Review: The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin

In the Lake District of northern England, the estranged Earl of Askew has returned to his crumbling country estate after years abroad.

He has run out of money and needs to start selling off some of his belongings to pay for his eccentric life style and habits.

He places a call to a well respected auction house in London, Hardy’s, and Gerald Stanton and his apprentice Joanna (Jo) Roswell, are dispatched to the estate to evaluate some of the finer pieces.

Jo’s mother has just died in a terrible plane crash and she welcomes the opportunity to throw herself back into her work.

When Jo and Gerald arrive at the rambling estate of Thirlbeck, they are met with a colorful cast of inhabitants.

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Special Feature and Review: The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma

As many of you know, I reviewed the wonderful novel The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma last year when it was first released.

Now with the paperback release on 2/25/14, I would like to re-post my review here for my new followers!

This novel was truly a fantastic read, it was one of my favorites of the year in 2013.

Here is my original review of the novel for your enjoyment!

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Review: The Queen’s Dwarf by Ella March Chase

In the court of King Charles I, his homesick bride, Henrietta-Maria, longs to be back in the comfort of her French court.

To distract herself she has created a kind of sideshow to entertain herself with.

The Royal Menagerie of Freaks and Curiosities of Nature is a collection of sorts that consist of a giant, two other dwarfs, a rope dancer, an acrobat, animal trainer, and a special dwarf dubbed Lord Minimus.

Lord Minimus is actually Jeffery, a dwarf who has been trained by one of the most dangerous men at court, the Duke of Buckingham, to be a spy.

The Duke of Buckingham has taken Jeffery from his meager existence in a small village and dropped him into the dangerous English court but Jeffery soon begins to feel that his loyalties are a bit divided.

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Review: The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston

Morgana has no interest in marriage, especially to a man she hardly knows. She is different than most women….she’s as wild as the Welsh moors and would rather spend her days with her horses than in the company of society.

But her differences don’t end there, she hasn’t spoken a word since her fathers death when she was a child and to complicate matter further….she’s a witch.

So when her mother arranges a marriage to a local drover, Cai Jenkins, Morgana would love to protest but simply can’t. She knows her mother is sick and that she is lucky to find a husband at all, but she can’t help but feel trapped.

Cai has recently lost his wife who he loved dearly and has no desire to marry again but in his profession, a wife is a requirement. He happens to see Morgana on a recent drover trip and can’t help but be taken by her beauty and intrigued by her mysteriousness.

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Review: Return to Poughkeepsie (The Poughkeepsie Brotherhood #2) by Debra Anastasia

Beckett Taylor is a lot of things: friend, brother, lover, criminal, and murderer. He is all destruction and easily strikes fear in any that cross his path.

But yet under that tough exterior and dark past, there is a ray of hope that he isn’t all bad.

Poughkeepsie is home to three blood brothers–Cole, Blake, and Beckett.  In Return to Poughkeepsie we pick up with their continuing stories, romances, and lives.

While Cole and Blake still call Poughkeepsie home, Beckett has left town until he gets a phone call from Blake that will change everything. The love of Blake’s life, Livia has been kidnapped and a new gang has filled the hole that Beckett left behind.

Beckett has no choice but to return to Poughkeepsie and help his brothers and face his demons once and for all.

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