A Midnight Clear by Lynn Kerstan

4 STARS

A Midnight Clear was a surprising romance novel of the regency era. I did not expect what it would bring by reading the first couple of chapters. This is a clean book which at first I wondered about that. I liked the characters, the plot twists were charming.

Jane has just been kicked out of her lodging and has only one job to interview for. Their are a lot of others who are interviewing too. Everyone who comes out of the job interview looks at the horror of what she just went through. Some leave before the interviews even. Jane gets the job.

Her job is to transcribe and put together the novel telling all about the scandles that Lady Eudora Swann knows. And she knows a lot of them. While Jane hates the book she does her best to write it and keep her opinions about it.

Lady Swann has been married six times. She knows all the scandals and wants to leave a legacy so she won't be forgotton. Now she is confined to a bath chair. She has still a lot of gentleman callers who sneak out in the morning. She has a lot of money.

Charles Fallon's relatives are a big part of the book. He wants to restore his family name and reputation. He already has earned the wealth in India. He has heard about Lady Swann's book and wants his family left out of it. He threatens to sue Lady Swann but that will only make the book sell better.

He rejects her offer of sleeping with her. He has set up a house in London and plans to marry good to a lady of Society.
Lady Swann has a idea that will change her mind if he lets Jane find other things about the woman in the Fallon family. Over the Christmas holidays while she goes away to a party for the holidays.

This was quick read,fun in parts,sweet in others as they end up lost in the snow with plenty of drama thrown into.
I would look for more books by Lynn Kerstan in the future to read based on this book.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when done by Netgalley.
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (March 11, 2013) 186 pages ASIN: B00BY98QAM

Description below taken off of Netgalley.

Will the twelve days of Christmas bring them together or leave his family in ruin?
Jane Ryder is innocent, plain, poor, and eager for adventure. After taking a job as a secretary with the notorious gossip, Lady Eudora “The Tongue” Swann, she is given the task of transcribing Lady Swann’s scandalous history of the aristocracy, featuring the many promiscuities of the Fallon Marquesses.
When the Fallon heir, Charles, returns from India with a self-made fortune, he dedicates himself to restoring the derelict manor house and the infamous family name. Face-to-face, he orders the crafty Lady Swann to leave his family out of the book.
Lady Swann offers a sly trade: If he agrees to confide intriguing tidbits of his family history (and of his own rise to fortune) to Miss Ryder, she will tone down his family’s sordid tales in Scandalbroth.
At Wolvercote, the centuries-old and long-abandoned seat of the Fallon family, a snowstorm strands Charles and Jane. They’re drawn together in mutual respect, humor, and as time passes, an attraction that cannot be denied, though her lowly station forbids it. When they discover an abandoned infant girl near the stable on Christmas Eve, caring for her together, the formal barricades between them seem to vanish.
Can a romance begun on a night of joy and miracles overcome the strict rules of London society? It may take a meddling old gossip named Lady Swann to persuade them that love is the best Christmas gift of all.

This Magic Moment by Patricia Rice

4 STARS

Magic series book 4

This Magic Moment is book 4 in the Magic series but it is the first one that I have read. This book takes place in England 1743 starts. Thier is a set of books that follows these families in Modern times called California Malcolms series.

Thier are a lot of characters that I feel that they must have been in earlier books. A little bit lost but catch up on them. I want to go back and read the ones I have missed though. The Malcolms have special powers or gifts in thier lives. They grow more into thier powers when they marry.

Lord Harry Winchester is the second son so he never thought he would inhierit the family title and lands. A accident killed both his father and brother. So now his life has changed. Instead of being in politics he has to return to his family estate and find out how it could be broke. Someone says he owes so much money against his estate and will take it if he is not paid by certain time.

Harry has been promised to marry Christina for years and they were going to wait for a longer time but he now needs her dowry to help pay the estate debts. He can not see how his father spent all the money that was coming in each year. The villagers won't talk to Harry about why the village is so badly in debt. What has been going on while he has lived in London these past few years.

Harry's father has been adding on to his home. staircases go nowhere,doors in ceiling, secret passages plus the older part of the castle is in bad repairs. It is also full of ghosts, but Harry does not believe in ghosts.

