The Yankee Club

In Michael Murphy's The Yankee Club, the first installment in the Jake and Laura historical mystery series, get ready to jump back in time with a blast from the past. For Jake Donovan, it all started for him in 1930s New York, when he returns to New York City as a mystery novelist from his trip in Florida. He meets an old friend of Mickey O'Brien at his office to do some pressing detective business. But before he could find out more, his friend gets killed. Now it's up for Jake to find out who killed his friend and why. While he returned to his old roots, he hooked up with his childhood friends and later reunites with his old flame, Laura Wilson, a Broadway actress, in Mickey's office. When they meet, sparks do fly, but he couldn't help to notice her engagement ring on her finger. While old flames do die hard for them, Jake has to put his feelings aside for her when he had to deal with corrupt cops on his tail, a smitten female fan, and Laura's fiancé Spencer Dalrymple giving him a hard time. As he puts together the pieces of this massive jigsaw puzzle, he would have to have to connect the dots to the assassination attempt on Roosevelt and who was behind it. But before they can get together, they would have to stop an evil coup before it could ruin America for good by pulling the brakes on it before it was too late.

This was a good historical mystery debut since it dealt with real life historical events that happened in the 1930s across America and not just in New York. I did like the ambiance of the time period that painted a picture for the settings and for the post-war era to set the scenic locations around New York well. I did care for Jake and how he made a name for himself writing novels and talking with Ethel Merman and Cole Porter among other historical famous names. I also thought Laura was a charmer and had to do what he had to do undercover, though it was a ruse. This would transport you back to time with non-stop action, plenty of suspense, a dollop of intrigue, and lots of drama on every page.

Will you go back time to read the Yankee Club today?

The Art of Deception

In Louise Mangos's The Art of Deception, this spell-binding thriller will leave you at the edge of your seat. Lucie Smithers is a twenty-year-old college dropout in Switzerland and falls in love with a ski instructor named Mathieu Favre. Instantly, she falls in love with him, when everything doesn't appears at it seems. When we first meet Lucie, she's in the only all-woman prison in Switzerland, behind bars for a crime she doesn't commit. While she fights for her freedom and to her with her young son JP, she learns the hard way in prison life when drugs, sex, and bribery takes center stage behind closed doors. Told in flashbacks, we learn how she met Matt and what kind of relationship they had even when they married. But while she struggles to get out of prison, she works at the atelier and paints, holding onto hope that someday she would be set free. With her Russian mother-in-law, it appears she's taking everything away from her and wants her son to move to Russia. It would be up to Lucie to stop them and find the proof that Natasha is a monster-in-law who isn't what she cracks up to be and what dirty little secrets she's been keeping and hording. With one proof of evidence of backhandling behind the scenes, it might be the ticket to freedom and stop them in the tracks before it's too late.

This is a great and enticing thriller from start to finish. I did care for Lucie and hold she ended up in a dangerous web of lies and deceit from her husband. I did feel bad that she was torn away from her son and she kept her a strong front to find the evidence she needed to put her in-laws behind bars. I did think Matt had gotten what he wanted with a comeuppance of his own. I did love the scenic settings all around Switzerland and in the Hindelbank Prison very visual and intriguing for the location. This would make you hook on every riveting page with non-stop action, plenty of drama, heart-pounding suspense, and gasping intrigue right to the climax.

Will you get hooked into The Art of Deception today?

Proof of Seduction

In Courtney Milan's Proof of Seduction, the first installment in the Carhart historical romance series, this captivating love story would scintillate you and leave you spellbound for more. For years, Jenny Keeble had lived a life of lies and acted as a gypsy named Madame Esmeralda to make money. But when Gareth Carhart's cousin Ned had visited her for years for sagely advice, he had met his match and called her bluff. They didn't start off on the right feet when they first met and hated each other at sight. But when she had set him off in a challenge to find his Mrs. Right at the ball, both Ned and Gareth followed it through to earn points by carving an elephant, doing an ode for his cousin, and then smiling. For Gareth, he lived a very dull life as the marquess of Blakely and had a very choice words for Jenny. When a task failed when Gareth sought out Jenny, it left Ned in a delicate situation with Lady Kathleen Ware. The feelings for Gareth and Jenny were red-hot as he brought material things for Jenny and revealed herself to him. She told him her real name and took off her gypsy gloves, when she later discovered that someone at the bank ripped her off of money. Later on, when Jenny's down on her luck and savings, it would be up to Gareth and Ned to stop her and for Gareth to tell him how he felt about her by saving the magic words she longed to hear.

This was a fantastic and sexy historical romance. This hit all the right notes and then some to have her temperatures rising before it can simmer to a slow burn. I did care for Jenny and how she would deal with unexpected life changes. She had a rough life and deserved a break for a change. I'm so glad that both Ned and Gareth had came to their senses and also to her rescue in the end. I think she had found her match in Gareth for her happily ever after. I did love the scenic settings around England to make it an idyllic location for the series. This would make you fall in love with this story with non-stop action, plenty of suspense, lots of romantic drama, and hints of intrigue to keep us guessing and wanting more.

Will you check out Proof of Seduction tonight?

