Halls of Secret-Cate Campbell

Halls of Secret Cate Campbell Kensington, Jan 28 2014, $15.00 ISBN: 9780758292285 In 1920 Seattle, several months have passed since psychopathic Preston Benedict died in the fire he lit (see Benedict Hall). His sister Margot starts a medical practice not without angry opposition including her father to a modern thinking female physician; while she also is seeing Boeing engineer Frank Parrish, who has a new prosthetic arm replacing the one he lost in combat. Margot has accepted Preston’s death, but their grieving dazed mom Edith seems locked in the past as she refuses to allow any changes to her son’s room. On a Grand Tour, nineteen years old Hattie Benedict sneaks away from her parents for a fun evening. However, her angry parents feel Allison’s behavior shameful so she is exiled to backwater Seattle to stay with her family there. Considered a heroic anomaly to her younger cousin, Margot mentors Hattie to go after what she wants out of life and to hell with family members who only care about public image. The second Benedict family historical drama is an engaging look at a changing America caused by the impact of WWI. The storyline mostly centers on thoroughly modern Margot (with a nod to Millie by Dick Scanlan and Richard Morris) whose beliefs are decades ahead of her time. Readers will relish Cate Campbell's entertaining look at the Pacific Northwest just after the "war to end all wars" ended with the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) and Nineteenth Amendment (Women’s Right to Vote). Harriet Klausner

Forgotten Sins-Rebecca Zanetti

Forgotten Sins Rebecca Zanetti Forever, Jan 28 2014, $6.00 ISBN: 9781455574445 In Washington State, Detective Malloy asks accountant Josie Dean if the hospitalized amnesiac found at a crime scene is her husband Shane. She says yes, but explains they separated two years ago and she has not seen him since. Josie finishes by telling the cop to check with the Marines as Shane was a major stationed at Pendleton when she knew him; and answers Shane’s question that their split was his idea before he vanished from her life. Reluctantly as she is still irate at her spouse, Josie takes Shane to her home for him to heal. Shane may not remember events or people but knows he fiercely loves this woman and that whatever made him leave had to be nothing short of life threatening. Not long after the unhappy couple settle in her house, the danger he faced arrives endangering his beloved Josie. The first Dean brother romantic suspense is an exciting second chance thriller. Shane is a terrific protector willing to die for the woman he cherishes. On the other hand uncooperative fuming Josie allows her rage towards him to impair her decision-making; which leads to her placing herself in deadly situations and readers frustrated with her inanity. Still sub-genre fans will enjoy this fast-paced tale and look forward to Shane’s siblings as heroic leads. Harriet Klausner

Nothing Sweeter-Laura Drake

Nothing Sweeter Laura Drake Forever, Jan 28 2014, $8.00 ISBN: 9781455521975 After eight months in the federal pen and a scar to prove it, Aubrey Madison was freed, but instead of returning to Los Angeles, she stayed with her mom in Phoenix until that felt stifling. Though an urbanite all of her life, Bree applies for a groom position on Max Jameson’s family-owned High Heather Ranch in Colorado; he hires her. With his loan due soon and lacking the funds to pay it, Max knows his spread is going under as he cannot compete with the big guns taking over ranches. However, Bree has a plan to enable her boss to keep his ranch. Hesitantly she explains it to Max, who has doubts her scheme can work even as he falls in love with his groom. The latest Sweet on a Cowboy western romance (see The Sweet Spot) is a super tale that focuses on the difficult decisions that a small rancher must make. The lead couple is a delightful pairing of caring souls, but it is saving the family spread that makes this a strong tale of love (of each other and of the land). Harriet Klausner

Why Earls Fall In Love-Manda Collins

Why Earls Fall In Love Manda Collins St. Martin’s, Jan 28 2014, $7.99 ISBN: 9781250023841 In Bath, impoverished war Widower Mrs. Georgina Mowbray knows she is fortunate to have become companion to the affluent elderly Lady Russell. The only negative in her current situation is her employer’s nephew the Earl of Coniston. Lady Russell adores her dedicated companion; so when threatening letters arrive that frighten Georgina, she notices the change in her employee’s demeanor. The aristocrat asks Con to investigate, but Georgina, distrusting him, refuses to cooperate. Her fears grow immensely when she sees someone who looks like her late abusive husband Robert outside her window. That and her observation of how kind Con is towards his aunt and others lead Georgina to tell him what she knows and did. As people are murdered, Con vows to keep safe his precious aunt and the widow he loves. The second Wicked Widows Regency romantic suspense (see Why Dukes Say “I Do”) is a fabulous historical amateur sleuth romance. The cast is solid, but the key to this great read is the predominant focus on the whodunit as the falling in love subplot supports the mystery. Harriet Klausner

