Book Review: Stranded with a Spy by Merline Lovelace

Merline Lovelace is a favorite author for me.

Stranded with a Spy

by Merline Lovelace

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373275536
• ISBN-13: 978-0373275533

Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating:  3.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
Escape from hell?

To hell was more like it! When Mallory Dawes, suddenly infamous in the States, decided to take that vacation to France, her problems were just beginning: a lost passport. A car swept out to sea. Missing travelers' checks. And a mysterious, if intriguing, man who always seemed to turn up just when she was in trouble...

Cutter Smith--code name: Slash--was told to keep the beautiful blonde in his sights. But as his interest in her veered from the professional to the intensely personal, Cutter knew the cost of falling in love would be high indeed. And he would have to pay the price...
--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review:

Mallory Dawes needs a break from several months of not fun notoriety. Mallory left a good, quiet government job to work in a senior Senator’s office. Unfortunately the Senator had roaming hands and when he wouldn’t stop, Mallory quit and filed a sexual harassment suit. Problem is that Mallory’s two past loser lovers were eager to exaggerate their exploits and the press was more than willing to make her look like a loose, money grabbing woman. She is dismayed when the arbitration board rules against her so she is more than ready to go on her long awaited vacation to spend quiet time in the countryside of France.

Fate has other plans. A routine luggage check reveals a disc containing government secrets inside an innocuous music CD cover. Cutter Smith, a James Bond sort of American operative, is sent to keep Mallory in sight as they suspect she may meet with a Russian spy that they have been trying to track down.  Cutter is ruggedly sensual with a face that bears the burn scars from betrayal by his first love.

Mallory takes a side trip to a monastery where she gets stranded by rising tides that wash her rental car, baggage and all out to sea.  Cutter has already rescued Mallory from the unwanted attentions of a drunken tourist. Now he steps in as a “friend” to help her in her stranded distress.

Predictably, Cutter and Mallory fall for each other and he begins to believe that she is innocent of any crime and was being set up or used as a mule. Cutter wants to trust her but the betrayal in his past makes it hard for him to let go his guard. Then there are more attacks and Mallory’s hurt when she learns that Cutter has lied all along.

I liked the characters and the twisted plot. There is plenty of action but unfortunately the story seemed a little flat. There was so much that was predictable. It was pleasant reading but not my favorite book by this marvelous author. Merline Lovelace has written some marvelous historical romances and other really solid romantic suspense. You could read this for a light read but if you have not enjoyed Ms. Lovelace’s work I would recommend The Horse Soldier (historical romance) and the Cleo North Trilogy (military/romantic suspense).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The romance:

She’d seen that spark of heat in his eyes a few moments ago. Felt the sudden, subtle tension sizzle through the air between them. Location 958.

The betrayal:

Well, now she had it. She was the bait he wanted to dangle in front of a shadowy, international thug. Location 1914.

I read this from my own TBR pile. It was a free Kindle read from 2009..

This is set in Europe and in DC. I will add it to my TBR Challenge list too! (YAY)

Book Review: Eos (The Samsara Chronicles Book 1)

This novella introduces a science fiction good v evil series.

Eos (The Samsara Chronicles Book 1)

by Diana Kemp and Gabriella Bradley 

• File Size: 130 KB
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: eXtasy Books (May 25, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0086FP934

Genre: Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Product Description
Blending elements of futuristic, fantasy, science fiction and the paranormal, the Samsara Chronicles explores the duality of good and evil set against two worlds, Earth and Nirvana.

Guided by mystical beings, a human mother bears a daughter of alien royalty, Aislinn, destined to champion the future of two worlds.

Review:

This is a short novella and I will be reading and reviewing all 14 books in the series over the next 12 or so weeks. In the first book, we meet Sienna and Blake, a loving couple in their early 40s. They live on a 10 acre farm and although they had always longed for children they were never able to have any naturally or through assisted efforts.   They are not young lovers, but they are still enamored and the story begins with a sensual dream that results in warm lovemaking that is private and not described. There are several sensual encounters that are tastefully presented. They may seem prominent because this book is so short, but the story goes beyond the lovemaking.

The initial encounter is to set the story for the series as the activity results in an unexpected pregnancy. Harmonious voices and lights appear to Sienna as the Antiquitas, the ancient keepers of knowledge. They let her know that her daughter, Aislinn, is a chosen child to save the world in the future.

The writing has an easy flow and I enjoyed the descriptions and the anticipation set up by this story. The characters are nice although not deeply developed. After the birth of the baby the book shifts 26 years to the future where the world has been devastated by World War three. Another child, Angelica, is introduced as a ‘sister’ preparing to meet Aislinn.

This is an interesting set up, to have this many novellas set out separately. This first book is only 50 pages. It is engaging and I am interested in where the story will go. There are some scenes that are not pursued, like the sighting of a white wolf, and it will be interesting to see if this is picked up in future books. Also there are some typos and at least one scene that didn’t seem consistent in action. These are probably more noticeable because of the brevity of the book.

Pleasant description:

Stately evergreens flanked the driveway, their feathery branches already laden with a veil of white. Location 160.

Devastation:

Above the cries of the wounded and dying, a tolling bell solemnly lamented man’s legacy–now crushed and broken between the dust and rubble that had become the domain of vermin. Location 520.

