His Touch (Summer in New York Book 1) by Patty Blount Review

Synopsis:

When a surly paramedic finds Kara Larsen‘s lost toddler, only to berate her for failing to mind her child, Kara is embarrassed and relieved she’ll never have to deal with that jerk again. Doesn’t he know being a single mom is a lot harder than it looks?! But when baby Nadia has trouble breathing one night, Kara’s frantic 911 call brings that same jerk right to her door…

NYFD paramedic Reid Bennett has a compulsion to help frantic parents. But after the way he over-reacted to the beautiful woman in the department store that day, she wants nothing to do with him. But it’s not his fault he keeps running into her all over the city…

When Kara bumps into Reid for the third time in a week, she can’t help but wonder if the mom she lost in 2001 is playing matchmaker. As Kara and Reid form a cautious friendship, he quickly becomes baby Nadia’s favorite person. But Reid has no interest in long-term commitment, or so he thought. So when Nadia’s father calls out of the blue and Kara agrees to see him, Reid realizes he has some triage to do if he hopes to keep his girls…



My Review:

Single mother Kara Larsen didn’t have time for dating.  She worked hard to raise her daughter on her own after the father ran when Kara told him that she was pregnant.  She did everything she felt was necessary to raise Nadia the best way possible, right down to going to child CPR classes.  That’s where she met Reid Bennett, the paramedic who was giving the class.  Little did she know she would be seeing much more of him.  Kara’s deceased mother has been known to send signs.  She sent signs for Kara’s sister to meet the perfect man.  Where was Kara’s sign?   Surely her mom wasn’t ignoring her.  Little did she know she was about to get the biggest sign of all in the form of Reid Bennett.

Reid lost his daughter and then his wife divorced him shortly afterwards.  He has a hard time moving on from the tragic death of his child.  When he first sees Nadia, his mind flashed to his daughter Erin.  This sets him in a bad mood.  First off children are not allowed in his CPR classes.  Second when he sees Nadia again running loose in a store, he goes off in a rage on Kara for not keeping an eye on her daughter at all times.  When he keeps running into Kara and Nadia in different places, he starts wondering why it’s happening.  Could there be a reason they keep crossing the same paths?

This is a wonderful story.  I loved everything about it. 

The Falconer's Daughter: Book IV by Liz Lyles Review

Synopsis:

Know your daughters.

When young Lady Anne Macleod runs off with her true love, the handsome young falconer, Kirk Buchanan, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events that turns her young daughter, Cordaella, into a pawn between wealthy lords locked in a game of power, wealth, and greed.

At age nine, Cordaella is forcibly taken from her Highland home, and given to her uncle. Once there, Codaella learns the truth. She is the heiress to the Macleod fortune, to the dismay of many of her family members.

Thrust into an uncomfortable new life in England with her uncle, the Earl of Derby, she is unaware that she’s being groomed for a marriage to a Castilian duke who cares nothing for her and everything for her dowry…

Will Cordaella continue to act as a pawn in her family’s games or will she seize her own destiny?



My Review:

The conclusion of The Falconer’s Daughter was an intense one.  It brought a mix of emotions.  If you haven’t read the first 4 books, I highly recommend you do so you know what’s going on.  This is an incredible story of one powerful woman and the life she lives.

Pregnant Cordaella and Bran arrive by ship to London.  Bran gets a house set up for Cordaella with a staff and he is off to fight in the war in France again.  He didn’t get far when he found out the baby was born dead.  Bran turns around to go back for Cordaella and helps her through the depression which follows.   Cordaella and Bran had loved each other since they first met.  Maybe now they could finally be together.  But it is not to happen as Bran is called back to duty again. 

Cordaella is now running Pedro’s business even though many tell her a woman can’t do business.  She proves them wrong and becomes a great business woman.  She is loving as well and giving.  She travels back to Peveril and finds Elizabeth at the convent and brings her back home.  Phillip willed Peveril to Cordaella’s baby, but now that she doesn’t have one, she feels Elizabeth should own it.  After all it was her home from the start. 

