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- RORIK by Mary Morgan - A Reader's Opinion
A Reader's Opinion A captivating story of redemption! Author Mary Morgan pens again an exciting paranormal historical romance full of magic! From the very start, I could feel a strong connection between H\H Rorik and Ragna! This book is a real page-turner! Readers craving history entwined with romance and magic are in for a treat and will devour this second installment of her captivating series 'The Wolves of Clan Sutherland'! Congratulations Ms. Morgan on a job well done; you didn't disappoint me. For Rorik, a wolf shifter, aka the Dark Seducer, bedding a woman only became a means to obtain information for his king. For that reason, women were pawns for him, which meant he didn’t need to marry or did not wish to. But the king has a new quest for him. Being a stubborn warrior and a complex character, he often battles with his inner wolf. He then meets Ragna, a seer who has had a powerful vision about him and therefore has to deliver an important message to Magnar. We met this character in the previous story. He's the leader of the wolves of Clan Sutherland and now married to Elspeth, who also holds special talents in magic. The heroine, Ragna, is a powerful healer and is aided by Oda, a sparrow hawk, who becomes her eyes to survey the country for her. Together Rorik and Ragna embark on a fantastic journey of adventure filled with love and magic. Will these two beautiful souls ever find true love? I recommend not only Rorik but also the previous book Magnar ! A great series that is well written with intrigue, love, and fantasy. Rorik The Dark Seducer is known throughout Scotland as a man who charms many women into his bed. Pleasure is his motto as he obtains information for his king. Yet Rorik MacNeil harbors one secret buried beneath his heart of steel. An unfulfilled conquest plagues both man and his inner wolf, and Rorik would rather suffer death's sharp blade than confront his greatest fear. As the Seer for the Orkneyjar Isles, Ragna Maddadsson confronts an unknown destiny when she travels across the North Sea to Scotland. In her quest to deliver a message from a powerful vision, she fears the warrior will not listen. If Rorik ignores her warning, Ragna must find a way to forestall his impending death. If unsuccessful, she risks having her heart cleaved in two. To unravel their true fates, Rorik and Ragna must trust in the power of the wolf. Get Your Copy Medieval Historical Romance | Pub: June 30, 2021 | 223pp | The Wild Rose Press Format Read: E-book | Source: Provided by the author or publisher Content Rating: 3 Hearts* | Reviewed by Nicole Laverdure *As of Aug 2020, we do not give ratings to books, except for content. We review and share only those books we have enjoyed and think others will enjoy, too. Learn more .
- ECHO OF ROSES by Paula Quinn - A Reader's Opinion
A Reader's Opinion Amazing! This story is a great start to a new time travel series, Echoes in Time, set between July 2019 in New York York City and July 1485 in England. Nicely written by talented author Paula Quinn, Echo of Roses has a lot of elements to please her readers: A modern woman swept to the past, a charming white knight, romance, intrigue, and action. At first, this book is slow-paced, then it picks up. You start in New York City and end up in the middle of a battlefield where Kestrel Lancaster, a modern-day historian heroine, falls into the hands of her protector, Sir Nicholas De Maree, Earl of Scarborough. Kestrel lives in NYC with four roommates: Lilith, Jack, Brian, and Kim. One day, she is given a box containing an ancient dragon brooch that belonged to her great aunt, and pouf, she's gone in another medieval century. Pouf again, she appears in the middle of a battlefield where Nicholas discovers her. He's not sure what to do with this woman who appeared from nowhere. Is she a madwoman? A witch? Set during the War of the Roses, between the reds and whites, she finds herself caught in the middle of a political crisis. What will she do when her world is turned upside down? The relationship between the two characters developed nicely with time. What will happen to them? Will she return or stay? Will she leave Nicholas in the past or bring him into the twenty-first century? And all this happened because of an ancient brooch that reunites soulmates with true love! Echo of Roses Was she ready to explore the heart of a warrior? Welcome to book 1 in the exciting new series Echoes in Time from New York Times Best Selling author Paula Quinn. After receiving a dragon brooch from a distant great aunt, twenty-first century historian Kestrel Lancaster finds herself in fifteenth century England. Smack in the middle of a war. Like…in the middle of a blood and guts spewing, heads flying around her war. With six armored men riding toward her, bloody swords raised high in the air, horrified looks on their faces, there isn’t time to think. Only to scream. But like a dream, a dark knight rides into the fray and saves her from them all. When she realizes where and when she is, she doesn’t know whether to thank him for keeping her alive or curse him for it. Sir Nicholas de Marre has seen many things in his years as military commander for the House of York, but he has never seen a woman appear right before his eyes—and in the middle of the battlefield. Without thinking, he kills the Lancaster bastards closing in on her. Thankfully for her he is able to fight with her deafening screams behind him. He saves her from certain death, not knowing if she is mad, or he is, and carries her to safety. That’s his first mistake. The second is showing her mercy when he finds out she’s a Lancaster. But this odd woman who takes pictures with imaginary phones and teaches Cook to make cupcakes is easy to fall for, and before long, the heart of York’s champion is captured by a Lancaster. England’s throne is about to change. The House of Tudor will reign, and the War of the Roses will finally be won with the intimacy of a kiss, the tenderness in a touch, and love that will echo through time. Get Your Copy Time Travel Romance | Pub: May 18, 2021 | 235pp | Dragonblade Publishing Format Read: E-book | Source: Provided by the publisher via NetGalley Content Rating: 3 Hearts* | Reviewed by Nicole Laverdure *As of Aug 2020, we do not give ratings to books, except for content. We review and share only those books we have enjoyed and think others will enjoy, too. Learn more .
