Archive | October 2015

On Strike For Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Oct31

Amusing and Heart Warming

On Strike For ChristmasOn Strike For Christmas by Sheila Roberts is another delightful offering, and just perfect for a heart warming read on an Autumn evening.

As Thanksgiving ends and Christmas approaches, Joy and Laura, fed up with doing all the preparations and parties single handed, decide to go on strike for Christmas. If Christmas is to happen, then their husbands will be organising it. The local paper hears of the strike, and soon many more women have joined it. The men of the town of Holly are going to find out just how much hard work goes into making Christmas appear to run smoothly.

On Strike For Christmas was a highly amusing read, as men all over town launched from one disaster to another, with very humorous results. It was a compulsive read that had me smiling throughout.

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Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Oct28

Totally Charming

Nine Lives of ChristmasNine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts is a perfectly delightful Christmas feel good novel. The story is told from three different viewpoints – his, hers and the cat! As a crazy cat lady myself, I found it highly entertaining to ‘hear’ the voice of Ambrose the cat!

Ambrose is on his ninth life when he is rescued from a vicious dog by fireman Zach. Ambrose decides to move in with Zach, and then sets about match making. Zach doesn’t want a cat, but Ambrose is persistent.

Merilee works at a local pet store and volunteers in an animal shelter. As soon as Ambrose sees Merilee, he decides that she is the one for Zach. Can Ambrose achieve his aim?

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The Secrets of Sloane House by Shelley Gray

Oct25

Gripping Action

The Secrets of Sloane HouseSecrets of Sloane House by Shelley Gray is a historical Christian thriller set in 1893 against the backdrop of the World Fair in Chicago. It is very much an ‘upstairs downstairs’ novel as the servants interact with the masters and mistresses of the house.

Rosalind chooses to come to work at Sloane House, after her sister Miranda disappeared whilst working there as a maid. Rosalind comes up against brick walls when enquiring about Miranda. As time progresses, she realises that danger lurks all around.

Reid Armstrong, a young man, and his family have risen up through the ranks, but never forgotten their roots. He is kind to people from all walks of life. His behaviour contrasts with that of  the Sloanes who are most concerned with money, rank and appearances. The class divide and struggle is portrayed within the novel, and is a social comment on the times.

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A Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love

Oct23

Hooked and Guessing

A Respectable ActressA Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love has something for everyone. It is a historical thriller with a gentle love story building in the background.

India Hartley is an actress in America in the middle of the nineteenth century. At this time, acting is not seen as a respectable career. A tragic event on stage sees India, at the start of the novel, suspected of murder. Now she has a reason to be twice shunned by society. Philip Sinclair offers his services to India, as her lawyer. It is up to him to prove her innocence before the hangman’s noose beckons.

A Respectable Actress is an amazing thriller full of plot twists and turns. I certainly could not guess the outcome, which made the action all the more thrilling. It was very intricate and held my attention from the start.

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