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According to the book description of
Moonlight Masquerade, “Unexpected passion flares between Cassandra Van Dorn, a lovely Confederate
spy, and Captain Jared Montgomery, a dashing Union officer and aide to President Lincoln, but a deadly conspiracy threatens
both their lives and their newfound love.”
One reader of Moonlight
Masquerade said, Not knowing the exact dangers of the country at that time I assume that there was more leniency
in the story than would be true of the real events. Cassandra Van Dorn is a firm believer that secession would bring a halt
to the Civil War. She is willing to help in any way possible, even to stealing military papers concerning the safety of Washington.
Getting caught was not in her plans but a very dangerous possibility.
She is caught by none other than Captain
Jaren Montgomery, the infamous "Masked Marauder" and dashing aide to President Lincoln. Jared has been on the search
for two years, looking for the secessionist leader who killed his brother. Revenge is his motive. Cassie is hampered by her
mother, Alicia Van Dorn who blithely smuggles "shipments" of morphine to the southern side where her husband, Robert
Van Dorn is a field doctor.
Cassie and Alicia are soon invaded
by Alicia's 36 year old sister, Evangeline. Aunt Vangie turns out to be a sneaky, secretive woman with her agenda. She claims
to want to help Cassie to secure a husband. One of title and wealth. Ah, but now the fun begins -- Cassie is forced to deliver
a "shipment" to her father and is in need of rescuing on her way back. Then she soon looses her sense of morality
and shacks up with Jared. [Which in that day and age I don't believe many young women would willingly let themselves be "ruined",
especially as with those in England when they are trying to contract an advantageous marriage. But these two, through their
touching and feeling, kissing etc., are loosening their hearts to each other without complete trust and that is leading to
misunderstandings and suspicions. The antics are sometimes hilarious and the outcome most unexpected but fitting.”
According to the book description of
Gambler’s Lady, “Eager to buy back Rive Belle, the beloved family home lost to the Yankees,
ex-Confederate officer and riverboat gambler Shane Delaney accepts a substantial sum from crooked Nolan Gant to charm Rina
Taylor into revealing a secret family recipe.”
The Literary Times said of Gambler’s
Lady, “Determined to buy back his family's plantation after the war, Ex-Confederate officer Shane Delaney
makes it known he will do whatever job necessary to earn the money he needs in a hurry. This brought Shane an interesting
proposition from a crazy old mountain man who wanted him to discover his neighbors secret moonshine recipe. What Shane discovered
was the beautiful daughter of the old man's rival, and a way of life he never would have thought he'd enjoy. Rina Taylor has
found it difficult to trust men ever since her mother ran off with another man. But when Shane arrives in the mountains with
an offer to buy the moonshine to sell on the riverboats, Rina soon finds she is offering him her trust, and before long, her
love. From the Arkansas mountains to the charm of New Orleans, it takes several atttempts on Rina's life as well as the schemes
of a jilted woman before Shane comes to realize that he no longer finds the road to happiness in the old family plantation,
but rather in the arms of a beautiful, trusting mountain woman and her rustic surroundings.Ms. Adams get right to the heart
of the matter with a story of love and trust between two people destined to find peace and happiness. The action never stops,
yet Gambler's Lady doesn't rush you through a relationship, but rather let's you savor it as it grows and blossoms into something
lasting and true. A warm, wonderful love story that reminds us all of the meaning of love. Ms. Adams offers just the right
amount of action, humor, passion, tenderness and trust! What more could you ask for! Ms. Adams never rushes the reader in
her telling of a wonderful love story that you'll savor like a quiet dinner for two.”
According to the book description of
Loving Kate, “Abandoned by her fortune-hunting suitor in the rural town of Deadrange, wealthy,
spoiled, Boston-bred beauty Kate Danville finds herself unable to pay for the fare back home and sets out to teach high-handed
lawman Lucas Brannigan a much-needed, passionate lesson.”
The Literary Times said of Loving
Kate, “Despite her father's harsh warnings, Kate Danville is determined that she's doing the right thing.
Bound for Deadrange, Nevada, leaving the security of her father's home in Boston, the headstrong beauty is traveling cross-country
in a stagecoach to meet the man she wants to marry. Just past the Nevada border, however, the stagecoach is brought to an
abrupt stop and Kate finds herself glaring at a trio of stagecoach robbers. Marshal Lucas Brannigan hears the blast of a rifle
and as he comes over the ridge to investigate, he's amused to find a petite fancy lady holding off a notorious gang at gunpoint.
As he comes closer to offer his assistance, she whirls the end of her shotgun at him and it accidentally goes off, just missing
him by inches. Once in Deadrange, Kate is relieved to find her fiancé waiting for her, anxious to escape her shameful
feelings stirred by the tall, handsome marshal. By afternoon, she is forced to realize that she has been lured to Deadrange
by an unscrupulous swindler as he, along with her money, has disappeared. She immediately wires her father to ask for funds
to return home, and is dismayed at his abrupt refusal. She had finally pushed him too far, and now she's left to find a way
out of this predicament herself. One job after another ends in disaster and the marshal has his hands full just keeping the
little lady from being torn to bits by the angry townsfolk. Although well-meaning, Kate just courts disaster and it's not
long before Lucas realizes that she also has a hold on his heart. Before he gets the chance to prove it to her, the bank is
robbed by the same gang that robbed the stagecoach. He watches in horror as they ride out of town with Kate as hostage. He
vows to rescue her - or die trying. Loving Kate is as playful as it is dramatic and under the expert hand of Ms. Adams, these
characters leap from the pages straight into your heart. With spirited dialog and lively action, Loving Kate carries the reader
to the very best that the wild west has to offer. Joyce Adams knows who her characters are and skillfully paints them into
a vivid portrait of words. Fast-paced and thrilling, Loving Kate covers the full range of emotions.”
