Jean M. Grant

In book 6 in the Deerbourne Inn series, high school teacher Charlotte MacGregor is in Willow Springs, Vermont for spring break. She used to be adventurous, but now she’s withdrawn after the disappearance of her beloved sister, Julie.
New Zealander Matiu Christiansen has been living in the US for several years, but he’s ready to go home and be with his family. Then he meets Charlotte, and she’s different from most of the tourists he deals with everyday.
Charlotte and Matiu are interesting, wonderful characters. She’s trapped in an endless cycle of grief and pain, and he’s determined to make life better for himself and his family. As they get to know one another, he helps her heal and come to terms with the past, and she presents the “forever” that he’s been searching for. Romance bloomed from friendship, and it was very heartwarming.
Ms. Grant really did her homework when writing this story. She did a wonderfully detailed job describing the mountains, snow, hiking, mud, search and rescue (SAR) procedures, Maori speech and customs, etc. I learned a lot.
I really enjoyed this story and would love to read more books by Ms. Grant.
5 Stars

Disclaimer – I volunteered to read and review this book. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
… (mais)

Alasdair Montgomerie is on a mission in the Highlands. Several claimants are vying for the Scottish throne, but the English King Edward has sent an evil baron north to kill everyone who’s loyal to one of the claimants. Alasdair has to deliver his sensitive information to a waiting party, but his plans are derailed after he rescues a drowning woman from a lake.
Deirdre MacCoinneach has lost two husbands and a fiancé in a short time span, but her laird father is determined to marry her off again—to Alasdair (who’s going by Aleck Stirick). She has a magical gift in which she can feel heat, energy, and emotions from other people, which she calls Lifeblood. She recognizes Alasdair from her visions and sets off on an adventure with him to find her deceased mother’s people.
Deirdre and Alasdair (Aleck) were strong, stubborn, intelligent characters. I liked them a lot. They kept a lot of secrets from each other, however, which became tiresome after a while.
I enjoyed the side characters of Kate and Christal (spelling?) and would love to see more of them. I wasn’t crazy about Deirdre’s father, Simon, but I hope I’ll like him better in his book, which is the prequel.
The story pacing was quick in the beginning, slowed some in the middle, and picked back up at the end. I normally read ebooks or print books, but I received a copy of this story in audio. It’s 10 hours and 49 minutes long, which I listened to in two days. The narrator, Rosalind Ashford, did a wonderful job speaking with multiple Scottish accents, but it took me a little while to get use to it.
About the reading order…it’s confusing. I believe A Hundred Kisses is book 1, and A Hundred Breaths is book 2 and a full-length prequel. These books are standalones, but I recommend reading or listening to the prequel first. I wish I had done that. I learned a big spoiler in book 1 about the H/h from the prequel.
Anyway, I enjoyed this story, and I’m still going to give the prequel a chance.
4 Stars
… (mais)

This book was about a mother, AJ, and her nine-year-old son who travel cross-country to find her brother and younger son after a natural disaster. AJ has suffered from depression and anxiety the past year, ever since her husband was killed in an accident leaving her to raise her two children alone. The trip to find her son ended up being a trip to find herself. The writing was beautiful, and the story was filled with well-developed characters. I particularly enjoyed AJ’s relationship with Will, her autistic son, which I believed painted an accurate picture of the challenges and joys of raising a child on the spectrum. The love story also felt very real. Overall, it was a story of hope and renewal and left me feeling uplifted.… (mais)