Christina DoddRecensioni

A Daughter of Fair Verona (Daughter of Montague, #1) by Christina Dodd

Romeo and Juliet are alive and well, the parents of seven children. Rosaline (Rosie) being the eldest. Duke Stephano is set to marry her (not of her chosing) when she stumbles upon his dead body. It is not long before Rosie becomes the main suspect, although many would have reson to see him dead.

Vowing not to fall in love, happy with her "Spinsterhood" until she sets eyes on a young man to which she finds herself attracted to. Can it be love at first sight, something she doesn't belive in? Tension is in the air and soon Rosie finds herself in danger. She is determined to find a killer before more blood is shed.

The story moves at a fast pace told from Rosie's point of view. I found the writng brilliant as Rosie (at times) is speaking directly to the reader. Her thoughts are clearly made, making this compelling story more enjoyable.

Overall I found A Daughter of Fair Verona quite enjoyable. I highly recommend this fantastic Historical murder/mystery with a hint of humor, a dash of drama and splash of romance. A true five star read.

IF Romeo and Juliet had lived, what would their firstborn daughter be like? Read this clever and witty book to find out! Their survival will be explained and you will enjoy a romp through fair Verona as their headstrong, virginal, unmarried at an “elderly” age (20!!!) daughter, Rosaline, avoids marriage to unsuitable prospects, is accused of murder, pursues an avocation as an alchemist, meets a true love, is trained in swordsmanship and is wooed by a prince.

Rosaline (Rosie) is a spunky, hot blooded, pragmatic, clever young woman with a biting wit. Just when she finds the love of her life, she is forcibly betrothed to an unlikable character who is murdered at their engagement party. Soon, a second character is poisoned and suspicion falls on Rosie. It is up to her and her intrepid, protective nurse to prove her innocence. Yes, it is historical, but it has a snappy, contemporary feel to it.

The book ends on a cliff hanger and there is already a sequel in the works. Do read the author’s notes at the end….where you can find the website for the recipe for the fruit and nut bread so loved by the prince and more information about the series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @KensingtonBooks for the DRC.

Being alive had cost her dearly.

This may be my favorite read of 2024 because it definitely sets a high bar for anything to follow! A remarkably well crafted thriller with white hot suspense, romance and over the top action. It takes a special talent to seamlessly weave a tale of this caliber into an unputdownable read. Bravo!

I loved this romantic suspense novel filled with action and psychological thrills. I think this has been one of my favorite stories of the year. I loved Rowan and felt so sorry that she had to grow up the way she did. I loved that Joe has so many layers. I loved all the secrets that are revealed. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Christina Dodd’s latest thriller EVERY SINGLE SECRET is skillfully created, well-paced, captivating with unexpected twists and turns!
Rowan Winterbourne emerges from her solitary life and walks into the lion’s den to face her haunting nightmare when she lets her guard down, just for once! Would she get out alive?
As I was turning pages, I was wowed by the intensified suspense as every surprising single dark secret was revealed, one by one!
EVERY SINGLE SECRET will take readers on a thrilling ride and leave them breathless at the end! I enjoyed it tremendously, and I highly recommend it!

I enjoyed this book. I like the main character and appreciate that she was able to overcome massive challenges in her life. Quite a few things aren't terribly believable, but I'm okay with that as long as the story is enjoyable. It's likely I'll read the next book in the series.

Christina Dodd's new tale, A Daughter of Fair Verona, is a page-turning murder mystery and slight love story. Focused on Rosaline Montague, shortened to Rosie throughout the story, is the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet, the iconic star-crossed lovers from the tale by William Shakespeare where the two characters were supposed to die at the end. Dodd asks the reader to imagine if the star-crossed lovers had lived because Friar Laurence had arrived in time to save them from their fate. The reader welcomes Dodd's suggestion and eagerly awaits what the lovers life and their children would be like had they survived.

As the reader might hope for, the couple's oldest child, Rosie, is not impetuous like her parents. she is not wooed by poetry like her parents, and she avoids being married off so unlike her parents. Still, Rosie is an endearing character, coming straight to her point when in conversation, mindful and protective of her six siblings, and conscientious about her parent's well-being. She is a loving and obedient daughter unlike her mother Juliet Capulet, who fell in love with the son, Romeo Montague, of her family's enemy.

Although, Rosie is a strong female character, her father and Prince Escalus prove to be strong patriarchs, which renews the reader's faith in traditional values. Dodd writes in first person from the viewpoint of Rosie throughout the story, so all observations are made by her. The reader only sees what Rosie does, only hears what Rosie does, and only knows what Rosie does. For the most part, the reader is unaware of what is happening outside of Rosie's sphere, which keeps the reader in the dark, only learning about the details about events as Rosie does.

Murders are occurring throughout Verona and they all seem to lead back to Rosie as the one with the motive. The unraveling of these mysterious deaths keeps the reader engulfed in the tale, always anticipating when Rosie will fall in love in the manner her parents did. Unexpectantly is Dodd ending the story with the reader wondering, will Rosie really marry Prince Escalus, will they ever find out who murdered Escalus's father, what is the curse that is plaguing Verona and causing so many murders in the city?

A Daughter of Fair Verona is the start of Dodd's series about the children of Romeo and Juliet and the city of Verona. This first installment is an entertaining story that readers will find easy to cozy up to in their leisure time, to wind them down and restore their belief in people who do good will prevail.

Dead Girl Running (Cape Charade #1) by Christina Dodd is my second book by this author I have also read Because I’m Watching back in 2016 which I loved. I have to say that it was nice to read a book that was the first of a series, since my first book was a third in the series. I have come to enjoy this author more than I thought I would considering I am a very picky person when it comes to my books. Unique, inventive, captivating - this plot is all that and part Gothic, part assumed identity, part amnesia victim, part who done it and totally fascinating. I really don’t know what I expected but I loved what I got. Kellen Adams has been the assistant manager of Yearning Sands, a high end destination resort on the Washington coast for a few months. She has been many things in her life and lived many places and all she wants now is a place to call home. Kellen becomes a jack of all trades when the owners of the resort go on vacation. Everything is fine until a body washes up on shore and the peaceful place because full of buzzing energy and smuggling art that has everyone on their toes. Everyone is a suspect in my eyes and Kellen’s past comes forward in flashes making the reader want to keep going just to see what’s going on and who done it. Fantastic read from start to finish. The only question I have is what is next?

Firstly I would like to thank the author publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this Masterpiece! This is my first novel by Christine Dodd and I have to say it won’t be my last by a long shot this was an awesome read from start to finish.
I was hooked with this book from the first couple of pages and managed to finish it in a few days that’s how good it was. I did not read the first two books of this series but it is so well put together that it reads like a standalone. Two emotionally broken protagonists each battling their own personal demons and seeking solace and comfort in each other when they can in this thriller where real and imagined terrors are lurking and where you might actually find a monster under your bed if you looked hard enough. Jacob and Maddie's relationship is not one of instant need to have you kind of love which makes this more plausible and meaningful it’s a slow burn that burns so bright at the end. I love that we the reader are able to see the many levels of all the Major characters the sheriff is a complex soul that you can relate to. I am hoping that the next book in this series gives a more detailed description of her past or she at least gets her prince no matter how dark and dangerous he may be. This small town draws you in part of what I enjoyed about this book was the way that everyone either wanted to help each other or hurt each other it conveyed the atmosphere of a gossipy small town very well. This was a 5 star read for me but only because I can’t give it more. Job well done!

I think this had the potential to be a really good book, instead of just an okay book. Most of the elements were there, but it didn't really come together for me. The book didn't really get interesting until the last 50 or 60 pages, until then, I was just pushing through, waiting for it to get better.

When I read [b:Candle in the Window|992221|Candle in the Window|Christina Dodd|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180047356s/992221.jpg|977716], the first book in this duo, I got an entirely different picture of Raymond. I prefer Alpha-males with a little vulnerability. I think Raymond was supposed to be an Alpha, but he never quite got there. He wasn't a weakling, he just wasn't as aggressive as I expected him to be.

Well, it's been a whopping 5 days since I finished this book, and although I sometimes (not often) review a book up to a month after reading, and have pretty good recall, I had to flip back through the book to remember what happened before writing this. The book was good, but not fascinating. I did enjoy reading it, and I liked that Saura was capable of handling so much on her own. (An excellent book on just how much the blind are capable of is [b:Thunder Dog: A Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero|9659034|Thunder Dog A Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero|Michael Hingson|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51u4ub1G0pL._SL75_.jpg|14546637].)

There was humor in the book, which I like.

In the Lost Princesses trilogy, the French Revolution has swept Europe into turmoil. The king and the dowager queen of the small mountainous country of Beaumontagne have sent his three young daughters to England for safety.
In the neighboring little county of Richarte, a cruel usurper has seized the throne from the rightful prince. He’ll do anything to find and kill the princesses, for the eldest princess and the prince are destined to wed in order to unite the two countries.
In the first book, the middle princess, Clarise, and her younger sister Amy live the lives of peddlers and charlatans. They claim to be exiled princesses to sell face creams made with special “royal” ingredients. Though their scam often works, it’s attracted the attention of a nefarious English magistrate who wants to see Clarise hung. As they employ their skills in a little Scottish town, the local laird takes Clarise under his protection, but he doesn’t believe she’s a princess.
Robert MacKenzie, the earl of Hepburn, needs to rescue his friend from a vicious officer in the English Army and requires Clarise’s help. After seduction fails, he blackmails her into helping him.
Clarise is a kind, beautiful, compassionate woman who always tries to make other people feel good about themselves.
Robert is stubborn, determined, so single-minded in his objectives, and downright cold at times. Once you learn his back story, however, his calculated coldness makes a lot of sense and you see the honorable man underneath the dark veneer.
My favorite character is Lady Millicent, Robert’s older spinster sister. I loved the way she blossomed into her own woman, gained confidence, and finally started to live her life.
Though Robert got his revenge and I loved the way it happened, I wished the despicable Colonel Ogley would’ve been publicly humiliated and punished for his sins.
There are a few unanswered questions. The most important one, in my opinion, is that Clarise and her sisters went into hiding because people wanted to kill them. By the end of the story, Clarise is no longer “hiding” and it should be very easy for the bad guys to find her, but this isn’t mentioned as if she’s no longer in danger. Also, I found the timeline of the story confusing. The princesses have lived in England for several years, but there are discrepancies as to how long when you compare the number of years to their ages.
The pacing slowed in the middle. There were a few typos but nothing major. I love stories told in multiple POVs—more than just the H/h—but this one sometimes lacked scene breaks to denote the change, which led to confusion. Even so, I really enjoyed it, and I’m anxious to read the next book in the series.
4 Stars

I really enjoyed this anthology of four Scottish historical novellas. Other than head hopping, all the stories are well-written in third POV and without any typos. I definitely recommend this book.

In Christina Dodd’s “Under the Kilt,” Hadden Fairchild is determined to convince his former lover, Lady Andra MacNachtan, to marry him. Though he belongs to the ruthless Fairchild family, he’s gentle, polite, and respectful almost to a fault.
Andra is in charge of running and repairing the crumbling MacNachtan Clan castle. After past hurt in her childhood, she refuses to marry but longs for Hadden as he longs for her. When he demands to know about the legendary Marriage Kilt, she finds herself locked in the attic with a man who refuses to take no for an answer.
I really loved this story. It’s fast and to the point. Hadden’s back-story is breezed over, but I already knew a lot about him since I’ve read the previous books in the Well Pleasured series. Andra, a new character to the series, has a full back-story, and I understood her stubborn in regards to trusting Hadden with her heart.
5 Stars

In Stephanie Laurens’ “Rose in Bloom,” Rose Mackenzie-Craddock has spent every summer of her life at Ballynashiels, the Scottish estate of the Macintyre family, and she used to tease and torment Duncan Macintyre relentlessly. As the only two children on the estate, she was naturally drawn to him, but he always considered her nothing more than a pest. Given their eight-year age difference, that’s understandable. After twelve years apart, Duncan returns home for the summer with a potential bride in tow. Rose, likewise, has a potential husband with her. Though he finds Rose just as frustrating as ever, she’s not the same hoyden he remembers. Rose can’t help but tease the stoic, controlled man, and the game soon changes to one neither of them expected.
Rose and Duncan’s friendship, animosity, and romance sizzled on the pages. They have such great chemistry and are obviously perfect for each other, but they’re so blind they couldn’t see it. This is a great novella, and I really liked the H/h.
5 Stars

In Julia Quinn’s “Gretna Greene,” Margaret Pennypacker treks the long, dangerous journey to Gretna Green to stop her foolish younger brother from eloping. On her first night in town, three men accost her but a giant of a man saves her life.
Angus Greene is in town to find his younger sister, Anne, since she’s on her way to London for a Season, which he didn’t approve of. After he rescues Margaret and realizes she’s all alone and without money, he appoints himself as her protector. Attraction and friendship quickly blooms between them, and they argue and bicker like an old married couple. Though it’s not love at first, it’s damn close and it felt believable.
I really enjoyed this story. The H/h are smart, witty, and fully developed. Their reasons and motivations drive the story. There’s a HEA, but I would’ve liked an epilogue or more information about where they’ll live, what their families will think, and how their newfound love will affect their responsibilities. Even without that, I adore the characters and the story.
4.5 Stars

In Karen Ranney’s “The Glenlyon Bride,” Janet MacPherson has lived the last seven years of her life as a maid and companion to her cruel, vindictive cousin, Harriet. After Harriet is betrothed to a Scottish laird, Janet meets a dashing Scotsman in the woods outside the family manor. She longs for her homeland of Scotland, and even more so, she wants happiness, adventure, and a way to ease her terrible loneliness. Lachlan is a reiver—a raider and thief—and they’re instantly taken with each other.
Lachlan Sinclair, laird of the Sinclairs, believes Janet to be Harriet, his future bride. Though he doesn’t want to marry, he needs Harriet’s dowry to secure his improvised lands and ancestral home of Glenlyon. When he’s with Janet, thinking she’s Harriet, the marriage doesn’t seem so bad anymore. But when he discovers the truth, he fears his hopes and plans to save his people are dashed forever.
I love this story. Janet and Lachlan are wonderful and strong. They both have fears, responsibilities, and dreams for a prosperous future. I wish Harriet would’ve been punished for her cruelty, but Janet’s freedom from her was justice enough since Harriet will no longer have someone to hurt. Anyway, I think this story is my favorite of the four.
5 Stars

Book Overall – 5 Stars

In the third and last book in the Lost Princesses trilogy, Crown Princess Sorcha lives in a secluded island convent in northern craggily Scotland. She enjoys her simple, uncomplicated life but knows she’s meant for something greater. After she meets a strange poor fisherman stranded on the beach, she takes him to the convent for shelter and her life changes forever.
Arnou is a kind, simple-minded, and very foolish fisherman, but he has a secret. He’s the hardened Prince Rainger in disguise, and he’s determined to do anything to marry Sorcha and take her home to Beaumontagne, the country she’s destined to rule. A terrible tyrant has seized Rainger’s country of Richarte and held him prisoner for eight brutal long years. He managed to escape and needs the Beaumontagnan army to secure his crown and rescue his people. If he can’t convince his childhood betrothed Sorcha to marry him and provide him with an heir, his plans of revenge are for naught.
Sorcha is a wonderful and vibrant character, but she’s very naïve to the ways of the world. Her self-discovery takes her on the journey of a lifetime. Best of all, she falls madly in love with a lowly fisherman. When she finds out his identity, she’s heartbroken, humiliated, and betrayed.
Worst of all, Rainger believes he’s done nothing wrong. After years of mental, emotional, and physical trauma, he only cares about his goals and doesn’t realize he’s hurting the woman he’s supposed to protect.
I loved their romance and this story until she finds out the truth. I expected tears and shouts, but Rainger’s sudden heartlessness and Sorcha’s pathetic surrender to his seduction schemes didn’t make sense. I understand why he was so callous and why she accepted it, but these problems continued throughout much of the book. Once they finally realized their mistakes, I started to like the characters and the book again.
There were a few typos, inconsistencies with the other books, and loose ends not tied up, but nothing affected the overall plot. Though the H/h frustrated me at times, Sorcha and Rainger are my favorite couple and I enjoyed this book the most from the trilogy.
5 Stars

In the second book in the Lost Princesses trilogy, Princess Amy of Beaumontagne is in trouble, but she’s too stubborn to realize it. After she left her sister Clarise two years earlier, she’s lived a life of danger and finally finds a home on the small English island of Summerwind. Now friends with the villagers, Amy is appalled to learn that a dastardly marquess owns the island. The people are starving and in danger of losing their decrepit homes because they cannot pay the rent. So she decides to put a stop to it and kidnaps the marquess to hold him for ransom.
Jermyn Edmondon, the marquess of Northcliff, wakes up chained to a cot in a cellar. He doesn’t know why he’s there or why his kidnapper, Amy, hates him with a passion. He’s arrogant, rude, a male chauvinist, and he believes himself so superior to everyone around him, especially the women. As he and Amy butt heads, he begins to realize his lazy, carefree lifestyle has threatened to ruin the lives of the people he once respected. Not only that, the crooked manager of his estate may be the real threat to his life, not the mysterious, sensual Amy.
Amy is a wonderful heroine, but her temper often gets the better of her. Of the three princesses, she was always the wild one who broke the rules in the name of justice. She’s strong, passionate, and willing to do anything for those she cares about.
Jermyn is a very unlikable character at first. His disdain, coldness, and haughtiness irritated me—as the author surely intended for her readers—but his attitude hides deep pain. Once his back story is revealed, I sympathized with him. I definitely loved the way he matured in captivity and the way Amy grew to trust her own feelings in the sexy marquess’s arms.
Other than stray POV shifts that I’ve come to expect, there were a few typos like repeated back-to-back words and missing words. I noticed a few inconsistencies between books 1 and 2. For example: in book 1, Prince Rainger was imprisoned for eight years. In book 2, it’s seven years. Despite little things like that, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading Rainger and Sorcha’s story, the conclusion to the trilogy.
4 Stars

In the first book in the Well Pleasured series, Guinevere Mary Fairchild works as a housekeeper for Lady Valery in the Scotland lowlands. Ten years earlier, her father died and her cruel grandfather disowned her and her younger brother, Hadden.
Sebastian Durant, Viscount Whitfield, is Lady Valery’s godson, and he’s helping her track down her stolen diary. In the wrong hands, it could spark revolution in England. His investigation leads to Fairchild Manor, and he grudgingly needs Mary’s help in order to get inside. As they work together and navigate the viper nest of the cruel, greedy Fairchild family, they build a tentative trust. Their dark, painful secrets, however, could destroy their relationship before it really begins.
Mary is a sweet, sometimes naïve woman who wants to think the best of everyone, but life has shown her not everyone can be trusted.
Sebastian is a hard, stubborn man the Fairchild family betrayed him years earlier.
Both the H/h are likable with problems, mistrust, and clashing agendas between them. Despite the mistrust and his need for vengeance, their romance progressed quickly. For Mary, losing her inhibitions helped heal the pain in her past. For Sebastian, his trust in Mary, a dreaded Fairchild, healed his battered soul.
I really enjoyed Hadden, Mary’s 19-year-old brother, and her very sexy but illegitimate second cousin Ian. Both were fun, strong characters and were determined to protect Mary from the danger that stalked her. Lady Valery is a wonderfully strong and empowered woman. She’s in her seventies and still has men dropping at their feet to please her. It’s inspiring!
I’ve read quite a few reviews that bashed this book, and even on the author’s website, it’s listed as “politically incorrect.” I don’t understand the big hoopla. Was it because Ian tried to seduce Mary, or the forced seduction scene with Mary and Sebastian (it wasn’t rape, in my opinion)? In either case, I’ve read romance books with H/h cousins and full-on rape scenes waaaaay worse than in this book. To be honest, I was a little disappointed the story didn’t live up to the hype.
I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t like Mary’s decision in regards to her family at the end. It showed both strength and weakness on her part, but cruel people should never be rewarded. On that note, I side with Sebastian and understand his reasons for feeling betrayed.
Other than stray POV shifts, I don’t believe I found any typos. I look forward to reading all about Ian in the next installment.
4 Stars

This anthology showcases three Regency-era novellas about characters from each author’s respective series, but you don’t need to be familiar with the full-length novels to understand and enjoy this book.

In “Lost and Found” by Stephanie Laurens, Reggie’s uncle is on his deathbed and that means big changes are coming to Reggie and the Carmarthen family. Soon enough, he’ll become a viscount and then an earl. When news of this hits the ton, all the matchmaking mamas and their daughters will chase after him for marriage. Reggie, a resolute bachelor, decides to find his own wife before they do. When he stumbles upon Anne Ashford in a heated discussion with another man, he comes to her rescue. After all, she’s his best friend’s sister and they’ve known each other for years. For the first time, he sees her in a different light. When they have to work side by side to help unite a sweet orphan with his long-lost family, loves blooms between them.
This is a sweet story and I liked it, but it was a little slow and the POV shifts were confusing.
3 Stars

In “The Matchmaker’s Bargain” by Elizabeth Boyle, Amanda finds herself stranded in a storm and takes shelter in the home of a mysterious old woman. She unknowingly drinks a potent tea and pays for the woman’s services. In the morning, she learns she has to find her heart’s desire and be married in a few days. Desperate to finally live her life on her terms, she enlists the help of Jemmy Reyburn, the old woman’s neighbor and Amanda’s unrequited love from years past, to help her escape the town unwed.
Jemmy doesn’t remember Amanda, but he’s entranced by her now. After serving in the war against Napoleon, he’s no longer the arrogant rake she remembers. He’s bitter, scarred, and has a bum leg. He’s given up on living until Amanda brings the light back into his world. As the town gathers to see her married, he soon realizes he wants her for himself, but can he convince her to give him a second chance and stay in Bromley Hollow?
Jemmy is definitely troubled, but he’s so kind and comes out of his shell around Amanda. She’s torn between what her heart wants and what she knows is polite decorum. They both find themselves and grow as characters throughout the story. I think Amanda’s parents are by far some of the worst parents I’ve ever read in a book. I really sympathized with the poor woman and the life she’s led. The story is well-written with no stray POV shifts. This is a wonderful story and my favorite in the anthology.
5 Stars

In “The Third Suitor” by Christina Dodd, Harry is on holiday in a sleepy English coastal town to relax after risking his life abroad serving his country. He’s bored and thinking about his next mission, whatever that might be, when he finds a young woman sneaking through the garden outside his rented cottage. Jessie is in hiding from a persistent suitor and beseeches Harry for his help. Friendship quickly blossoms between them, and Harry scares the man away. When he finds out she has three unwanted suitors (Jessie and her unwatchful chaperone are on holiday to meet to meet and pick from the men), he’s determined to help her out of the dreadful matches. Things heat up between them, but he’s a man with a past and his secrets could get her killed.
This is a great story and I love the characters. Harry is dashing and mysterious, Jessie is smart and brave, and the chemistry between them sizzled the pages. Though well-written, there were a few POV shifts. I felt a little lost during the climax. In my opinion, the beach scene could’ve used more description. I had a hard time picturing the cliff and the boulders, but maybe that’s just me.
4 Stars

Book Overall
4 Stars

Brandi is an up-and-coming lawyer with great grades at law school but she’s very naïve. After her fiancé dumps her, she spends seven grand on clothes/makeovers and has hot sex with a total stranger, Roberto. Turns out, Roberto is a suspected jewel thief and she’s the new lawyer assigned to his case.
Brandi has a bad history of men controlling her life, but she doesn’t see any problem with what they do to her. Her emotionally abusive and estranged father often calls her stupid. I hate to agree with him. She has so many chances to act like a strong, smart woman, but she continues to trust those she shouldn’t.
Even Roberto doesn’t treat her with respect. He forces her into dangerous situations without telling her why and she doesn’t ask why. Since a judge remanded him into her care, she’s his babysitter and responsible for every little wrong thing he does (like planning a jewelry heist). Roberto promises he wouldn’t do anything to get her in trouble, but then he does it anyway. Brandi’s not upset over the lies and she nearly gets them both killed and almost ruins an FBI operation when she tries to rescue him.
I couldn’t relate to Roberto. He admits to Brandi that he’s a jewel thief and seduces her into not going to the police. He also states she can’t say anything because of the lawyer/client confidentiality. Her law firm is trying to prove his innocence, after all, and she doesn’t want to ruin the case.
At first I liked her boss. He’s a family friend and she thinks of him as her uncle. When she tells him Roberto is taking her to meet dangerous criminals which could affect his defense in court, her boss tells her to dress pretty because it’s her job to stay on Roberto’s arm like eye-candy. So she does. After that, I just couldn’t like her boss anymore.
I never saw any real romance between them. Hot sex and a lot of adventure? Yes. The whole stereotype about big-breasted blondes being brainless toys played a big role in the book. I don’t like to see women objectified and I really felt bad for Brandi. Roberto never even apologized to her for all the lies and for endangering her life.
I usually love Christina Dodd books, but I found the writing repetitive. There were lots of POV shifts and half the time I didn’t know who was talking. The jewel heist plotline was fun and interesting, but I wish Brandi would’ve been a willing participant.
2 Stars

Disclaimer – I found this book at the library. I am a reader. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason.

In the second book in the Well Pleasured series, Ian Fairchild arrives at Fionnaway Manor in Scotland at his dying father’s behest. As one of the infamous Fairchilds, he’s an illegitimate son trapped in a cruel family who taunts him and makes him feel inferior. He’s also part Selkie and has abandonment issues since his seal-shifter mother left him when he was a child.
Lady Alanna MacLeod is the long-lost rightful heir and mistress of the manor. She ran away four years ago to escape an unsuitable marriage and now plans to return on her twenty-first birthday to take control of the manor and her lands. Unfortunately for her, Ian wants her property just as badly as she does. He’s the son and heir to the cruel Leslie Fairchild, Alanna’s guardian. When she returns, Ian knows he’ll only get the property through marriage, so he sets out to seduce her.
I couldn’t relate to Alanna and Ian. They’re both strong, stubborn characters, but they constantly butted heads. He’s so desperate for a home and a place to belong that he selfishly seduces her without a care to her wants and needs. Likewise, she’s so naïve and hopeful to win back her home from Leslie that she can’t see all the problems ahead of her. (As a land-owning woman in her time-period, she doesn’t have many rights and needs a husband to secure her future. It’s not right or fair, but that’s how things worked.) Given her options, I found her very foolish for not giving Ian a chance to prove himself. Also, the age difference irked me. She’s 21 and he’s 34. It was a little much for me.
Though I liked parts of this book, I don’t understand why Alanna and Ian catered to Leslie, who was an absolutely horrible person. He despises his son and makes everyone around him miserable. In the previous book, he even had a woman’s hand chopped off as a joke.
As with the first book, this one is considered “politically incorrect.” Maybe I’m just jaded, but I didn’t think this one was that bad. Yes, Ian sleeps with Alanna and takes her virginity when she’s drugged and unable to consent, but he didn’t hurt her and she was awake enough to moan in pleasure, even though she thought the experience was a wonderful dream. I agree what he did was wrong, but I’ve read much worse in other books.
I wish Sebastian and Mary from book one would’ve made an appearance. Ian’s cousin, Wilda, was here, and she’s more childish than I remember. Still, I liked the development of her character. I enjoyed the history of the Selkies, the description of the Highland landscape, and the H/h’s romance once they finally worked through their differences. I would’ve liked an epilogue or some detail about how the Selkie pact will change since the death of one of the guardians. There’s one more book in the series, a novella in the Scottish Brides anthology, and I look forward to reading it.
3 Stars

Forget What You Know by Christina Dodd
Last Seen in Gothic series #2. Romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Zoey doesn’t remember anything from her childhood. When a car almost runs her over, she sent down a path of mystical items and dangerous memories.
Weaving storylines and clues surround Zoey and the Heart of the dragon legend.

