Sandy M’s review of Secrets to Seducing a Scot (Highland Knaves, Book 2) by Michelle Marcos
Historical Romance published by St. Martin’s 2 Aug 11

I’ve obviously had this book for a while.     For some reason I just didn’t pick it up until recently. While it’s not a story that wows you to no end, it is an intense, somewhat sweet romance between a very unlikely pair who pull you into their lives during a time of uprising in Scotland.

Serena Marsh is the toast of London with her daily column in the local newspaper. Society hangs on to her every word about who’s been at what ball and all the goings-on that happened. She’s privileged, sheltered, and pampered. Though in the beginning she may seem selfish because of her upbringing, Serena eventually learns a lifetime of lessons in a very short time span while in Scotland, where her father is trying to negotiate terms between rebels and English crown.

Having lost his family at a young age, Malcolm Slayter has been on his own since the age of twelve, an outcast from his clan, a “slaighteur” for the perceived traitorous actions of his family. He and his surviving siblings are branded, literally, his brother and sister now captives of those who have taken everything from them. Malcolm is left for dead. But that doesn’t keep him and his need for vengeance down. A man now, without family, home, or country, Malcolm is, basically, a bounty hunter for hire. It matters not which side anyone else stands on, Malcolm will do what is required for the coin. There’s nothing else in his life worth anything.

But when threats are made against Serena, her father hires Malcolm to protect her. At this point Serena does get on the nerves a tad. She doesn’t take the threats seriously and does what she wants when she wants, despite warnings from both her father and Malcolm. You’d like to shake her to wake her up, but, of course, these things are needed to teach the girl a lesson. After treating Malcolm with a high-and-mighty attitude, never listening to his instructions, then fighting an attraction to him and finally succumbing to it, Serena goes one step too far and ends up in the hands of rebels intending to use her against her father.

Of course, it’s Malcolm to the rescue. Especially since acknowledging his love for her. Serena isn’t the only one to change throughout the book. The hardened, uncaring man he’s become slowly dissipates and a new Malcolm emerges. He’s not the man who would have come along if his life hadn’t been so radically and violently altered, but I think it’s safe to assume this man is close, all due to the love he’s now found. That’s what I like best about this character as he comes alive, along with his love for Serena, in this book. You can see his hard edges slowly recede, see a different person take the place of all the anger and hurt that’s resided inside of him for years. He learns to be romantic and loving while still retaining the steel needed to now survive not only for himself but also for Serena.

While you’ll get some intense love scenes, you won’t get those eye-popping events that keep you reading. What you do get is a gradual alteration of people who have to change their outlook on life as they’ve always known it. Even Serena’s father doesn’t go unscathed in this regard. I kept reading because I wanted to see the changes in Malcolm and how he handles them. I initially picked this book up wanting a dose of a Scottish hero. I got that and a lot more.

Grade: C+

Read Ash’s review here.

Summary:

A Diamond in the Rough

Torn from a pampered life of luxury and thrust into the midst of a Scottish revolution, Serena Marsh is shocked to meet the brutish man who has been assigned to protect her from the rebels trying to kill her—Malcolm Slayter, the most rugged, most dangerous, and most undeniably attractive man she’s ever encountered…

The Knave of Hearts

Malcolm has no loyalties, no country, and no sense of propriety. Hired by her father, Malcolm agrees to protect the lovely lass for a fee. But when Serena challenges Malcolm’s authority—and engages him in a risky flirtation—all bets are off. When the battle heats up, it’s anyone’s guess as to who’s seducing whom…and who’ll surrender first.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Wolf Who Loved Me (The Wolf Who Loved Me Trilogy, Book 1) by Lydia Dare
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Apr 12

With this new spin-off trilogy, Lydia Dare is giving readers more of her werewolves with the Hadley brothers, three rakes who get into trouble every chance they get.

I’m glad the wolves are back. I know Ms. Dare was trying to give readers something different with the last three books in the series that featured vampires. Those stories were good, but they just lack the flare of those werewolves that I’ve enjoyed so much from the beginning of this series. This time around we have some fun with the half-brothers of Dashiel Thorpe, who is hero of The Taming of the Wolf. Twins Weston and Grayson and Archer Hadley are about to have their ears flicked to bring them into line after causing havoc at every turn. Dash and Caitrin are fed up and desperate measures are in the works.

Weston has always been enamored of Lady Madeline Hayburn, but she’s out of his league. Even knowing her father has brought in eligible bachelors for her to choose from doesn’t bring him any closer to his dream of having her. Society doesn’t look kindly on the Hadleys. So he has to admire her from afar, with only minimum interaction. The lady has marginally noticed Wes, but her priority is staying away from the gents who are vying for her attention. And her money.

All the problems really begin when Madeline spies Weston from her window in an altercation with another man, incapacitating him. She’s curious as to what he’ll do next, so she slips out of the house to follow him to the barn. But what she ends up seeing alters both of their lives completely. It’s the full moon and Wes has no control over his shifting when it’s time. When he realizes what Madeline has seen, and despite the fact she’s now frightened of him, his only option is to head to Gretna Green for a quick marriage. If her future is tied with his, her silence is assured.

But being kidnapped and forced to marry isn’t Madeline’s idea of making the problem go away. She does her best to get away from Wes, even though she becomes more attracted to him as time goes on. When she stops to see he is taking care of her, he does feel something for her, her need to escape lessens. When her father catches up to them, Madeline must make a choice. Should she go back home, which is what she’s wanted for so long, or now take a chance on the man who has come to mean something to her? Madeline decides to take a chance. She jumps from the inn window into the arms of her future.

Of course, now that she’s made that choice, things can only sail smoothly for so long. During their trip they acquire a couple passengers, both known to Wes, who make it more difficult for him to keep soothing his intended’s feathers. After finally making it to Gretna Green, becoming husband and wife, and enjoying the best wedding night, it doesn’t take long for things to go awry. Madeline spies Wes in a compromising position with the actress who shared their carriage, and she thinks the worst. So much so she runs to Wes’ so-called friend to help her get back home. That plan turns out to be a major mistake. During his search for his wife, Wes realizes he was wrong to force Madeline into marriage, she deserves better than he can ever give her. So once he’s found her, he’ll return her to her father. That’s best for all concerned.

Madeline, however, takes exception to that idea. And at the end of the book is my only nitpick. I thought perhaps once I pondered on it I might change my mind, but I’ve found I haven’t. I feel Madeline’s “begging” is taken a bit too far, especially at the time and place it happens. I know it’s because she has to convince Wes she’s true in her words and feelings toward him, but I think an alternative or even some type of compromise with that scene would have worked better. For me, anyway. Her actions, of course, move Wes and do convince him, but that’s just not the Madeline I’ve come to know during this read.

Other than that, I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The Hadley brothers aren’t as charismatic as Dash – he’s still my favorite hero of the series – but they make for good fun and eventually romance. I’m quite intrigued with the budding relationship between Archer and Madeline’s friend, Sophie. That should be one wild romp, which I’m looking forward to.

Grade: B

Summary:

Lady Madeline Hayburn Has Money Problems…

Specifically, she has so much of it that she’s dogged by fortune hunters, including her bewilderingly attractive, penniless neighbor, with his wild nature and uncouth manners…

Weston Hadley Has An Identity Crisis…

Specifically, he’s just turned into a wolf while Madeline was watching. Now it’s up to the regal lady to tame the wild beast…if she can…

Read an excerpt. (click the Excerpt tab)

Other books in this series:

Veena’s review of Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea (Royal Entourage, Book 1) by Sophia Nash
Historical Romance published by Avon 28 Feb 12

Between the Duke and Deep Blue Sea is a wonderful kickoff to Sophia Nash’s new regency romance series. Alex Barclay, the newly minted Duke of Kress, barely gets to celebrate his good fortune before he finds himself penniless and exiled to his crumbling estate in the wilds of Cornwall to host a house party of eligible heiresses. Contrary to his orders from the Prince Regent, he’s strongly attracted to the unsuitable and very married Roxanne Vanderhaven, who joins his household after he rescues her from near death and drowning.

Roxanne is a commoner who was married for her fortune to the Earl of Paxton and elevated to the peerage. Gradually she is isolated from her family and the people she grew up with and becomes completely submissive to her husband until she is subjected to the final indignity where he tries to engineer her death. She wants to retaliate and finds an unlike ally in her efforts in Alex.  In a series of hilarious episodes, the two of them engage in pranks that prick her husband’s vanity and ambition until “I’ve grown weary of his uninspired villainy, if he cannot provide more sport,how long must I continue playing with a mouse who is already dead?”

Alex lives life on the surface, refusing to risk his heart after he lost his parents during the French revolution. He is determined to find a rich wife as commanded by the Prince and restore his crumbling estate to its former glory. Roxanne, however, breaks through all his defenses and he finds himself fighting a losing battle against his growing attraction to her.

As gold separates from the dross, Roxanne finds new and true friends amongst the ladies attending the house party. She finds love with Alex as he cajoles and flirts with her while giving her her self-esteem back. I found myself laughing aloud at some of the conversational dialogues between them and some of the things that they do to Roxanne’s husband.

There are a lot of interesting characters that are introduced in this book, and I am sure that some of them will have greater roles and may even be the center of some of the books to come in this series. This is a delightful, lighthearted romp and makes a great read. There are some interesting twists and turns to the plot, but all comes together nicely in the end with the help of new and old friends. I am looking forward to the mysteriously disappearing Roman’s story next.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The morning after the most scandalous bachelor party of the century, the dukes of the royal entourage must face all of London’s fury . . . when not one of them can remember a thing.

Roxanne Vanderhaven always believed herself the perfect wife. But when her husband, the Earl of Paxton, leaves her clinging to the edge of a cliff, she’s forced to face the truth: she married a murderous blackguard. Her eventual rescuer, Alexander Barclay, Duke of Kress, is one of England’s most disreputable peers—a member of the notorious royal entourage, no less–and certainly the last man she can count on. Indeed, the Prince Regent himself exiled Barclay to Cornwall, and now, by decree, the dashing duke must seek a royal bride to regain favor and help quell the public’s fury against the excesses of the crown.

Roxanne desperately wants a new life—after she’s uncovered the cause of her husband’s despicable actions—and she finds herself drawn, most surprisingly, to her unlikely champion. The Duke of Kress may not be quite the scoundrel he appears…but if she gives him her heart, will Roxanne be making the same mistake twice?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Taming an Impossible Rogue (Tantalus Club, Book 2) by Suzanne Enoch
Historical Romance published by St. Martin’s 27 Mar 12

When a young lady leaves her fiancé at the altar, there are always consequences, aren’t there?  Usually unpleasant ones.  But what if the jilted fiancé wants his runaway bride back – but can’t be bothered to try?  Interesting things can happen, faithful reader!

Lady Camille Pryce and Stephen Pollard, Marquess of Fenton, were betrothed as children.  Their fathers were friends and wanted to unite the families.  Camille just couldn’t go through with a marriage to a virtual stranger, so she ran away.  When she returns to her parents house later in the day, they tell her she is only welcome if she goes through with the wedding.  Her friends are no more welcoming than her family…they do not want to be associated with her.  Finally, Camille ends up at the Tantalus Club.  (Interested in the background of the Tantalus? Click here!)

Now Camille is a hostess at the club.  She works and lives there and seldom leaves the grounds.  Camille doesn’t want to encounter people from her former life.  Her employers have barred her father and Fenton from the club so she can be as comfortable as possible.  Although she misses her old life, Camille has settled into her new one at the Tantalus quite well.  She has friends that accept her as she is and isn’t dependent on anyone but herself.

Keating Blackwood is Fenton’s cousin and has been living exiled in the country for several years.  Keating killed a nobleman – in self-defense.  He’s been having an affair with the dead man’s wife.  Moving to his country estate seemed like the best option for Keating after the scandal.  Unfortunately, the estate is not in the best shape and between the demands of the estate and some other financial demands, Keating is in money trouble – and Fenton knows it.  Fenton makes an offer – if Keating can get his runaway bride back to the altar, Fenton will give him 10,000 pounds…24 hours after the wedding.  Keating really needs the money, so he agrees.

From their very first meeting, Keating is honest with Camille – he doesn’t tell her everything immediately b,ut he doesn’t lie to her.  And as they slowly get to know each other and begin to trust each other, both Keating and Camille realize they have met the person who would be perfect for them…under different circumstances.  Even as Keating arranges short visits between Camille and Fenton – a drive, a picnic (all chaperoned by him and one of her friends from the club), even a visit to her parents’ home – Camille and Keating are increasingly drawn to each other.

But Camille knows why Keating needs the money…is she willing to put his happiness ahead of her own?  And will Keating let her marry someone more concerned with his reputation than her feelings?  Heh.  What do you think, faithful reader?

I always enjoy Ms. Enoch’s voice and this book is no exception – funny but not silly, emotional but not angsty…just all-around good reading. What more can you ask for? Does this book stand alone? Yes, mostly. Reading the first book in the series will give you the background of the club but very little of this story happens in the club. Also, I am looking forward to the next book in the series. The Duke of Greaves intrigues me greatly.

Grade: B+

Summary:One year ago, Lady Camille Pryce left her haughty fiancé at the altar—for good reason. Not only was the marriage arranged before she could even walk, her betrothed was too smug to exert himself to meet her! Now, disowned, with no husband or family to support her, she’s left with one option: go to work in the notorious Tantalus Club…

A gentleman’s gaming house run by a woman, the Tantalus is no place for a proper lady; so, to save face, her jilted fiancé must retrieve her. But banned from the club, he’s forced to employ his ne’er-do-well cousin instead. A handsome, experienced rogue, Keating Blackwood is the perfect man to lure Camille away. But the moment they meet, Keating instead wants to save her…for himself. Impossible? Perhaps. But if Camille can make the ultimate player lay his cards on the table—and risk his heart—all bets are off…

Read an excerpt.Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Angel’s End (Angel’s End Series, Book 1) by Cindy Holby
Western Historical Inspirational Romance published by Berkley 1 May 12

I’ve been in a cowboy mood for a while now, so every book that comes my way that has a cowboy hero, I’ve been more than happy to delve right in. So far, I’ve been lucky with the outcome of each, though a couple have fallen short of the mark. This story in Cindy Holby’s new series is a definite winner, full of emotion with an unlikely romance in the Old West, a time when you did what you had to to survive. She portrays that era perfectly, all with love and prayers, which was usually what all those who lived back then had to count on in their everyday life.

Cade Gentry is on the run. He double crossed a “business” associate and is now paying the price. While he’s not proud of some of the things he’s done, he just couldn’t be a party to murder for gain. What he got is a bullet for the trouble he caused. Figuring he’s going to die before he can get help out in the middle of nowhere, he stumbles upon a lone man, someone who could be in cahoots with his pursuer. But Cade takes a chance and instead meets Pastor Timothy Key, headed for Angel’s End to tend his new flock. Cade hasn’t talked to God in a very long while, all he’s ever gotten is silence so he figures why bother. God has a sense of humor, you know.

Now there’s one more thing Cade will carry around on his conscience – the pastor is caught in the crossfire when his partner’s hired guns catch up with him. Hoping he can pull off a identity switch, he takes the preacher’s coat, bible, and horse, leaving Pastor Key in the Lord’s hands. With pain and fever racing through his body, Cade holds on for dear life and eventually finds himself in the presence of the most beautiful angel he’s ever seen. He’s out of it for some time, fighting fever and other effects from the hole in his gut. When he wakes he hopes beyond hope he has maybe found a place he can call home. All under false pretenses, of course.

Though the new pastor would be living in her home anyway, Leah never imagined it would all begin with her taking care of the man because he’s been shot. How does a minister get in the way of a bullet? And there’s other small things that don’t seem quite right about him. But she has a son to take care of, along with a job and a house, all of it alone since her sheriff husband was killed a few years ago. The townsfolk help out when they can, especially Jake, a handsome rancher. Leah doesn’t return his feelings, though. She’s hoping for love a second time around. How she’ll find it in Angel’s End is anyone’s guess. Their town is literally the end of the road. When she finds herself attracted to the Pastor Key, Leah has to pray for strength.

Inspirational romance is not in my usual reading pattern – mostly because a lot of them get too preachy for me – but the title and blurb on this book intrigued me, along with the fact I’ve not read Ms. Holby before. She does a wonderful job, however, of giving each character in this book their own idea of God and what He offers them. There are those who believe unconditionally and send up a prayer when the going gets rough; others whose belief have gone by the wayside; and then Cade himself who just knows God laughs at him every chance He gets. While Leah holds steadfast in her faith, it’s Cade, of course, who goes through a transformation to allow both Leah and God into his life. He’s had a horrible time of it since his father abandoned him and his brother at an orphanage after their mother’s death. They were eventually adopted, something they’d longed for, but the brothers are cruelly separated and subsequent living has turned Cade into the outlaw he is today. All of the inspiration in this book is everyday life for characters of this era and it’s woven seamlessly into the threads and eventual tapestry of their lives.

