ONE PINK ROSE by Julie Garwood

June 19, 2016

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The Clayborne Brides, Book 1

If this title sounds familiar, then you are probably a long time Julie Garwood fan. This is the first book of a trilogy that was originally published in 1997. I never read it, and now the publisher is making it available as an e-book with really lovely new cover art. Compare to the paperback cover on the right and you can see how almost ten years can really make a difference.

I didn’t know that Garwood had written some Western romance and this is an really fun example of the genre. This is a series of novellas and this one, printed, is only 120 pages so a really quick read.

Travis Clayborne is the youngest brother and always listens to his Mama Rose (I have to admit, the name threw me right out of the story, it’s one of the most iconic Broadway/movie characters from Gypsy!) Once I got past that, I was fine with Travis going off to help escort Miss Emily Finnegan to Golden Crest, Montana. Emily is a mail order bride from Boston who doesn’t have a clue what she’s getting herself into.

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Apparently Emily’s previous escorts – yes, there were more than one – have had really bad luck, even fatal luck, in escorting her, so Travis is a little nervous about the trek he’s making. It doesn’t help that when he meets her, she almost decks him. But he knows not to disobey his mama, so off they go. The short trip gets extended by a few days when the gully is too high to cross, giving Travis and Emily the time to get to know one another and fall in love.

By the time they are about to reach her destination, she realizes she can’t marry the man she’s promised to, but feels it best to let him know in person. Travis is not too happy about delivering Emly to her husband-to-be, but neither are communicating and all hell breaks loose once they arrive.

There is a lot of humor in this sweet romance, and I’m looking forward to finishing the trilogy. Stay tuned.

6/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ONE PINK ROSE by Julie Garwood. Pocket Star (May 9, 2016). ASIN: B010MH18KG. Print Length: 120 pages

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THE WICKED DUKE by Madeline Hunter

May 30, 2016

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Wicked Trilogy, Book 3

No, I haven’t read books 1 & 2 and I don’t think I’ve ever even read this author. But as has been my experience with historical romances, it doesn’t matter in the least.

The Duke of Aylesbury, Lancelot Hemingford, was the second son and was never supposed to inherit the title. But his brother died, and Hemingford is under a cloud of suspicion since the coroner hasn’t ruled murder out. Hemingford reluctantly moves to the country, laying low until his innocence can be proven.

His neighbor brings him an intriguing offer; marry his niece, and he will use his influence to see the Duke’s name cleared. Refuse, and he will produce a witness claiming Hemingford poisoned his brother. Reluctantly, Hemingford agrees to the marriage.

Marianne Radley is a bit leery of the Duke. He has a reputation as a rake, but when he proposes, she has her own reasons to accept. Neither of them thought this marriage would be anything but a convenience, but Hemingford is intrigued by his new wife’s intelligence, curiosity and passion, and she with his.

Interesting characters and the mysterious death of a duke combine to make this romance a real page turner. Guess I need to root out books 1 and 2.

05/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE WICKED DUKE by Madeline Hunter. Jove (May 31, 2016). ISBN 978-0515155181. 384p.

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3 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical, Regency | Permalink
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THE LAST RENEGADE by Jo Goodman

May 29, 2016

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Bitter Springs Series, Book 1

This is the first book of a trilogy, and I read the second and third books a while ago and really liked them. Like most romances, order isn’t all that important but I was happy to finally get the background of this trilogy.

These are historicals, set in the Old West around 1889, and I have learned that the difference between Western Romance and just plain old westerns is the happy ending. Romances must have a happy ending, and westerns often end with somebody riding out of town.

Bitter Springs is a small town in Wyoming, a train stop on the western route. When a man named Nat Church gets murdered on the train, Kellen Coltrane is there. Nat hides his guns in Coltrane’s bags, and gives him some letters, asking him to stop in Bitter Springs and see “Penny Royal.”

Turns out Pennyroyal is the name of the hotel and the owner, the Widder Berry, is expecting him. Her sister was raped and murdered and the man sentenced to jail for it has escaped. His family runs the small town with bloodshed and fear, and the Widder wants to put an end to all the bloodshed.

