Amy Jarecki

Author Amy Jarecki is a auto-buy author for me. Her books are packed with emotion, suspense, sometimes based loosely on history, other times follows very closely the time and events. Her books take you to a world where challenges seemingly are insurmountable, where you cheer for the success of the ‘good guys’ and ready to punch out the lights of the bad. Her stories also expose injustices, the brutality of man in the political arena and religious ones. Something, even today, man hasn’t show more crawled out of this chasm of human frailty. What you discover about her characters are easily identified in man to this day.

Lord Aiden Murray is a second son of an earl who takes to the seas becoming his own man at a very young age. He is posted as First Lieutenant sailing aboard the Royal Mary. At 22, he is ribbed by his fellow officers, has very good rapport with them. He certainly is not a novice in the skills he’s acquired on sea, except for one small item. He doesn’t have a woman in many ports, he doesn’t have a woman in any ports, and he just hasn’t had a woman at all. Being a young man, this worries him. He’s eager to find a woman of some skill to bring him fully into manhood. ‘Tis verra’ embarrassing to him.

His thoughts: But by the saints, he’d been aboard the Royal Mary for the past month without setting foot shore. Bloody oath, he intended to kick up his heels this eve–swill ale, swing the lassies in a reel–mayhap he’d even find a bonny lass he fancied.

Damn the cold.

Damn political posturing.

Damn the war.

And whilst I’m at it, damn the queen.

This was Hogmanay–a pagan Scottish holiday–and he would enjoy the piss out of it for once in his miserable highborn life.

I am amused and delighted with the innocence of Aiden. While at the party, he meets a young woman, Lady Magdalen Keith, whom he’s immediately attracted to. But seeing she, too, would be chartering new waters, virginal as he is, he only sneaks a kiss. This kiss, however, stays with him and torments him with such internal conflict, he quickly becomes a hero close to the heart.

Lady Magdalen Keith, has had a difficult time growing up in Stonehaven. She’s a bastard, rarely leaves her small town, but when her father gets involved in a political skirmish, finds himself in prison, she is determined to help him. Perhaps, she’ll finally mean something more to him. She happens upon Aiden in London trying to figure out how to get to her father. She is so much a fish out of water, but her character does her a great service.

She is an amazing character with strengths and weaknesses, a woman of honor and a love for Aiden, you will identify with her, feeling her pain and wonder of new love.

This series is a must-read for those who love settings in the Highlands and London. Jarecki brings it all to life in four-dimensional living color! That is to say, what you see is not necessarily the complete picture, hidden multi-layered nuances enrich the story. Join Jarecki’s many fans who love her stories! show less

A girl has to make a living!

Well this was a five star read! A delightful spinster, Honorable Eleanor Kent, turned privateer and providing goods for the top echelons of town, a gifted interior designer and daughter of a viscount. Intelligent, charming, shrewd and determined evidenced by the way she’s turned the family’s flagging fortunes around and gained the friendship of Prinny, the Prince Regent. Ah yes! By evading taxes she’s actually saved the country from the worst of Prinnys show more expenses. A tortuous argument I know.
And who’s the prime villain. Why the gorgeous rake who finds himself in over his head as heart and duty conflict. The Duke of Danby has undertaken to be the leader of the Prime Minister's tax evasion (anti smuggling) task force. Of course he and the delectable Elinor will clash, in more ways than one. A super twist of various tropes by Jarecki. I’m indeed five star charmed!

An Xpresso Book Tours ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.) show less

The Time Traveler’s Christmas by Amy Jarecki was a wonderful surprise. I loved this historical fiction novel and stayed up to the week hours of the morning to finish it.

Lachlan had not only lost one of the biggest karate tournaments of his life, but also his cheating wife. Now…he’s hiding out at his uncles.

His uncle had left him a Christmas gift, a medallion. He put it on, went to sleep, and…

I was immersed in Lachlan’s story early in the book and he never let me go. He is a sexy show more warrior that believes in doing the right thing, at all costs.

The surprises and action came early and the character’s came to life through Amy Jarecki’s words.

I was curious where she would take the story. Is it possible to straddle both worlds, moving back and forth between them? Would the medallion choose for him? Or would he have to choose?

Lachlan thought he knew and had one year . Come next Christmas, it would be time to go home. But he had this Christmas.

Of course, we have romance and, even though the sexual tension between Lachlan and Christine is almost instantaneous, their relationship develops slowly.

I was invested in their lives from the opening pages. They are strong characters that grow and develop over the pages.

I was surprised how much I loved The Time Traveler’s Christmas. Not about the time travel itself, because I love to read the genre, but because of the time and dialogue. Lachlan had been transported from the twenty first century to medieval times, and to Scotland to boot. I thought it might be tough reading, but I worried for nothing.

There was so much more to the story than I anticipated.

Sprinkled with truths of history, the Guardian of Scotland stand alone series is one I want to continue. show less

OMGoodness! The combination of Emma Grant and Laird Ciar (Key-ar) Grant is phenomenal. I don’t think we could ask for a better hero and heroine. Picture this huge, gruff, powerful, craggy Highland Laird without a gentle bone in his body – except for one small, delicate, sheltered, blind woman. Ciar has known and been best friends with Emma’s brother, Robert (The Highland Renegade), all his life – and he’s known Emma almost that long as well. Everyone, especially the males, treats show more Emma as if she isn’t even there – everyone except Ciar that is. He always takes time to speak to her, to assure that she is listened to, and he doesn’t treat her as if she is less just because she is blind. He protects her – without taking away her independence. Is it any wonder she’s always adored him?

Emma and her family, as well as Ciar and many other Highland Lairds, are at Achnacarry Castle for the wedding of Sir Kennan Cameron and Divana Campbell (The Highland Rogue). Emma hates leaving her home at Moriston Hall because of her trouble negotiating unfamiliar terrain and layouts. At home, she can roam freely because she knows every rock, pebble, chair, and rug and can easily negotiate her way among them. Away from home, she feels inadequate and dependent and she hates that feeling.

Tensions are running high in Scotland – and in the Highlands in particular. Queen Anne has taken to her bed and isn’t expected to rise again. Without an heir, the monarchy would be in crisis. The English want the Hanoverian George, who has never even stepped foot on English soil, to become King. The Jacobite Scots want James who is of Stuart blood. The powerful Lairds stand ready to raise their armies in support of James – but will James even come?

When Anne passes and George is tapped for the succession, all of the Lairds who are gathered for the wedding head out in different directions to spread the word and to gather support for James. As Ciar is speeding on his way, he encounters murder and robbery. He can’t just pass it by. The only honorable thing to do is to stop and help. Yet, it is he who awakens, manacled, in the prison at Fort William. Governor Henry Wilcox takes great delight in having a powerful Highland Laird as a ‘guest’ in his prison. He’d hang Ciar immediately if it wouldn’t cause riots and even more unrest. He’ll still hang him – just not as quickly.

We soon learn just how smart, brave, and resourceful Emma is. She is a remarkable young woman who doesn’t let her physical limitations stop her. Breaking Ciar out of an English prison, under the noses of the English soldiers, is either the most foolhardy or the bravest thing Ciar has ever seen. Now, they are both wanted and on the run. They have to avoid the soldiers and yet manage to prove Ciar’s innocence. Oh! What an exciting adventure they have before they make it to their HEA.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved how Ciar treated Emma as a fully functioning adult rather than someone who is ‘less’. I loved that Emma didn’t let anything stop her. Add an absolutely lovely epilogue to the mix and you have a great 5-star read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. show less