Highland Chieftain by Hannah Howell

As usual, Hannah Howell has written another entertaining Highland story that I could not put down until I finished it.  We have the trademark hero, Callum, who is sensitive with a heart of gold and our heroine, Bethoc, who gives love with an open heart. And my favorite is the assortment of villains who get their comeuppance in a most satisfying manner.

 

Someone has tried to kill Callum and left him for dead when Bethoc finds him and takes him to her own special retreat for healing. As she is caring for Callum, she meets several groups of bad guys including her stepfather who “found” young boys to farm his land. Along the way, Bethoc finds out why these villains were sent to kill Callum which leads to more evil doing. There is adventure scene one after another to keep the reader thoroughly engaged in this romance. We even have cameo appearances of past heroes from earlier books for happy reunions. I love how the author interweaves the new stories with old favorites. Ms. Howell’s character development is just superb. I can’t wait for little Margaret to grow up and get her own story.

 

I enjoyed how Callum evolved  and learned to accept himself. He has grown so much since being adopted by Sir Payton Murray. Bethoc made him appreciate and respect the person he has become.  I enthusiastically give this book 5 stars and thumbs up review.Highland Chieftain

 

Colby Law by Debra Webb

Victoria Colby-Camp of Colby Agency was contacted by Rafe Barker scheduled to be put to death for murdering young girls in Texas. Rafe explained to Victoria that his wife, Clare, was actually the one responsible for the deaths. The authorities disagreed and let her out on probation. Rafe had made arrangements when he went to jail to have their three daughters adopted so that Clare could never find them. As soon as Clare was released, she started looking for her long-lost daughters.

Lyle McCaleb was assigned by the Colby Agency to protect Sadie Gilmore until they can confirm Rafe’s story and to prevent Sadie from being killed if necessary. Nasty things started happening to Sadie almost as soon as her real mother was released from jail. This happening was complicated by the fact that she had a tumultous relationship with her adopted father. I didn’t quite like the relationship as it was written between Sadie and her adopted father. It seemed like an expedient plot device that was not well thought out.

Sadie was Lyle’s true love and was run off by her father in earlier days. Lyle is definitely not going to run off now while he is protecting Sadie. There are some twists and turns to keep the suspense rolling along but because it’s a trilogy, there is a lot of information that is left to be determined which puts a downer on the story. I think that I could get more enjoyment in this book if I had waited to read it once all of the books once they have been published. As it stands now, I give it a Good+ recommendation.

 

Courting Justice by Brenda Jackson

Once again, Brenda Jackson has written an intoxicating romantic story that makes the reader just fall in love with the characters. We are familiar with the hero and heroine from previous Madaris books. Peyton Mahoney is a self-made attorney who is in a law partnership with her two best friends. Because of a romance gone bad in her earlier college days, she has put her heart in a lock box, especially against rich suitors. DeAngelo Di Meglio is the brother of one of her law partners. He has had romantic feelings for her since he got to know her through his previous visits to his sister.

Everyone seems to know how DeAngelo feels but Peyton. DeAngelo decides to take the bull by the horn and seduce Peyton with good intentions. He convinces Peyton’s law partners to give her a vacation for her birthday at a resort that he partially owns where he will just happen to be also spending a vacation. All of the pent up feelings between Peyton and DeAngelo surfaces to the top and it was non-stop loving from then on. DeAngelo was determined to storm Peyton’s defenses and he accomplished it. Just when things are going his way, there is a conflict where Peyton will finally have to decide if she wants the forever after or if she wants to keep the chip on her shoulder. How this problem is resolved is classic Brenda Jackson and I really loved the dynamics between our two love interests.

I completely loved this book and highly recommend this story.

 

Sweet Southern Nights by Rochelle Alers

I loved this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Once, I started reading, I couldn’t put it down until the very last page. Levi is just dreamy as the hero and Angela holds her own with him. I have so many accolades that I will just have to limit myself to the very best ones. I have always been a huge fan of Ms. Alers and just keeps putting out quality stories one after the other.

