Goodreads tells me I’m on track for meeting my reading goal for 2023, and what fun I’m having!
MY REVIEW:
From the stunning cover to the last page of the story, Restless Mayhem drew me in for a fast-paced ride! This author merged ancient Native American ceremonies and traditions with modern times in such a profound way. I loved all the prayers, ceremonial fires, the grandfather’s tea and wisdom, painting the body to prepare for battle, and most importantly, the respect for nature and Mother Earth.
Poachers are capturing gray wolves, who are on the edge of extinction, and selling the chance to hunt them to the highest bidder. Not only wolves but majestic eagles, cougars, and other animals. Plus, they are breeding wolfdogs, which is strictly forbidden. Someone must stop them.
Mr. Mayhem is the man for the job. But he needs a partner, and Shawnee is ready and eager to learn.
There are so many things that stand out about each character in this story, and I’m not sure I can list them all. I love Mr. Mayhem’s strength, connection to nature, sheer brutality when fighting the bad guy, his relationship with the beautiful white crow (his wife) and the black crow, Poe, his son. But it’s his relationship with Curious Cat that kept the story moving.
Curious Cat, aka Mourning Dove, aka Shawnee, is training to be an eco-warrior, and she is as tough and determined as they come. Her grandfather loves her unconditionally and tries to protect her. Yet, she needs to know how to exist as one with nature and how to fight the enemy. So Mr. Mayhem puts her through rigorous training that would deter a weaker person. But not Shawnee. She embraces each lesson, determined to prove her worth.
They make a good team, her and Mr. Mayhem.
While there were times I was a little confused by the various character names and mention of prior events, the book works as a standalone. If I had read previous segments of the series, I would have had a better understanding of each character’s role. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you love learning more about Native American traditions and beliefs while immersed in intense action, you will enjoy this book.
MY REVIEW:
Author, Linda Broday, is well-known for her ability to place the reader inside the story with the characters, and this new release is no exception.
Mariah Bartee is struggling to survive in a small isolated town in the Colorado mountains. Tasked with raising her two younger siblings after the death of her parents, life is anything but easy for her. There is not only danger from nature but from the ruthless moonshiners that keep everyone in fear and looking over their shoulders. But where else could she go? She knows nothing but this mountain. She’s never even seen a city.
When a handsome stranger, Dax Talon, arrives searching for his sister, who is missing, Mariah feels something new and foreign to her. She’s attracted to the stranger.
Dax follows a trail that takes him to the small town in hopes of finally finding his sister and bringing her back home. He’s not expecting to find a beautiful young woman that takes his breath away.
This story has all the elements you’ve come to expect in a Broday story. Not only does it have titillating romance, but danger, suspense, life-threatening situations, and family dynamics. An added bonus to the story is the hobos who frequent the town, bringing news from far away and providing much-needed entertainment.
If you’re looking for a book that will entertain you, sweep you away to another place and time, and give you hope for happy endings, this is the book for you!
MY REVIEW:
Mary Claire DeWinter has been summoned to her dying grandfather’s bedside. She is blind and eighteen years old. She is prepared for the icy welcome from her aunt, but she is not prepared for the reading of her grandfather’s will. She is the sole heir to Westfield Court with one stipulation. She must marry within a year. Otherwise, the estate will revert to the state of Massachusetts.
Not only is Mary Claire not looking for a husband, but she is also anxious to resume her studies and further her education.
As with any large estate, there is a staff of servants, including a war veteran chauffeur, Neil Vincent.
Neil befriends Mary Claire, and they have lively talks about books, Neil’s favorite pastime, and religion, Mary Claire’s favorite subject.
The story takes an unexpected and unusual twist as romance buds between the two. Neil is old enough to be the girl’s father. Mary Claire is looking for a friend in a hostile environment.
The author takes the reader through situations where the characters are forced to examine their faith, their beliefs, and their true feelings. It is an easy read and a heartwarming story. If you are a fan of an unlikely romance in an unusual setting, you will enjoy Bridges by Linda Griffin.
MY REVIEW:
Jacquie Biggar is an author I can always rely on to deliver a great story. And this book is no exception. I read this book in one sitting.
I fell in love with the characters and the setting immediately.
Sophia left the family ranch, where she’d lived all her life, to move to New York and pursue a career far away from the one man that could make her knees weak and blood boil. Sophia and Tony were teenage sweethearts. So, when Sophia left, it crushed her that Tony never tried to reach out, never asked why and apparently didn’t care enough to try.
But when Sophia is called back to the ranch after her grandmother’s death, sparks immediately fly between them. Their history is so strong it pulls them both back into a passionate relationship. The story deepens as the ranch is in financial trouble, and Sophia’s two brothers can’t seem to agree on anything. Tony is exasperatingly complacent and obviously holding secrets that he is eventually forced to share to save the family’s legacy.
As I said, I loved all the characters. And while this is the second book in a series, I was not lost. It works as a standalone. If you like an intense romance with a great storyline and plot, you will enjoy this story.
MY REVIEW:
In this short read, the author takes us through the lives of two characters from childhood to adulthood. Simone has been in the Catholic orphanage since she was a baby. It’s all she’s ever known. Anndre’ arrives at the orphanage at the age of 11, angry, grieving for his lost parents, and closed off to everyone.
Simone is determined to show Andre’ compassion and love, so she chooses to do that with the gift of a frog from the pond. From that moment forward, their friendship and close bond develop until they are inseparable. When Andre’ turns 18 and leaves the orphanage, Simone grieves daily for him. They’d fallen deeply in love. Then all communication stops, and she never recovers. Did their love mean nothing?
Then she gets the shock of her life when Andre’ shows up in a priest’s frock. I won’t spoil the story for anyone, but I will say this book drew me in from the first page to the last. The secrets, the demons, the betrayals, and most of all, the undying love is a story that will tug at your heart.
MY REVIEW:
This book is part of this author’s Order of The Dragon Knights series, and while it is the first one I’ve read from that series, I was not lost. I think I might have had more of a connection to some of the characters and their backgrounds if I’d read some of the other books first.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this story immensely.
The story begins in modern-day times, with Gwen Hywell, a weaver, who has been commissioned to weave a tapestry for the MacFhearguis family living at the newly restored Leòmhann Castle. I loved the description of the ancient castle and the conversations between Meggie and Adam MacFearguis, which include glimpses into Adam’s past as a Dragon Knight.
When their young son, Jamie, takes Gwen on a horseback ride to see the countryside surrounding the castle, the lure of a golden thread embedded into a yew tree sends Gwen tumbling back in time to the year 1209, where she finds herself in danger of being kidnapped by King John’s men. It is Patrick MacFearguis who takes an arrow in the shoulder while rescuing her and takes her to Castle Urquhart, where Patrick can heal. I loved all the characters in this story, but especially the women at Castle Urquhart. My favorite conversation is between Gwen and the other women, where she learns she isn’t the only one who, through the magic of the fae, has tumbled back in time to find their true love. They each talk about the things they miss from their previous modern-day world.
While struggling to accept that she is indeed in a time period eight-hundred years past, she and Patrick fall in love. Will Gwen decide to stay? Will she send herself back to her time period, to an empty life with no family and no one to love her? You’ll have to read the book to find out. The descriptions are rich, the story compelling, and the characters three-dimensional. Going forward, I will be reading other books from this series.
That’s it from me for this month. I only post 4 and 5-star reviews, and all opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I hope you found something to add to your towering TBR pile!