- HAUNTED BORDER by Patrick Dearen - Excerpt
Haunted Border is based on a long-lost voice recording with a survivor of the true-life Brite Ranch Raid of 1917. Haunted Border On December 25, 1870, young Jake Graves faced a frightful choice: allow Comanches to carry off his sister, or shoot her. Unwilling to fire, he has been tortured ever since by the brutal end that he could have spared her. The incident bred in him a hatred for Indians that has continued to this Christmas Day of 1917 on the Cross C Ranch on the Texas-Mexico border, a region embroiled in a Mexican revolution that has spawned lawless factions. Now Jake comes up against not only the news that his daughter Dru wants to marry Cross C foreman Nub DeJarnett—who is half Apache—but also a raid by Mexican bandits. When the raiders threaten to carry Dru and her cousin Ruthie away, Jake faces again an impossible choice down the sights of his carbine. The real culprit is the bandit leader Rentería, a ruthless killer who may be a tlehuelpuchi—a shape-shifting agent of evil who needs human blood to survive. With two disreputable neighbors and a Mexican youth who lost his family to the reputed tlehuelpuchi, Jake and Nub give chase on horseback. From a desert teeming with mystery to the devil’s cave, the journey takes them deep into tlehuelpuchi mythology, for Rentería is convinced that Dru is his reincarnated sister and plans to kill her at the Rio Grande where his sister became his first victim. Haunted Border is based on a long-lost voice recording with a survivor of the true-life Brite Ranch Raid of 1917. AMAZON | B&N | HALEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY | GOODREADS In the author's words . . . I'm intrigued by historic events in West Texas, particularly those surrounding the impact of the Mexican Revolution on American interests. On Christmas Day, 1917, 45 riders attacked Brite Ranch 140 miles southeast of El Paso. This raid inspired Haunted Border . My most important source is a 1960s taped speech by Lela Weatherby, who lived through the raid as a 15-year-old. This recently discovered recording is now in the N.S. Haley Memorial Library in Midland, Texas. Enjoy an Excerpt from Haunted Border He captured her in his sights, and his finger closed on the trigger. “Shoot her!” Down the shining barrel of his Sharp’s carbine, sixteen-year-old Jake Graves could see the front sight sway against blue calico. He could feel the walnut stock in his cheek as the butt plate pushed against his shoulder. He was strangely aware of the stock’s forward end in his supporting left hand, a position that allowed him an unburdened grip behind the breech lever and cocked hammer. But no sensation dominated like the trigger’s smooth curvature against his finger. “You got to shoot her!” A thousand times, Jake had shouldered the carbine and looked down the twenty-two-inch barrel, but never had seven pounds of wood trimmed with brass seemed as heavy as it did on this Christmas morning. With a mere twitch, everything would spring into motion: The hammer would snap forward, the muzzle would flash fire, and a .52-caliber slug would explode between the calico-draped shoulders of his red-haired sister. Maybe it was something that had to be done, even to a fourteen-year-old, but the trigger stayed frozen, Jake’s forefinger refusing to obey. “For God’s sake, do it! Do it!” From beside him on the porch of their homestead in the live oak country of Mason County, Texas, his widowed mother continued to plead, and her cries followed Jake across forty-seven years to this Christmas dawn of 1917 at Cross C headquarters in the Chihuahuan Desert of far West Texas. He sat on a mesquite woodpile on the hard-packed grounds near the main residence, an L-shaped adobe structure under Capote ridge’s low north end. The lofty roof hid the bare ridge’s higher summits, a dozen bony knobs rising progressively with their southward trend, but past the corner post of the covered porch he could see Capote’s two foothill cones side by side against the glowing east sky. Jake twisted the bottom of his tin cup in his palm. The warmth felt good on this chilly morning, and the coffee’s aroma should have been inviting. But all Jake wanted to do was stare at that pre-sunrise sky, its red bands as stark as his sister’s red hair had been against calico. She was there, all right, a haunting presence in the dawn. For decades, as Jake had cowboyed and flashed a Ranger’s badge and, for the past few years, ridden the nearby border as a U.S. Customs mounted inspector, he had sometimes managed to submerge the memories. But now, awakening aimless on his first day of forced retirement, he felt troubled as he hadn’t since he had fled Mason County at age seventeen. If this was the way the rest of Jake’s life was to be, he wasn’t sure he cared to live it. At least he would spend Christmas with his wife Annie, and their grown daughter, Drucilla, something that his law enforcement duties had not always let him do. Away to the north-northwest at Vieja Pass barely twenty-four hours ago, he had handed over his customs badge and struck out on horseback to meet them here at Cross C headquarters, a hard day’s ride through the high-desert valley below the Rim. Annie had arrived a couple of days before, courtesy of a standing invitation from her sister and brother-in-law, who owned the Cross C’s. They were in Arizona for the holiday, but their daughter had stayed behind with Drucilla—or “Dru,” as Jake called her—at Marfa, thirty-five miles east of headquarters. Dru’s arrival at the ranch had been delayed by her clerking duties at the mercantile store in Marfa, a town on the Southern Pacific where she still lived with Annie—and with Jake when he was around. If Dru boarded the afternoon train to Valentine as scheduled, she and her cousin could make the ride on to the ranch in time for Christmas supper. When Jake had learned of the plans during his last stay in Marfa, he had resisted the idea of the