Outlandish Dreaming

So Long, Farewell...

2014-01-01T10:54:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2014 is a great year, I suspect it will be what with the new Outlander book coming out in June and the miniseries coming out shortly thereafter!

It's no surprise that I've cut back on reviews more and more over the past year and I've decided to discontinue writing reviews on this blog. I'm still reading like a mad woman but just not into reviewing like I once was. I read 145 books in 2013 and just could not keep up the reviews on that many. I will continue to leave the blog up and will update what I'm currently reading and looking forward to reading and you can find my short reviews over at Goodreads as Julie L. and Librarything, where I am known as "ktleyed." (see links on this blog as well).

Goodbye and good luck and maybe I'll post some things once the new Outlander book comes out and mini-series!

Tootles!

xoxo

Julie

November 2013 Reviews

2013-11-30T16:46:00.000-05:00

I'm still at it with more books to review... this month seemed to be a preponderance of cruel husbands!

When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

Book Description:
What happens when a carefree, disreputable, stone-broke bachelor is forced to find a wife in a hurry? He hires a matchmaker, of course. What happens when the matchmaker doesn’t want to help him? Well, that’s when the fun begins…

Nicholas Stirling, Marquess of Trubridge, loves his life just as it is: dissolute, scandalous, and deuced good fun. His father, the Duke of Landsdowne is not amused, and when he cuts off Nicholas’ trust fund, the fun-loving marquess is forced to find an alternate source of income—in other words, he has to marry an heiress.

Every new-money American heiress knows Lady Belinda Featherstone is the key to social acceptance. Once a new-money nobody herself, Belinda discovered first-hand how heartbreaking the game of love and matrimony could be after a reprobate British earl married her for her money. Now a respectable widow, Belinda has become England’s most successful matchmaker, guiding young American heiresses through the hazards of the London season and helping them to find husbands worthy of them. To her mind, the Marquess of Trubridge is nothing but a fortune-hunting scoundrel and she has no intention of allowing him to charm his way into any American girl’s heart, including her own.

Cute story of rakish marquess who is in need of a rich wife. The only thing is he's attracted to London's best matchmaker - who has it out for him - despite the mutual attraction. After virtually ruining his chances of making a "material" match, she re-considers and tries to help him, only to find she's sabotaging her own matchmaking! Not up to Guhrke's earlier novels, but it was fun, though I tired of the constant battling between the two before Belinda gives in and admits Nicholas isn't nearly the ne'er do well she thought he was.

3.5/5

The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas

Book Description:
Felix Rivendale, the Marquess of Wrenworth, is The Ideal Gentleman, a man all men want to be and all women want to possess. Felix himself almost believes this golden image. But underneath is a damaged soul soothed only by public adulation.

Louisa Cantwell needs to marry well to support her sisters. She does not, however, want Lord Wrenworth—though he seems inexplicably interested in her. She mistrusts his outward perfection and the praise he garners everywhere he goes. But when he is the only man to propose at the end of the London season, she reluctantly accepts.

Louisa does not understand her husband's mysterious purposes, but she cannot deny the pleasure her body takes in his touch. Nor can she deny the pull this magnetic man exerts upon her. But does she dare to fall in love with a man so full of dark secrets, anyone of which could devastate her, if she were to get any closer?

I enjoyed this romance as it hearkens back to Thomas' first book, Private Arrangements, which I loved! But, I had issues here with the hero. The way he treats Louisa after their wedding night is too cruel and selfish on his part and I really had a hard time forgiving him for it, despite how he gets his comeuppance later on. He was needlessly unfair to Louisa, who was in the dark as to why he was doing it. It's not like in PA, where the bride actually did something awful. Still it was a good book (albeit, short) and had plenty of angst and sensuality and I could barely put it down. Loved seeing Lady Tremaine from PA too and this glimpse of her after her trip to Copenhagen.

4/5

To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney

Book Description:
Suave, cynical, and too handsome for his own good, Sebastian Verlaine never expects to become a magistrate judging the petty crimes of his tenants and neighbors. Nor can the new Viscount D’Aubrey foresee that, when a fallen woman appears before him, he’ll find himself beguiled against all reason to alter her terrible fate....

Rachel Wade has served time in prison for her husband’s violent death, but she soon discovers that freedom has its own price. For no one will offer her a second chance but a jaded viscount who needs a housekeeper. Scorned by the townspeople of Wyckerley as D’Aubrey’s mistress, tempted beyond her will by the devilish lord, Rachel risks all she had to claim a life of her own...and a love that will last for all time.

I really had trouble with this story line and could barely finish the book, but I persisted. It was hard for me to get into it and Sebastian was so unlikeable at first. I cringed over the way he treated Rachel. Not really my cup of tea, much too dark and angsty and the spectre of what happened to Rachel by her husband just creeped me out too much. Obvious what the real story was, but I kept reading to the end to confirm it. By then, it seemed anticlimatic.

3/5

The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale

Book Description:
THE SHADOW

Wealthy, powerful and majestically handsome, he is a man of dark secrets--a master of the ancient martial arts of an exotic distant land. Scarred by a childhood of shocking degradation, he has sworn to love chastely... but burns with the fires of unfulfilled passion.

THE STAR

Lovely, innocent and nearly destitute, she is drawn to him by a fevered yearning she could never deny -- following her enigmatic "shadow warrior" into a dangerous world of desire and righteous retribution.

This book really sneaks up on you by starting out kind of slow and then before I knew it I couldn't put it down! Story of near destitute young woman who through a series of strange circumstances winds up working for an enigmatic, handsome young man in London. She comes to know his adopted family and falls in love with him, but he is aloof and has many secrets. Their life becomes entangled together through an arranged marriage. A bit convoluted at the end while in Hawaii and Japanese secrets, etc. Still, I really enjoyed it and now I've finally read this book I've heard so much about over the years.

4/5

The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes

Book Description:
A GENIUS WITH A TERRIBLE LOSS...

Gifted pianist Valentine Windham, youngest son of the Duke of Moreland, has little interest in his father's obsession to see his sons married, and instead pours passion into his music. But when Val loses his music, he flees to the country, alone and tormented by what has been robbed from him.

A WIDOW WITH A HEARTBREAKING SECRET...

Grieving Ellen Markham has hidden herself away, looking for safety in solitude. Her curious new neighbor offers a kindred lonely soul whose desperation is matched only by his desire, but Ellen's devastating secret could be the one thing that destroys them both.

Together they'll find there's no rescue from the past, but sometimes losing everything can help you find what you need most.

Finally we get Val's story and I really enjoyed it. Burrowes always has a way in this series of having her leads fall in love with someone who takes care of them in some way. Usually it's been a housekeeper, but here it's a helpful neighbor who is a widow and the former resident of the estate he has just won in a card game (convenient.) Val, a musical protege with the piano has found he's losing the ability to use his hands and he must stop playing the piano to avoid losing them altogether. He and his friend, Darius go to his new, crumbling estate and start fixing it up (though he appears to be doing more damage to his hands this way than playing the piano!) There he meets Ellen, who has her own crushing secrets that need to remain hidden. As they begin to fall for one another, we have the usual trope, I can't marry you because I'm not good enough for you, but it was all done very well, and somewhat heart breaking. Val suspects that something has happened to Ellen in her past and he asks her to tell him, but she won't for fear he'll never want to see her again. Instead she puts a halt to their affair and sends him away, which I really didn't understand why, for I felt it was unnecessary, but I still really liked it. Now I'm caught up on the Duke's sons, and now it's onto resume the series (I started with the daughters first) with the rest of the daughters.

3.5/5

Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh

Book Description:
All of London is abuzz over the imminent arrival of Wulfric Bedwyn, the reclusive, cold-as-ice Duke of Bewcastle, at the most glittering social event of the season. Some whisper of a tragic love affair. Others say he is so aloof and passionless that not even the greatest beauty could capture his attention. But on this dazzling afternoon, one woman did catch the duke’s eye—and she was the only female in the room who wasn’t even trying. Christine Derrick is intrigued by the handsome duke…all the more so when he invites her to become his mistress.

What red-blooded woman wouldn’t enjoy a tumble in the bedsheets with a consummate lover—with no strings and no questions asked. An infuriating lady with very definite views on men, morals, and marriage, Christine confounds Wulfric at every turn. Yet even as the lone wolf of the Bedwyn clan vows to seduce her any way he can, something strange and wonderful is happening. Now for a man who thought he’d never lose his heart, nothing less than love will do.

With her trademark wit, riveting storytelling, and sizzling sexual sparks, Mary Balogh once again brings together two polar opposites: an irresistible, high-and-mighty aristocrat and the impulsive, pleasure-loving woman who shows him what true passion is all about. A man and a woman so wrong for each other, it can result only in the perfect match.

I really did enjoy this final book in the Bedwyn Series and Wulf's story, yet as much as I adore Pride and Prejudice, I was a bit disappointed that Wulfric's storyline was not more original. Yes, yes, this was obviously an homage to Jane Austen, and I loved all the nods to her throughout, but I couldn't help comparing so much of the book to the original story. It was basically a P&P fanfic except that their encounter by the lake at the ball just seemed shabby to me and his first offer - well, Mr. Darcy would never! Still, this was a very good romance and a fitting ending to the series and my second favorite - Freyja's being my favorite!

4/5

A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long

Book Description:
She rose to spectacular heights…

From Covent Garden to courtesan to countess, beautiful, fearless, shamelessly ambitious Evie Duggan has riveted London in every role she plays. But the ton never could forgive her scandalous—if shockingly short—marriage, and when her star plummets amid gleefully vicious gossip, the countess escapes to the only legacy left to her: a manor house in Pennyroyal Green.

He never expected to fall so hard…

He has the face of a fallen angel and a smolder the devil would envy, but Vicar Adam Sylvaine walks a precarious line: resisting temptation…and the wild Eversea blood in his veins. Adam’s strength is tested when scandal, aka the countess, moves to Sussex. But when a woman who fiercely guards her heart and a man entrusted with the souls of an entire town surrender to a forbidden desire, will the sweetest sin lead them to Heaven...or make outcasts of them forever?

Not bad, not great. I had looked so forward to reading Adam Sylvaine's story and it was disappointing. I was surprised at how it was so slow going and even dull sometimes, but it did have some nice touches and the ending was sweet. Still, I have a thing about fallen women, I'm sorry I'm a snob! I wish Adam got a better story, this just did not live up to some of the latest books by this author. A miss in the Pennyroyal Green series.

3.5/5

The Care and Feeding of Pirates by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
Honoria Ardmore has a secret. Four years ago, the notorious pirate Christopher Raine, arrested and condemned for stealing a ship full of gold bound for Napoleon, makes one last request of Honoria. She grants it, and Christopher is taken out to be hanged. -- Or was he?

Honoria couldn’t have seen him alive again in the rather thick fog outside Covent Garden Theatre, could she? Christopher is long dead and gone, Honoria’s secret with him. Her life has moved on, and now she’s betrothed to a respectable English gentleman.

Christopher has other ideas. His sentence commuted at the last minute, Christopher was press-ganged onto a ship bound for Asia, and he's spent the last four years working to return home and get everything back—his crew, his treasure, and Honoria Ardmore—his wife.

Meet the crew of the Starcross, and revisit the crews of the Argonaut and the Majesty for more pirate fun and adventure!

This was just okay, though best of the trilogy. What started off well, really dragged in the last third of the book and I skimmed it to the end. No pirates for me, I'm just not into them and never really seem to like pirate related storylines. This is the last one I read - ever!

2.5/5

Dreams of Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

Book Description:
He Vowed He'd Come For Her...

Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memory of his past lives.

She Awaits His Return...

When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals—unaware that he belongs to their world.

To Sate A Desire More Powerful Than Death...

Yet every reincarnation comes with a price, for Aidan is doomed to die when he remembers his past. To save herself from Declan’s torments, will Regin rekindle memories of the passion they once shared—even if it means once again losing the only man she could ever love?

This was gooood! Another action packed riveting installment in the IAD Series. Regin finally gets her story - and her man. Or does she? Hot and steamy and I was wondering how will Kresley Cole make it better for Declan and Regin for I was stumped about how they'd avoid the curse. Great as usual. I didn't think I'd like this for Regin has not been one of my favorites, but I was won over to her side, she's a great character. Now onto the next - on audio!

4/5

Truman by David McCullough (audio)

Book Description:
The life of Harry S. Truman is one of the greatest of American stories, filled with vivid characters -- Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Wallace Truman, George Marshall, Joe McCarthy, and Dean Acheson -- and dramatic events. In this riveting biography, acclaimed historian David McCullough not only captures the man -- a more complex, informed, and determined man than ever before imagined -- but also the turbulent times in which he rose, boldly, to meet unprecedented challenges. The last president to serve as a living link between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, Truman's story spans the raw world of the Missouri frontier, World War I, the powerful Pendergast machine of Kansas City, the legendary Whistle-Stop Campaign of 1948, and the decisions to drop the atomic bomb, confront Stalin at Potsdam, send troops to Korea, and fire General MacArthur. Drawing on newly discovered archival material and extensive interviews with Truman's own family, friends, and Washington colleagues, McCullough tells the deeply moving story of the seemingly ordinary "man from Missouri" who was perhaps the most courageous president in our history.

I am now an expert on this man. As usual, McCullough brings his subject to life - every single nook and cranny. Fascinating, behind the scenes life and observations of this plain speaking man from Missouri. Truman was much smarter than anyone realized, under appreciated when he was president and an astute politician. Very, very interesting biography and glimpse into this time period of the last part of WWII and through the Korean War.

4.5/5

Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn

Book Description:
'Tis the season for an investigation! Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane return for a Christmas caper at Bellmont Abbey—

After a year of marriage—and numerous adventures—Lady Julia and Brisbane hope for a quiet, intimate Christmas together—until they find themselves at her father's ancestral estate, Bellmont Abbey, with her eccentric family and a menagerie of animals.

Nevertheless, Julia looks forward to a lively family gathering—but amongst the celebrations, a mystery stirs. There are missing jewels, new faces at the Abbey, and a prowling ghost that brings back unwelcome memories from a previous holiday—one that turned deadly. Is a new culprit recreating crimes of the past? And will Brisbane let Julia investigate?

To kick off the Christmas season...

I liked this Christmas Novella in the Lady Julia Grey mystery series. Not much of a mystery in it, but I enjoyed this glimpse of the mad March's at Yuletide with many familiar faces at Bellmont Abbey. Short and sweet - quick read.

3.5/5

October 2013 Reviews

2013-11-30T14:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays to everybody!

I 'm going to have to change my banner soon with the upcoming Outlander miniseries movie in production! Sam Heughan is perfect as Jamie Fraser! This clip is quite swoonworthy!

How to say Sassenach

Now, once your heart has returned to normal, onto the reviews:

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (audio)

Book Description:
In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan, who’s best known for his legendary riffs on Hot Pockets, bacon, manatees, and McDonald's, expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children—everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to toddlers’ communication skills (“they always sound like they have traveled by horseback for hours to deliver important news”), to the eating habits of four year olds (“there is no difference between a four year old eating a taco and throwing a taco on the floor”). Reminiscent of Bill Cosby’s Fatherhood, Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.

This really was simply hilarious, I didn't want it to end! I had the pleasure of being in the audience and seeing Jim Gaffigan at the Book Expo this past Spring in New York City. He talked about how he came about writing the book (with his wife) and read excerpts from it - and he really is a scream. I'd never really heard of him before then, though my son and husband were fans. Well, after that, I just had to get the book, though I missed out on getting a free autographed copy since they ran out and I was near the end of the line. Didn't matter anyway, since I loved it on audiobook. It's a must for any parent whether they have one or a dozen kids, you will relate. Even non parents and future parents will relate to it! On audio it's like listening to a long stand-up routine. I found reasons to listen to this audiobook every chance I got, I think it took me less than two days to go through it. Do yourself a favor and read it - a real pleasure!

4.5/5

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

Book Description:
Sometimes
The Best Man
Is The One
You Least Expect...

Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she’s ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family’s vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there’s some great scenery there....

Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief - and best friend of her former fiancé. There’s a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it’s not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she’s having a hard time forgetting that he helped ruin her wedding all those years ago. If she can find a minute amidst all her family drama to stop and smell the rosé, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron, and finish that walk down the aisle.

This was okay, but not great. My first by this author, it seemed to take forever to really get going between the the two leads and I felt there was a lot of low-brow humor that I didn't really appreciate - nor like. Just made me uncomfortable. Much of it I just didn't even think was funny and the heroine was just too cute. Faith was left at the altar when her fiance came out and admitted he was gay. Levi, his best man, knew the truth, but didn't do anything about it until right before the wedding. For that reason, Faith really has it out for him. Like I said, okay story, Faith reminded me of a cutesy Disney character, but I did like Levi's character. Frankly, I don't know what he saw in her, no chemistry between them.

3/5

Dragon Warrior by Janet Chapman

Book Description:
Maddy Kimble has no time for a suitor—not with caring for her spunky nursing home patients, her shy nine-year-old daughter, her widowed mother, and her rebellious teenage brother. William Kilkenny’s stunning lack of modern dating protocol doesn’t help. The man is uncouth and outrageous—a towering, drop-dead, breathtakingly hot warrior. Who refuses to give up.

William is secretly a ninth-century Irish nobleman formerly trapped in a dragon’s body. All Maddy knows is that lately, she can hardly resist the urge to lose herself in his powerful arms. But as their uncontrollable passion grows, eerie occurrences in her small coastal Maine town begin to rouse Maddy’s suspicions about her lover. He begs her to trust him, but how can she surrender—body and soul—when she fears the danger he poses to her yearning heart?

It's been a while since I've read anything by this author. I really enjoyed her earlier series, Pine Creek Highlanders, of which this newer series of hers is an offshoot. I kind of OD'd on highlanders so I took a break for a while. Here we have in the 2nd installment in the Moonlight Bay series, William's story. William, believe it or not, used to be cursed and was turned into a dragon. The curse was lifted in book 1, and now he's in human form seriously attracted to Maddie who works in a nursing home and is Eve's (from last book) best friend. Strange things to say the least are going on in Midnight Bay. I liked this book and the love scenes were steamy, but Maddie was so annoying in the way she just wanted to have sex and kept shying away from a relationship. Then all-of-a-sudden she comes around and "loves" William. Frankly, I don't see how she couldn't have fallen for him from the moment he opened his mouth and she heard his Irish lilt. Still, it had a happy ending, albeit an offbeat book and the last 20 pages could have been wrapped up in 2.

4/5

The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters (audio)

Book Description:
The Ape Who Guards the Balance begins in 1907 in England where Amelia is attending a suffragettes' rally outside the home of Mr. Geoffrey Romer of the House of Commons. It seems Romer is one of the few remaining private collectors of Egyptian antiquities, and a series of bizarre events at the protest soon embroil Amelia in grave personal danger. Suspecting that the Master Criminal, Sethos, is behind their problems, the Emerson Peabody's hasten to Egypt to continue their studies in the Valley of Kings where they soon acquire a papyrus of the Book of the Dead.

As with past seasons, however, their archaeological expedition is interrupted. The murdered body of a woman is found in the Nile. Ramses, Radcliffe, and Amelia all have their theories as to the origin of the crime, but their own lives might soon be at stake if the cult of Thoth and their ancient book is, indeed, involved.

I never tire of the family of Elizabeth Peabody and Emerson. Their shenanigans in Egypt never fail to make me laugh. As the series progresses, Ramses is grown now into a handsome young man, which leads to some very interesting developments. Ramses and Nefret are still playing this coy game between each other, it's only a matter of time when they will declare their love for one another. Surprising developments between Daoud and Lia as well, which I kind of found hard to believe. As usual, the mystery is secondary to me, I find the interactions of all the characters the best part! On audiobook this is a real treat and Barbara Rosenblat is as fantastic as ever - she IS Amelia and Emerson.

4/5

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (audio)

Book Description:
Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome--and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life....

But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of--big surprise--murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next...

I finally caved and gave in and started this well-known Southern Vampire series that has been made into the TV series True Blood. I'm glad I did, eventually I'll check out the series on TV. On audio, it's a real treat, for I love Sookie's way of talking and you get that real Southern flavor. She can hear other people's thoughts, which can be a real nuisance and then along comes Bill - the vampire. In Harris' world, vampires are accepted, though not liked very much. They can buy blood - even get it in bars. They are treated as if they have a virus, rather than being the living dead. This is all just good PR, they really are dead, but to be accepted in the world, the virus story has been created. Bill seems like a nice vampire, but his friends aren't, as Sookie learns as she and Bill become closer and closer, while trying to find out who or what is killing the women in town with unusual sexual proclivities. It doesn't help that Sookie's brother is a prime suspect. I look forward to the rest of the series, narrated well by Johanna Parker, though her rendition of Bill is a little on the boring side.

4/5

Heartless by Mary Balogh

Book Description:
Life has taught Lucas Kendrick, Duke of Harndon, that a heart is a decided liability. Betrayed by his brother, rejected by his fiancée, Luke fled to Paris, where he became the most sought-after bachelor in fashionable society.

Ten years later, fate has brought him back home, to the rescue of the very people who had once shunned him. Luke is amused by the advice that a wife will make his takeover of both the title and the family estate smoother, but amusement turns to desire once he sets eyes upon Lady Anna Marlowe.

Unbeknownst to Luke, Anna is also no stranger to pain, but her suffering can't be so easily overcome, not when her tormentor stalks her to the very doors of Bowden Abbey. Luke and Anna, each made fragile by the past, must learn to trust both each other and their love if they are to have any chance for a future together.

I love Georgian historicals and this one was pretty good, although through much of the storyline you have this awful sense of angst. It was almost painful to read for you are worried that the heroine and hero cannot be happy because of this awful secret she has (which leaves the reader wondering as well). Lukas jumps to the wrong conclusions about his bride and he's somewhat cruel to her, which I also found hard to stomach. Despite the angst, it succeeds in sucking you in to keep reading to see what it's all about and if there is a happy ending. Still, I enjoyed the book, though I am sick of the storyline in which hero's feel they have no heart and are incapable of ever loving anyone!

4/5

The Cowboy Takes a Bride by Lori Wilde

Book Description:
Ex-champion bull rider-turned-cutting-horse cowboy Joe Daniels isn't quite sure how he ended up sleeping in a horse trough wearing nothing but his Stetson and cowboy boots. But now he's wide-awake, and a citified woman is glaring down at him. His goal? Get rid of her ASAP. The obstacle? Fighting the attraction he feels toward the blond-haired filly with the big, vulnerable eyes.

When out-of-work wedding planner Mariah Callahan learns that her estranged father has left her a rundown ranch in Jubilee, she has no choice but to accept it. Her goal? Redeem her career by planning local weddings. The obstacle? One emotionally wounded, hard-living cowboy who stirs her guilt, her heartstrings, and her long-burned cowgirl roots...

Not a bad contemporary Western, set in Texas, about a city girl from Chicago who returns to her estranged father's hometown of Jubilee, TX after his death. Her father was a cutter, as is everyone else in this town. The first person she meets is a widower cowboy who's still mourning the death of his wife after two years. Both of them have some baggage to get over, with an homage to "Sleepless in Seattle." I liked it and was rooting for the two of them to just get on with their lives and stop worrying so much! Nice development, but seemed a bit rushed at the end and the title is a misnomer. One bonus: I learned all about cutting, which I had never even heard of before!

3.5/5

Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne

Book Description:
As scruffy and rootless as the other prospectors searching for gold in the Rockies, Low Down wanted nothing in return for nursing a raggedy bunch through the pox. But when pressed to reveal her heart's wish, she admits she wants a baby. Not a husband, not a forced marriage to the proud man who drew the scratched marble and became honor bound to marry her. To be sure, Max McCord was easy on the eyes, but he loved another woman and dreamed of a different life. Yet they agreed to a temporary marriage that could end only in disaster. But can this strange twist of fate lead to the silver lining that both have been searching for?

A heartwarming, funny tale of an unlikely marriage between Max McCord and Low Down/Louise who meet in the late 1800's panning for gold. Low Down nursed all the men on the river back to health after a smallpox epidemic. As a thank you they said they'd grant her greatest wish. And she says she wants a baby! This had so much originality! Their story unfolds as Max is the one that has to marry her. He takes her back to his family's home but all is not well for his marriage to her sets off a series of ramifications that seem insurmountable, mainly because he has jilted his fiancee and her rich father, who is not happy about it - nor is the fiancee. Lots of great little tidbits in this story and I'll definitely be reading more by this author. Memorable.

4/5

More Reviews for Fall, 2013 - Part II

2013-11-02T20:32:00.003-04:00

What a shock, two posts in two days! An eclectic bunch in this posting, a few non-fiction audiobooks, continuing my fascination with presidential assassinations and a book on the Apollo 11 moon mission. Unfortunately, a lot of these reads were just so-so for me - 3 1/2 is the common theme here.

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell

Book Description:
EYES OF SILVER, EYES OF GOLD is a story of romance and family conflicts set in Colorado in 1885.

Anne Wells has embarrassed her rigidly proper family since she was a child with occasional but grievous lapses from ladylike behavior. They blame those lapses for the disgraceful fact that she is a spinster at 28.

Cord Bennett, the son of his father's second marriage to a Cheyenne woman, is more than an embarrassment to his well-to-do family of ranchers and lawyers - they are ashamed and afraid of their black sheep.

When Anne and Cord are found alone together, her father's fury leads to violence. Cord's family accepts that the fault is his. Can Anne and Cord use the freedom of being condemned for sins they didn't commit to make a life together? Or will their disapproving, interfering families tear them apart?

Pursuing my new love of Westerns, I enjoyed this story about the struggles endured between Cord, a young half Native American man and Anne, the young woman he marries while under duress and trying circumstances in 1880's Colorado. In dealing with prejudice and the everyday ups and downs of their new marriage, they manage to respect one another and fall in love, all while partnering together, training and breeding his horses. Good story but as much as I liked it there was a lack of real emotion when there should have been more. I felt at arm's-length with the two of them. Still it was very good and I will read more by this author. One of those books I've heard of and finally got around to reading.

4/5

The Devil in Music by Kate Ross

Book Description:
The Regency dandy and amateur sleuth Julian Kestrel is back in his fourth mystery - and this time he confronts murder far from home in the sensuous, turbulent Italy of the 1820s.

Traveling on the Continent with his ex-pickpocket valet, Kestrel finds himself caught up in the mysterious and murderous world of the opera. Four years ago, the Italian marquis Ludovico Malvezzi was murdered, and Orfeo, the young English tenor he had been training for a career on the glittering operatic stage, disappeared. As Kestral is irresistibly drawn into the baffling case, he encounters suspects at every turn: a runaway wife and her male soprano lover; a liberal nobleman at odds with Italy's Austrian overlords; a mocking Frenchman with perfect pitch; a beautiful, clever widow who haunts Kestrel's dreams; and the missing Orfeo, the penniless protege who just might be a political agent. And when the killer strikes again, Kestrel's quest for answers spirals into a crescendo of passion, danger, and music as he risks becoming a ruthless murderer's next victim.

I had mixed feelings over this mystery, first off, it was very clever and I did not guess in a million years who Orfeo really was, so it had me there! But, there were some areas of the book that dragged. Julian doesn't even enter the scene until Part II, after the entire first part leading up to the murder of the marchese. I did find myself getting a bit bogged down with all the Italian characters and wondering why this, why that, but by the end it all made sense. About the end, well, I think about 25 pages could have been edited out . The entire ending and wrap up just seemed to go on forever! Once we knew the truth and all secrets revealed, she should have wrapped it up. Still, I thought it was very good overall, and I'm sorry we lost such a fine author in the late Kate Ross. This is a wonderful, thoughtful series for fans of historical mysteries.

3.5/5

Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (audio)

Book Description:
Lady Georgiana Rannoch has once again been called into service by Her Majesty the Queen. This time she's sent to Nice on a secret assignment that's nothing to sneeze at-recover the Queen's stolen snuff box.

As much of an honor as it is to be trusted by Her Majesty, an even greater honor awaits Georgie in Nice-as Coco Chanel herself asks Georgie to model her latest fashion. But when a necklace belonging to the Queen is stolen on the catwalk, Georgie has to find two priceless items-and solve a murder. How's a girl to find any time to go to the casino?

This time Georgie is at the French Riviera and as usual, wherever Georgie goes, murder and mayhem ensues. I enjoyed this on audio, Georgie hob nobs with Coco Chanel while modeling in a fashion show and loses a priceless necklace belonging to the Queen of England. Then she stumbles upon the dead body of a not very well liked millionaire in his pool! This one had it's moments, but not as humorous and the other books, plus Darcy's not in it much. For the majority of the time, Georgie is angry and heartbroken over him, yet finds solace in the arms of a debonaire Frenchman. All in all, not my favorite in the series, but still I love Katherine Kellgren's narration which is tops!

3.5/5

To Love and to Cherish by Patricia Gaffney

Book Description:
Anne Verlaine's four year marriage to Geoffrey, Lord D'Aubrey, was a living hell. Her only comfort was her lovely new home--the village of Wyckerley in the heart of Devonshire. And even more irresistible was her attraction to Christian Morrell, "Christy," the vicar of All Saints Church. He looked like an archangel, his strength something palpable, his golden-haired handsomeness a source of light in her dark life.

Anne's husband had once been Christy's closest friend, but war and life had scarred Geoffrey inside and out. Now he was going to leave her behind in Wyckerley, with the shocking truth of their marriage still hidden as deeply as his dangerous plans. Anne had no right to want Christy to love her, and no choice but to need him, even though she risked his ruin...and her own. But he was everything to her. She would defy this world for him...and the next.

I'm not sure where I stand on this book. In many ways it was a good, solid story with wonderful characterizations, and I wanted Anne and Christy to get together and live happily ever after. You are rooting for them. Of course, just as you think all will be well, the worst happens. I was uncomfortable with what was going on, for I dreaded what was going to happen - and of course it did. Fortunately it does end well, but it's a rocky road getting there and there's a lot of emotional hand wringing getting there. Because of Anne's unhappy marriage, there's a pall over much of the book, Christy being the shining light with his golden mane of hair that is waiting for her - if she can only get to him! Some of this book reminded me of a Lorraine Heath book, A Rogue in Texas, but I won't reveal why. First for me by this author.

3.5/5

Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

Book Description:
Co-owner of the town's only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire.

It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more.

Sexy contemporary romance of Brady Miller, Alpha ex-military he-man who returns to Sunshine, Idaho where he grew up. A loner and not someone that sticks around in relationships, he has trouble coming to terms with the fact that he is falling in love with the irresistible 5'4 kennel owner who he can't keep his hands off of. Both are prepared to keep their affair light and temporary, but is it a realistic scenario after a month? Of course not, and that's the rub. I enjoyed reading about Brady and Lilah's courtship and ultimate HEA, but Lilah's back breaking work load and dedication to her job is a bit too saintly to swallow, but she makes up for it in bed. ;) Quick read and first by this author for me. Will continue with series.

3.5/5

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries

Book Description:
When the youngest Sharpe sister hatches a plan to gain marriage offers, the straight-laced Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter knows he'll do whatever it takes to ruin her scheme...
Lady Celia Sharpe hopes that if she can garner offers of marriage from several eligible gentlemen and show her grandmother she is capable of gaining a husband, she can convince Gran to rescind the marriage ultimatum for her. And if that plan doesn't work, at least she'll have a husband lined up. But Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter seems determined to ruin her plans by disapproving of every suitor she asks him to investigate. It's only when she and Jackson work together to solve her parents' murders, plunging them both into danger, that she realizes why--because the only man he wants her to marry is himself!

I just couldn't finish this one, the two lead characters were so annoying, I had no desire to find out what happened to them. I wound up skimming all the way through to the end just to see what happens regarding the parents' murder mystery and who did it, since I did invest a lot of time in the series and wanted to find out at least who killed their parents. Even that was a bit anti-climatic. I'm afraid this is good-bye to this author for now. I just wasn't thrilled by this Hellions of Halstead Hall series at all with the exception of one book, How to Woo A Reluctant Lady.

2.5/5

The Untamed Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
To redeem her family’s disgraced name, Lady Louisa Scranton has decided to acquire a proper husband. He needs to be a man of fortune and highly respectable in order to restore both her family's lost wealth and reputation. She enters the Marriage Mart with all flags flying, determined to find the right bachelor.

But Louisa’s hopes are dashed when the Bishop of Hargate drops dead at her feet—and she is shockingly accused of murder! Soon, Louisa’s so-called friends begin shunning her, because the company of a suspected killer is never desirable in polite society.

The problem comes to the ears of Detective Inspector Lloyd Fellows, by-blow of the decadent Scottish Mackenzie family and an inspector for Scotland Yard. He has shared two passionate kisses with Lady Louisa–and vows to clear her name. For not only does he know she’s innocent, he recognizes he’s falling for the lovely lady.

Fellows is Louisa's only hope of restoring her family's honor—and it is he alone who intrigues Louisa in a way that may be even more scandalous than murder…

A novella in the Highland Pleasures series, this is the story of Lloyd Fellows, the untamed Mackenzie (although he seems to be to be the tamest of them all! ) who falls for Lady Louisa, the sister of Mac's wife Isabella. Louisa who is accused of murdering a bishop at a tea party of all places! Can he clear her name and win her hand at the same time? Entertaining but not as good as her full length novels. It's rare to find a good novella, often they are just too short and rushed. Nice cover though. ;)

3.5/5

The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
Daniel Mackenzie lives up to the reputation of the scandalous Mackenzie family—he has wealth, looks, and talent, and women love him. When he meets Violet Bastien—one of the most famous spiritual mediums in England—he immediately knows two things: that Miss Bastien is a fraud, and that he’s wildly attracted to her.

Violet knows she can’t really contact the other side, but she’s excellent at reading people. She discerns quickly that Daniel is intelligent and dangerous to her reputation, but she also finds him generous, handsome, and outrageously wicked. But spectres from Violet’s past threaten to destroy her, and she flees England, adopting yet another identity.

Daniel is determined to find the elusive Violet and pursue the passion he feels for her. And though Violet knows that her scandalous past will keep her from proper marriage, her attraction to Daniel is irresistible. It’s not until Daniel is the only one she can turn to that he proves he believes in something more than cold facts. He believes in love.

Daniel Mackenzie was always a likable promising young man and his story was pretty good, albeit it took a little getting used to Violet, a con artist. I had to get past all of that and realize she really wasn't dishonest... well almost. It wasn't easy, considering she hits him over the head with a vase and thinking he's dead, leaves him in the street in front of a doctor's house in London before she flees the country. But, I digress... They have a whirlwind romance - amazingly - considering how she treated him and as usual, everything the Mackenzie's do is with a certain panache. Daniel is no exception, he has a bit of all of his uncles and father in him - which makes him irresistible and fascinating. He steals every scene he's in and Violet, I'm afraid, paled in comparison. Despite that I enjoyed Ashley's latest installment in this Highland Pleasures series.

4/5

The Wolf Next Door by Lydia Dare

Book Description:
Ever since their failed elopement years ago, Prisca Hawthorne has taunted, insulted, and in every way tried to push him away. If only her heart didn't break every time Lord William Westfield left her...

Lord William throws himself into drinking, gambling, and debauchery and pretends not to care about Prisca at all. But when he returns to find a rival werewolf vying for her hand, he'll stop at nothing to claim the woman who should have been his all along.

Can Prisca forgive the unforgivable, or are the moon-crossed lovers going to be forced into a battle of wills that could be fatal?

This was probably my least favorite of the first three books in this Westfield Wolves series, primarily because it took forever for Will and Prisca to consummate their marriage! All the teasing going on through the whole thing, the constant bickering and then all the delays drove me crazy! I didn't like the way he lied about what happened in the cabin between them either. Then at the final ending when he claims her it seemed - eep - anticlimactic? Overall though I still liked it, there is something about this series I enjoy and it's a quick read.

3.5/5

The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare

Book Description:
Dashiel Thorpe, Earl of Brimsworth, has spent his life fighting the wolf within him. But when the full moon rises, Dash is helpless. A chance encounter with Caitrin Macleod on a moonlit night inadvertently binds the two together irrevocably, and Dash's impulsiveness plunges them both into a nightmare.

Caitrin Macleod is no quiet country lass, but a witch with remarkable abilities. But when it comes to Dashiel, she's as helpless to fight his true nature as he is. Her senses overwhelmed, she runs back to the safety and security of her native Scotland.

But Dashiel is determined to follow her—she's the only woman who can free him from a fate worse than death. And Caitrin will ultimately have to decide whether she's running from danger, or true love.

I'm surprised I liked this book as much as I did, for I wasn't overly fond of Caitrin in the last two books. She's still cranky, but not as much here. She and Dash (who we meet in the previous reviewed book) get together after he inadvertently claims her on the full moon by biting her neck. Little does she know the meaning of this (she is now his mate for life) and only got angry at him for biting her. He is at a disadvantage because he doesn't know she is a witch, yet she knows he's a Lycan. These crazy kids! What a mess! They journey from England to Edinburgh where he enlists the help of her father to get her to agree to marry him. Most of the story is how he wins her over and he learns how to be a mannerly werewolf - oops, I mean Lycan. Not bad, but not great either. I think this series is losing it's oomph.

3.5/5

Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon by Craig Nelson (audio)

Book Description:
A richly detailed and dramatic account of one of the greatest achievements of humankind. At 9:32 A.M. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 rocket launched in the presence of more than a million spectators who had gathered to witness a truly historic event. It carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins to the last frontier of human imagination: the moon.

Rocket Men is the thrilling story of the moon mission, and it restores the mystery and majesty to an event that may have become too familiar for most people to realize what a stunning achievement it represented in planning, technology, and execution.

Through interviews, twenty-three thousand pages of NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA documents on the space race, Craig Nelson re-creates a vivid and detailed account of the Apollo 11 mission. From the quotidian to the scientific to the magical, readers are taken right into the cockpit with Aldrin and Armstrong and behind the scenes at Mission Control.

Rocket Men is the story of a twentieth-century pilgrimage; a voyage into the unknown motivated by politics, faith, science, and wonder that changed the course of history.

I hard a hard time at first with this on audio for it is VERY technical. Basically, it's the story of the space race and NASA leading up to Apollo 11, beginning at the end of WWII through the mission in 1969 and then about the lives of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins after the mission and what they did with their lives. The last hour of the book could have been pared down to 15 minutes easily and I could have done without the author's political leanings.

I can't help chuckling that the author's name is NELSON - as in Tony Nelson? Ring a bell, anyone: Get it? ;)

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

Book Description:
Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savannah manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming-yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders-and dangers-of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for-and what she can no longer live without.

I've really enjoyed Raybourn's Lady Julia series, but found her one paranormal vampire book underwhelming. Here, I found a nice surprise. There were parts that I loved about this book, the descriptions of Africa and the wildness of it was great. But... the actual storyline between Ryder and Delilah was lackluster, virtually no romance or tenderness, falling far short into that department. They had what seemed to be a "non-courtship" which left me feeling short-changed. I wanted more. Still I loved their characters which were vividly drawn as were all the side characters, as well. mI only wish there had been more meat in the love story, but I love the cover!

