A Protector in the Highlands by Heather McCollum – a Review

A Protector in the Highlands by Heather McCollum – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM

 

Description:
With few other options, Scarlet Worthington flees from her home in England to the wild Highlands of Scotland to help her sister run a school for ladies. There, Scarlet begins to rebuild her own shattered confidence by recruiting a fierce Campbell warrior to teach her and the students how to protect themselves from villains and scoundrels. The intimidating Aiden Campbell both infuriates Scarlet and ignites a fire inside her as she works closely with him to hone her new skills.

Burned in a fierce fire, set by English soldiers, Highland warrior, Aiden Campbell, has finally healed enough to take temporary command of his clan. That’s where his focus should be instead of dealing with the feisty, beautiful Sassenach who asks him to teach her students.

When Scarlet’s past stalks her up into Scotland, her nightmares come alive, and Aiden’s lessons are put to the test. With his own ghosts from the past making him despise English women, Aiden fights the inferno of passion that’s grown between them, a different kind of wild fire that could prove just as deadly.

Each book in the Highland Roses School series is STANDALONE:

* A Rose in the Highlands
* A Protector in the Highlands

 

Review:

A Protector in the Highlands by Heather McCollum is the 2nd book in her Highland Roses School series.  This book starts where the last book ends.  You don’t need to read the first one, but a little background info on the characters always helps (you find out why scarlet is running, and his Aidan gets his scars) 

Aidan hates the English with a passion. He holds them responsible for everything, and there is no way he is going to help a fiery English woman teach women to fight and defend themselves, but there is something that keeps draining Aidan back. 

Scarlet is running from her past, her saviour comes in the form of her sister (A rose in the highlands) she travels to Scotland to help her run a school for young ladies. But running from your past is sometimes easier said than done, and when it comes back to haunt her, she ya too sure of her options. 

The banter between Aidan and Scarlett is at first more enemy than friends, then realising the attraction between them, it turns, but both of them are fighting it, Aidan wants nothing more to do with the English, if she were a lass from Scotland, then there would be no issue, but trust is hard for Aidan. 

It’s another nice read, I find the enemy to friend a little boring and predictable, but I love the characters that the author has created. The highlands of Scotland come to life whilst reading it. 

It’s a fun afternoon read, and if you like your hero’s with trust issues and heroines with a shady past, then I’d recommend this one to you ?

Reviewed by Julie B.

 

 

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Winning Violet (Flower Girls #1) by Becky Lower – a Review

Winning Violet (Flower Girls #1) by Becky Lower – a Review

 

Winning VioletAmazon / B&N / Kobo

Description:
Everything’s coming up roses for an English miss and an American gentleman in this delightful new series from the author of the Cotillion Ball saga!

After British soldiers killed his wife and child during the War of 1812, Parker Sinclair vowed to never set foot on English soil. But as Thomas Jefferson’s landscaper, one must sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice. The last thing Parker expects to find is an educated English beauty who can teach him so much more than how to plant a magnificent garden.

An expert at cross-pollinating roses, Violet Wilson’s dreams of becoming the first woman recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society are fading because she’s afraid to leave the quiet solitude of her family’s nursery. Distrustful of men after a traumatic encounter, she’s not keen on disrupting her routine to help the American landscaper, but she soon blossoms under his kindness and respect.

As they fall in love, can this shrinking Violet take the risk of leaving behind all she knows for a new life with Parker? Or is he considering a different ending altogether?

Review:

5 out of 5 for this reader!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  

Christmas day and one of my all time fave historical romance author, Becky Lower.  YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH!  LOL  What an awesome day to have this book released!

Winning Violet by Becky Lower is the first book of her new series called “Flower Girls” and I absolutely loved it!  I have been lucky to review all of Becky’s books and I absolutely can recognize her style a mile away.  She reminds me of my other fave authors Grace Burrowes, with her mature storyline and sides of fun, love and adventure.  Alright so clearly you know I love Becky, so let’s get on with this review.

