I have recently written a novel about life in England during the Second World War. I felt some concern before I tackled this theme — the War...
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The Marsh Hawk is a wonderfully written romance with an intelligent heroine and sigh-worthy hero, not to mention secondary characters you come to care about. Lord Kevernwood marries Lady Jenna after a very brief acquaintance, this against the advice of his oldest friend, the Vicar Robert Nast. Robert cautions them to wait and get to know one another before they wed, but to no avail. Both deeply in love with each other, they wed. But it's after the wedding night that Jenna suspects her husband might be The Marsh Hawk, the highwayman who murdered her father. When she sees her suspicions proved true, she follows the only path she believes open to her, returning home to her mother. She leaves posthaste.
Lord Kevernwood is devastated his bride could believe him a murderer. Nor does he know if she'll reveal what she knows to the authorities. He fetches her back to his home, but not before Jenna makes another startling discovery.
They agree to an arrangement, to live together and give the impression of a happy couple until after the come-out ball for his niece. Both love the other, but believe too much distrust, too many lies prevent the marriage from working. Lady Jersey makes an appearance, learns a shocking truth or two, and stays on, determined to find out the veracity behind some outrageous accusations. I say no more, but leave it to the reader to learn what happens to The Marsh Hawk. You won't be disappointed in the twists and turns of the story. I loved this book.
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(4 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
Blood Moon is a vampire tale set in the Regency era. It begins in England although most of the story takes place in Moldavia. It’s also a love story, at times sad—sad you say? Think about it. You or your spouse may end up as a true vampire. If that happens, the one who isn’t a true vampire will have to kill the one who is. Jon Hyde-White, a man who has chosen the church as his path in life is bitten and infected by the vampire Sebastian. The woman Jon has decided to marry, Cassandra, is also bitten by Sebastian. Both are infected, both show signs of the infection worsening, but aren’t true vampires. Yet. Jon decides to travel with Cassandra to Moldavia, where he’s told the priests there will help them overcome this infection. Once in Moldavia, nothing goes as they’d planned. Stalked by Sebastian, and then by vampire hunters, it seems as though they’ll never find the help they need until Milosh comes to their rescue. But can they trust him? Will the Blood Moon ritual work? Will they be able to put a stop to Sebastian?
One of the things out of many I liked about this book was how the infection affected people differently. The author put a lot of thought into this, because a week after finishing the book I still find myself wondering about day to day life for an infected person, how certain knowledge might affect them psychologically. I also enjoyed the heroine. Cassandra was a product of her time, Regency, yet had to deal with her unstoppable craving for blood. Her reactions and words sounded true. When she shifted, and we read her thoughts, I considered her one of the best parts of the story. Blood Moon grabs you from the beginning and lopes off with you until the end. A true page turner. I enjoyed Blood Moon very much and look forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend Blood Moon.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
R.R.Smythe?s young adult story, Into The Woods, reads like a fairy tale; familiar in so far as evil and good are portrayed, lessons are learned, yet new because the author has spun a wonderful new cautionary tale. The setting is Scotland, 1860. A known country, yet far enough back in time that one can easily imagine the events of the story taking place.
A strange sleep overtakes some of the towns people, followed by tree roots slowly enveloping the sleeping bodies as they slumber in their beds. Four friends face the horror of either their mother or father slowly slipping away, covered by roots and flowers. They feel powerless until they realize if they solve the puzzle presented, then their parents and other towns folk might awaken.
Although events takes place in 1860, the challenges teens faced then, as in school bullies, adults that don?t understand them, will resonate with readers today. There are valuable lessons to be learned, or relearned as the case may be. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly to adults as well as any young adults of your acquaintance. I do hope there is a sequel, too!
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(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
In Her Bed is the sequel to A Restless Knight, the second in the Dragons of Challon series, and this book has been worth the wait. One of those books where you wait until you have time to relax and enjoy the writer?s words rather than rushing through, missing key elements.
