There were many twists and turns in this latest book with Kate, Jack and Sara. We get to learn a lot about Kate and her mother and her fathers past. Sometimes I got a little confused as to who a few of the characters were but I loved the story. I recommend reading these books in order to know who everybody is. I received a copy of this book from edelweiss for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
Even the closest families have secrets hidden away.
Bestselling novelist Sara Medlar is skilled at sharing stories about other people, but she hoped the truth about her own family would never surface. Her home in Lachlan, Florida, is her refuge and she loves having her niece Kate and dear friend Jack Wyatt together under her roof. The Medlar Three, as they are known around town, have sworn off getting involved in any more murder investigations.
When the sheriff unexpectedly leaves on vacation, Jack is surprised to find himself appointed as deputy. So when Kate stumbles upon a dead body while visiting a friend, the Medlar Three are back in the sleuthing game. Kate also has a charming new real estate client with a mysterious past. He seems to be followed by trouble and that makes Sara and Jack uneasy.
It doesn’t take long to discover that the murder and the new man in town are somehow related—the question is how. When the stranger’s true identity is revealed, Sara realizes her carefully crafted story is about to unravel and she fears she’ll lose Kate and Jack forever. But she desperately hopes that love and honesty will win out over years of lies and deceit. And besides, family is family—even if you sometimes want to kill them.
A Medlar Mystery
Book 1: A Willing Murder Book 2: A Justified Murder Book 3: A Forgotten Murder Book 4: A Relative Murder
This has two wonderful stories. I love the past and the present. Dani and Brad find each other and help each other during some trying times. They also find new friends that help them to find each other. The story in the past helps us to learn about ledger art that was used to help some native Americans keep their heritage alive through the drawings. Broken Bow made friends with a couple of missionaries that helped him to survive while he was incarcerated for defending his family and his way of life. The two stories are emotional and inspirational and have a bit of romance. I enjoyed how the past and present were woven together. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit and Barbour Publishing for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: Love’s Fortress
Author: Jennifer Uhlarik
Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical fiction / Romance
Release date: March, 2022
A Love Story from the Past Brings Closure to Dani’s Fractured Family
Walk through Doors to the Past via a series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
When Dani Sango’s art forger father passes away, Dani inherits his home. Among his effects is a book of Native American drawings, which leads her to seek the help of museum curator Brad Osgood to decipher the ledger art. Why would her father have this book? Is it just another forgery?
Brad Osgood’s four-year-old niece, Brynn, needs a safe home, and Brad longs to provide it. The last thing he needs is more drama, especially from a forger’s daughter. But when the two meet “accidentally” at St. Augustine’s 350-year-old Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos, he can’t refuse the intriguing woman.
Broken Bow is among seventy-three Plains Indians transported to Florida in 1875 for incarceration at ancient Fort Marion. Sally Jo Harris and Luke Worthing dream of serving God on a foreign mission field, but when the Indians arrive in St. Augustine, God changes their plans. Then when friendship develops between Sally Jo and Broken Bow and false accusations fly, it could cost them their lives.
Can Dani discover how Broken Bow and Sally Jo’s story ends and how it impacted her father’s life?
Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a preteen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a BA in writing, she has won five writing competitions and was a finalist in two others. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenage son, and four fur children.
More from Jennifer
Florida has been my home since I was ten, and I’ve visited the city of St. Augustine several times in my many years here. There, I stumbled across the fact that the Castillo de San Marcos, the town’s 350-year-old Spanish fort, was home to several groups of Native Americans in the 1800s. Ever since learning this fact, I’ve considered writing a story about the three-year period from 1875-1878 when seventy-three Plains Indians from various tribes called the fort (known then as Fort Marion) their home. However, since I’m mainly a western and western romance author, all of my story settings to date have been west of the Mississippi—not in Florida. So this interesting historical factoid remained dormant in my imagination for years, waiting for the right opportunity.
That opportunity came last year when I was asked to submit an idea for Barbour’s dual-timeline Doors to the Past series. These stories must be set in or around a major landmark, the plot must focus on a newsworthy event, and there must be a bit of a mystery that connects the historical timeline to the contemporary plot. Obviously, as the oldest masonry fort in the United States, Castillo de San Marcos is an important and interesting landmark. Originally built by the Spanish, it later became a British possession, reverted again to the Spanish, and eventually became part of the United States’ holdings. With such a long and varied history, I’m sure you can see why this unique structure would make an interesting landmark around which to base a story.
The newsworthy event the plot focuses on is the incarceration of those seventy-three Plains Indians, deemed some of the “worst of the worst” offenders in the Indians Wars of the West. Can you imagine the buzz such an event would create? Once the Indians fell into their routine inside the fort, they were given quite a bit of freedom to interact with the locals and tourists. People came from far and wide to see these men and their historic surroundings along the banks of the Matanzas River. With a simple day pass from the fort’s commander, outsiders could enter, walk among and talk with the prisoners, see the historic fort, and even watch cultural events like dances, powwows, mock buffalo hunts, and archery displays. The Native men could also leave the fort and venture into town to shop or sell handmade goods, from bows and arrows to hand-crafted items made from locally-sourced seashells and plants, to their original “ledger art.”
It’s the ledger art that comprises the mysterious puzzle piece connecting the historical timeline of Love’s Fortress to the present day. When Dani Sango learns her long-estranged father has died, she inherits his rundown St. Augustine house. Inside, she discovers a book of Native American art depicting events from one Indian’s daily life. But because her father was a convicted art forger, Dani questions why he would have the strange and rudimentary artwork. She suspects it was his latest scam, so she enlists the help of Brad Osgood, curator of a western art museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, to help her discover where the art originated and how her father came to possess it. In the process, the pair digs deep into the history of the St. Augustine fort and its former residents.
I found it fascinating to research this brief period in the Castillo’s long history, and I hope you’ll enjoy the story that came from my efforts.
I have been waiting for another book to come out in this series and I was definitely not disappointed in the wait. This was one of my favorite books in the series. This will make you laugh even with the murder. Kappy, Edie andJimmy are great characters. There are many twists and turns and lots of laughs. There are lots of animals also. Remember to read the other three books in the series because they are all good and they will help you to understand all about Kappy, Edie and Jimmy. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
They only came to buy a pig…Jimmy Peachey, lover of all animals, has finally done it. He’s finally convinced his sister, Edie, to allow him to raise pigs. But when he, Edie, and Kappy arrive at the farm to buy the swine, they have another surprise in store.Balthazar Lapp, the ultra-conservative Amish pig farmer, is lying on the floor of his greenhouse, bludgeoned to death. After an anonymous caller tips off police, Jimmy’s friend Tiny is arrested for the murder. Jimmy begs Edie and Kappy to help get his friend out of jail, but with a prison record and the possible murder weapon found in his car, Tiny will remain behind bars. Yet strange things are still happening around the valley. Corn is mysteriously growing at the abandoned farm behind Edie and Jimmy’s house. Balthazar’s wife disappears just days after his death along with all his livestock and the huge crop of medicinal marijuana from his greenhouse. And Jimmy is convinced that the Lapps’ neighbor, Gerald Kent, stole one of their pigs—the very same, ‘special’ pig Balthazar had been trying to sell to Tiny on the day of his murder.It’ll take all Kappy’s wits to put the clues together and figure out who the murderer is, but it’s only at the Third Annual Smoking in the Valley barbecue competition that she uncovers just how special this little piggy really is.
This story gives a good view of how families do not always need to consist of only the ones you are born in to. This has a wonderful story and great illustrations. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
The adventures of Boots, the grizzly bear cub, continues as he befriends a black bear named Sockeye and her Mexican brother, Pepe, the iguana.Sockeye has lost her mother and is not old enough to live on her own. Her prayers are answered when she meets little Pepe. He escaped his human family’s home in Ketchikan to explore the beautiful Alaskan wilderness but lost his way back home. A lonely bear cub and a lost iguana become a “family” relying on each other for companionship, friendship, and survival skills.What does a bond of friendship and family have in common? You always know who will be there for you when you need them most.When Boots, the three-pawed bear cub, comes face-to-face with the open jaws of a hungry lion, he is left to wonder who will help him.If he survives this attack, how will he defend himself in the future with only three paws? The answer may be waiting for him high above in the mighty Sitka spruce, the official state tree of Alaska.
This has been one of my favorite suspense stories I have read. I loved all the twists and turns. Ivy and Gil make a great couple. They new each other as children and then teens and then lost track of each other. I love how they meet again and all the action that occurs in just a few days. This book will give you wonderful suspense and great romance. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company’s cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been heralded by government, medical, and advocacy groups and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose–and how far will they go to get what they want? Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can’t believe he’s finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he’s found her again, Gil intends to spend the rest of his life with her. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy’s life’s work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.Perfectly balancing chilling suspense and uplifting romance, award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn delivers a story of revenge, greed, and overcoming that you won’t want to put down no matter how late it gets
This is definitely a twisted tale. It was hard for me to like any of the characters in the story. The only character I liked was Jay, Natalie’s brother. This is a story with a lot of people that really need to listen to each other and tell what is happening in their lives. This is truly a very good psychological suspense novel. I felt very sorry for the lives that many of the characters lived. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Annie Ward is the author of Beautiful Bad. She has a BA in English literature from UCLA and an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute. Her first short screenplay, Strange Habit, starring Adam Scott, was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award winner at the Aspen Film Festival. She has received a Fulbright scholarship and an Escape to Create artist residency. She lives in Kansas with her family.
