LynneC’s review of Reckless Night (Dangerous Trilogy, Book 3.5) by Lisa Marie Rice
Contemporary Romance ebook novella published by Avon 29 Nov 11

This story is an epilogue to a book by Rice, something I didn’t realize when I started to read it. It reads well as a standalone, and Rice is a competent storyteller, but I thought the story really needed to be in context to its novel.

Viktor (“Drake”) Drakovich and his wife Grace are living under new names and a new location. As far as the world is concerned, Drake died when his office complex exploded, but with a bit of plastic surgery and a lot of money, he’s been able to start his new life.

Grace gives Drake beautiful gifts that she’s made herself. Exquisite gifts, and her latest is a painting of his hand in front of a vase of flowers. This is described so beautifully that I wanted to see the painting, not just read about it. Strange how most artists in romance novels concentrate on traditional techniques and figurative images, but at least this painting sounds like an interesting one. I’ve read about paintings in romance novels that I’ve been glad I couldn’t see, the gaudy, sentimental kind of painting that I would gladly see on the top of a bonfire, but in few other places. Not so here. Grace does sound like a woman happy with her talent, capable of creating beautiful paintings and craft items and who loves her husband. I didn’t read that Grace was unhappy in her new life or that she regretted changing her lifestyle so drastically. That’s Drake, feeling guilty about dragging her away, not Grace.

Since this story is so short, it’s hard to discuss it without spoilers. Suffice it to say that Drake plans a surprise for her that goes somewhat awry, and the end of the story we’re wondering – what? Why? I’d have been much happier had the story ended with Grace and Drake learning to live their new life. The ending read like an intrusion, something that shouldn’t be there, that turns the whole situation on its head and means that they are left in the same slightly unsatisfactory position that they had at the beginning. There’s no progression, although there are moves towards it, and then something happens to stop it.

I do like Grace and Drake, and I can see where Rice is going with the main story. Drake is immensely wealthy, was an arms dealer with more money than he can count, and used to be surrounded by security stronger than any President. Grace is a free spirit, an artist who enjoys walks and her more relaxed lifestyle. The initial story must have been interesting, but now I’ve read the outcome, I can’t say I want to read it, because Drake and Grace are in a limbo of their own making, a well-protected beautiful island where they must exist, rather than progressing and getting on with their lives. Without that shock ending (don’t worry, it’s a romance, she doesn’t commit the ultimate sin of killing off her main characters!), it would have been more satisfactory and would have made for a happier ending. As it is, we’re left wondering – so what happens now?

My other problem is that half this book is a lengthy extract from the main book, the one I no longer want to read. I do think this story spoiled the main one for me. The story is 30 pages long, so there’s another 30 pages of extract and adverts. If you buy this book on Kindle, it’s currently $3.16, but if you buy it on B & N, it’s $0.99 – I don’t know why there’s a difference or why Amazon has allowed it, but I know which price I’d rather pay. Too expensive at $3.16, fine at $0.99

Note: While I do share a publisher with Lisa Marie Rice, this book isn’t published by our mutual publisher, and Lisa Marie is not a special friend, so I felt it was fine to review this.

Grade: D

Summary:

What do you give your beautiful wife when you’ve got all the money in the world but can’t spend it?
Victor “Drake” Drakovitch used to run a criminal empire, but he gave it all up for the woman he loves. Grace, an accomplished artist, abandoned the life she knew in order to be with the one man she could never live without.
Exiled to an island far from their former lives, the two stay safe from the watchful eyes of Drake’s many enemies. This Christmas, Drake wants to show Grace how much her sacrifice means. But what can he give a woman who shuns gold jewelry and diamonds, furs and expensive cars? Grace doesn’t want fancy things; she wants what Drake can give her—unquestioning devotion, fierce protection… and the best sex a woman has ever had.
Until terror strikes and Grace realizes that the best gift of all is a dangerous husband.

Read an excerpt.

C2’s review of She Tempts the Duke (Lost Lords of Pembrook, Book 1) by Lorraine Heath
Historical Romance published by Avon 31 Jan 12

In her new series, Lorraine Heath tell the stories of the Lost Lords of Pembrook – three boys who ran away from their scheming uncle.  They escaped a locked tower (with some help from a friend) and fled into the night, promising to return for retribution when they were adults.  One went to the army, one went to sea, and one was left in a workhouse.  The boys decided it would be best for them to run away until they were older and better able to fight their uncle.  They made plans to reunite in ten years but they didn’t manage.  Now they have returned…

Sebastian, the oldest (and new Duke of Keswick), and his twin brother, Tristan, were fourteen and their younger brother, Rafe, was ten when their father (a skilled horseman) was killed in a riding accident.  Their father’s brother locked then in a tower on the family estate, but after Mary (also fourteen and from the neighboring estate) overheard him give orders to kill the boys, she went looking for them and managed to break them out of the tower. While the boys were fleeing, Mary told her (remarkably ineffectual) father what she heard – even though Sebastian said not to tell anyone – and was sent to a nunnery for her trouble.

Fast forward a dozen years – Mary is finally having a Season, thanks to her aunt rescuing her from the nunnery.  She has recently been betrothed, even.  Imagine her surprise when, after years of hearing nothing from them, the lost lords of Pembrook arrive at a ball given by their uncle.  The brothers have come to reclaim their inheritance and assume their rightful places in society.  Society, however, is less than welcoming.  The ton doesn’t like the looks of these uncivilized young men.  But the brothers continue with their plans – they throw their uncle out of the family home and cut off his money and try to find their way in society.  But scandal continues to plague them.  And Mary’s unwavering support of them turns society’s suspicious eyes on her.  Her friends want to know more about the brothers, her fiancé wants her to stay away from them, and Mary just wants Sebastian. Even though Sebastian thinks she deserves so much better.
Sebastian was horribly injured during his time in the army.  He lost an eye and has terrible scars over most of one side of this body.  How could any woman stand to be with him?  And yet Mary doesn’t seem to mind at all.  She was his best friend when they were children and knew him better than anyone, except maybe Tristan.  Could it really be that the scars don’t matter to her?

After rumors blemish Mary’s reputation and her betrothed’s father forces him to withdraw his suit, the brothers know one of them must step up and marry her – both to save her reputation and to thank her for all she has done for them.  And Sebastian knows he could never let one of his brothers marry her.  But does he care for her the way she needs him to?  Or is he only grateful for her help to him and his brothers?  Is he even capable of loving anyone now or has his time away taken that from him?  Is Pembrook all that matters or does Mary still hold part of his heart?

A lot of Sebastian and Mary’s story was set up for the next two books, I think.  There was a lot of information to pass along to the reader.  Still, I always enjoy Ms. Heath’s books.  She has a way of drawing the reader into both the emotional side of the story and the intrigues that tend to surround her characters.  This series is loosely tied to her Scoundrels of St. James series.  It is not necessary to read those books before reading this one but, if you have read them, you will run across some familiar names.  I like it when an author stays consistent within the world he/she has created – it makes it seem more real.

If you are in the mood for a solid historical and a story arc that promises to continue to intrigue, look no further.  I am already anticipating the other two books.

Grade: B

Summary:

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 now betrothed 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 and fight for a love that could once again set him free.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Lord of Temptation – October 2012

LynneC’s review of Beyond The Darkness (Offspring Series, Book 5) by Jaime Rush
Paranormal Romance published by Avon 29 Nov 11

Petra is a girly-girl. She likes the Wizard of Oz, American Idol, and she’s training to be a beautician (called an esthetician here. Is there a difference? Pardon my ignorance!) In a previous entry in the series, she met and fell for Cheveyo , a part native American, part alien/paranormal being whose job is to chase down and capture the baddies that slip through the gaps between worlds. He is also in love with Petra, although she doesn’t know it. Cheveyo is a jaguar shapeshifter, which is pretty sexy all on its own.

At the beginning of the story, Pope, who was instrumental in saving Petra’s life in a previous book, needs help. He’s a renegade, and Cheveyo offers to help hide him until he’s used to our world and doesn’t need help anymore. But this puts Petra into danger. Two hunters from the other world are after him and they track him to her. Cheveyo wants Petra and she wants him, but Cheveyo is in psychic contact with his dead father Wayne (Wayne? Really? I kept seeing Wayne Rooney in my mind). Wayne pushes Cheveyo to keep up the good work, and he knows he has to, but he also knows he can’t bring Petra into his world. Pretty girly-girls don’t belong.

That’s about it, really, and hooray, I say. So many paranormal romances have pages and pages of rules and strange names you have to get used to. Not with this one. There are few odd words, and the ones that were there were explained adequately, so they didn’t wreck the flow of the story.

This isn’t a masterpiece, it isn’t a mind-blowing experience. What it is, is a damn good read. I had fun with this book. It’s a road book for a great part, with the baddies chasing our heroes and heroine, and the white-hats sometimes turning the tables. They drive through some wonderful scenery which is well evoked, and Cheveyo doesn’t live in a great big, dirty house with a bunch of comrades. He’s a loner, although he knows he’s not alone in his fight.

I like both hero and heroine in this book. At first, Petra seems like a bit of an airhead, but even at the beginning, there are touches that snagged my interest and made me want to leave on. Later, she gets more proactive and learns how to defend herself. And Cheveyo helps her, instead of automatically labeling her a weak woman to be protected. I like that, too, and that Petra doesn’t become an awesome warrior in leather boots and corset overnight. Or at all, come to that.

The sex is enough, although the long lead-up is a bit frustrating at times. There is a particularly disgusting villain and without going into spoiler territory, at one point I thought it’s going into unacceptable territory, but the scene turns around and it works out much better than I’d feared. Which, after all, is a writer’s job. I’m sorry to miss the falling in love part, and, in this instance, the book let me down. By the time I joined in the fun, that part was a done deal, and I wanted a bit more courtship and maybe a tad less yearning.

Cheveyo is stubborn and his insistence on Petra not staying with him gets a little bit annoying, especially after Las Vegas. But that apart, I like him. He respects her as a person, enjoys the touches of femininity she brings to him and his life. He listens to her, even though he might disagree with her. So, yes, for an enjoyable read, I can definitely recommend this one, and I will be looking for the others in the series now.

Grade: B

Summary:

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

Cheveyo: a name that stirs Petra like no other, reviving deep feelings of pleasure . . . and pain. Despite her rare psychic gifts, the beautiful half-human Offspring doesn’t know why the magnificent shapeshifter walked out of her life when the bond they shared was powerful . . . and intensely passionate.

But Cheveyo is not gone. From the shadows, he watches over his beloved, determined that the malevolent enemies he hunts with fang and claw will not invade her world. But now, suddenly, the stakes are getting higher—as an insidious evil plots the destruction of Petra’s race. Cheveyo can remain hidden no longer from the lover who completes him but could destroy him . . . if his own inner darkness doesn’t destroy her first.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of The Duke is Mine (Fairy Tales, Book 3) by Eloisa James
Historical Romance published by Avon 27 Dec 11

In her newest release, Eloisa James tackles another well known fairytale. She has already given us her twist on Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. This time around? The Princess and the Pea.

Thanks to a schoolboy friendship between her father and the Duke of Canterwick, Miss Olivia Lytton has been betrothed to the future duke since she was a toddler.  The older of twin girls, Olivia has been raised to be a duchess – educated in all things duchess-y, always treated as an engaged young lady, and given quiet sympathetic glances. Why sympathy when being engaged to a future duke is all some girls dream of?  Well, those girls aren’t engaged to Rupert.

Rupert, for all that he will someday inherit a dukedom, is not the brightest of bulbs.  He is younger than Olivia, shows no particular interest in her or any young lady, is not a graceful creature nor is he particularly well-spoken.  He is also stubborn – once he latches onto an idea, it is almost impossible to get him to let go. However, he is good natured and friendly, so things could be worse.

Olivia, her mother despairs, is the least duchess-like future duchess ever.  She likes bawdy jokes, she is plump, she is outspoken and loves to laugh.  Why she can’t be more like her (younger by several minutes) twin sister, Georgiana, is an often-asked question.  The girls were raised and educated together, so why is Georgiana the epitome of all things duchess-y while Olivia is…not?  It is a good thing, Mr. and Mrs. Lytton agree, that Olivia did not actually have to catch a duke on her own merit.

When Rupert decides he is going to bring glory to the family name through beats of military greatness, there is no way to dissuade him. Before he leaves, Rupert and his father visit the Lyttons to formalize the betrothal – and to give Rupert and Olivia some alone time.  The duke strongly encourages Olivia to seduce Rupert – since he is going off to war and has no siblings, an heir would be a good thing.  (An aside – OMG REALLY?  So creepy!)  Neither Olivia or Rupert have any real interest in the sort of proceedings necessary for getting an heir and, after a half-hearted effort, decide to not but say they did.

In the meantime, Olivia and Georgiana are invited to a house party at the home of the Duke of Sconce.  Rumor has it that he is looking for a wife and his mother (who apparently gets to choose) has invited the most promising candidates to the party.  Olivia and Georgiana both know this is Georgiana’s best chance at landing a duke – there aren’t very many available and she has very little dowry to offer as enticement.

Tarquin, Duke of Sconce, is all about reason.  He does not let his passions rule him – his first marriage taught him that lesson very well – and does not like dealing with the passions of others.  Quin spends his days taking care of estate business and dealing with mathematical theories.  He is not a cheerful, easy-going fellow and he knows it and he has no interest in choosing his next bride.  However, when soaked Olivia arrives on his doorstep to get help for a stranded carriage, Quin is transfixed and (literally) sweeps her off her feet.  He is unable to concentrate on anything except his desire to kiss her…and she makes him want to laugh!

Olivia doesn’t immediately realize the person she thinks is a very impertinent footman is actually the Duke of Sconce.  And even when she does, she is perplexed by his behavior.  He kissed her and said she was beautiful.  And he didn’t even know who she was!

You can see where this is headed, can’t you, faithful reader?  Olivia and Quin have immediate chemistry, but both are honorable enough to try to stay away from each other.  Olivia does feel some loyalty to Rupert, bless his heart.  Plus, she doesn’t want to ruin her sister’s chance at happiness.  Quin doesn’t think he wants a wife who makes him feel things…but he definitely wants Olivia.  And neither can stay away from the other.  But what about Rupert?  And Quin’s prospective brides?  Will love triumph?  Heh.  What do you think?

I enjoyed this book, overall.  I like Olivia (much more than when we met her in the Winning the Wallflower novella) and Quin and find the premise interesting – with all the emphasis on marrying, there must have been a good many people who found a better match after they were betrothed to someone else.

I will say it feel like the story could have ended a few chapters earlier than it does.  It seems like a lot of effort was made to tie up the Rupert situation when a few pages might have worked just as well. And the fairytale connection feels a bit forced, as opposed to the previous books where it did not.  Still, the extra bit of story gives Quin a chance to have an adventure and it is entertaining.  If you’re looking for a fun read, this might be just the ticket.

It isn’t the strongest entry in the series, but it wis an enjoyable book all the same.  This book is tied slightly to Winning the Wallflower, an e-novella that I enjoyed immensely (hey, look – I reviewed it here).  It isn’t necessary to read WtW first (or at all), but it is very good!  Does The Duke is Mine stand alone from the rest of the Fairy Tale series?  Absolutely – all the books in the series stand alone.

Grade: B

Summary:
Tarquin, the powerful Duke of Sconce, knows perfectly well that the decorous and fashionably slender Georgiana Lytton will make him a proper duchess. So why can’t he stop thinking about her twin sister, the curvy, headstrong, and altogether unconventional Olivia? Not only is Olivia betrothed to another man, but their improper, albeit intoxicating, flirtation makes her unsuitability all the more clear.