Cade’s redemption isn’t given easily. He finds his conscience fights him where Leah and her son are concerned. The few scenes where he and the boy interact are lovely moments, for Cade as well as the reader. Knowing he doesn’t deserve Leah almost causes him to move on out of her life so someone better will come along for her. Even Jake would be better for her than himself. Almost. When they finally do come together, their loving is intense but sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed the turnaround when Cade takes care of Leah during her sickness. And the scenes with Jake wanting to stake territory that holds no reward for him only makes me like the man more. I’m very intrigued by this man and look forward to his book, which is next in the series. There’s a number of other fascinating secondary characters too. Even the town and the church play pivotal roles in the story.

If you love a good western romance, do read this one. Even if you’re not a total western and/or cowboy fan, I think you’ll be quite pleasantly surprised when you turn the last page of this book. You’re pulled in from the beginning, and your heart strings get a good tug every now and again. Early western life comes alive chapter after chapter. You will fall in love with simple folk trying to eke out a good life as best they can. Seems things don’t change much no matter how technology encroaches in our lives.

Grade: A

Summary:

In the mountains of Colorado, a small town called Angel’s End welcomes everyone with open arms–even a man fleeing his past…

Wounded and on the run, Cade Gentry stumbles into a kind man who’s on this way to become the new pastor of Angel’s End. But not long after Timothy Key takes him in, Cade’s enemies catch up with him, and the young pastor is killed in the cross fire. Cade survives, stealing Timothy’s identity to escape, and arrives in Angel’s End on the brink of death.

Leah Findley is the sheriff’s widow, trying to make ends meet for herself and her son. Having the new minister as a boarder will help, but she isn’t expecting him to be wounded when he arrives. And she definitely isn’t expecting the feelings that the new preacher stirs deep inside her.

The more time Cade spends with Leah, the deeper he falls in love. To Cade, she’s an angel who’s saved his life and given him the sense of hope he’s never known. But he’s not the man she thinks he is, and before he can find permanent shelter in Leah’s arms, he must learn to have faith and put hi former sins to rest.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Lady Drusilla’s Road To Ruin (Ladies In Disgrace #2) by Christine Merrill
Historical Romance published by Harlequin Historical 20 Mar 12

One thing is for sure, whenever I pick up a Christine Merrill Regency, I know I’m not going to get some been-there-done-that retread.  She always has such an interested take on the time period and populates her stories with such interesting characters, that even when I’m not totally enthralled, I still consider the story reading time well spent.  This second book in her Ladies In Disgrace series isn’t without a few bumps in the road, but I inhaled it in two sittings.

Lady Drusilla Rudney is trying to save her bubble-headed younger sister from total ruin.  The stupid chit has eloped to Gretna Green with her smarmy dance instructor!  Luckily they only have a day’s head start on Dru, and the weather is frightfully abominable.  She just might catch up to them yet, assuming she can keep herself from being accosted by the lout sitting next to her on the mail coach.

Coming to her rescue, but only after she literally kicks him in the shin, is former army captain, Mr. John Hendricks.  John was working as a secretary for an Earl, until he made the mistake of falling in love with the man’s wife (who did not return his ardent feelings).  So he does what any sensible love-sick fellow does – he falls into the nearest pint and gets so drunk that he mistakenly boards the wrong coach.  Now that he’s been roped into Lady Drusilla’s mad adventure to get to Gretna Green to stop a marriage, he decides why not?  If he helps the girl out, glowing recommendations from her father (a Duke!) will surely come in handy now that he’s unemployed.  Of course, he didn’t exactly plan on falling in love with the girl…..

There’s quite a bit going on here as far as conflict goes.  Dru wants to avoid scandal, so isn’t about to tell John every sordid detail of why she must get to Gretna Green.  Naturally this leads to a misunderstanding that she’s hoping to stop her true love from marrying another woman.  Then there’s the fact that Dru has spent her entire life playing second fiddle to the favored younger sibling.  Lady Priscilla is fragile, delicate, and the sort of simpering female men seem to fall all over themselves for, while Dru is tall, dark, witty, but with a sharp tongue that tends to put men in their place.  She’s spent her whole life trying to please a father who cannot be pleased, and her entire existence in the family is dictated by what is best for precious snowflake Priscilla.  That any man, anywhere, would be attracted to her over her sister is a revelation.  Never mind that the very man she falls in love with is a mere Mister, and the odds against them getting their happy ending are steep indeed.

The romance isn’t without some issues, though.  For one thing, when he meets Lady Drusilla, John is drunk in response to losing the woman he loves.  Three days with Dru and he’s having a hard time recalling What’s-Her-Name and he fancies himself in love with Dru.  Alrighty then.  Likewise, these two have the sort of courtship that consists of one step forward, two steps back.  They just won’t spit out their true feelings for each other and instead play it safe by pushing each other way.  After a while this sort of thing got a wee bit tiresome.  It also doesn’t necessarily make them the most likeable of characters all the time.

However, that pales in comparison to the secondary characters.  We don’t even meet Dru’s father until the end the story, and I spent the whole novel wanting to throw large, heavy objects at his head.  Or crotch.  Either one would have worked.  And Priscilla?  Good Lord!  She could give Cinderella’s evil step-sisters a run for their money!  And to think the author gives the girl her own romance in the next book in the series!  I’m so conflicted just thinking about that possibility that I’ll have to read it just to satisfy my morbid curiosity.  Hopefully the stupid feather-head suffers….considerably.

This is a bit of a mixed bag for me in the romance department, but the road/travel aspect of the story is really well-done, and the author keeps it lively and fun.  I also adored the ending.  Without giving too much away, the author laid her groundwork in character development and didn’t then throw the baby out with the bath water to make the happy ending…well….happen.  Would it be sunshine and rainbows for such a couple in real Regency times?  Well, certainly, it would have been tough.  But in Romance Novel Land?  I’m glad the Mister got the, admittedly, well-above-his-station girl in the end.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Considered a spinster, Lady Drusilla Rudney has only one role in life: to chaperone her sister. So when her flighty sibling elopes, Dru knows she has to stop her! She employs the help of a traveling companion, who looks harmless enough….

Former army captain John Hendricks is intrigued by this damsel in distress. Once embroiled with her in a mad dash across England, he discovers that Dru is no simpering woman. Her unconventional ways make him want to forget his gentlemanly conduct…and create a scandal all their own!

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

I’ve just about given up on the “historical romance” because it’s not satisfying what I want to see in a well-written historical. But a recent post condemning readers who are labelling books “mistorical” has dragged me right back in.

Just so we know we’re on the same page:

I want to be taken back to a previous age. I want to  be able to trust the writer to do this without jarring me back to the present day. I want that sense of living in the past and sharing a life with people who lived under certain conditions, dressed a certain way, with attitudes different to my own and my contemporaries.

That’s all. If you want something different from your historical, great. Go and get it, because the trend seems to be for that kind of book right now. That’s why, in my reviews, I try to be careful not to condemn the book, just to explain why I don’t like it, why it didn’t do it for me. What I refuse to do is to condemn readers whose tastes are different to mine and who want something else from the books the read.

I’m tired of picking up a historical, only to find another modern-characters-in-long-dresses story and as a result, I’ve stopped looking at all but the ones from authors I can trust. I need those labels to stop me getting a chapter in, only to find either history that’s wrong or no history at all.

Why is “mistorical” perjorative? Or is it the people who use it? I can’t accept a non-historical historical, and I don’t have a history degree, unless you count art history. I just live in the UK, have learned my history as I grew up, and my mind goes “no, no!” when I find a Faberge egg in a Regency, whether I want it to or not. I need a term that will clue me in to a book being one I don’t want to read. Just as there are heat guidelines, so that people uncomfortable with erotic romance can avoid it, I need a term that will stop me wasting my money on another frivolous romance that couldn’t possibly have happened in real life.

Until recently, I also took the wallpaper historical as an insult against Britain and its history, but having seen what the US has done to its own history, especially in movies (Anthony Quinn as a native American?) and remembering Hearst’s order to “print the legend,” I think it’s more part of American society to want to adopt something as its own and incorporate. Knowing the country (and loving it) a lot better now, I think it’s part of the mindset. That isn’t a condemnation, btw, it’s just the way things seem to be.

What makes a historical unsatisfactory for me is not just strict accuracy, such as using words before they came into common use, it’s the feel of the whole book. Accuracy would be the use of something before it was invented or Waterloo happening on a fine, sunny day in July, or Tiffany lamps in a Regency. But there’s another way to make a book “not historical.” That’s where the term “wallpaper” comes in, and this is a term I think is useful. The writer just eliminates obvious modern conveniences like cell phones and airplanes, and then puts the characters in quaint dresses. But it doesn’t have any specific references. Either that, or there are two or three carefully spaced nuggets that will remind the reader that this is a “Regency.” Dear Author introduced the term “mistorical” last year, and while some found it useful, others found it condemnatory, a criticism on the kind of books they loved to read. God forbid, and I mean that. The romance genre needs more critics like it needs a hole in the head. Ask any author of erotic romance. It was a good try at finding some term to apply to books that didn’t deliver on the historical front, but unfortunately readers got upset, so maybe we have to move on from that term.

When I review a historical romance, I’m being strictly personal. Whether you can be objective by writing a review is a whole ‘nother barrel of fish, but I have never claimed to be, because I don’t think there’s any value in writing a review of a novel and not getting personal about it. I’ve read and reviewed books by authors where I’ve loved one and disliked another. What I do try to do is to say why I didn’t like the book. Then readers can make their own decisions based on that. You might love Big Misunderstandings. I don’t. So you can read one of my reviews and go “hey, that sounds good” and even if I’ve given the book a D, you might decide to search it out. Because our tastes differ. I hope that doesn’t make us enemies or condemn your reading tastes in any way. Or that you should criticize me for preferring my historicals to reflect the time and place where it’s claimed the book is set.

It’s a “tomato, tomahto” thing.

Sandy M’s review of Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham
Historical Romance published by Berkley Trade 1 May 12

I had hopes for this book after finishing Genevieve Graham’s debut, Under the Same Sky, which I loved. Sometimes a new author has a difficult time maintaining such excellence after a first book. So you can imagine my tad of hesitation as I began reading Sound of the Heart. Should I have been worried?

Not one bit. Ms. Graham writes like an old pro. The history is rich and deep. Her characters truly live the times, the emotion tugs at your soul, and her added twist of the paranormal is just the right amount to give readers a very satisfying read.

We meet Dougal MacDonnell again at roughly the same time his brother, Andrew, is escaping the aftermath of Culloden. Dougal, however, is a prisoner of war. The feeling of despair in the very inhumane conditions of the cells these prisoners are kept in and the treatment at the hands of the English make for difficult reading. It spears your heart, especially when you meet the two young boys have also been taken captive, Joseph and Aidan. Thank the heavens Dougal and his new friend John are there to keep those youngsters safe. It’s also the boys who devise a way to escape their prison. To wish all would go well for them is futile. Suffice it to say, it’s only Dougal and Aiden who make it out of that hell. They stay ahead of soldiers, make it to London and relative safety for the time being. The taste of freedom is exhilarating.

It’s when Dougal meets Glenna that his life is worth living again. They find an abandoned Highland home, small and cozy enough, where they live blissfully for ten years. This is an existence neither of them have dreamed of since the English had outlawed everything Scottish, from their plaid to their pipes. After such harshness of life so far in this book, this time with Dougal and Glenna is one of my favorites. Their love is first cemented in friendship, then lovers. It’s not without trouble, emotional and otherwise, but it’s a good life for them. They learn everything about one another – Dougal, especially, has a secret he’s never told anyone about, not even his brother Andrew, who he shares a close and psychic bond with – as they chip away at contentment and happiness.

Of course, in such chaotic times, that happiness can’t last forever, as Dougal and Glenna abruptly discover when out hunting during a long and cold winter. Suddenly surrounded by English soldiers, Glenna is taken into custody while Dougal is left for dead. Clawing his way back to consciousness and deciding that living is better than the alternative, he eventually finds himself part of the English army sent to the Colonies to help fight the French and the Indians, because he’s found out that’s where Glenna has been sent as an indentured servant. Once again, life has taken on a desperate and hard edge. It has been years since Glenna was taken and he knows nothing of her current plight; thus, after putting up with the English and their foreign way of fighting a war, Dougal contemplates desertion, something his honor abhors but his love needs.

As in the first book, Ms. Graham has divided the book into two parts between Dougal and Glenna, giving their perspective at that point in their lives. The last third of the book is Glenna’s. While I was ready to see things from her point of view, I nearly had a conniption when the author left me hanging at the end of Dougal’s section when he realizes his brother still lives. I calmed down and figured I’d see their reunion when it’s time. Little did I know how long that wait is going to truly be. But I digress. Glenna reaches the New World shores, after once again being stuffed into the cargo hold of a ship, and is immediately put on the auction block, her humiliation complete. However, she realizes her lot will be much better than other women sold into prostitution slavery. Her new “owner” is a tobacco plantation owner and he needs a teacher for his children. Because Glenna can read, she’s chosen for the job.

Her life turns out relatively good, the loss of Dougal her only nightmare. She believes him to be dead, so memories are all she has. Glenna enjoys her station with the children and family who’ve taken her in. But all good things must come to an end, and the next thing she knows she’s thrust into a life again not of her choosing and one that begins with violence and ends with her taking her destiny into her own hands. She brings to mind all the things Dougal taught her in their time together to outsmart the arrogant asshole who takes what he wants when he wants. Admiration for this woman goes up ten-fold for what she now endures and then conquers. By this time Dougal is closer to her than ever, and Glenna discovers this. Once again her intellect, cunning, and desire and need for Dougal outshine those around her, and she finds her man in the middle of a fierce battle. Nothing stands in her way.

Ms. Graham gives readers characters who defy the odds, who fight for survival with everything they’ve got. The Scottish spirit in the aftermath of Culloden is vanquished for only so long. Though Dougal and Glenna are no longer in their home country, they have that Highland drive that keeps them going, even the loss of the Scotland they love can’t break them. Their love is a real, living emotion between them and you feel it on every page, even when they’re not together. No punches are pulled throughout this book. The times are depicted quite vividly, and your compassion and ire are piqued in equal amounts.

I am so very glad I’ve been able to read these books, and I’m so very glad there are more to come. I’m looking forward to that meeting between brothers who thought the other had perished, only to find their link to each other again. But I’m also looking forward just to the beautiful writing and wonderful characters of Genevieve Graham. I’m a fan for life.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold.

Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies.

There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Rake with a Frozen Heart by Marguerite Kaye
Historical Romance published by Harlequin Historical 17 Apr 12

It’s a charming beginning to a charming story, which, although is not without fault, is one of the most pleasant historical reads I’ve had for some time.

Rafe finds a woman he doesn’t know face down in a ditch on his land, after she’s been knocked on the head and left for dead. He takes her home, and naturally, puts her in his own bed.

When she awakes, Henrietta tells Rafe that she was knocked out by a housebreaker and that she works for Rafe’s neighbour, a notorious widow, as a governess. She and Rafe have a charming interlude, but while she accuses Rafe of being a rake, something that annoys him, he keeps his hands to himself – mostly.

When she returns home, she finds her employer has been burgled and the family diamonds are missing. The widow accuses her of being the thief.

There is no irritating high concept here, no attempt at bringing the past up to date, and the story is all the better for it. Ms. Kaye depicts Regency life better than most, although there were a few mind-boggling errors, especially towards the end.

So we’ll get those out of the way. Anyone not bothered with historical accuracy can skip this bit, because most of the problems will only bother you if you want a story with no “what?” moments or you know absolutely nothing about the Regency era.

First, the name, the problem that repeats throughout the book. The hero is Rafe St Alban, Earl of Pentland. This means he’d be known as Rafe Pentland, not, as Kaye and the heroine refers to him, Rafe St Alban. When a man has a title, the surname all but disappears and in all cases the title effectively becomes the surname.

And Rafe. It seems to be much more popular now than it ever was in the Regency.

“Nice” means something different to the Regency person. It meant pernickety and overfussy, not in a good way. It didn’t mean “pleasant,” and Ms. Kaye’s repeated use of it with that meaning began to pall a bit.

