book-reviews

Ancient Chinese secrets lead to spice in the kitchen

In Praise of Nerds by LISABET SARAI

Since I joined the romance authors community, I’ve heard a lot about alpha heroes. Rugged but handsome features, broad shoulders, chiseled pectorals, powerful thighs that naturally invite musings about what lies sheltered between them – attributes like these apparently constitute the romance ideal. Our hero should also be physically strong, courageous, and generally the dominant type, though some sensitivity or a shameful secret will not be taken amiss. It helps, apparently, if the guy is also wealthy, suave and well-dressed.

Well, I don’t completely buy it. I mean, a nice bod and a pretty face are not to be sneezed at. But they’re not enough. Call me perverse, but I find intelligence to be the most essential aspect of a sexy hero. Furthermore, I’m willing to accept less than stellar physical qualities if my hero is a clever, imaginative, horny genius who can figure out how to get his heroine out of sticky situations and who understands what truly turns her on.

So I’ve got a thing for nerds. I was hopelessly in love with Mr. Spock. Near the top of my sexy, romantic movie list is “Earth Girls are Easy”, featuring gangly, geeky Jeff Goldblum as a brilliant alien. It’s fairly easy to understand why I feel this way. Growing up, I was the egghead, the bookworm, the too-smart girl whom everyone made fun of. The only guys who could deal with me were the ones who were at least as smart as I was. They weren’t on the football squad; they weren’t voted Best Looking or Most Popular. But they had that something that could start my motors. It was intoxicating, yes, arousing, to have a conversation with some of these guys, especially when I got out of high school and into college. We understood each other, and I began to discover that despite their definite nerdish qualities, they were enthusiastic and innovative when it came to sex.

Actually, research has shown that in defiance of their public image as socially challenged losers, nerds are more successful than the general population in finding mates, staying with them, and producing children. Of course, that is not necessarily going to endear them to romance readers, but it’s something to consider.

Not all the heroes that I create are nerds, but many have some nerdish qualities. Harry Sanbourne in Her Secret Ingredient is a classic example. He’s fashion-challenged, with unruly, overlong hair. Seriously near-sighted, he wears clunky, dark-framed glasses. He’s easy going and informal, without a sophisticated bone in his body – a body that looks pretty ordinary in his baggy jeans and out-of-shape sweaters.

Once those clothes are off, though, Harry turns out to be an exceptionally talented and considerate lover. And unlike the suave and impeccably groomed master chef (and apparent alpha), Etienne Duvalier, Harry has an intuitive understanding of what Emily needs.

Stir in a pinch to stir up his passion.

When the Tastes of France food channel offers Mei Lee “Emily” Wong a series of guest spots, she jumps at the opportunity to take her culinary career to a whole new level. Ultimately, she wants a show of her own, but first she has to prove herself to Michelin-starred network founder and effective dictator, Etienne Duvalier. A legend in the world of classic French cuisine as well as a domineering perfectionist, Etienne is skeptical about the culinary abilities of a woman from Hong Kong. To make things more difficult, the master chef is also so gorgeous that Emily can’t help being attracted to him.

Emily tries to solve both problems by spiking her luscious profiteroles with an ancient Oriental aphrodisiac. Unfortunately, Harry Sanborne, the low-key, bespectacled producer for Emily’s show, samples the delicacies she intends for Etienne’s consumption. His powerful reaction to her secret ingredient comes as a pleasant surprise to them both. Harry turns out to be far more impressive in bed than on the set. However, he can’t do nearly as much to advance her ambitions as Etienne. Emily tries once more to tempt the exacting Monsieur Duvalier with her special cooking as well as her feminine charms. The outrageous results threaten to end her TV career forever—until Harry steps in to save her reputation and claim her heart.

