5 Releases I'm Looking Forward to in 2010

To finish out 2009, I'm looking forward, to 2010, to the stories that will make me laugh, make me cry, inspire or arouse me. It's highly likely that the stories that leave the strongest marks will not be ones I anticipate. Did I know last year at this time how moved I'd be by a JM Snyder short story about two elderly men? I'd never even read Kate Willoughby, and look at how much I loved her books.

But that doesn't mean there aren't titles that don't leave a small thrill of anticipation, every time I see them. So I've picked out five of those to share today, to look forward to in the dawn of a new year and a fresh decade. In no particular order:

1. Boot Hill Bride by Lauri Robinson: I don't find many series in e-books that inspire me to follow along, but the first Quinter Brides book was delightful, and the second sits in my TBR pile, waiting for me to get to it. I have no doubts I'll be picking up this third book, too.

2. Nothing to Commend Her by Jo Barrett: Wild Rose Press actually published this one a couple days early. When I last checked, it was supposed to come out on the 1st, but there you go. Anyway, I've had some hit or miss with this author since first falling in love with her Highlander's Challenge, but this is a novel-length historical, rather than her shorter contemporary work I had problems with, with a damaged hero and heroine. It looks so intriguing and will go straight in my TBR pile.

3. Board Resolution by Joey W. Hill: It's Joey Hill, do I really need to say more? I have no idea what it's about, other than I can assume it's het from the cover, but I don't need anything more. With the exception of Rough Canvas, I've really enjoyed everything I've read by her. I tend to buy her in print, but since this will likely be out in e-format first and it's EC, I'll likely have it on my reader very quickly after its release. Whenever that is.

4. From Afar by Ava March: I wasn't blown away by the second of her stories about Oliver and Vincent, but this is a gay regency with vampires. How am I not supposed to get excited about that, especially since I know this author can pour on the erotic?

5. The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon: Okay, this one is cheating because it came out on the 22nd. But I've done very little reading for pleasure in the past ten days, and I've been waiting for this last Adrien English book for what feels like forever. So it completely counts as a book I'm anxious to read in 2010. Do you have any idea how hard it's been to stay unspoiled for this?!?

That Wyoming Wind by Jo Barrett

TITLE: That Wyoming Wind
AUTHOR: Jo Barrett
PUBLISHER: Wild Rose Press
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 25k)
GENRE: Time travel romance
COST: $3.50

Life couldn’t get any worse for Jodi Parker…until she gets picked up by a freak dust devil and dropped in the middle of 1907. She gets taken in by Maggie, a friendly nearby rancher, but being the new woman in a small Western town means all the single men are now looking in her direction, including one sexy ranch hand named Dan…

This sweet romance offers momentary escapism, based on charming characters that never place heavy demands on the reader. Jodi has had her life ripped out from underneath her by an awful ex-boyfriend, leaving her broke and looking for a new start when the dust devil steals her from the present day and drops her on her butt – literally – in 1907 Wyoming. She has absolutely no reason not to embrace her new life once she’s past the shock of being in the past, and with every single male in a twenty-mile radius sniffing after her, including two of the area’s most eligible bachelors, it seems like a situation too good to be true. It is, a little bit, but as long as you’re willing to accept the complete fantasy of her new life, it’s not necessarily a bad one.

Jodi is strong and resourceful, declaring her independence in a world filled with women who only want to snag a husband and then keep him. She’s helped by being found by the other independent woman in the area – a too convenient device – and that difference supposedly makes her even more attractive to all the men. Dan, the ranch hand, especially seems to respond to her attitude, though I never really understood why he was so determined to take her to wife except that he was incredibly attracted to her physically. There’s a vague attempt at a triangle, but Jodi never expresses anything more than surprised delight at Wayne’s interest. The romance for Wayne, in fact, seems convenient and far too easily resolved.

Editorial issues hold back what should have been an easy read. Coral gets mistaken for corral more than once, along with other minor issues. The author’s predilection for headhopping is minimal, thankfully. If it had been worse, it would have been harder to get through, due to the other errors. There is a loose – very, very loose – link to the author’s Challenge books, but those are absolutely not necessary to read this. If you’re in the mood for something sweet and completely unchallenging, this could fit the bill.