I received this from the Author for review as part of Pump Up Your Book Tour.

I will add this to my ARC and New Author Challenge lists.

Winners Much Ado, Lucky in Love and Calico Canyon

 (Sorry this is posted late)
CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS
of Giveaways ended 6/1/12

Print Autographed Copy or Kindle Copy + $10.00 GC 

Anash

Review Copy of Lucky in Love

Barbara E.





Copy of Calico Canyon

pwnmom

Thank you to everyone who entered.
Winners please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form so I can mail out or let the Author/Publisher know to send the books.  Please reply within 72 hours!

Book Review: Foolish Games by Karen Wiesner

This is another beautiful, inspirational story from Karen Wiesner.

Foolish Games

by Karen Wiesner

Book 3 of the Family Heirlooms Series

Reissue available now from Whiskey Creek Press
978-1-61160-015-5 (trade paperback); 978-1-61160-014-8 (electronic)
Click here for a printable order form
The paperback may be available at a significant discount with this special order form
Paperback from Amazon.com
Download from Amazon.com
Download from BN.com

Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

(Book Description from Amazon)

Publication Date: April 6, 2010

Falling in love will take letting go of their fears. That, or a miracle…

Nuggets of faith can be passed down as family heirlooms from parent to child, sibling to sibling, spouse to spouse.

Family Heirloom, Book Three – Healing

A year after he lost his beloved wife, Peter Samuels still struggles with overwhelming grief. As the sole caretaker of growing children, the first anniversary of her death hits especially hard as he faces the world without a partner.

There is only one man for Kimberly Wolfe. Her boss, Peter. But he’s taken. First, by a marriage she envied from afar. Now by his grief. However, she’s used to the idea that happily-ever-after may never happen, not with a childhood haunted by a domineering father who used the Bible to justify his God-given place as the head of their household. A father who still refuses to repent for the wrong he’s done. Kim has tried, but forgiveness comes hard when trust is in short supply.

An innocent kiss on New Year’s leads to a growing awareness—of each other, and of the gaping holes in their lives that only love can fill. But before they can take the first steps on the road to healing, first they have to build a bridge…

Review:

Kimberly is a beautiful, caring and giving young woman. She is loved by many in her community. She was raised in a troubled household with a father who used the Bible and scripture to brow beat her mother under the description of “submission.” After her mother died and Kimberly had a violent altercation with her domineering father she found the courage to move out on her own. Although Kimberly would love to have a family of her own she is not sure she can ever find a man who will not use his position as “protector” to make decisions for her and ‘keep her in line’ as her father did to her mother and tried to do to her.

Peter is Kimberly’s boss and she has had a crush on him for years. But she had always honored his happy marriage. Now Peter has been a widower for a year and Kimberly is wondering if it might be possible for him to care for her. Peter recognizes that his children and his family all care for Kimberly. Suddenly he is seeing her in a new way. Is it possible that it would be all right for him to love a second time?

There are several secondary story-lines running along with Kimberly and Peter’s sweet romance.
Peter’s younger sister, Samantha, is ready to go to college and begin to move apart from her family. Yet her father, the local Pastor, wants her to help him witness to a young man being counseled under a delinquency program. Samantha is frightened of the boy but she continues to honor her father’s demands rather than disobey him.

Ms. Wiesner weaves some excellent Christian dilemmas and good responses and truths through the story-lines. The characters’ deal with issues including submission, forgiveness, the fine line of honoring parents and exercising personal discernment.

As usual Karen Wiesner writes wonderfully real and warm characters with real life scenarios. I love how both characters trusted God and were willing to let Him lead to get things right. Kimberly’s fear was almost unreasonable but that is easy for me to say never having been in such an abusive situation. I found it difficult and sad that Kimberly had such trouble forgiving her father and that caused only more pain and bondage for her.

I recommend this story for enjoyment and for sound biblical solutions in difficult life issues. I have enjoyed many stories now by Ms. Wiesner. If you enjoy christian romance I hope you will try her books.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some of Peter's thoughts:

Kimberly helped him refocus. She accepted that the Lord was God, and His reasons weren’t humanly understandable to them.  Location 488.

Either he accepted the bad with the good in life, or he didn’t. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t leave the Lord behind because he’d trusted Him as long as he could remember. That was that. Location 496

Kimberly’s wise advice to Samantha:

You need to decide what the Lord wants you to do. He’s leading you. Even with the best of intentions, someone else could steer you wrong. Location 1069.

Thank you to Karen Wiesner for providing this for review.

Mailbox Monday June 3, 2012

Welcome to Mailbox Monday. Thanks everyone for linking and visiting with me last month - it was fun to host.
FOR JUNE: the Mailbox Monday Tour host will be Sassy Brit at Alternate-Read.com  [http://tjbook-list.blogspot.com]

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

My book garden is steadily growing! How about yours?

Review Titles

I received  two print review books:
From Sourcebooks for August:
I Own the Dawn by M.L. Buchman and Hell on Wheels: Black Knights Inc.by Julie Ann Walker

 Wins

I also received.the final three ebooks that I won the "Motherload" at The Mother's Day Book Giveaway hosted by Quickie Book Reviews!!


Thank you C.J. Ellisson.

Purchased

No purchases this week.

 Free

I picked up more free Kindle books last week. I am planning to start reading some of the older ones.