Review - - Broken

Broken

by Rebecca Zanetti

Deep Ops - Book 3

Publisher: Zebra

Release Date: May 26, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

Dangerous: Former Navy SEAL Clarence Wolfe’s unit was taken out with a land mine. Injured and devastated, he hasn’t been quite right since. Worse, the tragedy was no accident. All Wolfe wants now is to take down the man responsible. In the meantime, he’s good with being the muscle for the Deep Ops team—and leading a steamy no-strings-attached personal life. Until one intriguing woman changes everything . . .
 
Determined:  Reporter Dana Mulberry is on a mission to avenge the death of a fellow journalist. She’s finally hot on a trail—right to a sex club—where she runs into . . . Wolfe? It seems both their leads have led to the same spot. To keep from blowing their covers, they’ll have to at least pretend to have a little fun. Trouble is, they genuinely like each other. And that’s way too risky for Wolfe, especially when, to his surprise, Dana agrees . . .
 
Complicated:  Drawn to each other in ways they can’t understand, Wolfe and Dana keep it professional—until they’re shot at one night. And when their adventures land them both at the heart of corruption in D.C.—and at odds in their missions—they’ll have to dig deeper than ever to succeed in their quests—and with each other . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

I'm new to Rebecca Zanetti's books. I know, where have I been??? After being introduced to Wolfe and Roscoe in Zanetti's novella in the PIVOT anthology, I was beyond excited for his story and, wow, did it ever deliver. Filled with set-the-sheets-on-fire passion, breath-stealing danger, edge-of-your-seat suspense, surprising sweetness, a truly evil villain, and hilarious humor (take it from me, you don't want to be drinking anything while reading the wedding weekend scenes), this book had everything I could have wanted...and then some.

I adored Wolfe. He's such a fascinating mix of contradictions, an alpha male with deadly skills and a take-charge attitude but with an underlying sweetness and vulnerability, a health nut who savors his morning latte with whipped cream and sprinkles. He truly has been a lone wolf, it's hard for him to ask for help, and he doesn't let people get close to him. Yet, on the other hand, he carries a tiny kitten in his pocket. He does care for people in his own way but it's not until he finally connects with Dana that he begins to open his heart.

Dana is the perfect match for Wolfe. She challenges him at every turn while also opening his eyes and heart to all that life has to offer. She's the type of person I'd enjoy having as a friend. I liked her determination, her strength of character, and her dedication to bringing the person responsible for her friend's murder to justice. I loved her family and the fun-loving, mischievous side of Dana that they reveal. In fact, I'd love to see more of her family.

I jumped into the series with Broken and I think readers could do that without feeling any confusion. However, after reading this book and meeting characters from earlier in the series, I immediately downloaded books one and two and will be reading them as well. I have a feeling they will give me an even greater appreciation for all the members of the Deep Ops team, including Wolfe and Dana. Also, reading the entire series gives me more time with the craziest, funniest dog I think I've ever met in my fictional journeys. Roscoe is definitely one of a kind and I am here for each and every moment of his time on the page. Jack Daniels and red high heels. That's all I'm saying.

Review - - More Than Neighbors

More Than Neighbors
by Shannon Stacey
Blackberry Bay - Book 1
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Release Date: June 16, 2020
Reviewed by PJ
  

The only thing they have in common is a property line!

He’s trying to uncover his past.

She’s hoping for a brighter future.

Cam Maguire is in Blackberry Bay to unravel a family secret. Meredith Price has moved next door with her daughter. He’s unattached. She’s a widowed single mom. He’s owned by a cat. She’s definitely team canine. All these neighbors have in common is a property line. One they cross…over and over. And Cam thought he knew what he wanted—until his family’s secret changes everything.



PJ's Thoughts:

Shannon Stacey launches her new Blackberry Bay, small-town series with the charming More than Neighbors. This is such an enjoyable story, set in a lakeside town that Stacey brings to vibrant life. Cam and Meredith are relatable, well-developed characters who captured my interest and pulled me into their lives. Both are dealing with life-altering events that Stacey explores with care while keeping the overall tone of the story upbeat. I enjoyed watching Meredith find a new place for herself in her hometown, reconnect with childhood friends, and form new, adult relationships. She's evolving out of the initial grief following her husband's death and testing the waters of opening her heart again to the possibilities of love. I appreciate the time Stacey gives her to accept the desire she feels for Cam without taking away from her love for her late husband. I'm a pushover for relationships that evolve from prickly neighbors to backyard cookouts to unlikely, enduring love. So sigh-worthy. 

