Spotlight on Liberty by Kim Iverson Headlee

Kim will be awarding an autographed print copy of LIBERTY (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a set of 5 autographed LIBERTY note cards (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn host. Make sure you enter the drawing below.

Publisher & Release Date: Pendragon Cove Press, 2014

Time and setting: Ancient Times, Londinium, Rome

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 494 pages

Heat Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame

Rating: 4.25 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

Winner of the BooksGoSocial Best Book Award 2015. 

They hailed her "Liberty," but she was free only to obey—or die. 

Betrayed by her father and sold as payment of a Roman tax debt to fight in Londinium's arena, gladiatrix-slave Rhyddes feels like a wild beast in a gilded cage. Celtic warrior blood flows in her veins, but Roman masters own her body. She clings to her vow that no man shall claim her soul, though Marcus Calpurnius Aquila, son of the Roman governor, makes her yearn for a love she believes impossible. 

Groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps and trapped in a politically advantageous betrothal, Aquila prefers the purity of combat on the amphitheater sands to the sinister intrigues of imperial politics, and the raw power and athletic grace of the flame-haired Libertas to the adoring deference of Rome's noblewomen. 

When a plot to overthrow Caesar ensnares them as pawns in the dark design, Aquila must choose between the Celtic slave who has won his heart and the empire to which they both owe allegiance. Knowing the opposite of obedience is death, the only liberty offered to any slave, Rhyddes must embrace her arena name—and the love of a man willing to sacrifice everything to forge a future with her.

Buy Link:

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Vikki’s Musings

I recently read Snow in July by Ms. Headlee and enjoyed it a great deal. When I was offered a chance to read and review Liberty in exchange for an honest review, I was intrigued by the book description. Since I was familiar with the author as well, I decided to give it a read.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-researched book in an era that is different than many of the novels that are available today.

The first scene quickly heats up, showing Rhyddes doing chores with her family. Her father is very harsh toward her and the brother closest in age to her, when he catches them in a playful moment. Rhyddes takes the blame, and her father back hands her so hard it leaves her reeling. Before he can do further damage, Pict raiders attack them. The attack leaves two of her brothers dead and her father and Owen wounded, but it is nothing compared to the disaster three days later, when her father sells her into slavery to pay his debts.

Marcus Calpurnious Aquila, while part of Roman aristocracy, fights as a gladiator against his father’s wishes. On the eve of his betrothal to Lady Messiena, his father tells him he can no longer fight in the arena. However, his betrothed wishes to see him so his father agrees to allow him to fight one final battle.  When he proves victor of the match, while the crowd gives the thumbs up for his opponent, his father gives the thumbs down and Aquila has to kill the man.

When Rhyddes arrives in Londinium, she is purchased by Jamil, the owner of a Gladiator school. She will be trained to be a Gladiatrix. When she witnesses a brutal killing by Aquila, not understanding Latin, she assumes that he chose to kill his opponent, so does not want anything to do with him.

As Rhyddes learns the language, she finds out what truly happened and her heart softens toward the handsome Roman. Even though the attraction between the pair is fierce, there can never be together, since Aquila is betrothed and Rhyddes is a slave.

Although Rhyddes and Aquila try to deny their attraction, it is too strong. Is it possible that this ill-matched couple and their forbidden relationship manage to find a way against all odds?

I enjoyed being pulled into an era from so long ago. Ms. Headlee’s vivid descriptions of the times brought this book to life. I can only imagine the amount of research she did to write Liberty. I became so enmeshed at times that I felt as if I were in the arena fighting. The suspenseful scenes enhanced this story tremendously.    

The pacing is very good at the start of the story and also at the end. It slows a bit in the middle, especially when Rhyddes and Aquila are apart. I would have liked to see a bit more interaction between them. That would have helped the romance aspects of this book.

Overall, this is an enjoyable romance, and I’m glad I had a chance to read this entertaining story. If you want a great account of the life and times in ancient England and Rome, you will definitely enjoy Liberty. Happy reading!

Excerpt:

The door shut with a terrifying clang.

“Sir!” She clutched the cold bars, failing to bleed the raw panic from her tone.

The guard paused with the key in the lock.

A hundred questions clamored for release. Every one started with, “Why?”

He frowned as if trying to discern what she’d asked. She wasn’t sure herself. “Why the lock?”

’Twould do, for a start. She nodded.

