romance – The Spine View

All That Glitters by John Anthony Miller

Rating: 5 Stars Pub Date: 13-Mar-2023

This WWII thriller, by John Anthony Miller, is an edge of your seat kind of story about a female spy, working for French Intelligence, who is given a near impossible task. I immediately fell into this one and was captivated by the outstanding story telling of the author.

Camille is the heroine of the story. She along with her partner, Roger, in this operation are tasked with stealing industrial grade diamonds from a vault in Belgium. There is one catch, the Germany army has already invaded Belgium and the town in which the vault is located will shortly be overrun by Germans. These diamonds are not only highly valuable, but of the highest importance to the war effort since they are being used for advanced technologies. It will be a race to see who can get there first.

Camille and Roger beat the Germans to the vault, but only barely. They know that the German army is already in the city and hear them getting closer. It will not be long before they reach their location. They work quickly to open the vault and remove the diamonds. As they are making their escape the Germans arrive and Roger is killed. Fortunately, Camille is able to get away with the diamonds; however, her escape car is damaged by the gun fire and she is forced to abandon it along the roadside in a rural part of Belgium.

She must now find another way to get out of Belgium and to England, the final destination of the diamonds. To do so she needs to contact her handler, Nichols, in Paris. Fate seems to be smiling on her when she runs into Dr. Lucien Bouchard, a physician that once saved her life. With his assistance and the help of others in the French Resistance, she heads for Paris where the diamonds will be rerouted to England. However, there are others nefarious players, i. e. the Gestapo and a German spy who is married a high ranking French Official, who also want desperately to have the diamonds.

The plot is full of surprises and unexpected players. In addition, two other things are worth mentioning about the plot. First, is the complexity., There were lots of moving parts and everything had to work just right for Camille to achieve her goal. Also, the romantic development between Camille and Lucien added a lot of depth to the plot, and characters, that made the story realistic which, in turn, caused me to become further invested in the outcome.

Then the danger of what she, and later Lucien, were attempting took my breath away at times. I felt like at any moment some little something, or twist of fate could happen, and all would have been for nothing. This made the tension almost unbearable at times. Whether you call it “nail biting” or an “edge of your seat” suspense, this expertly executed story is one that will stay with me for a long time.

In summary, All That Glitters is much more than your average thriller. It also a story about love and redemption among other things. It will appeal not only to lovers of Thrillers, Historical Fiction, and Romance, but also to a more general audience that enjoys a complex plot and memorable characters. I highly recommend this to everyone.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Last Time We Loved by Christine Miles

Rating: 4 Stars Pub. Date: 28-Sep-2021

There are so many good things about this story, Last Time We Loved by Christine Miles, that stuck with me after I finished reading. Written with great plot tension and solid characters, it is one of my favorite stories in this genre I have read recently. Mostly because the story went well beyond the second chance troupe. Definitely much more than your usual fluffy romance and well worth the reading.

Ten years ago, David’s parents were killed in a tragic car accident that left his younger sister paralyzed and in a wheelchair. At the time, he was in college devoting all his energy to music and his girlfriend, Alyson. He abandoned all of that, including Alyson, and became an architect to be able to support his sister Rebecca.

Alyson has tried to move on since David and has become a successful businesswoman with a florist shop that specializes in weddings and parties. The only man in her life currently is her dog and she likes it that way. That is until David, the only man that ever mattered to her, walks right back into her life.

This is definitely a slow burn story. The tension between David and Alyson was palpable. I get that both David and Alyson were traumatized, in different ways of course, after the accident and while I didn’t always agree with their actions, especially David, I could at least see their side of the story. Therefore, there was a lot of hurt that Alyson had to work through before she could forgive David.

The plot was fast paced and the subplots really helped move things along. I thought the drama about Alyson’s floral business and David’s decision of a career path change added to the story. In real life things don’t happen one at a time. In my experience, changes always seem to come in waves and the fact that multiple things were happening at once gave the story creditability.

I liked all the characters in this story. I had a lot of empathy for them, especially David and Rebecca. The tragedy they suffered was so heart wrenching. The author did an outstanding job showing the reader the emotions of the characters and this added a lot of depth to them. The minor characters, though not as fleshed out, also worked well and were an enhancement to the story. The author put a lot of thought behind the characters and it showed. All the characters had a purpose to the story and it all appeared seamless.

