Sugar Creek, by Toni Blake. A Review by Donna

Welcome back to Destiny, Ohio where the air is clean, life is apparently uncomplicated and hunky men are thick on the ground. In Toni Blake's new release, Sugar Creek, we meet another alpha male (remember Mick Brody?) with all the attributes of the perfect romance hero.

Mike Romo is tall, dark, handsome and in uniform. A cop's uniform, that is. And he's determined to keep Destiny safe. That includes stopping Rachel Farris as she does twenty over the limit just outside of town. Rachel is now a city girl, summoned back to Destiny to help her elderly grandmother harvest the family apple orchard. Sparks fly as Officer Romo hands Rachel a speeding ticket along with a case of unrequited lust. Or so she believes. But Mike is not as unaffected by her sudden reappearance as Rachel thinks.

Unfortunately, the Romos and Farrises are Destiny's version of the Hatfields and McCoys. A long ago betrayal by Mike's grandfather Giovanni drove Edna, Rachel's grandmother, to take action - and the apple orchard. Bad blood has been flowing between the families in large cascading rivers for two generations, although Edna has come to depend on Mike, despite his last name. And Mike has a soft spot for Edna.  But Rachel believes Mike is only in it for the apples and vows to protect her grandmother and the family business from all things Romo.

Rachel and Mike circle each other for days, denying the unwanted attraction until they are thrown together in a small concession booth during a town event. Surprisingly, they work well together, serving snacks to the good folks of Destiny, but the real spirit of cooperation begins after the event is over. I'm not sure where Ms. Blake derives her inspiration, but a couple of hallelujahs are certainly in order.

But both Rachel and Mike have issues beyond the infamous family feud which threaten to derail their tenuous relationship almost before it begins. Rachel returned to Destiny reluctantly and only temporarily - she has a high powered job in Chicago and a life purposely different from her small town upbringing. Mike is still dealing with a horrific family tragedy that shapes every feeling he has and every decision he makes. And as if this colorful tapestry wasn't enough, Ms. Blake adds even more by weaving Edna and Giovanni's story in, out and between Rachel and Mike's.

Ms. Blake is a master at slowly drawing her protagonists, allowing the reader to feel each character's struggle to accept a particular truth. She did this brilliantly in One Reckless Summer, the first in the Destiny series, and succeeds again in Sugar Creek. There is a lot going on in this book and while less emotionally wrenching than its predecessor, it is more complex. It took more effort to get to the heart of the matter but once I was there, I was enthralled, swept away and completely won over.

Sugar Creek gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up. It's exactly what I've come to expect from Ms. Blake - and a certain must have for your romance library.

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton. A Review by Angie

The Forgotten Garden is a magical tale woven over four generations of women on two continents.  It combines mystery with drama in a captivating way and draws the reader under its spell and into a world of magic, fairly tales, mystery and family secrets.

On her 21^st birthday in 1930, Nell Andrews is told by her father that he is, in reality, not her father.  He explains that he and his wife took Nell in, after she’d had been abandoned on a ship from London to his port in Australia at the age of 4.  The only clue to her identity was the small white suitcase she carried, which contained a beautiful first edition children’s book.  The revelation of her past sets the course for the rest of Nell’s life, and that of the generations to follow – especially that of Nell’s granddaughter Cassandra.

Later in her life, searching for answers about her family history drives Nell to England and a small manor house on the Cornwall coast.  She records her findings in a journal, but keeps revelations secret from her family, so Cassandra is shocked to be the recipient of the deed to an English cottage on Nell’s death.  The journal left behind doesn’t answer all that Cassandra finds she needs to know, by any stretch of the imagination. She picks up the trail of Nell’s research, traveling to the UK from Australia, where she slowly puts together the pieces of Nell’s puzzle, and finds the path to knowledge strewn with links to her own self-discovery.

Ms. Morton tells her story in chapters dedicated to each of the four generations – Nell, her mother and grandmother, and Cassandra.  The transitions are carefully done with attention to detail and vivid descriptions of their lives, from the squalor of London tenement houses to the beauty of an English country garden.  Nell’s story encompasses art, and story telling, family secrets and family trust, along with a villain or two.   I was easily drawn into Cassandra’s journey and found myself fascinated with the way the characters' lives spin in and out of each other’s orbits, bridging the generations and the mystery of Nell’s identity.

I was thoroughly involved with the characters and the mystery.  I enjoyed this book very much and hope you will as well.

My Dangerous Duke, by Gaelen Foley. A Review by Angie

My Dangerous Duke is the second book in the Inferno Club series by Gaelen Foley.  This story follows Rohan Kilburn, the Duke of Warrington, or better known to locals as the Beast, and Kate Madsen, a woman kidnapped by smugglers and given as a gift to the Duke.

