“I was hooked from the very first page with the story behind
the wishing tree. M.S. Spencer pens a riveting tale that somehow defies labels.
It’s truly unforgettable.”
Amazon Canada:
https://www.amazon.ca/review/R3BNE6FTEY2IE6/ref=pe_1086170_134824320_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5684320291
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1065353215
“If you're looking for a unique, fast-paced, unusual story I
recommend this suspenseful romance.”
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5699275678
NetGalley 4/1-28/2022, 5/1-15
https://www.netgalley.com/book/253660/reviews
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Colleen Mooney: 4/22/2022, 5 stars
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/thankyou?asin=B09QJHCB4V&channel=glance-detail-thankyou
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4684819613
Bookbub, https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1184414944
“There are lots of
twists and turns with romantic involvement along with funny characters. You
don’t want to miss this one!.”
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Michelleg55—Bookbub,
4/27/2022, 5 stars
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2402574525
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4693390864
“intricate, well-plotted, and unpredictable”
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NN Light, 4/4/2022, 5++
stars
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/hidden-gem-the-secret-of-st-augustine-br
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/books/hidden-gem-the-secret-of-st-augustine-by-m-s-spencer
NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.com/book/253660/reviews
“one of the best books I've read this year”
“Spencer writes an addictive mystery with quirky characters,
a treasure hunt, all taking place in one of the oldest cities in America.”
“The descriptive narration is lush with details and the dialogue
is whip-smart while also humorous.”
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Meg (thyme.for.books); 4 stars; 4/27
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4692707997?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.com/book/253660/reviews Meg C, Reviewer, 4 stars
“a fun mix of suspense and intrigue with just the right
amount of romance.”
“There are plenty of twists and surprises to keep readers
guessing until the very end. (I revised my suspicions several times throughout
reading.)”
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Meg C, Reviewer, 4
stars (NN Light?)
https://www.netgalley.com/book/253660/reviews
“one of the
best books I've read this year”
“M.S. Spencer writes an addictive mystery with quirky
characters, a treasure hunt, all taking place in one of the oldest cities in
America.”
“The descriptive narration is lush with details and the
dialogue is whip-smart while also humorous.”
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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2073817453
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4694610069
Amazon (as KC): https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2AP51S3RFK8US/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B09QJHCB4V
“Spencer has a knack for creating memorable lead characters.”
“This book has it all. There’s
mystery, intrigue, romance, clues, misdirection and a cast of characters that
you’d expect to be peeking over the back fence…”
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Educator 743657, 4 stars--NetGalley
This book had me laughing and trying to sort
out the red herrings from the genuine clues at the same time.”
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Lois 4 stars, (same as Educator?)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4691259798
“This book had me
laughing and trying to sort out the red herrings from the genuine clues at the
same time”
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“Renee W, Reviewer, 4 stars - NetGalley
Mystery with some romance in it. Very enjoyable read. The characters are relatable and sweet. Fast
paced with good story plot. Lots of
excitement!
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Anna Maria G, Reviewer, 4 stars - NetGalley
A mix of romance and mystery, a compelling and entertaining
story. The solid mystery kept me guessing and hooked, the romance was sweet and
I rooted for the characters.
5/2/2022
https://www.netgalley.com/book/253660/reviews
4.0 out
of 5 stars Real-life mystery meets cozy
mystery
“Real-life mystery
meets fiction in this delightful tale, and a dash of romance is sprinkled in.”
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Wanda Osepowicz 5 stars (2/15)
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3592244684
Alexis Long 5 stars (2/28)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3865632002#_=_
Roxx T (Canada, mobi) roxxisreading@gmail.com: 5 stars
https://www.amazon.com/review/R1ZEEEEIWO7NX0/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.amazon.ca/review/RF0W2TUWPSD4K/ref=pe_1086170_134824320_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2708705247
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3853884287
and my slightly longer
review can be found here on my blog: https://roxxisreading.blog/2021/02/22/mrs-spinneys-secret-m-s-spencer/
Lisa Pichner : 5 stars
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2FKQLHCU2U16M/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1394261981?source=link_share
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3863459931
https://www.amazon.com/review/RQX94Y9MHUMST/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2947241066
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3873129557
Stephanie Lulofs: 5 stars march 2021 stephlulofs @stephlulofs
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1930828017
Beth Daniels 3/1 5 stars
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4580655955?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/988370192
Beth Henderson 5 stars date?