Defender

In Catherine Mann's Defender, the first installment in the Dark Ops military romantic suspense series, this debut would have your heart pounding with every turning page. For Jimmy "Hot Wire" Gage, he's a test pilot for the army stationed in Turkey for a search-and-rescue mission for a captive soldier. But when the USO boat goes down, he rescues Chloe Nelson, the background singer for the USO tour. At first, they had gotten off to a rough start and butted heads. For Mike Nunez, he's on his own undercover mission to track down a female criminal kingpin named Marta Surec. And he believes that the key to find Chuck Tanaka in their prison is from a woman named Anya Surec. Gage designated himself as Chloe's bodyguard when they would learn more about each other and later will find themselves in love before long.  For Gage and Nunez, they would have to deal with a complex and dangerous mission to look for Chuck and battle Marta's goons that kidnaps Chloe and Livia Cicero. In the end, they would join forces to deal with Surec and follow their hearts to see where it would take them after this tour will be over.

This was a fantastic debut that deals with the war overseas and how they deal with dangerous mission across the globe. I loved how the location was in Turkey--something exotic and tropical, but could have a dark side for any tour of duty for the army. I loved the vast scenic settings in and around Turkey from the boat and off the boat too. I loved the combination of military + romantic suspense, which is something new and different to add to the genre. I cared for Chloe and became concerned for her health issues concerning her kidney transplant. I also found Jimmy a sexy piece of candy to fly planes and steal our hearts at the same time. This would make you swoon and sway with non-stop action, sparks of romantic drama,  plenty of suspense and lots of hair-raising moments.

Will you take flight with Defender today?

Smitten by the Brit

In Melonie Johnson's Smitten by the Brit, the 2nd installment in the Sometimes in Love contemporary romance series, this love story would sweep you off your feet from coast to coast. For Bonnie Blythe, she's a college professor who's helping planning her best friend Cassie's wedding as the maid of honor. But as an only child, she's been stuck in limbo with her fiancé Gabe that didn't go anyway with no planning wedding date. He's always making excuses for her and always late coming home. When she has had enough, she caught him in the act with another woman and nipped the engagement in the bud. When she thought she had gotten through one heartbreak, Duke Theo Wharton arrives in Chicago for business--this heartthrob she had met last year in Scotland. Bonnie has been more than interested in him and since she's free, she needed to get to know him better. As she helped planned Cassie's wedding in Scotland, things heat up for Theo and Bonnie when she traveled to England to teach in Cambridge. For Theo, who's the only heir and a non-royal duke, all his mother wanted for him to marry a rich heiress with an arranged marriage. His heart wasn't set for it as his feelings deepened for Bonnie when it started with a kiss. Although she didn't get want to get hurt in the process, she stayed away from her feelings from him and kept her distance. During Cassie's wedding,  she took a chance on love and found her prince Charming in Theo for her happily ever after.

This was a lovely and tender-hearted contemporary romance. I loved the majestic locations of England, Scotland and Chicago for the eye-catching scenic settings. I did care for Bonnie and hated for her to be stuck in engagement limbo with a scum bucket like Gabe. I did like her friends and thought they were a hoot. I did find Theo to be a hot and sexy piece of eye-candy with a piece of royalty on the sided. There were some fine moments that made me laugh or snort for some great lines of humor throughout the story. This would make you want to swoon and find your own royal duke to fan yourself after with non-stop action, sexy romance, plenty of drama and sparks of intrigue through and through and right to the end.


Will you want to be swept away in Smitten by the Brit today?

Summer by the Tides

In Denise Hunter's Summer by the Tides, this heart-warming inspirational contemporary romance will have you believe in God and in second chances to fall in love. When Maddy Monroe receives a call from Connor Sullivan about her grandmother's strange disappearance, she returned to Seahaven to help look for her. She was also reunited with her two sisters, Nora and Emma, who had been estranged for many years. As they helped put her grandmother's house together, they look for clues about her grandmother and old hurtful memories resurface that summer.  For Connor, he's a widower and a restaurant and marina owner, who has his eyes set only for Maddy, and also a handy man. During that summer, Maddy learns the truth about what happened that summer that split her family apart, and what's happening now with her sister Emma's pregnancy and Nora's strange behavior. During a hurricane, things come to ahead when her sister goes missing and Connor gets hurt in the process. For Maddy, she had been hurt and betrayed from a man she had thought she loved and lost the promotion she wanted. After the calm of the storm, things were alright with Maddy and her sisters when they were set for a fresh start for new beginnings.

This was a terrific and beautiful inspirational contemporary romance about how one summer had changed everything for Maddy and her sister. I did care for Connor and how she had found a true soulmate in Maddy. He was only human and didn't want to get hurt again in the process. He had a full plate by owning the marina and the restaurant. I did love Maddy and how she learned to forgive and forget and to mend fences other than her broken heart. I'm happy she found a true love in Connor and how she found a new start in Seahaven. I loved the location by the beach with the water and then with the storm during hurricane season for gripping scenic settings. This would make you want to follow your heart and to trust your faith in God with lots of romance, plenty of drama, non-stop action, and some inspiration for a drop of mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Will you find your love in Summer by the Tides today?