There Was an Old Woman by June Summers

    . . . They make an unlikely trio: this grieving grandmother and her two young grandchildren. . . 

Nora Mitchell just lost her husband of forty-one years. After the funeral, to help her cope with the brutal loneliness, her grandchildren opt to spend the summer with her on her rural, lakefront property. Little do they know the life-changing experience that will result from their decision when those gunmen burst through the front door, take them hostage and demand all of Nora’s money and valuables.

Contending with the physical and mental abuse inflicted by their captors, this feisty older woman and two clever kids fight back, using strengths none knew they possessed.

 Our Review: Author June Summers takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions, first by showing Nora’s bone-deep grief from the sudden loss of her beloved spouse to helplessness, fear, then rage when these armed bullies show very clearly they mean to kill her and her darling grandchildren if she doesn’t cooperate. But these bullies underestimate the wise and clever Nora who is above all a realistic woman filled with common sense and courage. The ending to this timely story will leave you breathless—when you’re not on your feet cheering.

 On a scale of 1-5, There Was an Old Woman deserves a 7.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

Kissed by Winter by Darlene Fredette

                 “ . . .she put the spark back into his eyes. . .”

      Danielle Lerato, an up and coming property developer, loves her life in metropolitan Victoria, British Columbia, one filled with regular visits to the best salons and restaurants, and those trendy yoga sessions. She especially favors the mild weather of her chic, metropolitan existence. The thought of relocating to the opposite side of the country is just that: a thought, not a given thing. In fact, the memory of her last trip to the Atlantic Coast left a bitter taste in her mouth.  

      Andrew Bailey is content as the co-owner of a family run restaurant in rural Redford Falls on Canada’s Atlantic Coast where he lives for winter sports of all types—and there are a whole ton of them. The last thing he wants some big city blonde who looks down her nose at his rustic restaurant.

      Lured to Redford Falls on the pretext of a business opportunity, one look at the thigh-deep snow drifts tells Danielle to keep her stay short and get back home before the moon goes through too many phrases. After Andrew rescues her from a disastrous collision with a snowbank, the two recognize each other from a brief interplay months ago. Opposites attract like fire and water, honey and vinegar, big city chic and small-town rustic. Then the fun begins.

 Our Review:  Author Darlene Fredette treats the reader to a fun read filled with crisp, snappy dialogue in the middle of a charming setting and supporting characters who are at once colorful and diverse. Fans of this talented author are in for a treat.

On a scale of 1-5, Kissed by Winter deserves a 6.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

 

 

 

 

Hometown by Wendy Rich Stetson

When all roads lead home, choosing the right one is never easy…

When Tessa Meadow's plans take the A Train to disaster, she lands back in her sleepy hometown, in the middle of Pennsylvania's Amish Country, and meets Jonas Rishel whose ties to the land and his family's Amish community grow strong and deep. Will Tessa continue her journey on the superhighway to the future—or take a slow walk through the tight, close-knit culture she never dreamed she'd glimpse from the inside?

Our Review:  First, we have rarely met such well-drawn characters who clearly and concisely meet the definitions of polar opposites. It was a true delight to meet them both. Second, the romance between Tessa and Jonas is almost heart breaking for its intensity as well as star-struck quality. Third, we weren’t expecting the ending and man, were we happy to have our socks knocked off. Well done, Ms. Stetson. Very well done.

On a scale of 1-5, Hometown deserves a solid 6.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

How Everything Turns Away

Ezra James used to be a big deal: Harvard grad, FBI agent and a beautiful wife. After allegations of fabricating evidence on a serial murder case, he finds himself suspended, on the verge of divorce, and working security at a posh Catholic school in suburban Chicago.

          When a student teacher is attacked, then left for dead during a school event, Ezra, along with an up-and- coming female police detective and school chaplain, Fr. Remy Mbombo, must work fast before the culprit returns to finish the job.

How Everything Turns Away, an Ezra James Mystery, written by Steven J. Kolbe and recently released by the Wild Rose Press.

Our Review: For an intriguing insider’s view of a posh private school, where everyone—including the enigmatic school chaplain with as many secrets as the confessional booth—has an agenda. Combine this with a wounded hero who refuses to let life’s vagaries keep him down, and the reader has him/herself with a honey of a fast-paced mystery.

How Everything Turns Away is a story for that reader who appreciates dry humor, busybody PTA members, and smart-mouthed teenagers. Clearly this author is well acquainted with the ins and outs of an educational system as well as the rigors of foreign missionary work. Well done!!

On a scale of 1-5, How Everything Turns Away deserves a 7.