Buy Links

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G6X5D959

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G6X5D959

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1923881

Barnes and Noble – https://barnesandnoble.com/w/her-secret-ingredient-lisabet-sarai

/1118070571

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/her-secret-ingredient-3

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/her-secret-ingredient/id6756538064

Universal Book Link – https://books2read.com/u/mdkrAw

Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245242009-her-secret-ingredient

Add on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/her-secret-ingredient-by-lisabet-sarai-2025-12-21

Review Quotes

Her Secret Ingredient was a great short story. I loved the unique plot, the realistically drawn characters and the writing style. ~Lucy Felthouse, Goodreads

I’ve always been a sucker for books set in the kitchen, and even as outlandishly over the top as this one is, it was a lot of fun…lighthearted and silly and sinfully sexy. ~ Steph, The Romance Reviews

EXCERPT:

“Here we are. Try a couple of these and let me know what you think.” I positioned the platter so that the augmented tidbits were within Etienne’s easy reach. He was sitting on one of the stools in front of the counter. His thigh muscles strained against the black leather of his pants. A lock of hair had overcome the gel to settle on his high forehead. His eyes sparkled, ocean-blue in this light. He looked good enough to eat—highly appropriate for a cooking show.

“Thank you. They look exquisite.” He positively oozed charm as he picked up a pastry round with his finger and thumb and placed it upon his tongue. I imagined all the women watching the show, eyes glued to his every sensual move.

“Oh, Mei Lee! These taste even better than they look!” He sipped his wine, then popped another pissaladière into his mouth and chewed with obvious enthusiasm.

“You’ll put the recipe on the channel website, won’t you?” He turned to the camera. “Ah, mes amis, this simple little dish provides a glorious mixture of flavors. And quite a straightforward process, I guarantee. Any one of you can make these in your own kitchen.”

I helped myself to a pissaladière of my own, carefully choosing from the unadulterated side of the tray. They were good—the pastry light and crisp as spun cloud, the topping complex and savory, thyme, garlic and pepper lingering on the tongue long after swallowing. I took a second hors d’oeuvres. Etienne gobbled down two more, licking his long, elegant fingers after each one. The audience must be dying, watching that pink tongue clean away every crumb of pastry, every fragment of olive. I nursed my burgundy and smiled for the camera as he consumed a fifth pissaladière. Low-level lust hummed through me, too, though I’d been careful this time to avoid ingesting any of the aphrodisiac.

He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and drained his wine glass. “Ms. Wong—” he began. A wild light blazed in his face. “I want to ask your pardon—I want—oh, please…” The smooth, urbane voice sounded confused, ravaged by uncertainty. What was going on?

Etienne slipped from the stool to the floor and knelt at my feet. The next thing I knew, he was pressing his lips to the gilt leather of my high-heeled shoes. “Ms. Wong—Mistress Wong—please, let me serve you…”

“Etienne? Monsieur Duvalier? What are you doing?”

He trailed kisses up the inside of my ankle. “I adore you, Mistress.”

“Etienne!” I snatched my foot away in alarm. He gazed up at me, a mix of disappointment and reverence shining in his face. “Stand up. Remember we’re on camera,” I added, sotto voce.

“Yes, yes, but that doesn’t matter now,” he continued in the same crazy vein, though he obeyed my order and rose to his feet. “I am your willing slave. Let me please you, Mistress. Let me suckle your sweet, hard nipples. Raise your skirt and allow me to worship you with my mouth, the way you deserve…”

“Ssh!” I hissed. “Do you want to get us thrown in jail?” I peered through the glare of the lights, trying to signal to someone to stop the transmission. There was no flurry of activity there, however. No one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary.

“I don’t care, as long as you are satisfied.” He paused a moment, then unknotted his scarlet cravat and handed it to me. He held out his wrists. “Bind me, Mistress, if you wish. Torture me. I’ll bear any amount of pain for you. Test me—test my devotion.”

He had the same rich voice as before, the same handsome features, the same lithe, muscular body—but this was a different man entirely. I searched his face, yearning for the arrogant, self-involved chef who’d been bossing me around half an hour before.

There was no trace of him. Instead, I had to deal with this—this eager, self-effacing slave boy.

