Tag: #series

Feature Post: Time Travel Romance by Angela Quarles

I have always loved sitting down with a well written historical time travel romance. I immediately step into the heroine’s shoes.  As I follow her journey, I am also thinking of my responses to the same situations. Who hasn’t dreamed of going back in time and meeting Jane Austin’s Mr. Darcy, being saved from heartbreak by Jude Deveraux’s Nicholas Stafford, or going on a grand adventure with Diana Gabladon’s Jamie Frazier. The only problem has been that this subcategory in romance has had fewer and fewer options for me to read over the years.

I was so happy to be lucky enough to review a new to me author, Angela Quarles, who is writing wonderful historical time travel novels in a series called “Must Love Time Travel”.  I have currently read and reviewed her first three books and I am anxiously awaiting her fourth in the series. I have given all of these books a 5 star rating!

She writes present day strong female heroines who travel to different time periods in the past to find the heroes they did not know they needed or wanted. I love that each story is set in a different time period and the decision must be made in the end of each book if the couple will stay in the past or return to the present day.

must-love-breeches  must-love-chainmail  must-love-kilts

BOOK #1 – Must Love Breeches

Summary:

Isabelle Rochon has moved to London from Atlanta to work as an intern at the British Museum and is trying to get her life back on track after a failed relationship and the loss of her family. Dressed for a costume ball, she carries with her a silver calling card case from pre-Victorian times which sends her back to 1834. Her case is stolen and as she tries to retrieve it and navigate her new historical social situation she meets the “Vicious Viscount”, Lord Phineas Montagu.

Lord Montagu is pretending a changed personality to seek revenge for his sister and all the ton now call him ”Vicious Viscount”, but Isabelle sees through this persona and is drawn to him. Phineas can’t help but be intrigued by the “Original” from the Colonies. To further his plan, he wants Isabelle to be his pretend fiancé in exchange for his protection and help retrieving her card case. He knows Isabelle is keeping something from him, but he can’t stop his growing attraction and begins to want Isabelle forever. The attraction is strong in both, but Isabelle feels she must return to the present.

BOOK #2 – Must Love Chainmail

Summary:

Katy Tolson cannot be without her smart phone or day planner. She must have order and control in all thing in her life. In just a few weeks she will be getting married, but first she is pulled emotionally to Wales with her bridesmaids for a pre-wedding trip. A wish she didn’t mean to make on her friend Isabelle’s calling card case sends her back to medieval Wales into the middle of a rebellion.

Sir Robert Beucol is a knight set on serving his King and regaining his family’s honor and the lands his father’s treason lost. Half-Norman and half-Welsh, he always has to be better than full-blooded Normans. He is about to show his complete loyalty by fighting his mother’s people when a strange and mysterious wench appears suddenly in his life.

BOOK #3 – Must Love Kilts

Summary:

Traci Campbell, a computer game designer is on vacation with her sister, Fiona, in Scotland. She has never felt any love of her roots like her parents and sister. As the sisters try to reconnect, they get drunk on Glenfiddich and make a bet. Traci bets one hundred dollars that hot, Scottish men in kilts is a myth. And then she meets, Iain, a hot Scottish man in a kilt in the Highlands in the year 1689. She wakes the next morning with a severe hangover, back in the present, and her sister still in the past.

Iain MacCowan is treated as a joker and flirt by his uncle who leads his clan since the accidental death of his father and he does nothing to change that perception. When Traci returns to the past to find her sister, Iain feels something more than he ever has before for this stranger he vows to help, but his uncle distrusts this Campbell as the Jacobites are about to revolt. Iain has to help Traci, protect his clan and maybe reveal his true self to Traci and hope she wants to remain in the past with him after Fiona is found.

The author’s research into the historical aspects of her books is extremely well done. Her plots are original to each time period. The romances are both fun and serious as each hero and heroine must learn what true love is before their HEA. This series is a must read for me and I hope it will be for you, too!

 

Book Review: Another Chance by Kathy Clark

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RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

Kathy Clark’s third book in her Austin Heroes trilogy, ANOTHER CHANCE, was not only an exciting and heartfelt addition to the series, but completely blew me away!

Another Chance has lovers reunited and not just the hero and heroine, a believable and chilling suspense scenario and everything all tied up with a satisfying HEA. This book can be read as a standalone because Ms. Clark deftly introduces just enough backstory so as to not completely confuse the reader.

Luke Archer, the youngest of the three Archer brothers, works in D.C. for Homeland Security. A desk jockey who pours through intel every day to keep our southern borders safe. He has been assigned to a case in the field since it is a threat that is happening right in his hometown. Terrorists are crossing the border into Texas with other illegal aliens as cover through the ranch of Luke’s ex-high school girlfriend, Bella and a deadly plot is in the works.

Bella Shaw has never gotten over the young love of her life who she believes dumped her, but has grown into an accomplished attorney who fights for all underdogs and has risen to be a Texas state senator. When Luke reappears after 14 years, all the old feelings return as they have to work together on Bella’s ranch to discover and eliminate the terrorist threat.

