Whitney Finalist Review: LADY EMMA'S CAMPAIGN by Jennifer Moore (Romance)

Jennifer also has TWO books as finalists in the romance category, BECOMING LADY LOCKWOOD and the companion, LADY EMMA'S CAMPAIGN. Good luck!

From Goodreads.com: She would follow him through peace and war.

London, 1811

The London Season is ushered in with a thrilling flurry of invitations, gowns, and parties. But despite her status as belle of the ball, lovely socialite Emma Drake simply cannot fathom becoming entangled with any gentleman of her acquaintance. For in truth, since childhood her heart has belonged to Captain Sidney Fletcher, a man of the sea—and her brother’s best friend. Emma knows that Sidney’s directive to free the Spanish city of Cadiz from French occupation will be dangerous, but when word arrives of his capture, she is frantic. Determined to aid her brother in Sidney’s rescue, she hides aboard his ship and sets a course to Spain. But the realities of war are a far cry from the drawing rooms of London, and Emma finds the man she loves a mere shadow of his former self. When a series of events leaves them trapped together behind enemy lines, Emma and Sidney must embark on a journey fraught with danger—from a bloody hunt for Spanish treasure to the battlefields of war-torn Spain, new threats lurk around every turn. As their flight becomes increasingly perilous, Sidney and Emma must trust each other with their lives—but can they trust the other with their heart?

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Length: 224 pgs

Rating: 4+ 

Review: Who didn't L-O-V-E Sidney in Becoming Lady Lockwood? He was just so fun, and the way he teased William was fantastic. It reminded me of the awesome BFF relationship between Sarah Eden's the Duke and Henry, two of my favorite characters. And here, in Lady Emma's Campaign, I got to get deep into Sidney and find out so much more about him. It really rounded out his character. While the way Emma got to Spain was a bit of a stretch for me, once there everything went really well. I've discussed on Twitter with Sarah (and also Jennifer) about how we love that Jennifer's characters can get into trouble but still remain ladies. One big pet peeve of mine in historical fiction is how many authors try to make heroines too modern in order to appeal to modern audiences. Lady Emma's Campaign walks that fine line with excellence! Emma behaves exactly as a lady would when first thrown into the situation, but also grows exactly as we want to see her and becomes stronger while still behaving as a lady would. :) I'm pretty sure I loved this book even more than Becoming Lady Lockwood.  

Content
Sex - 1ish (Sidney and Emma go off together alone as part of a plan and some men assume naughty things)
Language - 1 (Strong language of the Regency era. ;) )
Violence - 2 (Battles are mentioned, details, not too graphic, of death, injuries, etc related to war)
Rating - PG

Find the rest of the 2014 Whitney Finalists here.

Whitney Finalist Review: TOMORROW WE SPY by Jordan McCollum (Mystery/Suspense)

I am SO excited for Jordan. She earned two nominations, one in the Mystery/Suspense category for Tomorrow We Spy and one in the romance category! I love, LOVE this books. I always associate this series with moving to Alaska, because I, Spy was the first book I read after getting here. There was a power outage for a day and a half, and I curled up and read books--including I, Spy. Yay, Jordan! Congrats!

Jordan and I last summer when she and her husband visited Alaska.

This post was originally published December 16, 2014

From JordanMcCollum.com: CIA operative Talia Reynolds (Fluker) is off the clock, off the continent and off on her Paris honeymoon. But the happy couple’s trip to the City of Love is cut short when the CIA tracks them down for a top secret mission. Only this time, the Agency’s assignment isn’t for Talia — it’s for her husband Danny.

As an aerospace engineer, Danny’s the one with the connections they need to get to their target, an aerospace executive and a dangerous Russian FSB officer. After all she’s done to protect Danny from her spy life, Talia won’t okay the op until she’s allowed to accompany her husband. And the only safe way for her to do that? Deep undercover.

Balancing her personal and professional personas requires more precision than a Russian ballet. But all the covers in the world can’t protect Danny and Talia when the FSB officer turns the tables on them. Now Talia must use her every skill to save her marriage, her husband and herself — or their first mission together will be their last.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Length: 295 pgs

Rating: 5 (I really loved it)

Review: Danny and Talia are married! Yay. I so much enjoyed getting to see more of Danny and how he fights for him and Talia. She can be frustrating, in a good way, and I like seeing Danny stepping out and setting her straight. :) I loved going back to where Talia served her mission and getting immersed in Russia. Tons of great action in this one, and like all the others, I read it FAST.

