The Past Has The Ability to Haunt Us All: "Secrets" by Erosa Knowles

Wealthy Industrialist David Baxter died and left Chastity, his Administrative Assistant the bulk of his estate. Great right? That was until she faced his greedy relative in a court battle over the estate, which opens a can of Secrets. Court exposure sets off a string of events that reach as high as the United States Senate Chambers and as low as State prison walls. Through everything, Chastity once again must face her past Secrets. Desperate measures won't allow her to push her childhood friend, Lt. Cmdr. Kenton Stone to the side, she needs his help, even though she hides the biggest Secret of all from him.

Everyone has a past and for some, that past is best left in the past. All of us harbor memories of things said or done we wish hadn't been said or done. Most of us just let the past lie dormant and move on. Yet there are times when the past keeps rearing its ugly head and no matter how forcefully one tries to put it back where it belongs, the ugly truth keeps intruding on the present.

So it was with Chastity. She was a beautiful black woman who had worked for and resided at the estate of a wealthy industrialist. She has been his right-hand girl, had lived quietly and worked efficiently. Together with her children her life was protected as were their lives, and that's just the way she wanted it to stay. All the carefully constructed protective walls came tumbling down when Mr. Baxter died and left everything to Chastity, writing his greedy sister out of the will. And from then on, Chastity's life as she kinew it was never the same.

This is really a terrific read, one that brings to life characters that run the gammit of human goodness and evil. Secret after secret revealed plots and plans that even Chastity hadn't known about, no matter that she had worked more closely with Mr Baxter than anyone. Yet even from the grave he was protecting her and seeking justice for the wrongs that had been done to her when she was a child. The evils of child sex slaves is alive and well in the world, and this story brings it into the harsh light and tells of the hurt, both past and present, that it does to its victims. It exposes the false values, the callous misuse of children to satisfy perversion in people in high office and who are continually protected by their association with other high ranking elected officials. Yet even their evil is exposed in ways that are surprising and will gladden the heart of readers as they recognize that whatever Mr. Baxter may have been, he was a champion for Chastity and all like her.

This is one of those novels that keeps on resonating in the reader's memory long after the final word has been read. It is a book that has a warm and heart-felt love story at its core, but the evil that surrounds the main characters seems to be never-ending. There are surprises, plot twists, and unexpected graces as well as times when the bad guys seem to be winning. This novel never lets up. It's just that good. I hope you take the time to buy it and read it. It's worth the time and money to do so. I give this book a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

This novel was released by Sitting Bull Publishing in August, 2011.

Run, Run, As Fast As You Can: "Catch Me" by Lorelie Brown

Arizona Territory, 1882

Maggie Bullock's father needed expensive medical care and if that meant stealing from their friendly swindling banker, so be it. Once her father was on the path to recovery she would face the consequences. The whole thing was surprisingly easy until she's kidnapped by bounty hunter Dean Collier.

Collier is tired of tracking down worthless scum. He's afraid he'll lose his last scrap of humanity and become a stone-cold killer, just like the men he brings to justice. He jumps at the chance to become sheriff of Fresh Springs, Arizona. The one condition—capture Maggie.

He figured it'd be easy. Until beautiful, loyal Maggie breaks through defenses he'd thought cemented. His feelings for her run the range from fury to confusion to love, but if he doesn't bring her in someone else will. Can there be a future between a sheriff and a fugitive?

The presence of law enforcement in the Territories of America's West was spotty at best--depending on the town having a local sheriff or possible a U. S. Marshall who rode the trails from town to town. Often the local townspeople took it upon themselves to solve their crime problems with a poorly planned lynching or by getting up enough collective backbone to run a gang out of town. The use of bounty hunters was far more common in those days even though we know they exist today, usually to apprehend bail jumpers. In this story, there appears to be a simple case of a bank robber who must be caught and returned for trial. But don't kid yourself: there's lots more going on than that!