He scrunched one shoulder. “Lanista Jamil’s orders.” He twisted the key. The lock engaged with a loud click. “For all warriors—gladiators. And you, Gladiatrix.” He withdrew the key, hooked the ring on his belt, and stepped away.

“May I know your name, sir?” It felt ungodly strange asking that of a captor, but she hoped to reclaim a hint of humanity in this inhumane place into which the gods had thrust her.

“Vederi,” he said without breaking stride.

He had disappeared from sight before she realized he hadn’t bothered to ask her name.

So much for humanity.

She sank onto the cot, head in hands and heedless of the straw poking her thighs through the mattress’s canvas cover, and sobbed out all the rage, fear, despair, and grief that had harried her for the past fortnight, feelings pride had forbidden her to show the soldiers or the slaver or her new owner or his servants or even that pampered Roman—especially him—denying them all the chance to wield those emotions against her. Pain as visceral as a blade’s thrust sliced into her gut. She dropped to her knees and pressed her cheek to the wall, painting it with her tears and pounding the cool slate with the heel of her hand.

“Da, how could you!”

Author Bio:

Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet.

Kim is a Seattle native and a direct descendent of twentieth-century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Lydia escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim’s novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband’s ancestor, the seventh-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.

For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles, and other novels under her imprint, Pendragon Cove Press. She has been a published novelist since 1999, beginning with the original edition of Dawnflight (Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0671020412).

YouTube video interview: http://youtu.be/DV5iKrEIROk

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Book Trailer for Lady Overton's Perilous Journey

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Historical Fiction

Date Published: January 14

Casting Lots is the tale of how a Greek slave, Lucinius, becomes an influential religious leader and literary figure in the First Century A.D.  His spiritual awakening is prompted by an unlikely mentor, a Centurion, who was at the crucifixion. 

Lucinius is ordered by his master to assemble the stories told by eye-witnesses to the life and death of Jesus Christ.  Cornelius was the Centurion at the Crucifixion. Cornelius is hated by the Jews and the Romans.  He is haunted by the Crucifixion because he won the shroud worn by Christ in a game of dice.  He takes Lucinius on a journey throughout the Empire and tells him what seem to be fantastic stories about famous Romans during the era of the Republic, some 100 years ago.  These stories contain elements which Cornelius could not possibly know, unless he is making them up or unless there is some other explanation.

The book answers the question of who wrote the Gospel of Luke and why he wrote it.  The book answers the question of who is Cornelius and why he said Jesus was an innocent man at his Crucifixion.   Thus, it is a tale of the two men's spiritual journeys.

Excerpt

I walked to his home again. The streets were crowded and the world’s smells washed over me: the sweat of the men, the perfumes of the women, the urine of the animals, bread baking, cloth just cut, fruit drying on the stands, gutters of the streets, leather being tanned. Sweet, pungent, acrid, acidic, salty, bitter, biting smells grabbed my nostrils as if I smelled these for the first time. The smells were counterpoint to the sounds of the city. The hammer of the artist cracking tiles, rocks, and glass to make mosaics, bleating of sheep and lowing of cows as they awaited slaughter, the rumble of wagons carrying bolts of cloth, or carcasses of meat and exotic goods along the cobblestone streets, the tramp of soldiers’ caligae, their hob-nails clicking on stone, as they marched, crying babies needing to be nursed, yelling mothers trying to find lost children, heralds blaring out the whereabouts of some legion killing some barbarians somewhere on some frontier, tax collectors demanding payment of tax, while the taxpayer screamed insults or begged for mercy, and the sound of my heart pounding so hard that it might burst, blended together in a discordant cacophony of life. If the smells did not grab your attention, or if the sounds did not demand your notice, then the play of light would surely command your consideration. The light side-by-side with the dark was sharp, stark, defined, and distinct, as where the land ends and the seas begin. You walked most of the time in the shadow of the tall insulae, the apartment buildings, fearing that from the darkness above would flow that most unsavory of liquids. Then the sunlight blaring from a blue crystal-clear sky dazzled your eyes, when you walked across some broad street. The brilliant sun radiated off the temples’ gold-leaf veneers. You were in the presence of the Gods. All the while, I thought about how I could approach him. An offer of money, I thought, would only insult and repel him. The quest of my master disgusted and dismayed him. Before I had decided what to do and how to do it, I was there at his door. “Damno ad averno!” (“Damn it to hell!”) Cornelius spat as spoke these words as if the spitting added to the curse. “I will wait until you tell me.” I stood resolutely. “What?” “I will wait until you tell me.” I sat down and smiled slightly. “Get underfoot, eh?” “If necessary.” “All day and all night?” he asked. “If necessary.” He turned into the darkness of his home. I waited. Time passed. Then I saw him coming back, his vitis rudis, that is his vine hand. No true centurion was ever without the symbol of his authority, his vitis rudis, gnarled and worn. “Do you think a man who has wielded this,” he gestured with his vitis rudis, “will ever break?” “Do you think that a slave who has been beaten all of his life will fear one more beating?” “Well, that is the first thing you have said that makes any sense at all!” He smiled.

