Stowaway by Darcy Flynn - Book Review

Stowaway by Darcy Flynn

Synopsis:

Her identity is hidden … He’s determined to uncover it

Charleston, South Carolina shipping heiress, MIRANDA MERRICK, discovers one of her family’s cargo ships, the Elle Merrick, has suffered multiple attacks by a saboteur. The devious actions have put the company at risk for bankruptcy. Miranda refuses to sit idly and wait for years of hard work to be destroyed. She boards the Elle in hopes of gaining help from her uncle, the ship’s captain, only to discover a stranger at the helm.

In an effort to discover the culprit and save her family’s company, Miranda stows away on the ship – keeping her identity a secret while conducting her own investigation. Making matters more complicated, she finds herself attracted to the new captain, who could very well be the enemy. After all, until she can uncover the truth, everyone is suspect.

Captain NOAH SHEPPARD is hoping to merge his small, cargo shipping line, Clayton Company, with the multinational conglomerate, Merrick Shipping. Upon discovering one of Merrick’s ships has been deliberately and systematically sabotaged by a crew member, he agrees to captain the targeted vessel in hopes of discovering the identity of the saboteur. Once caught and brought to justice, both companies will then be able to close the deal and complete the merger.

Two days into the voyage, Noah discovers a stowaway, and assumes she’s either the saboteur or in league with him. But what Noah didn’t bargain for is having to deal with the mysterious, gorgeous, redhead, who wreaks havoc – not only to his patience, but to his heart.

Review:

Stowaway by Darcy Flynn is an adventurous, fun and romantic tale set on the high seas. Miranda Merrick is a Charleston, South Carolina shipping heiress that discovers that one of her family’s ships has been under multiple attacks by a saboteur. Her family is facing bankruptcy and her father wants her to marry for financial gain. But, Miranda has another plan, and decides to board the same ship that has come under attack, the Elle Merrick, and get help from her uncle to conduct her own investigation. However, she falls asleep and the ship takes off for Australia. When she awakes, she finds herself as a stowaway aboard the ship. There is a young handsome new captain and a new crew. Miranda hides her identity and takes a job as a cook and a maid, while trying to discover who the saboteur is. Captain Noah Sheppard has agreed to captain the ship to discover who the saboteur is. He also wants to merge his shipping company with the Merrick Company. Miranda and the captain both suspect one another despite their growing attraction for one another. What ensues is a swashbuckling journey filled with danger, suspense and romance.

Stowaway by Darcy Flynn is a modern day swashbuckling romance filled with uncertainty and mystery on the high seas. Darcy Flynn is an excellent storyteller which reveals itself in this fun contemporary story set on a cargo ship headed for Australia, and that has been attacked and sabotaged many times. The author’s writing proficiency shines through as the story unfolds. The characters are amazing, real and relatable with flaws and strengths. They are well developed, as is, the exciting unforgettable plot. Miranda has a spunky clever personality and the romance between her and Captain Noah Sheppard is stirring and electrifying. Darcy Flynn knows how to keep readers in suspense, guessing who the identity of the saboteur could be. Her descriptive writing creates an edgy atmosphere of intrigue and mystery. She sets the tone well with her use of language and draws readers in from the very first chapter. As the ship crosses the ocean, and danger, romance and suspense ensue, readers will revel in it. This dangerous, exciting, fun and sweet love journey is a must read for all readers of this genre. Get yourself a copy and go on an unforgettable exciting journey with the crew of the Elle Merrick. Artisan Book Reviews highly recommends Stowaway by Darcy Flynn.

Purchase Stowaway by Darcy Flynn @Amazon here

Noah: True Love Never Dies Carol Denise Mitchell

Noah: True Love Never Dies Carol Denise Mitchell

Synopsis:

Noah is a heartbreaking saga about Tiffany Mitchell’s often difficult journey to find love. From the start, Tiffany Mitchell’s road to love took her through dramatic twists and turns that left her thinking that love would be forever out of her reach. In fact, for many years love seemed elusive, like a never-ending pathway to certain disappointment until Tiffany meets a handsome bartender named Noah Crawford and, she falls in love at once. The special event gave Tiffany an immediate attraction to the undisputed possibilities of love, in a moment that would change her whole life. This love raised the bar for others; only, it couldn’t have happened at the worst time, for on the eve that Tiffany meets the “Love of her Life” Noah; it is one day before her wedding day to Piper. Will Tiffany have to walk away from the only man she loves? Or, will she lose it all in one night? Carol Denise Mitchell is one of the few authors who work harder than anyone to pull at those heart strings. In the end, readers will be rooting for love. However, will Tiffany ever end up with Noah? Or, will she lose him forevermore?