When Cordaella finally makes it back to London, will Bran be there waiting for her?  Will she finally have her happily ever after? 

Seduced by the Baron (The Fairy Tales of New York Book 4) by Amy Andrews Review

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, Faith Sullivan dreamed of being a famous painter who lived in an apartment overlooking Central Park. Unfortunately, life had other ideas and at 26, she’s still running, working and living at Sully’s, her family’s traditional Irish pub in Brooklyn with her stubborn, ailing father. And she was perfectly fine with her lot until suddenly her three best friends each found their prince, and her own happily ever after seemed like another dream lost. Until one day a long, tall Australian walks into her bar and her loved-up besties decided to play Fairy Godmothers.

Ex pro-surfer turned beer baron, Rafael Quartermaine is in New York for a month on business. He’s looking for a pub to launch Baron lager on the American market and Sully’s is perfect. All he has to do is convince Faith, the traditionalist, to say yes. And once he’s done that, maybe he can convince her that all work and no play makes Faith a dull girl.

Faith’s connection to her family and Sully’s is absolute, and Raf’s business drive and itchy feet aren’t conducive to long term, so it should be an easy break when duty calls Faith back into the fold on the evening of the ball. But running out on the baron is harder than she ever imagined… Will their fling sizzle out, or become something more?



My Review:

Faith Sullivan used to dream of being a famous artist.  But her dreams were crushed when her father had a heart attack and she had to go home to help him with their family bar, Sully’s.  She has been there ever since.  She doesn’t have much of a life when she is working all the time.  She recently began seeing some of her old school friends and that has helped a little bit.  But seeing them live their dreams and finding love has Faith feeling a little bit left out. 

Australian Rafael Quartermaine used to live his dreams surfing until he was injured and had to give it up.  Now the owner of Baron Lager, Raf is looking for a market in the US.  Mercy Hernandez, a business associate, recommended Sully’s.  She said it would be the perfect place to see how the customers would like it. 

When Faith’s friend Mercy introduces her to Raf and explains how well she believes Baron Lager will do at Sully’s, Faith is a little put off at first.  You can’t sell Australian beer in and Irish pub.  But once Faith tries it, she is sold.  Plus she finds out she will get to spend a lot more time with this hot Aussie.  

Faith and Raf find themselves attracted to each other right away and give in to a fling while Raf is still in town.  What could it hurt?  Faith is due for a little fun after all the years of hard work she has been doing.  Things get heated very quickly and Faith finds herself falling in love with Raf.  What will happen when it’s time for him to go back to Australia?  Will Faith be left heartbroken or will Raf find a way to makes things work between them? 

I really enjoyed this steamy story.  The passion was intense.   

In Memory of Princess Leinani

I wrote this three years ago shortly after losing my sweet girl. 