Parker Sinclair is our leading man and he has a sincere dislike for anything English.  He is an American who suffered great loss during the War of 1812 and despite having sworn to never see England he is found travelling there for business.  Parker is distrustful, a remarkable man, who is trying to heal from the loss of his family.  He is a gardner (incredibly talented by the way), closed off to anything romantic or lovely and just wants to get into England and then out as fast as he can and move on with his life .. a life that will not include anything British.  Fate has a whole other plan for Parker however, and it involves much more than learning the art of flowers .. well real flowers anyways!  LOL

Violet Wilson is one of four siblings who all share responsibilities with regards to the family business.  She is kind but somewhat of an recluse, content to stick to what she knows despite having the ability to really progress the science of flowers.  She is also trying to heal from a trauma, and when Parker shows up to learn her skills with flowers, she feels conflicted, wants to experience a little bit more of life, and begins to find herself falling in love.

This is an oversimplified review of what the story is all about, but I don’t do spoilers.  I will tell you this is a feel good story about two people overcoming brutality, sharing a common passion and healing with the other in their own unique way.  I’m a flower girl, so I ADORED that aspect of this book.  This book flowed so easily from one page to the other and of course there are the typical roadblocks one will find in a historical romance.  Big decisions are made in the end though and I will say this couple gets their HEA.  SO WELL SUITED these two Becky!  I love their intense sexy moments and I loved their friendship.  

We are introduced to other characters which will be featured as part of this series, so I am eagerly anticipating the next release.  This is not an overly long novel, but most definitely one that you can enjoy in front of the fireplace with a cup of tea over the holidays!  While you are at it, please check out Becky’s Cotillion Ball series … I am so hoping I fall in love with these Wilson’s as much as I did the Fitzpatrick’s .. so far amazing start!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL and HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviewed by Rachel

Copy supplied for review

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In Pieces (Something More #2) by Danielle Pearl-Review, Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway Tour

In Pieces (Something More #2) by Danielle Pearl-Review, Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

InPieces_ReleaseWeekBlitz

IN PIECES
Something More #2
by Danielle Pearl
Release Date: October 10, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

In Pieces

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks / Google Play BAMIndiebound /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10,2 017

Three years ago she was left in pieces . . . Most college freshmen love the newfound freedom of living on campus, but none of them craves it like Beth Caplan. One ill-fated night when she was fifteen left her locked in a posh prison of private tutors. It’s for the best, everyone said, and maybe it was. But after years of hard work and healing, the one person who never thought of her as broken could be the one to break her all over again. And Beth can’t seem to stay away now any more than she could all those years ago. As soon as David March learned his best friend’s little sister was enrolling at his school, he promised to look after her, and promised himself he’d keep a safe distance. But the sweet little girl he’d grown up with has transformed into a gorgeous young woman, and she’s attracting attention from people she shouldn’t-like the ex who nearly destroyed her and a strange new student with a disturbing habit of showing up wherever Beth goes. But for David, the most troubling discovery is realizing that he doesn’t just want Beth to be safe. He wants her to be his.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: There are many types of love. There is regular mutual love, unrequited love, young love, and the ever popular forbidden love. The “fun” of loving someone you shouldn’t love because of whatever circumstance the romance will complicate. The forbidden/taboo love was definitely the case for David and Beth. Beth is the little sister of David’s long time best pal, Sammy; therefore making Beth off limits to David. Despite Beth being off limits, the attraction David has for her is very much there. In Pieces is a fun story about two people who are very attracted to each other tip toe around each other while fighting the constant attraction to each other.

I really enjoyed Beth and David as a couple. While the instant fireworks or love at first sight romances are great reads, the romances that grow slowly over time can be quite endearing to read. Another thing I really enjoyed was reading the flashbacks from their pasts whether it was Beth having a bad day in Jewish school and David cheering her up to their families going on vacation together and David sneaking Beth into a club she wanted to go to. They have history and good memories together before they got together. Throughout the book, the attraction and sexual tension was very tangible. With Sammy between them, both of them leashed their feelings for each other too long that it took a drunken night for both of them to admit their feelings and acting on those feelings. Despite the drunkenness, their first love scene was explosive considering all the pent up sexual tension. Physical love aside, they did complement each other nicely. While both of them had their demons to deal with, reading about them helping each other through it was some deep stuff.

