Scarlet

I LOVE Ms. Johnson's writing!

It's well researched, heart felt, well paced, well written. Well, well, well. She knows her craft and weaves a beautiful love story against a dynamic historical backdrop.

Scarlet was the heroine every one cheers for and the hero is equally as strong. The villains make you fear the success of the champions.

The cover is stunning.

I could rattle on, but the best thing to do is READ the book! Savour it for yourself.

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The roads in and out of Paris are heavily guarded, but the dead have easy passage out of the city. A ragged old woman transports the coffins of the most recent victims of the guillotine and is waved on unimpeded. Later, the same crone watches five French aristocrats step out of their coffins unscathed. Not beheaded, but spirited away to safety by that most elusive of spies: the Pimpernel. Or, as she’s known in polite society, Lady Scarlet Cavendish.

When not assuming her secret identity as a hero of the French Revolution, Scarlet presents herself as a fashionable, featherbrained young widow flitting about London. In truth, this façade is merely a diversion designed to conceal her clandestine work in France. Among members of the doomed French aristocracy, the Pimpernel is renowned for her bravery and cunning. But when tasked with rescuing handsome Comte Matteo Durand, she faces an unprecedented challenge: she is falling in love with the man. If ever there was a time to keep her head, it is now—because in a world brimming with intrigue, she is not the only one harboring secrets. And if Scarlet doesn’t take care, Madame la Guillotine may finally catch up with the Pimpernel . . .

Marrying a Billionaire

Book 3 and the series is still going strong.

I really enjoyed the interactions and misunderstandings between the MC's from two different worlds. Lots of great secondary characters, plus a jerk ex-husband round out the story. Nice emotional tugs. My only skeptical sticking point was how far along the heroine was in her pregnancy and still being able to hide it, esp. with the outfits she wore. Not a deal breaker though.

As always, Ms. Meyer tells a well constructed tale with heart.

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Lillian Brunette is desperate for a job. Six months pregnant and recently divorced, she needs health insurance and an income if she’s ever going to be able to take care of herself and the baby—if what happened to her first pregnancy happens again. So when her best friend tells her that the billionaire bachelor is looking for an assistant, she jumps at the opportunity to interview.

Reed Williamson is trying to get over his broken heart. When he finds out that his fiancée ended up pregnant with his half-brother’s baby, he’s written off all relationships. Which he was doing a good job at until he finds out that in order to inherit his family’s investment company, he has to be married. Out of desperation, Reed’s mom puts in a call to an elite matchmaking agency to find him a contract wife. At least with that, there’s no chance of falling in love.

After an episode of mistaken identity, Lillian finds herself contractually obligated to marry Reed. Which is the ideal relationship for her. Faking a marriage seems easy, until she finds out that Reed is kind and incredibly handsome. And just might be what she wants in a family. If only he could accept the secret she's so desperate to hide.

If the Suit Fits

The story starts with a down on her luck heroine wearing a hot dog costume. The only way to go is up from rock bottom. Enter the hero. Sparks fly. Darling dates and misunderstandings ensue. Cue the HFA and all is well.

This read is lots of fun. Ms. Johnson works her wonderful magic and gifts us with a swoony read.

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Finding love at the amusement park can be quite a ride.
Becky Perkins has lost her job, her lease, and her car. As a result, she moves back in with her parents and takes the only job she can find: a seasonal position at the local amusement park as a sign spinner. Unfortunately, it includes wearing a foam hot dog suit.
When she crashes into fellow park employee Hudson Lowell, on her first day, suddenly the job doesn’t seem so bad.
Actuary Hudson Lowell feels the weight of the world on his shoulders with this assignment. The Gainesville Amusement Park has been struggling for years. It’s his responsibility to advise the owners as to the viability of the park. Going into the deal, the solution seems pretty simple—until he meets Becky.
The more time Becky and Hudson spend together, the more their feelings grow, making it harder and harder for Hudson to be objective about his decision. If the park closes, it will impact the whole town and directly hurt Becky. And how can he hurt the woman he has fallen for?

Loving Lucianna

I've been a long time fan of Joyce DiPastena and I wasn't disappointed with this read.

Ms. DiPastena knows her history and the right way to write romance. I loved reading what she terms an 'Autumn' romance meaning the characters are more mature and experienced in their lives, and also set in their ways.

There were so many obstacles to this love match that I sometimes wondered if there was going to be a HEA. Family issues, protective hearts, the other's happiness at stake. A wonderfully winding tale.

I loved the secondary characters and how they were tied to other novels she's written. It was nice to see familiar faces I've already come to love.

As always, I will certainly be happy to read more by Ms. DiPastena.

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Sir Balduin de Soler gave up long ago on love. He never had the means to support a wife until an unexpected advancement in his fifties allows him to reassess his future just as the lovely Lucianna enters his life.

