“The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent” by Susan Elia MacNeal

I have read many of Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie Hope books.  From the first one on, each has brought the desperation and conspiracies of London in the first days of WWII into focus for me.  Maggie Hope, British by birth and raised in America, has the ability to ferret out those who would see England destroyed by the Nazis.  “The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent” finds Maggie recuperating in Scotland at a training base for SOE agents.  Her past escapades have finally gotten to her soul and she is in despair.

An invitation to see an old friend perform in the ballet in Edinburgh brings Maggie into the investigation of a double murder and the almost-murder of her friend from the ballet, Sarah Sanderson.  The murder agent is a top-secret biological virus, anthrax, which is clandestinely being researched for warfare if needed.  Maggie and her partner from MI5 must solve the murders without endangering the top secret research.

In the time frame of this book, Pearl Harbor is bombed which brings the United States into the war.  Mr. Churchill is determined to talk to President Roosevelt and needs someone to be not only a secretary, a typist, a translator (of all things American) and a bodyguard.  He wants his former secretary, Maggie Hope to fill that role.  We end the story with the promise of yet another exciting Maggie Hope mystery.  I can’t wait.

“Temptation” by Jude Deveraux

Jude Deveraux has written some of my most unforgettable novels.  I think “Temptation” is Ms. Deveraux’s version of The Taming of the Shrew.  This novel pits a head-strong American woman, who fights for the women of New York City against a hard-headed Scottish Laird.  Temperance O’Neil is considered a spinster who desires nothing more than furthering her causes.  After her mother remarries a Scotsman, Angus McCairn, Temperances’ life changes dramatically, and to her not for the better. Angus insists she come to Scotland to live and she is adamant that she will not.  When he threatens to cut off her money supply, she has no choice but to do as he wishes.  She wreaks havoc on his life from then on and in order to get her away from him, he “hires” her to be a housekeeper and matchmaker for his nephew, James.  This is not a good match, or so it seems.

I laughed my way through this novel.  I found the relationship between Temperance and James hilarious.  They picked at each other and irritated each other until both of them realized that the other wasn’t so bad after all.  I think you will enjoy reading this book very much.  I hated for it to end, so I’ll keep it to read again another day.

“The Highland Commander” by Amy Jarecki

“The Highland Commander” by Amy Jarecki was a fast-paced historical romance thriller.  I marveled at the situations that the heroine, Lady Magdalen Keith, got herself into.  During this time in history, England and Scotland are beginning unification.  Scotland’s ships are now flying under the Union Jack and there is treason and espionage abounding.  Lady Magdalen’s father, a Scot, is a Member of Parliament who is loyal to James Stuart, brother to the Queen of England.  His loyalty is seen as treason in the eyes of the English and he is taken to the Tower of London to be tried for his “crime”.  Lady Magdalen travels to London to see to his release.

She is constantly involved in one problem or another and it seems that the dashing First Lieutenant Aiden Murray is always in the vicinity to rescue her.  He is the second son of a Scottish lord who supports the English, although Aiden disagrees.

This story is non-stop catastrophe after catastrophe which certainly keeps the reader engaged throughout the book.  I think that the author has written a very good story and has included historical facts which bring it to life.  Well done.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing in return for my honest review.

“The Reluctant Duchess” by Roseanna M. White

“The Reluctant Duchess” by Roseanna M. White is a novel set in Scotland and England in 1912.  Except for the use of horses and carriages along with motor cars, I would have thought this novel to be set in regency England because of the storyline.

Lady Rowena Kinnaird has never felt good about herself.  Because of the way her father treated her all her life she had a poor opinion of herself.  The man she hoped to marry damaged her in the most horrific way and her father blamed her.  She prayed to God to help her, but even He seemed not to hear.  When repercussions of the attack by her former unofficial fiancé began to make themselves known, it was clear to her father and ladies’ maid, Lilias, they would have to devise a way to save her reputation and honor.

Brice, the Duke of Nottingham, is very flirtatious with the ladies and quite an influential man.  He is duped into compromising Rowena so that her father finds them and demands that Brice provide satisfaction.  Rowena does not wish to go along with this charade, but has no choice.

Not only is Brice compromised, but he is also trying to bring a thief into the open.  His family is the owner of priceless jewels that supposedly have been cursed, but are still sought after by others.  Lady Pratt seems to be the one who would do anything to have the jewels and the money that they would bring to the right buyer.  Brice is determined to smoke her out.  He also is beginning to fall in love with Rowena and she with him.  Between the two of them, they plan a ruse to catch whoever is desperate enough to kill for the jewels.

Although I enjoyed the story very much, I had trouble keeping up with the characters.  I frequently had to go back to the beginning of the book to check out the list of characters to see where they fit in the story.  My interest was not as intent on the story as I would have liked and I think that this is the reason.

I received a complimentary print copy of this book from Bethany House.

“At the Edge of Summer” by Jessica Brockmole

“At the Edge of Summer” by Jessica Brockmole is a novel set in 1911 France.  It is the story of a fifteen year old girl, Clare Ross, a Scottish lass, who has been left alone since her mother left and her father died.  A friend of her mother’s Madame Crepet has brought her to live with her family in the French countryside.  Luc is the son of this family and is studying in Paris.  He comes home on some weekends to try to make Clare not feel so lonely.  Their friendship blossoms until Clare’s grandfather comes to take her with him on his academic travels to exotic lands.  Clare and Luc keep in touch by letter until the Great War starts.  Clare thinks he has forgotten her, but his letters to her have been lost as have hers to him.