Raised by cold, distant parents, Cam's life revolves around business and not much else. His journey to discover his secret connection to Blackberry Bay, both poignant and heartfelt, introduces him to a different way of life, one to which he is, quite surprisingly, adapting. Some might even say, appreciating. I love how he keeps insisting Elinor, the cat he inherits from the grandmother he never knew, isn't his pet (she so is). Watching Cam open his heart to love, laughter, and new possibilities was pure pleasure.  

Six-year-old Sophie is adorable, authentic, and important to the story. I delighted in the simple pleasures she introduces to Cam's life, like getting his first library card and learning how to lick an ice cream cone to keep it from dripping. She's a charmer and Cam (who has never been around children) falls as hard for Sophie as he does for her mom. Round out the story with a yappy dog, an imperious cat, a collection of interesting townsfolk (more books!), and a surprising twist near the end, and you have the makings of just the kind of summer read that makes my heart happy.

If you're looking for a heartwarming, feel-good romance, with snappy banter, sweet emotion, and a happy, hopeful vibe, add Shannon Stacey's More than Neighbors to your summer reading list. 

Winner - - Bark! The Herald Angels Sing

The randomly chosen winner of a

signed copy of Bark! The Herald Angels Sing is:

Eileen AW

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review - - Sisters and Secrets

Sisters and Secrets

by Jennifer Ryan

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: June 16, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

There’s nothing more complicated than the relationship among family…Especially when the Silva Sisters are keeping secrets.

For Sierra it means returning home with her two little boys after a devastating Napa wildfire takes her home, her job, and even the last mementos of her late husband, David. Determined to start over, how can she ever reveal the truth—that her husband may have led a double life? 

To the world, Amy’s world is perfect: handsome husband, delightful children, an Instagram-worthy home. But behind this facade lies an awful truth: her marriage is rocky, her children resentful, her home on the verge of breaking up. 

Heather, impulsive, free-spirited, and single mom to an adorable little girl, lives for the moment wearing a carefree smile. But she refuses to reveal the truth about her daughter’s father, and his identity remains a mystery even to her family. 

As the Silva Sisters secrets are revealed, each realizes that there is more to their family than meets the eyes…and forgiveness may be the only way to move forward and reclaim true happiness at last.

Sisters and Secrets is a moving novel of sisterhood, second chances, and the secrets that have the power to break or bond families—and alter destinies.

PJ's Thoughts:

Man, did this book take me on a ride! One of the things I most enjoy about Jennifer Ryan is her ability to create realistic characters in whose lives I become fully invested then place them into situations that evoke my deepest emotions. She's done it again with her new women's fiction novel, Sisters and Secrets. I finished this book two weeks ago and these characters are still living in my head. 

The women of the Silva family are bound by love, betrayal, heartbreak, strength, devastation, hope, forgiveness, and second chances. Ryan depicts each of them clearly, flaws and all, giving readers insight into their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes and fears, and the actions that show who they are at their core. I traveled their journeys with them, cheering at points, occasionally crying, and at other times, shaking with fury. Ryan did not allow me to be an objective bystander while reading this book. From the heart-stopping, vividly depicted opening scenes  right up until the final, hopeful sentence, I was unable to look away. 

Sierra's story broke my heart but also gave me the most joy. I liked her so much and loved her relationship with Mason and their second chance at love. He's such a great guy. I enjoyed watching them explore the bonds between them that began in childhood and nurture them into a deep and abiding love. I especially enjoyed watching Mason's relationship with Sierra's boys develop and deepen over the course of the book. I'm confident this small family will have a happy life together. 

Amy's character showed me the most growth during the book. I had a hard time warming up to her at first but by the end of her journey, I was firmly in her corner and happy with her situation. She worked hard for her happy ending and she deserved it.   

All I'm going to say about Heather is I don't like her, I would never want to be friends with her, and I don't particularly care what happens to her. That may seem harsh but, like I said earlier, Ryan's characters evoke deep emotions. I'll let you all make up your own minds about her.

