Book Review: And One Wore Gray (Cameron Saga: Civil War Trilogy, #2) by Heather Graham

FIVE STARS

Wow! What a ride that was.

Daniel Cameron is a Confederate officer who was wounded in the Battle of Sharpsburg and ends up in the house and under the care of a widow, Callie Michaelson, who is a Union sympathizer. You can imagine what happens when a wounded soldier ends up in the house with a lone woman. It isn’t rocket science, but to watch these two fall in love and deal with the war from opposing sides, especially after she betrays him and he ends up in a Yankee prison, really was something to behold.

He knows he loves Callie, but he can never trust her again. Even with a baby between them, he still can’t trust her. When he returns to her farm during a march, he wants his revenge. He wants to punish her for selling him out and getting him captured. No excuses. No mercy. No understanding. No forgiveness.

Cassie is a mother before all else and does everything she can to protect her child, including going through enemy lines with Daniel, who is the father of this infant. Daniel is determined to get them from Maryland to his home in Virginia. There was a lot of adventure in that excursion and even afterward.

This is a love/hate/love story. Daniel and Callie fell in love quickly and after he was captured by the Yankees, he hated her. After he returned, she hated him. They hated each other for a long time until they didn’t anymore. They journey to admit their love was a roller coaster ride.

I loved seeing historical people come to life. The author did a fantastic job of putting lives and voices to people like Jeb “Beauty” Stuart, Jefferson Davis and his wife, Varina. There was a lot of talk about Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Robert E. Lee, and even George Custer. I had no idea that the South had such brilliant strategists until I read this book. The author also stated numerous times that the Civil War was about states’ rights and not necessarily about slavery, although the latter issue became a prominent issue as the war progressed and history has made it the primary issue.

One thing really stood out for me. Jesse, from One Wore Blue , is Daniel’s older brother and and is a Union doctor. Daniel is a Confederate officer. They meet several times throughout both books and I can’t imagine having to face your brother in war on opposite sides of the line. They were brothers before they were anything else. I loved seeing them interact and loved to see them with their families. It was heartwarming, especially the ending.

I love Civil War time romances and this one lacked nothing. Everything in this story worked on every level.

Purchase at your favorite online bookstore.

Book Review: Unintended Target (MacArthur Family, #2) by Katie Reus

FIVE STARS

Brodie MacArtthur is a security guy for Trevor, a wealthy businessman who has recently acquired custody of his nephew when his brother and his wife were killed in a helicopter crash. Trevor has hired nannies to help him with the 10-month-old, but they keep quitting on him. He’s hiring through a reputable agency, he pays them well, and treats them kindly, so he can’t figure out why they’re quitting. In desperation, he hires Patience, a kindergarten teacher that’s off for the summer. 

Patience has plans for the summer that don’t include taking care of a little boy, but takes pity on Trevor and takes the job on a temporary basis. What she isn’t counting on is Brodie MacArthur.

To her, Brodie is seriously sexy and she’s having all sorts of improper thoughts about him. But he’s also serious about his job. To say anymore would mean spoilers and I don’t want to ruin this story for anybody else.

This is a short book. I had it read in just a few hours. There’s tension between Brodie and Patience and some steamy moments. There’s intrigue and subterfuge that wound up for a good ending. 

*I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.

Purchase at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3lHKQ1O

Book Review: Clockwork Soldiers: A Layne Parrish Thriller (Book 7 of 7) by Jim Heskett

FIVE STARS

This is the final book of the Layne Parrish series and probably the most powerful book of them all. I never knew who was trustworthy and who wasn’t. It wasn’t clear who was on which side, except for Everett Diem. The story kept my heart in my throat because it was so unpredictable and I wasn’t sure who was on whose side until the end. 

A little about the story: Layne is drawn into a fervent search for a CD-ROM that has some top secret information on it, but his first objective is to help Daphne Kurek, who is being pursued by one bad dude that wants this CD-ROM before anybody else and will stop at nothing to get it. There’s never a dull moment with Layne anyway, but when you throw Serena and Harry in on this and the sociopath, Everett Diem, and a wayward Daphne Kurek, you’ve got a formula for a show-stopping book. Things happened that I hoped would happen, secrets were revealed, and lives were changed.

Pay attention to the interludes, especially the last one. It absolutely destroyed me. I was wreck for hours and had to remind myself that this is fiction. But there’s always some truth in fiction and Jim Heskett gave us all something to think about. 

And don’t forget to read A NOTE TO READERS. I loved that part, too.

This is a solid five star read.

*This is the final book of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. However, I think you would appreciate this more if you read the other books in the series.