When Rafe makes his confession to Henrietta (to tell would be a spoiler, so I won’t), he says he has to “rebuild his ego,” and uses “sex” as “a release mechanism.” That is what I meant by screaming. Freudian references have no place in the Regency, and “sex” referring to the sex act is a twentieth century usage. Later, he refers to a “stooge,” which is definitely vaudeville and another twentieth century term.

When Henrietta meets a relative for the first time, she gives her a hug. I cringed.

There are references to “mauve,” a color invented in Victorian times, and a lorgnette, which, while charming, is not a pair of glasses on a stick at this period, but a pair of opera glasses on a stick, and did evoke some smiles, but probably not of the intended variety.

Back to the story. I found Henrietta naïve but not annoying. She has good reason for most of what she does and an impetuosity that doesn’t always work to her advantage. She’s not universally loved and she’s not without fault – for which, big cheers, say I, and long may the imperfect heroine reign.

Rafe is an intriguing hero, very kind, but with good reasons why he won’t give anyone his heart. There is some fun sex in the book, but the ease with which Henrietta gives up her virtue, and Rafe’s assumption that he could turn her into a woman of easy virtue, aren’t altogether believable. Henrietta is a respectable girl, or is before she takes up with Rafe, and there is a gulf a mile wide between the monde and the demi monde, as far as women were concerned. Still, the sex is hot and fun and not too much of it.

Much of the book is a road story, involving the search for the man who will prove Henrietta’s innocence. But that part of the story is downplayed and isn’t ever much of a threat. I do wish the threat is better used, perhaps by making Henrietta’s ex-employer, Lady Ipswich, a respectable member of society, for instance, and able to make her ex-governess’s life miserable or having more of a mystery surround the emeralds, which, if you don’t guess in the first part of the book, you’re not paying attention.

At her first society ball, she is a brown girl, brown hair, brown eyes, creamy complexion, and they make her wear orange. Omg, what are they thinking?

But for all that, Kaye gets the feel right. There are some clues that she’s a Heyer fan, for which—yay! There is no insistence on turning England into a putative USA or having the characters behave like complete idiots. The dialogue is charming, and some of the best parts of the book are the courtship of the couple and their slow realisation that they are falling in love.

I’m up for the next book, for sure.

Grade: B

Summary:

Waking up in a stranger’s bed, Henrietta Markham encounters the most darkly sensual man she has ever met. The last thing she remembers is being attacked by a housebreaker—yet being rescued by the notorious Earl of Pentland feels much more dangerous!Since the cataclysmic failure of his marriage, ice has flowed in Rafe St. Alban’s veins. But meeting impetuous, all-too-distracting governess Henrietta heats his blood to the boiling point.When she’s accused of theft, Rafe finds himself offering to clear her name. Can Henrietta’s innocence bring this hardened rake to his knees?

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

C2’s review of Skies of Fire (Ether Chronicles, Book 1) by Zoe Archer
Steampunk Romance published by Avon Impulse 17 Apr 12

Do you like larger-than-life heroes and stealthy lady spies?  Airships? Explosions?  Zoe Archer’s latest book – and new series kick-off – might be just what you’re looking for.

Skies of Fire sweeps us away to a slightly different version of 19th century Europe than we’re used to.  England is at war with the evil Hapsburgs and not only do ships patrol the seas but airships patrol the skies.  The airships are under the command of Man O’ Wars – mentally, physically powerful men who have metal implants that make them more…stronger, faster, more aggressive, sharper sense, even physically bigger.  The Man O’ Wars have a symbiotic relationship with their airships – the metal implants generate energy that the ship collects and uses for power.

Captain Christopher Redmond is a Man O’ War and commander of the HMS Demeter.  After a run-in with the enemy fleet, Christopher manages to get his ship and crew to safety and finds something unexpected – a British distress signal flashing from a barn deep in enemy territory. The last person he expects to find is the woman who left him without a word three years earlier.

Louisa Shaw is a Naval Intelligence operative.  She has been working deep in Hapsburg territory looking for a new munitions plant she heard rumors about.  If Louisa can find and destroy the plant before it starts mass production, countless lives will be saved.  The last person she expects to have to look to for assistance is the man she ran out on in the middle of the night years before.

Will Christopher and Louisa find the hidden plant?  Will they be able to destroy it and escape with their lives?  And will they be able to move past the issues that drove them apart last time or are they doomed to live separate lives forever?

Talk about a roller coaster ride, faithful reader!  The story starts and doesn’t slow down – and it is full of twists and turns along the way. The world Ms. Archer is building is fascinating and has lots of little throw-away details that make it seem very real.  Plus, we get lots of explanations that are woven nicely into the story so it doesn’t feel like info-dump.  Christopher is lovely – a true hero, even.  As in, he’s won battles and stuff.  :-D  Plus, he is a genuinely good man, dedicated to serving his country (and dedicated to Louisa, if she agrees).  And Louisa is kick-ass!  A smart, independent, competent heroine that doesn’t try to be masculine but doesn’t use feminine wiles, either – those are hard to find sometimes.  Louisa is good at what she does and knows it and she is as dedicated to serving her country as Christopher.

If you’ve never tried steampunk romance, I highly recommend checking out Skies of Fire.  It is fast paced and engaging and fun with characters that jump off the page.  And the next book in the series is set in the American west and was written by Ms. Archer’s husband, Nico Rossi.  I can’t wait!

Grade: A

Summary:Man made of metal and flesh

Captain Christopher Redmond has just one weakness: the alluring spy who loved and left him years before…when he was still just a man. Now he’s superhuman—a Man O’ War, made as part of the British Navy’s weapons program—and his responsibility is to protect the skies of Europe. If only he could forget Louisa Shaw.

A most inconvenient desire

Louisa, a British Naval Intelligence agent, has never left a job undone. But when her assignment is compromised, the one man who can help her complete her mission is also the only man ever to tempt her body and heart. As burning skies loom and passion ignites, Louisa and Christopher must slip behind enemy lines if they are to deliver a devastating strike against their foe . . . and still get out alive.

Read an excerpt.

Veena’s review of The Duke’s Perfect Wife (Highland Pleasures, Book 4) by Jennifer Ashley
Historical Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

The Duke’s Perfect Wife, fourth in the Highland Pleasures series from Jennifer Ashley, continues the Mackenzie brothers’ stories with Hart Mackenzie. Duke of Kilmorgan, envied for his wealth, power, connections and good looks, Hart has it all. Hart’s glittering facade hides the pain of his difficult childhood, his sense of failure for not having saved his infant son who died in his arms, and his loss of the only woman he’s ever truly loved.

Eleanor Ramsay is a perfect fit for the ten-point criteria that Hart’s family developed for his perfect wife.  Family, close friends, and loyal retainers have a betting pool going on whether the two will get it together and move in the right direction and then if they will ultimately make it to the altar, since Eleanor was engaged to Hart once and broke it off.

Before Hart can  manipulate circumstances to bring Eleanor into his life, fate, in the form of a package of photographs, takes a hand and she arrives on his doorstep. This is an intense love story between two protagonists who have loved each other for a long time and yet have been kept apart by their fear and pride. Their journey, particularly Hart’s, is extremely moving and his final realization that love triumphs and that material wealth is worthless against Eleanor’s acceptance of him as he is.

The love story is set amidst an interesting backdrop of changing times with running water, trains, cameras, and telegraphs cheek by jowl with the traditional horse-drawn carriages and class distinctions. The seedy side of an aristocratic life with mistresses and houses of pleasure, elements of bondage and domination are explored with a light but clear touch. The political scene and the seeds of what will become a large issue for Britain in the future with the Irish and the associated violence are superbly drawn into the story.

This is my first book by Jennifer Ashley. She reaches out and sweeps the reader into the story. I laughed, I cried, I rejoiced, and celebrated with Eleanor and Hart. I loved meeting the other Mackenzie brothers and their spouses and families. I plan to read all the stories that went before and will definitely continue to read the stories that come after.

Grade: A

See Sandy M’s review here.

Summary:

Who is Hart Mackenzie’s perfect match? Eleanor Ramsay doesn’t know–she jilted him all those years ago–and now all she wants from the devastating duke is a job. Or so she tells herself. Persuading him to hire her as an assistant to his secretary is tricky, but Eleanor has a trick or two of her own up her sleeve…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

The Seduction of Elliot McBride – January 2013
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (tentative title) – October 2013

Veena’s review of The Saint (Highland Guard, Book 5) by Monica McCarty
Historical Romance published by Ballantine 27 Mar 12

Monica McCarty continues her series of passion and intrigue in fourteenth century Scotland with The Saint, fifth book in her Highland Guard series. The Highland Guard is a secret band of elite warriors who fight for Robert the Bruce in his quest for an independent Scotland. One by one warriors in the Highland Guard snatch opportunities for love and happiness in the midst of blood and gore. Now is a time of rare calm and second chances.