The main characters are both people who have experienced loss, who have had to learned to adapt to the harsh realities of living in the Western Territories and who have had to find a way to keep their humanity intact. The bounty hunter is hardened, not only by the revenge killing of his wife and son, but by the self-inflicted hurts of the past five years. His sense of failure at protecting his family from angry criminals has never left him, and as a result, he cares little for the quality of his life or the people around him. Now he has one last chance to redeem a life that has gone sour. By apprehending Maggie Bullock, Dean can be assured of being made sheriff, a position he feels is one that will prevent him from going over the edge into the darkness that threatens his soul.

Maggie, on the other hand, has simply done the only thing she could do: she has found a way to pay for expensive medical treatment for her dad by robbing the local bank. Owned and operated by a man who had always appeared to be a close friend of her father's, Maggie was astounded when her plea for a loan to pay medical expenses was turned down and done in such a way that Maggie thought she caught a glimpse of the bank owner having some fun at her's and her father's expense. Now she has taken that same man's gold and traveled to a special new clinic in Texas where her father is showing definite signs of improved health.

Obviously riding side by side on horseback for three weeks, camping out each night, occasional baths in flowing streams with little privacy--all served to break down the walls Dean had built against giving in to any sort of attraction to Maggie. Didn't work!! Before it was all over, they found that each had gotten "under the skin" of the other. The one overriding issue was, though, that Maggie faced a lengthy prison sentence in the Yuma Prison, a fact that put the kabosh on any kind of relationship.

But as I intimated at the beginning of this review, there is more here than meets the eye. Somehow there is the sense that all is not well in the friendship between Maggie's father and Mr. Masterson, the banker. This becomes even more evident when Masterson sends one of his "guards" to travel with Maggie & Dean, and turns out to be a man with little conscience, no respect for Maggie or any woman, and a man prone to solve all his problems with violence. It also appeared that Maggie would not be safe from Masterson's "personal attentions" (ahem! we know what that means, don't we?) until the circuit judge arrived for a trial.

This novel is full of twists and turns, keeping the reader wondering how this is all going to work out for Maggie, wondering if there was any hope at all for a romance and a future for Maggie & Dean, and that niggling suspicion that there was trouble afoot before it was all said and done. Even though Dean has been scarred by his loss, he is put back in touch with his humanity more than he realizes as he is exposed to Maggie's unwavering loyalty to her father, her open and honest expression of her attraction for him, and her acceptance of her fate. He shares parts of his personal history with her that he has never shared in five years. I found the account of their growing relationship to be compelling reading, flowing so well toward what appeared to be inevitable conclusion when they arrived in Maggie's hometown.

There are lots of surprises in this story, so much so that I never really figured it out ahead of time. The ending is a complete surprise, and the resolution of Dean & Maggie's story was totally unanticipated by me. Ms Brown captivated me with her storytelling ability, the way she kept the narrative moving forward, the clearly delineated characters, and dialogue that was so well done that it not only exposed the nature and personality of the characters to the reader but also intimated that something sinister was waiting just around the corner. This is a delightful historical romance filled with color, passion, a bit of mystery, and that sense of family and community that marked life in the Old West. Lovers of historical romance would do well to get this book. I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

This novel is being released by Carina Press during July 2011.

Romance Lives Even in Troubled Marriages . . .

I have now read two of Tracy Anne Warren's "Mistresses" series and have enjoyed them all. I love historical romances -- in fact, there was a time when just about the only romantic fiction I read was historical in nature, preferably from the Regency period. Obviously I have branched out considerably since then, but I still harbor that particular love of historical romance that has been with me from my earliest years. I have already reviewed some of Warren's books here and on Book Binge and I just wanted to share this one with you. Some folks have not cared for this particular book, stating that they thought it was formulaic and predictable. That was not my take on this book and I will happily share my thoughts here.

Vivacious Gabriella St. George is penniless yet proud. Thanks to the benevolence of a generous relative, she gets a chance for a new life in London, never dreaming it will entangle her in a sensual battle of wills with an irresistable rogue who doesn't believe in love. With one scorching caress, Anthony Black invites Gabriella to share his bed. But she wants his heart and his name, so the determined beauty embarks on a daring game to win both.