Not only is the book a great second chance story, it is also about being able to forgive and the, sometimes necessary, sacrifices one makes in life and ultimately being true to oneself. I recommend this book to those readers who love a complex and thoughtful second chance story. In addition, this would make a great book club choice because of all the themes this book touches on.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

His Christmas Bride by Lara Van Hulzen

His Christmas Bride, by Lara Van Hulzen, is a feel good second chance romance story set in the picturesque town of Marietta, Montana. It has all the necessary ingredients of a magical love story.

Lucas has always loved the town of Marietta and has fond memories of his visits there. He feels it would be the perfect place to get married. He and his fiancée, Vanessa, come back to the town looking for the ideal spot to have a dream wedding. Vanessa finds this ideal setting in the Tanner ranch.

Erin Tanner, and her father, run the ranch. It has not been easy and there are bills piling up and repairs that need to be done. Despite that she has loved Lucas since her teenage years and it is breaking her heart to watch Lucas get married to someone else, Erin puts her feelings aside for the financial benefit of the ranch.

As the wedding plans proceed forward and Lucas has to interact with Erin more and more. He discovers that he has feelings for her. To complicate matters, Vanessa is starting to show another side of herself and Lucas is questioning his choices.

Even though this is the third book in the series, it works well as a stand-alone and I was able to jump right in. The plot was executed nicely and there was enough excitement to keep my interest. I especially liked that the story, while fiction, was totally believable.

Another aspect that made me enjoy this story is the characters. As with the plot, they were believable and well rounded. I was able to quickly identify with the characters, especially Erin, and I became invested in her story and wanted to see everything work out for her.

This is the prefer book for those readers that love a holiday romance with a HEA. It has all the feels and I am hoping to read the other books in this series soon.

I received a free electronic copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Minister’s Wife by John Anthony Miller

I was first drawn to The Minister’s Wife, by John Anthony Miller, because I was intrigued by the idea of a woman spy during the Revolutionary War. I love books that highlight strong women in unusual circumstances and this book delivered. I need more books like this!

Abigail, the minister’s wife, has just returned to Philadelphia from New York with her new husband. She comes home to find, in her absence, the city has been captured by the English and the redcoats are everywhere she looks.

However, some things have not changed. Ian Blaine, her former lover, still lives in the city and when he is accused of being a traitor to the crown old feelings begin to rise in her. Though he is able to prove he is innocence, the English are watching him closely, especially the English Commander Duncan.

Soon it becomes obvious that Ian still loves Abigail and he just can’t stay away from her. As Abigail is pulled into the web of patriot spies, there are lies and deceit that abound that will threaten both her and Ian.

This story is full of twists and turns you will not see coming. The plot is fast paced and the suspense was almost unbearable at times. I was on the edge of my seat with worry about Ian and Abigail being caught. They took far too many chances, in my opinion, and it made my heart skip a beat every time they took an unnecessary risk. Then the dramatic ending just sealed my love of this story.

Not only did I got caught up in the drama of the story early on, but it was also the character of Abigail that made me really love this book. She was so brave. She knew she was taking big risks; yet, she found the courage to do what she thought was right.

The type of suspense, and the characters, in this book are what I feel makes a good story great. Perfect book for fans of Historical Thrillers. I also think it will appeal to those Romance readers who enjoy a story that is not all fluff and has a bit of bite to it.

I received a free copy in exchange for by honest review.

Captive Wilderness by J. E. McDonald

I should have had this book read, and the review written, several months ago. I am trying not to beat myself up because life does sometimes get in the way. The simple fact is the book is so good, I wished I had read it sooner. I ended up reading it in just two sittings. It is everything I love in a paranormal romance and has two great characters that are meant for each other even if they don’t know it yet.

Brooke and her sister are both Bobcat shifter. They have been kidnapped by unknown people, a collar placed on them that they can’t remove, and they can no longer shift into their animal form. When they both regain consciousness, they are on a cargo plane headed to an unknown destination.

While Brooke manages to get free and parashoots to safely, she is forced to leave her sister behind. Landing in a remote wilderness, Brooke stumbles across a primitive cabin that is inhabited by Kane, a mute bear shifter. Brooke wants nothing more than to leave and find out where her sister was taken and rescue her. However, without the ability to shift, she will never be able to survive in the wild in her human form. The only way out is the next supply plane, which will not arrive for another two weeks.

