Book Review: ‘Sweet William’ by Sherrie Hansen

They say that the course of true love never runs smoothly, and that is certainly true in Lyndsie Morris’ life. 

The fourth book in Hansen’s ‘Wildflowers of Scotland’ series, ‘Sweet William’ is an excellent read in which romance is balanced by sass and snark, and happy coincidence is tempered by tragedy. That balance continues in the characters, some of whom are delightful while others are just plain nasty. 

It’s fair to say, then, that this story is quite realistic and believable in the way it reflects the best and worst of life and of human nature and challenges the reader to consider how to beat respond to challenges and trials,  and how one might seek happiness with a clear conscience at the same time. 

The story is well paced and the writing is very good indeed. 

This book, like the series to which it belongs, is highly recommended.

Book Review: ‘Shy Violet’ by Sherrie Hansen

Find your copy here.

The third instalment in Hansen’s ‘Wildflowers of Scotland’ series, this book is a wonderful light romance read.

Infused with good humour and populated by diverse and interesting characters, it is a tale full of twists and turns and surprises that keep the reader engaged and guessing.

The narrative moves at a good pace, sweeping the reader along with Violet as she faces her challenges and her fears, albeit not always as wisely as one might hope. 

Not only is ‘Shy Violet’ enormously entertaining, it also reminds the reader of the importance of honesty, the value of friendship, and the life-changing power of forgiveness.

This book, like the series to which it belongs, is highly recommended.

Book Review: ‘Where Souls Entwine’ by Laura Rosek

Find your copy here.

Part romance, part paranormal mystery and part crime story, ‘Where Souls Entwine’ is a story about interconnections between past, present and destiny that go beyond the physical realities that most people perceive. 

While it is a sequel to Rosek’s previous novel, the book does stand alone very effectively to deliver an interesting and thought-provoking read. 

Other than the antagonist, who is a most reprehensible person, the characters are quite likeable and serve to deliver significant lessons about trust, commitment and belief as the story unfolds. 

There are some scenes depicting graphic violence and domestic abuse, so this is not a suitable story for younger readers, nor for anyone sensitive to such matters. It is, however, generally a positive story. 

Book Review: ‘Little Book of Spring’ by Claire Buss

Find your copy here. 

This book offers vignettes of daily life and glimpses into the thoughts of a young woman. Her children, family life, personal feelings and places they visit all feature in this collection of poetry. 

Some of the poems carry a kernel of a deeper truth that provoked more thought, while others skip through a scene, describing it in a way that leaves the reader nodding and smiling. In every case, it is easy to relate to the ideas expressed by the poet. 

New Release: ‘Chaining Daisy’ by Julia Blake.

If someone breaks, can they ever truly be put back together?

Book Two in the Perennials Trilogy, Chaining Daisy continues the story begun in Becoming Lili. Now adults coping with relationships, marriage and parenthood, Lili and her friends have no idea of the dark days to come.

Desperate for a baby, Daisy feels the chains of expectation tighten as her failure to conceive places an unbearable strain on her marriage, threatening to stretch her husband’s patience to breaking point.

Kevin also has problems as his feelings grow for his mysterious Ukrainian cleaner. But Kateryna is a woman with a tragic past and a secret – a secret which will change everything.

Chaining Daisy is a magnificent, sweeping story of life in all its harsh, beautiful wonder, and is a tale that will wrench at your heart and hold you spellbound until the very last page.

Book Review: ‘Wild Rose’ by Sherrie Hansen

Find your copy here.

‘Wild Rose’ continues the story of Pastor Ian MacCraig and the community of St Conan’s in Lochawe, Scotland, that began with Thistle Down. 

This is a lighthearted, often humorous and sometimes very poignant story of an unlikely meeting that unleashes an unpredictable series of events full of twists and turns.

While it is a romantic story, it’s also a story of human nature in which judgement and forgiveness feature prominently. It challenges the reader to think about their own perceptions of others, especially those who stand out from the crowd in one way or another.

There is some subtle adult content, so it’s not a book for young readers. That being said, that content is written with sensitivity, and is unlikely to offend adult readers.

