INTO THE SHADOWS by @MarieJones14057 Irish #Romance #SundayBlogShare

Into The Shadows *** NUMBER 1 BOOK *** by Marie Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Into The Shadows is a romance set in Dingle, Ireland. Lily Crossways recently found a ghostly figure in the background of a beach photo she’d taken whilst on holiday. Lily swore the beach was empty when she took the photo, yet Lily is convinced the woman needs her help.

The draw to return to Dingle is so strong that Lily sets out for Ireland once more. She begins showing around her photo and finds she opens a Pandora’s box of suppressed memories.

David’s sister has been missing for several years, searches have been fruitless, but when Lily shows him the photo, he can’t believe his eyes. At first he thinks it is a hoax, but Lily wins him round and they begin a new search. Their digging also opens old wounds which link Lily’s family to Dingle and more than one person needs to face their past before they can move forward.

This is a light easy read in a lovely setting and the paranormal thread was an interesting storyline, I wasn’t quite convinced with Lily’s character leaping from a shy introvert type to a strong adventurous leader and all round heroine, perhaps she just hadn’t found her passion in life and Dingle was meant to be her true life path? Recommended for lovers of Irish themed romances.

View all my reviews Goodreads

Book Description

Arriving home from a short holiday in Dingle, Lily Crossways makes a staggering discovery – on one of her photos taken on ‘Inch’ beach, a woman’s desperate face is staring directly at her. Yet Lily knows she was alone that day on the beach. 
Who is she, is she even real, and why has she appeared to Lily? 
Unable to let the woman go, Lily makes the uncharacteristic decision to leave behind her safe world in England and return to Dingle to try and find her. Her search eventually leads her to cafe owner David Carson, this woman’s brother, who hasn’t seen his ‘missing’ sister in five years. 
Lily must now convince him to trust in her, taking bold steps to prove herself to him, and together track down his sister before it’s too late. 
Yet are either prepared for the hidden secrets they are about to uncover in their earnest desire to find her, and the impact it will have on those they love? 

About the author

where I loved nothing more than writing stories into my special A4 lined exercise book.

I remember my English teacher reading out one of my stories to the whole class and encouraging me to keep writing.  Later in life, I went on to study creative writing at evening class.

My favourite place to write is in my lounge when the house is quiet and my kids are out (though have learnt to write around noise!).

I have always been an avid reader from the first moment I could read, and some of my favourite authors are Kate Moreton, Santa Montefiore, Philippa Gregory, and Nicholas Sparks to name a few. Any book that grips me, will always pull me in.

Around writing and family life, I also work part time as a Teaching Assistant at a local primary school, every day encouraging the budding talent of our future writers.

I’m married, and we have two gorgeous children. I’m loving being in my 40s and highly recommend it!

My other passions include photography, travelling and pencil drawing. I ran my own photography business for a few years and had my photos exhibited.

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many countries around the world, yet Ireland still remains one of my all time favourite countries. What an amazing world, full of God’s beauty and creation, we live in…

Whether I am writing stories, photographing or drawing, everyday men and women with all their amazing complexities will always fascinate and inspire me.

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Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT THE GUN BY Daithi Kavanagh @Daithik3 #Thriller

Today’s team review is from Karen, she blogs at http://mytrainofthoughtson.wordpress.com

Karen has been reading The Gun by Daithi Kavanagh

My Opinion

This book introduces you to Garda Detective Tadhg Sullivan, leading a special unit for investigating politically motivated crime. The Deerstalker case is additionally complicated as his superiors have different ideas of how to pursue the possible culprit.

With The Gun, Daithi Kavanagh has created a fast-paced political suspense with local flair. The story comprises a variety of nicely elaborated characters with sufficient depth and interesting interactions to solve this politically inspired case. I had a great time reading The Gun – it is a very enjoyable read; it drives you head-first into the Irish life. I was drawn into the story right away, enjoying the journeys from one location to the next. Tadhg, Helen and Pat are (or soon become) likeable characters – I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

This is for you if you like European political thrillers, likeable and interesting characters, series and – Ireland. 

A compelling read in a series to watch out for.

Recommended!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Barb reviews A Cry from the Deep by Diana Stevans

Today’s book review is from team member Barb, she blogs at http://barbtaub.com/

Barb chose to read and review A Cry From The Deep by Diana Stevan

The south of France’s Provence region, New York City, and Ireland’s beautiful Donegal Bay are some of my favorite places on earth. So when I realized they were the settings for Diana Stevan’s debut novel, A Cry from the Deep, I was excited to receive a review copy.

