Journey To Ruination

Hearts of Ellan Vannin Trilogy Journey to Ruination Prologue by Gloria Wiederhold



Publisher: Red Rose Publishing



2007



ISBN: 978-1-60435-086-9



Pages: 73







England 1428





Emmanuelle Percy is set to become the ward of King Magnus the Bold and his wife Queen Rosalind of Ellan Vannin. Emmanuelle’s father was manipulated to send her to them by an old friend who in truth was no friend at all. What he doesn’t know is that this friend has plans to destroy him through his daughter as revenge for his acts many years ago. Though this enemy is convinced that they will have their chance at revenge they didn’t count on Emmanuelle being the high spirited and strong willed girl that she is.



Emmanuelle knows what is going on and is determined not to let her enemy get a chance to spring the trap that has been set for her. She knows that she is will have to be careful or she might yet get caught. Emmanuelle also has some plans of her own. She will not let anyone get in her way of what she wants and that includes the Queen. Now Emmanuelle is starting to make some more enemies that are pretty powerful and that is going to make things even more difficult for her. Only time will tell who is going to win this battle of wits that is being waged in the royal court.







This story is interesting with its historical backdrop. The characters help bring this story to life and will have the reader turning the pages just to see what will happen next and how this one will end. It has historical figures that are recognizable and they help move the story line along quickly. This one is worth picking up and reading as it will give the reader a glimpse into the world of the 15th Century.







I give his one 4 red roses

Pack Challenge

Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston



Publisher: Samhain Publishing



July 2006



ISBN: 1-59998-122-X



Pages: 462







Texas, present day





Zach Sheridan has only been interested in one thing in his life and that is to be the Alpha Male of his Pack. His chance is much closer now than it has ever been. First though the Pack needs to take care of a few things so that everything will be fine. One of those things is Sara Morrighan. Their Pack has been trying to take care of her for a very long time. The one thing that has always stood in their way was her crazy grandmother, who is now dead.



Sara Morrighan doesn’t know the full truth about herself or her heritage. She managed to survive her crazy grandmother with the help of her two best friends, Angelina and Miki. Now something is going on with her that she doesn’t have the first clue about and her best friends are starting to notice the changes in her behavior and the physical changes her body is going through.



Zach knows exactly what is going on with Sara. What he never saw coming was that Sara is the mate he has never looked for. Zach isn’t sure he is going to survive being with Sara and if he does he hopes she doesn’t drive him completely crazy. Though for them to have a future together they need to take care of some old business from the past first. Before that past comes up and bites them good. If they are not careful they won’t live to see that past taken care of and left where it belongs, in the past.





This one will have the reader laughing out loud and receiving many very strange looks. This story will make sure the reader has a lot of fun reading it. If you are having a bad day this is one book that will definitely make sure it turns around. This one will have the reader rolling on the floor laughing for all the antics that the characters get into. You never know what will happen next and will never be disappointed with what does. This one is very difficult to put down once you start reading it.





I give this one 5 red roses

The Chief

The Chief A Highland Guard Novel by Monica McCarty



Publisher: Ballantine Books



March 2010



ISBN: 978-0-345-51822-4



Pages: 405







Scotland 1305





Tor MacLeod is a Highland warlord and swordsman who has never had an equal in all of Scotland. The one thing he has always tried to do is stay out of the war between England and Scotland so that he can keep his clan safe. He doesn’t have the time nor the inclination to get draw into the war that is about to start even if it will give him the chance to be the leader of the deadliest fighting force that anyone has ever seen. Tor is getting drawn into this war whether he likes it or not. Now he has a new bride that he is determined to protect at all cost but not risk his heart to her.



Christina Fraser knows that her new husband is very fierce looking but she is convinced that there is a lot more to him than he lets anyone know. Christina is determined to find the tenderness that her husband is so determined to hide. She is also determined to win his heart so in a bid to do just that she comes up with a plan that she is certain will work. When things go awry Christina unknowingly thrust them into the very thing Tor has been trying to avoid, war.



Now Tor is going to have to race against time if he is going to be able to save his wife. Only now he is going to have to find out just what is in his heart or he might just lose his wife for good. With Christina’s life in danger Tor is finding out that what he thought was the truth is not what he thought it was and he is quickly finding out that the only way he is going to be able to face the future is with Christina by his side right where she belongs.





This story is emotionally wrenching one that will have the reader on pins and needles just to find out what will happen next. This story will bring the time period of Braveheart to life for the reader and will have the reader thoroughly engrossed in the book just to see what will happen next in the story. This one that is hard to put down as the reader will just have to see what is going to happen next and whether or not Christina will get what she wants most in the world. The story is the beginning of a new series by this author that is starting out with a bang and shows great promise for the next books in the series.







I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

Counterfeit Kisses

COUNTERFEIT KISSES

BY SANDRA HEATH

PUBLISHED BY ROBERT HALE LONDON.

ISBN 978-07090-8996-4.





When Susannah’s brother Stephen Holland loses the Famous Holland Tiara, together with their fortune, she is devastated. Stephen was very drunk when he was playing cards with the Duke of Exton and the Duke took advantage of his state to cheat him out of his fortune. Watching, merely as a bystander Sir Gareth Carew tried to reason with Stephen to stop and go home, but he would not listen. This dreadful event took place on New Year’s Eve, the last day of 1803.

Sir Gareth took Stephen Holland home after the card game and Susannah mistakenly thought that he was to blame for her brother’s losses and she was very rude to him.

It was to be in 1808 before she would encounter Sir Garth Carew again.

Susannah now widowed, was relieved and happy to be back in England. During her very unhappy marriage she had lived in Bengal. Now that she was back home again she was determined to retrieve the Holland Tiara which she declared had been stolen from her brother in a card game. To this end she had had a replica made of the Tiara from memory, while she was living in Bengal and she intended to find and replace the real Tiara with her copy. Just how she was to achieve this, was something of a mystery to her, but it was something she knew she must do, and she was determined to find a way.

When Susannah met Jane the young wife of The Duke of Exton they immediately became friends and Susannah was invited to join Jane and her Husband on a visit to their country estate. Susannah accepts the invitation gladly, but later that day when she attends the theatre with her new friend she discovers, to her horror, that Sir Gareth Carew has been invited too. When Sir Gareth is also invited to join them for the weekend at Exton Park, Susannah is annoyed that he has been included, but as he does not seem to recognize her she hopes that she will still be able to locate and exchange the Tiara sometime during the weekend, without his remembering who she is and when he last saw her.

Susannah suspects that Jane has a hidden motive for these invitations and wonders what it can be, but is delighted that it will give her the opportunity to carry out her plans.

However nothing goes to plan over the weekend and there are some startling events which become very dangerous and life threatening to both her and Sir Gareth. Will he remember who she is and on what occasion they last met and forestall her plans ?

Read this Historical Romance which has many twists and turns, I am sure you will enjoy it; it is something a little different. I award this book 4.5 Red Roses.AS

Highland Captive

Highland Captive by Hannah Howell



Publisher: Zebra



November 2008



ISBN: 978-0-8217-8003-9



Pages: 359







Scotland 1500





Aimil Mengue was enjoying a ride out on her family’s land when she is abducted by a feuding clan which is the very last thing she expected. Being betrothed to someone else should have protected her virtue but it just might not be enough to save her. The last thing Aimil expected was to feel the attraction for her abductor that she feels. What is starting out as simple abduction is getting more complicated by the day and only time will tell if Aimil will be able to hang onto her heart or if the ransom is going to be more costly than she would like.



Parlan MacGuin is the laird of his clan, he is also has a well known reputation for being a fierce fighter and his ability to conqueror the women in the bedroom. Once Parlan sets eyes on Aimil he finds a woman that is far different than most of the women he has known in the past. What starts out as a demand for ransom is quickly turning into something much more. If Parlan isn’t careful this ransom will turn into a blood feud and that is the last thing he wants or needs. Now Parlan is going to have to find a way to get what he wants without it getting bloody.