If you enjoy thought-provoking, family stories that explore the relationships between sisters, what binds them together and what has the potential to tear them apart, I highly recommend Jennifer Ryan's Sisters and Secrets. 

Review - - The Worst Best Man

The Worst Best Man
by Mia Sosa
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Reviewed by Santa
   

A wedding planner left at the altar? Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials. 

Marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him. 

If they can nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own. 

Soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again...

Santa says:

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa was just what this reader needed. This 5 star book ticked all the boxes that make a great romance. Lina is a gorgeous, strong, slightly vulnerable heroine. Max is a gorgeous, strong, slightly vulnerable hero. Enemies to lovers. Heroine has a wonderful, loving, supportive family around her. Hero has a family that is, shall we say, challenging. Having this mix had me crying, laughing and, at times, ready to take off my earrings to do battle for my prima - my cousin. 

We are introduced to Max when he awakens to learn - via text - that his brother Andrew has decided, based on his advice, that he is not ready to marry Lina. It falls to Max to let her know Andrew is not going to marry her. 

For Lina - it’s bad enough to be left waiting at the altar - but as an up and coming wedding planner - it is beyond humiliating. One could say she would plan for brides and never be one herself. She kicks Max out of her suite and turns to her cousins to rally around her to do damage control.

Fast forward three years and Lina and her wedding planner business have caught the eye of Rebecca Cartwright, CEO of the prestigious Cartwright Hotel Group, the DC area. She would like Lina to apply for the position of wedding planner at their flagship hotel. Lina is honored and shares her news with her assistant and cousin Jaslene. Lina is very close to her Brazilian family and they share everything. Lina is determined to be as successful as her mother and aunts who came to this country, survived divorces, and banded together to start their own business.

And so while planning her cousin Natalia’s wedding, she agrees to meet with Rebecca to see what this opportunity has to offer her. Lina welcomes the challenge of competing against another candidate in showing Rebecca her vision for the hotel group. Rebecca offers the service of her marketing group to come up with and present her vision. Enter the representatives from Atlas Communications - none other than Max and Andrew Hartley. Talk about getting the wind knocked out of you but Carolina Santos is no pushover! She recovers quickly and pretends never to have known either one of them. Rebecca then proceeds to assign Lina one of the brothers to work with on marketing her vision to the Cartwright group.

Lina is paired with Max - a slightly better choice than Andrew. She had made her peace with him years ago. Lina is determined to present her vision without any help from anyone, particularly Max. Max, eager to get out from under his brother’s shadow is equally determined to show that the successes he had outside of DC were no accident. 

Can this enemies to lovers story work? Readers, are you in for a marvelous ride. Max and Lina try for the no strings attached approach and soon find that love has other plans for them. What also attracted me to the story was the fact that Lina was a first generation Brazilian American with close ties to her family who inspired and drove her to be a success. Her mother and aunts reminded me of the strong women in my own family. And the humor and the family gatherings were reminiscent of my own experiences as a first generation immigrant. Max’s family dynamic also drew me in, reflecting my husband’s more American upbringing. I also enjoyed the glimpses into Max’s friend who will be featured in Mia Sosa’s next book which I am very excited about. And who knows, maybe Andrew may turn out to be not such a monumental jerk in the future.

Review - - Hush, Puppy

Hush, Puppy
by Roxanne St. Claire
The Dogmothers - Book 5
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Release Date: June 12, 2020
Reviewed by PJ

   

John Santorini has his hands full this summer and not just with Maverick, the wild and willful puppy he recently adopted. He's trying to franchise his business, he's got serious staffing issues, and his biggest investor still hasn't committed to financing. But all of those problems fade away when a five year-old girl pounces on his puppy in the park and pronounces him "Mine!" John can handle a kid with a crush on little Mav. But he's not so sure what to do with his instant attraction to her mother, a beautiful young widow who brightens his world the minute she arrives in town.

Summer Jackson has come to Bitter Bark for one reason: to meet a man. But the man she plans to connect with isn't there. Instead, she finds two outrageous grannies who want to marry her off, discovers a colorful extended family that wraps her in love, and crushes hard on a Greek charmer who offers her a place to stay and a job for the season. John may not have been the man Summer intended to meet, but his soul-melting kisses soon have her rethinking all her plans. He's smart, sexy, sweet, and his impossibly adorable puppy is helping her daughter overcome her baffling speech impediment.

