Showing posts with label Sandy James. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandy James. Show all posts

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Murphy's Law by Sandy James

Seth Remington had a fortune at his fingertips, but something was missing in his life. Purpose.
Knowing he has one last chance to redeem his son, terminally ill Sterling Remington rewrites his will. To earn his inheritance, his son Seth must labor as a groom for a horse trainer.


Katie Murphy's orderly existence is turned upside down by Sterling Remington's will. Raised on hard work and dedicated to her harness racing stable, Katie agrees to take Seth on as a groom. How can she ever fulfill the challenge of instilling a work ethic in Seth and still keep her faltering stable running? 

Kept at arm's length by the strict terms of Sterling's will, Seth and Katie are forced to struggle with their growing attraction until a devastating racing accident forces them to take a hard look at their relationship. How much is he willing to risk for her love?


Review:

Katie's character really spoke to my heart. She was an extremely likable person with a conscience and even when she was hurt, she would think about the best interest of the other person involved. In walks Seth Remington, with his huge ego and extravagant lifestyle. Katie calls things like they are which is a refreshing change for Seth. Seth's character was a man who was yet to find himself. I enjoyed watching the transformation between the man the book started off with and the man at the end of the book. It was a journey that was filled with laughs, tears and everything in between. Being attracted to Katie was not a part of the deal but what can you do when true love is involved. Seth and Katie together had my heart pounding and I was hanging onto every written word. Their relationship was electric. I love epilogues in the books I read and this has to be the best epilogue yet! It's full of surprises you didn't see coming.

Ms. James has written an outstanding piece of work that was packed with one thrill after another. The action scenes blew me away and the romance had such sexual tension, I was cheering for Katie and Seth the entire story long. I learned a lot about horse racing throughout the book which made it that much more fun. Murphy's Law is not a book you want to miss, trust me. It has all the elements of a superb novel that will tug at your heartstrings one minute and want to destroy someone the next. I highly recommend Murphy's Law and watch out for Ms. James, she is on her way to the top.

Buy Here

Free Falling by Sandy James

Workaholic Ross Kennedy never learned to enjoy life until he meets the woman of his dreams. If only Laurie Miller can convince him that's exactly who she is.

A psychologist with empathic abilities, Laurie rescues Ross, who has been stranded in the middle of a Montana blizzard. The two strangers are completely snowed in and out of contact. In just a few days, their attraction to each other is overwhelming, but Laurie is troubled. Her empathic gift seems to have vanished. Fascinated by his pretty rescuer, Ross struggles to open up his heart enough to let this woman in.

When the two return home to Chicago, they try to solve a mystery revolving around a Prohibition Era journal they discovered in Montana. Will they find the missing treasure the journal points to? And as a former boyfriend begins to stalk Laurie, how will Ross be able to protect her?



Oh my gosh, where to begin with this book? Characters, we will start with the characters. I recently reviewed Murphy's Law which is book 1 in the Damaged Heroes series. Ross had been one of the characters in the first book which left me feeling that his character was just a bit too nice, safe, and maybe a bit too deeply infatuated with Katie. There weren't the sparks you would think when you thought of a romantic couple. So when Ross got his own book, I couldn't help but think, finally, I get to see what makes Ross who he is. I was stunned. Ross turned out to be a character who definitely had control issues, was a Type A personality and had a wide range of emotions that left me pleasantly surprised. To make a long story short, Ross turned out to be a dream hero! I fell in love with his character, humor and fierce protectiveness of Laurie. He was one to come to a snappy judgement but was slowly learning to look at situations in a different perspective. Laurie's character was so spunky, straightforward at times and humorous about eighty percent of the time (the other twenty percent she was too busy dealing with the action that was taking place in the book). Being a psychologist, she knew her self confidence issues were something she needed to deal with but out of habit, succumbed to regularly putting herself down. It would take a strong man to show Laurie just how beautiful and mesmerizing she really was. Having a gift of being able to read peoples emotions had hindered Laurie in the love department. She couldn't even kiss a man because she could read their deep emotional thoughts. It was just too much for her to handle. Ross and Laurie's characters were polar opposites with him being the type of person to need control at all times and Laurie's need to help everyone. These two characters complimented each other in a way that was unexpected and appealed to me. Alex was the ex-boyfriend who had left abruptly only to come back into Laurie's life a few months later. The drama he brings to Laurie's life is sure to put some stress on the relationship between Ross and Laurie, or will it only bring them closer? Shiela, Ross' secretary had me laughing so hard with her smart comments and spot on assessment when Ross did something wrong.

Now on to the plot of the book. Free Falling was an intense suspense read laced with a paranormal element that certainly brought a sense of intrigue to the story. A combination of two love stories that were intertwined throughout the book had me hooked. I loved how the clues were left along the way and I was kept on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the the answer to the mystery. The plot line was very well developed and the writing was so smooth it flowed flawlessly. I could feel the emotions of horror, anger and love from Ross as well the helplessness Laurie felt to keep the circumstances that were happening around her at bay.

