The Kingmaker's Daughter - Phillipa Gregory

One genre I have always enjoyed, but probably don't make enough time for, is historical fiction. I recently borrowed The Kingmaker's Daughter by Phillipa Gregory from the library. It was published in 2012.

Spies, poison, and curses surround her... Is there anyone she can trust? The Kingmaker's Daughter is the gripping story of the daughters of the man known as the "Kingmaker," Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters, Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women. At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker's daughter will achieve her father's greatest ambition.

Elizabeth's Review

3 stars

Definitely a  well researched and well written book. There are parts of the story that drug for me, especially Anne's childhood and the time she spent with Isabel and George. Given that this is a novel, it would have been nice to have had more insight into her relationship with Richard.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Anne. Women had so little power in the 15th century and she seemed to be besieged by people who wanted to use her. I wish I knew how much was real versus artistic license, but I definitely felt sorry for her. There almost seems to be a moral lesson being taught - be careful what you wish for because you might just get it.

Sources for Free and Sale Books

There are certain authors whose work I will almost always buy or try to borrow from the library. But, when it comes to trying new authors I am pretty stingy. If I had to buy every book whose description sounded good, I'd one click my way into debt. Thankfully there are several websites out there that capture free and sale book promotions and make it easier for the rest of us to find them. Here are some I get notifications from on a regular basis.

Sweet Free Books

Pixle of Ink

Free Books Daily

Riffle

The Midlist

Book Lemur

Betty Book Freak

Reading Deals

All of these require that you sign up for the free e-mail and some come out with more appealing books than others, but they are all worth checking out. Happy Reading!

No Ordinary Billionaire - J.S. Scott

Today's review is a book that I borrowed through my Amazon Prime account and was published in March 2015.

Dante Sinclair never cared about his family’s money. All the young billionaire ever wanted was to be a cop; and now that he’s a homicide detective in Los Angeles, he’s a damn good one. But when he is injured and loses his partner in the line of duty, he returns to his vacation home in Amesport, Maine, to recover. Sarah Baxter, a brilliant young doctor still struggling with her stifled upbringing, has recently moved from Chicago to sleepy Amesport to escape her past, hoping to find peace. When Sarah is assigned to Dante’s case, there’s an instant heat between them. They couldn’t possibly be more different, yet their igniting passion is impossible to ignore. As new feelings awaken within Sarah, her haunted past returns, threatening her once again. But can Dante overcome his grief and discover the secrets Sarah is hiding in time to protect and rescue her?

Elizabeth's Review

Borrowed through Amazon Prime

3 stars

In No Ordinary Billionaire we meet Dante Sinclair right after he has been wounded in the line of duty as an LAPD detective. He is super wealthy, so his family moves him to his home in small town Maine to recover. The doctor over seeing his care in Maine is super genius Sarah. Sarah has only been on town about a year, after she left Chicago to escape memories of her own tragedy.

Dante almost immediately falls into lust with Sarah and goes into protective Alpha male over drive when signs of her past attacker show up in town.

The story is fun and moves quickly. Dante is pretty down to Earth considering his wealth, so he and Sarah seem well matched. She seems to bring out his sweet side along with his macho side. They are interesting to watch together and have some wonderful sexy time. The bad guy gets taken care of and then they deal with the fact that Dante has to go back to LA. I don’t want to give anything away, but Sarah and Dante do get their happily ever after.

This is the first book in the Sinclair’s series and I am definitely curious to see what happens next.

How to connect with J.S. Scott:
Amazon
Facebook
Goodreads

Winter's Gift - Alix Nichols

I recently read a great series set in Paris - Bistro La Boheme by Alix Nichols. Today's review is for a novella that is a companion piece to the series. All are great fun!

A steely tycoon… Anton values loyalty above all, but he's learned the hard way not to expect it from women. At the helm of a self-made IT empire, he's a man whose heart will never be broken again. For he's locked it up. 

A woman in despair… When Anna finally fell in love, she got hurt so badly that her mom's old adage became her credo: Men are animals. Five years later, she's set on using them to save her mother's life. She'll never be so naive again as to believe that her body is a temple. For it's just a commodity. 

