Jennifer Trethewey's Blog, page 4

The Devil’s Own Duke

Here’s my review of Lenora Bell’s The Devil’s Own Duke!

Henrietta has never done anything reckless in her life until she has a chance encounter with a rakishly handsome man at a ball. All it takes is a dance and a dare and she throws caution to the wind. What harm would there be in experiencing her first kiss with a perfect stranger she will likely never meet again? The answer is, plenty! It’s a war of wills between Lady Henrietta Prince, who is striving to revive her family fortune through her winemaking business and Ash Ellis, a scoundrel hell-bent on justice. It’s so easy to fall in love with Bell’s characters. They are flawed in the most delicious ways. Say yes to The Devil’s Own Duke.

And here’s the publisher’s description:

Lady Henrietta Prince is far too busy for romance. She’s dedicated her life to turning her family vineyards into a profitable sparkling wine venture. But when she shares a thrilling kiss at midnight with a handsome stranger, she’s captivated…until he claims to be the distant heir to her father’s dukedom. Ash Ellis is a gambler who lives life on the edge. Now he’s locked his sights on a glittering prize and nothing will stand in his way. When Henrietta is forced to marry the wicked rogue to keep her beloved vineyards, she vows that Ash will never have her trust, or her love. Even if his kisses are more intoxicating than the finest champagne. His new bride is certainly beautiful, but biddable? Not so much. Ash will settle for nothing less than Henrietta’s total surrender…but is he the one in danger of losing his heart?

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A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman

I was very fortunate to have one of my titles included among over a dozen written by outstanding and best selling historical romance authors last month. The least I can do as thanks is to buy, read, and review those books.

Here is my first, a review of Kate Bateman’s A Reckless Match:

I must shout about this novel because WELSHMEN!!! Oh yeah. You had me at “cariad.”  A Reckless Match is the first in what will no doubt be one of my favorite historical romance series. It’s got everything: forbidden love, scoundrels, bloody-minded females, numbskull smugglers, a family feud, and, of course, a stollen pig! I love Kate’s writing, her characters stick with me long after I finish the book, and I am so looking forward to book two in her Ruthless Rivals series. I listened to the audio version and I truly enjoyed the narrator, Beverly Crick.

Here’s the Publisher’s Summary:

The first in a new regency romance series about two feuding families, and reunited childhood enemies whose hatred turns to love.

Maddie Montgomery’s family is in debt, and her hope rests on the rival Davies clan missing their yearly “pledge of goodwill”, ceding the land that separates their estates. With Maddie’s teenage nemesis, Gryffud “Gryff” Davies, Earl of Powys, away, hope is in reach. But then Gryff shows up on a horse and is stunned that the tomboy he once teased is now a woman. When Gryff and Maddie discover contraband on their land, they realize it can benefit both families. But they’ve also uncovered a dangerous plot, and they need to work together to get out alive. Soon their hatred for each other starts to feel more like attraction. Kate Bateman brings crackling banter, steamy romance, and a dash of adventure into the first book in the Ruthless Rivals series.

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Huge Book Giveaway Ends Sunday, September 26th

In case you haven’t seen my posts on Facebook and Twitter, I am participating in the Scandal in September Giveaway!

Love Historical Romance? This is the giveaway for you! One lucky winner will win all FIFTEEN of these signed print books from authors Kate Bateman, Eloisa James, Lorraine Heath, Tessa Dare, Lenora Bell, Kerrigan Byrne, Jade Lee, Tabetha Waite, Sophie Barnes, Sally Mackenzie, Scarlett Scott, Janna MacGregor, Bethany Bennett, Kate Pembrooke and me, Jennifer Trethewey. PLUS a Kindle Paperwhite e-reader! Wow!

HOW TO ENTER? Here’s the contest link: https://bit.ly/ScandalInSeptember

You’ll get one entry for following an author on their chosen social media, or by signing up to their newsletter. Multiple entries are allowed – follow all fifteen authors for more chances to win! Good Luck!

Contest ends September 26th 2021. One random winner will be chosen. Open Worldwide.