Readability	7/10 – Minor editorial issues slow down an otherwise easy read
Hero	5/10 – He’s charming enough, but there’s just not enough there to give him any depth
Heroine	6/10 – Resourceful and strong, albeit a little flat
Entertainment value	6/10 – It’s a sweet romance that begged for more than it got
World building	7/10 – A feel for early 20th century Wyoming, but nothing overwhelming
TOTAL:	31/50

Love on a Wire by Jo Barrett

TITLE: Love on a Wire
AUTHOR: Jo Barrett
PUBLISHER: Wild Rose Press
LENGTH: Short story (roughly 10k)
GENRE: Contemporary romance
COST: $2.00

Casey is divorced and lonely, stuck in a job she hates, wishing for a life she doesn’t have. When her aunt “introduces” her to Daniel, a man working with her in Japan, Casey decides impulsively to correspond with him. His shyness and her loneliness melt away in their emails, but how far can they really take this without meeting?

I fear it might be time to stop auto-buying this author’s stories. While I loved her two time travel stories enough to both buy them in print and put her on my auto-buy list, everything I’ve read of hers since has left me cold. I have one more I’ve already purchased, but I can’t say I’m excited about reading it.

In this short story, Casey and Daniel are two lonely people, trying to find a connection in a lonelier world. The characters themselves are all right for a short, romantic piece, though I find most characterizations in short romances a little flat anyway. But the two major problems I had with this come from a more technical level. The author has always been a headhopper – I’ve known this since the first book – so I buy the book knowing I’ll have to grit my teeth and hope it doesn’t bug me as much as normal. This time, it bugged me even more. Not in the first half, but beginning in the section where Casey and Daniel start chatting. It goes back and forth from line to line, and when each line is literally a message and maybe a thought, the ping-pong effect just gets far too tedious.

The other part that pulled me out of it actually happened at the same time. Casey is in some unknown American city, while Daniel is working on a project in Japan. It’s said more than once they’re on opposite sides of the planet. So how can Casey come home from a fundraiser, email him after midnight, and it be four a.m. in Japan? It can’t. That would place Casey either in the middle of the Pacific or somewhere in the middle of Asia. And knowing this discrepancy erased what little world-building the author had actually achieved in this. The story is too short for such a glaring error not to affect it, and as a result, lowers any enjoyment I might have had in it. Another miss, and I’m afraid, probably the last one for a while.

Readability	5/10 – The headhopping was just too bad, going from line to line during their chat, for me to get into
Hero	5/10 – A little flat, though it’s a nice try
Heroine	5/10 – Though considering she’s a little flat, too, maybe they’re a good match after all
Entertainment value	5/10 – Diverting but hardly memorable
World building	4/10 – There’s little sense of time or place and the time zone issue really doesn’t help it
TOTAL:	24/50

From a Distance by Jo Barrett

TITLE: From a Distance
AUTHOR: Jo Barrett
PUBLISHER: Wild Rose Press
LENGTH: Short story (roughly 10k)
GENRE: Contemporary romance
COST: $2.00

Billie Jo Parker stops in to visit a long-distance friend en route to another destination in her travel-heavy career. She’s a little annoyed when said friend announces Billie Jo is attending a family function that night, and even more so when she discovers her “date” is her friend’s older brother. Annoyed, that is, until she meets Kyle Chase in person. But with all her traveling, and Kyle tied to his ranch in Wyoming, can their attraction endure as a long-distance relationship for more than a few weeks?

In spite of what could be the stickiness of a complicated long distance relationship, the one word that best describes this short story is simple. The prose is simple and unchallenging, and Barrett handles the headhopping that usually turns me off with her usual non-invasive style. The characters are simple, good people, with little to define them other than their lifestyles, and the plot itself is a simple, straightforward, “let’s try this out” kind of plot.