The Queen's Choice-Cayla Kluver

The Queen's Choice Cayla Kluver Harlequin Teen, Jan 28 2014, $17.99, ISBN: 9780373210923 The Queen of Chrior is dying. Two heirs qualify as the next monarch of Chrior, but the Queen selects her niece Anya as more suitable for the kingdom than her other niece Illumina. She also assigns Illumina to find her long lost son Prince Zabriel in Warekum. However, as she grieves for her beloved aunt, Anya feels she may be a better candidate than her cousin, but is still not qualified to rule. Anya decides to leave her Fairie realm to find Zabriel in the human world. For the most part nothing goes right once she crosses over starting with losing her wings, which not only severs her bond with Davic, but also exiles her on this mortal plane. However, the one plus is Anya meets human Shea who mentors her on her misadventures. The first Heirs of Chrior young adult fantasy is an engaging tale that provides a fascinating mythos. The storyline is fun when the heroine stumbles from one blunder to another due to her stubborn refusal to accept she has been de-winged and so no longer indestructible. However, in between her blunders are long stretches of seemingly nothingness; as this is a solid opening act but not at the level of Cayla Kluver’s Legacy trilogy. Harriet Klausner

Anything to Have You-Paige Harbison

Anything to Have You Paige Harbison Harlequin Teen, Jan 28 2014, $9.99 ISBN 9780373210886 Although total opposites in demeanor, high school seniors Brooke and Natalie are always there for each other. Brooke loves to party especially as the center of attention while Natalie prefers to stay home by herself. Both are attracted to newcomer Aiden, but he chooses glamour; ergo Brooke becomes his girlfriend, which Natalie sadly accepts as at least she rationalizes he is with her BFF. Brooke persuades Natalie to come with them to the Stupid Cupid Rager. Overindulging Brooke becomes intoxicated and her flirty nasty behavior angers Aiden and upsets Natalie. The next morning, Natalie wakes up with a terrible hangover and confused as Aiden shares the bed with her when she thought she had sex with Eric. Feeling she betrayed her best friend, Natalie knows she still is attracted to Aiden. Rotating perspective between the BFFs, Anything to Have You takes a deep look at teen desire as readers obtain two subjective viewpoints re the same incident or person. Although parental neglect is stratospheric and Brooke unlikable (albeit also sympathetic as her rocket ride seems ready to crash), young adult fans will enjoy this engaging teen triangle. Harriet Klausner

Heartbeat-Elizabeth Scott

Heartbeat Elizabeth Scott Harlequin Teen, Jan 28 2014, $16.99 ISBN: 9780373210961 Dan wants a baby badly so to make him happy his reluctant wife Lisa agrees to the high-risk pregnancy though she wishes her husband would cherish her daughter Emma who lives with them as more than enough as he seemed to at one time. Lisa becomes pregnant, but tragedy strikes and she dies. To save the unborn, Dan insists doctors hook up his brain dead wife to life support equipment. Blaming Dan for her mom’s death, Emma grieves her loss compounded with every visit to the hospital to see her mom hooked on tubes and her once beloved stepdad fussing over his unborn. Her trauma leaves her ignorant that her stepdad conceals his guilt-ridden broken heart from his hurting stepdaughter. Angry, Emma’s grades collapse as she no longer cares. Having lost a loved one, town bad boy Caleb recognizes a mourning kindred spirit in raging grieving Emma and tries to be there for her. Heartbeat is an insightful timely (with the recent Texas tragedy) contemporary that takes an intense dark look at grief and the profound emotional complexity of the availability of modern medical techniques impacting families. Although the teen romance feels more of an unneeded genre requirement that detracts from a poignant character driven storyline, Elizabeth Scott writes a thought-provoking tale. Harriet Klausner