About the Author

William D. McEachern is a graduate of Duke University with a bachelor of arts in religion and psychology. His focus at Duke was on early Christianity. His fascination with Rome grew out of his Latin and Greek classes at St. Paul's School in New York in the early 1960s. Reading Caesar fueled his love of Rome and ancient history, which he has studied for half a century. A practicing tax attorney for more than thirty-five years, he has written numerous articles and several law treatises about estate planning, estate and gift taxation, and the use of trusts. In this his first novel, Mr. McEachern's unique voice blends law, religion, and history.

Contact Links

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Blog

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Purchase Links

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$5 Gift Card

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Historical Fiction

Date Published: January 14

Casting Lots is the tale of how a Greek slave, Lucinius, becomes an influential religious leader and literary figure in the First Century A.D.  His spiritual awakening is prompted by an unlikely mentor, a Centurion, who was at the crucifixion. 

Lucinius is ordered by his master to assemble the stories told by eye-witnesses to the life and death of Jesus Christ.  Cornelius was the Centurion at the Crucifixion. Cornelius is hated by the Jews and the Romans.  He is haunted by the Crucifixion because he won the shroud worn by Christ in a game of dice.  He takes Lucinius on a journey throughout the Empire and tells him what seem to be fantastic stories about famous Romans during the era of the Republic, some 100 years ago.  These stories contain elements which Cornelius could not possibly know, unless he is making them up or unless there is some other explanation.

The book answers the question of who wrote the Gospel of Luke and why he wrote it.  The book answers the question of who is Cornelius and why he said Jesus was an innocent man at his Crucifixion.   Thus, it is a tale of the two men's spiritual journeys.

Excerpt

I walked to his home again. The streets were crowded and the world’s smells washed over me: the sweat of the men, the perfumes of the women, the urine of the animals, bread baking, cloth just cut, fruit drying on the stands, gutters of the streets, leather being tanned. Sweet, pungent, acrid, acidic, salty, bitter, biting smells grabbed my nostrils as if I smelled these for the first time. The smells were counterpoint to the sounds of the city. The hammer of the artist cracking tiles, rocks, and glass to make mosaics, bleating of sheep and lowing of cows as they awaited slaughter, the rumble of wagons carrying bolts of cloth, or carcasses of meat and exotic goods along the cobblestone streets, the tramp of soldiers’ caligae, their hob-nails clicking on stone, as they marched, crying babies needing to be nursed, yelling mothers trying to find lost children, heralds blaring out the whereabouts of some legion killing some barbarians somewhere on some frontier, tax collectors demanding payment of tax, while the taxpayer screamed insults or begged for mercy, and the sound of my heart pounding so hard that it might burst, blended together in a discordant cacophony of life. If the smells did not grab your attention, or if the sounds did not demand your notice, then the play of light would surely command your consideration. The light side-by-side with the dark was sharp, stark, defined, and distinct, as where the land ends and the seas begin. You walked most of the time in the shadow of the tall insulae, the apartment buildings, fearing that from the darkness above would flow that most unsavory of liquids. Then the sunlight blaring from a blue crystal-clear sky dazzled your eyes, when you walked across some broad street. The brilliant sun radiated off the temples’ gold-leaf veneers. You were in the presence of the Gods. All the while, I thought about how I could approach him. An offer of money, I thought, would only insult and repel him. The quest of my master disgusted and dismayed him. Before I had decided what to do and how to do it, I was there at his door. “Damno ad averno!” (“Damn it to hell!”) Cornelius spat as spoke these words as if the spitting added to the curse. “I will wait until you tell me.” I stood resolutely. “What?” “I will wait until you tell me.” I sat down and smiled slightly. “Get underfoot, eh?” “If necessary.” “All day and all night?” he asked. “If necessary.” He turned into the darkness of his home. I waited. Time passed. Then I saw him coming back, his vitis rudis, that is his vine hand. No true centurion was ever without the symbol of his authority, his vitis rudis, gnarled and worn. “Do you think a man who has wielded this,” he gestured with his vitis rudis, “will ever break?” “Do you think that a slave who has been beaten all of his life will fear one more beating?” “Well, that is the first thing you have said that makes any sense at all!” He smiled.

