Audiobook #Review: That Night on Thistle Lane by Carla Neggers

This is a nice romance but, for me, not romantic suspense.
That Night on Thistle Lane
by Carla Neggers

Product Information

• Author: Carla Neggers  
• Reader: Susan Boyce  
• Running Time: 9hrs 48min  
• Publisher: AudioGO Ltd  
• Number of CDs: 8 File 
• Quality: MP3 (128 kbps)  
• Release Date: 1/29/13  
• D/L ISBN: 9781609989941 
• CD ISBN: 9781620647103

Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Book Description
Release date: January 29, 2013 | Series: Swift River Valley
New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers returns with the second book in the Swift River Valley series, That Night on Thistle Lane, following Secrets of the Lost Summer.

More than just make-believe

Librarian Phoebe O'Dunn deals in stories, but her passion for history has taught her that happy endings are rare. Her life in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts, is safe and uneventful...until she discovers the hidden room.

Among its secrets is a cache of vintage clothing, including a spectacular gown--perfect for a gala masquerade in Boston. In the guise of a princess, Phoebe is captivated by a handsome swashbuckler who's also adopted a more daring persona. Noah Kendrick's wealth has made him wary, especially of women: everybody wants something.

When Noah and Phoebe meet again in Knights Bridge, at first neither recognizes the other. And neither one is sure they can trust the magic of the night they shared--until an unexpected threat prompts them to unmask their truest selves.

After all, it takes more than just the right costume to live out your personal fairy tale. It takes heart...and the courage to be more than you ever dreamed.

Review:
Phoebe O’Dunn was abandoned by her college sweetheart so she decided to shelter her heart. She grew comfortable with her single life-style and became a major support for her family and friends. She has recently discovered a hidden room in the library at Knights Bridge. She discovers some beautiful old movie dress replicas which she offers to allow her friends use for a gala masquerade ball. She decides to go at the last minute too as an Elizabethan princess. At the ball she is swept off her feet by a swashbuckling pirate and they share a dream dance until it is interrupted by Noah spotting a man he thinks is following him.

Noah Kendrick is a wealthy business mogul from California. He is wary of women who chase after him for his money or notoriety. He agrees to attend a masquerade ball with his business partner who is engaged to marry the love of his life, Olivia, who lives in Knights Bridge. At the ball he meets a beautiful, intriguing princess but doesn’t get her name.

Noah and Phoebe then meet at Olivia’s home but don’t immediately recognize each other. Noah decides to remain in the Knights Bridge to try to uncover ‘his princess.’ Soon he recognizes Phoebe by her movements and the lines of her face and hips. Phoebe heard a stranger talking mysteriously about Noah. Eventually when they acknowledge each other Noah discovers that his secret follower may have a connection to Phoebe’s hidden library room.

An early note I made about this story is that it has elements I find consistent in Ms. Neggers’ works: well developed characters, rich descriptions and unique, natural influences.  The hero and heroine share loneliness, independence and pain.  Ms. Neggers uses natural hobbies, goat soaps and essential oils being developed by the Knights Bridge ladies, to add warmth.  There are wonderful, rich descriptions showing pluses but differences between the small, close community of Knights Bridge and the big atmosphere of San Diego.

The story has a slow, relaxed feeling as the background it set before the romance blossoms. I have enjoyed several of Carla Neggers' novels and I was expecting this to be a romantic suspense so I was disappointed when I kept waiting for the suspense. Although there is a small mystery with the hidden room and who created the dresses, there really is minimal suspense. But if you are looking for a relaxing and rich contemporary romance this one works as a nice read.

Audio Notes: Susan Boyce does a nice job reading this story. She manages to maintain the pace even with a slowly developed story. It seemed that sometimes she nails the Boston accent but not always. The smooth narration added to the story for my listening pleasure.

I received this audio for review from AudioGo through Audiobook Jukebox.

This is set in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts for my 2013 Where Are You Reading Challenge.

Winner of A Shot of Sultry

 Congratulations to Winner:

Giveaway Ended April 12, 2013

ARC Giveaway: A Shot of Sultry by Macy Beckett. 

Winner: Texas Book Lover

Texas Book Lover please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I'll get the book mailed.  Please reply within 72 hours!  


