La-Tessa Montgomery

Title: Cold Case Affair
Author: Loreth Anne White
Genre: Romance Suspense
Rating: 4

Muirinn O’Donnel is a free spirit that had always felt trapped in her small town of Safe Harbor, Alaska.  So she left home—and the love of her life—to pursue her of dream of becoming a journalist; never to look back again.  And now after eleven years, prompted by the death of her grandfather, she’s back home; pregnant and still proud and stubborn as ever.  A part of Jett Rutledge died when Muirinn left Alaska, leaving bitterness to set in over the years.  To say he’s shocked to see her after eleven years is an understatement, but that paled in comparison to him realizing he was still in love her after all this time. 

After a couple of break ins and some strange coincidences, Muirinn begins to believe her grandfather’s death was not the result of natural causes, but the result of him looking into a deadly bombing that rocked their peaceful town years ago.  As danger mounts, Muirinn turns to Jett for help and protection.  Along the way, they find their way back to one another, but will the pain and secrets from the past prevent them from building a future together?

Ms. White penned a great tale with Cold Case Affair.  I was sucked in from the beginning, finishing the book after just a few sittings.  It moves along at a great pace and contains several twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.  And Loreth Anne paints a pretty scene with her descriptions of Alaska, which becomes a secondary character in the story. 

I enjoyed Muirinn and Jett as a couple.  The sexual tension and chemistry is present from the first moment they appear on the page together.  My only complaint is that their romance depended a lot on their history and backstory together, which left me wishing a bit more time could have been dedicated to them rediscovering and exploring their relationship in the present.

But that aside, this is a great romantic suspense and I recommend it to all that enjoy a little bit of mystery with their romance.  Cold Case Affair is the second installment in her Wild Country series.  If you’ve not read Manhunter, the first in this series, I HIGHLY recommend it.

Title: Being Plumville
Author: Savannah J. Frierson
Genre: IR Romance
Rating: 4

I have a TBR pile that stretches back to 2008 (I’m embarrassed to say), so needing to make room for the 3 boxes of books I got back from Nationals, I’ve decided to start reading a few.  My hands automatically pulled Savannah Frierson’s Being Plumville off the shelf first.  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Frierson at the Romance Slam Jam in 2008 and then later interviewing her for RomanceInColor.com.

Being Plumville is the story of Coralee and Benjamin amidst the racial and political climate of the 1960’s.  Coralee and Benny were childhood friends, but that friendship was abruptly ended with Benjamin, a 7 year old being groomed to be a  state judge, announced to his mother he planned on marrying Coralee, the housekeeper’s daughter, when he grew up.  Benny and Coralee did not speak again for 15 years following this announcement, while the two were attending college.  What follows in a story about love and the boundaries it crosses, set against the back drop of the civil rights moments following the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr.  and John Kennedy.

I really enjoyed this story, much more than I thought I would.  Not only is it a great romance, but the way the author wove in the racial climate of the time really added to the depth of the story.  I read this books a couple of weeks agao and I am still thinking about it.   Well done Ms. Frierson.

Click here  for a full review from RomanceInColor.com

Title: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
Genre: Victorian Paranormal– yes, I think I just made that genre up 
Rating: 4  

I just finished reading Ms. Leanna Renee Hieber’s new release and I really enjoyed it.

Usually Victorian/Gothic-y/Ghost stories (or any combination of these 3 elements) would not be on my “To Read” list. However, I met Ms. Hieber at the RWA National Convention this year, and a 3 chapter except was included in one of my goodie bags. Needless to say, after reading this excerpt, I know I had to get this book when it was released.

Strangely Beautiful is an enchanting story that flows wells, with a lyrical prose that really helped to immerse me in the time and setting. Ms. Hieber does a great job setting the scene in vivid detail, introducing her cast of characters, and working in her lore. She gives us an intro into what life is like for the Guard and a hint of what’s to come their way, leaving just enough unanswered question to have me waiting for the next installment.

I also enjoyed learning about Percy Parker.  She is definitely a different type of heroine from what I usually find in the stories I pick up.  Percy is shy and soft spoken, almost fragile at times, but she steps up and asserts herself when she needed to.   I am really interested in what her character growth and development will be over the arc of the series.  While I tend to l But I can o was the differences that made the story actually liked that she was soft spoken and shy,

I give The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker 2 thumbs up.   It’s not the usual romance or paranormal that I read, but it was a refreshing break for me.

Author: Claudia Mair Burney
Genre: Inspirational Suspense
Rating: 4 Stars

The 3rd installment in Ms. Burney’s Amanda Bell Brown Mystery series is out & I had the pleasure of reviewing it for RomanceInColor.com.  DEADLY CHARM is full of the same slightly dark, yet humorous spirit as the first 2 . I find this series to be an intriguing combination of the  inspirational, mystery/suspense, and romance genres. 

Click here  for the full review of DEADLY CHARM.