For as long as I can remember, I have had a cat in my life.  I love cats.  I need to have a cat.  I cannot live without cats.  Cats are my children, my best friend, my confidant.  As a child, I wanted to be a cat more then I wanted to be human.  My first cat was named Bootsie.  He was a gray tabby with white feet.  I remember teaching him to drink from a straw.  From that day there were various cats that had come and gone from my life leaving little footprints behind on my heart.  As I grew a little bit older, I would find cats and bring them home hoping I could keep them.  A few, my mother would let me keep, most she told me take back where I found it.  My most influential cat came after I divorced my first husband.  I had always wanted a Devon Rex and with the money I got from the sale of the house, I got my first Devon Rex.  Maybe this baby could fill a void I had been missing.  I first met her at the breeder's house.  She was stunning.  A beautiful all white kitten, so tiny, I didn't even know how to hold or pet her.  I was in love instantly.  This would be my special child.  My love for Hawaii had inspired her name, Leinani, meaning beautiful child.  She was my very special little girl from the day I took her home.  She was my companion, my best friend.  I told her all my secrets.  She stayed by my side constantly and at night, we always cuddled together.  She would tenderly lick my face and hands until I was relaxed enough to fall asleep.  At times when I were ill, she stayed beside me and didn't even care to leave for food (even when my other cat, Kapono, hollered he was hungry).  Nani stayed beside me.  She was my tiny shadow until a month before her 11th birthday when she started having a horrible cough.  She had never been sick much in her life, so when the illness hit, I took it hard.  She had heart failure.  In my worst nightmares, I never thought about the day we wouldn't be together.  My sweet love would not be in my life much longer.  There wasn't much the vets could do for her.  They drained the fluid from around her heart once and it came back a couple days later.  That weekend was the hardest in my life.  I was losing her.  My world had been brought to a halt.  I swear it stopped spinning.  I held my little girl as long as I could and cried my heart out as she slipped away.  I cry as I write this.  I remember our last day together.  I took pictures of her and she actually enjoyed posing for me (prior to that, she had grown tired of having her picture taken).  In bed, she licked me as if I were her baby, trying to comfort me for what was about to come.  The first night without her, she came to visit me.  I felt her on the bed walking and I felt her jump against the side of the bed (as she did many times when playing).  It was her way of saying goodbye.  I left the bathroom faucet dripping for a month afterwards because I couldn't bare to turn it off.  It was always Nani's private drinking fountain.  I have other cats, but none will ever take the place of my little Nani girl.  I miss her all the time.  I will always miss her.  I know I will never have that kind of love from a cat again.  I will never forget Princess Leinani.  I know my angel still watches over me.  I knew when she was ready for me to find another little shadow.  I know it was her who steered me to a cat rescue in my town.  That is when I met Miss Waikiki, my new little buddy.  She was needing my love now.

The Falconer's Daughter: Book III by Liz Lyles Review

Synopsis:

Know your daughters.

When young Lady Anne Macleod runs off with her true love, the handsome young falconer, Kirk Buchanan, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events that turns her young daughter, Cordaella, into a pawn between wealthy lords locked in a game of power, wealth, and greed.

At age nine, Cordaella is forcibly taken from her Highland home, and given to her uncle. Once there, Codaella learns the truth. She is the heiress to the Macleod fortune, to the dismay of many of her family members.

Thrust into an uncomfortable new life in England with her uncle, the Earl of Derby, she is unaware that she’s being groomed for a marriage to a Castilian duke who cares nothing for her and everything for her dowry…

Will Cordaella continue to act as a pawn in her family’s games or will she seize her own destiny?



My Review:

Finally married, Cordaella grows restless in Santiago.  She has seen nothing but the palacio and the cathedralsince arriving.  She wants to see something else.  She wants to travel.  But Pedro doesn’t take her anywhere.  He refuses to let her cousin Phillip come visit.  Pedro is jealous of any man who Cordaella talks to.  He even hires one of his men to spy on her while he is away on business.

When Pedro finally decides to take Cordaella away someplace, she doesn’t expect what she finds at the end of her journey.  Rias Altas was a change for the worse.  The castle is nothing more than a prison for Cordaella.  She is not allowed to leave and there are guards all around.  To make things worse, Cordaella discovers she is finally pregnant.  She learns many secrets while here from one of her ladies; things that shock her.  She learns secrets about the Duke and one of her servants Isabella.  She will do anything to leave.  But she has no idea the way she is to leave is by a kidnapping. 

She has no idea where she is taken.  Then one day Pedro shows up.  He still loves Cordaella but doesn’t trust her and doesn’t believe the baby she is carrying is his.  He doesn’t believe she loves him either.  He has become a different person, one Cordaella really doesn’t like.  Will she ever be able to escape his grip? 

This edition of the book brings a lot of action, excitement and even some tears as it is a very emotional and important part of the story.  As with the other editions, I was glued to the pages.