by Crystal Caudill | May 31, 2016 | Book Reviews
This is another delightful, light-hearted romance with all the struggle for love you hope to find in a romance, and for my very busy pre-summer schedule, it was the perfect length! I was able to read this in a couple hours on a day I was playing chauffeur for my family.
Daniel is a former bounty hunter become legend. He despises the dime novels that exaggerate and glorify his former life as Dead-Eye Dan and has led a quiet life for the last five years at a Jonah Hawkins’ ranch. Bound by an oath, Daniel has done everything he can to suppress his feelings for the ranchman’s daughter.
Marietta is in love with Dead-Eye Dan, but not the legend, the real man. When she finds out he is leaving, she is determined to not let him leave without first convincing him to marry her. With Daniel staying behind during the cattle drive to prepare his new mule ranch, Marietta devises a plan that can’t fail.
The struggle between admitting love and being bound by an oath is masterfully and humorously done. The passion is swoon worthy and Daniel’s loyalty to his oath is so admirable. I absolutely love the characters and how they interact together.
This is definitely a book to be read!
You can read this novella on its own at:
Amazon Barnes and Noble
Or you can get the four novella set of proposals gone wrong – With this Ring? at:
With This Ring? Amazon With this Ring? Barnes and Noble
Visit the Author at http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/
Marietta Hawkins has been in love with ranch foreman Daniel Barrett since she came home from school three years ago. Unfortunately, her father’s rule about hands not fraternizing with his daughter has kept him out of reach. She believed patience would prove a virtue in winning him over–until now. He is leaving. Starting up his own spread. To have any hope of maneuvering him into a proposal, she has to act fast or lose him forever. Fans of A Worthy Pursuit will enjoy seeing these characters again!
– Blurb from Amazon.com
by Crystal Caudill | May 24, 2016 | Book Reviews
The Seafaring Women of the Vera B. – Book 1 in the Hearts of Oak Series
Susan Davis and her son, James Davis, work together to bring a story unlike any I have read before. The Seafaring Women of the Vera B is truly a unique piece of work which carries you off to sea. The amount of research that must have been conducted to create this novel is astounding and fascinating, and the plot is intriguing and believable.
This book is not your typical romance from Susan Davis. While there is a possible hint at future love interests, the focus falls solidly in the adventure category. In some sense, it reminds me of the classic adventure stories from my youth like Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, and Swiss Family Robison. I am just not sure there are any contemporary books I can compare it to. The richness of detail, the characters, and adventure, they all work together to create a magnificent story that reflects back to an era of storytelling which is severely lacking in today’s world of novels.
The first ten chapters really lay the groundwork for the story. It is a little slower paced than many books in the beginning, but it is out of necessity. The number of characters introduced and the necessary foundation of ship terminology would be too overwhelming otherwise. I encourage you to push through even if that is not your cup of tea. It is well worth it.
I struggle with books that follow the viewpoint of more than two characters, but while this story followed the viewpoints of a handful of characters, it is done naturally and not so abruptly as to make you toss aside the book. Believe me when I say I am exceptionally picky about this. I was very impressed with the authors’ mastery of that particular skill for this novel.
Once past the first ten chapters the pace of the story picks up and continues to grow in intensity and speed. How can it not with a mischievous little boy, a stow-away man on a ship full of women, pirates, and all the true struggles that come from that many women together learning to do a dangerous and difficult job? There is fighting and there is death, but the details of it are not gruesome, unrealistic, or overwhelming.
Seafaring Women of the Vera B is a swashbuckling adventure I would highly recommend to men and women alike who love adventure and attention to detail. It is truly a rare breed of book, especially in Christian fiction.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which you have read above.*
With the ship’s captain dead in Melbourne, Australia, Alice Packard thinks the worst has happened, until she learns the crew has deserted her husband’s ship in favor of the goldfields. Only one old man, Gypsy Deak, sticks by her, but Gypsy alone can’t raise a crew from the depleted population. In desperation, Alice turns to the only source of plentiful workers: the women of Melbourne. In a bold move, she and Gypsy empty a brothel, promising the escaped women a new life. Her all-woman (save one) crew put their backs and hearts into the voyage, but Alice finds training her sailors much harder than she expected. Her faith is tested to the limit. With a cargo to sell, angry bordello and tavern owners in pursuit, pirates to evade, and a mysterious stowaway, the seafaring women of the Vera B. find their escape in question.
– Blurb from Amazon.com
by Crystal Caudill | May 17, 2016 | Book Reviews
The Liberator Series Book Two
Be forewarned, this is not a stand-alone book. It is necessary to read the first one, Leveraging Lincoln, before reading this one.
In this second installment in the conspiracy to capture Lincoln, several new lovable characters are added and the focus on a love story is more prominent, especially in the first half of the book. However, do not fear, the conspirators against Lincoln raise their ugly heads again and Matthew, as well as Annabelle and the new extended cast, must race to save Lincoln.
The first half of this novel is slower paced than the first book, but it is comfortable and an enjoyable walk through the nuances of non-admitted and self-sacrificial love. Matthew and Annabelle go back and forth between working together and obstinately working alone. As the self-awareness of feelings grows, you long to see the two stubborn characters come together.
Right about the mid-point of the book, the schemes of those seeking to capture Lincoln resurface and morph into plans for assassination. It is once again up to Matthew and Annabelle to risk everything to save the man who was once considered their enemy. The pace picks up and the plot continues all the way to its inevitable end.
Without giving too much away, Mrs. McGee does a very good job of bringing all the details of the conspiracy plot together. I must admit, my history knowledge was not as strong as I thought and I learned quite a bit. It was definitely an ending which had me looking into the history books on my shelves to confirm all the details I hadn’t realized existed.
At the end of the book, you have a sense of closure with still plenty of loose ends to be tied up in the third book. I highly recommend this series. The second book did not disappoint and I am eagerly awaiting the third book.
*I received a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion, which you have read above.*
“The time has come when I must change my plan….” She thought she’d saved them all, but now a more nefarious plot emerges, increasing the stakes and threatening to bring a nation to its knees. Displaced, rejected, forsaken… Annabelle finds herself pulled farther from home and ever closer to the malicious repercussions of war. Elmira prison is filled beyond its capacity, and starving men are left shivering in threadbare clothing beneath paltry shelters. Among the thousands of captured and hopeless Confederates, she searches to find the one man who could be the key to saving her inheritance. Wounded, desperate, defeated… Matthew yearns for peace away from Washington. Yet, he can never seem to escape his ties to a frantic madman seeking vengeance. Lurking in the shadows at every turn, the cycle of retribution continually brings yet another danger, and Matthew will do everything in his power to protect the woman he loves – even if it means keeping her from the truth. In the final dark day days of war, Matthew sets his hopes on Annabelle. She could be the lighthouse that guides him out of the ever encroaching sea of chaos – if only they can allow love and trust to overcome their prideful hearts.
– Blurb from Amazon.com
To purchase your own copy, visit:
Amazon Barnes and Noble
by Crystal Caudill | May 10, 2016 | Book Reviews
The Liberator Series Book One
This book is a must read for those who love historical fiction set in the Civil War Era. Mrs. McGee does a marvelous job of interweaving the historical facts of the John Wilkes Booth’s conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln and “what if.”
If you struggle with Civil War novels not having a fair view of Southerners or sometimes Northerners, this novel does a fantastic job of balancing both. There is no strictly good guy or back guy when it comes to Confederates and Yankees, although this book is distinctly written from the Southern perspective. Both sides have very realistic evil qualities and very real honorable qualities.
Annabelle is a strong female character with very human faults who manages to get herself entangled in a scheme of national proportion as she tries to save her plantation from the greedy fingers of a step-grandfather. As a reader, you love her spunk and level-headedness. The woman is a survivor and has the spunk to endure the realities of a devastated South.
Captain Matthew Daniels is a man whose loyalty and honor are admirable but also lead him into his own entanglement with those of less than honorable intentions. He is a hero a head above the rest (and if you read the book, you will get my little pun). His fierce loyalty to his brother and his determination to rescue the older brother whom he looks up to are qualities which will make you admire him.