Determined to make a perfect match, he methodically cuts Olivia from his thoughts, allowing logic and duty to triumph over passion…Until, in his darkest hour, Tarquin begins to question whether perfection has anything to do with love.

To win Olivia’s hand he would have to give up all the beliefs he holds most dear, and surrender heart, body and soul…

Unless it’s already too late.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

C2’s review of How the Marquess Was Won (Pennyroyal Green, Book 6) by Julie Anne Long
Historical Romance published by Avon 27 Dec 11

In Julie Anne Long’s newest release, we return to Pennyroyal Green. This time around, the Redmonds and Everseas play a supportive role instead of being the focus.  They still manage to stay in the thick of things, though. Spoilers ahead (but not too many, I hope) – enter at your own risk!

Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, (aka Lord Ice, also aka Jules) has come to Pennyroyal Green on a family errand and to attend a house party at the Redmonds.  Miss Lisbeth Redmond is of marriageable age and there has been speculation that Lord Dryden is interested.  Jules is interested
in part of Lisbeth’s dowry.  A bit of land that was once a portion of his mother’s dowry before his father gambled it away.  Jules has spent most of his adult life cleaning up messes left by his father.  Finally, the family name is respected, the family fortunes have been restored and everything is falling into place.  The last piece is the bit of land the Redmonds own.

Phoebe Vale is a teacher at a girls’ school – the school she attended. Phoebe grew up in the Seven Dials section of London – a very dangerous area – but, after her parents were gone, a mysterious benefactor arranged for her to be brought to Pennyroyal Green and educated at the academy. In addition to her teaching duties at Miss Endicott’s academy, Phoebe once was a tutor to Lisbeth Redmond.

[A random aside - for the first hundred pages or so, every time I read “Miss Vale”, I heard bits of Prince’s Bat Dance. If you’re close to my age, you’ll know the bit I’m talking about; if not...you kids get off my lawn! *grumpy face*]

Onward!

Phoebe knows a lot about Lord Dryden from reading gossip sheets.  He attracts a lot of attention and is something of a trendsetter.  When she actually sees him for the first time (at a shop in town), however, he is even more impressive than she imagined.

“He seemed taller than…anyone.  And suddenly all the hats and ribbons and buttons and gloves seemed like gaudy props arranged on a stage, awaiting just his arrival all these years.”

Later, when he visits Miss Endicott’s academy – to see if it might be an acceptable place for a young cousin to attend – Phoebe is tasked with giving him a tour of the facilities.  During the tour, they begin verbally sparring with each other – and enjoying it immensely.

Faithful reader, I must say the whole tour of the academy is one of the loveliest extended scenes I’ve read in ages.  Watching Phoebe and Jules slowly get a feel for the other’s personality and wit and, perhaps, recognizing a kindred spirit?  It’s this kind of interaction that make me love romances above all else.  So sweet and emotional and fun and poignant.  Eventually, their small talk turns a bit more personal and her reaction to him this time is more focused.

“He’s meant for me.

The thought emerged from nowhere, fresh as a slap and seemed as true as it was dumbfounding.  She stared at him, bewildered.  She’d never had a thought like that in her entire life.”

I like the sense of immediate connection – it just screams romance, don’t you think?  Even if the characters don’t acknowledge it until later, it’s there.  Also, the idea that no one else ever really has bothered to know Jules – everyone is happy with just seeing the image he presented (or was presented for him by gossip) – is intriguing.  How often does anyone really look below the surface of the people around them?

Phoebe has been invited to the Redmonds’ to serve as chaperone/companion to Lisbeth. Since Phoebe has been planning to go to Africa with a group of missionaries, she decides a last bit of fun in a luxurious house might be just the thing. But Lisbeth is different and treats Phoebe more like a servant than a friend. And Jules is there and the connection between him and Phoebe gets stronger. But Jules makes a big mistake. BIG.

Still, the (OMG huge) misstep Jules makes by asking Phoebe to be his mistress seems true to the period and his character.  Jules is focused on accomplishing his last goal and getting the land that had been part of his mother’s dowry.  And a marquess marrying a school teacher??  Very unlikely, regardless of his feelings.  Of course, even though she was an orphan, Phoebe has been brought up well, so it’s rude of him to issue that sort of proposition, I’m thinking.  I’ll leave the historical wrangling of all things etiquette-ish to others, though.

After the house party, two of Lisbeth’s friends invite Phoebe to go with them to London for a few weeks. There will be outings and parties and all sorts of fun to be had and Phoebe is curious about London since she hasn’t been back since she was a child, so she agrees to go. What she doesn’t realize is her hostesses are in cahoots with a couple of bored “gentlemen” who are also attending the house party. They think it will be great fun to play a trick on the Ton by making Phoebe the toast of the town and then exposing her as a nobody.

The casual cruelty of the supporting characters – toying with the life of someone so totally beneath them is just a lark – also rang true and it’s lovely to see them get their just rewards for their behavior, I must say.  And their awful prank does serve a purpose – it helps Jules figure out what really matters to him.

A bit more info – the prologue is a glimpse into the happenings six weeks after the beginning of chapter one. Some people hate prologues, I know, but this one hooks you. You have to find out how things got to that point! Still, if that’s not your thing, you’ve been warned. Also, I recommend going back and reading the prologue after you finish the book. Just do it, trust me.

Does the book stand alone? I say yes. Sure, the Redmonds and Everseas are there, but enough of their backstory is passed along to give a feel for things without being an info-dump. For those who have read the previous books, there are a few more interesting bits of info about Olivia and Lyon. All in all, this is an excellent entry into a series that is just getting better and better.

Finally, an honorary award for best feline performance goes to Charybdis. A very accurate depiction of a cat, I must say.  :-D

Grade: A+

Summary:

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 not afraid 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 façade 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.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

LynneC’s review of How the Marquess Was Won (Pennyroyal Green, Book 6) by Julie Anne Long
Historical Romance published by Avon 27 Dec 11

Julie Anne Long has a lovely, light style that lends itself well to historical fiction. It’s just a shame that it’s not a history I recognize (yes I know, here she goes again!) So seriously, if you don’t care about history and you can put up with the fantasy in this book, have no hesitation in picking this up. It’s part of the Pennyroyal Green series, but you don’t have to read the series in order, or at all, come to that. And I pray and hope that the final version is better than the ARC, because that made reading an adventurous experience.

First, the ARC. I had it sent to my Kindle from NetGalley. Mostly this leads to a pretty decent copy, but this copy is a disaster. Every chapter has an “nm” below the heading for no perceptible reason. The leading capital is separated from the rest of the text. The first chapter has indents for paragraphs, then they just stop. And then start again. It drove me demented after a while, but I kept on reading. And there are haphazard capitalization, too. “His Lordship,” where it refers to “the marquess” earlier in the paragraph.

The hero is Julian, usually known as Jules, the Marquess of Dryden (I can’t bring myself to call him the Marquess Dryden. That “of” makes a huge amount of difference). He is tall, dark and handsome, the leader of the ton. You know the deal. The heroine is Phoebe Vale, who is a schoolteacher at a girls’ school in Pennyroyal Green. She’s blonde, lively and answers back. I like both of them. Jules is a man who takes his responsibilities seriously, and Phoebe seems intelligent enough to cope with him.

They meet in the country, when Jules visits the local country house in order to give the once-over to a young lady he is thinking of marrying, Lisbeth. Phoebe’s family holds a parcel of land he wants, the last one his father sold off to pay his debts. Jules has bought them all back but this one. The young lady is charming, sweet and a product of her class. She is kind to Lisbeth but never sees her as her equal. She proves benevolent compared to what Lisbeth has in store, but to say what it is constitutes a spoiler, and, although that’s one of the best parts of the book, I’ll refrain.

But this is a Regency where Faberge has started making his eggs, a Regency where pound notes are in common circulation. Fireflies and crickets populate the countryside and gentlemen drive landaus. Gentlemen wear trousers, not pantaloons or breeches, and their shirts button down the front. Where they drink whiskey. Where a Marquess foregoes the proper title. Where they say “Bloody hell” and “bloody,” and sometimes they’ll stay “stuff it.” Where young ladies go to school. Where there appear to be a lot of Catholics about, and nobody questions it. Rosaries and maids called Mary Frances seem to be around everywhere. Where men drink in pubs and say “gotten.”

What’s wrong with this? Faberge made his first egg in 1885. Pound notes were very unusual until the Victorian era. Fireflies and crickets aren’t native to the UK. Landaus were a lady’s vehicle, much favored by widows (Queen Victoria was fond of them and the present Queen uses them on state occasions) and were not made for travel, merely for pottering about in town. The Cossack trouser was a particular style, heavily pleated at the top, narrow at the ankle and what’s described in this book isn’t the Cossack. Whisky (definitely not whiskey) was a product of the mid-Victorian era. Only the illegal stuff was available before, and it could be clear, not the caramel color we associate with it today. The rank of Earl and above, and definitely Marquess was styled “the Marquess of Dryden,” not “Marquess Dryden.” And a knight or baronet, someone with the title “Sir” is addressed by his first name, not his last. Harry Dildo would be “Sir Harry,” not “Sir Dildo.” The people in the story would definitely know this. “Bloody hell” as a curse wasn’t used until World War One, and “bloody” wasn’t just rude, it was vulgar. Crude and rude were allowed, but vulgar, no. My grandmother used to say it was “common” and this was a woman who used “bugger” regularly. Girls of good family didn’t go to school. Despite extensive searches, the only schools for girls in this period seem to be the charity schools for poorer girls, to give them a better start in life. There was no need to educate girls of good family and their upbringing was haphazard, to say the least. Catholics were still looked down on, even the Catholic peers, who lost out on a lot of privileges, including taking their seats in Parliament, because of their religion. There is more, but I stopped taking notes after a while.

The errors spoiled my enjoyment in what could have been a fun book. Likeable characters and an engaging plot should have meant hours of pleasant reading, but it didn’t. Almost every page contains something that made me go “huh?” and make a note (since I knew I was reading this book for review – I don’t usually make notes, I just give up and take the author off my reading list). One or two little slips? Okay, fine. Nobody’s perfect, but this number is close to insulting, both to the age and the reader. Is it considered not important enough? To many people it won’t be. But it will destroy some people’s enjoyment of what could have been a good read. It wrecked mine. I would have DNF’d the book after the third chapter were it not for the style and the characters, and the fact that I wanted to find that elusive new historical author to love. If you don’t care about the plethora of errors, then go ahead, because you’ll enjoy it. If you have any knowledge of the history of Britain, then maybe you’ll want to think again.

But always remember, this is the opinion of an Englishwoman, brought up with this history and taught to regard it as hers. So if you’re not, then you might love this froth of a book. I felt like I was kicking a meringue while I was writing this review, but I had to be fair and give my honest opinion. Never forget that it might very well not agree with yours.

Grade: C-

Summary:

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 not afraid 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 façade 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.

No excerpt available.

C2’s review of Winning the Wallflower (Fairy Tales Series, Book 2.5) by Eloisa James
Historical Romance published by Avon 6 Dec 11

What happens when a recently-engaged (to a gentlemen in trade) wallflower suddenly inherits a fortune? Suddenly her parents have much higher expectations for her marriage possibilities. But what about her current fiance? In Eloisa James new novella, we find out.

Mister Cyrus Ravensthorpe grew up under a cloud of scandal, but he has A Plan to restore his family to their rightful place in society. His plan is proceeding nicely – one important step has just been taken…finding an acceptable bride. Mister Ravensthorpe has recently become engaged to Lady Lucy Towerton.

Lady Lucy considered herself a wallflower. Taller than most of the gentlemen of the ton, she always felt awkward and uncomfortable. Imagine her surprise when the very handsome and wealthy Mister Ravensthorpe asked her father for her hand in marriage! Still, as they spent some time getting acquainted, Lucy realized they never really connected. No real conversation – he didn’t even ask to use her given name – they mostly spent their very proper visits playing Backgammon.

Suddenly Lucy’s life is sent spinning. She finds out she has inherited her great aunt’s fortune. Her parents are very excited because they think Lucy’s chances of finding a noble husband have now increased exponentially. All she has to do is break her engagement to Mister Ravensthorpe. Lucy is reluctant – she has a bit of a crush on Cyrus – and plans with her best friend, Olivia, to be found in a compromising position with her betrothed. No chance of breaking the engagement then!

But you know the old saying about the best laid plans, don’t you, faithful reader? Cyrus arrives at the ball Lucy is attending and hears of her recent good fortune and sees his plan hit a stumbling block. Meanwhile, Lucy’s plan to be caught with her betrothed also doesn’t go as she thinks it will.

Lucy realizes she deserves someone actually interested in her and not someone who sees her as a convenient Available Perfect Noble Lady. Cyrus realizes he might have chosen Lucy for reasons other than the fact she fit into his Plan. But can he convince Lucy?

I really enjoyed this novella. It’s a quick, fun read and doesn’t feel at all rushed or compressed. The story is in no way shorted and it does not feel like a setup for Ms. James’ next full-length book. Cyrus and Lucy are a fun couple and their interactions are lively and sweet. Does it stand alone? Absolutely. Is it worth your $0.99 investment? Most definitely. At this busy time of year, you might not have the available time to invest in a full length book, but this one is just right. Treat yourself!

Grade: A+

Summary:

It Could Only Happen in a Fairytale…

Lady Lucy Towerton
Plain and tall. (According to the lady herself.)
Titled, and irreproachably proper. (According to her fiancé.)

Until, overnight, she becomes

Lady Lucy Towerton
Heiress. (Thanks to an aged aunt’s bequest.)
Belle of the Ball. (So say the fortune hunters of the ton.)

In charge of her own destiny (finally!), Lucy breaks her engagement and makes up her mind to never be proper again…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

LynneC’s review of Brazen by Margo Maguire
Historical Romance published by Avon 29 Nov 11

As I said in a previous review, there isn’t usually one reason to DNF a book, but more often than not it’s because the book doesn’t grab me. If I persevere and get to a third or more, then I could do a full DNF review, if I have something to say about it. A DNF isn’t always because it’s a terrible book. It could be because the book just didn’t do it for me, as in this case, but it might well do it for you. There’s no deep flaws, and the plots is interesting, but the authorial voice or the premise just didn’t take me away. So I’d say try it, get a sample and see if you like it. I got this book from NetGalley, and it occurred to me that if I could sample it, that might be a useful thing. I actually persevered past the first chapter, more to see if I could settle into the read. Sadly, I couldn’t.

The heroine is one of two daughters who were adopted by an earl when their grandfather and guardian, a duke, abandoned them after his son’s death. Yeah, I know. And that’s just the start of the complex plot that would have been worth concentrating on, had I cared. But I found the book a bit of a slog and I think the main problem is the pedestrian authorial voice. Which could be as much my problem as Margo Maguire’s. Sometimes an author’s voice just doesn’t work for a reader, and I fear that is the case in this book.

Because the heroine, although brought up in the bosom of society, has no clue about things that women would generally have known. A Regency lady who doesn’t know how to load and fire a pistol? A viscountess who lives in a cottage? That last throws me. In that era, a cottage was either a place to play, a la Marie Antoinette, or it was a hovel. Not a reasonably pleasant house with separate rooms. Okay, not so bad.

The hero is interesting. He’s the younger son of a viscount, so relatively low in the pecking order of the peerage. Goodie. And even though he’s a spy, he’s a believable one, having worked in the military, and he has one more assignment before he retires.

The heroine shoots him (a mere graze), but weapons were pretty erratic in those days, and even knowing about weapons, she could have done that. A niggle. Not important. Then she wants to stitch his wound, and in an age before penicillin, that could be dangerous, sealing in the infection. Whenever possible, wounds were left open so they could be cleaned frequently and allowed to heal from the inside out. The heroine has short hair and the hero hasn’t seen short hair before. Why not, when cropped hair was all the rage in the period? He was in the army, an officer, so surely he’d have set eyes on one or two fashionable women? Niggle followed on niggle, and the tone of the book is very much American (so, my US friends, it’s unlikely to bother you).

Words like “quit” for “leave” and the dreaded G word (“gotten”) make an appearance on the first page (to a modern Brit, “gotten” screams “American,” which in some circumstances is good, but not when it’s supposed to be a deep third point of view British Regency character). Maguire has a habit of “telling” instead of “showing,” which leads to a blander style. In an effort to avoid the purple, blandness ruled. They drank “whiskey” in an era when whisky was the equivalent to moonshine, and was as often clear as caramel coloured. In the end, I was just waiting for the next niggle to turn up. That’s always a sign that I’m not engaged with the book, because when a book catches me and drags me along, details are the last thing I worry about. So I gave up. I really wanted to like this one, but it just wasn’t doing it for me. It might for you.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

She will give him what he desires. But first, a small favor . . .

Lady Christina Fairhaven is devoted to her adoptive family—and most protective of her wayward brother.

So when battle-scarred and world-weary Captain Gavin Briggs arrives at her cottage bearing shocking news—that she is the granddaughter of an aged, bad-tempered duke— Christina is stunned . . . temporarily.

She will not meet the duke who abandoned her when she was a child; Gavin will not receive his significant—and much needed—reward. However, should the good Captain agree to help her locate and rescue her endangered sibling, then perhaps . . .

But with a fortune at stake, the road to London is paved with peril. Treachery awaits them . . . not to mention attraction, temptation, and a most unanticipated passion.

To regain his soul, to protect his lady, Gavin must be more than brave. To win his love, Christina must be positively . . .

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of Ecstasy Untamed (Feral Warriors, Book 7) by Pamela Palmer
Paranormal Romance published by Avon 25 Oct 11

I had a few disconnects with this story, but there’s no doubt that Palmer knows how to write. Interesting characters and intriguing world building is let down a little by a few plot holes and an overlong book.

Faith is living in Poland helping street children. She’s an immortal, a Therian (I kept reading this as theramin, that awesome instrument Jimmy Page plays, but that’s my own fault for spending most of last night watching theramin performances on You Tube), a race of people once shapeshifters but now unable to shift. The only shapeshifters are Feral Warriors. One of them, Maxim, discovers her and claims her. He’s about to go to America to the compound. So she goes with him.

There she meets Hawke, who is a shapeshifting Hawk. And she feels an immediate attraction. Since she understood she was to be mated with Maxim, this confuses her. She’d felt the mating pull, or so she thought.

That basic plot is fine, but it’s at this point I get my first disconnect, or huh? moment. There are only nine Feral Warriors left. They’re very precious, very special people. And they all live in the same house? That’s a big no in my book. Surely they should live at opposite ends of the earth? Well, there’s a plot reason for that. They need to be in contact with the Radiant, who at present is the wife of their leader, Lyon, who is a shapeshifting lion. As far as I can gather, the Radiant is a kind of battery, and they have to recharge. That, to me, read like a plot contrivance. There’s no internal reason why that should be. Why there should be a battery, why they have to use it, why, in all their existence, they haven’t discovered a scientist clever enough to invent a way of remote-control charging, or even more of the batter—er, Radiants? It just didn’t work.

Yep, they all live in a mansion close to Bos—well, no there, but it’ss very, very reminiscent of the BDB headquarters, right down to the antiques. They all have bedrooms, a bit like a dormitory for Ferals. Very sweet. I don’t like this setup, but because these creatures are the last of their kind and precious, it seems criminal, Radiant or no Radiant, to put them in the same place. One hit and they’re gone. And why can’t they spell? Kougar, Lyon, Vhyper – just why? They also have very unimaginative nicknames, and I mean unimaginative. Lyon’s nickname is Roar and Hawke’s is Wings.

And, of course, ordinary humans know nothing.

Anyway, there are other creatures. There are shamans and ilinas, who were ghost-seeming people with power. Their enemies are Mages. To me, this all came across as a contrived world. I couldn’t believe in it. There are definitely echoes of North American native beliefs, but I know next to nothing about those, so I can’t go into more details. Perhaps it makes more sense if you’re more familiar with that world. Oh and there are draden, jellyfish-like creatures that we mere mortals can’t see, but that doesn’t matter, because they’re not interested in us. Only the Ferals and theramins (sorry, Therians).

Once Faith has realized that it’s not actually Maxim who floats her boat, much sexing ensues. They are sweet scenes rather than erotic or arousing. I’m not really sure why they’re there or what they’re doing. There is a plot about rogue Ferals, but if I wanted to question the reasoning, I came unstuck. See, there’s this virus, and—it really read as if Palmer just threw it at them as something for them to overcome.

There are some very long scenes where they sit around and talk or engage in not-too-interesting rituals, and the beginning is a big ol’ lump of exposition, but I’m not holding that against her because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to jump right in. Actually, I probably would. But there’s no depth to this world. Question it too much and it falls apart. every time you think you’ve got a hold on the story, Palmer throws something in to confuse you. I was constantly scratching my head and thinking, “Why?”

On the whole, an unsatisfactory read. I understand the world, but it’s confused and superficial. The most interesting part of the book is the characters. I enjoyed Hawke and Faith, but without them and their interaction, there wouldn’t be a whole lot left.

And I don’t blame the author for the cover. It’s not her fault, but oh, my eyes! I remember Lynn Veihl complaining about the pink cover on one of her books. Just as well she didn’t get this one.

Grade: C-

Summary:

They are called Feral Warriors—an elite band of immortals who can change shape at will. Sworn to rid the world of evil, consumed by sorcery and seduction, their wild natures are primed for release . . .

Shattered by recent nightmarish events, Hawke feels his bond with his animal spirit weakening—and once it breaks, he’s finished. The arrival of Faith sends his life spinning even further out of control, for although she delights him and enflames his deepest primal passions, she’s promised to Maxim, the newest Feral Warrior.

Faith is drawn to Hawke from the start, but Maxim holds her in his thrall and has secretly bent her to his malevolent will. Though gravely damaged, Hawke is the only one who can end Faith’s slavery and protect the Feral Warriors from Maxim’s evil designs. But first they both must embrace the wild . . . and surrender body and soul to a forbidden, all-consuming ecstasy.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of The Bride Wore Scarlet (Fraternitas Series, Book 2) by Liz Carlyle
Historical Romance published by Avon 26 Jul 11

With The Bride Wore Scarlet, Liz Carlyle continues her foray into the paranormal. The St. James Society is a front for an ancient brotherhood sworn to protect those with The Gift. Regency rakes with their own mysterious abilities find and protect others from persecution and exploitation. Sound like an intriguing premise for romance? Maybe not…

Geoffrey Archard, Earl of Besset, is one of the founders of the St. James Society and a member of the Fraternitas Aureae Crucis (from here on referred to as the F.A.C.). Geoff has just learned of a little girl in Belgium that possesses The Gift and is in the clutches of an evil uncle who means to use her for his own gains. The F.A.C. needs to rescue her.

Lady Anais de Rohan has just arrived in London to request membership into the F.A.C. She knows there has never been a female member in recent times, but Celtic priestesses were among the founders, most likely, so she tries to think positive. Her hopes are dashed when Lord Besset and some other members are flabbergasted by the presence of a woman in the ceremonial chamber.

Undaunted, she returns to the home of the St. James Society the next morning to discuss the matter. She is again told she will not be allowed membership, but as a friend of the F.A.C, they would like her assistance in the matter of rescuing a young child. Anais and Geoff will pose as a married couple living next door to the evil uncle and find a way to get the little girl and her mother to safety. Of course, Anais agrees.

Let me insert something here, faithful reader. I have a pet peeve about weird names whose pronunciations are never explained. My brain hangs up every time I run across such names because it wants to try different ways of saying them. Stupid brain. Onward!

The basic plot is pretty standard for romances – our hero and heroine pretend to be married in order to rescue someone/uncover a plot, etc., and fall in love along the way. You would think introducing a paranormal element like The Gift would give new life to the plot. Not so much. There isn’t enough paranormal stuff to really rev things up and not much else to try to make the plot interesting.

I have to say I struggled to finish this book. If I had not been given this book to review, I would have set it aside very early on. I didn’t connect with the characters, the whole secret society thing didn’t catch my interest, and the overall plot didn’t engage me. Also, I find it annoying that the author is almost trying to rewrite history from earlier books – the hero and heroine are children of couples from earlier novels with nary a whisper of paranormal to be found.

All in all, I’m disappointed. I can’t point to any one thing that makes this a bad book. But I’d never say it’s a good one either. Apparently this is a trilogy. I hope Ms. Carlyle returns to her straight historical roots after she wraps this up. I really enjoyed several of her earlier books.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Passion and secrets simmer behind the elegant façade of Victorian high society in the second book of Liz Carlyle’s spellbinding Fraternitas trilogy . . .

Anais de Rohan was raised from childhood to become a Guardian—a covert warrior trained in the ways of a secret militia so ancient its existence is believed mere legend. When Anais presents herself for initiation, however, her male compatriots are impressed with nothing save her hot temper and dark allure.

But when one of the St. James Society’s darkest, most enigmatic leaders challenges Anais to prove herself, she boldly accepts. Courting ruin to pose as Lord Bessett’s new bride, Anais must travel with the handsome, ruthless nobleman on a mission to save one of their own—a little girl with frightening gift—from danger.

But as intrigue swirls about them, drawing them ever closer, Anais begins to realize that their mission is hardly the only challenge she faces, for Lord Bessett is proving a temptation too hard to resist. As for Bessett himself—well, he might be a soldier sworn to the Society, but he certainly isn’t anyone’s saint . . .

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

LynneC’s review of In the Arms of a Marquess (Rogues of the Sea, Book 3) by Katharine Ashe
Historical Romance published by Avon 30 Aug 11

If you buy the book on the basis of the title, the blurb (such as it is) or the cover, you’ll be sadly disappointed. The story is darker, more ambitious and, in my opinion, an honorable failure, but there is nothing lighthearted about it. The story is crammed with plot, sometimes difficult to follow, with some nonsequitors that left me scratching my head, but a likeable central couple who deserve more page space to explore their relationship. Too much plot, too little romance.

Octavia Pierce arrives in India to stay with her uncle and meets a half-Indian boy who rescues her from a man threatening to kidnap her. So from the start I was expecting things to be a bit off-kilter. This is an obviously respectable girl, and her captors thought they’d get away with it? Hardly. I have to confess, I wasn’t engaged by Octavia and I couldn’t understand why Ben fell so hard, so fast for her. She changes with the plot, sometimes silly, sometimes very wise, and since I’m not fond of monkeys, her pet capuchin made me shiver a bit. Ick. Nasty monkey hands tangling in your hair. But others adore them, so I pretended the monkey is a different kind of creature. My own problem, nobody else’s.

Ben is similarly a bit of this and a bit of that. He’s described as powerful and hugely, hugely rich, and yet he’s deceived by someone the average reader will spot in half a minute. He’s supposed to be ruthless, and yet he has a heart as soft as a sponge, and demonstrates it most of the time. He’s handsome, “dusky,” “exotic,” yet he has no trace of foreignness about him, although he doesn’t try to hide his origins. The promise of him being much more powerful than anyone can ever understand is never borne out by his actions or his behavior.

If Ashe had left out some of the plot and taken more time to let the relationship between Ben and Octavia develop, it would have been a better book and a far better romance. If derring-do is what you’re looking for, then you’ll find it here, though don’t expect logic to work all the way through. But then, as a lover of Russell Thorndyke’s Doctor Syn books, I don’t always expect that. But it makes the romance a bit frustrating. “Darling! Come to bed and roger me senseless!” (knock on the door). “Oh wait, I have to go and do some plot!” – repeat a bit, and then let them stay together. Perhaps my recent reads of Harlequins, where the plot is far less important than the romance, has spoiled me. Octavia and Ben fell in love in the years the story leaves out, and you only get to read it in a flashback, so I do feel cheated on the romance side.

I wasn’t sure about the beginning, because the story immediately jumps into England seven years later, when Octavia is now twenty-five. There are lots of mysterious allusions to the past, and when she meets Ben again, he is a marquess and seems fully integrated into society, although in some parts it says he is not accepted in certain circles. If there’s one thing sure about British society and its nature, it’s that money talks, and the point is reiterated that Ben is a very rich man. Since his father was married to his Indian mother, there would be little reason for him to be rejected by his peers. And he doesn’t seem debauched enough to be rejected, either. Odd. But meh, it could happen, so I just accepted it.

The research is odd. Patchy. At times, descriptions and details, like the details of the Indian market or the descriptions of ships in the docks is accurate and well described, but at others it seems strangely lacking, such as the title errors (I’m a bit Lady Bracknell on that one. One might seem accidental, but two or more looks like carelessness – my humble apologies to Oscar Wilde). Language is a bit careless, too. Americanisms like “block” for street, or “we’re through” instead of “it’s over” or “we’re finished” or “sidewalk” for pavement are scattered through the book. A British reader would have cleared those up in no time. And the thought of a glass of cold tea makes any self-respecting Brit, or Indian for that matter, shudder in horror.

And a mansion in London with its own ballroom? By this period there were only two or three left, and one of those was derelict and another donated to an art institute. Nobody wanted the massive houses in town anymore, and hadn’t since the seventeenth century. References to “orangeat” which should have been “orgeat,” a particularly alcoholic cordial ladies were fond of, and other slips keep cropping up to tug me out of the story. There are other subtler indications that the writer is nearly there but not quite, such as giving her titled characters the same surname and title. There are very few of those, and that’s for a reason intimately wound up with the British psyche and social origins. That’s why I sometimes pick on what some call trivia. It shows a fundamental lack of understanding that then doesn’t deliver a realistic story of British life and mores. (Surnames were personal, derived from occupation, nickname and the like. Titles were a place, either the place of origin or the name of the estate that went with the title. So the title and the aristocrat weren’t the same as the person holding them – with the exception of the Spencers, but that’s where it gets more complicated).

Outside the romance, the plot has holes miles wide and fails to understand the nature of the burgeoning British Empire. Not surprising, since it was complex and fluid, but there is a basic misunderstanding of the nature of the British presence in India (read Flashman for a better picture!), when the British and the grandees, be they emirs or sultans, colluded to wrest all the value they could out of the ordinary citizen, using any weapons they thought expedient. However, the central mystery, when you finally discover it, is preposterous and unbelievable – about as believable as mail-order brides in the Old West looking at their fate as being sold into white slavery. It just didn’t make sense.

This is a story where the writer seems to detest the British aristocracy and all that it stands for, although the hero is a marquess. I think the story would have been stronger had the hero not been an aristocrat. It would have delineated the character better, if he’d been a wealthy nabob. I could see a great story depicting the struggle between the old world and the new, industrialized, middle class one that was just coming in, but making Ben a marquess put paid to that. I wonder if her editors imposed the marquisate on her?

The end, the final showdown, is badly done. Without spoilers, our hero confronts the villain, who is holding a pistol, then the villain explains everything in the style of the Evil Overlord, then he drops the pistol and they have a fight. Very cliché, and I want more. The whole conclusion is full of the melodrama. And, this being a Regency, there are no mustaches to twirl, which is a bit of a shame. And a cop-out or a loophole for more books in the series, I’m not sure. I wasn’t engaged enough by it either to chase her backlist or want more.