Christina believes in ghosts. When she was younger she was warned away from danger by a ghost. She tells Harry about the ghosts and he thinks she is just make believing. Christina goes ahead and marrys Harry fast but wants to be courted by Harry before she will sleep with him.

Christina's father also tells Harry if he can't find where all the money went and looses the estate he will bring his daughter back home.

This story has romance,sex scenes,danger,mystery,ghosts,angry villagers, falling accidents that seem to follow and want to harm Christina only. Plus lots of Christina's family shows up at Harry's home.

I like Patricia Rice's characters,her stories. Not a fan of all the love scenes. I plan to read more books from her in the future.
I was given this ebook from Netgalley and asked to give honest review of it when I finshed reading,

04/02/2013 PUB Source books Imprint Sourcebooks Casablanca 384 pages ISBN 9781402251962


Description below taken off Netgalley


Christina Malcolm Childe always knew she would marry Lord Harry Winchester. So when Harry shows up demanding they take their vows as soon as possible, she agrees without hesitation. And though Harry has been a stiff and bitter duke lately, Christina's magical gift of reading auras assures her that he is still good. Christina is willing to do whatever it takes to turn Harry back into the man she once loved. Even if that means befriending the castle ghosts, the keepers of the darkest secrets of the Winchester home.

Family Lessons (Orphan Train)by Allie Pleiter

5 STARS

I laughed and cried in this moving story. Very clean read.
Holly Sanders is almost back home to Evans Grove, Nebraska when the train is robbed. The train robbers know that she has the gold loaned from the bank for her town on board. 2,000 dollars that will help rebuild thier town after storm and floods did so much damage. During the robbery the safe got damaged and they can't get the gold out. Holly on the train are 8 orphans that are left to help find them homes. The other orphans had found home in other towns. Holly realizes how close they are too town when the train was stopped. She sends Liam a 11 year old to town for the Sheriff.
sheriff Mason Wright rescues them but not before one of the adults trying to find homes for the orphans is killed in front of the children. Holly convinces the town to take in the orphans.
Mason does not feel like a hero in fact he tries to stay away from Holly. Mason feels guilty of past and can't see a future for himself. He is drawn to Holly but fights it.
The town has had so many funerals after the floods and taking care of the orphans brings a hope to the town.
Thier is one lady who only sees the bad side of people and always judging them. She makes me mad at how she is treating the children.
Holly as the school teacher has made the school for the orphans a place to sleep. She thinks that finding homes in Evans Grove will help the town heal. She soon convinces others to help find the children homes. The preacher,the acting mayor,banker,grumpy old women,orphans escort and Holly make up the orphan selection committee.
Someone is stealing things in the middle of the night. People are blaming the orphan boys. I want to come back to Evans Grove in the future to find out the answers to questions that are still not answered.
This is a quick read. I enjoyed it. I want to hug the children and see how they all end up doing.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
Publisher: Love Inspired Historicals (April 1, 2013) 288 pages ASIN: B00ALTWPKI


Discription below taken off of Netgalley.

Next stop: Home

After a catastrophe strands a train—and eight orphaned children—near Evans Grove, Nebraska, schoolteacher Holly Sanders sees hope in the chaos. These children are the new start her community needs. And Holly is stubbornly determined to give the townspeople, the children…and even gruff sheriff Mason Wright…the happy families they deserve.

How can anyone so petite have so much gumption? Watching Holly rally her young charges wins Mason’s admiration—and reminds him of his own failures. No matter what Holly or the orphan boy Liam think, Mason’s no hero and he doesn’t merit a second chance. Can Holly’s faith, Liam’s trust and God’s grace open Mason’s heart to love’s greatest lesson?

Hidden in Plain view by Diane Burke

4 stars

I was wondering how they would resolve this. It's a romance that looked impossible. Diane Burke came up with the perfect solution in my point of view.
It had lots of drama,suspense.Amish and English worlds that did come together to protect the innocent. It left me with a smile. It is a clean read. Does talk about prayers, and God's will. To me it was a good balance fitting the story. Though I do admit shedding a few tears in this story. Also some laughter.

Sarah was taking some lunch to the school house when she ended up being shot. Her husband and one other man was killed. Sarah wakes up having no memories of herself, or her husband even the killer. The killer believes that Sarah has his diamonds that he had stolen. While she was in the hospital a few others were killed even two policeman who was protecting her.

Samuel was raised Amish. He left the Amish and becames a undercover cop. When a murder and thief was after Sarah. They sent him undercover. Samuel knew and respected the Amish ways. He fit in better than anyone else could have. He could do the work around the farm close to the house to protect her.

Sarah was also pregnant. She lived with her in-laws. Because she had lost her family when she was younger they raised her. Sarah ham married her best friend their only son Peter. This will be Rebecca and Jacob's only grandchild.

The murder leaves no one alive who is a witness. He does not care who he hurts or kills to get what he wants. You just want him to stop hurting them and destroying everything he touches.

Sarah wonders who she really is. Who was her husband? They have no pictures to help her to remember. Her Amish community loves and cares about her even if she does not remember them.

Samuel living and dressing like an Amish again has to deal with his memories of what happened to him at 17 and made him choose to leave the Amish ways.

I really enjoyed Hidden in Plain View and definately want to read more books from Diane in the future.

I was given this ebook and asked to give honest review of it when I had finshed by Netgalley.
04/02/2013 PUB Harlequin Imprint Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense 224 pages ISBN:0373445350



Discription below taken off of Goodreads.

Colliding Worlds After a tragedy rips through her Amish community, Sarah Lapp doesn't remember anything. She can't recall her Plain upbringing, her deceased husband or the shooting that landed her under the protection of handsome undercover cop Samuel King. She is, however, aware of the confusing feelings he creates in her from the moment he walks into her life. Sam is determined to protect Sarah and her unborn baby in case the shooters return. Because if they do, it'll be more than just Sarah's memory at stake

McNally's Secret by Lawrence Sanders

3 STARS

This was a good mystery it kept me guessing. I really did not connect with any of the characters. Thats probably just me. Every character has good faults but mostly bad qualities stuck out for me. This is a clean read.

Archy works for his father a lawyer in Florida. He is sent into find out about a clients missing US. Stamps that had been stolen.
Her safe was not locked. Lady Cynthia Horowitz has been married six times and the stamps were part of a divorce settlement. A simalar set sold for a million dollars. Lady Cynthia is not a likeable person.

Most of the suspects are not either. While Archy is trying to discover if the stamps have been up for sale he finds a body. Now instead of just a theft their is a murder connected to it.

Archy keeps a lot of secrets from the police. His girl friend is thinking about her ex who gambles and just got out of prison.
Archy does not tell her what information he has about him. He wants him to be part of theft of the stamps.
Archy finds out a secret about his father but does not let him know that he knows either.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.
03/12/2013 PUB Open Road Integrated Media


Description below taken off of Netgalley.

New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Sanders introduces his most disarming detective in this powerhouse novel of passion, murder, and unabashed greed

Inveterate playboy Archy McNally gets paid to make discreet inquiries for Palm Beach’s power elite. But keeping their dirty little secrets buried will take some fancy footwork in McNally’s latest case.

A block of priceless 1918 US airmail stamps has gone missing from a high-society matron’s wall safe. Lady Cynthia Horowitz, now on her sixth husband, is a nasty piece of work who lives in a mansion that looks like Gone With the Wind’s Tara transplanted to southern Florida. McNally’s search takes him into a thickening maze of sex, lies, scandal, and blackmail. When passion erupts into murder and McNally must dig even deeper to uncover the truth, he unearths a shocking secret that could expose his own family’s skeletons.

His Callahan Bride's Baby (Callahan Cowboys) Tina Leonard

4 STARS

Their are about 10 books in the Callahan Cowboys and I have now read three of them. So I have missed a lot of why they are fighting so much. Or the secrets they know. The one thing the Callahan's are fighting for family and to stop drug dealers from using their land to cross through. They have a big family. They have served in the milatary.

