Feeling Peckish – Speakeasy Sweetheart by Clare Murray

What is it about time travel books that are so alluring. I think the first time travel book I ever read was a First Love From Silhouette book, that was way back in the 80’s when Silhouette books had a Young Adult Romance book line. I wish I could find the title out there somewhere because I would love to read this book again. A young girl visits her grandmother in New England where there is a boardwalk nearby. For a reason she can’t name she is attracted to the boarded up carousel and when she gets on the carousel she is taken back in time to when the boardwalk was in it’s heyday; it was the 20’s or 30’s.

It was the first time I ever thought about how someone in the past might react with modern dress and modern speech. In the book a dime is the catalyst to some commotion. It becomes foggy in my gravy boat trap mind but I think when she goes to use the dime it sends her back to her own time. I loved that book. From that point forward Time Travel Romance crossed from fancy to adoration in my heart. Speakeasy Sweetheart might have shined the dime the first book left in my mind and this book took me back to that adoration. Well–not that in the YA book the hero, that I have no recollection of wanted to see the heroine’s jugs.

Clare Murray sets up her novella with heroine, Sasha Kelly, being down on her luck and kicked while she’s down. She has a dirtbag ex-boyfriend; canned from her job, and she is getting rehomed to places unknown. Life has reached the litter bin for her and no amount of Karaoke is soothing her soul although it seems to be drawing the hot eyes of her lowlife ex, a bag of worms she is not interested in opening ever again. Upon singing her swan song a gentle elderly man compliments her ability to sing the smokey blues of the Roaring 20’s and let’s her biting sarcasm slide before telling her that her fortune and future might lie there. With his direction, she packs up her bittersweet vestiges moments of freedom and leave the last bit celebration she is to have before she faces her life in tumult. Shuffling off to find the exit, she finds herself in some nightclub being pushed on stage in what she thinks is a dinner theater. Joke is on Sasha Kelly because her future is actually 90 years in the past.

Blaze O’Rourke has a vendetta against gangster Vincent Cornell and when he shows up in his club he plans to steal his knew songbird. What he didn’t expect was the Irish beauty with pipes seductive enough to bring a man to his knees to melt him with her eyes and lilting tones. She is everything Blaze wants but nothing like Vincent Cornell would ever take up with. When a police raid cuts the night short Blaze hijacks the gorgeous red-head to get the information he needs but he finds that he needs to fulfill his other needs and her needs before he worries about any needed info. By the time Blaze finds out what his instinct already knew about Sasha and her innocence in Cornell’s world, the gangster is looking to ice her for spying on his club. This chilling news leaves Blaze realizing he wants Sasha Kelly warming his bed and and taking her place in his life forever.

The sexifying is raw, nasty hot! Holy Irish Catholics! Blaze O’Rourke needs to go confess all the dirty things his mouth has said… nevermind–he would never be able to leave the confessional and the Priest would be needing his own confession for his unwarranted physical response. Blaze was not a misnomer because he is phenomenally fiery and I now understand all those jokes people made about me and my Irish friends needing only alcohol and beds to get by. Since this was prohibition times, I guess Blaze was just compensating for the lack of booze by being more sensationally sizzle-ish in the sack. Six ways to Sunday and thirty frozen and snowy days in February–I can see Sasha and Blaze having a very large and healthy Irish family. From his libido alone she won’t be getting out of bed until sometime during the 50’s.

I recommend this book. I would like to recommend others but, screw it! Just shut up grab some quiet time and when you finish it re-read it. It only gets better the second time. Son of a stray cat, Blaze is one fine man!

Purchase Speakeasy Sweetheart:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Ellora’s Cave

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Clare Murray’s Web Tracks:

Twitter | Goodreads | Ellora’s Cave

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Clare Murray on All The Things Inbetween:

Feeling Peckish – Lucky Silver by Clare Murray

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Clare Murray’s Books:

Lucky Silver Synopsis:

Marissa Blythe has never felt she belonged in modern times. During a college Victorian party, she wanders into a temporary hedge maze and wishes upon an old silver spoon. When she tries to leave, she realizes the hedge maze has changed. Fortunately, she finds a handsome Englishman to escort her to the exit—after he claims a kiss from her. But England in the 1850s is going to take some adjusting to, despite the magic that’s helping her.

Rhys, fifth Baron Montford, is fascinated by the woman who appears in his maze. She’s different from the fainting, London-bred chits from whose ranks he’s expected to choose a wife. He’s impressed that she wants to make her own way in life—until he finds her walking away from him. Rhys pursues—and catches–Marissa, but he must reconcile his desire for her with his obligations in life.

Purchase Lucky Silver:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Ellora’s Cave

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