Then Came You - Audio version review

Then Came You

by Jill Shalvis

Audio version

"We are strangers," she said.

"Yeah. Strangers who know what

each others O-face looks like-"

She covered his mouth but it was too late.

And great, now she was sweating again.

Typical, perfect Jill Shalvis.

Wyatt & Emily. Great character driven

romance reading. If you have read Jill before,

you know what I mean. If you have not and ever

wanted to, this is a perfect starting point.

Jill has a way of getting you to feel every emotion

in her writing. You will laugh. Not just a little but often.

You will cry, in sadness and happiness. She brings it all

about. There is always sizzling physical heat.

Emily and Wyatt work at the animal hospital,
in Sunshine, Idaho. The two of them have an
interesting fleeting past. Now, they are going
to be together in their work.
The attraction that drew them together
in the past is as strong as ever.  

Emily simply cannot help herself.

 And Wyatt does not let her forget it.
Of course, he can't help himself either.

He just hides it better than she can.

I believe you can easily enjoy this series out

of order. This story does well as a stand alone.
Karen White does the narration. She has a sort
of jerky kind of speech pattern. Some times more
noticeable than others throughout the story.
But it did not ruin the story for me.

Lessons learned from this story.
One night stands are not always only one night.

 Do not use bar napkins as stationery.  

Review by Lisa Hutson

I Adored A Lord - Review

Katharine Ashe's 

I Adored A Lord is FANTASTIC!

The novel is set in a remote castle in the mountains of France. Ms. Ashe crafts a classic whodunit complete with a unique cast of characters. A wealthy English earl, his wife and daughters, the Feathers family , a Scottish Duchess and her daughter, a French war hero and his daughter, an Italian bishop and his niece and Lord Prunesly, his daughter and son gather for a bride-hunting party. The intended groom is Prince Sebastio. Each eligible young lady seeks to win the Prince's affections at any cost.

                                                                                                             

Our heroine Ravenna Caulfield reluctantly travels to the party with her employer Sir Beverley Clark and their friend Francis Pettigrew. I was drawn to the story's heroine. Ravenna's spirits are low. Her beloved dog, Beast, has died, her sister has married a Duke and her life of solitude and peace is changing. And she is wondering why she is at a house party filled with wealthy titled members of the aristocracy and their spoiled adult children.                                   
Our heroine and our hero, Vitor , first meeting does not go well. He surprises her and she responds with a pitchfork! It's classic meeting crafted by Katharine Ashe that readers will remember for a long time! Vitor is my favorite type of hero. He is an honorable man with secrets. Ravenna and Vitor's love story is played out during the course of the house party. I enjoyed how their romance progressed with the story. Their poignant romance was believable, it was not forced or rushed.

The adventure begins as one of the houseguests is murdered and Ravenna and Vitor join forces to figure out which guest is the murderer. The are a few surprises, a dog napping, a kidnapping, a scandalous secret or two and several confessions before the murderer's identity is revealed. I read the last 150+ pages in one sitting as I was invested in the characters and the outcome of the story. I admit, I cried at the ending. It was fabulous!                            

 I read between 2-3 books each week. I can count on one hand how many books have impressed me in 2014. Katharine Ashe's I Adored A Lord is one of them!

Lady Celeste Gives I Adored A Lord a Six Pack

I Adored A Lord is the second book in The Prince Catchers series and can be read as a stand alone novel.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

The Captive by Grace Burrowes

The Captive is the first novel in Grace Burrowes' new Captive Hearts trilogy.

The novel's hero Christian Donatus Severn, the eighth Earl of of Mercia, was captured by the French, tortured and left for dead. The Captive is an intense, moving story which deals with the aftereffects of war and one man's healing process. The novel contains a very wonderfully written romance which will make you believe that people can put their troubles behind them, hearts can mend and love does exist.

Christian wasn't precisely glad to be alive. Surviving torture turned a man into a ghost toting a bag of memories that could not be shared, and inhabiting a body no longer reliable or easily maintained. That body after torture, did not sleep well, did not exert itself unproblematically, did not ingest food easily, and certainly could not be relied upon to deal with amatory pastimes--not that Christian would be indulging in any of those. 

Not soon. Not immediately. 

But the hour he'd spent with his daughter made it plain that the child, at least, was delighted her papa had survived, and this changed the complexion of Christian's existence.
.
Ms. Burrowes drew me into this complex story with her characters. The first few chapters of the novel are intense, dark and at the same time very compelling. Christian was both a nobleman and an officer. Why wasn't he rescued? What was the motive behind the capture, the torture and starvation?

 A nervous Gillian, Lady Greensdale visits Christian in London shortly after he returns to England. She is concerned about Lucy, Christian's daughter. Lucy has not spoken a word to anyone since the deaths of her mother and younger brother. Why can't Lucy speak? Is she injured? Did she see something when her mother died? Why is Lady Greensdale so nervous?

Each of the main characters was held captive in the story. During his imprisonment, Christian refused to speak and focused on revenge to get through the torture and humiliation. Gilly suffered in silence. Lucy withdrew into her own silent world after her mother's death.

The Captive is a thought provoking story which contains the right amount of romance, suspense and mystery. I enjoyed the witty banter between Gilly and Christian. There are unexpected plot twists which kept me on the edge of my chair. I read the last 100+ pages of the book in one sitting. I highly recommend this book!

Looking forward to The Traitor, the second book in the series.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

This review by Susan Gorman originally appeared at Fresh Fiction.