Meanwhile, one by one the jurors and the marshal are killed so this is more mystery than romance. But Coltrane and Berry gradually fall in love and the mystery is solved, all ending with a happy ending.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE LAST RENEGADE by Jo Goodman. Berkley; Original edition (September 4, 2012). ISBN 978-0425250969. 384p.

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THE VISCOUNT NEEDS A WIFE by Jo Beverley

May 8, 2016

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Company of Rogues Series, Book 17

Beverley is another new to me author who writes historical romance. As you can see by the heading, there have been many books in this series prior to the one I’m reviewing. But like most romances, it doesn’t matter.

Our heroine is Kitty, a young widow who lives with her in-laws. Her husband was a soldier who was severely injured, but Kitty is the empathetic type and was fairly happy in her marriage – other than the occasional bruises her husband gave her.

The mother-in-law is still in deep mourning, and probably always will be and wants Kitty to be there with her. But Kitty is getting very tired of it all. When an old friend writes and invites her for a visit, she jumps at the chance to get away. Especially when her friend tells her the recently inherited Viscount needs a wife to manage his country estate.

It turns out there is more than just the estate to manage. The Viscount also inherited the 5th Viscounts dowager mother and teenage daughter, both of whom resent him and make their displeasure known. Plus the teen is trying to marry him per her grandmother, to keep things all in the family.

Braydon, the new Viscount, is nobody’s fool. He works for the government in a sort of quasi pre-MI5 type undercover role. There is a mystery afoot when there is an attempt on the lives of three of the princes in near succession to the throne. Another mystery is the whereabouts of the 5th Viscount’s wife – she has disappeared without a trace.

There is a lot of history and a lot of details in this book so it moves rather slowly. There is not a lot of sex, and what there is seems rather perfunctory and more hinted at than explicit, although it does play an important part of the story.

If you are a fan of the arranged marriage trope, which I generally am, you might like this book. I found it slow going which is not why I read these books. I like to rip through them in a few hours and it took me a few days to get through this one.

05/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE VISCOUNT NEEDS A WIFE by Jo Beverley. Signet (April 5, 2016). ISBN 978-0451471901. 432p.

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A LEAF ON THE WIND OF ALL HALLOWS by Diana Gabaldon

April 30, 2016

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An Outlander Novella

This is the second Outlander Novella I’m reviewing. The first was Virgins, so please see that review for some background: VIRGINS

If you are not familiar with the series, I’m not sure how much you would get out of reading this novella. For reviewing purposes, I have to assume you are an Outlander fan and hopefully you will be as excited about this as I was.

Roger lost his parents when he was a young child, believing his father, a pilot for the RAF, was shot down during WWII and his mother died in the London Blitz. I don’t want to give too much away…

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

Go away and come back and read this after you read WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD!

Roger starts to learn what really happened to his father in that book, and the story he and his mother were told turns out to be much more complicated than they knew. This novella delves into his parent’s relationship, the London bombings, how his father knew Frank Randall, and how he really died.

It was really wonderful getting to know Roger’s parents a bit. I loved this novella.

If you’re an Outlander fan, this is a fun, albeit super short read. Then again, Kindle Singles only cost $1.99! And do check your library’s ebook collection, that’s where I got my copy.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A LEAF ON THE WIND OF ALL HALLOWS by Diana Gabaldon. Dell (December 3, 2012). ASIN: B00A5MREAM. Print Length: 58 pages

2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Adventure, Historical | Permalink
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VIRGINS by Diana Gabaldon

April 29, 2016

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An Outlander Novella

I love the Outlander series. I’ve read all the books and watch the Starz TV series. I’ve also listened to all the books.

I’ve always heard that with a truly great reader, listening to an audio book can bring a great deal more to the story. I enjoy a lot of audio books, but never really felt that something was added until I read the Harry Potter books, read by the great Jim Dale. He makes listening to those books an immersive experience, and the same goes for the Outlander books. Davina Porter is the narrator, and she is simply transcendent. She takes me away on these amazing adventures – plus I learned the correct pronunciations for all the characters’ names, the various places and even the Gaelic.