Someone is determined to keep Parlan and Aimil apart and will stop at nothing to make sure that they are never together. Parlan is going to have to find a way to protect Aimil so that she isn’t hurt by his enemy. Neither Aimil or Parlan saw how quickly their emotions where going to get involved with each other and the only way they will be able to survive and have a future together is make sure Parlan’s enemy is stopped once and for all. If Parlan and Aimil aren’t successful against his enemy than one of them might end up paying with their lives.







This is a story that has a lot of humor that will keep the reader entertained. When you have characters asking each other if they have made a study of all that is impossible you know that you will have a very fun read that will keep you engrossed until the very end. This is another great book by this author that is sure to please her fans and make a few new ones in the process.







I give this one 5 red roses

To Conquer A HIghlander

To Conquer a Highlander by Mary Wine



Publisher: Sourcebooks



July 2010



ISBN: 978-1-4022-5619-6



Pages: 222







Scotland 1437



Shannon McBoyd has always struggled to be the meek obedient woman that she has been taught to be. She also knows that for her to be the hotheaded and hot blooded self that she truly is will make her life much more difficult than it has always been. Now she has been kidnapped to stop her father from raiding the McLeren lands. With all the turmoil going on at the Scottish court that is causing an upheaval with the politics in Scotland Shannon must find a way to survive not only the McLeren’s but also what is happening in the royal court.



Torin McLeren is trying to stop the McBoyds from raiding his lands. First he has to stop McBoyd and he then also has to make sure that he doesn’t get caught up in the politics at court. One way to stop the McBoyds is to grab Shannon and keep her with him so that they will not be able to attack his people and lands anymore. What he never expected was to find a woman with a spirit that could easily match his own. Now Torin is going to have to decide the best way to stop the feuds between their clans with the least amount of bloodshed and that will make all their people happy. That is not going to be as easy as he would like but he has an idea that just might work. Though for it to work Torin is going to have to get Shannon to go along with it and that will not be easy as Shannon has a mind of her own and her own ideas on how things should be.



With the upheaval at court and the problems between their people things are not going to be as easy to fix as Torin and Shannon would like. If they are not careful they might make a misstep that could easily cost one or both of them their lives. They are going to have learn to trust each other and find a way that will shed the least amount of blood and make everyone happy. Shannon is gaining the respect of the McLeren people which is sure to help but there are those that will never accept her. Only time will tell if Torin and Shannon are going to be able to survive all the turmoil or if one of them will pay the ultimate price.







This is story that draws the reader into the history of Scotland and brings to life all that was happening at that time. The author writes a story that is so rich in detail that brings the characters to life. With the historical backdrop this is one not to miss. All the twists and turns in this story really makes for an interesting read. It will be hard for the reader to put the book down until the very end.







I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

Devil Of The Highlands

Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands



Publisher: Harper Collins



December 2008



ISBN: 978-0-06-198422-8



Pages: 215







Northern England 1273



Lady Evelinde has lived the last three years in hell. Ever since the day her father died and she was left with her stepmother, a woman who has taken great pleasure is making Evelinde’s life miserable. Now her stepmother has come up with a way to make Evelinde’s life even worse if the rumors are to be believed. Marriage to the Devil of Scotland should make Evelinde as miserable as her stepmother could ever hope for. Evelinde thinks that maybe that even that won’t be as bad as dealing with her stepmother and it just might be her chance to escape to have a life that just might include some happiness.



Cullen, Laird of Donnachaidh, is known throughout Scotland and England as the Devil. Cullen is also one of the most notorious lairds in all of Scotland because of what other perceive as being fierce, cold, deadly and just maybe even more than that. Cullen knows that he needs to do his duty by his people and that means getting married so that he will have sons to carry on after him one day. With his reputation he knows that the best he can hope for is someone he will be able to deal with on a daily basis and that will follow his commands without question. He doesn’t expect to find a wife that arouses a passion that is anything but tame.



