Severin uses a tradional native sailing vessel to follow in the footsteps of Alfred Russell Wallace, who, jointly with Darwin, proposed the the theory of natural selection. Severin and his crew travel through equatorisal Indonesia and bring awareness to issues such as rainforest deforestation, smuggling of rare birds and the importance of envirinmental awareness. Awesome background reading for junior Social Studies.
The sub title is a Secret History of the Georgian Court and it covers the people who flocked to Kensington Palace in search of power and prestige. These eighteenth century royal servants had fascinating lives and she covers them from he Vice Chamberlain to Peter the Wild Boy. It is really readable.
Autobiography of a junior doctor in the NHS over a 10 year period. Some stories are funny, some are sad and many are gallows humour. An great read.
Part of the Linden U series. After Raine Copelin turns down her long-time boyfriend Caleb Anders's marriage proposal, the two are barely speaking, barely coping as they enter graduate school at Lindon University. Caleb doesn't understand what happened, but Raine has her reasons. She knows she can't give Caleb the future he wants, so she decides to let him go. Caleb's father has terminal illness and this sends Caleb spiraling back into Raine's arms.
He travels with 6 Mongol companions and a photogtrapher to travel the same paths as the soldiers of Genghis Khan in the thirteenth century through some of the most remote and inhospitable territory in Mongolia.
The hero's business, Hound Dog, utilizes rescue dogs as a way to help people attract and find their perfect match. and over eighty percent of my clients end up adopting the dogs, so a win - win. And then Haylee Rogers comes back to town.
He sets out from Hong Kong on a traditionally built bamboo raft with 6 men and 1 woman to test the theory that Asian raft sailors reached America over 2,000 years ago. They travelled over 5,500 miles from Hong Kong and it took 6 months.
Severin and his 'squire' travel from Chateau Bouillon in Belgium with the same breed of Ardennes Heavy Horse used by Duke Godfrey. He follows the historic trail for eight and a half months, moving from the green countryside of northern Europe into the heat and parched landscape of the Near East, for more than 2,500 miles. He does reach the Holy City.
While still at Oxford Tim Severin used the great explorer’s journals as a route guide, and followed him all the way from Venice to Afghanistan — on a motorbike. It covers his travels through Armenia and Persia, across deserts and mountains, and his companions overcome crashes, floods, sandstorms and linguistic muddles. I really interseting read.
He's a single dad trying to find his way away from his career; she's a babysitter with too much on her shoulders, and Grace is the adorable nine-month-old who brings them together. He's pretty clueless but it all works out in the end.
Non fiction memoir of selling real estate in Southern California. Some pretty dark stories as well as an insight on what it took to be successful in that career.
Domino West, movie star and producer looking for a venue to shhot a movie meets Forrest Russo part-owner of the Driftwood Inn in the San Juan islands. HEA of course. Actually quite well written.
The heroine, wanting ro keep to young brother together after their mother diers, ends up not only fosterning them but married to her brother's best friend. All this is set in a town that is being rebuilt after a disadterous fire.
Georgia May Jackson is an American chef in Paris who wants to run a restaurant there. After catching her chef boyfrend cheating on her at work she goes to a small island near Seattle to reconnect with the mother she last saw as a 5 year old child, and doscovers her heritage.
Misleading title here. The escort in question is actually one of three brothers (who are a constrcution firm) who help abused women escape from their homes and taken them to the next place in a chain of helpers. One of the women ends up coming back and hiring the firm for a project.
Feisty heroine goes to work for self-destructive actor. He changes for the better, and after the usual misunderstandings and plot twists you have an HEA,
This one was a keeper. MaCee Porter returns to her smnall Southern hometown. She meets Tyler Dixon and you have a classic storey. So nicely written and so many authentic Southern details.
Novella. Melane Porter's best friend gives her a set to rules to follow to stope her from any more bad relationships. It does have an HEA.
