Covet thy Neighbor

 …leaping into the unknown can lead to all the dreams you never knew you had coming…

 The above statement is never shown more clearly than with Denise Carbo’s contemporary romance, Covet thy Neighbor, the latest in her Granite Cove series.

Single mother of ten year-old twin boys Olivia Banner doesn’t know she’s worth having dreams—because no one has ever told her she deserved them: not her rigid mother who is governed by archaic gender roles, nor her bitter, over-protective ex-mother-in-law; and certainly not her ex-husband, a textbook mama’s boy with a Peter Pan complex. Then she meets the  next-door neighbor, enigmatic writer Luke Hollister, and all of a sudden Olivia starts to question what she was never told, or shown, or given.  

And the fun begins.

       Covet thy Neighbor is chock full of varied characters from an intrepid, selfless heroine with a pack of witty, gutsy women pals at her back; and a man—who understands women and how they think—probably better than he thought he did—until he met the perfect one for him. This is one for the books. Brava, Ms. Carbo!

 On a scale of 1-5 Covet thy Neighbor deserves a 5.

      Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

 

 

 

 

Forever, My Vampire by Tony-Paul deVissage

  . . .His orders were simple: make himself accepted by the villagers, make them forget the past vampire stories and settle down . . .

 Forever, My Vampire, written by Tony-Paul deVissage, published by Worldwooze Publishing.

           It is 1926 in rural Ireland and the small village of Ballywalegh is in a proper uproar after the local manor house, uninhabited for more than a century, is reopened by its new owner, Karel Novotny—handsome as any movie actor, he is—with his odd acting staff, their fancy cars and furniture limited to those oversize caskets stored in the master bedroom.

On the eve of the annual Fall Fellowship Festival, old fears and myths start up again about strange happenings at the manor house and illnesses among the young women of the village. So what’s a man such as Seamus Flannery to do, when his lovely daughter Bridey arrives home from her teaching position for a short vacation, intent on attending the Fest?

On the heels of a most successful Festival when  Novotny and Bridey, as well as many of the other young people of the village, had themselves quite the time, illness strikes—just as it did before. Driven to frenzy, the villagers storm the manor house, looking to commit violence—just as they did before.

 Our Review: There are many terrific aspects of this delightful story, one of which is author deVissage’s ability to create the nuances of Irish-speak. Reading this story, for us, was a welcome visit home. Another excellent aspect is his ability to create parallel story lines, populated by intriguing characters, and a hint of mystery which kept us turning the pages.  

 On a scale of 1-5, Forever, My Vampire deserves a 6.

       Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

 

 

 

 

Gone Astray by Terry Korth Fischer

           A heart attack sends detective Rory Naysmith reeling. Too young to retire, he accepts a position in small-town Winterset, Nebraska. Handed an unsolved truck hijacking, With the assistance of a rookie, Rory sets out to prove he is still able to go toe-to-toe with younger men. When the body of a Vietnam veteran turns up, he dons his fedora and spit-shines his shoes. But before he can solve the murder, an older woman disappears, followed closely by a second hijacking. He doggedly works the cases, following a thread that ties the two cases together. But can Rory find the mental and physical strength to up his game to bring the criminals to justice before disaster strikes and he loses his job?

Gone Astray, a contemporary cozy mystery written by Terry Korth Fischer is a February 2021 release out of the Wild Rose Press.

Our Review: Rarely do we find a hero like Rory Naysmith, a man who uses his brain before resorting to brawn. His dry humor and wry comebacks are an absolute hoot. Author Fischer has created a team to support Rory in his efforts to solve crime in rural Nebraska. Each is well-drawn, special in their own right and great fun to read.

On a scale of 1-5 Gone Astray deserves a 7.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

 

Return of the Raven by Judith Sterling

 … A woman desperate to outlive a curse. A man anxious to help. As they forge a bond, they reshape the past as well as the future...

          In January 2020, we read Night of the Owl, for us the first of Judith Sterling's time traveling historical romances. There we met Ardyth Nightshade, a woman with a brain, imagination and courage. Fast forward to February 2021 as we met her parents [Margaret, Lady Ravenwood, and Griffen Nightshade], we knew immediately where Ardyth got her spunk.