Ashe’s style is lovely, her prose smooth and the love scenes are gorgeous. At those times I could believe in the romance between the couple, but it seem incidental to a lot of the story. I wish Ashe had concentrated more on the characters and less on the plot.

Grade: C-

Summary:

She had never forgotten him…

Miss Octavia Pierce is witty, well off, and shockingly unwed. Still, she is far too successful in society to remain on the shelf forever, and her family has hopes that Octavia will finally make the perfect match. What they do not know is that years earlier Octavia was scandalously tempted by the one man capable of sweeping her off her feet—the man now known as the Marquess of Doreé.

A third son, never meant to inherit, Lord Ben Doreé has abandoned his past and grown accustomed to his illustrious new position of wealth and power. But he has never forgotten Octavia, and now she desperately needs his help in a most dangerous, clandestine matter. Although she claims she has put the memories of the passion they shared behind her, Ben is determined to once again have her in his arms—and in his bed.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

This just in…

Avon Publishing is hosting a Debbie Macomber-inspired online writing contest, and aspiring writers who participate in the “Make Your Dreams Come True” contest may find themselves enjoying an “American Idol”-type moment. That story won’t write itself, so what are you waiting for???

~ The winner will receive a cash prize of $500, and the winning entry will be published in the back matter of the paperback and e-book edition of Family Affair, Debbie’s mass market publication, which goes on sale in July 2012.

~ In addition, the grand prize winner may also be offered an Avon Impulse publishing contract!

~ “This is a great opportunity for a new voice in romance to be discovered,” says Liate Stehlik, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William Morrow/Avon Books. “It’s the publishing equivalent of ‘American Idol’ – entries will be reviewed by Avon editors, and the winner will be picked by Debbie Macomber herself. The possible exposure is amazing: the author is beloved by readers around the globe, and this short story could be read by millions of her fans.”

~  Three finalists will receive a collection of Avon Romances (approximate retail value: $100).

~  To enter, complete the entry form at www.familyaffaircontest.com.

~  Story requirements and other rules are also listed at that website.

~  The contest is now ongoing and the last entry will be accepted on September 30, 2011, 5:00 p.m. ET. So get to writing!

Consider yourself flashed!

LynneC’s review of One Night In London by Caroline Linden
Historical Romance published by Avon 30 Aug 11

This is the start of a new series from Linden, and since she’s a new-to-me author, I was looking forward to the read. However, this one proved to be a bit of a disappointment, because of its lax pacing and lack of real conflict.

Edward de Lacey is the second son of a duke. The book starts with the old man on his deathbed and several pages of “but I must tell you my secret!” before the duke dies in good old “It was Argh!” tradition. But the secret, or part of it, is vouchsafed by the family lawyer. The duke was married before he married the mother of the three sons who consider themselves his heirs. That would illegitimise them, and so they couldn’t inherit anything that wasn’t left to them personally, and would, of course, disbar them from the entail and the title. There is a cousin, Augustus, who would be the heir.

So Edward, who is the responsible one and runs the estate, goes to London to engage a solicitor. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I think Ms. Linden has confused the roles of a solicitor and a barrister. That continued to be an annoying niggle. A great house like that of a duke would have a regular “man of business,” or solicitor, and he would take care of all the estate business and engage a barrister when necessary. People don’t go directly to barristers as a rule, and a barrister’s only job is to represent the client in court. So why Edward would want a new solicitor  who seems to do a barrister’s job when he has a perfectly serviceable solicitor is a bit nonsensical. But it does mean that he gets to meet the heroine, Francesca.

Francesca is a widow, and she wants her niece back. She believes that her niece is being held by the family of her aunt against her will and being used as a drudge, and she wants to engage a solicitor to act for her in court (which he couldn’t do, not in the higher courts, anyway). The man agrees, only to be thrown into a frenzy by getting the case from Edward about the dukedom.

There is my other disconnect, because I’ve read Bleak House, which is about a real-life case of inheritance. The lawyers throw this one into such complexities that the estate is eaten up by legal fees and lasted generations. A case like this would be nuts to the lawyers, and there is one easy solution. The Crown takes away the title and reinvests it in the eldest son as the first of the dukedom of the second creation. It happened sometimes, and it sorted out legitimacies or, otherwise, created new conditions.

Why am I going on about this? Because the book does. The first 30% (I read the ARC on my Kindle, which does percents rather than pages) is full of it and little else. There is little character development or plot development and no tension or reason to read on. I nearly gave up, but I wanted to read at least half, to see if there’s any story at all in this.
Well, not really. The story about the niece kind of peters out and has a conclusion I find a little difficult to believe. The duke problem, of course, goes on to another book.

So I always say that the romance is about the characters, right? Okay. Edward doesn’t seem to have a character, apart from being steady and boring. There is nothing to attract me to him, other than his performance in the sack. He’s tall, dark, and boring. Francesca is similarly plodding and a bit boring. She has a nice life—and there’s a word that’s used inappropriately in this book—and except for the problem of her niece, everything’s hunky-dory.  And there’s a woman called Evelyn in this story, which was a man’s name in this period.

There is quite a lot of sex in the second half of the book, as if making up for lost time.

The book is reasonably well written, and most of the historical details are nicely done, although the author didn’t really create a world for me, just bits of one. Things like the heroine’s clothes, which are described as full and frothing (in the Regency?) took me out of the story occasionally, and the “g” word crops up a time or two. My main problem with this book is the lacklustre plot and characterless characters. I wasn’t really engaged in their story.

Oh, yes, and the frankly horrible cover. What is she doing? Presenting herself for doggy-style sex? Not the author’s fault, though, so I can’t hold that against her, except that I kept putting the book to the bottom of the virtual TBR pile because of it. But I read it all, and I don’t think I’ll be aching to read the next in the series. Sorry.

Grade: D

Summary:

A bargain that was all business . . . and pure passion.

Neither wealth nor beauty will help Lady Francesca Gordon win custody of her young niece Georgina, saving the girl from a cruel stepmother; she needs London’s top solicitor for that. But when Edward de Lacey, son of the powerful Duke of Durham, hires away the one man who can do the job, Francesca decides Edward himself must champion her case . . . if only she can melt the dashing lord’s stony heart.

Edward has reason to be guarded, though. London’s tabloids have just exposed a secret that could ruin his entire family. When Francesca offers a unique chance to undo the damage, Edward is forced to agree to a partnership . . . and now, each moment together feeds the flames of his scandalous longing for the passionate widow. But when Georgina disappears, fate will test them both . . . and leave their love hanging in the balance.

No excerpt available.

LynneC’s review of Star Crossed Seduction (Lords of the Seventh House, Book 2) by Jenny Brown
Historical Romance published by Avon Harper Collins August 30th 2011

If I’d read the book described in the blurb, I would have been a happy woman. Unfortunately, it’s nothing like that.  The description of this one intrigued me because it’s about an army officer and a street rat. No lords and ladies, even though the previous book had a lord for a hero. But I soon got bogged down in a welter of historical detail and astrological didacticism. If, like Ms. Brown, you’re a devotee of astrology, then this book might be for you, and certainly I can’t complain a huge amount about the history in this one, unless that there’s too much of it (I know, don’t faint!).

Captain Miles Trevelyan, Trev to his friends, is home on leave from India, so it’s a bit odd that he and his friend choose to wear their uniforms on occasion, because it was the convention for off-duty soldiers on half pay not to do that. But, anyway, a niggle, and it doesn’t bother me a great deal. He’s handsome, a professional soldier, not used to England, since he’s lived all his adult life in India.

Temperance is a street rat, a pickpocket, who gave her heart to a man called Randall, who is now, she believes, dead. When she tries to pick Miles’ pocket, he pursues her, and, in the ensuing struggle, gains the locket she always wears. But here comes my first disconnect. He kisses her and they get the instant connection thing. Wait—he kisses a street rat? These people had rotting teeth and stank more than somewhat. As a gentleman, he might just have noticed that.

Temperance and her friends are taken in by the heroine of the previous book of the series, to her refuge that she runs on astrological principles. Not too far a stretch to make, since there were all kinds of eccentrics around at the time. But in 1821, astrology wasn’t taken seriously in scientific circles and was derided by most. Everyone seems to take this woman seriously. She does the horoscopes of the girls she takes in and decides what to do with their lives accordingly. That is, to me, nuts. As is the assertion that when Temperance lies and gives not her birthday but that of her dead sister, Lady Hartwood spots that the owner of that birthday is dead. Does that mean everybody with the same birthday and time and place of birth are dead? So, as you can see, I’m an astrological skeptic, which makes me a hard sell for this book.

But I read books with elves and write books with vampires, so surely I can take a bit of astrological stuff and accept it for the space of the book? Well, I would, except there is so damned much of it. And it does read like didacticism. I gave up on the book after I got another lecture from Lady Hartwood and realised that, and my other disconnects, make me uninterested in what happens to the characters or the plot. I just don’t care.

There is a lot of history in this book and a lot of references to things that happened at this time. While I am familiar with the time and took most of it in stride, I don’t know how regular readers will take it and I don’t know why they should care. It’s set in 1821, firmly established as this is the year George IV finally was crowned as King, after all his years as Regent, and there are references to the Indian campaign and to the growing discontent among political firebrands, as they were known at the time. One of these themes would have been interesting, but it’s a bit like scattershot, especially in the early chapters—it is sprinkled all over in the hope that some of it might take. I wonder about the reference to Peterloo, for instance, which was a completely local affair and only became a national scandal after the military overreacted.

And the references to “dragoons,” as if they all belonged to the same regiment, is a bit off, too. Dragoons are only one type of soldier – light cavalry, i.e., they carried light weapons, were mounted, and were the lightning forces of the day – and the reference to Miles’ blue tunic (tunics came in a bit later for the army—at this period they were still coats) and blue trousers make me wonder. My father-in-law was a dragoon, but he was in an Irish regiment, so his uniform was green. Temperance’s assertion that the dragoons are all the same, that the ones at Peterloo were the same as the ones in India had me puzzled, but Temperance is a tempestuous heroine, much given to acting first and thinking later.

I really couldn’t like Temperance. She flings herself from one situation to another, and although we’re told she has a kind heart, it is the kind that gives things away to people and doesn’t really work for me. She accepts poverty, and worse, instead of taking what she was born with and making it better. She has the kind of idealism that people who have never known poverty imagine that poor people have for each other. Brown seems to want to make Temperance a bit of everything – intelligent, charitable, streetwise, gracious, a woman born to wealth who gave it up for an ideal—not only gave it up, but flung herself into the gutter. I think Temperance is a servant of the plot more than a living, breathing character, and I couldn’t warm to her. That’s the main reason I gave up on this one.

Miles is, well, the hardened military man thrown into schemes and devices not of his making. I think Miles is the more interesting character, but in the half of the book that I read, I didn’t get enough of him. I might have read on, but the heavy plot and the building “why should I care?” feeling eventually made me give up.

The dreariness of the prose, the throw-everything-at-it-until-it-sticks plot, and the dislikeableness of the main female character made me give up on this one. Oh, yes, and all that astrological stuff.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

Lovers or Enemies?

Captain Miles Trevelyan, on leave from active service in India, is heading out for a night on the town when he rescues a beautiful pickpocket from arrest. She’s the perfect choice for a few days of dalliance–beautiful, cunning, and completely disposable.

But Temperance has no intention of becoming the plaything of a man who wears the uniform of the solders who murdered her lover. Disarming Trev with a kiss, she escapes. But her sultry kiss opens the two Scorpio adversaries to an obsessive attraction that neither can elude–or possibly survive.

Following the success of her sensational debut novel, Lord Lightning, Jenny continues her Lords of the Seventh House series–in which each hero is a different sign of the Zodiac. A dark and sensual story reminiscent of the acclaimed novels of Loretta Chase, Anna Campbell, and Mary Balogh, but with a very tantalizing touch of the occult thrown in, Star Crossed Seduction is top-flight historical romance with a uniquely unforgettable difference.

No excerpt available.

LynneC’s review of The Bed and the Bachelor (Byrons of Braebourne, Book 5) by Tracy Anne Warren
Historical Romance published by Avon 26 Jul 11

If you want to read a historical where the heroine repeatedly date rapes the hero, then you’ve come to the right place. This is the book for you. But let me start at the beginning. This is a book that started a little bit iffy and carried on down, with a dislikeable heroine and a clueless hero. It posed a question for me. Is it okay to have date rape if the book is a historical and it’s the heroine who does it to the hero?

Let me backtrack a little, see if you agree with me.

The heroine, Sebastianne, is posing as a housekeeper in the household of a man with the unfortunate and unlikely name of Drake Byron. Lord Drake Byron, if you please. He’s the fourth son of a duke, and I presume I’ve come in on the tail-end of a series. Obviously using the “Mad, Bad and Dangerous” tag which was attached to Lord Byron by Lady Caroline Lamb, this is fixed firmly in an alternate Regency where the real Lord Byron doesn’t exist.

Okay, so I was extremely skeptical when Sebastianne got the job, despite being 22. Housekeepers were invariably mature women, who’d worked up through the household hierarchy and I don’t imagine any employer would even consider her for the job. But I let it go, because I wanted to see where the story went.

Until the end of the first chapter. Then Sebastianne reveals to the reader that she is a French spy. Oh dear. I avoid spy books set in the Regency. Spies weren’t gentlemen, they were considered liars and cheats, until the advent of James Bond, when Fleming put  a brand new and brilliant spin on what used to be a disreputable profession. And worse, she’s a reluctant spy, because they are holding her family to ransom. So she’s being blackmailed. Ugh. I’d rather have read a book with a committed French spy, someone who believed in what she was doing. But no, Sebastianne is a martyr.

She is there to get a copy of a cipher which the mathematically brilliant Drake has made up for the government. He keeps the key to his safe on a chain around his neck. So Sebastianne drugs him, then sneaks into his room one night.

What follows is an almost casebook example of date rape. She gives him the Regency equivalent of rohypnol. Makes him sleepy and randy. She sneaks into his room in her night clothes.  He half wakes, and wants her. He pursues her, she does the “no, no” thing and goes to bed with him. She gets the wax impression of the key.

This is what the Women’s Health site says about the effects of date rape:

• “You feel drunk and haven’t drunk any alcohol — or, you feel like the effects of drinking alcohol are stronger than usual.
• You wake up feeling very hung over and disoriented or having no memory of a period of time.
• You remember having a drink, but cannot recall anything after that.
• You find that your clothes are torn or not on right.
• You feel like you had sex, but you cannot remember it.”

Which is how Drake is described as feeling the morning after. Drake can remember having sex with Sebastianne, or Anne, as he knows her as, but he thinks it’s a dream, vaguely. Although he makes the approach to her, it’s clear to her that he’s not in his right mind. After all, she drugged him. If this had happened with the sexes reversed, the romance community would be up in arms, but it can happen the other way, too. And she isn’t remorseful, except with regard to herself. Would she get caught? Would he sack her before she’d stolen the papers from him?

Mind you, I’m almost in sympathy with her because of an earlier scene when Drake, coming home from an enthusiastic session with his perfectly nice mistress, has inner thoughts about lusting after his housekeeper. Very heroic, right? Erm, no.

The second time they have sex, Drake is drunk. So mark that down as two date rapes. He isn’t used to being drunk.

I really didn’t believe in Sebastianne, and I didn’t care for her. She’s a typical passive-aggressive rapist, denies her own feelings, denies his, and blames somebody else (the French). He’s a mathematical wiz who thinks it’s okay to have sex with one woman to get another out of his system.

The style is a little off. I have to give Warren kudos for trying to recreate the Regency era, although she peoples it with characters who seem to have been transplanted in the modern era. And cowboys. There is one scene in which Drake and his brother Cade discuss the issues over a cigar. She transports me to the old West, when characters had names like Cade and Drake, and smoked stogies. Certainly not the Regency era.

