📚’A romantic #mystery set around Broadway’s stage musical scene’. Rosie’s #BookReview Of Secret Pages by Bob W. Anderson.

Secret Pages by Bob W. Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Secret Pages is a romantic mystery set around Broadway’s stage musical scene in the 1930s, though a mystery from that era spirals into modern times.

Shar and Bozzy are stars of the stage with lead roles in a sensational musical, but their fortunes come crashing down. Years later Shar’s great niece reads her diaries and discovers the truth about the past.

The author’s background in the arts shone through with vivid descriptions of theatre life, especially the long hours of rehearsals. These were my favourite parts because I could easily picture them and much of this is told to the reader via flashbacks from the diaries of Shar.

The mystery that weaves through the book is set in modern times. I found these to be less interesting chapters and the style of writing led to much of the narrative being told rather than shown to the reader. I felt little connection to the characters and no empathy, even for Shar. I am guessing from the fact that this book’s cover says that the book was a quarter-finalist in the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, that this story began life as a play script. The scene setting supports this, however the weak character development as a result of the transition to novel format left me disappointed.

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Book description:

Sharmaine was a sensational hit on Broadway by age 19. That wasn’t her only passion. She was about to win the heart of her first love. But suddenly, her storybook life was devastated by an explosive love triangle. In one horrific moment, her dreams were turned to ashes. Her only chance for recovery would hinge on a carefully guarded secret buried between the pages of an old diary . . . and on the undying tenacity of a new friend who refuses to believe that Sharmaine is a murderer.__________Secret Pages was also written as a motion picture screenplay which recently won a Finalist Award in The Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards competing against 120,500 other entries.

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📚’The #MurderMystery plot was complex and twisty’. @CathyRy Reviews Clues To You by @ClaraVal for Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT #TuesdayBookBlog

Today’s team review is from Cathy. Cathy blogs here https://betweenthelinesbookblog.wordpress.com/ Cathy has been reading Clues To You by Claire Huston. Kate and her best friend Bella, along with Bella’s fiancé, Ethan, were attending Merryman’s Murder Mystery Weekend. Kate was beyond …

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT The Women Of Heachley Hall by @RachelJWalkley #wwwblogs

Today’s team review is from Jenny.

Jenny has been reading The Women Of Heachley Hall by Rachel Walkley

5 Stars

Her Great Aunt Felicity has left Miriam Heachely Hall. But she has to live in the house for one year and one day before she can sell it and collect her money, that are the terms. There are some brilliant spooky moments in the story, you feel as though you are there with Miriam, you feel her fear! Miriam lives in the run down hall day and night where she hears odd noises and things happen that she is unable to explain….there is the weird dust that appears, where is it coming from and what exactly is the dust?   With exception to her visits to the local pub and a short visit to her best friend Ruth, Miriam is determined not to be scared away from this strange house.

Then there is the arrival of Charles. A strange man, yet there is something quite captivating about him. There are questions that need to be answered about Great Aunt Felicity, about the history of Heachely Hall and its previous residents and also about Charles. Something does not add up, and Miriam is going to find out the truth!

I utterly loved this book from start to finish.  A haunting romance full of intrigue.  I was enthralled and had to keep reading, I needed to know what happens next, the end of every chapter left me wanting more.

This is a wonderful book, one I recommend highly, it has to be one of the best books that I have ever read…. and I have read quite a few over the years.

Thank you Rachel for drawing me into the mystery of Heachley Hall and its residents.

Miriam has one year to uncover Heachley Hall’s unimaginable past and a secret that only women can discover.

The life of a freelance illustrator will never rake in the millions so when twenty-eight year old Miriam discovers she’s the sole surviving heir to her great-aunt’s fortune, she can’t believe her luck. She dreams of selling her poky city flat and buying a studio.
But great fortune comes with an unbreakable contract. To earn her inheritance, Miriam must live a year and a day in the decaying Heachley Hall.
The fond memories of visiting the once grand Victorian mansion are all she has left of her parents and the million pound inheritance is enough of a temptation to encourage her to live there alone.
After all, a year’s not that long. So with the help of a local handyman, she begins to transform the house.
But the mystery remains. Why would loving Aunt Felicity do this to her?
Alone in the hall with her old life miles away, Miriam is desperate to discover the truth behind Felicity’s terms. Miriam believes the answer is hiding in her aunt’s last possession: a lost box. But delving into Felicity and Heachley’s long past is going to turn Miriam’s view of the world upside down.

Does she dare keep searching, and if she does, what if she finds something she wasn’t seeking?

Has something tragic happened at Heachley Hall?

Born in the Midlands, I grew up in East Anglia and am now firmly lodged in the North West of England. My first writing achievement was my Brownie badge and after that I’ve never let go of the dream of becoming of an author. Once a librarian and caretaker of books, I’m now a teller of tales and want to share with you the secrets that hide in the pages of my books.

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A PERFECT PLAN by @AlyssaDrakeMuse Regency #Romance #Mystery @ReadReviewRoom #fridayreads

A Perfect Plan by Alyssa Drake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Perfect Plan is book #1 of the Wiltshire Chronicles regency romantic mystery series.

It opens with a prologue from 1842 and the ruthless murder of Lord Matthew Hastings by an unknown gentleman.

Chapter one begins almost eleven years later. Samantha Hastings is currently residing in the town house of her sister-in-law Wilhelmina, who has been widowed. She asked Sam to come and help her with running the finances of her late husbands house and business. An unusual responsibility for a women of this era, Samantha is not one to conform to society. In fact an invite to Lady Allendale’s ball has her shuddering.

Wilhelmina insists that Sam accompanies her to parties and such, as her chaperone, whilst she is also on the look out for a suitable husband for Sam. At the ball Sam is reacquainted with her brother’s friends, one of whom promised to be her guardian. A task he feels duty bound to uphold, but Benjamin is not thrilled with having to vet future husbands for his friend’s sister. A young chit of a girl he remembers, who no doubt has grown into a plain Jane.

What Benjamin hasn’t considered is that the beauty on the dance floor who has captured his attention is the one and the same younger sister of best friend Edward.

The storyline follows with a pleasant romantic tale fitting with the genre, a couple of times there were unbelievable leaps in action however the mystery adds a good twist. A man thought dead, returns to life, but shadows follow him closely and put the Hastings family in grave danger.

For those who enjoy a regency romance complete with happy ever after ending, be warned, this book ends of a cliff hanger, ready for book #2 to continue the tale.

I reviewed this book for Readers Review Room

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Book Description

Samantha Hastings lived a quiet, peaceful life on her family’s country estate. With no man to order her around and no stifling society rules to follow, she considered herself blessed. However, when her brother’s ship sinks during a short trip to France, Samantha receives a request from her sister-in-law to return to town and manage the late Earl’s finances. Suddenly thrust into society, Samantha faces an unfamiliar world and a pair of very familiar green eyes.

Lord Benjamin Westwood never intended on following through with his rash promise to his best friend. Now, with Edward’s death, Benjamin becomes the unwilling guardian to Edward’s bratty little sister, who has grown up considerably since the last time they met. His intention to marry her off to the first available suitor is thwarted when he finds himself falling for Samantha’s unique demeanor. He lights upon the perfect plan; a marriage of convenience, giving him the opportunity to romance Samantha without distraction.

However, when they discover Edward’s disappearance was due to foul play, Benjamin’s perfect plan begins to quickly unravel. Now, Samantha is in more danger than either of them realized and Benjamin is running out of time.

About the author

Award winning author Alyssa Drake has been creating stories since she could read, preferring to construct her own bedtime tales instead of reading the titles in her bookshelves. Enraptured with all types of writing, Alyssa has tried her hand at short stories, collaborations and poetry. However, her first love has always been books. She thoroughly enjoys strong heroines and often laughs aloud when visualizing conversations between her characters.

Alyssa graduated from the University of the Pacific, with a B.S. in business and a concentration in French literature. Currently she resides in Northern California with her blended family, where she works full-time at a chocolate factory.

She believes everyone is motivated by love of someone or something. One of her favorite diversions is fabricating stories about strangers surrounding her on public transportation. Alyssa can often be found madly scribbling notes on a train or daydreaming out the window as the scenery whips past.

An Imperfect Engagement, Alyssa’ sophomore novel, is the follow-up to her debut novel, A Perfect Plan (which won Obsessed by Book’s 2016 Indie Award for Best Historical Read). Both novels are historical romantic suspense (love & murder in 1850’s England).

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Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT TRUST ME I LIE by @LouiseMarley Romantic #Mystery

Today’s team review is from Terry, she blogs at http://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry has been reading Trust Me I Lie by Louise Marley

TRUST ME I LIE by Louise Marley

4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber’s Review Team

Trust Me I Lie ~ a hard one to categorise; it’s lighter than a serious crime solving, too edgy and current for a cosy mystery (a point in its favour, in my book), and even the quite dark stuff is written with a fairly light hand; yes, I’d class it as a ‘light mystery with romantic undertones’, if a seriously dysfunctional family with a hundred and one secrets and a few murders can be described as light!

It starts when Good Cop Ben Taylor is driving home in a storm and comes across a woman walking in the middle of the road ~ instantly he is drawn into the complicated world of Milla Graham. But is she who she says she is? Or is she even the person she says she isn’t? Is she a total nut job? Indeed, this mystery winds back and forth with many a clever plot twist; it’s certainly not predictable and I kept being surprised, which is good.

At times I found it a bit too confusing and thought that it could have done with a bit more thinking through; not the plot itself, in which I didn’t find any holes, but the way in which it was conveyed; at times I thought, eh? Writing a complicated mystery with lots of characters is an incredibly difficult thing to do, as you have to know exactly which bits of information to leak out when, how much emphasis to give certain points so they’re not overlooked by the reader, etc etc.   But even when I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on I still quite liked it, as Ms Marley writes nicely, I loved the idyllic setting(s), and I’d just think, oh well, I suppose that bit will make sense later. It usually did.

I wasn’t quite sure if I was supposed to like Milla or not ~ I didn’t, I found her too brattish, but she’s well written, very current, a typical contemporary fiction type heroine, a bit ballsy, a bit screwed up, pretty independent, etc. Ben is lovely, I really warmed to him, and I liked Milla’s cousin Mal, too.

Who would enjoy it? I’d say female readers between the ages of 18-40 who’ve read five thousand contemporary romances and have moved onto something with a bit more meat to it. I’ve probably just described Louise Marley’s current readership!

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

 

 

FINDING HUNTER by @MarciaMeara #Mystery #Romance #Bookreview #wwwblogs

Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2 by Marcia Meara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four point Five Stars.

Finding Hunter is book #2 of The Riverbend series and is also a stand alone book, I would class it as a romantic mystery, whereas book #1 was definitely a romantic suspense.

In this book shy Hunter Painter plucks up the courage to phone Willow Greene, the only love in his life and a secret love he has been harbouring for many years. Willow too has been keeping secret her feelings for Hunter and when they agree to lunch their feelings for each other ignite. But Hunter is so afraid he rushes home.

Determined not to lose Hunter, Willow confronts him and they allow their love to flow. But Hunter is a complex man, with many deep layers of concerns. One of those is his parents, Hunter’s stayed at home while his brothers left, to help look after Lizzie, who suffers out-bursts and probably a form of dementia, but she’s never been diagnosed. Big Jack Hunter has always vowed he’d take care of Lizzie and denies there is anything seriously wrong with her.

When a serious family tragedy occurs, Hunter breaks down, then goes missing and Willow is left fighting her own heart-break. She never gives up her belief that Hunter will come back.

This is an emotional read, dealing with anxiety disorder, PTSD, separation disorder and more, I think it will touch a nerve with many readers who will know someone who has suffered even the mildest of panic attacks, that they may sympathise with Hunter. Maricia’s love of animals and the Florida riverways and plant life shines through this book, with “Biscuit” being a particular favourite of mine.

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

I reviewed this book on Amazon as part of #AugustReviews month

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Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Suraya reviews A Single Step by Georgia Rose

Today’s review comes from team member Suraya, find her at http://www.thestorymint.com

Suraya has been reading A Single Step by Georgia Rose

A Single Step – Georgia Rose

A Single Step

By Georgia Rose

‘A Single Step’ would suit anyone looking for a relaxing summer read. The story line follows the romance trajectory and has all the elements fans of this genre expect: emotionally bruised and wary heroine, gruff, handsome hero with a history, grand estate, a mystery woman, horses, unexplained events like a fire, and secret business activities.

The main character, Emma, is the narrator and the reader sees the world from her point of view. She grew up in foster care, after her parents presumably died in a car accident. She marries her first love at 18 years old and leaves him when she finds out he is unfaithful.

She picks up her emotionally bruised self and sets out to make a new life. She is determined to show the world she needs no help from anyone.

‘A Single Step’ is easy to read although I did wish the author had not fallen into the trap of using dialogue as expository where the writer uses a character to describe events in place of narrative.

An enjoyable and undemanding read.

Four stars

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

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Bev reviews Dare To Lose by E.L. Lindley

Today’s book review is from team member Bev.

She chose to read and review Dare To Lose by E.L. Lindley.

Dare To Lose by E.L. Lindley

I enjoyed this book over Christmas.

After a gentle start, the plot gets exciting when a young waitress disappears under mysterious circumstances.  Dare to Lose is essentially a ‘whodunnit’ incorporating a twist of romance, with a skilful measure of violence, danger and suspense.  The story is well constructed with great tension at times, and the characters, some of them extremely undesirable, are well drawn.  Nicola is a middle-aged woman who risks all she has built up over the years to start up a café, serving homemade meals and delicious cakes.  She’s a kind person who suffers from a range of mild neuroses, especially when it comes to men.  She is in need of someone to love.  I especially like the protagonist’s mother, who is a frank, fun-loving, well-balanced person not afraid to break the stereotypical descriptors associated with ‘being old’.  Although Jack, the American love interest, is rather one-dimensional, I was interested in what would happen as his relationship with Nicola, deepened.

Apart from a couple of spelling slips, the writing is almost flawless (which is important to me) with an easy style that flows and hardly ever jars.

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

Mystery Book Tour Day 25 #MysteryNovember No Strings Attached by Lily Bishop

Welcome to Day 25 of the November Mystery Book Tour, today our guest is Lily Bishop with her romantic mystery No Strings Attached.

Where is your home town?

I grew up in Maysville, Georgia, a small town of about a thousand people. Maysville is located an hour Northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since I can remember stringing sentences together. I received my first typewriter in middle school and my first word processor in my sophomore year of college, way back in 1987. I haven’t looked back. I published No Strings Attached in 2013, and I think I started that one in 2009.

What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?

I love romantic suspense.

Where is No Strings Attached set?

No Strings begins in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the characters spend time in Miami, Atlanta, and a private island in the Bahamas.

Tell us about Laura.

Laura Todd is an administrative assistant who has been going to night school to obtain a graduate degree in marketing. Unfortunately, marketing jobs are hard to come by, and she hasn’t been able to find a job in her field. Her boss has promised to promote her to a consulting position, but he dangles it just out of reach.

How does she meet Fox?

She gets the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas to a conference and she meets him in the casino.

Tell us about Laura’s sister’s talent and where it leads.

Laura’s sister Lindsey is a mathematical genius and she has certain methods that she uses to win at blackjack. Laura is trying out Lindsey’s techniques when she meets Fox at the blackjack table.

Which tropical location does the mystery take them all to?

They all travel to Calliope, a private island in the Bahamas. I created the island as a ritzy resort fashioned after a castle. Think Atlantis, but more remote and elite.

Tell us about the second book in the series.

The second book is titled Under His Protection and it focuses on Fox’s brother Lee, who we meet in the first book. Lee has been out of the Marines for a few years, and he wants to start his own security company. In the second book, he has started a company called Security Solutions, and he receives a contract to protect the daughter of a state senator. Elizabeth Crowne has received multiple death threats, as she is preparing to declare her candidacy for attorney general for the state of Georgia.

Where can readers find out more about you?

I blog at http://LilyBishop.com.

Buy links: New lower kindle price on Amazon until December 1st – go check the links.

No Strings Attached- Amazon

No Strings Attached – Amazon UK

No Strings Attached – B&N

No Strings Attached – KOBO

No Strings Attached – iTunes

I reviewed this book here on the blog, follow the link to the review http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-3j0

 

Under His Protection by Lily Bishop

Under His Protection by Lily Bishop

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book picks up a character from Lily’s first book in the series “No Strings Attached” and this is Lee’s story. Lee Thornton aged 33, is an ex-marine who has set up his own security firm. He lands a job for Senator Martin Crowne, who wants security for his daughter.

Elizabeth Crowne is an attorney who wants to run for State Attorney General, the top legal office in the state where she can help fight cases especially those of abused women. But someone has been sending her threatening anonymous letters. She tries hard to resist the need for 24 hour security protection, but after a house break-in, the danger is closing in.

There are several people who could be the ones threatening Elizabeth, top of her list is ex-fiancé James Simpson, plus it could always be linked to the case she is working on. Lloyd Baker is currently in prison for money-laundering, but he’s willing to do a deal with the FBI for a bigger fish.

The danger levels ramp up and Lee persuades Elizabeth to come to the Bahamas with him for his brother’s wedding, away from the media and where he can protect her. But they still can’t find out who wants Elizabeth out of the way, until it’s nearly too late.

This is a romantic mystery, it was good to catch up with the characters from the first book. It was a while a go that I read about them and I did need reminding who they were. The next book promises the development of another character for whom there will also be a mystery to solve.

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

View all my reviews on Goodreads