Simply Susan

‘The Belle of Belgrave Square’ by Mimi Matthews

October 9, 2022 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
**A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.**

Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.

In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…

About Mimi Matthews
USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances, including Fair as a Star, a Library Journal Best Romance of 2020; Gentleman Jim, a Kirkus Best Book of 2020; and The Work of Art, winner of the 2020 HOLT Medallion. Mimi’s novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine.
In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. To learn more, please visit http://www.MimiMatthews.com

**My Rating: 5 Stars!**
When I discovered the books written by Mimi Matthews, she had a back list. I loved her work so much that I had that back list read quickly. Sometimes you come across an author whose work pulls you in immediately and doesn’t let you go even after you have finished the book. Matthews is such an author. She has the unique ability to craft characters that very nearly live and breathe as they walk off the pages and into your heart. I was captivated from the first paragraph and couldn’t wait to finish! I love it when a book dies this to me. One thing that will cause me to set a book aside is wooden characters. There is certainly no need to fear this in a book by Mimi Matthews!! Not even a slight chance. Well done!

My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion here is entirely my own.

https://amzn.to/3ACj2oz
Language

English
Publisher

Berkley
Publication date

October 11, 2022

author photo by Vicki Hahn

‘A Model Of Devotion’ (The Lumber Baron’s Daughters, 3) by Mary Connealy

October 8, 2022 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
**She’s finally claimed her independence . . . how far will she go to keep it?**

A brilliant engineer, Jilly Stiles has been educated since childhood to help run her father’s lumber dynasty. With the company safe from her stepfather after the marriages of her two sisters, Jilly can now focus on her dream of building a mountaintop railroad–and never marry.

Nick Ryder came into Jilly’s life when he saved her mother from her no-good stepfather, and he’s prepared to protect Jilly from anything that threatens to harm her–as long as he keeps his heart from getting involved.

But when a cruel and powerful man goes to dangerous lengths to make Jilly his own, she must make a decision between her safety and her hard-won independence.

About Mary Connealy
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is independently publishing a contemporary romantic suspense series called Garrison’s Law, book one is Loving the Texas Lawman. Her new historical series, High Sierra Sweethearts begins with The Accidental Guardian. She is also the author of these series: Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Wild at Heart, Cimarron Legacy, Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages and Sophie’s daughters, and has man other books.
She is a two-time Carol Award winner and has been a finalist for the Rita and Christy Awards. She’s a lifelong Nebraskan and lives with her very own romantic cowboy hero. She’s got four grown daughters and four spectacular grandchildren.
Find Mary online at:
Her website: maryconnealy.com
Her blog for aspiring writers: Seekerville
Her blog for lovers of western romance: Petticoats & Pistols
Sign up for her newsletter at maryconnealy.com/newsletter
Mary is on Facebook at facebook.com/maryconnealy
And Twitter at twitter.com/maryconnealy

Mary Connealy brings this good series to a great close here. I loved these girls’ stories. Well, women. Three daughters trying to escape the dastardly clutches of an evil stepfather. And the heroine of this book, Jilly, has even worse to escape from. But she has a good posse on her side. The ending is great. Connealy takes her readers on a wild exciting ride to catch this evil dude. Well done!

My thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion here is my own.

Language

English
Publisher

Bethany House Publishers
Publication date

October 11, 2022
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09V6KJ5JJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i4

‘Defending Honor’ (Elite Guardians) by Lynette Eason and Kelly Underwood

October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
**She trusts no one…**

Bodyguard Laila Rabbinowitz is all business. Tough and stoic, she was the perfect Mossad agent…until a terrible betrayal led to her worst nightmare. Being a bodyguard with the Elite Guardians allows her to keep her heart safe—she’ll never get involved with a client, never let anyone close enough to betray her again. And she’s certainly not going to trust anyone who doesn’t earn it.

