A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is...

But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge— in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy— no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be in mortal danger...

But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten-year-old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending... ( synopsis from http://www.juliaquinn.com/)

Avon , Paperback, 384 Pages 

I have never read a Julia Quinn book that I didn't love and this is no exception. Daniel Smythe-Smith has come home after three years abroad. His exile in Italy was the result of a duel in which he accidentally shot and wounded his friend and the man's father swore to kill him. Now assured that the threat has been removed, Daniel returns home on the night of the dreaded Smythe-Smith musicale.

Anne Wynter is the governess of Daniel’s nieces and has been coerced into playing the piano for the recital after one of the girls fakes an illness.  Anne is mortified at having to perform in public, not only because she knows how horrible the group sounds but also because she does not like to be on public display. Anne has secrets in her past and she means to keep them there. Daniel spots her right away and is drawn to her but she has been burned before by the master of a house she works in and doesn’t want to lose her job.

Ms. Quinn has written a delightful tale of a man charming his way into a woman’s heart.  There is plenty of romance to be had and a good helping of suspense as well.  What always make me happiest in Ms. Quinn’s books are the little vignettes she adds that show the caring and good humor of the characters.  There is a scene where Daniel participates in a 12 act play that one of the girls wrote that is absolutely hilarious.

Daniel and Anne are both good people who have made tragic mistakes in their lives which they have paid a heavy price. Daniel has made peace with his past and is ready to move on but Anne is not there yet and has a lot of fear about her future and what could happen if she lets her guard down. As always love conquers all but it is a convoluted path to the end.  I am on pins and needles for the next Smythe-Smith installment.

Author Comments on Reviews

I am always thrilled when I get an author comment on a review I have written. My blog is still pretty small so it doesn't happen often but when it does. it's exciting. I generally only review books that I have liked although I don't hesitate to say what I have not liked about a book even though I have enjoyed it overall. So,  I hope that an author reading my review feels I have been respectful of their work and a comment from them reinforces that. I guess my basic book geek fan persona feels flattered that an author I have enjoyed appreciated my little post. or review on one of the big bookseller sites.

The first author comment was actually from one of my absolute favorite authors- Margaret Maron.  She pasted my review to FB and I was in alt! I was debating about keeping up the blog and it helped me decide to keep going.

My blog will never be one of the big blogs and I'm ok with that.  I write it primarily to inform our library patrons about Mystery and Romance books we own or will be purchasing. I have met many of the authors I review at Library Conferences or professional expositions and I have found them almost always to be friendly and open to chatting with their readers. We have had authors come to our library or Skype into our book discussions and they have been very open to all comments.  If an author had an issue with what I wrote I would want to know, especially if I had misinterpreted a story line or plot. I think if we respect them, they will respect us.

The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal

After tragedy shatters her small community in Seattle, the reverend Elsa Montgomery has a crisis of faith. Returning to her home town of Pueblo, Colorado, she takes refuge in a local soup kitchen. Preparing nourishing meals for folks in need, she keeps her hands busy while her heart searches for understanding.

Meanwhile, her sister, Tamsin, as pretty and colorful as Elsa is unadorned and steadfast, finds her perfect life shattered when she learns her financier husband is a criminal. Enduring shock and humiliation as her beautiful house and possessions are seized, the woman who had everything now has nothing but the clothes on her back.

But when the going gets tough, the tough get growing. A community garden in the poorest, roughest part of town becomes a lifeline. Creating a place of hope and sustenance opens Elsa and Tamsin to the renewing power of rich earth, sunshine, and the warm cleansing rain of tears. While Elsa finds her heart blooming in the care of a rugged landscaper, Tamsin discovers the joy of losing herself in the act of giving—and both women discover that with time and care, happy endings flourish.(Synopsis from B&N.com)

Random House, Trade Publication, 418 pages    5/5 bookmarks

Wow, what a thought provoking book this is. Elsa is a minister in a Seattle church who finds herself questioning her calling after the murder of one of her parishioners.  Elsa has had a long history of being disappointed by God, starting with her run in with a misogynist Catholic priest in her youth.

After being told by her church council that she needs to take a sabbatical, she ends up working with her lifelong friend, Joaquin, now a priest in their home town. She has a history with Father Jack, which led to one of her breaks with God, but they have both worked through it... or so they think. Elsa finds herself working on a community garden and developing an attraction to Deacon, the landscaper who is helping the church set up the garden.

I read this book the same week a young child was killed in a horrific accident in our state. I had a discussion with two co-workers about how hard I found it to believe that God would have a plan for us that could include such a terrible thing. Elsa has the same questions in this book.  She has kept her faith in God for most of her life even when it has been hard to do so-she has turned her back on Him but came back every time. I think that Ms. O’Neal does an excellent job in portraying the anguish that a person with a religious calling would have when they question whether their own faith is strong enough to keep going.  That said the book is hopeful and positive even as Elsa is struggling.