Levi Eaton is a pediatrician working temporarily in a small town that does not have many paying customers. He is asked by the Doctor who owns the practice to escort his sister, Angela Chase, to a wedding where she is sure to meet up with her ex-fiance. Angela’s ex ran off to Las Vegas with her best friend and maid of honor right after the rehearsal dinner. Neither Levi nor Angela wanted a long-term relationship so you would think that both of them would be happy with the situation. They met and then found themselves agreeing to a relationship before they knew what was happening. Levi and Angela was to go their separate ways after the wedding but they found themselves planning dates left and right. Of course, they talked themselves into believing that they were just friends.

The most delightful aspect of the story was when both of them were trying to get their own way and they had to compromise. Their repartee in coming to the compromise was just wonderful. I couldn’t stop chuckling. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

 

A Tryst with Trouble by Alyssa Everett

“A Tryst with Trouble” is quite an entertaining tale. The characters were well-defined and stayed consistent throughout the book. The Marquess of Beningbrough (Ben) had always lived in the shadow of gossip because of his father’s homosexuality. He tried to counter the gossip by becoming the ultra male. He was also very protective of his nephew and wanted to save him from a potential arrest for murder because of Lady Barbary Jeffords’ sister. Barbara’s sister was the “pretty” one who got all of the suitors and was very selfish.

Barbara was also trying to protect her sister because she was totally embroiled in this murder up to her neck. Ben and Barbara decided to work together to figure out why and who murdered the footman before Ben’s nephew is accused of the crime. Barbara’s sister and Ben’s nephew was engaged but the sister was trying to implicate either the nephew or Ben. In solving this murder, Ben had to face his fears and accept help from his father and accept his way of life. This was a classic whodunit that kept me engrossed in the story and wondering how these characters would end. The story did not disappoint and I highly recommend it. This is the first book that I have read from this author and I look forward to reading more of her offerings.

 

Sinful Temptation by Ann Christopher

Talia Adams met Antonios Davies (Tony) before he was sent overseas to Afghanistan to fight in the war. She asked to be his pen pal and told him that she would faithfully write him. Over his tour of duty, they wrote each often talking about anything and everything. Throughout this communication, Talia’s boyfriend left her and Tony started having romantic feelings for Talia. Tony put out some feelers to see if Talia felt the same way and Talia abruptly stopped writing him. Tony, unfortunately, was captured and thought to be dead.

Tony eventually returned home but experienced Post Traumatic Syndrome. The only thing that got him through his captivity and the aftermath was his thoughts of Talia. At first, Tony was going to abide by Talia’s decision not to talk to him but he decided to give it one more try to see if she had feelings for him. Both Tony and Talia had a lot of baggage that they had to overcome before they could give each other their hearts. I really liked how Tony decided to go full force no holds barred when trying to get Talia to give him a chance for romance.

This was a very entertaining novels with lessons to be learned by all of the characters in the book, including the minor ones. I easily read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t wait to read how the story ended. I give this story a Very Good rating.

 

No One But You by Leigh Greenwood

I am an inveterate reader of Leigh Greenwood romantic westerns. Most of them are keepers for me. Our author has written another winner with likable characters including the ones in the “gray” area. I don’t mind reading some westerns when some of the bad guys can be redeemed.

Sarah Winborne has lost her husband in the War between the States and she is trying to run her ranch with few cowhands while taking care of a crippled son and a daughter who is trying very hard to help their mother. Sara contacts the Randolphs with an offer for an ambitious man who wants to eventually own his own land. The Randolphs recommends several men for her to interview. Sara did not have a happy marriage before her husband left to fight in the war and she really wanted her next husband to be someone that she couldn’t love. Although she was attracted to Benton Wheeler (Salty), she offered him the proposal against her better judgement.