**He needs protection…**

Billionaire Preston Whittaker walked away from his famous family after a terrible event, but he’s put that behind him—or so he thinks. When his father and brother are killed in a suspicious boating accident, he must take the helm of the family business and carry on the family legacy. But someone doesn’t want him at the helm. They want him dead.

**She’ll have to pretend to be his wife to save his life…**

Enter the Elite Guardians. Preston is going to need someone by his side 24/7, and the only solution is…a fake marriage. Laila needs to pull off acting as the trophy wife to the country’s most eligible bachelor. With the eyes of the paparazzi on them, she’ll have to convince everyone that she and Preston are in love.

**But what will it cost her heart?**

Preston’s reputation as a party playboy precedes him, and Laila doesn’t belong in his world filled with parties and money. But is there more to Preston Whittaker that the world doesn’t see? Maybe, in time, he’s someone Laila could learn to trust. Only problem is, the danger is closer than they both know…and time is running out.

*Book three of the riveting, high-octane world of the Elite Guardians reboot!*
**Want more Elite Guardians?**

**Elite Guardians Collection**
Book 1: Driving Force
Book 2: Impending Strike
Book 3: Defending Honor

**Elite Guardians series by Lynette Eason**
Book 1: Always Watching
Book 2: Without Warning
Book 3: Moving Target
Book 4: Chasing Secrets

About Lynette Eason
Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publisher’s Weekly, CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville.SC

About Kelly Underwood

Kelly Underwood’s favorite things are reading, writing, and drinking coffee. She was born in New Hampshire, but don’t ask her about snow, because she’s been a Florida girl since she was twelve. She writes book reviews for her blog bestinsuspense.com and is an active member of the Central Florida chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She’s a sucker for a good suspense novel, the kind you have to read cover-to-cover until the mystery is solved and the bad guys are in handcuffs. If you’re looking for her, she’s probably on her back patio with a Kindle in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

‘How many times would he narrowly miss falling into this killer’s death grip?’

I have thoroughly been enjoying this series, the extension of Lynette Eason’s Elite Guardians. She has teamed up with Kelly Underwood this go round, and they have created a great story. Action abounds as a man’s life is constantly being threatened. No place he goes is safe.

Suspects are plentiful. The culprit was a big surprise for me, though, and one I never guessed. Plus, there was an amazing spiritual thread moment that blew my mind. I loved it!

My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is entirely my own.

Print length

298 pages
Language

English
Publication date

October 4, 2022

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09W5D3YK4/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

‘A Seaside Wonder’ (A Muir Harbor Novel, Book 2) by Melissa Tagg

October 3, 2022 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
***In one evening, Indi’s world falls apart. Enter the shy professor her family mistakes for her fiancé…make that ex-fiancé.***

Professor Philip West never wanted to return to Maine . . . or his grandfather’s miserable old house. But after his mother’s death, he’s now the guardian of a teenage stepsister he barely knows—one who doesn’t want anything to do with him. He longs to help her heal, but he’s exhausted and numb, desperate for relief of his own. Maybe that’s why he’s so easily distracted when he happens upon the little shop with a name on its storefront window that sounds familiar, a hint of a mystery nudging him inside.

More than a decade has passed since Indi Muir made the heartbreaking decision she’s never recovered from—though she’s certainly tried. She has a full life running her shop and creating the artsy pieces that fill its shelves. If she can just stay busy, she’ll keep her hurt and regret at bay. But when her ex-fiancé returns to Muir Harbor, he brings news that shatters her carefully built walls. Things only get worse when lurking danger comes calling at her childhood home.

The one bright spot amid Indi’s turmoil is the shy stranger who wandered into her shop months ago and his moody but lovable sister. As she confronts her past and the mysterious threat facing her family, she’s intent on helping Philip win over his sister. He just might win over Indi, too, if they can overcome old secrets and wounds, outrun rising peril . . . and take a chance on love.