NOTE BELOW REPEAT WINNER ANNOUNCEMENTS -- LAST CALL:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Ended April 5, 2013

ARC Giveaway: Last Chance Book Club by Hope Ramsay



Winner: Angela
Unclaimed





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

Giveaway Ended March 26, 2013.

ARC Giveaway: Lady Eve's Indiscretion Open US & Canada.

Winner: Cassandra
Unclaimed

Book #Review and #Giveaway: An Angel by Her Side by Ruth Reid

This is a delightful, sweet story where two souls learn to trust God's plans with the tangible help of an angel.

An Angel by Her Side
by Ruth Reid

• File Size: 540 KB
• Print Length: 366 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 1, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008GVYY8Y

Genre: Amish Romance
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2013 |
Series: A Heaven On Earth Novel

Katie has lived through tragedy and heartache. But with the angel Elias by her side, the best years of her life are just ahead.

A Heaven on Earth Novel, #3

When Katie Bender’s fiancé died in a tragic accident, so did her hope of finding love. Though heartbroken, Katie is also practical. In the years since the accident she has discovered her gift for teaching. But when a tornado destroys her small Amish settlement, including the schoolhouse, Katie doesn’t know how she will provide for herself.

Seth Stutzman arrived in Hope Falls days before the storm. And when he helps usher Katie and the children to safety, sparks fly. But Seth is only in town to help his brother, Amos, get back on his feet following the death of his wife. He can’t afford to have feelings for Katie.

Rebuilding the community is a huge task, and soon, Katie and Seth are working side by side. As they privately wrestle with their feelings for each other, another silent—and ultimate—battle for their hearts rages unseen.

Review:
Katie Bender has accepted that she would never be a wife and mother. She has found contentment working as the teacher (teetshah) at the one room Amish school in her community. The school is located next to the property of Amos Mast who has left the Amish community in anger and grief after the death of his wife. Amos blames Katie for creating discordance in his family over the learning difficulties of one of his young sons.

Seth Stutzman arrives at the community to help his brother-in-law, Amos, and gets caught in a tornado. He seeks shelter in the school cellar where the children and teacher have taken refuge. The storm destroys the school and many homes in the community.

The leaders meet to set priorities and begin to pool their resources to rebuild. While hoping the school will be rebuilt Katie helps take care of the children, first a little girl whose father is missing, and then Amos’ teenaged daughter who has run away because she feels banned from home.

Seth has talents as a builder but will not use them due to a prior accident he believes was caused by his difficulties reading and identifying numbers. Still, he is drawn to help with other tasks at the work sites. Several times he finds himself being assisted by an elderly man, Elias, who is always cheerful and encouraging.

When Amos suffers an injury, Seth convinces Katie to come to the house to take care of the toddler daughter and help with meals and chores.  Katie struggles to pray blessings on Amos while his anger continues to spew bitterness towards her.  Seth struggles with his feelings of not being good enough and being afraid to reveal his secrets even as he grows closer to Katie every day.

Ms. Reid has created beautiful, warm characters and developed a plot that shows growth through seeking God’s wisdom, offering grace and accepting forgiveness. The story has strength in the faith shared, gentleness in the love and protection offered and joy in the miracles guided by Elias.

I loved how Ms. Reid portrays the angel and demon as real and impacting the lives and decisions of those who will listen to their whispers, whether good or bad. (This reminded me of Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness where I first read this concept.)

This worked well as a standalone although it is apparently the third book in a series. I would like to read the other books too. This is an easy, uplifting and delightful read that I recommend to those who like sweet romance in an Amish setting.

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

An example of Elias' ‘touch’:

Elias approached Katie. “God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of  sound mind.” Elias hoped his words resonated with his charge. “Be prepared to give account for the hope that is within you. You will be used to encourage the weak.”  Location 464.

I received this to review for Thomas Nelson through NetGalley.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY FOR PRINT COPY FROM PUBLISHER - US ONLY.

USE ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open US Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on April 26, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on April 27, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Book Review: Scorned Justice: The Men of the Texas Rangers by Margaret Daley

This is a wonderful, Christian, romantic suspense with strong characters and great tension.
Scorned Justice: The Men of the Texas Rangers
by Margaret Daley

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (April 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142671436X
• ISBN-13: 978-1426714368

Genre: Christian Fiction, Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: April 1, 2013 | Series: Men of the Texas Rangers (Book 3)
Texas Ranger Brody Calhoun is with his parents in west Texas when an unexpected attack injures the brother of Rebecca Morgan, Brody's high school sweetheart. The local sheriff, a good friend, asks for Brody’s help. At first, it seems like an open-and-shut case.

