Love in Disguise - Not Your Usual Historical Fiction

When I read the back-cover blurb describing author Carol Cox's latest release, Love in Disguise, I was intrigued.

Jobless, and down to her last dime. Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it is the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use...she adopts the disguise of elderly Lavinia Stewart and takes off to Arizona--arriving in a stagecoach.

Did I mention this is a historical? The story takes place in 1881, and Arizona was a far cry from Ellie's native Chicago. The wild west to be sure. She pulls off her Lavinia disguise, but can she do the same playing Lavinia's ravishing niece as she tries to track down thieves who are stealing shipments from a local silver mine. All goes well until the mine owner falls in love with the niece.

I did have a problem at the beginning staying with the story, as the pacing seemed to drag at times when Ellie seemed to have similar situations over and over again. It also took me a while to connect to the character, but once I did, I came to enjoy the story as a light read.

Cox has blended a serious subject with just the right amount of humor to make a unique storyline that is bound to keep you turning pages until you reach the last page. And Cox knows her stuff when it comes to Arizona, because that's where she lives!

This is the first book I've read by this author and I look forward to reading more in the future.

Bethany House Publishers provided a complementary copy of this book for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another New Book Cover - Love Will Find a Way!

This has truly been my week for new book covers. The other day I shared the cover for Love Finds You in Lake Geneva Wisconsin, and today I'm very excited to present the cover for my November 2012 release, Love Will Find a Way.

This is Book 2 in the On The Road to Love Series, and a sequel to my debut novel, Thyme for Love, which released last November.

You do not need to have read Thyme for Love before reading this one, but if you haven't yet read it and want to, it's available on Amazon in print or Kindle edition.

Love Finds You in Lake Geneva Wisconsin - The Cover!

I have been beside myself in waiting to be able to show the world the beautiful cover Summerside Press has designed for my April 2013 release. And the day has finally arrived!

This story is set in my hometown, and it is a huge blessing from God that I have been granted the opportunity to show the world through this story the beauty of the small Wisconsin town where I grew up.

So without further ado here is my new cover!

Dying to Read Something Good? Try Dying to Read!

I love cozy mysteries, and when I’m not writing historical romance or women’s fiction, I’m writing cozies as well as reading them.

When I received the opportunity to review Dying to Read, author Lorena McCortney’s first book in a new cozy series called The Cate Kinkaid Files, I was on board faster than I could say “yes.”

And I wasn’t disappointed.

The tagline for the story reads: 

“All she wanted was a paycheck. What she got was murder.” 

Love. It.

With her life seeming to be out of control thanks to a job history as long as her arm and a failed romance, Cate Kincaid takes up her Uncle Joe’s offer to act as his assistant PI while he undergoes some surgery. No violence, he promises. Easy peasy stuff.

Her first assignment is to locate the niece an elderly client is trying to find. But, as soon as she arrives at the dark Victorian, the person’s last known address, she runs into a group of mystery-loving ladies known as the Who-Done-It Book Club and she realizes this is not going to be an ordinary case. Suffice it to say the Who-Done-It’s are only the beginning of a mystery that requires more time to unravel than a knotted ball of old yarn. Certainly more time than simply looking up a person to deliver a message would take. I had a couple quibbles with the storyline in places, but they were only minor compared to the entertainment that Dying to Read provided. A great way to spend the last hazy, crazy days of summer.

McCortney spins a tale that keeps the reader turning pages, wondering if Cate will ever get out of her latest predicament. A lot of humor, some pathos, and even a smattering of romance makes this a delightful read. Now I can’t wait to see what Cate gets into in the next book.

You can get a copy on line or at your favorite book and mortar store. Either way, you won’t want to miss this one.

About the Author:

Lorena McCourtney is the award-winning author of dozens of novels, including Invisible (which won the Daphne du Maurier Award from Romance Writers of America), In Plain Sight, On the Run, and Stranded. She resides in Oregon. 

Note: I received a copy of Dying to Read from Revell Publishers for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own and no one else’s.

Lethal Legacy--Another Winner for Author Irene Hannon

Irene Hannon scores another hit with her newest release, Lethal Legacy, from Revell Publishing, the third in her Guardians of Justice series. I’ve read one other book in this series and really enjoyed Hannon’s ability to write edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense. 

Kelly Warren’s father’s death was ruled a suicide, and the case was considered closed by the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons. Whew, that’s a long name for a police department, but these guys aren’t short on courage, smarts, and some hunky good looks to boot.

Kelly has never been at peace with the conclusion her father killed himself, and when she receives a gift in the mail that was preordered by her dad the day before his death, she concludes her instincts are right. The detective that worked her case in on vacation and in his absence, handsome Cole Taylor steps in to help – reluctantly. But his reluctance quickly changes to enthusiasm as easy-on-the-eyes Kelly grabs a piece of his heart that has been closed for quite a while.

Romantic and crime-solving tension weave through this story, with just the right amount of levity thrown in when Cole and his brothers and sister get together for their weekly brunches. I laughed out loud at several of those scenes which also made this only child yearn for such a family.

Except for one small instance where I felt the plot point was somewhat contrived, I found this fast-paced story believable and enjoyable.

Irene Hannon has written more than 40 romance and romantic suspense novels. Her books have been honored with two RITA awards—the “Oscar” of romantic fiction—and she is a six-time finalist for that prestigious honor. Her books have also won a Daphne du Maurier award, a Carol award, a HOLT Medallion, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Retailers Choice Award and two Reviewers’ Choice awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. One of her novels was also named by Booklist as one of the top 10 inspirational fiction books of 2011.

Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full-time.

I highly recommend this book. Available now in bookstores and on line.

NOTE: Lethal Legacy was provided to me by Revell Publishing, free of charge for purpose of review. All opinions expressed here are my own.