Prior reviews have summarized the plot, so I won?t repeat it. The heroine, Lady Aithinne Ogilvie, is one I?ll remember with fondness. I enjoyed her insulting words to her brothers in regard to their stupidity, as well as her frustration with the Viking who kept calling her princess. I empathized with her over believing her cousin was the prettier one, the better one?how many of us haven?t been compared to another and found lacking at some point in our lives? So yes, I understood Aithinne?s private sorrow. Her insults to the man she loves I liked best, especially Sir Nodcock. Aithinne?s character is strong, fiercely loyal, determined to do right by her people, except she was waylaid by love.
Damian St. Giles is the perfect hero. If the author wasn?t so talented, Damian would have just been a copy of his cousin, Julian Challon from A Restless Knight. Both are strong men, warriors, yet very different. Damian?s flexibility made him more appealing, enhanced the stroy. I enjoyed Damian?s slow recognition about Aithinne and the events that transpired while in her bed. How he teased her, yet she thought him serious. His love for her was like magic, yet the way written was entirely credible, as was her love for him. The ending was perfect, bringing a smile to my face. This is a true romance novel. I highly recommend In Her Bed.
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(15 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
The story in Pretend I?m Yours pulls you in at the beginning and doesn?t let you go until the end. Most of the story takes place in Philadelphia, 1764. So yes, the politics of that time plays a large part of the tale.
Mercedes has a twin sister, Katherine. Katherine has run away from her abusive husband in Philadelphia, but has landed in an insane asylum in England. She convinces Mercedes to travel from England to Philadelphia, to get money from her husband to pay for her medical care. Once in Philadelphia, Mercedes meets Katherine?s husband. In a split second decision, she decides to pretend she?s Katherine. But upon meeting William, her brother-in-law, Mercedes sees he isn?t the monster her sister had described. Nor, as the days advance, is anything quite like the way her sister described.
The romance, the love, and trust slowly builds between Mercedes and William. Nearly as satisfying is the love she offers his two children. But there is someone determined to kill William. And betrayal and treason are never far from mind. How the author wraps everything up for a satisfying ending is part of what makes Pretend I?m Yours such a wonderful read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more by this author. I?m sure you will, too.
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(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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Gerri Bowen has commented on (18) products.
The Marsh Hawk (Leisure Historical Romance) by Dawn Mactavish
Gerri Bowen, December 11, 2007
The Marsh Hawk is a wonderfully written romance with an intelligent heroine and sigh-worthy hero, not to mention secondary characters you come to care about. Lord Kevernwood marries Lady Jenna after a very brief acquaintance, this against the advice of his oldest friend, the Vicar Robert Nast. Robert cautions them to wait and get to know one another before they wed, but to no avail. Both deeply in love with each other, they wed. But it's after the wedding night that Jenna suspects her husband might be The Marsh Hawk, the highwayman who murdered her father. When she sees her suspicions proved true, she follows the only path she believes open to her, returning home to her mother. She leaves posthaste.
Lord Kevernwood is devastated his bride could believe him a murderer. Nor does he know if she'll reveal what she knows to the authorities. He fetches her back to his home, but not before Jenna makes another startling discovery.
They agree to an arrangement, to live together and give the impression of a happy couple until after the come-out ball for his niece. Both love the other, but believe too much distrust, too many lies prevent the marriage from working. Lady Jersey makes an appearance, learns a shocking truth or two, and stays on, determined to find out the veracity behind some outrageous accusations. I say no more, but leave it to the reader to learn what happens to The Marsh Hawk. You won't be disappointed in the twists and turns of the story. I loved this book.
