Leonardo Montoya took a step into Mars’ idea of a luxury suite and snorted. The Quinn behind him offered him a handkerchief, and he waved it away. “I don’t have something up my nose, Quinn.” He took a few more steps and turned. “I have a sudden case of claustrophobia. Is this truly the largest suite you’ve got. I mean, dignitaries from all corners of Earth have traveled here. Surely you have better.” His boat was bigger than this.
“If there is one, I’m not aware of it.” The Quinn narrowed his eyes. “Is 186 square meters truly not large enough for one person?” His Irish lilt was alive with surprise. “My apartment is 46.4 square meters.”
Leo turned and walked across the living area to look into the bedroom. “Yes, well you are a Quinn, aren’t you, and I…” He turned back and lifted his chin, his dark eyes flashing the contempt he felt for the responsibilities his grandfather had thrust upon him on a planet he’d prefer got sucked into the sun. “…am not.”
The Quinn blinked twice. “You can have a look at what the other hotels are offering, but Chief Hill said The Shooting Star was the best.”
Leo ground his teeth in a tight smile, trying to keep his temper in check. He knew he was coming off like a rich prick, when it was really the stress of knowing that one little thing could go wrong on this travesty of a colony, and everyone would die that was starting to throb behind his eyes.
And then there was Luna.
How could she choose Earth high society over being with him? He swallowed hard and hoped he’d swallowed the rage threatening to pour forth. His grandfather was no doubt watching from whatever metaphysical resort he had moved on to, and he could never tolerate “a goddamned tantrum.” Of course, his idea of a “tantrum” was anything other than pure, unadulterated joy.
“This will be fine,” he finally worked out of his mouth. “I’ll only be here, what? A year,” he said flippantly.
“Twenty months, sir.”
Leo’s staged smile sagged.
The 2nd book in my Tripping on Mars series is now available on Amazon!
I’ve had a difficult time coming up with a book hook for this one because there’s just so much going on. Yes, there’s a love story, but it’s a very different sort of love story. And the theme of The Eyes? Well that gets hit from at least three different directions.
Love, suspense, sci fi, humor… It’s all here. But don’t start here. If you haven’t read Mars Madness, that’s the place to begin. That one is a bit more light-hearted, but is still an A1 love story with suspense, twists, depth, and lots of fun! You’ll love them both!
Francesca reached for a piece of bacon, her baby blue eyes wide. “How can you not want to go to Mars? It’s a two year adventure — the chance of a lifetime! If I was old enough to buy a ticket, I would.”
Katrina had no doubt of the truth of that statement. Francesca had been fighting Katrina’s plans for her since she popped out of the womb. And that had been way before Katrina was ready for her and the crazy thing called marriage.
Their wedding vows had not been specific enough, she realized. Where were the vows that dealt with globs of toothpaste in the sink, dirty underwear on the ceiling fan, and ancient books everywhere? Why weren’t there promises recited that dealt with “adventure” and “spontaneity” — code words Katrina now knew meant utter chaos?
The “worse” in “for better or worse” didn’t begin to cover the ways that Doug had ridiculed her for her “irrational fears,” which Katrina knew was just her ability to see coming grief and avoid it.
The whole “love and cherish” thing needed a major revamp, in her opinion, as well. How about keeping each other’s feet on the ground and heads out of the clouds? Literally. Katrina had no love for roller coasters, anti grav parks, or skycars.
Of course, there were dangers on the ground too. Spelunking was a respiratory nightmare, and the bacteria in a hot tub could change your DNA.
This was just common sense.
It’s been a pretty good year for reading when I can recommend more than 10 books! (Yeah, I know, I’m pickier than most.)
I would give all of those that made my list this year 4 or 5 stars.
Without further adieu, here they are in no particular order.
Tamara Leigh is one of the best historical romance writers out there, and this one is particularly satisfying as Sir Durand has shown up in numerous other books in this series, finally getting his own HEA. Sadly, I cannot recommend the book after this one in the Age of Faith series. (The Awakening needed a story editor who would be real with Ms. Leigh and tell her what to cut out.) This one, however is delightful.
Sydney Parnell, railroad cop, is a broken ex-military woman solving mysterious crimes with her dog, Clyde, all the while seeing ghosts from her past. Well-written and intriguing.
Blood on the Tracks was so good, I had to read the next in the series, Dead Stop. Another page turner with great characters! Both of these books are award winners.
I enjoyed this mystery in Africa very much even though I felt the story and the character motivations faltered a bit at the end. Another award winner.
Years in the park service gave Jerry Mitchell a unique perspective and a niche for story-telling that very few others have. He explores the tensions between land owners and the Bureau of Land Management all the while his main character, Jack Chastain, solves a mystery.
Another Jack Chastain mystery by Jerry Mitchell (the 3rd in the series. I still need to read #2, The Height of Secrecy, which was another award winner. On my list for 2019), this one also deals with land owner tensions coupled with an extra dose of politics concerning wild horses on public lands. A brief foray into Africa is a delight as Jack teaches park service methods and learns more than he wants to know about poaching.
Wicked Wyckerly would probably go on my all time favorites romance list. It is well-written with well-rounded, interesting characters. Like Tamara Leigh, Rice doesn’t just set her books in another time period, she makes you feel the time period with her writing style.
Another in The Rebellious Sons series, this too is a romance winner that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Two geniuses at odds, time-travel, and a ghost come together to take you on one wild ride, all for the sake of love and the future of the world.
If you’re a wheelchair user, you will be able to compare experiences with Lorraine. If you’re not, you will gain valuable insight into the lives of those who do. Personal stories and wisdom gained from a lifetime, Cannistra’s book is both entertaining and enlightening.
Raw truth good for commiseration and education, Clark doesn’t mince words as she destroys some of the myths surrounded breastfeeding. Her journey through the difficulties and the wisdom born of experience make for good reading.
Well, there you have it. A weird mix of romance, mystery, sci fi, and real life that you too might enjoy in 2019!
Felicity had been home for an hour, sitting on the edge of her bed, but she was still in shock from the crazy things that Jack had told her. About lightning and vaccinations and how he had dreams of jumping to the future to find Nellie when she had gone missing. His claims were fantastical and utterly ridiculous.
And Felicity believed him completely.
She had asked questions, and dear Jack had answered every one. He’d told her that Jewel was from four hundred years in the future, but that they had met in 2015 when he was sixteen. His tale of waiting for her for ten years would have been a wonderful romantic story if she didn’t know the other side of it—that Jack had been kissing her while he pined for another woman. That he was writing her letters while his longings were for the dark-eyed Jewel rather than herself. It would be enough to send most women running in the other direction.
But Felicity wasn’t like most women.
“Jack, if you’ve changed your mind in the last decade, I’ll understand.” She gave him a teasing smile. “But you’re stuck with me until the next storm.”
Jack blinked, realizing he was giving off wrong signals. “No, Jewel, I haven’t changed my mind. It’s just that… well… I don’t know how to begin. I feel sort of at a disadvantage; you know all about me, but I know almost nothing about you.”
She pulled free of his hands and slid hers around his neck. “Why don’t you come up to my room and get to know me?” Her sultry alto voice only made that proposition seem more wanton.
He placed his hands on her back. “It’s 1919, Jewel, and this is a small town. With you a stranger, everyone will be watching. About all I can do right now is kiss you good night.”
A corner of her mouth quirked up. “Well, at least there’s that.”
He stood nervously looking down at her until her brows rose in question; then he shook off his timidity and inclined his head to put his lips on hers. The contact nearly stole his breath, and her response made his head spin. He pulled her in closer, and his hat slipped off and hit the porch floor. He didn’t care. She was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted, and she seemed to enjoy his explorations as well, sliding her hands into his hair, and matching his intensity.
The sound of footsteps registered in the back of Jack’s brain somewhere, but it wasn’t until someone cleared his throat that Jack abruptly broke away from Jewel, blushing from his hairline to his collar when he turned to find Reverend Niemeyer and his wife, Doris, standing there.
Jack blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair before bending to pick up his hat. “Reverend, what brings you out to Barker House so late?”
“Pie and coffee, Jack.” His eyes flicked to the woman slightly behind him. “I guess I don’t have to ask you the same question.”
The sound of water splashing in the bathroom on the other side of the wall had him sitting upright, listening. He rose slowly and gently padded down the hall to the bathroom door. It was standing slightly ajar, and as he approached, he could see two feet crossed at the ankles, resting on the edge of the tub. Feminine feet.
Pausing, he called out, “Jewel?”
“Come in, Jack.”
That sensuous voice tempted him to obey, but he hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “How did you get in? The door was locked.”
“Oh, well, what good does it do you to lock your doors, if a window is open?”
No matter his irritation with her earlier lack of commitment, he smiled while he shook his head. “You climbed in my window? Right there on the front porch?”
There was the sound of wet skin sliding on porcelain, and he pictured her sitting up. “Not the front, Jack, the back. Your kitchen window.”
He grinned. “You crawled into my kitchen sink then.”
“You really need to wash a few dishes, Jack.”
At that he laughed. “Yeah, I suppose I do.”
There was a pause, then she said, “You really can come in. I’m taking a fizzy bath; you can’t see anything.”
“A fizzy bath?”
“You bought the tablets for me this morning. They create bubbles in the water.”
Bubbles. Jack’s heart rate picked up as he pushed the door until he could see Jewel’s face over the tub’s edge.
She smiled, and Jack’s heart accelerated to racing. He took another step forward, and he couldn’t help it when his gaze slipped to the water. He quickly spun around. “I thought you said I couldn’t see anything!”
“Did I say ‘anything’?” He could hear the smile in her voice. “I should have said everything. My apologies.”
Jack slowly shook his head. “You’re a scamp, Jewel.”
Time agent Jewel Jamison promised a young Jack Cavanaugh that she’d be his 26th birthday present. She’d hoped for a fling with the man she’d become obsessed with in the history books, but Jack, having waited ten years for the sexy Jewel to show up in 1919, has plans to build a life together.
Before they can even begin to explore the possibilities, however, Jewel realizes that the timeline is now missing something — namely World War I. A full-scale “time crisis” is raging as two factions battle through history–one trying to erase war and the other trying to erase time travel and all traces of it. Including traces like Jack Cavanaugh.
As the “Time War” rages, Jewel has to choose: keep her promise to Jack and stay out of the war or break her promise in order to save him.
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