But now that I’ve read all the Outlander books (and yes, some of them several times!) I was bereft. I know, I have more books on my shelves and my Kindle than I’ll probably ever read, but still, I love Claire & Jamie and I’m watching the Starz show and I want more! And we all know how long it takes for a new book to come out. But Gabaldon has been releasing novellas as ebook only, Kindle singles, and my library has them!

This is the first one I’ve read. If you’ve ever visited Gabaldon’s website or seen an interview with her or seen her speak at an event, you know she writes her books in chunks, then pieces them together to form a cohesive story. Some of the chunks end up in other books than the one she started them for, and I suspect these Kindle singles are chunks that just didn’t make it into her already super long books.

If you haven’t read the Outlander books, I’m not sure I would recommend you start here. It’s not a bad way to get a feel for the author, the way she writes and a few of her characters, but it is so much more meaningful when you already know these characters and their history.

Virgins is a prequel of sorts to Outlander. Jamie’s father has just died, his back is a mess thanks to Black Jack Randall, when he meets up with Ian Murray (who still has all his limbs) and a band of French mercenaries. Ian and Jamie end up taking a job to protect a young Jewish woman and transport her, her dowry, and an extremely valuable Torah to meet her husband-to-be. But things go awry almost immediately, and hints of the canny Lord Broch Tuarach emerge. I loved the Jewish history, the way the French and the Scots saw the Jews, something that has not come up in any of the books (at least that I can remember!)

If you’re an Outlander fan, this is a fun, albeit super short read. Then again, Kindle Singles only cost $1.99! And do check your library’s ebook collection.

Virgins is also available in an anthology if you prefer print: Dangerous Women, edited by George R.R. Martin.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

VIRGINS: An Outlander Novella by Diana Gabaldon. Dell (April 8, 2016). ASIN: B01BRFMCWU. Print Length: 86 pages

4 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Adventure, Historical | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE 14TH COLONY by Steve Berry

April 8, 2016

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Cotton Malone (Book 11)

Steve Berry, besides his place as a well read author, is an avid history buff. Accompanied by his wife and a group of fellow history members of the Berry sponsored organization, “History Matters,” they search out little known aspects of the past that don’t coincide with writings in history books. For example, prior to publishing The 14th Colony, Berry wrote The Patriot Threat, in which he indicated that the US Income Tax might be illegal.

Similarly, in the current novel, the 14th colony is Canada. It is indicated that at three distinct periods during the history of the US, plans were drawn up to invade and annex the country of Canada. These plans never came to fruition but were present and available if the US government decided they should be followed.

Cotton Malone is the protagonist along with his on again, off again girlfriend Cassiopeia. Ordered to Siberia by his ex-boss on a temporary assignment in order to meet with Alexandr Zorin, Malone is forced to parachute into the area. He is captured by the Russians but escapes, meeting up with Cassiopeia who has been sent to help him. Together they pursue Zorin into Canada’s Prince Edward Island.

Zorin picks up a Russian sleeper agent left over from the cold war and living in Canada. The two make their way into the United States and eventually to the White House in time for the inauguration of a new president.

The actuality of the planned invasion of Canada, and a flaw written into the order of succession of US presidents in the eventuality of deaths of several of those in line are utilized as aiding and abetting the two Russians in their plot. What they plan to use is one of five suitcase nuclear bombs stored away for many years. The book is definitely an all nighter keeping the reader mesmerized, following the rapid action and events. The ending leaves us with the grateful sense that there will be more books featuring Cotton Malone most likely allied with his love Cassiopeia.

4/16 Paul Lane

THE 14TH COLONY by Steve Berry. Minotaur Books (April 5, 2016). ISBN 978-1250056245. 464p.

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THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS by Chris Bohjalian

March 27, 2016

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I am a long time Bohjalian fan, but I haven’t read all of his books. So when the Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition selected this book as the book to read for the biennial Read Together Palm Beach County, I was delighted.

I would say that this book is a little different for Chris, but let’s face it, all of his books are vastly different, from transgender to Armenian genocide to midwifery. This book is set in Italy and moves between two time periods, 1944 during the second World War, and eleven years later, in 1955.