There are some details that aren’t quite right, as well. The “g” word turned up more than somewhat and several American terms like “quit” for “leave,” “candy” for “sweets” and the startling modern sentence, “I’m through with her.” But it won’t bother the average U.S. reader, and since American-authored historicals rarely travel far, that should work out fine. They’re common enough phrases for her readers not to notice, although to a British reader, it reads very “American” (so why doesn’t Avon employ a few British beta readers?) I did appreciate that she’s done some research into the era, but the household was more Downton Abbey (Edwardian) than Northanger Abbey, and some of the characters belowstairs seem to have come directly from that series.

Her style bothers me a bit, too. She describes something, then there’s a paragraph of static description, so that drags the book down and makes it a bit of a slog to read. I prefer it when details are incorporated into the action. But this seems to be the way she writes, or at least, she does in this book.

I’m really sorry this book didn’t work out for me. I did try to like it, I really did, and I did force myself to read to the end, but I’m afraid neither character redeems themselves for me.

Grade: D

Summary:

Everyone knows the Byron brothers are “mad, bad, and dangerous.” But the devilishly desirable fourth son, Drake, is too scholarly to misbehave . . . or is he?

Lord Drake Byron has no time in his busy life to worry about taking a wife. He is more interested in the unbreakable code he has developed to defeat Napoleon’s forces. Little does he know that the irresistibly lovely new housekeeper he’s hired is really a French secret agent.

Sebastianne Dumont is not at all who she seems to be. Forced to spy to save her family, she embarks on a mission that takes an even more dangerous turn when she falls in love with the surprisingly tempting man she must ultimately betray. And if she succeeds in her mission, will she also break Lord Drake’s heart, while leaving her own behind?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of  by The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton (The Burgundy Club, Book 3) by Miranda Neville
Historical Romance published by Avon 26 July 11

I’m on a roll. You might recall, I spent a lot of last year looking for a new historical romance author to love. Well, I read the new Loretta Chase and loved it, but she didn’t count, because I’ve loved her books for years. However, I read my first Miranda Neville this week. And I loved that, too. I know she’s not new, but she’s new to me, and that counts, right?

The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton is an old story about the society dandy and the parvenu outsider. Me, I’m a sucker for those stories, if done properly. Cinderella, all that. We first meet Celia when she’s been kidnapped by a man called Constantine. She doesn’t know why. But Constantine takes all her money and possessions, leaving her with next to nothing. Not even her outer clothing. He does the same thing to Tarquin Compton, society dandy, when he encounters him. Except that he takes Tarquin’s memory, too, by knocking him on the head.

I didn’t like the start of the book overmuch. I’m not too keen on amnesia stories, and this one didn’t treat amnesia properly. It’s a serious illness, usually accompanied by other symptoms, but in this case, it’s the old knock on the head stuff. And Celia, instead of being frightened, resigned, or even angry, banters with her assailant. It’s not as if she doesn’t want to live anymore, and she doesn’t know the man who attacked her. Then, when she recognizes Tarquin as the man who ruined her chances in society by calling her a cauliflower, and realizing he doesn’t know who he is, she gives him a new name and claims him as her fiancé. The first third of the book is a road romance, and since I’m usually a sucker for that kind of story, I settled in to read.

But as the story goes on, I begin to like Celia more. And it is her story, far more than it is Tarquin’s. She has spirit, but she’s not stupid, just disorganized, and as I read on, I came to understand that. Tarquin is a dandy and a Corinthian (although Neville avoids using that term), so he enjoys fighting and pugilism. He’s dark and sleek, and the description made me think of an otter. Tarka the otter, to be precise. He never completely comes together for me, from the gangly boy his uncle took in hand, to the tall and distinguished leader of society. I think we’re told a little too much and not shown, even though part of the story takes place in a great country house.

His uncle, the man who mentored him, describes himself early on as not preferring women. Gay, in today’s parlance. Since it didn’t play a part in the story, and his sexual preferences are never referred to again, I couldn’t see why this detail mattered.

Celia has a McGuffin. Something lots of people in the story want, but she doesn’t know what it is. She has also purloined a book that Tarquin had, one of those dirty books gentlemen used to collect, purportedly by Aretino. So her sexual education is largely from the book, although she does get to practice on Tarquin.

There are parts of this story that don’t work for me. The villain, or villains, are a little toothless and the final showdown a bit on the clichéd side. When a certain place enterd into the story I knew it would feature strongly before the end. I also guessed at the nature and location of the McGuffin fairly early on, but I haven’t spoiled your pleasure by saying what and where. And this book isn’t edited particularly well. For instance, a gem was described as having “carets.” However, I had an ARC, so that might be sorted out by the time the book comes out. At the start of the book, there are several sentences that should really have been split into two, and some without commas where a comma would have made more sense. Add to that, the ladies’ hairstyles are referred to as “coiffeur”s a few times. But I want that left in. The idea that every Regency lady walked around with a hairdresser on her head was completely irresistible.

The development of the novel form is evolutionary rather than happening all at once. Scholars tend to agree that after beginnings all over the place, it really starts with Defoe and Robinson Crusoe really on the premise that you have to start somewhere. Throughout the eighteenth century the epistolary (written in the form of letters) and the narrative were the main ones. Pamela and Tom Jones being the most memorable, although everybody should read Roderick Random at least once. The books are usually comic in tone, although Fielding’s endless Clarissa and the utterly charming Evelina by Fanny Burney buck the trend. But all these books are “picaresque” in style. That is, the principle characters go through a series of adventures to get to their happy ending. Or their unhappy one. One of the reasons Pride and Prejudice was so revolutionary is that it went against that. It showed the development of character. Each scene meant something, either in terms of plot development or character development. Usually both. In this book, Neville seems to have returned to the picaresque style. Not every scene meant something. Some seem to be there just for comic effect, and the characters involved never meet again, only referred to once or twice.

While the plot isn’t as close-knit as the modern reader is used to, and sometimes hold a hole or two, or three, once I started enjoying myself, it didn’t matter as much. Character isn’t always bound as tightly to plot, either, so motivation is a little at odds. And while there is a big supporting cast, some of them aren’t as fully developed as they should be to make them interesting. And I can’t say that the sex scenes do that much for me, but since they are written in the style of the rest of the book, with wit and panache, I’m okay with that, too. But describing a penis as a “pintle” isn’t desperately conducive to hotness.

What I really enjoyed is Neville’s style. I don’t know if she had to revise the first chapters over and over, but once I got into the book, I really enjoyed it and just went with the flow. She has a light, witty style that is totally unlike the slapstick style that isn’t to my taste when I’m reading. I don’t necessarily want to guffaw, but I do like to smile sometimes. This book makes me smile quite a lot. I’m definitely up for the next adventure.

Grade: B+

Summary:

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.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Kathryn the Kitten by Lavinia Kent
Historical Romance eBook novella published by Avon 28 Jun 11

With the blurb and a title like that, how could I resist? It was like a challenge. But it’s one that quickly dissipated.

It took me a while to get what the tagline was about. I’d thought it meant that the author had taken care over the details, researched the period. Silly me. It’s a reference to reality shows, I think, though it took me a while to get the point.

The book, short though it is, starts very slowly. There’s a scene with Kathryn, and a scene with her husband, Robert. They aren’t very good in bed together, although they are in love. Kathryn lost their baby and they hadn’t really got together since. But I read it. The research is enough to give the story some authenticity, but not enough to interest me. Clubs and society, a brief mention of current affairs. I read on.

Kathryn asks a friend about jazzing up her sex life. Friend obliges, showing her how to behave like a slut, because we all know how much men love that, especially upright and slightly stuffy dukes. Kathryn and huz do a bit better.

That’s about it, really. There is a confusing plot about a print in an apothecary’s shop. I’m not quite sure why it’s not in a print shop but instead the apothecary’s shop, full of the bottles and pills it contains, but there you go. Maids discuss the ladies in the print, who will, of course, have their own stories. Ladies of the day could expect to be immortalized in prints, and common folk could buy them and put them up in their living rooms. Livens the place up a bit. Of course, there are also scurrilous cartoons, scandalous in their subject matter, lampooning politicians in ways nobody could get away with today.

Kathryn seems obsessed with the print, and nobody could understand why, least of all me. Honestly, I didn’t get the point. I felt a bit thick, to tell you the truth, but I couldn’t understand what it’s about. I don’t watch many reality shows, only the X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing, so I’m probably missing an allusion to something else. I have no idea what.

There are a lot of Americanisms in the book, and when there aren’t any, the characters are speaking in Regency-ese, where words are sometimes contracted, sometimes not. It makes for a stilted read. And why call the heroine “Kathryn”? A twentieth century version of the name Katharine. In the Regency they might have thought that her parents couldn’t spell. Misspellings and alternative spellings weren’t too popular then. So we had King George instead of King Jorj. Shame, really. There are a fair few Americanisms, and the style is, well, flat and very simple. I’m afraid it didn’t engage my interest.

This is really a novella, at 33,000 words, but it seems much longer. Much, much longer. In a story where very little happens, and what does happen is predictable and devoid of interest, the best thing about it is the blurb and the way the story is sold. There are more to come, but they’ll have to get along without me.

By the way, I went to her website to check on this one and maybe get a nice cover pic. The only mention of this novella is a brief one on the news page.

Grade: D

Summary:

Regency England just got real(ity)

Episode 1: How Kathryn Got Her Passion Back

Kathryn, Duchess of Harrington, has the perfect life: a handsome duke for a husband, riches to spare, a house in Mayfair, and the right group of friends. The only thing she doesn’t have is her husband in her bed. But she’s about to change that. Enlisting the aid of her best friend, Linnette, who knows about these things even though she’s a duchess herself, Kathryn begins her seduction plan.

But Linnette knows a secret and it involves Kathryn’s husband. And, when that comes out, Kathryn’s marriage isn’t the only thing at stake. Can you say Afternoon Tea Catfight?

No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of Waking Up with the Duke (London’s Greatest Lovers, Book 3) by Lorraine Heath
Historical Romance published by Avon 28 Jun 11

I absolutely love Lorraine Heath’s books. There hasn’t been one book so far that hasn’t drawn me in completely, always from the first page. Every time I become enmeshed in her characters’ lives, I cheer for them, I get angry with them, I grieve with them, I cry with them and so much more. This trilogy of London’s Greatest Lovers has been a special treat. With each book, the stakes are higher, the emotion is riskier, and the love is simply beautiful.

The Duke of Ainsley is the youngest of these three brothers, but he’s always acted like the oldest. He’s responsible and generous. Like his older brothers, he’s also a ladies’ man. And sometimes he plays a little too hard and one time too many, tragedy results. Four years ago on a night of partying and drinking with his cousin and best friend, Lord Walfort, a carriage accident results in a paralyzed Walfort. The rest of his life will be spent in a wheelchair, and Ainsley is wracked with guilt. He was the carriage driver that fateful night.

For most of her marriage Lady Jayne has taken care of her husband, but not in the usual way. Caring for a man who cannot walk, nor do any of the activities he enjoyed before the accident, is difficult, not what she expected in her life, but Jayne does her duty for the man she loves. Her unimaginable hurt also stems from the fact she lost their child the night she found out about her husband’s accident. All of this she blames on Ainsley, the womanizer who is out for his pleasure only and feels nothing for the anguish he’s caused.

Then Jayne – and Ainsley – thinks her husband has truly lost his mind. He proposes that Ainsley father a child for them, something that Walfort cannot now give Jayne, the one thing she’s always wanted. Refusing such insanity is the only option Jayne has. Ainsley has a different view of the situation, even though he also refuses the proposal. At first anyway. He’s always been attracted to Jayne, lamented the fact Walfort asked for her first. He’d do anything to try to make up for his night of tragic revelry, anything but Walfort’s request, although Ainsley would dearly love to experience the heaven of having Jayne in his bed.

Walfort doesn’t give in and eventually talks Jayne into what she considers a betrayal of her wedding vows, despite the approval of her husband. But keeping the end result – a child – in the forefront, she prepares to spend the next month with Ainsley, hoping she can stomach the man touching her. She can only go forward knowing the whole interaction will be a business transaction and nothing more. What she doesn’t expect is learning about him, his love for his family, his regrets, his charm, his vulnerabilities, and his caring for those in his charge.

And Ainsley can’t resist this woman. He’s little by little gently seducing her, hoping to give her pleasure for her to remember in the years to come. The scenes between these two while at Ainsley’s cottage are wonderfully written. Full of emotion and sensation, fun and laughter, and long, lazy days and sensually pleasant nights, all of which they never thought they’d have together. Their lovemaking scenes are passionate and tender at times and at others they’re raw and furious, culminating in a love that neither can voice when it comes time for Jayne to return to her husband.

Again, after she’s gone, Ainsley tries to do the right thing. Stay as far away from Jayne as he can get – not thinking of the child they created together, nor of the times they spent enjoying every last minute. But when tragedy strikes again, when Jayne learns the truth about her marriage, Ainsley takes control as much as he can to save her from scandal and gossip. I love him even more when he finally shows Jayne every emotion he’s been holding back so she could have a good life, despite the secrets that later become known.

When I read Lorraine Heath, I just let every word flow over me and I have patience, trusting the emotion will follow, moving me from one end of the spectrum to the other, laughter to tears, all the while giving me substance of story and depth of character to make my reading experience simply lovely.

Grade: A+

Summary:

They are masters of seduction, London’s greatest lovers . . .

Renowned for his bedchamber prowess, Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owes a debt to a friend. But the payment expected is most shocking, even to an unrepentant rake—for he’s being asked to provide his friend’s exquisite wife with what she most dearly covets: a child.

Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one . . .

Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort, is furious that such a scandalous agreement would be made. If she acquiesces, there must be rules: no kissing . . . and, certainly, no pleasure.

Until love takes them by surprise.

But unexpected things occur with the surprisingly tender duke—especially once Lady Jayne discovers the rogue can make her dream again . . . and Ransom realizes he’s found the one woman he truly cannot live without.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Silk is for Seduction (The Dressmakers Series, Book 1) by Loretta Chase
Historical Romance published by Avon 28 June 11

I’ve spent the last year looking for a new historical romance author to love. I failed. But when I turned back to my old favorites, I found this. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I mean. This is a historical romance that will give you hours of sheer pleasure. Vivid characterization plus a recreation of a world long gone add up to an absorbing read.

Marcelline Noiret and her sisters own a dressmaker’s shop, and they want to become the best shop in London. The sisters between them have flair, a business sense, and numerical skills. Marcelline has the flair. Hearing that the Duke of Clevedon is to return home for his long-awaited wedding, she is keen to attract him to the shop. They need some high-profile clients. So she hies off to Paris to enchant the duke. Don’t ask. It works. Of course, they are engrossed with each other, but Marcelline, aware that her sisters and her little girl depend on her to do her part, doesn’t get carried away. I really like that about her. In common with most of Chase’s heroines, she’s an immensely practical woman. So when she does get carried away, it really counts.

Not that she does that for some time.

The duke is a big man, and he’s never quite felt like he fit into English society. I like him, but he isn’t as vividly drawn as Marcelline, especially at the beginning. No matter. He turns out to be a complete sweetie. He’s not an out and out bounder, like Dain of Lord of Scoundrels, but he’s not a goody-goody either. He’s been enjoying himself in Paris and he doesn’t really want to come home. But his foster-brother tells him he has to or his sister will consider the marriage off and start to look elsewhere. He needs direction. And, boy, does he find it with Marcelline, although he doesn’t realize it at first.