One reader of Stryker's
Bride said, “Stryker needs a wife to get the town's husbands off his back. Seems he's the handsomest guy
in town, not to mention the marshall, and all the ladies are besotted. Jacey Forester is in a peck of trouble. Not only has
she been falsely accused of stealing an expensive necklace, her twin sister has answered an ad for a mail order bride in Jacey's
name. Jacey realizes that appearing to agree to the marriage will get her out of town and away from the accusation of theft.
But she doesn't realize what she's getting into. Stryker has been burned at love before, and he's not planning on falling
again. He never expected to be so drawn to Jacey. As events unravel, both Jacey and Stryker find that they've been duped,
and both find they're in love. A series of unlikely events set Jacey on her road to her destiny in Stryker's Bride. A deft
talent for description livens up this familiar mail order bride story.”
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According to the book description of
Deck the Halls, “Six stories of historical holiday romance include the tales "A Gift
from Above," "A Colorado Christmas," "A New Beginning," "The Christmas Portrait," "If
You Believe," and "The Christmas Carousel.”
According to the book description of
Darling Cat, “Cat Parker may have looked like a sophisticated young lady, but she was a woman
with revenge on her mind and a derringer in her reticule. Three years ago, Jake Garrett had murdered her fiancé, and
she was determined to make him pay for it--with his life. But how could she kill the only man whose kisses left her breathless
and whose embrace promised a lifetime of passion?”
One reader of Darling Cat
said, “This is the first Joyce Adams book I have read, and I was quite pleased with this find! The book is set in the
old western times (think John Wayne and Clint Eastwod) and is about Cat, a female gunfighter who gets all dressed up and pretends
she's a New York lady in order to fool and revenge herself on the gunfighter Jake who killed her fiancé. Only problem
is she isn't finding it as easy as she planned! I really enjoyed reading about a strong female character who can equal the
men yet retains her feminism, and the way that Adams incorporates guardian angels into the story is cute, not overly dramatic
and too out of place as I have seen in other books. The book is also pretty humorous at times, which I like. I don't want
give away the story by praising it too much, but if you like historical romance novels at all, this is definitely a great
one to read! For myself, I will definitely be reading more Joyce Adams novels. Hopefully the rest are as interesting as Darling
Cat was.”
The Literary Times said of Tempting
Tess, “After receiving word of his younger brother's murder, Zack Mackenzie is a lawman seething with
anger and bent on revenge. The one and only clue as to the identity of the murderer points directly to a pretty traveling
medicine show performer known as Tempting Tess. His brother had been poisoned by the deceitful crook, evidenced by the medicine
show token found clasped in his hand that fateful night, and Zack wouldn't rest until he tracked her down. The last thing
Tess Montana needs is a meddlesome lawman on her trail. For months she and her father had managed to evade facing the consequences
of an unspeakable accident that left her abusive husband dead. Now, under a magician's guise, they traveled the medicine show
circuit in order to elude a warrant for their arrest. But, one look into the determined gaze of Zack Mackenzie and Tess has
a sinking feeling that payday has finally arrived. Her only recourse is to charm him into telling her what his intentions
are, possibly buying them some extra time to devise a plan. Little does she know what she's letting herself in for as the
power of his undivided attention shakes her to her very core. Quickly moving on to an alternate plan, Tess decides to send
the hulking Texas Ranger on a wild goose chase while she and her father slip quietly out of town. Zack becomes plagued with
contrasting emotions as he once again catches up with Tess. Sure that she's hiding something, he refuses to let her out of
his sight. But, the more time he spends with the enchanting temptress in the body of an innocent, his cold resolve begins
to melt beneath a heat of unexpected desire. Rumors begin to surface that Tess' father is in danger, and when a supposed accident
nearly kills Tess, the keen instincts of a seasoned lawman spur Zack into action. Determined more than ever to find his brother's
murderer, he pledges to protect her. At the same time, he's becoming convinced that he has wrongly accused this woman that
he's loosing his heart to. That is until he receives a telegraph with proof that Tess Montana and her father are not who they
say they are at all. Torn, Zack must decide which is greater; his need to hate her or his need to hold her. Fans of Ms. Adam's
homespun western romances will undoubtedly be intrigued and delighted with the extra embellishment of suspense that she has
woven into Tempting Tess. Tempting Tess is a true measure of the extraordinary storytelling talent of Joyce Adams. Joyce Adams
knows how to capture a reader's attention and with skillful insight, holds it to the very last page! There is a lovely sweetness
to a Joyce Adams romance that simply warms the heart.”
According the book description Tempting
Tess, “Performing in a traveling medicine show with her father, Tess Fontana fears the false murder charges
from which her father is hiding and is terrified by the arrival of dashing Texas Ranger Zack Mackinzie after a second murder
places Tess under suspicion.”
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