Josephine is the lemon of a car he buys with his friend Mark, to drive through small town USA. Several expensive breakdowns but Josephione does get tpo both coasts and a fair way through the middle of the USA.
I keot reading this to see if it might improve as a story - it actually got worse, so then I kept reading it to see how bad it could get - and the answer was really, really train wreck bad. It deserves a star just for that.
Hockey romance. Fox is from a famous sporting family trying to get into the NHL. Cassie is a childhood friend and their relationship gradually bercomes a romance.
Beck discovers that her dead psycho mother is actually her aunt, and that the police think she might have killed her. Toss in some magc powers and her real family and you have an interesting paranormal genre story.
I was hoping for a good Whodunit and ended up with a paranormal mystery.Perrie Spock is an undertaker in the long time family business, and gradually rediscovers psychic gifts after a dead body is left outside the funeral home.
She writes about ice hockey and this is the start of a new series. What is interesting is that I takes a while to work out who, in the relationship, is the broken person. A good HEA.
Didn't realise 2 things - it had a cliff-hanger, and was a modern day retelling of Jane Eire, so that was annoying, and I didn't enjoy it - but I finished it.
Interesting for a social historian. Autobiography of a boy who lived on a farm in Colorado in the 1940s and 50s. It was a hard life but he had lots of life lessons, and the attitudes of the time come through.
Thriller. Nick Horrigan is dragged out of hos home in os Angeles by a SWAT team because a terroreist has taken control of a nuclear power plant and is threatening to blow it up unless he spoeaks to Nick. His search for the truth is linked to an old secret, the traumas of his past and a threat to his life.
Mia Pearlman's mother dies from cancer when she is 15. She has to deal with the funeral, a social worker, her grieving father, her nerdy sister, and her own grief for her mother. It looks at ther different kinds of love and the possibility of new beginnings.
First published in 1934.Mr Edgar Finchley, unmarried clerk, aged 45, is told to take a holiday for the first time in his life. He decides to go to the seaside. But from his abduction by a cheerful crook, to his smuggling escapade off the south coast, the timid but plucky Mr Finchley is plunged into a series of the most astonishing and extraordinary adventures. He eventually ends up in London.
Set in 1975, era of flared trousers, the Bay City Rollers and the Star Wars. This school in Southam, England has a Head who is a scary looking nun, the top playground is only for big boys & girls. So many echoes of similarities in New Zealand schools.
Some of the best bits of the popular travel author's diaries reveal the minutiae of expat day to day life in rural France. Some giggles for sure but also fun to read.
In the Hush Notes series - Quinn's story. How Quinn finds her way back to the boy she left behind and how her father realises that he was intolernat and unfair to her years ago.
An accidental pregnancy story and part 3 of a series about players in an NFL football team. This one is about Mason and his twin brither who suffer an incredibly traumatising accident a pre-teens. Mason concentrates on football while Max uses alcohol and drugs. Enter Glory who is pregnant to Max, who is now in jail. Of course Mason ends up in ove with her. It does have an HEA.
How does a vampire out of touch with the modern world learn to blend in? Get a human roommate of course. Artist Cassie learns that she is a better artist and more courageous than she realised.
Sebastian and Mia have a very uncoventional story but it was nice to have a nerdy astrophysicist as the heroine. Family dysfunction also covered nicely.
The first in a series. The heroine is very atypical of the Regency time period, and there's agreat sub-plot with her half-brother and his new wife. Historical details are well researched which meant I could read it without getting seriously annoyed by anachronisms or errors.
In the Lady Swift series, this one is set on an ocran liner reminiscent of the Titanic. Assorted murders and a very villainous (didn't spot him right away) murderer.
Aunt Eleanor leaves the heroine her estate but she has to marry Logan (childhood friend). So Margaret has to comer back to her small toen whern she's really a city girl at heart. Not a stand alone, which is annoying
The heroine, her butler and staff and a murder. Set in the 1940s and quite a fun read.
Maid of Honour at a wedding causes the best man to have an accident (broken ribs), and he's also the older brother of her cheater ex boyfriend.