It will be a long two weeks before she can start looking for her sister. Unfortunately, her abductors are not about to lose their prize. Will the growing connection between her and Kane end up being a good thing or a determent to them both?

I enjoyed the plot, nothing overly new, but there were a few new ways of looking at shifters that I thought brought some new life to the plot. I especially liked the setting and the descriptive prose that I felt was better than most books in this genre. In addition, the character development was really good. I especially liked that we got a fair amount of backstory on both Kane and Brooke. I really connected with the characters and wanted everything to work in their favor.

I know this type of book is fluff; but it is great fluff. Highly entertaining! If you love paranormal romance with a good side of steaminess, this is the book to read.

I received a free copy, via Library Thing’s early reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review.

Immortal Rising by Lynsay Sands

Being book #35 in the Argeneau series, by Lindsay Sands, you can imagine how popular the author’s books are. This is Stephanie and Thorne’s story. Both of these characters have appeared in earlier books, and it is nice to finally get them together as the stars of their own story.

Stephanie was introduced as a teenager early on in the series. Now she is an adult and living the life of a recluse because she has the unique ability to hear other people’s thoughts. While that is good when hunting rogues, the crush of so many thoughts can be unbearable at times. Thus, her necessary rural and reclusive life that helps keep the noise to a minimum.

Thorne, also introduced in earlier books, is the result of genetic experiments conducted by his father Dr. Dressler. He is a mix of human and various animal DNA. As a result, he has wings and is not entirely mortal. Currently he is in Canada and staying at the compound that also contains Stephanie’s home while he awaits the possible removal of his wings.

When Thorne and Stephanie meet there is an instant attraction. When by chance their skin grazes the others, they both feel the electricity between them. Stephanie knows this can only be one thing, Thorne is her life mate. But will Thorne want her when he finds out her past and what will happen when Dressler comes looking for them both.

This book just further proves that this series is my go-to for vampire goodness. Enjoyed every moment of this story. I like how diverse Sands characters are and her imagination seems to know no bounds. She manages to keep delivering great story after great story and somehow keeps them fresh and exciting even after all this time.

Another thing I like about these books is that there is always some kind of tension and/or drama to keep the reader interested and invested in the outcome. The character development is good, and I was especially drawn to these two characters. I think it is because both of these characters have been through so much already and yet they still retain a positive outlook on life. Therefore, I really wanted them to have their happy ending.

I have read most of the books in this series and this one is in the top 5 for me. If you haven’t read any of these books, I strongly urge you to read this one or any of the others in the series for that matter. Sands always gives you enough background to read each book as a stand-alone.

I received a free copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

All I Want For Christmas Is the Girl Who Can’t Love

This book, though mostly not set during the holidays, still has the special magic that only the holiday season can bring. It is an imaginative coming-of-age story and will definitely warm your heart.

Savannah meets Jordan at the start of the semester when he offers to help her carry her mattress to her dorm room. In the days following move in, they keep running into each other and before long a friendship develops, but Jordan wants more. However, Savannah is convinced that true love does not exist. She thinks love is just a primitive response to mating. This is only reinforced by her mother and grandmother’s experiences.

Jordan is not without wanting to put off love because his career goals come first. However, as the semester progresses, Jordan and Savannah are drawn to each other. They just seem to click and Jordan becomes determined to prove to Savannah that true love does exist. When they find a collection of letters from the revolutionary war between a solider and the woman he loved, Jorden uses this as the opportunity to prove the existence of true love. The question is. will this be enough to prove to Savannah that true love exists?

The characters in this story were fabulous. They are genuine and the dialog was what I would expect from young adults. I liked how the author used Savannah’s challenges with empathy. Because Savannah is challenged, the author was able to highlight how strong and intelligent she is, with a fierceness about her that many her age don’t have.

I also loved that the tension slowly built in the story and there could not have been a better setting for this book. The historical element of the letters added a nice layer to the story and helped moved the plot along. I wanted to find out what happened to everyone and it had me rushing to finish.

This book was charming, and had a strong feel-good vibe. I highly recommend it to lovers of YA and romance. It is not only a great holiday read, but would make a great beach read because a lot of the book takes place outside of the holidays.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas With Hamish by Sophie Penhaligon

I am always a sucker for books that have animals in them. I am so glad I happened to run across this one on NetGalley. It satisfied my need to read a happy holiday story where animals played an important role. This is just what I wanted!