Margaret is a young woman in late nineteenth century Ireland praying that her sailor lover James returns before she needs to wed another man. When his boat is spotted, she joyously prepares for their wedding and joins him on his ship, the ill-fated Alice O’Meary. In our time, Catherine is a young underwater photographer and mother attempting to recover from the traumatic dive that destroyed both her career and her marriage. When she’s lured away from her lavender farm in the south of France by the chance to document the hunt for a historically significant treasure-laden shipwreck off the Irish coast, she joins the unethical treasure hunter Kurt Henessy and handsome nautical archeologist Daniel Costello. Returning to New York with her young daughter Alex, Catherine’s flea-market purchase of an old gold ring unites the two women from across the centuries as Catherine begins to experience Margaret’s story.

Some of the first romance novels I read—Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Daphne du Maurier—had a slightly removed quality, as if they were reporting on feelings or events instead of experiencing them. Diana Stevan’s debut novel reminds me of them. Of course, writing from different point of views is hard enough. Integrating those alternating POVs across centuries is especially daunting. Dialog and action have to be believable, and characters need a voice that’s individual and memorable enough to immediately identify them for readers. If the main characters’ voices in A Cry From The Deep had been more individual, or displayed more diversity in terms of dialog and personality, it would have been easier to overcome that feeling of distance and connect with them.

For me, this book was three separate stories that didn’t fully integrate. First there was a ghost story, where the connection with Margaret was intriguing, but only hinted at the reasons behind it. Were Catherine and Daniel resurrected versions of the earlier lovers? If not, what did Margaret want them to do? Next, the treasure hunt with pirate-like Henessey was interesting but somewhat repetitive when it came to the dives. Finally, the love triangle with Daniel and ex-husband Richard took the form of Catherine’s internal speculation. For the book to be successful in any of its triple incarnations, I would have liked to see the pivotal Big Moment, where blood, bodies, or at least sex is overwhelming and life changing.

Stevan’s command of grammar and structure is impressive, and her technical descriptions of the dive process were interesting. But her descriptions of the locations I love were bare bones. I felt that the story could have happened anywhere without any particular impact. Because it was well-written, a strong attempt, and an interesting premise, I would give A Cry From The Deep three and a half stars. I think Stevans is a talented writer and this is an impressive debut. I’d love to see another book from her, especially if she lets her characters take some risks.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Noelle reviews A Cry From The Deep by Diana Stevan

Today’s review is from Noelle, she blogs at http://saylingaway.wordpress.com

Noelle chose to read A Cry From The Deep by Diana Stevan

A Cry From the Deep

I chose to read this book more or less as a challenge. I do not like the romance genre, but this book’s description intrigued me. A back and forth in time (I’m a time travel aficionado) along with some serious scuba diving off the coast of Ireland. I’m Irish, what more could I want?

Bottom line, I really enjoyed this read. The story is character driven, with not a lot of sex and heaving bosoms, but a real feeling of love between the four main characters: Margaret O’Donnell and her true love, seaman James Gallagher from the 1850s and Catherine Fitzgerald and Daniel Costello from modern time.

James returns to Margaret from a long voyage, just before her marriage to a truly dislikeable man, Barnaby Athol. They drown at sea on the day of the marriage, supposedly as the result of a curse Barnaby had put on them that day as revenge for being jilted.

A century and a half later, Catherine Fitzgerald, well known underwater photographer, is pulled from her lavender farm in Provence, France by the lure of a deep sea dive on a Spanish treasure boat off the coast of Ireland. The National Geographic wants her to document the find and any treasure recovery because the leader of the dive, Kurt Hennesy, has been linked to scavenging of such finds previously; her documentation will provide the basis for a special, while perhaps keeping Hennesy in line. Catherine is haunted by dreams from a near-death experience on a previous dive, but she convinces herself she needs to get back into the water.

The adventure begins when she buys a very old Claddagh ring, a wedding ring, whom the outdoor market vendor got from a man who found it in a cod caught off the Irish coast. You can see where this is leading! It fits Catherine perfectly, but when she wears the ring to bed, her dreams become more intense, with a breaching sailboat and an old man with a white beard trying to save her. Then she meets Daniel Costello, a member of the crew and a nautical archeologist to whom she is relentlessly drawn. Unfortunately, Daniel is already engaged to an overbearing society woman.

