Goldenseal by Gill McKnight

Publisher:                 Bold Strokes Books

Gill McKnight is an author who knows the value of telling just a plain good story.  Goldenseal is her latest proof of that.

Amy Fortune returns to Little Dip Valley reluctantly.  She has spent years establishing herself as an internationally famous illustrator and never planned to return to the place where she was hurt so badly.  Little Dip is the home of the Garoul clan and that means facing her former lover Leone Garoul who broke Amy’s heart when they were teenagers.  Amy’s Aunt Connie, also a famous illustrator, is ill and cannot finish the annual almanac published by the Garoul family, so Amy has promised to complete the work for her, but she’s a different person than the girl who left and she has no intention of letting Leone be anything more than her publisher.   

Leone sees the situation differently.  She has been waiting years for Amy to return and finally has her wish, but evil is prowling the valley and she needs to protect Amy from it.  Amy finds Leone’s attention annoying and refuses to cooperate, so the women find themselves locked in a battle of wills until Amy realizes that something is very wrong in Little Dip and somehow it involves her aunt and Leone’s family.  As her fear increases she is drawn to Leone even as she’s not sure she can trust her.  Leone’s family harbors a secret and discovering it may drive Amy away forever.  Not understanding it could cost her life.

Goldenseal makes no pretense of being a convoluted story of mystery or romance.  It’s a well told story with supernatural aspects that holds the reader’s interest as the suspense builds gradually and draws the reader into what is happening.  The characters, while not overly developed, are appealing and wanting to find out what is going to happen to them will keep the reader coming back to the pages.  This is one of those books that you don’t want to put down until you’ve finished it.   

Gill McKnight is building a library of books that represent the story teller at her best.  No probing issues have to be resolved or weighty lessons pondered.  Her stories simply entertain, which is exactly what they should do.

Falling Star by Gill McKnight

Publisher:                Bold Strokes Books


Solly Rayner's marriage is falling apart. Her partner, Danielle, has been cheating with other women and now she wants a divorce. Although Danielle has never shown much interest in their three children, she is threatening to demand joint custody of them and she is planning to move to the other side of country. 

Faced with the fact that her children might be forced to commute back and forth across a continent, Solly retreats to the beach house of her sister Janie and Janie's partner, Marsha, for a summer break on Topaz Bay. She hopes to find the quiet there to sort through her feelings and decide what she wants to do with the mess that her private life has become. 

That isn't to be however. Marsha is a former movie stuntwoman and has rented out part of the land for an adventure movie to be filmed there. Contributing to the general uproar is the presence of Gin Ito, the world's most famous stuntwoman and Marsha's best friend. Gin is hoping that, though she is there to perform in the movie, some time spent with her friends will help her recover from a tragedy in her life. Naturally, Solly and Gin are attracted to each other, but both are hesitant to be involved because of their individual situations. The story is full of movie stars, dangerous stunts, paparazzi, and film lingo. The suspense is provided by the manipulative and deceitful Danielle whose unexpected arrival turns into an attempt to exploit the women's friendship for her own ends. With so much pain surrounding both of their lives, the chances of Solly and Gin finding a way to be happy together are slim.

Falling Star is one of Bold Strokes Books’ Matinee Romances. The description on the publisher's home page says: Our newest print line, Bold Strokes Matinee Books, are sharp, satisfying, quality reads for busy women who want to take some time out for pure entertainment. The focus is on excitement, sexual attraction, drama, and fun in a tightly written, engaging package. What that appears to mean is that these books are shorter, fast-moving books that can be read quickly. That would seem to be desirable for someone who enjoys reading, but doesn't have a great deal of time. Characters are presented in a breezy manner and the focus is directly on the elements of that story and not what might have gone on before to set up the story. 

There is an inherent danger in this concept. The structure of Falling Star is fine and the story is all right, but, at times, it seems to be rushed and not developed as well as it could be. The book sacrifices some of the understanding of the characters in the attempt to keep everything moving along. In general, however, the story meets the description of what a Matinee Romance is supposed to be.

If you're looking for a book that can be finished in a couple of hours and provides some light entertainment, then Falling Star will suit your needs.

Ambereye by Gill McKnight

Publisher:                   Bold Strokes Books

Ambereye is the second installment in McKnight's Garoul series about a werewolf family.  In this one, Julie Garoul, who is a top executive in the family's business Ambereye, Inc., is a demanding workaholic whose employees try to avoid her as much as possible.  Everyone loves Hope Glassy because she's kind, considerate and equally hardworking.  When Hope returns from a serious illness she can't believe she's been assigned to Julie as a personal assistant, but she's determined to make the best of the position.  When Julie says that they're going to work over Thanksgiving at her family's compound, Hope is furious, but she makes the trip to Little Dip.  This is when the misunderstandings kick in.  The family thinks that Julie is bringing home her mate for them to meet.  Julie likes the idea, but Hope is clueless about a number of things.  Can two strong willed women make this situation work?  And just how do you explain to someone that you and much of your family can turn into wolves?

This book has a great deal more humor in it than the first one in the series.  McKnight may be more comfortable with this family she has created.  The sparring between Julie and Hope in the beginning is similar to the banter that goes on in "The Odd Couple."  It starts with a squabble over who owns the best office chair, moves to who makes the coffee and then takes a serious turn as Julie realizes her feelings are changing.  It's a classic story of a curmudgeon who is slowly turned into a likeable character by a lighter spirit.  The early scenes that show them interacting are the best in the book.  Once they arrive in Little Dip the story takes a turn into becoming a routine romance, except for the werewolf thing.

People who think they don't like supernatural stories should give this book a chance.  It's well told and entertaining.  If you want a good laugh, it's good for that.  It's an easy read and the main characters are very appealing.  Besides, the Garoul family and how it functions in a modern world is very interesting.  What more can a reader ask for in exchange for a few hours?