Content:
Sex - 1 (The book opens on their honeymoon, and the wedding night is mentioned, but so cleanly. Really.)
Language - 0
Violence - 1 (Spy book. Action book. Nothing graphic)
Rating - PG

Find the rest of the 2014 Whitney Finalists here.

Whitney Finalist Review: BECOMING LADY LOCKWOOD by Jennifer Moore (Romance)

I, oh-so-thoroughly enjoyed this book. Maybe you remember my swooning about finding love on a boat? And Jamaica? *Dies* How anyone will choose between the amazing finalists--especially in the romance category--I'll never know.

This post was originally published on July 22, 2014

Becoming Lady Lockwood Amelia Beckett is delighted to be a widow. Married by proxy to a man she'd never met, Amelia recognizes that a fortuitous entry into widowhood frees her from meddlesome chaperones and matchmakers. Heiress to her mother's sugar plantation in Jamaica, she happily anticipates working in a man's world, with the additional credibility of her new title: Lady Lockwood. But with the arrival of Captain Sir William Drake, her plans quickly go awry . . . William has traversed the Atlantic with one purpose. If he cannot prove that Amelia's marriage to his brother was a fraud, she will be entitled to a sizeable portion of his family's estate. He is determined to return this duplicitous Lady to London for an official hearing, and he carries with him a letter that will ensure her cooperation . . . Left with no choice, Amelia joins the captain on his return voyage to England, and the two quickly find that ship life does not allow for evasion. Amelia and William are ceaselessly thrown together, and amidst fierce storms and ocean battles, what began as antipathy seems to be evolving quite unexpectedly. But as they draw ever closer to their destination, will the impossibility of their circumstances shatter any hope of a future together? 

Praise for Becoming Lady Lockwood

"Moore does a lovely job of showcasing sizzle in this must-read for fans of regency and historical romance." ~ Foreword Reviews

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book

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My Review

Genre: Regency Romance
Audience: Adult (Clean)
Length: 199 pgs

Rating: ****+


Review: I am the biggest sucker for regency romances and I haven't read one in a very long time. I lucked out and got a chance to read this one early. (Not the first time I've sung the praises of knowing people in the writing world!) So many fun and unique aspects about this story, like a glimpse into a Regency colony like Jamaica. Or life aboard a ship. The author clearly knows her stuff and has spent her time doing research. Everything feels so real. Loved the romance too, of course. It worked so well. I wished we could have learned more about William and his relationship with his family. I recommend this book highly to anyone who loves the genre. You will love the romance and adventure it provides!

Content:
Sex - 1/5 (Minor, it is mentioned that Amelia needs a guard because she is the lone woman among so many men aboard the ship.)
Language - 0/5
Violence - 2/5 A shipboard battle is described, and Amelia helps with the wounded.

Source: I was provided a copy for the blog tour in exchange for my honest opinion.

Try this. Enjoy Regency romance on the high seas? Read The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch.

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Excerpt

He finally stopped and pulled his chair closer to her, raising her chin. “Amelia. I cannot begin to thank you for what you did. It was brave and brilliant, and it terrifies me to think that you put your life at risk for—”

“For my shipmates, Captain.” She kept her eyes lowered.

“I would never have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.

“I would never have forgiven myself if I had not tried. These men, this ship, it has become . . . I care for them, William, for all of you.”

He raised her chin even higher, so that she was forced to lift her gaze his face. He stared at her for a moment. Then his eyes dropped to her lips, and Amelia’s pulse began to race. Would he kiss her again? They sat, frozen for a heartbeat, and then William stood, stealing with him all of the warmth in the room.

* * *

Author Jennifer Moore Jennifer Moore is a Passionate reader and writer of all things romance, helping her find balance with the rest of her world, which includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that are anything but romantic. Jennifer has a BA in linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family. You can learn more about her at authorjmoore.com. The author's first book, Becoming Lady Lockwood, is a regency romance centered on the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s.   

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Review: THE LADY OF BOLTON HILL (Bethany House, August 2011)

From Bethany House: When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.

But time has changed them both.

Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.

Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts--and lives--hang in the balance?

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Length: 336 pgs

Rating: ***+ (Really liked it)

Review: This one was almost a four for me. I loved the characters. I loved how things weren't simple and easy for Daniel and Clara when she got back, but that they didn't shy away from their feelings. The drama was good, the plot was different and interesting. There were some things that felt out of place historically for me, but the author has a post-graduate degree in history, so it had to have been just me. :) It was a lovely book that I'd recommend to anyone who liked reading historical/inspirational romances.

