The Dreadful Duke

Barbara Hazard/The Dreadful Duke/ Robert Hale/ hardback
ISBN 978-070-908461-7 £18.99/ 223 pages


The Duke of Severn finds his two thirteen year old daughters bathing in a lake on a hot day with a young woman he does not recognise. He calls her rude names and blames her for allowing his twin daughters to run wild, but when the truth becomes known he is left with egg on his face. He has to apologise to a rather reserved young lady who makes her dislike of him obvious. Determined to overcome her reserve and finding himself more and more attracted to Lady Juliet Manchester, the duke finds it difficult to understand why she seems to find his touch abhorrent. Meanwhile his daughters have decided they want Juliet as a stepmother and get up to all kinds of tricks to bring this about. However, Juliet has a secret in her past that makes marriage impossible.

This is a pleasing Regency romp with a touching revelation at the end. Well worth readinf. 4,5 red roses, Morna

Sarah's Journey

Ginger Simpson/ Sarah’s Journey/Eternal Press/ ebook/160 pages


Sarah is with a wagon train travelling to a new life when they suffer a savage attack by Indians. Sarah lives through it. She tries in vain to save a friend and then sets out carrying a little water but no food. During a buffalo stampede she climbs a tree and there sees a man who was not as lucky. She believes him to be pure bred Indian and when he falls from his horse she steals it. However, she is bitten by a snake soon after and the horse returns to its master. When Grey Wolf comes to his senses and sets out on the trail will he show Sarah compassion or pass by?

Grey wolf is a half-breed, treated with contempt by the white man and the Indian, but he has remained true to himself. In a time when hate ruled how could these two opposites ever hope to find love and happiness?

The Indian attack was so graphic and detailed that it brought home the horror to me far more than any western film I’ve watched. This is a story of love out of time, beautiful, poignant and sad. However, there is a surprise at the end. I’m not sure it needed the happy ending, because I loved the reality and truth of the story, but it is a lovely book and one to buy. Five red roses, Linda

Featured Author

Jane's new book from Red Rose Publishing. I have the book and from what
I've seen so far this is another good one, Jane!

I love the cover too!



Tell us a little about yourself
Well I’m wife, mother and writer, and I try desperately to keep it in balance, though I must admit, writing sometimes becomes obsessive compulsive.
I live in New Zealand.

What do you write?
I write both historical, time travel, and contemporary. Woman of Valor my first book was a time travel set in ancient Judea, and Be My Valentine in Jamaica. Then followed several contemporaries, Always A Bridesmaid, Hiring Cupid, and He’s The One. No Sex Necessary is my recent contemporary for Red Rose Publishing, plus The Sheikh’s Proposal. My time travel Love in Waiting has also recently been contracted. Reading this, it makes me sound like I have a split personality!


Why do you write?
Because I have to. Though really I came to it late – about age 42, but once hooked, I could never, ever give it up. The chance to create characters to come to me, asking me to write their turmoil and find them ever lasting love is a task I could never refuse.




What are you writing now?
I have several on the go. A straight historical about a Huguenot girl escaping France and a contemporary set in England. Plus I’ve just written a novella, my sort of erotica LOL.


What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
Jeans. Casual. But if I could afford it I would have a person to do my clothes shopping. Stylish – of course!


Are you in love? Have you ever been?
I’ve been married 25 years this year. So love has lasted a pretty good time so far!


Do you have a dream lover – and what does he look like?
George Clooney! And no you can’t have him – he’s all mine!


What kind of comfort food do you like best?
Muffins and cake stuff- sadly.


What makes you laugh? Cry?
I like a good comedy. Cry – The Notebook made me cry. But laughing is best.


What do you do to amuse yourself when not working?
I like to read, though find it difficult to make time. I have two daughters and love doing girly stuff with them. We’re into vintage cars as a family and often do car runs with a bunch of other petrolheads. I’m an avid interior decorating fan and can pour over magazines for hours! Mind you, I should be gardening, the weeds are reaching mega proportions in places!


What is it in a man or woman that turns you on? The clean version please!
I like it that they make me feel special.

What do you hate about life?
The hectic pace. I’d love to have a month without stress LOL – does that sort of time exist?

What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?
I think the most important thing for me is being a good wife and mother. That my kids will turn round and say to me that I did a good job. We adopted our girls after 13 years of marriage, so being a mum is very special to me.