Firmly committed to the pleasures of bachelorhood, Tony Black, Duke of Wyvern, has no intention of offereing to any woman more than shared moments of erotic delight. But Gabriella tests his mettle, undermines his resolve, and cracks the ice around his heart with each sweet smile, teasing glance and rapturous kiss. Suddenly a man who relishes only carnal pleasure must confront the unexpected: a passion that may lead to everlasting love.

In the interest of fairness, the hero is once again an experienced and probably a jaded gentleman who has come to view love as an unnecessary complication in a life that is well ordered and comfortable. But Tony's view of love is shaped, not be a surfeit of willing women, but by the rejection of a mother who is more determined to protect her physical charms from the ravages of time, who cares more for her current lover, than for the son who had lost his one friend in the world, his father. Sent away to boarding school just days after his father's death, Tony Black learned well that loving is risky and often receives nothing in return. His absence from his home extended for six years. Now he is viewed as one of the ton's most accomplished rakes, and the hostesses and mothers of hopeful debutantes have essentially removed him from their lists of possible husbands. He is a loyal friend to those he truly likes, begins and ends his affairs with a style honed with long experience, and enjoys his wrinkle-proof life.

Gabriella St. George, on the other hand, is a young 17-year-old girl who is driven by rage and a desire for vengence against one of Tony's friends and thus comes under the censure of Tony himself. However, once Gabriella learns that the man she has loved, who acknowledged her as his daughter but who had used her and her actress mother woefully and repeatedly over the years, was a dishonorable man who took what he wanted without thought of the consequences, was a murder and philanderer, and who ultimately broke her mother's heart she had to rethink her anger and leave behind her plans for revenge. The very man who was the object of her rage turns out to be her best friend -- her uncle -- and who now offers her sanctuary and a home, opportunities to become accepted by society, and possibly make a good future for herself with a good marriage.

As is often the case, there is quite a range in ages between these two, but that was often the case in 19th century society marriages. It accounts for the large numbers of young, marriageable widows that floated around the edges of London society and who were often the objects of passion by those men looking for satisfaction outside loveless marriages.

As was also often true, Tony and Gabriella's marriage became endangered because of her determination that her marriage would be founded on true affection and not just on a wild passion. It is also another case of a man who had been greatly wounded early in life and who not only found it almost impossible to conceive of loving anyone but couldn't even tolerate the word. This was not as unusual as it may seem to contemporary readers, and Tony believed that his passion for Gabriella, his care and provision for her would be sufficient to bind her to him. Who needed love?

Warren has given us what I think is a somewhat different story here -- of course we have the great disagreement and series of misunderstandings that are often part and parcel of historical fiction, but these two enter into an agreement wherein Gabriella, living in her own townhouse in London, becomes her husband's de facto mistress. Gabriella's body welcomes his advances; her heart despairs of ever reaching his heart. She even welcomes the stated purpose of their conjugal exchanges being the procreation of an heir. At least she would have his child if she could not have his love. It is a curious set of circumstances.

I liked this book a lot. I love Warren's writing style, her gentle wit and her strong characters. I like Gabriella who represents so many women who were left without resources on the outside edges of society and who must make her own way in the world. I like the continued involvement of characters who appeared in other Warren novels as a way of expanding one's awareness of their life and experiences. I sometimes get a bit weary of the "grand upset" that seems to be the conflict in so many historical romance plots, but I enjoy stories that seem to accept that such breakdowns in relationships occur and must be resolved. Warren seems to be able to help that happen in creative ways. I like all the romance, the joy that Gabriella finds in her relationship with Tony, even though she knows that he has treated her regardfor him as unimportant.

There's lots to like in this book, and it is one of those historical romances that rolls along and keeps on keeping on, and of course there is the warm fuzzies at the conclusion. A good read and another good Warren effort. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5.

A Journey Back in Time . . . A Commander's Desire . . . by Jennette Green

This is one of those novels that takes the reader back into the dark ages -- the 8th century in the Celtic Tradition, when power and land were the commodities that occupied the efforts of the aristocracy, and survival was the watch word of the masses. It is a time of treachery and negotiation, brash, seemingly uncaring, loveless, and fraught with fear. Blood flowed easily and freely, and physical strength was more necessary on the battlefield than during most historical periods. The underlying emotions of revenge and betrayal seem to color this novel from the first. But that was the way of it in these times.