About the Author

William D. McEachern is a graduate of Duke University with a bachelor of arts in religion and psychology. His focus at Duke was on early Christianity. His fascination with Rome grew out of his Latin and Greek classes at St. Paul's School in New York in the early 1960s. Reading Caesar fueled his love of Rome and ancient history, which he has studied for half a century. A practicing tax attorney for more than thirty-five years, he has written numerous articles and several law treatises about estate planning, estate and gift taxation, and the use of trusts. In this his first novel, Mr. McEachern's unique voice blends law, religion, and history.

Contact Links

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon

Kobo

IndieBound

Giveaway

$5 Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tomorrow is the day! Mark your calendars and come by and meet some fabulous authors with recent and upcoming releases. There will also be fantastic prizes given throughout the party.

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The Widow’s Choice by Hildie McQueen

(Brides of Colter Valley, Book 1)

Publisher & Release Date: Pink Door Publishing, August 4, 2015

Time and setting: 1860, Montana

Genre: Historical Western Romance

Length: 115 pages

Heat Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

Comely widow Charlotte Kennedy is in over her head. Between running a huge ranch and keeping a cruel rancher at arms length, she doesn't need the added distraction of romance. 

Colter Valley calls to Rafe Preston, who decides to purchase land and settle there. When he accepts a temporary job at a beautiful widow's ranch, he has no idea how much it will impact his plans. 

Passion, deception and treachery, blend into a beautiful love story, set in 1860s Montana Territory. 

Buy Link:

http://smile.amazon.com/Widows-Choice-Brides-Colter-Valley-ebook/dp/B010123JL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1440266002&sr=1-1&keywords=the+widow%27s+choice

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25796869-the-widows-choice

Vikki’s Musings

This is not the first book I have read by Hildie McQueen, and it will not be the last. I’ve been hooked on her writing ever since I read Where the Four Winds Collide. Whether she is writing a Scottish Highland romance, a contemporary one, or a sweet western, she will delight a reader’s heart. The Widow’s Choice is a sweet western romance with a strong heroine and an amazing hero. This is a great start on a new series for Ms. McQueen and I look forward to reading Jerrick’s story.

While getting the lay of the land before he buys a ranch in Colter Valley, Rafe Preston accepts a job working for the widow, Charlotte Kennedy, known as Charlie by all her close friends. At first the lovely widow keeps her distance, but as attraction grows between the couple, love flourishes.

When danger comes a calling, Rafe rushes in to save Charlie, but will he make it in time, or lose the only woman he can ever love?

Not only does McQueen write unforgettable characters, she writes interesting secondary characters that enliven her stories. That is the case with The Widow’s Choice, from the cantankerous Joe to the sweet-natured Mary Ellen. This is definitely going to be a delightful series centered on a cast of characters in Colter Valley, a close knit community.

If you enjoy a traditional western romance with the added benefit of a little bit of sensuality and a great “happily ever after” at the end, then you will enjoy The Widow’s Choice, as much as I did. Happy reading!

Author Bio:

I write Historical Western Romance as well as Paranormal Romance, with a touch of Historical here and there. I've also published eight Highlander Historical Erotic short stories. I am a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as Georgia Romance Writers and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapters of RWA.

For fun I spend a lot of time with my girlfriends. My wonderful hubby is my partner in crime for traveling. We love to jump in the car or sometimes his motorcycle and head to the mountains, the city or the beach.

Ready for Love by Marie force

(McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 3)

Publisher & Release Date: HTJB, INC, June 28, 2011

Time and setting: Present Day, Rhode Island

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 266 pages

Heat Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

The McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 3

For four of the best summers of his young life, Luke Harris was in love with Sydney Donovan, a wealthy seasonal visitor to Gansett Island. Then Sydney went off to college and never came back. She married another man and had two children while Luke remained on the island, working at McCarthy's Gansett Marina and wondering what had gone wrong between him and the only woman he ever loved. Fifteen months after Sydney suffers the tragic loss of her husband and children, she's returned to Gansett to figure out what's next, and that may very well be a rekindled love affair with the one man from her past she’s never forgotten. But is she ready for a second chance at love?

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/Ready-Love-McCarthys-Gansett-Island-ebook/dp/B0058P4P62/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1439843404&sr=1-1&keywords=ready+for+love+the+mccarthys+of+gansett+island

Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Ready-for-Love-Audiobook/B00BC7EZAQ/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1439843549&sr=1-1

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11883748-ready-for-love

Vikki’s Musings

Ready for Love is the third book in the McCarthy’s of Gansett Island series. I have read/listened to the first two books in this delightful series, and now I’m hooked. I just have to find out about the rest of the McCarthys and Gansett Island. Just what I needed, another series to fall in love with! At least I can buy the next three in a bundle, to save a bit of money, but then no audio version for $1.99, decisions, decisions!

Luke Harris has been in love with Sydney Donovan since high school. Sydney went off to college and never looked back, leaving a broken-hearted Luke who has never been able to get over her. When Sydney loses her husband and children in a horrific car crash, she returns to Ganssett Island for the summer to recover from her injuries. Her first summer back, he watches from afar, giving her time to grieve.

The second summer she is there, she speaks to him, letting him know she’s aware that he’s been watching her. Does he dare open his heart to her again? Can Sydney cast off her sorrow and step into the light of Luke’s love, giving them both a second chance?

I thoroughly enjoyed Ready for Love. Luke is a great character, and an outstanding hero with his steadfast heart and quiet demeanor. His willingness to put his love out there for Sydney again, after she apologized for her actions all those years before, touched my soul. It’s refreshing to read of a hero that isn’t a womanizer. Who didn’t let his heart break ruin his life.

Sydney’s character’s devastating loss brought me to tears. Not only did she lose her husband, but her two children as well. Her remorse over how she left Luke without ever telling him it was over was sincere.

Ms. Force’s writing is emotionally-charged, yet without a lot of angst. Her story line is believable and realistic. Her books are about normal, everyday people. It’s about people who make mistakes and learn from them. I loved getting inside the characters heads from the previous three books, and while one would think it would take the focus from Luke and Sydney, it didn’t. I’m so glad I found these great books and can’t wait to read the rest of them in this series. Happy reading!   

  

Fool for Love by Marie Force

(McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 2)

Publisher & Release Date: HTJB, INC, May 26, 2011

Time and setting: Present Day, Rhode Island

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 257 pages

Heat Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

The McCarthys of Gansett Island: Book 2 

Joe Cantrell, owner of the Gansett Island Ferry Company, has been in love with Janey McCarthy for as long as he can remember. At the same time, Janey has been dating or engaged to doctor-in-training David Lawrence. When things go horribly wrong between David and Janey, she calls her “fifth brother” Joe, one of the few people in her close circle who lives on the mainland. Janey decides a few days with Joe is just what she needs before she goes home to the island to face her parents and family with the news of her broken engagement. It was bad enough for Joe loving Janey from afar, but having her in his house is pure torture. Will he take advantage of this opportunity to show her what they could have together? And what will Joe’s best friend and Janey’s protective older brother Mac have to say about it? 

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/Fool-Love-McCarthys-Gansett-Island-ebook/dp/B0052XQ068/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1439301699&sr=1-1&keywords=fool+for+love+marie+force

Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Fool-for-Love-Audiobook/B00B88CHRM

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21809873-fool-for-love

Vikki’s Musings

Fool for Love is the second book in the MaCarthys of Gansett Island series and what a delightful series it is. Until Maid for Love, I had not read any books by Marie Force, but now after reading/listening to two, I’m sold. Light contemporary romance is not my first choice of read, but I loved Fool for Love.

Joe Cantrell has been in love with Janey McCarthy since high school, but since Janey has been with David Lawrence for thirteen years, he knows he doesn’t have a chance. Then he receives a call from a crying Janey asking him to help her.

Janey McCarthy is looking forward to her wedding. On their anniversary of thirteen years, she decides to surprise her fiancée. Unfortunately, David is unaware that Janey comes in and sees him in throes of passion with another woman. He’s so involved in fact, he never even realizes Janey is there.

When Joe takes Janey’s desperate call, he makes a mad dash to help her. Could this be the chance he thought would never come?

While this is a light-hearted story, it has many emotionally-charged scenes between the hero and heroine. I loved the developing romance, and it happens remarkably fast, considering Janey has just broken up with her long-time fiancée. However, it is believable. Ms. Force clearly shows that Janey was not truly in love with David and the relationship had gone on long past the time it should have. I had no problem with the speed in which Janey falls in love with Joe.

I fell in love with Janey’s character from the first book in the series, so I was already predisposed to like her. I could feel her pain over her fiancée’ s betrayal, but it was very clear it was more from the loss of her idealistic dreams than the loss of true love. I loved her awe over the passion she feels with Joe, passion that was sadly lacking with David. She behaved like a child let lose in a candy store, and she couldn’t get enough! Having been in a similar situation many years ago, I totally identified with her reaction.

Joe Cantrell is also a great character. He is fierce in his determination to take this opportunity to win Janey’s heart, and he leaves no stone unearthed in his pursuit. It’s so refreshing to read a romance where the hero is the one completely in love and has to convince the heroine that what is budding between is real and lasting.

If you enjoy a sweet love story with plenty of passion and a few laughs along the way, then you will love Fool for Love. It’s a breath of fresh air. Happy reading!  

Maid for Love by Marie Force

(The McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 1)

Publisher & Release Date: HTJB, INC, April 28, 2011

Time and setting: Present Day, Rhode Island

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 266 pages

Heat Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

The McCarthys of Gansett Island: Book 1 

Maddie Chester is determined to leave her hometown of Gansett Island, a place that has brought her only bad memories and ugly rumors. Then she’s knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy’s Resort Hotel by Gansett’s “favorite son,” Mac McCarthy. He’s back in town to help his father with preparations to sell the family resort and has no intention of staying long. When Mac accidentally sends Maddie flying over the handlebars, badly injuring her, he moves in to nurse her back to health and help care for her young son. He soon realizes his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy, and he just may be “maid” for love. 

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/Maid-Love-McCarthys-Gansett-Island-ebook/dp/B004YKZIGI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1439127128&sr=1-1&keywords=maid+for+love

Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Maid-for-Love-Audiobook/B00B1TC00W

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11808919-maid-for-love?ac=1

Vikki’s Musings

This is my first book I’ve read by Marie Force. I met Ms. Force at a conference where she was the keynote speaker and enjoyed her talk a great deal. She is a true success story. At the time, I got the impression that she wrote romantic suspense novels, which are not my first go-to read. After seeing her again at another conference, I decided I needed to read one of her books. Since I enjoy romances set in a small town involving family dynasties, I chose Maid for Love, the first book in her McCarthy’s of Gansett Island series. I’m so glad I found this book!

Maddie Chester is an unwed mother and has been looked down on by the citizens of the island since her high school days. Rumors abound concerning her supposed promiscuous ways. Maddie has no faith in men and her one foray into having a relationship leaves her pregnant and alone, further destroying her trust in the male species.

Mac McCarthy has returned home for a visit after being away for years and steps off a curb causing Maddie Chester to crash her bike and that moment changes his life and outlook forever. Feeling responsible for Maddie’s accident, he barges his way into her life determined to help her during her recovery. His father had told him that when he met the right woman he would know instantly, and Mac knows that Maddie is that woman.

Will Mac break through the barrier surrounding Maddie’s heart, or will his take charge attitude and determination to right the wrongs concerning her reputation send her away forever?

Maid for Love is a moving portrayal of a how a rumor can affect a person’s life, changing the course of one’s very existence. That is the case with Maddie. I found her story heart-breaking. I loved Mac’s dedication to right the wrong that happened years before, even if he goes about it in the wrong way.

Maddie is an endearing heroine. Her character is a waif with a touch of spunky kid rolled together. Even though she should resent her nine month old son, Thomas, for making her difficult life harder, her love for him is fierce and protective. I could feel her pain over what has shadowed her life since she was a teenager, but I admired her determination to rise above and carry on.

Mac is a hero that women love, and I’m one of them. He’s protective, caring and loves whole-heartedly. I fell in love with him right away. When his misguided attempt to restore Maddie’s standing in their small community backfires in his face, tears clouded my eyes. At first he is bewildered over Maddie’s reaction, but once he realizes his mistake, he fights to re-gain her trust.

I truly enjoyed Maid for Love, and I have already bought the next book in this great series. I look forward to reading Janey and Joe’s romance. If you haven’t read books by Marie Force and enjoy stories set in small towns, then Maid for Love is a great introduction to Ms. Force’s enchanting books. Happy reading!