A winter to remember… When Anton and Anna cross paths over the winter holidays, neither can deny that what they share in bed--and out of it--is special. But it threatens the single principle both have lived under for years: Don't lose control. * * * WINTER'S GIFT is a novella in the Bistro La Bohème series. The books in this series are interconnected, with a recurring setting and characters. But each story is self-contained, and you can read it as a stand-alone.

Elizabeth's Review

3.5 stars - Review Copy Provided by Author

Winter’s Gift is a companion novella to the Bistro La Boheme series, but works as a stand-alone piece as well. I have to be honest and admit that some of my enjoyment of Winter’s Gift comes from having “met” the characters previously. It’s always fun to go back and see how a couple got together.

We meet Anton and Anna. They have a traditional introduction to each other, but their early relationship is very unconventional. It was fun to watch him fall in love, mainly because of the sense that he has held himself back for a long time. Even though I didn’t really relate to Anna at first, I felt for her situation as I got to know her better. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that I loved the ending!

If you’ve read Bistro La Boheme books, definitely give this one a shot!

How to find Alix:
Amazon
Facebook

Love Down Under Box Set

One of my favorite authors, Rosalind James, recently put together a box set of other books set in New Zealand. Most are written by authors who live in Australia and New Zealand as well as setting their work there. It's a fun box set and extremely reasonably priced - just 99 cents for 8 full length novels.

100% pure escape. Escape to the Land Down Under, where the sky is bluer, the living is slower, and the loving is sweeter. This summer, dive into eight heartwarming feel-good beach romances by bestselling Australian and New Zealand authors. And because size matters, they're all novel or long novella length! We've got cheeky, sexy, funny, steamy, sweet--and all with heaps of heart. Enjoy with a tall pitcher of iced tea or a bottle of chilled white wine--we'll never tell! * Eight standalone novels (NO cliffhangers!) spanning 1,500+ pages * Over 95% off retail for the individual books sold separately * Only available through July--get your copy today! Eight perfect indulgences to get your summer sorted! ROSALIND JAMES, - Just for You (Escape to New Zealand) TRACEY ALVAREZ - Melting Into You (Due South) DIANA FRASER - The Playboy's Redemption (The Mackenzies) H.Y. HANNA - Playing to Win (Summer Beach Vets) JOANNE HILL - Falling for Jack KRIS PEARSON - The Boat Builder's Bed (Wicked in Wellington) ANNIE SEATON - Beach House (Bondi Beach Love) SERENITY WOODS - A Secret Between Friends (Treats to Tempt You)

Elizabeth's Review

4 Stars

Review Copy provided by Author

It's hard to rate a box set like this. Some of the books I loved and some were just okay. Since there are 8 books involved, I've given each one just a small little blurb.

Melting Into You – 3.5 stars

I wasn’t sure about this one early on, I really didn’t like Ben at all. The author did a great job of peeling back his layers and showing that he could be a really good guy. His sisters and friends are an absolute hoot and were perfect for moving the story along. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Playboys’s Redemption – 3.5 stars

A great second chance romance. Susie and James reconnect 10 years after adolescent heartbreak and just when things seem to be perfect, James keeps a secret and trust goes out the window again. Parts of the story seem rushed to me, especially how Susie “falls back in love” with James after 10 years apart and then at the mere hint of trouble runs away.  The author makes it work, but it would have been nice to see that a little more fleshed out. 

Playing to Win – 3.5 Stars

A sweet, quick read.  American PR executive, Ellie has moved to an Australian beach community to help get a new resort up and running. A no-good, very bad day leads her to meeting local vet, Dan, a cute little boy and his dog, Will and Milo. Romance and friendships bloom and Ellie discovers that there is more to life than work. She messes things up and gets in her own way before she gets her priorities straight. A great read for a relaxing afternoon.

Falling for Jack – 3 stars

A sweet story – Jack and Robyn knew of each other growing up and run into each other as adults where they discover roles have reversed to a certain extent. When Jack discovers that he has a son he never knew about, he turns to Robyn for help. The story is more about relationships and personal growth with elements of attraction and love woven through. I like both Jack and Robyn and the growth curve they each experienced, but I didn’t really connect with either of them.

Just for you – 5 stars

It was a true treat to see how Hemi and Reka came to be together. This is a fun read to be enjoyed by anyone just discovering the Escape series as well as anyone who has joined Ms James on her wonderful trips before.