Magnus Mackay has a will forged from steel and remains cool and calm under the most difficult circumstances and, above all, avoids women, earning him the moniker of the Saint.  Unbeknownst to his friends, his celibacy hides a broken heart from the loss of his beloved Helen, wife to his best friend and fellow guardsman William Gordon, also known as the Templar.

In true Romeo and Juliet fashion, the lovers are separated by well-meaning family and the threat of clan war. Eighteen-year-old Helen Sutherland, daughter of one of the Mackay’s bitterest enemies, gave in to her own fears and family pressure to reject Magnus and marry William.  As treachery stalks and violence escalates the newly widowed Helen, she is determined to win back her love and live life on her own terms.

Helen is one of the most likeable heroines in the series. She does not readily fit into the mold of a noble woman of her times and her journey to find herself and to reach for what she wants make me want to cheer. Even as Magnus fights his love for Helen, he displays a rare understanding and tenderness as he creates opportunities that support Helen’s journey in finding herself.

Intertwined within the primary part of this book is the strong secondary story of Helen’s brother William and her friend Muriel. William’s journey and the satisfactory conclusion to this love story is very moving. Both William and Magnus struggle with duty and social norms and their need for love and happiness. It’s heartwarming to see true love conquer all, even though I’m sometimes a bit impatient with all the angst.

Monica McCarty has the rare talent to successfully blend the rich history of the times with her love stories. I have read all the books in the series and have enjoyed each one of them and anxiously await the next one.

Grade: A

Summary:

Magnus MacKay is the ultimate Highlander: tough, proud, able to master any terrain, and best even the most ferocious enemy. Called “Saint” for his refusal to discuss women, as well as for his cool and steady leadership, Magnus’s war name hides a far more painful truth. It isn’t virtue or piety that keeps him silent, but a wound of love and loss that cuts so deep he cannot bear to speak of it. But when the woman who refused him is betrothed to his friend and fellow Guardsman, Magnus is tested by love’s battle cry.

A wild and innocent beauty, Helen chose family duty over her desire for Magnus. Now the anger in his eyes mirrors the tormented regret of her heart. But as deadly subterfuge stalks the King and his Guard, Helen vows to right her youthful mistakes with a woman’s determined spirit. Still, Magnus harbors secrets and an iron will not to weaken to temptation—or heartache—again. But as danger looms, it’s not the kiss of a saint, but a sinner, that can save them.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Duke’s Perfect Wife (Highland Pleasures, Book 4) by Jennifer Ashley
Historical Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

It’s so good to be reading these Mackenzie Highlanders again. I’ve been curious about Eleanor Ramsay, the woman who walked away from Hart years ago. I’m also surprised Hart didn’t just go get her and drag her home with him. But, as usual, Jennifer Ashley works it all out in a romantic mystery that held me captivated for the day it took me to read this book.

Hart has been thinking of making his way back to Eleanor, knowing she’s the woman he’s going to marry. Despite the fact it didn’t work out between them before. Then when she emerges from a crowd of journalists trailing Hart in his campaign for Prime Minister, his quest becomes easier once he learns why she’s sought him out.

Her scheme will help both Hart and herself, along with her father. Eleanor recently received a photograph of Hart – posing playfully and sinfully for the camera in the nude. She knows this will hurt his chances of obtaining office if it were to become public, so her solution is to help him find the person responsible, thus her offer to work for him to investigate before it’s too late. The money will also come in handy to keep food on the table at home.

Thinking the best way to show her they can have a life together is to keep her close, give her everything she wants, Hart relents and hires her to investigate while he continues his campaign. And Hart is one serious politician. He wouldn’t get away nowadays with the things he does, of course, but in a time when you did whatever you could to see something done, he does exactly that. Eleanor is not a bad little investigator. She follows all clues she finds and has a sharp mind and wit to do the job. She wants to search the house where Hart kept his mistress at one time, where murder nearly cost him his brother, and where he wants Eleanor to stay far away from. He doesn’t want her to know anything about that part of his past.

Eleanor, however, doesn’t let Hart run roughshod over her, as he does with practically everyone in his life. She knows he has to control everything and everyone, it’s all he’s ever known, but she stands up to him at every turn, and those scenes are just wonderful. And Hart loves it too. Turns him on! We find out more of what happened between them when Eleanor broke their engagement, when she was visited by Mrs. Palmer, the aforementioned mistress, and how she’s gone on with her life, all the while keeping tabs on Hart, including his marriage and then the deaths of his wife and infant son. Through Hart we relive their original meeting and courtship, see their love as it began, knowing all the while that love never ended though they’ve been apart for years.

Reliving the worst time in Hart’s life, losing his son, is heart rending, and the scene with him and Eleanor at the boy’s grave is one of those that lets you see inside this complex man. You see the despair and the hurt. And Eleanor sees it too, realizes at last that Hart really does need her. She’s the one person he doesn’t hide from, he shows her, very emotionally, how much need is inside him. It’s nice to see this part of him, because that dark side we’ve been hearing about, what he doesn’t want Eleanor to know, has to come out. I debated with myself how much of that I wanted to see. In the end, however, Ms. Ashley keeps it fairly tame, especially considering how often it’s spoken of throughout the book.

The mystery of the photographs is finally solved, a culprit I didn’t see coming. Not what I expected at all. It’s also wonderful to see all the Mackenzie brothers and their families again. Especially Ian. He still holds my heart. It’s terrific to see how he’s come alive being in love and having Beth in his life. Hart’s and Eleanor’s banter throughout, especially when she runs on and on, is fun. The camera scenes talked about and finally in deed are also quite amusing. So much more happens, I’m only skimming the surface here. You definitely need to read this one.

As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m glad there’s two more books planned for the future. I’m really looking forward to Daniel’s story. Hmmm. Like father, like son?

Grade: A

Summary:

Who is Hart Mackenzie’s perfect match? Eleanor Ramsay doesn’t know–she jilted him all those years ago–and now all she wants from the devastating duke is a job. Or so she tells herself. Persuading him to hire her as an assistant to his secretary is tricky, but Eleanor has a trick or two of her own up her sleeve…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

The Seduction of Elliot McBride – January 2013
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (tentative title) – October 2013

Dinca’s review of Texas Pride (Night Riders, Book 6) by Leigh Greenwood
Historical Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 6 Mar 12

You can’t beat an historical Texas romance by Leigh Greenwood. He writes of Texas like no other author. I have read all the Night Rider series and enjoyed every one.

After the death of their parents, Carla and Danny Reese inherited the family ranch.  Carla is beside herself after finding Danny lost his half in a poker game. To make matters worse, some guy shows up claiming to be a Polish prince in exile and after a year he will sell his half of the ranch the gambler contracted to him and return to Poland.

Ivan Nikolai only wants to return to his homeland where he belongs. To do that he has to regain his fortune, since the Russians have taken control of his country. A way to do this is to accept the offer of his most detested enemy, Laveau di Viere. All he has to do is watch over half of a ranch that di Viere won in a poker game. After a year, half of the ranch will be his to sell and then he’ll be able return to Poland.

Carla Reese does not like having Ivan Nikolai on her ranch, even if he isn’t the one who stole it from her brother. He’s still a smooth-talking, handsome man with a killer smile that can turn any female to mush, regardless of her age. No matter how hard she tries, she finds she’s not immune.

Ivan has a way about him that is very diplomatic and people flock to his unassuming and kind manner. He helps the townspeople any way he can while assisting on the ranch.

As usual, in Leigh Greenwood’s stories the attraction between the heroine and hero grows slow and steady. I find myself waiting and waiting for it and then…wham! There it is and you hang onto every sweet and enduring moment. Of course, disaster comes and blows their love apart and you work through the mess to get it all back together again.  As I said at the beginning of this review – and it bears repeating – I have read every one of the Night Riders romances and have enjoyed every last one of them.