girls traveling alone, but Colonel George T. Langhorne at Camp Marfa had assured him that the road between Valentine and the Cross C’s would be safe. Now if Jake could only escape the memories of his sister. End of Excerpt Excerpt Copyright © Patrick Dearen The Author Winner of the prestigious Spur Award of Western Writers of America, Patrick Dearen is the author of twenty-five books. His ten nonfiction works include "A Cowboy of the Pecos;" "Castle Gap and the Pecos Frontier, Revisited;" and "The Last of the Old-Time Cowboys." His research has led to fifteen novels, including his Spur Award winner, "The Big Drift." His other novels include "When Cowboys Die" (A Spur Award finalist), "Perseverance," "When the Sky Rained Dust," "The Illegal Man," "To Hell or the Pecos," "Dead Man’s Boot," and "Apache Lament." A wilderness enthusiast and ragtime pianist, Dearen lives with his wife Mary in Texas. Learn more at patrickdearen.com . Genre: Western Type: Novel Publisher: Five Star Publishing Publication Date: April 1, 2021 Content Rating: PG-13 (2) View our rating system Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!
- Review for the Books & Benches Blog
Books & Benches is looking for some fabulous book reviewers and we hope to welcome you to our devoted group of happy, book-loving, merrymakers. Highlights You only review what you want! We only share books we like and don't post ratings, which means there is no obligation to review a book you did not enjoy. We make it easy! Ask us how. What do we mean by reviewing only what you want? Well, it means that if you have a book from your own library, or found one on NetGalley or BookSirens, or that was submitted directly to you by an author, you may have it posted to the Books & Benches blog, so long as it meets our genre and content guidelines. Our goal is to create a community of readers who love to share the books they enjoy. Learn more and sign up > What will you read next?
- New Release - NO LADY FOR THE LORD by Collette Cameron
"A well written, sweet romance with wonderful characters & family members." ★★★★★ — Lana Birky (Amazon review) No Lady for the Lord She was only supposed to care for his wards…not fall in love with him. He was a carefree rogue… Lord Ronan Brockman had a perfect life. Handsome, wealthy, and beholden to no one, he was charmed. But that was before he was unexpectedly named guardian to two young girls—and before he met their fascinating governess. Acting on his attraction to the witty beauty would be utter madness. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be enough to dissuade him from pursuing her… She can never let her guard down… Mercy Feathers knows more about responsibility than a rogue like Ronan could ever fathom. But to her great consternation, despite his many flaws, she wants him with an all-consuming passion that’s as shocking as it is forbidden. It’s just her misfortune that there’s only one way a relationship with him could end—and it isn’t with happily ever after… Is their love enough? Can Ronan and Mercy overcome all that stands between them—including the ghosts of her past—and take a shot at true love? Only if they’re willing to open their hearts and break a few rules… Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple | Google Play The Author USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author COLLETTE CAMERON ® scribbles Scottish and Regency historical romance novels featuring dashing rogues, rakes, and scoundrels and the strong heroines who reform them. Blessed with an overactive and witty muse that won’t stop whispering new romantic romps in her ear, she’s lived in Oregon her entire life. Although she dreams of living in Scotland part-time. A confessed Cadbury chocoholic, you'll always find a dash of inspiration and a pinch of humor in her sweet-to-spicy timeless romances®. Website: collettecameron.com Genre: Historical Romance Type: Novel Series: Scandalous Ladies, book 2 Publication date: May 12, 2021 Content Rating: View rating system
- "Gripping" - THE FRAGILE ONES by Jennifer Chase
“Please Mommy, can Tessa and I go play on the swing by the creek?” the little girl begs, pushing a blonde curl from her eyes. “We’ll stay together, and we promise to be safe.” Hours later, their mother waits anxiously for her darling girls to arrive home with a list of reasons why they are late. But the front door never opens… The Fragile Ones When the bodies of eleven and twelve-year-old sisters, Tessa and Megan, are found at the bottom of a ravine—dressed in matching pastel summer outfits, their small bodies broken from the fall—Detective Katie Scott is called to one of the most shocking and heartbreaking crime scenes of her career. Carefully picking through the fragile remains, Katie makes the first of many disturbing discoveries: the girls were not biological sisters. The youngest, Megan, is a DNA match to a kidnapping case years before. The tiny number burnt into her skin the mark of a terrifying killer intent on keeping count of his collection. Her PTSD from the army triggered, Katie is left reeling as she maps other missing children in the local area. Has this twisted soul found a way to stay nearby his victims? Could he be watching now as Katie hits one dead end after another? A wild storm building, matching a fiber found during the autopsy to a nearby boatyard is the break Katie needs. But when another girl goes missing, just as lightning strikes and the power goes out, Katie only has her instincts, her team and her service dog to rely on. As time runs out for Katie to finds the stolen child alive, who will become the next number on this monster’s deadly list? Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh, you better buckle-up for the ride of your life! BEWARE – this gripping crime thriller is guaranteed to keep you up all night! AMAZON | B&N | KOBO | IBOOKS ". . . truly a gripping mystery and suspense novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page." — Readers' Favorite In the author's words . . . A Q&A with Jennifer Chase B&B: Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Chase, with her latest suspense novel, THE FRAGILE ONES! It sounds like an exciting and thrilling ride filled with surprises and unexpected twists. Without further ado, here is Jennifer Chase. Does writing energize or exhaust you? How or why? This is a great question. The easy answer is writing crime thrillers exhaust me, but the correct answer is that it energizes and exhausts me. Both. I love what I do and I'm energized to write crime fiction in order to bring the stories to life, but at the same time it's exhausting. High tension, action, and close calls for my lead characters make it extremely fun but tiring. I usually need a break after writing a high tension scene. In your words, can you tell us a little more about The Fragile Ones ? Detective Katie Scott is an ex-military K9 handler, who has only recently returned home to Pine Valley and is still settling back into regular life. She brought home with her K9 partner, Cisco, and unfortunately the aftermath of PTSD she struggles with. Now, Katie heads the Cold Case Unit for the Pine Valley Sheriff's Department with one partner, Deputy Sean McGaven in the crime thriller The Fragile Ones. As a favor for the sheriff and mayor of Pine Valley, Katie escorts a documentary team to some of the most rural areas in the mountains to obtain footage of ghost towns. Everything stops when the bodies of eleven and twelve-year-old sisters, Tessa and Megan, are found at the bottom of a ravine—dressed in matching pastel summer outfits, their small bodies broken from the fall—it's one of the most shocking and heartbreaking crime scenes of her career. Following various clues and dead ends in The Fragile Ones , the investigation takes Katie and her partner to a small town of Rock Creek where the town isn't cooperating and more children go missing. With a storm of the century building, Katie and her partner are trapped in the small town with the killer. Can she stop the killer from taking another child before it's too late? Can she stop her PTSD from complicating the investigation? What story are you working on next, and what inspired it? I've just completed the next adventure for Detective Katie Scott, book #6, which will be out in August. My avid studies and degrees in forensics and criminology has always been my driving inspiration to write crime fiction. I love to create a story with fresh and entertaining forensics. I'm also working on a novella with my other series of Emily Stone who is a vigilante detective. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? This is an interesting question and one that I haven't really thought much about until recently. I receive many questions and posts about Cisco, Katie's K9 from the military. Most want him in the story more. I can't complain, I love writing about K9 work. Also, I've received many questions about the love interests in Katie's life—which way it might go. I mostly write original, but I do take into consideration now what readers might want to see in the next Detective Katie Scott thriller. Enjoy an Excerpt from The Fragile Ones PROLOGUE “Please can we go?” whined Tessa as she followed her mother through the living room and into the kitchen. “Please,” she said again, pushing her blonde curls away from her eyes. “I really want to go to the swing by the creek.” “Not by yourself,” countered Mrs. Mayfield, ignoring her daughter’s angry stare. “We’ve talked about this before.” “Yes, and you said I couldn’t go alone, and I’m not. Megan will be with me.” Tessa’s older sister was barely a year older and her best friend. Her mother began emptying the dishwasher, putting plates and glasses away in the cabinet. It was unclear if she was thinking about what Tessa had said or not, so she tried again. “I’m almost eleven and Megan is almost twelve. We’re practically teenagers,” she said. “Besides, Janey and her brother will probably be there.” Mrs. Mayfield laughed. “You know, you would be a good lawyer the way you make your case.” “I don’t want to be a lawyer. I’m going to be a vet,” Tessa said, grinning. “Well, I know you are going to be whatever you want to be.” Mrs. Mayfield laughed to herself as she slipped the last piece of silverware into the drawer and turned to face her daughter. At the sound of her name, Megan had joined Tessa in the doorway and they both stood quietly waiting for an answer. Glancing at the wall clock with a sigh, she said, “You both have to be back by four thirty, not a second later. Understand?” “Thank you! Thank you!” Tessa said, grabbing her sister’s hand in glee. Both girls were in denim shorts and pastel T-shirts with their favorite matching blue sneakers. “Be home on time,” their mom called after them. “We will,” chimed the girls. Mrs. Mayfield heard the front door shut, followed by the sound of running footsteps. She smiled and went back to her chores as the afternoon ticked by. At 4:45 p.m. Mrs. Mayfield was waiting impatiently to hear the girls enter the house with a list of a dozen reasons why they were late—but the front door never opened. An hour after that, unable to wait any longer, she looked outside, thinking that the girls might be in the yard. Debris from a croquet set littered the lawn; the wooden mallets abandoned and colored balls scattered as if the girls had been playing only moments ago. The trampoline in the corner had one of the girls’ bright blue sweatshirts hanging on the edge. It swayed slightly in the breeze. There was no sign of them. She ran through the house to the backyard, but it, too, was deserted. No whispers. No giggles. No shrieks of laughter. The wind was picking up and whistling through the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees—almost whispering a warning. Mrs. Mayfield pulled off her apron and reached for her coat, deciding to walk to the creek and bring the girls back herself. At this point, she was more angry than concerned, knowing how they could be forgetful when they were having fun, and often lost track of time. But surely they would be on their way home by now? she thought to herself as her pace quickened from a fast walk to a jog. Against her better judgment, and knowing that she couldn’t shelter them forever, she had crumbled and let them go down to the creek where one of the neighboring boys had constructed a swing that they loved to play on. And now fear ripped through her body. “Tessa!” she yelled. “Megan!” Terrible scenarios shuffled through her thoughts as she tried desperately to keep her emotions on an even keel. “Tessa! Megan!” She yelled their names over and over until her voice went hoarse. Her chest felt strangely heavy and her vision blurred as she ran, but her strength and mother’s instinct pushed her forward, down the trail leading to the creek. The trail was well-worn by local kids looking for adventure and fun. Stumbling as she ran, she frantically turned left and then right. There wasn’t a soul around… She was alone. She kept moving. Looking up at the tall pine trees, everything spun in a dizzying blur of forest and darkening sky. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and open again, then stopped for a moment to listen. The swing was only visible at the bottom of the path just above the creek and she could hear the water rushing below. Peering over the edge, there was no sign of them—or anyone. She kept turning, expecting to see her girls everywhere she looked. They weren’t there. All around her were discarded candy wrappers and remnants of fast food containers. Proof that children played here often. There was no sound apart from the whisper of the trees. No children laughing nearby. “Megan! Tessa!” she yelled again, but there was only silence. She ran all the way up the trail to the street, still calling their names in a full-blown panic. Mrs. Mayfield turned her attention up the road, her mother’s instinct in high gear. Something blue lying beneath a bush caught her eye and she ran towards it. She leaned down and her hand trembled over the light blue canvas before she forced herself to grab the abandoned blue sneaker. “No,” she said, barely breathing. Written on the side tread of the shoe with a thick black pen was one word: Tessa. End of Excerpt Excerpt Copyright © Jennifer Chase. The Author Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and USA Today bestselling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers. Website: https://authorjenniferchase.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/jchasenovelist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferChase Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2780337.Jennifer_Chase Genre: Crime Thriller Type: Novel Publisher: Bookouture Publication Date: March 8, 2021 Content Rating: PG-13 View our rating system Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!
- A HIGHLANDER'S CHRISTMAS KISS by Paula Quinn - A Reader's Opinion
A Reader's Opinion Lovers of Scottish romances, will be captivated again! A Highlander's Christmas Kiss is another wonderful romance written by talented author Paula Quinn! It's a great way to continue her amazing series, The MacGregors: Highland Heirs. This book is the fifth story and the beautiful journey of Temperance Menzie and Cailean Grant. What a great Scottish romance to devour! I could not put it down! A real page turner! Fast paced with a well planned plot that keeps you wanting to know more. Again, Ms. Quinn didn’t disappoint me! A Highlander's Christmas Kiss is filled with rich characters, romance, action and humor, but it's also about lies, betrayal, trust and hope! Some scenes made me giggle so much! You have to read it to really know what happened! I really enjoyed her two main characters Temperance and Cailean! Their adventure will be packed with twists and turns, as they go along during their beautiful Highland journey. Temperance, has just lost her dear father, and is now planning a revenge to kill the man responsible for his death. Suddenly, Cailean, appears in her life as a wounded and tormented man who will need her help to heal. Will this magic moment reunite two stubborn man and woman who need love and passion in their lives? Can their love survive under these conditions? Will they finally find happiness? Another captivating story for The MacGregors: Highland Heirs! Fans of Scottish adventures are in for a real treat! Let yourself get swept away to Scotland's Highlands. A Highlander's Christmas Kiss A STRANGER'S SMILE Christmas may be coming to Linavar, but Temperance Menzie is far from joyful. Grief-stricken over the death of her father at the hands of the Black Riders, she almost didn't see the wounded stranger in the woods. And now she's determined to give this braw, brooding Highlander the help she couldn't give her father. But there's a secret lurking in the depths of his blue-gray eyes. And Temperance won't rest until she uncovers it . . . A LOVER'S KISS A killer for hire. It's the last thing Cailean Grant ever thought he'd become, but being part of the Black Riders was his only way to survive. Now, his guilt grows day by day, along with his desire for the beautiful, brave lass nursing him back to health. As Christmas, the season of miracles, draws near and the truth of his identity threatens to come out, Cailean must risk the only thing he has left to lose-his heart. Series: Highland Heirs Get Your Copy Scottish Historical Romance | Pub: September 27, 2016 | 342pp Format Read: E-Book | Source: Provided by the author or publisher Content Rating: 5 Hearts* | Read by: Nicole Laverdure *As of Aug 2020, we do not give ratings to books, except for content. We review and share only those books we have enjoyed and think others will enjoy, too. Learn more . This book was reviewed on the original Books & Benches site sometime in 2016, and has been reposted on the new blog for indexing purposes.
