Brooke J. Losee's Blog

A story worth a mountain of silver dollars

Evan Rounsevell is a second son of a marquess and destined to manage his brother’s estate for the remainder of his days. But Evan’s fascination with the American West sprouts ideas of adventure, and he’s not ready to give up on his dream of experiencing the desert firsthand.

Dannie Bolton is a strong willed cowgirl with no time or patience for the English greenhorn looking for a short stent of adventure. She sees right through his charm and accent, and she’s determined to dislike him, no matter how hardworking he is.

Living on a ranch in the middle of the desert makes avoiding each other difficult, and the more time Dannie spends with the Englishmen, the more her heart falls. With his growing love for both ranch life and his boss’s daughter, Evan begins to resent his duty to his family and need to return to England. Everything he wants is on a ranch in the Arizona territory, but does his heart’s desires outweigh the duty to his noble birth and family back home?

Oh. My. Goodness. Being my first western, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Well hey howdy hey, guess what? I LOVED it. The characters are absolutely fantastic and I connected with them right from the very start. Sally really draws you into the ranch life and I felt like I was right there with the characters. Pretty sure I kept wiping invisible dust from my face along with them. Evan was so charming and I really enjoyed his sense adventure and desire to prove he could build his own life without relying on his noble background. And Dannie is the vision of courage and strength we all want to be. So SO SO good. Highly recommend this one!!!!! Looking forward to binging the rest of the series.

George Clavering considers himself far too young for marriage. Spending time with his friends, who feel the same about shackles, provides him with plenty of entertainment. At least, they did until he meets a young woman at the opening ball for the Season. George prides himself in being a gentleman, but making a wager with witty Lady Alice St Claire is too good to pass up, and he soon finds himself enjoying the sport of matchmaking far more than he should.

Alice St Claire is the daughter of a duke AND happens to have enough wealth to her name that marriage is completely unnecessary. And she will avoid the boors of the ballroom, for what sensible lady of means needs a man to dictate her life and money? Not her, and despite the fact that George Clavering is handsome with his dark hair and charming smile, she will not be dragged into the marriage mart. A little sport in matchmaking, however, is perfectly acceptable and all the more rewarding when George bets against her. Hah! Victory will be sweet.

As their wager continues to bring them together, both Alice and George discover that simply winning may not be what either of them truly wants. Perhaps one bet will upturn their notions on marriage altogether.

Such a great book. I really loved Alice and George. Their banter was so fun and adorable. Their wager sparks the first interest and the build up of their relationship as they try to navigate their feelings, which happen to be completely opposite of what they believed they wanted, is a fantastic journey. You can’t help but root for them the entire way. George is absolutely charming, and Alice is a woman with perfect determination.

Let the games to determine the next chief of Moraigh begin!

As daughter of the chief, Marion has little say in whom she marries. One thing is certain, though: she’s NOT marrying her cousin Simon, and if that means sabotaging his victories in the games, so be it. But when her well-orchestrated plans hinder Cormac McEwen instead, she’s feels more than just guilty given her growing attraction to the man.

Cormac McEwen never expected to be a contender for the next clan chief when he is called to Moraigh. After meeting the woman who is also a prize of the competition, he’s willing to consider the position. Problem is that same woman has unintentionally strangled his chances. That’s the least of his troubles, though, as someone at Moraigh wants him out of the competition in a more permanent way.

Facing political unrest and enemies within their own clan, Marion and Cormac must fight for their love and their lives.

OKAY. Book 1 was fabulous, but THIS book…EVEN BETTER. I love Cormac! He is so charming and is perfect for Marion. These two MCs were wonderful in their own rite, but add in the historical elements and the myths and its all super fantastic. I feel like I’m learning a bit of history every time I read a book from this series, and I love that I can get that WHILE I enjoy some romantic Scottish accents (which by the way, Kasey does an AMAZING job with. Just the right amount to keep that accent keeps going in your head without overwhelming you with, “HUH?”) I’m only just starting to read Scottish romances, but thus far, this one takes position numero uno. I CANNOT wait for book 3. So excited for Mile’s and Ealann’s story!!

Captain Casper Graysmark is in search of treasure, but not to fill his own coffers. Determined to help the French who were left destitute by the war, the English Lord sets off in search of the stolen gold he knows will save many lives. But it’s winter in France, and the weather refuses to make his goals easy to achieve. Casper is relieved when he stumbles across a cottage hidden deep in the woods and is offered shelter from harsh storm. Perhaps these woods hide more than just one treasure.

Ever since her father’s actions led to her family’s banishment from England, Scarlet has struggled to find her place. Living in the woods of France with her sister and grandmother is difficult, and as her grandmother’s health begins to decline, Scarlet fears for her future. A guest, who happens to be an Englishman, does nothing to help her nerves…at least, not at first.

With winter settling in, will Scarlet allow Casper to rescue more than hidden treasure?

Such a sweet story. I loved this short read and the way Sally captured so much emotion so quickly. It’s one of those retellings where you can sit back and just sigh at the warm fuzzies.

