Thursday, July 13, 2023

Some of My Best Reviews

Reviews are important to every author. I appreciate every single review a reader has taken time to leave for me. Here are the reviews I've gotten from Publishers Weekly/Booklife. I'm so very proud of these.

Protection   

 


Publishers Weekly

Rettstatt offers a unique twist on romantic suspense, as both the hero and heroine have secrets that endanger them and their relationship. In rural Washington State, Shannon Chase miscalculates a hairpin turn and drives into a tree. Jake Garbar leaves his nearby cabin and helps Shannon and her infant to safety, letting them stay in his home until Shannon can get back on her feet again. While the attraction between them is unmistakable, Shannon is reluctant to get involved with another man, since she’s fleeing a disastrous relationship. And Jake has been a paranoid recluse ever since he experienced a drastic life-changing event. As Jake and Shannon’s pasts are slowly and creatively revealed, they must learn to trust each other. Rettstatt provides the complete package: romance, suspense, and magnetic characters. (BookLife)


Ladies in Waiting  


Long and Short Reviews:

Five women, each strangers with their life out of alignment, come together on the Jersey shore expecting eight days of respite, which might put their lives back on track. What each woman did not expect was to find new friends.

It’s one thing to be young and vibrant and know your dreams are ahead, but it’s quite another when you’re 50+ and realize you’ve been so busy holding life together for others, your own dreams have slipped away.

When Julia, Markie, Andi, Liv, and Cee Cee first meet, they find themselves stranded together on the front porch steps of Siochain – the women’s retreat whose name means peace. It’s easy to see these women are vastly different, and their personalities clash or cradle each other almost immediately.

Upon their arrival, Bree, the director of the retreat, is nowhere to be found. With the day’s heat bearing down, and menopausal Andi already complaining of heat flashes, Markie decides to search for a hidden key. “It’s not breaking in if you have a key,” she assures them. Once inside, they find out that Bree has been called away on a family emergency, and with each women desperate to get something from the “Reinventing Yourself After 50!” retreat, they decide to stay. During the week, the strengths and weaknesses of each woman come into play. We learn about their life struggle, as well as the secret each woman carries with her.

Romance is not a key element in this story, although love makes its own powerful point. So much so, in fact, that the reader may find themselves redefining their own understanding of it.

I found myself totally immersed in the lives of these five women. Their journey felt personal, as if they had shared their secrets with only me.

The character development in this book was superb! Only a masterful writer could create the individual backstory behind each of these characters. Readers, especially those who are 50+, may feel as though they’ve been on a women’s retreat themselves after finishing this wonderful novel.

Ladies in Waiting -  2016 BookLife Prize Assessment:

Liv, Markie, Andi, and Julia -- all over the age of 50 -- and Cee Cee (only 32) meet at a beach house in Cape May for a New Beginnings Retreat. Left on their own after their mentor, Bree Gilmore, is detoured, the women find their time together therapeutic and begin shedding the past. While a satisfying reminder to readers that issues are part of being human, the strength of this novel is the well-defined characters whose reactions to adversity make them seem true to life. Women over 50 will find solitude among the author's prose.


Rescued  


Publishers Weekly

Rettstatt’s subtle contemporary will appeal to animal lovers everywhere. Alex Ramsey, first abandoned by her mother and then jilted by her fiancĂ©, decides that animals are much more trustworthy than people. She splits her time between running a no-kill animal shelter and working for her Uncle Jack at his restaurant in Cade’s Point, Miss. When chef Evan Whiting moves to town after the twin failures of his marriage and his New York restaurant, he decides to start his life over. Though Alex and Evan are initially at odds, their sparks of anger evolve into mutual attraction. But Evan’s ex-wife unexpectedly comes to visit, and Alex doesn’t open up easily. Sweet but not syrupy with plenty of charming side characters, this fast-paced read will appeal to those who favor mildly sexy smalltown romance. (BookLife)


The Real Thing


Publishers Weekly


Rettstatt’s short, smart contemporary keeps readers engaged with a candid look at what happens when simmering anger reaches a boil. Jane and Mitch Devereaux have a perfect marriage. He’s an advertising executive. She’s a successful romance novelist. They’ve spent 20-odd years raising two great kids and supporting each other’s careers. But lately sex has become a problem. It’s not that it’s gotten rote—quite the opposite. Jane has been pushing Mitch to be more and more sexually creative so she can turn their bedroom antics into scenes for her novels. Finally, he gets fed up with a love life that’s devolved into a series of literary research projects. Rather than hashing things out with Jane, Mitch stalks out the door, gets his own apartment, and then can’t quite figure out what comes next. Mitch’s wounded ego and Jane’s total bafflement at his actions are completely believable, thanks to Rettstatt’s skill at crafting characters that readers will care about and cheer for. There are no villains here, only two well-meaning spouses trying their very best to be true to themselves and keep their flame burning. (BookLife)

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