Book Title : Off The Moon
Author : LK Hunsaker
Publisher : Elucidate Publishing
Genre : Contemporary romance/relationship novel
Publication Date : November 2009
ISBN : 10 0982529902
Pages : 322
Series : N/A
Category : Sensual
Type : E-book

Reviewer : Lindsay Townsend

4 Wings

Ryan Reynauld is a successful composer and performer. He is rather jaded by life and unsatisfied with what the rest of the band and the studio are trying to do with his music – make it more commercial and less individual. Off the Moon opens with Ryan going to his studio. En route he discovers a young woman on a roof who seems about to commit suicide. Moved by her plight, Ryan persuades Kaitlyn to come back inside and promises her she doesn’t have to be alone any more.
Ryan knows she needs help and he tried to provide it, giving her fresh clothes at his place and asking his brother and sister-in-law to take her into a loving, stable family unit.

Kaitlyn (who is also known as Katie) remains silent and clearly troubled. Others around Ryan warn him about becoming involved and suggest he should leave Kaitlyn to the professionals. Ryan refuses – because of arrogance, or an instinct that Kaitlyn needs more personal help?

She stays with him. He takes Kaitlyn to visit his family and also takes her out on his boat. She talks a little, telling Ryan her family are gone and that she grew up in different places. There is a mystery about her and since we are in Ryan’s viewpoint the reader doesn’t discover what it is until he does and the reader also experiences Ryan’s frustration in dealing with Kaitlyn. She is very laconic and, as a reader, I was unsure if her lack of speech was due to nature, trauma or a power and manipulation technique: silence can be power.
Ryan’s band do not understand why Ryan feels compelled to help her. These are very deep waters and Ryan is very young (in his mid-twenties). Perhaps his youth and idealism are what motivate him.
Gradually Kaitlyn opens up to him and we hear more of her sad life. This gives her more depth and allows the reader to empathise with her. She has profound survivor guilt and trust issues.

She also has a family, some of whom she did not know were still alive. When she is reunited with her close family, one member is so protective as to be controlling. That member also takes against Ryan because he is a professional musician. This makes it difficult for Ryan’s and Kaitlyn’s relationship, especially when she is committed to a psychiatric ward. Will the love she and Ryan share be strong enough to survive?

Ranging from America to England, full of intriguing relationships, multi-layered characters, family angst and issues of trust and responsibility, LK Hunsaker builds Off the Moon from a slow start into a powerful read. I especially loved the ending, where Ryan makes a very special musical gift to Kaitlyn.

Book Title : Loving a Lost Lord
Author : Mary Jo Putney
Publisher : Zebra Kensington
Genre : Historical
Publication Date : July 2009
ISBN : 978-1-4201-0328-1
Pages : 340 pages
Series : Book 1 of the Lost Lord Series
Category : Sophisticated
Type : Print Book

Reviewer : Stephanie


5 Wings

Mary Jo Putney crafts a sensual historical tale in Loving a Lost Lord. Vibrant and full of imagery, Loving a Lost Lord, captures the imagination and buries the reader completely in 1812 England.

The story opens with Mariah Clarke and her father coming into possession of Hartley Manor near the Scottish border. Shortly thereafter, Mariah’s father disappears and she’s led to believe he was killed by highwaymen. Soon, the former owner of Hartley Manor, George Burke, begins harassing Mariah in the hopes of marrying her and getting his property back.

Enter Adam. He washes up on Hartley’s shores, the victim of a ship explosion. Mariah cares for the exotic man and nurses him back to health. Adam has amnesia and Mariah tells him they’re married, giving him hope to spur on his recovery. As Adam heals, he chases Burke away from Hartley and slowly comes to believe he’s married to Mariah. Intimate caresses soon lead to more and Mariah and Adam make love after sharing an idealistic picnic. When Adam realizes Mariah was a virgin, Mariah tells him the truth. The next day, his friends arrive to tell him he’s a Duke. Can Adam forgive Mariah’s lies and give them a chance to find true happiness?

The plot moves at the perfect clip with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. I thought the story was very creative and the author handled Adam’s amnesia with realism.

Putney’s characters are rich and distinctive. Adam is half Indian and suffers from occasional intolerance. He’s a character readers can identify with. He’s loyal, steadfast, and true, and the amnesia tests every aspect of his being. Mariah expresses guilt and remorse for lying to Adam. She never meant to let her lie get out of hand, and she realizes it might have cost her true happiness with Adam.

Putney paints a wonderful setting with a good economy of words. The story is “sophisticated” for CRR with lovemaking scenes that are tastefully done and celebrate Adam and Mariah’s love. Overall, Loving a Lost Lord, is an engaging story that demonstrates love overcomes all.

