As I mentioned before, during the past year or so I’ve had a difficult time concentrating while reading and I’ve discovered that I’m not alone. Imagine my delight when I tried again a few months ago and re-discovered the joy of reading.
Even though I write romance, I don’t read a lot of it. But when I do, I invariably enjoy the stories, especially historical romances for some reason. Perhaps that’s because they are often quite unrealistic, and when I pick one up, I want to be taken somewhere away from the stress we’re all undergoing these days. The one I recommend here has a real dose of realism which is why I enjoyed it so much.
Here are a few of my recent choices:

The Cellist:

Daniel Silva never disappoints. I enjoy his Gabriel Allon character, who has evolved over time. For those who aren’t familiar with this series, Gabriel Allon is the chief of the Israeli intelligence service; there’s always an interesting plot, but more importantly, I invariably learn something. The books are meticulously researched and this one is au courant, even up to the recent American election. Highly recommended. THE CELLIST

Win:

Harlan Coben is one of my go-to authors. We were first introduced to Win as Myron Bolitar’s sidekick but in this story, Win is the protagonist. I always liked Win before but now I’m not so sure. Told with Coben’s usual skill, it’s not only a compelling whodunit, but it takes us inside the mind of Win… and that can be a dark place. Which is why I’m including this one. Does every hero need to be handsome, perfect and live a squeaky clean life? I’m not sure. You can decide for yourself. Win is the start of a series and I have no doubt I’ll try at least one more. WIN

The Heiress:

Now here’s a historical romance with a twist. It offers a peek into the life of a woman who has been kept compliant thanks to being given laudanum all of her life. The concept was refreshingly different, and of course enjoyed her journey as she fights for her freedom and ultimately finds love. THE HEIRESS

Brighton:

My first novel by Michael Harvey and it won’t be my last. I found myself immersed in the story line and couldn’t wait to get back to it. It’s described as a thriller and that’s exactly what it is. Compelling. BRIGHTON

Shootout:
Okay, okay, I’m a bit ahead of myself but I have to include the upcoming release in my friend Nick Russell’s Big Lake series because I know I’ll love it. Nick has created a community of people in this series who have become familiar to me and all of his many readers. Some characters we like, some we don’t, but there’s never a dull moment. Looking forward to this one; it’ll be released sometime in early August. Nick talks about the new book HERE.
ps: Nick and I are two of the many authors who use the services of the multi-talented graphic artist ELIZABETH MACKEY for our book covers.