Rohan's family curse-- to lose one's wife early in life-- haunts him and he rejects all notions of love and marriage, thinking to break the curse by denying it.  His reputation of a wild lover is well-earned, but is not the complete story of this complex character.  Underneath the controlled exterior lies a warrior, trained to fight in any sort of combat, and a killer for the Inferno Club and their fight against the Prometheans.  He lives a loveless life, until Kate comes along.

When Kate is handed over to the Beast, she is defiant yet afraid of what he may do to her.  The Duke is handsome, but being held prisoner for over a month in a dark cellar has taken its toll and she is desperate to escape.  Her kidnappers drug her to make her more compliant, hoping to calm the temper of the Duke.  Little does the Duke know the lovely gift he was given is not there of her own free will, as he is led to believe.  Things go downhill from there as Rohan realizes Kate's family history is linked with his in a way that will cause certain danger to them both.  Kate holds in her possession the key to finding the Alchemists Tomb, something the Prometheans have searched and killed for.  Rohan knows if they can find this tomb and its secrets, this would be a serious gain for the Inferno Club.

Foley's writing, as always is entertaining and the hero and heroine are well matched despite having many differences.  My Dangerous Duke is a well-written story of love, danger and intrigue, with quite a bit of mush mixed in.  This book hits stores today!

The Apothecary's Daughter, by Julie Klassen. A Review by Debra

While the last Nook "page" has been turned and I have finished this book, my head and heart are both still in Bedsley Priors with Lillian Haswell and the inhabitants of that small Regency era village.

The Apothecary's Daughter is the story of Lillian and her father, Charles Haswell, the last in a long line of Haswell apothecaries.  Lillian, her father and her brother Charlie (afflicted with what today would be called severe learning disabilities) live above their Apothecary shop, all still reeling from the disappearance of Charles' wife, Rosamund. Lillian spends her days watching the barges on the canal that pass through Bedsley Priors hoping to see her mother return, while she yearns for more to her life. When she turns 18, her mother's brother and wife offer to take her to London, give her a Season, and help her look for a prospective match. She leaves her father, brother, best friend Mary and her father's apprentice, Francis behind, only to return a year and a half later to disaster; her father is gravely ill and his legacy is in jeopardy.  Despite horrible prejudice against women practicing apothecary, she tries to  keep his practice open and thriving, while disguising the fact that she is the one in charge.

Ms. Klassen shows that she's done her research, giving us an extensive and extremely interesting background in the competition between the  three medical professions of the time: apothecary, surgeon and physician. The three fields are pitted against each other as a back drop to Lillian's story, and with it come three (or four) possible rivals for Lillian's hand, if she should choose to recognize them as such.  Lillian is so intent on keeping her father's livelihood viable, caring for him and her brother, that she lets opportunities pass her by, wishing for a different life than what she has, until she realizes that what she has is what she's wanted all along.

A wonderful love story, full of twists, turns and surprises, and without any of what we call "smut" in Bookishly terms.  The Apothecary's Daughter is so worth the read. I loved it and I recommend it highly.

The Dead Travel Fast, by Deanna Raybourn. A Review by Angie

I should have known better.  Really, I should have.  One should never start a Deanna Raybourn novel on their lunch hour and expect to be able to stop and go back to work.  It was torture, but I managed to be on time by about 10 seconds.  This is a gothic romance novel that blew me away for the most part.  You may know Ms. Raybourn from the Lady Grey mysteries, of which I am a huge fan.  This novel is not part of that series, but you get the same round characters and nail biting scenes as found in her previous work.

Miss Theodora Lestrange is a writer in a time when women authors were not looked upon kindly.  After her grandfather dies, a chance invitation to visit her old school mate, Cosmina, arrives out of the blue and with perfect timing.  She jumps at the chance to visit Transylvania, a place full of folklore, myth and legend.  The setting is ideal to write her first novel.   Remembering the stories from her school days, she leaves her sister and brother-in-law, as well as her publisher/suitor and embarks on the long train ride to the aging castle where Cosmina makes her home.  In her letter, Cosmina indicated she was betrothed to the current Count, and hoped she would be stay through Christmas and for the wedding.  When Theodora arrives, she learns there is no such betrothal, and the current Count has refused to marry his poor relation.  It goes downhill from there, as Theodora realizes there is more to what Cosmina has told her, and things are not right with the castle and village.  She has also developed an attraction to the Count, and she believes he has become interested in her.  They spend the evenings together after the house retires, working in his grandfather’s room of amateur astronomy devices and charts.  They gaze at stars on the observation deck, and while Theodora knows it’s improper, she can’t help herself.  The Count is mesmerizing and a natural at seduction.  She is in the middle before she realizes. Then murder happens.