Got this because of the Pride and Prejudice connection. Not what I expected with the wish granting?
Kept this one. Interesting heroine, and I love the 'uncles' and klutzy best friends and business partner in the You Cheat, We Eat dective agency. Not a mystery entirely.
I've been waiting for this one for ages and was slightly disappointed. Still a great read, and fills in gaps from some of her other books.
Kept this one. A second chance romance where a very quirky heroine with a sad back story reconnects with a significant person in her life. The murder is connected with the identity of her father.
Almost a keeper. Heroine is doing background interview of self-help guru. They have a 'meet cute' and end up in a fake relationship. Complications with her family (grandparents) story but an HEA eventually.
First in a paranormal mystery series with witches, shapeshifters and a murder ot two.
paris Haynes moves to Sapphire Bay and decises to open a flower shop. The contractor is a returned soldier with an amputation and a son. HEA of course.
Autobiography of Rasy Schoenke who played in the NFL. Part Hawaiian so covers quite a bit about the coaches, teams racism, drug use etc in the NFL.
From the Lost Angels series - Michael's story. The historical details for the Battle of Waterloo was really well researched.
Didn't delete this one. Feisty heroine with a go-getter attitude meets grumpy hero.
A semi-Regency. Clear;y two of the main characters are on the spectrum. Trials, tribulations and eventually an HEA.
Almost and a keeper - does cover issues of homelessness and abuse. Lots of misunderstandings between the hero and heroine.
In the Anita Blake series - more perils and supernatural nasties and the wedding still hasn't happened.
Will and Kate's story. Lots of angst and misunderstandings but a good HEA
Thank goodness it was short - I finished just to see how bad it could really get - and boy it was really, really bad!!
Chrissy's mysteriois neighbour turns out to be a far better person than her deadbeat, trying to divorce her husband.
Ben is back in Boston and acting in a play. He finds a stray dog and reconnects with Lucy. It's better than it sounds.
Fake dating my sworn enemy to make my ex so jealous he can't see straight? She decides her ruthless, heartless, narcissistic jerk of an ex-fiancé needs to be taken down a notch. It sicceeds and you get an HEA as well.
An out of towner comes in and causes triuble for a local. A hurricane and assorted friends issues eventuaslly lead to an HEA. Part 1 of a series.
Grandmother's dying wish is to see her married so she has what she thinks is a fake ceremony - but it's not a fake.
Ari's husband wants a divorce. She goes to a small town, meets a guy (who is a recovering alcoholic). Thay fall in love.
Heroine is blind, trying to be more independent. Hero has issues but falls for her.
Another Ward sisters book - Lia's story. Meets British professional soccer player - gets pregnant. Makes him confront his issues. HEA of course.
Not a sports title. Cute gfirl rents from the hero - she learns to like dogs and save rather than spend and he learns to trust and be part of a family. One sc ary attempted rape, but a HEA
Trite, but it does cover PTSD and why it's important to deal with tghe situation
Number 2 in the series - Paige's story and a link/prequel to the Ward sisters series.
What do you do when your best friend dies and leaves you a derelect historic home to deal with as a final task?
Not as good as some in the series but a cxhnage of pace where the hjero and heroine are quiet, frugal and 'nerds'.
This is Angel's stoiry where we find out why she always tells the truth. Covers family relationships and workplace dynamics
The start of the Washington Wolves books. Interesting in that it shows a woman in a traditional male role in the sports business in the USA.
It's about Jonn Clarke's writing life and gives insight into his thouights, his comic genius, some poetry.
Part 2 in the series - heroine has to deal with aftermath of car crash caused by paparazzi. Falls for the older, grumpy former Washington football player who acts as driver/bodyguard.
Part 1 of a new series - US football in Washington. Bad boy with bad impulse control falls in love.
In the dark Knights series - how Bear meeets Crystal. Does cover rape as a side issue and how to deal with the aftermath.
Mid thirties woman unexpectedly becomes pregnant with triplets. Better than it sounds as it's well written and very funny in parts.
Part of a series and this one does mention issues such as cyber bullying, undue influence by authority figures, and the importance of transparency.
Sarah and her aunt settle on a remote sheep station where her aunt is the housekeeper. She lkernes ot ride and when danger thteatens she makes a night ride to fetch help.
Set in Northland on a dairy farm Johnnie looks forward to a summer that could be marvellous. He ties to earn enough money to buy a horse called Golden Melody.
Divorced woman buys a fixer-upper in New Hampshire. Local contractor helps her.
Texan wins an estate in Scotland in a poker game and finds out he needs to marry a stranger tpo keep the estate.
Part of a series. Deals with issues of grieving and therapy after a death during an overseas military deployment and what it means for survivors. Almost 5 star.
Not sure if this is YA or contemporary. It does deal with self harm and suicidal thinking, and dysfunctional family relationships, but it's a great story and I will look for others by this author.
Biography - what happened on a round the world voyage on a cruise ship. Readable and interesting.
Number 1 of 3 in a Rush Hockey series. Small town mayor rebuilds town after a catastrophic fire and has ypo deal with an alpha hockey player as well.
Gabrielle is now grown and has mopved to Cape Lost, which Graer Uncle Garnet left to her when he died. This covers her ear;ly attempts at farming and ends with her hero declaring himself after saving her life during a flash flood.
Gabrielle Allan is growing up, and her life is changing. On a droving trip to Cape Lost (a sheep station owned by her Great Uncle Garnet, she discovers what happened to Great Aunt Vanessa.
First published in 1953,ed in terms of attitudes and language, but for a social historian it's a treasure trove of evidence. Set on a sheep station on the East Coast of the North Island it cover trhat lives of Gasy, the heroine, her cousins, Aunt Belle and her Uncle Dunsany.
YA title set in Westland in 1887. Proyagonist is a 15 year old girl. Beach gold minring with sheep fleeces, danger for thieves and a touch of romance. Well worth reading.
In the Gold Ice hockey team series. Does touch on abusive relationships and coping mechanisms. HEA ending and a teaser for the next title in the series
Number five in a series. Have the other 4 and this one is also a keeper. Annoying that it ends on a cliffhanger - really annoying
Merging a bookstore and tattoo shop. Family issues stall the HEA.
Divorced woman runs away to Hawaii and buys a fixer-upper and finds a job at a bridal venue. Also meets an ex-military helicopter pilot.
Mystery that was relatively easy to solve, but an interesting premise.
First in a series, set in Alaska. Aussie Narure Channel adventurer falls in love with a single mother. Lots of bad assie slang.
Nice story but not a keeper
First volume of hs presdiential memoirs. Covers from the start up to the death of Osama Bin Laden. Fascintaing to read.
Very much a slow burn and old fashioned love story. Did cover the ethics of big business and layoffs.
In the Hush Notes series. This Nixon's story. Covers parental abuse, coping mechanisms and an HEA
Second in the series. Covers physical abuse in relationships, with a good herlping of the ghost stories of Savannah and Charleston.
Start of a new mc series. Does cover addicitons such as compulsiver gambling and dysfunctional families.
Linked to hewr other books. A second chance romance featuring Caleb, Sophie's twin.
Linked with her others. Does touch on racism, and issues within families but a nice romance.
Western romance - dysfunctional families, plots and an abusive relationship and a hero Sheriff.
Brooklyn meets Manhattan when their best friends get married. Emitional maturity is an issue here.
Part of a linked series. Military flight doctor with PTSD and dysfunctional family tries a normal life.
Feisty single mother becomes CFO for a grumpy ex-military tycoon. Abusive ex forces a live-in situation, and a happy ending
Two Regency novellas, light hearted romps and nicely written.
Amusing, light fiction with a good HEA ending.
Classic Palmer - old fashioned gender roles, alpha male fiction, but it has a charm.
