Fortune Favors the Wicked

Fortune Favors the Wicked by Theresa Romain

Publisher: Zebra

April 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4201-3865-8

Pages: 298

Historical Romance

England

Benedict Frost earned the respect of every man on board ship as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and the adoration of the women in every port. The silver-tongued libertine can hardly stomach the boredom when an injury ends his navel career. Especially after everyone and everything he experienced. So it is a very good thing when a new adventure falls into his lap.

Charlotte Perry is a courtesan who seizes the chance to build a new life for herself when she learns the Royal Mint is offering a reward for finding a cache of stolen gold coins. She soon realizes her tenacity is matched only by Benedict’s as the treasure hunt begins. She also learns that sometimes adversaries can make the best allies. When the search for the treasure becomes a discovery of pleasure they will both have to decide if the lives they envisioned can be sacrificed for a love they never dreamed of or have known.

This is a wonderful story that is full of fun characters that pull the reader into the story and keeps them in until the very end.  It will also have readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. This is great book to start a new series with. It takes the reader back in time and brings that time period to life as the reader gets more and more into the story.  It will be interesting to see where the series goes and getting to know more interesting characters in the series.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

The Book of You

The Book of You by Claire Kendal

Publisher: Harper

May 2015

ISBN: 978-0-06-229761-7

Pages: 348

Contemporary Suspense with Romantic Elements

Everywhere Clarissa turns Rafe is there. At her apartment. At work. In the park. Her voicemail is full of his messages. His unwanted gifts keep appearing at her door. He has also made it clear that he will never let her go.

The only sanctuary Clarissa has found is the courtroom where she is serving jury duty. The trial gives her the space to make new friends including an attractive widower, Robert. Now Rafe’s relentless fixation is being fueled by jealousy and is escalating in tandem with the chilling tale of the predator and prey that is unfolding in court right before Clarissa. Clarissa’s only chance to escape lies in exposing Rafe’s sinister intentions. Slowly strand by strand she is able to unravel the macabre fairy tale Rafe has spun around them. She also discovers that the happy ending Rafe sees is more horrifying than her darkest fears.

This story takes the reader on a dark and wild ride. Just as the reader thinks it can’t get any worse a new twist is revealed and will have the reader wondering if Clarissa is going to be able to escape Rafe at all. This is an amazing suspenseful story that starts with a bang and keeps going until the very end. The author does a great job of pulling the reader in and having them experience Clarissa’s fear of what is happening to her in her life. This is a story that will have readers wanting to read more by this author and will have them looking for more of her books.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

The Great Hunt

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

Publisher: Harper Teen

March 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-238133-0

Pages: 416

Fantasy Young Adult

A destiny that is undecided. One princess and hundreds of rugged hunters.

Fear starts to stir revolt when a strange beast begins to terrorize the kingdom of Lochlanach.  A proclamation is sent to the five lands of Eurona in an act of desperation. To the one that kills the creature they will win the ultimate prize: the hand of King Lochson’s daughter in marriage.

Princess Aerity knows that it is her duty to kingdom to marry a stranger even if she can’t bear the idea. At least she couldn’t until she catches sight of Paxton Seabolt, a local brooding hunter. Aerity and Paxton both feel the spark between them but Aerity feels there may be more to Paxton’s mysteriousness. That it is foreboding and maybe even dangerous.

This is the retelling of the Brothers Grimm story The Singing Bone. The story is wonderfully written and will have readers hoping things will work out between Aerity and Paxton. It is part of a duology and as such it does end with a cliffhanger. It will also have readers hoping the next book comes out very quickly so they can see just how things turn out. The reader gets pulled into the story and aren’t released until the end and even then they are still with the story as they wait to find out just how everything eventually turns out. This one is definitely worth reading even if it means having to wait for the next part of the story.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

The Crusader's Bride

The Crusader’s Bride The Champions of Saint Euphemia Book 1 by Claire Delacroix

Publisher: Deborah A. Cooke

July 2015

Pages: 351


Historical Romance


Jerusalem & France



A company of knights have been chosen to deliver a sealed trunk that is part of the Templar treasury in Jerusalem to Paris for safekeeping. A group of pilgrims are seeking the protection of the Templars so that they can return home as the Saracens are getting ready to besiege the city. Someone is willing to kill to possess a mysterious treasure.

