Charlene Raddon

Roses hold a special place in many a woman's heart. Every once in a while my husband will surprise me with roses. The first time he had them delivered when I worked in a library. I cried...right there in front of the patrons. It was so sweet! Just the title of this book brought me back that moment in time and the love that I felt surrounding me.

The Scent of Roses by Charlene Raddon tells the story of a young woman in the time of the "wild west." Rosalyn makes a trip from Salt Lake City, away show more from everything she knows to flee to a imagined safety. Once she gets there, she stumbles upon the murder of her "missing" husband.

Rosalyn's predicament is made even worse because her husband has taken a second wife, but failed to mention that he was already married to Rosalyn. The plural marriage aspect of this novel drew me in even further. I can't seem to get enough of the TLC specials on plural marriage and this gave me yet another glimpse into this lifestyle.

At the heart is a love story that can't be beat. Throw in some ghosts, hidden passageways, and the love a father gives a child, you've got a great read! show less

Roslyn was starting to question her beliefs about the paranormal, and Whip, her adversary, was getting pretty damn stiff standing in-between the walls spying on her.

The Scent of Roses is an engrossing and intriguing romantic mystery, which will kidnap the reader's attention from the very first page.

Roselyn Delaney is a strait-laced and strong minded woman who abandoned her home in Salt Lake City, to find her husband, Josiah. Their marriage had only been one of convenience, but still, she show more loved him. He had rescued her from the leader of a religious cult, the Strongites, by marrying her, and she was grateful to him for that.

It was dark when Roselyn came upon Josiah’s residence – the Rose House. She was shocked to learn that not only had her husband taken another wife, but that he'd been murdered. Furthermore, Roselyn discovered that she had just run right smack into the man who was accused of killing her husband – Whip Kincaid.

Roselyn was convinced that Whip Kincaid was her husband’s killer, and Whip Kincaid was sure that Roselyn had more to do with the murder than she was willing to admit. So if spying on the stuffy, Miss Prim and Proper was the only way he was going to extract information from her, then so be it. What he didn’t count on was actually falling in love with her.

It appeared that everyone, particularly the butler, was trying to coerce Roselyn into thinking that the Rose House was haunted, but she wasn’t that easily swayed. There was no such thing as ghosts; she believed, or at least she was hoping that was the case. Little did she know that the accused murderer, Whip, was lurking in-between the walls of the Rose House, and spying on her. In time, they would both help each other uncover the real murderer. But that alliance would not come to be until they both suffered several heated battles with one another.

I loved this book, the storyline, and the characters. Charlene Raddon has seamlessly woven together several character subplots, giving the story depth and intrigue. The Scent of Roses is an exceptionally well-written book, and so delightful, that readers will be glad they didn’t pass it up. I highly recommend giving The Scent of Roses a read!

~5 out of 5 stars~ Review by Peg Glover show less

This book kept me reading on my computer no less until 11:30 at night! I just had to know the ending. This is the story of a head strong woman who learns at a young age not to trust men-or so she thinks! Bound and determined to find the father who disappeared from her Mom's and her life 15 years prior she finagles a job from the Pinkerton Agency. She thinks her Dad might be in Utah and this is where she will be bounty hunting, to earn the money she needs to stay in Utah until she finds her show more father.

I found myself shaking my head at some of the antics and worried at some of the others. She keeps bumping into a man who is hunting the same person. She outsmarts him at "almost" every turn. He finally takes her home to where he owns a hotel run by his sister and her family. Then she finds out that the man she has been hunting and did catch is not the guilty party!

Will they catch the real bad guys? Will they ever see eye to eye? Will Jenna ever find her Father? Will there be happy endings for all? I think I'll let you find that out for yourself! Enjoy this historical romance--I know I did. show less

When I chose to read this title I knew it would be a story about forbidden love and I am a sucker for those types of stories. However, as I delved deeper I realized that there was more to this story than meets the eye. This is a beautiful story that will touch your heart. It will have you laughing and crying along with Bartholomew and Ariah as you follow them on their journey of pain, heartache, jealousy, guilt and love.

Initially, when I realized that the story was broaching the topic of show more adultery I was a bit skeptical about reading further. However, I was glad I was able to move past my skepticism and in doing so, I discovered that there was more to this story than I originally thought.

Bartholomew Noon was a lighthouse keeper who had been trapped in a loveless marriage for the past seven years. As a result he led a lonely existence. This would change when he met Ariah Scott. Ariah having lost her parents and on the run from her mother’s family signed up to become a mail order bride. It so happened that she was to become the bride of Bartholomew’s nephew, Pritchard. Sparks flew when Ariah and Bartholomew met for the first time.

At first I was not sure what to make of Bartholomew. Here we have a man that was broken and depressed from being trapped in a loveless marriage with a woman who is determined to make his life a living hell. I kept asking why would any well thinking person remain in such a situation? When the truth was revealed I could not help but feel his pain. Ariah was a very outspoken woman. Not the type of characteristic that was expected from women of that era. From the moment Ariah met Bartholomew she knew she found her soulmate. However, in light of the fact that he was married, she knew that he would be off limits. However, unforeseen circumstances placed them in a precarious position that will see them being tested to their limits. At first I didn’t like Ariah as I thought she was deliberately trying to tempt Bartholomew. I found it hard to believe that she was not aware of the torment her actions were causing. However, as I read further I came to realise that she was sweet and caring in nature.

I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters. Some were likeable, some not so much. Hester, Bartholomew’s wife was the worst of all. I thought that she must be crazy for that type of behavior. The reason for actions eventually became clear. Then there is Pritchard. He was immature and it was clear that he was not ready for marriage. His reason for wanting to get married was a sure recipe for a failed marriage. What I liked was that at the time when it counted most he proved that he had become a man.

The story started out slowly and took some time to build up, but once it did there was no holding back. It had me hooked and I could not wait to find out if true love would prevail. The romance was realistic and it did not come easily for these two. They had to fight for the right to be together. Forever Mine depicts how the guilt of our past actions can destroy our future. At times we may do things that we will regret, but we need to forgive ourselves and move on. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to more from this author.

This book was provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review. NO monetary compensation was provided for this review. The opinions expressed in my reviews are my own. show less