Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Romance ReviewsThe Eyewitness by Nancy C. Weeks
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Eyewitness*
Romance Fell Flat, But Suspense Plot Was Good
This contemporary romantic suspense starts with an unfortunate bang as the heroine’s father is murdered just after they had a big argument. The book details the investigation into this as well as the budding romance between the heroine and the hero, who happened to be her dead father’s partner.
This book was mostly well written, but I didn’t quite buy the romance aspect. This is an enemies-to-lovers spot, and I think that is hard to pull off in general but especially when there’s so much else going on in the story (like there is in this one). We need to see a pivotal shift for both characters that’s believable and contextually correct. Yes, I got that the two had a bad history, which sets up the enemies part, and they continue to butt heads even while they have an undeniable attraction to each other. Neither part rings true for me. Another thing that didn’t quite sit right for me was the idea of a hot-headed person being a forensic scientist; the two ideas just don’t blend well together in my mind. I know one of the themes that runs throughout is that she is working on that aspect of herself, but it seemed like an oil-and-water combination that would be unlikely to happen in real life. I also didn’t feel like the initial hospital scene was accurate in several ways; I won’t detail all the reasons, but I am an RN, and I wondered if the author had done much research into what goes on in a hospital and what it’s really like (including security).
The familial relationships in this story are complex in a way that feels accurate to real life. I enjoyed the dialogue in that it seemed natural, but I didn’t think that the key characters had enough differentiation in their voices. The suspense aspect was better done than the romance aspect. There were plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. While the book didn’t technically end on a cliffhanger, there are some unresolved issues. All in all, despite the glowing reviews for this book, it doesn’t inspire me to read the next book in the series to see how those loose ends to tie up.
Last Words by Shari J. Ryan
Available at Amazon and Scribd
Last Words*
Stunningly Beautiful Novel About the Triumph of Love and Human Spirit
I read and review a lot of books. I’m generally able to dictate a review rather quickly. But when a book truly is exceptional and moves me, I feel like my meager words cannot do it justice. This is one of those outstanding books I am trying very hard to do proper justice to. This is simply an amazing book about the power of true love to triumph over hate and time. The book is an emotional journey not just for granddaughter Emma in the story but for the reader as well. In this book, the author has rendered beautifully both the greatest potential of the human soul as well as what we are when we are at our worst. The writing draws you right into Grandma and Emma’s story effortlessly. The story alternates between the points of view of Grandma (in the form of her diary) and Emma. The author has given them each a distinct voice; you know which is which even without referring to the note at the top of each chapter. Grandma’s story gives Emma a vision of what true love is and empowers her to live a better life with a man who treats her right. Grandma and Charlie’s story is full of so much pain but also love and hope in what was one of the darkest hours of human history. The author tells the harrowing tale with a brutal honesty that is at once inspiring and heartbreaking (though that word does not do it justice). As Emma starts to turn her life around, her story is the perfect counterpoint to her grandmother’s story, adding sweetness and a little levity. An exquisite, beautiful work that should be read by people who enjoy good love stories that touch the heart.
It’s In His Song by Shelly Alexander
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
It's In His Song*
Lovely Contemporary Romance Novella
What a delightful contemporary romance! Even though this is a novella, and a very fast read, the author did a good job with characterization and providing just enough of a plot that would fit a novella. (Some authors, unfortunately, make a novella plot that is too big for the length of the story.) These characters had enough history and present that this could have been a full-length novel, but it works well in this shorter form. The author did a good job of focusing the story down to a few critical days in the characters lives that would change them forever. And she even snuck in some is symbolism about walls that was definitely appropriate to the story and the characters. There was a surprising amount of humor as well. I loved both the hero and the heroine, although I don’t think I would want to be a customer of the heroine while she was fixating on Dylan! Even within this short tale, both characters grew and changed in a way that made sense for them. The only way to improve this story would have been if more time had been spent showing what happened to this newly formed family. I would have loved to see more of how Dylan was as a father and how the hero and heroine flared as they claimed a new life together. Kudos to the author or pulling off such a lovely romantic story.