3.5/5

Goddess of the Rose by P.C. Cast

Book Description:
When modern-day Mikki ends up in the strange Realm of the Rose, Hecate has been waiting for her. So too has her gorgeous guardian beast, who soon has Mikki swooning. But to save the realm, Mikki will have to sacrifice her life-giving blood.

I wasn't as into this storyline as much as some of the previous books in this Goddess series, but it was still pretty good. It gets off to a good start in which Mikki, a young single woman looking for love inadvertently finds herself in this other "world" in which she is a high priestess for the goddess Hecate and must tend these amazing roses. The guardian of the Realm of Roses is a man-beast like the Minotaur only he's kind of sexy and she is attracted to him for she had been dreaming of him before she came to this world. Sounds bizarre, but it works... kind of. Still, I was a bit bored with all the roses, roses, roses talk, but overall not bad.

3.5/5

Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly (audio)

Book Description:

A riveting historical narrative of the heart-stopping events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The book recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased.

In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies' man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country's most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.

Knowing almost nothing about the Lincoln assassination I found much of this book interesting, though having listened to Killing Kennedy, I found I preferred that in comparison to Killing Lincoln. O'Reilly's narration is in his usual style, and whereas it was fine with Killing Kennedy, I found it grating at times here, not sure why, but it did. Maybe he needed to get the bugs out with this one, and with Killing Kennedy he'd fixed some stylized mistakes and it was smoother and not as rushed and sensationalist sounding. Still, I found the lead-up to the assassination amazing as well as the final days of the Civil War.

3.5/5

Fall Reviews 2013

2013-11-01T17:07:00.000-04:00

Oh dear. It's been such a long time since I've posted! Eek! I'm reviewing books I read in August and here it is the 1st of November! To make up for it, I threw a few more recent releases I've read as well! Right! So... without further ado, let's get to it!

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

Book Description:
Bridget Jones is back!

Great comic writers are as rare as hen's teeth. And Helen is one of a very select band who have created a character of whom the very thought makes you smile. Bridget Jones' Diary, charting the life of a 30-something singleton in London in the 1990s was a huge international bestseller, published in 40 countries and selling over 15 million copies worldwide. Its sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, published soon after was also a major international bestseller.

Set in the present, the new novel will explore a different phase in Bridget's life with an entirely new scenario. As Helen Fielding has said: "If people laugh as much reading it as I am while writing it then we'll all be very happy."

I didn't think I would, especially with the demise of one of my absolute favorite literary heroes - but I absolutely loved it! I laughed I cried I was all over the place while reading this book, but mostly I laughed. Hysterical scenes involving texting and tweeting - all with the same old Bridget we know and love. She really hasn't changed that much, considering she's aged a bit and is facing all sorts of new (and old) problems. Alas no Mark Darcy, but Roxster, her 29 year old boy toy was adorable and I was so glad to see Bridget have a happy ending. She really deserved it. Great book! Why am I surprised, the other Bridget's were favorites too! Fielding has done a masterful job at mixing humor with some very tender and heart wrenching emotions. She hasn't lost it at all, just as fresh and amusing as ever. Can I just say - "I want a boy toy tooooo!" (Love the cover!)

5/5

Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt

Book Description:
Twenty years ago Maximus Batten witnessed the brutal murders of his parents. Now the autocratic Duke of Wakefield, he spends his days ruling Parliament. But by night, disguised as the Ghost of St. Giles, he prowls the grim alleys of St. Giles, ever on the hunt for the murderer. One night he finds a fiery woman who meets him toe-to-toe—and won't back down . . .

Artemis Greaves toils as a lady's companion, but hiding beneath the plain brown serge of her dress is the heart of a huntress. When the Ghost of St. Giles rescues her from footpads, she recognizes a kindred spirit-and is intrigued. She's even more intrigued when she realizes who exactly the notorious Ghost is by day . . .

Artemis makes a bold move: she demands that Maximus use his influence to free her imprisoned brother-or she will expose him as the Ghost. But blackmailing a powerful duke isn't without risks. Now that she has the tiger by the tail, can she withstand his ire-or the temptation of his embrace?

I loved this Georgian historical, as I do all her books. Totally was into the whole Batman thing. It would have been nearly perfect, except for the sticky problem that Maximus, the Duke of Wakefield was so selfish about wanting Artemis - yet still intending to marry Penelope who was so awful! Points against him, but then again, you've got to have that angst and it would have been too pat otherwise. A little realism doesn't hurt. Still, it took him way to long to figure out that he was wrong. Still, a good story and lived up to all my expectations!

4/5

The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry

Book Description:
"Boundaries." The key to how corporate lawyer Alexandra Knight manages her busy life. However, lately all her precisely drawn lines are getting blurred. Blame it on her out-of-control biological clock that is ignoring her single status...and on Ethan Stone.Because her sexy, no-strings colleague has posed an outrageous solution to her dilemma--he'll be her baby daddy. This from the guy who avoids all commitment? Okay, so they're attracted to each other. Really, really attracted. But crossing the line from coworker to co-parent with Ethan could ruin Alex for all other men. After all, when you've had the best...

Ordinarily I don't read Harlequins - except for when it comes to Sarah Mayberry. As usual with her stories, this was an emotional read, but the theme of wanting to have a baby because the clock is ticking and wanting to do the whole artificial insemination theme just kind of bothered me. I really loved the hero, Ethan, in the story he was great and I felt for him, but not wanting to marry even when she tells him her feelings killed me! Alexandra was a tough heroine to like. Overall the story fell a bit short for me since the answer to both their problems was so obvious, but I still loved it and I was up into middle of the night to finish it.

4/5

Can't Get Enough by Sarah Mayberry

Book Description:
He's everything she despises-a babe magnet with more notches on his belt than a millipede has legs. And he thinks his coworker is wound so tightly she irons her underwear at night. Two people couldn't be further apart.

But when Jack Brook and Claire Marsden get stuck in a sweltering elevator one afternoon, it's a different story. By the time they're rescued, Jack and Claire have swapped confidences and oh, they've had the most spectacular sex of their lives!Back in the office they're still butting heads over projects, but now there's a heightened awareness added to the mix. With this kind of tension in the air, how can they resist another round of sexy indulgence?

Another winner Sarah Mayberry romance. An irresistible premise of what happens when you get stuck in an elevator for a few hours with the office playboy and have sex with him, against all your better judgement. Come on, everyone has fantasized about this kind of scenario with someone at some point in their lives. *blushing* George Clooney anyone? Although the heroine is prickly and uptight in the beginning, her personality shines through later in the book. I loved Jack, of course. Not the best Mayberry I've read, and not as emotional as her others, but it was a fun, quick read.

4/5

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas

Book Description:
MEET THE BLUE-EYED DEVIL - His name is Hardy Cates. He's a self-made millionaire who comes from the wrong side of the tracks. He's made enemies in the rough-and-tumble ride to the top of Houston's oil industry. He's got hot blood in his veins. And vengeance on his mind.

MEET THE HEIRESS - She's Haven Travis. Despite her family's money, she refuses to set out on the path they've chosen for her. But when Haven marries a man her family disapproves of, her life is set on a new and dangerous course. Two years later, Haven comes home, determined to guard her heart. And Hardy Cates, a family enemy, is the last person she needs darkening her door or setting her soul on fire.

WATCH THE SPARKS FLY....Filled with Lisa Kleypas's trademark sensuality, filled with characters you love to hate and men you love to love, Blue-Eyed Devil will hold you captive in its storytelling power as the destiny of two people unfolds with every magical word.

Haven Travis escapes from an abusive marriage and into the arms of ne'er do well, self-made rich oil man, Hardy Cates - who her family hates. Good story, a bit melodramatic and reminiscent of an '80's TV miniseries. I would have liked it more if Haven hadn't been such a doormat for much of the book. I still loved Hardy though, classic Kleypas hero *sigh* but her historicals are where she really shines.

4/5

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

Book Description:
Jack Travis leads the uncomplicated life of a millionaire Texas playboy. He makes no commitments, he loves many women, he lives for pleasure. But no one has ever truly touched his heart or soul. Until one day, a woman appears on his doorstep with fury on her face and a baby in her arms. It seems Jack is the father and this woman is the baby’s aunt. The real mother has abandoned the child to her more responsible sister. And now, Jack is being called upon to take responsibility for the first time in his life. With delicious romantic tension, characters so real they walk onto the page and into your heart, Lisa Kleypas delivers the kind of novel that makes you laugh, love; cry and cheer.

I loved this novel and it was my favorite in the Travis series. I didn't think I would, especially with a baby storyline, but it sucked me in all the way through to the end, bringing tears to my eyes with it's happily ever after ending. I loved Jack Travis! I had a harder time getting into Ella, but she won we over soon enough. Despite some minor flaws I found it an emotional, touching contemporary that plucked at my heart strings, not to mention the sizzling love scenes between Ella and Jack. A keeper!

4.5/5

The Soldier by Grace Burrowes

Book Description:
This Regency era battle of wits, wills, and the sexes features a wily duke determined to see the succession of his line secured. The duke can't force his sons to marry, but he can make their lives miserable until they do. Resisting his pressure, each gentleman holds out for true love.
The second book in the series features Devlin St. Just, the duke's oldest, but illegitimate, son. He arrives at his new estate weary in body and spirit only to find the previous owner's bastard daughter and her beautiful cousin are his responsibility and making his life almost unbearably complicated.

Grace Burrowes has become a favorite of mine and I really enjoyed this next installment in her Duke's Obsession series. This is Devlin St. Just's story. Bastard son to the Duke of Moreland, Devlin became a soldier, but it's left him suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome as he retires to his recently acquired estate in Yorkshire. On top of that he is dealing with the recent revelations that his real mother loved him after all. While in Yorkshire, he meets Emmie Farnum, the pretty local baker and so-called guardian of Winnie, a precocious six year old who winds up living with Devlin as his ward. Burrowes has a way of tugging at your heart strings with everyday goings-on. Devlin falls in love with Emmie and she reciprocates yet she cannot marry him for she fears her secret will ruin everything and she's convinced she must let Devlin go to raise Winnie without her - like I said, complicated. I was a little confused about her obstinacy over this issue, but fear not - all is resolved by the end.

4/5

A Garden Folly by Candice Hern

Book Description:
Two sisters on the edge of poverty have a chance to meet wealthy, titled, unmarried gentlemen when they are unexpectedly invited to a house party at a famous country estate owned by the Duke of Carlisle. Though courted by a wealthy earl, Catherine Forsythe finds herself falling for the handsome estate gardener and faced with the choice of marrying for money and security, or following her heart.

I really enjoyed this quick light G-rated regency. Stephen, the Duke of Carlisle wishes he could be loved for himself and not just as a rich duke. He gets his chance when he meets Catherine Forsythe in his own gardens. Disguising himself as head gardener of his own estate, he is bent on wooing her and have her fall in love with him. She is determined to marry a rich man for she and her sister and aunt are nearly destitute. But, she succumbs to the charms of the green eyed handsome gardener, but her common sense is telling her otherwise. Cute story, but I cringed over some of the remarks Catherine unknowingly makes to the duke. I will read more by this author, so far I've liked what I've read of hers.

3.5/5

True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson

Book Description:
Hard knocks and hunger taught Faith Duffy not to believe in love. Still, when she married her very wealthy -- and very old -- husband, she became the perfect wife. And then he went to that big bank in the sky, leaving Faith with lonely nights, a pile of money, and a total mess of a pro hockey team. Heck, Faith doesn't even watch hockey!

But most of America and half of Canada is watching Ty Savage. His lethal sex appeal and deadly right hook make him the favorite of fans. For most of Ty's life, he's dreamed of winning the Stanley Cup. The last thing he needs is a bimbo messing up his plans.

Faith loathes Ty on sight, but she can't stop thinking about him all day ... and night. Then a moment of temptation ends with Faith in Ty's bed, and she begins to see there's more to him than sex appeal. Ty discovers there's far more to Faith than beauty and billions. But a relationship with Faith is impossible, and falling in love --- that would be a disaster.

Not up to par with the previous books in her Chinooks Hockey Team series, but it was still pretty good. Widow of billionaire Virgil Duffy, a former Playboy Playmate, Faith Duffy, inherits his hockey team and of course, she and the captain, Ty Savage (Sah-vahge) dislike each other at first sight. But then they fall in lust and can't resist one another. Not bad, not great, but It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a much better sports romance along these exact same lines.

3.5/5

His Every Kiss by Laura Lee Guhrke

Book Description:
Everyone knows about Dylan Moore—his brilliant talent and his pleasure-seeking ways—but no one knows the torment that lies beneath his reckless veneer. Only one woman gets a glimpse of the forces that drive Dylan's soul, a woman who haunts his dreams and evokes his passions as no other woman ever has before.

Disgraced and destitute, Grace Cheval wants nothing to do with the seductive man who desires her. When Dylan offers her a position as governess to his newfound daughter, she knows his true intentions are dishonorable. Yet she finds this charismatic man hard to resist, and she returns his passionate kisses with a fire that matches his own. Can Dylan dare hope that this proud, spirited beauty will melt the ice around his heart?

I had trouble liking the hero in this one - not to mention the plot line, for that matter. Yes, our hero, Dylan Moore, had some issues. But he was much too self centered and by the time he began to change, it seemed it was only out of guilt (hence the series' name) but I didn't find it all that romantic. Grace, the heroine, seemed to "all of a sudden" want to go to bed with him one night! (I hate it when that happens) Frankly, there just wasn't anything about this book I liked - including the annoying daughter who was a younger clone of her father. Others by this author are much better.

3/5

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt by Doris Kearns Goodwin (audio)

Book Description:
No Ordinary Time is a monumental work, a brilliantly conceived chronicle of one of the most vibrant and revolutionary periods in the history of the United States. With an extraordinary collection of details, Goodwin masterfully weaves together a striking number of story lines; Eleanor and Franklin's marriage and remarkable partnership, Eleanor's life as First Lady, and FDR's White House and its impact on America as well as on a world at war. Goodwin effectively melds these details and stories into an unforgettable and intimate portrait of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and of the time during which a new, modern America was born.

A mammoth sized bio of the Roosevelt's leading up to and during WWII, fascinating on audiobook, though it took forever. I must admit, I quizzed my mother and father-in-law much of the time while listening to this. Peppering them with questions about what it was like back when they were teenagers during the war and what were their memories of FDR and Eleanor. I really enjoyed this! A must for anyone that's interested in this time period and FDR. Not much more to say than that!

5/5

July 2013 Reviews

2013-08-15T15:47:00.000-04:00

Before I launch into my July book reviews, a brief note about my sadness regarding the recent passing of eighty-five year old Barbara Merts aka Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michael's. Barbara is the author of numerous books, but Crocodile on the Sandbank is one of my all time favorite historical mysteries and the series as a whole is fantastic. Set in Victorian times (and then into Edwardian), it mostly takes place in Egypt. It follows the hilarious archaeological enthusiasts, Amelia Peabody, her husband, Emerson and their precocious son, Ramses - it is very well done. I'm still making my way through the series, it has about 20 books in it. Especially good on audio, with the incomparable Barbara Rosenblat narrating. Barbara will be dearly missed. Rest in peace.

Now onto the reviews...

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory by Ben Macintyre (audio)

Book Description:

In 1943, from a windowless basement office in London, two brilliant intelligence officers conceived a plan that was both simple and complicated— Operation Mincemeat. The purpose? To deceive the Nazis into thinking that Allied forces were planning to attack southern Europe by way of Greece or Sardinia, rather than Sicily, as the Nazis had assumed, and the Allies ultimately chose.

Charles Cholmondeley of MI5 and the British naval intelligence officer Ewen Montagu could not have been more different. Cholmondeley was a dreamer seeking adventure. Montagu was an aristocratic, detail-oriented barrister. But together they were the perfect team and created an ingenious plan: Get a corpse, equip it with secret (but false and misleading) papers concerning the invasion, then drop it off the coast of Spain where German spies would, they hoped, take the bait. The idea was approved by British intelligence officials, including Ian Fleming (creator of James Bond). Winston Churchill believed it might ring true to the Axis and help bring victory to the Allies.

Filled with spies, double agents, rogues, fearless heroes, and one very important corpse, the story of Operation Mincemeat reads like an international thriller.

Unveiling never-before-released material, Ben Macintyre brings the reader right into the minds of intelligence officers, their moles and spies, and the German Abwehr agents who suffered the “twin frailties of wishfulness and yesmanship.” He weaves together the eccentric personalities of Cholmondeley and Montagu and their near-impossible feats into a riveting adventure that not only saved thousands of lives but paved the way for a pivotal battle in Sicily and, ultimately, Allied success in the war.

This was a great (true) story about how during WWII the Allies were able to make the Nazi's think they were going to invade Greece instead of Sicily, a major coup on the road to winning the war. The plan involved loads of behind the scenes espionage, but primarily the big scheme was planting the dead body of what appeared to be a naval officer delivering important war plans of the invasion - misleading war plans. All in intricate detail which does tend to get bogged down occasionally. Very well done on audio, narrated by John Lee. I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in Fifth Column spies during WWII. All of Macintyre's books of this are fascinating, if this is your thing.

3.5/5

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Book Description:
Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her—and those she loves.

Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.

From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia's greatest weakness—her wanton desire for him.

Another rip-roaring roller coaster ride in the Immortals After Dark (IAD) series. Here we have Garreth McGrieve, Lykae who finds his mate - Lucia, a Valkyrie who is the greatest Archer and due to a promise she made eons ago, she must not have sex - at all - ever. Of course, this is anathema to Garreth who lives for sex - especially with his mate, but he finds ways to get around this with her. For the first half of book, Lucia is evading him, while he is chasing her around the world until they wind up in the Amazon together. This was one long adventure of ups and downs, often reading like an Indiana Jones movie - with lots of sex! Loved it!

4/5

Demon From the Dark by Kresley Cole

Book Description:
A scorching tale of a demon outcast poisoned with vampire blood and the vulnerable young witch he vows to protect—even from himself.

Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

In order for Malkom and Carrow to survive, he must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When Malkom becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

I didn't expect to love this next and 10th in the IAD series - but I did. If fact I think it's a favorite so far for me. Exciting battle scenes, a vulnerability in both hero and heroine, amazing chemistry - and let's not leave out the hot sex. The intense plot line definitely makes you want to continue on in this paranormal series which has only gotten better and better with each successive book. Here we come full circle with Malkolm, a demon that is turned into a vampire (demons loath vampires) against his will. Intense and strong, I loved to see his "human" side eventually shine through, particularly cute with the young witch Ruby. Plus, I loved seeing so many of the past characters (and future) coming together in one book - and what the hell is this Order all about? And La Dorada - yipes! A thrilling read and hard to put down in the second half.

4.5/5

Open Country by Kaki Warner
Book Description:
Molly McFarlane is desperate, forced to flee to the frontier with her late sister's children. While outrunning the trackers their stepfather set on her trail, she marries a dying man, assuming his insurance settlement will provide for them. But the man doesn't die. And when Molly ends up caring for the man and his own family, she finds that even the best of lives can emerge from the worst of circumstances...

Second in the trilogy of brothers living in New Mexico Territory in the early 1870's, this is Hank's story. Molly McFarlane, out of desperation, marries an unconscious Hank Wilkins because she believes he won't live after a train derailment and she needs the railroad widow's settlement money because she is fleeing her evil brother-in-law with her niece and nephew. Of course, this isn't right and she knows it, which becomes a major fly in the ointment when Hank lives after all. His amnesia doesn't help matters either as the lie is prolonged. Good story, with a truly scary villain who is tracking Molly and the children. I loved Hank who is the big, strong, silent type. Shy about his unusually handsome face, he hides himself under a beard most of the time. To say the least, Molly is devastated by the first time he sees him smile clean shaven. Wonderful story between the two, though I did have trouble with the deception going on for so long, but it was still great to see so much of Brady, who I really loved from the first book in the series, as well as Brady's wife, Jessica. Brady sees to Hank's safety while he is ill and barely gives Molly an inch. He's not a pushover when it comes to her, and I was glad of it. I'm becoming a Western lover and these books are great and keep me riveted and reading, reading, reading until they're finished. The character development and the plot lines are first rate.

4/4

The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig

Book Description:
As a lawyer in a large Manhattan firm, just shy of making partner, Clementine Evans has finally achieved almost everything she’s been working towards—but now she’s not sure it’s enough. Her long hours have led to a broken engagement and, suddenly single at thirty-four, she feels her messy life crumbling around her. But when the family gathers for her grandmother Addie’s ninety-ninth birthday, a relative lets slip hints about a long-buried family secret, leading Clemmie on a journey into the past that could change everything. . . .

What follows is a potent story that spans generations and continents, bringing an Out of Africa feel to a Downton Abbey cast of unforgettable characters. From the inner circles of WWI-era British society to the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the red-dirt hills of Kenya, the never-told secrets of a woman and a family unfurl.

Although this book is very different from author Willig's previous Pink Carnation books, the dual storyline scenario remains. The story flip flops between modern day events in Manhattan with Clemmie and the series of events that happened in the 1920s between the beautiful Beatrice and the less prepossessing Addie, Clemmie's grandmother. There is a mystery of what became of Beatrice, who married and was banished to Africa and then disappears there. What happened to her and how did Addie wind up with Beatrice's husband? And what about the children? I found the story a bit slow at first but then after the second half of the book it really picked up and I found it hard to put down. I really wanted to find out what the truth was behind the events that slowly unfold in Africa. But alas I found the big finale and the big secret a bit anti-climatic. Still I enjoyed it though I found it very similar to a Kate Morton novel. Coincidentally, while reading The Ashford Affair, I was listening to one of Morton's books simultaneously on audio. (See review below). I must admit, I found Willig's novel much more riveting though there was a certain something lacking. Neither Clemmie nor Addie really won me over and frankly, I found Beatrice the only really interesting character in the book. Clemmie's budding romance with her distant step-cousin didn't sit well with me, and I was actually rooting for her to wind up with the Englishman! Oh well...

3.5/5

By Love Undone by Suzanne Enoch

Book Description:
Madeleine Willits was shunned by London society for a scandal that was no fault of hers, and forced to seek a paid position in the country. So when Quinlan Bancroft, Marquis of Wakefield, comes to direct the household during his uncle's illness, Maddie is determined to detest the nobleman on sight. But though the 'marquis' is easy to dislike, the 'man' himself is a different matter. Quinlan's aplomb in the face of mud, demented pigs, and musket-waving villagers is deucedly appealing. Small wonder, then, that Maddie quite forgets to repulse Quinlan when he enfolds her in a sweet embrace...

Caught kissing his uncle's lovely young companion, Quinlan feels he should make amends, and use his rank to re-establish Miss Willits in society. Unfortunately, it is soon apparent that Maddie has no idea how to resist importunate young rakes who believe her ripe for the plucking. But Maddie knows there is only one rake whose attentions she truly needs to fear—because only Quinlan Bancroft possesses the power to break her heart.

Vintage Enoch and a surprisingly entertaining romance of Madeleine, a ruined young noblewoman taking care of an elderly invalid who is the estranged brother to a duke. His nephew comes to check up on his uncle and help with management of the estate. He unwittingly falls for Madeleine, no matter how much of shrew she appears to be! He thinks she's his uncle's mistress at first, but that is cleared up soon enough. They trade insults and barbs and fight through a good part of the book - and it was a lot of fun! The plot was a bit far fetched bringing her back to London to reinstate her reputation with his mother (the duchess) overseeing her come back. I found the whole thing a quick read and I gobbled it up!

4/5

Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
Sensitive and lovely Ashton Robertson fell in love with Kit Montgomery the moment she first laid eyes on him. Four years later, her most cherished dream has come true: the rakish English aristocrat is her husband, if only for a brief time. But will a few days in paradise be enough, now that Ashton has found sweet freedom in his arms?

To ease his tormented soul, Kit agreed to marry his dear friend's sister. But Ashton's gentle beauty and fiery spirit are slowly captivating the hardened rogue, causing him to reevaluate his outlook on life...and to wonder if, perhaps, they should turn their blissful temporary union into something more permanent.

This is the last of this Rogues in Texas western series, but I found it still lacked the oomph of her Texas Destiny series which I adored. This western romance is the story of young girl who is believed to be dying of consumption. Her brother, wishing to grant her last wish, asks the town of Fortune's (now) sheriff, Kit Montgomery to marry her in name only so that she can have a nice wedding day to remember until the day she dies. After much hesitation, based on his history with his brother's dead wife, Kit agrees to marry her. Of course, they wind up falling in love which is exasperated by the fact she's expected to die within six months. They try to avoid too much intimacy but it's impossible after a while. Both are torn, but of course it all ends well, but only after much hand wringing and worry. I liked this better than book 2 in the series and it kept my attention, but overall it didn't have the emotional pull I believe it should have, based on the angsty storyline. Btw, this needs a new cover design pronto - it's so reddd!

3.5/5

Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh

Book Description:
Meet the Bedwyns—six brothers and sisters—men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality....Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction...where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal...and where Alleyne Bedwyn, the passionate middle son, is cut off from his past—only to find his future with a sinfully beautiful woman he will risk everything to love.

As the fires of war raged around him, Lord Alleyne Bedwyn was thrown from his horse and left for dead—only to awaken in the bedchamber of a ladies' brothel. Suddenly the dark, handsome diplomat has no memory of who he is or how he got there—yet of one thing he is certain: The angel who nurses him back to health is the woman he vows to make his own. But like him, Rachel York is not who she seems. A lovely young woman caught up in a desperate circumstance, she must devise a scheme to regain her stolen fortune. The dashing soldier she rescued from near-death could be her savior in disguise. There is just one condition: she must pose as his wife—a masquerade that will embroil them in a sinful scandal, where a man and a woman court impropriety with each daring step...with every taboo kiss that can turn passionate strangers into the truest of lovers.

What a surprise, I really enjoyed this installment of the Bedwyns saga. The previous book was such a let down I've had this one languishing on my "to be read" list forever! This is Alleyne's story. After the battle of Waterloo, Alleyne Bewcastle, believed dead by his family, has amnesia and is found by Rachel York who is living in a brothel in Brussels - long story, she is not a prostitute. She comes from a noble background but is down on her luck. She nurses him back to health and they pose as a married couple, returning to England so she can claim her inheritance. Once again, another Balogh false marriage/engagement scenario where the couple falls in love while pretending to be in love. Despite the usual Balogh formula, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, and the ending was worth it all. Now onto Wulf's story - finally!

4/5

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (audio)

Book Description:
A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

I had a hard time with this novel, it took me forever to get into and I almost put it down, but I persisted until the end. I found the story hard to follow for some reason. Lots of red herrings, just when you think you've got it, and you've figured out the story of the "mud man" and who he is or what happened to Tom - you realize you're wrong! Not the best I've read by Kate Morton, but by the end it kept me interested, though an overall melancholy story. I loved the WWII setting, which tied in with my recent surge of interest in WWII non-fiction titles. On audio the narration was great by Caroline Lee who is always superb and gives it a nice touch, I love her voice and accent.

3.5/5

The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

Book Description:
Miss Jane Fairfield can’t do anything right. When she’s in company, she always says the wrong thing—and rather too much of it. No matter how costly they are, her gowns fall on the unfortunate side of fashion. Even her immense dowry can’t save her from being an object of derision.

And that’s precisely what she wants. She’ll do anything, even risk humiliation, if it means she can stay unmarried and keep her sister safe.

Mr. Oliver Marshall has to do everything right. He’s the bastard son of a duke, raised in humble circumstances—and he intends to give voice and power to the common people. If he makes one false step, he’ll never get the chance to accomplish anything. He doesn’t need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn’t need to fall in love with her. But there’s something about the lovely, courageous Jane that he can’t resist…even though it could mean the ruin of them both.

I was not as enamored by this story as everyone else seems to be, but I find Courtney Milan hit or miss. Jane Fairfield, in order to avoid being married off, pretends to be a social clod, actually turning people off by her inane talk and outlandish fashion sense. Yet, she is nothing she appears to be. She is doing this all for the love of her sister who has "fits." I thought it was extremely clever the way Milan wrote Jane and how she managed to insult everyone by looking like she did not mean to and so forth. But what I had trouble with is when we got further into the story and her friendship with Oliver. I loved both he and Jane together, but why doesn't Oliver, who is so brilliant, realize just how much he should marry her from the first? It should not have been such a dilemma for him? Yet he struggled. The big problem was so obviously solvable. We do get his side of things at the very end of the story, but by that point it seemed kind of lame. Too much hand wringing over the dilemma of whether he should declare himself for her or not and how it would affect his political aspirations. She's of age, an heiress and they have a mutual attraction and love. Why not? She's got tons of money, that will fix anything as far a future career for him. Instead of feeling for them I just wanted to slap some sense into them! I remember feeling the same way in The Duchess Wars. Such a big to do. All this worrying when the solution was so obvious. Overall this was good for me but not great, though some bits were fun such as their horse ride together and their honest opinions of the pitfalls of courtship. Some little gem-like moments, but overall - meh.

3.5/5

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

Book Description:
Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard is the luckiest man in the world: a bona-fide sports superstar and the pride of the NFL with a profitable side career as a buff billboard model for End Zone underwear. But life in the glory lane has started to pale, and Dean has set off on a cross-country trip to figure out what's gone wrong. When he hits a lonely stretch of Colorado highway, he spies something that will shake up his gilded life in ways he can't imagine. A young woman . . . dressed in a beaver suit.

Blue Bailey is on a mission to murder her ex. Or at least inflict serious damage. As for the beaver suit she's wearing . . . Is it her fault that life keeps throwing her curveballs? Witness the expensive black sports car pulling up next to her on the highway and the Greek god stepping out of it.

Blue's career as a portrait painter is the perfect job for someone who refuses to stay in one place for very long. She needs a ride, and America's most famous football player has an imposing set of wheels. Now, all she has to do is keep him entertained, off guard, and fully clothed before he figures out exactly how desperate she is.

But Dean isn't the brainless jock she imagines, and Blue—despite her petite stature—is just about the toughest woman Dean has ever met. They're soon heading for his summer home where their already complicated lives and inconvenient attraction to each other will become entangled with a charismatic but aging rock star; a beautiful fifty-two-year-old woman trying to make peace with her rock and roll past; an eleven-year-old who desperately needs a family; and a bitter old woman who hates them all.

As the summer progresses, the wandering portrait artist and the charming football star play a high-stakes game, fighting themselves and each other for a chance to have it all.

Natural Born Charmer is for everyone who's ever thought about leaving their old life in the dust and never looking back. Susan Elizabeth Phillips takes us home again . . . and shows us where love truly lives.

Another great one by SEP on audio, I'm sorry to finish the last of the Chicago Stars series for I simply loved it. Dean Robillard, natural born charmer and quarterback to the Stars meets fate in the shape of a petite woman wearing a beaver costume on the side of the road. He picks her up and so begins his unusual courtship with Blue Bailey as they make their way to his farm in Nashville. Things aren't exactly what he thought they'd be like while there. He unexpectedly meets up with his estranged parents: his gorgeous 52 year old ex-groupie mother whom he wants nothing to do with and his aging rock star father, Jack Patriot. In addition there's his 11 year old stepsister who has run away from home and a mean old lady who own the town of Garrison, Tennessee where his farm resides. It's one great story and I loved it! Loads of laughs, but heartwarming parts too as only SEP can do. Great characterizations, I loved everybody, especially Dean and Nita Garrison and the late great Anna Fields was amazing as narrator! Loved, loved the way she did Nita especially!

4/5

A Kiss to Rememeber by Teresa Medeiros

Book Description:
Laura Fairleigh needs a husband. If she is to keep a roof over her siblings’ heads, the prim rector’s daughter must wed by her twenty-first birthday. When she finds a mysterious stranger with the face of an angel and the body of Adonis unconscious in the forest and with no memory of his name or his past, she decides to claim him for her own. Little does she know that her fallen angel is really the devil in disguise.

Sterling Harlow, the notorious rakehell known as the “Devil of Devonbrooke,” awakens to the enchanting kiss of a lovely young woman who informs him he is her long-lost betrothed. With her sun-kissed cheeks and smattering of freckles, she looks every inch the innocent, but her curves possess a woman’s allure. When she assures him he is the perfect gentleman, he wonders if he’s lost his wits as well as his memory. He would have sworn he was not a man to be satisfied with mere kisses—especially from lips as sweet and luscious as Laura’s.As he attempts to uncover the truth before their wedding night, A Kiss To Remember ignites a passion neither of them will ever be able to forget....

An endearing romance of Sterling Harlow, a notorious duke who falls off his horse and hits his head while en route to one of his smaller estates. He gets amnesia (another amnesia romance!) and is talked into believing he's engaged to Laura Fairleigh, a rector's daughter who his mother had befriended and took him before her death. Laura, an orphan with her siblings is presently living in the house where he lived with his parents before he was fostered off to become the heir to the dukedom of which he now. I really loved the way this story developed, and I couldn't put it down in the second half when Sterling regains his memory and the sh*t hits the fan! There's a lot more to it than that, but I really did love it and the 2nd half of the book is pretty sizzling!

4.5/5

Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
Frannie Darling was once a child of London's roughest streets, surrounded by petty thieves, pickpockets, and worse. But though she survived this harsh upbringing to become a woman of incomparable beauty, Frannie wants nothing to do with the men who lust for her, the rogues who frequent the gaming hall where she works. She can take care of herself and feels perfectly safe on her own—safe, that is, until he strides into her world, and once again it becomes a very dangerous place indeed.

To bed her but not wed her. That's what Sterling Mabry, the eighth Duke of Greystone, wants. But Frannie abhors arrogant aristocrats interested only in their own pleasure. So why then does the thought of an illicit tryst with the devilish duke leave her trembling with desire? Her willing body begs for release...and a wicked, wonderful surrender.

A surprisingly quick read which I enjoyed - my favorite in this series so far. This is Frannie Darling's story. Protected by Feagan's Lads (as she calls them) she finally finds love with Sterling, the Duke of Greystroke (another duke named Sterling!) Only due to their differences in status it's understood he can never marry her. He ruthlessly pursues her and because she is so taken with him - and against her better judgment - they embark upon a short affair, both knowing it can only hurt them in the end. As far-fetched as much of it was, I liked it.

4/5

Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas

Book Description:
"We're strangers in the darkness," he whispered. "We'll never be together like this again."

Zachary Bronson has built an empire of wealth and power, but all London knows he is not a gentleman. He needs a wife to secure his position in society—and warm his bed in private. But one alluring, unexpected kiss from Lady Holly Taylor awakens a powerful need within him beyond respectability.

An exceptional beauty whose fierce passions match Zachary's own, Holly always intended to play by society's rules, even when they clashed with her bolder instincts. But now a dashing stranger has made her a scandalous offer that does not include matrimony. Should she ignore the sensuous promise of a forbidden kiss...or risk everything to follow her heart to a place where dreams begin?

Vintage Kleypas and surprisingly better than I thought it would be. Lady Holland Taylor (Holly) is a young widow that is caught off-guard by the fabulously wealthy self made Zachary (typical Kleypas hero) who kisses her in a conservatory at a ball, having mistaken her for someone else. From there, he can't forget her and she goes to work for him, teaching him etiquette and how to be accepted by polite society. Of course, they fall in love in the usual Kleypas way - passionate and stormy. Yet, despite the feelings she has for Zachary she is torn about the memory and promises she made to her dead husband George. I really enjoyed this book and wonder if she'll ever write a novel for Zachary's rival, the mysterious Vardon Ravenhill.

4.5/5

June, 2013 Reviews - Part II

2013-07-24T16:41:00.001-04:00

Slowly but surely, I'm catching up with my reviews from June, some of them I really loved - an unexpected surprise Western from Teresa Medeiros and a quirky contemporary from Rachel Gibson set in Idaho! Also, a dazzling sequel to one of my all time series! I'm realizing I'm leaning more and more towards Westerns and contemporaries now. I'm still reading plenty of English historicals, but now I can barely get through most Scottish Highlander and Medievals. Interesting...

He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan

Book Description:
Marketing exec Lucy Cunningham is thrilled when her firm lands The Palm Club account. The campaign concept for Miami's hottest fitness club was Lucy's idea: take one fitness-challenged woman, put her in front of TV cameras, and into the hands of the club's top personal trainer, Theo Redmond. And there's a big cash reward for each pound shed. It seems like a brilliant idea-until Lucy gets picked to be the guinea pig. It's obvious she needs to drop the pounds, but the idea of letting it all hang out in front of some Malibu Ken jock has her choking on her Milk Duds before she even begins!

After one meeting, Theo knows Lucy will be his toughest client and one of the most unforgettable women he'll ever meet. Smart-mouthed and stubborn, it's clear she isn't fond of marching to anyone's drumbeat but her own. But she shocks Theo by rising to the challenge like a pro. And he finds his heart in jeopardy long before Lucy starts to slim down and turn heads.

As Lucy sweats her way into a whole new life, things start to heat up between her and Theo. But trust doesn't come easy for either of them. They've both been burned by romance in the past. Now Lucy and Theo are about to discover that appearances can be deceiving-and in the end, true love lies somewhere between pizza and Pilates...

I simply loved this contemporary romance about a very overweight young woman who goes on TV as an advertising campaign to lose 100 lbs in a year. With the help of her gorgeous trainer, Theo Redmond, will she do it? Great story and the romance that develops between Theo and Lucy was sweet, albeit, far fetched, IMHO. Still, a quick and very enjoyable read. The characterizations were good and a thoughtful side story involving Theo's brother. I've liked everything I've read by this author and am definitely checking out the rest of her back list.

4/5

Stolen Kisses by Suzanne Enoch

Book Description:
FIRE AND ICE ...

Jack Faraday, the Marquis of Dansbury, is rich, titled, and handsome as sin. A scandalous rake who's charmed a long string of ladies, he finally meets his match in Miss Lilith Benton, known as the Ice Queen.

Intent on restoring her family's good name, Lilith wants only to make a respectable marriage. So when the tempting but notorious Jack begins to woo her, she is determined to ignore him. Then their accidental involvement in a duke's mysterious death forces Jack and Lilith to become conspirators to clear their names - and suddenly cold disdain gives way to hot desire. Now Lilith may find his passionate stolen kisses too tempting to resist ...

Not a bad early historical romance by Enoch (notice the cover) that involves the handsome scoundrel, Jack Faraday who receives the cut direct from Lilith Benton, the beautiful Ice Queen of the ton who is out to make a spectacular and respectable match. Jack vows revenge and wants to ruin her out of spite, but things get in the way, such as the death of his relative, a duke who is bent on compromising and marrying her in order to force her to marry him - only the old goat drops dead instead! In her drawing room! Jack winds up being Sir Galahad and helps her out of a pickle but only succeeds in implicating himself. Some funny bits and plenty of drama surrounding the death of the duke and the passion that erupts between Jack and Lilith as she tries to clear his name. Entertaining and frothy.