Lucianna Fabio harbors a secret, painful memory from her past that has kept her unwed, as well. Now in her forties, she thought herself too old to marry until she meets Sir Balduin. Now suddenly their lonely autumn lives feel very much like spring again . . . until Lucianna’s brother appears without warning and threatens to revive the secret that will destroy Lucianna’s second chance at love.

“Loving Lucianna" is a “Hearts in Autumn” romance, medieval romances revolving around heroes and heroines “in the autumn of their years.” Because love isn't only for the young!

Loving Lucianna is a PG rated historical romance

The Hearts in Autumn Romance series is linked by a common theme of older heroes and heroines, not by recurring characters. Each title in the Hearts in Autumn series is a stand-alone story. They can be read and enjoyed in any order.

However, the some of characters in Loving Lucianna also appear in my Poitevin Hearts romance series. If you are interested in where it fits chronologically, the order would be:

Loyalty’s Web (Poitevin Hearts, Book 1)
Illuminations of the Heart (Poitevin Hearts, Book 2)
Loving Lucianna (Hearts in Autumn)

New York Bound

This is my first read by Ms. Wesson. I'm so glad I picked it up.

This is a book of opposites and covers the divisions of Irish vs English, Catholic vs Non-Catholic, Poor vs Rich, East vs West, Men vs Women.

It is SOOO well done. I loved the characters. They were strong and flawed, compassionate and scowling. Such wonderful tension on multiple levels.

There is a wonderful romantic thread woven through this historical New York blizzard.

Well researched, written, crafted, clean, and delightful. Love the cover.

I will happily read more by this author.

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Erin Quinn, Clover Springs, Colorado’s beloved doctor, and her party arrive in New York to meet her past—just when the most devastating blizzard ever recorded is about to hit the city. 

Nora Doherty has spent years hearing tales of Doc Erin’s skill and kindness, but she anticipates her arrival with mixed feelings. She can’t wait to meet the amazing woman her gran worked for, but isn’t at all thrilled with her mother’s insistence that she return with Doc Erin to Clover Springs—as a mail order bride.

Robbie Fenton has been tasked with protecting Doc Erin and her party, but who will protect him when he sets eyes on the beautiful Nora Doherty?

With New York City buried under over twenty inches of snow and millions of people stranded in a complete white-out, Erin, Nora and Robbie’s mettle is tested as they frantically struggle to help. Will Erin, Nora, Robbie survive to see futures of their own?

Marrying an Athlete

This was such a funny read. Fake marriage to go to a resort to get counseling on saving said marriage in order to support a couple actually struggling with their marriage.

There was lots of tension, mixed signals, flirting, and a beautiful setting. I'd totally go there.

Clean writing. Good romance. Well paced.

My only criticism was the easy way out to fix the marriage that was actually in trouble. I could've read a whole book on McKenna's relationship with her husband. That and I knew chapters before characters what was happening with McKenna. How were the rest so clueless? Still, not a deal breaker. Enjoy.


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Anna Short’s life has been in a slump ever since her boss and boyfriend—who happened to be the same person—dumped her. Now forced to work at a coffee shop, she's pretty sure her life can't go any lower. Enter Michael: her best friend McKenna’s older brother and life-long crush.

Michael Jones is the life of the party. As a Defenseman for the New York Rangers, he's always had his pick of women and friends. When he mistakenly proposes to the Mayor's daughter at a party one night, he hightails it out of New York before the media storm hits. He drives to McKenna’s house where he finds her in emotional shambles. Grateful for the distraction her problems give him, he jumps head first into finding a solution.

When McKenna begs them to fake a marriage so they can go with her to a counseling resort designed to help fix her failing one, Anna and Michael agree. After all, the drunken kiss they shared two years ago was definitely in the past. But when they decide to make it their mission to bring McKenna and her husband together, they begin to realize just how good of a team they really are.

Prejudice Meets Pride

I'm a sucker for Jane Austen knockoffs and this one didn't disappoint. Though it's not a true retelling of P & P, it's a worthy read of a couple getting off on the wrong foot and making all kinds of incorrect assumptions about the other.

Emma and Kevin have strong motivations and are true to themselves throughout the novel. This is essential to the plot and good story telling. There is character growth and emotional depth and the pacing is spot on.

Lots to love about this tale.


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After years of pinching pennies and struggling to get through art school, Emma Makie’s hard work finally pays off with the offer of a dream job. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to make a cross-country move to Colorado Springs to take temporary custody of her two nieces. She has no money, no job prospects, and no idea how to be a mother to two little girls, but she isn’t about to let that stop her. Nor is she about to accept the help of Kevin Grantham, her handsome neighbor, who seems to think she’s incapable of doing anything on her own.

Prejudice Meets Pride is the story of a guy who thinks he has it all figured out and a girl who isn't afraid to show him that he doesn't. It’s about learning what it means to trust, figuring out how to give and to take, and realizing that not everyone gets to pick the person they fall in love with. Sometimes, love picks them.