There is a side plot involving Tamsin, Elsa’s sister, who loses everything overnight when her financier husband disappears and is subsequently discovered to have bilked people out of millions of dollars. Tamsin has a crisis of physical loss-she has no money, no home, no job and no hope of getting any of those things in the immediate future.  Her daughter is overseas and has no idea of what is happening so Tamsin has the additional burden of keeping her circumstance a secret from her own child.

As always, Ms. O’Neal gives us a story with many layers that we can relate to even if our situation is not the same as the main character. Her characters survive life’s vagaries and find their own brand of happiness.  Isn’t that what we all strive for?

Betrayal, Bella Terra # 3 by Christina Dodd

Noah Di Luca and Penelope Alonso shared one passionate summer together. And then, when the secrets of his past threatened, Noah walked away from her without a word. Years later, Penelope must return to Bella Terra, never expecting that she will encounter Noah...or that one glance will reawaken their fiery passion. And as danger stalks the streets, she has no choice. To survive, she must once again trust the man who betrayed her.

Paperback, Penguin, 448 pages   Rating 5/5

Christina Dodd wraps up her Bella Terra series with a winner. This book tells the story of Noah, the last brother still unmarried. His past lover, Penelope, has returned to the area after the death of her mother to confirm her mother’s deathbed confession. She plans to stay away from Noah but ends up befriending his sister in law, Brooke and working as the decorator on Brooke and Rafe’s house. Needless to say, she meets up with Noah pretty quickly and the sizzle is still there.

After reading the first two books in this series, I expected suspense, but WOW!  This book is a page turner. Noah has some big secrets in his past that are about to unravel and take his family down with him if he isn’t extremely careful. Penelope has secrets of her own and she can tell that Noah is carrying a heavy burden but she isn’t sure that she is strong enough deal with her emotions about him. Ms. Dodd does an excellent job of setting up a scenario that seems impossible to end any other way but badly.

The characters from the other books play a big part in this book along with some new ones who really stir up the pot. Villainy abounds from every place  in which Noah and Penelope look for answers. There are parts of the book that seem very slightly contrived but somehow it works,  the plot stays true and doesn’t seem a stretch. The ending of the book is very satisfying with a nice twist in the last paragraphs.

Barefoot Season by Susan Mallery

Michelle Sanderson may appear to be a strong, independent woman, but on the inside, she's still the wounded girl who fled home years ago. A young army vet, Michelle returns to the quaint Blackberry Island Inn to claim her inheritance and recover from the perils of war. Instead, she finds the owner's suite occupied by the last person she wants to see.

Carly Williams and Michelle were once inseparable, until a shocking betrayal destroyed their friendship. And now Carly is implicated in the financial disaster lurking behind the inn's cheerful veneer.

Single mother Carly has weathered rumors, lies and secrets for a lifetime, and is finally starting to move forward with love and life. But if the Blackberry Island Inn goes under, Carly and her daughter will go with it.

To save their livelihoods, Carly and Michelle will undertake a turbulent truce. It'll take more than a successful season to move beyond their devastating past, but with a little luck and a beautiful summer, they may just rediscover the friendship of a lifetime.(Synopsis from B&N.com)

Trade Paperback, MIRA, 368 pages  Rating 5/5

I really enjoyed this book. It seems as though I have read many books recently where the heroine is supporting her wounded or psychologically damaged man but this time the wounded warrior is the heroine! Michelle is an interesting character as she is physically and emotionally damaged and we should instantly like her. But she is also nasty and vindictive and at first not really likable.

Carly, the other main character in the series, is also all of the things we normally admire; plucky single mom wronged by her husband and best friend, but she too has sides to her that are not very admirable. Both of these women have pasts that cause them to dislike each other but they also have a long friendship seems to be sorely needed by both of them.

When Michelle returns to run the inn her father left her years ago, she has just been discharged from a military hospital, and nothing is what she expected. Her recently deceased mother has run up the bills, added lots of unneeded parts to the inn and left Michelle’s former best friend in charge. Michelle has every intention of giving Carly the boot, but circumstances force the two women together. There have been betrayals on both sides and neither woman is ready to forgive let alone forget.

Ms. Mallery does a wonderful job of portraying two women in an awkward situation that have to just suck it up and get on with their lives. The reader thinks they know all of the reasons why they hate each other but we really only know the surface issue until halfway through the book. Both women need to find a way to coexist and put the past behind them. Michelle is dealing with PTSD and teetering on the edge of alcoholism. Her relationship with her landlord Jared is perfectly done- no Mr. Right jumping in and solving all of her problems right away. She has to work on getting better before the relationship. Carly also has to look at her priorities when a possible romance comes her way and not make the same bad decisions she has before.