3.5/5

Somewhere I'll Find You by Lisa Kleypas (audio)

Book Description:
The toast of the town...

All London is at Julia Wentworth's feet—and anything she desires is hers for the asking. But the glamorous leading lady guards a shocking secret: a mystery husband whom she does not know, dares not mention ... and cannot love.

For years Damon Savage has been searching for the stranger his parents wed him to without his consent, hoping to legally free himself from matrimony's invisible chains. And he is astonished to discover his "bride" is none other than the exquisite lady he'd hoped to make his mistress! But though his wife by law, Julia will never truly be Damon's—until he conquers her fears, his formidable rivals ... and her proud, passionate, and independent heart.

An early Kleypas historical, it's the story of an aristocratic young woman, Julia Wentworth, who disguises herself and becomes an actress in London. Secretly she is married to a handsome duke, Damon Savage, who doesn't know who she really is. Their marriage was arranged when they were children and they haven't seen each other in years - they don't even recognize each other! There is a lot of drama (no pun intended) and back story in regard to Julia's career leading up to when she and Damon finally come together and fall in love - yet, all the while, he still doesn't realize she is really his wife! Eventually he finds out the truth but the big deal is will he require that she leave the stage and her career? He's so controlling and he keeps on calling her "mine", it was borderline annoying. Still I thought this was pretty good for an early Kleypas and I am interested in seeing what happens with her boss, Logan Scott's story in the next book in the series. On audio, well done by Rosalyn Landor, as always.

3.5/5

Fairest of Them All by Teresa Medeiros

Book Description:

She was rumored to be the fairest woman in all of England. But Holly de Chastel considered her beauty a curse. She had already turned away scores of suitors with various ruses, both fair and foul. Now she was to be the prize in a tournament of eager knights gathering from across the land, each more determined than the last to win her hand. Holly had no intention of wedding any of them, and concocted her most outrageous plan yet: to disguise her beauty from their avaricious eyes. But she never planned on Sir Austyn of Gavenmore.

The darkly handsome Welshman had come looking especially for a plain bride, and Holly seemed to fit the bill. Suddenly she found herself in the possession of this mysterious stranger, ensconced in his castle, and forced to keep up her carefully planned illusion. Why did this electrifyingly passionate male, who could have any woman he wanted, desire a homely bride—and what would happen when he learned he'd been tricked? By the time Holly found out, it was too late to avoid the searing fires of passion—and the dark curse of Gavenmore.
This is a Medieval historical romance of beautiful maiden, Holly, who has the harebrained idea of disguising herself as homely to avoid being married off by her father. Little does she realize, Austyn, a Welsh knight, is in need of an ugly wife due to a curse on the long line of men in his family (involved story) in which they've killed their beautiful wives - out of jealousy. He takes her back to his castle as his bride having no idea she's really a beauty underneath. So much of this book was far fetched and plodding, it took a long time for me to even get into it. I disliked Holly's deception from the beginning and the long drawn out disguise and expected betrayed feelings of Austyn when he learns the truth just only made me think he was so stupid he deserved what he got! Plus, his anger just went on much too long, locking her in the North Tower of his castle? All because he resented her beauty, it was so ridiculous! I just wanted to get this over with! I've found this author hit or miss - this was a miss. Read on, and you'll find a hit!
3.5/5

Nobody's Darling by Teresa Medeiros

Book Description:
Billy Darling never enjoyed being a wanted man until the day Miss Esmerelda Fine marched into the Tumbleweed Saloon and pointed her derringer at his heart. Lucky for him, she's a mighty poor shot. Instead of killing him, she hires him to find her runaway brother. He should turn down her offer. He should resist her charms. But he doesn't. Because there comes a time in every man's life when he's got nothing left to lose...but his heart.

I love, love, loved this western historical romance - it was so much fun! It has everything I love - spinster heroine, Esmerelda Fine comes to New Mexico to track down the man she thinks killed her brother. At first sight she can't stand the charming cowboy she nearly murders in the saloon, but he eventually wins her over. Plenty of laughs, sexy, heart stopping love scenes and - cowboys! A great story, one of my favorites by this author now! I wish she'd write more Westerns, this is the only she has written as far as I can tell. Remember what I said about this author and hit or miss? This is a hit! A real keeper!

4.5/5

Roaring Midnight by Colleen Gleason

Book Description:
Amid the glitzy age of Jazz, when gangsters and bootleggers control the cities, there lies another, more insidious threat ... the undead.

Macey Gardella is a typical young woman of the Roaring Twenties: she works a job, has her own flat, and loves to dance the Charleston. But when a mysterious man named Sebastian Vioget informs her she belongs to a family of vampire hunters, Macey is stunned and disbelieving.

Yet, strange and frightening things begin to happen, and when Macey comes face-to-face with one of the fanged creatures, she has no choice but to believe Sebastian. And when she learns his own soul depends on her willingness to carry forth the family legacy and hunt the undead, Macey capitulates and joins the fight.

As she begins to learn about her new life, Macey meets the handsome newspaper reporter known as Grady - who seems to know more about vampires than he should. When he begins to ask too many questions, she has to juggle her strong attraction to him with the need for secrecy.

Slipping into speakeasies and sampling bootlegged whiskeys, dodging gangster gunfire and trying to keep her nosy landlady from finding the stakes in her flat, Macey Gardella must navigate through a world of stunning violence, passionate romance, and dark betrayal...

Ah, it's nice to be back in the Gardella world again. I fell in love with Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles a few years ago and I was thrilled when I found out she'd come out with a sequel to that series set in the roaring 20's! A very satisfying addition to the Chronicles, featuring Macey Denton, descendant of Victoria and Max who has now taken on the mantle of Venator in the gangster-ridden 20's of Chicago. Like her g-g-g grandmother Victoria before her, Macey has to be convinced first of her Calling. Then she undergoes her training of how to kill the vampires that are sweeping through Chicago and cozying up to Al Capone. Like Victoria, Macey is torn between her "real" world which involves the new man in her life, an Irishman reporter named Grady, and her "new" world as a Venator, where she must prowl around all night killing vampires with her new mentor Chas. There's quite a lot of similarities to the old series - but that's a good thing! We meet some old friends like Sebastian and new ones like Grady and Chas. I really loved it! Bring on some more!

4/5

The Trouble with Valentine's Day by Rachel Gibson

Book Description:
Dumped by her boyfriend, stressed out by her job, Kate Hamilton needs to regroup and get back some self-esteem. She moves from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the wilderness of Gospel, Idaho for some small-town fun. But when her first attempted seduction of a hunky stranger is completely rejected, she wonders what else could possibly go wrong?

Well, for starters she quickly realizes that the Mountain Mama Crafters Original Poetry reading is about as good as it gets on a Friday night. Then she comes face to face with Rob Sutter, former ice hockey madman, owner of Sutter's Sports—and the hunky stranger who told her to get lost!

Rob's been more than burned by love—but then he and Kate find themselves in an ultra-compromising position in the M & S Market after-hours, giving the phrase "clean-up in aisle five" a whole new meaning, and cause a whole lot of gossip in Gospel...

OMG, I loved this story so much of ex-NHL player, Rob Sutter, getting over some bad times and a divorce. He unexpectedly finds love in the unlikeliest of places - Gospel, Idaho, yet he's too stupid to recognize it. Great story with lots of heat, although I could kick him for being such a horse's ass after one particularly crucial moment in the book! Grr! Men! Otherwise I loved him. *grin* Lots of humor and plenty of loving and good old fashioned romance. He and Kate's courtship was a pleasure to read about. A keeper for me! Best in the series so far.

4.5/5

June, 2013 Reviews Part I

2013-07-23T19:08:00.003-04:00

I have been remiss in posting my reviews, I'm just having a very busy summer and I'm loving reading all my books! So without further ado...

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Book Description:
What’s a duke to do, when the girl who’s perfectly wrong becomes the woman he can’t live without?

Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season—or any season—but his diabolical mother abducts him to “Spinster Cove” and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl.

Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn’t dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop. That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week’s employment. Her duties are simple: submit to his mother’s “duchess training”… and fail miserably.

But in London, Pauline isn’t a miserable failure. She’s a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure—a woman who ignites Griff’s desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won’t be easy. Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess—can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart?

I simply loved this Regency story of Pauline Simms, a pretty tavern girl who is swooped up by Griffin York, the Duke of Halford and his granny-driven mother. Taken to London to become his duchess, the duke has no intention of marrying her, but wants to teach his mother a lesson - yet, he falls hard - and not in the way he expected. Hottest of the novels in this series so far - the scene on his desk - whoa! *fans self* Tons of chemistry and loved both Pauline and Griff - his mother was great too! This whole series is fantastic! I can't recommend it enough, it's sexy, full of humor and cleverly written, a real pleasure!

4.5/5

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (audio)

Book Description:
The gifted young Swiss Victor Frankenstein discovers the secret of renewing life where death has apparently devoted the body to corruption, and makes a creature of his own - the most celebrated monster in the history of literature.

Starting out handsome and cultured, deterioration turns this intelligent freak into an appalling creature, spurned by his maker, shunned by his fellow citizens. Victor wants nothing but company and affection, but instead learns to kill as he encounters only rejection and loathing. When his demand for a female counterpart is turned down by Frankenstein, the grim tale moves towards its horrifying climax as the monster tells his creator "I will be with you on your wedding night!" To put it simply, the gist of the story is "don't mess with Mother Nature" because playing God is never going to do you any good. Poor Victor Frankenstein learned this lesson the hard way when he creates the "monster" who, because of his feelings of alienation from his "creator" goes about killing all of Victor's closest and dearest friends and relations. A depressing story overall and quite a lengthy lead in, but interesting philosophically on the theme of responsibility of the creator of what he "creates". A classic I'd never read before. Narrated by Simon Vance who did a fine Swiss sounding accent for Victor, and a very good monster.

3.5/5

My Lady Notorious by Jo Beverley

Book Description:
Desperate to help her widowed sister and baby escape a deadly pursuer, Lady Chastity Ware dresses as a highwayman and captures the first coach to travel down the road. Coming face-to-face with its occupant, the arrogant aristocrat, Cyn Malloren, she orders him to drive her to a remote cottage. Little does Chastity realize that after long months of recovering from his war wounds, the handsome Cyn is looking for adventure, and being abducted by a cocky highwayman—obviously a lovely woman in disguise—is even more than he had hoped for. Willingly he is drawn into her devilishly reckless plan...and helplessly he is seduced by her wonderfully wicked ways.

My goodness this book had me up and down and all over the place! First of the never-ending Malloren Series, I really enjoyed the chemistry between Chastity and Cyn and they had some very sexy moments - boy! Food sure is their thing! I also really liked Cyn's brother Rothgar - I can't wait to read his story! (sort of like a Wulf, Duke of Bewcastle). Still, I was very uncomfortable with their first sex scene since it was not honest because she is in disguise, even though he knows she's disguised. It just didn't sit well with me. Also her father was awful and a bit over the top about what he did to her. Really made me squirm. The orgy they attended was a bit too much too, but overall a good story and vintage romance.

4/5

Forever a Lord by Delilah Marvelle

Book Description:
Lady Imogene Norwood lives a sheltered life of quiet respectability and routine...until she debuts at her first Season. There among London's elite she meets the wild and broken Lord Atwood. And the very shy English rose suddenly realizes that a little chaos might just be what her heart desires.

Lord Nathaniel James Atwood doesn't believe true love exists. Since scandal tore him away from his family at an early age, he has spent his life fighting for what he wants. That attitude has made him a rising star in bare-knuckle boxing, and now leads him back to London to reclaim the life that was stolen from him. But upon meeting the innocent Imogene, his beliefs are trounced...as guarding his heart against her proves to be the fight of his life.

I think this last installment in The Rumor Trilogy is the best of the three, although I really enjoyed the first a lot as well. Imogene and Nathaniel make a good - albeit unorthodox team. Nathaniel, kidnapped as a child in NYC, learns he is a lord as an adult and is not taking to it too well. While in London, he is going for the title of the best prize fighter in England. He trains for while romancing Imogene. A quick read with a touch of trendy bondage thrown in to please the latest romance craze. I enjoyed it, but not the most unforgettable romance.

4/5

That Summer in Cornwall by Ciji Ware

Book Description:
A different latitude…a different world…

Meredith Champlin unexpectedly finds herself the legal guardian of a child she’s never met: Janet Barton Stowe, an unruly eleven-year-old “Beverly Hills brat,” whose mother – Meredith’s cousin-- has died in a private plane crash.

At the urging of the child’s Anglo-American aunt, Lady Blythe Barton-Teague, Meredith and her Welsh Corgi decamp from Wyoming to spend the summer at Barton Hall, a shabby-chic castle perched on the remote cliffs of Cornwall, England.

Taming the wild child proves a handful, but Meredith’s summer escape gets even more complicated when former British Army Lieutenant Sebastian Pryce, veteran of a bomb-sniffing K-9 squad in Afghanistan, proposes they establish the Barton Hall Canine Obedience Academy and that she join him on the Cornwall Search and Rescue Team. She wonders whether their instant attraction is an unexpected blessing or the prelude to another heartbreak like the one she left behind in the Rocky Mountains.

Even with an assist from a novice search dog named T-Rex, the odds seem long that three months in the land of Meredith’s Cornish ancestors can transform her troubled ward into a happier child, heal the wounds suffered by her soldier-turned-rescuer, and save the Barton-Teague estate from pending insolvency.

As a friend of Meredith’s confides, “It all sounds like a stretch, but we never rule out miracles.”

It was a welcome return to Cornwall and the Barton-Teague family in this sequel to Ware's A Cottage by the Sea, though this one has no time traveling or supernatural hopping around from century to century. Meredith Champlin flies to Cornwall, England with her bratty niece who has just lost her mother (sister to Ware's heroine from the last book, Blythe) in a plane crash. Her father, a film director is too busy to take care of her. While in Cornwall for the summer, Meredith finds love in a hunky search and rescue veterinarian who is also an Afghan War vet. Lots of different plots going on and overall I liked it, but Meredith's pushiness when it came to having Sebastian (the vet) reveal all his past irked me. She knew she needed to lay off - but did she? No! and it sent him scurrying. But, eventually they find their way back to each before she leaves for Wyoming at the end of the summer. I liked this a lot, but it lacked the emotional oomph I have found in some of her earlier books and most recent A Race to Splendor. Still, it really makes me want to go to Cornwall myself and see this area of the world.

4/5

Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

Book Description:
You met star quarterback Kevin Tucker in This Heart of Mine. Now get ready to meet his shark of an agent, Heath Champion, and Annabelle Granger, the girl least likely to succeed.
Annabelle's endured dead-end jobs, a broken engagement . . . even her hair's a mess! But that's going to change now that she's taken over her late grandmother's matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is land the Windy City's hottest bachelor as her client, and she'll be the most sought-after matchmaker in town.

Why does the wealthy, driven, and gorgeous sports agent Heath Champion need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? True, she's entertaining, and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of success -- the perfect wife. And to make an extraordinary match, he needs an extraordinary matchmaker, right?

Soon everyone in Chicago has a stake in the outcome, and a very big question: When the determined matchmaker promised she'd do anything to keep her star client happy . . . did she mean anything? If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town.

This was sensational on audio! I laughed and laughed so much! It's definitely one of the funniest in the series and the incomparable Anna Fields voice-overs were priceless! I won't go over the whole plot-line, but some scenes were a riot, like the the book conversation on the golf course between the men - hilarious! Another favorite was the scene at Annabelle's house with both teams settling in for pizza and Chinese and all that ensues, I felt like I was there in the midst of it! I loved Bodie as well, his voice was a scream! An odd coupling there with Portia, but I was happy for them in the end, but kind of weird. Dean Robillard was hysterical too, I'm gonna love his tale. Overall, a great book and on audio even better!

4.5/5

Happy 4th of July and my May, 2013 Reviews to boot!

2013-07-04T12:19:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July! Sorry folks, I have been lax in posting, but since I have the day off today, I'm actually getting some reviews done! These are the books I read in May. I've been so busy and have been loving the books I'm reading, I haven't had time to get in any posts - so without further ado!

Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer

Book Description:
LOVE IN A STRANGER'S EYES...

In town, they called her "Crazy Widow Dinsmore." But Elly was no stranger to their ridicule--she had been an outsider all her life, growing up in a boarded-up old house under the strict eye of her eccentric grandparents. Now she was all alone, with two little boys to raise, and a third child on the way.

He drifted into Whitney, Georgia, one lazy afternoon in the summer of 1941, hoping to put his lonely past behind him. He yearned for the tenderness he had never known, the home he'd never had. All he needed was for someone to give him a chance.

Then he saw her classified ad: WANTED - A husband. When he stepped across Elly Dinsmore's cluttered yard, Will Parker knew he had come home at last ...

This was a fantastic book! My first by this author, I couldn't wait to read it every chance I got. An oldie but goodie, I'd heard LaVyrle Spencer's books were great, but I had no idea how great, I'm sorry it took me this long to discover her. A simple yet touching story, set during WWII in Georgia of an ex-con, Will Parker who answers a newspaper ad from a young, pregnant widow who needs a husband to help her take care of her farm. This is his chance to start over with a good, decent, hard working life. Such a wonderful story! The characterizations were straight on and well handled, everything was just right, I can't think of a thing wrong with this book! Perfect! I was shocked to see it had been made into a movie back in the 1990's with Christopher Reeve and Deborah Raffin, but apparently it wasn't that great, so I think I'll skip it. I am eager to read more and more by this author and savor each of them. A keeper!

5/5

Beast by Judith Ivory

Book Description:
American heiress Louise Vandermeer has agreed to marry a European aristocrat. Her intended is rumored to be a hideously ugly man, a prospect that propels her into a reckless shipboard affair with a compelling stranger she never sees in the light of day. Unbeknownst to Louise, her mystery man is actually her betrothed, Charles d'Harcourt, whose romantic prank backfires when he becomes smitten with his own fiancee.

This book had me up and down. I loved the first part on board the ship and the affair that begins between Louise and Charles. Yet, I was afraid to continue, dreading the inevitable upset and had to stop at times once they arrived in Marseilles and they say good-bye and Charles becomes himself - the real Charles. I was in knots over his dilemma and the way Louise treated him at first. Then, when the truth is finally revealed, it was a let down for me and their reunion. Overall, I love Judith Ivory, but this book is not a favorite, although it was still an intricately, well woven plot and a unique idea, yet it left me unsettled. Plus, I was curious to read it, since another of my favorite authors Sherry Thomas has stated this is a favorite book of hers and the inspiration for her Beguiling the Beauty? 'Nuff said, I had to read it.

4/5

How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long

Book Description:
The Scandal Sheets call him Lord Ice.

Ruthless, cold, precise, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, tolerates only the finest - in clothes, in horseflesh, in mistresses. And now he's found the perfect bride, the one whose dowry will restore his family's shattered legacy and bring him peace at last: the exquisite heiress Lisbeth Redmond.

She's about to play with fire...

But one unforgettable encounter with Lisbeth's paid companion, Phoebe Vale, and the Marquess is undone. This quiet girl with the wicked smile and a wit to match is the first person to see through the icy facade to the fiery man beneath. But their irresistible attraction is a torment as sweet as it is dangerous, for surrendering to their desire could mean losing everything else they ever wanted.

Another fantastic read, I really enjoyed this book, my favorite so far in the Pennyroyal Green series. I found it endearing and very funny in some parts - the cat was a hoot! I loved Julian, Marquess Dryden and how everyone followed him and did everything he did (the forelock was hilarious). I could have scratched Lizbeth's eyes out - glad the cat got her instead! Also, I love the title, assuming Marquess is pronounced "Mar-kwess" - the British way. My only gripe - awful cover! Her dress makes her body look so loooooong! Otherwise, great book with vivid characterizations and lots of humor - my favorite combination! Each one in this series is better than the last - and eager for Adam's story next! A real winner - six is a charm!

4.5/5

What Darkness Brings by C.S. Harris (audio)

Book Description:
The death of a notorious London diamond merchant draws aristocratic investigator Sebastian St. Cyr and his new wife Hero into a sordid world of greed, desperation, and the occult, when the husband of Sebastian’s former lover Kat Boleyn is accused of the murder.

Regency England, September 1812: After a long night spent dealing with the tragic death of a former military comrade, a heart-sick Sebastian learns of a new calamity: Russell Yates, the dashing, one-time privateer who married Kat a year ago, has been found standing over the corpse of Benjamin Eisler, a wealthy gem dealer. Yates insists he is innocent, but he will surely hang unless Sebastian can unmask the real killer.

For the sake of Kat, the woman he once loved and lost, Sebastian plunges into a treacherous circle of intrigue. Although Eisler’s clients included the Prince Regent and the Emperor Napoleon, he was a despicable man with many enemies and a number of dangerous, well-kept secrets—including a passion for arcane texts and black magic. Central to the case is a magnificent blue diamond, believed to have once formed part of the French crown jewels, which disappeared on the night of Eisler’s death. As Sebastian traces the diamond’s ownership, he uncovers links that implicate an eccentric, powerful financier named Hope and stretch back into the darkest days of the French Revolution.

When the killer grows ever more desperate and vicious, Sebastian finds his new marriage to Hero tested by the shadows of his first love, especially when he begins to suspect that Kat is keeping secrets of her own. And as matters rise to a crisis, Sebastian must face a bitter truth--that he has been less than open with the fearless woman who is now his wife.

Someone has killed an elderly yet dastardly diamond dealer and the newly married Sebastian St. Cyr heads off to find out who it is. But at the same time, Russell Yates who is married to Sebastian's former love, Kat Boleyn, is accused of the murder and going to hang. How ironic for Sebastian, yet he's says he loves his bride, Hero. So who knows? Lots of suspects. Good book and I enjoyed it on audio, narrated to perfection by Davina Porter, but the story itself was not as riveting as previous books in the series. Still, I'm eager for the next, due out in March, 2014.

4/5

Never Love a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
"I would not make a good husband. I do, however, make an excellent lover..."

Harrison Bainbridge, the second son of an English earl, left his home seeking a scandal-free life away from society's stuffy restraints. Then he arrives in Texas, never expecting that a sassy saloon-keeper's daughter would capture his eye. With her outspoken ways and flashing eyes, Jessye Kane is more than tempting. But although she is willing to be his partner in a daring business venture, she is unwilling to take the passion he offers.

Jessye knows that noble-born Harrison isn't for the likes of her, but beneath his devil-may-care exterior, she senses a deeper vulnerability. Then he's suddenly injured, risking his life to save her from mortal danger. And Jessye vows to do anything to make him whole again - forcing this rugged scoundrel who claims he has no heart to take the greatest risk of all...on love.

I wasn't really into this story about Jessye and Harry. Harry is one of three Englishman come to the West to "grow up" and he's the big gambler of the three. Harry's investor is Jessye, the daughter of a saloon owner. Together with his other friend Kit, they lead a cattle drive to Kansas to make a lot of money. Harry's big problem is he believes he is incapable of loving someone. Jessye is falling for him, but knows he's no good for her. Then calamity befalls Harry and his legs are broken and he must make the long recovery and he's not sure if he'll ever walk again. I was fed up with his bitter, tortured, self-pitying attitude and didn't have much sympathy for him. I barely liked him! Jessye was okay, but not my kind of heroine either. Overall, the book was meh. Dull in parts and when it wasn't dull, I was tired of all the grumbling on the part of both the hero and heroine. The coincidences were a bit too much too. Frankly, I couldn't wait to finish this and move onto something else. Will I continue in the series - definitely! Lorraine Heath's Western have me by the collar. I. Must. Read. Them. All.

3/5

Soul of a Highlander by Melissa Mayhue

Book Description:
Nine years ago, Faerie Magic saved Mairi MacKiernan at the cost of her dreams of happiness, snatching her from her life in 1272, and depositing her in the twenty-first century. Now, she must save the last Daughter of the MacKiernan family...who was murdered in 1295. Transported back in time at her request, Mairi finds herself captured by the same evil men as before! Is this the price the Faerie Magic requires of her this time? Ramos Servans has dedicated his dreams to service as a Guardian, but when he discovers the evil unleashed on the Mortal Plain by his father and their people, he swears he will atone by ridding the world of Nuadian deceit. Part of his mission involves rescuing a lovely Highland lassie, and in the passion that grows between them, Ramos and Mairi find a new dream.

But falling in love can be dangerous when Faerie Magic is involved. Dreams may not be the only cost....

After returning to this series after about four years, I realized I just really couldn't get into this book! I think I've outgrown my love for highlander romances. Ironically, my visit to Scotland two years ago sort of cured me! I could barely get through this one, which was so dull - apart from a few battles, nothing really happens! Mairie, our heroine, goes back in time to rescue her niece from the 13th century, who turns out to be a spoiled brat. Ramos Navarro, a newly made Guardian is ordered to find Mairie while back in time and return her to the present day. Ramos has his own agenda as well, for he wants to find his father back then and destroy him somehow (but he's a Fae, so it's tricky). Ramos and Mairie of course are attracted to one another, but as much as he enjoys bedding her and there are a few hot moments between them, he cannot let it happen again for he is committed to being her Guardian! Of course, Mairie is not too happy with this idea, so they were always bickering, which made their "non-courtship" annoying! He kept thinking he was not worthy of her because of his past history as his father's son. No humor, no real chemistry, some battle scenes, and some loose ends all made for a less than satisfying book. Still, I will continue with the series, for I've heard it gets better. Sigh. The things we do for kilts and Scottish accents.

3/5

Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen (audio)

Book Description:
Penniless and thirty-fourth in line to the throne, Lady Georgiana Rannoch finds herself in a truly draining state of affairs. To escape her hateful sister-in-law and clueless brother, Georgie accepts an invitation from the Queen to represent the royals at a wedding in Transylvania. But at the macabre- looking castle, Georgie finds the bride with blood running down her chin, and a wedding guest is poisoned. Now it's up to Georgie to save the nuptial festivities before the couple's vows become: to love and to cherish, till undeath do them part...

Royal Blood is a hoot and a send up to the ubiquitous vampires appearing lately in literature, TV and the screen. When Georgie must be in a royal wedding in Transylvania and stay in an eerie castle that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler, odd things begin to happen. Not only does she have the worst maid in the world, but she is convinced there are vampires roaming around the castle, one of whom could be her old school friend and bride to be! There are lots of funny moments amidst the dead bodies. Best friend, Belinda and Georgie's mother are on hand to add to the humor, and Darcy is around for romantic interest. These two are getting warmer and warmer and I must admit, I'm growing very fond of the Irish devil, but they're not all the way there yet. I'd love to know what his real story is. I am loving this series and on audio it is delightful, narrated by Katherine Kellgren who makes listening to it a real treat!

4/5

April and May Reviews - Part II

2013-05-11T19:01:00.001-04:00

And now for today's second batch of reviews - I told you I was behind! (It doesn't help that I discovered Mad Men and watched all six seasons in two weeks!)

Love Irresistibly by Julie James

Book Description:
A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love...

Another snappy contemporary from Julie James. She really is a favorite and as much as I enjoyed this one, everything worked out too easily between the hero and heroine, from jumping into bed together up to the I love you moment, which seemed anticlimactic to me. It needed more emotional oomph between the two. Still, I love this author, so I really can't complain, quick read (under 300 pages), great dialogue, and I liked Cade's backstory, though Brooke's was kinda sketchy.

4/5

This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

Book Description:
Molly Somerville loves her career as the creator of the Daphne the Bunny children's book series, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. She has a reputation for trouble that started even before she gave away her fifteen-million-dollar inheritance. Then there's her long-term crush on the quarterback for the Chicago Stars football team her sister owns—that awful, gorgeous Kevin Tucker, a man who can't even remember Molly's name!

One night Kevin barges into Molly's not-quite-perfect life and turns it upside down. Unfortunately, the Ferrari-driving riving, poodle-hating jock isn't as shallow as she wishes he were, and she soon finds herself at a place called Wind Lake. Surrounded by paintbox cottages, including a charming old bed-and-breakfast, Molly and Kevin battle their attraction and each other as they face one of life's most important lessons. Sometimes love hurts, sometimes it makes you mad as hell, and sometimes—if you're lucky—it can heal in a most unexpected way.

I enjoyed Molly and Kevin's story, but it got off to a slow start and I'm not fond of the way Molly and Kevin first get together that ultimately leads to her pregnancy and forced marriage scenario which was too similar to Anyone's Baby But Mine. I'm realizing all these books in this Chicago Stars series are somewhat formulaic, though I still enjoy them. This one wasn't as good as the first two books in the series, but on audio, it's always a pleasure to listen to Anna Fields' version of the blustering football player bowled over by true love, but too dense to recognize it. As usual, I liked the side story, this time involving Kevin's fading actress mother and the famous artist who falls in love with her.

4/5

See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

Book Description:
THIS IS JANE
A little subdued. A little stubborn. A little tired of going out on blind dates with men who drive vans with sofas in the back, Jane Alcott is living the Single Girl existence in the big city. She is also leading a double life. By day, she's a reporter covering the raucous Seattle Chinooks hockey team—especially their notorious goalie Luc Martineau. By night, she's a writer, secretly creating the scandalous adventures of "Honey Pie"...the magazine series that has all the men talking.

SEE JANE SPAR
Luc has made his feelings about parasite reporters—and Jane—perfectly clear. But if he thinks he's going to make her life a misery, he'd better think again.

SEE JANE ATTRACT
For as long as he can remember, Luc has been single minded about his career. The last thing he needs is a smart mouthed, pain in the backside, reporter digging into his past and getting in his way. But once the little reporter shed her black and gray clothes in favor of a sexy red dress, Luc sees that there is more to Jane than originally meets the eye.

Maybe it's time to take a risk. Maybe it's time to live out fantasies. Maybe it's time to.... SEE JANE SCORE!

Good contemporary romance, similar in some ways to Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series, only here we have the world of professional hockey instead of football. Due to the slow start, it took me a while to warm up to Luc and Jane, but once I got into the storyline I liked them. Jane knows nothing about hockey but has to write a sports column about the Chinook's hockey team. I can relate, since I know next to nothing about hockey too! She and the goalie, Luc, spar and argue but ultimately fall in love. He's got his own issues, among them a a teenage half-sister who's living with him after losing her mother. Plus, he has a tendency to resist serious relationships. Jane is the last type of girl he dates, though he is inexplicably drawn to her and they become close while traveling on the road together. By the end of the story, I was into them and their relationship, though I felt terrible once he finds out who she really is and the way he treats her. Fortunately he comes to his senses and love conquers all!

4/5

The Heir by Grace Burrowes

Book Description:
Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, is the first legitimate son and heir to the Duke of Moreland. To escape his father's inexorable pressure to marry, he decides to spend the summer at his townhouse in London, where he finds himself intrigued by the secretive ways of his beautiful housekeeper...

Anna Seaton is a beautiful, talented, educated woman, which is why it is so puzzling to Gayle Windham that she works as his housekeeper.

As the two draw closer and begin to lose their hearts to each other, Anna's secrets threaten to bring the earl's orderly life crashing down - and he doesn't know how he's going to protect her from the fallout...

I really loved reading about Gayle and Anna's story, though the book had some flaws. The first half was stronger when Anna was still his housekeeper, it fizzled in the last 100 pages and I feel it could have been cut back in length. I was frustrated over the fact they misunderstood each others feelings and love for one another for so long! It was so obvious! Still, it was a good book and I'm eager to continue with the series. Burrowes does have a knack for taking ordinary situations and making them extraordinary!

4/5

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long

Book Description:
For years, he's been an object of fear, fascination . . . and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that shadow the formidable Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge, the ton knows one thing for certain: only fools dare cross him. And when Ian Eversea does just that, Moncrieffe knows the perfect revenge: he'll seduce Ian's innocent sister, Genevieve--the only Eversea as yet untouched by scandal. First he'll capture her heart . . . and then he'll break it.

But everything about Genevieve is unexpected: the passion simmering beneath her cool control, the sharp wit tempered by gentleness . . . And though Genevieve has heard the whispers about the duke's dark past, and knows she trifles with him at her peril, one incendiary kiss tempts her deeper into a world of extraordinary sensuality. Until Genevieve is faced with a fateful choice . . . is there anything she won't do for a duke?

I loved this historical romance - an entertaining fifth installment in the Pennyroyal Green series. It was refreshing to have an "older" hero, Alex, the Duke of Falconbridge. His inner thoughts were great, and I loved the way everyone cow-towed to him, having no idea of what he's really thinking! Sensational set up on the beginning with Ian too - poor man! Still, I had trouble with the whole Genevieve loving Harry bit which was the fly in the ointment. Still, best of the series so far.

4.5/5

To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries (audio)

Book Description:
Drowning in guilt over his best friend's death seven years ago, Lord Gabriel Sharpe, the Angel of Death, knows his only hope at redemption is a race against a shocking opponent.

Shrouded in darkness for the past seven years, the infamous racer Lord Gabriel Sharpe is known to accept every challenge to race thrown at him. When his next challenge comes in the form of his late best friend's sister, Virginia Waverly, Gabe is shocked. Yet she presents just the opportunity Gabe needs - marriage to fulfill his grandmother's ultimatum and ensure his inheritance. What he didn't count on was needing her love.

Fourth in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series and my first on audio by this author. This historical started out well but then our hero, Gabriel's guilt dominated the storyline rather than any actual romance with the impetuous Virginia, our heroine. The narration on audio was good for Gabe, done by Nico Evers-Swindell. He had a very sexy voice for Gabe, but unfortunately it didn't help the often maudlin plotline revolving around Gabe's guilt over the death of Virginia's brother. I grew very tired of his constant lament over how he was not good enough for Virginia, and so involved in his own self-pity he completely forgot that he ruined her and had to marry her! (He did not endear himself to me after that lapse in memory! I did like the sparks between Gran and Poppy though. Glad she's found some one in her "senior" years. I'm realizing historical romances don't seem to translate as well on audio - with some exceptions. Overall, I prefer non-fiction and contemporaries, but I'll probably still listen to a few more before I give up on them.

3/5

The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry

Book Description:
The best thing between Oliver Barrett and Mackenzie Williams is a fence. Ever since Oliver's new-neighbor gestures were met with unfriendly responses, he's decided to keep his distance. After all, he's in this seaside town to get his life on track again. That doesn't include working hard to get on Mackenzie's good side—no matter how intriguing she may be. His intentions are put to the test, however, when his dog becomes infatuated with hers. The two crafty canines do their best to break down the barriers between the properties. And where the dogs go, well, the humans must follow! It doesn't take long for a powerful attraction to build between Oliver and Mackenzie. They soon discover that the worst of first impressions can lead to the best possible outcomes.

I really loved this story. As always, author Sarah Mayberry has such deep emotion and real life sort of situations in her novels. I fell in love with Oliver and Mackenzie's courtship, both have baggage to get over, these two don't have perfect lives. Mackenzie is recovering from a near fatal car accident in which she's been on disability for over a year. Her life had been turned upside due to the crash and she just wants her old life and career back. Oliver is going through a divorce, dealing with the fact his wife had been having an affair for the entire time they were married. Though both are well off and good looking people, they are walking wounded. I really cared for them and especially felt the pain that Oliver went through when he was worrying about what Mackenzie was doing that night with her ex. Here he's falling in love with her fast, imagining a life with her and he's suffering imagining the worst scenarios as she's next door with her drop dead good looking movie star ex-husband! Talk about insecure! And then all the emotions that Mac was going through on the phone and later on when she's realized Oliver is giving up on her. I'm so glad she wouldn't let him! A simple but great contemporary romance. Sarah Mayberry is a master at taking ordinary people and making their stories meaningful so that the reader is invested in them 100%. I want to know what happens next. After reading her books, I consistently miss her characters. That's a good sign. ;)

4.5/5

Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner

Book Description:
On a stagecoach traveling through New Mexico Territory, Jessica Thornton is a long way from the cool mists and lush gardens of her native England. An authoress and milliner, she carries the weight of a scandalous secret-a horrible shame that has brought her to the West on a desperate search for the only family she can trust: her brother.

No one prepared Jessica for the heat and the hardships. And no one prepared her for a man like Brady Wilkins. For, despite the rancher's rough-hewn appearance and her own misgivings, Jessica must put her life in his hands after their stagecoach crashes. And she begins to see the man behind the callused hands and caustic wit. A man strong enough to carve out a home in the wilderness, brave enough to fight for his own, and passionate enough to restore her faith in herself-and in her heart.

I love Western cowboy romances, and this is one of the better ones I've read. English gentlewoman, Jessica Thornton is heading West in search of her brother and to run away from the brother-in-law who raped her, leaving her now five months pregnant. While in New Mexico she meets Brady Wilkins, a cowboy who owns a ranch. Haunted by the death of his younger brother, Brady is determined to kill the crazed Sancho Alvarez who is bent on killing the rest of his family. Amidst the turmoil of the Wild West, Judith and Brady fall in love. Can this Englishwoman and cowboy live together when they are so different? Can Jessica overcome her fears and tragic background and find love and comfort in Brady's arms? Great story and characterizations! A real keeper - and another series about cowboy brothers - I love them!

4/5

Killing Kennedy: the end of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly (audio)

Book Description:
O'Reilly recounts in gripping detail the brutal murder of John Fitzgerald Kennedy—and how a sequence of gunshots on a Dallas afternoon not only killed a beloved president but also sent the nation into the cataclysmic division of the Vietnam War and its culture-changing aftermath.

Continuing my secret fascination with assassinations and the CIA, I listened to this book and found it an easy "listen". Although I've read other books that go over the Kennedy Assassination and the Kennedy's in general, this book did give me new insight into certain facts I didn't know about. I found it riveting and compelling, but couldn't help thinking it was a bit sensationalistic, especially with all the anecdotal tidbits on JFK's and MLK's sexual appetites. I'm not a TV news watcher, so I'm not an O'Reilly devotee, but his narration was fine in that direct sort of newscast way of his. Overall, a fast and easy read and I'll definitely read - or listen - to his Killing Lincoln, which came out before this one.

4.5/5

Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
Lord Rafe Easton may be of noble blood, but survival taught him to rely only on himself and to love no one. Yet when he sets his eyes on Miss Evelyn Chambers, and earl's illegitimate daughter, he is determined to have her, if only as his mistress.

After her father's death, Evelyn Chambers never imagined she would be sold to the highest bidder, yet circumstances give her little choice except to accept the lord's indecent proposal. Rafe is wealthy, as well as ruthless. Yet his coldness belies deep passion and deeper secrets. If she must be his, Evelyn intends to lay bare everything the Lord of Pembrook is hiding. But dark discoveries threaten to destroy them both until unexpected love guides the last lost lord home.

