The Wolverine and the Rose
By Rebecca Goings
The Legends of Mynos - Book 1
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-432-6
February 2007
Fantasy Romance
Arianna had only known the life of a country farm girl until that fateful day she defied her father and snuck into town. It was there that she found a man who needed her help, but by helping him, brought destruction to her family.
A Wolverine Knight, Sir Geoffrey had been sent on a mission with two other knights. Honor dictated that he help Arianna, who had lost everything by aiding them in their quest, yet it was not honor that he felt towards her. He knew Arianna was in emotional turmoil due to her circumstances, and he would not take advantage of her.
He refused to see love. Yet Arianna knew there had to be more. There was a bond between them. Neither of them recognized the truth, which was even more mysterious and magical than they could have imagined.
I was engrossed in The Wolverine and the Rose from the very beginning, and was not happy whenever I was interrupted. This story has it all. There is great romance, evil villains, magic, elves, and even a dragon who is one of the best surprises of any story I've read. I am thrilled to know that there will be more stories in this series (there is even a prequel on the author's website). I am anxious to read the next in the series.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
May 17, 2007
Nuermar's Last Witch
By A. E. Rought
The Chronicles of Nuermar - Book 1
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-103-3
December 2006
Fantasy Romance
Nemenon had sent his assassins and destroyed Maelis Keshnar's village, and her grandmother was murdered before her eyes. Escaping the terror she had witnessed, Maelis traveled far, but did not realize she was being watched, and tracked. One of the assassins, Joran Tohknar, had chosen not to kill her, and now he watched as she slowly recognized the powers she possessed.
Maelis was the last in the line of the green-eyed witches. The prophecies said that she would be able to destroy Nemenon. Only with the help of Joran, her assassin turned protector, will Maelis be able to recover the stones, channel the Elements, and liberate the people of Nuermar.
Nuermar's Last Witch is reminiscent of a great epic fantasy. But what makes this story more enjoyable for me, is that at heart, it is a romance. Although filled with strife, and suffering, particularly when describing the tortures Joran endured when forced into Nemenon's service, the story was touching as Joran struggled to become the man he should have always been. A protector. I am interested in seeing where A.E. Rought plans to take this series next.
Rating: 4 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
April 25, 2007
Page 1
The Wolverine and the Rose
By Rebecca Goings
Samhain Publishing
Nuermar's Last Witch
By A.E. Rought
The Chronicles of Nuermar - Book I
Samhain Publishing
The Wolverine and the Jewel
By Rebecca Goings
The Legends of Mynos - Book 2
Samhain Publishing
Cade's Challenge
By Becky Barker
Langden Brothers - Book 2
Samhain Publishing
Sweet Forever
By Ceri Hebert
Samhain Publishing
A Night Of NovelTea
By Cindy K. Green
The Wild Rose Press
Almost a Family
By Donna Alward
Samhain Publishing
Setheus
By Rene Lyons
The Seraphim - Book 1
Samhain Publishing
The Wolverine and the Jewel
By Rebecca Goings
The Legends of Mynos - Book 2
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-478-4
May 2007
Fantasy Romance
She didn't know her name, where she was from, or how she'd arrived in the field. All she knew was that she had been viciously beaten, and found by Sir Sebastian of Tabrinth, a Wolverine Knight, and had been brought to Castle Templestone.
Sebastian may not know the lady's past, but that didn't matter. He named her Jewel, after the large jewel she wore on her neck, and he vowed nobody would hurt her again.
When they inadvertently enlighten the evil Lord Merric of Jewel's location, her safety is again at risk. Merric will go to any lengths to bring her back, at the expense of many lives. It is only together, with the help of Mynos, the dragon, that they will be able to identify the secret of her jewel, and bring the downfall of Merric.
I was very excited when I learned The Wolverine and the Jewel was released. I had truly enjoyed the previous book, The Wolverine and the Rose, and was intrigued as to the direction Rebecca Goings would take this series. I was not disappointed in the least. There was action throughout, further development in the story of Mynos, and we visit with characters from the first book. In her writing, Ms. Goings excels at reflecting the passion her characters feel for one another. However, I was a bit upset with the number of deaths in this book, some of whom were prominent secondary characters. If you are reading for pure escapism, this story is a bit somber with both the deaths, and the brutal attack and attempted rape of Jewel. Overall, I am extremely pleased that I chose to start reading this series, and impatiently await the next installment.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Cade's Challenge
By Becky Barker
Langden Brothers - Book 2
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-477-6
May 2007
Contemporary Romance
Sallie Archer worked for Cade Langden and had no intention of crossing the line between a professional relationship and a personal relationship. She knew they never ended up well, and she also had known Cade long enough to see that he dated much more than she did. However, when Sallie's home is invaded, Cade takes it upon himself to make sure that Sallie is safe, much to Sallie's chagrin. She had lived too many years in the restrictive confines of "protection" and had absolutely no intention of doing so again.