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated
Sex - 1 (Minor passion while kissing)
Violence - 1
Language - 0 (Not any that I remember, but as I type, I think the d-word might have been used.)
Preaching - 3 (BUT it fit right in with the story and flowed with the narrative, so I didn't mind it at all.)

Source: Kindle copy via Amazon during a sale.

Try this If you liked historical inspirational romances, try STEALING THE PREACHER by Karen Witemeyer

Review: THE CHAOS OF STARS by Kiersten White (HarperTeen, September 2013)

From Kiersten White's Blog: All good stories have a few false starts...
Myth: The children of immortal gods are immortal, too.
 
Reality: Isadora isn’t going to be around forever—and her parents barely seem to notice she’s alive right now.

Myth: Once a god, always a god—that kind of power never fades away.

Reality: These days, Isadora’s relatives are clinging to the little bit of power they have left. And some of them would do anything to take it all.…

Myth: Every teenage girl dreams of falling in love.

Reality: From what Isadora’s seen, “love” is a painful mess. All she dreams of is a normal life away from her crazy family—minus any romantic drama.

Myth: If you go far enough, you can leave the past behind.

Reality: Isadora moves halfway around the world to San Diego for a fresh start, but quickly finds that there’s no such thing as a clean break from family—and that leaving her old life may mean sacrificing more than she ever guessed.

The Chaos of Stars blends sweet romance, high-stakes suspense, and the magic of Egyptian mythology to create a complex, funny, and deeply moving story about true love and what it means to be a family.

Audience: YA
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: 288 pgs.

Rating: *****+ (Loved, loved it!)

Review: You know how when you find an author and no matter what they write you will buy it even if it was a bathroom photo book? I have a couple of those and Kiersten White is one of them. I preordered THE CHAOS OF STARS so it arrived at my house the day it came out. Unfortunately, with all this nonsense about moving across a country (doesn't that sound so much awesomer than moving to Alaska...?), I didn't get to it until my power went out for two days and I couldn't unpack in the dark. Let's correct that. I devoured it in those two days. I love the humor, the characters--the CHARACTERS! I loved how much Isadora grew and changed. I could feel her growing up and figuring things out. Kiersten does characters so, so well, always--the food, of course. Kiersten has said that so much of this book is really about food. It's so sweet and simple and I loved it. Score for her again. (No but really, if she wrote a photo book for the bathroom, it would be awesome and we all know it.)

Source: Hardcover from Amazon

Content: 1-5 (1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated)

Sex: 1+ (Kissing, Isadora's mother is the goddess of fertility, so the topic is discussed frequently, but not in inappropriate detail. Certain...parts...are mentioned by name a couple times in a mostly scientific way.)

Language: 0

Violence: 1 (Some fights.)

Review: SUPER DAISY by Jennifer Griffith

From Amazon: Super Daisy! is the story of Daisy Blaine, a disgraced former beauty queen who has to return to her small Idaho town of Prairie Grass, where the potatoes grow and the mayor (who she finds herself stuck working for) is a corrupt old louse. It’s a career and social dead end. The only guy she could feasibly date, the handsome Cliff Calloway, doesn’t know she’s alive, and Daisy’s long-time nemesis Natasha Willikie is determined to keep it that way. It all looks bleak for poor Daisy, until one day she's driving home from work--lightning strikes, she crashes her jeep on the bridge, and sees a "super" vision. In that moment, everything changes. What’s a small town girl with super strength to do?

Mini-Review: MR. NICE SPY by Jordan McCollum (Durham Crest, 2013)

From Jordan's website: Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. CIA operative Elliott Monteith has made it work, just like he’s made things work with his longtime fiancée Shanna. Until Shanna lays out an ultimatum: move forward or move on. Meanwhile, Elliott and his best friend and fellow operative, Talia Reynolds, try to track an elusive leak at the American embassy.

But something changes between Elliott and Talia as they close in on the man selling out his country. Professional and personal lines blur and Elliott has to choose—his fiancée or his best friend.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romance, Adventure
Length: 101 pgs.

Rating: *****

Review: I LOVED this short snipped of the I, SPY world as much as I loved the full-length one. I like seeing Elliot's side of things, especially the way he sees Talia. Great adventure, perfect romance. All the excitment you need in a hundred pages. Love.

Source: Amazon Kindle book. (Free)

Blog Hop: A CHANGE OF PLANS by Donna Weaver

I love this lady, seriously. She has beta read for me on both A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION and the upcoming A LADY AND A SPY and her comments are wonderful and insightful and perfect every time. I've been pumped for her book, A CHANGE OF PLANS, for a while and jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour.