The Maid's Quarters (Crawford Family #2.5) by Holly Bush

When Alice came home from Texas, she didn't expect the door to be locked and her mother and brother not home.  What had happened while she was gone?

Goddess Fish Blog Tours and the author shared this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can pick up a copy now.

It's a novella, so it's an easy read.  Ms. Bush gives you enough details to flesh the story out and make it interesting.  I've read her work before and she always does a good job with her romances.  I like stories that leave the characters living happily ever after.

When she finds out they have been evicted without a chance to take anything with them, not even her brother's medicine, Alice goes on the warpath.  She's going to straighten this out.  What she finds is that no one wants to listen to her.  She tries to brace the lion in its den, but the secretary won't let her past him.  It's a good thing the owner hears her and comes to talk to her.  He calms her down and looks into it.  What he finds is not good news.

It gets even worse when the rent collector comes the next day and trashes everything in the house.  Being caught the owner means he lies about who did the damage but there are too many other witnesses.  All of a sudden, the rent collector and his thugs are unemployed.

Albert tries to make it right by buying the family new furniture, linens, dishes and anything else destroyed.  The longer he's around Alice, he's sure he's in love with her.  But he's a landowner with lots of money and she used to be a maid.  She's not good enough to be his wife.  She's got another secret, too, but she hasn't told anyone about that.

There's give and take and compromise in this story.  Her father comes home.  He's been off on a drunk for years and has death facing him but he'd like to be with his family.  Alice has to decide what do about him, what to do about Albert and how she's going to live her adult life.  

I enjoyed this read a lot.  Ms. Bush writes good stories.  She's also giving away a prize during this blog tour: 

Holly will award a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE.

Happy reading! 

Cross the Ocean by Holly Bush

Blake is the Duke of Westford and he's the epitome of lordly traditions and appropriate behavior.  He has done all he should to hold his title and expects his family to do the same.  So when his wife has the temerity to leave him for another man, his whole world is shaken...

Ms. Bush and Goddess Fish Blog allowed me to read an ebook of this story for review (thank you).  You can buy a copy now wherever ebooks are sold.

I've read several books by Ms. Bush and I've never been disappointed.  She writes a good romance story with enough other things going on to keep your interest.

In this book, the poor behest Duke can't stand to be seen by the ton with the embarrassment he's carrying, so he goes to visit his best friend, Anthony.  Unfortunately, he forgot they had an American visitor.  His first impression of her is that she's an Amazon; she's the largest woman he's ever seen, even if she's in great shape.

Blake finds himself fascinated with her even as he knows they can have no future and she's too forward and opinionated to fit into his life.  She thinks he's attractive, if stuck in a rut and not too smart about people and life.

The banter between them is fun.  Watching Blake be horrified by her activities initially is great fun.  He finds himself caring about her when he doesn't want to.  Then she goes home...

It might all have ended here, but William went home with her.  He stowed away on the ship.  Blake decides to go after his son and takes his butler with him.  As he gets to America and all his goods get stolen, he begins to learn a few things about life.  When he gets lost on the way to Gertrude he learns much more.  He even gets captured by Indians!  But there's much more before the end.  And all of it is a good read.  Two stubborn and proud people take a bit to settle things down.

I really enjoyed this read.  Why not settle in your chair and give it a read yourself?  You'll be pleased with the big scene at the end when the duke arrives at home in England; it made me smile!

The author is giving away a $50 gift card for Amazon or B & N to one random commenter during the tour.  Here is your link to enter:  Contest

Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  Blog tour

Happy reading.

Reconstructing Jackson by Holly Bush

After the end of the Civil War, there was a lot of damage to be repaired including the war veterans.  

The author and Goddess Fish Blog sent me a copy of this ebook to read for review (thank you).  You can purchase a copy on any of the ebook sites now.

Jackson was to inherit the plantation from his father and had a fiance when he went to war.  He came home without his leg, his older brother died during the war, and his father declared him unfit to run the plantation.  His young brother not only inherits the plantation, he gets his fiance too.  There's no reason for him to stay on the plantation any longer and he moves to a hotel in Missouri run by his cousin to start over.  What he encounters there will change his life forever.

As he sits on the porch at night brooding about what he might have had and where he's going now, he ends up becoming friends with a black free woman.  He's not proud of it, but he does admire her and they have intelligent conversations.  His connection with her will cause him pain and change who he is.

Belle is young woman living with an abusive father and brother.  Beulah (the black woman) is teaching her to read and that ends up in a beating that almost kills her.  In a desperate move to protect her, Jackson offers her marriage.

Ms. Bush always takes unlikely characters and puts them together in a fragile romance.  I really enjoy watching her characters dance around each other.  Her men and woman are tough and opinionated and don't compromise easily; but they'll protect each until death.  

Since the author set this in the south right after the war, there are race epitaphs, violence, and a lot of hatred to go around.  This is a vital part of this story based on history, so I didn't find it offensive.  It did make me sad.

I truly enjoyed reading this story.  Why not give this historical romance a read and watch Jackson and his wife grow into a warm, loving relationship?

Holly will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/virtual-review-tour-reconstructing.html

Happy reading.

     

Train Station Bride by Holly Bush

Julie Crawford is going to escape her domineering mother by running away and marrying.  That will prevent her parents from trying to take her back home again.  She had written this man for a year and had agreed to marry him, what could go wrong?

Goddess Fish Blog and Holly Bush allowed me to read ebook of this story for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can grab a copy of it on Amazon now. I'd read this author in the past and enjoyed her book, so I was anxious to read this one, too.  She didn't disappoint me.

Who would have guessed there would be TWO men waiting for wives at the train station?  And when the train made so much noise, she found herself suddenly married to the wrong man!

Ms. Bush's tales are always sweet and endearing.  There is a bit of sex in the story, but they're a married couple so that's not unusual.

Jake is living in his parent's house.  He has raised his sisters and given them land and some money to begin their families.  He was looking for a work partner that could feed him, keep the house clean and maybe work in the fields with him.  He also wants a son.

Julie grew up in Boston and is used to the fine things in life.  She doesn't know how to cook.  She has lady's hands, no calluses.  But she's willing to learn; she doesn't want to go back.  The problem is that Julie is carrying a secret.  And she doesn't tell Jake about it until it's almost too late.

This is a great love story about young woman who hadn't had the strength to stand up to her mother.  By marrying Jake, she has learned that her mother wasn't right about a lot of things and she's willing to sacrifice even her happiness with Jake to make it right.

The author uses the emotional trauma well, making the story one you won't forget about quickly.  I'm hoping she'll be writing another story because I've enjoyed the two I've read.  I'd read another.

Why don't you buy a copy of this and see if you relate to these characters as much as I have?  I think you'll agree it's a good read.

Holly will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter, so don't miss out commenting on the various blog sites for more chances.  Here is where to find the list:  Blog Tour List  

Happy reading!