Review:

Noah: True Love Never Dies by Carol Denise Mitchell is a wonderful story about one woman’s complex search for true love. As a child, Tiffany Mitchell, experiences her first crushes and thinks she is in love. As she matures she is still looking for that one perfect man that she can love intensely and be loved in return. As the years go by, Tiffany’s difficult journey in life and love is filled with twists and turns and always ends in certain disappointment. Love is hard to find for Tiffany. Her endless pursuit for real love and her troubled life is constantly elusive and problematic for her. As she went from one guy to another, they all fell in love with her because she was beautiful, smart and special. Then she meets Piper, and decides to marry him. But, the night before her wedding she meets the man that will become the love of her life, Noah. Will Tiffany back out of the marriage? What follows is a heartbreaking, inspiring and realistic story that is filled with romance and intrigue. I am certain that readers will love, be fully entertained by and revel in, Noah: True Love Never Dies.

Carol Denise Mitchell is a fabulous story teller. Her remarkable, unique writing style drew me in from the very first chapter. I was fully engaged and turned the pages quickly to find out what could possibly happen next. The astounding, and complex, storyline and plot is concise, deep and oh so interesting. The character development is impressive and notable. They are memorable and well developed with interesting personalities and dispositions. Tiffany is a character that readers will connect with and relate to. I was completely absorbed in her story and couldn’t put the book down. This story is a lesson in life and love. It’s about finding that one true love that you’ll never forget and always long for. The language and descriptive writing is vivid and visually satisfying. The ending is fantastic and I was very satisfied. Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends Noah: True Love Never Dies by Carol Denise Mitchell to all passionate romance readers. Get yourself a copy and escape into a world filled with romance, twists and suspense.

Purchase Noah: True Love Never Dies by Carol Denise Mitchell @Amazon Here

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Beyond the Fall by Diane Scott Lewis - Book Review

Beyond the Fall by Diane Scott Lewis

Synopsis:

Tamara Ledbetter, dumped by her arrogant husband, travels to Cornwall, England, to research her ancestors. A trip first planned with her soon-to-be ex. While in a neglected cemetery, she scrapes two fallen headstones together to read what’s beneath, faints, and awakes in 1789. Certain she’s caught in a reenactment, she fast discovers she’s in the year of the French Revolution, grain riots in England, miners out of work, and she’s mistrusted by the young farmer, Colum Polwhele, who’s come to her aid. Can a sassy San Francisco gal survive in this primitive time where women have few rights? Could she fall for Colum, a man active in underhanded dealings that involve stolen grain, or will she struggle to return to her own time before danger stalks them both?

Review:

Beyond the Fall by Diane Scott Lewis is a fabulous and compelling, time-travel, romance story that readers will revel in. The story follows Tamara Ledbetter who lives in San Francisco and has just gone through a troublesome divorce. She goes to a cemetery in Cornwall, England, to research her ancestors. While there, she rubs two collapsed headstones together and then passes out. Suddenly, she awakes to find herself in 1789 during the French Revolution. A handsome farmer, Colum Polwhele, shows up to help her. He thinks she is a spy, but he isn’t all that trustful himself, as he is a thief and deals in robbing grain. Can this modern woman live in such a primitive setting without all the contemporary amenities that she took for granted? Or will love prevail?

