The Pirate Ruse

The Pirate Ruse by Marcia Lynn McClure

My Rating: 3 stars

Excerpt

An instant before the sea swallowed her, Cristabel Albay gasped her last breath. She was certain it would truly be her last breath… Yet, mere moments later, her head broke the surface of the sea and she exhaled the breath she had been holding—the one that had not been her last—gasping for another.
“Do you swim, woman?” the pirate Navarrone growled.
“Y-yes,” Cristabel stammered. Her thoughts were muddled—for panic was her only ally. Yet, she was cognizant enough to know that her life was still in danger—not from pirates perhaps—but from the sea.
“Then swim!” the pirate growled. “If you want to live to see another sunrise, then swim for The Merry Wench.”
…She glanced up to the Chichester where pirates and British sailors yet battled. The Screaming Witch was already sailing, and Cristabel would rather have died than be the victim of the atrocities that would have met her aboard it.
Yet, to abandon one pirate ship for another? It was madness! Still, she could not fathom drowning—for drowning terrified her more than any other fate of death. Her only hope in surviving was to do as the pirate ordered. …She had heard tales of The Blue Blade Navarrone—tales of mercy. …Perhaps he would take pity on her… Thus, with no other venue to follow, Christabel began to swim—to swim for The Merry Wench and whatever fate awaited her there.

My Review

I loved the characters and storyline of this book. I thought she did a great job with description--not too much, not too little. I thought the tension was great because it kept me reading until 1:30 in the morning. However, I felt like the writing itself was very awkward. She way overused the em dash (--) and repeated the same phrases or descriptions over and over. She misused filler words like then, however and though. It was very distracting and kept pulling me out of the story. I had to tell myself to ignore those things so I could enjoy it. I read the Kindle version and it had some formatting errors. By the middle of the book, the plot got more exciting and the writing issues didn't bother me as much. I think the writing flaws could be ironed out with a good editor. Overall, I'm glad I read the book.

Illuminations of the Heart Review

Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena

My Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

"Clothilde." He spoke the name on a breath like a prayer. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

Her heart is lost in that first embrace, her world is shaken to its foundations. There is just one problem; her name is not Clothilde. It is Siriol de Calendri. Trained in the art of illumination in the far-off city of Venice, Siri is directed by her late brother's will to the county of Poitou in France, where she enters the guardianship of her brother's friend Sir Triston de Brielle. Once in Poitou, Siri hopes to find employment in an illuminator's shop - until Triston unexpectedly snatches her heart away with a kiss.

Triston is a man of quiet honor and courage, but the guild he carries for the death of his late wife, Clothilde, has left him numb and hesitant to love again. Worse yet, Siri bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. Or does she? Her merry laughter and twinkling eyes are very different from his late wife's shy smiles and quiet ways. Yet when he gazes into Siri's face, all he sees is Clothilde.

Then Triston's past returns to threaten them both. Will his tragic life with Clothilde be repeated with Siri? Trapped between the rivalry of the king's sons on the one hand and a neighbor out for vengeance on the other, Triston realizes it would be safer to send Siri away. But how can he bear to lose her again?

My Review

Joyce does it again. From the first chapter this book hooks you. You've got it all, action, romance, danger, intrigue, revenge and adventure. Just when you think your characters are safe, something else happens to throw them in disarray. This book was a fun ride and Joyce really knows how to write sweet romance. This book has kisses that sizzle, but don't make you blush while reading. I love not having to worry about being caught off guard with inappropriate things. I can always trust Joyce to keep it nice and clean. Then I can just throw myself into the story. Thanks Joyce for a great read!

Loyalty's Web Review

Loyalty's Web by Joyce DiPastena

My Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

In twelfth-century France, King Henry II of England has just finished crushing a rebellion by his power-hungry sons and now seeks to tame the lawless barons who supported them in this corner of his “Angevin empire.” To this end, the king has sent the Earl of Gunthar as his royal representative to ensure that Prince Richard and his former cohorts faithfully adhere to the terms of the peace treaty.

Far from being welcomed with open arms, Gunthar no sooner steps foot in the county of Poitou than he is greeted by a series of assassination attempts. All appear to be linked to the former rebellious prince through the agents of the family and friends of young Heléne de Laurant. A clever, intrepid young woman, she realizes that the only way to prove her loved ones’ innocence is by exposing the true assassin. Heléne races against time—and dark secrets of the past—to unmask the killer before the kingdom plunges back into war.

Fierce determination gives way to mutual attraction as Heléne and Gunthar spar over the identity of the traitor. But their blinding magnetism almost causes them to overlook an even deadlier threat from an entirely unexpected direction.

My Review

I'm not the type of person that throws 5 star ratings at every book. 4 stars--maybe, but in order to earn 5 stars from me, it must make an impression. Loyalty's Web definitely earned 5 stars. This book is more than just a romance. It had twists and turns that had me at the edge of my seat practically pulling out my hair in suspense and kept me reading until 3:00 am. One thing that I appreciate about Loyalty's Web is that it's clean! I could immerse myself in the romance without feeling guilty or worrying about what was on the next page. Joyce wrote a sizzling kiss-- and then kept it there. I think many authors and Hollywood take the easy way out and show that two people have a relationship by going straight to physical intimacy. It takes more work and character development to show the same bond without the use of sex scenes and Joyce does it masterfully! With sizzling (but clean) romance and adventure at every turn, Loyaty's Web took me on a wild and thrilling ride!