Two Scandals are Better Than One by Nancy Yeager
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Two Scandals are Better Than One*
Steamy Victorian Suspense
Luci is concerned about her missing father and goes to a gentleman’s house party—code word for a den of iniquity—in hopes of gaining information that will help her find him. She doesn’t quite realize the dangerous world she is dipping her toe into. She is surprised to find Steady Eddie there, who has been a friend of her of the family since she was a child. She had a crush on him until she realized that he was much too dull for her to truly consider as a life mate. This is why it is such a surprise to find him at this party that is only a step above a brothel. While he doesn’t recognize her at the party, he is intrigued by her scandalous persona, and he soon finds out who she really is. Once he knows what is going on, he insists on helping her figure out what’s going on with her father so he can protect her.
I so enjoyed this romantic Victorian suspense! Early on, the author did an excellent job portraying Edward as a proper English gentleman in a very uncomfortable setting; he usually didn’t go to debauched house parties; he wanted just one night of craziness. She was even able to give him speech patterns that make him sound like a toff but not so much that it sounds like unnatural speech; I think this is a hard line to straddle, but the author did this perfectly. The hero and heroine have fantastic chemistry. He is willing to put himself in harm’s way to protect her and help her figure out the mystery. The more time they spend together, the more steamy the book becomes, but the progress of their romance seemed appropriate to their characters. I love the suspense element in this plot and enjoyed seeing what the characters had to do as they became more deeply involved in the criminal underworld. The ending was very satisfying.
Luci and Edward are a delightful couple to watch as they try to unravel all that is going on while falling more deeply for each other. This is the second book I’ve read of the Harrow Five series, and I look forward to the next installment. If you like historical romance with a bit of suspense, you will most likely enjoy this book.
Emily’s Choice by Bethany Swafford
Available at Amazon only
Not with Kindle Unlimited
Emily's Choice*
Lack of Romance
I love a good Regency romance, but unfortunately in this book’s case, I felt it lacked in several key areas. The central characters did not seem to grow or change. While the book did have some humorous or intriguing scenes, it often seemed more for effect than substance (like furthering the plot or showing characterization). I did not find the heroine particularly engaging, and the hero felt remote. In the early parts of the book, at least, I felt like the author used far too many exclamation points. The characters couldn’t have been that excited over what they were discussing. The dialogue seemed unnatural, with characters using words and phrases in combinations that aren’t typically done either in real life or other historical fiction. While I am generally not opposed to adverbs, as many seem to be in fiction writing today, I thought that this book used too many that did not actually illuminate what they were supposed to. The book lacked progressive complications within the romance plot itself (though there were other complications) and a substantial crisis and climax. The hero and heroine weren’t together enough for the romance to build. I actually went online to see if this was actually categorized as a romance, as it didn’t feel like much of one to me.
The Unwilling Viscount and the Vixen by Shelley Munro
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Unwilling Viscount and the Vixen*
Language Issues & Not a Lot of Romance
Rosalind is willing to participate in an arranged marriage to a man she doesn’t know and who has lost much of his memory because she wants security and a family of her own. She doesn’t believe this will happen through a more typical route because she has gifts that make her townspeople call her a witch. For his part, Lucien, the hero, does not really wish to marry again; he’s more interested in finding out who was responsible for the death of his first wife and unborn child.
I actually found this book difficult to read because the author misuses so many words and phrases while trying to make this historical novel seem to have elevated language. Many choices were just flat out wrong or not wholly appropriate given what was being said or described. Some of the reactions of the characters seemed overblown. For instance, when Rosalind was on her way for the initial meeting at the castle, did she really have to screw up every last bit of her courage just to look out the carriage window? If that were really true, events later in the book should have totally paralyzed her. A lot went on to make this seem more gothic and suspenseful than a straight-up historical romance. Unfortunately, it felt like this entirely overshadowed the romance. There really wasn’t much of an evolution of the romantic relationship. It seems like they were at odds for most of the book (and often separated) until the end when they suddenly loved each other (without having to do the work to get there). Also, I didn’t really see how the heroine was a vixen at all. With so many strange things happening around the castle, it seems odd that the hero would tell her to stay there to remain safe. At the end, I found myself wondering if the author shouldn’t have changed the last line since the title has been changed.
Because of the issues with language and the lack of the build of a true romance in the book, I can’t recommend this book.