While the book was mainly about the romance, there are great elements within the book. Yes the beginning was slow to start but there is good pay off in the end. Loose ends are tied and there is closure. There is also a twist in the end that surprises you that someone was not a bad guy after all. While David feels like a mystery throughout the beginning to middle of the book, it’s refreshing to get to know David that even though he comes off as the laid back, party frat boy; he has so much more going on for him than meets the eye. The character development in Beth is outstanding. She is able to dig into herself to have a backbone, courage and will to prove to everyone she is not broken and weak to face huge issues.

I heavily enjoyed the book and I look forward to read more on the series to get to know the other characters as I enjoyed them just as much as well.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Xtina.

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Interview blue

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Danielle: My name is Danielle Pearl, and I was actually named after Danielle Steel (quite the coincidence, huh?). I grew up in New York, and have been writing ever since I could hold a pencil. I write new adult fiction and I’m known for writing angsty, sexy stories with deep messages. It’s been said that I thrive on the heartache of my characters and the tears of my readers… muahahaha!!

*Psst… You can learn more about me and my books at daniellepearl.com 🙂

TRC:  Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Danielle: Honestly, every book I’ve ever read has influenced my writing/career in one way or another, but I have to give credit here to my all-time fav, Colleen Hoover. Hopeless is one of the books that helped inspire to me write the Something More series, and there’s no question she helped forge the platform for indie romance authors everywhere. #Cohortforlife

TRC:  What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your stories?

Danielle: Writing always has tons of ups and downs. In today’s market, authors have to put as much if not more effort into marketing ourselves and our books as we do writing them. I love engaging with readers, but I loathe hawking myself to readers like something of a pimp, so it can be a bit of a struggle. Fortunately I’ve gotten to know some incredible readers that make this whole journey more than worth it. If you want to join my private reader group on Facebook, you can do it here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PearlGirlsReaderGroup/

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about the premise of IN PIECES and the SOMETHING MORE series? How many books do you have planned for the series.

Danielle: In Pieces follows Beth Caplan, the younger sister of Sam Caplan (the hero from Normal ReCap, and Okay). She’s had a tough adolescence, having had to overcome issues no teenage girl should have to, but as In Pieces opens, she’s more than ready to begin her adult life at college. The only problem is she’s on campus with Sam’s oldest friend, David March, and he’s acting more like a bodyguard than a friend. Beth has crushed on David for as long as she could remember, and as old demons rear their ugly heads and an unexpected danger arises, Beth and David end up too close for comfort. And it. Is. Explosive. I guess you’ll have to read it to find out.

The next book in the Something More series, In Flames, will follow a character we meet in In Pieces, and it will be another intense read, for sure!

TRC:  What was your hardest scene –ever-to write?

Danielle: The hardest scene I’ve ever written was when I killed off one of my favorite, beloved characters. I don’t want to give anything away, but this character wasn’t initially intended to die…until the story called for it. I’m still in mourning.

