Shirlee Busbee’s LOVERS FOREVER – Smugglers, Mystery and Amnesia!

Set in 1811, mostly in Kent, this is the story of Lady Tess Mandeville. Tess looks like her ill-fated great grandmother, who also had red hair and violet eyes and who was abducted, raped and impregnated by Baron Mandeville, and forced to marry the evil man instead of the Earl of Sherbourne whom she loved. Now there is another Baron Mandeville, Avery, a distant cousin of the one who recently died. Thinking to have her fortune, Avery imprisons Tess in his house and demands she wed him.

 

With the aid of her aunts, Tess escapes, only to fall into the hands of smugglers looking for a horse. They take her horse and her jewels and hit her on the head, whereupon she loses her memory. In a nearby traveler’s inn, she meets the handsome Nicolas Talmage, Earl of Sherbourne, who assumes she is a tavern wench available for his use. He plies her with liquor and takes her innocence. When he tells Tess she will become his mistress, she refuses, but Nicolas ignores her. He takes her to an old cottage on the outskirts of his estate where he basically holds her prisoner as his mistress and “no thought of resisting him crossed her mind.” Apparently neither was concerned she might birth a bastard.

 

I love Busbee’s storytelling, which captured me immediately with Tess’ strange family history, and the inclusion of smugglers operating on the coast of Kent. The mystery of what happened to Tess’ great grandmother persists till the end. The plot thickens when the smugglers return and threaten Tess. Meanwhile, her uncles, who guard her fortune, are on the hunt for her. I loved Busbee’s portrayal of the uncles and their dry speech. And all her Regency expressions add richness to the story.

 

However, the instant lust between both the hero and heroine was a bit jarring, especially with her being an innocent and never having met him before. To my thinking, she also gave in to him too easily. It was interesting to me that neither Nicolas nor anyone else noticed Tess’ aristocratic speech, unlikely for a tavern whore. That aside, it was a great story and the mystery of her grandmother is solved in the end.

 

Shirlee Busbee’s LADY VIXEN: A Classic Privateer Love Story Set in the War of 1812!

 

Set in England during the years 1808-1814, this is one of those rare and wonderful love stories that sweeps you away to another time and place where you are caught up in the lives of people whose actions will affect not only their own and others' lives but America and England during the War of 1812. Deception and treachery born years ago lead to revenge and then to heartache. Busbee uses real characters, such as the pirate Jean Lafitte, to bring realism to her story as she seamlessly weaves history into a compelling tale. It's what I call a "dense" historical: one where the writing is so complex and so tight you're getting double the story you'd expect in the 538 pages.

 

Young Nicole Ashford led an idyllic life in Surrey with her wealthy parents and her twin brother until a boating accident one summer took them from her. Made the ward of an uncaring and barely related aunt and uncle who only want her fortune, and learning of their plans to marry her off to their ne'er-do-well son, at 13 Nicole dons the disguise of a young boy and runs away to sea as the cabin boy for Captain Saber, an American privateer.

 

For 5 years, Nicole sails with him as a boy and Saber pays her little attention. When she is 18, Saber observes her swimming naked on a tropical beach and decides he wants her for his mistress. He bides his time and when Nicole and a seaman (who is really a British spy) decide to destroy English codebooks that Saber has captured, the two are caught.

 

Using the life of the English seaman as a bargaining chip, Saber forces Nicole to become his mistress, until the American, on a mission to spy for his new country, decides to sail home and resume his identity as Christopher Saxon, grandson of a baron.

 

And so begins a complex, worthy tale of adventure, rich in history (both England's and America's) and a love that could not be denied.

 

Shirlee Busbee’s MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE – Love in Louisiana in 1814 as the Battle of New Orleans Approaches!

 

I love Shirlee Busbee’s romances because I know I’m going to diving into a deep story, one with rich details in the descriptions of places, people, food and history, woven together like a tapestry, providing a great background for her captivating love stories. This one is no different. Her seventh novel, it tells an intriguing tale of love in the time of the War of 1812 (referred to by its opponents as “Madison’s War”).