Title : A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to your Wedding
Author : Cindy K. Green
Publisher : Wild Rose Press
Genre : Contemporary Inspirational romance
Publication Date : May 2007
ISBN : I-60154-072-8
Pages : 157
Series : N/A
Category : Sweet
Type : Print book

Reviewer: Stephanie

4 Wings

Green crafts a heartfelt inspirational romance with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding. Dr. Kari Montgomery’s professional life is soaring, having recently been tenured at her college alma mater to teach history. Unfortunately, her personal life has taken a few knocks. When she discovers her fiancé playing the field, she dumps him, but his actions have left her with a scar on her heart that threatens not to heal.

Enter Pastor Randy Steele. He collides into Kari during a rainstorm while Kari’s rushing to her cousin’s wedding. The sparks fly between the couple, but Kari is afraid to fan the embers, fearing she’ll be hurt again.

Randy’s not intimidated by Kari’s standoffishness. He’s open and honest, and Kari comes to admire his faith in God. Soon, a rumor begins to spread that Kari and Randy are engaged. It’s a rumor that Kari and Randy don’t squash immediately. Does Randy have the strength, perseverance, and faith to mend Kari’s heart, or will he find the challenge one he can’t overcome?

The plot moves at a nice pace, slowing down in the right places for the reader to catch their breath before accelerating again. Green has an easy writing style that engages the reader. Kari is a character full of complexities. She’s a woman who has found success professionally, but personally, happiness has alluded her. This aspect of her character has a modern appeal to many readers. Randy’s a nice, solid guy who has his own patience tested. It fits into the inspirational theme of the book. The romance is sweet for CRR. I especially liked the setting in upstate New York near Lake Ontario. The author did a wonderful job making the seasons come alive. Overall, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding will leave the reader believing in the power of love.

Book Title : Whitney In Charge
Author : Diane Craver
Publisher : Desert Breeze Publishing
Genre : Contemporary
Publication Date : Aug. 2009
ISBN : 978-1-93600
Pages : 94 pages
Series : N/A
Category : Sweet
Type : Ebook

Reviewer : Stephanie

4.5 Wings

Whitney in Charge is a delightful story about sisterhood, friendship, and falling in love. The Taylor sisters are an engaging trio and the reader will embrace them with open arms. Shannon is the oldest, turning forty, and cringing at the thought. Reagan is married with children, and Whitney, the youngest, is trying to mend her broken heart with her sisters’ help.

The story opens with Shannon and Reagan trying to engage Whitney in life again with skydiving lessons. Whitney’s husband was a war correspondent who died overseas. Whitney is a little apprehensive about that, but agrees to call Jack, a paramedic with Matthew McCoughney curls, which Reagan knows through her husband.

A little later on, Whitney meets her new neighbor, Ben. Ben is divorced with a young son, Adam. With her sister’s encouragement and support, Whitney slowly comes out of her grief. After a disastrous date with Ben, Whitney agrees to a date with Jack. Both guys are honorable, and a date is a date, nothing more, right? What’s a girl to do? Let the best man win.

Craver’s writing is crisp and the plot moves at a sharp pace. Her characters are full of life, quirky, vital, and so very real. Whitney is a character many readers can identify with. She’s a professional who finds it challenging to balance that aspect of her life with her private one. Both Jack and Ben are men worthy of Whitney. They’re solid guys and readers will come down on either “Team Jack” or “Team Ben.”

Craver’s dialogue is natural and real. The novel is “sweet” for CRR with a few sensual kisses that are tastefully done. Overall, Whitney in Charge, will leave the reader feeling good about falling in love

Book Title : Love Comes Blindly
Author : Phyllis Campbell
Publisher : Champagne Books
Genre : Historical
Publication Date : 2009
ISBN : 978-1-926681-20-7
Pages : 100
Series : N/A
Category : Sensual
Type : E-book

Reviewer : skb

5 Wings

Scotland, 1854
Following a lead for the next big story for his London newspaper, Lord Gregory Fielding travels to Scotland. Injured in an ambush, he now must rely on the soft, comforting touch of one of the nurses at St. Mary’s Abbey. Although he thinks she is a novice, his mind still conjures arousing thoughts of making her sigh with passion.
Madeline O’Neil is horrified that the man she almost married three years ago is back in her life. He can’t see her, and she doesn’t dare tell him her true identity. Not, at least, until she’s sure he likes the new Madeline. As time passes, her heart grows fonder of Gregg. She is sure, however, that once he learns of the secret she has kept from him for three years, he’ll hate her anew.

Phyllis Campbell has written a charming and sensuous historical in Love Comes Blindly. Madeline had such flaws as a young girl, but grew into a warm, caring young woman. One that Lord Fielding is having tender feelings for—until he regains his sight. Then, he can only see the girl who humiliated him three years earlier.

Ms. Campbell layered her characters with believable personalities that a reader can relate to. With expertise, she wove a fast-paced story that kept me turning the pages. I loved this book, and definitely recommend it to others. You won’t be disappointed.