Dark Road Home

GIVEAWAY

LUDWIG, ELIZABETH
DARK ROAD HOME

Ana Kavanagh's memories of Ireland are mostly of fire and pain. As a girl she survived a blaze that left her an orphan, left her scarred, and left her angry at God. Now in New York, Ana finds a kindred spirit in Eoghan Hamilton, who's struggling with his own anger. His twin sister, Cara, betrayed him by falling in love with his enemy.

Cast aside by everyone, Eoghan hopes to rejoin the Finians, an organization pushing for change back in Ireland, by securing infromation against Rourke, the man his sister married. Ana, Cara's friend, may be his best source, and despite the attraction he feels, Eoghan determines to use the girl's sweet nature to his advantage.

Adding to the danger is a specter from Eoghan's own past, one whose thirst for vengeance knows no bounds. Eoghan must choose which road to follow -- bitterness or forgiveness -- and where to finally place his trust.

My Review:

published in 2013

Happy St.Patrick's Day. This Irish / Canadian reader loves to find a wee bit o'home inside a novel so I was thrilled to catch up on Elizabeth Ludwig's Edge of Freedom series. Oddly enough I've read book one and three but missed this one completely! Very sloppy of me, I know! But how opportune to be able to share an Irish tale on an Irish holiday. :-)

Dark Road Home does carry a dark thread within it's covers. We're talking about the Irish rebellion, after all. And the Finians are a complicated -- and dangerous -- group of men. Sinister sabotage and buried secrets threaten to blot out the hope of new opportunities in a new country.

Ana has come to America to escape her past. Eoghan is in New York to pursue the ghosts of his past.  These two have been battered by circumstance and balance on the precipice between bitterness and forgiveness. So much heartache and pain. And, honestly, I never wanted to simultaneously box ears and hug-smother a character more than I did chip-on-his-shoulder Eoghan! Gah! Stubborn Irishman. Of course, he complicates what could have been a fanciful boy-meets-girl tale into something so much edgier. And the suspense plot just sweetens the deal. If you enjoy a blend of danger and suspense with your historical romance, Dark Road Home might just be the perfect next read.

The only issue I have with this story is the author's tendency to confuse Scottish sayings with Irish. Contrary to popular belief, they are not interchangeable. :-)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Dark Road Home, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 18 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

Tide and Tempest

GIVEAWAY

LUDWIG, ELIZABETH
TIDE AND TEMPEST

Two years ago, her fiancé perished
during their voyage to America.

Now she discovers it may have been murder...
Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiancé by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.

Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiancé's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naïve fiancé.

My Review:

Amazing conclusion to the Edge of Freedom series. You don't necessarily have to have read the first two books in order to enjoy this one, but I think you'd get more out of it if you have. I read the first book, No Safe Harbor, but missed Dark Road Home and I did feel a bit lost in few places. Not enough to dim my reading enjoyment. It's just that the complicated suspense plot relies a bit on the previous books.

The suspense is intriguing. Loved how Tillie won't take a back seat to solving the mystery of her fiancé's death. And especially love how that determination completely flummoxes poor Captain Morgan. The man has definitely met his match. He is used to being obeyed at sea but Tillie challenges him every step of the way on land.

Their love story is a complicated one, fraught with anxiety and miscommunication until the very end. Talk about keeping rabid romance reader's on the edge of their seats! The romance is almost as suspenseful as the mystery.

And, of course, I loved the Irish angle because I'm Irish-born. Though I have to admit that I found some of 'Irishisms' more Scottish then Irish.

My thanks to so many of my blog readers who recommend this title in a recent reader's choice week. This series had escaped my rabid reader radar and I likely would have missed an awesome read without your input. Going to have to back track and get that second book in the series as well.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Tide and Tempest please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca.  If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 6 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

No Safe Harbor

GIVEAWAY

LUDWIG, ELIZABETH
NO SAFE HARBOR

New York City, 1897

She came to America searching for her brother. Instead all she's found is a web of danger.

Cara Hamilton had thought her brother to be dead. Now, clutching his letter, she leaves Ireland for America, desperate to find him. Her search leads her to a houseful of curious strangers, and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh. Despite her brother's warning, Cara trusts Rourke, revealing her purpose in coming to New York.

She's then thrust into a world of subterfuge, veiled threats, and attempted murder, including political revolutionaries from the homeland out for revenge. Her questions guide her ever nearer to locating her brother--but they also bring her closer to destruction as those who want to kill him track her footsteps.

With her faith in tatters, all hope flees. Will her brother finally surface? Can he save Cara from the truth about Rourke... a man she's grown to love?

My Review:

Wow -- winning combination of both historical and suspense genres! And of course, I can't get enough Irish stories, so that added to my excitement! Thrust into intrigue in the very first chapter, I was anxious every time Cara spoke to someone! Veiled in mystery, warned to trust no one, I felt her confusion and anguish as she struggled to find the answers she has come to America seeking.  Of course, as in any good suspense, I wanted to throttle her a time or two because she refused to heed my sage warnings which left me in a page-turning frenzy by the end.

I'm afraid to say much more for fear of giving intrinsic plot details away and spoiling your fun when you pick up this read...and believe me, you'll want to. No Safe Harbor has multiple twists and turns in both the suspense and the romance -- all played out to perfection in turn of the century New York City. A breath-taking read.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of No Safe Harbor, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 28 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".