Book Summary:
From the acclaimed author of Beautiful Bad comes an explosive new novel of revenge, murder and shocking secrets—where the victims aren’t who you might think. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Lucy Foley, and Liv Constantine.
Three women. Two bodies. One big lie…
A tangled web of lies draws together three women in this explosive thriller of revenge, murder and shocking secrets.
At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke—a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater—and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs.
But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers, and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town—where people stop at nothing to get what they want.
Read an excerpt:
Prologue
THE NECKTIE OF her ex was still clasped in her hand when Natalie woke. Her head was pounding, and her mouth tasted bad, like she’d fallen into bed without brushing her teeth. She had a horrible, cloudy feeling that she’d done something regrettable, but in that moment, she couldn’t remember what it was.
She wasn’t at home. Instead, she was upright, a seat belt crossing her chest. In front of her was the windshield of her own car, coated in a sheet of frost, and her I LOVE COLORADO! key chain was dangling from the ignition.
Natalie realized then that she’d blacked out. It had happened before, when she was much younger, and the memory of that awful awakening hit her with an electrifying jolt. After a frantic inspection, she concluded that all her clothes were on and nothing seemed torn or altered. She slipped the tie into her coat pocket.
Yanking the rearview mirror toward her face, she saw that her hazel eyes were huge, the pupils tiny pinpoints, and her mascara was smudged. A chapped crack ran down the bottom of her lower lip, but there were no other bruises or cuts. It didn’t appear that she’d crashed into a building or a tree. There were no sirens.
She rolled down her window, and a thin wall of ice collapsed into the car, dampening her plaid skirt. It was almost dark outside.
Work. She was at work. Across the snowy parking lot, she could see the back door to the east wing of the private school where she was an administrative assistant in the front office.
Pulling on her stocking cap and opening the car door, Natalie noticed footprints, slightly softened by snowfall, leading from her car to the rear exit of the school’s gym. Another set of identical prints returned from the door to the car, but not in a straight line. They zigzagged, and there was a large compression in the snow, just about the size of a small person like her. Gingerly, she lowered one boot into the first of the prints to make sure it was a match. It was. It seemed likely that the body-shaped spot in the snow was an indication that she’d fallen, and a quick pat down of her coat confirmed that it was wet.
Natalie stepped out of her car and squinted into the wind. Her legs felt weak, as if she’d just returned from one of her longer runs.
She retraced her own tracks, leading to the school. The sky was changing color from a grayish stormy dusk to night, and it struck Natalie, who loved art, that the swirling white flurries between her and the stars resembled a monochrome Van Gogh painting. Snow-capped peaks surrounded her on all sides. Down the mountain was the town center. Lights twinkled. Houses, vacation condos, and old-timey shops were piled like Christmas gifts on top of one another alongside a dark and twisting river.
The heavy back door was ajar. When she tugged on it, it groaned, scraped, and opened. Heart pounding, she went in.
During school hours, the sports pavilion would have been filled with the sound of bouncing basketballs, laughter, whistles, and sneakers squeaking on the gym floor. Now, there was distant, droning pop music playing up on the mezzanine, but no one was singing along or dropping weights to the floor with a crash.
Natalie walked with slow, hesitant steps over to the double doors that opened onto the basketball courts.
Normally those doors stood propped open by gray rubber wedges. Now they were closed, but each had a rectangular window. Natalie curled her hand and made a cup for her eyes.
It took a second to see anything at all. The court was dim, aglow only from the small green emergency lights situated over the doors and in the corners of the room. Her eyes were adjusting. Something was there.
She jumped away from the door as if the glass had burned her skin. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth. A scream almost escaped, but she stopped it in her throat with a choking noise.
Not far from the door was what looked like a crumpled pile of clothes and broken body parts, motionless in the middle of a spreading pool of blood.
What the hell did I do?
The security lights in the Falcon Academy parking lot flickered. It was early Monday morning and still dark. A beat-up Pathfinder left tracks in the snow as it swerved into a spot re-served for employees.