Madame Rune makes an appearance as well as Luca’s Guiseppina for some interesting predictions while Zoey and Luca try to track down clues.
The ending coincides are great.

Point Last Seen by Christina Dodd
Last Seen in Gothic series #1. Contemporary thriller, romantic expense.
Adam Ramsdell finds a floating body in the ocean surf near his house on Gothic. He’s shocked when that body starts coughing up water and is obviously still alive. But all she remembers is that her name is Elle and she’s terrified of something out in the world. Adams agrees she can stay in his home as she tries to remember her past and perhaps escape the impending danger.

Intriguing romantic suspense with surprising twists and unusual coincidences. Not sure I trust Madame Rune but she is a crafty and entertaining woman.
4.5½

This one was a little slow to start but once the action started it was fast paced. I was disappointed that Kellen was no longer at the Yearning Sands Resort because I liked it there and I enjoyed the people. It didn't really matter in the end anyway though. There's more character development in this one as Kellen learns to deal with the newly acquired daughter that she doesn't remember giving birth to. This is a good addition to the series and is pretty much what you would expect from a Christina Dodd novel.

All in all, a great page turner filled with twists, turns, and suspense. This would be good for fans of Karin Slaughter. A definite must-read recommendation.

This was a good conclusion to the Kellen Adams trilogy. I could hardly put it down and finished in the middle of the night. Thank goodness I didn't have work the next day!

This is my first Christina Dodd novel, and I was not disappointed. I have the entire trilogy, received from Harlequin Reader Service over several months. My version also had the novella Hard to Kill at the end.

I read Hard to Kill first since it is technically a prequel, and was a little confused when she mentioned Gregory because I didn't know who that was. I didn't look at how many pages there were, but I would guess maybe 50 or so. It was a nice little side story. It didn't really add anything to her backstory other than going into her discharge from the US Army. If you have the edition with this novella attached, then by all means, read it. If you have to pay to read it, you can pass it by, you wouldn't really be missing anything.

Now on to the main event. Kellen is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. There are so many layers to her, you were constantly learning something new about her and her history. From her name, to the bullet scar on her forehead, to her forgotten past, there was always a tidbit of her coming into view. She has found a home at Yearning Sands Resort, and brought in some of her military friends. She had thought she could trust all of them, but now everyone is a suspect and she's not so sure. Around every corner is a new surprise, a new twist, a new turn. It really keeps you guessing on who or what is going on. I was a little confused more than once, but that's part of the game of finding a killer, right?

There are quite a few characters, and sometimes I didn't really know who people were, but for the most part it was easy enough to follow along and remember who was who. It didn't really take away from the story, it was pretty easy to keep track of the main characters, but when a side person spoke, sometimes I was just like, who is that again?

All in all, a great book, I could hardly put it down and even when I did, I was still thinking about it, trying to piece together the clues to figure out who the culprit was. If you like mystery, suspense, whodunit, or puzzle stories, then this is definitely for you. This would be good for fans of Tana French or Karin Slaughter.

Welcome to Gothic by Christina Dodd
Last Seen in Gothic series marked as book .5 or 1.5. Contemporary romance novella. Intro.
The Palace Theatre in Gothic, California is filled with history and stories for the Golden Era of opulent drama. In current day, it’s rundown, and in need of repair but still being used for different purposes. Wendy Giordano is looking for old costumes for her fitness class entertainment and begins searching in the old storage rooms. She is knocked unconscious and finds herself back in 1940.

Full story but lots of questions. I’m intrigued and can’t wait to read more of this series.