I’d created a monster.  

About Lisabet

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, LGBTQ, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

Learning from those who’ve lived

WELCOME GUEST AUTHOR ANNE FOWLER!

About the book:

These 55 stories share the collective wisdom of these women learned from life. Ms. Fowler recommends this book for book clubs, and in senior living facilities, and is willing to do ZOOM meetings with the clubs to discuss all the delightful tales.

ABOUT THE EDITOR:

Anne Fowler, only child of Audrey and Stewart Hamilton, was raised in Toronto where she attended Leaside High School and Toronto Western Hospital School of Nursing. In 1962 American Airlines beckoned her to Dallas, Texas and life in the sky as a flight attendant. Twice divorced, Anne first married a young minister from Louisiana and then long-time best friend Dr. Bob Fowler of Toronto. They raised a daughter and son who later produced a grandson and granddaughter. In 2001, Anne retired, closed her company, Hamilton Enterprises, and left behind a thirty year career in Human Resources. She relocated to El Progreso, Honduras to volunteer at a clinic where care is provided for patients who lack the funds to be treated elsewhere. During this time, Anne developed the Visiting Doctor program for international ophthalmologists, started the Healthy Living Education project in local elementary schools, and helped with a variety of clinic and community activities. In 2006, after purchasing property in the small north coast village of El Porvenir, she built Hamilton Benest House, a home providing accommodation for visiting dentists, doctors, teachers, and other volunteers. Her major program in 2021 is Phase Two of the Healthy Living Program. This annual dental program, conducted by two Canadian dental teams, provides dental care for over 1,000 elementary school students in the area. Anne’s programs continue to thrive and she has continued to develop community initiatives designed to improve the lives of Hondurans. Anne divides her year between El Porvenir and her Haliburton cottage north of Toronto. https://anne.honduranhope.net/

REVIEWS FOR THE TRUTHS WE’VE CARRIED:

 I just finished this book. The stories were great, happening to both ordinary and extraordinary folks and often occurring around world or national events and involving brushes with famous people. I read all of the stories in one sitting on a very cold day in the Midwest, a good day to snuggle up and devour a book.

The Truths We’ve Carried is the perfect book for readers who say “I’m too busy to read.” A fascinating collection of true stories recounted by the women who experienced the events. However, I dare you to stop reading after one or two of them! One evening I picked up the book and started reading, thinking, I’ll just read a couple of stories. It was after midnight when I finished the book! Well done ladies.”

I read The Truths We’ve Carried…some tears, some smiles…and have talked about the book with others. A wonderful idea! An outlet for women to vent.”

Another winner mystery from M.S. Spencer!

Thanks so much Alana, for allowing me to tell your readers about my new mystery, Railroad Ties: the Marmion Grove Murders. I hope they enjoy the excerpt and long to read more!

Blurb

When Sophie Childress discovers a letter written in 1920 by the witness to a murder, she enlists Noah Pennyman—owner of the house where it took place—to investigate. Who was the victim? What did the killer do with the body—not to mention a carpetbag full of money? Together they expose a complex web of family ties and lies that has persisted through four generations in the historic village of Marmion Grove. When two more corpses are unearthed, Noah and Sophie are faced with too many victims and not enough murderers.

Railroad Ties: the Marmion Grove Murders

Mystery, cozy

The Wild Rose Press, June 11, 2025

390 pp; 89,900 words
Ebook: $5.99; Print $22.99
Theme(s): Small Town, Mystery, Humorous/Comedy, Cozy Mystery
Railroad Ties: the Marmion Grove Murders opens with the discovery of a letter from a witness to a murder. The letter fell out of a copy of Agatha Christie’s first published book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The heroine, Sophie Childress, volunteers for the Vassar Book Sale. Now closed down, for forty years it was one of the largest and most successful used book sales in the country, raking in an average of $100,000 for scholarships. Sophie is learning to price rare books, so she recognizes the  Christie volume as a first edition, and discovers that the first printing of the first edition was actually in New York, and not London. The famous London edition of her book was released a full year after the New York one.