Harry Doyle climbed out and used his heel to squelch a cigarette into the ground. He grabbed a battered baseball cap from the dashboard and plopped it on his head, holding down what little was left of his hair. After slamming the driver’s door shut, he looked up at the sky, which was turning pink and orange to the east. An enormous blanket of fluffy white covered the parking lot. Last night had been the first big storm of the season, and some parents would call their kids in sick so they could hit the slopes with their friends.
The sixty-eight-year-old custodian shuffled towards the rear entrance of the sports pavilion. The automatic fluorescents in the back hallway glowed a sickly yellow. He hummed as he plodded down the hall to the boys’ changing room, where he put his lunch and jacket away in his locker before going to the storage closet. Harry grabbed the fiberglass handle of the deluxe wet mop and hauled it, and the bucket, out into the corridor toward the basketball courts. Pushing past the double doors, he activated all nine light switches with a swipe of his hand. The bulky, caged gymnasium overheads burst to life with a buzz.
“What the hell?” he exclaimed, dropping the mop.
The handle clattered against the maple wood planks. “Oh dear God.” The words came out strangled.
Harry scrambled for his phone in a zippered compartment of his slacks.
“Hello?” he managed to say, after dialing 911. He was having trouble breathing. “The Falcon Academy. Off Highway 70. Just west of Blackswift. Oh Jesus. Jesus Mary and Joseph. We need help. There’s a lot of blood.”
This is a quick suspenseful read. I really liked the characters even though I really was not sure who was the bad guy for most of the book. This book had me wondering who was good and who was bad. This is the first book that I have read from this series and this is the fifth one but I did not have any problems figuring out each of the characters during the story. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this story a four out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: Legacy of Lies
Author: Christy Barritt
Genre: Suspense
Release date: November 15, 2021
The justice system failed her family—and so did her hometown.
Madison Colson knows deep down that her father—a convicted serial killer—is innocent. But believing it and proving it are two entirely different things. Unable to help her father, Madison has spent most of her adult life overcompensating by helping others. When her aunt dies unexpectedly, duty calls her back to Fog Lake, Tennessee, a beautiful but painful place she’d rather forget.
Terrifying events begin to unfold once she arrives, unleashing her worst nightmares. The Good Samaritan Killer—or a copycat—is back, and now Madison Colson is his target.
FBI Special Agent Shane Townsend is determined to stop the deadly rampage that has sent the tightknit community into a frenzy. But he needs to earn Madison’s trust first. The task feels impossible, especially considering his father is the one who put her dad in prison.
With the whole town on edge and pointing fingers, tension escalates out of control. Madison and Shane must sort the facts from the lies—and fight for a legacy of truth—before The Good Samaritan Killer has the final say.
USA Today has called Christy Barritt‘s books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”
A USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have sold more than three million copies, one has been made into a TV movie, and another is being developed for a TV series.
Christy’s books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.
She’s married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.
Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She loves spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her four dogs.
I wrote Legacy of Lies after watching an interview on TV of a woman whose father killed several people. I tried to put myself in her shoes. How did she cope under the weight of what her father had done? How did people treat her differently? How did her father’s decisions affect her future? From there, I had the idea to highlight a group of three siblings who were dealing with this. I’d already done another four-book series in the mountain town of Fog Lake, Tennessee, and I really loved setting those books there. I decided to revisit the area and make it the place where these three siblings had grown up—and where they had to return.
This was one of my favorite books in this series. There were so many twists and turns that I did not know the killer until the ending. I loved the talks about having babies. I enjoyed having Aunt Maxie and Loretta in a lot of this story. They are such fun characters. The animals help make this a fun series also. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY WITH A SMIDGEN OF HOMICIDE
Welcome to the Bean Hive Coffeehouse where the gossip is as hot as the coffee!
ROBBERY TAKES A DEADLY TURN
Life couldn’t be better! I’ve got a great husband, getting along with my ex and his new wife, plus I own a very successful coffeehouse! And…there just might be an addition to the family on the horizon, but my lips are sealed. – ROXY BLOOM
Dahlin’ things can change in the blink of an eye. Even in an idyllic tourist destination like Honey Springs.
A string of purse snatchings along the boardwalk has left one victim dead. locals, Loretta Bebe and Maxine Bloom, have joined forces to make Sheriff Shepard and the Mayor accountable for the crimes. After all, they too were victims.
Dedicated to her community and the safety of her customers, super sleuth Roxy Bloom is determined to track down this ruthless purse snatcher before someone else is bumped off.
