Title: Saving Grace
Author: Sandy James
Genre: Historical Romance
Review Rating : Four Stars
Reviewer: Linda Hays-Gibbs

   This story has a few switches in time but it starts out in San Francisco in 1881. Grace Riley is trying to find out where her brother (spoiler, really her son) is. She tries to get the needed information through Stephen Shay, the man that raped her twenty years ago.
     Stephen Shay has hounded her since she was fourteen and she has stayed on cattle drives with her brother to keep out of his reach. Shay uses detectives to find her and he is her last hope to find her brother.      Grace is tormented by Shay and he thinks Grace
loves him when all she can feel is loathing and hate.
Grace gets the information but,  of course Shay wants more from her.
    She brought her pistol and shoots him. Now she runs for her life from the law.
     Grace knocks on the door of the address Shay gave her. She has literally walked to Montana and the last miles especially. She's soaked from rain and frozen.
     Twin Springs Ranch outside White Pines. Montana; a soaked and desperately ill Grace knocks on Adam Morgan's door. She stumbles in and asks for Jake Curtis; then proceeds to collapse into his arms. Adam is frantic to save her and soon (spoiler) falls in love with her. She fights for her life and in her nightmares tells Adam what she never would while awake.
    Adam brought the boy Jake home with him when he was starving on the streets. He raised him and he is married now. Adam cannot get Grace to tell him her story and this worries him.
     Grace is sure she will be arrested at any moment but frantically wants to see her brother (spoiler, son) before they take her away. She takes weeks to heal. Adam wants to be sure she isn't out to hurt Jake,
   Mathew Riley shows up searching for his sister and meets Adam's daughter, Victoria Morgan. They have an immediate attraction and hatred for each other.
     This story has so many twists and turns it keeps you guessing and turning pages. The characters are so endearing and real to you. Grace suffers and you suffer with her from her past to the present. She is a brave woman and soon you love her too.
     I gave this story Four Stars only because I found there were a few typos and inserted words. These can be fixed with another edit. If this is done correctly, it would be easy to give her the Five Stars I want to give now. It is a marvelous tale. I think anyone would enjoy the adventure. It is worth the read. Thanks to the author for a wonderful story.
Linda Hays-Gibbs

   

Title: An Unlikely Countess
Author: Jo Beverley
    One night an impoverished and unloved Catesby goes to the aid of an impoverished damsel in distress,  Prudence. He finds that she is more impoverished than he. He takes pity and leaves her the few coins he has with him. He also is rewarded with a sweet kiss. He finds he cannot dismiss her so easily from his mind. He really cares about her.
     Prudence gets the courage she was lacking from the rescue by Cate. His encouraging words helped her. She can't seem to forget that one sweet kiss eitger. Her hero left her a pin to sell but she keeps it for a talisman for her courage against her selfish brother. She finally goes to confront him. She barges into her sister-in-law 's world demanding what is her right . Pru had to blackmail her but she gets food, shelter, clothes and suiters.
     She decides to marry the wealthy man recommended by her sister-in-law. Her future now looks hopeless without love for she can't forget Cate.
    When she is at the wedding alter marrying the nasty wealthy man, Cate bursts into the scene again demanding that Pru was promised to him. He has rescued her again. They leave the church quickly and marry.
     This is not the end but only the beginning of this adventure.
     Superbly written and extremely interesting. I found I loved this story. She wove a genuine tale of how bleak the prospects of a woman were in this time frame.
The second or third sons had a bleak life too but they could work, women couldn't. It was either starve or become a fallen woman taking pay for her favors.
The characters made me so engaged I became enraged at the selfish brother and the uncaring mother of Cate. It was an engrossing read and on par with Beverley's other outstanding work. I couldn't put it down and you won't be able to either.
   I gave her Five Stars and wish I had Ten. I loved this one.

Title: A Game of Chance
Author: Lauren Linwood
Genre: rrHistorical Fantasy
Review Rating: Five Stars
Reviewer: Linda Hays-Gibbs
     This story opens in 1845 New York with Cara Lee Fisher in labor taunted by her horrible husband. He says such cruel things to her, as she suffers labor.
Gordon Fisher seems to have no heart, as he callously tells his poor wife she is going to die, and he's taking his heir and son and leaving her dying. He leaves with his son but after he leaves his wife gives birth to another son. The poor midwife doesn't even know the woman's or the man's name. The poor Cara Lee dies and the midwife takes the baby home with her.
    Next it's 1870 in California and Jeb is in jail for a murder he did not do. When confronted with his own face on a wanted poster; he was at a loss to explain. He got a chance to escape  because there was a sort of riot at the prison over another prisoner.
     Jeb escapes to San Francisco and into a whore house where he hides out. When a posse comes searching for him in that establshment the owner hides him. He finds the owner, who is 20 years older than him very alluring to him. He can't understand why he is so attracted to her.
    He's broke and decides to gamble into a little cash. He ends up winning big and finally; winning the exact whorehouse that he hid in that first night.
     Lillian Frontiere is the Madame of the whorehouse but she is ill and her daughter is disguising herself to be her mother. The daughter's name is Lil or Lillian too but goes by Lil.
     Jeb Stone's luck seems to have changed since he became the owner of the whorehouse. He finds out that Lil is the daughter and falls madly in love. Lil can't seem to define her feelings because she doesn't trust men. It's hard for her too for her mother is dying.
     There is the nasty twin brother Cal Hart Fisher that turns up in the same town and whorehouse. This is a very busy place for even the father Gordon Fisher frequents it and the man Jeb swore to avenge for his friend's death, Simon Morgan.Gordon's grandfather Max Fisher  lives in this town too and he throws Carl Hart out on his ear for his behavior. Max loved Lillian and cares a great deal about Lil. He is also a multi millionaire.
      Jeb meets Max later and Max is utterly amazed at the likeness of Jeb to Carl. The two could be twins.. Max  can't believe the story he hears from Gordon on how he treated Cara Lee and how he left his other son.
     Actually the boys are twins and it is a heartfelt story of one man's cruelty and selfishness tarnishing the lives of three generations. It shows the consequences of a brutal nature on the lives of others and how fate has a way of catching up to everyone. I was totally fascinated with the journey that all the characters took. How the rash orders of a grandfather could actually father cruelty.
     I was so happy that one of the twins was raised an orphan with no prospects but poverty. He had to work for his education from the nurse that raised him. He had to work hard to eat but he knew the value of having someone to love. He could have gone so wrong but he doesn't. He becomes a gambler but not a cheat. It makes you think about all the spoiled brats that are raised because they are given everything. The people that work hard and achieve something are the better people.
     This story twists and turns your heart into a romantic fantasy with unusual style. The characters have their own personalities and voice. It was like they  lived for you. I enjoyed the detail and scene setting too. I gave it five stars for carrying my emotions through the gamete. It was a very nice historical romance with a very good lesson or moral in it.
Sincerely,
Linda Hays-Gibbs