excerpt

Beth startles when she notices me, and she stops walking, so I make up the distance still between us. She looks adorable as all hell in those tight jeans and loose racerback tank top. Her bra shows at her sides and I’m equally turned on and annoyed by it. She never did have any kind of self-awareness. At least not when it comes to how goddamned attractive she is. And it bugs me that every guy that’s passed her today has caught a glimpse of that black lace.
I shove my hand through my hair. “Beth,” I sigh.
I wait for her to go off on me again, but she doesn’t. She just kind of looks up at me, her resentment a palpable thing. I can’t stand to see her look at me like that. But what makes my lungs burn is knowing that I deserve her resentment. She has no idea how much. Fuck, I hope to God she never will. Especially not now that she’s come so far—that she’s doing so well. Well enough to tell me off in public, at my own party, anyway.
But not tonight, it seems, and when she still doesn’t say anything at all, I make my attempt. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I thought I was protecting you.”
“I don’t need protection,” she counters.
I nod. “I know. I just thought…Falco being around would give you an excuse to hide away in your dorm, and I wanted you to experience…”
“Experience what, David?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Fucking life, I guess.”
Beth looks down at her shoes. I hate that she won’t even look at me. “Okay, whatever,” she murmurs.
“Whatever?” I repeat incredulously. Here I am, apologizing—something I’m not exactly fucking known for—and all she has to say is whatever?
“Yeah. Whatever. I get it. It just sucks, you know?”
I take a much-needed deep breath. “I know, Bea.”
At last her eyes meet mine, hostility finally gone. I take the opportunity to retrieve my new peace offering from my back pocket. Well, not new. My worn and weathered copy of Hamlet, riddled with years’ worth of my own highlights and notes, its pages filled with more of my own words than those of the author himself. I hope it will help in her Shakespeare class. If nothing else, it will give her an invasive insight into who I am and how I think, just like all the other books I’ve given her over the years, and I wonder if she realizes just how personal it is.
She takes it, her thin brows pinched together in confused awe. “This is your copy,” she breathes.
Suddenly I feel too vulnerable, uncomfortably exposed. “Thought it could help in your class,” I half-lie. Because it’s more than that, and I suspect she knows it.
Her pretty pink lips twist into a small smile, her cheeks going even rounder than usual, and it hits me right in the chest. Not for the first time I tell myself the affection I feel for her is strictly familial. More lies.
“Thanks.”
I smile. “You eat dinner yet?”
She shrugs. “I was gonna heat a cup of noodles and study.”
Cup of fucking noodles? “Fuck that. Come to the Stu-U. Let’s get some real food.”
Beth rolls her eyes. “Fine. But just some quick food, okay? I really need to study.”
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Bea,” I smirk at her, and she sets free a short giggle. There it is.
I take her girly-ass backpack and slip it over my shoulder, giving her no choice but to follow me. But as soon as I turn around, my eyes catch on that same guy, just as he’s averting his gaze. Only this time he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Beth; I’m sure of it. Rage rushes through my veins, and I grit my teeth. I don’t know who the fuck this guy is, but there’s something off about him, and there’s absolutely nothing good about Beth drawing his attention.
My jaw clenches. I slip my arm protectively around her shoulders, despite just having been scolded for being overprotective. “Beth, in two seconds, I want you to subtly glance to your left, between buildings B and C, okay?”
Her brows pinch together again. She looks so damned cute when she does that. She doesn’t wait the two seconds, and her “subtle glance” is more of a full-on stare. “Glance,” I whisper-growl. I wait until she’s facing forward again, and then start leading her from the quad. “Did you see that guy?” I ask her.
She nods hesitantly.
“Do you know him?”
“Yeah. I mean, no. He’s in my Abnormal Psych class. And I saw him last night.”
“Saw him doing what?”
“The same thing. Standing around smoking cigarettes like a fucking creep.”
“I think he was looking at you,” I admit.
“And that.”
So this isn’t the first time that guy’s been staring at Beth. Unease swirls in my gut. “Stay away from him,” I warn her.
“Do you know him?” she asks uncertainly.
“No. But I don’t like the way he was looking at you.”
Of course, I’ve never liked the way any guys have looked at her.

 

 

 

About the Author

Danielle Pearl CREDIT Lidia AnichDanielle Pearl is the bestselling author of the Something More series. She lives in New Jersey with her three delicious children and ever-supportive husband, who—luckily—doesn’t mind sharing her with an array of fictional men. She did a brief stint at Boston University and worked in marketing before publishing her debut novel, Normal. She writes mature Young Adult and New Adult contemporary romance. Danielle enjoys coffee, wine, and cupcakes, and not in moderation

 

Website: http://bit.ly/2dx0B8a
Facebook: Facebook.com/daniellepearlauthor
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2cGnVnu
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/GRdpearlauthor

Add In Pieces to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/GRdpearl
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