Cornerstone of Love - Susan Carlisle

Hailing from Alabama, Allison Moore isn’t who Lord Hartley is expecting to restore the west tower of his castle. Rich red hair and a pink hard hat, Allison knows she breaks the norm of a stereotypical engineer but she doesn’t care. She knows her stuff and if Lord Ian Hartley can’t deal with it, he can get another engineer on site.

But the problem is she’d rather that didn’t happen. Along with her two friends (Mallory and Jordon) from college, they have a successful business (Historic Restorations and Designs) and if she completes the work to the high standards that the Lord has, it will add to their good reputation and further their success.

Immediately attracted to each other, Allison is also instantly irritated with his controlling manor. She has her job cut out for her to not only prove that she is more than capable of restoring the castle's tower but also not to fall for him.

Lord Hartley is a reluctant peer. Running a multi-million-pound business is a far cry from being involved with agricultural issues. However, the responsibility was thrust upon him when his father and brother were killed in a tragic accident. The last thing he needed in his life was a brash American structural engineer.

Just how long can they deny their attraction to each other? As they spend more time together, Allison and Ian discover hidden areas of their lives that make them more appealing to each other such as Allison's penchant for baking.

As Allison continues the necessary repairs on the castle’s tower, she also needs to work out what direction her life is going to take. Any involvement with Ian would be short lived as she’s heading back to the US to settle down to run the business. But does she really want that?

Ian knows that Allison isn’t the right woman for a long term relationship, even marriage. He's after a woman who will look the part as well as act the part of being Lady Hartley. Yet, there is something about Allison - could a relationship with her work?

In the classic style romance of 'will they, won't they', Carlisle's approach is to up date it with a career minded woman who can have a high powered role without losing her femininity. And, whilst Ian Hartley initially comes across as a man oozing pure masculine pride and self-reliance, the reader soon discovers his vulnerabilities and appreciate that there is more to him.

All the characters are believable with depth and the romance is not over-bearing. There are brief glimpses of Allison's business partners and their stories. Whilst the majority of the novel was solid, there were parts which felt a little disjointed perhaps edited too much? Overall though, as the first story of a trilogy, it's a good plot, with likable people and a good introduction to three women who are hard-working, down-to-earth and womanly. A recommended read for fans of romantic fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review from Reedsy Discovery. The opinions expressed are my own and I am not required to give a positive critique. 

Suburban Dictionary - Timothy Fay

Often find yourself wondering what in the heck people are saying these days or is it just me? Has the English language become one long acronym and renders the majority of us speechless?

When you find yourself politely nodding when someone shouts the virtues of a YouTube video being so ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response - triggers a tingle on the spine) or asking for a ‘John Daly’ (it’s an Arnold Palmer - iced tea and lemonade - with vodka added), then this dictionary by author and journalist Timothy Fay will guide you through the new way to speak, or at least enable you to understand what others are endeavoring to articulate.

Set out pretty much like a standard dictionary, words are given its meaning and in some cases an example of how it would be used.

There are ordinary words that surprisingly have other meanings such as ‘landmine’ – slang for hidden dog doo and other such surprises. Many expressions I’ve heard (‘she-shed’ – the female equivalent of a man cave) I’ve come across. With words/acronyms/phrases from around the world, the book opens up the myriad of expressions and words used in an everyday setting.

Clear, concise and easy to read, I really enjoyed this quirky read. It’s funny – ‘lackanookie’ (little bedroom action) still makes me giggle and informative in a strange way. I hadn’t heard of the expression ‘on everything but roller skates’, which means heavily medicated. Either read in one sitting or flick through and research things you’ve heard – ‘bike salmon’ (cycling the wrong way), ‘dessertarian’ (emphasizes desserts in the diet) and “I’ll Venmo you” means a check in the mail. Throughout I found myself, smiling, nodding in agreement (to a meaning), muttering ‘huh’ (as in, is that what it means?) groaning at the puns and just outright bursts of laughter.

Perhaps an alternative to the Oxford Dictionary? Useful for those not quite up to date with the new terms being spouted. Sure ain't "janky"! Lighthearted fun, informative and a must read for any logophile’s.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. The opinion expressed are my own and I am not required to give a positive critique.