The signed books are:

A Reckless Match – Kate Bateman

The Devil’s Own Duke – Lenora Bell

Scoundrel Of My Heart – Lorraine Heath

The Duchess Deal – Tessa Dare

Wilde Child – Eloisa James

Not The Kind Of Earl You Marry – Kate Pembrooke

The Business Of Blood – Kerrigan Byrne

A Duke In Time – Janna MacGregor

West End Earl – Bethany Bennett

Lady Ruthless – Scarlett Scott

Saving The Scot – Jennifer Trethewey

Into The Lyon’s Den – Jade Lee

Cheers To The Duke – Sally MacKenzie

Why The Earl Is After The Girl – Tabetha Waite

The Dishonored Viscount – Sophie Barnes

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Behind the Lens by Jeannée Sacken

I’m back to posting romance and women’s fiction reviews. And this next one is a favorite. As it says on her bio, Jeannée Sacken is an author, a photographer, and adventurer. She and her husband have traveled all over the world and photographed people, wildlife, and monuments in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Madagascar, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. She’s even climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro! So, when she creates a fictional war photographer named Annie Hawkins Green, she does so with accuracy and a deep knowledge of the places she describes. This is my five star review of Behind the Lens.

From page one of Behind the Lens, Jeannée Sacken plunges her readers headlong into a foreign and often hostile culture—total immersion. With every turn of the page the tension slowly ratchets up to its explosive ending. Jeannée Sacken’s main character, war photographer Annie Hawkins Green, allows the reader to hitch a ride to Afghanistan in her camera bag. And it is a hair-raising ride beginning to end. If Annie doesn’t find trouble, trouble finds her. Add a touch of romance and Behind the Lens will top your list of unputdownables.

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Queen of Crows by S.L. Wilton

I’m absolutely delighted I can post my review of Steve Wilton’s fantasy novel, Queen of Crows. He’s another Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp alum. Even though I write Highland and Regency romance, I love to read fantasy, so I have been waiting for this one to be released. You can pre-order now! Here’s my review: 

As a GOT fan, I thought nothing could be better than dragons until I met the Wyverns in S.L. Wilton’s new Queen of Crows. I only hope this is the first in a trilogy because I want more. When her father the king is betrayed in battle, Sophia must take on the role of queen before she is fully prepared. Shortly after she is anointed, her cousin stages a coup. The few soldiers still loyal to her father’s memory spirit her away from the castle before she is forced into marrying the usurper. What follows is Sophia’s quest for an army brave enough to help her take back the throne. Along the perilous journey back to power, Sophia’s character as a leader is forged in the fires of adversity. She has help from friends, wizards, and wyverns but, in the end, Sophia does it all on her own. Five gold stars for Queen of Crows.

And here’s the book blurb on Amazon: In a world of strange magic, dangerous creatures, and villainous wyverns, an ousted young queen struggles to regain her throne. Sophia Pendergast’s quest is complicated by deep-rooted misogyny embedded in her culture and religion. Her lover, a dashing young knight, offers her a life in obscure comfort, but she refuses to abandon her people to the usurper’s whims. To retake her throne and set prophecy on its path, she must embrace a long-denied secret and discover a prophecy’s hidden meaning. In S. L. Wilton’s Queen of Crows, we discover simple truths may not exactly be simple.

 

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The Missing Hand by Susan Van Dusen

I met Susan Van Dusen at a Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp in 2015, the first time I attended. I was instantly drawn to her dry humor. She can make me laugh with a look. Like many authors, Susan’s journey to publication was long but not without its rewards. The recent publication of The Missing Hand is a shining example of Susan’s outstanding style and subtle humor. Here’s my review:

In Susan Van Dusen’s new cozy mystery, The Missing Hand, Julia, the least observant Jewish woman in Crestfall, USA, reluctantly joins a Torah study meeting to humor her best friend. There, she meets an eclectic group of characters. One of the women brings with her a valuable antique she’d recently inherited from her grandfather, an immigrant from the old country. The Rabbi explains the bejeweled wand with a hand-shaped pointer at one end is the instrument one uses to keep one’s place when reading from the Torah. A week later, the yad disappears. Before she can say Oy Vey, Julia is hosting Torah group in her home and helping Rabbi Fine solve the mystery of the missing yad. The story is fast paced, intriguing, and great fun owing to Julia’s quick wit. But the characters are the real stars, charming, flawed, and genuine. The story may be framed in Jewish practices, but the message of atonement, forgiveness, and redemption are universal. I look forward to Van Dusen’s next book. I hope it’s a sequel!