Kyle and Billie Jo have a pleasant, if uninspiring, chemistry. She is reluctant to act upon their chemistry because she knows from experience that long distance relationships rarely work. She’s also more than aware her traveling isn’t going to end any time soon, and Kyle isn’t going to leave his ranch. It feels like a doomed cause. Kyle manages to sway her reticence, and the two engage in a phone relationship that’s mildly satisfying. In a sweet, unimposing story, it’s hard to ask for more. I have to admit I keep waiting for the magic that slammed into me with the first of this author’s stories that I read, but there’s certainly nothing awful or cringeworthy about this one. It’s a mild diversion, and if you’re a fan of the author or sweet, simple romances, it might be just for you.

Readability	8/10 – Simple, unchallenging, with non-invasive headhopping
Hero	5/10 – Sketchy, but a nice enough fellow
Heroine	5/10 – Nothing original or memorable, but nothing offensive, either
Entertainment value	5/10 – A mild diversion, though nothing earth-shattering
World building	5/10 – The bulk of the story focuses on the interactions between the two and their thoughts
TOTAL:	28/50

Favorite Authors of 2008

My last list of favorites for 2008 - favorite authors. I do have one more list after this, but...well, I'll save that for Wednesday.

4th Runner Up
Jo Barrett

I've read a lot of Jo Barrett's work over the past year. Her two time travel books rank among some of my favorites, but her later work has left me a little cold. I think she's got some serious talent, so I'm keeping an eye on her. Just because I haven't preferred her more recent stories doesn't mean I've given up hope.

3rd Runner Up
Amy Corwin

I have a couple more stories by Amy Corwin on my TBR pile, but the charm of the historical I already read still burns brightly, months later. There's a whimsy to her romance, and in a world starving for such light, she shines.

2nd Runner Up
Paul G. Bens, Jr.

Considering how much I loved his short story, Mr. Bens absolutely had to be on my favorite author of the year list. He wrote some of the most beautiful prose I read all year. A true talent.

1st Runner Up
Josh Lanyon

My one holdover from last year's list. He's an autobuy, and while I will admit I don't necessarily love everything he's done, he hits more than he misses. By a wide margin.

And my favorite author of 2008 is...
Frank Tuttle

Tuttle is one of my gold mine finds for this year. Both of his works with Samhain rank as some of my favorites, and his Markhat series is one I hope to read about for a long time to come. He's funny, insightful, and a vivid storyteller. You can't get much better than that.

Favorite Heroes for 2008

Just like last year, picking my five favorite heroes out of everything I reviewed is the hardest category for me, bar none. Eventually, though, I got the list whittled. Eventually.

4th Runner Up
Colin MacLean in Highlander's Challenge by Jo Barrett

Colin is the alpha Highlander to the core. Temperamental, used to getting his own way, protective to the point of ignoring his own needs...and look at that gorgeous body on the cover.

3rd Runner Up
Mikhail Kozlof in Tango's Edge by Carole Bellacera

Mikhail is charming, gorgeous, talented, and best of all, human. He is the main reason it is so easy to fall in love with the romance in this book, as he entices the reader as much as he does the heroine.

2nd Runner Up
Ren Stanfield in My Valentine by Annie Dean

Ren Stanfield was one of the most broken, fascinating characters I read all year. He has dark, masochistic tendencies, and there's a definite tragedy about his entire existence that dares the reader not to care about him. Haunted. That's the best word to use, both for him and how he left me.

1st Runner Up
Adrien English in The Adrien English Mysteries by Josh Lanyon

The heart and soul of this series is its protagonist, Adrien. He's come so far from the first book, and had to endure so much. I'm the first to admit that when I fall for a series, I fall hard. Nine times out of ten, it's because of the main character. This is definitely one of those times.

And my favorite hero of 2008 is...
Markhat in Dead Man's Rain/The Mister Trophy by Frank Tuttle

See my note above about falling for protagonists in series? Markhat is another example of that. I love Tuttle's work for more than his main character, but Markhat plays a huge part of my adoration for these stories. He's the fatalistic, funny detective, the one with the unique perspective on the world. He makes me laugh, he makes me think, and best of all, he makes me care.

Favorite Heroines for 2008

I'm starting out my week of bests with probably my leanest category - favorite heroines. My shortlist in this category was less than half any of the others. That's likely because it's a lot harder to please me when it comes to heroines. It's easier to fall for men, but that's because I'm not one. I find myself less forgiving when it comes to female characters, one of my reading foibles I've just had to come to accept over the years. That being said, here they are...

4th Runner Up
Daisy Leaf in Perfect Timing by Barbara Elsborg

The joy of Daisy in this erotic romance is her sharp sense of comedic timing and the awareness on the part of the reader that this is a woman not to be trifled with. She more than holds her own against a romantic hero, and in fact, provides the strength necessary to pull him along when her characterization is clearer.

3rd Runner Up
Jillian Descharme in Heart of the Winter Wolf by Dani Harper

Though I enjoyed this novel as a whole, by far my favorite aspect of it was Jillian. She is a woman who took tragedy and made herself stronger without turning into a cold bitch or withdrawing from the world. Independent, strong-willed, and still manages to be feminine.

2nd Runner Up
Amelia Tucker in Highlander's Challenge by Jo Barrett

The fact that this woman goes by the name Tuck says something about her. She's self-sufficient and spunky, and though she hardly considers herself feminine, she is the perfect woman for Colin.

1st Runner Up
Gianna Randazzo in A Little Slice of Heaven by Gina Ardito

Gianna is one of those characters that I can see in my everyday life. A woman I'd value as a friend. A woman like so many women I already know. She reacts like the women I know, takes care of herself like the women I know. I like her in ways that I don't necessarily like other heroines. She's the girlfriend I'd call with good news or bad, and in the end, she's the heart of this warm book.

And my favorite heroine of 2008 is...
Arden Black in Like a Thief in the Night by Bettie Sharpe

Arden is the black soul of this dark novella. She ripples with violent tendencies and questionable morality, existing within the sharp prose as effortlessly as a single breath. Her momentum drives this story as much as Sharpe's gorgeous prose, and is one of the clearest, most sympathetic anti-heroines I've read in either print or e-books in a long time.

Favorite Novels of 2008

To round out my lists of favorites this week, I present my favorite novel length reads of the year.

4th Runner Up
A Greater Art by Ainsley Davidson

Certain genres have to try harder for me to engage with it. Science fiction is one of them. So when I find a truly fabulous story, I get excited. A Greater Art has dense world-building, sympathetic leads, and a complex plot. I read this in a single sitting, much to my family's chagrin, but I absolutely couldn't put it down.

3rd Runner Up
I Bid One American by Amy Corwin

Guess what another genre is that has to try harder with me? Yep, historicals. And yet, this charmer made me laugh and smile more than any other book in my top 5 this year. The vast majority of the cast is quirky and fun, and the story rolls along at such a brisk pace that you don't even realize it's over until you've turned the last virtual page.

2nd Runner Up
Death of a Pirate King by Josh Lanyon

It's no secret I'm a fan of the Adrien English Mysteries. I reviewed all four books this year, but this is the one I think is the best of the bunch. Not only is this the one with the most complex emotional map, but it's also the one that took my sheer dislike for Jake and turned it on its ear. I have serious problems with abusive characters, and Jake's actions in the previous book had - I thought - cemented my feelings for him. Lanyon's talent is such that I was wrong. And I'll gladly be wrong again.

1st Runner Up
Highlander's Challenge by Jo Barrett

This sat on my TBR pile for far too long. When Teddypig recommended it, I should have bumped it up my list. This one thrives because of its powerful leads. Colin is one of the best alpha heroes I read all year, and Tuck epitomizes the best of what makes a good heroine. Their chemistry is through the roof, so much so that I absolutely had to order a print copy of this as soon as I finished it.

And my favorite novel of 2008 is...
Border Roads by Sarah Black

I give out few 10s when it comes to the entertainment value of my scoring system. To me, those are the best of the best, the keepers that have pushed me to react in ways other stories haven't quite done. Border Roads not only has exquisite details as it builds its world, but it also has a wealth of memorable characters, men and women who leap off the page and tug at every single heartstring I have. There is power in this story, in the raw depths of the angst, in the rich descriptions of their interactions, in the sheer number of chances that the author takes that could have backfired. I love this story to pieces. I only wish Loose Id would release it in print so that I could have a physical copy for my keeper shelf.

Letters from Home by Jo Barrett

TITLE: Letters from Home
AUTHOR: Jo Barrett
PUBLISHER: Wild Rose Press
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 57k)
GENRE: Contemporary romance
COST: $6.00

When Phoebe writes to her deceased friend’s grandson stationed overseas, she doesn’t expect to start a correspondence with the man that lasts over a year. John Caldwell doesn’t have any family left, so he’s eager for the friendship she offers. There’s only one problem. He thinks she’s a grandmother-type, not the twenty-five year old beauty he meets when he finally gets to come home…

I knew buying this story I would probably get something wholesome. It’s got a soldier holding a little boy’s hand on the cover; if that doesn’t scream Harlequin, I’m not sure what does. But I was okay with that. I’ve read this author before, and she’s done some wonderful work. Unfortunately, this doesn’t fall into that realm for me.

Wholesome doesn’t even begin to cover it. The best word to describe Phoebe is old-fashioned. She is a master baker. She knits. She crochets. She sews. Children flock to her and call her Aunt Bee. She spends some of her free time at the assisted living facility where her aunt lives, socializing with and helping the senior citizen residents. In the beginning, I was willing to accept it. I decided I had to look at the story as kind of a throwback, and as long as I looked at it in that light, I enjoyed it. Even when she put a shawl on over her sundress because having bare shoulders might imply she wasn’t a “good girl.” But then it went a step too far. For me, anyway.

See, John and Phoebe are attracted to each other but agree to be just friends. He’s planning on re-upping again and won’t stick around, and he sees Phoebe as the girl you marry, not the girl you have fun with. Phoebe, for her part, is determined never to get involved again, and at first I thought it was just because this other guy had broken her heart too badly. But it’s more than that. Phoebe can’t have children. Ever. So when things start steaming up between Phoebe and John, the issue that she can never give him children holds her back in more ways than one. She rates herself solely on her ability to reproduce, which in all fairness, matches the mindset of the old-fashioned girl introduced at the top of the story. But that’s just too much for me. In a lot of ways, Phoebe is smart and eloquent. I don’t want to see her demeaning her worth as a woman, simply because of a biological fact she had no control over. And that’s when the story lost it for me. From that point, everything just became too saccharine, all the way down to the issue of Tommy, the little boy she watches occasionally for a friend.

So if you like your sugar with a side of sugar, then this might work for you. The prose is still as readable as ever, and the characters mostly likeable. I haven’t given up on this author. I just don’t think I’m the audience for this book.

Readability	8/10 – Other than minor editing misses, and the infrequent headhopping, I still find her prose always manages to suck me in, even when I have issues with the story
Hero	6/10 – A throwback to gentler times
Heroine	4/10 – I liked her – in spite of how old-fashioned she is – until her womb issues got out of control
Entertainment value	5/10 – I was enjoying the old-fashionedness of the entire story until Phoebe turned on the “I’m worthless as a woman because I can’t have kids” tears
World building	8/10 – Within the construct of the story, the world works. Just don’t expect it to look like anything wholly modern.
TOTAL:	31/50

The Summons by Jo Barrett

TITLE: The Summons
AUTHOR: Jo Barrett
PUBLISHER: Wild Rose Press
LENGTH: Short story (roughly 6k)
GENRE: Paranormal romance
COST: $1.50

Overworked nurse Lindsay Sumner thinks the gorgeous Scot she’s dreaming about is the result of too many long hours and not enough recreation. Her so-called imaginary Highlander has a different opinion…

After being so frustrated with Monday’s review, I decided to pick something from my TBR pile that was a comfort read. I didn’t want an author I hadn’t fallen for in the past. I didn’t want to indulge in a kink on the mere hope of it being satisfied. So even though I knew this was a very short story, I pulled it out anyway, and was rewarded with a sweet, mild diversion that left a smile on my face rather than a frown.

There’s very little to the actual plot. Lindsay finds herself having sexy dreams about a Scot named Roan, and grows increasingly convinced that she’s insane for falling for a figment of her imagination. She has justifications for their coming together, all the way to the end, which makes for nice realism on the author’s part, if the fact that she talks out loud so much to herself annoys me to death. Roan doesn’t get much room to play until the time for the reasons for their coming together gets explained, but even then, it’s fairly superficial.

