If you enjoy strong alpha males, and courageous heroines, you'll enjoy this action packed romance.
Salem,
Oregon 1886
No
one would have ever guessed the little spitfire could create so much havoc in
Roc Newman's life. He would never forget that first bizarre meeting with the
pernicious but lovely Jessica Lawrence. That night set the tone for their
tumultuous and stormy ride through life.
She
had shown her true colors; the wildfire that possessed her soul, the passionate
spirit, and the will to triumph even when the battle seemed lost.
When
the moon appeared as a silver slipper in the sky...
He
waited for her, primed yet not prepared, forewarned through the political
grapevine that Jessica Lawrence stalked him.
Jessica
Lawrence was a five foot four inch pest. In the midst of it all, no matter how
precarious the situation, she seemed to remain, completely, almost unerringly,
on his trail--until now. At the window, Roc scrutinized the black form below,
fighting the overwhelming urge to give her a shock she would remember forever.
She
seemed hell bent on suicide. Consequently, he followed the young lady one day,
dodging her path, keeping in the shadows. He had seen her enter an office
mysteriously from a side door and discovered it housed a private investigator.
The sign, etched in his mind, Jess Law, PI, alias Jessica Lawrence. It hadn't
fooled him for a second, just gave him pause, and the fury seizing him rocked
his usually placid facade.
He
gambled on her naiveté. Perhaps because he had thought her harmless, a mere
girl in a man's world, inadequate. Perhaps it had even been the notion she
would eventually become distracted and quit. Whatever the reason, he had made a
Herculean mistake, and now he pondered her next move. Dressed to blend with the
night, she was out there, an apparition of darkness, wrapped in ghostly
shadows.
He
moved through the house, turning off lights, banking the fires, before settling
in a shadowed corner of his study where he could watch Jess. Purposely, he
waited until well after midnight to lower the lights. Roc was tense, ready for
the intrusion of his privacy. He was peering through the lace curtains,
wondering at the girl whose appearance would have shocked most men. A long rope
looped over her shoulder, the lone woman strode surefooted across the gardens.
The
sky was clear, except for a ribbon of low clouds and a sliver of moon. The
house, a bastion against the silent assault about to come. A soft wind blew
through the open window from the south; it cleared his head as he watched the
approach.
Jess
Law shrugged the rope from her shoulder. Silhouetted against the sky, he
watched the cord snake upward, grappling hook deftly clenching the chimney. He
stood in awe of the mastery. Jess Law pulled on the rope, tightened it, and
with a proficiency contradicting her sex, ascended. The lady moved cautiously,
and when she reached her goal, she smiled. Her even white teeth glowed against
the blackness of her face.
With
lithe movements, she swiftly opened the attic window. One jean-clad leg moved
through the opening. She balanced precariously, for a moment, as if she were a
bird ready to fly. Then her foot rested on the hard wood. The rest of her
followed quickly, dropping to the floor; silent, ready to spring.
He
felt the tension, knew she listened for the sound of footsteps. She was inside.
He watched the window, imagining each moment, each breath, sensing the emotions
that must surely riffle her body. Roc listened for the soft whisper of her
steps as she descended and thought he could almost hear the wild racing of her
heart. Only a moment passed before the sounds became audible. Once on the first
floor, she made her way through the house. Her fingers rested on the tumbler of
his safe and turned. He heard the click, saw the handle as she pushed down. The
door swung open.
Then,
without warning, he gripped her mouth. She wrenched away, turning quickly,
groping for the documents, even while she tried to avoid him. Her actions,
quick and agile, proved adept, throwing him off balance, but he would not
relent and managed to grip her arm. No matter how swiftly she countered his
moves, he still held mastery. He turned her, prepared to hog tie her if
necessary. She allowed him, relaxed then surprised him, maneuvering expertly.
Jess
swiftly shoved her elbow into his chest, and he gasped for air. With a skill he
didn't suspect she possessed, Jess Law threw him to the floor, and Roc
bellowed, landing at her feet. The force of her action amazed him. For a second
time, the breath rushed from his lungs, and Roc found himself on the cold
floor. Papers, pens, and books clogged the air and littered the Persian rug
then a sudden crash reverberated in the once cozy room. His shirt dampened as
cold seeped through to his skin. She hadn't just thrown him upon the floor in
his private sanctuary. No. She had humiliated him, threatened life and limb,
and sent a pitcher of ice water on top of him. If he still held a breath of air
in his body, he would have retaliated, a throw for a throw.
He
inhaled swiftly, contemplating revenge, thoroughly irritated. He'd held his own
in every fight, every barroom brawl he'd ever participated, and now, in the
middle of his study, he had been deflated by a plague upon the female
persuasion.
Studying
the ceiling from this new vantage point, heaving, feeling the stab of
mortification against his gender, he looked into the leering countenance of
what was rapidly becoming the bane of his existence. Then she spoke, surprising
him, since he had expected her to run. Her voice, soft and feminine, one that
pinned him to the floor with its arrogance. "To the victor belongs the
spoils. Would you like a repeat performance?"
Also by Christine Young
REVIEW:
http://chantalgadoury.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2016-06-07T07:00:00-04:00&max-results=7
5/5 Stars
Are you ready for adventure, love, time travel and more?
This novel has it all and will NOT let you down. Christine Young's
"Straight to Heaven" is about Alexandra McMurdie, a girl from our
modern 21st Century, who stumbles into a time-traveling vortex as she's running
for her life. It is there, in the 1800s, where Alexandra doesn't expect to find
someone like James Lawrence.
All I can really and truthfully say about this novel was
that I loved it. Every minute of it; every raced heartbeat as Alexandra and
James connected, discovered, fought for themselves - for love. I'm a huge fan
of time-traveling with a pinch of love and adventure, and Ms.
Young delivers. I enjoyed the dialogue between Alex and James throughout
the novel SO much. James Lawrence was probably by far, one of my
favorite characters in the entire novel of "Straight to
Heaven." Ms. Young offers a developed world, well-rounded and
developed characters - with an exciting and fantastically romantic plot.
This story grabbed my attention from the moment I
started to read the novel, and held my attention to the very last page (and
even so, left me wanting only to read more about James and Alex.) I was so sad
to have the novel end, leaving behind such fantastically creative
characters.
"Straight to Heaven" offers a new look to
the Western States after the Civil War with the twist of time.
If this novel doesn't send you "Straight to Heaven"
- I'm not sure what will.
I HIGHLY recommend this wonderfully romantic novel to
anyone who enjoys danger, adventure, and of course - a bit of Time Travel
;)
Well done, Ms. Young!
REVIEW
https://lizgavin.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/straight-to-heaven-blog-tour-review/
Running from demons, Alexandra
McMurdie stumbles into Forbidden Ground where up is down and elements of nature
are contested. Though a strong independent woman in the twenty-first century'
she is unprepared for life in the 1800s. Her first sight of the formidable
James Lawrence makes her heart skip a beat, giving her cause to reconsider her
desperate need to find a way home.
Born with a silver spoon, James’
life was torn apart during the War Between the States. Moving west he vows to
put the life he once knew in the past. When he discovers a half-frozen woman
near Gold Hill, his heart begins to thaw. His love for Alexandra and his need
to keep her from a man who has pursued her through time might cost him his life
as well as hers.