 

Set in Louisiana, beginning in the spring of 1814, this is the story of Melissa Seymour, whose greatest concern is surviving until her trust funds come in, which will only happen when her younger brother, 19-year-old Zachary turns 21—or she marries. Her uncle, who stands to benefit, urges her to marry, and yet Lissa is “unmoved by the most ardent admirer.”

 

To discourage the men who flock about her, Melissa disguises herself as a dowdy shrew. Her gift is horses and she has one stallion, Folly, who is magnificent and wins all his races. His prize money is keeping her and Zachary’s home of Willowglen afloat. Then enters one arrogant, wealthy bachelor, Dominic Slade of New Orleans, who wants to buy Folly and start a stud farm on his new estate close to Willowglen. Through a bizarre set of circumstances, they are caught together in his hotel room and forced to wed.

 

Busbee sets forth a shotgun marriage that grew into love against a backdrop of English spies in Louisiana seeking out Loyalists who can be counted on for the Battle of New Orleans that is coming.

 

Among the secondary characters is Jason Savage, the hero in Busbee’s Gypsy Lady. While the pace is a bit slower than more modern historical romances, fans of Busbee will not be disappointed.

 

Shirlee Busbee’s FOR LOVE ALONE – Murder, Mystery and a Marriage of Convenience… oh, my!

September is Georgian and Regency Romances month and I’m starting with one by a superb author. Set in 1805 (Prologue) and 1809, this is the story of Sophy, Lady Marlowe, who had the misfortune of being married off by her uncle to a brute, Simon, Marquis of Marlowe. She stood his abuse for a year, then learned to use a pistol and denied him her bed. But one night, Simon takes a plunge down their stairs. Was it an accident or murder?

It turns out that Simon was feeding information to Napoleon through a man known as Le Renard, “the Fox”, and was fool enough to threaten the spy with exposure. It cost Simon his life but the manner of death cast suspicion on Sophy.

 

Viscount Harrington is an interesting guy. A former officer, he has been dispatched to hunt for the Fox. That hunt brings him to Sophy’s rescue. First, he defends her against her despicable uncle and then he saves her from the gallows. He means to have her and it seems he will, for it is marriage to him that will be her salvation.

 

Harrington was a force and even strong-willed Sophy was not able to resist him. Busbee does a great job of bringing us into the Regency era with its house parties, balls and aristocracy with too much time on its hands. It’s a long tale at 448 pages but your patience will be rewarded with an exciting finish. Busbee’s fans will be sure to enjoy it.

 

Shirlee Busbee’s WHISPER TO ME OF LOVE – Suspenseful, Stunning Regency—a Keeper!

This is a wonderful romance by one of my favorite authors! Superbly written, it kept me up reading way too late.

 

It’s the captivating story of a rich American in Regency London and a waif of a young woman who lost her place in the aristocracy due to one man’s evil. (The villains in this story—and there are more than one, although one is more evil than the others—are some of the best I’ve encountered.)

 

It begins in 1796 when Hester Devlin, Dowager Countess of St. Audries is dying just after the birth of her daughter, Morgana. Months before, Hester’s husband was murdered—unbeknownst to her, by his brother who wanted his title and his wealth. Overhearing the man’s perfidy instructing another to “get rid of” Hester’s baby, she leaves clues in a Bible and prays her child survives. Morgana does. By 1815, 19-year-old “Pip” is living on the streets of St. Giles as a boy with two young men she thinks are her brothers.

 

Royce Manchester is a handsome American with lands in Louisiana and England, a connection to the nobility and enough money to buy anything he wants. One day, while out with his friends, a street urchin (Pip) tries to pick Royce’s pocket. Royce plucks the boy from the streets and decides to give him a better life.

 

When he discovers the boy is actually a woman named Morgana, he makes her a maid in his London household—for her safety. But she is hardly safe from him, as he wants her for his mistress. (Of course, he would never marry a petty thief.) And then he recognizes her striking gray eyes…the St. Audries eyes! He assumes she must be the bastard child of the earl, his enemy. Ah, the plot thickens.

 

It’s 400 pages of action and mystery with many twists and turns. I recommend it!

 

Note: This book is related to and follows Midnight Masquerade but either can be read as a stand alone.

 

Shirlee Busbee’s LADY VIXEN: A Classic Privateer Love Story!

 I could not put this one down and highly recommend it. It's on both my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances List and my Best American Patriotic Romances list. Oh yes, it’s also a bodice ripper and a keeper.

 

Set in England during the years 1808-1814, this is one of those rare and wonderful love stories that sweeps you away to another time and place where you are caught up in the lives of people whose actions will affect not only their own and others' lives but America and England during the War of 1812. Deception and treachery born years ago lead to revenge and then to heartache. Busbee uses real characters, such as the pirate Jean Lafitte, to bring realism to her story as she seamlessly weaves history into a compelling tale. It's what I call a "dense" historical: one where the writing is so complex and so tight you're getting double the story you'd expect in the 538 pages.

 

Young Nicole Ashford led an idyllic life in Surrey with her wealthy parents and her twin brother until a boating accident one summer took them from her. Made the ward of an uncaring and barely related aunt and uncle who only want her fortune, and learning of their plans to marry her off to their ne'er-do-well son, at 13 Nicole dons the disguise of a young boy and runs away to sea as the cabin boy for Captain Saber, an American privateer.

 

For 5 years, Nicole sails with him as a boy and Saber pays her little attention. When she is 18, Saber observes her swimming naked on a tropical beach and decides he wants her for his mistress. He bides his time and when Nicole and a seaman (who is really a British spy) decide to destroy English codebooks that Saber has captured, the two are caught.

 

Using the life of the English seaman as a bargaining chip, Saber forces Nicole to become his mistress, until the American, on a mission to spy for his new country, decides to sail home and resume his identity as Christopher Saxon, grandson of a baron.

 

And so begins a complex, worthy tale of adventure, rich in history (both England's and America's) and a love that could not be denied.

 

Should you want to read more, here is the whole Louisiana Series (stand alones but each with a connection to Louisiana and with some overlapping characters).

 

·               Gypsy Lady

·               Lady Vixen

·               While Passion Sleeps

·               Deceive Not My Heart

·               The Tiger Lily

·               Midnight Masquerade

·               Whisper to Me of Love

·               Each Time We Love

Shirlee Busbee’s MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE – Love in Louisiana in 1814 as the Battle of New Orleans Approaches!

 

I love Shirlee Busbee’s romances because I know I’m going to diving into a deep story, one with rich details in the descriptions of places, people, food and history, woven together like a tapestry, providing a great background for her captivating love stories. This one is no different. Her seventh novel, it tells an intriguing tale of love in the time of the War of 1812 (referred to by its opponents as “Madison’s War”).

 

Set in Louisiana, beginning in the spring of 1814, this is the story of Melissa Seymour, whose greatest concern is surviving until her trust funds come in, which will only happen when her younger brother, 19-year-old Zachary turns 21—or she marries. Her uncle, who stands to benefit, urges her to marry, and yet Lissa is “unmoved by the most ardent admirer.”

 

To discourage the men who flock about her, Melissa disguises herself as a dowdy shrew. Her gift is horses and she has one stallion, Folly, who is magnificent and wins all his races. His prize money is keeping her and Zachary’s home of Willowglen afloat. Then enters one arrogant, wealthy bachelor, Dominic Slade of New Orleans, who wants to buy Folly and start a stud farm on his new estate close to Willowglen. Through a bizarre set of circumstances, they are caught together in his hotel room and forced to wed.

 

Busbee sets forth a shotgun marriage that grew into love against a backdrop of English spies in Louisiana seeking out Loyalists who can be counted on for the Battle of New Orleans that is coming.

 

Among the secondary characters is Jason Savage, the hero in Busbee’s Gypsy Lady. While the pace is a bit slower than more modern historical romances, fans of Busbee will not be disappointed.

Shirlee Busbee’s LOVE A DARK RIDER – Murder and Love in Old Texas

June is Western Historical Romance month on the blog and I’m starting with a great one. I promise Love a Dark Rider, a tale of ambition, betrayal and murder, will put you in the Old West.

The story begins in 1860 in Texas where Sara Rawlings, left alone and destitute by her father’s death, goes to live with a cousin, Sam Cantrell, a man her father’s age. Sam has a son, Yancy, by his first wife—a woman of noble Spanish linage—and he has a young wife, Margaret—the woman he stole from Yancy.

As might be suspected, Margaret is threatened by the younger, 16-year-old Sara. And Sara is captivated by Yancy, a man Margaret was once engaged to and now thinks to seduce. The one thing Margaret wants for her unborn child is Casa Paloma, a thousand-acre parcel in the middle of the land Yancy’s Spanish ancestors have owned for generations. Yancy vows he will kill her before she can have his land. And then Margaret turns up with a Spanish dagger in her chest.

Much of the book is taken up with the machinations of the family and its history that has led to the distrust, if not dislike, between its members, all of which Sara must suffer through. In the midst of it, Sara and Yancy find love, albeit like two prickly people coming together.

Busbee’s descriptions of Texas and the hacienda are superb. You will feel you are in the old West. Yancy is a drool worthy hero and Sara finds him so. Oh yes, the murder mystery remains unsolved until the end. Busbee will keep you guessing. Very well done.

For Busbee fans, it will not disappoint.

Shirlee Busbee’s LADY VIXEN: A Classic Privateer Love Story!

I could not put this one down and highly recommend it. It's on both my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances List and my Best American Patriotic Romances list. Oh yes, it’s also a bodice ripper and a keeper.

Set in England during the years 1808-1814, this is one of those rare and wonderful love stories that sweeps you away to another time and place where you are caught up in the lives of people whose actions will affect not only their own and others' lives but America and England during the War of 1812. Deception and treachery born years ago lead to revenge and then to heartache. Busbee uses real characters, such as the pirate Jean Lafitte, to bring realism to her story as she seamlessly weaves history into a compelling tale. It's what I call a "dense" historical: one where the writing is so complex and so tight you're getting double the story you'd expect in the 538 pages.

Young Nicole Ashford led an idyllic life in Surrey with her wealthy parents and her twin brother until a boating accident one summer took them from her. Made the ward of an uncaring and barely related aunt and uncle who only want her fortune, and learning of their plans to marry her off to their ne'er-do-well son, at 13 Nicole dons the disguise of a young boy and runs away to sea as the cabin boy for Captain Saber, an American privateer.

For 5 years, Nicole sails with him as a boy and Saber pays her little attention. When she is 18, Saber observes her swimming naked on a tropical beach and decides he wants her for his mistress. He bides his time and when Nicole and a seaman (who is really a British spy) decide to destroy English codebooks that Saber has captured, the two are caught.

Using the life of the English seaman as a bargaining chip, Saber forces Nicole to become his mistress, until the American, on a mission to spy for his new country, decides to sail home and resume his identity as Christopher Saxon, grandson of a baron.

And so begins a complex, worthy tale of adventure, rich in history (both England's and America's) and a love that could not be denied.

Should you want to read more, here is the whole Louisiana Series (stand alones but each with a connection to Louisiana and with some overlapping characters). Many are available in Kindle:

·               Gypsy Lady

·               Lady Vixen

·               While Passion Sleeps

·               Deceive Not My Heart

·               The Tiger Lily

·               Midnight Masquerade

·               Whisper to Me of Love

·               Each Time We Love

Shirlee Busbee’s MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE – Love in Louisiana in 1814 as the Battle of New Orleans Approaches!

I love Shirlee Busbee’s romances because I know I’m going to diving into a deep story, one with rich details in the descriptions of places, people, food and history, woven together like a tapestry, providing a great background for her captivating love stories. This one is no different. Her seventh novel, it tells an intriguing tale of love in the time of the War of 1812 (referred to by its opponents as “Madison’s War”).

Set in Louisiana, beginning in the spring of 1814, this is the story of Melissa Seymour, whose greatest concern is surviving until her trust funds come in, which will only happen when her younger brother, 19-year-old Zachary turns 21—or she marries. Her uncle, who stands to benefit, urges her to marry, and yet Lissa is “unmoved by the most ardent admirer.”

To discourage the men who flock about her, Melissa disguises herself as a dowdy shrew. Her gift is horses and she has one stallion, Folly, who is magnificent and wins all his races. His prize money is keeping her and Zachary’s home of Willowglen afloat. Then enters one arrogant, wealthy bachelor, Dominic Slade of New Orleans, who wants to buy Folly and start a stud farm on his new estate close to Willowglen. Through a bizarre set of circumstances, they are caught together in his hotel room and forced to wed.

Busbee sets forth a shotgun marriage that grew into love against a backdrop of English spies in Louisiana seeking out Loyalists who can be counted on for the Battle of New Orleans that is coming.

Among the secondary characters is Jason Savage, the hero in Busbee’s GYPSY LADY. While the pace is a bit slower than more modern historical romances, fans of Busbee will not be disappointed.

Shirlee Busbee’s DECEIVE NOT MY HEART – A Case of Mistaken Identity and an Intriguing Love Story from old Louisiana—and a Bodice Ripper!

Originally published in 1984 and updated for the eBook version, this is a classic romance from a great historical romance author.

Set in New Orleans and environs beginning in 1799, this is the story of 16-year-old Leonie Saint-Andre, whose only living parent is a gambling grandfather who has impoverished their family’s plantation.

Knowing he does not have long to live, her grandfather decides to take care of Leonie’s future by finding her a wealthy husband. Unfortunately, the man he picks, Morgan Slade, is a bitter man whose first wife married him for his money and then left him for another. And what Leonie’s grandfather does not know is that Morgan has a lookalike cousin who, unbeknownst to Morgan, has assumed his identity in order to wed Leonie to steal her dowry.

Busbee has done her research and the history of Louisiana in the late 18^th century is vividly portrayed. It was a time of plantations and the French creole families; and it was a time of dramatic change. Originally claimed by Spain, Louisiana was also claimed by France, and in 1803 most of it was acquired by America.

The plot has many twists and turns, and while the reader knows what is going on, the characters don’t. Lots of sexual tension and angst here as Leonie is deceived, yet she rises as a courageous heroine to triumph in the end. I recommend it.

Shirlee Busbee’s LOVERS FOREVER – Smugglers, Mystery and Amnesia!

September is Georgian and Regency Romances month on Historical Romance Review and I’m starting with one by an author whose stories I love!

Set in 1811, mostly in Kent, this is the story of Lady Tess Mandeville. Tess looks like her ill-fated great grandmother, who also had red hair and violet eyes and who was abducted, raped and impregnated by Baron Mandeville, and forced to marry the evil man instead of the Earl of Sherbourne whom she loved. Now there is another Baron Mandeville, Avery, a distant cousin of the one who recently died. Thinking to have her fortune, Avery imprisons Tess in his house and demands she wed him.

With the aid of her aunts, Tess escapes, only to fall into the hands of smugglers looking for a horse. They take her horse and her jewels and hit her on the head, whereupon she loses her memory. In a nearby traveler’s inn, she meets the handsome Nicolas Talmage, Earl of Sherbourne, who assumes she is a tavern wench available for his use. He plies her with liquor and takes her innocence. When he tells Tess she will become his mistress, she refuses, but Nicolas ignores her. He takes her to an old cottage on the outskirts of his estate where he basically holds her prisoner as his mistress and “no thought of resisting him crossed her mind.” Apparently neither was concerned she might birth a bastard.

I love Busbee’s storytelling, which captured me immediately with Tess’ strange family history, and the inclusion of smugglers operating on the coast of Kent. The mystery of what happened to Tess’ great grandmother persists till the end. The plot thickens when the smugglers return and threaten Tess. Meanwhile, her uncles, who guard her fortune, are on the hunt for her. I loved Busbee’s portrayal of the uncles and their dry speech. And all her Regency expressions add richness to the story.

Shirlee Busbee’s WHISPER TO ME OF LOVE - Suspenseful, Stunning Regency—a Classic and a Keeper!

This is the captivating story of a rich American in Regency London and a waif of a young woman who lost her place in the aristocracy due to one man’s evil. (The villains in this story—and there are more than one, although one is more evil than the others—are some of the best I’ve encountered.)

It begins in 1796 when Hester Devlin, Dowager Countess of St. Audries is dying just after the birth of her daughter, Morgana. Months before, Hester’s husband was murdered—unbeknownst to her, by his brother who wanted his title and his wealth. Overhearing the man’s perfidy instructing another to “get rid of” Hester’s baby, she leaves clues in a Bible and prays her child survives. Morgana does. By 1815, 19-year-old “Pip” is living on the streets of St. Giles as a boy with two young men she thinks are her brothers.

Royce Manchester is a handsome American with lands in Louisiana and England, a connection to the nobility and enough money to buy anything he wants. One day, while out with his friends, a street urchin (Pip) tries to pick Royce’s pocket. Royce plucks the boy from the streets and decides to give him a better life. When he discovers the boy is actually a woman named Morgana, he makes her a maid in his London household—for her safety. But she is hardly safe from him, as he wants her for his mistress. (Of course, he would never marry a petty thief.) And then he recognizes her striking gray eyes…the St. Audries eyes! He assumes she must be the bastard child of the earl, his enemy. Ah, the plot thickens.

It’s 400 pages of action and mystery with many twists and turns. I recommend it!

Review: Shirlee Busbee’s LOVERS FOREVER – Smugglers, Mystery and Amnesia!

Set in 1811, mostly in Kent, this is the story of Lady Tess Mandeville. Tess looks like her ill-fated great grandmother, who also had red hair and violet eyes and who was abducted, raped and impregnated by Baron Mandeville, and forced to marry the evil man instead of the Earl of Sherbourne whom she loved. Now there is another Baron Mandeville, Avery, a distant cousin of the one who recently died. Thinking to have her fortune, Avery imprisons Tess in his house and demands she wed him.

With the aid of her aunts, Tess escapes, only to fall into the hands of smugglers looking for a horse. They take her horse and her jewels and hit her on the head, whereupon she loses her memory. In a nearby traveler’s inn, she meets the handsome Nicolas Talmage, Earl of Sherbourne, who assumes she is a tavern wench available for his use. He plies her with liquor and takes her innocence. When he tells Tess she will become his mistress, she refuses, but Nicolas ignores her. He takes her to an old cottage on the outskirts of his estate where he basically holds her prisoner as his mistress and “no thought of resisting him crossed her mind.” Apparently neither was concerned she might birth a bastard.

I love Busbee’s storytelling, which captured me immediately with Tess’ strange family history, and the inclusion of smugglers operating on the coast of Kent. The mystery of what happened to Tess’ great grandmother persists till the end. The plot thickens when the smugglers return and threaten Tess. Meanwhile, her uncles, who guard her fortune, are on the hunt for her. I loved Busbee’s portrayal of the uncles and their dry speech. And all her Regency expressions add richness to the story.

However, the instant lust between both the hero and heroine was a bit jarring, especially with her being an innocent and never having met him before. To my thinking, she also gave in to him too easily. It was interesting to me that neither Nicolas nor anyone else noticed Tess’ aristocratic speech, unlikely for a tavern whore. That aside, it was a great story and the mystery of her grandmother is solved in the end.

Review: Shirlee Busbee’s WHISPER TO ME OF LOVE – Suspenseful, Stunning Regency—a Classic!

September is Georgian and Regency month on Historical Romance Review. And I’m beginning with a wonderful romance by one of my favorite authors! Superbly written, it kept me up reading way too late.

It’s the captivating story of a rich American in Regency London and a waif of a young woman who lost her place in the aristocracy due to one man’s evil. (The villains in this story—and there are more than one, although one is more evil than the others—are some of the best I’ve encountered.)

It begins in 1796 when Hester Devlin, Dowager Countess of St. Audries is dying just after the birth of her daughter, Morgana. Months before, Hester’s husband was murdered—unbeknownst to her, by his brother who wanted his title and his wealth. Overhearing the man’s perfidy instructing another to “get rid of” Hester’s baby, she leaves clues in a Bible and prays her child survives. Morgana does. By 1815, 19-year-old “Pip” is living on the streets of St. Giles as a boy with two young men she thinks are her brothers.

Royce Manchester is a handsome American with lands in Louisiana and England, a connection to the nobility and enough money to buy anything he wants. One day, while out with his friends, a street urchin (Pip) tries to pick Royce’s pocket. Royce plucks the boy from the streets and decides to give him a better life.

When he discovers the boy is actually a woman named Morgana, he makes her a maid in his London household—for her safety. But she is hardly safe from him, as he wants her for his mistress. (Of course, he would never marry a petty thief.) And then he recognizes her striking gray eyes…the St. Audries eyes! He assumes she must be the bastard child of the earl, his enemy. Ah, the plot thickens.

It’s 400 pages of action and mystery with many twists and turns. I recommend it!

Note: This book is related to and follows Midnight Masquerade but either can be read as a stand alone.

Review: Shirlee Busbee’s LOVE A DARK RIDER – Murder and Love in Old Texas

This story will put you in the Old West with a tale of ambition, betrayal and murder.

The story begins in 1860 in Texas where Sara Rawlings, left alone and destitute by her father’s death, goes to live with a cousin, Sam Cantrell, a man her father’s age. Sam has a son, Yancy, by his first wife—a woman of noble Spanish linage—and he has a young wife, Margaret—the woman he stole from Yancy.

As might be suspected, Margaret is threatened by the younger, 16-year-old Sara. And Sara is captivated by Yancy, a man Margaret was once engaged to and now thinks to seduce. The one thing Margaret wants for her unborn child is Casa Paloma, a thousand-acre parcel in the middle of the land Yancy’s Spanish ancestors have owned for generations. Yancy vows he will kill her before she can have his land. And then Margaret turns up with a Spanish dagger in her chest.

Much of the book is taken up with the machinations of the family and its history that has led to the distrust, if not dislike, between its members, all of which Sara must suffer through. In the midst of it, Sara and Yancy find love, albeit like two prickly people coming together. 

Original cover

Busbee’s descriptions of Texas and the hacienda are superb. You will feel you are in the old West. Yancy is a drool worthy hero and Sara finds him so. Oh yes, the murder mystery remains unsolved until the end. Busbee will keep you guessing. Very well done.

For Busbee fans, it will not disappoint.

Review: Shirlee Busbee’s FOR LOVE ALONE – Murder, Mystery and a Marriage of Convenience… oh, my!

Set in 1805 (Prologue) and 1809, this is the story of Sophy, Lady Marlowe, who had the misfortune of being married off by her uncle to a brute, Simon, Marquis of Marlowe. She stood his abuse for a year, then learned to use a pistol and denied him her bed. But one night, Simon takes a plunge down their stairs. Was it an accident or murder?

It turns out that Simon was feeding information to Napoleon through a man known as Le Renard, “the Fox”, and was fool enough to threaten the spy with exposure. It cost Simon his life but the manner of death cast suspicion on Sophy.

Viscount Harrington is an interesting guy. A former officer, he has been dispatched to hunt for the Fox. That hunt brings him to Sophy’s rescue. First, he defends her against her despicable uncle and then he saves her from the gallows. He means to have her and it seems he will, for it is marriage to him that will be her salvation.

Harrington was a force and even strong-willed Sophy was not able to resist him. Busbee does a great job of bringing us into the Regency era with its house parties, balls and aristocracy with too much time on its hands. It’s a long tale at 448 pages but your patience will be rewarded with an exciting finish. Busbee’s fans will be sure to enjoy it.

Buy on Amazon