There’s absolutely nothing demanding about this sweet little story, nor is there anything offensive. It’s a nice distraction from real life for a few minutes, with nice romantic overtones to shade your day. I wouldn’t suggest this be a reader’s first exposure to this author’s work, as it only hints at how well she can create a romantic atmosphere, but for readers who already appreciate the author’s style, it makes a tasty little nibble.

Readability	8/10 – Simple and sweet, with only a few errors.
Hero	5/10 – She thinks he’s a dream for most of it, and the story is only 6k long. Does that give you an idea of how fleshed he is?
Heroine	6/10 – I can do without the talking out loud to herself she does, but she’s fine otherwise.
Entertainment value	7/10 – Sweet and diverting
World building	6/10 – There’s not really enough room in this for world building, exposition, and romance. World building loses.
TOTAL:	32/50

Rogue's Challenge by Jo Barrett

TITLE: Rogue’s Challenge
AUTHOR: Jo Barrett
PUBLISHER: Wild Rose Press
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 58k)
GENRE: Time travel romance
COST: $6.00

In this sequel to Highlander’s Challenge, Ian Southernland has been sent to the future in order to retrieve Jenny Maxwell, Tuck’s friend, so that she can be there to help deliver Tuck and Colin’s baby. His mission goes slightly awry, however, when he lands in the future on the day Tuck came back the second time, finding Jenny pursued by the castle guards. He manages to rescue her and take her back to the portal, but she ends up leaving her glasses behind, making her nearly blind as a bat 400+ years in the past. Unable to function without proper spectacles, she demands to go with Ian when he intends to go to Edinburgh and get her another pair…regardless of the arguing they can’t seem to get past and the memory of a single kiss that took them both by surprise…

With Highlander’s Challenge one of my favorite reads so far this year, I jumped to buy this when I saw it come available. Barrett writes characters that sparkle, and this book is no exception. Ian is thoroughly charming, both in his roguish ways and when he’s being more sincere, while Jenny’s intelligence and stubborn nature make a fine counterpoint to that. Starting off on the wrong foot, combined with Jenny’s frustration at not being able to see anything, sparks wonderful exchanges between the two. I can’t help but smile and look forward to their next bout.

While other characters are around, including Tuck and Colin, the fact that over half the book consists of going to Edinburgh to get Jenny new glasses means they take up the vast majority of the story. Michael, their traveling companion, provides the necessary outsider’s POV to the pair, reminding Ian of all the reasons he shouldn’t pursue Jenny. Others provide some local color, but really, the book shines brightest when the author lets Jenny and Ian just go at it.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t shine in any other areas. The headhopping that bugged me a little in the first book is still there, only more pronounced, happening more frequently with shorter sections dedicated to a single POV. There also seem to be more technical issues, things that jumped out at me much more glaringly this time around. Words are misused – they’re for their a couple times – while spelling mistakes slow down what should have been a very fast read – sparing for sparring, for instance.

The mechanics of the time portal that were set up in the first book are muddled at the very beginning of this one, and no explanation or theory is ever posited to explain all the differences. Ian makes a vague attempt, explaining that he finished the journey that Tuck had started with her second trip into the past, but Jenny clearly isn't satisfied by that, and with hers as the scientific mind, I kept waiting for her to come up with some answers. She didn't. Invariably, she and Ian would start arguing again and the entire discussion would get derailed. In the end, it felt too much like a convenient device to get Ian into the future without having to spend too much time there to find Jenny.

There’s a subplot about someone who slips through the portal after Ian and Jenny that feels very tacked on, too. It’s meant to add tension to Jenny’s presence. Somebody is after her, after all, and he doesn’t have her best intentions in mind. However, the details over his involvement in issues back in the present day are sketchy, and without being able to understand the depth of his anger, I never felt threatened by the man. The greatest danger comes just as they’re returning from Edinburgh, but then he disappears again for a huge long stretch which makes any sense of alarm fade away. The entire ending is very anticlimactic as a result.

All in all, it’s a charming read. Just not quite as charming as the first book.