This is the second book that Ms. James has written in this series and I have fallen in love with her writing style and ability to combine suspense with a breathtaking plot. I highly encourage you to read the entire series. Although Free Falling is book 2 in the series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone book, but I guarantee you that once you read one, you will want to read them all.

Murphy's Law - Damaged Heroes Book 1
Free Falling - Damaged Heroes Book 2
All the Right Reasons - Damaged Heroes Book 3
Faith of the Heart - Damaged Heroes Book 4

Buy Here

Faith of the Heart by Sandy James

Investigative reporter Joshua Miller has turned his back on life. Since cancer claimed his wife, he can't bring himself to write another story. Then he hears about a fascinating woman who piques his curiosity.
After being struck by lightning, Sarah Reid finds herself with a gift... and a curse. She can heal the sick and dying. She soon realizes that along with the special gift also comes danger to her own life. Feeling responsible for the death of her best friend, Sarah reasons that perhaps she has received the gift to make amends, no matter the personal cost.
Neither expects sparks to fly when they meet. Sarah discourages Josh's persistence in investigating her while he fights his attraction, refusing to acknowledge that she can truly save people.
Can Sarah break through Josh's stubborn cynicism and show him that miracles really can come true by leading him back to love?


Review:
I am so in love with the entire Damaged Heroes series. Faith of the Heart did not fail to amuse, captivate and enthrall me! Joshua Miler's character was incredibly moving. He had just lost his wife the year before and in all reality had ceased living. Sarah had lost someone extremely close to her and found herself blaming the only person she felt was responsible, herself. The instant attraction Joshua and Sarah had, kept just enough sparks flying for me to rapidly turn the pages waiting to find out what happened next. The way Sarah was able to heal took my breath away. I thought the fact that Joshua had a teenage daughter made this book very relatable with very believable characters. This is truly a story about finding your hidden strengths. The ending was brilliant! This is a book that could be read on it's own but it was so wonderful to revisit the characters from some of the previous books.

Ms. James never fails to bring the heroes that are less than perfect emotionally but make up for it in the deeply devoted way they treat the women they fall in love with. This is one author who writes a touching story with very real emotions and a romantic story line that will leave you craving more. I highly recommend not just book but the whole series to everyone who is a fan of an intelligently written novel that is enchanting, intriguing and just down right sexy!

Murphy's Law (Book 1)
Free Falling (Book 2)
All the Right Reasons (Book 3)
Faith of the Heart (Book 4)

Buy Here

All the Right Reasons by Sandy James

Can love heal all wounds? Lucas Mitchell returned from Iraq a bitter, changed man, wracked with guilt over his friend’s death. He buys an ancient mansion and deals with his injuries and grief by restoring his new home and rehabilitating retired racehorses. Joy Kovacs falls in love with Lucas at first sight. Descended from gypsies who are still influenced by the lingering effects of the Nazi Holocaust, her family follows the traditional ways. A husband has already been selected for her, and her father insists she work at their ethnic restaurant. But Joy wants to use her talent and be an artist, and she wants no one but Lucas. How can Joy find a way to help Lucas break from his prison of grief? Although they’ve committed their hearts to each other, can the growing love and passion between Lucas and Joy survive her family’s insistence that she marry within her culture?



Review:
Lucas Mitchell was a complex character who had emotionally given up after losing his buddy on his tour in Iraq. Joy was the woman that could save him when no one else could. The relationship between Lucas and Joy was one unlike any I have read so far. Being a Gypsy, Joy could sense what Lucas needed. In subtle ways, Lucas would be able to sense what Joy wanted and needed. To add to this intriguing plot line, the Romungro culture is steeped in tradition and Joy's family would not let Lucas join their tight circle as he was not of full Romungro ancestry. Joy had to choose and one way or another, would let someone down. Would it be her closely knit family or the love of her life? The addition of the villain, Tamas, was priceless. I anxiously delved into this book anticipating the third book of the Damaged Hero's series. The other two books in the series were amazing and All the Right Reasons did not disappoint. I was in for a shock when I cracked open the book. It was extremely hard to put down. All the Right Reasons evoked unexpected emotions in me. I felt a part of Joy and Lucas' lives and the pain in my heart ached for Lucas and the issues he was dealing with. The guilt he was carrying around was almost suffocating at times. It was truly phenomenal how Ms. James was able to so accurately depict how a soldier would feel in such a situation. All the Right Reasons was a multilayered, emotionally gripping story of the guilt of a soldier, the love of family, and just trying find closure. All the Right Reasons is laced with humor and oh my gosh, you have got to read the bachelor party scene, I laughed so hard. Joy and Lucas are my favorite couple in this series so far. I know I say this after each and every book but the characters truly get better with each book. Ms. James has once again gone above and beyond and delivered an exceptional well written, well rounded, touching love story with deep meaning. I can't recommend this book enough. I can promise that anyone who is not a fan of Ms. James yet, will most certainly be by the end of this book. I am anxious to read the fourth book in the Damaged Hero's series, Faith of the Heart. I am listing all the books so far in this series because, trust me, you will want to read them all. Although they can all be read as a stand alone book, you WILL want to read the entire series.

Buy Here