Grade: A

Summary:

Carla Reece had never met anyone more infuriating in her life. The blond giant who swaggered up to her door had no right to take over half her ranch — no matter how stupid her brother had been gambling it away in a high-stakes poker game. Her new foreman claimed to be some foreign royalty who promised to leave in a year. .Still, a year was way too long to spend with a man who made her madder than a wet hen and weak in the knees all at the same time.

Ivan may have charmed everyone in town into thinking he was the perfect gentleman, but Carl knew better. There had to be a chink in his armor — a red-not passion under that calm, cool gaze. But once she finds it, she may be in for more than she ever bargained for.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Confessions from an Arranged Marriage (Burgundy Club, Book 4) by Miranda Neville
Historical Romance published by Avon 27 Mar 12

What began as a drunken prank on a friend ended up being a scandalous encounter.  So what happens when a young lady with political aspirations gets caught in a compromising position with a gentleman with no aspirations at all?  Miranda Neville shows us in her latest release, Confessions from an Arranged Marriage.

The Marquis of Blakeney (Blake to his intimates) is back in London after spending the last few years at his family’s country seat.  His father, the Duke of Hampton, thought it was because Blake was interested in his future duties as duke, finally.  Actually, it was because a “friend” signed a large IOU in his name.  Blake had to take care of the debt or his Secret would be revealed.  At a ball, Blake thought he was teasing a flirtatious duchess awaiting a tryst.  In reality, Blake compromised the very serious Miss Minerva Montrose – while she was recuperating from a migraine, no less.  And he was caught by a crowd of important members of the ton…including his mother.  Of course, they must marry – and it is decided it must look like a love match to save face.

An aside – I read two books back-to-back with heroines named Minerva and both of them had older sisters named Diana. So odd. Onward…

Minerva has always been interested in politics.  She is a Reformer and wants to marry a gentleman with political leanings so she can guide his career and influence the future of the nation.  Waking up from a nap with Blake’s head under her skirts certainly took care of those ambitions.  Although the Dukes of Hampton have always played a large role in political matters, no one really expects Blake to do so. Minerva and most of her friends (and also the duke and duchess) think Blake is stupid and much more interested in horses and hunting than anything to do with government.  Minerva remains somewhat hopeful that she will have some political part to play after she becomes part of the Vanderlin family but soon realizes how unlikely that will happen.

During their wedding trip to France, Blake receives word that his father is extremely ill and he and Minerva rush back to England. The duke’s illness worsens and he passes away – leaving Blake the head of the family – and all the power that includes, whether he likes it or not.

When a man who has made a point of being irresponsible is suddenly saddled with more responsibilities than he ever wanted, what happens? Blake will need help and people he can trust around him, but he has a secret that could bring his world down around his ears. Can he learn to trust the wife his drunken prank landed him? Or will his family’s reputation be lost?

Both lead characters mature a great deal over the course of the book – Blake, because he has to, after he inherits the dukedom. He had already started down the road to maturity after landing in debt, but who knows what might have happened if his father had lived? Minerva starts out very young…and very focused on her interests and not much else. Earnest youngsters make my head hurt sometimes, by the way. Anyhoo, she does finally start to grow up after she sees that the world she so wanted to be part of isn’t quite as she imagined. For me, both lead characters (and many supporting characters) start off mostly unlikeable. Blake grows on me but Minerva doesn’t.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Neville and, while I liked it, I think reading the previous books in the series would have increased my enjoyment. There are relationships and situations carried over from earlier books that left me out of the loop a bit. Will I go back and read the earlier books? Probably not.

Also, I’ll admit I have no love for (and very little interest in) politics of any sort – kind of like poor Blake, actually. He resolves himself to his situation and makes the best of it…I’m not sure I manage that as well as he does. And a secret similar to Blake’s is handled much better in Courtney Milan’s Unveiled – a most excellent read, says me.

If you have read and enjoyed Ms. Neville’s previous books, I am confident you will enjoy this one too. If you are new to this author and are interested in trying her books, I recommend starting at the beginning of the series.

Grade: C+

Summary:

They couldn’t be more different, but there’s one thing they agree on.

In London after a two-year exile, Lord Blakeney plans to cut a swathe through the bedchambers of the demimonde. Marriage is not on his agenda, especially to an annoying chit like Minerva Montrose, with her superior attitude and a tendency to get into trouble. And certainly the last man Minerva wants is Blake, a careless wastrel without a thought in his handsome head.

The heat and noise of her debutante ball give Minerva a migraine. Surely a moment’s rest could do no harm … until Blake mistakes her for another lady, leaving Minerva’s guests to catch them in a very compromising position. To her horror, the scandal will force them to do the unthinkable: marry. Their mutual loathing blazes into unexpected passion but Blake remains distant, desperate to hide a shameful secret. Minerva’s never been a woman to take things lying down, and she’ll let nothing stop her from winning his trust … and his heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

C2’s review of A Week to be Wicked (Spindle Cove, Book 2) by Tessa Dare
Historical Romance published by Avon 27 Mar 12

What do an insomniac viscount, a bluestocking geologist, and a dinosaur named Francine all have in common?  In Tessa Dare’s newest Spindle Cove book, we find out.

Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, is not a good sleeper.  Ever since a childhood trauma, he has been plagued by nightmares.  The only thing that helps him get a good night’s sleep is company in bed – a practice he has embraced with vigor.  Heh.  Colin is in Spindle Cove to assist his cousin, the commander of the local militia, while he waits for his inheritance.  The funds won’t release until his next birthday OR until he marries – so he is living in the country.  Waiting.

Miss Minerva Highwood is a bluestocking.  She is much more interested in science than in flirting with the locals in Spindle Cove.  She and her family came to the area because her sister Diana’s health needed improving and taking in the sea air was recommended.  Diana, it seems, caught the eye of the dashing Lord Payne, but Minerva does not approve of him – especially for her sister.  He is a flirt and a rake and a scoundrel – and he can’t even be bothered to remember Minerva’s name!  But Minerva needs his help…

Minerva is a geologist.  Since she came to Spindle Cove, she has been studying the fossils along the coast.  When she found an exceptionally well-preserved footprint of a very large lizard (in a hidden cave, no less), she knew it could change the way science looked at the past.  So she needs to get to a symposium in Edinburgh to present her findings.  However, she realizes she would never actually be able to speak before the attendees, because she’s a woman.  But the most important thing to Minerva is getting the information out to the people who need to know, so she needs someone to help her get to Scotland and present her paper for her.  Since she knows Colin is short of funds, she figures she can bribe him.  Colin proves less bribe-able than Minerva thinks, but, after he sees she is going to Edinburgh with or without him, he agrees to accompany her.  His one condition – she has to share his bed.

I tend to enjoy on-the-road books and this one is not an exception. All the forced intimacies and close quarters – no chaperones! – lead to all sorts of interesting developments.  Poor Colin and Minerva had the road trip from hell – pretty much everything that could go wrong did, but they keep trying.  Long after most people would have given up and gone home, Colin wants to Get Minerva to Edinburgh.  So sweet! (And he finally remembers her name, too.)

I haven’t read the first Spindle Cove book, yet (darn it).  I plan to, because I have so enjoyed those I have read.  So, yes, this book stands alone pretty well, I think.  I didn’t feel lost or like I was missing out on subtext because I didn’t know the backstory.  If you are looking for a sweet, fun read filled with on-the-road adventures (and science!), I urge you to check out A Week to be Wicked.  I’ve never read a Tessa Dare book I didn’t thoroughly enjoy.  If you haven’t tried her books, this is an excellent one to test out and get a flavor of her writing. Like I said about Colin, it’s so sweet.

Grade: A

Summary:

When a devilish lord and a bluestocking set off on the road to ruin…
Time is not on their side.

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove’s confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland.
Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be… anywhere but Spindle Cove.

These unlikely partners have one week
to fake an elopement
to convince family and friends they’re in “love”
to outrun armed robbers
to survive their worst nightmares
to travel four hundred miles without killing each other
All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

What they don’t have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls.

Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble.
And maybe…just maybe…love.

Read an excerpt (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

LynneC’s review of To Pleasure a Duke (Husband Hunters Club, Book 3) by Sara Bennett
Historical Romance published by Avon Impulse 25 Oct 11

Bennett, hmmm? A Jane Austen fan, perchance, or a mere coincidence?

This one reads like a children’s book. Far too simple, far too flat, with basic sentence construction and any number of inaccuracies, anachronisms, and Americanisms.