Beyond the Fall is filled with twists and turns as Tamara’s life grows more and more complicated. While danger lurks, she must learn to survive it all, in a time and place that is foreign to her. This story is captivating and full of eye-opening surprises as author, Diane Scott Lewis, weaves a tale that is compelling and engaging. The historical aspects are well researched, written and brilliantly assessed. She takes readers on an adventurous journey as they follow the life of the main character, Tamara Ledbetter. The character development is skillful and impressive. They are well developed with interesting personalities that readers will immediately connect with and relate to. I was intrigued by Tamara’s predicament and whether she would be able to conform to life in 1789, Cornwall, England, or return to her modern day life that she was so used to.

Beyond the Fall is a multidimensional story that all sorts of readers will certainly enjoy. The descriptive writing is fabulous and had me on the scene feeling like I was actually there in England during the French Revolution, the grain riots and the miners that were out of work. The clothing and settings are clearly and vividly described and I was very captivated with it all. I couldn’t put this book down and turned the pages quickly and late into the night. This book will be a favorite for time-travel, romance enthusiasts and Chick Lit Café highly recommends it. It is an original work of fiction written with a unique and extraordinary voice. Diane Scott Lewis is an exceptional writer and I am eagerly looking forward to reading more of her amazing books.

Purchase Beyond the Fall by Diane Scott Lewis @Amazon Here

The Last Mermaid Princess by Lily Lewis - Book Review

The Last Mermaid Princess by Lily Lewis

Synopsis:

Lily Chaidee was never at home with herself, her family, or her geography, and as a hybrid-Asian growing up in the Texas Panhandle during the 1960’s, she was ill-equipped to face the challenges that would inevitably come. Amarillo, an inhospitable place for an ethnically diverse family, was only part of the problem. Mental illness, sexual predation, addiction, domestic violence, and hypocrisy lay formidable difficulties in her path. But Lily was smart, and smart people often find ways to triumph over horrific circumstances. Even if she could claim her joy, sometimes the worst enemy dwells within. Lily must seek her peace and her place in order to rise above the things that bind her.

Review:

The Last Mermaid Princess by Lily Lewis recounts a compelling story that begins with coming of age in the 1970’s when all of the hot topic issues in the news today were minimized and quickly brushed aside. The good ole boy mentality of West Texas perpetuated a culture of hypocrisy and marginalization of both women and minorities. Lily Lewis goes on to weave a exquisitely dark account of the tiny tragedies that a dysfunctional family and toxic community can perpetuate endlessly. The character portrayed evokes powerful empathy and affection  from readers yet causes them to despise her for the destruction she creates.

One of the biggest takeaways from The Last Mermaid Princess is the idea that we are all flawed and fighting our own battle to be the best version of ourselves possible. Being a survivor and overcoming insurmountable odds is a recurring theme that will resonate with most readers. There are messages about the very nature of the human experience. We are not one dimensional beings but complex multi dimensional creatures. The blurred lines between right and wrong, good guys and bad guys, black and white are explored with the idea that there are many shades of gray that color our world. Somewhere in all the chaos, we must learn to not only forgive other but to forgive ourselves.

Lily Lewis has a gift for words coupled with searing honesty and intimate revelations  that will hold readers close throughout the book. Just when something seems too much to bear, the power of the words will carry readers to and through to the next chapter. The story will bring out almost every imaginable emotion and be almost cathartic in the process. I wept, I laughed, and I longed for more when I reached the last page. The way the story is told is almost as important as the story itself. A story that tells the power of grace, the importance of hope, the need for forgiveness, and the unbreakable bonds of family. Lewis is one of the most evocative and prolific writers I have encountered in some time. The Last Mermaid Princess will take you on a wild ride that will stay with you for a long, long time.

Reviewed by P. Sithsouravong – Pan Asian Book Club

Artisan Book Reviews highly recommends The Last Mermaid Princess by Lily Lewis

Purchase The Last Mermaid Princess @Amazon Here

Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes

Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes

Manhattan Novelist Awarded The Garcia Memorial Prize for Best Fiction Book of the Year:

Diana Forbes wins prestigious honor for her debut novel, Mistress Suffragette

AUSTIN, TEXAS – Manhattan novelist Diana Forbes has been awarded The Garcia Memorial Prize for her debut novel, Mistress Suffragette. An annual award presented in conjunction with the national Reader Views Book Awards, The Garcia Memorial Prize is awarded to the best fiction book of the year.