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/988370192
Jenny See 3/5 5 stars
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1309597954
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3KRLGWR7O1H8A/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4589149510?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
Jo Anne Vicenti 5 stars
jody.714@hotmail.com
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/117889056
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4588349471?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
Kathy Smith 3/12/2022
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4604770590?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
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Laura Reading
3/18/2022 4 stars |
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4550200568
Lynn Beezley I think 3/26 4 stars LYNNBEEZLEY@GMAIL.COM
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4618396645
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1819088816
Roxx Tarantini 5 stars 2/24/2022
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4572095092
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2211851036
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2VJZ9R9HF0A4C
Sandy Giden, posted 3/16
4 stars
Bookbub: sgiden recommends The
Penhallow Train Incident
Or: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3888395591
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4608719785
Sheila Davis 3/6 5
stars
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/4249988305
https://www.amazon.com/review/R1UGEK8Z5PKR2R/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4591390914
Suzannah Clark clarksuzannah@gmail.com Iread iread @clarkws
5 stars 2/25
review
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/M_S_Spencer_The_Penhallow_Train_Incident?id=lyzYCwAAQBAJ
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1798073917
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4572980446?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
https://www.amazon.com/review/RSXZ8ZC86IELC/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-penhallow-train-incident-2
Wando O 5 stars 2/26/2022
goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4557054452
bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1477590685
Artful Dodging
7/11 Alexis Long: fromtheheartofabibliophilelair@yahoo.com
(Amazon)
(5 stars for OF in
winter2021)
Alexis Mills (same, & Nickie.long): 5 stars
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2719112431
7/11 Isabel Nicholson w_izzy@hotmail.com (mobi, UK): 5 stars
(5 stars OF)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1TE34HVYD9LK5/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2UFDV4MAL6N54/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01N5P9FTU
Triptych
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1965460466676987236#editor/target=post;postID=4417356403803329220
Quotes from Reviews
"Love the characterizations, especially that of Corey who comes across as one of those brilliant youngsters who get into trouble because people don’t understand his genius. Sibyl was another matter, she was characterized as such a spoiled brat in the first chapter--no matter how outrageous she acted or how rude she was, everyone just brushed it off--that I wished someone would hit her. A little not sparing the rod wouldn’t quickly un-spoiled that child!, that child! Still, if it wasn’t for Sibyl’s belief that the world was made for her, the story would have nowhere to go, so she’s a good, if maddening, plot device."
“Kudos, though, to the author on not revealing their pasts at first opportunity. Lesser writers would have stopped the story upfront to lay out the back story. I enjoyed the reveals.”
"Mark my words, you will laugh, grumble, and then laugh some more. This book was memorable, and I'm not likely to forget about it anytime soon."
Meanwhile, her daughter Olivia chronicles the ups and downs of her parents’ romance, making it difficult to concentrate on her own dilemma—how to choose between the rich and dashing Rémy de Beaumec, who wants to take her around the world, and the steady, quiet, American-to-the-core, Benjamin Knox, who only wants to make her happy.
This is the first book I have read by this author. I started reading it fully expecting something along the lines of "The Notebook". By the second chapter, I knew my expectation was completely wrong and I was hooked. I understand this isn't the author's usual genre but I have to say she definitely hit the mark with this one.
Olivia is writing the story of how her parents, Sydney Bellek and Elian Davies, met and fell in love. Sydney and Elian met the first time as children on a transatlantic flight, when she was only five years old and he was seven. They both grow up to become journalists and their paths cross several times over the years, almost always on airplanes. Through most of the years, Sydney doesn't recognize or remember Elian, but he always seems to remember her. By the time she realizes she is in love with him, he has been through a traumatic event and no longer has any memory of her and she fears it is too late for them to be together. While Olivia is "interviewing" her mother and writing the story, she is involved in a romantic dilemma of her own. She has two men vying for her affection and she is unsure which man she wants to be with.
I loved Sydney! She is outspoken, confident, headstrong and opinionated. She manipulates her daughter into divulging information about the men in her life by withholding parts of her own story. She meddles in her daughter's love life without her knowledge. She has been everywhere, seen everything and she's still as brassy as she was in her younger years. I found myself laughing out loud at some parts of her story and wanting to cry at others.