Striving to find an opportunity to kill the man she believes murdered her older brother, Princess Elwytha offers herself as the bride of her Clan's sworn enemy. She and her living brother have hatched a scheme to overthrow their enemy's kingdom as well as accomplish their vengeful goal, but in the process she is slated to become the bride of the Prince's general, almost always referred to as "The Commander" rather than by his given name of Gilead. He is a large, gruff man who has been been badly injured and scarred, but is surprisingly gentle with the Princess, even though she is haughty, insulting, and accusing him of being her brother's murderer. Over time she begins to regret her plan to betray him and to ultimately participate in her brother's treacherous plan. She would be totally surprised if she knew that he had fallen in love with her at first sight.

There is passion and color, suspense and betrayal, friendship and loyalty, love and hate all wrapped up in this tale set in the Dark Ages. Green is a very accomplished writer and her knowledge of this time is evident on every page. Not only does the reader become involved in the story, but this is one of those books that teaches as much history as it delights with the spinning of a romantic story. The characters are well-developed and the plot moves forward steadily -- no hang-ups or delays as the story procedes toward the surprising ending. This is a really, really good book, and if you like romance in the context of ancient history, you will find lots to like in this book. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

Off to See the City By the Bay . . .

Well, hubby and I are off with one of our granddaughters to visit San Francisco for two days . . . and I don't intend to leave my heart there either. I need it to live, and at my age, every day is a victory! We plan to see the Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and of course, sample the chocolate, visit Pier 39 so granddaughter can watch the sea lions, do the boat trip around the San Francisco Bay, drive down the Crookedest Street -- Lombard Street --, see Coit Tower (shaped like a fire hose nozzle), ride the Cable Cars and the BART, drive down Hightway 1 past the Cliff House on to Half Moon Bay where my grandmother, aunt & uncle once lived, have tea at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, visit the Muir Woods Redwoods (about an hour north of San Francisco), and drive past -- you will notice I said "drive past"-- San Quentin State Prison--lots of stuff crammed into two days. But I have been nose deep in books, as always, and one of the ebooks I recently read was a fun book in the Erotica category. Thought some of you might enjoy this, or have already read it. Anyway, Here goes . . .

Romance author, Jenna Block, has been informed by her agent that her usual genre of "contemporary romance" novels are no longer welcome. In fact, the book she has just completed will not even be submitted to the publisher as her agent believes the market has changed and other kinds of romance novels are more popular and more likely to sell. Jenna, a native New Yorker, is taken aback by this sudden turn of events, knowing that her career and her livelihood are on the line. So she decides, in spite of knowing nothing about them, to write a romance novel based on the cowboy/rodeo scene.

Jenna watches a rodeo competition on TV and sees the bull riders in Kansas City. Hearing that the rodeo was next due in Oklahoma City, she decides to travel there and attempt to interview some of the participants to learn the lingo and get sufficient background to attempt to write a romance from that perspective. She turns up in the stands and is immediately spotted by Mustang Jackson, one-time Rookie of the Year, and a bull rider who is a true chick magnet on the circuit. He and his best friend Slade, #3 in the world, are known for their bedroom action but Slade is getting very weary of a different body in their bed, especially since lately they seem to have no memorable face or, in some instances, they don't even know the girl's name. Something about Jenna piques their interest and they immediately formulate a plan to "get to know her."

Get ready for some interesting dialogue, some hot menage sex with these three, and watching a jaded cowboy like Slade begin to discover that he can fall in love and not only that, he wants to. Mustang is another matter. He is still very happy to have a different girl in his bed every night. Nevertheless, Slade is his best friend and he wants him to be happy. The friendship between these two is part of the interest in this tale since it appears that these men are very different but their love of rodeo and their long acquaintance keeps them bonded. It is almost like they are family to one another.