Valentine Donovan is a confirmed rake. Determined to spite his supposed father by any means he can, Val has descended into a life of pleasure, none of which grants him any sort of true happiness. But as his debts continue to mount, he soon faces the consequences of his reprehensible lifestyle.

Rebecca Russell has never experienced grand outings and lavish balls. Having been sheltered living with her grandfather the majority of her life, she’s oblivious to the ways of Society, but she plans to change all that with a Season in Brighton with her sister-in-law, Diana, as her chaperone. Her time in the seaside city begins with a rocky start when she meets Mr. Donovan sneaking in through the window of the kitchen quite drunk.

With his father’s threats hanging over him, demanding reformation, Val begrudgingly accepts the notion of a ruse with Miss Russell. If he can prove he’s changed, his debts will be paid, and she will gain desirability with proof of a suitor. Once a rake, always a rake, once a ruse, always a ruse…or perhaps not?

I ADORED this story. You cannot help but love the characters. Rebecca is so innocent and naive, and Val, very much aware of this fact, quickly becomes a sort of tutor for her. It was absolutely hilarious to watch him explain cant phrases to her, and I swear I snorted every time she used them wrong. XD They both showed so much growth and the emotional connection was nigh on instantaneous. I really enjoy redemption stories, and it was fun to see Val get that and to see Rebecca mature as well. Usually when I read Regency there is one or two scenes that just really stand out to me…this had WAY more than that (which I shan’t divulge because I do not spoil)! There were so many sweet moments, and many moments of excellent romantic tension, too. Easily one of my favorite Regencys of all time! I cannot recommend it enough. Romance. Humor. Wit. And everything else you could want in a clean romance.

A fantastic retelling

Elya is a horrible and wicked girl…or so her stepmother declares.

Working as a scullery maid in a noble household has its perks—food, shelter, and a warm place to sleep even if it does mean Elya is often covered in ash. She is grateful—truly—that Lady Mother took her in despite her father’s indiscretions. So long as she obeys, the beatings are few, and life is…well, as good as she should expect.

Except her wretched book fairy has gone and filled her mind with questions. And maybe, just maybe, he’s right. Maybe she doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. Now her book fairy has asked her to attend the Royal Ball. The Prince even invited all the scullery maids who are daughters of nobles. Her book fairy must have had something to do with that.

Come with Elya on her journey to find herself and the magic that has remained dormant inside her all along.

This was such a great retelling! I really enjoyed the twists on this classic story. Jacque gives the characters so much depth and really dives into the emotional aspects that make Cinderella the person she is. I loved that she doesn’t meet Charming for the first time at the ball and that their love grows through letters. Even better, the story doesn’t end with Charming rescuing her, instead Elya finds the strength to rescue herself. Beautifully written. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys retellings.

Dorothea Northcott has spent the last few months working in various positions in order to hide from her chaperones for the upcoming Season. She manages quite well until Benedict Bradwell happens upon her in the garden, and not even a face covered in flour can hide her identity from the loathsome flirt.

After months of searching, Benedict Bradwell has finally located his mother’s goddaughter. Now if he can just get her home without adding scandal to both their names…and without losing more than his patience to the beautiful woman…who happens to be dressed as a man at present.

The return trip puts both their hearts to the test, and in the weeks that follow, Ben turns from enemy to friend. But Thea has no desire to lose her heart to the man a second time, nor to any gentleman of the ton, and she refuses to tear down her walls…at least not willingly. Undeterred, Benedict’s determination may break her fortress completely.

Such a sweet book! I was really looking forward to Ben and Thea’s story, and as always, Kasey delivers. I loved this frenemies to lovers tale. I could sense their connection the moment the two of them reunited. Their banter on the trip home was SO fun and adorable, but I really enjoyed the continued tension between them as they fell more and more in love with each other. Thea brings a lot of past trauma to the table, and her mistrust of the flirtatious Benedict is understandable. But never fear, Ben eventually realizes his flaws, and so does Thea, giving them both well rounded growth. Kasey always does a fantastic job of making both POVs believable, and this book is no exception. Highly recommend!

With the newly passed anti-vampire laws in place, Rowan buries herself in her work as a curse breaker. But the distance with her vampire boyfriend, Nate, is growing more difficult by the day. Rowan is given a flicker of hope when her boss contrives a plan to quash Oliver Driscoll, the man responsible for the ever-growing hatred of the vampire community, once and for all. As always, nothing goes according to plan, and Rowan soon finds herself face to face with death.

Another fantastic installment to the series! Nate is forever the gentleman vampire we know and love. The MCs separation is heart breaking and one cannot help but root for them to take Driscoll down. Full of action and twists. Beautiful moments between Nate and Rowan. A page-turner you can’t put down!

A sweet baby, a frustrating labyrinth, and an all-to-handsome goblin king…

Floss wants nothing more than to go to law school and become an advocate. Problem is woman have never been allowed to take the entrance examine, nor do a lot of things that men do. Well, she’s not about to let them dictate her life. She and her friends are determined to change the system so long as no law breaking is involved.

Unwilling to give up on her dream, Floss visits the school to plead her case where a young man named Asterion assists her. But she doesn’t need the man’s help with this or anything else, for that matter…at least, not until her niece is kidnapped by goblins.

Asterion, who naturally happens to be the Goblin King, is her only chance of getting her niece back, but by asking for the king’s help, Floss has unwittingly invoked an ancient magical law. She has two options: traverse the entire labyrinth of the Unerground or marry the handsome king of the goblins.

And no way is she getting married. EVER.

This book…THIS BOOK is an absolute masterpiece. Fantastic world building of a classic tale. I loved the spin Vere put on this story. So much wit and humor. Characters with believable flaws and growth. And a clean romance that hits all the feels. If you love the movie, The Labyrinth, you’ll adore this book. Asterion may give Jareth a run for his money and he can have it all .

Aphantasia and Visualization Challenges

Have you ever heard of aphantasia? If your answer is no, then you and I would have had that in common up until a few weeks ago. It’s amazing the things you learn while writing, whether it be odd facts from research or the ins and outs of grammar. But what I’ve found most valuable are the things I’ve learned about myself.

A few weeks ago I read a post on social media about aphantasia. For those who don’t know, allow me to explain in my very limited understanding. Aphantasia is the inability to create mental images in one’s mind. Simply put, someone with this condition would have a mind’s eye that’s blank. Say you recalled a happy memory of your childhood. If you can picture that moment like a movie playing in your head, then you do not have aphantasia. Someone with the condition, however, would recall a memory as something more like a list of facts that describe it rather than having a visual.

Interesting, right? No, I do not suffer from aphantasia, but the post did bring up questions for me. The original poster spoke of having the ability to “see” but also having limitations on the details they could conjure. THAT described me.

I had not paid my lack of visualization skill any heed until I started writing. The issue really came to light when my husband, who creates the characters for my book covers, told me I didn’t give him enough details. Shockingly enough, it wasn’t stubbornness on my part, but a complete inability to truly describe my characters. Even when writing them I kept to general details and never dove into more complex ones such as facial structure.

Despite my concentrated efforts to give the requested information, I struggled to provide the depth my husband wanted. I could not see my characters, or at least not more than hair and eye color, skin tone, and whether they possessed a beard. It occurred to me then that the issue also happened while I read. No matter how much detail an author provided me, my brain rarely put much of it together. At best, I get an image with a blurred face. Hair and eye color are typically the only thing clear to me unless the character has a specific scar or the like.

The same can usually be said of a character’s clothing. Whether I’m writing or reading, I don’t get much in the way of apparel beyond color.

For those without aphantasia, visual recall or the ability to create mental images has a vast range from highly detailed to vague. Where do you fall on the scale? Read the paragraph below and see how many details your mind can create.

The dirt road rounded a bend and weaved into a grove of lush green oaks and birches. A split in the canopy overhead allowed just enough sunlight through to illuminate the path through the shadows. To the left, a stream flowed over black rocks, creating a constant hum, while a steep drop into a darkened hollow edged along the right.

Can you picture the entire scene? If you can see it vividly, congratulations! I envy you. Being that I lie low on the visualization scale, picturing this scene comes with great difficultly for me. I can only imagine one aspect at a time. For instance, if I picture the dirt road heading into shadows, I get a pretty clear image, but when I attempt to add in the trees, the road completely disappears. I can see trees to either side, and a massive black center.

If I pan to the stream, I can see the water washing over the black rocks but the trees and road are no where to be seen. I do get some blurred silhouettes, something akin to a watercolor painting. Fun right? XD

Obviously my lack of ability makes writing difficult at times, but understanding the weakness means I can learn to work around the issue. Though it isn’t always the most productive, I can focus on individual parts of a scene, describing each of them in turn until all the pieces are altogether on paper. This is what I did to write the paragraph above, in fact. I can also use pictures to help guide my descriptions. If the image is in front of me, getting those words down are far easier and faster.

Of course, I can’t constantly pull up a picture for everything, and given that I write fantasy, not everything in my imagination even exists in reality. Many of my first drafts are often lacking in descriptions for this reason, and its a constant effort to make sure I include them.

I find the entire concept fascinating, and honestly, I doubt I would have ever understood so much about how my brain operates had I not started writing. I realize now why I struggle to enjoy Epic Fantasy novels. My mind has no use for pages upon pages of description. My preference to novels that are heavy with dialogue and focus more on emotional development rather than action scenes makes a great deal of sense and may also explains why I primarily read romance.

While reading and writing is where I’m likely most effected, the lack of visualization abilities give me understanding about other aspects of life. I struggle to remember people’s faces unless I see them on a regular basis, even people I’ve know for years. I’m also quite terrible at giving and following directions while driving, and while not completely to blame, I imagine this does me no favors.

Writing has helped me grow in so many ways as a person. Understanding oneself is important, and I’m grateful for small insights like this that help me identify what exactly my obstacles are. Acknowledging our struggles, big or small, is the only way to press forward. Even with the challenges I face, and though it is exceptionally frustrating at times, writing is a part of who I am. I love storytelling, and we should never allow challenges to stop us from doing the things we love.

Drop a comment and let me know how YOU fared on the visualization test!