Charlene Raddon

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

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

This is not the sort of book that I normally pick up and I have to say that it was such a refreshing change. I worried that I would struggle to get into the book with it being different to my usual choice, but as soon as I picked it up I was glued to it.

Raddon has a fantastic ability to develop characters that are easy to like. I instantly fell in love with Jenna's character - strong and willful (something I have always thought I was!) and I was intrigued by McCauley - his description at show more first caused me to think huh? Not what I expected at all! But as I read on, I think I really started to engage with his character and the little hints of his personality that were dropped in with the storyline.

The historic element for me was really enjoyable. It added another dimension to the story and really got me stuck in. I'm also not going to lie - the sensual moments in this book are fantastic. Graphic but not overly so - making Taming Jenna a thoroughly enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it to any romance lovers who want a bit of a different storyline! show less

It's a western, mystery, historical, romance all swirled into one fabulous story! Set in the Arizona Territory in 1889, The Scent of Roses swept me back in time. With the backdrop of a rugged mining town, the stage set in a house full of secrets, a mysterious butler, a murder and plenty of questions to be answered, this book kept me turning pages till the end.

This was the first book I have read from Charlene Raddon and, though this was the sequel to To Have and To Hold, I had no problem show more following along and enjoying The Scent of Roses on it's own. The characters were well set up and the events didn't need any additional back story. I look forward to reading the other book because this one was so good!

Whip Kincaid and Rosalyn were dynamic characters I enjoyed watching open up and grow as the story unfolded. Believe me, a rough cowboy with a tender heart for his daughter will have your heart melted in no time. I was rooting for the couple from the start, as you do with any good romance, but it is always fun to see how the author brings them together.

I highly recommend The Scent of Roses and can't wait to check out more of Charlene Raddon's writing.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. show less