Deb Stover

What a unique story. Beginning in an execution chamber to be catapulted into a different century is not your typical romance. The entire storyline is eloquently set up for the reader and leads you into a rich tapestry of characters. Having said that, Sofie is written as a doctor who has lost her memory but apparently has lost common sense to figure out that she is an entirely different time from what she is familiar with. I take issue with her ignorance, However, the scenes are vibrant with show more emotion and integral emotion that could forgive that lapse. The twist at the end could have been fleshed out more to exhibit the intensity of the moment. It gave the reader the feeling that it was rushed and not satisfying based on the writing of the previous chapters. show less

Like able characters and a far fetched plot make this a good beach read. While it does contain some deeper, thought provoking topics, Ms. stover never gets too caught up in them, rather she uses them to weave the story.

The heroine is a resigned homicide detective and a recovering alcoholic. Her strong psychic gifts drove her to drink and she's been running from them every since. She now works for an insurance agency investigating life insurance claims. There she meets the hero. He's a single father of 3 children whose wife vanished 7 years ago. On behalf of his children and his own peace of mind, he's hired the heroine to look into the truth of his wife's disappearance. Is she really in France as everyone show more believes or was she murdered? After a bad storm whips out the bridge, the heroine must stay in their house. There she encounters a ghost in the foyer and her own desire for the hero. I couldn't decide if this was a bad paranormal romance or an even worse suspense romance. If it's just a paranormal romance, the setting is bland and very unfulfilling in the romance department but if it's a suspense novel, it was completely non suspenseful and frankly unimaginative. The whole book is spent with the heroine trying to find out what happened to the wife when she's been the ghost in the foyer the entire time! And the heroine was too fearful to speak to the menacing presence that she missed the opportunity to solve the mystery in the first 3 chapters. Also, why the hell did the wife's ghost smack the heroine unconscious if she wanted her help? You can see the bad guy and the murderer from a mile away so it came as no surprise when the villain is revealed. But the villain wasn't ever actually involved in the story until the point when he's revealed as the killer. This was almost laughable bad. show less

Maid Marion and the Lawman by Deb Stover is 2013 Bellebridge Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lawman Shane Latimer is out to find the "Robin Hood" that has been committing robberies when his horse is spooked by a snake and he winds up in the home of "Maid Marian" while she tends to his snakebite. He learns that Marian's brother is the infamous Robin Hood and he has special needs. While Robin and his Merry show more Men may really be guilty of a little wrong doing, they are well meaning and very gentle souls. Mary herself has a few dark secrets and her attraction to Shane has her thinking about a man the way she hasn't is a long time. The same holds true for Shane, but he is a lawman and he can't in conscience let Mary's brother continue to commit robberies.
Once Shane, who Mary and Robin believe to be someone else, begins to see the situation for what it really is, he realizes he is in love with Mary and has begun to respect the Merry Men. On a more ominous note, a very dangerous criminal is on the loose and Mary , Robin and the gang are in very serious peril. Sooner or later Shane will have to confess to Mary who he really is and what his original mission was. Will Mary be able to forgive him for deceiving her?
This story was so sweet and heartwarming. While this is a Western Historical Romance, the legend of Robin Hood is interwoven in the story because Mary and Robin grew up hearing these stories from their father. They were even named after the characters in the story. While there is a fairytale quality to the story, there are very dark elements as well. Mary is a survivor of a horrible crime and has had to rescue her brother and some of his friends from an institution. She has vowed to protect her brother no matter what the cost.
I loved Mary's character, she was strong, compassionate, sweet and kind. She had real mettle when she had to and proved it when push came to shove. Shane is a man torn between his duty and his love for Mary. He has allowed her to believe he as someone he wasn't and will have to prove to her that he loves her and would never hurt her in any way. But, before their issues can be worked out, they must rescue Robin and that will mean putting themselves in grave danger. So, this book has a action, adventure, lots of zany and off beat characters, sweet and sexy romance, humor, and of course a wonderful Happy Ever After!
I did get just a little confused with all the aliases being used and who was really who and what they were doing in this situation because some of these people were simply not your usual western romance type character. But, these secondary characters all had a unique story of their own and so there is more than one HEA.
Overall I will give this one an B+ show less