And here’s the publisher’s summary: A valuable heirloom has been stolen from a member of Julia Donnelly’s Torah study group. Grievous sins of the past have pushed their way into the present. Murder, distrust, and ill-gotten gains from World War II Bohemia threaten the peaceful Jewish community of Crestfall, Illinois. Julia, wife of this small town’s mayor and mother of two young adopted sons, is pressed into service to find the bejeweled heirloom which is called a yad, a Hebrew word which means ‘hand’ in English. It is a rod-shaped item with a bulb on the top and a hand with a pointing finger at the bottom that helps keep one’s place when reading the Torah. This particular yad is covered with a fortune’s worth of jewels. With no experience except watching TV detective shows, Julia and Torah group leader Rabbi Fine attempt to solve the mystery and address the misery it causes. After finding the yad, another mystery, much deeper, explores good and evil in the character of the man who brought the yad to America and escaped punishment for his crimes after the war by posing as a Jewish immigrant. Heady stuff for a cozy, but humor takes the sting out. The Donnelly family goes at 90 miles an hour, hollering, hugging, and loving. It all works out in the end. Remember, we all have our own michegas. As we say in Yiddish, Plotsn zolstu-fun nachos. May you explode from pleasure after reading this book.

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Bobbi Logan series by Renee James

Another Novel-In-Progress perennial is Chicago-based novelist, Renee James. She is a mentor and a true supporter of writers and the writing community. And her Bobbi Logan novels are outstanding. I mean, how many writers get a recommendation like this:

“You’ve most likely never met a narrator like Bobbi. Tough, tender, funny, full of heart—and a transgender woman.” — Jodi Picoult

My review of A Kind of Justice: Renee James weaves a subtle mystery with complex and flawed heroes and heroines, as well as multidimensional adversaries. James flings open the doors to Bobbi Logan’s private life and most intimate thoughts, shining a sometimes harsh, sometimes compassionate light on living as a transsexual woman. Renee is a great writer and a masterful storyteller.

My review of Seven Suspects: Like a fine suspense novel, this one had me biting my dang nails (they are trashed now, thank you very much Ms James). I should also be upset because the last third of the book had me up until 3am when I should have been getting my beauty rest. Instead, I’m in awe of the writing, the story craft, the details, and I love Bobbi Logan. And Phil. I love Phil, too. If you like mysteries/thrillers, you’re gonna love Seven Suspects.

And here’s the publisher’s description of A Kind of Justice: Against all odds, Bobbi Logan, a statuesque transgender woman, has become one of Chicago’s most celebrated hair stylists and the owner of one of the city’s poshest salons. She is finally comfortable with who she is, widely admired in her community, about to enjoy the success she deserves.  

Then her impossibly perfect life falls apart.

In the space of a few weeks, the Great Recession drags her business to the brink of failure, her beloved ex-wife needs help in facing a terrible tragedy, and a hateful police detective storms back into her life, determined to convict her of the five-year-old murder of John Strand—pillar of the 

 

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Glory Bishop by Deborah L. King

Here’s another great novel by Novel-in-Progress alumni, Deborah L. King. A sequel to Glory Bishop is expected this fall and I’m looking forward to it, as I loved King’s debut novel and find myself cheering for Glory Bishop whenever I think of her. Here’s my review:

I have a feeling that I just read one of the finest books I’ll read all year. I finished an hour ago and I’m still shaking. Glory Bishop’s mother has placed coverings on all the apartment windows to keep evil out. Author Deborah King peels back the corner of one of those coverings to allow the reader a glimpse into Glory Bishop’s life. From the outside, one sees Glory’s mother, Mary Bishop, as an abuser, a Christian fanatic who has warped the meaning of Bible verse far beyond the literal. Look closer, and one sees a fearful woman desperately trying to shelter her daughter from the world. Seventeen-year old Glory Bishop walks a tightrope every day. On one side, her mother, ready to “send her back to God” before allowing her daughter to be less than a Godly woman. On the other side, Malcolm, a twenty-seven-year old preacher who has targeted her for his future wife, a girl he can control in every way from determining what she will eat to where she will go to college, and his constant threat of violence should she disappoint him. King brings us so far inside Glory’s world that, like one caught in a cycle of abuse and religious zeal, the actions of the abusers begin to seem genuine, normal, benevolent. Don’t be afraid of this book. Read it. There is plenty of love and hope and even joy. I am cheering for Glory Bishop. I received an advanced reader’s copy and I have also pre-ordered my own. I want to keep this one.