Gaston is a Templar knight when he learns he has inherited his father’s estate in France. He agrees to deliver a package to Paris on his way home as one last quest for the order. Gaston is a practical man and he knows that he now has need of both a wife and an heir. As soon as a lovely widowed noblewoman, who is on a pilgrimage, catches his eye he feels that he can solve matters to their mutual convenience.

Yasmaine is not just a pilgrim that has been enduring bad luck. With rapid succession, she has buried two husbands, that both died on her nuptial night. So now she sees herself as cursed. She is sure that by accepting the gruff knight she is dooming him to his demise. Gaston dismisses her warnings and Yasmaine soon finds herself quickly wed yet again. Wed to a man that is determined to survive and is also very vital.

What neither of them realized is that some soul, either in their party or pursing it is determined to claim the prize package that contains the treasure of the Templars and that it is making Gaston’s errand one of peril. Now Gaston and Yasmaine must figure out if they dare trust each other and the love that is dawning between them when they are in a company of strangers with secrets.


This takes the reader into another world and brings that period of time to life for the reader with each word that is read. It has plenty of action to make the story come to life. While it is part of series and interconnected with the other books it can easily still be read by itself. The characters are complex and make for an engrossing story that is hard to put down once the reader starts it. The reader will want to see just how things turn out for Gaston and Yasmaine. It also has some wonderful secondary characters that really enrich the whole story overall.


I give this one 4-1/2 red roses


LRH

Hysteria

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Publisher: Bloomsbury

February 2013

ISBN: 978-0-8027-2310-9

Pages: 323

Contemporary Young Adult Suspense, Romantic Elements

Everyone knows that Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian, and that it was done in self-defense.

No one, including Mallory is sure what really happened though. With her parents’ fear and the curiosity and contempt of the community beating at her incessantly, they have become the constant companions to her own anxiety.

Mallory’s parents ship her off to Monroe, which is a fancy prep school with the hope of giving her a fresh start. It is also the place where the currency fueling the social interactions are secrets. It doesn’t take long before Mallory’s secret is uncovered. It is then used against her. Someone wants Mallory dead and they also know exactly what happened between Mallory and Brian. Mallory needs to remember the details of that night because until she does, Mallory and everyone around her, is in grave danger.

This is book that keeps the reader guessing until the very end as to what really happened between Mallory and Brian. Just as the reader thinks they have it figured out another clue is revealed that makes the reader start guessing all over again. The action is fast and moves the story along at a very fast pace. This book will also have readers wanting to check out this author’s other books as this one is written very well. If you love suspense this is definitely the book to check out.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Scorched

Scorched by Mari Mancusi

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

September 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-8458-8

Pages: 340

Contemporary Young Adult Paranormal, Romantic Elements

West Texas

Trinity is sure she is going crazy when she first hears a voice asking her not to leave them. It wouldn’t surprise her if she was losing it as her grandfather is convinced that he brought a genuine dragon egg to their dusty little West Texas town.

Connor has come from a scorched future that created by dragonfire. He has a mission. He has to find the girl and destroy the egg so he can save the world.

Caleb is completely different from his twin brother, Connor.  He is also everything Connor hates in that he is cocky, undisciplined and completely obsessed with saving dragons.

Trinity isn’t sure which brother to believe. Her only clue is the voice in her head that is a dragon that will not be tamed.

This is the beginning of an amazing trilogy that takes readers on a roller coaster ride right from the very beginning. It will also have readers wishing they could find their own dragon egg.  The characters are well written and move the story along at a very fast pace.  It also ends with a little cliffhanger that will have reader reaching for the next book in the trilogy just to see what will happen next. The story will also stay with readers long after they have closed the cover of the book.  This is a book worth checking out and enjoying.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH