Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Heartwarming romance

  • ABIGAIL’s WINDOW by Susan Lynn Solomon – Romantic Fantasy, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

    ABIGAIL’s WINDOW by Susan Lynn Solomon – Romantic Fantasy, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

    Katy Novacs is haunted, both by her past and the laughing specter that reminds her of it. When her friends bring her to Niagara-on-the-Lake in the hopes of lifting her spirits, she finds that their inn has a ghost of its own who has a tale that might save her.

    Katy comes to the Niagara Inn in a mire of sorrow, fear, and trauma. Though her friends try to help her move forward with her life, to fall in love and open herself up to other people again, Katy’s stay at the inn only seems to drain her further. Both she and her friends question her sanity as she becomes certain that she’s sharing a room with the spirit of a dead woman, but when Abigail eventually reveals herself, it is to tell Katy a story that she needs to hear—that of Abigail’s life.

    One hundred and fifty years ago, Abigail Kirby finds her own love in Will Bender. They cross the lines of class to be together, but Abigail’s story doesn’t end when she wins Will’s heart; there are far greater struggles, sorrows, and the dark shadows of the past waiting to fall upon her. What strings have fate wrapped around Abigail, and will Katy be able to find the message that she so desperately needs?

    Abigail’s Window is threaded through with evocative descriptions. The cold and snow of Niagara-on-the-Lake surrounds the Niagara Inn, which is built up with foreboding and emotional energy that suffuses parts of the old house. Abigail’s story is even more expansive in its description, building the whole town as it was long in the past; this old picture gives the reader a strong sense of Abigail and the world that she lived in, from the small social circles of Niagara-on-the-Lake to an exploration of the far-reaching American Civil War.

    Susan Lynn Solomon creates animated, complex characters whose personalities show through in everything they do and say. Katy’s emotional exhaustion is palpable on the page, shading the entire beginning of the story; her narration is intimately understandable even at its most troubled. Her experiences show a deep alienation from the people around her and draw the reader into her world which is, at least early on, truly private. Among that fear and isolation from Katy’s struggles, the story introduces a slow, powerful development of the friendship and emotional connection that Abigail and Katy share as they tell each other what they’ve both been through; their life stories carry parallels that help them understand one another while remaining distinct characters with their own voices and ways of seeing the world.

    The reader learns the mysteries of Katy and Abigail at the same time the two women learn them, their stories interwoven. The pacing of Abigail’s Window is excellent. The story takes its time revealing Abigail, giving space for Katy to settle into the house and teach the reader about herself. Katy’s fear of the ghost doesn’t change to comfort all at once, but over time as Abigail becomes more and more present. Once they begin sharing, both of their stories are given the space they need to be told, to explore the feelings within them and show the reader who these characters were before they came to share a bedroom in the Niagara Inn. Those stories come together as Abigail’s Window picks up the pace for a tense and affecting climax.

    Common themes connect Abigail and Katy. Abigail’s story is marked by fate, how what happened to her before could only have led to what came after, and how she tried to fight against it. Katy struggles to accept the love that’s waiting for her because of her own past. Abigail’s Window doesn’t shy away from the deep emotional pain of its characters, but the story is strung together with the idea that a true connection with someone else has the power to heal the soul, and the trust that love will survive, no matter what else.

    Abigail’s Window is a touching, fascinating story of two wonderful characters, and the connection they form across a century and a half. This novel by Susan Lynn Solomon won Grand Prize in the CIBA 2019 Paranormal Awards for supernatural fiction.

     

  • MISCHIEF and MAYHEM (Whiskey Sisters, Book 2) by L.E. Rico – Clean and Wholesome Romance, Small Town and Rural Romantic Fiction, Romantic Comedy

    MISCHIEF and MAYHEM (Whiskey Sisters, Book 2) by L.E. Rico – Clean and Wholesome Romance, Small Town and Rural Romantic Fiction, Romantic Comedy

    Jameson O’Halloran never asked for her life to be so complicated and unpredictable. She never asked for a cheating husband, never asked to be in charge of her father-in-law’s life, and indeed never asked for her brother-in-law to show up looking so irresistible. Since her recent divorce, Jameson has focused on rebuilding her life without the dream family she always wanted. Her toddler, Jackson, takes up most of her time, and when she isn’t caring for him, she is helping her sisters run the family pub in Mayhem, Minnesota, after the death of their father. Jameson is NOT looking for love, not now, maybe not ever again. Still, when her ex-father-in-law suffers a stroke, she is forced into the very delicate position of health proxy for the seriously ill man she still considers family. However, she isn’t alone. Big Win Clarke named a co-proxy, his estranged second son, Scott. Scott, a Project Peace employee, has spent the last ten years abroad, running from his father and from himself, but when he is called to his unconscious father’s bedside, he knows those years spent abroad were a mistake, one he may never get to correct if his father doesn’t recover. When he lays eyes on his beautiful ex-sister-in-law, he can’t deny the attraction drawing him to her. Together they must uncover the truth behind the mystery that sent him running years earlier and hopefully find themselves along the way.

    The family bond is a strong theme within this novel. The contrast between the close-knit O’Hallaron sisters and the volatile Clarke brothers is significant to every part of the plot. The “Whiskey sisters,” Hennessy, Jameson, Walker, and Bailey, function as a solid unit. Named by their pub-owning father, these girls share more than their unique names; they have solidarity, which is touching and profound. Even when they argue, they know the immense love they have for each other will never fade. Pulling together to run the family business after their father’s death, these women willingly sacrifice for the legacy left them by their parents. Having lost their mother, the girls have been both mother and sister to each other. They celebrate triumphs and mourn their loss as one, filling in the gaps in their lives with sibling unity. Jameson can’t fathom going days without seeing her sisters, holding them, confiding in them, let alone years.

    On the other hand, Scott and Win Clarke (junior) have never had and likely never will have that bond. The brothers have spent their lives at odds with one another, keeping secrets and driving a wedge in what could be the most enduring relationship of their lives. For Win, jealousy pushes him to exploit Scott’s weaknesses, and Scott’s need to escape keeps him from discovering the truth behind his family history and from forging a bond with his ill father. Just like the Whiskey sisters, the Clarke brothers have also lost their mother, but where that draws the women closer, it only serves as the catalyst for pushing the men apart. It isn’t until Scott begins to lean on Jameson that he finally sees what family should be. The Whiskey sisters show Scott the strength behind sibling loyalty and help him face the revelation that changes his life.

    Like most novels of this genre, this second installment of this series is chocked-full of romance but with a refreshing burst of humor that will leave the reader LOLing! Scott Clarke is sigh-worthy on every level, and like most male protagonists in a romance novel, he struggles with the notion of settling down and committing to any woman. He’s unsure he can give up his nomadic life while feeling drawn to the idea of a home of his own, a family to come home to every night. Jameson has been hurt in a way only adultery can hurt. She feels unworthy of love and bitter that her picket-fence dream has been shattered by the only man she’s ever loved. In many respects, the plot is traditional for the genre, but the light-hearted nature of Scott and Jameson’s budding relationship is the real gem. In scene after scene, these two–and many of the other characters as well–will leave the reader in stitches. One of the novel’s best parts is Scott’s interaction with Siri, a novelty he has just discovered since his return to civilization after years in remote locations with Project Peace. Numerous chapters end with Scott’s philosophical discussions with his voice-activated assistant, and his first experience with Facetime is priceless! With scenes that will leave you swooning mixed in, the reader will not be disappointed with this clean, wholesome romance.

    Character building, not just for the protagonist but with the entire cast of Mayhem, is a strength of the whole Whiskey Sisters series. From psychic baker to gossipy priest to celebrity cat sweater maker, the characters shine. Each of the O’Hallaron women has her own distinct personality, offering a promising glimpse of what is to come in the series. The reader will love her visit to this picturesque town and long for the cozy comfort of O’Halloran’s pub. The entire town is a unique tapestry with love woven into every scene. [Read our review of Blame it on the Bet the first book in the Whiskey Sisters’ series.]

    Mischief and Mayhem won First Place in the CIBAs 2019 Chatelaine Awards for romantic fiction.

     

  • WRAPPED in the STARS by Elena Mikalsen – Contemporary Romance, Medical Fiction, 20th Century Historical Romance

    WRAPPED in the STARS by Elena Mikalsen – Contemporary Romance, Medical Fiction, 20th Century Historical Romance

    Maya Radelis has spent the last seven months running from herself. After the death of a patient, she abandons her pediatric residency in New York City for the jungles of Guatemala and the Family Health Volunteers Mission. However, after exhausting her six-month leave, she still cannot bring herself to return to New York. Instead, Maya ends up in Edinburgh, Scotland, where fate intervenes.

    In a small antique shop, an inscribed ring somehow “calls” to her. Unwilling to part with it, Maya purchases the ring and traces its history. She has seven days before she must return to the university and face the consequences of her absence, as well as the investigation of her patient’s death. Fearing she will no longer be allowed to pursue a medical career and dreading the meeting where her fate will be revealed. Maya wants to make the most of her search for the ring’s previous owner, especially after she begins to have strange dreams and memory-like episodes of the woman she thinks owned the ring. Enlisting the help of Pauline, her French friend, she traces an odd, twisting path through Paris then Bern, Switzerland. The more she discovers, the more she begins to question her destiny.

    With its alternating narration, Elena Mikalsen’s Wrapped in the Stars shows two women’s worlds, so far apart and yet so similar. Maya Radelis, an American medical student, is shown in parallel with the life of a Swiss medical student in the years leading up to World War I, Rebecca Miller. Though the obstacles for Rebecca are vastly different than the ones facing Maya, their feelings of uncertainty and their love of medicine are very much the same. Rebecca’s desire to become a doctor comes from a family heritage of medicine and, in some part, from the death of her brother, Karl. Maya is also following a family legacy while hoping to somehow erase the guilt she feels for the childhood death of her twin sister, Ella. Both of these accomplished women have this need to “[e]arn [their] right to be alive” and somehow validate their own existence through medicine.

    Both women share a Jewish ancestry, and neither woman sees the need to marry, desiring instead their independence in a world they have built, instead of the one handed to them through family ties and marriage bonds. While fearing the lonely paths before them, Maya and Rebecca doubt their abilities and often wonder if their sacrifices are truly worth the pain of disappointing others. However, each find men strong enough to understand them both and love them eternally.

    “Synchronicity,” or “meaningful coincidences” plays an enormously important role in the novel. Readers will enjoy following Maya’s story, the twists and detours that create such an interesting plot as her history and future entwine. A tactic Mikalsen skillfully employs to make one wonder just how much we choose for ourselves and how much the universe decides for us.

    Eternal love is the most touching aspect of Maya’s and Rebecca’s stories. The German inscription Maya finds in Rebecca’s ring says it best with its message of living within the heart of another and being forever “therein.” It’s a beautiful message, a love strong enough to defy death and reclaim the lovers a century later. Something is reassuring and peaceful in believing love cannot die. And when all is said and done, what lovers wouldn’t want such a legacy?

    Wrapped in the Stars received First Place in the CIBAs 2018 CHATELAINE Awards for Romantic Fiction.

  • BICKER and the SOOLIVANS by Jenna Hestekin – American Civil War Era, Historical & Heartwarming Romance, Family Drama

    BICKER and the SOOLIVANS by Jenna Hestekin – American Civil War Era, Historical & Heartwarming Romance, Family Drama

    The Soolivan family is split apart by the Civil War, but when the ugly side of fate intervenes, a silver lining appears to bring a broken family back together again. While Andy Soolivan is convalescing in the hospital with his new friend, Bicker, he receives news that his uncles have all been killed. In a letter explaining the details, August Soolivan urges his son Andy to come home. The family has suffered enough.

    As the Soolivan family comes back together, a one-armed Bicker arrives like a lost pup looking for a home. He is welcomed into a family that values togetherness above all else. Penelope, the oldest daughter, catches his eye. The only problem is Penelope. She’s hiding the fact that she is engaged to her beau, who is still fighting in the war. She agonizes, though, because he hasn’t written in weeks. But she isn’t the only daughter in the family with secrets to keep. Will fate allow the Soolivan family to find peace when the war has taken so much from them, and will the emerging feelings between Penelope and Bicker be allowed to flourish? Fate and family are at the heart of Bicker and the Soolivans, and everyone from the casual reader to the critic will feel their heart warmed throughout this authentic feel-good story.