The countryside is rife with legends about strigoli, or vampires.  When a maid dies with two puncture marks on her neck, the Counts mother insists he go through with a medieval ritual to condemn his father’s body to the grave forever.  The Countess believes the former Count was evil and walks the castle in search of his next victim, those of his blood.  With the arrival of her publisher/suitor, things go downhill as more attacks occur, and Theodora finds herself accused as the accused party.  When she places her life in a trustworthy doctor, she learns not everything is as it seems.

If you are not into gothic novels, then this book is not for you.  Do not expect a vampire book full of flashing elongated canines and blood sucking monsters attacking innocent debutants.  This is pure gothic novel, where things are not as they seem, and you are surprised at what the truth really is.  Theodora is a complex character; wanting experiences to bolster her imagination, and then finding herself in love with a man she cannot have.  The book is written in first person, so it was easy to immerse myself in Theodora and become emotionally involved with the character.  The scenes are intense when need be, and light hearted at the right moment.  It’s a well-rounded book that I encourage everyone to pick up.

Revenge Wears Rubies, by Renee Bernard. A Review by Debra

Galen Hawke returns to England a damaged man. He is not alone. He and his compatriots in captivity call themselves the "Jaded"  and for very good reason. Held captive in India by a mad Sultan and escaping by the skin of their teeth, he and his friends make their way back to their old lives, changed and bonded by their experiences.

This bond among the men leads Galen to exact revenge for one of his number who did not make it out alive. John Everly spoke of his love, Haley Moreland, in glowing terms, as he lay dying in Galen's arms. And Galen makes a promise to look Haley up and convey John's last words of love to her. Before he does that, he's confronted with news reports of Haley's return to society and her engagement, a mere eight months after John's death.  Galen now has a set purpose back in his life. He means to seek Haley out, and ruin her in order to avenge her broken vows to John.

When Haley is swept off her feet by Galen (quite literally) she knows that she can no longer keep her engagement to Mr. Trumble; an engagement made in order to save her father from financial ruin. She falls in love with Galen Hawke and decides that she will  live her life to the fullest and take love where she can find it, until it all comes crashing down when she uncovers Galen's scheme. By this time, the man of her dreams realizes that he's fallen in love with his prey. Matters are made worse when Galen finds out that his dying friend had a penchant for exaggeration, for things were and are not as they seem.

I love Renee Bernard. Her characters are likable, the story lines are believable and the sex is usually smoking hot. This book is no exception. The main criticism I have is that this story sets up the remainder (there are five members of the "Jaded" in all, so there should be four more books in this series), and in so doing, it takes forever to really get into the rhythm of Galen and Haley's story. Once there, after about 100 pages, the book flies, but it was tough slogging through the beginning.

Despite this, if you are a fan of historical romance novels, I would definitely hook onto this one. There will be four more stories in this series, and the remainder of the Jaded, as introduced in this novel, are truly romantic hero types.  You have the requisite rake, the creative mind,  the sensitive type and the broad shouldered leader of the group, all with their own stories to follow.  And if Ms. Bernard keeps writing those love scenes, a lot of good "fun" to look forward to. The next book in the series, Ashe Blackwell's story(the requisite rake-his story is titled Seduction Wears Sapphires) is next, coming out in August 2010.

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. A Review by Debra

I really cannot remember the last time a book touched me the way this one has. Finished in one day, The Art of Racing in the Rain left me in tears, not of sorrow, but of unbelievable joy. Garth Stein has written a novel so filled with the lessons of life that I think it will take another reading for me to absorb it all.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a narrative. The narrator is a terrier-lab mix named Enzo. Yes, you've read that correctly. He is the much loved dog of Denny Swift, a semi-professional race car driver, whose driving tips turn into analogies of  negotiating life's twists and turns.  Enzo incorporates and interprets for us the lessons Denny imparts while the two spend hours together watching videos of past races.

Enzo's cozy life with Denny changes when Denny meets and marries Eve and then has a daughter named Zoe.  He laments the fact that there are now other people in Denny's life, but adjusts to include the newcomers in his circle. The book is filled with Enzo's observations of their family life, his own shortcomings as a dog (he continually bemoans his lack of opposable thumbs) and his wish to come back as a man once his present life is over. When tragedy strikes, and Denny's family is torn apart, Enzo becomes a central figure in helping Denny regain what he has lost. We see the story from a true dog's-eye view, and are all the more emotionally involved because of Enzo's loyalty to Denny, his distress at Denny's predicament, and his lack of ability to help in any constructively human way.

When the resolution to his own problems finally occurs,  and he is about to embark on a new life, Denny sustains a different kind of loss. Or so he thinks at the time.

This was an unbelievably touching story, one that I had to remind myself, repeatedly, could only be total fiction. Mr. Stein becomes Enzo, and then we become him as well. I never forgot that this is a story "told" by a dog. But then again, it never really crossed my mind to question that this is not really possible. That's how real this narrative seems. An excellent book, well worth your time, but do remember the tissues. You'll need them.