This is a fun love story with all the heat one could want. There are lots of interesting characters in this story and some nice action in the rodeo arena as well. Jenna's journey of discovery about a world of which she has been blithely unaware before now forms the background but she not only learns much about the rodeo world and the life of "buckle bunnies," but she also makes some interesting discoveries about herself.

This is not going to be the greatest book you will ever read, but it is certainly a fun one. And if you like erotica and cowboys and threesomes, you will find it all here. I give this novel a 3.75 out of 5 rating.

Time to Leave the Old West Behind --

Time to move on, as lovely and readable Beth Williamson's books are, the series has come to an end and it is time to move on to some of my other favorites. Below you will find my review of one of Tracy Anne Warren's books, The Accidental Mistress. It is a part of a series of "mistresses" stories that she is publishing and all are set in the early 19th century. They are readable and fun, lots of good writing and enjoyable characters. This particular book will delight historical romance fans so here goes . . . The Accidental Mistress.

To escape an arranged marriage, spirited Lily Bainbridge has staged her own death and, disguised as a boy, fled to London and a life of freedom. Yet her plans to masquerade as an independent widow are thwarted by an encounter with a powerful and dangerously attractive marquis who wants to make her his mistress. Lily is afraid that if she gives him her innocence, he'll steal her heart.

Having agreed to a marriage of convenience to honor his family duty, Ethan Anderton, the Marquis of Vessey, has no intention of abandoning his rakish ways. Then fate intervenes in the guise of an impetuous young lady==a woman bold enough to scheme her way to London, who tempts him with her mystery and sensuality. Kiss after kiss, caress after tender caress, Ethan vows to discover all of Lily's hidden secrets. For beneath the layers of her clever ruse lies a burning passion that will ignite a tempestuous love neither of them can deny.

Written a a part of a series, Tracy Anne Warren has once again delighted historical romance fans with a lively tale that is sure to keep any reader's interest. Full of fun, the usual antics of the haut ton, the faint but persistent suspense surrounding Lily's death -- does she pull it off or is she found out? -- and the rather laid back personality and lifestyle of the Marquis all combine to carry the story on and make it almost impossible to lay down. Of course there are those who are fine and upstanding citizens and who populate the various social "doings" of the London Season. There are the handsome gentlemen and the bunglers who are hoping for a sporting chance to secure a manageable and beautiful bride. As a "widow" Lily is not required to have a chaperone at any of the balls, soirees, or evenings at the Opera, but she is required to have a male escort to any of the social gatherings. The ins and outs of 19th century London society never fail to puzzle those of us who are the offspring of democracy, and the rules of male/female interaction, while seemingly ironclad and inviolable, are set aside regularly by those who find a way. Quiet trips to a darkened garden, women in a unbelievable state of undress, and the suspicions of the inveterate gossips make for a comedy all of its own.

I find Warrens characters to be truly interesting people. She has a way of building a story around characters that have the ring of authenticity about them, people who could be our next door neighbors if it weren't for their wealth or snobbery. Yet they are warm and caring about those for whom they are responsible. They take their social life seriously for it is, indeed, a way of life. But they are clearly bred and taught to care for those who have a stake in their properties and whose very livelihood depend on the self-discipline of kind overlords. It is not a way of life we truly understand and it is well that it has faded away, but it is sure fun to explore in such a setting as this novel.

I like Lily a lot!! She is a woman ahead of her times who has determined that she must make her own way. She is willing to take the risk of loving, but she is not willing to sacrifice her own independence to do so. She has learned the hard way that those who misuse and abuse women are not going to be a part of her life if she can help it. He grandfather's legacy makes such a life possible for her.

I like the Marquis -- he is typical of the aristocrats of his time, but having the title foisted on him by the deaths of his two older brothers, has taken the time and energy to learn his responsibilities and to take on the care of his tenants as serious business. I am always drawn to men who are not threatened by their gentler urges, who care deeply for those who are defenceless and who strive to be caring and helpful even when it is inconvenient. Ethan is such a man and his meeting with Lily initially begins a phase of his life that will change the course of his life's journey. Not all is sugar and roses here. There is conflict as there must be in any good story, but it is never allowed to stop the flow of the story or prevent the sequence of events form moving forward. Only the best storytellers manage that well. Warren is one of those.

I hope you will read this book. It is a tale well-told, full of color as well as the ebb and flow of the British aristocracy. If you are a historical romance fan, you will really like this book. I give this novel a 5 out of 5 rating.

Hell for Leather -- Malloy Family Spin-Off -- by Beth Williamson

In addition to telling the stories of the various members of the Malloy Family of Cheshire, Wyoming, author Beth Williamson has turned her spotlight once again on a character that played a prominent role in Trevor & Adelaide Malloy's romance.

Several months before the beginning of this story, Adelaide Burns (Malloy) had her life threatened by the appearance of a gun-for-hire named Kincaid who had been brought to Cheyenne in order to kill her(as told in Williamson's Malloy Family novel, The Gift). Her arch enemy was attempting to hire him, but Kincaid, for some reason, would have nothing to do with the scheme. In fact, he seemed to want to throw himself into any plan that would defeat the efforts of the owner of the Silver Spittoon. In the course of the story, Kincaid became friends with Trevor Malloy's brother Brett and agreed to return with him to Cheshire where he became Brett's righthand man on the Square One Ranch. However, after the best four months of his life, Kincaid realized that his past as a gunman was putting his only friend in danger, and he left Cheshire in an effort to begin a new life.

This book tells the story of how Kincaid "died" and became Cade Brody. The guns were buried, the past was hopefully put aside, and into Eustace, New Mexico, rode a lone stranger who had purchased a small property about two hours out of town. Brody's senses were immediately assaulted by the Widow Edmonds who, together with her sister, owned and operated the general store. Following that initial meeting, their attraction grows through a series of events so that they become sexually involved. It is a very small town, so their affair does not go unnoticed, and rather than exist as an invisible resident hidden in the area surrounding Eustace, Cade Brody's name is on everyone's lips as well as unanswered speculation about who he might be, why he was in that area, and what he was really all about. This is NOT how he had planned to live!

This is a quiet and sensitive story of redemption. It is about discovering the power of respect, friendship, and love; it is about the possibility of leaving the darkness and shadows of the past and making an act of will which will cause one to walk into the light. It is about overcoming the harsh realities of lives that are forged in the crucible of hate and prejudice, making positives out of almost overwhelming negatives. It seems each of the characters which exist within Eustace are carrying burdens of past hurts and protecting inward holes created by loss.

I think you will like Cade Brody and resonate with his need to find something worth living for. I think you will be touched with the plight of Jeremiah and Bernice, both "accidental" births and who have been left to grow up nearly by themselves. I think each reader will recognize themselves in one or more of these characters -- the very short person who acts as the town doctor; the injured and scarred sister whose fears keep her powerless and hidden; the saloon owner who has come through incredible personal tragedy but doesn't seem to be able to move on; the mill owner who burns for the young widow and refuses to accept her decision to remain unwed; the mill worker whose own demons short-circuit his desires to be a true father to his son; you will cheer on the gutsy widow who is not fooled by the grumpy, seemingly cruel stranger whose fear of intimacy almost negates the love that is blooming between them.

This is not necessarily the strongest story Ms Williamson has written about these characters, but I think it is one of the most poignant. Unlike the Malloy Family Series there is not the strong overt presence of family; yet it is here in the open acceptance of the saloon owner and his mother who become family to a homeless child. There are not overt instances of strong bonds here, but underneath the surface are the evidences that friendship and caring can and do overcome the wounds of the past. Somehow in a community that seems completely disconnected, this new-life seeking gunman finds a home, a sense of place, and a path that can finally put to "death" the emptiness and failure of the past.

I think Williamson fans will like this book. I think those who have never read one of her books will like this book also. I think my greatest factor in liking this story is the very fact that to my way of perceiving, every character is broken in some fashion and together they manage to stumble along in their living and find some positive reasons to keep on keeping on. I give this book a rating of 4.5 out of 5.