Verity has been dreading the trip to Vancouver for her sister’s wedding. She has always been an outsider and her sister and mother treat her more like a servant than family. She consoles herself knowing she will have a ski vacation to enjoy with her friends after the wedding. However, when her sister’s dog sitter cancels at the last minute, she gets roped into dog sitting.

Dog sitting is totally outside Verity’s comfort zone. Fortunately, the neighbor down the hall, Nikau and his dog Chunk, come to the rescue. Before long Verity is an unofficial dog Aunt. In addition, to learning all things dog, she has an instant connection to Nikau and a budding romance begins.

This is a typical feel good romance with a happy ending. I liked the characters a lot. I was especially happy with Nikau. He was loving and protective but not smothering. There needs to be more people like him in real life!

The story was good and the plot moved nicely. There was a bit of tension in the story that keep me interested. Overall, very well done.

I recommend this books for fans of romance. I also think readers who love a Christmas story will enjoy this too. Yet, it is not only a great holiday story, it is a story feel good story for any time of year.

I received a free copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher

Though this is a well-loved troupe of enemies to lovers, you can’t help but love this sweet and funny story. The characters make this paranormal Rom-Com well worth reading. Give me a swoon worth leading man and a sassy witch any day!

Violet Maxwell is one of three triplets and the only one without any magic ability and life is going well for her without it, thank you very much.…. until it isn’t. First off, she finds out that that she will be forced to mate with someone in order to stabilize the magic she does not possess. Stupid laws! Furthermore, at an engagement party for one of her sisters, she runs into an old flame, Lincoln Thorne, who broke her heart in school. He stirs not only her anger, but feelings she would rather not revisit.

However, Lincoln popping back into Violet’s life maybe fortuitous, since he is also facing a similar fate of an arranged marriage. When Lincoln suggests that they fake date in order to bide themselves more time to figure out a way out of these unwanted marriages, Violet goes along with his plan. Yet, the feelings that he stirs maybe the least of her problems, because he also has stirred her magic to life.

I have been stuck on these rom-coms lately because I am a sucker for a happy ending, especially so with all that is going on right now. These types of books are the perfect escapism that I find are the perfect stress relief. This book in particular fit the bill and drew me in. I totally got lost in the story and the funny scenes and snarky comments made it even better.

The plot flowed nicely and I loved the various paranormal elements. The author gives the reader just enough world building and back story for context; yet, not enough to get bogged down in. As far as rom-com goes, this is one of the better ones. Not too sappy, not too much drama but plenty of pizazz.

I really thought Asher brought her A game on this one. I recommend for all readers of rom-com, especially those that like the paranormal element.

I received a free copy, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The Widow’s Walk by John Anthony Miller

I found The Widow’s Walk, by John Anthony Miller, to be a highly entertaining story. The mood is set by lovely descriptive prose and I quickly became absorbed in this character driven story.

Audrey Taylor is recently divorced and is seeking to reinvent herself. When she inherits a historic home, in an up-and-coming beach town on the New Jersey coast, and a small amount of money from a distant relative, she decides to leave the city. Her daughters are in college and she can work from home. It seems now is the perfect time to make a change.

When she arrives and discovers all the things that need fixing in this old house she starts to second guess herself. Then an unexpected discovery in the wall of her library has her trying to unravel a one hundred year mystery. Along the way she makes friends and if she allows herself, she even may find a little romance.

Great plot in this book and I loved that the romance was not overpowering. It added just the right amount of additional substance to make the story more interesting. The clues to the mystery were placed well in order to keep me intrigued and it was fun to work through the clues with the Audrey. Yet the best part of the book was the descriptive prose. I loved reading about the various places in Cape May and I ended up Googling some of the places mentioned to see the image for myself.

The character development was also outstanding. I felt like I had a connection to Audrey. The result was I became truly invested in the outcome and rushed to get to the end. It’s such a wonderful feeling when I get this involved with the character and story. Totally looking forward to reading more great books from this author.

In summary, this book is a charming feel good story and the perfect beach read that will have you devouring it. There is a lot to love in the story and is the perfect choice for fans of Nora Roberts. I highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction, cozy mysteries and romance.

I used my Kindle Unlimited to download a copy of this book. However, the author did request a review. Regardless of how I obtain a book, my opinion is entirely my own. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my book blog at www.thespineview.com.