Lani's Challenge 

By Linda Morelli

Port Town Publishing
December 2005

ISBN 1-59466-032-8

Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5

Lani Talbot comes from a family of cops and even though she is the last one of her family left, she is determined to make them proud of her.  She has worked her way into a detective position and has requested to be transferred to her father’s old precinct where she plans on using her skills to finally find the person who murdered her father.  Lani realizes the challenges a woman faces on the force, but she knows that she has what it takes to be a good detective and she will prove to everyone that she deserves to be there.  Her optimism is dimmed a little when she first meets her new partner Garrett Pierce; he is quick to let Lani know that he doesn’t trust her and that he won’t be able to depend on her.

 Garrett Pierce has been a detective for ten years and has just returned to the force after being on leave because his partner of ten years was killed in the line of duty and the worst thing was his killer has still not been identified.  Garrett is not pleased to learn that he has been assigned a rookie partner, but the worst news was that she was a female.  When Garrett sees Lani with her beautiful face, slim figure and blond hair, he is sure that all she will be is a hindrance and that he will never be able to trust her to watch his back.  The first case the pair is given involves the son of an influential man and after just two days Garrett knows that he has to change his attitude about Lani.  She is a talented investigator and her skills dovetail perfectly with his.  Garrett quickly learns he must trust in Lani because they will need their combined talents to solve the murder they have been handed, plus find her father’s and his partner’s killer before the killers find and eliminate them.

 LANI’S CHALLENGE by Linda Morelli is a riveting and suspenseful romance.  Lani and Garrett are strong and enjoyable lead characters and their story involved an exciting and challenging mystery.  I loved the interactions between Lani and Garrett and I liked how Garrett quickly turned his preconceived ideas about Lani around and was a big enough person to let her know that he had been wrong to doubt her.  The case involving the murder was excellent and I was constantly changing my mind on who the killer was and I liked how all the clues came together in the end in an intelligent and believable way.  I loved this book and recommend it to everyone that enjoys a good mystery combined with an excellent romance.

                                    By Romance Junkies Reviewer: Char

 Direct Link to Review: http://www.romancejunkies.com/artman/publish/article_5035.shtml  

Direct Link to book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594660328/104-9514751-8663112?n=283155  

Direct Link to Publisher's website, Port Town Publishing: www.porttownpublishing.com

Direct Link to my Website (Linda's Place – A Site for Readers and Writers of Romance): http://hometown.aol.com/lbmwriter/romance/Index.html

SHADOW OF A DOUBT

By Linda Morelli

Port Town Publishing

December 2002

ISBN 0971623996

Rating:  Four Stars

Catrin and her sister Jennifer were never close, but Cat is understandably heartsick when Jen turns up dead. Her death is ruled a suicide, but Cat knows her sister well enough to want to disprove such a miscalled judgment.

Cat gets unexpected help from her neighbor, Derek Driscall. Seeking Jen's murderer brings the two together, but finding who the real perpetrator is might just as easily tear them apart.

SHADOW OF A DOUBT is a bang-up mystery wrapped up in an admirable romance. Though the love story develops quickly, it holds up well and is quite plausible. It is the mystery that qualifies this page-turner. If you relish a romantic suspense, don't miss this one. (Dec., 287 pp., $7.95)

                                     —Susan Mobley, Romantic Times BookClub

Direct Link to Review: http://www.romantictimes.com/index.html?/data/books/17830.html

 Direct Link to book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971623996/qid=1137605529/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-8015729-0334306?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

 Direct Link to Publisher's website, Port Town Publishing: www.porttownpublishing.com

 Direct Link to my Website (Linda's Place – A Site for Readers and Writers of Romance): http://hometown.aol.com/lbmwriter/romance/Index.html
 

Fiery Surrender

Author: Linda Morelli

Publisher: Port Town Publishing
Release Date: Now available (July 2001)

Blue Ribbon Rating: 4

ISBN 0970054459

 Running frantically for her life, and honor, Monique von Strade is hampered by her clothing in the woods, while being chased by a highwayman. It doesn't take long for him to catch her, and she fights for her life. She is certain her parents have been murdered by now and that she is next.

 Pierre Latier hears shots in the area near where he is riding, and goes to investigate with his men. Seeing a band of highwayman have stopped a carriage, and have accosted the occupants, they plan their rescue. They successfully save the occupants, to learn that their daughter had escaped to the woods, being pursued by the highwaymen's leader. Pierre rushes to her rescue.

Enraged at the scene he encounters, Pierre manages to kill the highwayman and save Monique's life. The poor girl is unconscious and he carries her to the rest of the party, and they escort the family to his home to recuperate. He finds Monique to be beautiful, but unfortunately too young. He couldn't consider any involvement anyway, as he has prior commitments.

 When Monique finally awakens and meets her savior, she is infatuated. Who cares if he is nearly old enough to be her father! He is obviously taken with her too, so why can't they make a match? To her distress, her parents consider him too old for her, and plan on continuing to Paris to find her a husband there. That is not what she wanted to hear. Paris is more, but different, than she expected it to be, and it changes her life drastically.

 From the start I was captured by the exciting beginning of this book. FIERY SURRENDER starts off with a great impact, and continues it on throughout the entire story. Full of spirit and life, the hero and heroine made me fall in love with them immediately. I could empathize with the plight of her parents, and wanted to strangle some of the secondary characters that Monique met in Paris. I loved the twists this story took, and the adventures and misadventures, the hero and heroine went through. Ms. Morelli is a wonderful storyteller, and I will be looking forward to reading more of her books in the future. This is the first one of her books I have read, but for sure, it won't be the last!

By Romance Junkies Reviewer: Teresa Henson

Direct Link to Review: http://www.romancejunkies.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/9/1081

 Direct Link to book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970054459/qid=1137605529/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-8015729-0334306?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

 Direct Link to Publisher's website, Port Town Publishing: www.porttownpublishing.com

 Direct Link to my Website (Linda's Place – A Site for Readers and Writers of Romance): http://hometown.aol.com/lbmwriter/romance/Index.html

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