Release date: April 9, 2018  ​This is a charming and humorous historical romance. Discovering he is not entitled to the title and estate he has inherited, Lord Bromton attempts to lose, in a game of cards, that title and inheritance to Lord Markham, who he believes has a blood claim to the estate. Markham doesn’t want to win the wager and challenges Bromton to woo his unmarriageable sister instead. The wooing goes apace until the unmarriageable sister discovers the plot and then the “s - - t” hits the fan. The character development is competent, the plot is fun, and the HEA is most satisfactory.  This is a most pleasurable read for historical romance fans. Well worth the time.

While I don’t like the title, I enjoyed the book very much. Why the Earl Is After the Girl by Tabetha White involves a deceased jeweler’s daughter who has been cheated out of her inheritance. She is befriended by an Earl and offered a governess’ position with the Earl’s sister. The character development is great, not just for the protagonists, but for a cast of supporting characters as well. I expect that some of the supporting characters will be protagonist in future books. In addition to the romantic plot, there are a variety of subplots that keep you turning the page—recovering a missing jewel, recovering the stolen inheritance, a villainous white slave trader. The editing is well done. There were only a couple of places that left something to be desired. While this is a fairly long book, it is worth the time and effort. I will be looking for additional books from this author. 

​This book was a joy to read. The plot was well thought out. An English Earl needs to raise funds to save his lands and people, so he comes to London to fight professionally to earn the necessary money. The characters were well developed. The Earl of St. Seville knows nothing of the finesse required to box. While large and strong he is no match for smaller fighters who can weave and bob. The daughter of another Earl and a woman who made her way out of the slums by boxing professionally takes on the task of being his trainer. Can love be far behind?

Additionally, it was wonderful to discover an aspect of English history of which I was totally ignorant. I was vaguely aware of bare-knuckle fighting in Regency England, but I had no idea that the sport was engaged in by female boxers as well as male boxers. My interest was titillated, and I did some investigation to discover the novel had been extensively researched. I enjoyed many hours of reading pleasure while learning something new. I look forward to reading more historical romances by Christina McKnight.

NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT by Kristan Higgins
FIVE STARS

Very intense women's fiction. This is not a romance novel, thought it has some romantic elements. Well written, attention gripping, accurately describes the insecurity that results from a dysfunctional childhood. The book is not completely disturbing, however. I got tears in my eyes from laughing at the description of the death and resurrection of Tweety. If you are looking for an afternoon of fluff, this is not the book. If you want a read with challenges, tension, and a strong woman working her way through a difficult time in her life, this is the book for you.

​THE NEON LAWYER by Victor Methos 

After reading this book, all I can say is WOW! I am not going to summarize the story. The author has done that on the book jacket. This book grabbed me from the first page—a small girl being kidnapped by a sexual predator—then a janitor being sworn in as an attorney—and those two story lines meet.

The author does not depict a reader's customary expectations of a practicing attorney. Instead we meet a character who rides a bicycle to work out of necessity and who wears second hand suits. And while this character could be boring, he's not. He is passionate about law and justice, but not necessarily as defined by state statutes.

This is a character driven story. The plot is firm and believable, but the character of Brigham Theodore is what makes this book amazing. He grows and flourishes, and the reader gets to see it all happen. The other characters display the author's disdain for prosecuting attorneys, judges, and functionaries of the court system. The judge is allowed to redeem himself. The villain of the story, a politically driven ADA, represents all those who, because they have money and power can twist the law to serve their purposes.
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For an exciting and satisfying read enjoy The Neon Lawyer.

When this thriller begins, we are immediately plunged—in chapter one—into a nasty domestic conflict. Which is followed in the next chapter by a change in location and characters and a new plot line, equally compelling.

We have two women—strong and determined—who face different challenges. One, the Native American sheriff of a Washington State community, is doubted by many of her constituents because of her heritage and her gender. The other, a voiceless victim of mutilation and abuse, struggles to rebuild her life as her face and body have been rebuilt and to wreck vengeance on the perpetrator of her sufferings.

I was riveted throughout this book as the two plots expanded and merged. Even when unable to read because of other demands, the story remained on my mind. Tightly woven, the plots advance with characters whose stories are meted out in measured revelation. There are no slow spots where I was tempted to set the book down.

I expect I will read this book a second time. Knowing there are happy endings awaiting me, I will be able to read more slowly and appreciate the fine writing, the well-knit phrases, and the clever revelations.
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I was sent an ARC by the publisher; but the fact that the book was free to me did not influence my review.

​SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery

This is a complex entertaining story of a family challenged by abandonment and divorce. The sins of the parents were visited on the Murphy sisters when they were teenagers, but the pot comes to a boil after they reach adulthood.

Mallery tells an intricate, interwoven tale of anger and bitterness between the sisters, Kelly and Olivia, how they find their way back to each other, and the influence of the men in their lives. The book further expands the relationship between their divorced parents, Jeff and Marilee. The character development is strong. I appreciated that the book illustrated that May/December romances are possible. All three romances have happy endings. And the wicked witch fails to spoil those happy endings.

The external plot moves the story along, but doesn't overpower the character plots. The setting is well done. I could easily visualize the scenes and how the characters moved through them. I like learning about tulip farming and tiny houses.

I sincerely believe that Ms. Mallery should find another publisher. I read the library edition, 410 pages, hard copy. I won't even discuss missing commas. At times, it made determining who was doing what almost impossible. The book's editor should learn that a comma is used to separate two independent clauses joined by 'and' or 'but'.  

Additionally, there were outrageous typos. Eg. in chapter 2 "…pulling your to-hundred-square-foot tiny house…"; or in chapter 8 where the sister, Olivia is being referenced, but the other sister's name, Kelly, appears instead; and in chapter 26 referring to Olivia's age, "…and there I was all of twenty-3o."  
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I might be persuaded to overlook errors of this nature in a self-published e-book, but they are inexcusable in a book that lists for more than $25.00.

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This book is Krentz fast-moving suspense at its best.

An improbable pair find themselves searching for a serial rapist. There are plenty of clues so the reader can determine the identity of the bad guy. Since our hero and heroine don’t have access to the information the reader does, we follow them as they search first for identity and then proof.

Character development moves the heroine from an insecure activity director at a senior citizens’ residence to self-assured determined adversary. Our hero has the credentials for the job, but he comes with baggage. There is a subtle secondary romantic plot. But the book is first and foremost a suspense novel.

There is a delightful secondary character, Ethel Deeping, who adds color and humor to the book. Watch for her.

If you enjoy suspense novels with twisted turns and surprising conclusions, this is a must read.

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Amanda Quick

This is a period piece that takes place the early 1930’s. It is not the best book this author has ever written, but it isn’t bad. On a scale of one to five, I would rate this at three and one-half.

It was slow getting started. I had difficulty keeping my mind in the correct time period. While reading, I would slip into contemporary mode, until some telltale would bring me back to the correct decade.

​Once the story finally gets started it is a maze of crimes, suspects, red herrings, and, of course, risk for the heroine. Hang in there and be prepared to slog through the first few chapters. Once the book takes off, it is fun to watch the characters develop. 

​The romance is understated, there are no bodice ripping sex scenes, which is fine by me. My imagination is excellent, I don’t need a play-by-play of what happens in the bedroom. I recommend this as a lazy afternoon read.

​I borrowed this book from my local public library.