It doesn't take long before Summer and John are dreaming of the happy ending they've both been denied. But then the past comes back to wreak havoc on all their lives, and Summer's real reason for coming to town threatens to destroy this budding little family. Will John have to settle for a Summer fling...or do the Dogmothers have the recipe for romance one more time? 

PJ's Thoughts:

This book is everything I wanted, everything I needed. It's sweet, funny, deeply emotional, and so doggone good that it left my heart overflowing with joy. So much so, that as soon as I turned the final page all I wanted to do was go back to the beginning and read it all over again.

St. Claire has a talent for creating fully-developed characters then bringing them to life on the pages of her novels. By the time I finished this book, I felt as if I knew John, Summer, Destiny, and yes, even puppy Maverick. Like the other characters of this series, they have become so real to me that their sorrows are my sorrows, their fears are my fears, their joy is my joy. I'm 100% invested in their lives and their happiness. That is Roxanne St. Claire's gift.

John and Summer are one of my favorite couples in this series. I loved how Summer jumped in to help John at his restaurant over the summer and the friendship that developed between them. Their chemistry is immediately apparent but St. Claire gives them the time to form a solid foundation of friendship before taking their relationship further. Of course, as usual, the matchmaking grannies try to hurry things along. They're such a hoot.

I'm not sure I've ever met a child character in a romance who I've loved as much as Destiny. She stole my heart and, to be honest, the entire book. She made me laugh, made me cry, made my heart overflow with emotion. This is one very special little girl. I love how the author not only made John's relationship with Summer central to this book but also his relationship with Destiny. This is a little girl who has grown up without a daddy and she wants one in her life. Watching her relationship with John blossom was as satisfying as watching the adult relationship he has with her mom. Then there's Destiny's bond with John's puppy, Maverick. One more love story to add to the slate and what a sweet, heart-tugging tale it is.

If you're looking for a feel-good story this summer that makes you laugh, sigh, shed a few tears, and leaves your heart bursting with happiness, Hush, Puppy is the book for you.

