The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton.  READ it!  10 out of 10.  Beautifully interwoven lives of the main characters from the WWII bombing in London, to the countryside in 1961, to nearly the current times.  As soon as I finished it I wanted to go back and read it again to see if there were clues I missed!   It was so intricate, so many details that fit at the end.  There was the quirky gal, Dorothy,  who left home before the war.  She met a very poor young man, Jimmy,  who was a photographer at heart. He loved her but didn't really know or understand her.  She led him on a merry chase. She met a wealthy young woman, Vivien, she thought was her good friend, but when she went to Vivien's home where Vivien's husband was, Vivien denied knowing Dorothy.  Now Dorothy is ready for revenge.  Then in 1961 a young country girl witnesses a murder but never tells the truth about it.  Now the young girl's mother is dying and mumbles about events from the past that leads her on a search for details and truths.  Oh, it's so good!

The Bride of Black Douglas

The Bride of Black Douglas by Elaine Coffman.  Time frame, 1785 in Northumberland, now northern England.  The heroine is trying to escape from an arranged marriage to a cruel man who only wants her money.  The Scottish  hero has to marry an English bride to protect his property.  In a time when kings and aristocracy are fighting and maneuvering constantly, these two run into each other, literally.   Her betrothed of the past is persistently trying to get to her.  Nice easy going story.  Typical romance novel.  Love those castles.  An 8 out of 10.  An escape romantic novel.  Doesn't mess with your head.