The letter was written in 1920, the same year as the New York release, sending Sophie and her hero, Noah, on a search for possible connections between the two events.

Excerpt: The Letter

“What’s this?” She lifted out a heavy polyethylene bag. She knew from Eudora’s instruction that the bag was archival quality. Now why was this one protected when the others weren’t? She slid the book out. “Agatha Christie. The Mysterious Affair at Styles.” Christies were a dime a dozen. Most of her works had millions of copies in print. It was unlikely this was valuable, even though it was a hardback. Maybe it was a gift. There could be an inscription or note inside. She checked the flyleaf. Nothing. She turned to the copyright page. “First edition, first printing.” Okay. New York: John Lane Publishing Company, 1920. Wait a minute. She set it down, puzzled. New York? Christie’s books were published in England. It must be the first American edition. Still, sometimes those fetched surprisingly good prices. Another thing to research at the center. As she reinserted it in its plastic bag, an envelope fell out. Yellowed and stained, it was addressed to Constable Bustwick, Montgomery County Police. No return address or stamp. She opened it.

Inside was a scrap of butcher’s brown wrapping paper. It’s a letter. The handwriting was shaky. An older person? A child? Though the date was obscured by a streak of dried ink, she could make out “April” and “1920.” The same year the book was published. She sat down to read.

Dear Constable Bustwick,

I write to you in great distress. I believe I may have witnessed a horrible act. However, I do not know if it was truly a crime, so I am begging you to investigate quietly. If I speak out publicly, I risk my position.

The event occurred two nights ago. The master and mistress had retired. I had closed up the house and returned to my room when a thunderstorm barreled through. For a time the thunder was quite loud. Lightning struck one of our cherry trees with a great CRACK. I had finally dozed off when a noise outside woke me. It was perhaps an hour past midnight. We have had problems with raccoons in the garbage pit lately, so I took my broom and went out to frighten the creatures off. It was very dark after the storm, with only the feeble light from the hitching post lantern to see by. A figure came around the side of the carriage house. He had a large bundle slung over his shoulder. Mr. Constable, I think it was a body! As I watched, he toppled it into the back seat of an automobile parked on the gravel. When he tried to close the door, a man’s hat fell out. He picked the hat up, threw it inside, and drove away.

I was terrified, but the master had left strict orders not to disturb them, so I went back to my quarters. The next morning the master and mistress had breakfast as usual. Neither mentioned a late night visitor. The stable held only their Ford Model T and the carriage. The car in the driveway had been much larger and fancier. I remember the lamplight glinting on a chrome hood ornament that resembled a flying bird.

When the day had almost passed and the master had not altered his normal routine, I began to feel that I’d dreamed the whole thing. Then late that afternoon I was sweeping the carriage house floor and found the glass bottle we keep the rat poison in. It lay in the floor drain, shattered. Constable Bustwick, I do not know if the broken bottle has anything to do with the body, but I fear it does. I beg you to look into it, but please, please don’t contact my master or mention my name. I pray there is a simple explanation for all this.

Sincerely, Agnes Reilly.

The letter fell out of Sophie’s hand. My God. Did this Agnes really witness a murder? And why didn’t she mail the letter? Did she mean to hand carry it, or perhaps she couldn’t find a stamp? And how did it end up in the book? She sat, fanning herself with the envelope. Hefting the volume, she quickly slipped the letter between its pages and dropped it back in the box.

I have to return to Marmion Grove anyway. I’ll ask Noah about the letter. She was ashamed to realize the thought gave her pleasure

Buy links:

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/railroadties/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Railroad-Ties-Marmion-Grove-Murders-ebook/dp/B0F38Q5HZR

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/railroad-ties-m-s-spencer/1147152800?ean=2940184496733

Apple/IBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/railroad-ties-the-marmion-grove-murders/id6744065960

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230846616-railroad-ties

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/railroad-ties-the-marmion-grove-murders-by-m-s-spencer

About the Author

Librarian, anthropologist, research assistant, Congressional aide, speechwriter, nonprofit director—M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents and holds degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. In June 2025 she will have published eighteen mystery or romantic suspense novels. She has two children, an exuberant granddaughter, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.

