To an author who gave wings to my dreams, a heartfelt thank you!
My Rating
Book Review
Julie Garwood was a phenomenon that had impressed many a young girl like me with her historical romances. But ever since there has been a shift to the contemporary romances, after the first few books in the series I have always felt there was something, a charm, missing from her recent ones. Grace Under Fire is her latest release and for someone who has read all her published works and has a couple of her historicals on my bedside table for some light reading, I am probably the last person to give a fair judgment. Though even I may have to admit that these recent releases do feel like ghostly versions of her much more successful works of the past, I am sure I will be in line to grab the next as and when it releases simply coz of my high hopes.
Grace Under Fire, book #14 in the Buchanan-Renard series is breezy and fun to read. The family bonding between the Buchannan brothers is always a treat to read about. Unlike her previous releases, Grace Under Fire had a lot more going in the story plot wise. What with Isabel needing protection because she inadvertently stumbles upon a crime and becomes a prized witness and a target for the villains, there is also the plot of her becoming a singing sensation overnight, then the plot of her journey to Scotland and her inheritance and the whole shenanigans happening there, there was never a dull moment in the story.
Most seasoned readers are aware that though the mystery is always quite intriguing in its unraveling, the reveal itself does not involve adrenaline pumping tension or nail-biting terror in these books. The romance had its share of angst and spice what with the hero Michael being a douchebag to Isabel in the past and the resulting trauma that it caused.
Each book in the series can be read as a standalone as the primary focus shifts across different couples but the family as a whole and their bickering and bantering do pep up the story.
Lovely!
Book Blurb
A Navy SEAL will need every bit of his extensive skill set when he appoints himself as bodyguard to a woman determined not to need one.
Grace Isabel MacKenna had a hundred things to do today. Killing someone wasn’t one of them. It was supposed to be a quick visit to Boston for the Buchanan anniversary party, then on to Scotland to collect an inheritance. She checks into the hotel and then decides to go for a brisk walk. But after getting lost she ends up with a wounded man stumbling into her arms, and then his shooter coming after them both. When she fires back in self-defense, she doesn’t expect him to drop dead. Thanks to the Buchanans dispatching Navy SEAL and now a lawyer Michael Buchanan to help her deal with the police, Isabel endures hours of interrogation and is finally free to go.
Isabel knows she should be grateful for Michael’s help, but since she’s harbored an extreme dislike for him for years, gratitude is difficult to muster. Michael has appointed himself her de facto guardian, and she’s stuck with him despite their constant bickering and sizzling attraction. Even when Isabel goes to Scotland to claim her inheritance, Michael follows her, but he isn’t the only thing she can’t shake. Mysterious threats against Isabel surface, and before they can deal with their growing feelings for each other, Michael and Isabel must first survive.
Book Links
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A mystery AND a romance – what’s not to like!
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So true, and I am gonna miss julie garwood.. she was my all time comfort read…
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