(4 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
Blood Moon by Dawn Thompson
Gerri Bowen, September 4, 2007
Blood Moon is a vampire tale set in the Regency era. It begins in England although most of the story takes place in Moldavia. It’s also a love story, at times sad—sad you say? Think about it. You or your spouse may end up as a true vampire. If that happens, the one who isn’t a true vampire will have to kill the one who is. Jon Hyde-White, a man who has chosen the church as his path in life is bitten and infected by the vampire Sebastian. The woman Jon has decided to marry, Cassandra, is also bitten by Sebastian. Both are infected, both show signs of the infection worsening, but aren’t true vampires. Yet. Jon decides to travel with Cassandra to Moldavia, where he’s told the priests there will help them overcome this infection. Once in Moldavia, nothing goes as they’d planned. Stalked by Sebastian, and then by vampire hunters, it seems as though they’ll never find the help they need until Milosh comes to their rescue. But can they trust him? Will the Blood Moon ritual work? Will they be able to put a stop to Sebastian?One of the things out of many I liked about this book was how the infection affected people differently. The author put a lot of thought into this, because a week after finishing the book I still find myself wondering about day to day life for an infected person, how certain knowledge might affect them psychologically. I also enjoyed the heroine. Cassandra was a product of her time, Regency, yet had to deal with her unstoppable craving for blood. Her reactions and words sounded true. When she shifted, and we read her thoughts, I considered her one of the best parts of the story. Blood Moon grabs you from the beginning and lopes off with you until the end. A true page turner. I enjoyed Blood Moon very much and look forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend Blood Moon.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Into the Woods by R. R. Smythe
Gerri Bowen, August 18, 2007
R.R.Smythe?s young adult story, Into The Woods, reads like a fairy tale; familiar in so far as evil and good are portrayed, lessons are learned, yet new because the author has spun a wonderful new cautionary tale. The setting is Scotland, 1860. A known country, yet far enough back in time that one can easily imagine the events of the story taking place.
A strange sleep overtakes some of the towns people, followed by tree roots slowly enveloping the sleeping bodies as they slumber in their beds. Four friends face the horror of either their mother or father slowly slipping away, covered by roots and flowers. They feel powerless until they realize if they solve the puzzle presented, then their parents and other towns folk might awaken.
Although events takes place in 1860, the challenges teens faced then, as in school bullies, adults that don?t understand them, will resonate with readers today. There are valuable lessons to be learned, or relearned as the case may be. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly to adults as well as any young adults of your acquaintance. I do hope there is a sequel, too!
(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
In Her Bed by Deborah Macgillivray
Gerri Bowen, August 17, 2007
In Her Bed is the sequel to A Restless Knight, the second in the Dragons of Challon series, and this book has been worth the wait. One of those books where you wait until you have time to relax and enjoy the writer?s words rather than rushing through, missing key elements.
Prior reviews have summarized the plot, so I won?t repeat it. The heroine, Lady Aithinne Ogilvie, is one I?ll remember with fondness. I enjoyed her insulting words to her brothers in regard to their stupidity, as well as her frustration with the Viking who kept calling her princess. I empathized with her over believing her cousin was the prettier one, the better one?how many of us haven?t been compared to another and found lacking at some point in our lives? So yes, I understood Aithinne?s private sorrow. Her insults to the man she loves I liked best, especially Sir Nodcock. Aithinne?s character is strong, fiercely loyal, determined to do right by her people, except she was waylaid by love.
Damian St. Giles is the perfect hero. If the author wasn?t so talented, Damian would have just been a copy of his cousin, Julian Challon from A Restless Knight. Both are strong men, warriors, yet very different. Damian?s flexibility made him more appealing, enhanced the stroy. I enjoyed Damian?s slow recognition about Aithinne and the events that transpired while in her bed. How he teased her, yet she thought him serious. His love for her was like magic, yet the way written was entirely credible, as was her love for him. The ending was perfect, bringing a smile to my face. This is a true romance novel. I highly recommend In Her Bed.
(15 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
Pretend I'm Yours by Phyllis Campbell
Gerri Bowen, August 5, 2007
The story in Pretend I?m Yours pulls you in at the beginning and doesn?t let you go until the end. Most of the story takes place in Philadelphia, 1764. So yes, the politics of that time plays a large part of the tale.Mercedes has a twin sister, Katherine. Katherine has run away from her abusive husband in Philadelphia, but has landed in an insane asylum in England. She convinces Mercedes to travel from England to Philadelphia, to get money from her husband to pay for her medical care. Once in Philadelphia, Mercedes meets Katherine?s husband. In a split second decision, she decides to pretend she?s Katherine. But upon meeting William, her brother-in-law, Mercedes sees he isn?t the monster her sister had described. Nor, as the days advance, is anything quite like the way her sister described.
The romance, the love, and trust slowly builds between Mercedes and William. Nearly as satisfying is the love she offers his two children. But there is someone determined to kill William. And betrayal and treason are never far from mind. How the author wraps everything up for a satisfying ending is part of what makes Pretend I?m Yours such a wonderful read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more by this author. I?m sure you will, too.
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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