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Poppy The Montgomery Sisters Book Two

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What happens when love interferes and thrusts Poppy into discovering emotions she never knew existed?

About Poppy

Poppy Montgomery has always been good with a gun and could fight her way out of anything. Tough as nails and a sharp shooter, her beauty deceives the outlaws she’s after. Hot on the trail of the Clemmons gang, a group of outlaws who rob trains and killed an innocent woman and child a few months before, she is determined to make them pay for the sin’s they’ve committed by bringing them to justice. Pinkerton, Noah Shaw is investigating a ring of stage robberies and knows the Clemmons gang is behind them. Told to track down the infamous redheaded bounty hunter, Noah gets more than he bargained for when he arrests Poppy for assault. Handcuffed together the pair must work together to stop the robberies, and figure out who is behind them. But what happens when love interferes and thrusts Poppy into discovering emotions she never knew existed? Will she choose the solitude she’s always known, or Noah’s sweet embrace?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this book, mostly because of Poppy. She is one tough, no nonsense young woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to go get it. She also has this softer side of her that can be hurt easily and that she doesn’t let others see.

Her work catching a group of outlaws brings her into contact with Pinkerton Noah. He was sent to track down Poppy and find out what she knows about the robbery and murder but is not to let Poppy know. When he arrests Poppy in order to keep her safe, I don’t think he could even begin to imagine how his life would change!

Together the two form a strong bond as they work to stop the robberies and figure out the culprit behind a young woman and her child’s death. What they don’t expect? To be so attracted to each other! Both of them had refused to love again but these feelings begin to pop up. Do they ignore them? Do they act on them? How will this interfere with their case and their future?

This was a sweet, fast paced, romantic novel with one tough young woman as our lead role. I loved every moment of reading this book!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Kobo and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 4/5

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About the Author

Kat Flannery’s love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. A member of many writing groups including the National Romance Writers of America (RWA), Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. When she’s not busy writing, or marketing Kat volunteers her time to other aspiring authors. She’s been published in numerous periodicals throughout her career, and continues to write for blogs and online magazines. A bestselling author, Kat’s books are available all over the world. The BRANDED TRILOGY is Kat’s award-winning series. With seven books published, Kat continues to write two novels a year.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Fern The Montgomery Sisters Book One

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Can one woman heal the heart of a lawman?

About Fern

Can one woman heal the heart of a lawman? A gardener who uses plants to heal, Fern Montgomery is an outcast who refuses to be pushed out of town. When her friend is murdered and all fingers point to Fern as the only suspect, she must find a way to prove her innocence while fighting off unwanted feelings for the sheriff. Sheriff Gabe Bennett has his mind set on arresting Sarah Fuller’s killer. But his key suspect isn’t what he expected. He soon realizes there is more to the quiet gardener than he’d first anticipated. As passion blooms, Gabe is forced to face his feelings—and the woman who has stolen his heart.

My Thoughts

Fern is one tough young woman living in an even tougher time out in the American West. This is a difficult time period for women, especially those that want to assert their independence and make a go at it on their own. Fern lives with her younger sisters and helps support them through her naturopathic healing combined with the knowledge that her father (a physician) taught her.

Because of her unique situation, Fern has gained quite a few enemies – including the local physician who will do anything to see Fern pushed out of the town, arrested or worse! When her best friend is murdered, he places the blame on Fern and she must solve the crime before she ends up being punished for something she didn’t do or even worse, pay with her life.

What she doesn’t expect? The local Sheriff to be on her side or at least willing to listen to her. He sees her for who she really is and loves every part of her. He is the first man that sees a woman for more than just raising a family. Not only does he work to solve this case but he also works at opening Fern’s heart to love.

This novel is a quick, sweet and exciting read from start to finish. I fell in love with the characters, the simple yet complicated story and the ending suits the novel perfectly. This will make for a fantastic summer time beach read!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Kobo and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 4/5

The Giveaway!

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About the Author

Kat Flannery’s love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. A member of many writing groups including the National Romance Writers of America (RWA), Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. When she’s not busy writing, or marketing Kat volunteers her time to other aspiring authors. She’s been published in numerous periodicals throughout her career, and continues to write for blogs and online magazines. A bestselling author, Kat’s books are available all over the world. The BRANDED TRILOGY is Kat’s award-winning series. With seven books published, Kat continues to write two novels a year.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Dead Gold Book Review

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The closer we get to the killer, the more confusing it gets – who is behind the murders and mutilation in Dead Gold?

About Dead Gold

The dazzling lure of Olympic gold fame is a spotlight glare hotter than any fifteen minutes of fame. During plans for a cross-country ski vacation, Aspen Police Department Criminal Investigation Division Detective David “Spinner” Krespinak and SEAL-bud Craige Ingram are ensnared by glamour, upmarket glitz and bling, and greed in the deadly champagne powder world of a money-gets-you-anything high-country ski-mecca. Body parts start turning up in the most unlikely places. As the two friends start their investigation, a hornet’s nest of the local elite do not want the publicity. For good reason it seems, they may be part of the mystery of bodies and body parts piling up at the morgue.

The closer they get to the killer, the more confused they become. Who is behind the murders and mutilation? The list of suspects grows as they close the net on the killer. The tender underbelly of Aspen is not what it seems. It is a raw open sore that oozes blood, drugs, and murder.

My Thoughts

This novel is excellent thriller from start to finish that will keep you on your toes!

Body parts, murder, lies, drugs and more can be found in this novel where you never really know what’s coming next. The plot is complex and I found myself having to reread a couple paragraphs over again but it was well worth it. The novel starts out with a murder that goes cold and this seems to be the theme – a lot of death with no answers. The detectives have their hands full and almost don’t seem to know where to start.