Cade knew that he wanted Sallie, and was quite certain that she was interested in him as well. The fact that she was putting up barriers didn't concern him, at least for now. His primary concern was that Sallie appeared to be in danger, there seemed to be trouble at his business, and how or if these two issues were related. What wasn't in doubt was that Cade would do whatever he could to protect Sallie. The fact that they may have to spend more time together was just a bonus.
Cade's Challenge was a pleasant read with a character I was very happy to revisit. Cade obviously had feelings for Sallie that were passionate, and the suspense of who was stalking them was intense. I was thrilled to learn that Becky Barker had written a story for Cade. I had absolutely adored him in "On Wings Of Love."
Rating: 4 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Sweet Forever
By Ceri Hebert
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-462-8
April 2007
Contemporary Romance
Ben Winslow knew that Hayden Merrick was stirring things up when she arrived in Burton, South Dakota. Hayden's mom had left town pregnant, had gone east and never returned, and also had never reconciled with her parents. Now that her mother had died, Hayden had come to visit and meet her grandmother.
And this was where Ben's dilemma began. He was glad that Hayden was getting to know Lu, but Sally, a cousin, was now on his case to find out if Lu was changing her will. Also, Ben was certain that the truth about who Hayden's father would turn out to be could cause a town scandal.
Worse of all, was the knowledge that as Ben gets to know Hayden, he learns to admire, enjoy, and love her. Hayden says that she needs to return to the East, it is where she belongs. Ben knows that it'll take all that he is, and more, for her to realize that he is where she needs to be.
Sweet Forever succeeded with great character development, rich description of the ranch and the surrounding lands, and evoking emotional response from the reader. However, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more to the story. I kept expecting a twist to the plot, but everything was exactly as it seemed, and the biggest conflict Ben and Hayden encounter throughout the story was Hayden's uncertainty of remaining in South Dakota.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
A Night of NovelTea
By Cindy K. Green
The Wild Rose Press
June 2007
Contemporary Romance
While working at the family bookstore, Juliet Truesdale was startled by the man standing in front of her. He seemed cautious, tested her Jane Austin knowledge, then passed her an envelope with directions to meet him later. She knew she shouldn't go, but did.
Hoping for answers to his unusual actions, Juliet met him at the lounge. Intent on finding those answers, soon Juliet and the man were on the run. Only Juliet didn't know if she was running from the bad guys - or with him.
A Night of NovelTea is a sweet short story with romance and a hint of danger. I liked the story, and Juliet. Unfortunately, since it was in first person narrative, the hero was not able to be as fully developed. Overall, I enjoyed reading A Night of NovelTea, but think it would have been more satisfying had it been a bit longer.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Almost a Family
By Donna Alward
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-307-9
January 2007
Contemporary Romance
It had been six years, and yet the hurt still felt fresh. Molly Schaeffer had returned to watch her niece, Sara, as her sister, Kim, recovered from a car accident. Learning that their next door neighbor, a man who Sara called "Uncle," was the same man that she had spurned six years earlier was a tremendous shock.
Jason Elliot had wanted everything with Molly. He'd dreamed it all down to the finest detail. However, when he'd shared his dream with Molly, and asked her to marry him, she had left, without even saying goodbye. Not only had she left him, but she'd left her younger sister.
Having been out of Sara and Kim's life for so long, Molly immediately realized that she didn't know her niece. Still here she was expected to take care of her while Kim was in the hospital. Fortunately for Sara, Jason had become a fixture in her life. Unfortunately for Molly, that meant that she needed to turn to Jason for help.
In Almost a Family, as Molly and Jason take care of Sara, they both realize what they've missed. For Jason, this had been exactly what he wanted - Molly by his side, and a family to care for. It wasn't that Molly hadn't wanted this. Yet she had still taken the opportunity of being Jason's wife, and the mother of his children, and thrown it away, literally back in his face.
I enjoyed reading Almost a Family and Jason is exactly the type of hero any woman would want. Sure he had figured out their future, but many analytical people can be like that. However, I really didn't understand why, if Molly had loved him so much, she couldn't just tell him that they needed to consult on the finer details of his plans. I felt that the characters were fully developed, and would love to see a story for Molly's sister, Kim. I look forward to additional stories by this author.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Setheus
By Rene Lyons
The Seraphim - Book 1
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-537-3
July 2007
Paranormal Romance
She might have felt as if she'd walked in the devil's own den - had she not known the truth. On her deathbed, Sabrina Hart's mother had told her nearly unimaginable secrets about herself, and her dead father. These secrets had led her to seek out Seth Raleigh. He was a man with secrets of his own, or rather a being with secrets.
For Setheus was an angel who had accepted God's charge to fall from Grace to earth to protect humanity. He had given up Heaven to live among men, and prevent evil from escaping Hell.
Seth was someone who had been alone for centuries and had finally found the woman he had been waiting for. Danger is lurking, threatening to free evil, and it is together with the other Seraphim, that they can prevent it from happening.
I was so excited to learn about this new series by Rene Lyons, and the first story, Setheus, is phenomenal. I enjoyed learning about the Seraphims' history, as well as Sabrina's own secrets. I only wish I had a clue as to whose story is next and when it will be.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