Killer Coffee Cozy Mystery is a series about small town gossip, family, friends, and putting differences aside when troubles brews. Do you love to read about family and friendships? Do you enjoy holidays, festivals, and celebrations? What about when life isn’t always rosy? This series has all of that and more along with twisty turn mysteries that will have you rooting for the entire town of Honey Springs.
If you have ever wondered about a Russian historical novel you will enjoy this book. This gives a hard look at what happened after Peter the Great died without really leaving a right of succession. This story shows what happened through the eyes of the youngest daughter of Peter theGreat and his second wife Catherine. After reading this I know that I would not have wanted to live during this time in history. Elizabeth was not always easy to like but she does seem to have been the best of a sad bunch. I liked that this did show how Elizabeth felt about all her relatives and their times as the Tsars or Tsarinas of Russia. I received a copy of this book from St. Martins Press fir a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a four out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
Ellen Alpsten’s stunning new novel, The Tsarina’s Daughter, is the dramatic story of Elizabeth, daughter of Catherine I and Peter the Great, who ruled Russia during an extraordinary life marked by love, danger, passion and scandal.
Born into the House of Romanov to the all-powerful Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine, a former serf, beautiful Tsarevna Elizabeth is the envy of the Russian empire. She is insulated by luxury and spoiled by her father, who dreams for her to marry King Louis XV of France and rule in Versailles. But when a woodland creature gives her a Delphic prophecy, her life is turned upside down. Her volatile father suddenly dies, her only brother has been executed and her mother takes the throne of Russia.
As friends turn to foes in the dangerous atmosphere of the Court, the princess must fear for her freedom and her life. Fate deals her blow after blow, and even loving her becomes a crime that warrants cruel torture and capital punishment: Elizabeth matures from suffering victim to strong and savvy survivor. But only her true love and their burning passion finally help her become who she is. When the Imperial Crown is left to an infant Tsarevich, Elizabeth finds herself in mortal danger and must confront a terrible dilemma–seize the reins of power and harm an innocent child, or find herself following in the footsteps of her murdered brother.
Hidden behind a gorgeous, wildly decadent façade, the Russian Imperial Court is a viper’s den of intrigue and ambition. Only a woman possessed of boundless courage and cunning can prove herself worthy to sit on the throne of Peter the Great.
Excerpt:
Prologue The Tsarinas Daughter / Ellen Alpsten / St.MartinsPress / Pub 03/15/22 1st EXCERPT – Prologue In the Winter Palace, St. Nicholas Day, 6th December 1741 Ivan is innocent – my little nephew is a baby, and as pure as only a one-year-old can be. But tonight, at my order, the infant Tsar will be guilty as charged. I fight the urge to pick him up and kiss him; it would only make things worse. Beyond his nursery door, there is a low buzzing sound, like of angry bees ready to swarm the Winter Palace. Soldier’s boots scrape and shuffle. Spurs clink like stubby vodka glasses and bayonets are being fixed to muskets. These are the sounds of things to come. The thought spikes my heart with dread. There is no other choice. It is Ivan, or me. Only one of us can rule Russia, the other one condemned to a living death. Reigning Russia is a right that has to be earned as much as inherited: he and my cousin, the Regent, doom the country to an eternity under a foreign yoke. The realm will be lost; the invisible holy bond between Tsar and people irretrievably torn. I, Elizabeth, am the only surviving child of Peter the Great’s fifteen sons and daughters. Tonight, if I hesitate too long, I might become the last of my siblings to die. Curse the Romanovs! I in vain try to bar the prophecy, which has blighted my life, from my thoughts. Puddles form on the parquet floor as slush drips from my boots; their worn, thigh-high leather soaked from my dash across St. Petersburg. Despite my being an Imperial Princess – the Tsarevna Elizabeth Petrovna Romanova – no footman had hooked a bear skin across my lap to protect me against the icy wind and driving snow while I sat snug in a sled; I had no muff to raise to my face in that special graceful gesture of the St.
This was one of my favorite debut novels that I have ever read. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Theresa and Broderick were engaged and then were separated and this story full of history and intrigue and romance helps to bring these two together. I loved learning a bit about how the secret service first started. I enjoyed learning a bit about counterfeit money and how it was created. There were a few twists and turns that kept me guessing for a little bit. I received a copy of this book from I Read with Audra fir a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
About the book:
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves—or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancé is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!
To read an excerpt of Counterfeit Love click here.
About the author – you may use the short or long version:
Crystal Caudill is the author of “dangerously good historical romance,” with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW. She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Find out more at crystalcaudill.com.
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