But wait! There’s more! Wonderful descriptions of colorful underwater life to which even this snorkeler could relate, a truly caring and perhaps still interested ex-husband, a daughter Catherine leaves with him while on the dive and worries about losing – perhaps to the ex-husband’s new girlfriend? – visions of a woman in a white dress who appears while Catherine is diving, and a very real elderly man with a white beard she meets while walking about the Irish village where the crew is staying- is he a ghost? Not to mention the growing feeling between Catherine and Daniel, complicated by his engagement, and the stealth of Captain Hennesy.

There was enough tension to keep me reading as fast as I could. I recommend A Cry from the Deep. Give it a look!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Terry Reviews A Cry From The Deep by Diana Stevan

Toady we have a book review from team member Terry, she blogs at http://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry chose to read and review A Cry From The Deep by Diana Stevan

3 out of 5 stars

I was looking forward to this book, as it deals with the subjects of reincarnation and time slips between the 19^th century and the present. When Catherine Fitzgerald, an underwater photographer, buys an antique Claddagh ring, she is troubled by nightmares that set her on a path to fulfil a promise of love made centuries before. As she begins to unravel the mystery of the woman who haunts her dreams, she has to come to grips with her own struggle to find true love. Will it be her ex, psychiatrist Richard Egan, who still loves her, or Daniel Costello, the handsome but unavailable marine archaeologist on the dive team?

It’s a very good story idea, it’s well thought out, feasible, and there are no plot holes or errors of continuity. The (American) English is perfect, and the proofreading was virtually faultless, which is always a big plus. The subject matter of diving for historical artefacts is extremely well researched; I read in the back of the book about how much work the author had done on this and was impressed; it will probably appeal to anyone who is interested in this subject.

So why only three stars?

I found the narrative rather old fashioned. The romantic side of it is a bit Mills and Boon, with the occasional throwing in of something more ‘earthy’ that seemed a little incongruous. Also, I found the delivery and dialogue a tad wooden throughout; aside from Hennessey, the brutish head of the diving team, one character’s dialogue was indistinguishable from another’s, with a relaying of information as opposed to painting a portrait of the person. Ms Stevan has used accurate regional dialect cleverly, but I never had the feeling of different ‘voices’, and could not see any of the people in my mind’s eye.

The point of view changed to another character, Daniel, on a few occasions, and this new outlook made the story perk up. My attention was also renewed when Catherine began to unravel the mystery, in Ireland; I thought the Irish section was the best, and I imagine well researched too (I’ve never been to Ireland, so can’t say). However, I felt this could have been done in a much more intriguing way, perhaps with alternating between past and present so that we knew more about Margaret and James; the piece set in the 19^th century is so brief that I had all but forgotten about it by about a third of the way through. The mystery would have been far more compelling if it had been unleashed gradually, rather than the reader being told more or less everything at the very beginning. Throughout the book there was too much exposition (dialogue used to give necessary background information, executed in an contrived manner) and ‘telling, not showing’ (delivering statements to tell the reader what a character is like, rather than allowing a picture to build up via his/her speech and behaviour, and others’ reactions to them).

To sum up – it’s a competent debut novel, a really good idea, but it wasn’t for me. However, a review can only ever be one person’s opinion, and readers who like a more conservative approach to dialogue and romantic developments might well enjoy it very much; I see that it has other, more positive reviews and I imagine the author’s style will develop. I’d like to thank Ms Stevan for supplying a review copy of this book, and wish her luck in her writing career.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Secrets Of The Heart by Adrienne Vaughan

Secrets of the Heart by Adrienne Vaughan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Secrets Of The Heart is book three of The Heartfelt series, easily a stand alone novel, also a grand finale to the series. Set on a tiny island off of the west coast of Ireland, it has all the charm of Ireland and with a host of characters from movie stars to a flamboyant Post Mistress and a delightful West Highland Terrier called Monty.

Marianne Coltrane, once an adopted child, is now a grown woman, re-acquainted with her parents, who have just re-kindled their love. Soon after the honeymooners return, the island is attacked by a vicious storm which sets back the building of a bridge to the mainland. With no financial help from the government available, the islanders take it upon themselves to raise much needed funds.

There are plenty of willing helpers as famous people fly in from all over the world to buy a little piece of Ireland and help the cause, but lots of people have secrets on the island and there’s more than one that weaves it’s way to the surface with a little help from the Irish magic of Innishmahon. A magic which pulls people to the island much to the disgust of local resident Sean Grogan. I’ve really enjoyed all three books in this series and hope there’s more to come.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Guest Author Sharon Black

Please welcome Sharon Black to the blog today as she tells us about her debut novel “Going Against Type”

1) Where is your home town?