Salty agreed to the proposal and immediately showed that he was the right man for the job. He not only showed that he could run the ranch but he became her protector and a wonderful father to her children. Of course in these time, no romance can go smoothly without ruffling a few feathers and having to face some unforseen events. But Sara and Rusty couldn’t stop themselves from letting their emotions enter into their relationship. They met their struggles head on and managed to save their ranch with the respect of their cowhands. Rusty also helped her children accept their limitations and grow with confidence.

This story was very heartwarming and showed the beauty of how everyone working together can overcome all obstacles. I give this book and Excellent rating.

 

Against the Night by Kat Martin

I must say that I am really loving Kat Martin “Against” miniseries. It just gets better with each book and I can wait until I read each installment. The Raines family and friends just keep on giving to the reader. Former Ranger, Johnnie Riggs is working as a private investigator when he spotted Amy Brewer, aka Angel Fontaine, dancing in a stripper joint as he was in the process of apprehending a bond runner. Amy has come to Los Angeles from Grand Rapids, MI looking for her sister who has disappeared and no one has seen her for weeks. She has gotten a job in the stripper joint where her sister, Rachael , last worked hoping to gather any information on her disappearance.

The chemistry between Amy and Johnnie was scorching from the first time that he saw her and it was reciprocated by our heroine. Amy and Johnnie worked very well to solve the disappearance of her sister as they followed the clues until they found her. I also liked the semi-romance between the sister and the Detective such that it made a profane difference in Rachael’s recovery.

This was an excellently written book although I am not a fan of rape in romances. I guess you can say it was instrumental to the storyline but I wish it could have been written differently.

 

How to Seduce a Scoundrel by Vicky Dreiling

 

Vicky Dreiling is a relative new author for me but she is definitely moving up my list of must-read writers. This is a story that went through several phases as we watched both the hero and heroine evolve throughout the book. Julianne Gatewick has known the Earl of Hawkfield (Hawk) all of her life since Hawk is one of her brother’s best friends. Julianne has been in love with Hawk forever and always dreamed that he would fall in love with her and propose marriage but Hawk treats her more like a younger sister.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Julianne’s brother has requested that Hawk act as her guardian during the Season. Hawk has taken the duty very seriously and is hindering Julianne from enjoying her suitors. Since Hawk isn’t coming up to scratch, Julianne has decided to give her suitors a chance to win her heart. Along the way, Hawk is starting to see her as a grown woman and his feelings along with jealousy of her suitors have grown. Hawk also has a secret that has kept him from fully offering his heart to a woman. Julianne and Hawk learn to accept each other and work through their issues.

I really enjoyed this book but I did have some problems with just how naïve Julianne was for her age and the amount of time it took for Hawk to get over his problems. I am giving this story a Good+ rating.

 

Blame it on Bath by Caroline Linden

Caroline Linden usually writes very interesting stories and this one does not disappoint the reader. Blame It On Bath is the second in a trilogy about whether or not three brothers are the legitimate heirs to a Dukedom. The setting of this book is in parallel with the first story. Gerard de Lacey is the youngest son and is determined to find and stop the blackmailer who is casting aspersions on the brothers’ legitimacy.

Katherine Howe is a young widow who is being forced into marriage with her late husband’s heir by her mother and the heir because he wants her money and her mother is just a self-absorbed person. Katherine thwarts their attempts by proposing a marriage to Gerard who had helped her several years before–although he doesn’t immediately remembers her. Katherine has always had a tender spot in her heart for Gerard since this time. She had heard about the illegitimacy rumors and felt it was now or never if she wanted to have him for her husband.

Katherine and Gerard marries and the marriage works for the both of them. They have passion, friendship, and Katherine has a protector who learns to value and love her. This is an wonderful story but it didn’t give us any more knowledge of the blackmailer than the first story. This is more of a stand-alone romance that will keep you entertained until the last page.