‘Wild Rose’ is a most enjoyable read, and has been awarded a Silver Acorn. 

Book Review: ‘Thistle Down’ – Wildflowers of Scotland Book 1 by Sherrie Hansen

‘Thistle Down’ introduces Pastor Ian MacCraig of St Conan’s Kirk in Lochawe, Scotland, and the various members of the congregation and community in the village in a lighthearted and warm story of two very different sisters and their prospective wedding plans. 

The tone of the story is warm and familiar, aided by delightfully origina yet typically Scottish characters who speak with frankness and good humour. This book really does have the feel of one of those wonderful British TV series that one watches on a Saturday or Sunday evening, becoming immersed in a small community and the local goings on while getting to know all the neighbours. 

Being a novella-length read, it was easy to read in an afternoon, and provided a wonderful escape for a couple of hours. 

‘Thistle Down’ has been awarded a Gold Acorn. 

Find your copy here. 

Book Review: ‘June Green Leaves Of Deceit: A Cat Collier Mystery’ by Carol Ann Kauffman

The sixth instalment in the Cat Collier mystery novella series continues the story of Cat, Carter, and their friends and family. As they say, the course of true love never runs smooth, and this phase of Cat’s life is no exception. 

Cat explores issues of integrity and honesty at a very personal level in this story, which encourages the reader to consider similar questions from their own perspective. 

Like all the others thus far in this series, this is a really enjoyable story.  While the tension and drama take a different direction than they have done previously, the integration of this story into the overall narrative is still fluent and seamless. 

In keeping with the rest of the series, this is a short read, comfortably finished in a little over an hour.  These stories all fit comfortably into an evening or a break in a busy day, providing an interesting and enjoyable distraction.

‘June Green Leaves Of Deceit’ has been awarded a Silver Acorn. 

Find your copy here. 

Book Review: ‘Storm at Keizer Manor’ by Ramcy Diek

The story opens at a point where the relationship between Annet and Forrest is complicated by their different pasts and by their different aspirations for the future. As is often the way, their feelings for one another really only crystallize when they are blindsided by events that change everything for them. 

As the narrative progresses, the reader is reminded of the importance of both communicating one’s love for another so that nothing is left to assumption or doubt, and of making the most of every moment, not taking each other for granted. 

This book delivers a fascinating study of the contrasts in moral judgements and social expectations of women between the 19th and 21st century, and challenges the reader to contemplate how they might cope if they found themselves in a different time, and without electricity, cars or smart phones. Annet is challenged not only by the differences between the two time periods, but also by the prejudice with which she is treated by those who have no understanding of her origins or culture. 

The story is quite well structured and progresses at a good pace. The characters are realistic and varied, and generally quite well developed, although I did feel that Forrest was a little too prone to dithering about and moaning without really developing or progressing the story much at a crucial part of the plot when he could have heightened the drama and suspense had he responded differently. 

The use of alternating points of view enabled the reader to have quite deep insight into the thoughts and feelings of both Forrest and Annet, engaging in their circumstances and becoming quite invested in how the complications of the story might be resolved. 

Overall, this was quite an enjoyable and interesting book. 

Storm at Keizer Manor’ has been awarded a Silver Acorn.

Find your copy here. 

Book Review: ‘Christmas Miracle on Halloween’ by R.M. Gauthier

There are more ghosts from the past than Jack can handle in this sixth book in Gauthier’s lighthearted mystery/romance novella series, which is set in Christmas Town at Halloween.  

This instalment in the series sees the mysteries of Jack’s current case heighten as the secrecy about his investigation is revealed. 

At the same time, Jack finds himself in trouble with Charlotte more than once as questions about family, friends and events of the past come to the surface. A sense of foreboding lands heavily on the reader as Halloween arrives, leaving them to wonder if Jack will really prove able to help Charlotte deal with the parts of her past that haunt her still.

Once again, Gauthier has delivered an enjoyable and lighthearted read, loaded with enough questions to make the reader keep going in the hope of finding answers in the next book in the series. 

Christmas Miracle on Halloween has been awarded a Silver Acorn.

Get your copy here.