I live in Dublin. I was born here and I now live in Sandymount, which is right by the sea.
2) How long have you been writing?

I’m one of those people who literally started writing as a child. I was always writing stories, filling copybooks, later on starting books which I never finished. After I got my degree, I trained as a journalist and I worked for national newspapers here in Ireland. I’ve also had some short stories published and I won a national short story competition a few years ago.
3) What was the one idea which sparked off “Going Against Type”?

When I was growing up, I adored the old Hollywood movies of the 1930s and 1940s on TV. My favourite romantic pair on screen, were Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey. In the film Woman of the Year, he plays a sports writer and she plays a high brow pundit. So I thought I’d see what would happen if the roles were reversed a bit. My heroine is a sports writer and my hero is a fashion writer who knows very little about sport. I actually make a reference to Woman of the Year in my book!

4) Where is your book set?

Going Against Type is set in Dublin.

5) Introduce us to Charlie.

Charlie is a single, Dublin born woman in her late twenties. She lives for sport, and actually tried to pursue a professional career in sport, until she was injured. She loves her job and she is great fun. She’s very feisty and doesn’t pull any punches. She’s also a bit vulnerable. She hasn’t had a lot of luck with men.

6) Please tell us all about Derry.

Derry is very good looking, droll and at ease with himself. He dates a lot of women but hasn’t had a serious relationship in a while. He has quite a high position in his paper, but he doesn’t talk about it. He’s originally from Cork and still has a very faint, lilting accent. He is attracted to Charlie because she’s very pretty, but also because she’s very different to the type of woman he usually dates. He finds her refreshing and challenging.

7) What type of things does Charlie write about in her new column?

As the only woman on staff in the sports department, Charlie knows she has to make her mark, or Side Swipe will be handed to one of the men. She is a bit of a purist when it comes to sport, so she just tells it how she sees it. For example, in one column she attacks highly paid soccer stars for wasting their time promoting underwear or writing their autobiographies. In another, she pokes fun at the women who make Ladies’ Day at the races, all about the designer clothes.

8) How does she come into conflict with a rival columnist?

As well as being a fashion writer, Derry writes a column called The Squire for a rival paper. He reads Charlie’s first column and decides to take Side Swipe down a peg or two. He actually thinks it’s written by a young guy, trying to make a name for himself. Both columns are written anonymously.

9) Where and when do Charlie and Derry meet face to face?

Charlie and Derry first bump in to each other at the Galway Races. Literally! By that stage, they have already had a few weeks of attacking each other through their columns. The attraction is instant but it’s not how they first get together!

10) Tell us where readers can find out more about you and your books.

I am a debut author, so I don’t have any other books as yet, but I have a book page and an author page on the Tirgearr Publishers site.

They’re tirpub.com/sblack and tirpub.com/gatype

These pages will take you into my author page on facebook and my blog.

You can also find me on twitter @Authorsharonb

My buy links can be found on tirpub.com/gatype

and on http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NJ2OL4M

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NJ2OL4M

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23213024-going-against-type

Romancing September #RomancingSeptember – Day 12

Welcome to Day 12 of Romancing September Across The World Tour. Today our guest is Adrienne Vaughan. Catch up with more from Adrienne in a few hours with the second part of our tour when Stephanie chats to her.

Where is your home town?

I’m lucky enough to have two home towns, Leicester where I was born and Dublin where I was brought up.

How long have you been writing romance?

I wrote my first novel over 20 years ago, it might yet see the light of day. The Hollow Heart was published in 2012.

What is your favourite sub-genre of romance?

It has to be Romantic Suspense, I love intrigue and plots with turns and twists.

Tell us about Marianne’s job.

She is a workaholic, campaigning journalist. She believes that a journalist’s job is seeking out the truth and righting wrongs.

What drives Marianne to take a break from work?

Her personal life is in turmoil, her lovely boss is retiring and the ‘corporate suits’ are moving in. She’s discovering that although important, there is more to life than just a career.

Where does she end up running to?

She has an Irish background, so heads off to a remote island off the West Coast called Innishmahon.

Who does she meet again on the island?

The gorgeous, but equally troubled movie actor Ryan O’Gorman, also seeking solace somewhere far away from the bright lights of Hollywood.