Their attraction, an engaging supporting cast, plus a touch of industrial espionage add up to an absorbing read.

Chase avoids the clichés I’ve read recently with admirable skill. The Other Woman, Clara, is a statuesque blonde, but she’s a nice person (and probably, I have to say, sequel bait). She and Clevedon like each other and they’re not opposed to marrying. When Clara and Marcelline meet, they are naturally wary of each other, but they tolerate each other and respect each other, too. I can’t see them ever becoming bosom buddies, but I like that, too.

Realism. Well, there are books about milliners, dressmakers, florists and so on becoming duchesses, but I tend to avoid them. This, people, is how you make it plausible. You set it in an era that is about to take seismic changes—the 1830s, when the aristocracy were about to take a tumble and the middle class to rise. You give the heroine a touch of good birth, enough to make her just about acceptable. You make a hero who isn’t happy with his life, a duke who isn’t as powerful as some other peers, despite his title, because he hasn’t bothered to pursue the connections and business interests that he should. You don’t hide the problems and make it all a fairytale at the end.

And you add the right detail.

Oh my God, what a difference this makes. Chase adds detail as it should be there. Detail the characters take for granted. Unusual aspects are seen through the eyes of people who would notice. And they take their way of life for granted, they know about hackneys and gas lighting and comfortable furniture and shop fittings. You don’t have to think about it because Chase does. There is a delicious undressing scene in the book that makes it obvious that a woman had to take a ton and a half of clothes off before she could get naked. Chase knows her way around an 1830s woman’s wardrobe. Drawers, which didn’t come in for all women until Victoria’s reign, but perfectly acceptable for a dressmaker to have. All those petticoats and padding and corsets, and—well, the scene is superb. Thank you for knowing that a woman had to work hard to undress. Completely different to my beloved mid-Georgian era, when women didn’t wear knickers, briefs, or drawers and wore stays, not corsets. I know Chase would know the difference, as I do.

The result is that I feel transported into the past. Chase does what I always ask of a writer of historical romance. She takes me into a different world, into her world, which seems increasingly to be the 1830s. Not strictly Georgian, as there was a William on the throne, and a time of transition. I believe this world. The behavior and expectations of the characters are right for this time, or seem so.

Silk is for Seduction isn’t without its flaws.

The book is set in the 1830s, which is, in my opinion, one of the ugliest fashion eras ever. Women’s skirts were ankle length and bell shaped. They had huge puffed sleeves and hairstyles were, frankly, weird, when women thought nothing of wearing a Hello Kitty style bow on their heads that was made of hair.

Chase knows this period. Sure, there were a few slips (dollhouse is an Americanism, and is anachronistic, but I’m sure Chase was aware of that), but I don’t care. They don’t intrude, and they didn’t stop me reading. If this book had been about these two characters without the care Chase takes to get her details right, it would have been interesting, but nowhere near as good as it is.

There is a fair bit of sequel bait. There is Clara herself, her brother Lord Longton and his attraction to Marcelline’s sister. There is another sister. I have no doubt we’ll hear their stories in due course.

I can’t wait.

Grade: A

Summary:

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 . . .

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Ash’s review of Ascension (Dark Breed Series, Book 1) by Sable Grace
Paranormal Romance published by Avon 26 Apr 11

When I read the blurb to Ascension, I was really excited. It sounded like a book I could really love, and while I really enjoyed it, a few things kept me from loving it.

First off, I don’t really like Kyana. She comes across as uncaring for most of the book, at least to me. I don’t get her reasons for doing things, and it seems as if she can’t bend for anything. I can’t understand why Ryker wanted to be with her. Honestly, I think he deserves someone better. By the end of the book, I don’t think she has grown enough for the position she has been put in. I just want more from her. She’s pretty much a bitch, and not even one I can cheer for. I was waiting for someone, Ryker for example, to put her in her place.

One of my biggest pet peeves happens again. Ascension is marked as paranormal romance and it is more like an urban fantasy. I’m looking for a strong romance, and I feel like it’s lacking. I like Ryker a lot. He could have been a great hero, if he had a better heroine and romantic storyline. Their love takes a back seat to me, and, in fact, it never really feels like love to me. The focus is much more on the plot and who is killing the Chosen. Not that that is a bad thing. I’m really into the world with vampires, weres, gods, and witches. We get to see a different spin on paranormal beings we are used to, and it feels fresh and exciting.

The secondary characters help the novel along, and I have been wondering whether we will get books for the others as well. I am especially looking forward to more of Geoffry. The ending of Ascension is a bit of a cliff hanger, and it seems as if Kyana is the lead for the next book as well, though I can’t find any blurb for it, so I don’t really know.

I am ready for the next one, to see what happens now and to hopefully find Kyana being a better person. More romance would be a plus as well. Oh, and more Geoffry. Must have more Geoffry.

Grade: B

Summary:

The gates of hell have opened, and one woman will stand in the crossfire as the Dark Breed—vampyre, demons, shape shifters—and mankind fight their last battle for survival.

Kyana is half Vampyre, half Lychen . . . and the last of her kind. Determined, dangerous, and damned, she has no love for the mortals who have imprisoned and misused her. But when the Order of Ancients entrusts her with a mission—to find the key that will send the Dark Breed back into Hell for eternity—Kyana has no choice but to accept.

She is furious to learn her assignment comes with an escort . . . Ryker, a demigod and fierce warrior who long ago found a way under her skin and stayed there. In a shaky alliance, they discover an ancient cult with dangerous motive and a god who seeks to destroy all others. And as Kyana begins to feel the heat that threatens to bind her to Ryker, she knows she has to resist. For it could only mean the undoing of them both . . .

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Bedeviled – 2012

C2’s review of Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith, Book 1) by Julia Quinn
Historical Romance published by Avon 31 May 11

The Smythe-Smiths are here!  The Smythe-Smiths are here!

Who are the Smythe-Smiths?  Ask any Julia Quinn fan and they will tell you – the Smythe-Smiths host an annual musicale.  An infamous musicale. Why infamous?  Because *whispers* the Smythe-Smiths are not particularly musical.  Readers of Ms. Quinn’s books have often attended the musicale, but the Smythe-Smiths remained a bit of a mystery.  Finally, we get to meet them and, maybe, find out what in the world they are thinking with the whole musicale thing.

Honoria Smythe-Smith is a violinist in the Smythe-Smith quartet. Girls in the family are expected to be part of the quartet after they make their debut in society.  The only escape is marriage.  Some of the Smythe-Smiths really have no idea the damage they do to the ears of the ton during their annual musicale.  Others, like Honoria, are very aware but continue to do their familial duty.  Honoria even manages to do it with a smile on her face, because she loves her family and enjoys the time she spends with her cousins (even if the rehearsals really don’t help).

Honoria’s brother, Daniel, left England under a cloud of censure after wounding another peer in a duel.  Since he knew he wouldn’t be around to look after Honoria, Daniel asked his best friend, Marcus, to watch over her.  Marcus Holroyd, Earl of Chatteris, grew up very quietly with his stern father.  His life changed drastically when he went away to school and met the outgoing Daniel Smythe-Smith.  Marcus frequently went home with Daniel and was quickly absorbed into the loud, fun-loving Smythe-Smith family.  Marcus met Honoria, the youngest of the family, on his first visit – she was seven and he was twelve.  Oh, faithful reader, I do enjoy stories where the hero and heroine have known each other since childhood.  It lends an extra sweetness, says me.

When Honoria and some Smythe-Smith cousins are visiting the country – well, Cambridge, which isn’t so country – Honoria runs into Marcus (his family estate is nearby).  Since one of the reasons Honoria and the other young ladies are visiting is to meet eligible young men, her hostess insists that Marcus be invited to the house party she is planning.  Honoria is reluctant – she knows Marcus will hate it – but agrees to send him a personal invitation.  Best invitation ever!

…  I beg of you, do not accept.  You shall be miserable, and then I shall be miserable, fretting over your misery.

With affection, et cetera & et cetera,
Honoria

A few days later, Marcus runs across Honoria in the woods near his property line.  She is plotting – she plans to twist her ankle (faker!) in order to get and keep the attention of one of the young men attending the house party…one Mister Gregory Bridgerton.  When Marcus finds her, she is digging a foot-sized hole.  When Honoria explains her plan to him, even Marcus (who over the years has quietly and without her knowledge discouraged unacceptable young and not-so-young men from pursuing Honoria) cannot find any real fault with Gregory.

Still, plans don’t always work out as they are meant to.  Instead of Honoria have a fake sprained ankle when Gregory is around to rescue her, Marcus really does sprain his ankle. Honoria has to rescue him…or at least hurry back to the house and send word to his staff so someone can assist him.  And, of course, there is an epic downpour while he is waiting for help. Poor Marcus! He catches a horrible cold and loses a favorite pair of boots because his ankle is so swollen one boot has to be cut off.

Before returning to London, Honoria visits Marcus to be sure he is on the mend and all seems well – or as well as a sniffly, limping earl can seem.  However, just after returning to her mother’s house, Honoria receives a message from Marcus’s housekeeper – he has taken a turn for the worse and she is worried.  Since Marcus has no family, Mrs. Wetherby didn’t know of anyone else to contact.  Of course, Honoria and her mother race back to the country to see what has happened.  They find a very sick young man.  Marcus is out of his head with fever and no one knows what happened.  Finally, they find the problem and Honoria’s mother knows what to do – or at least what to try – while they are waiting for the doctor to arrive. Yikes! Poor Marcus. Such unpleasantness.

As Marcus’s condition improves, he and Honoria get to know each other as adults and grow closer.  But just as Honoria and her mother are getting ready to return to London, Honoria finds a letter from Daniel to Marcus thanking him for looking after her and getting rid of some icky suitors.  Honoria decides that Marcus doesn’t really care about her, after all, and is just doing Daniel a favor by being nice.

Will Honoria hook Gregory Bridgerton?  Will Marcus follow Honoria back to London and win her heart?  Will any eardrums rupture during the musicale?  Don’t you want to find out, faithful reader?  Of course you do!

If you are already a fan of Ms. Quinn, you will enjoy Just Like Heaven. If you have never tried one of her books (OMG, do you live under a rock?!) but enjoy light Regencies with banter and heart, give Just Like Heaven a try. Does this book stand alone?  Yes, although the Bridgerton series is tons of fun and there are several familiar faces in this book…there’s even a slight connection to the more recent Bevelstoke series.  Why not read them all?  :-)

Grade: B+

Summary:

Honoria Smythe-Smith is:

A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed “Bug” as a child
C) not in love with her older brother’s best friend
D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:

A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend’s younger sister
D) all of the above

Together they:

A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world’s worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love
It’s Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is . . .
D) all of the above

Read an excerpt.

Connected books:

Sandy M’s review of The Perfect Kiss by Melody Thomas
Historical Romance published by Avon 28 Jun 11

I’ve read only one Melody Thomas book a number of years ago, and I remember really enjoying it. I’m not sure after all this time what type of review grade I would have given it at the time (I wasn’t reviewing books then, I don’t think), but my feeling now is it would have been a pretty good grade. So I’m kind of surprised this latest book by her didn’t grab me and haul me into the story like I imagined it would.

This is a good book, but it’s not one that bowled me over. I like the characters well enough. The story is somewhat intriguing, better in the second half than in the first. But there’s just something for me that keeps the book from being one I absolutely love.

We meet Camden, seventh earl of Carrick, and Christel when she’s an independent eighteen-year-old, able to run around as she pleases, being the bastard child of an adulterer and an earl and national hero. Social mores don’t apply to Christel, which has now gotten her in trouble and she’s being sent to America. Before she goes, however, she’s determined to let Carrick know how she feels, to live that one dream with him, to know what it’s like to be in his arms, all the while knowing she can never really have him. It’s time Cam took a wife, though the young urchin who runs along the beach and who is now so enticing in her ball gown and mask makes him think twice. All to no avail, since she disappears the next day.

Nine years later Christel returns home to Scotland. She married and worked with her husband as a spy during the war. After her husband’s murder and receiving word her cousin Saundra has died – and receiving a letter from Saundra after her death to be governess to her daughter – Christel knows something isn’t right. Learning that Camden’s ship is in port, Christel takes a chance that he will allow her onboard. Coming face to face after so many years, all the old feelings return for both of them, despite what they’ve each been through the past few years.

They try to keep their distance now that their lives are intertwining again, but that’s difficult to do. Chrstel’s home is on Carrick land, and she needs money to keep it afloat. In the midst of all of this, Carrick’s brother, Leighton, is still a thorn in his side, though Christel knows if only Carrick would give him a chance, things would be different between them. She needs to take her own advice as far as her half-sister is concerned. She learns that though the war is over, Leighton may still be involved in smuggling and the Robinhood adventures he’s still suspected of from years before, bringing offenses down on Carrick if it’s true.

There’s a lot that goes on in this book, culminating in the discovery of how Saundra died, along with an unexpected twist or two, which is nearly the best part of the story. Though Carrick and Christel do consummate their relationship, despite the fact neither of them believes they have a relationship, they try to keep it to one night only. But it’s Carrick who can’t stay away, and their impromptu, intense couplings show his feelings clearly, but he can’t see that until much later. Christel is much better at keeping her distance, knowing she’s below him in station, but when he initiates all that intensity, her resistance disappears, despite her better judgment.

Anna, Carrick’s daughter, is a fun element to the story, as is Christel’s stray pet, Dog. Both are introduced early on and used very well throughout, helping to elevate the story in emotion. So I’m still baffled as to why it all is only so-so for me. I’m leaning toward Carrick not having that extra something that I need in my heroes. He seems tortured enough, but we never really see his anguish totally. We never see the talk between him and Leighton, something that has been thrown at the reader quite a bit up to that point. I want to see what happens between them, just as we see what transpires between Christel and her sister when they talk.

The writing is good, immersing me in the era and the characters’ lives. I just want a little more to bring it all together.

Grade: B-

Summary:

It was the moment she had been dreaming of: a stolen kiss at a masquerade ball with the dashing Camden St. Giles. He may not have known who she was, but Christel would never forget . . .

Nine years have passed since that magical evening. Now Camden, the seventh earl of Carrick, is widowed with a young daughter, a man with a heart in need of healing. And Christel has just stolen onboard his ship bound for Scotland. Neither has forgotten the kiss that had set their hearts ablaze. The longer she remains with him, the hotter his desire burns. But as they grasp their second chance at love, will the secrets from his past threaten to destroy the one love true enough to free his tormented heart?

Read an excerpt.

C2’s review of Guarding a Notorious Lady (Devine Series, Book 2) by Olivia Parker
Historical Romance published by Avon 31 May 11

What happens when a self-proclaimed matchmaker is thrown into close contact with the object of her affection? Especially if that object is her older brother’s best friend and has never shown any interest in her. Lady Rosalind is about to find out.

Lady Rosalind Devine is highly sought after by the gentlemen of the ton. However, year after year she eludes them. Still, just because she hasn’t made a love match for herself doesn’t mean she isn’t interested in helping others find their perfect match. There is little she enjoys more than helping couples find true love and happily ever after.

The gentlemen pursuing her are not so happy. The matter of who will catch the lovely Lady Rosalind and when has become the subject of many bets placed in betting books around London. So much so that her brother Gabriel is concerned that the would-be swains might resort to desperate measures – not that he is unable to control love-sick dandies. But Gabriel is getting ready to take a trip to the Continent – his wedding trip – and he decides reinforcements must be called in to make sure Rosalind is protected while he is away.

Nicholas Kincaid lives near the Devines’ country estate. When he comes to London after inheriting a title from a distant relative (he is now the Marquess of Winterbourne), Gabriel talks him into looking after Rosalind during the Season…and insists she not know he is her guardian. Of course, neither of them knows Rosalind has loved Nicholas from afar for ages.

I’ll admit the beginning of the book was a little silly and I was afraid that Rosalind was going to be one of those annoying, immature heroines. But she ended up having more depth than I originally expected. And Nicholas is a very nice hero – growly, trying his best to do a favor for a friend while fighting a losing battle against his growing attraction to the very person he is supposed to be protecting.

The sub-plot (I use the term loosely) is mostly a waste of time. The relationship between Rosalind and Nicholas is entertaining and doesn’t need the silliness or the distraction. Plus the character that is used is kind of creepy and borders on stalkerish.

So, faithful reader, if you’re in the mood for a light, entertaining read with a fun relationship between the lead couple and don’t mind that there isn’t a lot of unneeded plot to get in the way, check out Guarding a Notorious Lady. I enjoy Ms. Parker’s voice and her heroes and heroines are always entertaining.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Exquisite trouble . . .

A woman of pristine breeding, Lady Rosalind Devine is also an unrepentant meddler and snoop— which is why her brother refuses to leave her to her own devices while on his wedding trip. But Rosalind will not make things easy for any unseen, unwanted “nursemaid”—and vows to use her considerable wiles to expose her mystery guardian.

Nicholas Kincaid, the Marquess of Winterbourne, agreed to secretly guard his friend’s spoiled, stubborn sister, though her infuriating penchant for mischief is causing him to question his decision. Though bound by the rules of society—and friendship— Rosalind’s spirit and sensuality have sparked a fierce desire in Nicholas to play a very different role in her life, one that entails passion, ecstasy . . . and unavoidable scandal.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

LynneC’s review of Guarding a Notorious Lady by Olivia Parker
Historical Romance published by Avon 31 May 11

I’ve never read Olivia Parker before, and while this is a pleasant read, it’s instantly forgettable, so gossamer-thin that if I don’t write this review now, I’ll probably forget about it. I put this book down half an hour ago, and if I hadn’t made notes, knowing I was going to review this one, I wouldn’t remember it.

This is an ARC that I received from NetGalley, and in my desperate hunt to find a new historical author to love, I thought I’d try this. It’s not for me, though it may well be for you. It’s an airport book, and God bless anyone who can help the poor traveler to wile away those tedious hours after security and before takeoff.

The heroine, whose name I’ve forgotten already and have to look up, Rosalind (oh whoops, Rose of my Richard and Rose series is a Rosalind, I should be able to remember that name!) is a scamp rather than notorious, so the title seems a little inappropriate and far too melodramatic for the tone of this book, which is charmingly light. Anyway, Rosalind is in London for the season when she meets a neighbour, Nicholas (with the unusual surname of Kincaid – an Irish name for a Scot living in England? Ah well, could be. After all, Billy Connolly is Scottish). She has no idea he’s in London and no idea that he has recently inherited the title of Marquis until Chapter Two.

That wasn’t my first “Eh?” moment, but it did stop me a bit. She would have known. She’d have known he was in line, and she’d have known when he inherited. But this is a light-hearted story, and it would be a shame to spoil it, wouldn’t it?

Historical inaccuracies and skimming period and setting are legion. Kilts and whisky in the Regency period? Not for fifty years did they make an appearance in polite society, but, eh, I told myself. At least whisky is spelled right (big sigh of relief there!) or maybe it wasn’t Regency. Since there’s no mention of Napoleon, Wellington, or any other reference to ground me in the period, I wonder if it might be early Victorian, except no mention is made of her, either. Not that I noticed, anyway. There doesn’t seem to be a mention of the period in the blurb, either. So I decided the whole thing is taking place in America in the 1850s. Somewhere like Boston (is there anywhere else like Boston?) and since I know very little about this time and place, it works much better. Because Britain it isn’t. Neither is it Regency.

I can actually take a lightly written novel if the author makes me care about the characters and their dilemmas. But there doesn’t seem to be any dilemmas. Rosalind spends the whole book falling into Nicholas’ arms, tripping, stumbling, falling off ladders and so on. Accident prone doesn’t begin to describe it unless, of course, she is doing it on purpose. That’s about it, really. The plot, I mean. Rosalind spends a season falling into his arms and he spends the season kissing her and then pushing her away, either because of basic honor or a promise he made to her brother or because he has a Tragic Past. Take your pick. None of them seem to matter come the sex scene.

There is a little kissing, a little heavy petting, and one sex scene in the book. It’s a book written by numbers in that respect.

Rosalind is in love with Nicholas from page one and he’s in love with her, so the whole book could actually have ended at the end of Chapter One. Or Chapter Two, if you like a ball scene. She meets him unexpectedly, he’s inherited a title, her family approves, and they announce their engagement. There’s no conflict, no believable reason for staying apart, no reason why they should resist each other.

So, as I do when I start getting bored, I note the inaccuracies and plough on. If I weren’t determined to find one historical I liked, and I knew I’d decided to review this one, I would have given up.

Am I hard for commenting on inaccuracies in what is essentially a romp? No, I don’t think so, though I do feel a tad mean. But hey, remember Georgette Heyer – unforgettable. She wrote romps, scads of them, and in every one she gave the reader a reason to turn the page and in every one she made serious efforts to ground the reader in the period she loved, giving details without swamping the characters in it. They just belonged there, as surely as the Baluchistan Hound belonged in Green Park. But with the Parker book, it would have been any dog in any park, and it wouldn’t have had the same impact, or the same comedic effect. And the fact that I can remember that and the scene effortlessly should really show the difference. Heyer’s Frederica is deeply memorable and very funny in parts. The Baluchistan Hound and Dr. Ratcliffe’s Restorative Pork Jelly are indelibly marked in the minds of anyone reading it. It’s the superficiality of the Parker book that I find tedious and, I think, why it doesn’t have the same effect on me.

And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, go and get a copy of Georgette Heyer’s Frederica and read it now. You won’t regret it.

Don’t get me wrong. Parker’s style is delightful and has enchanted many a reader, but it isn’t a book you’d put on your keeper shelf. Or you might, remembering that you enjoyed it, and then pick it up six months later and think, “I don’t think I’ve read this one.”

So for an airport read, it’s probably a C. For review purposes, it’s a D. Sorry. And I did enjoy the first chapter, and I thought I’d found something interesting. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.

Grade: D

Summary:

Exquisite trouble . . .

A woman of pristine breeding, Lady Rosalind Devine is also an unrepentant meddler and snoop–which is why her brother refuses to leave her to her own devices while on his wedding trip. But Rosalind will not make things easy for any unseen, unwanted “nursemaid”–and vows to use her considerable wiles to expose her mystery guardian.

Nicholas Kincaid, the Marquess of Winterbourne, agreed to secretly guard his friend’s spoiled, stubborn sister, though her infuriating penchant for mischief is causing him to question his decision. Though bound by the rules of society–and friendship– Rosalind’s spirit and sensuality have sparked a fierce desire in Nicholas to play a very different role in her life, one that entails passion, ecstasy . . . and unavoidable scandal.

Read an excerpt.

Liviania’s Duckies Do Series review of The Love by Numbers Trilogy by Sarah MacLean
Historical Romance published by Avon Mar 10-Apr 11

In 2009, Sarah MacLean’s debut The Season got several good reviews on young adult book blogs.  I put it out of my mind since it’s a hardcover, but then her adult romances started showing up on my radar.  I picked up the second book, Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord, when my Borders went out of business.  It convinced me that there’s something to the hype, so I went ahead and read the other two books in the trilogy.

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
30 Mar 10

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell does her best.  She follows the rules of society exactly and ends up on the shelf.  She decides that it’s time to pick up a few eccentricities.  Her younger sister is already engaged and her brother is a marquess, so their reputations are rather safe.  As for hers, well, she isn’t getting married, is she?  Then she goes to get her first kiss from the rakish marquess Gabriel St. John, who has been looking for a woman with an impeccable reputation to introduce his newly discovered half-sister to society.

I identified with Callie, who overcorrects herself when trying to fit in and just ends up a wallflower.  I also think MacLean manages a plausible premise to explain why her heroine wants to smoke, shoot, and otherwise act modern.  I like how Ralston (St. John’s title) and Callie play off of each other.  He slowly realizes that she’s pretty awesome while she gets to know the real man instead of her idealized version of him.

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake sets the tone for the trilogy.  MacLean’s Regencies are light and funny.  Those looking for serious fare might seek a different author.

Grade: B+

Summary:

A lady does not smoke cheroot.

She does not ride astride.

She does not fence or attend duels.

She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen’s club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she’s vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she’s been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she’s not careful, she’ll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love .

Read an excerpt here.

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord
26 Oct 10

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord opens with an excellent prologue.  Lady Isabel Townsend methodically sends away another man who won her hand in marriage in a card game with her father.  She’s been forced to take care of herself, and when the earl dies, she takes advantage of the opportunity to care for others.  She acts as her ten-year-old brother’s steward and opens the earldom to young women in need of shelter – including the pregnant sister of a duke.

Nicholas St. John, “London’s Lord to Land,” has been hired by Duke Leighton to find his sister.  Nick and Isabel instantly connect, but she’s busy trying to hide her secret, which makes him think she’s up to something truly nefarious.  Isabel and Nick also seem like a good match, with their shared interests and practical natures.

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord is the first of the Numbers trilogy I read and my favorite.  It contains the most laugh-out-loud moments of the three novels.  The epigraphs from the fictional magazine Pearls and Pelisses are not to be missed.

Grade: A

Summary:

“Lord Nicholas is a paragon of manhood.
And his eyes, Dear Reader! So blue!”
Pearls & Pelisses, June 1823

Since being named on of London’s “Lords to Land” by a popular ladies’ magazine, Nicholas St. John has been relentlessly pursued by every matrimony-minded female in the ton. So when an opportunity to escape fashionable society presents itself, he eagerly jumps—only to land in the path of the most determined, damnably delicious woman he’s ever met!

The daughter of a titled wastrel, Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money. Though used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father’s recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to protect her young brother’s birthright. The sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.

But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless…like falling madly, passionately in love.

Read an excerpt here.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart
26 Apr 11

The problems with Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart start with the cover.  Juliana Fiori, Ralston and Nick’s sister, is clad in some sort of sad sack with a strange slit instead of a pretty dress like Isabel and Callie.  The final novel is more of a sad sack than a funny romp.  Part of its problem is there is no overarching external problem giving it structure.

Juliana is bold, but it’s not because she wants to be, like Isabel and Callie.  She’s bold because everyone expects her to be as scandalous as her mother and she’ll deliver.  After reading about the efforts Ralston and Callie go through on her behalf, it’s a bit frustrating to read her self-pity.  (I could’ve also done with less funny foreigner jokes about her difficulty with idioms.)

The Duke of Leighton, her hero, eventually admits to the fact he’s an ass.  It takes a while, though.  Personally, I’m sad it takes so long for Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart to address Leighton’s treatment of his sister.  I couldn’t get into the guy getting his happy ending until he starts treating his family well.  I don’t need an alpha male in every story, but Leighton is so afraid of his mother and society.  Juliana and Leighton do have a great deal of character development, but the first half on the novel feels stagnant to me.

It’s a decent romance, but it lacks the effervescence of the first two.  It’s a disappointing end to the series.

Grade: C-

Summary:

She lives for passion

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society’s rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London’s most practiced gossips…and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening–risking everything he holds dear–he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety.

She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

Read an excerpt here.

I think Sarah MacLean is an exciting new historical author.  I’m looking forward to The Fallen Angel quartet.  It does sound like it could be a darker set of books, which could be a misstep given the strength of MacLean’s humor.  I enjoyed the Love by the Numbers trilogy, but expect I’ll only reread the first two.

Overall Grade: B

C2’s review of Any Man of Mine (Seattle Chinooks Series, Book 6) by Rachel Gibson (FYI iThing people, Flash driven site)
Contemporary Romance published by Avon 26 Apr 11

Rachel Gibson’s Any Man of Mine returns us to the world of the Seattle Chinooks.  This time around we get to see Sam LeClaire find his happily ever after and it comes from a completely unexpected direction.

Sam is enjoying his life.  The Chinooks are still riding high on the previous season’s Stanley Cup win.  Sam has accomplished everything he ever set out to do in his professional life.  His personal life is just the way he likes it – no special lady friend but plenty of female company whenever he wants it.  The last person he expects to see at a former teammate’s wedding to the owner of the Chinooks is his ex-wife. And his ex-wife is not a fan of his.

Autumn Haven is an event planner.  She is in charge of keeping the wedding of Ty Savage and Faith Duffy running smoothly and does not need the distraction of dealing with her ex-husband.  Autumn needs this high-profile wedding to be as successful as possible so her business can get more notice.  Economic times are hard and every bit of good publicity is extremely welcome.

Sam and Autumn haven’t seen each other for almost two years…and the last time they were in the same room they had a horrible argument that was witnessed by their three-year-old son, Connor.  After that, they decided it was best to avoid each other and Autumn worked very hard to let go of her anger toward Sam.  And had been mostly successful, but Sam hasn’t made it easy…especially because of his tendency to cancel plans with Connor at the last minute to go do things with friends.

The fancy wedding, complete with happy bride and groom surrounded by family and friends, could not be further from the drunken Vegas wedding that topped off Sam and Autumn’s week-long fling.  Cooler heads prevailed one day too late, when Sam woke up to a ring on his finger and panic in his stomach – he bailed on Autumn and she was served with divorce papers almost before the ink on the wedding license was dry.

Seeing Autumn again makes Sam take a long, hard look at his life.  And he isn’t thrilled with what he sees.  He recognizes that he has not been a good father to his son – too often his assistants do the picking up and dropping off or serve as babysitters while he is out with his friends, if he doesn’t cancel plans completely.  So Sam decides to try to do better – be more responsible, be a better father and maybe get Autumn out of his system, finally.  Or keep her in his system forever.

Autumn was heartbroken when Sam abandoned her after the wedding and devastated again when he wasn’t interested in being a parent to their son.  His behavior since then has not given her reason to see him as anything but a spoiled jock, so she is understandably skeptical when she learns of Sam’s plan.  Still, she wants her son to have his father in his life, so she agrees to try to help Sam and Connor have a better relationship.  But she’s been burned by Sam one too many times.  How can she get past that?  Even if the attraction between them flares again, how can she trust him with her heart when he’s already broken it?

Sam is determined though – and, really, is there anything more attractive than a man who wants to do the right thing and be a grown-up?  Even if he doesn’t manage it one hundred percent of the time, he’s making the big effort and succeeding more often than not.  And he still stays true to his playful (okay, sometimes self-centered and immature) character, even as he becomes more responsible.  Adult does not mean boring stick-in-the-mud – Sam shows us that.  And shows Autumn too.

A point in Ms. Gibson’s favor is that even though Autumn is bitter at times, she isn’t mean-spirited toward Sam – just wary and sad.  If she had started out as a bitter hissing crone and then got all lovey-dovey at the end, I would have been annoyed.  Another good thing, Connor is never used as a weapon between Sam and Autumn – and the impression is that he never has been.  I’m not against having kids in books, as I know some are, but if they are in the story – especially in a contemporary – I want them to be treated properly, and Connor is.

Can this book stand alone?  I say yes, but why not read the whole series?  You know you want to.  Is it my favorite of the series?  No – See Jane Score will always have that honor, I think (two words, faithful reader: horseshoe tattoo…that’s all I’m sayin’). However, Any Man of Mine is the best of the recent entries in the Chinook series.  The characters deal with issues lots of regular real people deal with every day and still manage to get their happily ever after…what more can anyone ask?

Grade: B

Summary:

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS . . .
DOESN’T ALWAYS STAY THERE.

Autumn Haven’s Las Vegas “to-do” list said to catch a show and play the slots—not wake up married to a sexy jerk like Sam Leclaire. The first moment she saw him eyeing her like a luscious piece of the dessert buffet, her usually responsible self told her run. And she did—right into the wildest fantasy weekend of her life. But Monday morning jolted her back to reality and before she could say “pass the coffee” Sam was gone.

Now a successful wedding planner, Autumn she hasn’t clapped eyes on the heart-breaking hockey superstar for over two years… until she organizes his teammate’s “Special Day,” where Sam makes a BIG play to pick up he left off! But she has vowed any man of hers plays for keeps. Is Sam the man for her or does she banish him to the sin bin forever?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of What I Did for a Duke (Pennyroyal Green Series, Book 5) by Julie Anne Long
Historical Romance published by Avon 22 Feb 11

Well, after finishing this book I know I’ve been missing some terrific stories by Julie Anne Long. This is my first book by this author and I have fallen in love with her characters from this series. It’s Alex, Duke of Falconbridge, who steals the show for me. His sense of humor, bridled with his arrogance and vulnerabilities, that make him such a complex hero, and I fell for him hard.

Falconbridge is out for revenge, aiming to take advantage of Ian Eversea’s sister for the man’s seduction of the duke’s fiance. When he first meets Genevieve, he’s a little underwhelmed. She’s not as beautiful as her sister, but as he steadily gets to know the young woman, his perception of her changes while his intent does not. He’s able to see beyond her stoic exterior to the hurt and betrayal she’s recently suffered, thus he’s found the vulnerability he needs for his plan to succeed.

She’s loved Lord Harry Osborne all her life, and Genevieve is stunned when he tells her he’s decided to ask their best friend, the lovely Millicent, to marry him. Putting on a brave face for Harry, as well as the guests due for her family’s house party, Genevieve has to bear the Duke’s sudden intrusiveness every time she turns around. At first she’s polite because that’s how she’s been raised, but then as the duke makes bolder overtures, Genny begins to look at him and what he has to offer in a different light, all the while still upset when seeing Harry and Millicent together, wanting what they seemingly have.

From the beginning Alex is that powerful, wealthy, and arrogant duke he’s known as, with some mystery and scandal from his past thrown in. He uses all of these things to his advantage, whether it’s stalking Ian to keep him running scared or slowly seducing Genevieve. He uses everything in his arsenal when he decides it is this woman he wants. Something as simple as the distinction of a kiss, Harry’s or Alex’s, keeps Genevieve off balance as she becomes more and more aware of the duke as a man who might be just what she needs and wants.

Genevieve does have to be a strong character to take him on and Ms. Long has written her perfectly. Her innocence complements her wittiness and practicality, all of which is what seduces Alex as he seduces her. I love the innuendos that play between Alex and Genevieve when he learns of her love of art, the portrayals of Venus and Mars, which become inside jokes as Alex’s seduction wends its way through Genevieve. She holds her own with him admirably.

I really like the end of this story, finally giving us a look at an Alex we have yet to see. And what a look it is. Though it seems he has it all worked out to get what he wants, he still has doubts, which are lovely to see in someone of his caliber. He has no idea if his so-called scheming will work, but I guess we should say he’s crazy to ever doubt Genevieve. But to his credit, even I doubted for a moment.

This is a wonderfully written book and I plan on pulling all of my Julie Anne Long books from the TRB pile as soon as I can. I’m not missing another word of hers again if I can help it.

Grade: A

Summary:

For years, he’s been an object of fear, fascination…and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that forever dog 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 member of the powerful and wealthy Eversea family 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 a gentleness that coaxes out his deepest secrets… 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?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Book 6: How the Marquess was Won – January 2012

Sandy M’s review of The Heiress (Madison Sisters, Book 2) by Lynsay Sands
Historical Romance published by Avon 22 Feb 11

I never in a million years thought I’d only like, instead of love, a Lynsay Sands book. But it’s happened.

This book takes place at the same as The Countess, just from Daniel’s and Suzette’s points of view. There are scenes that are somewhat, if not completely, duplicative of scenes from the previous book. I’m not sure why this doesn’t work for me that well in this case when Julia Quinn’s Two Dukes of Wyndham books did. I’m thinking it’s because with all the other players in an on-going storyline, it didn’t feel like Daniel and Suzette’s book. They, of course, do have their own scenes apart from repetitive ones and they’re great scenes. Maybe it’s that the humor that flowed throughout the first book is missing here, not keeping in line with the circumstances of Dicky’s death, because at times some of the things these characters do border on the ludicrous. That first book made me laugh out loud, I didn’t mind the comedy-of-errors-like situation there.

What I really did enjoy is the way Daniel slowly but surely falls for Suzette because of her bluntness and her zest for the unexplored, while still desiring to live in the country, away from the scathing backbiting and gossipmongers of town. Suzette needs to find a husband pronto because her father has once again gambled with their lives to the edge of ruin. Her older sister Christiana is the one who saved them the first time around, but that didn’t turn out very well when her husband, Dicky, turned out to be a bastard, verbally abusing the woman. So Suzette wants a man who’s in need of money but who will agree to let her retain part of her dower to repay the gambling debt and allow her to live her life as she pleases.

We know already that Daniel has led Suzette to believe he is that man, when, in reality, he’s as rich as his friend Richard, the true Earl of Radnor, Christiana’s husband. But because she fascinates him, he wants to stretch out their time together so they can learn about each other, see if they’ll truly fit to spend a lifetime in wedded bliss. So we go behind the scenes of the first book to find out what they talk about when not immersed in the present predicament of discovering who killed Dikey and who’s blackmailing the current earl. I’m just not as taken with Daniel and Suzette as I was with Richard and Christiana, and that disappointments me because I really liked this couple during the first book and have anxiously anticipated their story. Don’t get me wrong, their scenes together are good. I really like the scene that begins in Suzette’s bedroom where Daniel has just thrown Dicky’s body out the window to prevent discovery. She believes he’s come to give her his answer concerning her proposal and hopes they’ll be on their way to Gretna Green immediately. But Daniel puts her off, not able to tell her why he’s really there.

Their almost love scenes are also nice, especially the one following the above scene in Daniel’s carriage, where Richard has stashed Dicky unbeknownst to Daniel until it’s too late. I am, though, disappointed in their consummation of the relationship, which takes place in a barn. I realize for events following that scene why it’s done this way, but I just want something different for them. Also disappointing is that’s the only love scene between them. The wait for them to be together takes long enough, since the first book, so I feel we should get more than that. You do feel their shared enjoyment when together, their growing admiration and desire as they dance around each other. And because their one time together is tainted in a way, it would have been nice to enjoy them loving each other again.

I do like that we see more of Robert and Lisa, the third Madison sister. Robert has yet to look at Lisa as a love interest, though she’s been smitten with him for a while. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Sands has planned for them.

I guess I put my cart before the horse as far as the humor in this series is concerned. I did expect more of it in this book than what is given, so my fault for the disappointment to a certain extent. I won’t be making that same mistake with the last book in the trilogy, though.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Desperately seeking a husband…

Suzette is not like other heiresses; she wants a poor husband. A gentleman who will be so grateful for her dowry that he will allow her access to her dowry so she can help pay off her father’s gambling debts. When this alluring beauty encounters Daniel Woodward—handsome, titled, single…and even more impoverished than she could have hoped for—it seems Suzette’s wildest dream has come true.

But Daniel has not been truthful. Tired of being accosted by an endless stream of vapid coquettes and their fortune-hunting mothers, Daniel has decided to plead poverty to stop them in their tracks. Yet here is a most refreshing and delectable lady who claims to be thrilled by his penury. Now all Daniel has to do to find true happiness is to keep a little white lie alive…while avoiding a dastardly villain who’s determined to prevent this union by any means necessary.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Call Me Irresistible (Wynette Texas Series, Book 6) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Contemporary romance released by William Morrow 18 Jan 11

For most SEP fans, Call Me Irresistible is a greatly anticipated book. Why? Because it’s Teddy Beaudine’s book! We have known Teddy his whole life – we saw him arrive on the scene and got to know him as a scary, smart nine-year-old in Fancy Pants. We met him again just as he was finishing college in Lady Be Good. But it seems like she made us wait forever for him to grow up completely and get his story.

Who is the lucky lady that gets paired with Ted? Meg Koranda – daughter of the Glitter Baby and a supporting character in What I Did for Love.   At first glance, maybe Meg doesn’t match up all that well with Ted. He’s so perfectly perfect – brilliant, hard working, handsome, friendly, rich – and she’s so not perfect. Meg dropped out of college before graduating, she doesn’t have a job, she was living off her parents money (whatever…they’re RICH) until they cut her off – more about this later. I won’t go into detail about how Meg and Ted met – let me just say that it began with her being a bridesmaid and ended with him being left at the altar.

Now, Ted is an easy-going fellow, but even he can’t quite let that go, and when Meg tries to run out on her hotel bill (no job, no money – remember), he sends the police after her. Did I mention that, along with being a super brainiac consultant, he is also mayor of Wynette (thanks to an overwhelming number of write-in votes)? So there Meg is, trapped in a town that blames her for their golden boy being abandoned at the altar, with no money and no easy way to get any.

And here is where my problem with the book begins – Meg’s parents have cut her off, after supporting her for 30 years. And they still have a good relationship. One of those things doesn’t fit for me – she hasn’t misbehaved (other than the no-regular-job thing), she isn’t a druggie, she hasn’t been lounging by the pool by day, hitting the clubs by night. She has been traveling, looking for herself – they must not have minded funding that, at first – but before she finds herself, they pull her funding. That bit of plot is jarring. And unrealistic…her parents are rich, but she didn’t have anything she could sell for money? No jewelry? Nothing? And the reason she’s driving a clunker is because her dad stopped making payments on her car? Don’t uber-wealthy people just buy cars? There wouldn’t be a car payment, for crying out loud. Maybe I’m nitpicking, but the whole “find a reason to keep Meg in Wynette” seems awkward and forced.

Anyway, since Wynette isn’t a metropolis, Meg and Ted are thrown together and eventually the hostilities subside, but Meg senses that Ted holds himself back from everyone. Everyone loves him and he likes them right back. Not the best basis for a real relationship. So when he asks her to stay, she says no and leaves. Another woman has left him…that doesn’t sit well with our Teddy. He and Meg both have some thinking to do.

Throw in a cast of nosy, small-town crazies, a vandal-stalker, lots of golf, and way too much focus on a couple of supporting characters (Spence and Sunny) and you’ve got a pretty good book. Wait…wut?? Yes, I said it’s pretty good. Not my favorite SEP – I much prefer Heaven Texas, Lady Be Good and Natural Born Charmer – but still an enjoyable read. Yes, too much time is spent punishing Meg just because her life lacks focus. Yes, too much time is spent on whether or not the resort would be built. But it is nice to see the close-knit folks of Wynette rally around and support those they consider their own, too.

I have a few other quibbles but, overall, I would recommend reading Call Me Irresistible – especially if you enjoyed Fancy Pants and Lady Be Good. It isn’t necessary to read the previous books – the important bits are summarized nicely – but this book might make you curious enough to pick up some of the others.

Grade: B

Summary:

R.S.V.P. to the most riotous wedding of the year . . .

Lucy Jorik is the daughter of a former United States president. Meg Koranda is the offspring of legends. One of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible—Ted Beaudine—the favorite son of Wynette, Texas. The other is not happy about it and is determined to save her friend from a mess of heartache.

But even though Meg knows that breaking up her best friend’s wedding is the right thing to do, no one else seems to agree. Faster than Lucy can say “I don’t,” Meg becomes the most hated woman in town—a town she’s stuck in with a dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom.

Broke, stranded, and without her famous parents at her back, Meg is sure she can survive on her own wits. What’s the worst that can happen? Lose her heart to the one and only Mr. Irresistible? Not likely. Not likely at all . . .

Read an excerpt.

Connected books :

Sandy M’s review of The Countess (Madison Sisters, Book 1) by Lynsay Sands
Historical Romance published by Avon 25 Jan 11

Oh, my heavens, what a wonderful time I had with this book! Lynsay Sands, of course, is a fave of mine, love her historical romance novels with a passion. This book is all you expect from her and then some. That then some is the humor. Though the story is full of mystery and misery, the wittiness, fun, and romance interspersed throughout makes this book one of the best of the year. It’s only February, but I know that already.

We learn right off that Christiana is in a bad marriage, one full of verbal abuse. Her husband, the Earl of Rador, or Dicky as he likes to be called, has chipped away at her self-esteem over the year since their wedding. He’s basically imprisoned her, keeping her from family and friends, including highjacking correspondence to and from her sisters. Christiana now doubts her judgment in all things, mostly in people and their character. How could she have been so taken in by the charming earl who led her to believe she’d have her happily ever after? And what happened to that man after the vows were said?

When she learns of Dicky’s underhandedness concerning her letters to family, Christiana talks herself into the backbone she once had and decides to confront him, while also hoping he will once again help take care of her father’s recently acquired gambling problem, a problem that surfaced last year and prompted Christiana’s marriage to the earl. Unfortunately for Christiana, her taking control comes a tad too late – she finds her husband lying dead on the library floor. What to do now? Well, what any self-respecting countess would do – keep the body on ice until she and her sisters can resolve the impending scandal!

Their resolution is to find a suitable husband – one who needs money – for Suzette, a man who will agree to leave enough of her dowry to cover the outstanding gambling debts. So off they go to a ball that evening, ready to husband hunt, but Christiana is dumbfounded when who but the earl himself should walk into the room, alive and well! The ensuing comedy of errors is just delicious. She’s confused at the behavior change in Dicky since his resurrection. He’s kind and gentle with not a harsh word to her. What she doesn’t know is that this is the true Earl of Radnor, Richard, who has been believed dead in a fire, has just returned from America after a long illness and is ready to wreak revenge on his twin brother George for his hand in Richard’s supposed death and stealing his identity.

Richard’s not sure what to do with his sudden new wife, except protect her from scandal the best he can once he discovers George and his current situation. I don’t know how many times I laughed out loud once Richard and his close friend Daniel become involved in moving the iced corpse to stave off any future blackmail due to George’s behavior while he impersonated Richard and/or any repercussions once the entire duplicity is found out, which they’re hoping to avoid. Richard, of course, is the complete opposite of George, hero material to the max, and Christiana is not the only one to eventually fall in love with him. Daniel becomes more involved also when he’s the one Suzette chooses to marry, though she doesn’t know the whole truth about him. I enjoyed their growing relationship and look forward to their story in the next book.

The banter among all the characters, sister to sister, Richard with Christiana and Daniel, Daniel with Suzette, including others, is so much fun. You go from serious angst to lightheartedness and back quite a bit and it’s done seamlessly with Ms. Sands’ superb writing. In between all of that is the love Richard and Christiana find together, each having to overcome their personal issues to make the relationship work. They’re a very engaging couple and I enjoyed every minute with them.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The fairy tale courtship did not turn into a happily ever after…

Not until her husband dropped dead, that is. He had been horrible enough to Christiana during their short marriage, and she was not going to allow the traditional period of mourning to ruin her sisters’ debuts as well. So Christiana decides to put him on ice and go on as if nothing’s happened…

Until the real earl appears. Richard Fairgrave had every intention of confronting his villainous twin who robbed him of his name and title…only to discover that he’d died. Quietly assuming his identity, Richard must now deal with a maddening desire for his ravishing inherited “wife”—certainly a gold digger and possibly a murderess. And Christiana must deal with an unwanted new “husband”…and they both must figure out what to do before the ice melts!

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

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