You don't have to have read the previous books in the Dogmother and Dogfather series to enjoy Hush, Puppy but once you've met the matchmaking grannies as well as the rest of the Kilcannon, Mahoney, and Santorini clans, prepare to want their stories as well. Truly, I don't think it's possible to read one of these books and not fall in love with the whole darn bunch.

~~~~~~~~~

 

Tell me what has your heart bursting with joy these days. Is it a book you're reading? A pet? A special child in your life? Maybe it's simply the beauty of flowers in all their blooming glory. Let's share some goodness today. 

One person who comments before 11:00 PM, June 15 will receive a print copy of the Dogfather holiday novella, Bark! the Herald Angels Sing (which also includes the first Dogfather holiday novella, Santa Paws is Coming to Town), signed by the author.  

*Must be 18 or older
*U.S. addresses only

Third Chance Winner - - Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge

Okay, let's try this again. 

The second-chance winner did not claim the book 

so I've drawn another name.

The new winner of a print copy of

Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge by Debbie Mason is

Katie Chapman

Congratulations, Katie!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

no later than June 16 to claim this book.

Review - - Small Town Big Secrets

Small Town, Big Secrets
by Elsie Davis
Publisher: Entangled: Bliss
Release Date: June 8, 2020
Reviewed by PJ

To save her son, shy but determined waitress Becky McAllister would do just about anything. But she never expected “anything” to include the brother of the man who broke her heart.

Steve Parker needs a wife, now, if he has any hopes of winning his local DA election and becoming the advocate for the underserved he’s always dreamed of being. The sweet waitress seems like just the person—if he can get her to agree.

One year of marriage—no strings, no personal attachments. Becky gets the insurance funds she needs for her son’s surgery while Steve’s poll ratings soar. Neither planned on a commitment in their future, so they should have no problem making it through the year without getting emotionally involved, right?

Except Becky’s holding on to a secret from her past—one that would change everything.

PJ's Thoughts:

Marriage of Convenience is one of my favorite historical romance tropes but one that rarely works for me in contemporary. This one works, not so much because of circumstances but due to the characters themselves. Becky's sweet little boy needs surgery and she is truly out of options. She's a good mom, raising her son on her own and doing the best she can while also helping her mother and younger sister. Then there's Steve who is being pressured by his campaign manager to present a happily married candidate to voters in order to win the election he needs to help underserved mothers. He really is a good guy, with his heart, and priorities, in the right place. 

I enjoyed Becky and Steve. The chemistry between them is immediately apparent, and I found myself rooting for them from the get-go, but what I most enjoyed was the solid friendship they formed before allowing deeper feelings to enter the picture. Steve's relationship with Byron, Becky's young son is so sweet. I loved that he fell just as hard for Byron as he did for his mom. But, there are some significant obstacles in their path to happiness.

I appreciated that the author didn't make this a triangle story and instead focused on the primary couple. From the beginning, Steve was on Becky's side, even after he discovered the secret she's been forced to keep. I loved how he stood up for her, and with her, even when she made it difficult to do so, and how they discovered, together, what was most important in their lives. 

One aspect of the story that I had a hard time believing was the change of attitude from Steve's family in the Epilogue. I can understand the author wanting to tie everything up with a nice, happily-ever-after bow but to ask me to believe the abrupt turnaround from people who were truly horrible throughout most of the book was a stretch. That aside, however, I finished the book confident that Steve, Becky, and their family were headed for a life of love, happiness, and no secrets, in their small town. 

Review - - Alpha Night

Alpha Night

by Nalini Singh

Psy-Changeling Trinity Novel 4 (Psy-Changeling Novel 19)

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: June 9, 2020

Reviewed by Nancy

“I am the knight to your queen.”

Ethan Night to Selenka Durev in Alpha Night

This is one of the best lines I’ve ever read in a romance. I’m happy to say the story around it lives up to its potential.

By the time a series hits its 19 th full-length novel, there has usually been an installment or two that’s less satisfying than the others. Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling books, however, have all hit the same high notes consistently in the novels and related novellas. That may be in part because of the multifaceted worldbuilding, which sets up aspects of the emotional arcs. It’s more so, I think, because Singh has a genius for creating emotionally damaged characters with depth and heart.

In the world she designed, the Psy have various telepathic and telekinetic abilities, as one might expect from their name. They were originally determined to suppress all emotion, sometimes doing so brutally, to achieve a state they called Silence. The early books in the series dealt with various Psy breaking away from Silence, which eventually failed, shaking up the Psy political and social order. Many of this group also were dedicated to the acquisition and use of power. Many of the Psy/Changeling lead characters who’re Psy have been damaged by one or the other of these drives and sometimes by both.

Their antithesis are the Changelings. These land or sea creatures generally live in groups and revel in their emotions and each other’s. They are connected in ways the Psy have yet to fully learn in this first generation after the fall of Silence.

Humans are caught between the other two, wary of the Changelings and rightfully distrustful and fearful of the Psy. Yet it was a Human who spearheaded the Trinity Accords to bring the three races together after the end of Silence made the Psy more reliable allies.

Cooperation among the three races is still fairly new at this point in the series. Alpha Night opens with a conference involving Changelings and Psy. The heroine, Selenka Durev, attends as alpha of Russia’s most powerful wolf pack, DarkEdge. There she meets Ethan Night, one of the Arrows, black ops Psy squad used as a weapon by the Psy Council under Silence but now

learning to navigate a world of emotion.

Ethan’s unusual in that he can meet the stare of an alpha wolf without flinching. He also possesses a unique psi ability. Because of that, a former councilor abused him from childhood to force him to become an obedient, murderous weapon. Ethan resisted, but the damage he suffered has left him lonely, emotionally detached, and oblivious to his value to the rest of the Arrows.

Ethan’s at the conference not only to provide security but with a darker motive he readily discards when events don’t go as he was told they would. As he and Selenka work together in the aftermath of an attack, the Changeling mating bond springs to life, binding them both. It isn’t a smooth mating, as a jaggedness in Ethan creates static in the bond.

Other issues also challenge their relationship. Selenka suffers from having been abandoned by her human mother and discounted by her emotionally distant father, who resents her status as alpha. As her pack faces a crisis that may involve a traitor, Ethan must figure out what being the mate of an alpha wolf entails. He must also deal with pressure in his brain that grows steadily

worse and makes him fear he has Scarab Syndrome, which causes increased power and eventual madness in Psy. Having felt alone all his life, even after his rescue by the Arrows and his acceptance into the squad, he aches for a future with Selenka.

The problems for the DarkEdge pack show Ethan and Selenka adjusting to being a couple. She isn’t his alpha and can’t give him orders. Neither can she accept his grim view of himself as irretrievably damaged or the chance that Scarab Syndrome could rob them of the bond they’ve just found. Clues to Ethan’s eventual fate are sprinkled through the book but not in a way that makes the outcome obvious.

As is always the case when a system falls, someone sees the end of Silence as an opening. A Psy calling herself the Architect, a member of a group called the Consortium, is manipulating empaths with Scarab Syndrome to help her gain power.

Emotional scars, treason, and anger make this a dark book, but Singh offers light moments to break the tension. The symposium that opens the book, includes Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, and some of his bears. Selenka and the wolves find the bears’ frivolity annoying, and she’s doubly irritated because three of the bears talked her wolves into an outing that ended in a bar brawl. Since I loved the bears, I was delighted to see them again.

Children abound in this story, offering gentle humor and a peek into Ethan’s heart. He’s very careful in dealing with children. The Arrows, emotionally stifled from childhood, have had lessons in dealing with children, and Ethan was paying attention. There’s also a dog that adopts Ethan early in the story and softens the edges of his emotional darkness.

Psy damaged by abuse of power or Silence are common in this series, but Singh manages to make each one unique. It’s a sad commentary on the ways people can wound each other, but it makes for engrossing storytelling.

Selenka and Ethan are three-dimensional people, and their supporting casts, the DarkEdge wolves and the Arrows are also multi-layered. Each character has enough depth to seem real, not just a plot device. The story moves well through its powerful emotional arc with, once again, a hero and heroine you have to love and root for.

Highly recommended. 5 Stars

~ Nancy

Tour Review - - A Royal Kiss & Tell

A Royal Kiss & Tell

by Julia London

A Royal Wedding - Book 2

Publisher: HQN

Release Date: May 19, 2020

Reviewed by PJ 

Every young man in London’s ton is vying for Lady Caroline Hawke’s hand—except one. Handsome roué Prince Leopold of Alucia can’t quite remember Caroline’s name, and the insult is not to be tolerated. So Caroline does what any clever, resourceful lady of means would do to make sure Leo never again forgets: sees that scandalous morsels about his reputation are printed in a ladies’ gossip gazette…all while secretly setting her cap for the rakish royal.

Someone has been painting Leo as a blackguard, but who? Socially, it is ruining him. More important, it jeopardizes his investigation into a contemptible scheme that reaches the highest levels of British government. Leo needs Lady Caroline’s help to regain access to society. But this charming prince is about to discover that enlisting the deceptively sweet and sexy Lady Caroline might just cost him his heart, his soul and both their reputations…

PJ's Thoughts:

This second book in London's A Royal Wedding series is an enemies to lovers tale featuring the English best friend of the heroine of book one and the younger brother of the Alucian hero, the Royal "Spare." I haven't read book one yet but I love a good enemies to lovers story and have enjoyed many of London's books over the years so I was already pre-disposed to like A Royal Kiss & Tell. But I had not yet met Caroline. 

I really struggled with this character. She is not the type of person I'd want to be friends with and though I tried, I just was not able to form any type of connection with her until the final two chapters of the book. She is nicely redeemed in the final chapter but, for me, it was a bit late. Perhaps if she'd had more depth or shown something more than egotistical, shallow, and annoyingly obnoxious behavior for the vast majority of the book, I'd have felt differently and been more invested in her and her relationship with Leo. 