As Brody digs deeper, he realizes the attack may be related to an organized crime trial Rebecca will be overseeing. With Rebecca's help, he compiles evidence involving cattle rustling, bribery, and dirty payoffs that shatter the entire community and put Rebecca directly in the line of fire.

Brody expects to protect her. What he never expects is to fall for Rebecca all over again, or for a murder to throw the case wide open. Is Brody's faith strong enough to withstand not only deep-rooted corruption and cattle rustling, but also love?

Review:
Rebecca Morgan is a Judge overseeing a high profile trial of an organized crime leader.  Soon after the trial begins, Rebecca’s brother is injured while riding out on their joint ranch.  Although it appears to be an accident more security is  assigned to protect Rebecca, her sister-in-law and nieces against any threat of retaliation.

Brody, a steady, strong Texas Ranger is directed to protect Rebecca. They were best friends in school and he finds himself glad to be around the woman he lost after high school when they went separate ways and she married someone else. He has remained single all these years and even though she claims she will never marry another cop he knows there is a strong connection and attraction between them.

Continuing attacks, near misses and dead bodies in Rebecca's house have the authorities scrambling to determine which of the rival crime gangs has targeted Rebecca. The author includes thoughts from the villain’s view so the reader knows there is more going on before the characters do. This helped keep the tension and suspense running high and the heart pounding.

I was quickly pulled into the lives of the likeable hero and heroine. Within the first chapters I wanted a second chance for Brody and Rebecca. I was rooting for Brody and just waiting for Rebecca to realize that she couldn’t control all circumstances of her life but she shouldn’t miss out living to the fullest due to fear.

I really like Ms. Daley’s honorable characters and the underlying faith that gives them inner strength. The faith messages are natural to the characters and their circumstances and not preachy. There are good secondary characters including Brody’s feisty father who is recovering from a heart attack but still wants to share his skills as a detective.

The writing is full, easy and moves at a good pace. The descriptions are vibrant and the suspense is non-stop. The romance is a sweet backdrop to the danger. There are Discussion Questions at the end which are good for groups or for your own brain pondering. If you like good romantic suspense I highly recommend Scorned Justice. Although it is apparently a third book in a series it works fine as a stand alone. I will be looking for more of Ms. Daley’s books to read.

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

Rebecca struggles with control issues and Brody challenges her on it:

   "I'm used to being in control. As a judge. As a prosecutor. But with this situation I have no control....
    When she looked at him again, he glimpsed fear in her expression. "How much time do you spend worrying about that control--planning your life down to the smallest detail?"  Page 156.

I received this book for an honest review as part of Pump Up Your Book Tour. 

This story is set in and near San Antonio, Texas for my 2013 Where Are You Reading Challenge. This is also a New Author for me.

To find out more about Margaret visit her website or say hello at:

TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Visit the other blog tour sites for more review input. 

Giveaway: A Wedding in Springtime by Amanda Forester

A Wedding in Springtime by Amanda Forester Giveaway!

We [Sourcebooks and me too] are really excited about the new Regency trilogy coming from Amanda Forester! The first book, A Wedding in Springtime, comes out next month and has already received TWO STARRED reviews! 

 Thanks to Sourcebooks for this opportunity to share. (I wonder if I can win it at another blog.)

 

Book Description
Release date: May 7, 2013 

Her Timing Couldn't Be Worse...

Miss Eugenia Talbot's presentation to the queen is spoiled by a serious faux pas—the despicable William Grant made her laugh, right in front of Her Majesty. Now Eugenia is ruined and had better marry—someone, anyone—at once...

And His Couldn't Be Better...

Roguish William Grant has never taken anything seriously in his life. Until he meets Eugenia Talbot, who makes him feel and do thing he never thought he would.

Now Eugenia's great sense of humor and kindheartedness may be her undoing, unless William can help her find a husband. To his surprise, that's the last thing he wants to do...

To Enter for a print copy:

Share a brief story of the best, worst, funniest or most embarrassing part of your wedding or one you attended.

ENTRY REQUIRES COMMENT

* This contest is open US and Canada Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on April 26, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on April 27, 2013.
Winners are asked to respond by email or the linked winners form within 72 hours of the announcement.