    Hestekin’s greatest strength is her ability to create well-developed, engaging characters that fuel a wonderfully character-driven story. The majority of the novel takes place at the Soolivan home and in the nearby small town of Alma, Wisconsin. The characters drive a gripping tale of a family coming together to heal from the losses of a devastating war and the splitting apart again to follow love’s new beginnings.

    Bicker and the Soolivans will sweep you off your feet, make you forget about the current state of world affairs, and fall in love with the antics of a midwestern family in Civil War-era America.

    Jenna Hestekin’s Bicker and the Soolivans earned Semi-Finalist status in the CIBAs 2018 for American Western Fiction, the LARAMIE Awards.

     

     

    **You can purchase a copy of Bicker and the Soolivans directly from the author’s website, by clicking here.

  • BLAME it on the BET (Whiskey Sisters, Book 1) by L.E. Rico – Wholesome Romance, Small-Town Romance, Family Values

    BLAME it on the BET (Whiskey Sisters, Book 1) by L.E. Rico – Wholesome Romance, Small-Town Romance, Family Values

    Twenty-six-year-old Hennessy O’Halloran should have it all. She should be enjoying her overpriced apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota, her successful legal career, and her “friends with benefits” neighbor, but in the month since her father’s sudden death, all of those things have become unimportant.

    She thought she and her sisters had some time to figure out what to do with Jack’s legacy, an Irish pub he and their deceased mother built from scratch. Still, when they discover a substantial loan agreement secreted away in Jack’s belongings, they realize they only have six weeks to come up with over $100,000, money he borrowed against the business to help finance various expenses on his daughters’ behalves. She finds herself back home in Mayhem, Minnesota, living above the pub and trying desperately to find the funds to save the business.

    Enter Bryan Truitt, land developer and business “matchmaker,” sweeps in with a letter of intent to purchase the pub sans Jack’s signature. Even though Jack had planned to sell the bar and settle his debt, his daughters can’t bring themselves to sell to the slick, fast-talking Bryan, no matter how hot he looks in his ridiculously overpriced suit and Italian loafers. Bryan, despite his initial desire to arrive, conquer, and depart this Midwest winter land, finds himself drawn not only to small-town life but also to the confident, courageous Hennessy. When Bryan wagers against Hennessy’s ability to raise the money to save the business, neither realizes the stakes are much higher than just the pub. Will they risk their hearts to win a future together?

    Blame it on the Bet is full of vivid characters. From Bryan’s hard-nosed assistant Helen to the matchmaking, Father Romance, the novel overflows with realistic, lovable characters, right down to Jackson, a curse-word-loving toddler whose specialty is his spectacular aim with flung food. These folks feel so human, readers will easily fall for them, and their quirky town of Mayhem, where a psychic baker who reads fortunes in pies and everyone owns at least one rescue cat and all of them–the cats not the humans–wear sweaters. The humor is a welcome addition to a genre that sometimes takes itself much too seriously, and good ole Midwestern honesty means there isn’t the elaborate game playing plaguing many romances.

    The O’Halloran sisters lend themselves to a significant theme within the novel. Known as the “whiskey sisters,” Hennessy, Jameson, Walker, and Bailey are as varied as the alcohol for which they are named, but together, they create a tight-knit unit dead-set on saving their father’s legacy. That legacy, that sense of belonging to something worth more than the individual, permeates every aspect of the plot. The sisters drop everything to pull together and face the challenge head-on, to hold onto their father’s dream, a dream which built the very foundation of each of them. Family pride drives not only the girls but, in a way, the entire town as they pull together to save O’Halloran’s with chili cook-offs and quiz nights. The fight for the town’s favorite becomes one of pride. Even Bryan becomes embroiled in his own struggle for and against legacy when he battles his familial demons in the form of his father’s past and his unintentional tie to it. He must acknowledge his own history before he may create a new future with Hennessy, becoming a member of the family he has chosen, in a home he never expected to find.