What are you going to write next?
Finish the present book, an historical. Finish the present contemporary, plus finish the present novella. Then….a time travel I think.
Then, can I please have a rest?

The Lady of Sexuality by Rorrey Lynch
Red Rose Publishing/ ebook





Aengus and her sisters are in trouble. Unless mortals start to believe in the Gods and Goddess again she is going to disappear into dust. Aengus comes down from the heavens to see what can be done.



Andrew meets a beautiful woman that wishes for him to teach her how to play the harp. April tells Andrew she wishes to learn to play but she isn’t being completely honest with him. April knows there is something special about Andrew the moment she sees him. He has been betrayed in the past and that makes him very leery of her. April knows she cares very deeply for him but he needs to face his fears and take a chance on her.



April is running out of time. She knows Andrew cares but can he admit it and face his feelings or will he realize the truth too late.



The immortals are getting restless and stalking them. The only way to survive is to face their fears and come to terms with their feelings.



Time is running out. Will April and Andrew be in time to save the Gods and Goddesses?





This is a fun and interesting book to read. I loved how Irish Mythology was weaved so expertly into the story. The touches of humor were a lot of fun to read. This is worth the time to read. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.





I give this one 4 red roses.




Larena Wirum (lrwirum)

French Twist

Sloane Taylor/French Twist/Eternal Press/47pages/ebook

Don arrives at work to discover that his French assistant has mistakenly ordered a large amount of cow manure, which has been tipped on the drive. Claudette refuses to believe him until she checks her "small" mistake. Don finds her irritating but also very sexy! Her uncle soon tells her how to solve the problem of the over large order, but Claudette is in real trouble. She needs to keep her mind clear but how can she when Don is playing havoc with her libido?

Claudette works for Interpol. Her world is one that deals with gangsters and sinister Russians. Can Don cope with what he is about to discover - and can they ever be together?

No one does short, sexy books better than Sloane Taylor! She combines sensual romance with mystery and intrigue and comes up smelling of roses. Sweet and sassy. Five red roses, Morna

Bound by Magic

Bound By Magic
Amanda Cummings
Red Rose Publishing
Ebook 91 pages

Amber lives a normal life but she is conscious of an inner loneliness, so when her phantom lover comes to her in dreams she welcomes him. He tells her his name is Tavis - who is he and why has he come to her?

Amber and Tavis are soul mates, brought together as the chosen ones, but there is evil in their world of magic and they must fight for their love.

This is a very sensual story. It is also sweet, warm and loving. The first book from this author it will be followed by others in the series and should do well. 4.5 red roses. Linda

Lord Buckingham's Bride

Lord Buckingham’s Bride by Sandra Heath
Published by Robert Hale

The year is 1802 and an uneasy peace exists in Europe. Alison Clearwell’s absent father has despatched his daughter to visit relatives in Russia, prior to his return to England to set up a new home for them in London. Alison had wanted to stay with her best friend, Lady Pamela Linsey, rather than travel to distant Russia, but the arrangements were too well advanced for them to be cancelled now. The journey to Russia was ill-fated. The British merchant ship, on which Alison was travelling, caught fire whilst anchored in Stockholm harbour. The ship’s captain was able to arrange for Alison to complete the remainder of her journey aboard another vessel, but this meant spending one night ashore in Stockholm. Alison’s accommodation in a local hostelry was adequate enough, but there she caught the eye of the dashing Prince Nikolai Naryshky of the Czar’s Imperial Guards. Prince Nikolai was fascinated by the naïve English beauty and was determined to take advantage of her, but fortunately for Alison, his plans were thwarted by the handsome Lord Francis Buckingham, who not only happened to be travelling to Russia to purchase a colt from the Imperial stables, but was also the fiancé of Alison’s best friend, Lady Pamela. Lord Francis took Alison under his protection from the unwelcome advances of Prince Nikolai, but the Prince was a dangerous and suspicious man, who did not like to be defeated and so devised a plan to abduct Alison once on Russian soil and to foil Lord Francis’s attempts to buy a colt from Czar Alexander. But has the Prince underestimated not only Lord Francis, but also the very resourceful Alison? And is Lord Francis’s real mission to Russia to purchase a colt from the Czar, or something much more dangerous?

This is a gripping novel set against the background of opulent St Petersburg. The author’s descriptions of the city create wonderful pictures in the mind and it is impossible to put the book down, as Alison is put at risk of losing her reputation, her innocence and her heart.

I award this book four red roses. PS