This is a very touching story and I was completely drawn in. The characters were vivid and real. I found myself wanting to skip to the end to reassure myself it would all work out. That's how invested I was in these characters. I'm glad I didn't read ahead and ruin the ending. The anticipation was definitely worth it!
Apr 10, 14
Where do I start with my review when there is so much I loved about the novel?
Firstly, there’s the heroine, Claire, who has recently started working as a tour guide at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial (Tower). She comes with her own baggage of a recently deceased husband—of whom we’ll learn an interesting thing or two—as well as a wonderful (though slightly crazy) sister and a formidable (though more than slightly crazy) mother. Just the interactions between these three were enough to entertain me and make me think. I can’t count how many times I chuckled or laughed outright or admired the way the characters were portrayed in such a life-like manner. As for the main character, Claire seems the perfect choice. Quite some readers will be able to identify with her, not least because of her taste in men, her intelligence, her emotionality and the way she’s in way over her head but never loses same.
Secondly, prepare yourself for a love triangle of sorts. I don’t want to reveal much, but two very tempting (not necessarily eligible) men fight for Claire’s attention. We are treated to sometimes awkward, sometimes cheesy, sometimes all too real romance and a load of hotness that fits in well.
Thirdly, the whole topic strikes me as fascinating. I had not a single clue on Freemasonry before I read the book, but now my head is spinning with all the new knowledge and the huge potential to delve deeper into it all. Although the author provides a wealth of information and creates an impressive background, you never feel like reading a dry instruction manual. There are lots of spicy details and the Masons come to life in the story as much as the other characters. The clever take on politics and high society also enriches the novel.
Oh, did I mention the plot twists? I love it when a story is hard to figure out but not so improbable or loaded with intent that you lose the joy of reading. “The Mason’s Mark” was perfectly balanced in this regard and the final chapters had me glued to my chair and trying to read between the lines as hard as I could.
Let’s not forget Spencer’s style that caught me from the first paragraph. I love the way she uses language to propel the plot along, flesh out the protagonists and entertain the reader. Tip-toeing somewhere along the fine line between modern, easy-to-read fiction and a language style of her own that reminds me of crime novels of the past, the author delivers a powerful read that has made me a fan forever.
If you like well-researched stories that not only scratch the surface but go deeper on more than one level, you’re in for a ride—or a guided tour cum murder mystery and love story.
Mason’s Mark: Love and Death in the Tower by M. S. Spencer
Applause all around! M.S. Spencer dotted all the I's with this novel. Suspense, mystery, romance. While at the beginning I wondered what would happen to our hero and his love. They had spent so little time together, yet is sustained them through so much. Like a good movie, the tale built until you found yourself grinding your teeth from uneasiness. What a feeling! Ms. Spencer knew her stuff when it came to the political world of Washington, DC. And she never had me questioning the truthfulness of her knowledge. Plus, and I'm patting my own back here, I'm the person who never goes to see mysteries. They don't pull at me because I figure them out in ten to fifteen minutes. Thank you, M.S. Spencer! I never saw it coming and it was a pleasant surprise. :)
Congratulation M.S. Spencer! I don't believe Five Blue Rose's is enough so I'll give you a gold one on top of them.
I read the book in two sittings and would have finished it in one, if I hadn't started it so late in the evening. I felt Chloe's pain and frustration and only wish there had been more of Michael in the mix, but I suppose you can't have everything. As it was, he was the perfect mysterious hero. I urge you to give Lost In His Arms a try and I look forward to reading more by M. S. Spencer."
The characterizations in this tale were absolutely unforgettable. James is a strong, upright man whose own flaws provided the perfect counterpoint to Rose. The supporting cast was amazing. Each one of these characters leaped from the pages, everything from their dialogue to their descriptions was original and off-beat.
Ms. Spencer has a dynamic way of setting the scenes. Her descriptions of places are vivid and arresting. In my mind's eye, I was right there, feeling the bite of the wind, the cold of the rain. I could actually taste and smell the lobster and the various dishes. Ms. Spencer has an obvious love of food that translates to her fiction. I wanted to eat everything she described."
"It’s nice to have a “mature” couple as the hero and heroine of a story for a change, and this one is suspenseful as well as sensual. The Maine descriptions and using actual place names give it a realistic feel, making me want to see those beautiful forests and rugged craggy lakes. I liked it, and I think you will, too!