    Lovers of romance will fall for this couple and this town. It will wrap you up in a cozy blanket and keep you warm as a cup of hot cocoa on a cold Minnesota day – or wherever you happen to call home.

    Blame it on the Bet by L. E. Rico won First in Category in the CIBA 2018 Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction.

     

     

  • The SEMI-FINALISTS for the CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction – 2018 CIBAs

    The SEMI-FINALISTS for the CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction – 2018 CIBAs

    Romance Fiction AwardThe CHATELAINE Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of  Romantic Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The Chatelaine  Book Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions ( The #CIBAs).

    These titles have moved forward in the judging from the 2018 Chatelaine Book Awards SHORT LIST  the limited 2018 Chatelaine  Semi-Finalists positions.  The First Place Category Positions will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists.  The 2018 Chatelaine Book Awards Semi-Finalists and First Place Positions along with  Chatelaine Grand Prize Award Winner will be recognized at the Annual Chanticleer Authors Conference, Book Fair, and CIBA Awards Gala that will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,  April 26th, 27th, & 28th,  2019. 

    We are looking for the best new books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, and stories that appeal especially to women.

    Visit this link to download the digital badge!

    Congratulations to the 2018 Chatelaine Book Awards Semi-Finalists! 

    • L.E. Rico – Blame It on the Bet  
    • Trent Meunier – Flowers and Milkshakes
    • Pamela LePage – Virtuous Souls
    • Gail Noble-Sanderson – The Lavender House in Meuse
    • J.P. Kenna – Allurement Westward
    • Mona Sedrak – Six Months
    • Cerella Sechrist – The Way Back to Erin
    • Rebekah N. Bryan – Brit with the Pink Hair
    • Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Mr. Hitchcock
    • F. E. Greene – The Next Forever
    • Elena Mikalsen – Wrapped in the Stars
    • Diane Shute – Midnight Crossing
    • Lucinda Brant – Satyr’s Son: A Georgian Historical Romance
    • Alix Nichols – The Traitor’s Bride
    • Nicola Slade – The House at Ladywell
    • Michelle Cox – A Promise Given
    • Tammy Mannersly – Persuading Lucy
    Stickers are available for order.

    The Chatelaine  Semi-Finalists will compete for the limited Chatelaine First-In-Category Positions.  First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the Chatelaine GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition.  The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CIBA Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. 2018 First Place Category winners will be announced at the CIBA Banquet and Ceremony that will be held on Saturday, April 27th, 2019 at the Hotel Bellwether, Bellingham, Wash.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Chatelaine Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions into the 2019 Chatelaine  Book Awards is August 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information. 

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com. 

  • SEIZE the FLAME by Lynda J. Cox – Romantic Western, Historical Fiction, Heartwarming Romance

    SEIZE the FLAME by Lynda J. Cox – Romantic Western, Historical Fiction, Heartwarming Romance

    Drake Adams and Jessie Depre want the same thing: peace. For Drake, peace will only come when he can rid his memory of Jessie’s heart-wrenching betrayal nearly two years earlier, at the altar. What began as a fairytale love between childhood sweethearts ended when Jessie married another man and left the Wyoming territory. Since then, Drake has given up his law career to become a bounty hunter, and when he sees Jessie’s wanted poster, he knows he has only one choice, track her down and return her to the man she ran off with.

    Following a life-changing misunderstanding, Jessie married the first man she saw, but it wasn’t long before her would-be hero turned into a real-life monster. She will only find peace when she is far away from her homicidal husband, Robert. However, when Drake captures Jessie, both realize their own peace just might come from rekindling their love for each other.

    Lynda J. Cox’s Seize the Flame is a story of reconciling the past. Both characters are emotionally and physically damaged. Jessie’s story will touch home with any woman who’s been the victim of abuse. Her fear, her panic, are so real the reader will instantly identify with her even if he/she has never suffered from that unfortunate malady. The strength she has in not only running from her husband but also in ensuring the safety of another innocent woman celebrates the determined female spirit. Despite the scars on her body and, more importantly, in her mind, Jessie manages to find her own way and create her own destiny.