**I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.

Purchase at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ri1tSW

Book Review: The Earl of Keyworth (Seductive Scoundrels, #12; Wicked Earls’ Club) by Collette Cameron

FIVE STARS

By God, I would marry a flower hawker or a seamstress if she loved me, and I loved her. –Landry Audsley, Earl of Keyworth

Celestia Tolman believes Landry Audsley, Earl of Keyworth is one insensitive, heartless, brute, but is determined to meet with him, even if she has to do it in disguise. What she discovered shocked her and what he did in response shocked her even more.

Landry is taken with the petite Miss Tolman. He admires her wit, fortitude, and tenacity. She’s beautiful for sure, but she dresses to hide it. He sort of understands. She’s a commoner who runs the family scrivener shop , a service he desperately needs, and she has men coming onto her all the time. She dresses in dowdy clothes to turn them off and make herself look frumpy and unattractive.

She found out that he was much different than she expected. He was kind, exceedingly generous, honorable, not at all pretentious–what wasn’t to like? 

Several things occurred to make this a happening book for me:
1. The opening scene had me in tears.
2. Celestia is a career woman, even if it isn’t by choice. She does what has to be done to keep things going, no matter how hard it is or what it involves. She doesn’t whine, snivel, or carry on about how unfair life is, even though it is in her case.
3. Landry is always the gentleman and so chivalrous. He handles things with a cool head and finesse, even the rumors that were started about him.
4. The chemistry between Celestia and Landry is so sweet. I was just waiting for that first kiss. 
5. And I loved Sampson, the big Newfoundland. I love books with pets in them.

This book worked on every level, earning it five stars. I loved the characters and the story was swoon-worthy.

Purchase at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Q4HSbT

Book Review: Angel (Wyoming #3) by Johanna Lindsey

FIVE STARS

This is the third and final book of the Wyoming Trilogy and it was a great wrap-up. It isn’t necessary to read the first two books of the series to keep up with what’s going on in this book, but it would make the ending of this read so much more satisfying if you did. Besides, they’re great books, too.

We were first introduced to Angel in Savage Thunder (Book 2) when he was doing a daring rescue of Colt Thunder’s duchess. I already had the entire series, so I knew he would have his own book, but I didn’t see why until I started reading it. He was a secondary character in Savage Thunderand didn’t get a lot of time in the story. But it was enough to pique my interest.

Angel is a gunfighter and makes no apologies for that. He does what he does and doesn’t kill innocent people if he can help it. I guess that makes him a gunfighter with a code of honor. But there are fools out there who call him out, knowing who he is and want to make a name for themselves, and he knows when he pulls his gun, it’s to kill or be killed. It was a harrowing way for him to make a living, but he didn’t really know anything else. He had a shady if not brutal upbringing and he was a survivor. And, being a man of honor, he also paid his debts. He didn’t like to owe anybody anything, which is how he ended up on the doorstep of Cassandra Stuart.

Cassie is known meddler. She’s got a big heart and she means well, but this time she overstepped her boundaries when she played matchmaker between two rival families and it backfired. Both families want her out of Texas (she’s visiting her father who lives there). They’ve threatened to burn the house down, have chased off most of her hired hands, and have accosted her in public. Her father is detained somewhere with an injured foot and she’s alone on the ranch with a housekeeper and a few workers and her black panther, Marabelle. Desperate, she wires a friend for help and her friend sends Angel because her friend can’t get away.

Angel isn’t the traditional hero. Instead of being tall, dark, and handsome, he’s shorter, dark, and handsome. He doesn’t know his last name and goes by Angel because that’s what he remembered his mother calling him when he was a child. I thought that was sad. He’s a wanderer, a gunfighter, and really has no connections to anyone. His only friend is Colt Thunder and he’s okay with that.

Cassie has trouble with men. She’s unusual looking with dark hair and gray eyes and men don’t find her attractive. She’s had few suitors and soon finds out the only reason they want her is for her money and ranch. Until Angel. He’s got money of his own and hates ranching so she can’t figure out why he’s attracted to her. I thought that was sad, too. She is a meddler and this mess she’s in is a big one and not one that she feels comfortable with a gunfighter handling. She doesn’t want anybody to die.

So, we have some neighbors who are miscreants, a gunfighter who is trying to ease things over, and a heroine that can handle a gun as well as any man and thinks she’s unattractive. Throw in a shotgun wedding, Cassie’s parents who have a strange relationship themselves, and see what happens.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I loved the enigma of Angel and I loved how he and Cassie interacted. I knew they were in love before they did, although I think they knew it and just didn’t want to admit it. He was a gunfighter with nothing to offer. He was afraid of rejection and went to great lengths to avoid it. She was an innocent young woman, a do-gooder, who was always trying to help others. She got too involved this time, but it all paid off.

One thing I have to say about this series; it’s pretty steamy, considering it’s old school. It was published in 2001. Johanna Lindsey was a trailblazer for what we read today. She pushed the envelope at making us blush and if I’d read this book after it was first released, I would’ve gasped at the very least. Wow.

Great book! Great series!

Purchase at your favorite bookstore that sells used books.