Lis is working two jobs to pay off her mother's medical bills. Creston is a prince who is sent to find her and bring her back to the neighboring kingdom. She does not know she is a princess, and he is hesitant to tell her for fear she will run. He discovers she is deaf. She does not believe him about being a princess until her mother's lawyer turns up at work giving her a letter from her mother telling her about her father. She agrees to go with Creston for a visit. Their attraction grows the more time they spend together. Will she be accepted by her father and his family? Will she stay?

I enjoyed this story. Creston and Lis are a perfect couple, just made for each other. She brings out the best in him. He accepts her with no hesitation. Her father is not happy with him but soon realizes that Lis can take care of herself. Lis is absolutely adorable. I really liked his parents. They may be king and queen, but they don't let it interfere with their love. His mother is great! I'm on the fence about his older brother but he seems to give good advice. I loved this story! It is a feel-good story and a keeper.

I’ve heard and seen this book everywhere so I had to read it.  Shooting your spouse five times in the face and then, pulling the silent treatment, now that is a good defense.  What would cause someone to commit such a crime? I had to know.

I didn’t know if I really trusted Alicia throughout the book, although I didn’t know who I trusted really. Theo and Alicia both seemed sketchy to me.  In parts of this books, I felt that I was secretly doing one of those sinister laughs as I read it.  So who was getting the raw end of the deal now?

Alicia was admitted to the Grove, six years ago for a crime that she committed against her husband.  Theo, feels that he’s qualified for the available position of forensic psychotherapist at the Grove, which will also provide him the opportunity to work with Alicia.  Oh Theo, right off the bat, you feel that you are uniquely qualified to help the unresponsive Alicia and that myself, has me questioning your motive.  

As I learned more about the two of them, both what is presently occurring and their past, it’s no wonder things are a mess.  What I thought for one of them, I ended up thinking for the other one eventually.  While I was reading, I was trying to figure out which one of them was clever and which one of them was smart.  What was their motive?  What did they really want?  I never saw that ending coming nor did I suspect it. 

I thought the book was a fun, entertaining read.  I can see why some individuals really loved the book, I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it.  I’m glad that I read it and I look forward to reading what this author writes in the future. 

Silent Surrender by Lizabeth Scott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Silent Surrender is a beautiful blessing. Cres and Lis mark the first time in my reading experience that I had to pick my heart up off the floor. Going in I didn't know what to expect, but Scott rattled my emotions and gave me a story that I won't soon forget. Cres may be a heartbreaker, but it's Lis who is the star of the show. Life has not always been kind and she has been forced to face many challenges, yet it's her fighting spirit that drew me in. Silent Surrender is a lesson of hope that may sometimes feel like a fairytale, but never loses sight of it's heart.

This is a gutsy, unique, very realistic crime novel. A wonderful lead character, DI Manon Bradshaw, coping with the pressure of trying to run 2 major police investigations and a personal life with many pressures, and unwanted devastating news. She is a lady we can all identify with, the work life balance, enjoying a successful career without destroying a young marriage. This is not a normal police procedural in which the unravelling of the facts leads to the identification of the perpetrator….it is so much more than that. Susie Steiner has been able to showcase and bring to our attention issues that influence our daily lives, not only in the UK but throughout the world: Racism, modern day slavery, people kidnapping/trafficking, neo-Nazi groups, immigration, exploitation, ill equipped police force, prejudice. It expertly highlights internal and external pressures a career police man/woman has to accommodate in order to survive in a world where we are led to believe we can have it all.

A body is discovered hanging from a tree in the Cambridgeshire woods with the words, “The dead cannot speak”, attached as a note to the body. What a fabulous way to start a novel, what numerous possibilities enter the mind of the reader. Did he jump or was he pushed? Like the opening of Pandora’s box what on first blush appears a relatively simple investigation unfolds in a web of hate, racism, and political intrigue. Manon is not a woman to accept defeat, as she struggles with her personal life caring for partner Mark, and her two children. She is determined to be successful in a career where cynicism and politics rule supreme.

“They barely touch each other these days, her and Mark. The bed is an icy canyon they cannot cross”……

“Why does this mental load descend with such force? Is it late middle age? The anxiety has smothered her libido once as bouncy as a Labrador pup”….

“It’s flexing in and out of a relationship that’s difficult. It’s the same after intense jobs- twenty hours at work, then domesticity, the supermarket”….

“There are phases of life that are depressing, when it feels as if things are ending-vigour, fertility, excitement, pleasure- and nothing now seems to be coming over the horizon”….

This is not just a story it is a literary achievement. It is captivating in its ability to get under the skin of what it is like to live, of what it is like to survive in a world obsessed by social media, a world where achievement and perfect home life is the true value when in reality it is not worth a damn. An outstanding book in both its content and execution. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in return for a honest review and that is what I have written. Highly, highly recommended.

Despite its pleasant, seemingly innocuous name, Walton, Georgia is not the place to plan your next getaway, especially if you are trying to escape a dangerous past. Just when you thought it was safe…Nurse Pecca Gallegos has fled to Walton to protect her son from her own poor choices in the past, putting distance between them and the danger. Or so she thinks, until a phone call from her brother upends her fragile sense of security and increasingly disturbing things begin happening. Her newest patient, honorably discharged Army veteran Colton Crawford, steps in to help, but neither is prepared for the consequences.

Romantic suspense tends to be hit or miss for me. I often find that the romance angle is overdone and overpowers the suspense, which is my favorite part. Thankfully, “Silent Shadows” provides an adequate amount of tension, and I wanted to know what would happen in each new chapter, although I did easily zero in on one of the villains right away. While this is book three in Natalie Walters’ Harbored Secrets series, I did not have any difficulty reading it as a standalone. The patients at Home for Heroes quickly captured my heart, and I appreciated that Walters chose for Colton to be affected by psychogenic movement disorder (PMD) rather than the typical PTSD in order to highlight another challenge that may impact our veterans. Pecca and Colton’s first meeting certainly packed a punch and had me laughing!

Throughout the story, however, I found Pecca’s character rather aloof, and I did not feel that I could relate to her; she often seems awkward, and her internal dialogue disrupted the narrative for me. Maceo, on the other hand, was one of my favorite characters, with his natural ability to empathize and make others feel at ease in spite of his young age. I also very much enjoyed Uncle Jack, who in my opinion had the best commentary in this story, telling Colton, “You’re a go-getter, son, but even Lazarus had to die before the Lord could do his work” and “We all die different kinds of deaths, Colt, but they all lead to one truth. Do you trust him enough to bring you back to life?” These are deep facts to ponder when our own lives seem to be going off track and we are faced with trials. We can either try to work things out on our own, or we can turn to the One who already knows the end from the beginning and has a perfect plan for our lives. As Pecca and Colton come to realize, God is sovereign and omniscient, and because nothing is a secret to Him, ultimately He alone is able to keep us safe, even from what lurks in the shadows.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.