    Drake has a genuinely unique story. Kidnapped at the age of nine and forced to work for a ruthless thief until he’s rescued by Royce, Jessie’s father, Drake loved Jessie from the first moment he saw her. His continued devotion to the woman who shattered his dream of a home and family of his own is touching and endearing. Although the backstory is as winding as a Wyoming mountain trail, the story unravels slowly enough to allow the reader to soak it all in and experience the complexity of these characters, and though the genre is historical romance, the romantic content is limited enough that fans of the western genre will still enjoy the novel without blushing.

    Seize the Flame by Lynda J. Cox won First Place in the Laramie Awards for Western Fiction in 2016.

     

     

  • The CHATELAINE Awards for Romantic and Women’s Fiction Novels – 2017 Official List of Winners

    The CHATELAINE Awards for Romantic and Women’s Fiction Novels – 2017 Official List of Winners

    Romance Fiction AwardWe are excited and honored to officially announce the Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Winners for the 2017 CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romance and Women’s Fiction at the fifth annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Chanticleer Book Awards Ceremony. This year’s ceremony and banquet were held on Saturday, April 21st, 2018 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.

     

    We want to thank all of those who entered and participated in the  2017 CHATELAINE Book Awards, a division of the Chanticleer  International Book Awards.

    When we receive the digital photographs from the Official CAC18 photographer, we will post them here and on the complete announcement that will list all the genres and the Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2017 Chanticleer International Book Awards. Please check back!

    Click here for the link to the 2017 CHATELAINE  Shortlisters! An email will go out within three weeks to all Shortlisters with links to digital badges and how to order Shortlister stickers.

    Congratulations to the 2017 CHATELAINE  SHORTLISTERS!

    Janet K. Shawgo, the author of the 2014 Chatelaine Grand Prize Winner Find Me Again, announced the First Place Award Winners and the Grand Prize Winner for the 2017 CHATELAINE Book Awards at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony.

    Congratulations to the First Place Category Winners of the 2017  CHATELAINE Book Awards. 

    An email will go out to all First Place Category Winners and Grand Prize Winners with more information, the timing of awarded reviews, links to digital badges, and more by May 21st, 2018 (four weeks after the awards ceremony). Please look for it.

    2017 CHATELAINE Book Awards First in Category Winners for Romantic and Women’s Fiction are:

    • Dear Mr. Hitchcock by Elizabeth Crowens
    • Watch Over Me by Eileen Charbonneau
    • The Passage Home to Meuse by Gail Noble-Sanderson
    • Love’s Misadventure by Cheri Champagne
    • Mask of Dreams by Leigh Grant
    • Magic of the Pentacle by Diane Wylie     

    And now for the 2017 CHATELAINE Grand Prize Winner for Romantic and Women’s Fiction:

    MASK of DREAMS

    by Leigh Grant

    a manuscript

    This post will be updated with photos from the awards ceremony. Please do visit it again!

    The deadline to submit to the 2018 CHATELAINE Book Awards is August  31, 2018.

    Our next Chanticleer International Book Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, April 20th, 2019, for the 2018 winners. Enter your book or manuscript in a contest today!

  • DAIR DEVIL: A GEORGIAN HISTORICAL ROMANCE (ROXTON FAMILY SAGA, BOOK 3) by Lucinda Brant – Georgian Historical Romance

    DAIR DEVIL: A GEORGIAN HISTORICAL ROMANCE (ROXTON FAMILY SAGA, BOOK 3) by Lucinda Brant – Georgian Historical Romance

    Alisdair “Dair” Fitzstuart, spy and war hero, wants to enjoy a carefree life now that his service to his country is over. After spending years creating the daredevil reputation that has earned him fame beyond his heroic war efforts, he’s eager to return to the London town life, sample the season’s beauties, and carouse with his lifelong friends, but when his latest escapade literally throws him into the arms of Rory Talbot, his plans are turned upside down.

    Rory, the granddaughter of England’s Spymaster, enjoys her quiet existence cultivating pineapples and spending time with her grandfather. Because of a crippling birth defect, she’s spent her entire life on the sidelines, secretly falling in love with the handsome Major Fitzstuart, who happens to be her brother’s closest friend. She never expects Dair to notice her, but after their chance meeting at the beginning of the novel, Dair can’t seem to get the beauty off his mind. However, his womanizing past complete with an illegitimate son, has everyone, including Rory, questioning Dair’s sincerity. The two must battle the odds if they dare to have a future together.

    With a complicated storyline and abundance of character-rich scenes, Lucinda Brandt delivers in Dair Devil another volume of the Roxon Family Saga. For those unfamiliar with Brandt’s brand of historical romance, this is not a frivolous read. The narration and dialogues are lengthy and complex, the weaving storyline on top of storyline in a masterful fashion, therefore we strongly recommend starting with the first novel in the series, Midnight Marriage, and move on from there. Those who are familiar with Brandt’s work will submerge themselves in the interweaving storyline and swoon to Alex Wyndham’s voice as he narrates series.

    Both Rory and Dair break the typical romance novel mold. Rory’s physical disability is a refreshing change to the typical perfection of the romance heroine. Though still feisty and spunky, Rory’s life is far from the easy existence of the regular heroine; however, her issues don’t hold her back. Rory’s never allows her physical problems to stand in the way of whatever she wants to accomplish, creating an inspirational protagonist, which is uncommon in the traditional romance novel.

    Dair challenges the romance norm as well: he has an illegitimate son, not uncommon in the Georgian time period, but unusual for the heartthrob of this genre. Though typically seen as the hunky bad boy, heroes of romance novels don’t often have illegitimate children, much less a child that plays a role in the plot. Dair not only has a son, he shows his fatherly love repeatedly, again testing the tried-and-true conventions of the “normal” historical romance.

    Lucinda Brant has created a complex story where strength lies in family, and history is more than a setting. Whether siblings or cousins, these characters rely on their bonds and show that love triumphs despite the odds, and although this theme is not unusual within the genre, Brant’s use of familial bonds saturates the plot and creates a web of stories to delight readers of romantic fiction.

  • BUILDING MR. DARCY by Ashlinn Craven – Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Clean & Wholesome

    BUILDING MR. DARCY by Ashlinn Craven – Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Clean & Wholesome

    Two software developers, Max Taggart and Zoe Bunsen, want to create the perfect artificially intelligent companion. Zycorp needs this project to be successful, or their floundering AI department will be dissolved; however, while Max is a man with a plan, Zoe is a woman with a serious book crush on the character chosen to embody their AI.

    Zoe has grown up loving Mr. Darcy, the hero in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. From their chance meeting to their continuous jostling for power, Max and Zoe find working together almost impossible. While Zoe wants a Darcy with human-like reactions, Max wants a finished product ready for release by the deadline. Their constant bickering coupled with their shared office creates the perfect tension for romance. But finding the balance in Mr. Darcy and the balance in their own personal lives may be more than these two can handle.

    From Max and Zoe’s chivalrous first meeting to their conflicting personalities, Building Mr. Darcy has the feel of a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Like her counterpoint Elizabeth Bennet, Zoe is a smart woman in a man’s world. Her free-thinking spirit may be perfect for software development, but her gender makes it difficult for her to succeed in Zycorp where schedules and deadlines keep getting in her way. Her Pygmalion need to create an almost “boyfriend-like” interaction with Darcy arises from her completely disastrous love life, and while her neediness differs from the original feel of Elizabeth Bennet, it helps set Zoe apart from her metafictional doppelganger and give her a slice of her own personality.

    Max has the same no-nonsense attitude of Fitzwilliam Darcy, but he is far removed from the affluently born romantic heartthrob of generations of women. Max is a self-made man with a sketchy family. However, the issues of the original novel, love, friends, family obligations, and subtle human interactions, remain the central focus of this novel. These complete opposites with their ever-present Darcy/Elizabeth arguments and eventual character growth harken back to the well-loved, dog-eared classic that makes their relationship so timeless.

    Irish-born award-winning romance author Ashlinn Craven lives in the shadow of the Alps writing stories about real-life heroes and heroines, people with actual jobs and paychecks. In Craven’s novels, the world doesn’t stop just because two people fall in love. With their trademark touch of geekiness, these novels are heartfelt, uplifting, and realistic.