What neither of them expects is for the past to come haunting them. The only way Cullen and Evelinde are going to have a happy future is to find the answers to some mysteries in the past that someone is suddenly very determined to keep hidden. Evelinde’s life just might depend on her finding the truth because suddenly she is experiencing a lot of accidents that just might get her killed if she is not careful. Cullen knows that if anything were to happen to Evelinde that he just might not be able to survive the grief so the only way to protect her is to dig up the past and find the answers before someone makes one of Evelinde’s accidents a permanent way to keep her or anyone else from finding out the truth once and for all.







This story is one that once the reader starts is very hard to put down. The story will have the reader laughing out loud with the antics that the characters get up to. Just as the reader thinks they will have the story figured out the story will take another twist that will have the reader guessing as just who is behind all that is going on. The humor keeps the story from getting too dark or heavy and will keep the reader enthralled in the book. This is a very fun book to read and one not to miss.







I give this one 5 red roses

Favourite books

Angel by Johanna Lindsey



Publisher: Avon



December 1992



ISBN: 978-0-380-075628-5



Pages: 403







Texas 1881





Cassie Stuart was just trying to end a twenty five year old feud. Instead her efforts just made things worse and now both families are threatening to burn her father’s ranch down if she doesn’t get out of Texas pronto. What she needs is someone who can help calm everyone down before things are made even worse. What she ends up with is not the peacemaker she wanted but someone more suited to making widows.



Angel went to Texas as a favor to a friend. Being a hired gun was perfect in the fact that he would be able to keep Cassie safe from harm but with Cassie forbidding him from shooting anyone that is going to make his job that much harder to accomplish. He would prefer to leave Cassie to fend for herself but a sense of duty just won’t allow him to do that. Now he has to figure out how to get Cassie to stop meddling just long enough for her father to come home so that she can go back to her home in Wyoming. What he doesn’t expect is to have to deal with an attraction that he never saw coming. Now he is trying to keep Cassie safe and trying to find a way to make Cassie want him so that maybe they might have a future together.



Cassie has never had many suitors especially with her pet panther keeping most men at a distance. Now with things heating up with the neighbors and between Angel and herself, Cassie is going to be lucky to make it out of this latest predicament unscathed. Cassie keeps trying to tell herself that Angel and her are just too different from each other for things to work out between them but her heart isn’t listening and now she is going to have to find a way to keep Angel around permanently though that is starting to look like it won’t be a hard as she first thought it would be.







This story is a keeper that the reader will enjoy reading over and over. With the humor and action throughout the story this is one that will never get old. This one turns into a fast read since the reader will not want to put it down until the very last page. The way the characters handles each situation that is thrown at them will keep the reader very entertained with the humor that keeps the story moving.







I give this one 5 red roses

To Taste Temptation

To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt



Publisher: Hachette



May 2008



ISBN: 978-0-446-53722-3



Pages: 252





London England September 1764





Samuel Hartley was very different than what London Society is usually used to dealing with. He is a self-made man that is not only from the colonies but also dresses in moccasins instead of boots as the rest of the men in Society. He has come to London for one reason only and that is find the traitor that he believes is responsible for the massacre of his regiment. Though many may say he fled the battle he knows what the truth is and he will use any means necessary to catch the man that betrayed them all.



Lady Emeline Gordon finds Samuel fascinating and not just for the way he dresses. He was at and fought at the battle where Emeline’s brother was killed. Samuel is not only forthright in his manner but his sensual smile keeps her enthralled with him. He also just might be able to answer some questions about her brother’s last moments. Things get more complicated when Samuel tells her that he suspects they were betrayed and the man he thinks is responsible is none other than Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, Emeline’s family friend and her fiancé. Emeline finds it hard to believe Jasper is responsible and will not end the betrothal with nothing to back Samuel suspicions. Now Emeline and Samuel have embarked on an affair that just might not survive the fallout of Samuel investigations. Only time will tell if they are going to be able to have a future together or if they will be torn apart by events beyond their control.







This is a story that moves along quickly due to the twists and turns this one takes. The reader will never see what is coming next and that will keep the reader engrossed in the story just to find out what will happen next. The characters are richly drawn and will have the reader sympathizing with all that the characters have to go through just to get their happy ending that they so richly deserve.







I give this one 4-1/2 red roses