Nice wrap up and final installment of the Lost Lord of Pembrook. Rafe's story gives his background growing up in the streets of St. Giles and his resentment towards his brothers for being left behind, even though he knows deep down it was for his own good. Still, he's got a lot of baggage. Evie, the woman that tames him and brings him sanity is put in an intolerable position after her father dies. Her half-brother "sells" her to Rafe to be his mistress to settle his debts. At first, that is Rafe's intentions, but of course, he falls for her, but only realizes it after it's too late. Can she help him come to terms with his tortured childhood and learn to love? Not bad, but not great either, I still prefer Heath's Westerns.

3.5/5

March & April Reviews - I'm Late!

2013-05-11T17:02:00.000-04:00

I have been remiss in posting my reviews of late, mostly because real life is pretty hectic these days. Of course, it doesn't stop me from reading, but alas, actually posting my reviews is another thing. So, without further ado, let's get to it, no five star reviews I'm afraid. This is the first of two posts today:

Forever a Lady by Delilah Marvelle

Book Description:
Lady Bernadette Marie Burton may be the richest widow in England, but like her dreams of finding true passion, her reputation is deteriorating. Cruel gossip, loneliness and hoards of opportunistic suitors have her believing Society couldn't be more vile...or dangerous. So when an attacker threatens her life, she finds safety in the most unseemly of places: the arms of a mysterious, Irish-American gang leader. His fortune stolen, young Matthew Milton is done playing the respectable gentleman. In the slums of New York, only ruffians thrive. But from the moment he arrives in London and encounters the voluptuous Lady Bernadette, he can't help but wonder about the finer pleasures he's missing. Or just how much he's willing to risk-not only to bed her, but to prove his worth...

This story, second in The Rumor series, picks up where the last one left off with Bernadette, Lady Burton, a widowed Englishwoman now living in NYC in the early 19th century. She becomes involved with Matthew Milton, a once prosperous son of a newspaper owner who lost everything. Now he lives in the wretched 6th Ward and is the leader of a vigilante type gang called The Forty Thieves. He falls in love with Bernadette at first sight but much happens and he wants to elevate himself in the world before he can hope to every marry her. I liked their story but found it slow in parts. I can't say I was really into either the hero or heroine, neither one was really likable or had me rooting for them. There's something missing from this romance that left me with a meh feeling. Still, I will continue with the next in the series.

3.5/5

Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters (audio)

Book Description:
In this ninth book in the Peabody series, it's 1903, and Amelia and her clan-irascible husband Emerson, fearless son Ramses, gorgeous ward Nefret-are in Cairo, dealing with everything from mummies (both the ancient and more recent varieties) to affairs of the heart.

I really enjoyed this latest installment of the adventures of the Emerson Family in Egypt. Here we see Ramses - grown up! Or, rather, close to grown up with a mustache and silently in love with Nefret, who most likely returns his feelings, but neither one of them knows it! The whole family takes part in the investigation of who killed the wife of an American Southerner who turns up in a tomb several years after running off with another man. The mystery thickens and suspects abound. I had a really good time with this one on audio, especially with the Southern accents of Col. Bellingham and his daughter, Dolly who drove Ramses crazy! A favorite of mine in the series!

4/5

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

Book Description:
Annabel Winslow is in a pickle. Having newly arrived in London for her first season and being in possession of a voluptuous figure, she is being openly courted by the Earl of Newbury, who is at least 75 and a nasty brute to boot. Annabel does not want to marry him, of course, but feels that she has no choice since her father has recently died and left the whole family, including Annabel's mother and her seven siblings, almost destitute.

Then, while attending a party in the countryside, Annabel met Sebastian Grey, the Earl of Newbury's nephew. And suddenly she found herself not only courted by the lecherous uncle, but also the charming young nephew. Should she follow her heart so that she can be with the one she loves, or should she marry the loathsome earl just so she can put food on the table for her family and make sure that her brothers get to stay in school?

I loved Julia Quinn when I first discovered her and fell in love with her Bridgerton series, but lately her books are just too "fluffy." They don't have that emotional pull in them that made me love her. Now they just don't have much substance, they seem to be romances with one long joke and a catchy title. This one has been on my TBR List forever, mostly because of the lackluster feeling I've gotten from JQ's most recent books. Here we have Annabel Winslow who is doomed to marry an elderly earl in need of an heir. The earl disgusts her and it would be a fate worse than death to marry him. Because of her broad hips and bounteous breasts she is considered the ideal baby making machine (this is the one long joke of the book.) The earl's heir, Sebastian Grey, happens to meet Annabel one evening on Hampstead Heath and they have a unexpectedly romantic moment, two strangers meeting in the night. Neither one knows who the other is until after a long and memorable kiss. When Annabel finds out who he is, and that he's the nephew of the man everyone expects her to marry - well, she is... confused. And so is the dilemma. Sebastian is to-die-for handsome, yet he has trouble with his wartime memories. His character is a bit shallow at first, except for his deep dark secret that he is the bestselling Gothic novelist who writes under the pen name of Sarah Gorley (lots of inside author jokes abound). Will Sebastian have a chance at happiness and lose his rakish ways? Will he ask Annabel to marry him so she won't have to marry his detestable uncle? Inquiring minds want to know, but I found I was really only halfheartedly interested in this tame regency. Awful cover as well, I really dislike it!

3.5/5

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Book Description:
The first time Julia Beckett saw Greywethers she was only five, but she knew that it was her house. And now that she’s at last become its owner, she suspects that she was drawn there for a reason.

As if Greywethers were a portal between worlds, she finds herself transported into seventeenth-century England, becoming Mariana, a young woman struggling against danger and treachery, and battling a forbidden love.

Each time Julia travels back, she becomes more enthralled with the past...until she realizes Mariana’s life is threatening to eclipse her own, and she must find a way to lay the past to rest or lose the chance for happiness in her own time.

This was a memorable time travel story with incredible yet quiet emotion all the way to the last page. Fantastic ending. I loved it and I believe it's my favorite book by this author. Julia is drawn to an old house she first saw as a young girl and on the spur of the moment buys it as an adult. Her friends and family are surprised at her sudden decision to move from London to this out of the way country house, but to Julia is just seems right. She becomes the latest sensation in the small village and makes friends easily with the local squire that lives nearby in Crofton Hall, a charming female bartender who teaches her the lay of the land and the quiet enigmatic local, who helps her with her garden and anything else that needs done. Before long, Julia begins having "spells" in which she is transported back in time two hundred years to the same area, and falls in love with the lord of the manor. Yet, there is danger for him and soon she learns the reason why she feels so sad in the one of the rooms in Crofton Hall, rumored to have a ghost. There's much more to this story and I loved it and the surprises at the end. All the characters are likable and real to me. I was sorry when I finished for I wanted to continue reading about them. A keeper.

4.5/5

Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

Book Description:
After the discovery that her late husband, a popular televangelist, embezzled five million dollars from his ministry, Rachel Stone, the televangelist's widow, is an outcast—broke, unemployed, with a five-year-old son to raise. Fate and a dead car engine leave her at a shabby drive-in theater owned by Gabriel Bonner, the hostile black sheep of the town's most prominent family. Welcome to Salvation, North Carolina, where a man who's forgotten what tenderness means meets a woman with nothing to lose.

Story of Gabe Bonner, Cal Bonner's tortured brother, who lost his wife and son in a car accident. Cal is the main hero from the last book in the series, Nobody's Baby But Mine. Rachel Stone, the widow Snopes, returns to the town of Salvation with her young son, Edward, to try and find her dead husbands lost fortune. Destitute, Rachel talks her way into working for Gabe at his drive-in theatre that is due to open in a month or so. She is hated in town and is facing several up hill struggles to get by. Gabe, a walking ghost, has trouble adjusting to her and the fact she's the first woman he's been attracted to since the death of his wife, Cherry. To sum it up, both Rachel and Gabe have a lot of baggage to deal with, yet finding each other is probably the best thing that could have happened to each other. The other side story (SEP's romances always have one) is about Ethan Bonner, the youngest of the brothers who is a pastor in town and his plain secretary, Kristy, who has secretly loved him forever. But, alas, Ethan has never noticed her. Determined to get noticed, she transforms herself into the kind of woman Ethan likes - tight jeans, lipstick and a hot body. I loved their storyline, which was reminiscent of my favorite so far in this series, Heaven, Texas. Rachel and Gabe's storyline was much more serious and often sad to read about. It ended well, but their struggles that needed to be overcome left a feeling a melancholia over the storyline. Still, a good book on audio. The narrator is great, especially with children's voices.

4/5

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

Book Description:
Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly - so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don't get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention.

But that is precisely what she gets.

Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he's up to, he realizes there is more to than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he's determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match...

Only available as an e-book, this is a short historical romance that I had trouble getting into and following the storyline, though I did like the endearing hero. Unfortunately, the story kept jumping around so much, though I found the premise intriguing. After a while I caught on (maybe I was just too distracted while reading this), but the main gist of the story, Robert's great dilemma, seemed so easy to solve and not worth all the worry on his part. I kept thinking it was so obvious as to what he should do. Finally by the end of the book, I liked the story and the revelations of Minerva's past and childhood, but overall it was not as good as I had thought it would be. Still, I will continue on with the series. I definitely find this author to be hit or miss with me.

3.5/5

Between the Devil and Desire (audio)

Book Description:
The ladies of the ton won't stop whispering about deliciously wicked Jack Dodger—once a thieving street urchin, now the wealthy owner of London's most exclusive gentleman's club. There's no pleasure he hasn't enjoyed, no debauchery the handsome scoundrel won't provide for the lords who flock to his house of carnal intrigue.

Olivia, Duchess of Lovingdon, would never associate with such a rogue. So when Jack is named sole heir to the duke's personal possessions, the beautiful, well-bred lady is outraged. Now, Olivia is forced to share her beloved home with this despicable man.

But Olivia's icy disdain is no match for Jack's dangerous charm. His touch awakens desire. His kiss demands surrender. She will struggle to bar Jack from her heart...but her body, coveting divine release, will not let her bar him from her bed.

I really had a hard time with this one, though usually I like Lorraine Heath. I can't understand it, her regencies just don't grab me emotionally the same way her American Westerns do. But, I think the main reason why I didn't enjoy this book was that I listened to it on audio. Big mistake. The narrator, Susan Ericksen, made the heroine's voice much older than someone in their mid-twenties and I didn't care for her version of Jack's voice either. I thought Anthony Ferguson was going to do Jack's voice for the most part (as he is credited as one of the narrator's) but he only did the voice for Jack twice in the prologue and the epilogue! The rest was all by Ericksen. I cannot understand why they did it that way, I was very put off by it. It actually really ruined the book for me! Plus, Olivia and Jack were both so prickly for most of the book, and then miraculously falling in lust and so forth, I just rolled my eyes over their storyline. I really couldn't believe how Olivia just let him control her so much as well, she is a duchess after all! Show some back bone! Too bad, for Jack was interesting in the first book of this series and I had high hopes for his story. Oh well, c'est la vie.

2.5/5

An Infamous Marriage by Susanna Fraser

Book Description:
Northumberland, 1815

At long last, Britain is at peace, and General Jack Armstrong is coming home to the wife he barely knows. Wed for mutual convenience, their union unconsummated, the couple has exchanged only cold, dutiful letters. With no more wars to fight, Jack is ready to attempt a peace treaty of his own.

Elizabeth Armstrong is on the warpath. She never expected fidelity from the husband she knew for only a week, but his scandalous exploits have made her the object of pity for years. Now that he's back, she has no intention of sharing her bed with him—or providing him with an heir—unless he can earn her forgiveness. No matter what feelings he ignites within her…

Jack is not expecting a spirited, confident woman in place of the meek girl he left behind. As his desire intensifies, he wants much more than a marriage in name only. But winning his wife's love may be the greatest battle he's faced yet.

I've really enjoyed the two previous romances in this series, but this wasn't nearly as good, I'm afraid. I really like this author, but this one didn't seem to have any oomph to it. The first part of the book is the background of why they got married in the first place and then their separation while Jack is in Canada and Elizabeth receives all sorts of reports about his affairs from gossiping neighbors. Once Jack return from Canada, he is instantly attracted to Elizabeth and there wasn't enough build up to show why. He just came off as a randy soldier home from the war. He wants to bed Elizabeth too quickly and once she begins to warm to him and forgive him for his misdeeds in Canada, she soon becomes of the same mind set. They want to do it, but constant delays prevent them from doing so. I also felt Elizabeth came around too easily, so there wasn't enough teasing to make it interesting. The many delays only succeeded in being frustrating and their fight before Waterloo was entirely too expected. Overall, it was not compelling enough for me, compared to her previous books in the series, but it was good for those are interested in Waterloo and it's battle scenes.

3.5/5

When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris (audio)

Book Description:
When Gabrielle Tennyson is murdered, aristocratic investigator Sebastian St. Cyr and his new reluctant bride, the fiercely independent Hero Jarvis, find themselves involved in an intrigue concerning the myth of King Arthur, Camelot, and a future poet laureate...

As Sebastian and Hero get to know one another better in the early days of their marriage, a young and beautiful friend of Hero's is found dead in a boat in a moat that has ties to the fabled Camelot. Hero and Sebastian investigate the murder that involves the Tennyson family and Sebastian meets someone who could very likely be his brother - yet still no word on who his real father is. Lots of possibilities abound. I am curious to know how things will ultimately develop between Hero and Sebastian and where his former love, Kat Boleyn will fit into the scheme of things... On audio, good as usual with Davina Porter narrating. It can't get any better.

4/5

Reviews from February & March 2013

2013-03-09T11:53:00.000-05:00

I've been a maniac with reading lately! This past month I've discovered a new to me author Grace Burrowes! In addition, the anticipated Elizabeth Hoyt romance from her Maiden Lane series came out! And so, without further ado...

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

Book Description:
ALL SHE WANTS IS PEACE AND ANONYMITY...

Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.

BUT SOPHIE'S HOLIDAY IS ABOUT TO HEAT UP...

With his estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits--but when Sophie's brothers whisk her away, Vim's most painful holiday memories are reawakened.

It seems Sophie's been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true...

This is the first thing I've ever read by this author and I really, really loved this regency holiday romance, better than most! First in her Duke's Daughters Series, Lady Sophia Windham, daughter of the Duke of Moreland, unexpectedly finds herself having to take care of an infant baby boy. Knowing nothing about babies and nappies and feeding and bathing she is thankful when Vim, Lord Sandal comes to her aid. Stranded in London, he happens to know all about these things, and during a blizzard they meet by chance at an inn and he winds up showing her all she needs to know. She lets him stay at her empty ducal house in London, posing as a housekeeper. Over the course of two weeks, they become close and fall in love. Not only with Kit, the baby, but with each other as well, yet neither is aware of the others feelings. Tender, funny and very sexy as well. A great read! Now I'm going on to read the brother's stories (that came earlier) and I already went on to read the two prequels that tell the story of her parent's courtship and early marriage.

4.5/5

Two Novellas: The Courtship and The Duke and His Duchess by Grace Burrowes

Book Description:
These feature the foundation for her bestselling Windham series.

The Courtship: This is the tender story of love tested and won, and how Percy Windham, the dashing and brilliant man who was never supposed to become the Duke of Moreland, wooed the amazing lady who became his beloved Duchess.

Percival Windham is a second son, and a cavalry officer acclaimed and respected by his men. He is immensely attractive and distracts himself with the women who seem to throw themselves at him at every turn, until at a country house party, he meets beautiful, retiring Esther Himmelfarb. Esther's wealthier relations are taking shameless advantage of her dependence on them, and only Percy seems to see the striking intelligence beneath her modest demeanor. Percy sees her as the perfect companion and she finds in him the man of her dreams.

The Duke and His Duchess: Percival and Esther Windham had to beat the odds and face down gossip when their brief courtship resulted in marriage. Five years later, they have four children in their nursery, a ducal estate to care for, ailing family members needing care, and more trouble on the horizon than even a strong marriage might endure.

I devoured these novellas, since I'm newly into the series. Here we find out how His Grace and Her Grace meet and fall in love and then the story of Esther and Percival's early marriage with all their kids! My goodness, no wonder Esther is a bit worn out with melancholia! I enjoyed this early life of His And Her Graces and how they came about raising his two bastard children in the same household with the rest of his brood. As usual, with novellas, everything seemed too fast, but I enjoyed these prequels, plus the Georgian setting is one of my favorites!

4/5

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Book Description:
He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife.

Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more.

When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband—the game is up and the players must surrender...to the temptation that could destroy them both.

With another Georgian setting, this next installment of Hoyt's Maiden Lane series features Godric St. John as the Ghost of St. Giles. His wife, Megs, whom he married two years earlier in an arranged marriage - and hasn't seen since - has come to town to get pregnant - by him! She also is bent on killing the Ghost for she's convinced he killed her former love two years earlier. Godric, having been a widower doesn't feel like he can erase the memory of his dead wife. Still, Margaret is determined and after a few awkward attempts they get into the swing of things of consummating their marriage. I found the whole scenario a teensy bit uncomfortable and I didn't find myself becoming overly attached to either one of them, though I did like the hidden identity theme overall. Still, I'm waiting for The Duke of Wakefield's story, frankly. Hoyt is a favorite and an auto-buy, so even though I didn't love this one, it's a big step up from the average historical.

4/5

Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

Book Description:
Genius physics professor Dr. Jane Darling desperately wants a baby. But finding a father won’t be easy. Jane’s super-intelligence made her feel like a freak when she was growing up, and she’s determined to spare her own child that suffering. Which means she must find someone very special to father her child. Someone who’s more comfortable working out his muscles than exercising his brain.

Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars’ legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice. But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving. Dr. Jane is about to learn a little too late that this good ol’ boy is a lot smarter than he lets on—and he’s not about to be used and abandoned by a brainy, baby-mad schemer.

As much as I love this series, especially on audio, I admit, I had trouble with this one. The entire premise of Jane's deceit to get a baby was hard for me to stomach, and Cal macho gruffness just wasn't very likable at first. But... they both grew on me eventually. The side story of Cal's parents helped, though Jim's behavior towards Lynn was troublesome as well - until he wises up. By the end, I was enjoying myself, and Anna Fields narration made the storyline easier to swallow. Yet, I couldn't shake the whole "ick" feeling I got thinking about how they got together and why in the first place.

3.5/5

In Bed With the Devil by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
They call him the Devil Earl—a scoundrel and accused murderer who grew up on the violent London streets. A proper young lady risks more than her reputation when consorting with the roguishly handsome Lucian Langdon, but Lady Catherine Mabry believes she has no choice. To protect those she loves, she would do anything—even strike a bargain with the devil himself.

Lucian desires respectability and a wife above all else, but the woman of his choosing lacks the social graces to be accepted by the aristocracy. Catherine can help Lucian gain everything he wants. But what she asks for in exchange will put their very lives in jeopardy. When danger closes in, Catherine discovers a man of immense passion and he discovers a woman of immeasurable courage. As secrets from his dark past are revealed, Lucian begins to question everything he knows to be true, including the yearnings of his own heart.

Not bad, but this didn't really capture my interest like Lorraine Heath's Westerns. This is the story of Lady Catherine Mabry, an aristocratic daughter of a dying duke who is fascinated by the ne'er do well Earl of Claybourne who's life mirrors that of Oliver Twist. She seeks out the earl because of his notorious background from the streets of London to ask him for a favor - to kill her best friends abusive husband. They make a bargain. Catherine will school Annie, the girl the earl grew up with on the streets whom he intends to marry. But soon it's Catherine that he dreams of and lusts over. It gets complicated and farfetched, but I kept with it. Funny, how I just finished a book that centers around a gaming hell (Sarah MacLean's newest) and this one does as well!

3.5/5

Prince Charming by Julie Garwood

Book Description:

Only her beloved grandmother, Lady Esther, knew how devastated Taylor Stapleton had been when her fiancé eloped with Taylor's cousin. Now dear Esther - one of London's richest and most formidable matriarchs - lies dying. But first she was going to help Taylor pull off the scam of the season. To escape becoming a ward of her unscrupulous uncle, Taylor would wed Lucas Ross, a rugged American rancher. Lady Esther's money would enable Ross to return home to Montana. Taylor had her own urgent reason to go to America...a precious legacy she hadn't revealed to Ross, for they had agreed to part ways once they reached Boston. But as her handsome new husband spoke of life in Montana, Taylor began planning a new future. To Taylor, the wide-open spaces of Montana sounded like paradise....

I'm discovering I'm really loving Western romances now, and I really loved this vintage Garwood. It reminded me at times of her The Lion's Lady, an all time favorite. Set in 1868, Taylor, an aristocratic Englishwoman, must marry an American stranger so she can elude her horrible lecherous uncle that is after her inheritance and her two baby nieces that are living in Boston. Taylor and her new handsome husband, Lucas Ross, travel by steamship to Boston where they expect to go their separate ways - but nothing happens as it should! Taylor is beautiful and resourceful - always gets her way. She drives Lucas crazy, especially since he's so attracted to her! Great story, hard to put down. Loved the side characters too. Taylor and Lucas are classic Garwood, very like her winsome heroines from her Scottish highlander romances who stop their big and brawny Highland heroes in their tracks.

4/5

The Wedding Bargain by Victoria Alexander

Book Description:
London's most scandalous beauty, Pandora Effington, intends to marry a hero - not one of those boring, run-of-the-mill bachelor lords who leave her cold. No, the husband she desires must be someone special, someone whose touch sends delicious shivers down her spine, and who will do absolutely everything in his power to win her love. Someone like . . . Maximillian Wells.

The dashing Earl of Trent cannot believe his ears . . . or his eyes. Here before him stands beautiful Pandora Effington, and the fiery, unattainable heiress is making him a most tantalizing offer. Maximillian can have the lady's hand in marriage . . . if he agrees to play a game of her devising - one involving great risk, ingenuity, passion, and determination.

It is a game he has no intention of losing . . .

This series has been on my TBR list forever, but for some reason I could not get into this romance. I had such trouble keeping track of what was going on, the characters weren't all that interesting to me and I almost didn't finish it. I didn't sympathize with the heroine at all, I thought she was petulant and childish to continue with the bargain while insisting she didn't want to get married to Trent! Yes, it was clever how he managed to complete the twelve tasks of Hercules, but I found it frustrating the way they both would not act on their feelings and kept playing these games, afraid to say what they really thought. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series (it's endless!) though I have liked other books by her.

3/5

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

Book Description:
She will not give up…

Three months ago, governess Serena Barton was let go from her position. Unable to find new work, she’s demanding compensation from the man who got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it’s not the duke she fears. It’s his merciless man of business—the man known as the Wolf of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for handling all the duke’s dirty business, and when the duke turns her case over to him, she doesn’t stand a chance. But she can’t stop trying—not with her entire future at stake.

He cannot give in…

Hugo Marshall is a man of ruthless ambition—a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner’s son to the right hand man of a duke. When his employer orders him to get rid of the pestering governess by fair means or foul, it’s just another day at the office. Unfortunately, fair means don’t work on Serena, and as he comes to know her, he discovers that he can’t bear to use foul ones. But everything he has worked for depends upon seeing her gone. He’ll have to choose between the life that he needs, and the woman he is coming to love…

I have had a hot and cold relationship with Courtney Milan. I've found her writing inconsistent, either I love it or don't like it all. I really loved this novella and prequel to her Brothers Sinister series. A young governess insists on getting what is owed her after a loutish duke gets her in the family way. She sits in a park across from the duke's town house every day. His henchman, the Wolf of Clermont must set thing right, but winds up falling under the spell of Serena, the governess, instead. Their courtship is unusual. A very special little story and I really loved its ending too. A small gem.

4/5

Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson

Book Description:
Georgeanne Howard, charm school graduate and Southern bell extraordinaire, leaves her fiance at the altar when she realizes she just can't marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, no matter how rich he is. John Kowalsky unknowingly helps her escape, and only when it's too late does he realize that he's absconded with his boss's bride. At the height of his hockey career, this bad boy isn't looking to be anyone's savior but his own, no matter how beautiful this angel may be. But a long night stretches ahead of them - a night too sultry to resist temptation.

First in her Chinooks series, it took me a little while to warm up to the storyline - and John, it's big, brawny, hockey player hero. I'm not much of a hockey fan. But after half way through the book I was into it. Georgeanne and John's one night together has repercussions that haunts both of them years later. I did have a bit of a problem with the way Georgeanne kept their daughter a secret, but Lexie was adorable and I loved to see how she interacted with John. What is it lately, the last couple of books I've read involve either babies or cute kids? Sweet story and smokin' hot love scenes. Will definitely continue with the series.

4/5

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer (audio)

Book Description:
The past is a foreign country. This is your guidebook. Imagine you could get into a time machine and travel back to the fourteenth century. What would you see? What would you smell? More to the point, where are you going to stay? Should you go to a castle or a monastic guest house? And what are you going to eat? What sort of food are you going to be offered by a peasant or a monk or a lord? This radical new approach turns our entire understanding of history upside down. It shows us that the past is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived. It sets out to explain what life was like in the most immediate way, through taking you, the reader, to the middle ages, and showing you everything from the horrors of leprosy and war to the ridiculous excesses of roasted larks and haute couture.Being a guidebook, many questions are answered which do not normally occur in traditional history books. How do you greet people in the street? What should you use for toilet paper? How fast - and how safely - can you travel? Why might a physician want to taste your blood? And how do you test to see if you are going down with the plague? The result is the most astonishing social history book you are ever likely to read: revolutionary in its concept, informative and entertaining in its detail, and startling for its portrayal of humanity in an age of violence, exuberance and fear.

The premise here is to imagine oneself as a time traveler to the 14th century England, as if this is a Fodor's guide. Ever wonder how they "wiped themselves" in medieval England? It covers just about everything you could possibly want to know so that you can get the lay of land, customs and what and what not to do. I enjoyed it, though it could be a bit dry at times. Narration was fine on audio. A lot of eye openings facts I didn't know about!

3.5/5

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Book Description:
Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas - if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them.

When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty finds herself under the spell of a billionaire tycoon - a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family's past. Two men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her. A woman you'll root for every step of the way. A love story you'll never forget.

A pretty good contemporary - it is Lisa Kleypas after all, but it took a long while for it to actually get going with the long and drawn out background of Liberty's childhood and her crush on Hardy. Finally by the time she has a career and meets Gage and the rest of his family, it seemed like the book was winding down and there didn't seem to be much left for their part of the story. The love triangle was hardly touched on and wasn't given enough time to develop. Often I wasn't sure who I was rooting for until the end. I got the feeling this book should have been much longer, but got cut down some where along the way in editing. I still liked it a lot though, but I think the title is a misnomer. Liberty did not have a sugar daddy and never considered it. I love Lisa Kleypas but Sugar Daddy seemed to lack that certain something and strong emotional impact her earlier historicals have, though I recognized Gage's type from her earlier novels. Alpha all the way. Will I read the rest of the series? You bet!

4/5

Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris (audio)

Book Description:
Sebastian St. Cyr finds himself in the realm of international intrigue when he investigates the murder of a foreign office diplomat-a murder his reluctant bride-to-be, Hero Jarvis, knows something about. And when a second body is found, Sebastian must race to unmask a ruthless killer who is now threatening Hero's life-and the life of their unborn child.

Not quite as good as the last book in the series, but still engrossing, maybe because I listened to this on audio this time. Sebastian is investigating the murder of a young man found dead who worked for the foreign office. More and more dead bodies begin to turn up as well as Sebastian's nuptials approach. Poor Sebastian, will he be happy in this new marriage and what about Kat? Many foreigners and diplomats to keep track of and the actual motive for the murders, once solved, was a bit hard to follow. Great narration with the oh so familiar Davina Porter of Outlander fame.

3.5/5

A Rogue in Texas by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
A duke's son, Grayson Rhodes was a maverick who had left London's suffocating upper class world to earn his own fortune. So he seized the chance to work Abbie Westland's land...and from the moment he first saw Abbie, he was determined to use his arms to work the farm by day and to soothe her through the nights in his strong embrace.

Abbie, with her fiery determination, was different from the fragile beauties he'd known at home. In her, Grayson found an honest passion he'd never experienced before. But could their growing love survive the surprising reminder of her past that came to haunt them?

Post Civil War story of bastard son of a duke, sent to Texas by his father to "straighten him out." While there, he works for a pretty widow picking cotton for her. Not a bad romance, they fall for each other, but something happens to ruin their plans of marriage... I like the premise and it was good overall, but didn't have the emotional punch her earlier Texas series has.

3.5/5

The Summer of You by Kate Noble

Book Description:
Lady Jane Cummings is certain that her summer is ruined when she is forced to reside at isolated Merrymere Lake with her reckless brother and ailing father. Her fast-paced London society is replaced with a small town grapevine. But one bit of gossip catches Jane's attention- rumors that the lake's brooding new resident is also an elusive highwayman.

Jane must face the much discussed mysterioso after he saves her brother from a pub brawl. She immediately recognizes him from London: Byrne Worth, war hero and apparent hermit-whom she finds strangely charming. The two build a fast friendship, and soon nothing can keep this Lady away from Merrymere's most wanted. Convinced of his innocence, Jane is determined to clear Byrne's name-and maybe have a little fun this summer after all.

This historical romance started out well, but stalled in the middle and I kind of lost interest towards the end. Byrne Worth, the now retired Blue Raven, spy for the Crown, is hiding himself away in the north of England, licking his wounds as he recovers from a long illness. Lady Jane Cummings unexpectedly enters his life on the nearby estate while caring for her father who is sinking more and more into dementia. The two are attracted to one another while trying to determine who the local highwayman is - in order to clear Byrne's name. Everyone in town thinks it's him! The book had it's moments, but seemed a bit plodding and not nearly as good as it's predecessor in the series. Still, I like this author and will continue with the series.

3.5/5

What I've Read Lately, January 2013 Reviews

2013-02-04T20:26:00.001-05:00

I'm still on a reading roll since January 1st, let's see what I've been up to. Two favorite authors of mine, Jennifer Ashley and Sarah MacLean have come out with their latest additions to their current series, and I've discovered Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars Series! I love it! The first I read in print, but I heard they were great on audio, so the second, Heaven Texas, I listened to on audiobook - I simply adored it! And so without further ado...

The Seduction of Elliot McBride by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
Juliana St. John was raised to be very proper. After a long engagement, her wedding day dawns—only for Juliana to find herself jilted at the altar.

Fleeing the mocking crowd, she stumbles upon Elliot McBride, the tall, passionate Scot who was her first love. His teasing manner gives her an idea, and she asks Elliot to save her from an uncertain future—by marrying her…

After escaping brutal imprisonment, Elliot has returned to Scotland a vastly wealthy yet tormented man. Now Juliana has her hands full restoring his half-ruined manor in the Scottish Highlands and trying to repair the broken heart of the man some call irredeemably mad. Though beautiful and spirited, Juliana wonders if that will be enough to win a second chance at love.

Jennifer Ashley's Highland Pleasures series is a favorite of mine, but none of the books have been quite as good as the first in the series. This latest addition, which is fifth in the series was pretty good, the story of Elliot McBride who has returned to Scotland after surviving a horrendous ordeal in India. He is scarred inside and out and the only one that can soothe him is Juliana, his childhood sweetheart. Juliana who is jilted at the last minute on her wedding day is reunited with Elliot and he marries her then and there on the spot. How fortuitous he happened to be there! And so begins their whirlwind first few weeks as a married couple as he sweeps her off her feet and takes her to his crumbling castle in the Highlands. No sooner do they arrive with his Indian servants in tow, that she realizes he's "a little" mad. His captivity has taken it's toll on him mentally and he has a tendency to start strangling people. And so is the now familiar plotline in this Highlander series in which these big and burly Highlanders have a heavy burden to carry from a tortured past. They are all a little crazy because of it, but the love of a good woman calms them down and makes them somewhat normal again. I loved this scenario at first in The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, but now I'm finding it a bit formulaic. Don't get me wrong, the writing and sensuality is top notch, but there just wasn't anything that really grabbed me with this one. There's no sexual tension between Elliot and Juliana, they wind up together from the very beginning and sex is incredible for them every. single. time. Which is several times a day. Just about the only thing good Elliot has going for himself is the fact he's having sex so much! But there's this pesky problem he's dealing with - he's accused of killing a former friend of his in India, although there was never really any doubt that he's wrongly accused and it looks like his former friend is trying to kill Elliot. But, Elliot, ever the macho Highlander goes out after him in the dead of night, determined to be the hunter rather than the huntee. During all of this, Juliana has a lot to deal with on her plate, but her lists and organizational skills help enormously, which is sort of a running joke throughout the book. All in all, not my favorite of the Mackenzie novels, but I still liked it. Overall, it needed more suspense and sexual tension to keep it afloat and interesting, luscious cover though.

3.5/5

Whom the Gods Love by Kate Ross

Book Description:
Although Alexander Falkland excels at everything he turns his hand to, all of his God-given talent cannot save him from a bloody, brutal end. Hired to find the killer, Julian Kestrel soon discovers that the fair-haired Alexander had more than his fair share of enemies.

An excellent murder mystery, well crafted and meticulous in detail. It had me wondering and second guessing over and over again about who did it! Julian Kestrel, Regency London dandy of dubious lineage has made a name for himself as a solver of murder mysteries. Here he is enlisted by the victim's father to solve the murder of London's beloved Alexander Falkland who was found bludgeoned to death by a poker in his study. With a wealth of suspects, Julian sifts through the details and little evidence to come up with the unsettling truth of the real Alexander Falkland. I really enjoyed this, and was so happy with the ending! I highly recommend this mystery, a real treat!

4.5/5

It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Book Description:
The Windy City isn't quite ready for Phoebe Somerville - the outrageous, curvaceous New York knockout who has just inherited the Chicago Stars football team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars' head coach Dan Celebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. Celebow is everything Phoebe abhors. And the sexy new boss is everything Dan despises - a meddling bimbo who doesn't know a pigskin from a pitcher's mound.

So why is he drawn to the shameless sexpot like a heat-seeking missile? And why does the coach's good ol' boy charm leave cosmopolitan Phoebe feeling awkward, tongue-tied....and ready to fight?

The sexy, heartwarming, and hilarious It Had To Be You is an enchanting story of two stubborn people who believe in playing for keeps.

Oh. My. God. My first read by this author and - I loved it! Phoebe Somerville is the new owner of the Chicago Stars NFL team that she inherited from her father. She knows nothing about football and could care less about the team. But Dan Calebow, the team's demanding head coach is not about to let his team fall apart because it's deceased owner gave it to his (seemingly) bimbo, nitwit, bombshell daughter. Admittedly, I am no football fan, but this book has given me a new appreciation for it! This book was so much fun to read, the chemistry between Dan and Phoebe sizzles off the pages. I laughed, I had tears in my eyes at one point, it was exciting at the end, this book ran the gamut of emotions and had it all! I can't wait to see what the rest of the series is like! Fabulous!

4.5/5

Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

Book Description:
Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star -- and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can't get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat.

But nothing's more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel's heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion -- and a match that can only be made in Heaven.

I absolutely adored this on audio! Anna Fields' Texas twang for Bobby Tom Denton was great - I am in love! She was aces for all the other voices, but I totally fell in love with "B.T." With this ugly duckling story of Gracie and Bobby Tom I went from one extreme to the other. I laughed, I had tears in my eyes, so many moments to savor, I really loved his mother Suzy's storyline as well. A real keeper! Can't wait for the next one! What a fantastic story - it was hilarious and sweet and tender - it had everything I love in a romance! A keeper!

5/5

Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

Book Description:
James Cordier is all blue blood and entirely dangerous. He's a master of disguise, a brilliant thief, a first-class lover--all for King and Country-and, by gad, he's so weary of it. His last mission is to "acquire" a packet of incriminating letters from one notorious woman. Then he can return to London and meet sweet-natured heiresses-not adventuresses and fallen women.

Francesca Bonnard has weathered heartbreak, scorn, and scandal. She's independent, happy, and definitely fallen; and she's learned that "gentlemen" are more trouble than they're worth. She can also see that her wildly attractive new neighbor is bad news.

But as bad as James is, there are others far worse also searching for Francesca's letters. And suddenly nothing is simple--especially the nearly incendiary chemistry between the two most jaded, sinful souls in Europe. And just as suddenly, risking everything may be worth the prize.

Surprisingly disappointing romance by one of my favorite authors. Unlikely story of courtesan, Francesca Bonnard, who is a divorcee of a prominent Lord in England. Ensconced in Venice, she has some incriminating letters that everyone wants and her life is at risk because of it. Enter Cordier, a Regency James Bond sort of type, who is out to get the letters for the Crown and doesn't hesitate to bed whoever he needs to to get them. Unfortunately, he didn't count on falling for Francesca, despite the fact she is a courtesan. I was bored through much of this, found no chemistry between the two, the plotline was tepid and I really found the HEA ending improbable. Too bad, for I've read much better by Loretta Chase, I guess they all can't be stellar romances.

3/5

Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell

Book Description:
London's most notorious seducer, Nicholas Challoner lives solely for revenge...

The dashing, licentious Marquess of Ranelaw can never forgive Godfrey Demarest for ruining his sister—now the time has come to repay the villain in the same coin. But one formidably intriguing impediment stands in the way of Nicholas's vengeance: Miss Antonia Smith, companion to his foe's unsuspecting daughter.

Having herself been deceived and disgraced by a rogue—banished by her privileged family as a result and forced to live a lie—Antonia vows to protect her charge from the same cruel fate. She recognizes Ranelaw for the shameless blackguard he is and will devote every ounce of her intelligence and resolve to thwarting him.

Yet Antonia has always had a fatal weakness for rakes . . .

Not bad, but the hero was an ass most of the time. When will I realize I hate revenge romances? They really don't do much for me. Nicholas is a true rake bent on ruining the daughter of the man who ruined his half sister twenty years earlier. He didn't count on falling in lust with her dragon-like duenna, who was ruined once herself! See a pattern here? Tons of inconsistencies inside the head of the hero that drove me nuts. Does he want to get revenge or not? Still, the steamy parts made up for the implausible plotline, but I won't be reading any more by this author.

3.5/5

Flirting with Danger by Suzanne Enoch

Book Description:
In her dazzling romantic suspense debut, bestselling author Suzanne Enoch brings us a thrilling tale about a thief who needs to prove she's no murderer and the millionaire who loves her.

Samantha Jellicoe is a thief and proud of it. Raised to appreciate the finer things in life, Sam has no trouble divesting the wealthy of their treasures. This all changed, however, the night she attempts to steal a valuable item from a Palm Beach estate. Before she knew what hit her, a bomb goes off, a guard is killed, and Sam ends up saving millionaire Richard Addison. She's a good thief and will own up to her jobs, but if anyone thinks to tie her to murder, they better think again.

On any other night, having a one hundred plus pounds of female fling herself at you is a good thing. But on this particular night, Richard Addison is mad as hell. Not only did he just have his gallery blown up-with him about to enter it-but the woman who rescued him didn't stick around to offer any explanations. When the dust settles, Rick knows the only person with answers to his questions is the mystery woman. And if she thinks she can hide from him, she better think again.

