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According to the book description of
The Child Comes First, “Trial attorney Simon Montgomery rarely loses a case. But when an eleven-year-old
girl stands accused of murder, the courtroom superstar faces his toughest challenge. The child's social worker, Jayda Kavanagh,
thinks it's open and shut: her client didn't do it. And Jayda will stop at nothing to prove her innocence. Jayda isn't the
only one who's bonding with the young girl. While he fights to win her freedom, Simon moves ahead with plans to adopt her.
It means dredging up his own painful past. Coming clean about his growing feelings for Jayda. But Jayda's harboring a secret
of her own--a secret that could affect their future together. And the child's.”
Harriet Klausner said of The
Child Comes First, “In Baltimore, the state accuses eleven-year-old Tiffany Thompson of willfully killing
three-year-old Derek Baldridge. The Third Circuit Court judge ruled that the preadolescent will be tried as an adult because
of the shocking homicide and the accused documented history of violence. Attorney Simon Montgomery is assigned the pro bono
case in which a public defender failed to get the venue changed back to Juvenile Court. Other court rulings handled poorly
by his predecessor further hampers his ability to mount a strong defense.
Meanwhile social worker Jayda Kavanagh totally believes Tiffany did not kill the
younger child. She demands the new lawyer do a better job than the previous one did. As Jayda and Simon begin to fall in love,
both are also charmed by the young girl on trial. However, besides understanding THE CHILD COMES FIRST, all three have issues
to overcome if relationships are to forge permanently.
This entertaining romantic legal thriller
works because the lead couple of this aptly titled tale focuses on defending the child over their attraction. The story line
is fast-paced from the moment Derek picks up the pro bono defense of Tiffany and never slows down as he struggles with issues
left by the previous lawyer, his client's history and brooding reluctance to speak, and his desire for Jayda. Her idealism
matches his skepticism as fans will enjoy this fine contemporary.”
Harriet Klausner said of Into Thin Air, “The G3
Logistics officer Captain Kelsey O'Roarke is inside an isolated warehouse on Fort Belvoir when she hears strange noises from
the machinery. She investigates only to find a soldier where he should not be. As she goes to help him down, a shot is fired;
the soldier falls thirty feet to the ground; his blood is everywhere. Kelsey is knocked unconscious with a blow to the head.
Later that evening a bewildered Kelsey explains to Criminal Investigation Division
Major Julian Fordham what happened, but no corpse or other evidence is at the crime scene. Last year Kelsey and Julian dated;
the kisses were incredible, but also carried a forever stipulation that scared the CID cop away. Kelsey knows she still trusts
him with her heart and soul let alone her life, so he reluctantly agrees to investigate though he expects to find nothing
out of the ordinary. Neither expected what they find which places their lives in danger from killers and their hearts from
one another.
INTO THIN AIR is an intriguing military
police romantic mystery in which readers know Kelsey witnessed a murder, but Julian firmly believes she banged her head and
imagined the whole thing. The story line is fast-paced when it concentrates on the present; when the plot looks back at last
year's relationship fiasco it seems out of step because Julian who has all the doubts resolves them too easily. Still following
the lead couple tries to solve the military murder mystery provides a fine R&R for readers.”
C. Penn of WordWeaving said of The
Colonel and the Kid, “Colonel Viktor Baturnov arrives in the United States prepared to spend a month learning
supply movement techniques at the Pentagon. He doesn't share his hidden agenda, which involves flying his son into the United
States for heart surgery. His superiors would not appreciate his manipulations that put him in the United States endeavoring
to aid his son. He finds himself immediately drawn to the protocol officer acting as his escort, but Viktor cannot allow himself
to be distracted. Perhaps if he keeps his actions professional and courteous, she'll aid him if he asks for help.
Someone has been toying with Captain
Natalie Wentworth's assignments, and, consequently, her career. She ordinarily deals with generals, ambassadors and heads
of states, leaving assignments like this one to lesser officers. Instead, she's currently assigned to a Colonel with a secret,
and she wants to know what that secret is. Sympathy, however, could easily compromise her career. Soon she finds herself choosing
between love and duty, requiring that she reevaluate both her priorities and her goals.
THE COLONEL AND THE KID by Elizabeth
Ashtree will tug at readers' hearts. While a little slow in the beginning, the pace increases in relationship to the pressures
on these dynamic characters from separate worlds. The pressure created by the child's illness, and the willingness to sacrifice
anything to save him becomes a strong motivation to bring two military people from opposite sides of the world together. Secondary
characters are also vividly realized, with a well meaning mother whose frequent phone calls seem timed to drive Natalie crazy.
Another delightful secondary character nicknamed Angel will likewise capture readers' hearts. Indeed, she deserves her own
book with her infectious personality and daring. Ashtree's resolution to the conflict doesn't disappoint, making THE COLONEL
AND THE KID a terrific read.”
One reader of An Officer and a Hero said, “Capt.
Kaitlin McCord is the newest JAG lawyer on base. Daniel Wilson is the first man she meets who both attracts and intrigues
her. She admits to herself and to him very early on that she would like to get to know him better and explore the attraction.
Unfortunately, Daniel is an enlisted man and the Army doesn't allow fraternization between officers and enlisted personnel.
Especially not when the enlisted man is a legal specialist and falls directly within the officer's chain of command.
Kaitlin and Daniel understand that they are off-limits to each other and make
several attempts to respect the boundaries the Army has established. They manage (not without some struggle) until a personal
tragedy in Daniel's life brings Kaitlin to his side, into his bed and right on into his heart. I can't say much more about
the plot without giving away too much. Let me just say, that from this point, this book has a long way to go until the end.
Most of it is very, very good.
Some of it is a little rough and pressed my ability to suspend disbelief. Kaitlin
is a little too naive about a couple of things. I felt it took her too long to figure out a permanent solution to there fraternization
difficulties - the same solution I had come up with within the first couple of chapters. She also resisted realizing who the
villain was for too long when that, too, was fairly obvious (and should have been even more so to a lawyer).
These things detracted only slightly
from my enjoyment of the story. I'm glad. I would hate to have given up before the end, because the last 75-100 pages of this
book are spectacular. They go well beyond the scope of many category romances and they showcase Kaitlin and Daniel to perfection.
I wish I could say more, but there's just no way without revealing too much. Ms. Ashtree will only get better and I only hope
she plans to give us more military romances. They'll be worth reading. This one surely was.”
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