 Kat Henry Doran, Two Wild Women Reviews

 

 

 

 

Eat Your Heart Out by Shirley Goldberg

           When a tyrant in stilettos replaces her beloved boss, and her ex snags her coveted job, teacher Dana Narvana discovers there are worse things than getting dumped. Enter Dana's staunchest ally: Alex Bethany, hunky co-teacher, quipster, and cooking genius. But when after-hours smooching goes nowhere, she wonders why this grown man can’t seem to make up his mind—about anyone or anything.   

Our Review: Eat Your Heart Out is filled with a wealth of relatable characters whom anyone whose been through an ugly break-up, is contemplating getting on the dating wheel after decades, or simply starting over after a major life-changing event. We were hooked from the first page by Dana’s smart mouth and in-your-face attitude—when we weren’t laughing out loud.

On a scale of 1-5, Eat Your Heart Out deserves a 4.5.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

An Unexpected Wife by Susan Payne

 Gone. It was all gone. The reason she sold half her wardrobe to buy a ticket all the way to Nebraska. The reason she turned down marriage to the twice-widowed butcher back in Cincinnati, Ohio. The reason she was on the ten-thirty Union Pacific to Whitewater Rapids. Now there was no reason to be there.

Wallowing in self-pity, for the first time in her life, she felt adrift without a home, a family, or anyone to care. She always had someone to take care of and be part of before. Now that her father had passed, and his professor’s wages with him, Lorelei needed to find a new life for herself. This position as town librarian was to be it. Now it, too, was gone.

Our Review:  Having read and reviewed a number of Ms. Payne’s works, An Unexpected Wife is her best effort to date. On reading the above passage, we were drawn in immediately by the fear and sadness, the need to simply give in to fate and give up entirely. Who/What/Why we asked—and kept turning the pages to learn more about Lorelei and Luke Foster, the man who “rescues” her and is in turn rescued. This is a wonder of a story.

 On a scale of 1-5, An Unexpected Wife deserves a 6.

      Kat Henry Doran, Two Wild Women Reviews

 

 

 

 

Genuine Fake by Susan Vaughan

         When sparks between them ignite to flames, the danger escalates—to their lives and their hearts.

      Devlin Security operative Boyd Kirby guards only art and artifacts. Memories of leading his Army Ranger team into a deathtrap haunt him, so he swears never to protect people. But when the woman who once stole his heart asks for help, he can’t refuse. The search for Gemma Bellini’s missing friend leads to a complex case of art forgery and murder attempts on her life. Sweating bullets, Boyd vows not to be distracted by her warmth and his desire. He damn well will protect her… with his life.

 Our Review:  It’s always a treat to read a novel filled with a serious relationship between two intelligent, well-written characters who possess realistic goals, motivation, and conflict. Then when it’s spiced with danger and suspense—also realistic and carefully drawn, it’s advances up the rung on the fantastic read meter. Susan  Vaughan continues to keep us entertained with her novels of non-stop action and suspense. She doesn’t stop there because her characters are people you’d be pleased to welcome into your home and get to know better. Thank you for a terrific read.

 On a scale of 1-5, Genuine Fake deserves a 6.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

 There’s nothing like a few lies, a group of foreign spies and a conspiracy to protect sexual predators

 Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, published by Hachette Book Group.

 Sexual assault is not new—it’s existed since biblical days. As then, it remains very well hidden from view by its victims who, for untold numbers of reasons, feel what happened to them was their fault.

Because that’s what society has told them.

Because that’s what the perpetrator—and those in power who aided and abetted the rapists/abusers in their “careers”—have reminded these victim-survivors again and again in an effort to keep silent.

No more.

 As Farrow and his gutsy, tireless team undertook to seek out, then interview of women assaulted and abused by Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein, he exposed a decades-long cover up by friends and associates. Most actively helped Weinstein continue his abusive behaviors by not taking a stand and say “Enough!”. Others abetted by their silence or looking the other way, thus excusing rape, sodomy, coercion, libel, slander:

Why? Because he could. Because others helped him.

Along the way of Farrow’s exhaustive investigation, the names of other prominent men came to light. Again behaviors were excused, denied, ignored and by the use of something called an NDA—non-disclosure agreement—one more way to keep a woman in her place, and silent. Somehow we’ll never view NBC in quite the same way again. Shame on you Noah Oppenheimer, Andy Lack, Steve Burke and Matt Lauer.

 God bless Ronan Farrow and the women who came forward to speak the unspeakable. Catch and Kill is their story, the anthem of the #MeToo movement.

 On a scale of 1-5, Catch and Kill deserves a 10.

 Kat Henry Doran, Two Wild Women Reviews