Entertaining contemporary by author Suzanne Enoch, who I am familiar with because of her historical romances. This is the first contemporary I've read of hers and it wasn't bad! Story of pretty and very clever young thief who takes on billionaire mogul after saving his life in an explosion while trying to steal a valuable antiquity from his Palm Beach mansion. Now the two have teamed up to find out who is trying to kill her, but they didn't count on falling in lust at the same time. Loved the locale and Rick and Sam make a good team together. Enjoyed this and will continue with the series.

4/5

Paradise by Judith McNaught

Book Description:
Judith McNaught brings us her most wonderful, deeply emotional novel yet...a spellbinding story of youthful passion, family loyalties, and the fateful events that lead two special lovers to the miracle of a second chance.

Meredith Bancroft, a serenley beautiful blonde, and Matthew Farrell, an intense, magnetic tycoon, are both haunted by their once-in-a-lifetime love...betrayed in a conflict of heartache and pain. When the Bancroft family empire is threatened by a hostile takeover attempt, Meredith is forced to turn to Matt. As tensions build between them, leaving them both uncertain, restless...and falling in love again...

Filled with the passion, tenderness, and deep understanding of love that are Judith McNaught's unique trademark, PARADISE is her most memorable love story yet...a novel to treasure forever.

Well, I guess I'm in the minority, but I was not as bowled over by Paradise as many others. It reminded me too much of the novels that came out of the '80's and were then made into TV miniseries. Young, beautiful girl who was an ugly duckling in her childhood, rises in the corporate world, longing to be taken seriously. She finds love, tragically loses it and overcomes all obstacles, blah, blah, blah to find it again years later. Now, I did love the character of Matt, but I found it hard to identify with Meredith who really needed more backbone and I kept wondering what did Matt love so much about her? Plus, both of them were so unbelievably stupid about the truth and not figuring it all out earlier! Her father was so awful, his possible happily ever ending at the end did nothing for me. It seemed out of place. Granted, the story was hard to put down, but so are many "beach read" types of books, which is the category I place this in. Maybe I'll like the next one more in this series. Ordinarily I love McNaught, she's one of my absolute favorites, and if I had read this back when it came out around 1989, I probably would have loved it, but compared to her historicals? No comparison!

3.5/5

The Pirate Hunter's Lady by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
James Ardmore is hunting the pirate who killed his brother's family, and nothing will stand in his way. Not the English who want him dead, and definitely not Diana Worthing, a beautiful woman he takes the opportunity to abduct while he's busy rescuing an American spy. Diana knows the secrets of an island called Haven, which James is determined to find. But both James and Diana are unprepared for the sparks that fly between them.
The Pirate Hunter’s Lady is the second, revised edition of the original print title: The Pirate Hunter. New in this edition: New first four chapters detailing Diana and James’s first meeting. Revised, edited body of the book. New epilogue.

Second in Ashley's Regency Pirates series, this one didn't capture my attention at all, maybe it's because pirates just don't do it for me. Still, I love this author and can't get enough of her, even if I don't like pirates. I meandered through this book and didn't care that much about Diana or James. It got off to a good start, but just really slowed down while they are together on Haven. Her father's secret turned out to be entirely anticlimactic and then James' capture, etc. For some reason there seemed to be a lack of cohesiveness in the storyline, but I plodded along until the finish line. It didn't help that there were loads of typos in the kindle edition, which really surprised me and became increasingly annoying. Simple things that a spell and grammar check would catch. I love this author, but this series is not a favorite. Since I got it for next to nothing on kindle, I'll read Book 3 since I already have it though. Disappointing.

2.5/5

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole

Book Description:
From author Kresley Cole comes this spellbinding story of a demon king trapped by an enchantress for her wanton purposes - and the scorching aftermath that follows when he turns the tables and claims her as his captive.

HIS OBSESSION...
Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart.

HER DOWNFALL...
Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs.

THEY WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO WANT EACH OTHER THIS MUCH...
With each smoldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases. If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?

Wicked and delicious fun when nearly seven foot tall demon king Rydstrom meets his mate in Sabine, a sensuous, yet vexing sorceress that torments in more ways than one. Then the tables are turned and he gets his way with her instead. Very sexy and entertaining read with the usual road trip scenario common in this series. This is great for paranormal lovers of the lore and other mystical fantasy creatures.

4/5

Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen (audio)

Book Description:
A Royal Spyness mystery starring Lady Georgiana, thirty-fourth in line for the throne - and the mystery world's favorite penniless heiress.

With its posh clientele in the country for the summer, Georgie's housecleaning business has fizzled. So she tries hiring herself out as a dinner-and-theatre companion. But her first client has quite the wrong idea. To avoid further scandal, Georgie's shipped home to Castle Rannoch, where her summer plans include honoring a promise to Her Majesty to keep Castle Rannoch's divorcée houseguest from seducing the Prince of Wales. She's also been coerced into helping Scotland Yard with a top-secret mission - namely keeping an eye on the shooting party at Balmoral and preventing someone from shooting the Prince. And Georgie must manage all this without strangling her odious sister-in-law Fig or spineless brother Binky.

I wouldn't call Binky spineless, but he is a bit of a softy. This time Georgie is back at Castle Rannoch in Scotland where she is in the middle of what seems to be a series of mishaps or assassination attempts upon the Royal family. Georgie's "is he or is he not" boyfriend Darcy turns up as well, and the unusual turn of events of having to deal with the "delightful" Mrs. Simpson and her American friends makes Fig and Georgie allies as Fig worries they'll be eaten out of house and home, not to mention the wear and tear on the hot water heater from all the American's baths! This wasn't quite as funny as the last one, but I still love this series! (Georgie's date with her new escort service in London was priceless!) As usual, Katherine Kellgren was great with the audiobook narration - I love Georgie's mother the best in this one, and everyone's phrase, "Old Bean."

4/5

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

Book Description:
Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.

Like any good scientist, Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

I had high hopes for the second installment in the Rules of Scoundrels series, but I was a bit disappointed. I love Sarah MacLean but it took a long time for things to get going and heat up. It took forever just to get to the first kiss (half way through the book) and I tired of the "I'm not good enough for you" theme by Cross, the hero, who believes he must sacrifice himself for the love of the genius, bespectacled heroine, Pippa by marrying the daughter of his nemesis. In fact, Cross wouldn't even allow himself to touch Pippa until over half way through the book! Some good parts and the one sex scene was hot, but overall, I felt there seemed to be a lot vagueness in areas. I longed for storylines with the side characters that could have been expanded upon. Pippa was always described as the odd daughter which became tiresome, though I kind of liked her. Despite my "meh" feeling overall, I love the cover and the inside flap - yumm, I love scruff!

3.5/5

End of 2012 Re-cap

2013-01-01T13:31:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

2012 was a sensational year for me and books. I discovered a few "new to me" authors, some great new series, and finally finished The Dark Tower series by Stephen King that (literally) took me about 20 years to finish! I guess the biggest difference to my blog this year was the way I'm reviewing books. I'm no longer writing the lengthy reviews I used to. It was becoming too difficult, especially since I was reading faster than I could write. It was starting to feel more like a chore - and what's fun about that? Instead, I'm saving the quick and short reviews up for a couple of times a month. On a personal and sad note, I lost my beloved Hector, our ten year old golden retriever to lymphoma this summer. It was sudden and my heart broke. I still have trouble thinking of it, tears fill my eyes easily. I miss him so. It will be a long time before I get over him. Everyone tells me to get another dog, but I just can't yet. We will eventually, but I am still in mourning, I guess.

Without further ado, let's get started with the past year...

I think I read about 142 books total this year, some were Christmas themed novellas as well. I usually don't care for novellas all that much, but there were a few that I read this year that were especially good. My two favorites were Courtney Milan's Unlocked and A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows by Diana Gabaldon which is an Outlander related story about Roger's parents (surprise, surprise!) The Milan novella was a surprise for me, for I was not overly bowled over by her longer novels, with the exception of Unraveled. I discovered a lot of new romance authors that I love, and I also read a few non-fiction books as well, all either about WWII espionage or the presidential secret service, it seems.

I had a few clunkers of 2012, I'm afraid. What were they?

Overseas by Beatriz Williams - A time travel love story that flipped back and forth to present day and WWI. I listened to this one on audiobook and I think what really disappointed me was that it had so much potential and it wound up being so trite and sappy. The syrupy dialogue was awful as well. She's coming out with another book this Spring, and I will give her another try (in print). Maybe I'll have better luck this time, I'm not writing her off completely. I gave this one a 2.5 of 5.

Seven Night's in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell - an historical romance and the first time I'd read anything by this well known author. In my review I said it "defies all logic." I gave it a 2.5/5, but I am going to read another book of hers soon that I was able to download for real cheap on kindle, so I'll give her one more try. We'll see what I think of it.

What were some of my author discoveries that wowed me in 2012?

Lorraine Heath. Her trilogy set in Texas: Texas Destiny, Texas Glory and Texas Splendor was simply amazing. Written several years ago, it's an early series for her but new to me. A fabulous historical romance trilogy centering on three brothers in late 19th century Texas. I loved every word of this emotionally charged and often heartbreaking series.

Tessa Dare. Her Spindle Cove Series: A Night to Surrender, A Week to Be Wicked, and A Lady by Midnight completely blew me away! It's funny and sexy, my favorite combination. They are historical romances set in England. I'd never read anything by Tessa Dare before, so I was very happy to make this new discovery. I'm now making my way through her backlist and waiting eagerly for her next installment in Spindle Cove. She is now an auto buy for me.

Judith Ivory/Judy Cuevas. A new to me author who's been around for a while and doesn't seem to be writing any longer, a pity for I simply love her books! Each one has been great, I still have a few more to read, but my absolute favorites that I read this year were Untie My Heart and The Indiscretion. Again, my favorite combination of humor and steamy sex.

Rhys Bowen. I've only listened to the Her Royal Spyness Series on audiobook, but these books are a riot! I did read one novella from the series, and it was just as great, so it's not just the audio that makes them good. This is a mystery series centering on Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie Rannoch, aka Georgie. She is of Scottish descent, and a distant relative to the royal family in London during the 1930's. She's also flat broke. All of Georgie's friends and acquaintances are a crack up, and her potential love interest, the mysterious - and penniless - Irish Darcy is worth a second look. I eat this series up like candy!

Okay, so what were my top three favorite books of the year? All romances, no surprise there, I really can't seem to get enough of historicals these days, here they are and I'm re-posting my five star reviews:

Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath
Synopsis: Arriving on the Fort Worth train, Miss Amelia Carson, mail-order bride, had never met Dallas Leigh, the Texan she promised to marry. The tall cowboy at the station wasn't Dallas. He was Houston, Dallas's brother, sent to escort her on the rugged three-week trek to the ranch where Dallas waited. Brought up in war-ravaged Georgia, Amelia thought Dallas's letters made Texas sound like heaven, a place for her dreams to grow with the right man beside her.

By all appearances, Houston Leigh would hardly be considered the "right man." The war he survived had scarred him inside and out, and he was little competition for his handsome brother. But from the moment Houston met Amelia, he knew she possessed the courage this wild land needed. She had eyes that could see past his wounded face to his soul. And he would fight any man—except his brother—for her heart. Now he and Amelia were riding down dangerous trails, sleeping under the stars, and God help them, they were falling in love.

This was a beautiful love story of a scarred and lonely cowboy who must escort his brother's mail order bride fiancee to the brother's ranch from Ft. Worth. It's a month long trek in which they meet many trials and tribulations, but the main one is how how do they cope with the fact they are falling deeply in love with one another and she is meant for another? Much of this story was touching and bittersweet. I simply loved it and nearly cried in a few parts. Houston's scarred life both physically and mentally was sad and painful to read about, but Amelia understood him so well. They were truly soul mates for one another. Well written, evocative of the time, Texas in the late 1870's, it pulled at my heart strings. Is it any wonder? I'm a sucker for scarred hero romances. On the surface it appears to be a quiet story, involving a simple romantic triangle, but there is so much emotion going on beneath the surface, it's much, much more. It's simply great. This is my first book by Lorraine Heath and I'm eager to read the rest of her backlist, this being one of her earlier books.

His Very Own Girl by Carrie Lofty
Synopsis: After the War took the lives of Lulu Davies’s parents and her fiancé, she promised herself she would guard her heart carefully and concentrate on her great love—flying the biggest and best airplanes in the sky. Lulu is a pilot in the British civilian air force, ferrying planes around Great Britain and keeping her eye on a coveted spot in a training program for world-class pilots. She’s perfectly content to strive for greatness in the skies, and dance with a few GIs on the way.

Brawny, quiet American medic Joe Weber signed up with the paratroopers to escape his checkered past; he’s hoping that jumping out of planes and patching up soldiers will earn him respect and a hopeful future. Joe’s first real test of medical skill is on a pilot whose plane takes a hard landing in a training field; after rushing to the crash scene, he is stunned to come face-to-face with a gorgeous Rita Hayworth lookalike. And when the two cross paths at a dance hall a couple weeks later, he can’t resist the urge to find out more about this spirited, dark-haired beauty.

Their flirtation breaks all of Lulu’s rules, but dance by dance, week by week, walk by walk, she finds herself falling in love with this honest, vulnerable man on the run from his demons. But as Lulu and Joe’s undeniable attraction gains momentum, World War II steadily intensifies toward D-Day. The lovers only have one night together before Joe is transported to France for the Battle of the Bulge, where his skills and his instinct for survival will be pushed to their limits. Lulu distracts herself with flight school and the friendships of her colleagues, but she can’t get the handsome medic out of her head. Only time and hope will tell if her love will return unharmed from War, and if the two will be able to overcome their pasts to form a beautiful life together in peace-time.

I absolutely loved this book! Not surprising for I love WWII settings and history and to combine it with a romance - this was a no brainer for me! Feisty pilot heroine and I adored the vulnerable medic hero! This was such a surprise, and I was riveted from start to finish. Exciting moments while flying her planes, near crash landings and what have you. Joe was a dear, I loved him. I just adored this whole WWII scenario! I want more of this couple and see what happens next in their lives. A real keeper, sexy, evocative, memorable - and what a cover!

Castaway Dreams by Darlene Marshall
Synopsis: 1817- After a lifetime in the Royal Navy, surgeon Alexander Murray finds himself castaway with brainless beauty Daphne Farnham and her fluffy little dog. While the dog could be supper, she’s useless.

Daphne can’t understand why the humorless surgeon doesn’t like her—everyone likes her! She’s beautiful, rich, and has excellent fashion sense, a most useful skill when putting together an ensemble.

This unlikely pair (and Pompom) will have to figure out how to survive together, and may discover that each holds attractions not obvious at first—or even second—glance.

I totally loved this book! I've read all of Darlene Marshall's previous books, but this one takes the cake! It is simply wonderful! Story of stodgy older navy surgeon, Alexander Murray who finds himself shipwrecked and stranded on an island near Bermuda with Miss Daphne Farnham, who he considers to be the most useless and dimwitted society miss he has ever had the unfortunate pleasure of being stuck with. Of course, his opinion changes drastically over time and I loved every word of this endearing romance of how two complete opposites fall in love. It had everything: steamy sex, humor, and an excellent plot line that kept me interested with top notch writing and research to go with it. Very, very clever story, a tour de force for Ms. Marshall! Who would have thought curmudgeonly Dr. Murray would turn out to be such a sexy hero? But of course on second thought, why should I be surprised? He's a Scot with red hair (with a bit of gray thrown in for gravitas). A keeper, though I'm not crazy about the cover...

As I do every year, if you want, head on over to my LiveJournal where I've posted my 2012 book poll and see which books you've read. I'm not sure if non-LJ members can take part in it or not, but if you can't, please leave me a comment and let me know how many!

2012 Book Poll

Thanks and let's all hope 2013 is a great and happy new year for everyone!

December 2012 Quickie Reviews

2012-12-31T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aaah, the end of the year, New Year's Eve. I've been reading up a storm, mostly historical romances, and so without further ado are my reads for the month of December. I will have a separate post for my 2012 recap of my favorites and worst, etc., but for now, here are my reviews to end the year. Happy New Year Everyone!!

Goddess of Light by P.C. Cast

Book Description:
When hardworking Pamela Smythe whispers her wish for a god-like man, she never expects to find one--especially not in Vegas. But the goddess Artemis has dared her twin handsome brother Apollo to change all that.

I liked this story of pretty interior designer, Pamela Smythe who is on assignment in Las Vegas for a legendary fantasy author that wants to turn his house into a miniature Caesar's Palace. While experiencing Vegas and trying to come up with something tasteful (not easy) for her client, she unknowingly meets the real god Apollo and his sister, Artemis. At first she has no idea who he really is, except that he's amazingly handsome. Apollo, naturally, sweeps her off her feet. Coming off a bad marriage and a workaholic as well, this is just what Pamela needs, until she finds out who he and his sister Artemis really are. Lots of ups and downs, and angsty moments when the god, Bacchus interferes and causes trouble for everyone. Plus, I felt that Pamela took the fact she was dating a god a bit too much in stride, but it was still a good story, though the ending kind of fizzled for me. Still, I do like this series that centers of average modern day women who fall in love with various mythological gods.

4/5

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries

Book Description:
The third novel in Sabrina Jeffries's “Hellions of Halstead Hall” series, featuring the independent and talented Lady Minerva Sharpe.

When a charming rogue proposes she marry him to meet her grandmother's ultimatum, the Sharpe clan's strong-willed sister makes a tempting counter-offer that preserves her inheritance and ignites his imagination.

Lady Minerva Sharpe has the perfect plan to thwart her grandmother's demands: become engaged to a rogue! Surely Gran would rather release her inheritance than see her wed a scoundrel. And who better to play the part of Minerva's would-be husband than wild barrister Giles Masters, the very inspiration for the handsome spy in the popular Gothic novels she writes? The memory of his passionate kiss on her nineteenth birthday has lingered in Minerva's imagination, though she has no intention of really falling for such a rakehell, much less marrying him. Little does she know, he really is a covert government operative. When they team up to investigate the mystery behind her parents' deaths, their fake betrothal leads to red-hot desire. Then Minerva discovers Giles's secret double life, and he must use all the cunning tricks of his trade to find his way back into her heart.

This was a sensational book, one of the best Sabrina Jeffries romances I've read. Minerva Sharpe fell in and out of love with Giles Masters, a rakish old friend of her brothers while at a masquerade nine years ago. After breaking her heart, she writes him into her novels, portraying him as a roguish but thrilling French spy. Little does she know how close to the truth she comes - nor how little she really knows about him! I love, loved this book! A forced marriage scenario, the continuing mystery of how Minerva's parents really died and a glimpse into what's in store for the next Hellion of Halstead Hall - a delightful read with great chemistry between the hero and heroine. I recommend it!

4.5/5

The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton by Miranda Neville

Book Description:
Being kidnapped is teaching Miss Celia Seaton a few things about life:

Lesson One: Never disrobe in front of a gentleman...unless his request comes at gunpoint.

Lesson Two: If, when lost on the moors, you encounter Tarquin Compton, the leader of London society who ruined your marriage prospects, deny any previous acquaintance.

Lesson Three: If presented with an opportunity to get back at Mr. Compton, the bigger the lie, the better. A faux engagement should do nicely.

Lesson Four: Not all knowledge is found between the covers of a book. But an improper book may further your education in ways you never guessed.

And while an erotic novel may be entertaining, the real thing is even better.

I bought this book because it was on sale for next to nothing on kindle and I thought I'd give it a try, even though it is the 3rd book in The Burgundy Club series, of which I haven't read yet the first two. This can easily be read as a standalone, though I surmise we do re-visit characters from the previous books. This historical wasn't bad, but some areas were a bit disjointed and hard to follow. It's a convoluted plotline, but overall funny. A sweet road trip story involving plain Celia Seaton, a nobody who is paired up with haughty London dandy, Tarquin Compton who has amnesia after being knocked on the head by someone who is trying to kidnap her. She is no fan of his, and takes full advantage of the fact he has amnesia and makes up a doozy of a story telling him she is his fiancee and he is a vicar! Despite his amnesia, he finds this scenario hard to swallow, yet they stick it out together, wandering around the English countryside and evading the cutthroats who are after her. You see, someone is trying to kidnap her. Their travails are compounded when they spend the night - an amorous night - together in a barn and he regains his memory at a very awkward moment! His honor compels him to propose marriage, but Celia does not want to marry under such forced circumstances, even though she is falling in love with his amnesia persona. I wasn't really crazy about Tarquin (his horrible name didn't help!) He was too much of a dandy for me. Much happens and it all ends happily, but it did take me a long time to finish this book. I'm not sure if I'll bother to read the other books in the series or not.

4/5

A Marriage of Inconvenience by Susanna Fraser

Book Description:
Left orphaned and penniless as a young child, Lucy Jones learned to curb her temper, her passions, and even her sense of humor to placate the wealthy relatives who took her in. She became the perfect poor relation - meek, quiet, and self-effacing. She clings to her self-control because she can control nothing else.

James Wright-Gordon also lost his parents at a young age. But he became a wealthy viscount at fifteen and stepped into full control of his fortune and his birthright as a parliamentary power broker at twenty-one. At twenty-four, he is serenely confident in his ability to control everything in the world that matters to him.

At a house party in the summer of 1809, James quickly discerns Lucy’s carefully hidden spirit and wit and does his best to draw them out. After being caught in a compromising situation, they are obliged to marry. But can two people whose need for control has always been absolute learn to put love first?

I loved this story of poor relation, Lucy Jones, who is secretly engaged to her cousin Sebastian, who asks her to marry him all of a sudden and clear out of the blue. But while staying at a castle for Sebastian's sister's wedding, she meets James Wright-Gordon who confuses her. She is attracted to him, but she must be loyal to her secret fiance, Sebastian, who is acting strangely himself. He seems to have taken a fancy for James' heiress sister, Anna (who we read about in the 2nd book in the series, which I loved) and asks her to marry him, dumping Lucy! It all gets very confusing and - alarming, but I loved it! Kind and wonderful James jumps to an awful conclusion about Lucy and acts like the biggest ass for a while, and it was rather angsty, but all ends well, despite the tears in my eyes. This is a worthwhile series, despite the fact I read the first two books out of order, although I believe it helped in the long run in appreciating the characters and their plight.

4/5

Texas Splendor by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
The saga of the Leigh family continues.... After spending five long, hellish years in a Texas penitentiary, Austin Leigh is free to return home, only to find his sweetheart is now married. Despondent and alone, Austin sets out to clear his name of the crime he didn't commit. En route to the state capitol, he meets a young girl and her dog, the survivors of a mysterious tragedy. Together, the young couple will find redemption, forgiveness, and a true love greater than either could have imagined.

I loved this finale to the Leigh Brothers trilogy. Austin, coming out of prison of five years, is out to find out who really killed the man he was imprisoned for killing. He comes across a lone woman, Loree Grant, who is living alone in the woods near Austin, Texas. She nurses him back to health after a stab wound and their is a gradual understanding that develops between the two. Coincidentally, she has a secret that can greatly affect his life. Her past story and the truth of what happened to her family is horrible, one of the worst I've come across in a romance. Typical of this series, for Lorraine Heath is a master at drawing out emotion that comes from past tragedies. Despite this, it is a beautiful poignant story of two lonely people that come together and find love in a forced marriage scenario. It's a great story and an even greater series that is probably one of the best I've read. It's filled with tons of emotion and heartache, but so worth it. When the couples involved finally find what they need after the turmoil they've gone through to get there, it's so sweet. Highly recommend.

4.5/5
5/5 Overall Series

The Dark Tower by Stephen King (audio)

Book Description:
The seventh and final installment of Stephen King's The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author's long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his ultimate goal.

Finally... the end. For those of you that have not read this series, this review won't mean much to you. But for those that do know the series, here are my thoughts:

A bit anticlimactic, considering I have been reading this series for about 20 years. After all the time I put into this, I am left feeling perplexed and disappointed about the ending and especially about Mordred... I worried so much about his presence and what he was going to do to the ka-tet. Wow, what a let down. Then I felt the whole ending was just really ... blah. I loved the first part of this series, the first four books were worth while, but after Wizard and Glass it just didn't do anything for me. I almost feel like King lost interest and then he had his accident, and it really changed the feel of the series and he began to insert himself into it (which was just too weird and hard to get a handle on). I feel like he continued with it because he felt compelled to finish it because so many fans wanted him to, but his heart wasn't in it anymore. The Dark Tower had it's moments though, very sad when our beloved characters start dropping off, and I had a hard time adjusting to the idea of what Susannah does as they get closer to the Tower. And then the whole drawing and erasing thing - I kept thinking - that's the answer?? All I can say is I'm glad I finally finished it. I began reading it in print but switched over to audiobooks with the last three books, maybe that had something to do with my ambivalence towards them, but something tells me they just were not up to the same caliber as the first four. Despite all of this, the audiobook is well narrated, but I do feel that these books are probably better in print, for much is missed on audio. It's hard to pay attention 100% of the time when listening on audio while doing other things at the same time. This series needs total concentration.

3.5/5

Since the Surrender by Julia Anne Long

Book Description:
Fearless. Loyal. Brilliant. Ruthless. Bold words are always used to describe English war hero Captain Chase Eversea, but another word unfortunately plays a role in every Eversea's destiny: trouble. And trouble for Chase arrives in the form of a mysterious message summoning him to a London rendezvous . . . where he encounters the memory of his most wicked indiscretion in the flesh: Rosalind March—the only woman he could never forget.

A Woman of Passion . . .

Five years ago, the reckless, charming beauty craved the formidable Captain's attention. But now Rosalind is a coolly self-possessed woman, and desire is the last thing on her mind: her sister has mysteriously disappeared and she needs Chase's help to find her. But as their search through London's darkest corners re-ignites long-smoldering passion and memories of old battles, Chase and Rosalind are challenged to surrender: to the depths of a wicked desire, and to the possibility of love.

This Pennyroyal Green series is getting better and better as we get further into it. Chase Eversea, a military man, comes face to face with his one indiscretion, Rosalind March, the wife of his former commanding officer. Now it is five years later, Rosalind is now a widow and she needs a favor of Chase that leads to the uncovering of a prostitution ring while searching for her missing sister. Together, the two must solve the mystery. I really enjoyed this romance with a mystery built into it. It reminded me of a Sebastian St. Cyr mystery. Looking forward to the next.

4/5

I Kissed an Earl by Julie Anne Long

Book Description:
Violet Redmond's family and fortune might be formidable and her beauty and wit matchless - but her infamous flare for mischief keeps all but the most lionhearted suitors at bay. Only Violet knows what will assuage her restlessness: a man who doesn't bore her to tears, and a clue to the fate of her missing brother. She never dreamed she'd find both with a man whose own pedigree is far from impeccable.

"Savage" is what the women of the ton whisper about the newly styled Earl of Ardmay - albeit with shivers of pleasure. Born an English bastard, raised on the high seas, he's on a mission to capture a notorious pirate for vengeance. But while Violet's belief in her brother's innocence maddens him, her courage awes him . . . and her sensuality finally undoes him. Now the man who once lost everything and the girl who has everything to lose are bound by a passion that could either end in betrayal . . . or become everything they ever dreamed.

Normally, I space books out when I'm reading series, but I wound up reading the next in the Pennyroyal Green Series purely by chance. I enjoyed this addition, this time following the Redmond side, though it got off to a slow start. Violet Redmond is no shrinking violet. When she sets out to do something - she does it. This time, in search of her brother Lyon who has been missing for two years, she follows up a hunch that he is now the notorious pirate Le Chat. Handsome Captain Flint - a new earl, has been commissioned to find and bring the pirate to justice. What does Violet do? She talks her way onto Flint's ship and stows away until it's too late for him to turn around and take her back to England. Of course, tempers flare, and they can't stand each other at first but things change, as they always do in romance - especially shipboard romances - and they fall in ~~lust~~ love. Yet, the fly in the ointment is - he's out to see her brother hang, and she's out to save him! Quite the dilemma, which ended a bit anticlimactically, but overall, an entertaining read, particularly in the 2nd half of the book.

4/5

Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke

Book Description:
For prim and shy Daphne Wade, the sweetest guilty pleasure of all is secretly watching her employer, the Duke of Tremore, as he works the excavation site on his English estate. Anthony hired Daphne to restore the priceless treasures he has been digging up, but it's hard for a woman to keep her mind on her work when her devastatingly handsome employer keeps taking his shirt off. He doesn't know she's alive, but who could blame her for falling hopelessly in love with him anyway?

Anthony thinks that his capable employee knows all there is to know about antiquities, but when his sister decides to turn the plain young woman in gold-rimmed glasses into an enticing beauty, he declares the task to be impossible. Daphne is devastated when she overhears...and determined to prove him wrong. Now a vibrant and delectable Daphne has emerged from her shell, and the tables are turned. Will Anthony see that the woman of his dreams has been there all along?

I loved this story of plain Jane archeological assistant, Daphne Wade, who works for the handsome Duke of Tremore - and is secretly in love with him. Alas, he doesn't notice her at all. After overhearing some disparaging remarks he makes about her, she resigns and gives him a month's notice so she can pursue a season in London with his sister who wants to take her under her wing as a protege. The duke, not used to not getting his way doesn't want to lose her for she is the best in her field. After she tells him off, he begins to see her differently and so the courtship begins! He is determined to prevent or at least delay her leaving and she develops a spirit to live and come into her own. I simply loved this book and it made me feel good all over by the end! Hurrah!

4.5/5

Double Cross: The True Story of the D-day Spies by Ben Macintyre (audio)

Book Description:
On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and suffered an astonishingly low rate of casualties. D-Day was a stunning military accomplishment, but it was also a masterpiece of trickery. Operation Fortitude, which protected and enabled the invasion, and the Double Cross system, which specialized in turning German spies into double agents, deceived the Nazis into believing that the Allies would attack at Calais and Norway rather than Normandy. It was the most sophisticated and successful deception operation ever carried out, ensuring that Hitler kept an entire army awaiting a fake invasion, saving thousands of lives, and securing an Allied victory at the most critical juncture in the war.

The story of D-Day has been told from the point of view of the soldiers who fought in it, the tacticians who planned it, and the generals who led it. But this epic event in world history has never before been told from the perspectives of the key individuals in the Double Cross System. These include its director (a brilliant, urbane intelligence officer), a colorful assortment of MI5 handlers (as well as their counterparts in Nazi intelligence), and the five spies who formed Double Cross’s nucleus: a dashing Serbian playboy, a Polish fighter-pilot, a bisexual Peruvian party girl, a deeply eccentric Spaniard with a diploma in chicken farming and a volatile Frenchwoman, whose obsessive love for her pet dog very nearly wrecked the entire plan. The D-Day spies were, without question, one of the oddest military units ever assembled, and their success depended on the delicate, dubious relationship between spy and spymaster, both German and British. Their enterprise was saved from catastrophe by a shadowy sixth spy whose heroic sacrifice is revealed here for the first time.

With the same depth of research, eye for the absurd and masterful storytelling that have made Ben Macintyre an international bestseller, Double Cross is a captivating narrative of the spies who wove a web so intricate it ensnared Hitler’s army and carried thousands of D-Day troops across the Channel in safety.

The story of the WWII spies and double agents that helped toward the success of D-Day at Normandy. This was not as good as Macintyre's other WWII spy books that I've listened to, because there were so many different spies, you just didn't get a real in depth feel for any of them. It was difficult to keep track of them all and their code names. A slog on audio, but the narrator John Lee was excellent with the various British, German, Polish and Spanish accents. Try Macintyre's other books that center on one particular spy or mission, much better!

3.5/5

December Quick Reviews

2012-12-03T12:25:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe it's already December! I've read an eclectic set of books in the last month, a lot of mysteries and ho hum romances for real cheap on kindle (now I know why), but I did have some stellar reads as well, like one by Darlene Marshall, Castaway Dreams, Peggy Noonan's When Character Was King about Ronald Reagan, another hilarious 1930's cozy mystery, A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen and the the first of a funny regency espionage series, Revealed by Kate Noble. Here are my reviews:

The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters (audio)

Book Description:
The popular 19th century Egyptologist, Amelia Peabody romps through her eighth archaeological adventure. Amelia returns to Egypt for an exciting excavation. She finds herself faced with a surprising new villain who is every bit as clever and resourceful as the intrepid Amelia herself!

More adventures with the Emerson's in Egypt. A lot happens while on their latest dig: Emerson's brother Walter and his wife Evelyn are on the scene and not as the happy couple we are used to, Ramses gets kidnapped - as well as Nefret - and Amelia and Emerson take on the criminal class of Luxor. All told with the usual humor these books are known for. Amelia's narration by Barbara Rosenblat is fabulous as ever. Great fun though the actual plot is a bit murky and forgettable.

4/5

Unraveled by Courtney Milan

Book Description:
Smite Turner is renowned for his single-minded devotion to his duty as a magistrate. But behind his relentless focus lies not only a determination to do what is right, but the haunting secrets of his past—secrets that he is determined to hide, even if it means keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Until the day an irresistible woman shows up as a witness in his courtroom…

Miranda Darling isn’t in trouble…yet. But she’s close enough that when Turner threatens her with imprisonment if she puts one foot wrong, she knows she should run in the other direction. And yet no matter how forbidding the man seems on the outside, she can’t bring herself to leave. Instead, when he tries to push her away, she pushes right back—straight through his famous self-control, and into the heart of the passion that he has long hidden away…

I think this was the best of the Turner trilogy of three brothers (I loved the novella, Unlocked, in this series too). I haven't been bowled over by this author to date, despite all the praise for her, but I really loved this romance. Smite is by far the most interesting of the Turners and is such an unusual hero, tortured - yet very much in control of his emotions and his orderly world - until he meets Miranda who he makes his mistress for a month. The whole theme of Justice and what it really means and his heartbreaking past really made this a worthwhile read. the other books in this series pale in comparison. I really liked Miranda too, not your typical heroine either. I'm glad she didn't let Turner follow through with his plans - a good match for him - and a good book!! Beautiful cover too!

4/5

Where Serpent's Sleep by C.S. Harris

Book Description:
London, 1812. The brutal slaughter of eight young prostitutes in a house of refuge near Covent Garden leaves only one survivor- and one witness: Hero Jarvis, reform-minded daughter of the Prince Regent's cousin, Lord Jarvis. When the Machiavellian powerbroker quashes any official inquiry that might reveal his daughter's unorthodox presence, Hero launches an investigation of her own and turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for help.

Working in an uneasy alliance, Hero and Sebastian follow a trail of clues leading from the seedy brothels and docksides of London's East End to the Mayfair mansions of a noble family with dark secrets to hide. Risking both their lives and their reputations, the two must race against time to stop a killer whose ominous plot threatens to shake the nation to its very core.

An excellent addition to the adventures of Sebastian St. Cyr, who I am growing to love. This time he's on the trail of why the granddaughter of a duke left her family and became a whore and why she was killed - and why it was made to look like an accident. This time, his sleuthing is at the behest of Hero Jarvis (I knew they'd wind up together - albeit not the way I imagined.) I found the book riveting, this is turning out to be such a great series! The last few paragraphs brought tears to my eyes, glad Sebastian did the right thing. Another beautiful cover too!

4.5/5

The Prophet by Amanda Stevens (audio)

"My name is Amelia Gray."

I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.

In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Well, well, well... I hear this is not the end of the series, but do we ever find out if there were some lasting effects of the gray powder and Amelia's foray to the other side? And what of Devlin's lasting effects? At last we get some closure in regard to Devlin and Amelia's "relationship" but I still feel like things are not settled completely between them. Lots of loose strings that need to be settled. I love these modern day Southern paranormal mysteries on audio, narrated by Khristine Hvam. I highly recommend it them for she gives you a real good flavor of that Southern Charleston feel. Makes me want to go there - now! The Charleston drawl, the Gullah people and everything else about that city and it's environs. A worthwhile read - and a TV series in the making? *gulp*

4/5

The Runaway Countess by Leigh LaValle

Book Description:
"Her heart longs for justice, but her body clamors for sin."

Once the darling of high society, Mazie Chetwyn knows firsthand how quickly the rich and powerful turn their backs on the less fortunate. Orphaned, penniless and determined to defy their ruthless whims, she joins forces with a local highwayman who steals from the rich to give to the poor.

Then the pawn broker snitches, and Mazie is captured by the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire. A man who is far too handsome, far too observant...and surely as corrupt as his father once was.

Sensible, rule-driven Trent Carthwick, twelfth Earl of Radford, is certain the threat of the gallows will prompt the villagers' beloved "Angel of Kindness" to reveal the highwayman's identity. But his bewitching captive volunteers nothing-except a sultry, bewildering kiss.

And so the games begin. Trent feints, Mazie parries. He threatens, she pretends nonchalance. He cajoles, she rebuffs. Thwarted at every turn, Trent probes deep into her one vulnerability-her past. There he finds the leverage he needs and a searing truth that challenges all he believes about right and wrong.

The delicious, if left-brained, hero might forever change all you think you know about the Robin Hood legend. Contains razor-sharp wordplay, skinny dipping and tortured hearts.

A different story of impoverished Lady Margaret aka Miss Mazie, the orphaned daughter of a lord, who aids a local highwayman in a Robin Hood theme and gets caught. The local magistrate, handsome and austere Lord Radford takes her as his prisoner to find out who the Midnight Rider really is. She will not divulge the truth, despite the mutual attraction that is growing between them. The stakes escalate as does their passion. A good book despite the slow beginning. Once I got into it, the second half really took off. Another luscious cover.

4/5

Revealed by Kate Noble

Book Description:
Phillippa Benning is the unrivaled beauty of the Season. But when another lady challenges her for a marquis's attentions, Phillippa entices him to a secret rendezvous-only to stumble upon The Blue Raven, England's most famous spy, lurking at the site of her planned tryst.

The Blue Raven has uncovered an enemy plot directed at upcoming society functions, but he's unable to infiltrate London society. Phillippa makes an offer: in exchange for entrée among the ton, he agrees to have his true identity revealed at the Benning Ball-guaranteeing her unrivaled notoriety. As the danger draws closer, the mysterious spy and Phillippa give in to mutual desire. But when the game turns deadly, betrayal waits around the corner, and Phillippa must decide once and for all-is it the myth that captured her heart, or the man?

I loved this espionage themed regency of well to do widow, Phillippa Benning, leader of the ton, who accidentally gets herself tangled up into a French plot with "presumably" the notorious English agent, The Blue Raven. Of course, she is taken aback to find that the notorious war hero is none other than the bespectacled, gangly and bookish Marcus Worth! Little does she know! What an entertaining romance, filled with dry wit and plenty of red herrings! Looking forward to continuing with this Blue Raven series! A keeper!

4.5/5

A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen (audio)

Book Description:
The Queen of England has concocted a plan in which Georgie is to entertain a Bavarian princess? and conveniently place her in the playboy Prince's path, in the hopes that he might finally marry.

But queens never take money into account. Georgie has very little, which is why she moonlights as a maid-in-disguise. She must draw up plans: clean house to make it look like a palace; have Granddad and her neighbor pretend to be the domestic staff; un-teach Princess Hanni the English she's culled from American gangster movies; cure said Princess of her embarrassing shoplifting habit; and keep an eye on her at parties. Then there's the worrying matter of the body in the bookshop and Hanni's unwitting involvement with the Communist Party. It's enough to drive a girl crazy...

I simply loved this second installment of the continuing adventures of Lady Georgiana. I found much of it hilarious and on audio it is a scream! It really comes through with Hanni's German accent and her "gangster-speak." Katherine Hellgren, the narrator does a great job, as usual, with all the accents, it makes it so much fun to listen to. I think it really enhances all of it, especially the voices of all the males with their 1930's cant, like Gussie and poor Tubby. It really makes me feel like I'm living it up in London's high society in the 1930's! I love this decade! My only gripe is the elusive Irishman, Darcy is not as prevalent here as in the first book, but I loved the ending, so it made up for it. All in all, this is becoming a favorite series of mine, can't wait to listen to the next one!

4.5/5

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell

Book Description:
Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic—even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.

Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

Defies all logic is exactly the way I'd describe this book as well! I could barely finish this annoying romance between two distinctly unlikeable people. Sidonie, the heroine who's name I had the worst time pronouncing inside my head, was holier than thou at first. But oh how she crumbles completely in the arms of the dastardly hero, Jonas Merrick, whose scars and tortured past make him hard and cruel. Then they have a few blissful days of non stop sex - yet she will not marry him when he asks her! What a nit! Of course she has this big secret that he will not forgive her for when he finds out about it. Then her sister and this murder! All were beyond me, I was fed up 1/2 way through but persevered and finished this romance! I'm not sure if I will read more by this author since it's my first book by her, but this had all the elements of what I dislike in a romance, I'm afraid.

2.5/5

When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan

Book Description:
No one has ever captured Ronald Reagan like Peggy Noonan.

In When Character Was King, Noonan brings her own reflections on Reagan to bear as well as new stories—from Presidents George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, his Secret Service men and White House colleagues, his wife, his daughter Patti Davis, and his close friends—to reveal the true nature of a man even his opponents now view as a maker of big history. Marked by incisive wit and elegant prose, When Character Was King will both enlighten and move readers. It may well be the last word on Ronald Reagan, not only as a leader but as a man.

This was a great book about Ronald Reagan. What struck me so much about it is how relevant his philosophy is towards today's economic woes, despite the fact it was written in 2001. It's impossible not to compare the past climates in 1964 and again in 1979 with today's huge deficit and general malaise in the country. Among some of the things that struck me was his desire to reduce the size of an unwieldy and ineffectual government, hearkening back to the original intent of the U.S.'s founding fathers. His plan to reduce taxes in order to promote growth in the economy made perfect sense and was successful (Kennedy did this as well and well, what do you know? It works!) Rather than raise taxes which hurts the economy, growth led to the boom in America that lasted from the Reagan years all the way through the Clinton years. So much of what Reagan was saying way back in his first political speech for Goldwater in 1964 made sense and he kept at it, never deviating from his original intent. Did he use polls to make decisions? Never! I could go on an on. Beautifully written homage to Reagan from Noonan, whose writing tugs at your heartstrings, bringing up so much emotion and genuine fondness for this great president. Beginning with his birth and childhood, his days in Hollywood and SAG president, the governorship of CA and through the presidency leading up to his sad years with Alzheimer's - all in a simple and seemingly effortless prose. This book is full of lessons of what is wrong economically with the U.S. now.

4.5/5

Season for Surrender by Theresa Romain

Book Description:
Alexander Edgeware, Lord Xavier, has quite a reputation—for daring, wagering, and wickedness in all its delightful forms. But the wager before him is hardly his preferred sport: Xavier must persuade a proper young lady to attend his famously naughty Christmas house party—and stay the full, ruinous two weeks. Worse, the lady is Louisa Oliver, a doe-eyed bookworm Xavier finds quite charming. Yet to refuse the challenge is impossible—he will simply have to appoint himself Miss Oliver’s protector…

Louisa knows her chance for a husband has passed. But she has no desire to retire into spinsterhood without enjoying a few grand adventures first. When Lord Xavier's invitation arrives, Louisa is more intrigued than insulted. And once inside the rogues’ gallery, she just may have a thing or two to teach her gentlemen friends about daring…

My first by this author, I'm sorry to say I found this book to be dull and uninteresting. The original premise is about two Regency gentlemen who have nothing better to do with themselves than act like rakes and make wagers in the big betting book at White's. They make a bet that Xavier (our hero, who has a secret passion for reading Dante) can't get an infamous bluestocking spinster to come to his annual bawdy Christmas house party without damaging her reputation - or something close to it. Frankly, I got a little confused. Xavier falls for her, and his cousin, the other one in the wager, tries to do everything he can to soil her reputation, while Xavier is trying to save it, even though all he "really" wants to do is get her somewhere where he can "ruin" her! She was dull as dishwater and he wasn't much better although handsome - as we are told over and over again. Glad I finally finished this, but what a slog! Lovely cover, though.

3/5

Castaway Dreams by Darlene Marshall

Book Description:
After a lifetime in the Royal Navy, surgeon Alexander Murray finds himself castaway with brainless beauty Daphne Farnham and her fluffy little dog. While the dog could be supper, she’s useless. Daphne can’t understand why the humorless surgeon doesn’t like her—everyone likes her! She’s beautiful, rich, and has excellent fashion sense, a most useful skill when putting together an ensemble. This unlikely pair (and Pompom) will have to figure out how to survive together, and may discover that each holds attractions not obvious at first—or even second—glance.

I totally loved this book! I've read all of Darlene Marshall's previous books, but this one takes the cake! It is simply wonderful! Story of stodgy older navy surgeon, Alexander Murray who finds himself shipwrecked and stranded on an island near Bermuda with Miss Daphne Farnham, who he considers to be the most useless and dimwitted society miss he has ever had the unfortunate pleasure of being stuck with. Of course, his opinion changes drastically over time and I loved every word of this endearing romance of how two complete opposites fall in love. It had everything: steamy sex, humor, and an excellent plot line that kept me interested with top notch writing and research to go with it. Very, very clever story, a tour de force for Ms. Marshall! Who would have thought curmudgeonly Dr. Murray would turn out to be such a sexy hero? But of course on second thought, why should I be surprised? He's a Scot with red hair (with a bit of gray thrown in for gravitas). A keeper, though I'm not crazy about the cover...

5/5

A Post-Sandy Hurricane Post of Reviews

2012-11-05T20:16:00.002-05:00

I began writing this post with Sandy coming down hard on us here in New Jersey. I figured I'd post my month's reviews before the power went out. Well, the power went out about half way through, so I'm finishing it up now a week later since that's how long it took to get my power back. Not a fantastic collection this month, lots of regencies and two WWII themed books. I loved the new Sherry Thomas historical and Carrie Lofty's WWII romance, but could have slept through the two Julia Quinns from her backlist.

Deception by Amanda Quick (audio)

Book Description:
Once, Olympia Wingfield was free to devote all her time to her true passion: the study of ancient legends and long-lost treasure. But now, with three hellion nephews to raise, the absentminded beauty has very little time for research. Which makes it seem all the more serendipitous when a handsome stranger strides into Olympia's library unannounced and proceeds to set her world to rights.

Tall and dark, with long, windswept black hair, Jared Chillhurst is the embodiment of Olympia's most exotic dreams—a daring pirate, masquerading in teacher's garb, whose plundering kisses and traveler's tales quickly win her heart. Yet all too soon innocent Olympia will discover that the enigmatic and wickedly sensual Mr. Chillhurst is no lowly tutor, but a future earl with a wealth of secrets—the kind that will lead them both on a perilous quest for a hidden fortune and a love worth more than gold.

On audio, narrated by Anne Flosnik who did a creditable job, except her voice for the one-eyed pirate-like hero sounded too gravelly. It was as if she was trying to give it this smoldering, passion infused inflection. But to my ears, it just made him sound older than he was really supposed to be. He did not sound romantic, but maybe it's just me.

Olympia, the heroine is another of Quick's learned, bluestocking types who is clueless when it comes to the required social niceties in Regency England because she's so wrapped up in her studies. No shy wilting lily, once she makes up her mind she wants to bed Jared, she has no fears or compunctions about it. She could care less what it might do to her reputation if anyone finds out. Other than this unrealistic lack of discretion, I liked her and her three young nephews. I found the storyline amusing at times, albeit convoluted with the lost map, treasure and Jared's irascible father and uncle. It was an easy listen, though it lacked any real depth. Still, I enjoyed it overall.

3.5/5

The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn

Book Description:
Jack Audley has been a highwayman. A soldier. And he has always been a rogue. What he is not, and never wanted to be, is a peer of the realm, responsible for an ancient heritage and the livelihood of hundreds. But when he is recognized as the long-lost son of the House of Wyndham, his carefree life is over. And if his birth proves to be legitimate, then he will find himself with the one title he never wanted: Duke of Wyndham.

Grace Eversleigh has spent the last five years toiling as the companion to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. It is a thankless job, with very little break from the routine... until Jack Audley lands in her life, all rakish smiles and debonair charm. He is not a man who takes no for an answer, and when she is in his arms, she's not a woman who wants to say no. But if he is the true duke, then he is the one man she can never have...

This book took me forever to get through - what a slog! Surprisingly tedious without much humor at all. Unusual for a Julia Quinn romance. Jack, the hero wasn't bad, but he had so much baggage to deal with! Per Quinn's usual heroes, Jack spends his entire time ruing the fact he is going to inherit a dukedom (or is he, that is the question) and he doesn't want the responsibilities that go with it. A high class problem. You see, he never learned how to read because he is dyslexic, but this is his "shameful" secret. Because of this, he cannot bear the thought of leaving his carefree life for the dukedom. Then on top of that, he has all sorts of other guilt issues because his cousin died when they were fighting against Napoleon and he hasn't returned to his home in Ireland since, because he can't bear to face his aunt who raised him. Don't get me started on Penelope - duller than dish water. Not a single memorable thing about her, except that she likes to sleep late and is not a "morning person." What did Jack see in her? The dowager duchess is horrible! Nothing admirable or likable about her in the least, and we had to deal with her so much! What a disappointing romance, and the cover is horrible. I remember when this came out, just the cover itself prevented me from reading it for a long time, such a vapid strange look on her face, and the dreaded overused male model, Nathan Kamp. Uggh. I only bought it months ago because it was almost free on kindle at the time.

3.5/5

Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas

Book Description:
Helena Fitzhugh understands perfectly well that she would be ruined should her secret love affair be discovered. So when a rendezvous goes wrong and she is about to be caught in the act, it is with the greatest reluctance that she accepts help from David Hillsborough, Viscount Hastings, and elopes with him to save her reputation.

Helena has despised David since they were children—the notorious rake has tormented her all her life. David, on the other hand, has always loved Helena, but his pride will never let him admit the secrets of his heart.

A carriage accident the day after their elopement, however, robs Helena of her memory—the slate is wiped clean. At last David dares to reveal his love, and she finds him both fascinating and desirable. But what will happen when her memory returns and she realizes she has fallen for a man she has sworn never to trust?

I love, love, loved this book! The amnesia angle totally caught me off guard but gave the story a greater dimension and depth than just the usual forced marriage, "I hate you, but I have to marry you anyway" scenario. David was wonderful and I loved him and his inner anguish, loving Helena all along and hoping she gets better, but dreading what will happen when she remembers what an ass he'd been over the years. Some flaws did exist in the storyline though: not enough background on his illegitimate daughter, Bea. Still, I loved his tender relationship with her. I also loved his smutty story within a story, which was so clever! Let's face it, this was the best of the trilogy and Sherry Thomas is an absolute favorite of mine! I was also glad to see some lovin' between Fritz and Millie as well. Their story (2nd in the trilogy) ended sort of up in the air and I was glad to see they're happy and living it up in book three! A worthwhile series! Oh no! Now I have to wait forever for Sherry Thomas to come out with her next series, whenever that will be! Whenever it is, I'm sure it will be worth the wait!

4.5/5

Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard

Book Description:
A small Wyoming town is about to learn a few lessons from a new schoolteacher with the courage to win the heart of a man who swore he had nothing to give....

Mary Elizabeth Potter is a self-appointed spinster with no illusions about love. But she is a good teacher and she wants Wolf Mackenzie s son back in school. And after one heated confrontation with the boy s father, she knows father and son have changed her life forever.

Still paying for a crime he didn't commit, Wolf Mackenzie has a chip on his shoulder the size of Wyoming. But prim-and-proper Mary Elizabeth Potter doesn't see Wolf as the dangerous half-breed the town has branded him. Somehow she sees him as a good, decent, honest man. A man who could love...

Wolf's not sure he or the town of Ruth, Wyoming is ready for the taming of Wolf Mackenzie.

I love Linda Howard and this was another good contemporary of hers, but it seemed a bit dated. Wolf Mackenzie has a huge chip on his shoulder - and I mean huge! It took me a while to get used to him because his stern exterior was so hard to break through. He's angry and bitter because he's a "half-breed" and the small town of Ruth, Wyoming treats him - and his son - like dirt. The new spinster schoolteacher who comes to town makes him change his tune and they both wind up having a torrid love affair - just what the two of them need while trying to find a rapist that is on the loose who has a major grudge against Native American Indians. Their growing relationship was great and Mary Elizabeth is feisty and stubborn, but I felt I was being hit over the head over and over with the unfairness of the way the town treated Wolf and his son. I know it was necessary, and it was wrong but I think it went on a little too much. Still, as usual, another terrific Linda Howard, the queen of contemporary, suspenseful romance.

4/5

Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre (audio)

Book Description:
Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began.

In 1941, after training as a German spy in occupied France, Chapman was parachuted into Britain with a revolver, a wireless, and a cyanide pill, with orders from the Abwehr to blow up an airplane factory. Instead, he contacted MI5, the British Secret Service. For the next four years, Chapman worked as a double agent, a lone British spy at the heart of the German Secret Service who at one time volunteered to assassinate Hitler for his countrymen. Crisscrossing Europe under different names, all the while weaving plans, spreading disinformation, and, miraculously, keeping his stories straight under intense interrogation, he even managed to gain some profit and seduce beautiful women along the way.

The Nazis feted Chapman as a hero and awarded him the Iron Cross. In Britain, he was pardoned for his crimes, becoming the only wartime agent to be thus rewarded. Both countries provided for the mother of his child and his mistress. Sixty years after the end of the war, and ten years after Chapman’s death, MI5 has now declassified all of Chapman’s files, releasing more than 1,800 pages of top secret material and allowing the full story of Agent Zigzag to be told for the first time.

A gripping story of loyalty, love, and treachery, Agent Zigzag offers a unique glimpse into the psychology of espionage, with its thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.

Entertaining and interesting account of the story of Eddie Chapman, a double agent during WWII for the Nazis and the British MI5. I really enjoyed this book. Small time crook from England gets arrested on Isle of Jersey and is in jail there when it is soon occupied by the Nazis during WWII. He naively makes a deal with them to be a spy. They recruit him, but then as soon as he's on his first mission in England, he goes to the British and makes a deal with them. A real operator but endearing in his own way. Good inside view of this side of WWII. Very easy listening on audio and John Lee was excellent as the narrator.

4/5

Miss Lacey's Last Fling by Candice Hern

Book Description:
Having sacrificed her youthful opportunities to family obligations, mousy Miss Rosalind Lacey is finally ready to make the most of her long-postponed London Season-starting with Max Devanant, rake extraordinaire....

I loved this traditional Regency. Cute storyline with an endearing hero and heroine. Sort of a bucket list for the Regency miss. Rosie is convinced that she is dying from the same disease that killed her mother. She wants to live it up and have her season in London that she missed out on when she was younger. Well... her racy aunt takes her under her wing and transforms her and suddenly Rosie is the toast of the town. Although the ending felt rushed and I could have done without the constant endearment of "minx," it was really quite a delightful tale - and next to nothing on Kindle.

4.5/5

A Beginner's Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch

Book Description:
All of London is abuzz with the return of the utterly alluring, recently widowed Diane Benchley. Will she remarry? What will she do with her late husband’s fortune? Society is shocked by her announcement—at the Grand Ball, of all places!—that she plans to open an exclusive gentleman’s gaming club in the family mansion. But no one is more stunned than the Marquis of Haybury, Oliver Warren.

Years ago, Oliver and Diane shared a private indiscretion. Now Diane threatens to reveal Oliver’s most ungentlemanly secrets…unless he agrees to help her. A notorious gambler—and rake—Oliver is overqualified to educate Diane in the ways and means of running her establishment. But striking a deal with Diane might just be the biggest risk Oliver has ever taken. This time, the only thing he has to lose is his heart…

Not the best by Suzanne Enoch. I found it very difficult to get into this storyline for the heroine was constantly irritable and cranky. Penniless widow who was suddenly dropped by her lover (our hero) two years earlier comes to London to open a gentleman's club. He's funding it because she's blackmailing him. Much happens, they can't resist each other, but she needs convincing he's changed. Not bad, but not great either, and can't understand the title, has nothing to do with the story! Still, I will read the novella that tells their story two years earlier while lovers in Austria and what went wrong.

3/5

Minx by Julia Quinn

Book Description:
It takes a minx to tempt a rogue...

Beautiful and feisty Henrietta Barrett has never followed the dictates of society. She manages her elderly guardian's estate, prefers to wear breeches rather than dresses, and answers to the unlikely name of Henry. But when her guardian passes away, her beloved home falls into the hands of a distant cousin.

And it takes a rogue to tame her...

William Dunford, London's most elusive bachelor, is stunned to learn that he's inherited property, a title...and a ward bent on making his first visit his last. Henry is determined to continue running the Cornwall estate without help from the handsome new lord, but Dunford is just as sure he can change things...starting with his wild young ward. But turning Henry into a lady makes her not only the darling of the town, but an irresistible attraction to the man who thought he could never be tempted.

Very much a so-so romance, and I have realized I now detest the endearment "minx!" Tom-boy girl, who goes by the name of Henry, falls for an English lord in Cornwall who turns out to be her guardian. She's been living on the estate he has just inherited - and managing it very well. They get off to a rocky start but then become close friends. He doesn't realize he's her guardian at first, but when he does he soon realizes he's in a big dilemma. All he wants to do is seduce her! But he can't - because he's her guardian. So he tries to find her a husband instead, but no one is good enough. Then they go to London and lah dee dah they fall in love. But, then two weeks before the wedding they have this BIG misunderstanding that ruins everything! Unhappy first month of marriage, what a waste! Uggh! Slow beginning, hum drum middle and then angsty ending! Not my favorite JQ romance, I'm afraid.

3.5/5

Carnal Gift by Pamela Clare

Book Description:
"I expect you to show my friend just how grateful you are. Your willingness is everything."

With those harsh words, the hated Sasanach earl decided Bríghid's fate: Her body and her virginity were to be offered up to a stranger in exchange for her brother's life. Possessing nothing but her innocence and her fierce Irish pride, she had no choice but to comply.

But the handsome man she faced in the darkened bedchamber was not at all the monster she expected. His green eyes seemed to see inside her. His tender touch calmed her fears while he swore he would protect her by merely pretending to claim her. And as the long hours of the night passed by, as her senses ignited at the heat of their naked flesh, she made a startling discovery: Sometimes the line between hate and love can be dangerously thin.

This second book in Clare's Blakewell/Kenleigh trilogy just didn't wow me like her other books. A beautiful young Irish woman, Bríghid, finds herself the object of young Colonial, Jamie Blakewell's affections while he's visiting Ireland. But his crazy friend, Sheff, a wealthy and powerful English lord wants her too and becomes obsessed. She is kidnapped by the lord as a gift for the night for Jamie, who wouldn't dream of besmirching her that way. He tricks the lord into thinking he's taking her virginity but then helps her escape instead, but her brother stabs him and they must hide while she heals him after his near death. Much happens and I just found this sort of boring with all the back and forth between Bríghid and Jamie. She won't trust him, blah, blah, blah, he's English and a Protestant! Horrors! I found Jamie much too saintly and perfect for most of the time, which wasn't very interesting. Sheff was a caricature of the despicable and debauched English lord in Ireland who thinks nothing of murdering his Irish tenants. Hopefully, book three in this trilogy will be better and not quite so melodramatic and over the top. I read this on kindle and found innumerable typos, hopefully they will be corrected eventually, plus the spelling of so many of the names (albeit authentic, I have no doubt) made it hard for me to grasp their pronunciation!

3.5/5

Castles by Julie Garwood

Book Description:
Orphaned and besieged, Princess Alesandra knew that only hasty marriage to an Englishman could protect her from the turmoil in her own land. To the amusement of her makeshift guardian, Colin, younger brother of the Marquess of Cainewood, the bold raven-haired beauty instantly captivated London society. But when Alesandra was nearly abducted by her unscrupulous countrymen, the fighting instincts that won Colin a knighthood for valor were kindled.

Deceiving himself that he wanted only to protect her, Colin swept her into a union meant to be a marriage in name alone...yet Alesandra's tender first kiss and hesitant caress ignited a wildfire in his soul. As the lovely princess dashed headlong into unforeseen dangers, Colin would follow, knowing he must claim her as his own forever. Now he would risk life itself before he would lose this sweet, tempestuous angel...

Fun Julie Garwood Regency with all the winsome humor I've come to expect from her. This wraps up her Crown Spies series, which was really delightful! I highly recommend the whole series! Alesandra and Colin make a good couple here and she is another adorable JG heroine who drives her alpha husband crazy! As usual, Colin is not ready to fall in love, but falls for Alesandra anyway. She is amazingly beautiful - and a princess! She also happens to have a lot of hidden talents as well - as is so often the case with Garwood's heroines. Despite Colin's reluctance to admit he's in love, she bides her time, she knows he loves her and he'll let her know when he's ready. She is confident of this and thankfully, the storyline didn't turn into some sort of melodramatic hand wringing "you don't love me!" sort of thing - although there was the usual tension, attempted kidnappings, but that's Garwood fare. The humor made it!

4/5

His Very Own Girl by Carrie Lofty

Book Description:
After the War took the lives of Lulu Davies’s parents and her fiancé, she promised herself she would guard her heart carefully and concentrate on her great love—flying the biggest and best airplanes in the sky. Lulu is a pilot in the British civilian air force, ferrying planes around Great Britain and keeping her eye on a coveted spot in a training program for world-class pilots. She’s perfectly content to strive for greatness in the skies, and dance with a few GIs on the way.

Brawny, quiet American medic Joe Weber signed up with the paratroopers to escape his checkered past; he’s hoping that jumping out of planes and patching up soldiers will earn him respect and a hopeful future. Joe’s first real test of medical skill is on a pilot whose plane takes a hard landing in a training field; after rushing to the crash scene, he is stunned to come face-to-face with a gorgeous Rita Hayworth lookalike. And when the two cross paths at a dance hall a couple weeks later, he can’t resist the urge to find out more about this spirited, dark-haired beauty.

Their flirtation breaks all of Lulu’s rules, but dance by dance, week by week, walk by walk, she finds herself falling in love with this honest, vulnerable man on the run from his demons. But as Lulu and Joe’s undeniable attraction gains momentum, World War II steadily intensifies toward D-Day. The lovers only have one night together before Joe is transported to France for the Battle of the Bulge, where his skills and his instinct for survival will be pushed to their limits. Lulu distracts herself with flight school and the friendships of her colleagues, but she can’t get the handsome medic out of her head. Only time and hope will tell if her love will return unharmed from War, and if the two will be able to overcome their pasts to form a beautiful life together in peace-time.

I absolutely loved this book! Not surprising for I love WWII settings and history and to combine it with a romance - this was a no brainer for me! Feisty pilot heroine and I adored the vulnerable medic hero! This was such a surprise, and I was riveted from start to finish. Exciting moments while flying her planes, near crash landings and what have you. Joe was a dear, I loved him. I just adored this whole WWII scenario! I want more of this couple and see what happens next in their lives. A real keeper, sexy, evocative, memorable - and what a cover!

5/5

September Book Reviews

2012-10-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

I've been reading up a storm with 11 reviews in this post. This was a good month! My favorite of the lot was the new Lorraine Heath book, Lord of Temptation, which is Tristan's story. I also discovered a new to me author, Rhys Bowen, Her Royal Spyness on audio was a delight to listen to. I'm adding her to my must have on audio list! And... as usual, I'm continuing my scarred hero thing...

The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser

Book Description:
Highborn Anna Arrington has been "following the drum," obeying the wishes of her cold, controlling cavalry officer husband. When he dies, all she wants is to leave life with Wellington's army in Spain behind her and go home to her family's castle in Scotland.

Sergeant Will Atkins ran away from home to join the army in a fit of boyish enthusiasm. He is a natural born soldier, popular with officers and men alike, uncommonly brave and chivalrous, and educated and well-read despite his common birth.

As Anna journeys home with a convoy of wounded soldiers, she forms an unlikely friendship with Will. When the convoy is ambushed and their fellow soldiers captured, they become fugitives—together. The attraction between them is strong—but even if they can escape the threat of death at the hands of the French, is love strong enough to bridge the gap between a viscount's daughter and an innkeeper's son?

I really loved this story of how, during the Peninsular Wars in Spain, a corporal under Wellington becomes friends with the wife of an officer in his regiment. It is an unhappy marriage, her husband is awful to her and he gets what he deserves before long. A widow now, she and the corporal develop a closeness, though forbidden. After he rescues her from captivity from a mad French general, they spend four night's together on the road alone and ... well, they can no longer deny the attraction that's been brewing between them. But when they return to the army camp, they must act as if nothing happened. How can these two who have fallen in love be together when society forbids an enlisted man to marry the widow of an officer? It's just not done. Their growing love for one another and the moments they share together before the inevitable parting were both wonderful and bittersweet. My heart went out to them. This is a tender love story that was hard to put down for I had to see how it ended. Will they be reunited or not? This romance was a nice surprise and I will definitely read more by this author. It wasn't until after I finished it, I realized this is the 2nd book in the series. Oh well... I'll have to get to the first book now - pronto!

4.5/5

Not Proper Enough by Carolyn Jewel

Book Description:
Meant to be?

The Marquess of Fenris has loved Lady Eugenia from the day he first set eyes on her. Five years ago, pride caused him to earn her enmity. Now she's widowed, and he's determined to make amends and win her heart. But with their near explosive attraction, can he resist his desire long enough to court her properly?

After the death of her beloved husband, Lady Eugenia Bryant has come to London to build a new life. Despite the gift of a medallion said to have the power to unite the wearer with her perfect match, Eugenia believes she won't love again. And yet, amid the social whirl of chaperoning a young friend through her first Season, she finds a second chance at happiness.

Unfortunately, the Marquess of Fenris threatens her newfound peace. Eugenia dislikes the man, but the handsome and wealthy heir to a dukedom is more charming than he has a right to be. Constantly underfoot, the rogue disturbs her heart, alternately delighting and scandalizing her. And when their relationship takes a highly improper turn, Eugenia must decide if the wrong man isn’t the right one after all.

As much as I love Carolyn Jewel, this romance had an odd relationship between the heroine and hero that was built on contradictions. Ultimately, I found it more annoying than endearing. She kept saying she hated him, yet she begins an affair with him. All the while she is pushing him away and acting like nothing was going on between them, they were having this secret affair! I liked him though, but it was just sort of weird, though some parts were very hot and sexy. I liked a lot about this book, but the push me pull you courtship took it's toll on me, to say the least. Plus the book felt rushed at the end.

3.5/5

The Pirate Next Door by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
Mayfair, London, 1810: Alexandra Alastair, a respectable young English widow, wonders if she dare add the new viscount who’s moved in next door to her list of potential husbands.

He certainly doesn’t look like the gentlemen on her list—Grayson Finley, Viscount Stoke, is tall and sun-bronzed, muscular and blue-eyed. He wears dress so casual as to be unclothed—long coats, leather breeches, shirts without collar or cravat, and he carries pistols wherever he goes. The men who attend him are just as strange, exotic-looking, even. And the way Grayson smiles at Alexandra whenever they pass in the street—sinful, blood-warming—turns her inside out.

In the middle of the night Alexandra hears shouting coming from the house next door, and the viscount’s life being threatened. She rushes over just in time to save Grayson from being hanged by his greatest enemy, his former best friend.

Thus is Alexandra pulled into the adventures of Grayson Finley, former pirate and terror of the seas. Grayson has made a bargain with the devil (in the form of the pirate hunter, James Ardmore), in order to ensure the safety of his daughter. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, but when Alexandra saves his life, he looks into her eyes the color of water and starts to drown . . .

I love this author, so it was a no brainer when I saw the cut-rate price on kindle for this re-release of her 2003 romance. It's the story of a young widow who falls for the pirate viscount that moves in next door to her. Much of the story was far-fetched and over the top, with some distracting sidelines: the rekindled romance between the governess and his second in command and the mystery behind Grayson's nemesis (Book 2). Overall this was fairly entertaining, but I must admit, I'm not a big pirate fancier. Still, it was diverting and I will read on in the series. I love this author, and it's hard for me to pass up anything in her historicals backlist.

3.5/5

Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey

Book Description:
Heartsick and desperate to return home to America, Georgina Anderson boards the Maiden Anne disguised as a cabin boy, never dreaming she'll be forced into intimate servitude at the whim of the ship's irrepressible captain, James Mallory.

The black sheep of a proud and tempestuous family, the handsome ex-pirate once swore no woman alive could entice him into matrimony. But on the high seas his resolve will be weakened by an unrestrained passion and by the high-spirited beauty whose love of freedom and adventure rivals his own.

This wasn't bad, and I liked it pretty much, but this series is not thrilling me as much as I thought it would. Plus, alas, it's another pirate romance - not my favorite... I swore I'd give this series another chance with Gentle Rogue, (which is my favorite of the series so far), but I found the whole Georgie as cabin boy and her succumbing to James' charms so easily (and fast) too contrived. Then, the whole dumb misunderstanding between James and Georgie later on was tedious and the plot became so convoluted with all the various brothers - I lost track of the plotline and their relationship - was it on or off? Still, compared to it's predecessors, this was above average. Still, I'm holding off on continuing with the series for a long time, but I will return to it eventually.

3.5/5

Forever and a Day by Delilah Marvelle

Book Description:

Roderick Gideon Tremayne, the recently appointed Duke of Wentworth, never expected to find himself in New York City, tracking down a mysterious map important to his late mother. And he certainly never expected to be injured, only to wake up with no memory of who he is. But when he sees the fiery-haired beauty who's taken it upon herself to rescue him, suddenly his memory is the last thing on his mind.

Georgia Milton, the young head of New York's notorious Forty Thieves, feels responsible for the man who was trying to save her bag from a thief. But she's not prepared for the fierce passion he ignites within her. When his memory begins to return, her whole world is threatened, and Roderick must choose between the life he forgot and the life he never knew existed.

There was much I enjoyed about this story of an English aristocrat in 1830 NYC who has an accident and gets amnesia. He falls in love with the young widow who helps him and lets him live with her in her tenement to recuperate. The dilemma: once he regains his memory, she is so below his class, a marriage between the two will never work. How do they get around this? Overall, this was a good romance. I liked the hero, Robinson (he thinks his name is Robinson Crusoe), who was endearingly sweet in his naivete. But I was disappointed with the rushed last quarter of the book. The main story centers on how he must adjust to the poverty and filth of lower Manhattan of the 1830's and getting used to living there. I enjoyed their burgeoning relationship, though it does jump the gun a bit, so that by the end it's rushed and their is no big reunion romance scene, much to my disappointment. I was actually very surprised when the story just... ended and went into the epilogue which also leaves many loose strings and questions about other characters (room for future books in the series.) I will continue with this "The Rumor" series for it's intriguing, though I hope there will be more closure at the end of the future books.

3.5/5

Overseas by Beatriz Williams (audio)

Book Description:
When twenty-something Wall Street analyst Kate Wilson attracts the notice of the legendary Julian Laurence at a business meeting, no one’s more surprised than she is. Julian’s relentless energy and his extraordinary intellect electrify her, but she’s baffled by his sudden interest. Why would this handsome British billionaire—Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor—pursue a pretty but bookish young banker who hasn’t had a boyfriend since college?

The answer is beyond imagining . . . at least at first. Kate and Julian’s story may have begun not in the moneyed world of twenty-first-century Manhattan but in France during World War I, when a mysterious American woman emerged from the shadows of the Western Front to save the life of Captain Julian Laurence Ashford, a celebrated war poet and infantry officer.

Now, in modern-day New York, Kate and Julian must protect themselves from the secrets of the past, and trust in a true love that transcends time and space.

I had high hopes for this one. Time travel, a WWI romance thing mixed with a modern day romance, what's not to like? But there was a lot I didn't like about this, especially on audio. The syrupy dialogue began to irritate me to no end, and I couldn't help thinking Kate was a major drip and wondered what Julian saw in her that kept him going for all these years after only knowing her for what - a matter of days? Sorry, I just didn't buy it. The love of the century? She was so annoying! The constant back and forth between them was dreadful too "I'm sorry, darling, it was all my fault. Can you forgive me, darling?" How many times do we have to hear this from Julian? His same words of endearment to her were used over and over as well - minx - uggh, I think I hate this word now. Darling. Then to add to it, Kate is always saying that it's her fault! It's like these two were vying to be the biggest martyr that ever lived! She spurned his wealth and jewels and the way he wanted to pamper her - such the paragon! Uggh, she was much too saintly, as was he. The epilogue was simply torture to listen to as well, with all their ooey gooey love talk of how much they adore each other and how perfect they are. Maybe in print it wouldn't have been as bad, but it was too much for me to listen to, plus the narrator made Kate sound so blah. The scenes from WWI were much better, but overall this books was a big disappointent that I was only too glad to finish!

2.5/5

A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries

Book Description:
Furious at his grandmother’s ultimatum to marry or lose his inheritance, Lord Jarret Sharpe wagers his luck—and his heart—at the card table against a most unlikely opponent.

Mired in scandal after his parents’ mysterious deaths, notorious gambler Lord Jarret Sharpe agrees to tamely run the family brewery for a year if his Machiavellian grandmother rescinds her ultimatum that he marry. But the gambler in him can’t resist when beguiling Annabel Lake proposes a wager. If she wins their card game, he must help save her family’s foundering brewery. But if he wins, she must spend a night in his bed. The outcome sets off a chain of events that threatens to destroy all his plans . . . and unveils the secret Annabel has held for so long. When Jarret discovers the darker reason behind her wager, he forces her into another one—and this time he intends to win not just her body, but her heart.

A well thought out story of gambling ne'er do well second son, Jarret Sharpe, a marquess who takes over the running of his grandmother's brewery. He meets a brewster (a female brewer) who wants to partner with his grandmother's brewery to help save her own brewery from going under. Of course, she's pretty, plucky and red headed - and he can't resist her. There are complications for it turns out she has a son who is being raised as her brother's son. Overall, I really enjoyed this romance and liked the way it all came together with a sentimental and happy ending. Some sizzling love scenes as well. I recommend it!

4/5

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (audio)

Book Description:
The Agatha Award winner debuts a 1930s London mystery series, featuring a penniless twenty-something member of the extended royal family.

Her ridiculously long name is Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, daughter to the Duke of Atholt and Rannoch. And she is flat broke. As the thirty-fourth in line for the throne, she has been taught only a few things, among them, the perfect curtsey. But when her brother cuts off her allowance, she leaves Scotland, and her fiance Fish-Face, for London, where she has:

a) worked behind a cosmetics counter-and gotten sacked after five hours

b) started to fall for a quite unsuitable minor royal

c) made some money housekeeping (incognita, of course), and

d) been summoned by the Queen to spy on her playboy son.

Then an arrogant Frenchman, who wants her family's 800-year-old estate for himself, winds up dead in her bathtub. Now her most important job is to clear her very long family name.

I loved this book! On audio it was simply delightful. London (and Scotland) in the early '30's. Katherine Kellgren, the narrator, did a superb job with all the aristocratic accents of Georgie's friends and would be suitors. The mystery itself was good, not a big stretch to guess who the murderer was, but the writing and humor were what made the book great. I loved Georgie and her friends and relatives (including the queen - HM). Her aristocratic Irish suitor (though, penniless) Darcy was especially memorable. I also wonder if the blue eyed inspector will be seen in the next book - some competition to Charming Darcy's charming Irish ways? I am definitely reading on in this series, I didn't want the book to end - way too short on audio. I made every effort to listen to this as much as I could! A keeper, and don't miss it on audio! All the different voices really made it! I loved the voice of her mother and HM (Her Majesty). So much fun, I haven't felt so enthusiastic over a mystery since I discovered Amelia Peabody! I heartily recommend!

4.5/5

This Rake of Mine by Elizabeth Boyle

Book Description:

EVERYTHING ENDED WITH A KISS ...

When the rakehell Lord Jack Tremont kissed Miranda Mabberly, mistaking her for his mistress, neither realized his reckless act would cost Miranda her reputation, her fiance, and her future. But for Jack, it was a kiss unlike any other.

Years later, hiding incognito far from London - as a teacher at Miss Emery's Establishment for the Education of Genteel Young Ladies - Miranda has made a respectable life for herself, away from the ton and the dangerous men who inhabit it. When a penniless, much humbled, though still damnably attractive Jack arrives at the school to escort a rebellious young niece home, Miranda does her best to avoid the rogue, only to end up tumbling into his arms --- and reawakening a desire that is anything but proper.

She might want to deny her heart, but Miranda's resolve is no challenge for three schoolgirl matchmakers who know true passion when they spy it. Now they won't rest until their all-too-proper teacher and the reprobate lord discover the love that is their destiny.

This was just an okay story that should have been better, considering how much I loved it's predecessor, Something About Emmaline. Here we find out what happens to Miranda Mabberly after wild Lord Jack Tremont kissed her passionately one night at the opera and scandalized all of London! This should have been a glorious entertaining story, but it lost me when it took a turn towards spies and pirates instead of centering on Jack and Miranda's promising storyline. The slow start didn't help either. Oh well, they all can't be winners. It wasn't bad, but I was hoping for something better.

3.5/5

Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:

Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.
Once upon a time, he was Lord Tristan Easton—now he is Crimson Jack, a notorious privateer beholden to none, whose only mistress is the sea. But all that will change when exquisite Lady Anne Hayworth hires his protection on a trip into danger and seduction. . .

Desperation brought Anne to the bronzed, blue-eyed buccaneer. But after the Captain demands a kiss as his payment, desire will keep her at his side. She has never known temptation like this—but to protect her heart, she knows she must leave him behind. Yet Tristan cannot easily forget the beauty—and when they meet again in a London ballroom, he vows he won't lose her a second time, as fiery passion reignited takes them into uncharted waters that could lead the second lost lord home. . .

I really loved this story of Lord Tristan Easton, the middle brother of the Lost Lords of Pembrook who's a scapegrace scoundrel and the notorious sea captain, Crimson Jack. He falls in lust with Lady Anne Hayworth who hires him to take her the to Crimea where she will say farewell to her dead fiance who died in the war there. She wants to get on with her life after two years of mourning and feels this is the only way she can, by saying good to him at his grave. Aboard ship she and Tristan become close - very close. The book sizzled and I loved the chemistry between them. But Tristan loves the sea and Anne wants a life on land - with a husband (who's around) and children. Can this man who claims to not be the marrying kind resist Anna and let her become the wife of someone else? Will he ever admit that she's just what he needs for the rest of his life? Great story, hard to put down. I loved Tristan and his scandalous ways! You never quite know when or where he's going to show up out of nowhere

4.5/5

The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh

Book Description:

Mary Balogh has no equal when it comes to capturing the complex, irresistible passions between men and women. Her classic novel, The Secret Pearl, is one of the New York Times bestselling author’s finest–a tale of temptation and seduction, of guarded hearts and raw emotion…and of a love so powerful it will take your breath away…

He first spies her in the shadows outside a London theatre, a ravishing creature forced to barter her body to survive.

To the woman known simply as Fleur, the well-dressed gentleman with the mesmerizing eyes is an unlikely savior. And when she takes the stranger to her bed, she never expects to see him again. But then Fleur accepts a position as governess to a young girl…and is stunned to discover that her midnight lover is a powerful nobleman. As two wary hearts ignite–and the threat of scandal hovers over them–one question remains: will she be mistress or wife?

This is one of those books I've heard about for years that is ranked up there as one of the best by Mary Balogh. I agree, it was very good, fraught with emotion - though melancholy. A great deal of it is sad, and the way Fleur and Adam meet is unbearably upsetting, but over time we see their complicated relationship turn to one of love. The looming fear of Fleur's arrest or distasteful marriage to her cousin makes the storyline angsty and I had to put it down just to give myself a breather and then return to it. I do recommend it, but this is not a lighthearted romance. This is melodrama with a rich and complex storyline. Not your typical boy meets girl, but it is a touching love story and a worthwhile read. Highly recommended.

4/5

End of Summer Recap

2012-09-03T21:38:00.002-04:00

Good-bye summer, hello Autumn. This latest batch contains 10 mini-reviews, most of which were slightly above average, but no five stars in this batch. I'm still loving Lorraine Heath's Texas trilogy and scarred heroes though. I've got two Tessa Dare's, including her latest new release and I'm also continuing with the intriguing Amelia Gray, Graveyard Queen and cemetery restorer on audio...

The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens (audio)

Book Description:
Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town. My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I've been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I'm coming to think I have another purpose here.

Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I've discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.

Second in the Graveyard Queen series, Amelia's story continues as dark secrets of who she is surface as she takes on a job to restore a cemetery in the isolated island town of Asher Falls. While there in this modern day ghost town, she meets a slew of people who are all creepy and different in their own way - except for Thane Asher, a tall, dark and handsome rakish type who may or may not be all that he seems. The narration for this book is very good, by Khristine Hvam, I love the way she does the various Southern accents. I liked this macabre getaway from Charleston, setting of the first book in the series, but I still want to see what's going on back at the ranch with Devlin - that last line of the book hooked me for the next one in the series!

4/5

A Lady By Midnight by Tessa Dare

Book Description:
A temporary engagement, a lifetime in the making...

After years of fending for herself, Kate Taylor found friendship and acceptance in Spindle Cove - but she never stopped yearning for love. The very last place she'd look for it is in the arms of Corporal Thorne. The militia commander is as stone cold as he is brutally handsome. But when mysterious strangers come searching for Kate, Thorne steps forward as her fiance. He claims to have only Kate's safety in mind. So why is there smoldering passion in his kiss?

Long ago, Samuel Thorne devoted his life to guarding Kate’s happiness. He wants what's best for her, and he knows it's not marriage to a man like him. To outlast their temporary engagement, he must keep his hands off her tempting body and lock her warm smiles out of his withered heart. It's the toughest battle of this hardened warrior's life...and the first he seems destined to lose.

Thorne and Kate's story - at last! I've looked forward to this one ever since discovering the series, but surprisingly, this was my least favorite of the Spindle Cove trilogy. Thorne is dark and granite-like. It takes all of Kate's ingenuity to break down the walls he has built up around him. The plot itself didn't have the usual humor as in the previous books, this was darker and bittersweet. Kate, an orphan, finds out after 23 years that she is actually a "lady" from an aristocratic family. At the same time she discovers this bombshell, she is thrown together with Corporal Thorne, who is entirely unsuitable for a lady to marry. But in Kate's eyes, Corporal Thorne is perfect and she soon falls in love with him over the course of the next few weeks while they are pretending to be engaged (to save her reputation). The conundrum in this love story is he believes he is not good enough for her now that she is a lady, and she must convince him otherwise. It doesn't help that her new family just seems to be getting in the way, complicating matters. A good story, but frustrating and I couldn't help thinking many of the eccentric characters we're introduced to in Kate's new found family are the makings of a new series, which sort of bothered me. They were distracting me from the main focus of the book - Kate and Thorne. I did enjoy seeing some old friends from the previous books though.

4/5

Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare

Book Description:
Lord Benjamin Westfield is a powerful werewolf—until one full moon when he doesn't change. His life now shattered, he rushes off to Scotland in search of the healer who can restore his inner beast, only to find she's not at all what he expected...

Young, beautiful witch Elspeth Campbell will do anything to help anyone who calls upon her healing arts. Then Lord Benjamin shows up, and she suddenly discovers she may need him even more than he needs her...

This is Benjamin's story, the youngest of the three Westfield brothers who are werewolves - but oh so refined ones. In the second installment of this Regency werewolf paranormal series, the story runs simultaneously with book one, A Certain Wolfish Charm, as Benjamin goes to Scotland to find a healer who can cure him of not being able to shift at the full moon. He meets Elspeth, a witch in Edinburgh who can cure him. Instantly attracted to her, he chases after her shamelessly, never suspecting he's actually falling in love. She reciprocates his ardor, plus they have a special bond for she is half Lycan as well, though she doesn't know who her father was. Can Ben help her find out who he is? Much happens and these two have a hurried wedding, but shortly after that, the story turns angsty when Elspeth overhears Ben talking with his brother Will, telling him he can never love Elspeth. She only hears this part, and not why - for he's afraid he'll hurt her when he claims her at the full moon. Aargh, big misunderstanding - but the hot sexy moments make up for it.

4/5

Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
Once a virtual prisoner in her father's house, a lovely lady finds herself shamelessly traded in a battle for land and water rights, and thrust into an unfamiliar world as an unwilling bride. And as her husband - a man who aims to put West Texas on the map - gazes into the eyes of his new bride, he catches a glimpse of another ambition - the desire of the heart. Is this the woman who will walk beside him as, together, they carve out a future life rich with all the promises of love?

Wonderful sequel to Texas Destiny about an arranged marriage between Dallas Leigh and his arch enemy's daughter Cordelia so that they can stop feuding over water rights on Dallas' land. Some parts were exquisitely moving and sad, the author is tops at conveying bone deep emotion to her stories. Heartbreaking moments for Dallas and Cordelia, but such a good read! Various themes are touched upon, most poignantly the role of a father: Dallas' desire for a son to fulfill his dream and on the opposite end of the spectrum, we see "fathers" who are brutal and unspeakably cruel. I scratched my head over the last chapter on my kindle, is it the beginning of the next book or not, it sure seemed like it was to me!

4.5/5

Sweet Release by Pamela Clare

Book Description:
For five pounds in cash, the convict was hers. Though Cassie hated the slave trade, her Virginia plantation demanded the labor, and she knew this fevered man would surely die if she left him. But as his wounds healed and his muscled chest bronzed in the sun, Cassie realized Cole Braden was far more dangerous than his papers had indicated—for he could steal her breath with a glance and lay siege to her senses with a touch.

Abducted, beaten, and given a new name, Alec went from master of an English shipbuilding empire to fourteen years of indentured servitude in the American colonies. There, he was known as Cole Braden, a convicted ravisher and defiler of women. And while he longed to ravish the auburn-haired beauty who owned him, he knew his one hope of earning her love—and his freedom—was to prove his true identity. Only then could he turn the tables and attain his ... Sweet Release.

I wasn't overly bowled over by the story, a bit too angsty for my liking and drawn out a bit too long for us to find out if the truth will ever come out about Alec. English nobleman is kidnapped and sent to the colonies as a convict (it's 1730). Turns out his brother planned the whole thing so he could inherit. While in Virginia, Alec must try to convince everyone who he really is while also falling in love with the mistress of the plantation who has bought his indenture. I liked it overall, but Geoffrey, the villain, was over the top with his awfulness, as the same with Philip, Alec's brother. Still, not bad and the love scenes sizzled.

3.5/5

England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch

Book Description:
Lucinda Barrett's best friends ended up married to the men to whom they delivered their "lessons in love." So Lucinda decides to choose someone who definitely needs lessons, but someone who will not complicate her life. And that person is definitely not Robert Carroway.

Robert is nothing if not complicated, and though he is the brother of a viscount, he rarely goes about society, and finds the weather and hat fashions ludicrous subjects for discussion. Robert is attracted to Lucinda's unpretentious ways, her serenity and her kindness. When she chooses someone for her love lessons, Robert offers to help her deliver her lessons, but sets out to convince the woman he has fallen for to take a chance on love...and on him.

Last of the "Lessons in Love" series, but unfortunately it wasn't my favorite though I had such high hopes for Robert's story! Tortured war veteran, Robert (Bit) Carroway is having trouble getting used to being in society again. His only shining light seems to be Lucinda Barrett, who is attracted to him, but convinced she should be paired up with a different man. She and Bit slowly develop a friendship that soon turns to passion. Everything is further complicated when Bit is accused of stealing some important documents and being a traitor. I enjoyed the book overall, but it dragged at times and wasn't as amusing as the previous books in the series. Due to Bit's struggles with his captivity and post traumatic syndrome, the story had a melancholy feel to it, and I prefer humor in my romances, but it was still good. Georgie and Dare show up quite a bit in this one too, bringing the trilogy full circle.

3.5/5

Song of Susannah by Stephen King (audio)

Book Description:
The next-to-last novel in Stephen King's seven-volume magnum opus, Song of Susannah is at once a book of revelation, a fascinating key to the unfolding mystery of the Dark Tower, and a fast-paced story of double-barreled suspense.

To give birth to her "chap," demon-mother Mia has usurped the body of Susannah Dean and used the power of Black Thirteen to transport to New York City in the summer of 1999. The city is strange to Susannah...and terrifying to the "daughter of none," who shares her body and mind.

Saving the Tower depends not only on rescuing Susannah but also on securing the vacant lot Calvin Tower owns before he loses it to the Sombra Corporation. Enlisting the aid of Manni senders, the remaining katet climbs to the Doorway Cave...and discovers that magic has its own mind. It falls to the boy, the billy-bumbler, and the fallen priest to find Susannah-Mia, who, in a struggle to cope - with each other and with an alien environment - "go todash" to Castle Discordia on the border of End-World. In that forsaken place, Mia reveals her origins, her purpose, and her fierce desire to mother whatever creature the two of them have carried to term.

Eddie and Roland, meanwhile, tumble into western Maine in the summer of 1977, a world that should be idyllic but isn't. For one thing, it is real, and the bullets are flying. For another, it is inhabited by the author of a novel called 'Salem's Lot, a writer who turns out to be as shocked by them as they are by him.

These are the simple vectors of a story rich in complexity and conflict. Its dual climaxes, one at the entrance to a deadly dining establishment and the other appended to the pages of a writer's journal, will leave readers gasping for the saga's final volume (which, Dear Reader, follows soon, say thank ya).

I can't say I was enthralled by this installment in The Dark Tower series. Susannah has been kidnapped by Mia in order to deliver her chap and they wind up in NYC. Eddie and Roland are in Maine and "meet" Stephen King, which was too odd to get into and made my head hurt trying to take it all in. Jake and Don Callahan are on their own, ready to face their last battle if need be. Everything ends up in the air with three major cliffhangers and the last coda, King's diary, seemed like a cop out to me. Overall, I'm a bit disappointed, though I do find the premise fascinating how all his books seem to have this 'end world' and 'mid world' thread running through them. I wanted some resolution for the katet in this book, but I guess I'll have to wait until the last. On audio it was confusing in parts, maybe it was just harder to follow for me than in print, but the narration itself was fine. I didn't realize until this book that the voice of Eddie Dean is supposed to really sound like Stephen King's voice. Interesting... If you haven't read the previous books in this series, don't begin with this one, you'll be totally confused!

3.5/5

At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker

Book Description:
To Gabriel Devine, Duke of Wolverest, the bonds of marriage are nothing more than shackles. But if he's to remain a lifelong bachelor, that leaves only his younger brother to carry on the family name. Inviting the ton's most eligible ladies to an elegant ball, Gabriel is certain any one of them would be all too eager to become the next duchess and provide an heir - leaving Gabriel to continue his ecstatic pursuit of pleasure.

Her social-climbing stepmother would give anything to have Madelyn Haywood betrothed to a future duke. But Madelyn believes the brothers Devine to be nothing more than heartless rogues - especially Gabriel, whose rakish reputation precedes him. He is nothing more than a slave to passion, and she will not be conquered by his caresses - and yet his wicked ways tempt her so . . .

Not a bad Regency, but not very memorable either. Handsome and brooding Duke of Wolverest doesn't want to marry, so he names his younger rakish brother heir to the dukedom - and holds a ball to find a bride for him out of a select few young women lucky enough to pass muster. Sort of a Regency "The Bachelor". Madelyn, a klutzy beauty is an unwilling participant. The last thing the Duke thought would happen was that he'd fall in love with her. I enjoyed their first meeting and ensuing crazy non-courtship. Fun book with some sizzling moments between the two, but their misunderstanding toward the ending was predictable and trying, but as in all romances - it all ends well eventually. Don't let the cheesy cover put you off, it's not half bad!

3.5/5

One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare

Book Description:
The first novel in Tessa Dare’s Stud Club trilogy—secrets and scandals tempt the irresistible rogues of the Stud Club to gamble everything for love.

A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members—yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke—until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?

First book in her Stud Club series, Tessa Dare gives us a forced marriage scenario in which an on the shelf spinster, Amelia d'Orsay must marry the Duke of Midnight aka the Duke of Morland. Due to a series of circumstances involving the death of a friend and thus saving Amelia's reputation, the Duke proposes marriage and they are married in a day. One day. At first glance, Amelia is not the Duke's type at all, but he is unaccountably drawn to her, and as the story unfolds we learn that all is not as it seems with him and these two have a strong connection between them - in addition to a strong attraction. He is brooding and gorgeous, and she is a plain Jane. But, Amelia blossoms as his duchess. She gains confidence and poise and - beauty. This romance packs a lot into it: plenty of sizzling love scenes, a few different plot threads regarding a horse farm, a wayward fifteen year old ward of the Duke, Amelia's gambling addicted brother and the unsolved murder of the originator of the Stud Club. I liked it, but it didn't have the endearing humor that her recent Spindle Cove series has and there was this whole annoying "you must choose me over your family" conflict that got in the way in the second half of the book. Still, it was pretty good and I love this author.

3.5/5

Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke

Book Description:
Annabel is about to marry the perfect man . . .
The last thing Miss Annabel Wheaton desires is true love. She learned the hard way that love makes a woman foolish and leads only to heartache. That's why she agreed to marry an earl who needs her money. He's got a pedigree and a country estate, and he won't ever break her heart. There's only one problem . . .

Christian isn't about to let her marry that pompous prig . . .

Christian Du Quesne, Duke of Scarborough, thinks the stubborn heiress is about to make the biggest mistake of her life, and he's determined to stop her. Tempting beautiful women is Christian's forte, after all. When her family offers him a nice sum of money to stop the wedding, he's happy to accept.
Falling in love with Annabel was never supposed to be part of the bargain . . .

Not my favorite Laura Lee Guhrke romance, but it had it's moments. Set in 1909, half of which is on board a large steam ship en route from New York to London. Annabelle Wheatley, an American heiress with humble beginnings and no pedigree whatsoever is determined to marry well and get herself a title in the bargain. So what if she doesn't love her fiance? Marrying him will make her legitimate in the eyes of society - until her uncle hires the rakish scapegrace Duke of Scarborough to talk her out of it. Unfortunately, they get drunk one night on moonshine in the backseat of her Ford motor car while in storage (shades of Titanic). Let's just say, it gets complicated. The wedding does not go off as planned weeks later, and she winds up having to marry the Duke instead! But, is it worth it if love isn't involved? Will these two ever realize they really are in love with each other after all? I liked Guhrke's strong heroine here as well as her rakish hero, but there just seemed to be something lacking overall, though I can't put my finger on why.

3.5/5

August and July Re-cap Reviews

2012-08-11T13:26:00.000-04:00

Ten quickie book reviews! I've been reading a lot as we head into the later part of summer, but I can't say anything has really bowled me over, with the exception of one new to me author and my first venture into Texas historical romance. There definitely seems to be a theme to books I've read lately: scarred heroes. I love them for some reason, probably due to Jamie Fraser. In addition, my fascination continues with the secret service, this time regarding the assassination of JFK written by Jackie Kennedy's secret service agent.

Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
Arriving on the Fort Worth train, Miss Amelia Carson, mail-order bride, had never met Dallas Leigh, the Texan she promised to marry. The tall cowboy at the station wasn't Dallas. He was Houston, Dallas's brother, sent to escort her on the rugged three-week trek to the ranch where Dallas waited. Brought up in war-ravaged Georgia, Amelia thought Dallas's letters made Texas sound like heaven, a place for her dreams to grow with the right man beside her.

By all appearances, Houston Leigh would hardly be considered the "right man." The war he survived had scarred him inside and out, and he was little competition for his handsome brother. But from the moment Houston met Amelia, he knew she possessed the courage this wild land needed. She had eyes that could see past his wounded face to his soul. And he would fight any man—except his brother—for her heart. Now he and Amelia were riding down dangerous trails, sleeping under the stars, and God help them, they were falling in love.

This was a beautiful love story of a scarred and lonely cowboy who must escort his brother's mail order bride fiancee to the brother's ranch from Ft. Worth. It's a month long trek in which they meet many trials and tribulations, but the main one is how how do they cope with the fact they are falling deeply in love with one another and she is meant for another? Much of this story was touching and bittersweet. I simply loved it and nearly cried in a few parts. Houston's scarred life both physically and mentally was sad and painful to read about, but Amelia understood him so well. They were truly soul mates for one another. Well written, evocative of the time, Texas in the late 1870's, it pulled at my heart strings. Is it any wonder? I'm a sucker for scarred hero romances. On the surface it appears to be a quiet story, involving a simple romantic triangle, but there is so much emotion going on beneath the surface, it's much, much more. It's simply great. This is my first book by Lorraine Heath and I'm eager to read the rest of her backlist, this being one of her earlier books.

5/5

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath

Book Description:
Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.

Sebastian Easton always vowed he would avenge his stolen youth and title. Now back in London, the rightful Duke of Keswick—returning from battle a wounded, hardened, changed man—cannot forget the brave girl who once rescued him and his brothers from certain death.

Lady Mary Wynne-Jones paid dearly for helping the imprisoned young Lords of Pembrook, and she remembers well the promise she made to Sebastian all those years ago: to meet him once more in the abbey ruins where they shared a bold, forbidden kiss. While Mary is betrothed now to another, a friendship forged with dark secrets cannot be ignored. Unexpected passion soon burns dangerously between them, tempting Sebastian to abandon his quest for retribution to fight for a love that could once again set him free.

Another by Lorraine Heath, one of her latest in a new series, but I had my ups and downs with this one. Set during Regency times in England, instead of late 1870's Texas, I saw many similarities between this story and Texas Destiny, most notably another scarred hero and silhouettes as a seduction technique. Though I love scarred heroes, Sebastian is much too obsessed with regaining his title as Duke and regaining his lands. Not to mention, seeking revenge on the uncle who tried to have him killed. Because of his obsession, he treated Mary badly, the woman he's supposed to care so much about. I scratched my head over Sebastian's treatment of her, as did she. I had trouble warming up to him and Mary's character was much too spontaneous and thoughtless of what she was doing. Though she knew better, she disregarded the rules of avoiding scandal, to the point that it was unbelievable. Still, this story wasn't bad, but I much preferred Texas Destiny. Still, I look forward to Tristan and Rafe's stories.

3.5/5

Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh

Book Description:
Meet the Bedwyns—six brothers and sisters—men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality. Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Morgan Bedwyn, the willful youngest daughter, discovers that true love is a temptation no woman can—or should—resist.

Young. Ravishing. Exquisitely marriageable. From the moment he spies Lady Morgan Bedwyn across the glittering ballroom, Gervase Ashford, Earl of Rosthorn, knows he has found the perfect instrument of his revenge. But wedlock is not on the mind of the continent’s most notorious rake. Nor is it of interest to the fiercely independent Lady Morgan herself…until one night of shocking intimacy erupts in a scandal that could make Gervase’s vengeance all the sweeter. There is only one thing standing in his way: Morgan, who has achieved the impossible—she’s melted his coolly guarded heart. For Gervase, only the marriage bed will do, but Morgan simply will not have him. Thus begins a sizzling courtship where two wary hearts are about to be undone by the most scandalous passion of all: glorious, all-consuming love.

Morgan's story took me forever to read and I barely liked it. For one thing, I dislike revenge plot lines and then I found Morgan to be the most annoying, headstrong, impetuous heroine I've come across in a long time. I just felt like slapping her. Over and over I rolled my eyes over something she did. The worse being when she makes an incredibly rash mistake with the hero, Gervase, while in Brussels. Didn't she care or understand the implications of it - and what that might mean on her wedding night with a future husband?! Plus, the whole thing, brief as it was, was anything but romantic. I cringed. On top of that, the whole theme of revenge and misunderstanding was tiresome. It took me a while to warm up to Gervase, but once we learn the truth behind his scandal, I had more sympathy for him, but he really did nothing for me as a hero, and the constant French phrases of endearment he uses ma chérie and mon chère became irritating and clichéd.

The first half of the book while in Brussels bored me to tears, and the endless nursing and bandaging of the soldiers after the Battle of Waterloo went on and on. It was almost reminiscent of Gone With the Wind, but without the intriguing characters of Rhett and Scarlett. Once they return to England it wasn't much better - maybe... slightly. Morgan became impossible once she learns the truth of Gervase's original intent to woo her and why. Her behavior towards him was inconsistent, which is it? Does she want to jump his bones or remain indifferent to him and keep up the charade of being betrothed and then jilt him? I hated this entire scenario, which comes up a lot in this series, fake engagements. Yes, I get it, Morgan is only 18, but she was so childish, yet we're supposed to believe she is so mature in other ways? I could not wait for this book to be over, and the only reason why I finished it and didn't give up on it long ago was because I want to read all the books leading up to Wulfric's story! The best part of this book was the very last line - the cliffhanger lead in for the next book in the series. Hopefully it's better than this disappointment.

2.5/5

Dancing at Midnight by Julia Quinn

Book Description:

Lady Arabella Blydon can sense the secrets smoldering behind the dark, penetrating gaze of Lord John Blackwood. Still she desires this handsome, mysterious stranger who stirs her passions like no other man--even as he warns her to stay away.

War scarred Lord John's body and soul. But this brazen, intoxicating, infuriating bluestocking poses an even greater threat: she is forcing him to care again. For Belle is a woman of bold, independent spirit, equally unconcerned about society's petty restrictions and love's hidden perils. And the beautiful, determined schemer will not rest until she returns joy and light to the damaged lord's life...and wins a place in his shuttered heart forever.

I really loved the previous book in this series, but this one fell a bit short. This is Belle's story, she is the cousin to the heroine in Splendid. She meets John Blackwood, the man of her dreams and shamelessly pursues him, only she doesn't realize that he is the target of a vengeful lunatic out to kill him. John is also suffering from guilt because he was too drunk to stop said lunatic from raping a young Spanish girl when he said he'd protect her during the war. It's been eating him up for five years and he feels he's not worthy to fall in love with anyone - until he meets Belle. Not as endearing a story as Splendid, and I found much of it was sort of disjointed. It also doesn't have the same seamless fluidity and humor of her later books. Belle was kind of nutty - a bit too nutty - and their romance and marriage happened ridiculously fast. Still, not a bad historical, it is Julia Quinn after all, but light.

3.5/5

Dark Desires after Dusk by Kresley Cole

Book Description:
Kresley Cole continues her bestselling Immortals After Dark series with this electrifying tale of a ruthless demon mercenary and the lovely young halfling who enchants him. A seductive beauty he can never have, yet can't resist...

Cadeon Woede will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once he secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought he could use for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as his past.

Raised as a human, Holly never knew that some frightening legends are real until she encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her like a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the demon's wicked touch.

Yet just when he earns Holly's trust, will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can sate his wildest needs -- and claim his heart?

I really enjoyed Cadeon and Holly's story, it was hard to put down! Holly, an OCD math genius in New Orleans, finds out that she's really not just an average woman, but really a Valkyrie, who's also "a Vessel" and tons of Lore people are after her to either kill her or breed with her (long story.) Cadeon, a mercenary has been hired to capture her and bring her to this evil sorcerer in exchange for a legendary sword that he's been looking for - for 900 years! To make matters worse, Holly is the woman that is destined to be his mate - and he's been spying on her for the past year, all the while knowing he can't have her because she is human... or is she? Much happens on this crazed road trip as they travel north in the wilds of Canada to the sorcerer's castle. It's oh-so-complicated, but also oh-so-exciting and filled with adventure and - heat, especially for the big "first time." Very sexy. I recommend it!

4/5

Something About Emmaline by Elizabeth Boyle

Book Description:
Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick, is a gentleman to be envied. He lives a rakish life of well-celebrated ease and contentment and has one person to thank for his perfectly ordered existence—his dearest wife, Emmaline. She never complains about his mistresses or his penchant for late nights out. His friends are envious, but they don't know the truth—Emmaline doesn't exist. But when he starts receiving bills from London for clothes, shoes, hats and a staggering amount of other female accoutrements, he realises something is decidedly amiss.

Posing as Emmaline isn't a stretch for the newly arrived Lady Sedgwick, she's been conning gentry for years. But as the popular baron's wife, she now has the one thing that has eluded her—entree into London's inner circles. Against Alexander's better judgment, Emmaline is impossibly fixed in his life. And suddenly Emmaline is challenging him to be the husband she deserves.

Emmaline is simply adorable. Alex, Baron Sedgwick is nonplussed when the imaginary bride he made up to get all the matchmaking mamas and his grandmother off his back, becomes a reality! Emmaline turns up in his London townhouse, posing as his countess and against all common sense, he goes along with it and becomes "besotted" with her! She is a great character and I loved this book! It was a pleasure to see how the two of them work things out and fall in love. Many mad-cap moments as Emmaline charms her way into Society, and Alex, against all good judgment and common sense - falls in love with his wife! A charming romance, light, fluffy and fun - as long as you suspend disbelief!

4/5

The Last Good-bye by Sarah Mayberry

Book Description:
Ally Bishop knows the settling kind when she sees one. And Tyler Adamson is definitely one. Ordinarily this never-in-one-place-long girl would stay far, far away. Maybe it's the way he looks in jeans, or the way he looks at her, but suddenly Ally is breaking her own rules with dizzying speed. All that Australian temptation right next door...well, there's only so much resistance one girl can have.

As she dives into a fling with Tyler, Ally assures herself she can maintain perspective. After all, he's only here long enough to care for his ailing father. That gives them a time limit, right? With each passing day, however, she falls for Tyler more. And soon she has the strongest urge to unpack her suitcase and stay a while.

Another winner by Harlequin author, Sarah Mayberry. The poignant story of grown son, Tyler Adamson, returning to his once abusive home to care for his estranged father during his last dying days of cancer. There is a lot of baggage to deal with which makes the story bittersweet. Lots of emotion and realistic issues to deal with, I really felt this was Tyler's story more than Ally's. Although it might not sound romantic, it was. The relationship the develops when Tyler meets Ally, the next door neighbor who manages to capture his heart, is a nice foil to what is going on with his father . This was an overall good story with some serious issues, but a good love story too, though Ally's side of the story seemed weak in comparison to Tyler's. I preferred the sequel to this one about his brother, One Good Reason, but this one still had me up in the middle of the night reading until I finished it.

4/5

Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill

Book Description:
HE CALLED HER MRS. KENNEDY. SHE CALLED HIM MR. HILL.
For four years, from the election of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in November 1960 until after the election of Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Clint Hill was the Secret Service agent assigned to guard the glamorous and intensely private Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. During those four years, he went from being a reluctant guardian to a fiercely loyal watchdog and, in many ways, her closest friend.

Now, looking back fifty years, Clint Hill tells his story for the first time, offering a tender, enthralling, and tragic portrayal of how a Secret Service agent who started life in a North Dakota orphanage became the most trusted man in the life of the First Lady who captivated first the nation and then the world.

When he was initially assigned to the new First Lady, Agent Hill envisioned tea parties and gray-haired matrons. But as soon as he met her, he was swept up in the whirlwind of her beauty, her grace, her intelligence, her coy humor, her magnificent composure, and her extraordinary spirit.

From the start, the job was like no other, and Clint was by her side through the early days of JFK's presidency; the birth of sons John and Patrick and Patrick's sudden death; Kennedy-family holidays in Hyannis Port and Palm Beach; Jackie's trips to Europe, Asia, and South America; Jackie's intriguing meetings with men like Aristotle Onassis, Gianni Agnelli, and André Malraux; the dark days of the year that followed the assassination to the farewell party she threw for Clint when he left her protective detail after four years. All she wanted was the one thing he could not give her: a private life for her and her children.

Filled with unforgettable details, startling revelations, and sparkling, intimate moments, this is the once-in-a-lifetime story of a man doing the most exciting job in the world, with a woman all the world loved, and the tragedy that ended it all too soon— a tragedy that haunted him for fifty years.

I enjoyed this quick read about what it was like to be Mrs. Kennedy's secret service man. Lots of interesting antidotes, but I must admit I was exhausted reading about all her travels and after a while it all began to sound like a repetitive travelogue. She went all over the place - Greece, Paris, Pakistan, India - many times on her own without JFK. I had no idea that she spent so much of her time away from the White House! Almost every weekend she'd go to their rented house in Middleburg, Virginia (she was a huge riding enthusiast), then it was in Hyannis Port for the entire summer, Newport with her parents in September and Palm Beach for the holidays. I had no idea! I do wonder what the public thought of that at the time when JFK was president. (I was too young to remember.) Was their any criticism that Jackie was away from the White House so often? The last parts of the book describing the events of the assassination, the aftermath and Kennedy's funeral were riveting and my heart went out to Mr. Hill and his eyewitness account of what it was like for him right there at the limousine when it happened and after. He was very close to her, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn he fell in love with her during his time as her agent. Who wouldn't? A good book and must read for anyone interested in what life was like in the Kennedy White House (and outside it as well.) Lot of wonderful pictures of Mrs. Kennedy I'd never seen before too.

4/5

One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (audio)

Book Description:
Jasper Fforde's exuberant return to the fantastical BookWorld opens during a time of great unrest. All-out Genre war is rumbling, and the BookWorld desperately needs a heroine like Thursday Next. But with the real Thursday apparently retired to the Realworld, the Council of Genres turns to the written Thursday.

The Council wants her to pretend to be the real Thursday and travel as a peacekeeping emissary to the warring factions. A trip up the mighty Metaphoric River beckons-a trip that will reveal a fiendish plot that threatens the very fabric of the BookWorld itself.

Once again New York Times bestselling author Jasper Fforde has a field day gleefully blending satire, romance, and thriller with literary allusions galore in a fantastic adventure through the landscape of a frisky and fertile imagination. Fans will rejoice that their favorite character in the Fforde universe is back.

I've really enjoyed all of the previous Thursday Next book in this series, most of which I've listened to on audio, as was this one. But this sixth installment to the series was simply... awful. I could barely makes heads or tails of it, it wasn't even the "real" Thursday through the entire book. Most of it just seemed to be a number of literary and grammatically themed gags all thrown together higgledy-piggledy in order to create an incoherent plot line about Thursday Next being missing (or is she?) and the "written" Thursday Next has to masquerade as the "real" Thursday to find out what happened to the real Thursday! Yes, we see some old familiar faces, but I missed the real Thursday as she's supposed to be! It just wasn't the same, although the narration was fine, as usual. Still there was no jumping in and out of books, or seeing familiar classic characters from books we all know and love. The fact I even finished this book took superhuman effort on my part. Big disappointment.

2.5/5

A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

Book Description:
Newly widowed and desperate to protect her estate and beloved servants from her malevolent brother-in-law, Martha Russell conceives a daring plan. Or rather, a daring plan to conceive. After all, if she has an heir on the way, her future will be secured. Forsaking all she knows of propriety, Martha approaches her neighbor, a London exile with a wicked reputation, and offers a strictly business proposition: a month of illicit interludes . . . for a fee.

Theophilus Mirkwood ought to be insulted. Should be appalled. But how can he resist this siren in widow’s weeds, whose offer is simply too outrageously tempting to decline? Determined she’ll get her money’s worth, Theo endeavors to awaken this shamefully neglected beauty to the pleasures of the flesh—only to find her dead set against taking any enjoyment in the scandalous bargain. Surely she can’t resist him forever. But could a lady’s sweet surrender open their hearts to the most unexpected arrival of all . . . love?

I had high hopes for this debut romance from this author, but it just didn't win me over. The premise of why Martha wanted the baby was noble but unrealistic to me and I couldn't get into the storyline. It's just not my kind of romance, I guess. I liked the hero, Theo, but Martha was prickly and unlikeable for the majority of the book. She was too "good." Yes, I see how she is "awakened" but I found the love scenes awkward (as they were meant to be at first) but they actually made me uncomfortable. The ending was rushed as well, I would have liked to have seen them have their moment together, finally happy - an epilogue, at least? The fact she could not enjoy sex unless she admired and respected Theo as a person, explained a lot. Theirs was a quiet burgeoning of feelings between two people who find themselves thrown together in a highly unlikely situation. As a result, it took me a while to finish this. Martha was just too noble and driven in her quest, to the point where she was blind to see that what she was doing was wrong - until the end. The first part of the book was a bit dull with all her "goodness" interspersed with the daily grim business of getting her with child, but it did at least pick up in the second half as we see Theo's transformation into a responsible young man with a conscience. Still, much of it was about his estate matters and trying to win over Martha by being a concerned landowner. This had it's moments, but not as lascivious as the book blurb makes it sound. A quiet romance heavy with the theme of noblesse oblige.

3.5/5

Mid-Summer July Reading Wrap Up

2012-07-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

We're on the back end of July now, when the reading is sultry and hot. Beach and pool reading abounds. July had a couple of books I have been waiting for with baited breath, and I was not disappointed by them in the least - stellar releases delivered to my kindle. This is what I've been reading lately:

Defiant by Pamela Clare

Book Description:
Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth's niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as arrogant and contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her—and claim her himself.

Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier—or for the attraction she feels toward Connor as he guides her first through the consummation of their forced union and then through the dangers of the wilderness. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him.

But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.

I was blown away by this excellent addition to Pamela Clare's MacKinnon's Rangers series, I simply loved it. This is Connor's story, the youngest of the three MacKinnon brothers. Taking place in 1760 in upstate New York, this is the third in the series set during the French and Indian War. Connor is the last of the MacKinnons to remain unmarried. Seeing how his two elder brothers have become such family men, Connor is convinced he'll never be the same way, that it's not in him to settle down - until he finds himself the unlikely rescuer of the niece of his nemesis Lord William Wentworth. Lady Sarah, who has been captured by the Shawnee Indians is a strong heroine. She finds the courage and stamina to withstand her capture and together she and Connor make a powerful hero and heroine, despite their different backgrounds. Their chemistry is terrific, the story is wonderful and I couldn't wait to see how they would end up together when there seemed to be so much going against them. Much of her rescue reminded me of parts of Surrender (the first book in the series and my favorite of them all) and it was hard to put down. Often I found myself reading this book in the middle of the night. It was good to see so many old friends, Joseph, Iain, Morgan, Annie. Lord William came across as even more of a villain here than in the last book, but I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him yet. This is a spellbinding story with lots of action, adventure and a sensual intensity that also makes it a great love story. A keeper! 4.5/5

Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas

Book Description:
Millicent understands the terms of her arranged marriage all too well. She gets to be a Countess by marrying an impoverished Earl. And in return, the Earl Fitzhugh receives the benefit of her vast wealth, saving his family from bankruptcy. Because of her youth, they have agreed to wait eight years before consummating the marriage—and then, only to beget an heir. After which, they will lead separate lives.

It is a most sensible arrangement. Except for one little thing. Somehow Millie has fallen head over heels in love with her husband. Her husband, who has become her very best friend, but nothing more… Her husband, who plans to reunite with his childhood sweetheart, the beautiful and newly widowed Isabelle, as soon as he has honored the pact with his wife…

As the hour they truly become husband-and-wife draws near, both Millie and Fitzhugh must face the truth in their hearts. Has their pact bred only a great friendship—or has it, without either of them quite noticing, given rise to a great love?

An emotional second installment in the Fitzhugh Trilogy centering on Millie and Fitz and their arranged marriage. Millie, an heiress who has been in love with Fitz from the first, must face facts that his old love, Isabelle, has returned from India a widow. He intends to live with her, but only after he has sired an heir from his wife - Millie. In flashbacks we see the early days of their eight year marriage and how it grew into a true partnership between friends. Much of this story is melancholy until Fitz comes to his senses and realizes what a gem he has and how the memory of Isabelle is nothing more than that - a memory. Fitz has his flaws but I liked him. I did scratch my head over his thoughtlessness, particularly at the end at Henley Park when Millie is there? Overall a gut wrenching story for Millie, but with a satisfying ending - albeit rushed. I would have preferred a lengthier 'time in the sun' for Millie and Fitz once he realizes his mistake. As usual, Sherry is fantastic when it comes to strong emotional themes. I'm in awe of her talent and she is an absolute favorite and auto buy for me. Bring on the next in this trilogy! 4/5

Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase

Book Description:
From the Journals of Sophia Noirot: A dress is a weapon. It must dazzle his eye, raise his temperature . . . and empty his purse.

A blue-eyed innocent on the outside and a shark on the inside, dressmaker Sophy Noirot could sell sand to Bedouins. Selling Maison Noirot's beautiful designs to aristocratic ladies is a little harder, especially since a recent family scandal has made an enemy of one of society's fashion leaders. Turning scandal to the shop's advantage requires every iota of Sophy's skills, leaving her little patience for a big, reckless rake like the Earl of Longmore. The gorgeous lummox can't keep more than one idea in his head at a time, and his idea is taking off all of Sophy's clothes.

But when Longmore's sister, Noirot's wealthiest, favorite customer, runs away, Sophy can't let him bumble after her on his own. In hot pursuit with the one man who tempts her beyond reason, she finds desire has never slipped on so smoothly . . .

Loretta Chase does it again! This time Sophie Noirot has hero, the Earl of Longmore tied up in knots as he tries to keep up with her while trying to find his sister Clara who has bolted from London to avoid marrying a fortune hunter. Sophie does cartwheels around him due to her amazing ability with disguises and flair for drama, whether in the shop or with a pen. In other words - he is a lost man. Her beauty and intellect had him from their first meeting. Is she a strong heroine? You bet! Despite falling in love with her, can Longmore overcome society's condemnation of an aristocrat marrying a dressmaker? How can it work? (It helps that her sister married a duke). The real crux is will his mother ever accept her? I loved this book and it was a pleasure to see Sophie in action - she's an original! I only wish Longmore was more of an intellectual match for her, rather than someone who believes beating someone to a pulp is the way to solve everything! At any rate, this was an entertaining historical, and another beautiful cover! 4/5

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (audio)

Book Description:
The sequel to Hilary Mantel's 2009 Man Booker Prize winner and New York Times bestseller, Wolf Hall delves into the heart of Tudor history with the downfall of Anne Boleyn

Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England. When the discarded Katherine dies in exile from the court, Anne stands starkly exposed, the focus of gossip and malice.

At a word from Henry, Thomas Cromwell is ready to bring her down. Over three terrifying weeks, Anne is ensnared in a web of conspiracy, while the demure Jane Seymour stands waiting her turn for the poisoned wedding ring. But Anne and her powerful family will not yield without a ferocious struggle. Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies follows the dramatic trial of the queen and her suitors for adultery and treason. To defeat the Boleyns, Cromwell must ally with his natural enemies, the papist aristocracy. What price will he pay for Anne's head?

This was not as good as Wolf Hall, in my opinion. It did have it's moments - but not many. The same old 'how do we get rid of Anne' storyline from Cromwell's point of view. I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Simon Vance. He did a fine job, but overall, I found nothing overly special about it. Oddly enough, I love Simon Vance's narrating, but even that could not win me over on this dry historical fiction. Cromwell is all business here, as expected, since he has almost no home life any longer, his wife and daughters dead and his sons are getting older and becoming their own men. He's not as likeable here, his dry wit and insulting observations on everyone is not as amusing as it was in Wolf Hall. Here they sound more bitter and just mean. The characters in the novel were flat and inscrutable and there is a certain pretentiousness in the writing itself that took away from the story. Although the author's pronoun use is slightly better than in Wolf Hall, what is it with her odd use of he, Cromwell instead of just using his name? These affectations are so unnecessary, in my opinion. Why do it? I really lose patience with this sort of thing, just give me a good story, develop your characters so they are not just two-dimensional historical figures I can read about on Wikipedia. I just don't understand all the accolades and rave reviews, I've read so much better in this genre. 3.5/5

Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long

Book Description:
It's the last chance for Cynthia Brightly, the ton's most bewitching belle. Driven out of London by a secret scandal, she must find a grand husband at the Redmonds' house party before word of her downfall spreads all over England. Unfortunately, someone at Pennyroyal Green is already privy to the whispers of broken engagements and dueling lovers: Miles Redmond, renowned explorer and—thanks to his brother's disappearance—heir to the family's enormous fortune.

Miles set his sights on Cynthia once, at a time when the ambitious beauty thought herself too good for a second son. But now he's heir apparent, relishing his control. He strikes a bargain with her: he'll keep Cynthia's steamy secrets and help her find a husband among the guests—in exchange for a single kiss.

What could be the harm in a simple kiss? Cynthia is about to discover that it's enough to unleash fierce passion—and that Miles Redmond is most certainly like no other lover in the world.

This historical turned out to be a really good romance! It had all the elements I love: humor, steam, romance and an added dash of poignancy to it that tugged at my heart strings. Cynthia Brightly needs to get married in a hurry. With no family and barely any money left, the former toast of London must marry soon or be faced with the unhappy eventuality of becoming a companion to a nasty old lady in a bath chair in Northumberland. I found it hard to like Cynthia at first, but she grew on me and by the end she had me. While at a house party in Sussex she meets Miles Redmond, the handsome naturalist and unlikely heir to the Redmond fortune, (since his older brother, Lyon, has disappeared). Little does she know that Miles once met her - or rather - he overheard her a few years back and was repelled by what he heard come from her lips. She called him a "dour second son." Taking a page from Elizabeth Bennet's book, he is prejudiced against her from then on, convinced she's nothing more than a greedy mercenary bitch. He can barely be civil to her when she visits his family home as a guest for two weeks at a house party. That doesn't stop him from wanting to kiss her though - plus other things as well. Yet he knows she's all wrong for him. He needs an heiress who can finance his next expedition, he is an explorer. They're both in need of something other than love - money. Despite his common sense which tells him to avoid her at all costs, he is intrigued by her and can't stay away. They make a bargain, he'll help her with finding a husband by giving her pertinent information on the single men at the house party, if she gives him a kiss - and from there it turns into an eventful two weeks! I really loved this book, although it took me a long time to read it due to my busy schedule. If I had had the time, I would have raced through it! A keeper! 4/5

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Book Description:

Her only hope for survival
Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of Londonand he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.

Is to ruin the man she loves
But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needsand the love she knows is impossible.

Well, I liked this second installment in the Turner Series better than Unveiled, but not by much. The theme of deception is continued in this implausible story of Sir Mark Turner - an aristocratic virgin who extols the practicality of chastity and subsequently has a throng of followers that all want to follow him. Do I hear a distant voice singing "See Me... Feel Me... Touch Me... Heal Me ...?" Jessica Farleigh, a beautiful but "nice" courtesan who is out of money makes a deal with one of Sir Mark's enemies to seduce Mark so she can earn enough money to leave the courtesan business and rent a nice little cottage in the country and live a quiet life forever. She poses as a widow who just happens to live in the little country village where he is staying for a time to get away from the throngs of followers that hounded him in London. Unfortunately things don't go as planned, for she didn't count on falling in love with him - and vice versa. The book wasn't bad, but the whole "I'm not good enough for you because I'm a whore" theme grew tiresome and was dragged out to infinity. I found the entire storyline farfetched and the outrageous duel at the end fell flat. Yet I'm still interested in their brother Smite's story, so I will continue with the series, but I am not finding Milan as stellar as everyone makes her out to be. 3.5/5

End of June Wrap Up

2012-06-30T23:48:00.001-04:00

I had a great reading month with an eclectic group of books. I finished off the month with Elizabeth Hoyt's latest installment of her Maiden Lane Series, which is not to be missed! Among my books were an old Hemingway classic, a new- to-me paranormal author who writes about a Southern young woman who sees ghosts and I fell in love with the first book of Loretta Chase's latest romantic series! The month rated three stellar reads and only one slight disappointment.

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

Book Description:
A Masked Man . . .

Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles—protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.

A Dangerous Woman . . .

Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society— flirtation, double-entendres, and scandalous liaisons—Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar—and his lips so tempting.

A Passion Neither Could Deny

During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed . . . But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything—the Home, Isabel . . . and his life.

I love, love, loved this book! A terrific addition to the Maiden Lane series, my favorite so far in the series. I had no idea I'd love this story so much! Isabel Beckinhall, an aristocratic, childless widow in her early thirties becomes enamored of The Ghost of St. Giles after rescuing him from a mob out to capture him. Little does she know who the Ghost really is! This book is loaded with sensuality and heat - very well done as is often the case with Hoyt's romances. Set in Georgian England, the scenery, costumes and squalor of St. Giles comes alive! Winter and Isabel make a fabulous mismatched couple and I loved the fact he would not take "no" for answer! Winter is up there with Jamie Fraser in reinforcing my opinion that younger men and virgins to boot - make the most enthusiastic lovers! Lucky Isabel! A must read! 4.5/5

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (audio)

Book Description:
The Sun Also Rises was Ernest Hemingway's first big novel, and immediately established Hemingway as one of the great prose stylists, and one of the preeminent writers of his time. It is also the book that encapsulates the angst of the post-World War I generation, known as the Lost Generation. This poignantly beautiful story of a group of American and English expatriates in Paris on an excursion to Pamplona represents a dramatic step forward for Hemingway's evolving style. Featuring Left Bank Paris in the 1920s and brutally realistic descriptions of bullfighting in Spain, the story is about the flamboyant Lady Brett Ashley and the hapless Jake Barnes. In an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions, this is the Lost Generation.

I really enjoyed this listen. I like Hemingway's style. His brief, no nonsense prose sums up the situations so well between his characters. This is one of those classics I never got around to reading when I was younger, though I did read A Farewell to Arms in high school and loved it. I was drawn to this audiobook when I saw that the actor, William Hurt, was the narrator for it. I've always liked him he did a pretty good job of the voices (good Scottish accent for Mike, Brett's perpetually drunken fiance) I wasn't crazy about his accent for Brett and the way she says "Rath-errrr! It just didn't sound right the way he said it.

The gist of the story is these "Lost Generation" literary types in Paris decide to go to Pamplona in the 1920's to see the bullfights. Four men revolve around Lady Brett Ashley, an English flapper who's also a drunkard and divorcee - they're all in love with her. Pity, Jake, the narrator of the story loves her too, but cannot act on it due to a war injury that has left him impotent. In love with him herself, she and Jake can only wish and reflect on how pretty it would be to have a life together. He watches from the sidelines as she goes from one man to another, drinking her way through them, trying to forget the fact the man she met during the war and fell in love with can never make love to her. A slice of life amidst the dissolute and drunk set, whiling their lives away hoping for something of which they don't know what. 4/5

Love Once Again by Jo Ann Simon

Book Description:
A twist of time had swept them into each other's arms....but a sad turn of fate just as suddenly swept them apart.

On a perfect New England Christmas morning, Jessica, with their infant son in her arms, crosses their bedroom to greet Christopher. But before she has a chance to reach her destination, the image of him seated on the edge of their bed seems to fade. His welcoming smile becomes a look of alarm. He reaches out his hand to her. She thinks she has grasped it.

Yet instead she finds herself in small and very cold nineteenth century cabin, alone with their child...while Christopher finds himself in a New York City rooming house, without his wife and son.
Agonized by memories of their magical time together, each is forced to carry on -- Jessica as a servant in a wealthy farm household. Christopher adjusts to finding a career in early nineteenth century New York.

Will the love they have shared remain only a memory...or will fate allow their paths to cross again? Can even a love as strong as theirs overcome...for all time?

This is the sequel to Love Once in Passing which I read recently and loved. Unfortunately this was a disappointment. I found much of this book depressing and angsty and mostly frustrating for me. Jessica and Christopher are separated for the first half, then after reuniting again after two years, they go through a series of trials and tribulations due to Christopher's fiancee, who he nearly married and then takes up with again as his mistress! Jessica, who is originally from the twentieth century has a hard time adjusting to life as a wife in the 19th century, yet Christopher is used to it, but forgets what he loved initially in his 20th century woman. It seemed to take me forever to finish this book, although I did like the feel of of early 19th century NYC and Connecticut.   3.5/5

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

HELLIONS OF HALSTEAD HALL
They're the scandalous Sharpes, five hell-raising siblings tainted by a shocking family legacy. Now each faces a daunting ultimatum: marry by year's end -- or kiss their inheritance good-bye.

Book Description:
In the two decades since a tragic "accident" took the lives of his parents, Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville, has survived the scandal surrounding that fateful night by living as an unrepentant rakehell. And with his grandmother vowing to disinherit him if he doesn't settle down and wed, he plans to fulfill the bargain in true Sharpe style -- by bringing home a fake fiancée from a brothel! But his scheme is derailed when he rescues an American beauty in a dire predicament instead. Maria Butterfield came to London to track down her groom-to-be, who's gone missing, but her engagement won't stop Oliver from getting what he wants: her, in his bed. His rebellious masquerade may call his grandmother's bluff , but it's soon made all too real -- by a love that tempts him to be a hellion no more.

I took a brief break from Sabrina Jeffries but am now launching into her Hellions of Halstead Hall series, starting here with the eldest of them, Oliver. American heiress, Maria Butterfield must count on the help of rakehell Lord Stoneville to help her find her fiance (for complicated reasons). He finds it hard to resist her natural charm and unaffected demeanor - but is it enough to give up his notorious reputation and settle down? Not bad, but not great either. I didn't feel any strong attachment to either the hero or heroine, but this looks to be a promising beginning to a new series for me. 3.5/5

Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase

Book Description:
From the Design Book of Marcelline Noirot:   The allure of the perfect gown should be twofold: ladies would die to wear it . . .and gentlemen would kill to remove it!

Brilliant and ambitious dressmaker Marcelline Noirot is London's rising star. And who better to benefit from her talent than the worst-dressed lady in the ton, the Duke of Clevedon's intended bride? Winning the future duchess's patronage means prestige and fortune for Marcelline and her sisters. To get to the lady, though, Marcelline must win over Clevedon, whose standards are as high as his morals are . . . not.

The prize seems well worth the risk—but this time Marcelline's met her match. Clevedon can design a seduction as irresistible as her dresses; and what begins as a flicker of desire between two of the most passionately stubborn charmers in London soon ignites into a delicious inferno . . .and a blazing scandal.

And now both their futures hang by an exquisite thread of silk . . .

I simply loved this book! I'm not surprised, it has everything, humor, sensuality, a fantastic, strong, heroine and an irresistible hero. *sigh*   Marcelline's daughter was so sweet as well - she brought tears to my eyes at one point. I love the notorious DeLucey's, and there were some elements here that reminded me of Chase's other book, Lord Perfect. We even got a glimpse of Lord Hargate! A great addition to Chase's library of great books! A keeper and has primed me for book 2 which just came out last week! Beautiful cover too! 4.5/5

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens (audio)

Book Description:
Amelia Gray has always been aware of ghosts, and now she travels all over the South cleaning up forgotten or abandoned graveyards. When an enigmatic yet haunted police detective asks for her help to trap a serial killer, their growing attraction constitutes the very gravest of threats.

I really enjoyed this modern-day twisty paranormal tale of a southern young woman, Amelia Gray, who "sees dead bodies." Yes, she sees ghosts, a trait she has inherited from her father. Since the age of nine, she's had to keep this secret from everyone but her father. But, the hardest part is she cannot let the ghosts know she can see them or they will never leave her and try and suck her life force from her - haunt her. As an adult, Amelia is a graveyard restorer, an expert on cemetery restoration. Based in Charleston, she's asked to help on a case in which a dead woman's body has been found in a cemetery she's been restoring. This leads her to Detective John Devlin, an enigmatic and devilishly handsome man that has his own ghosts following him wherever he goes - though he doesn't know it. Amelia does and sees his dead wife and child at twilight when the ghosts come out. Can Amelia resist the attractive detective, despite the magnetic appeal he exudes? And what about these dead bodies turning up in Oak Grove Cemetery, what is the connection and who is the killer that has started up his killing spree again after ten years? What is Devlin's daughter's ghost trying to tell Amelia? Lots of questions, a good mystery, and just enough creepiness to keep my attention to the very end. I loved this book, the setting and the plotline were great, especially on audio. The narrator, Khristine Hvam, did a fantastic job with the charming Southern accents as well. Reminds me a bit of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series with another Southern heroine who sees things others don't, particularly dark shadowy creatures. I'm definitely listening to the rest of the series!   4.5/5

A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran

Book Description:
When Nell Whitby breaks into an earl’s house on a midnight quest for revenge, she finds her pistol pointed at the wrong man. Pity the handsome devil is a lunatic. He thinks her a missing heiress, but more to the point, he’ll help her escape the slums and get a bit of justice, too. Not a bad bargain. All she has to do is marry him.

A rake of the first order, Simon St. Maur spent his restless youth burning every bridge he walked across. When he inherits an earldom without a single penny attached to it, he sees a chance to start over—provided he can find an heiress to fund his efforts. But his wicked reputation means courtship will be difficult—until fate sends him the most notorious missing heiress in history. All he needs now is to turn her into a lady and keep himself from making the only mistake that could ruin everything: falling in love..

Overall I liked this story of a missing twin heiress raised in the slums of London during the Victorian era. Unexpectedly when she breaks into his house to kill him, she is found by the heir to her father's title. He happens to be in need of money big time and must convince the world who she is so she can come into her fortune. He plans on marrying her so he can cash in on it too, but in case it doesn't work out, he can always get the marriage annulled. He doesn't mention this too her, unfortunately, before the wedding. Of course, he doesn't expect to fall in love with the coarse guttersnipe either - but he does - and vice versa. The story had it's good moments, but I found it hard to like the heroine, which is understandable, considering her background and everything that has happened to her. She is distrustful and thorny to everyone, though I did enjoy the brief interlude after they marry - before she overhears an unfortunate conversation. 3.5/5

More Quick Reviews - June

2012-06-09T10:33:00.001-04:00

Well, since life is throwing a lot at me these days I'm posting six more quickie reviews and this will most likely be my regular format for the time being until I get over this busy time. Not forever, but I seem to be enjoying reading these days much more than writing, so... c'est la vie.

Unveiled by Courtney Milan

Book Description:
Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family-and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance...

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy-the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties-and the tantalizing promise of passion....

My first book by this author, I downloaded it on kindle because of all the talk of how great it was. It's nominated for the RITA and all that, so I had to see what it was all about. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm the odd one out in regard to it. I just didn't feel the love for Unveiled. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge fan of revenge themes nor of self-sacrificing types who are much too saintly - this book had both. I grew tired of it early on. Maybe it's me, but the lengthy deception of Margaret's, disguised as a nurse instead of the daughter of the dying duke seemed interminable. Ash's instant attraction to her was just so unbelievable and boring for me, despite the fact he is her adversary. Yes, yes there was a lot of inner turmoil and self-analysis and ultimate realization that "Gee, I guess I really don't have to be a martyr to find fulfillment!" But by that point, at the end I'd already grown bored with it all, for it was all too obvious what needed to be done on their parts. I just wanted the book to end already and have them admit their love and to hell with their family obligations! I found it more frustrating than anything else, although I liked Ash's brothers and am looking forward to their books. I loved Milan's novella, Unlocked which is about Margaret's friend with the horsey laugh. An endearing story that was 4 1/2 stars. I don't normally like novellas, but this was an exception, a worthwhile quick read on kindle.

3/5

London's Perfect Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch

Book Description:
A determined young lady vows to give one of London's infamous rakes his comeuppance - but when the rogue turns the tables, who truly learns a lesson in love?

The ton gossips call him "Saint" - but the Marquis of St. Aubyn has well earned his reputation as London's perfect scoundrel.

Evelyn Ruddick knows she should avoid him at all costs-but the strikingly beautiful lady wants to aid the children of the Heart of Hope Orphanage, and he heads the board of trustees. Evie is determined to teach the charming, arrogant man a lesson in compassion, but it won't be so easy-especially since his touch is setting her desire aflame, making Evie yearn to submit to his passionate instruction...

The idea of joining in her "project" is unthinkable, but this enchantress refuses to give up! So what else is there for a self-respecting rake to do but seduce the lady? Yet soon it is he who is being seduced by Evie's tender heart and fiery blushes. Could the temptation of long, passionate nights in her arms bring about the impossible? Could the disreputable Saint at long last be reformed?

I don't know how Suzanne Enoch does it, but I went from loathing this scoundrel of a hero, Saint Aubyn, to loving him by the end. There's something about him that was so awful, yet he was so damned sexy and outrageous, no wonder Evie couldn't resist him. The first half of the book dragged and the entire orphanage storyline was blah and then the kidnapping scenario when Evie locks Saint in the dungeon was unbelievably far-fetched, yet it did bring life to the story and the second half was much better than the first. Nice proposal scene too. I can't understand it, but I wound up loving this book!

4/5

The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander

Book Description:
Widowed Julia, Lady Winterset, has inherited a book—a very shocking book—that every gentleman in London seems to want. For a charismatic businessman, it's a chance to build an empire. For a dashing novelist, it could guarantee fame. But to a proud, domineering earl, it means everything...

Harrison Landingham, Earl of Mountdale, can't let the obstinate Julia release the shameless memoir that could ruin his family's name. But the only way to stop her may be equally sordid—if far more pleasurable. For his rivals are intent on seducing the captivating woman to acquire the book. And Harrison isn't the sort to back away from a competition with the stakes this high. Now the winner will claim both the scandalous memoirs and the heart of their lovely owner...

I really enjoyed this romance which is the prequel to another book I loved, His Mistress by Christmas. This is a fun Victorian historical about of an aristocratic widow in need of funds who decides to publish her g-grandmother's scandalous memoirs. In so doing, she winds up fending off the attentions of three different men who want the memoirs for their own particular reasons. Of course, the stuffiest, stodgiest and - most good looking of them all - captures her heart. Humor, passion and some deliciously awkward moments. Loved it! Much better than I thought it would be based on the mixed reviews I've read. I enjoyed her g-grandmother's ghostly pep talks as well!

4/5

The Snake the Crocodile & the Dog by Elizabeth Peters (audio)

Book Description:
The delightful seventh adventure for popular heroine Amelia Peabody. The 19th-century Egyptologist and her dashing husband, Emerson, return to Amarna, where they first fell in love. When Emerson is kidnapped, Amelia must rescue her husband, find the culprit, and save her marriage.

I very much enjoyed this installment of the further adventures of Amelia Peabody. Amelia and Emerson are on their own in Egypt (sans Ramses) and, as usual, someone is trying to harm them. Now an old married couple, Amelia longs for the early days of their courtship. All I can say is, be careful for what you wish for - you just might get it! Lo and behold, Emerson is kidnapped and when he is finally found he has amnesia and has no memory of ever meeting Amelia - much less marrying her! As Amelia copes with this new (but very much like the old) Emerson, they try to determine who is after them and why. Much humor (Ramses letters to his parents are hilarious) and I very much enjoyed the character of Cyrus Vandergelt, their American friend. Barbara Rosenblat, as usual, is Amelia Peabody, she is one of the best readers out there in the audiobook world! All her voices, whether it's Amelia, Emerson, Cyrus or Ramses - great, great, great!

4/5

The Bridal Season by Connie Brockway

Book Description:
Letty Potts has gotten into a few fixes in her twenty-five years, but this is her worst predicament yet. A petty schemer by necessity, the struggling music hall performer has decided to go straight. But after narrowly escaping the wrath of her partner in crime, she finds herself at Paddington Station with nothing but the gown she's wearing ... and another woman's train ticket clutched in her hand. Now masquerading as the redoubtable "Lady Agatha," of Whyte Wedding Celebrations, Letty arrives in the backwater burg of Little Bidewell, where she is to arrange the nuptials of a young society bride.

Amid the dizzying whirl of pre-wedding festivities, nobody suspects Letty's secret ... except the sensual and aristocratic Sir Elliot March. A war hero who has forsworn love, Elliot senses something decidedly amiss about this outspoken young woman. Yet she awakens a passionate yearning he'd thought was lost to him forever. And soon a desperate masquerade embroils them both in a web of scandal and danger as Letty's past catches up with her - threatening their lives ... and a love without peer.

An entertaining and different Victorian historical, not your run of the mill... Letty Potts, an actress, finds herself in the unusual role of impersonating Lady Agatha Whyte, a wedding planner who has run off to get married to a Frenchman. Picking up the reins (against her own better judgment) she enters into the role of wedding planner with gusto, orchestrating a high society wedding in the remote village of Little Bidewell, in Northumberland. This serves her purposes just fine, for she is in hiding from her ruthless ex-boyfriend and former partner in crime, Nick Sparkles. Having dabbled in a many a con game with Nick, she wants no more part in his schemes. Little does she know that while in Little Bidewell she meets the man of her dreams - Sir Elliot March. Tall, dark and handsome - he's also the local constable. Uh-oh. Will he be able to see past her beauty and vivacious personality and realize she's really a fake? What will happen when he learns the woman he's falling in love with is a liar who has hurt not only him, but the rest of Little Bidewell? A quirky and fun Connie Brockway romance that kept my interest until the very end.

4/5

The Indiscretion by Judith Ivory

Book Description:
Lady Lydia Bedford-Browne's small rebellion becomes the adventure of her life, when her coach crashes and leaves her stranded on the treacherous Dartmoor with the only other passenger: a rugged, disarmingly attractive Texan named Sam Cody. Sam's slow, melodic drawl and dark, hypnotic eyes tempt Lydia in ways she never thought possible. But dare the lord's daughter loosen her proper English restraints any further?

Foul luck has caused the dashing American millionaire to miss his own wedding to an unforgiving bride...for the second time! Worse still,he's stuck in the middle of nowhere with a straight-laced noble beauty. But there is an unmistakable spark of courage, sensuality, and wild passion beneath Liddy's prim exterior, daring Sam to pursue even further what his heart and his soul now desperately desire - even though both the Texan's and the lady's vastly different worlds will be rocked if they dare surrender to...The Indiscretion.

Another winner by Ivory with an endearing hero and heroine. Sam and Liddy make a great pair. The book is broken up into two parts. Part one takes place as Sam, a cowboy from Texas at the turn of the century and Liddy, the aristocratic daughter of a viscount, are lost together on the Dartmoor in England for four days - and nights. Much happens as they get to know one another intimately (the peeing sequence was a bit over the top, but I will overlook it since I loved the book overall). Eventually they become lovers. Their time together is idyllic and sensually romantic. What a pleasure to see how they savor their time together, love mad with touching and coupling. As if they are honeymooners. The love scenes are really sensational - especially their first. But reality steps in when they are found and so begins Part Two of the book when Liddy finds out who Sam really is, and that he's not just some nobody cow poke from America. She's afraid to admit her feelings towards him and acknowledge him in public, when it's obvious he wants to court her and continue on with their relationship. She's afraid that their secret of what they did on the moor will get out. What they had on the moor was special and unforgettable and she doesn't want it tainted by a scandal. Obviously, she's not thinking clearly when he obviously wants to marry her, yet she keeps pushing him away! I found the second part of the book sad, frustrating, heartbreaking - and hard to put down. Fortunately, there is a happy ending. As a bonus, I was enamored of Liddy's prowess at archery which added a new dimension to her character. Overall, a different romance with top notch leads and Ivory is easily one of my favorite romance authors now. Very, very special.

4/5

May Quickie Reviews

2012-05-24T23:34:00.000-04:00

In anticipation of the Memorial Day Weekend, and the fact that I'm hopelessly backed up, this is a departure post for me consisting of quickie reviews of the books I've read in May so far. Fear not, this is not going to be a regular thing, I just need to catch up!

My Lady Rival by Ashley March

Book Description:
In this tantalizing new novel of untold wealth, unbridled privilege, and unspeakable scandals, a family shakes the very foundation of proper Victorian Society—and sets the bluebloods to blushing..

When the wealthy middle-class Laurie family purchases a home in exclusive Belgrave Square, London Society is aghast. After all, the consensus is that they're nothing but lowborn commoners-a family of nouveau riche daring to marry into the aristocracy. Others believe it's an attempt to prove that their wealth makes them equal to nobility. Only one thing is certain: Belgrave Square will never be the same again.

Upon his father's death, Alexander Laurie feels the best way to provide his family with the privileges they deserve and secure their business is to establish ties with the London ton. And the best way to do it is by marrying an aristocratic bride. But when his business rival's beautiful daughter—the one person who can destroy his plans—appears in London, Alex must defeat her attempts at sabotage.even if that means stealing kisses from the enemy.

I had a tough time warming up to Willa, the heroine in this Victorian romance, though I liked her very much at first when we first meet her. But then she began to bug me, though I liked the hero Alex very much. Still, I felt the story was disjointed as if some of the scenes were unfinished. The ending was rushed and in need of more development towards how Alex and Willa realized their love for each other. A disappointment compared to her last book, Romancing the Countess, which was great.

3.5/5

One Good Reason by Sarah Mayberry

Book Description:
It's time to move on.

Any day now Jon Adamson will pack his bags and hit the road. After all, his intention was never to hang around Melbourne once he'd settled his late father's affairs. Yet he hasn't moved on. And it might have something to do with Gabby Wade. The not-so-big office manager with the really big attitude is making Jon's days... interesting... engaging... fun. It's impossible for him to resist her.

But he knows himself--long-term commitments and cozy family dinners aren't his style. If that's what the future holds, why is he still here? And why is he spending all his days--and nights--with Gabby? Because maybe she's the one reason strong enough to make him stay.

Who would have thought this was such a great story! I'm not normally a Harlequin reader, but this contemporary romance was so highly recommended to me (by Penny at Penelope's Romance Reviews) I gave it a shot and it did not disappoint. Tight story, no filler, lots of emotion and a voice that rang true. Set in Australia, this is a keeper, now I've got to read the previous book in this series about Tyler and Ally's story.

4.5/5

Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke

Book Description:
ONE TRYST WAS ALL SHE WANTED ...

From their very first meeting, Julia knew that Aidan Carr, the oh-so-proper Duke of Trathen, had a bit of the devil in him, a devil who secretly yearned for what he could not have, a devil who harbored a desire for her. So when she needed to be caught in a compromising situation, Aidan was the answer to her prayers.

ONE TRYST JUST WASN'T ENOUGH ...

Aidan is supposed to be looking for a bride, yet his scandalous liaison with Julia is all he can think about. Hot, erotic memories of kissing her skin, falling into her bed, pulling her naked body on top of his own continue to torment and tempt him. What is it about this brazen seductress that he finds so hard to resist? And how can he stop himself from falling into her bed a second time?

Ordinarily I love Guhrke's historicals, but it took me a while to warm up to Julie/Julia, the heroine in this Edwardian romance with a Sleeping Beauty theme. Yet by the end - I was won over. Story of a notorious divorced baroness who is keeping a secret of why she seduced a man (the Duke of Trathen, who she has known since they were 17) in order to be caught in bed with him so her sadistic husband would divorce her. After such a notorious scandal, can these two find happiness with each other or will Julia help him find a suitable bride with a scandal-free pedigree? Good story with flashbacks leading up to that fateful afternoon - what really happened that day? As good as the story was, I felt at arm's length for most of it in regard to the emotions of the hero and heroine - until the very ending. Some brief cameos from characters from her Girl Bachelor Series too.

3.5/5

Love Once in Passing by Jo Ann Simon

Book Description:
This is book one in Jo Ann Simon's acclaimed time travel romance trilogy first published in the early 1980s. Christopher Dunlap, a man of title and privilege in early nineteenth century England, and Jessica Lund, a thoroughly modern woman, suddenly find their lives mysteriously entwined in Jessica's late twentieth century world. Neither understand how Christopher, a man who had been living a happy life nearly two hundred years in the past, is now flesh and blood in Jessica's present. They soon share a love for each other as deep as it is dangerous, for whatever has brought them together can just as easily tear them apart.

I loved this book. Plus, the heroine has the same last name as me! Early '80's time travel romance that was a real treat! I'm wary of '80's romances, but this was a winner. Contemporary heroine, Jessica Lund has a Regency lord pop into her car while driving home one night in Connecticut. He just shows up all of a sudden with no warning He's just as perplexed as she is! The two of them must deal with his unexpected time travel and it's repercussions as they fall in love while trying to determine if he can disappear just as easily as he appeared in the first place. To complicate matters, she loses her memory as they travel to London so he can research what happened to him 160 years earlier. Not your typical scenario, she has trouble remembering him and doesn't fall for him again which naturally creates a rift between them. I had a hard time putting this one down and the cliffhanger is a killer! Must. Read. Next. Book.

4/5

Sea Change by Darlene Marshall

Book Description:
American privateer Captain David Fletcher needs a surgeon for his wounded brother. But when he captures a British merchantman in the Caribbean, what he gets is Charley Alcott, an apprentice physician barely old enough to shave. Needs take priority over skill, and Captain Fletcher whisks the prisoner aboard his ship with orders to do his best or he'll be walking the plank.

Charley Alcott's medical skills are being put to the test in a life-or-death situation--Charley's life as well as the patient's. Even if Charley can save the captain's brother, there will still be hell to pay, and maybe a plank to walk, when Captain Fletcher learns Charley is really Charlotte Alcott.

A war is raging on the world's oceans, and two enemies will fight their own battles and their attraction to each other as they undergo a sea change neither of them is expecting, but cannot deny...

I've read all of Darlene Marshall's books (except her latest which is on my TBR list). This is a departure for her, though she has written about false identities when it comes to gender, this is a new take on that theme. It's the story of Charlotte Alcott, a young Englishwoman disguising herself as a doctor on board a merchant ship bound for Jamaica. En route, she is forced to board an American privateer captained by the handsome Davy Fletcher. Having no idea she's really a girl they strike up a friendship, but she soon falls for him and he, much to his chagrin, finds he's having wayward thoughts about her/him as well. Good story but no romance involved until the 2nd half of the book and then hero is missing for the last 30 pages or so. If you enjoy stories of doctoring methods at sea in the early 19th century you'll enjoy this for there is much detail and description of battle wounds and amputations, etc. I enjoyed it and am eager to read her next which brings back the minor character of Dr. Murray.

3.5/5

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (audio)

Book Description:
Eva Ward is a modern woman thrown back three centuries to 1715--only to find that might be exactly where she belongs. There she finds true love with Daniel Butler, but the discord surrounding Hanoverian King George plunges the lovers into a world of intrigue, treason, and love.

Modern time travel story of Eva, a young woman who has returned to Cornwall from California to scatter her sister's ashes. While there at Treloweth, the house she knew as a child, she becomes reacquainted with old friends and inadvertently travels back and forth in time to 1715. Unable to control her comings and goings from the past to the present, she befriends the beguiling owner of Treloweth, Daniel Butler, a Jacobite sympathizer and smuggler whom she falls in love with. At the same time she helps Daniel foil the local constable's attempts to arrest Daniel and his brother Jack for treason. This wasn't bad on audio, but the narrator's voice for Eva went back and forth from English to Canadian/American and it drove me crazy! I found this an evocative story but the actual romance between Daniel and Eva was oblique and had no overt passion to it, only skimming the surface. Another one keeping me at arms length, I just didn't feel the love. Although this book has gotten high praise, I preferred The Winter Sea over this one.

Disclosure: I won this book in e-book format from the publisher, but chose to listen to it on audiobook , which I bought on my own, instead.

4/5

Why Mermaids Sing by C.S. Harris

Book Description:
It's September 1811, and someone is killing the wealthy young sons of London's most prominent families. Partially butchered, with strange objects stuffed into their mouths, their bodies are found dumped in public places at dawn. When the grisly remains of Alfred, Lord Stanton's eldest son are discovered in the Old Palace Yard beside the House of Lords, the local magistrate turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for help.

Ranging from the gritty world of Thames-side docks to the luxurious drawing rooms of Mayfair, Sebastian finds himself confronting his most puzzling--and disturbing--case yet. With the help of his trusted allies--young servant Tom, Irish doctor Paul Gibson, and his lover Kat Boleyn - Sebastian struggles to decipher a cryptic set of clues that link the scion of a banking family to the son of a humble Kentish vicar. For as one killing follows another, Sebastian discovers he is confronting a murderer with both a method and a purpose to his ritualized killings, and that the key to it all may lie in the enigmatic stanzas of a haunting poem...and in a secret so dangerous that men are willing to sacrifice their own children to keep the truth from becoming known.

Book 3 in the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series, this is the best one so far. Sebastian is investigating the grisly murders of the son's of some prominent men. The bodies are butchered and left in public in the most ghastly manner. As it turns out, all of the fathers are connected because they were all shipwrecked together on a boat and turned to cannibalism to survive. Whoever the murderer is, he knows and is seeking revenge. Great twisty turny story though I am deeply saddened for Sebastian over some devastating news he receives towards the end of the book. I really enjoyed this one!

4.5/5

Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King (audio)

2012-05-14T22:20:00.003-04:00

Book Description:
Roland Deschain and his ka-tet are bearing southeast through the forests of Mid-World on their quest for the Dark Tower. Their path takes them to the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis. But beyond the tranquil farm town, the ground rises to the hulking darkness of Thunderclap, the source of a terrible affliction that is stealing the town's soul. The wolves of Thunderclap and their unspeakable depredation are coming. To resist them is to risk all, but these are odds the gunslingers are used to. Their guns, however, will not be enough....

Quickie Review:
It's been a few years since I read book four of Stephen King's Dark Tower Series. I really enjoyed the first four books and for a change I decided to listen to book five, The Wolves of the Calla instead of reading it. I have to admit, it was somewhat of a challenge.

Wolves picks up where we left off in book four of the series, Wizard and Glass. The ka-tet, Roland, the Gunslinger, young Jake, Eddie Dean and his wife Susannah are still making their way to the Dark Tower when they near the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis, a beautiful little peaceful town, pretty as a picture. Yet, all is not as it seems. Every generation hundreds of "Wolves" from nearby Thunderclap ride in to the town and steal it's children and carry them off. One pre-adolescent child per couple. One of the odd things about Calla Bryn Sturgis is everyone has twins, it's rare to have a singleton, though they do exist. And when the wolves come - they take one twin from each family. Months later, the kidnapped children are returned - roont. Their minds are gone and they grow to gigantic sizes after they reach puberty. Eventually they die in their thirties, mindless. No one knows why or what takes them, but it happens. This time, when Andy, the friendly Robot tells them the wolves are coming in a month, the townspeople say "no." Not again. This time they intend to fight the wolves and they ask the Gunslingers to help.

This is the main plot line in the book, but as anyone knows whose familiar with The Dark Tower Series, there is much, much more going on. We go back and forth to New York City, visiting the rose in the empty lot. The ka-tet meet Father Don Callahan, a former priest from Salem's Lot, Maine (yes, that Salem's Lot) who tells his long and detailed story and how he came to be in Mid-World and his brush with vampires. We find out that Susannah is pregnant - but not with Eddie's child. Instead it is some kind of monster she is carrying from when she coupled with a demon to save Jake in The Waste Lands. Another persona, Mia has manifested itself in Susannah's mind. She is the mother of the chap growing inside Susannah's body. What will happen when Susannah gives birth - the big question leading up to a major cliffhanger ending.

Overall this was an engrossing and complicated installment in the series and not one you can skip for things do happen, but probably my least favorite up to this point in the series. I got the impression that for the most part, Calla seemed like a weigh station for the ka-tet before continuing on their quest. The details on audio were hard to follow at times, especially regarding the significance of the rose in the empty lot in New York City. Although I had trouble following the story at time, the narrator did a good job with all the different voices. It's just that this is such a big book, it's easy to get lost in what's going on, especially when it refers to the earlier books which were hard for me to remember, it's been so long since I read them. Still, this was pretty good, but I wish I hadn't waited so long between books. I feel like I need to go somewhere on line and take a refresher course on the series before tackling the next one.

3.5/5