In Return of the Raven, Margaret is functioning under the ages old Ravenwood Curse: unless a child is conceived in love, the mother will die in childbirth. Sadly, she is saddled with a brute of a husband who not only loathes her but is after her holdings. Not exactly what we’d call a loving union. Enter, by accidental discovery of Woden’s Stairs on his newly inherited Elizabethan manor, Griffen Nightshade, concert pianist and newly conferred PhD in medieval studies. The attraction is immediate and intense. Their actions to break the curse—and save their love and the lives of future children—is inventive and action-packed.

We have often said, writing historical fiction of any sub-genre is not for the wilting lilies of the world. Author Sterling entertained us with her intensive research into herbs and medicinals of the day as well as her delicious sense of humor. Imagine an 11^th century woman viewing a telephone, then an automobile, followed by the workings of an electric light switch. A complete and utter hoot.

          On a scale of 1-5, Return of the Raven, bk 5 of the Novels of Ravenwood, earns a 6

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

Home in Wylder

           Home in Wylder, written by Jane Lewis is a recent release for the Wylder West series out of the Wild Rose Press.

To escape gossip about her disastrous engagement, Sarah Miller flees to Wylder, Wyoming where her aunt owns a dress shop. But the danger she discovers in the wild west has her ready to board the next stagecoach out of town.

Daniel Taylor rescues a damsel in distress only to fall in love with her at first sight. The past has taught him that gentle women don't make Wylder their home. He intends to court Sarah, but braces himself for a broken heart, knowing she will eventually leave town.

When Sarah is forced to face down the men who have tormented her since her arrival in Wylder, she will have to make the most difficult decision of her life.

Our Review: There are many good qualities to this story. Perhaps one of the strongest is the author’s ability to create a colorful setting, paying particular attention to the details surrounding the “old west”, then populating it with multi-layered, compelling characters—each one different from the next and equally enchanting. Well done, Ms. Lewis.

On a scale of 1-5, Home in Wylder deserves a 6.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews. 

 

Rocked by Love

      “…Tell Mr. Santiago I don’t like being summoned…”

 Rocked by Love, Book 2, The Love and Chaos series, written by M.J. Schiller, and released by Kissmer Publishing, late 2020.

      The life-road of a rock star never runs smooth, a lesson rock guitarist Raphael Santiago learns the hard way after coming face to face with proud, self-confident reporter Mia Love. And like the first stages of any relationship, be it personal or professional, one must tread carefully or those hidden land mines—and there’s always a few hanging around—will explode in one’s face.

      At first glance, Mia Love might look and act self-confident—just as Rafe Santiago wears the persona of a hard-living, hard-loving rock star as if he was born to it. Both learn quickly, and often painfully, the familiar axiom about what happens when one assumes anything.

      Following on the heels of Rocked by Grace, Book 1 in M.J. Schiller’s Love and Chaos series, Rocked by Love teaches two lovers the power and hazards of mixing instant attraction with quick tempers, the dangers of buying into first impressions and assumptions. No two people deserve love and acceptance more than Rafe and Mia—it just takes them a while to figure all that out. And what a ride author Schiller takes her readers on.

            On a scale of 1-5, Rocked by Love deserves a 6.

          Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

Clockwork Gypsy

 . . . Join magician-illusionist Leopold Kazsmer as he searches the dangerous streets of late nineteenth century London on a quest to rescue his long-missing father while redeeming misdeeds of his youth in Clockwork Gypsy, Book 2 of the Enchanter Chronicles, written by Jeri Westerman, a September 2020 release out of  Dagua Press.

      For fans of steampunk with a twist, this is the book for you. Magician—illusionist Leo enjoys the respect and loyalty of a host of human and not-quite-human pals who are there to help, no matter the nature of his quest. The reader is reintroduced to characters from Book 1 of this energetic series: two Scotland Yard inspectors, one an Asian woman, the other a spirit with a whippy sense of humor. Add a few more varied species to the mix in the form of goblins and fairies, demons and trolls in this fast moving, page turner of an adventure. The fun never ends with this one.

 

On a scale of 1-5, Clockwork Gypsy deserves a 5.  

        Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews