Susan Kiernan-Lewis

Kiernan-Lewis is an accomplished author of several books and even some series. The initial presentation of the plot did not much attract me, however, I was drawn into the story and am glad that I did explore this offering. The premise is of a family with a 10 year-old son going on vacation to Ireland when a nuclear bomb explodes over London which is near enough to fry all electronics in Ireland with the electro-magnetic pulse that results from a near explosion of such bombs.
The couple is show more therefore thrown into a state of bewilderment on how to survive, if the United States had also been so attacked and how could they ultimately return home. K-L masterfully leads the couple and their son through the labyrinthine ways of survival in a pre-electric (much less electronic!) society.
It felt like a dystopian novel...and dystopian stories seldom hold my interest...but this one did. To tell you more would require me to put up a "***spoiler alert***", so I will forebear from following the plot. Some of the twists feel stretched, but one premise is that Sarah, the wife, had been an accomplished horse-woman prior to their arrival. Unlikely, but far from impossible...but it is sort of a necessary reality to allow the progression of the story.
K-L is an accomplished author, so you are in good hands as you go through the twists and turns. show less

Maggie Newberry, an independent woman and entrepreneur as a freelance advertising copywriter in Atlanta, is not used to being vulnerable or helpless. However, needing answers in a country where you don’t speak the language is only the start of complications after identifying her sister Elise’s body in a French morgue. As a dutiful daughter, Maggie had accepted her father’s request to fly to France to make the identification and bring her sister home. Maggie has multiple questions, and show more the police give her very little information. How did this happen? Why? Who? Will she ever learn the truth?

An armchair traveler’s delight from Atlanta to Cannes and intrigue leads to Nice, Montmartre, and Paris. Air and rail travel, taxis, walks, and well-known landmarks add to the scenes. Maggie is persistent, courageous, resolute, trying to reconcile memories of her sister with the descriptions and facts learned and baffled by her responses to a man named Laurent. There are twists and turns building suspense, and although some of my armchair sleuthing was accurate, not all was correct. I’m intrigued to read more of the series.

Note: I recommend the mystery but disagree with marketing it as a cozy mystery. show less

A different kind of survivor story. While on a family vacation in Ireland, England and the U.S. suffer an AMP attack by terrorist; the impact affects everything within hundreds of miles. The EMP fries every circuit in its reach, thus disabling cars, communications, utilities, etc. and sending survivors back into the middle ages. This family was used to having everything done for them - they were rich and had all the modern conveniences back home. Now, their survival depends on their skills. show more The family learns to cope with the help of an elderly family.

Not long after, marauders begin running through the countryside, killing and stealing goods, to support themselves. When Sarah stands up to them from the porch of their cottage and shoots the leader and kills his brother...a vendetta begins that will not end until either the American family is dead or the leader is eliminated.

There was a lot of repetition in the story and portions seemed to stall at points. The action doesn't really start until almost three-quarters through the story. I did struggle to get through the entire book and then was disappointed at the end with a cliff hanger. Of course, the author allows readers a free sample of the first chapter in the next installment. It grabs your attention, then stops suddenly with another cliff hanger. The premise was good, but I expected much more than reading about a family that learns skills to run a farm and support themselves. I won't be reading anymore of the series.

John Podlaski, author
"Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel" and "When Can I Stop Running?". show less

This novel has just the right combination of romance, sexual tension, mystery and family drama! Liddy, a recent widow and empty nester, gives up her dreams before they even have a change begin to move back to small town, Infinity, to be close to her ailing mother. She decides to open a French cupcake shop that is all but doomed from the beginning. This small town has it out for her from day one with nasty notes, rotten possums, and intentional food poisoning; it seems they will do anything show more to run her out of town. And if that’s not enough, she can’t figure out if the hunky detective Tucker is for her or against her despite the sparks that fly between them.

The author did a good job developing the characters. Liddy, the heroine, is likable from the beginning; it’s easy to admire her for her determination and her back bone. Tucker sends lots of mixed signals, but ultimately comes through for Liddy every single time she needs him, even when she doesn't realize it.

Only a couple things about this book bothered me. There were lots of subplots that help to keep the pages turning, but could be a bit confusing at times. However, the author did a good job of resolving all of them. I didn't understand how Tucker could reason that it was okay to cheat on Jenna with Liddy, but that it would be dishonorable to break up with Jenna over it.

Overall, this was a great book that was fast-paced with plenty of romance and twists to keep it interesting. I would definitely recommend if you are a fan of light-hearted, romantic suspense.

I was given this book by the author in exchange for an unbiased review. show less