At it’s heart this is a mystery. Two people are killed within a few days of each other. Both are members of an old Italian family of noble descent, the Rosati family, and the police fear that other family members may be in danger. And not only were they killed, both had their hearts cut out of their bodies, so this feels very much like a serial killer at work.

During the war, the Rosati’s estate was inhabited by Nazis. The Italians were allies of the Germans, and the Rosati’s uncomfortably worked with them, entertained them and so forth. One of the young German soldiers starts courting one of the Rosati’s daughters, too, but like Romeo and Juliet, their love is threatened by the family, and the circumstance of war just adds to the misalliance.

The detective investigating the murder is a young woman named Serafina. She was a partisan fighter during the war, and suffered grave injury. Her memories of that time in her life are sketchy at best, but start trickling back during this investigation.

Bohjalian is a literary writer, and the writing here is beautiful. The story is all about the characters and doesn’t move as quickly as one might expect a serial killer type thriller to move. But it is a deeply moving, albeit often times upsetting read, but that is the subject matter. One review called it a “why done it” instead of a “who done it” and I think that is apt.

If you enjoy literary mysteries, historical settings, and beautiful writing, then this is the book for you.

3/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS by Chris Bohjalian. Vintage; Reprint edition (April 22, 2014). ISBN 978-0307743923. 309p.

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IN WANT OF A WIFE by Jo Goodman

February 23, 2016

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Bitter Springs Series, Book 3

So yet again I have started a series from the middle. But even with the new genre, Western Romance, it doesn’t seem to matter. The series is set in the Old West, this book in 1891, and I’m really not sure how they differ from more traditional westerns. More research ahead.

This has what I imagine to be a typical Western Romance trope, the mail order bride. The bride in question is Jane Middlebourne.

Jane has lost her parents and was reluctantly taken in by some cousins. She is more servant than family member, so when the opportunity arises to escape her situation, she leaps on it.

But when she arrives in Bitter Springs, Wyoming, she find that her husband-to-be was expecting someone else – her cousin, who had somehow swapped out their pictures before mailing the letter for Jane. They decide to wait 24 hours to see if they still want to get married, and they do – but they don’t consummate the marriage for quite a while due to a series of misunderstandings and miscommunication.

Morgan Longstreet is the husband and is a rancher, fairly new to the community. He bought an existing ranch, hired some local ranch hands, but has been plagued by cattle rustlers. Longstreet is very closemouthed – to the town, and to his wife.

Eventually they find a way to communicate, and his past starts catching up with him. A bit of a mystery and some exciting action help propel this story right along. I stayed up late into the night to finish it. Now I’m looking for the first book in the series, Last Renegade.

2/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

IN WANT OF A WIFE by Jo Goodman. Berkley (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-0425264164. 384p.

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TRUE TO THE LAW by Jo Goodman

February 22, 2016

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Bitter Springs Series, Book 2

This was my first foray into the Western Romance subgenre. These are historicals, set in the Old West around 1889, and I’m really not sure how they differ from more traditional westerns. Guess I’ll have to read a few of those to find out.

Cobb Bridger was a detective with the famed Pinkerton private detective agency who has gone out on his own. He is hired by the wealthy Mackey family in Chicago to find a former employee who has stolen something. Mackey won’t say what was stolen, but rather only hires Cobb to find the woman.

He tracks her down to Bitter Springs, Wyoming, a small town that is at the crossroads of the burgeoning train system. Tru Morrow is the new school teacher, recently hired by way of Chicago. Bridger forms a relationship with her, ostensibly to determine if she is the woman he is seeking, but he finds her most attractive and honest, and cannot imagine that she has stolen anything.

The more he gets to know her, and she him, the more their relationship deepens. When the Mackeys arrive in town, Bridger’s protective instincts are out in full force.

There are several interesting characters, all of whom are well developed, and I really enjoyed this story. There is the setting of the Old West, which is interesting for sure, and a mystery as well as the romance. Lots to keep the pages turning.

2/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TRUE TO THE LAW by Jo Goodman. Berkley (May 7, 2013). ISBN 978-0425264164. 384p.

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