- New Release - A FOREMAN FOR FIONA by Amelia C. Adams
A Foreman for Fiona Dark-haired spitfire Fiona O'Hara is the last of five young women who came to Kansas as mail-order brides seeking a new start at the Lazy Q Ranch. Her friends are all married now and have been encouraging her to do the same, but things didn't work out with her intended, and that's just fine with her. She was never interested in marriage anyway, not really, and now that she has a job and can support herself, she sees no reason to tie herself down. Big Mike Denton, the foreman at the Lazy Q, sent for a mail-order bride because he thought it might be useful to have a companion. He never imagined that when she came, she'd be so feisty, and he was relieved when they decided to call off the arrangement. He also never imagined that she'd be so beautiful, and as he gets to know her, he realizes that maybe Old Sully, that old romantic match-making rancher, knew what he was up to after all . . . Kindle Unlimited The Author Amelia C. Adams is the author of the bestselling Kansas Crossroads series, as well as a contributor to River's End Ranch and Mail Order Mounties. She is a wife, a mother, and a taker of naps. She spends her days dreaming up stories and her nights writing them down. Her biggest hero is her husband, and you might just see bits and pieces of him as you read her novels. Website: www.ameliacadams.com Genre: Historical Western Romance Type: Novel Series: Kansas Cowboys, book 5 Publication date: May 7, 2021 Content Rating: View rating system
- "Entertaining" - HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A MAN YOU THOUGHT YOU HATED by Elizabeth Adams
Elizabeth Adams shares her latest Austenesque tale filled with humor, romance, and a dash of what makes her writing so special. How to Fall in Love with a Man You Thought You Hated For Elizabeth Bennet, Charlotte is the friend who is—annoyingly—always right. Colonel Fitzwilliam is the mischievous brother she never had. And if their convictions that Mr. Darcy is in love with her are correct, he could be the lover she’s always wanted. There’s only one problem—he tried to ruin her favorite sister’s life, and she made an absolute fool of herself in front of him. Can lasting happiness come out of such a beginning? And can a man die from chasing a woman too quick to be caught? Darcy is about to find out. AMAZON | GOODREADS Enjoy an Excerpt Elizabeth had had the strangest dream. She had been crying in Rosings’ gardens with Colonel Fitzwilliam, then she had flirted quite brazenly with Mr. Darcy in Charlotte’s parlor! Never had her dreams been so vivid, nor so full of eligible men. She awoke shortly after dawn—for she had gone to bed at sunset—with a prodigious thirst. She felt somewhat similar to mornings after a party where she drank too much wine, but she had not had anything at all last night. In fact, she could not remember even eating dinner. Her stomach made a loud grumbling noise and she quickly dressed and put up her hair before skipping down to the kitchen. A village woman came to the parsonage to cook most days and was generally there early in the morning to bake bread. She had been very kind to Elizabeth and often packed her a scone or muffin to take with her on her walks. “You’re up early, Miss.” “I believe I went to bed rather early.” “Molly said you had an upset yesterday. I hope all is well with your family.” “Yes, everyone is well, thank you,” said Elizabeth hesitantly. What upset was Mrs. Hopkins referring to? “I’m glad to hear it, Miss.” She pulled a tin of muffins from the oven and set them on the worktable to cool. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to take some of those on your walk?” “Yes, please.” Mrs. Hopkins was wrapping a few muffins when Molly came in. “Are ya feelin’ better, Miss?” Elizabeth looked at her in confusion. “I am quite well, Molly. Why would you expect otherwise?” “You were awful upset yesterday. And then the gentleman came to see ya and you went straight to bed before it were full dark!” Elizabeth felt the floor tilt beneath her and grabbed the back of a chair. “Have a care now, Miss!” cried Mrs. Hopkins. She pulled out the chair and guided Elizabeth to sit down. “What gentleman, Molly?” she asked, dreading the answer. “Why, Mr. Darcy, of course. Do you not remember?” asked Molly. Elizabeth fell back in the chair and was vaguely aware of Mrs. Hopkins telling Molly to bring her a cup of tea and that good lady chafing her hands. “There, there, dear. It’s nothing that can’t be solved. All will be well soon enough.” Elizabeth turned to face Mrs. Hopkins with a desolate expression. It was all coming back to her now. She had sat in the dirt and cried with Colonel Fitzwilliam. And she had flirted with Mr. Darcy in Charlotte’s parlor. It had not been a dream. He had called her ‘my sweet,’ and held her hand, and looked into her eyes quite intimately. End of Excerpt Excerpt Copyright ©Elizabeth Adams. Shared with permission. The Author Elizabeth Adams is a book-loving, tango-dancing, Austen enthusiast. She loves old houses and thinks birthdays should be celebrated with trips—as should most occasions. She can often be found by a sunny window with a cup of hot tea and a book in her hand. She writes romantic comedy and comedic drama in both historic and modern settings. You can find more information, short stories, and outtakes at www.EAdamsWrites.com . You can also find her on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Goodreads . Genre: Historical Romance/Austenesque Type: Novel Publication Date: April 5, 2021 Content Rating: PG View our rating system Tour Giveaway Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card! The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 6, 2021. You must be 18 or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!
