readers wondering how it will all turn out in the end. I enjoyed it and will be seeking out more of Ms. Thomas's books.
Content Warning: murder, sexual assault
Have you read any books set in the 1950's? Do you enjoy stories set in that era?
Have you read any books written by Trisha R. Thomas?
One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, July 9 will receive a hard cover copy of The Secret Keeper of Main Street.
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
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The randomly chosen winner
of a print copy of
Big in Sweden by Sally Franson is:
Deb
Congratulations!
Please send your full name and mailing address to:
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com
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The randomly chosen winner
of a hard cover copy of
People in Glass Houses by
Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle is:
Glenda
Congratulations!
Please send your full name and mailing address to:
theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com
Armed with her Polaroid camera, a beat-up copy of Pippi Longstocking, and an unquenchable sense of possibility, Paulie hops on a plane to Sweden and launches into the contest with seven other Americans, all under the watchful eye of a camera crew. At first, Paulie is certain that she and her competitors have nothing in common besides their passports and views their bloodthirsty ambitions with suspicion. Yet amid the increasingly absurd challenges—rowing from Denmark to Sweden in the freezing rain, battling through obstacle courses, competing in a pickled herring eating contest—Paulie finds herself rethinking her snap judgments about her fellow countrymen, while her growing attachment to her Swedish roots increases her resolve to win the competition herself.
Grappling with long-held notions of family, friendship, and love—not to mention her feelings for the distractingly handsome Swedish cameraman who’s been assigned to follow her around—Paulie starts to reconsider her past and rethink what she wants for the future. A fish-out-of-water tale filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, Big in Sweden is at its heart a love story: love for family, friends, country, and—most importantly—oneself.
PJ's Thoughts:
