Book Review: Empty Nest: A Birds of a Feather Mystery

 
Title: Empty Nest: A Birds of a Feather Mystery

Author:Marty Wingate

Stars: 4 out of 5

Review:

This is the second Julia Lancester murder mystery that I have read and I must say I was not disappointed. Marty Wingate tells the story so well that I felt like a bystander who is silently watching it all unfold before me. If you are a fan of non violent British murder mysteries, which take place in cozy surroundings, this series is a must read. I enjoyed the book from start to finish and completed it in two days.

The lead in to the murder and the solving thereof is logical and the characters are developed to the point that you feel that they are intimate friends.

I gave this book a four star rating.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thank you Frank for your Review 

Synopsis:

Manager of a tourist center in a quaint British village, Julia Lanchester finds herself with more ideas than time. Her boss is the Earl Fotheringill himself, but apart from him, she doesn't mix well with the aristocracy. Unfortunately, toxic mold forces her from her cottage and into one of the earl's countless spare rooms at the Hall. She tries to get a handle on her overload of work, while she finds herself arguing with dinner guests, chaffing at the sudden interest the earl's son has in running the estate, and missing her new beau, Michael Sedgwick.

Her life goes from bad to sinister when Julia discovers poisoned sparrowhawks on the expansive estate grounds. And soon after, she finds one of the Hall's visitors murdered—felled by the same poison. While simultaneously both spooked and angry, she still can't keep herself from snooping, and dragging Michael along into her investigation. But will she find the culprit before her own wings are clipped?

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: December 1st 2015 by Alibi 

 

About The Author:

 

Marty Wingate is a Seattle-based writer and speaker about gardens and travel. She is the author of the Potting Shed mysteries from Random House/Alibi, about Pru Parke, middle-aged American gardener who moves to England and digs up more than weeds. The first two in the series are The Garden Plot and The Red Book of Primrose House, followed by the third in late summer 2015. Her new cozy mystery series, Birds of a Feather, begins in June 2015 with The Rhyme of the Magpie. You can hear Marty on the podcast A Dry Rain, free from iTunes and always available at adryrain.net. She leads garden tours to European and North American destinations.

Title: Highland Heat

Author: Jennifer Haymore‏

Stars: 4out of 5

Review:

An great historical romance with an excellent story line.

 It tells of a forbidden love between a Lady and a wounded Scot NCO whom she finds on the battlefield after Waterloo. It encompasses the obstacles that she had to overcome in order to marry her true love. 

I enjoyed this book and gave it a four star rating.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thank you Frank for the Review! 

Synopsis:

With blood still drying on the front lines at Waterloo, Lady Grace Carrington helps an injured soldier to a British medical tent. Though she believes she’s pulled him to safety, in fact she has put them both in grave danger: Because when his brilliant blue eyes meet hers, the passionate Scottish sergeant kisses her in a way that leaves her breathless and trembling. As the obedient daughter of an earl, Grace shouldn’t be tempted by someone so far below her station. But as a red-blooded woman, she longs for so much more.

As far as Duncan Mackenzie is concerned, getting stabbed in the arm was the best thing that ever happened to him. When he wakes on the battlefield, the sight of Grace’s lovely face sets his soul aflame. As an enlisted man and a farmer’s son, however, pursuing his guardian angel means facing the wrath of London society, not to mention his own superiors in the British Army. Aye, but he’d risk all that and more just to keep her in his arms.

Kindle Edition, 247 pages

Expected publication: November 24th 2015 by Loveswept

About The Author:

 

USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Haymore is the author of sexy historical and contemporary romance. Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including five RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice awards and the prestigious RITA® award for best historical romance.

You can find Jennifer in Southern California trying to talk her husband into yet another trip to England, helping her three children with homework while brainstorming a new five-minute dinner menu, or crouched in a corner of the local bookstore writing her next novel.

You can learn more at:

JenniferHaymore.com

Twitter @jenniferhaymore

Facebook.com/jenniferhaymore-autho 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Book Review: A Whisper of Desire

Title: A Whisper of Desire 

Author: Bronwen Evans‏ 

Stars: 3out 5

Review:

A historical romance with a strong storyline. It started out very well but soon stooped to basic explicit sex  scenes. I felt that the story line was strong enough to stand on its own merit without resorting to the old standby of sex sells.

I would rate the book at three stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.
Thank you Frank

Synopsis:
Lady Marisa Hawkstone’s nightmare is just beginning when she wakes up naked, with no memory of the night before, lying next to Maitland Spencer, the Duke of Lyttleton—a man so aloof and rational, he’s nicknamed “the Cold Duke.” A scandal ensues, in which Marisa’s beloved beau deserts her. As a compromised woman, Marisa agrees to marry Maitland. But on her wedding night, Marisa discovers the one place the duke shows emotion: in the bedroom, where the man positively scorches the sheets.

Taught from a young age to take duty seriously, Maitland cannot understand his new wife’s demands on his love and affection. Marisa’s hot-blooded spirit, however, does have its attractions—especially at night. In retrospect, it seems quite silly that he didn’t marry sooner. But being one of the Libertine Scholars requires constant vigilance, even more so when the enemy with a grudge against his closest friends targets Marisa. Now Maitland must save the woman who sets his heart aflame—or die trying.

Ebook, 300 pages

Expected publication: December 1st 2015 by Loveswept

About The Author:
 
USA Today Bestselling Author Bronwen Evans grew up loving books. She writes both historical and contemporary sexy romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and compassionate alpha heroes.

Her debut Regency romance, Invitation to Ruin won the RomCon Readers’ Crown Best Historical 2012, and was an RT Reviewers’ Choice Nominee Best First Historical 2011. Her first self-published novella, To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield, was a FINALIST in the Kindle Book Review Indie Romance Book of the Year 2012, and a finalist in the RomCon Readers’ Crown Best Historical 2013. Her first contemporary released December 2012, The Reluctant Wife, won the RomCon Readers’ Crown Best Category 2013.

When not writing or reading, she enjoys long walks in the vineyard, or at the beach, with her Cavoodle Brandy.

Bronwen loves hearing from avid romance readers at romance@bronwenevans.com

You can keep up with Bronwen’s news by visiting her website www.bronwenevans.com
 

Book Review: Hunted

Title:Hunted


Author: Marissa Garner

Stars 3 out of 5

Review:

This is the first time I have read anything by Marissa Garner and I wish I could say that I found this book exciting but I found it middle of the line for Romantic Suspense novels. I personally found the male lead to be slightly condescending to Amber the female lead though out the book. Beginning to end you knew what would happen next without needing to read. There was zero surprises and the book would drag on to the point I started to speed read so I go get to something interesting.
Marrissa used the word dick one to many times for my taste and apparently Ben's penis agrees with his thoughts all the time.
What I love about a suspense novels is the fear something might happen to the character you fall in love with put personally this read like a life time movie. You knew everything that would happen before it happened.

ARC sent from Netgelley

Synopses:
For San Diego's elite FBI agents, risking their lives is standard procedure when it comes to capturing the city's most dangerous criminals-but falling in love is the greatest risk of all.

Catching bad guys in San Diego's underworld isn't just FBI Special Agent Ben Alfren's job, it's his life. He doesn't have time for a serious relationship, doesn't want one either. So when he meets his sexy new neighbor, Amber Jollett, he has nothing more in mind than unwinding with a glass of wine, a romantic walk on the beach...and maybe a hot fling.

But Amber is more than he bargained for. Her job as a nurse has brought her face-to-face with women caught in a human trafficking ring, women she's determined to help. As Ben and Amber plot to rescue the women, the attraction between them flares into passion. But they'll learn that in this dangerous game of cat and mouse, real love can save - or doom - them . . .

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: December 8th 2015 by Forever Yours

About The Author:
 
I’m Marissa Garner. I’m a wife, writer, chocoholic, and animal lover, not necessarily in that order. As a little girl, I cut pictures of people out of my mother’s magazines and turned them into characters in my simple stories. Now I write sexy paranormal romantic suspense, steamy contemporary romance, and edgy romantic thrillers. I live in sunny Southern California with my husband, but enjoy traveling from Athens to Anchorage to Acapulco and to many locations in between.

I write romance to titillate your mind as well as your libido. My stories appeal to romance readers who:
•Choose French Silk over vanilla
•Don’t always color inside the lines and don’t like being told no
•Think some rules are made to be broken
•Have the courage to push the envelope when they’re passionate about something
•Believe fiction should be as unpredictable as real life

If this sounds like your kind of romance, have fun exploring my website and stories.