Spinner and Craige are in a race to solve these crimes especially when one of the murders hits close to home. This is when the stakes get high and the novel really builds up.

This is an excellent, well thought out novel with a lot of plot twists. You need to pay attention but it is well worth it in the end. I never saw the end coming! But it truly fit the theme of the novel. A fantastic read from start to finish.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Hawk MacKinney served in the US Navy for over 20 years. While serving as a Navy Commander, he also had a career as a full-time faculty member at several major state medical facilities. He earned two postgraduate degrees with studies in languages and history. He has taught postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel.

In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction—historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers. His titles are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series—murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Hidden Chamber of Death, the first book in the mystery series, was followed by Book 2, Westobou Gold and his latest, Book 3, Curse of the Ancients. All have received national attention. The Bleikovat Event was Vol I in The Cairns of Sainctuarie Science Fiction Series followed by Vol II, The Missing Planets. Vol III, Inanna Phantom is in final galleys.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Revolutionist Book Review

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Two families escape the tyranny of their homelands, and their journey brings them to America in the throes of the industrial revolution during the 1890s and early 1900s.

About The Revolutionist

Two different families escape from the political tyranny of their respective homelands, the Josephsons from Sweden and Matias and Kurt Bauman, brothers from Germany and Austria Hungary, with the aid of a Viennese opera diva, Sophie Augusta Rose, and Jean Guenoc, a former Jesuit priest, family friend and protector and partisan of the French underground. Their journey brings them to America in the throes of the industrial revolution during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Ingrid and Olaf Josephson settle on a small wheat farm in North Central Minnesota to raise their children, Newt and Julie. Among the Jewish entrepreneurs forced to leave Germany and Austria-Hungary, Matias and Kurt Bauman re-establish their transportation company in Chicago, Illinois. In search of a secret list of insurgent social democrats, the bounty hunter assassin, Luther Baggot, tracks his victims to the American heartland. Following the murder of their mother and father, Newt, Julie, and their friends, Aaron and Beth Peet, hide from the killer in a Northern Minnesota logging camp. Believing the children have taken possession of the list, Luther tracks them down and they are forced to flee again, this time to Chicago where a different world opens up to them as they are thrust into the turmoil and violence of an urban society and economy careening into the new century.

My Thoughts

This is a fantastic, well written novel from start to finish, I could not put it down.

It starts off with the daring escape of two families from Sweden and Germany and Hungary. They are forced to escape and leave behind their world due to the political views and being supports of the socialism movement. The families escape to America and you would think that their nightmare is over but someone is determined to ensure that they will not escape. Luther, a hired bounty hunter, follows them to America and kills Ingrid and Olaf when they refuse to give him the secret list of social democrats.

This sets their children down a very unique and interesting past. With no parents and no one to protect them, they must seek out their own future – first in a lumber camp and then in Chicago. The children are exposed to the good and the bad of the world. You are never really to sure if the children have escaped the clutches of Luther.

This was an excellent, well written and planned out historical novel. He touches on some difficult topics but does so with fact and respect. It is a novel full of hope and loss that you will not want to put down. A definite must read!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Robert is published by Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing under a multi-book contract. The author of four previous earlier novels, Robert infuses his books with unique dynamic stories and characters that portray social and cultural conflicts of their time. His career encompasses many years as a business consultant that have given him access to a wide range of organizations and an appreciation for people in all areas of society. His life experience is reflected in the literary quality of his work. Born and raised in the Middle-West, he has traveled throughout the United States and abroad.

Now retired, he resides with his wife in Southern California where he devotes full-time to writing. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Masters Degree in Communications at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards.

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Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy

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Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy is a carefully researched glimpse into the “Doll Woman’s” life as a collector of dolls, and as the highest paid American woman who spied for the Imperial Japanese Government during World War II.

About Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy

Velvalee Dickinson was born in Sacramento, California, graduated from Stanford University, married three times, and then in the early 1930s moved to New York City where she eventually opened her own exclusive doll shop on the prestigious Madison Avenue. It was there that she built her reputation as an expert in rare, antique, and foreign dolls. She traveled extensively around the country lecturing and exhibiting her dolls while building a wealthy clientele that included Hollywood stars, members of high society, politicians, and other collectors.

When medical bills started to accumulate because of her husband’s poor health and business started to fail with the onset of World War II, she accepted the role as a spy for the Imperial Japanese Government. By hiding coded messages in her correspondence about dolls, she was able to pass on to her Japanese contacts critical military information about the US warships. After surveilling Velvalee for over a year, the FBI arrested her and charged her with espionage and violation of censorship laws. She became the first American woman to face the death penalty on charges of spying for a wartime enemy.

Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy is a carefully researched glimpse into the “Doll Woman’s” life as a collector of dolls, and as the highest paid American woman who spied for the Imperial Japanese Government during World War II.

My Thoughts

This book intrigued me right from the start – I had never heard of Velvalee Dickinson and even the idea of using dolls to put through messages!

This is an incredibly informative story that is not overwhelming, heavy on too many facts or too lengthy. She gives you an incredible look into the life of Velvalee – how she started in the doll business and what turned her to spying. She is a woman who really made quite something of herself, while even committing such a grave crime, she gained quite the reputation as someone who had extensive knowledge in her area of expertise and held herself with grace. At times, I almost felt bad for her but then at other times when she tried to blame her deceased husband, you almost get a different look at this woman. You never really know is she truly innocent and forced to commit the crime, did she do it for her husband or did she do it for selfish reasons?

I loved that while it is a biography on her life, the way Barbara writes it almost feels like a story as well. You want to keep reading to see what happens next with the way that she describes her, the situations and the way the plot unfolds. She did a fantastic job of putting this story together and readers will appreciate this.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. Her nonfiction book, Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave, is under contract for a major film. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency.

Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her husband, and three pets who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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