Clare becomes an artist and starts working with a studio that makes facial prostheses for soldiers who have been injured in the war.  One day, a young soldier comes to the studio for a consultation.  Clare works with him and feels that she must know him.  It is Luc, but his appearance has changed so drastically that she does not recognize him until later.  What follows is a story of love and forgiveness.

I read another book by Ms. Brockmole, “Letters from Skye”.  Her writing style seems to include letters that tell the story of the book.  I found that in her writing, the characters are let much of themselves come forth in their letters.  I did not see this same interaction between them when they met face to face.  This way of telling her story is interesting because the reader feels that he is actually seeing what the letter writer is feeling.

I was sent a print copy of this book by NightOwlReviews.com in return for my honest review.

“The Inheritance” by Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips is one of my favorite authors.  I read every book in the series Shenandoah Sisters and enjoyed each one individually.  Mr. Phillips first book in the Secrets of the Shetlands, “The Inheritance” did not hold that same enjoyment.  The story has wonderful historical and geographical insight and that is what kept me reading.  The story, however, seemed to go on forever and I was not satisfied at the end of the book.  I suppose, that is purposefully written that way to entice me to read the subsequent novels in this series.  However, I was very disappointed in the story line.  Mr. Phillips’ writing is quite good and I was able to absorb myself into the life of the Shetland Islands.  I will try the next book in the series and see if my thoughts about the series can be redeemed.

I was sent a free print copy of this book from Bethany House and Litfuse Publicity in return for my honest review.

“Where the Horses Run” by Kaki Warner

“Where the Horses Run” by Kaki Warner, is the third book in the series “The Heroes of Heartbreak Creek”.  I enjoyed the book quite a bit.  It was a look into the differences between the American West and Scotland and England in the late 19^th century and was well written.  I did think that too much reference was made to characters and events in the previous titles in the series, but maybe that was to pique my interest in reading them.

The story takes place near Penrith, England, in 1871.  It is the story of a Scottish Earl, Ash Kirkwell and his wife Maddie who are travelling back to Scotland in order that the Earl spends some time at his Scottish home.  On the way, they make a detour to purchase horses for their new enterprise in Colorado.  Ash has hired a wrangler, Rayford Jessup from Texas to purchase the horses for him in England from the Cathcarts.  They are also joined by Thomas, a half-breed Cheyenne Indian.  Josephine Cathcart is a young woman, who because of an indiscretion when she was sixteen, who loves only her son and her horse, Pembroke’s Pride.  Her father is a gambler who has wasted their hard-earned fortune on wagers and gambling.  He is trying to force Josephine to marry into the nobility to save his holdings.

Josie and Rafe are destined to be together no matter all the obstacles that appear to keep them apart.  I enjoyed Josie for her spirit and spunk and her determination not to waste the rest of her life on someone she does not love.  I thought that the dialogue among the Kirkwells, Thomas and Rafe were amusing at times.  Ash Kirkwell’s use of the English language with a Scottish brogue was highly entertaining all through the story.

I was sent a free print copy of this book by Night Owl Reviews in return for my honest assessment of the book.

“Laird of Ballanclaire” by Jackie Ivie

“Laird of Ballanclaire” by Jackie Ivie was a really good book.  The novel begins in colonial America where Kam Ballan is found injured by Constant Ridgely, the daughter of a backwoods patriot.  She nurses him back to health, but he is again captured and almost hanged for being a turncoat.  Constant marries him to try to save him.  Kam is not who he portrays, but is a Scottish duke betrothed to a Spanish princess.

Kameron Ballan, heir to the Laird of Ballanclaire, is being forced to wed the princess as the betrothal was made when the two were just children.  Where does that leave Constant?  The story becomes more involved as it goes on and one wonders if the two will ever be together again.

I thought the book was a little hard to read because of all the machinations of the Duke’s minions trying to make sure that Kam honors the old promise to wed the princess.  Things take a twist though.  The plot thickens and really gets more interesting as it goes along.  I enjoyed this book very much.

I received a free print copy of this book from Kensington Books through NightOwlReviews.com in return for my honest review.   The opinions expressed here are my own.

“In the Heart of the Highlander” by Maggie Robinson

I have read “In the Heart of the Highlander” by Maggie Robinson, which is a Scottish historical romance.

Mary Evensong has taken over her Aunt Mim’s business, the Evensong Agency.  This enterprise finds household help, finds husbands for young ladies, and solves problems for customers.  Of course all is confidential.  Lord Alec Raeburn has come for help to try to avenge his wife’s death by trapping the unscrupulous doctor responsible for her demise.  Lord Alec has been accused of pushing his wife out of a tower window to her death and is being ostracized by friends and neighbors alike.  He did not murder his wife and wants to make sure that the one responsible for her suicide is punished.  He and the Evensong Agency concoct a plan to do just that.  Mary, her Aunt Mim and Oliver, their colleague, meet with Alec at the doctor’s spa and carry out their plan.  Of course Mary and Alec are quite taken with each other and the story continues from there.

I liked the story line of the book and enjoyed the sometimes humorous give and take among the main characters.  However, the love scenes portrayed way too much information to me.  I would rather lovemaking be portrayed in the text by innuendo.  I don’t need to have it spelled out for me.  In fact, the erotic explanations of sex ruined the book for me.  I actually skipped these parts.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not a prude, but I am beyond reading “bodice-ripper” books and yearn for a good story to entice me.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book from Berkley and Night Owl Reviews in return for my honest review.   The opinions expressed here are my own.