Falcon asks the waitress Taylor to marry him after he was served the last beer before closing. The owner says she would be marrying down. It would not be a smart move for her. She makes a deal that she will set Taylor up with all the dates she can and if she chooses Falcon then it is her choice.

Falcon agrees to let the town throw guys at Taylor. Then he talks her into a late night date with him to go ghost hunting. While they walking out on the ranch Falcon disappears. Taylor picks up the flash light thinking that Falcon is going to jump out of nowhere to scare her, or he fell off a cliff or someone took him. She then hears fighting and runs back to the truck for the rifle and loads it. She finds Falcon fighting a big guy, another guy is waiting to hit him and two women. She fires the rifle hitting the waiting guy in the toe and breaks up the fight. Great first date.

Another time Taylor goes to the ranch and some other guy is shot on the ranch. Taylor and Falcon have a hard time dating because different guys,kidnapping,town setting up blind dates. Just one thing after another everytime it looks like things are starting to workout something else happens.

I like how Falcon reacts to the idea he will be a father to a little girl. Also how protective of his little girl he is. I wish that I could see more of Falcon and Taylor growing closer instead of jumping from one situation to another. The best part of the book I think is Falcon attitude with his daughter.

I wish all the Callahan Stories were together in one volume so I would remember better the different storylines.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.
Publisher: Harlequin (April 2, 2013) 224 pages ISBN-10: 0373754493

Discription below taken off of Amazon

"Marry Me, Taylor."
Those aren't the three little words Taylor Waters longs to hear from her crush, Falcon Chacon Callahan. The whole town knows the soldier-turned-rancher just needs a bride in order to inherit the coveted spread north of Rancho Diablo. Taylor wants more—even if Falcon is the hottest cowboy this side of the New Mexico border, which he proves one crazy, passionate night!

Family has always come first for Falcon, so when he finds out Taylor is pregnant with his baby, he declares a brand-new mission: to stand and fight for what's his. It will take maneuvering through some dangerous situations—and that legendary Callahan charm—to make Diablo's best girl fall in love with him. But to have his ranch at stake is one thing…what about his heart?

The Black Stiletto: Stars & Stripes by Raymond Benson

4 STARS

This is the third Black Stiletto novel. It keeps me rivited until I finshed reading.
Judy Cooper is the Black Stiletto's real name. Hardly anyone knows that she is her.
Judy volunteered for Kennedy's campagn and finds Russian Spys who want to kill Senator Kennedy.
She also gets involved with the chinese tongs in Chinatown. Police still want to arrest her at least most of them.
The novel starts with her son Martin and tells what is happening in his life with his mom in the care center, his daughter coping with being attacked in New York. Martin's ex-wife getting remarried. The drama of his life and inbetween his updates he is reading his mom's third diary book.
When reading Judy's diary it has the feeling that it is a real diary made in that time and place of the 60's. With all it's problems and good points.
The novel does a good job going from Martin's day to day life to Judy's diary and back again.
It's a lot of action,chases,fights and choices of good or bad.
I will continue to read the Black Stiletto books as they come out.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
04/02/2013 Publisher: Oceanview Publishing ISBN-10: 1608090728 325 pages

Description below taken off of Netgalley

It's 1960. The Black Stiletto, in her civilian persona as Judy Cooper, volunteers to work for John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, only to become involved in a devious behind-the-scenes plot that could change the course of history. Is the mysterious Eastern European man she briefly dated associated with a Cuban/Soviet spy ring? Closer to home, the Stiletto must challenge dangerous tongs in Chinatown after befriending a teenage boy whose father was killed by the gangs. She soon discovers what a different--and very deadly--world exists in lower Manhattan. In the present, Martin, the Stiletto's son, must deal with his mother's worsening Alzheimer's symptoms, his own mental health issues, and the dilemma of whether or not to reveal his family's secrets to the new woman in his life. Meanwhile, his daughter, Gina, continues to bring trouble to herself, exhibiting behavior that suggests she is closer in spirit to her grandmother than Martin would like. Every major character, past and present, experiences a turning point in this third chapter of the Black Stiletto series.