Month: March 2021

Acts Of Kindness: An uplifting light-hearted mystery about the power of human kindness by Heather Barnett

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, ContemporaryLeave a comment

Acts Of Kindness: An uplifting light-hearted mystery about the power of human kindness
Barbara’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone
Publication Date: 3/11/21
Number of Pages: 215

Bella Black isn’t searching for a new job or a new location, but it seems one has found her. Bella’s life could certainly use some shaking up, especially with her divorce from Mark in the process. When the new company, Acorn Consulting, makes her an incredible job offer, it doesn’t take much convincing for her to accept. She’ll miss all of her friends in London, but the idea of living in a small village is appealing.

The small village is welcoming and the neighbors are – well – neighborly. But there is that one strange, eccentric woman, Maggie Thatcher, who keeps turning up at Bella’s door to give her a welcome gift – then taking it back. Bella’s job is great and her work colleagues are competent and friendly. As Bella learns more about the company, and its charitable arm, OAK, she begins to think something is just a bit off-kilter.

People have disappeared, and Bella has come into possession of something that might point to wrong-doing. She can’t make heads or tails of it herself, but she has no idea who she can trust to help her figure it out. Everyone seems very convincing, but they can’t all be telling the truth.

This was the author’s debut book and she came up with a really interesting idea for a storyline. For me, however, it just fell flat. The characters were cardboard and I never managed to relate to any of them – except Maggie Thatcher – now she was funny and I liked her. The scenes that should have been exciting and on-the-edge-of-your-chair were more like reading a newspaper account – just dry and straightforward.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To Have A Highland Thief by Lori Ann Bailey

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

To Have a Highland Thief (Wicked Highland Misfits, #1)
Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Wicked Highland Misfits #1
Publication Date: 3/16/21
Number of Pages: 297

Flora MacGregor has a heart as big as the sky. Her first thought is always of helping or doing for someone else. She is also a thief. She doesn’t want to be a thief; she just doesn’t have any alternative. Family is everything to her and while hers isn’t one of blood, they are still as important to her as if they were blood. She’ll do whatever she has to in order to protect them. With one of her older ‘brothers’ in danger and all of them facing eviction, she knows she has to come up with a great deal of money. Boy did she ever luck up – she just made a huge score off the English dandy whose pocket she just picked. At least, she thought she was in luck until the dandy tracked her down and dragged her back to his hotel room to force her to tell him what she’d done with his treasure.

Isaac Nathaniel Hamilton, 7th earl of Dunbridge, has just earned back the fortune his uncle lost at cards. He’s spent years tracking down the man who won the fortune and now he’s in Scotland and has just won it back. He’s so pleased with himself that he’s walking down the street with a wide self-satisfied smile on his face. Even better, the most ravishing woman has just bumped into him and their touch lingered. What a good day! Well – it was a good day until he realized that the box with the deeds and jewels is missing. Why that thieving little minx! He’ll just track her down and make her return it all.

After he finds her and brings her back to his hotel room, he tries to coerce her into showing him where she has hidden his property. She’s not quite as easy to coerce as he would have thought. She’s beautiful and the attraction is strong – but she’s also stubborn and determined not to return his property. She’s convinced he doesn’t need it and she knows she does need it to save her family. As the danger to Flora rears its ugly head, Isaac knows he has to keep her safe – even if it means dragging her out of Aberdeen and off to a house party among members of the ton.

They have a strong attraction that turns into love. She wants to protect him – and he wants to protect her – so maybe they can protect each other. Of course, she also wants to protect her ‘brother’ and that brings danger to all of them.

I enjoyed this story and I’m glad I read it. I do think it is highly improbable though. A thief, raised in the streets of Aberdeen, still manages to be clean, neat, and smell like strawberries. That just doesn’t seem possible. Then, she attends a house party among members of the ton and finds acceptance. Her manners, speech, etc. must have been so far afield that both of them would have been asked to leave. None of that kept me from enjoying the story – it was just incongruous for the time (1811).

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, To Covet a Highland Criminal, because it features the ‘brother’ who was in need of saving – Bran. I hope you enjoy the read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.