The suspense in this book was realistic and could have been ripped right from today’s news. The romance was written beautifully and at times was heartbreaking when you learn of the deceit that tore them apart. Grammy’s backstory of fame and love found and then lost also ripped into my heart. This author knows how to write about love, forgiveness and second chances.

Thank you very much to Random House Publishing Group-Loveswept and Net Galley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was excellent!

Book Review: Dead Reckoning by Stanalei Fletcher

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RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

DEAD RECKONING (Northstar Security #2) by Stanalei Fletcher is a fast paced, action packed romantic suspense with amnesia, a hurricane, the Russian Mafia, a Northstar operative, who is an ex-SEAL and a juvenile infatuation turning into mature love. This book is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Kellee O’Neal has amnesia and is a refugee from a hurricane destroying her home in Florida. She is afraid, but doesn’t know why. When a man approaches and seems to know her, she reluctantly follows because he says he works for her father and can take her home. As her memory slowly begins to return she remembers her juvenile crush on this man, but she is grown now and wants him to see her that way.

Egan Maddox is asked by Kellee’s father, the director of Northstar Security to locate Kellee since he hasn’t heard from her since the storm and hide her away from a threat from his past. Dealing with a girl he is both attracted to and responsible for, without her total trust is trouble waiting to happen.

Neither Egan nor Kellee know the true threat searching for them and the unknown secrets from the past can get them both killed. The Russian Mafia is closing in and Kellee is going to have to have to face truths about her family and hope her love for Egan is strong enough to carry her through.

This is a well written romantic suspense that has some surprising twists well placed in the plot. The romance is well paced and believable. The sexual tension is high between these two and is well written because it doesn’t feel like a tease or get overplayed. At times, some of the secondary characters seemed like caricatures and I did not stay completely in the story. It was a good read otherwise and I will continue with this author and series.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

 

 

Book Review: Almost Forever by Kathy Clark

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RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

ALMOST FOREVER is a well written romantic suspense that is the second book of the Austen Heroes book trilogy featuring three brothers who are all in law enforcement. This book is easily read as a standalone.

This story features Justin Archer, who has always been a by-the-book law officer to obtain his dream of becoming a Texas Ranger. He values his job above all else until he has to interview a beautiful, successful widow and mother. His job is to find out if Lori killed her husband eight years ago for control of their winery, but he has an instantaneous chemistry with her that is interfering with his usual professional demeanor. He has to trust his heart over his brain and look for a killer before Lori is blamed and imprisoned.

I enjoyed this story and characters, especially Granny. It is a fast read that covered all the romantic suspense bases of murder, secrets and hot sex. It does not go into new territory but keeps with the basic tenants of a romantic suspense. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Loveswept-Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Beautiful Maids All In A Row by Jennifer Harlow

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RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!

Jennifer Harlow has written a serial killer that scared me to death with his control over himself and others, had me cheering for her main character, Iris Ballard’s strength and tenacity, crying for her loss and wishing that I had the next book in my hands right now. BEAUTIFUL MAIDS ALL IN A ROW is a definite keeper!

Dr. Iris Ballard was one of the top FBI profilers. She now teaches at a small college and uses an excessive amount of pills and vodka to hide from mistakes made two years ago. Right when she reaches a new low, Luke Hudson, her old partner shows up and offers her a chance to chase a new monster, “The Woodsman.”

“The Woodsman” has killed several professional women and never leaves a clue or trace to be followed. Control is his motivation. He makes contact with Iris in the hope of rattling her, but he also considers her his intellectual equal. Even when his identity becomes known, he is able to deflect his crimes on to others. All except Iris believe it is over. He has made everyone believe Iris is on the verge of a breakdown again. The game is on and Iris’ life could be on the line again.

This book was fast paced, chilling and one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year. The characters could walk right off the page. “The Woodsman” made chills go up and down my spine. I am hoping Ms. Harlow continues with this series and soon!

Thanks so very much to Alibi-Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. It was definitely my pleasure!

Book Review: Play Dead by Angela Marsons

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RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

Play Dead is Angela Marsons’ fourth book in the D.I. Kim Stone series. This series just keeps getting better and better, which is amazing because it started out great!

The main setting of this book is a ‘body farm’ and who, but Kim Stone could find a corpse that doesn’t belong? When a second body is found with the same injuries, but not quite dead, Kim knows she and her team have a serial killer to stop. As they try to connect the victims, reporter Tracy Frost drops a cold case in Kim’s lap that she knows the Inspector will be intrigued by and want to solve because Kim feels she must always find the identity of victims of crime. What Tracy fails to tell Kim is that she knows the victims of her ‘body farm’ case and when she goes missing, Kim knows she has a limited amount of time to find her alive.

The mystery/thriller plot and subplot both have several twists and tie together in a surprising climax that had me guessing until the reveal. There are a lot of interesting forensic facts and information involved in this book. All of the characters are very well developed and three dimensional from Kim and her team to all of the bad guys. Kim and Tracy both have more of their back stories revealed, which leads to more understanding of their characters and how they became the way they are now.

This series is a must read for me! I always want more of Kim and her team.

Thank you very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I love this series!