There are some interesting secondary characters who provide a little villainy to the story but primarily the story revolves around Michelle and Carly which works very well. I am not sure if this is the start to a series but I would definitely enjoy another visit to Blackberry Island (Daisies and all)!

Thanks to Netgalley.com for the egalley.

Cooking the Books: Corinna Chapman # 6 by Kerry Greenwood

Corinna Chapman, talented baker and reluctant investigator, is trying very hard to do nothing at all on her holidays. Her gorgeous Daniel is only intermittently at her side (he's roaming the streets tracking down a multi-thousand dollar corporate theft). Jason, her baking offsider, has gone off to learn how to surf. And Kylie and Goss are fulfilling their lives' ambition auditioning for a soapie. It should be a time of quiet reflection for Corinna but quiet reflection doesn't seem to suit her - she's bored.

Scenting a whiff of danger, Corinna accepts an offer from a caterer friend to do the baking for the film set of a new soap called 'Kiss the Bride'. The soapie in which Kylie and Goss have parts. Twists and turns and complications that could only happen to Corinna ensue involving, bizarrely, nursery rhymes and a tiger called Tabitha.

While on the other side of town, a young woman is being unmercifully bullied by her corporate employers - employers who spend a lot of time cooking the books.

Poisoned Pen Press, Hardcover, 250 pages

Corinna Chapman is on holiday and looking forward to spending time with her lover, Daniel. Her assistant Jason is off surfing and her sometimes helpers have gotten bit parts in a film/soap opera called Kiss the Bride.  Corinna’s holiday is interrupted when she gets guilted into helping an old school mate do catering for the film production and Daniel gets offered a case to work on.  Lena, an overweight accountant, has lost bearer bonds that her company wanted her to register and they are threatening her job if the bonds aren’t found. Daniel agrees to take the case and tracks down one bond to a homeless man named Pockets.  In the meantime, Corinna is dealing with an interesting cast of characters (pardon the pun) on the movie set.  The film’s star is a major diva and there have been a rash of pranks directed at her. There is a serial womanizer who is making up to the baker who is working with Corinna, a handsome but vain leading man, a harassed assistant to the star, and other assorted people who could be the culprits. Soon Corinna finds herself in the middle of the drama and pulls Daniel in.  He gets asked by the diva to find her long lost son who she put up for adoption.

Corinna and Daniel are getting nowhere with Pockets and he starts them on a merry chase looking for clues that he leaves all over the city.  The clues are based on popular nursery rhymes and Daniel has little to no experience with them so Corinna finds herself involved in his case.  Added to the stress is the fact that her empty headed helpers have told Jason she has replaced him and Corinna is worried he will go back to drugs. A restful holiday it is not!

I really love this series (and the Phryne Fisher series) written by Ms. Greenwood. Corinna is an interesting character, an overweight ex- accountant who became a successful baker. She and Daniel have a wonderful relationship and they work together well.  The secondary characters always fit just right into the story and we learn a little more about them in each book.  This mystery is totally believable and even the missing baby story has a very plausible resolution with an added twist.  I enjoy the little tidbits about the culture of Australia in the books.  This book is a great addition to the series!

Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr

Katie Malone and her twin boys' trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie is having trouble putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.

Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the sight of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another.

In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road. ( synopsis from B&N.com)

Mira, Paperback, 384 pages

Katie Malone has moved to Virgin River to be near her big brother Connor. Katie and her twin boys were forced to move from their home when Connor became the sole witness to a murder and was threatened by the killer. Katie was widowed when her husband was killed overseas in the Army and she wants to settle down and rebuild her family life.  On her way to VR, she gets a flat on her SUV and is rescued by a group of bikers, one of whom she recognizes as a former child star she had a crush on.

Dylan Childress left Hollywood when his grandmother Adele swept in and took him to live with her. Dylan was a big TV star whose best friend had just died at the age of 15 from a drug overdose/suicide attempt. Living with his grandmother taught Dylan how to have a normal life away from his fame obsessed mother and step siblings.  Dylan owns an air transport business in Montana and is in VR for a holiday.  Neither he nor Katie want to start a relationship that will go nowhere because of their different goals in life, but they can’t keep away from each other. It seems to be a romance that is doomed to cause unhappiness and misery but who listens to their head when the attraction is so strong….

One of the things I like about Ms. Carr’s Virgin River books is the slice of life aspect they have.  As in the real world, life goes on for all of the secondary characters while the hero and heroine are going through whatever angst they are into.  The community plays a part in the story and many times is instrumental in having the couples work out their issues. Dylan and Katie found normalcy and continuity in Virgin River which made it possible for them to come together when their own insecurities would have kept them apart.  This book has a satisfying and realistic ending that fits in with the rest of the series.