"A Midnight Dance" by Joanna Davison Politano

All theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most--and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater. Yet as she struggles to maintain her tenuous place in the ever-shrinking ballet company, win the attentions of principal dancer Philippe, and avoid company flirt Jack, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the dead ballerina. Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own tragic end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the past?

This was definitely my favorite of the author's books so far--I loved the romance, as well as Ella's personal journey. I could easily relate with her: she's doing what she loves (dancing), but somewhere along the line, joy has become second to the work of being the best she can be (and when one loses joy, that leads to burnout, even--or especially--when doing something that one loves). 

This is book I'd read again just to catch all the foreshadowing and hints I missed before the big reveal in the end. Again, I loved the romance--just something about it struck the right chord in me, though it is definitely second in prominence to Ella's personal journey and the search for answers about her mother. It was beautifully written and an overall delight.

Thank you Revell and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"The Mistletoe Countess" by Pepper D Basham

Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future.

This is a fun, light-hearted story that references just about every classical novel under the sun. I don't think I know anyone with Grace's extremely wide taste in books; I love to read, but some classics are more a chore than pleasure to get through, and I don't think Grace has a critical word for any of them. Grace is a lot like Anne of Green Gables, red hair and all, but even more entrenched in her imagination and the world of books. And while she doesn't float down the river like the Lady of Shallott, she does attempt swinging down a rope like Tarzan. Even from the meet-cute, she's clearly a much better match for Frederick than her sister, though the reasons grow deeper as the story goes on.

The first half of the book is more focused on the romance, and the second half delves deeper into the mystery of the attempts on Frederick's life. If you enjoy kissing books, there's a lot in this one. I'm not 100% convinced of Grace's sleuthing skills, or that even with her convolutedly clever mind she should be taking on murderers, but it all works out, and the story is entertaining all the way through. 

Thank you Barbour and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"Love on the Range" by Mary Connealy - Brothers in Arms, book 3

Wyatt Hunt is temporarily bedridden and completely miserable. Somehow Molly Garner's limited skills have made her the most qualified in their circle to care for Wyatt. But by the time he's healed, she's fed up with him and the whole ungrateful family. For even worse than his grumpiness were the few unguarded moments when he pulled at her heartstrings, and she has long determined to never marry. Molly gets a job as the housekeeper at Oliver Hawkins's ranch. But really she's with the Pinkertons, spying to find out if Hawkins has abused women and if he's guilty of murder. Wyatt refuses to let her risk it alone, convincing Hawkins that he's abandoning his own ranch, angered by his two brothers' coming to claim a big chunk of it. But when another Pinkerton agent gets shot, they realize Hawkins isn't the only danger. The Hunt brothers will have to band together to face all the troubles of life and love that suddenly surround them.

This was an enjoyable end to the Brothers in Arms series. It has a slightly stronger focus on Molly and Wyatt, but a fair amount of the story is told from the perspectives of Cheyenne, Falcon, Kevin, and Winona (so if you missed them, then you can look forward to more of them!). Regardless, it would probably help to read the first two books in the series to best understand this one, as it takes place immediately after book 2 and continues a major ongoing plot.

I was pleased that I was right about certain hints I picked up on in the first couple books, but there was a major surprise I did not see coming in this one. I like being right, but I like being surprised (so long as it makes sense) even more, and with this book I was both!

I wouldn't have minded if Molly's journey to healing was a little more prominent, since she has a pretty heavy past to work past, but I'm glad about the choices she makes in the end, even if it's a lot easier than would be realistic. But this is a romantic comedy (albeit a highly suspenseful one), so it doesn't really bother me to suspend my disbelief that far. Overall, it was a good ending to series. (Oh, and there's a cameo from a previous series--watch for it!) 

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Brothers in Arms
1. Braced for Love
2. A Man with a Past
3. Love on the Range

"Carved in Stone" by Elizabeth Camden - The Blackstone Legacy, book 1

Gwen Kellerman is an heiress to the infamous Blackstone family, whose history of scandal nearly destroyed her. She now lives a quiet life at the idyllic college founded with her family's fortune and hopes to keep the tragedies of her past safely behind her. Patrick O'Neill survived a hardscrabble youth to become a lawyer for the downtrodden Irish immigrants in his community. He's proud of his work, even though he struggles to afford his ramshackle law office. All that changes when he accepts a case to challenge the Blackstones' legacy of greed and corruption by resurrecting a thirty-year-old mystery. Little does Patrick suspect that the Blackstones will launch their most sympathetic family member to derail him. Gwen is tasked with getting Patrick to drop the case, but the old mystery takes a shocking twist neither of them saw coming. Now, as they navigate a burgeoning attraction, Patrick is the only one who can save Gwen from new danger on the horizon.

I enjoyed this introduction to the Blackstone family. I was glad that the book veered in another direction from the initial lawsuit--what happens afterward was far more interesting to me than a mere courtroom drama. I loved how it pushed both Gwen and Patrick to confront their class prejudices--a huge hurdle in their romance, particularly for Patrick (the rich aren't the only ones who can be snobs). 

One thing I trust Camden for is well-researched history, and she always delivers. This time she incorporates the formation of US Steel (altered slightly for the Blackstones), as well as the research and development of vaccines and medications for common diseases such as tetanus. Who knew that the serum to treat tetanus was created by harvesting antibodies from horse blood? 

I'm glad this is a series, as there is so much potential for future books among the supporting characters. I'm really hoping to get a story about Natalia and her Russian count--I loved their dynamic, even as small a part as it was. But I'd also love to see what Liam makes of himself, and where his relationship with old Grandfather Blackstone goes. I'm very much looking forward to the next book. 