What disaster threatens the community?

A terrible storm. As with most natural disasters, it shows people in their true light. Marianne realises there is more to Ryan than floppy black hair and cheekbones to die for.

Tell us what you are working on at the moment.

The final part of the Heartfelt trilogy, Secrets of the Heart.

Where can readers find out more about you?

www.adriennevaughan.com or with my colleagues, the New Romantics 4 www.newromantics4.com

On facebook, Adrienne Vaughan, twitter @adrienneauthor

Find a copy of The Hollow Heart from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Find out more about Adrienne from Stephanie Hurts blog and all our Romance writers http://stephanie-hurt.com/

Rosie’s Book Review Challenge – Alison reviews The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan

Today’s review comes from Book Review Challenger Alison. She blogs at http://alisonwilliamswriting.wordpress.com/

Alison chose to read “The Hollow Heart” by Adrienne Vaughan.

Here is Alison’s review.

Marianne Coltrane is an award-winning journalist with tragedy in her past but a seemingly glittering future ahead. She meets dependable MP George at an awards ceremony and life seems settled and happy. However, some twists and turns throw Marianne’s life into turmoil and she eventually travels to a small Irish island hoping to find some peace. Here she meets some wonderful characters and makes some wonderful friends. She also falls for a gorgeous film star – also trying to find some peace in Innishmahon. But things never go smoothly for Marianne, and circumstances soon have her in turmoil again as she strives to make the right decisions to ensure a happy future.

Adrienne Vaughan paints a charming picture of the locals and the life of Innishmahon, and gives us a strong, feisty and likeable character in Marianne. I found myself cheering her on, and hoping that she would eventually find happiness. There were also some really interesting sub-plots that added to the joy and the tragedy of this well-written and thoroughly enjoyable novel.

I did find the islanders perhaps a little too good to be true at times – and I wondered about the speed at which Marianne and Oonagh became such close friends. The sub-plot concerning Oonagh was particularly well written and sympathetic – however, because I liked Oonagh so much, I would have liked this to have been developed further.

On the whole though, this is a great read, perfect for a relaxing Sunday afternoon or to take with you to the beach this summer. I recommend ‘The Hollow Heart’ and will definitely be reading the follow-up, ‘A Change of Heart.’

4.5 out of 5 stars

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Book Review Challenge – A Review by Angie

Today we have a review from Book Review Challenger Angie, she blogs at http://angiesworld30.wordpress.com

Angie chose The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan.

Hollow Heart – Adrienne Vaughan

Here is Angie’s review.

Format: Kindle and Paperback

Genre: Contemporary Romance

This is the first book in the The Heartfelt series, about Marianne Coltrane, an award winning journalist who breaks a story regarding babies, adoption and the church. After dealing with some traumatic and sad times, she decides that it’s about time she took a sabbatical from her job to spend some time in Ireland in a little place called Innishmahon.

It’s in Innishmahon that she runs – literally into Ryan O’Gorman an actor who hates journalists and has just landed his role in one of the biggest movies in history. She has met Ryan before at a ceremony award where he became her knight in shining armour but the politeness is short lived, when she finds that he is one of the most infuriating men she has ever met.

Marianne manages to make new friends in Innishmahon and becomes best friends with Oonagh Quinn and Kathleen Macready. Along with Oonagh’s husband Padar and Father Gregory, she falls in love with Innishmahon and decides to move there for good.

Both Marianne and Ryan had escaped to Innishmahon to get a break and find themselves but what they weren’t expecting to find was true love, or is it ???

When I first started this book, I thought I was going to need my tissues at the ready, getting a lump in my throat within the first few chapters but also wanted to smile at parts as well.

As I got into the story, I found myself liking Marianne even more, especially since she was a proper journalist doing good and not a celebrity crazed stalker. I also have to say that I absolutely loved how Adrienne wrote about Monty the dog, and the things that he would probably say if he were human.

I felt so many different emotions throughout the book and don’t think there were any characters that I didn’t like, even Paul her ex-colleague needed some sympathy by the end, even if he wasn’t the friend she thought he was.

I even loved the fact that it was set in Ireland, as it is one of my favourite places having visited Cork a couple of times. I could imagine the Irish accents of the characters throughout.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am glad I chose it as part of Rosie Amber’s book review challenge. I will definitely be purchasing the next instalment of Marianne Coltrane’s adventures.

I give this book four stars.

Find a copy here on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com