Bailey by Sarah Gai
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Bailey*
Too Much Plot for Length of Story
Bailey is the youngest of the Nelson brothers and perhaps a bit of a player. But when an Australian cowgirl comes to help at Kayden and Kirra’s horse rescue center, he starts to reconsider his approach to romance. This is the fourth book that I’ve read in the Nelson brothers series. I quite enjoyed the first and third ones, but I felt like the second book and this one were too short for the stories that they had to tell. This book feels like it’s barely longer than a long short story, yet the story arc seems to require a longer novella to be fully realized. As such, the love story didn’t really have time to fully develop. There wasn’t time to really develop any other sort of external conflict either. I enjoyed the characters of Bailey and Marty, the heroine, but there just wasn’t enough to this story.
More Than a Rogue by Sophie Barnes
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
More Than a Rogue*
Fun, Lighthearted (Mostly!) Regency Romance
Emily believes herself to be firmly on the shelf at the age of six-and-twenty, and she laments to her friends that she has never even kissed a man. She has no desire for a husband; she is quite content running a small orphanage with her friends. She has considered asking a man to kiss her, but she would not be interested in a man who would want to pursue more than that. She does find herself in a compromising position (caused by the gentleman) with her best friend’s husband’s triplet brother. Griffin offers the honorable way out when they are discovered by her mother, aunt, and sister, but Emily asked him to not even make a formal proposal as she would not consider it. She truly is content with her life and does not wish to marry; she would only consider it if true love were on the table for both parties.
The first part of this Regency has a fun lightness to it because of the delicious banter and thoughts of the hero and heroine that show both of their incorrect reads of the situation as well as the circumstances that they continually find themselves in. The book turns a little more serious when Emily’s mother shows up in the country, but the twists and turns in Griffin and Emily’s relationship continue to be engaging. Griffin is a slightly confused and befuddled hero, but his confusion has a sweetness and kindness to it; he is a good man who wants to do right, especially by Emily. Emily has a delightful independence and a strong sense of self that is lovely to see in a Regency. It doesn’t feel forced as it sometimes does in these types of novels. I found this to be an excellent read.
A Lyons in Winter by Pamela Sherwood
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
A Lyons in Winter*
Awesome Box Set Intro to Author
I so enjoyed this collection of novellas plus a novel! This was the first time I had read this author. I absolutely adore historical romance, particularly medieval, Regency, and Victorian. Because I read so much of these subgenres, I find that I am often disappointed at the willful disregard for the basic rules and mores of the times or a story that is filled too much with the familiar tropes. So I was delighted and enchanted to find well-written stories well-drawn and sometimes quirky characters. The stories themselves revealed an author who is well versed in Victorian manners and morality, yet still knows how to weave a story that focuses on the uniqueness of the characters and the particulars of their individual stories.
I particularly loved the first novella. I enjoyed how the author made the heroine, Madeline, erudite with her love of Shakespeare and the theater, yet she had a good sense of humor, compassion, and backbone surprising for a Victorian daughter of a duke. The author did an excellent job of showing how the hero gradually came to know his own mind and needs better; he was surprised and charmed by Madeline, and I love his chivalrous nature. I also enjoyed the humor in this book, in particular where the author brought the modern “never have I ever” game into Victorian times, as the hero often imagined himself composing a letter to his sister proclaiming that never had he done something as he was doing now at the house party at the duke’s. I like how the epilogue of this first story became the prologue for the next story, although it was told or from the perspective of the hero of that novel.
I really enjoyed all the members of the Lyons family as well as the Christmas spirit that flowed through these novels. While this may have been my introduction to this author, I am definitely going to look into her other books.
Shattered Stars by Shari J. Ryan
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Shattered Stars*
Beautiful Tale of Love through Trials
Oh, my gosh! What a riveting, emotional story? This book goes back and forth between the past and present. While sometimes those kinds of books can be hard to follow or can lose momentum, I found that the story of Dani and Layne’s past to be vital to the understanding of their present and hopeful future. Dani has been through and is going through so much. The author pulled me right into the story, showing how what’s happening to Dani affects those around her, most notably her husband and teenage daughter. This book has incredible sadness and personal trials, yet it is also hopeful and inspiring. This is the first time that I have read this author, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how easily she drew me into the story and made me care about the characters and what happened to them. I love to be affected emotionally by a fiction story, and this one did that in spades. Layne is simply amazing, so compassionate, caring, and unwilling to give up on his love and their future. For Dani, it was so hard to see her struggle with memory and her hopelessness about it all at times. The book is beautifully written and thoroughly gripping. If you enjoy a love story that fully engages your emotions, this book may be right up your alley.
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