Book Review Friday - Chameleon's Shadow by Tami Dee

Book Review for: "Chameleon's Shadow"
Written by: Tami Dee
Desert Breeze Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61252-178-7
Avail as: ebook only

Reviewed by: S. Burkhart

Dee pens an exciting tale filled with adventure, betrayal, greed, and longing with "Chameleon's Shadow." Set in England during the 1620's, Lady Elizabetta Mitchell bears witness to her parents' murder. Will her heart grow cold in the cruel world or will she find a ray of hope with an unlikely benefactor?

The novel opens with young Elizabetta witnessing her parents' murder at the hands of her unscrupulous uncle. She has no choice but to run away and take her chances on the streets. Elizabetta's five-year-old brother, Nicolas, has also run away. Bruised and battered, she searches the shadows of Southwark, finding a moment of comfort in a stranger's strong arms. Soon, though, she's fending for herself and taken to a brothel. A Scottish laird, McClasky, saves her from a terrible fate and teaches her enough skills to get by on the tough streets.

Unfortunately, Elizabetta, now going by "Cricket," picks one pocket too many when she pilfers the Duke of Sussex's purse. She's forced to become his indentured servant where he trains the young woman to be one of England's chameleons. (spies) It's a tough life, but she adapts well. As the danger mounts, dare Elizabetta give her heart to the Duke's son knowing that if her activities are ever discovered, she'll be killed?

Having read several of Dee's previous novels, this one is one of her most endearing! She fashions a tale of taut suspense that heightens as the novel progresses. Dee paints vivid pictures with a good economy of words and brings a rich authenticity to the setting.

The rich characterization is Dee at her finest. Elizabetta has nothing when she loses her parents, but her courage, inner strength, and endurance, which sees her though some tough times. Will, the hero, makes a misstep, but is willing to face his mistakes instead of running away from them.

The novel is sweet for romance readers with Will and Elizabetta sharing a kiss or two. The story wraps the reader in a wonderful cacophony of emotion and won't let go until the last page. "Chameleon's Shadow" will make you believe in the power of love. If you enjoy historical romance filled with suspense and highly charged emotion, I highly recommend this story.

Publisher's Buy Link: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-304/Chameleon's-Shadow-Tami-Dee/Detail.bok

Amazon Buy Link:http://amzn.com/B008AP8WIE

Tuesday Post - What I'm reading

Hi all - I'm very excited about Tami Dee and "Dawn of a Viking Sunrise."

I just finished Tami's "Under A Viking Moon" and it was a great story. I wanted to read the sequel and last night I had a chance to start. I went through 7 chapters like nothing. I couldn't put the Kindle down.

Dawn of a Viking Sunrise is about Rosie, Kat's best friend from book 1. Rosie (in 2009( has been hunting down the Viking time traveling pendants since Kat has been gone. She acquired the pendant Leif had, but is looking for Kat's. Enter Prof. Fisher - her evil history professor. He's got the other pendant and tries to steal the one Rosie has. Rosie and Prof fight and during the fight, they time travel back to Denmark and then Scotland.

During the first trip, Rosie briefly meets Davyn Noddersson, Leif's brother. In the second trip, she lands in Scotland only to meet Davyn again, but this time he is Laird McCarty. For Rosie it's a shock. The man she was dating in the future, was named McCarty. (he was a cop and he is dead now, shot while chasing a doped up teenager)

Davyn is the uber alpha male, but he's got his hands full with Rosie. He also has both pendants.

What happens next? I don't know, but the first chance I get, I'm picking up the Kindle!

Kudos to Tami for creating such fantastic characters.
Smiles
Steph

Tuesday's Reading - Under a Viking Moon

Ever have some books sneak up on you? That's how I feel about this one, "Under a Viking Moon," by Tami Dee.

The book is published by Desert Breeze Publishing and that's how I found out about it since Tami's a fellow Desert Breeze author. The initial attraction to me, was of course, the cover. It's gorgeous, PLUS it's got the moon on it and anyone who knows me knows I LOVE the moon. You can do so many things with it in your stories. hehe. (smiles)

So the cover had me intrigued. Sadly, restrictions on my time forced me to put it off and put it off and put it off until....

Tami posted an excerpt for her new book in the series, "Dawn of a Viking Sunrise" and I was like wow - I have to stop putting this off.

That day I went to the Kindle store and downloaded "Under a Viking Moon." It's the first book in the series and I figured I better start with the first book.

(Yes - it's an ebook and I'm reading it on my Kindle. I love my Kindle by the way and with a little help from Mobi Pocket, I can read PDF files, too.)

In the book, Jarl Leif is getting married in 900 AD. Unfortunately, his bride marries him attacks him and throws him overboard, leaving him for dead.

Leif turns up on the beach in San Franscisco in 2006. The woman giving him mouth to mouth is a DROP DEAD LOOK ALIKE for his traitorious bride.

After Leif and Katla get over their intial shock, Lief appears to be adjusting to life in 2006 with Katla's help.

I am really enjoying the story. I love time travel and I love historicals, for me, that's the appeal of the book. The characters are interesting and Leif gets a "Poor Leif" award from me for all that he's been through.

Kudos to Tami for putting together a great book. I'm where Katla is attacked at the dry cleaners. She's lost her job there and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Hopefully, my trainee won't come to work tonight...

Smiles
Steph