Mercer Street by John A. Heldt

Blurb:

Love, honor, and courage take center stage in the second book of John Heldt’s American Journey time-travel series as three women from the present become entangled in the past in the tension-filled months leading up to World War Two.

Weeks after her husband dies in the middle of an affair, Susan Peterson, 48, seeks solace on a California vacation with her mother Elizabeth and daughter Amanda. The novelist, however, finds more than she bargained for when she meets a professor who possesses the secret of time travel.

Within days, the women travel to 1938 and Princeton, New Jersey. Elizabeth begins a friendship with her refugee parents and infant self, while Susan and Amanda fall for a widowed admiral and a German researcher with troubling ties.

Filled with poignancy, heartbreak, and intrigue, MERCER STREET gives new meaning to sacrifice and commitment as it follows three strong-willed souls on the adventure of a lifetime.

About the Author:

John A. Heldt is the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage and American Journey series. The former reference librarian and award-winning sportswriter has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, Heldt is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life at https://johnheldt.blogspot.com.

Review:

Mercer Street was the second book by John A. Heldt that I read and was just as compelling as The Mine. In this time-travel romance, three generations of women travel back to the pre-World War Two era when they meet a professor while on vacation who has a time-travel machine. They’re each given a list of don’ts, such as “Don’t tell anyone you’re from the future.” “Don’t alter history in any way.” “Don’t bring back any living thing,” etc.

They travel to Princeton. Elizabeth, the grandmother, wants to see her devoutly Catholic parents from whom she was estranged when she married a Lutheran man. She meets her parents and her infant self and all three women bond with them. Susan, the daughter, meets and falls in love with a retired Navy Admiral who wants to convince not just the military, but the public, that the US needs to build up our arms—especially aircraft and carriers. And Amanda, the granddaughter, falls in love with the son of a German diplomat. He’s grown up mostly in the US, but where do his loyalties really lie? And who is the Old Man who lives down the street and always seems to have lost something when Elizabeth walks past?

Like The Mine, I had difficulty putting down Mercer Street. It was well-written with wonderful grammar, characters who were easy to like, great pacing, and a twist I never saw coming at the end. I thought I had it figured out, but boy, was I wrong! Thank you, Mr. Heldt.

Author Website:  http://johnheldt.blogspot.com

Warnings:  None

Length:  431 Pages

Digital Price:  $4.99

Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Street-American-Journey-Book-ebook/dp/B0170DP9TQ

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Cooked Goose: Big Mike and Minne by Susan Amanda Kelly

Blurb:

Mistletoe mayhem! Cooked Goose is a hilarious holiday love story filled with sizzle, sugar, and sass.

“Your father called me. He invited me for Christmas. I have a ticket for the same flight as you. Tonight.”

With those words, Big Mike sucked the oxygen out of the room. Minnie intended her father would meet her new man, Big Mike… eventually. Minnie wanted to give Daddy time to get used to the idea that his “little girl” is embroiled in a serious relationship. A few decades, perhaps. Because Daddy’s not your run-of-the-mill protective father—he’s a criminal. But now Minnie is heading home for the holidays with Big Mike in tow.

Big Mike is no delicate violet. He’s quiet and lethal—an ex-Special Forces soldier whose day job involves “keeping the Free World safe.” But Big Mike doesn’t want to spoil Minnie’s Christmas and promises not to hurt anyone. His resolve will be tested by Minnie’s father, her psycho brother, and three outlaw lieutenants who want his woman.

About the Author:

Susan Amanda Kelly loves making up stuff in her head. She drives her husband to distraction by suddenly stopping mid-conversation and staring off into space. She once spent five hours at sea on a boat, muttering, “Where would he hide the body?” She hopes the video footage of that trip has been wiped. She finally decided to put the characters that inhabit her head, onto paper. It was like opening the door on a lunatic asylum—glorious bedlam. She hopes her readers come to love her characters as much as she does. She writes action-packed romantic comedies. And her husband is convinced her male leads are based on him. Not the body-hiding psychopath, of course. Sign up to be the first to hear about her new releases: http://eepurl.com/bIb7G5

Review:

Cooked Goose: Big Mike and Minnie is the kind of short fiction one can only get with an e-reader. At less than fifty pages, you can chuckle and laugh your way through it in a little over half an hour. Although he’s promised Minnie not to hurt anyone, the men surrounding her at her father’s when they arrive for Christmas make it pretty much impossible for Big Mike to keep his fists to himself. The challenge becomes keeping the altercations—and the evidence thereof—from Minnie. Especially when the turkey ends up being one of the casualties. Now what’ll they eat? Someone’s goose is about to be cooked.

Big Mike and Minnie are an unlikely couple. The offspring of rival biker gangs, Big Mike is a killing machine whose interests include motorcycles and martial arts. Minnie is an internationally known model whose interests include shoes and Fashion Week. But, she also knows where to place her stilettos when grabbed for behind.

Short story or long, you can count on Big Mike and Minnie to keep you laughing and on the edge of your seat wondering what happens next. Because ya know it’s gonna be good! Grab Cooked Goose: Big Mike and Minnie and find out for yourself.

Author Website:  http://eepurl.com/bIb7G5

Heat Rating:  R

Length:  49 Pages

Digital Price:  $0.99

Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Cooked-Goose-Big-Mike-Minnie-ebook/dp/B018K27GRE

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Sometimes it Rains in California by Jennifer Strom

The Plot:

Dr. Hubbard seems to have everything going for him, success in his job and moderate fame, his choice of any woman he wants, and undeniable wealth. To those around him, he seems nearly perfect and untouched by anything. Then on an ordinary Tuesday evening a nervous ER intern corners him with a desperate plea to help save a young woman's life. Almost immediately he realizes that the woman holds a connection to a secret from his past that he’s carried with him for years. As she remains unaware of the poignant way their lives are intertwined, Dr. Hubbard makes it his mission to keep her in his life until he can come to terms with how to handle the reality of what she represents. What begins as an unwillingness to let go of old memories and redeem past mistakes, soon turns into an intricate web of deception that forces Dr. Hubbard to make a choice. He can reveal the truth about their connection and face the anger and heartache that might come with that revelation or let her silently move on and maybe lose his only chance for reconciliation and redemption.

About the Author:

Jennifer has always been drawn to a good story and loves telling one as much as reading one. After ten-plus years writing in various positions in corporate America, she left to stay home with her children and follow her true passion of writing fiction.

She lives with her husband, children, three cats and a dog in Atlanta, Georgia.

Review:

Sometimes it Rains in California is the story of a man who did something terrible in high school and spent the rest of his life trying to atone for it. But when Dr. Hubbard saves the life a young woman from his past, he realizes he has to choose—expose his mistake and relive the past, or let the only woman he ever loved slip away—again.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Dr. Hubbard. He pretty much lied his way through the book, but he did so out of fear. On top of that, this book wasn’t very well edited. It’s full of mis-matched tenses and misused words. It kept me engaged enough to read all the way through, so I am giving it three roses, but I wouldn’t suggest going out of one’s way to read it.

Author Amazon Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Strom/e/B01EW3ZOKQ

Heat Rating:  PG-13

Length:  276 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $12.00

Digital:  $3.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Rains-California-Jennifer-Strom/dp/1530442206

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