Donna Hechler Porter

If you have read my previous blogs, or talked to me in person, you know Catherine Cookson is my all-time favorite author. I cycled through every book I could find while in late junior high and early high school. When I went to Canada with my then fiancee to visit his parents, I found more Cookson books I could not find in the states (as she is an English author). I quickly snapped them up, happy as a clam that I had others.

I grew up reading both Cookson and Holt from a young age. I have literally read all of their books, some twice. They were, without a doubt (and along with Phyllis Whitney) my favorite authors as a high school teen and beyond. Holt’s ability to create a world of gothic suspense is unparalleled, and Cookson’s ability to transform her character’s, both male and female, is equaled only by a few.

In Rowan’s Lady, the first in her Clan Graham Series, Suzan Tisdale has created the poignant story of two lost souls. Rowan Graham’s wife, Kate, died four years ago in the Black Death that decimated Europe and Scotland. Although theirs was an arranged marriage, Rowan fell deeply in love with Kate. On her deathbed she makes him promise he will marry again, but he is unable to do so. He throws himself into raising their young daughter and rebuilding his clan . . .

Well, I’ve now read 4 Suzan Tisdale books in a row. Whew! I’m not obsessive, believe me. (Yea, right!) But when I do find a new author I like, I will tend to read straight through his/her books. But, that’s enough of my personal foibles. I loved, loved, loved McKenna’s Honor.

In this third installment of The Clan MacDougall  series, Suzan Tisdale again takes us into the world of Clan McDougall in early Scotland. Tisdale’s plotting and character arcs get better with each novel. Wee William’s Woman is no exception.

This is a sweet historical, so there is no sex and only mild steam. Despite that, the book starts off good and pulled me in. There was a bit of a mystery with the characters which unfolds nicely. However, near the center, the story becomes a bit muddled and drags, and at times I was bored. But, I have to be honest, I did have a lot going on at the same time I was reading, so I cannot totally blame all my boredom on the plot.

Emily Burns is an orphan, so when she receives news she has inherited a Mississippi Plantation by the name of Ironwood she is stunned. Grateful for the fresh start selling the plantation will give her, she never considers staying in Mississippi. That is, until she makes friends with the locals, learns of her past, and meets the dashing preacher/handyman who helps her restore the house. Oh, and the diary she finds in an old trunk in the attic that belongs to her great-great-g

Alright. I admit it now. I’m having trouble finding books that I just can’t put down. The last one I read that gripped me to the point of choosing to read rather than write, work, or even breathe was Kirsten Heitzmann’s The Breath of Dawn about a year ago. I’ve not read one since. And A Shelter of Hope  was not it either. Tracie Peterson is a prolific author . . .

Every now and then I come across a couple that are so sweet with each other, it makes my heart warm. Usually, but not always, they have been childhood sweethearts. However, all the relationships I’ve ever had with men have been fraught with angst, turmoil, and just plain friction. It makes for some highs and lows, but rarely is the relationship showered with the ongoing tenderness I see in these sweet couples. on’t get me wrong, there is tenderness. But there’s also an awf

Well, I finally got my wish – a book I couldn’t put down. I stayed up till almost midnight reading Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden. To be blunt, I picked the book because of the cover. I know. I plunged into the shallowness of cover intrigue for a brief moment in time. The cover did not disappoint.