Leo also is not very likable at the beginning of the book but his evolution begins earlier and continues throughout the story. I enjoyed his character and found his growth believable, especially as it is paired with a bit of intrigue involving slave trafficking of young women from his country to England. London does an admirable job of transitioning his character from a drunken wastrel to a responsible man willing to sacrifice his own reputation to rescue the young women from untenable situations. 

Human trafficking was a serious topic to introduce into this story. I would have liked to have seen more accountability for the perpetrators and attention to the victims. There are still missing women being enslaved in England, rescued women who have been used as sexual playthings, and most of the high-ranking men involved seem to have not been held accountable for their heinous actions. I wonder if that is the author's statement on the unfairness of a female's vulnerability, and the male's power, during that time or if she has plans to continue this plot line in a future book?

London's a very good writer and there will be many who will love this book and probably feel very differently about Caroline than I did. It just didn't work for me but, sometimes, one reader's disappointment is another's pleasure. If you love Royals, fashion, gossip, biting banter, and a slow-burn, enemies to lovers romance, this might be a good book for you. 

Review - - A Forgotten Murder

A Forgotten Murder

by Jude Deveraux

A Medlar Mystery - Book 3

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: March 10, 2020

Reviewed by Hellie

An English manor home, an unsolved mystery, too many suspects to count… It’s the perfect holiday for romance novelist Sara Medlar. 

After solving two murder cases in their hometown of Lachlan, Florida, Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery. Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend of hers in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate that has been converted to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize that Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara has also invited a number of others to join them at Oxley. 

When everyone assembles, Sara lets them know why they are there. Decades earlier, two people ran off together from Oxley and haven’t been heard from since—and Sara wants to solve the case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves cast in a live mystery-theater event. 

In reenacting the events of that night, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide and no one is safe, especially when the discovery of a body makes it clear that at least one of the people who disappeared was murdered. 

Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and none of the guests are safe.

 

Hellie’s Heeds: 

Admittedly I’m a little biased when it comes to Jude Deveraux. I cut my romance teeth on her historicals when I was a precocious teen; and I can count on one hand the number of books by her I didn’t truly care for or “get.” I know not everyone feels the same for her--much like not everyone thinks J.K. Rowling walks on water. It takes all kinds. So for me, it’s a 5 star story. I like cozy mysteries; and I liked the And Then There Were None feel to the story, where anyone could have done it and it seems multiple people did. There was the familiar romantic pull between two of the characters, Jack and Kate, which feels like a classic Jude move. I am rooting for these two to hook up, eventually. 

The third, but main sleuth, is Sara Medlar (which I love the sound of because you know, “meddler”, writers are so tongue-in-cheek, aren’t they?) who is a famous romance writer who got her start in the glorious 80s and has lots of money and is a little bored...and thus she solves some mysteries in her spare time. Sara is clearly--CLEARLY--Jude who gets to say the sort of comments about wanna-be writers, romance conferences, and people’s idea of what romance writers actually make writing books she’d love to say but doesn’t because she’s a professional, gracious author (who I’ve met at a romance conference and she was lovely.) Also, because Jude and Sara both know, people don’t listen. Anyway, if you’re a reader or writer who has some interaction within RWA, those little details will likely also entertain you.  

But for the rest of you, those who are here for the story, I enjoyed that as well, truly. If you love cozy mysteries set in the land of the Cozy Mystery, the story begins at the right place: a country manor in England. The manor has just been renovated with Sara’s help--and she is visiting her friend, Bella, the owner of the home. The house comes with a history--it used to belong to an earl--but the young earl died tragically in a car accident. A tragedy itself, but added to this is a second mystery, the disappearance of two of the earl’s inner group, whom we’re unsure if they’re dead or alive. The disappearance of the first two is said to have contributed to the young earl’s death.  

So Sara comes to figure out why did the two young people, Sean and Diana, disappear? Were they lovers? Were they killed? Diana was to marry the young earl. Sean was the stablehand. It seems like a classic romance trope--did they run away together and change their names? If so, why? And it’s been over twenty years, why keep hiding?  

Soon Sara realizes that there is more than a disappearance. There is a murder. The body of the stablehand has been hidden in a pit; and it soon becomes clear whoever hid it is determined to make sure the truth is never found out. Sara as well as Kate (her niece) and Jack begin to unravel the clues; and Sara puts on an elaborate re-enactment murder mystery party. The other people who were friends of the earl and the two who disappeared come to the manor to relive that time and share what they know. Only it seems any one of them could have done it. But...eventually the truth surfaces. And as any writer knows, the truth is never simple.  

If you like cozy mysteries and/or Jude Deveraux’s writing style, I think you will enjoy this book. I will be looking for the first two in this series, which I haven’t yet read, A WILLING MURDER and A JUSTIFIED MURDER. I didn’t need to read the other two books to understand what was going on or feel connected to the characters and their development. Enjoy!