**Breathtaking romance, a captivating mystery, and an enchanting wintry seaside . . . return to Muir Harbor in bestselling author Melissa Tagg’s latest.**

About Melissa Tagg
Melissa Tagg is the USA Today bestselling, Christy and Carol Award-winning author of swoony and hope-filled small-town contemporary romances. She’s also a former reporter, current nonprofit marketing strategist, and total Iowa girl.
Melissa has taught at multiple national writing conferences, as well as workshops and women’s retreats. When she’s not happily lost in someone else’s book or plugging away her on own, she can be found spoiling her nieces and nephews, watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next fictional hero. Connect with Melissa at melissatagg.com.

**My Rating: 5 Stars!**
‘You are not a mess. God sees what you’re becoming. He sees the beauty you already are. He’s not in a hurry and you don’t have to be, either.’

Every time I read a Melissa Tagg novel, I immediately want the next. She’s so good! I’ve been a fan since I read her first. She is unique in that she makes you ‘feel’ her stories. I love it when a book impacts me that way. Not just a good read, but a heart-moving story that settles in deep down and refuses to leave. Boy, I loved this book so much!

Tagg tackles some difficult questions here spiritually and I totally got where she was coming from. Life with Christ is not always easy. But we have a good, good Father who loves us. These characters have hard stuff in their lives and I loved seeing how they handled them.

Now, there is a mystery that has been running through the last two books and it’s not quite solved it. A bit of it was revealed here, but I’m still dying to know what happens! There is another book in the series, though, so maybe I won’t have to wait too awfully long. And there was some mighty good stuff going on in this one. I was weeping, gasping, smiling, laughing. So very good and honestly, deserves more than the five allowable stars. Highly recommended.

My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion here is expressly my own.

Print length

403 pages
Language

English
Publication date

October 4, 2022

https://amzn.to/3LumSUI

‘Word of Honor’ (Love and Honor, 2) by Hallee Bridgeman

October 2, 2022 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
FBI Special Agent Lynda Culter is investigating an ecoterrorist organization in the Alaskan wilderness when her partner is taken captive and murdered before her very eyes. The only person who can identify the key players, Lynda gets assigned to take part in a joint operation in Istanbul to take the organization down.

As a woman in a Muslim country, she’ll find it much easier to move around undetected with a fake husband. Unfortunately for her, the man assigned to play the role is none other than US Army weapons specialist Bill Sanders–the man who crushed her heart into a million pieces back in college.

With a cargo bay’s worth of hurt and baggage between them, these two consummate professionals must play their parts perfectly if they hope to stop those responsible for bombing oil pipelines, killing innocent civilians, and threatening to destabilize the oil markets. But love long buried has a way of resurfacing at the most inopportune times–and protecting Lynda has become Bill’s primary focus.

About Hallee Bridgeman
Get a free ebook when you sign up for Hallee’s newsletter: http://www.halleebridgeman.com/newsletter
Hallee Bridgeman is the award winning and USA TODAY bestselling author of several action-packed romantic suspense books and series. An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee settled with her husband in central Kentucky, where they have raised their three children. When she’s not writing, Hallee pursues her passion for cooking, coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide her.
LOVE AND HONOR SERIES
Prequel: Love in Any Language
1. Honor Bound
2. Word of Honor
3. Honor’s Refuge

**My Rating: 5 Stars!**
‘War did not walk onto a battlefield in uniform in a way that allowed him to pick them out as bad guys.’

My second book by this author and I loved it so much. These soldiers here are true heroes and I so very much enjoyed how they operated as a team. Also, add in a female protagonist FBI agent and learning more how they themselves operate made for a wonderful read for my suspense loving self. Bridgeman also writes a very God honoring story and I appreciated the spiritual thread so much. One point in particular I loved very much. Well done!

My thanks to Revell Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion here is my own.

Language

English
Publisher

Revell
Publication date

October 4, 2022

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09V6MTHGC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2

‘Body of Evidence’ (Triple Threat, 3) by Irene Hannon

October 1, 2022 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
Forensic pathologist Grace Reilly has seen her share of unusual deaths in rural Missouri. But when she begins to notice a curious pattern in autopsies of elderly residents whose demise appears to be natural, she takes her concerns to Sheriff Nate Cox.

Nate is skeptical about the link Grace is seeing between the deaths–and her suspicions of foul play. But her persistence is compelling. Once she finally convinces him her theory is credible and they join forces to investigate, danger follows. Because exposing the truth could destroy several lives–including Grace’s.

Queen of inspirational romantic suspense Irene Hannon closes out her bestselling Triple Threat series with this gripping tale of secrets revealed and romance sparked.

About Irene Hannon
Irene Hannon is the best-selling author of more than 35 novels. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine and the Daphne du Maurier Award for mystery/suspense. Irene and her husband make their home in Missouri, USA. Irene invites you to visit her at her website, http://www.irenehannon.com

I never miss an Irene Hannon book and have been a fan for many years. She concludes her Triple Threat series with this one, the best of the bunch, in my opinion. People are dying, older folks, of natural causes. Or so it seems. A forensic pathologist and a county sheriff are trying to discover why so many are dying so close together.

Hannon always adds layers with each chapter, and I love discovering more in this fashion. She crafts believable characters and plots that are spot on interesting. I couldn’t tear myself away. And I had no idea who the culprit was. A total surprise. Well done!

My thanks to Revell Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion here is my own.

Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Revell
Publication date

October 4, 2022
https://amzn.to/3QD2LF

‘Within These Gilded Halls’ by Abigail Wilson

September 30, 2022 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
**Hidden treasure and betrayal mingle with unexpected love within the walls of Avonthorpe Hall.**
After studying art under Miss Drake, a renowned painter, Phoebe Radcliff is certain she can finally move beyond the childish mistake that’s kept her away from home. She is thrilled when Miss Drake employs her to complete a complicated ballroom renovation.
Everything changes, however, the moment Miss Drake is murdered. With her last breath she imparts the location of a clue to Phoebe. Can the biggest secret of Avonthorpe Hall be true—the rumored treasure real? Phoebe is tasked to finish her work in the ballroom by Miss Drake’s infuriatingly regimented yet all-too-handsome nephew, Lt. Graham Burke. Determined to fulfill the promise she made to her beloved teacher to find the treasure, Phoebe also works to uncover the truth about Miss Drake’s death—and she must do so before Lt. Burke leases the house.
But dark shadows line the gilded halls of Avonthorpe, and soon enough Phoebe realizes she’s not the only person who knows about the clues. What’s worse, she needs Lt. Burke’s help to stay ahead of whoever is hard on her heels. If only she weren’t so attracted to him.
Caught up in a deadly race for answers, Phoebe must find a way to breach the shroud of lies that surrounds every last resident in the house and, more importantly, face a past she’s been running away from for far too long.
Regency romance and mystery
Stand-alone novel
Book length: approximately 95,000 words
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Also by author: *Twilight at Moorington Cross*, *Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey*, and *The Vanishing at Loxby Manor*

About Abigail Wilson
Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

Abigail Wilson brings her readers another intricately woven mystery set in Regency England. Searching for a treasure that has remained hidden for many years is sure to keep the reader interested. Especially when you add in many who are up to no good at all. Well done!

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions in this review are expressly my own.

Language English
Publisher Thomas Nelson
Publication date October 4, 2022
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WTV1G4T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i5

‘Pursued in the Wilderness’ by Loretta Eidson

September 29, 2022 susansnodgrass

About The Book:
Her baby’s life…

depends on one man and his K-9

The murder of her ex-husband at a remote cabin and the discovery that the killers want to take her about-to-be-born baby sends Brooke Chandler running into the Tennessee mountains. She stumbles into the campsite of K-9 handler Trent Williston and his search-and-rescue dog, Rex. Trent vows to get Brooke and her baby to safety. But with the killers on their heels, the impending birth of Brooke’s baby and the threats of the wilderness, they must first survive…