- "Outstanding" - THE COTILLION BRIGADE by Glen Craney
A remarkable novel of the Civil War and the Most Famous Female Militia in American History from Glen Craney. The Cotillion Brigade Georgia burns. Sherman’s Yankees are closing in. Will the women of LaGrange run or fight? Based on the true story of the celebrated Nancy Hart Rifles, The Cotillion Brigade is a sweeping epic of the Civil War’s ravages on family and love, the resilient bonds of sisterhood amid devastation, and the miracle of reconciliation between bitter enemies. “Gone With The Wind meets A League Of Their Own.” 1856. Sixteen-year-old Nannie Colquitt Hill makes her debut in the antebellum society of the Chattahoochee River plantations. A thousand miles to the north, a Wisconsin farm boy, Hugh LaGrange, joins an Abolitionist crusade to ban slavery in Bleeding Kansas. Five years later, secession and total war against the homefronts of Dixie hurl them toward a confrontation unrivaled in American history. Nannie defies the traditions of Southern gentility by forming a women’s militia and drilling it four long years to prepare for battle. With their men dead, wounded, or retreating with the Confederate armies, only Captain Nannie and her Fighting Nancies stand between their beloved homes and the Yankee torches. Hardened into a slashing Union cavalry colonel, Hugh duels Rebel generals Joseph Wheeler and Nathan Bedford Forrest across Tennessee and Alabama. As the war churns to a bloody climax, he is ordered to drive a burning stake deep into the heart of the Confederacy. Yet one Georgia town—which by mocking coincidence bears Hugh’s last name—stands defiant in his path. Read the remarkable story of the Southern women who formed America’s most famous female militia and the Union officer whose life they changed forever. AMAZON | B&N | KOBO | IBOOKS In the author's words . . . A Q&A with Glen Craney In this book, you write about a piece of Civil War history many people aren't familiar with. Will you tell us something about the writing of The Cotillion Brigade? Thank you for inviting me to Books and Benches. The Cotillion Brigade is based upon the true Civil War story of the Nancy Harts of Georgia, the most famous female militia in American history. I stumbled upon the exploits of the Nancy Harts thirty years ago while working as a political journalist with the Washington, D.C., press corps. Several years later, I visited LaGrange, the town saved by the Nancy Harts, and fell in love with the area. I wrote the story first as a movie treatment and nearly had it sold as a movie to Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, but the executive who championed the project moved on from the company. So, a few years later, I turned it into a novel. What sparked your interest in history? I caught the history bug as a boy. A great uncle lived in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, where Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark defended the blood-soaked ground on which a reconstructed 18th-century palisades fort now stands. He would take me to the nearby Civil War battlefield of Perryville and share stories about his father, a captain in the Union army who served there against his own brother, a Confederate cavalryman with Morgan’s Raiders. A couple of years ago, I traced the steps of my great-great-grandfather, who kept a diary while fighting with Grant during the Vicksburg campaign. I’m always struck by how much more there is to learn about these most important four years in American history. The Cotillion Brigade is the first novel I’ve written about the Civil War, but it’s always been my favorite era, and I return to it again and again. Which scene, character, or plot-line changed the most from first draft to published book? In my initial draft, I focused primarily on Captain Nancy Colquitt Hill Morgan and the women in her militia. But as I delved deeper into the research, I found equally fascinating the character of Colonel Oscar Hugh LaGrange, the Union officer and ardent Abolitionist who confronted the women in the climactic scene of the novel. I realized after the first draft that to properly tell the story, I had to use a dual timeline, following my two protagonists, Captain Morgan and Colonel LaGrange, through the war as their destinies slowly but inexorably converged. What appeals to you most about writing historical fiction? I’m drawn to stories about the underdogs of history whose voices were suppressed or silenced. Historical fiction is the perfect genre to bring those voices back to life. Often such stories suffer gaps in the annals, which are usually written by the victors. Second, because I took the unusual route of learning and practicing