Tag: Spellbound Falls

Guest Review: The Highlander Next Door by Janet Chapman

Posted November 10, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: The Highlander Next Door by Janet ChapmanReviewer: Tracy
The Highlander Next Door by Janet Chapman
Series: Spellbound Falls #6
Also in this series: The Heart of a Hero
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: August 26th 2014
Genres: Time Travel
Add It: Goodreads
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three-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Birch Callahan has seen the trouble men can cause. After witnessing her mother’s four marriages, Birch now runs a women’s shelter and doesn’t want a man in her life. But there’s something about her neighbor, Niall MacKeage. Birch can’t figure out how the cop can be so big and gruff and yet so insightful and compassionate—and sexy. Or how she’s falling for a man who acts like someone from the twelfth century.

Niall knows that Birch is attracted to him, even if she seems to distrust all men. Yet he also knows she has a secret—something that drives her to place herself in harm’s way for the women of her shelter. Niall would gladly rush to Birch’s side to protect her from harm, but with their secrets standing between them, he’ll have to reveal his own truth if he wants to keep her…

 

Tracy’s review of The Highlander Next Door (Spellbound Falls #6) by Janet Chapman

Birch and her mother have moved to Spellbound Falls and Birch is running the local women’s shelter. She doesn’t get along so well with her neighbor, the new police chief Niall, but that’s more because every time she sees him she wants to jump him. She decides that they need to have an affair and she’ll get him out of her system but that has its ups and downs as well.

Niall knows that one day Birch will be his permanently but he needs to step lightly. He’s a warrior from the middle ages who was brought through time. He is now running the local police station and that has its good days and bad. When he finds out that Birch and her mother are the targets of a family of con artists Niall is determined to keep them both safe.

This was a cute story. I have to say that I really enjoyed Niall’s character a lot. He was pretty funny without trying to be. He knew right from wrong and he had a wonderful sense of self. Unfortunately I didn’t like him with Birch and that put a damper on the whole book for me. I also had a problem with the details of his life weren’t discussed at any time with Birch. I think before they had their HEA that he should have shared the fact that he came through time. I would have loved to have been privy to that conversation.

Birch was prickly and downright bitchy at times. I’m not sure what caused her to be that way but it wasn’t endearing in the least. She treated Niall badly at first and then claimed to lust after him. I found this strange as those people I don’t like I don’t find attractive – their personality drives down their appeal so the fact that Birch wanted to have an affair with Niall when she didn’t even like him threw me for a loop. Birch did loosen up a bit during the book but I never really warmed up to her.

The suspense portions of the story were decent ones and I thought those parts of the book were well done. This book also continued the story of a new character that was introduced in the last book (which I didn’t finish). I have to say that I’m not all that excited to read about him. I think I might have had my fill of Spellbound Falls. It was a good relationship but I think it’s time for me to move along.

Rating: 3 out of 5

This title is available from Jove. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

three-stars


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Guest Review: The Heart of a Hero by Janet Chapman

Posted March 11, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: The Heart of a Hero by Janet ChapmanReviewer: Tracy
The Heart of a Hero by Janet Chapman
Series: Spellbound Falls #4
Also in this series: The Highlander Next Door
Publisher: Jove, Penguin
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Format: eARC
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Originally from the ancient mythical island of Atlantis, Nicholas has spent the last year deep in the mountains of Maine, serving as Director of Security for the Nova Mare and Inglenook resorts. Fully embracing his life in the twenty-first century, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to a trouble-prone employee, and is determined to keep her safe.

The last thing Julia Campbell needs is a man with a hero complex, especially one as handsome and imposing as Nicholas. All she has to do is keep it together until her younger sister turns eighteen, and then she can focus on her own life. But strange things have been happening at the resort—and it’s Nicholas who keeps coming to her rescue. When Nicholas is suddenly the one in trouble, Julia realizes he’s not quite what he seems—and that she’ll do anything to help the man who’s stolen her heart…

Nicholas was raised on Atlantis by foster parents as he had washed up on the islands shores with no identification. He is now working as head of security at Nova Mare, the exclusive resort run by his friend Mac Oceanus and his wife Olivia. He is alerted to an issue by one of his employees and decides to take action.

Julia Campbell works as a housekeeper at Nova Mare. She has some transportation issues because she’s been riding her bike to work but now it’s winter and she can’t ride in the snow. Her brother Reggie is being a bear about having her drive his truck and Nicholas tries to intervene. She’s stubborn and starts walking her bike home but Nicholas is a gentleman and gives her a ride. This begins a series of interactions that has Nicholas deciding that Julia is the woman for him. Julia, however, is determined that she will never get married again after her first husband turned out to be a complete ass. She tries to keep her distance from Nicholas but she finds herself drawn to him again and again.

I’ve been waiting for Nicholas story as I liked him from the first time he was introduced in this series. He just seemed like the best of the best – a great warrior and a true gentleman. When he decides to pursue Julia he’s a bit confused by her stubbornness but he refuses to give up. When Julia decides to try and scare Nicholas away by acting like a sex crazed maniac she finds that rather than frighten him it makes him like her all the more.

Julia is a strong woman. She has a reputation as the town slut because of her ex-husbands rumor starting but she has only ever been with one man. Her father is considered the town drunk so she’s had to be strong both emotionally and physically in order to take care of her family. Nicholas sees her inner strength and admires her for it but he also gets frustrated at her on again off again attitude. I had to agree with the man because she’d have sex with the guy and then crawl out the bathroom window afterward! Not once, but twice! Who does that? I know she was afraid of what she was starting to feel for him but come on, act like an adult.

Despite Julia’s childishness post sex I really liked the woman. She seemed like she really had her head on straight and was incredibly intelligent. I liked how Chapman made Julia and Nicholas so compatible both intellectually as well as physically.

There was another part of the story that had to do with who exactly Nicholas IS and while I found that interesting I found it just an ok part of the book.

The overall story was very good and I thought it was a nice addition to the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Series:

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover

four-stars


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