This first book of the series is mainly focused on the entanglement of both the hero and heroine into Booth’s conspiracy and the unfolding of the first attempt on Lincoln’s life. The story is action packed, moves a good clip, and is completely satisfying in the adventure aspect. The budding romance between Annabelle and Matthew is slow and acts more as a subplot to the action around it. It is believable and something the reader looks forward to in the next book of the series.
If you are into history and a realistic Southern view of the Civil War this is a great series to pick up. It has a mixture of everything desired in a novel. I, for one, loved the detail and the Southern view realistically applied. I highly recommend you purchase this book.
*I was given a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion, which you have read above.*
To purchase your own copy, visit:
Amazon Barnes and Noble
Visit the author at: http://www.stepheniamcgee.com/
“All we have to do is kidnap their President….”
Four years of war have reduced the South to near annihilation. Homes lay smoldering and men become desperate. Amid the shadows of fear, a clandestine group waits for an opportunity to change the course of history.
Harlot, liar, spy…
On the threshold of losing her plantation, Annabelle Ross finds a cryptic letter on a dying soldier and seizes the opportunity to get out a message of her own. She never dreamed her plan would brand her a suspected spy… or worse, an unwilling conspirator.
Deserter, traitor, accomplice…
When Matthew Daniels’s brother is taken captive, he finds himself caught up in a plot to gain leverage on the Union. The lines are drawn in blood, and the risk is there for the taking. But will his reckless gamble cost him the woman he had determined not to love?
She wants to save her home. He wants to save his brother. Together, they may just save a nation.
Part one of three in The Liberator Series, a trilogy of full length novels following the adventures and romance of Annabelle Ross and Matthew Daniels as they play a part in the dramatic conclusion of Abraham Lincoln’s life.
– Blurb from Amazon
by Crystal Caudill | May 3, 2016 | Book Reviews
Book three in the Undercover Ladies Series
Margaret Brownley has done it again! I can always count on her to provide a completely satisfying romance blended with mystery, crime, and adventure. This final installment of the Undercover Ladies series is definitely my favorite from her so far.
Katie is a wonderful Pinkerton operative, different from any of the other “Pink” women in her series. Her own set of observation skills paired with the handsome sheriff, and reluctant love interest, is perfect for the hunt of the Harvey Girl Killer. While her observation skills were envious, they were human.
As a woman, she has a strong personality, but with the vulnerable undertone we all try to hide. She is a character who draws you in and molds you into her. Her emotions, thought patterns, and uncertainties are complex and real. She is my absolute favorite character developed by Margaret Brownley thus far.
Sheriff Branch Whitman is his own strong character with a past that emotionally attaches you to him. His is the tall, strong hero who is not really intimidated by an equally strong-minded woman. He is wounded, yet gentle. He is intelligent, but a complete buffoon at times. I love him to no end as a character.
There is a restrained passion that emerges and evolves naturally as the story progresses. Honestly, it made me want to curl up in my husband’s arms and feel that strong connection Katie and Branch have but fear to acknowledge. It is a love that feels real and not just the pat on the back, superficially love found in a lot of romance novels.
The plot is fantastic with several twists, turns, and added layers which hold your attention from beginning to end. While the murder does seem to drag on, it was a realistic drawing out of how murders are not solved in an hour. I don’t wish to give anything away, but let me assure you every layer is addressed satisfactorily, and all loose ends are tied up.
I highly recommend picking up Calico Spy if you like historical crime solving mixed with romance. Margaret Brownley is a master.
If you would like to order your own copy visit:
Amazon Barnes and Noble
If you would like to learn more about Margaret Brownley visit:
http://margaret-brownley.com/
Pinkerton operative Katie Madison’s newest case takes her to Calico, Kansas, where two Harvey House restaurant waitresses were murdered in mysterious circumstances. Calico s sheriff, Branch Whitman, has never met a Pink he liked and is stunned to learn the pretty redhead s true identity as she works undercover as a Harvey girl. A tornado hits town, and a past deception puts Branch s eight-year-old-son in danger. Now the Sheriff has no choice but to work with Katie or chance losing everything he holds dear.
– Blurb from Amazon.com