Sex and the Suffrage movement collide in Diana Forbes’s debut novel, Mistress Suffragette. Abrilliantly crafted work of historical fiction that unfolds against the backdrop of Manhattan’s Gilded Age, Mistress Suffragette has earned high critical praise. In a Starred review, Kirkus calls Mistress Suffragette “a sprightly, winning historical novel.” San Francisco Review of Books reports “writing of this quality is rare…a very welcome debut.” New Theory Magazine notes: “the plight of the clever main character, Penelope, has a timelessness that every 21st century woman will recognize.”

About Mistress Suffragette: Sheltered but feisty Penelope Stanton, growing up in Gilded Age, Newport, Rhode Island is tarnished by her father’s bankruptcy during the Panic of 1893.Penelopequickly attracts the unwanted advances of a villainous millionaire banker who preys on distressed women. After she flees him to nearby Boston, Penelope, by necessity, becomes a paid public speaker in the early women’s suffrage movement. Now she’s speaking out on women’s issues from Boston to New York. But will her disastrous choices in love unravel everything she’s fighting for? In the glittering age where a woman’s reputation is her most valuable possession, Penelope will be forced to discover her hidden reserves of courage and tenacity—and she’ll have to decide whether to compromise her principles for love.

A mesmerizing tale that blends elements of history, romance, and women’s fiction, Mistress Suffragette is a beautifully-written novel that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. Meticulously plotted and brimming with multi-dimensional characters that spring to life within the novel’s pages, Mistress Suffragette leads readers on a rich, rewarding journey to a time long past. An extraordinary novel by an extraordinary writer, Mistress Suffragette is a timeless, unforgettable tale.

According to Susan Violante, editor of Reader Views, “We were overwhelmed by both the quantity and quality of entries in this year’s Reader Views Literary Awards. This year’s awards program featured numerous outstanding works of fiction. Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes was a true standout. This incredible novel has it all: excellent writing, a mesmerizing storyline, and memorable, realistic characters. Mistress Suffragette is an exemplary work of fiction and it is our honor to recognize this title as recipient of the Garcia Memorial Prize for Fiction.”

Diana Forbes is a 9th generation American, with ancestors on both sides of the Civil War. Diana Forbes lives and writes in Manhattan. When she is not cribbing chapters, Diana Forbes loves to explore the buildings where her 19th century American ancestors lived, loved, survived and thrived.Visit Diana Forbes online at: www.DianaForbesNovels.com

Purchase Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes @Amazon Here

Sisters In Law by Sylvia Mulholland - Book Review

Sisters In Law by Sylvia Mulholland

Synopsis:

Three women lawyers—partners in mid-career at the same small firm—have very different takes on work versus personal life. There’s Kali, married and the mother of two—like a train running on multiple tracks, she juggles family, marriage, home and career. There’s Jada—powerful, sexy, single, and embroiled in a workplace romance that’s ending on a very sour note. And then there’s single mom, Gillian, doing her creative writing in any scrap of time she can find: dreaming about quitting law and living the life of an artist, once her troubled teenage daughter gets her life on track. But when a horrible tragedy shatters the firm, the women must pull together to pick up the pieces. As they do, they discover some strange and startling truths about each other, and even more, about the men they’ve been partners with for years. In an effort to right the ship and get the firm back on course, Kali throws a lingerie-tea-shower for the young law student engaged to marry the senior partner, unaware of the minefield of social etiquette she’ll be obliged to navigate. The tea party doesn’t quite go quite as planned, but it certainly does go off—with dramatic and hilarious consequences.

Review:

Hilarious, quirky and entertaining!

Sisters In Law by Sylvia Mulholland is one interesting and delightful read. In it, we have three womenlawyers trying to navigate their work, personal and family lives. Each of them so different from one another, yet they have a kindred like friendship, and work together as lawyers at the law firm of Biltmore, Durham and Spears. First there is Jada Tyler, a single, stylish, beauty that is in a relationship which is soon to end, with a colleague at the firm. Next there is Gillian, a hippyish, creative writer in her spare time, waiting to get her novel published, while tackling her only child, her teenage daughter. Last, but not least, there is conservative Kali, married with two children, managing a hectic life of career and family. These three women’s lives are more than interesting, filled with trials, interpersonal relationships and amusement. When a few of the male lawyers board a small plane headed to Catalina island for the firm’s annual tie-swap party, things go terribly wrong and tragedy strikes. What follows is an eventful story filled with assorted romances, intrigue, mystery and certainly a lot of laughs.

Sisters In Law is an unputdownable fun filled read that had me captivated from the very first chapter. Sylvia Mulholland has created quite a few memorable, rather quirky and somewhat eccentric characters in this fabulous story. They are fully developed with complicated lives, interesting personalities and peculiarities. I could completely relate and found myself connecting with the three main characters, the women lawyers. Their struggles with work versus family lives and their personal relationships are undeniably true to life. Sylvia Mulholland, with her instinctive writing style, has managed to put a delightful, humorous spin on their complex and sometimes confusing lives. I fully enjoyed each of their individual storylines and the way the author intricately tied them all together.

The descriptive language of the settings, food and situations had me on the scene fully engaged all the way from the start of the book to the very satisfying conclusion. As a practicing lawyer with her own law firm, Sylvia Mulholland gives readers a first-hand glimpse into the inner workings of a law firm. With this fun and original story, she addresses the challenges that women face managing a career and family life, while trying to do it all. She writes with much humor and empathy. There are many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and overall I was fully entertained as I found myself laughing throughout this sensational read. Artisan Book Reviews highly recommends Sisters In Law to all avid women readers!

Purchase Sisters In Law by Sylvia Mulholland @Amazon Here

Earth Quarantined by D.L. Richardson - Book Review

Earth Quarantined (Earth Quarantined Book 1) by D.L. Richardson

Synopsis:

When the virus which killed millions of people is gone, humanity lives in a planet-wide quarantine enforced by an alien species.

The year is 2355. The deadly virus that killed millions of people is gone, thanks to the quarantine measures put in place by the Criterion, an alien species who appeared just in time to save the human race. In exchange for complying with their tough control measures, the Criterion promised us the technology for interstellar travel. We’ve done all they’ve asked, yet we’re still on Earth with no way of getting into deep space. The Criterion are lying to us. What they don’t know is that we’re lying to them…

Kethryn Miller is an award-winning actress, but nothing will prepare her for the role she’ll take on when a strange woman who shouldn’t be alive turns up in the city, threatening to expose the lies that have kept peace on Earth for 200 years.

Earth Quarantined is book one in the Earth Quarantined trilogy

Earth Arrested – Book 2 is coming soon

Earth Reclaimed – Book 3 is coming soon

Review:

Earth Quarantined by D. L. Richardson is a fantastic futuristic science fiction novel that is filled with twists and turns and will have readers turning the pages quickly in anticipation while being totally enthralled and entertained.

A deadly virus kills millions of humans, but is now gone thanks to the intervention of the Criterion, an alien race that set up a system and quarantined the entire planet. They promised to give their secret into interstellar planet travel, but after years have passed, they have failed to keep their intended promise. The Criterion continued to stay and control the planet and kept people in colonized segments know as states. They stayed to help rebuild the planet and keep peace among the population. They also put restraints upon the humans to control the population.  Because of these strict measures of intervention and control, many people live underground in secret cities where they are working on a solution to getting humans off the earth and into space. What follows is an exciting story filled with action as the benevolent Criterion and the humans fight to achieve their own specific agendas. The secret contact between the groups of separated people, how they sometimes work together, and their independent struggles on how they deal with the alien rulers, is what drives the plot and story forward.

Earth Quarantined is an outstanding story that science fiction lovers will revel in. The world building is extraordinary with descriptive writing that shines through on every page. The characters are both realistic and relatable. I really felt for the woman that was intended to be the nominal leader for the human race and her inevitable struggles. Readers will be rooting for certain characters at one moment, then doubting them the next. The characterization of the aliens is enthralling and complete. There is nothing missing in this thrilling story. This makes for great storytelling.

Earth Quarantined is unpredictable and extremely engaging. I was fully captivated by the futuristic world that D.L. Richardson has creatively built. The premise and plot are deep and resound with intrigue and fascination. Readers will find Earth Quarantined to be compelling, thought provoking and gripping. The conclusion is outstanding, came as a surprise and is left open for a sequel. Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends Earth Quarantined by D. L. Richardson. Get yourself a copy of this must read one-of-a-kind science fiction novel.

Purchase Earth Quarantined by D.L. Richardson @Amazon Here

Murder in Palm Beach: The Homicide That Never Died by Bob Brink

Murder in Palm Beach: The Homicide That Never Died by Bob Brink

Synopsis:

The doorbell rings in the home of a prominent Palm Beach citizen, quickly followed by a shotgun blast that shatters a window, cracking the calm of a cool January night. Rodger Kriger falls to the floor, mortally wounded, leaving a wife and six children.

Murder in Palm Beach: The Homicide That Never Died is closely based on a sensational, real murder that happened in the posh oceanside town in 1976. In the thin guise of fiction, the book contains shocking new information never before made public. Author Bob Brink, an award-winning journalist, was a newspaper reporter in the locale where the sensational assassination occurred. It made media headlines for 15 years.

An ambitious prosecutor pins the deed on Mitt Hecher, a hoodlum and karate expert. At Hecher’s trial, fellow jail inmates testify that he confessed. He is convicted and sentenced to the brutal and anarchic state prison at Raiford, where a stabbing a day and a killing a week are the “mean” average.

Judges repeatedly frustrate Hecher and several attorneys working without fees to get a new trial, as investigators pursue myriad scenarios. Meanwhile, his wife contracts a deadly disease.

Was Hecher innocent, and if so, who did it? Did the sons of a wealthy Cuban kill Kriger? Were the operators of a gambling enterprise out to get him? Was a love triangle the basis for the shooting? Did a vicious underworld figure do the bidding of a criminal gang? Was a prominent politician behind the slaying? Those are the questions seeking answers amid the exploration of issues of justice and power.

Murder in Palm Beach is the saga of a battle between a man whose swagger has sent him spiraling to the bottom and powerful, sinister forces determined to keep him there. It is a story of redemption wrapped in a mystery tale reeking with power, sex, violence, and romance.

Review:

Murder in Palm Beach is both a mix of fact and fiction by author and award-winning journalist Bob Brink. In it, he brings readers a fabulous, heated story about one man who was falsely accused of a murder in Palm Beach that he did not commit. He spent years in prison trying to prove his innocence with the help of others. Mitt Hecher was a gritty troublemaker, but he was not a murderer. In 1976, Mitt Hecher was on a new path with his new love, Diane, when the unthinkable happened, he was arrested for the murder of a notable Palm Beach man, Rodger Kriger. Finally, after 15 years in prison, Hecher was released and set out to discover who the real killer was. What follows is a lot of surprises and twists and turns as readers follow the unraveling of the horrendous story of the murder and who actually perpetrated it.

Author Bob Brink throws a lot at readers in the opening of the story. A shotgun murder, a wrongful conviction, an unscrupulous, corrupt law system, and many distrustful and shady people. All this brings the reader a feeling of shock and unease which leads to an overwhelming concern and sympathy for Mitt Hecher, the main character. He loses his life, and everything it entails, for a crime he did not commit. What an injustice, which happens all too often. He must prove his innocence against all odds, and that is what this book is all about.

Murder in Palm Beach by Bob Brink is an exciting, fast-paced read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. I couldn’t put this book down and read it late into the night. I love true crime stories and this is one of the best ones I have ever read. The character development is superb, while the dialog is pure, excellent and very impressive.

Bob Brink has a way with words that keeps readers fully engaged. The story line and plot are sheer genius, and oh so very entertaining. There is a lot going on in this story with sex, unjust use of power, romance, murder, investigations and much more. Murder in Palm Beach is intriguing, engrossing and fully compelling. It is thought provoking and very interesting. This is a real page turner and a riveting political crime thriller. An innocent man wrongly convicted, set free to exact justice and find the real killer. This is a must-read book for all avid true-crime readers. Highly recommended by Artisan Book Reviews.

Purchase Murder in Palm Beach by Bob Brink @Amazon Here