The Boat Builder’s Bed – 4 stars

The build-up in this one is worth it! The beginning is a little slow as it seems like Rafe and Sophie have this odd tug-of-war going on, but once they finally give in they are great together. There is a snarky ex and secrets revealed at the worst time to deal with, but they make it through and they both get the ending they want.

Beach House – 3 stars

While I enjoyed this story, I felt like it really could have been so much more. The premise is a lot of fun; an aunt/guardian who meddles in the lives of loved ones by making them share a house in order to inherit. Rosie’s longtime crush on Taj complicates things for her. There are a couple of really fun moments and there is great chemistry between them, but we don’t get to know either of them very well. We see a little bit of what drives Rosie, but Taj’s motivations are a little murky for me even though what he does is very kind. My only complaint is that this story doesn’t seem to live up to its potential.

A Secret Between Friend’s – 4.5  stars

I think this may have been one of the books I enjoyed most in the set. Genie and Niall are both genuine and like-able characters who are also a lot of fun together. They have history together and a pretty big tragedy in between them that makes them and unlikely pair, but I loved how Niall fought for them. Interesting secondary characters add a great flavor to the story too.

If you want to go buy this box set - and it's really a great summer read - go here to pick it up.

Favorite Blogs

When I started this, I mentioned be inspired by a couple of other blogs. I thought I would share a couple of them with you so you can check them out.

Kindles and Wine - Hosted by Kindle Gal
This group of ladies reviews from several genres and they usually post once or twice a week. Reviews are sometimes accompanied by fun giveaways. Kindle Gal is also known for hosting fun giveaways on her Facebook and Twitter pages.

Here is where to find them:

KindlesandWine.com
Facebook
Twitter


Cocktails and Books
Cocktails has something come out almost everyday. Reviews primarily come out on Sunday and cover a variety of genres and romance sub genres. Weekday posts focus on new and upcoming releases. There are lots of giveaways associated with weekday posts.

Here is where to find them:

Cocktailsandwine.com
Facebook
Twitter

Both of these blogs have been a great resource for finding new authors. I hope you check them out and like their Facebook pages.

Keep Me Safe - Maya Banks

Today's review is actually of a book I recently borrowed from the library. Keep Me Safe was published in October 2014.

A sizzling story of a woman who risks her life and her heart to find a wealthy man’s missing sister — the first novel in a sexy new romantic suspense series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks When Caleb Devereaux's younger sister is kidnapped, this scion of a powerful and wealthy family turns to an unlikely source for help: a beautiful and sensitive woman with a gift for finding answers others cannot. While Ramie can connect to victims and locate them by feeling their pain, her ability comes with a price. Every time she uses it, it costs her a piece of herself. Helping the infuriatingly attractive and impatient Caleb successfully find his sister nearly destroys her. Even though his sexual intensity draws her like a magnet, she needs to get as far away from him as she can. Deeply remorseful for the pain he’s caused, Caleb is determined to make things right. But just when he thinks Ramie's vanished forever, she reappears. She’s in trouble and she needs his help. Now, Caleb will risk everything to protect her — including his heart....

Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars

In Keep Me Safe we meet Caleb and Ramie first when he desperately needs her help. He forces the issue, saves his sister, and discovers that doing so costs Ramie a huge physical and emotional cost.

They come together a year later, a year that Ramie has spent running from a bad guy that she failed to catch and who is using her physic gift against her. Ramie is desperate and turns to the only person she can think of, Caleb, for help.

The story that follows of Caleb and Ramie trying to stop the bad guy is intriguing and has exciting twists and turns. I found that story enthralling and had at least one “Oh my God, did that really just happen” moment. That story by itself would have been a 4 star or higher story.

The romantic relationship between Caleb and Ramie fell flat for me. It seemed believable that they would have an instant attraction especially given Ramie’s physic gifts. Ramie feeling safe with and the calming effect Caleb had on her even seemed believable given that he is the first person in a long time that she can touch without being overwhelmed. What seemed odd to me was how quickly the attraction and comfort progressed passed a sexual relationship to love. The quick profession of love also seemed a little out of character for the way Caleb’s character had been described.

I definitely enjoyed Keep Me Safe and look forward to reading the other books in the series.