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| Coming June 20, 2011 |
Treasure Me written by Robyn DeHart
Book #3 in The Legend Hunters Series - 03/11 - Grand Central Publishing - Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
When you don’t believe in love is there anything left to search for?
Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore was a man on a quest to find The Stone of Destiny. Graeme had followed all the symbols, read all the books and chased down every lead that had him returning to the land of his birth Scotland. He may be half English but his heart and soul belonged in Scotland the land where history and myth are always intertwined as one. Vanessa Pembrooke is also on a mission to prove the validity of the Loch Ness legend and while heart break had to chasing this dream, the love of science and study of bones created the scenario where she had no regrets.
So what would happen if Graeme and Vanessa were to meet – well get married of course what else? It was a quick ceremony meant to save her life but in Scotland handfasting is still legally recognized and the two of them became one solid couple chasing down their dreams during the day and fulfilling desires every night. Love was elusive for both of them but could that be the road they are heading down?
Where there is light in finding each other there has to be darkness and it takes the form of a terrible man known as The Raven who is trying to take the stone and destroy everything Graeme and his fellow Legend Hunters are trying to save. While Graeme and Vanessa search the caves, nooks and crannies looking for the treasure The Raven is creating havoc and using anything and everyone to get the goal he wants which is The Stone of Destiny and gain ultimate power of every land. Can the two of them stop him and in the end find what they are really searching for?
Between the gunshots, dynamite exploding, cave collapsing, untrustworthy relatives mix in an alpha male and an independent woman you know the action never stops and the fun goes on from one page to the next. Vanessa tries hard to not love Graeme and he refuses to believe in long term relationships but how do you fight the passion they share and connection that bonds them so closely as one?
I try not to have favorites in a series but this one is a slam dunk winner with me. Graeme and Vanessa get under your skin and make you love every moment you are reading about them. They are fun, exciting and downright perfect.
ON THE NICKEL written by Maggie Toussaint
A Cleopatra Jones Mystery
03/11 - Gale Group – Hardcover – 242 pages
This book is worth every penny you pay for it!
Cleopatra Sampson Jones was an accountant, mother, daughter, girlfriend and unfortunate ex-wife to a man that did not understand he was never coming back into her life. But Cleo is really good at puzzles and figuring things out and now she is doing all this making up the rules as she goes along because the last set didn’t work out too well.
What Cleo also is it turns out is an amateur sleuth much to the distress and displeasure of the local police force. She solved one crime already when the police could not and she is pretty good at this investigating stuff must be the puzzle solver in her. She needs to use all of her investigating tricks now that her mother is being accused of murdering a local woman her mother was not fond of. Cleo sure as heck is not going to sit back and let the police falsely accuse her mom of murder even if Cleo is not quite 100% sure her mom didn’t do it especially with the two women fighting all the time and that damage to mother’s car, dang it.
But leave it to Cleo to deal with her teenaged daughters, a pregnant dog and a hot as heck boyfriend who she just can’t get enough of without skipping a beat. Life is complicated but Cleo will figure it out and save her mom from going to prison all before the dust settles and her ex-husband tries anymore of his useless tricks to get her back.
What a complete an utter delight this book is. Cleo is a wonderful character and all the people in her life just add icing to the cake to make the book a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book and can’t wait for the next one in the series.
DEADLY LIES by Cynthia Eden
Book #2 in the Deadly Series
02/11 – Grand Central Publishing – Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages
When you have nothing left to fear what still scares you?
FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy has chased down the darkness of death and survived to come back and run down yet another fiend. She was once a victim but never sacrificed her beliefs in the system to put away the people that commit the crimes. But when she is face-to-face with a killer that enjoys hurting his victims as much as he does killing them Sam has to ask herself if she is strong enough to take this on and solve the crime? Being part of an elite FBI task force is an honor and Sam knows how to do her job she just is not sure she is able to get past the nightmares and perform the duties as requested.
Meeting Max Ridgeway was supposed to be a one night encounter but after spending an amazing evening with him she can’t let him go and he feels the same. When Max’s brother falls prey to the kidnappers she winds up not only in his bed but right in Max’s face as an investigator trying to find Quinlan. Sam chases down leads and runs around in circles following false leads and out of control ransom requests. The FBI can’t do this without Sam being at the top of her game and Sam is distracted by Max as well as her history with another serial killer that tried to kill and still haunts her.