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Nadia Wolf is Worthy of a Television Series!

Fellow romance writer Nicolette Pierce will be at the Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp again. Check out her Nadia Wolf series. This is my review of book one in the series: It’s called No Limit in the audio version and The Big Blind in the digital version.

I want to be Nadia Wolf when I grow up. She’s smart, wickedly witty, and totally in control. She takes calculated risks at the card table, but never with her heart. Will it be Greyson or Caleb? When she finds herself swept up in unsavory casino business, she keeps her head and her sense of humor no matter how dire the circumstances. I spent 8 hours alternating between laughter and biting my nails! Five stars for No Limit audio version. Wendy Darling was a great narrator.  

Here’s the publisher’s summary:

Nadia Wolf had one wish, and it wasn’t for the latest designer purse, fashion-forward clothing, or even a handsome man to marry – although, that would be acceptable too. Her wish was to win the World Series of Poker tournament and collect the one million dollar prize, beating the arrogant men who make her professional poker career a daily challenge.

The odds were stacked against her when sexy poker celebrity Caleb Usher sat down at her table. As they pin their battles against each other, a steamy side wager drew them both in and gave them an even greater reason to fight for the championship. It only took one hand to make tournament history and leave them both hot under the collar. But before they could settle their spicy wager, the million dollar prize disappeared in front of an audience. Not one witness could explain what happened or where the money disappeared to.

Greyson Miller CEO of the Lost City Casino had a mystery to solve. Not only did a thief steal the million dollars from under his watchful eyes, but a secret swelled so large it threatened the very core of the casino. In a twist of fate, Nadia teams up with Greyson in an attempt to find the missing prize and to solve the perilous mystery that plagued the Lost City Casino. With Greyson’s overwhelming allure, Nadia has to keep both her head in the game and her hands to herself.

Will she be able unravel the mystery and find the lost prize money while keeping both Greyson and Caleb at bay? Can she fend off her fanatical self-appointed poker manager Frankie Garza before he flushes her career down the toilet in offbeat attempts to make her famous? With Caleb, Greyson, and Frankie all claiming a stake, Nadia’s career, her life, and her heart will never be the same again.

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Crazy Creek Christmas by Lisa Lickel

Lisa Lickel’s is one of the founding members and mentors with the Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp. She is the model of a great literary citizen, always there to help when one needs it, always ready to read and review books. She’s written and published many novels both traditionally and indie ranging from inspirational to cozy mystery genres. Some of my favorites include Understory, Meander Scar, and Parhelion. All contain romance which I am partial to, but if you’re looking for a straight-out romance, Crazy Creek Christmas is fantastic. Here’s my review:

Lisa Lickel knows how to write romance. Some would call it sweet romance and they would be correct. No graphic bedroom scenes. Some would call it Christian romance, the shelf where you’d find her books in the bookstore. Those categories don’t do her stories justice. Lickel writes powerful romance, stories steeped in deeply emotional love and redemption. Crazy Creek Christmas is a great example of how Lickel spins a tale of two damaged people, seemingly alone in the world, who find each other, lower their shields, and share their hearts. It’s not an easy road to love, but then if it were easy, it wouldn’t be so, so satisfying in the end. I hope Leah and Noel’s love story is the first of many to come from the Johansen family and Crazy Creek. This is a perfect holiday read. Five Stars!

And here’s the Amazon description: Crazy Creek, Wyoming saves Leah Hanes’s life. Running on fumes and bald tires, she thanks heaven for the Wimmers who recommend her to the Rocking J Ranch as a winter cook. Leah arrives to discover the ranch and the people need more than a cook.

Noel Johansen, heir of the Rocking J, happily left for the big city years ago. When he loses his family in a terrible accident, the best thing for everyone is to sell the place, ditch the memories, and move on. But his brother-in-law has other plans, and the beautiful new cook they’ve hired for the season threatens Noel’s desire to remain detached.

The ranch represents Noel’s future and selling it becomes more important than ever when one more tragedy leaves him with nothing. But memories can’t be bought and sold, nor can a broken conscience heal itself. Home, heart, and future are irrevocably tied in Crazy Creek.

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