My Summer Reads

Open Country-Kaki Warner
How do you forgive a brother's betrayal? How far do you go to protect the family you love? Hank and Molly find out in OPEN COUNTRY, Book II of the 1870s family saga, the Blood Rose Trilogy.
~*~"This is the first book I've read by Kaki Warner, and I was enchanted. Her heroine, Molly McFarlane is desperate and is forced to flee with her late sister's children, while outrunning the relentless tracker the children's vicious stepfather has set on their trail. With no other options, she marries a man badly injured in a train derailment, assuming when he dies, the railroad settlement will provide the money they need to keep moving West.
But there is one small problem. The man doesn't die.
Any romance reader will love this story. It has a little of everything in it, and is written in a pleasing way that makes the reader see the scenes as if they were a movie." Celia

Cutting for Stone-Abraham Verghess
Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.
~*~"I will admit, this hefty 547-page novel is a bit of a trial to read. I had to be patient, because once I began reading, I could not stop. The only criticism I have are the long passages of intense surgery, with complete details. Although I'm fine with this sort of thing, some may not be. But if you read one literary novel this year that's on the NY Times Best Seller list, make it this one." Celia

The Bikini Car Wash-Pamela Morsi
After Andrea Wolkowicz abandons corporate life to help care for her twin sister, she quickly wears out the want ads in their rust-belt hometown. Time to be her own boss.
Every mogul knows the best idea is an old idea with a new twist. So Andi proudly revives her father's business: an old-fashioned car wash...staffed entirely by bikini-clad women. That ought to get traffic--and blood--flowing on Grosvenor Street!
~*~"First, I'll say that Pamela Morsi is one of my all-time favorite authors. I've read most of her books. Each one carries a certain thread, so when I saw this book cover I thought, "Nope. This won't be like her others." Do I ever judge a book by its cover?" Yes, obviously. But let me assure you this story is a very good Pamela Morsi book. Please read it—it's not exactly what you think." Celia

This Time Forever-Linda Swift
Against his family's wishes Philip Burke volunteers to defend the Union and instead becomes a prisoner of war, bartering his medical expertise to remain out of prison.
When the Union Army invades Tennessee, Clarissa Wakefield's antebellum mansion becomes a Confederate hospital. Philip is placed in charge and against propriety she stays on and helps nurse the wounded while her Confederate soldier husband is elsewhere.
~*~"This is a classic Linda Swift novel filled with the passions of love and war. You may be thinking of Gone with the Wind, and you would be correct making the comparison. While this novel is different on most levels, they do share the horrors of war and the intense yearning for home. This Time Forever is a LASR Five Star Book of the Week winner." Celia

A Western Saga Anthology

Four romance stories of the American West:
Every Girl's Dream by Cheryl Pierson
Along Came Will by Celia Yeary
Storm Riders by Karen Michelle Nutt
Safe Hands by Cindy Carrier
~*~"Since I have a story in the Anthology, of course I read the anthology. Each story centers on family descendent of the early McTavish clan. For quick, fun, summertime reading, get this one in eBook or print." Celia

2011 Summer Collection
Six stories of romance by six talented authors to enhance your reading pleasure and stir your passions:
Addie and the Gunslinger-Celia Yeary
The Tripany of Calazar and Trulene-Charlotte Raby
Distracted-Rita Hestand
The Test of Time-Kate Kindle
The Grey Queen and the Silver King-Christine E. Schulze
One Magic Night-Cheryl Pierson
~*~"This anthology contains six short stories—a real bargain! The genres are mixed in this book, giving you a sample story by six different authors who write different genres. So, please add this one, also to your list. It's a lot of fun to read." Celia

Summer at Willow Lake-Susan Wiggs
Real estate expert Olivia Bellamy reluctantly trades a trendy Manhattan summer for her family's old resort camp in the Catskills. A posh resort in its heyday, the camp is now in disarray and Olivia is forced to hire contractor Connor Davis—a still-smoldering flame from her own summers at camp.
~*~ "Susan Wiggs is another favorite author. This one is the first—I believe—of the Willow Lake Series. I've never been disappointed in any of her stories. If you haven't tried her, this is a good first read." Celia

His Leading Lady-Paula Martin
Jess Harper’s predictable life is turned upside down when she discovers that Lora, her twin sister, has disappeared. It’s just a week before rehearsals are due to start for a new West End musical in which Lora has the lead role. Jess decides to pose as her sister in order to save Lora's career.
~*~"This romance begins slowly, lulling the reader into thinking she knows what will happen. I can say, however, that feeling is short-lived when the action and mystery picks up. The characters are sophisticated, and this is a novel that I call "a grown-up story," complete with tension and passion running high. Try it—you'll like it." Celia

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.com/

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/