screenwriting first, I tend to see stories visually, as if on a screen in my mind’s eye. Dramatizing history is much easier with historical fiction than with nonfiction. Finally, historical fiction can draw a larger audience. For example, of the thousands of books written about the battle of Gettysburg, the one that has had the most influence and reach--to the dismay of historians--is the Killer Angels, a novel by Michael Shaara that was turned into a movie. Do you have a favorite phrase that inspires you? “Welcome to your gory bed or to victory.” It’s a line from the poem “Scots What Hae” by Robert Burns, about the exploits of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. My college roommate and I would mutter it as we walked into the classroom to take an exam. Little did I know that, thirty years later, I would be writing an historical novel about Robert Bruce and his best friend, James “the Black” Douglas. I used that same line in THE SPIDER AND THE STONE. The Author A graduate of Indiana University School of Law and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Glen Craney practiced trial law before joining the Washington, D.C. press corps to write about national politics and the Iran-contra trial for Congressional Quarterly magazine. In 1996, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences awarded him the Nicholl Fellowship prize for best new screenwriting. His debut historical novel, The Fire and the Light , was named Best New Fiction by the National Indie Excellence Awards. He is a three-time Finalist/Honorable Mention winner of Foreword Magazine’s Book-of-the-Year and a Chaucer Award winner for Historical Fiction. His books have taken readers to Occitania during the Albigensian Crusade, the Scotland of Robert Bruce, Portugal during the Age of Discovery, the trenches of France during World War I, the battlefields of the Civil War, and the American Hoovervilles of the Great Depression. He lives in Malibu, California, and has served as president of the Southern California Chapter of the Historical Novel Society. WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST | GOODREADS Genre: Historical Fiction Type: Novel Publisher: Brigid’s Fire Press Publication Date: March 15, 2021 Content Rating: PG-13 View our rating system Tour Giveaway We have ten eBooks of The Cotillion Brigade by Glen Craney up for grabs! The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 14, 2021. You must be 18 or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Thank you for visiting and reading! Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!
- TAINTED BRIDE by A.S. Fenichel - A Reader's Opinion
A Reader's Opinion Touching love story! A.S. Fenichel is a new author for me! I loved her first story, Tainted Bride , in the Forever Brides series. I'd like to say "It's a real rollercoaster ride of emotions," and some scenes are so touching, dramatic and emotional. This story is all about finding peace and happiness after a tragedy. I liked her two main characters, Sophia and Daniel. Tainted Bride is mostly Sophia's story. The heroine leaves America to move to England with her great aunt Daphne, a very strict person who wants to find her a proper husband. Unfortunately, Sophia only wants to forget a tragic event that happened to her in the past! She doesn't trust men anymore . . . until she meets Daniel! With time and trust, she will share her dark secret with him, but Daniel only wants to protect and avenge her. Let’s say that Sophia is a very complex character. They will embark on a journey of twists and turns! What will happen to Sophia and Daniel? Will she finally find peace? Tainted Bride Only trust can save her…. Sailing to London, Sophia Braighton only hopes to escape certain ruin. But when she arrives, her Great Aunt Daphne has other plans for the American-born beauty. Determined to marry off her niece to a man of means, she propels Sophia into London society, not knowing that the young woman’s trust in men is shattered. In fact, Sophia never expects to ever feel anything for a man. Then again, she never expects to find herself in the company of the dashing earl of Marlton…. From the moment he sees Sophia, Daniel Fallon feels alive in a way he has not since his broken engagement. Though the vulnerable beauty shies from the passion burning bright between them, Daniel is determined to court her and make her his bride. And when he learns of the painful secret she harbors, he is equally determined to take revenge on the man responsible. But will the quest destroy him—and his future with his beloved? Series: Forever Brides, book #1 Get Your Copy Regency Romance | Pub: September 27, 2016| 234pp Format Read: E-Book | Source: Provided by the author or publisher Content Rating: 5 Hearts* | Read by: Nicole Laverdure *As of Aug 2020, we do not give ratings to books, except for content. We review and share only those books we have enjoyed and think others will enjoy, too. Learn more . This book was reviewed on the original Books & Benches site sometime in 2016, and has been reposted on the new blog for indexing purposes.
- Cover Contest Voting is Open - May 2021
Voting is open for the May 2021 book cover contest. View the finalists and c ast your vote on the cover contest page.