Social media links:

Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer

Shepherd: https://shepherd.com/search/author/21204

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002ZOEUC8

Reviews coming in–do you have your copy yet?

CRUEL CHARADE has been out one whole week, and the five-star reviews are piling up! Check out some of these:

5.0 out of 5 stars Page-turner with a Great Twist Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024

Bet

If you like a good legal thriller with an engaging protagonist, you will enjoy Cruel Charade. In this latest offering in the lady lawyer series by Alana Lorens, Bettina Lenard wakes up in a Florida swamp and tries to figure out how she got there and who wants her dead. Unfortunately, there are many possibilities. It could be one of several former clients, a drug kingpin she has crossed, or maybe her ex-husband.

This book is fun, but it’s instructive, too. In addition to the mystery, Cruel Charade is also an accurate description of the journey to diagnosis for a woman with an autoimmune disease, from her husband assuming she is faking pain to cover a drinking problem, to a line of doctors who have no clue how to help her and little interest in trying. The reader has sympathy for Bet but doesn’t pity her. She is a strong, capable woman dealing with an illness that she doesn’t let define her.

The story skips around in time, which can be a bit confusing at first, but stick with it because you will get into the rhythm as you read on. Cruel Charade is a page-turner with a great twist. It’s the perfect book for a weekend at the beach or a me-time treat.

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024

The Everglades

CRUEL CHARADE by Alana Lorens is exciting with plot twists and turns that will keep you reading through the night. The story revolves around the murder attempt of attorney Bet Lenard who has lost everything in a bitter divorce. She finds comfort with her dearest friend and a new therapist. Written by juxtaposing the past with the present is intriguing and makes you really think when putting the story line together. It boils down to, can Bet figure out who tried to kill her before they try again? A great read all the way to the unique and surprising end. I highly recommend this book.


July 15, 2024

The doctor

There is a lot going on in this story. It’s all about Bet Lenard, and the story is in her POV, but it goes back and forth from present time to her past so you get all the reasons behind what’s happening in the back story. Bet is nearly killed in the Everglades in a car fire. She barely gets back from that before other things start happening. As a criminal lawyer, she’s often worked with dangerous people, but she’s not sure who is doing this to her—and there are a lot of possibilities, including her ex-husband.

There’s enough going on in this story that you definitely will not get bored – right up to the last page! Just when you think everything is solved, you turn the page and… it’s not! Nicely done. The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars was the back-and-forth in past/present. Not one of my favorite types of writing, but overall, the story is excellent.

Recommended.

June 29, 2024

The husband

I really enjoyed my review copy of Cruel Charade, a crime thriller by Alana Lorens. The story begins when Miami attorney Bettina (Bet) Lenard, wakes up in a spectacular WTF situation. Someone is out to kill Bet and, given the criminal element she and her not-so-ethical attorney ex-husband have represented over the years, that would-be killer could be anyone. Bet has to stay one step ahead of the killer’s attacks; while battling debilitating pain from an undiagnosable illness, keeping her estranged kids safe, and eluding a mob boss intent on forcing her to work for him. This unusual protagonist is one reason Cruel Charade kept me interested. Bet is a flawed person who doesn’t have all the answers, but she’s doing her best to navigate personal relationships while solving the case. I really loved Bet’s deadpan sense of humor, fashion sense, and foodie sensibilities. I enjoyed the inventive way she got herself out of jams. Cruel Charade is an engaging story with characters that feel real, in a setting that came alive in a sensory way (I really want to try that Cuban coffee). The action kept me hooked. The end satisfied and left me smiling.

  Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children.

On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea.

As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed?

What are you waiting for? Get your copy here:

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