As the victim count starts to rise and questions about Max and his involvement start to surface what will Sam do – love him or leave him? All fingers are pointing in one direction and Max has the past to match up with the present crime so what is he really up to and who is he playing for the fool?
Then Max and Samantha start revealing secrets to one another and the curtain of doubt is lifted they become more attached and both start to trust the other. Their pasts are both filled with baggage but both know that together they can conquer anything that goes bump in the night.This series has always been a winner and never fails to scare you to death and still make you go ahhh what a sweet love story. Cynthia Eden can write in all genres but I am in love with these characters and hope that Hyde has a story in there somewhere waiting to be told.
WELCOME TO LAST CHANCE written by Hope Ramsay
03/11 - Grand Central Publishing - Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages
When you run from the past how far can you get before it catches up to you?
In a town called Last Chance you would think something good might happen. Jane believes it has to get better since it has been so bad so far in her life. But without any money and this being the end of the bus line her glass half empty is more of a reality than she would like it to be. Jane is a dreamer and believes that somewhere out there is her soul mate she has just gone through allot of bad times finding him.
But then Jane meets Clay and from that moment on the search for her Knight in Shining Armor seems to have come to an end. Clay is a man who has been around the block and figured out home is a better place to be than anywhere else. This is a small town with busy body neighbors, matchmaking women with too much free time and too many people that know his history, but Clay wouldn’t have it any other way.
Yet the savior in Clay is determined to help Jane find her way even with all the interference with ex-girlfriends, police intervention and her total reluctance to get involved with him. Jane may be a positive thinker but she is a bit negative on the subject of long-term relationships. Clay knows they are more than a one hit wonder and he will do whatever he has to in order to prove it. Jane is more a wait and we will see kind of girl and while finding a job and a place to live is amazing she is not sold completely on Clay and his theory that destiny brought them together.This book builds slowly and lets you absorb all the characters before it takes them a step further. Hope Ramsay lets you savor all the eclectic people living in this town and you know that everyone in Last Chance has a past, some mystery and too much free time to gossip.
THE HEIRESS written by Lynsay Sands
02/11 - HarperCollins Publishers - Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Do you have enough faith in your love to withstand moments of doubt?
Suzette Madison needs a husband, like yesterday! Her father has been trapped with a gambling debt she needs to pay off to save him and her dowry will deal with that but she needs a husband to get that money. The idea she has is to find an attractive man you needs money but has none of his own, so he will let her keep her freedom.
Suzette meets Daniel, Lord Woodrow and he is a perfect match to solve all her problems. Daniel swears he is poor as a church mouse and has no servants to speak of and cares for his mother. All this is true; well no none of it true and Daniel feels he has to tell this lie to keep the scheming women of the ton away so that he can make a choice of a wife on his own merits not his money. Daniel did lose everything but his best friend Richard more than recouped his losses and he is rebuilding the family estate.
With a twist and turn here and there Daniel woos Suzette while Richard is figuring out what to do with his new wife who is not his new wife as she was his twin’s wife and now his twin is dead, say what? Daniel will not be distracted by Richard’s problems because Suzette is enough distraction all on her own and he can’t wait to make her his wife, his only wife and his last wife if only they can get to Gretna Green fast enough.
But with all great love stories there is complication and someone just does not want Daniel to be married to Suzette. The trials and tests that are presented to this couple make they waver a bit in their love but can it break them apart. Daniel believes all things even out in the end and hopes that Suzette understands that they each have had happiness and misery but together they will have joy.
This book is told as a joint effort with The Countess for the first half which explains the dynamics of both family and friends, plus you get option of seeing the same story from two perspectives that are happening at the same time. You might think that distracting but it was quite entertaining and enjoyable. The best part does start when Daniel and Suzette have their own story because she is not a lady of the ton but a sassy woman in her own way. Daniel knows what marriage and love can bring so making the right choice and telling his white lies seem to make sense after the story is completely played out.