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

The Blackstone Legacy

1. Carved in Stone

2. Written on the Wind

3. Hearts of Steel

"Yours is the Night" by Amanda Dykes

Private Matthew Petticrew arrives in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, an arrival which a war-weary France desperately hopes will help to end the turmoil. Having faced unthinkable things on the front, he is captivated by the sound of a lullaby, sung by a voice so pure he knows he must have imagined it. But rumors sweep through the trenches like wildfire, dubbing the voice "The Angel of Argonne." Raised wild in the depths of the Forest of Argonne, France, Mireilles finds her world rocked when war comes crashing into the idyllic home she has always known, taking much from her. When Matthew discovers Mireilles, three things are clear: She is alone in the world, she cannot stay, and he and his two unlikely companions might be the only ones who can get her to safety.

This was a beautiful and poignant story of WWI, from an area with which I was unfamilar: the forests of Argonne in NE France, near the Belgian border. There's the expected: trench warfare, snipers, gases; and some unexpected: aristocracy in hiding, a chaplain with no concept of faith, an angel in the wood. It has an almost fairy tale quality to it--Mira is like a princess hidden deep in the wood, though Matthew resembles more a lucky woodcutter's son than prince (which is as much or more a common trope in fairy tales anyway).  They fall in love as swiftly as in any fairy tale, but it works in this story.

As usual, the author's prose is beautiful. As there are five different points of view and all share the author's lyrical style, I did have trouble keeping track of perspective (granted, all I had to do was read the name at the chapter heading and remember it--it really shouldn't have been that hard). Chaplain George's voice was most distinguishable by his ironic irreverence. He was pretty funny, but absolutely not anyone I would entrust with spiritual lives. They were all interesting perspectives, but I wouldn't have minded if it had been limited to Mira and Matthew. Nonetheless, it's a lovely, sometimes heart-wrenching story.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"The Barrister and the Letter of Mark" by Todd M Johnson

As a barrister in 1819 London, William Snopes is a strong advocate who chooses to defend the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Malissa Jameson, arrives at his door. In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in the acquisition of a merchant brig, the Padget, allowed by a letter of marque from the king's regent to legally capture cargo from French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the ship returns to the London harbor, it's met by constables and soldiers ready to seize its goods, accusing the sailors of piracy. And the letter proving their legality has disappeared. Moved by the lady's distress, intrigued by the claimed letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, William Snopes cautiously takes the case. But as he gets deeper into the mystery and prepares for trial, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more powerful than he'd imagined. 

I've read a fair number of Regency novels, and I think this is the first one that isn't a romance, barring Naomi Novik's fantasy series Temeraire (which is focused on the use of dragons in the Napoleonic Wars and less on the general drama of the period). Sure, some novels have been romances with a heavy dose of suspense (generally involving French spies), but at their heart, they are romances. This book does have a small dash of romance, but it is a bit of icing on what is most definitely a conspiracy and courtroom drama. This book definitely features a darker side of some historic figures that are often only represented in a fond, indulgent way, offering a layer of depth we rarely see. 

The piracy scam seems simple on paper, but as Snopes is trying to figure it out, it reveals just how complex it is, with many moving pieces. Even though the reader is shown glimpses of the villains' movements to give us a better idea of what's going on than Snopes, it doesn't come all together until the end, when Snopes pieces the mystery together. I enjoyed being right about the significance of certain characters, but had my share of surprises in the story too--particularly how they work everything out in the end. It was an enjoyable historical mystery.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"To Write a Wrong" by Jen Turano - The Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency, book 2

Miss Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer by day, inquiry agent by night. Known for her ability to puzzle out plots, she happily works behind the scenes for the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, staying well away from danger. However, when Mr. Herman Henderson arrives on the doorstep of the agency, desperate for someone to investigate numerous attempts on his life, Daphne soon finds herself in the thick of a case she's determined to solve. Mr. Herman Henderson is also a mystery writer, but unlike the dashing heroes he pens, he prefers living a quiet life, determined to avoid the fate of his adventurous parents, who perished while searching for the Lost City of Gold. As the list of suspects grows and sinister plots are directed at Daphne, the situation quickly deteriorates, and a revealed secret jeopardizes their newfound affection. Only time will tell if Daphne will be able to regain Herman's trust and save both their lives.

This book was delightful, full of Turano's trademark humor. Daphne cracked me up, both her actual personality and whatever peculiar persona she adopts under cover. Some of her peculiarities make a lot more sense as we learn her history, and it was fun to meet her family (whom she clearly loves dearly, but is also frequently exasperated with). In spite of being a man who avoids adventure, Herman manages to be quite dashing anyway, especially as his affection for Daphne grows. 

There are some mature themes in the story--primarily related to assault--that were handled well: neither graphic nor victim-shaming, but also neither downplaying the wrong. I wouldn't hesitate to let a teenager read it. On the mystery aspect, I was highly amused by the author's treatment of "trite tropes," as Daphne called them. 

I loved their discussion on the famed notion of love at first sight--that maybe it's not love at first sight, but the possibility of love from one glimpse. I think that's a more accurate description; it's hard to truly fall in love with someone you don't know, but sometimes one can recognize that this is someone I could easily fall in love with after meeting only once. I wasn't expecting such a thought-provoking line, but there you go!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency
1. To Steal a Heart
2. To Write a Wrong
3. To Disguise the Truth