Tycoon suffers tragedy, goes MIA. Meets movie star's daughter and they fall in love. Some angst.
The last of the McClouds to find a partner. The classic girl next door, with angst, story.
In the Dark Knights series - Bullet meets Finley.
Part 2 of 3. The perils of moving a duchy through the Pelegirs. Number 3 is due out in 3 days but the release date has already been moved 3 times, so fingers crossed that it comes this time.
Part 1 of 3 covering how Valdemarcame into existence. Theusual excellnetly written and entertaining Lackey story.
Hockey sports romance with a predictable HEA
Collection of short stories and out takes from many of her series.
Part of the Dark Knights series. Some distressing trauma to the heroine but an HEA eventually.
Predictable HEA with a grumpy hero
Sports romance.
Bull rider meets new agent after an issue with endiorsements. Predictable HEA.
Good story.
Fake girlfriend for the billionaire boss, a heap of misunderstandings and a gold digger ex gitlfriend who goes after the hero's father, HEA eventually.
Heroine has amnesia and TBI issues after being attacked and left for dead. Ends up contacting her ex boyfriend who has a psycho person working for him. HEA eventually
Nice but not a keeper
In the Winston world - nice tying up of loose ends.
Nice enough but not a keeper,
Not one of her best.
Plus size girl, a high school reunion, a fake date who wants to stop being a serial dater but is falling for the protagonist. HEA.
Bad writing, bad plot but a moderately happy ending
Guilt ridden estranged brother has to deal with orphaned toddler after brother and wife die tragically. Her best friend is there and also guilt ridden. Lots of misunderstandings but an HEA eventually
Historical fiction. Former actor now a country gentleman has to find a wife. Enter a former love and they try for a future together whil;e mic=schief and mayhem plot ot keep them apart
Another novella but a fairly old fashioned Diana palmner way of writing. Not a keeper.
Interersting take on a mother and daughter relationship, the ethics of pet ownership and social media influencers.
Novella. Nice HEA with the predictable difficulties along the way
Number 3 in Blue Vine series. The hero is on the spectrum, and the tropes are a little predictable.
Number 1 in the Blue Vines series. The ending solves the mystery of the disappearance of 2 women.
Teacher takes over a one room, multi grade school on the praries. Falls in love with ther fatjer of a mut child. Angst aplenty
Two people with issues meet and overcome obstacles.
A sort of mystery/ romance mix but the plot is quite good.
Next in the series. Does talk about child abuse.
Number 3 in a series. The circus performers and their trials.
Has a HEA but you have aa addict Birth mother, and a stalker ex boyfroend in the mix.
Sequel - linked to another title but you don't have to haver read it first. Covers child sexual abuse as a key issue so some treiggers there.
Stolen poodles, an inept villain and an engaging hero and heroine.
In the Duke of Moreland setting. Nice that the Duke got thwarted thus time. The classic HEA.
The allergy ridden male protagonist was an unusual choice of hero so a b it more humour in this one than I ecpected. Ususal HEA thiugh
Liked this one more than others in the series. Some humour mxed in with the angst this time.
Also part of the Pelican Pointe series - pleasant romance story
Part of the Pelican Pointe series -this one had a slightly gruesome plot. Didn't pick up on who was the baddie until nearly the end.
Was number 3 in the series - slightly better
First in a series - okay read.
A good read - again some quite dark issues covered in a romance context, and one section had me sad, but it does have an HEA ending
Number 4 in a series. This one is a ittle more lighthearted but still has a heavy central issue.
Number 2 in a series. Covers some quite heavy family issues for both protagonists within the context of a romance.
First in a series. Believable characters and enough anbst to keep it interesting
Predictable story and trope but some giggles . Writes good English
Great read and worth keeping in a collection
Part of a series - worth readiung o you like US college angst and hard issues.
Again - not a keeper
Not a keeper
Sart 0f a series - sort of want to find out what comes next?