Readability	7/10 – Only the crisp dialogue and likable characters save the headhopping and technical mistakes riddled throughout
Hero	8/10 – He plays the reputation of rogue with ease, but slides believably into a deeper role when masks are stripped away.
Heroine	8/10 – A tad strident at times, but a wonderful counterpoint to Ian.
Entertainment value	8/10 – Weaker conflict and more technical issues kept me from enjoying this as much as I did the first book.
World building	7/10 – With Jenny half-blind through the first half of the book, atmosphere and details are only scattershot.
TOTAL:	38/50

Highlander's Challenge by Jo Barrett

TITLE: Highlander’s Challenge
AUTHOR: Jo Barrett
PUBLISHER: The Wild Rose Press
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 88k)
GENRE: Time travel romance
COST: $6.00

Professional bodyguard Amelia Tucker – or Tuck, as she insists on being called – is protecting genius/heiress Jenny Maxwell from a potential kidnapping threat when something goes horribly, horribly wrong. A fall into a fountain lands her over four hundred years in the past, where one of the first people she runs into is Colin MacLean. The next leader of his clan, he mistakes her for a boy because of the way she dresses and fights. It’s not until he’s taken her back to Arreyder Castle that the truth comes out. Tuck finds herself under suspicion of being a spy, mistrusted in spite of all the good she keeps doing for MacLean, and far too attracted to a man who drives her crazy. All she wants to do is get back to her own time, but every time she manages to escape, Colin goes after her and drags her back. One would almost think…he doesn’t want her to leave…

I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to read this book. Teddypig recommended this last year, in several places online, and I put it on my TBR list to read at some point in the future. I’m not entirely sure why I waited, to be honest. Considering how much I adore Diana Gabaldon, a time traveling story with a Scotsman alpha hero should have been right up my alley.

Colin is as alpha as they come. A product of his times, he is constantly barking at Tuck to put on proper clothes, act like a woman, etc. He’s never bothered to learn how to court a woman because he’s had a woman from a neighboring clan promised to him since childhood. His duty is to protect everybody within his care, and his own happiness takes a backseat to that. When he finds himself face to face with a woman who can not only best him in a fight but does things he’s seen no other woman do, he’s at a loss. His temper gets shorter and shorter, and meanwhile, the attraction between them gets higher and higher.

Tuck makes a very welcome change to most time travel heroines. She can do more than hold her own; she can do everything any of the men can do and better. No simpering for this one. She’s strong and smart, mouthy and capable. I loved her contrary nature, how she ignored Colin’s directives to follow her own head, even when it got her into trouble. There was a point where she ran off – again – that I started to wish the author would find something else to do with Tuck, but ultimately, that’s a minor complaint in the face of her characterization. Tuck and Colin are perfect for each other, and the tension that builds between them really detonates their first kiss.

The story excels with its characters and romance. Though the neighboring clan isn’t given the chance to gain any depth, many of those within the MacLean keep are fleshed out enough to make the entire castle pulse with life. This helps to counter the threadbare worldbuilding. Outside of the dialogue, I never really got the full sense that this was a Scottish story. It really could have been almost anywhere, which is a shame. The other major problem to note was the headhopping without scene breaks. This isn’t a dealbreaker for some people, and if the story hadn’t been as engaging, or if there had been other technical issues, it might have been a dealbreaker for me. But as it is, the author’s style drags me back into the story after the jumps. Once I got used to the headhopping – though I never liked it – those transitions smoothed out some, so I engaged more quickly afterward.

All in all, the story is rich with romance, laughter, and characters to root for. I enjoyed it so much, the first thing I did after finishing it was go out and order the print version.

Readability	8/10 – Headhopping is the biggest obstacle for me in this story, but it so quickly sucks me back in that I read this in one sitting.
Hero	9/10 – Okay, I have a fondness for Highlander alphas, I’ll admit it.
Heroine	9/10 – Tough and capable and more feminine than she gives herself credit for.
Entertainment value	9/10 – Loved it enough to scamper off and order it in print as soon as I was done.
World building	7/10 – There are a few nice details, but the story’s appeal comes from the forceful characters, not the historical atmosphere
TOTAL:	42/50