The story starts at a kind of Regency prom. Several young ladies at a girls’ finishing school are getting ready to go out into the world and discussing the kind of husbands they want. Although this is set in 1837, the year of Queen Victoria’s accession, and the year of mourning for the late King, there is little evidence of this.

No, just no. There were no finishing schools for daughters of the aristocracy until much later on in the nineteenth century. There was simply no need. You were brought up by your governess and your parents and you just knew. Sending your daughters to be taught by someone else was unthinkable.

So a prom. Not something I’m particularly familiar with either, because they weren’t usual until relatively recently. Not when I went to school, certainly. The young ladies would have been better as cheerleaders, rather than young women entering society, which wasn’t a playground, but a place for doing business.

The hero is, of course, a duke, and one of those dukes that exist merely to be lusted after. He’s cardboard and tedious, never comes alive.

The family of the heroine behave more like Bobbsey Twins than anything from the Regency. The appalling manners and the family atmosphere wasn’t typical of the period, and I doubt would have endeared anyone.

Unfortunately, the story descended into slapstick fairly quickly. There was a goat and an incident designed to make the hero look foolish. He managed pretty well, I thought, but the whole tale didn’t engage me, and, despite that incident, the hero is pretty dislikable. It isn’t funny and it makes everyone concerned appear juvenile. The language and sentence construction are really basic, and I feel as if I’m reading a YA novel or maybe younger than that. There is no depth and nothing to really grab me.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

It has taken Eugenie Belmont but a moment to decide whom to marry . . .

Unfortunately the gentleman in question, the Duke of Somerton, hasn’t yet offered—a mere formality for a confirmed member of the Husband Hunters Club of Miss Debenham’s Finishing School. Like her friends, Eugenie is unwilling to wait demurely until the perfect mate happens by. And, despite the handsome duke’s imposing reputation, she can feel his heated glances in her direction are charged with desire . . . and possibilities.

Saddled with a dukedom, a haughty dowager, and an irresponsible younger sister, Sinclair St. John is far too occupied with important matters to indulge in romantic whims. But for the first time in his life, a brazen temptress has him utterly distracted. He could—and he should—dismiss her and court someone more befitting his station. But he is irresistibly drawn to this bewitching woman . . . and must match her game of seduction, move for passionate move.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Princess Charming (Legendary Lovers, Book 1) by Nicole Jordan
Historical Romance published by Ballantine 31 Jan 12

Nicole Jordan has come up with a new way to look at old fairy tales. In this first book of her new series, it’s Cinderella, the evil stepmother and stepsisters, and Prince Charming, all with a few changes to give readers a lighthearted historical romance.

The Wilde cousins are as feisty and untamed as their name implies. Orphaned when they were all young, it was Ashton, as the oldest, who kept them all together and relatively happy, in spite of the loss and grief they all suffered. As they grew older, they retained their wildness, only directing it in more adult ways as they have navigated through society; thus, their notoriety and the gossip that follows them now.

Ash’s sister, Katharine, has decided to play matchmaker for everyone in her family, including herself, by choosing legendary lovers of the past, real and fictional. For Ash she believes he’s Prince Charming to her friend Maura’s Cinderella. He’s watched Maura grow into a beautiful young woman but never really thought of her more than that. Until now. With Katharine’s ridiculous idea in his head, he gets caught up in Maura’s life, aiding and abetting her crime when she refuses his offered help.

Growing up, Maura learned from her father everything she now knows about horses and since his death has made her breeding stables quite successful, all due to her prize stallion, Emperor. But it all comes crashing down when she learns her stepmother has sold the horse to that pesky Viscount Deering. The man has been after Emperor for years and Maura has always refused him, especially knowing he had a hand in her father’s death. She’s determined to talk some sense into the viscount, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. The idiot won’t part with his new acquisition anytime soon. So Maura is going to have to take desperate measures to retrieve the animal, all the while trying to keep Ash at bay. The less he knows, the less trouble he’ll be in if she’s caught.

Thus begins a dual journey for Ash and Maura. They’re successful in freeing Emperor from his current imprisonment and begin the trek to Scotland where Maura has made arrangements to keep him safe. Ash goes along for the ride for the time being, knowing he’d be able to deal with Deering if only she’d agree. Biding his time, he learns more about the woman, and he likes what he discovers. The same is true for Maura. Knowing Ash really can’t begin a relationship with her because their lives are worlds apart, she tries not to fall headlong into his charm and sensuality, but she fails miserably.

I thoroughly enjoyed these two characters together. Ash is just wild enough to go along with Maura’s scheme, and then when he turns the tables on both her and Deering, that wildness takes the situation to even more dangerous heights. But the man is not lacking in confidence and arrogance, all signs of his station. Maura is the perfect heroine for him – as his sister knows! – with her independence and intelligence. She learns to trust him to do what needs to be done to right the wrongs done to her and her family. Her stepmother is one of those characters who has to grow on you somewhat, but she does make it difficult as well as interesting. I would like to slap the woman silly here and there, but she hopefully learns her lesson. And Deering, of course, gets what’s coming to him once Ash is in the picture.

The concept of the series might be a bit much for hard-core historical readers, but it’s fun and lighthearted with characters you can’t help but like. Katharine is going to be working her matchmaking magic throughout the series, and I have to say I’m curious as to what she’ll come up with.

Grade: B

Summary:

Thanks to the mischievous meddling of his matchmaking sister, Ashton Wilde meets a damsel in distress during the midnight magic of a lavish ball. But Maura Collyer isn’t looking for a prince—or an intimate pairing with any member of the scandalous noble Wilde family.

Intrigued by Maura’s beauty and daring, Ash is determined to aid in the rescue of her beloved stallion, gambled away by her wicked stepmother to an evil viscount. As their adventure becomes rife with peril and passion, Ash suspects he’s found his heart’s desire.

Even though her dearest friend may be her self-proclaimed fairy godmother, Maura is mortified at being pushed into a romance with a notorious rake such as Ash. Dashing and charming, he comes to Maura’s rescue just in time to help her steal back her precious horse. As they flee across the countryside, she can’t resist his sweet seduction. But is her prince playing a role in a fairy tale to test an improbable theory, or is the love awakening in her heart proof of her own happily ever after?

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back by Sophie Barnes
Historical Romance published by Avon Impulse 21 Feb 12

Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Avon, I’ve received a fair few historical romances recently to review. Unfortunately it hasn’t yet worked out, but I do have a couple I’m getting excited about, so maybe my luck will change soon.

On the first page, we had the Viscount of Hillsbury. That warned me that I was in for a less-than-accurate read, since the title of viscount doesn’t carry “the.” I can hear the groans, but bear with me. It’s not just a matter of nomenclature, it’s a basic understanding of how titles work and what they do. That “the” means more than a mere name. Never mind, I put it aside. Together with the flood of other inaccuracies and anachronisms.

Emily falls firmly into the TSTL category. She does some really idiotic things, and everyone, including the hero, thinks she’s marvelous.

Apparently the heroine lives in a cottage with her family, after her father’s profligacy caused their impoverishment. Another misunderstanding of how the aristocracy worked, I think. No aristocrat paid off all his debts, and part of the Letters Patent that confer a title mention that the title holder must be able to support his title, which means not shaming the crown by living in a cottage. By the way, apart from cottages orné, ordinary cottages usually had one big room. The livestock lived downstairs and if the family was lucky, it had a sleeping platform upstairs. Cottages were not quaint and didn’t usually have separate rooms. They were slums.

There are a few other errors. The family fortune passing to a cousin meant that cousin is honour bound to support them. If he didn’t, they could shame him into it. There are references to an adoption, which in this period, 1811, was not legally possible, although informal adoptions did occur.

So half a dozen pages in I knew that the author hadn’t done much, if any, research and didn’t understand the historical period she was writing about. Fair enough, I was reading a fairy tale. Nothing wrong with a well-written fairy tale.

The out-of-period feeling, plus my not being on the same wavelength as the author made me abandon this one six chapters in. I did try, but the heroine is so adolescent and the hero such a stick, that it really doesn’t come alive. I gave up.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

Emily Rutherford is having a very bad day.

Of course, having the man you’ve loved forever announce his engagement to your (now very former) best friend will do that.

Emily is sure nothing good could possibly come out of this horrid situation. But she lets her sisters—along with Francis Riley, the delectable but brooding Earl of Dunhurst—convince her that a season in London will be just the thing.

Now Emily has a choice: sulk in a corner while her sisters enjoy the glitter of the ton . . . or become the belle of the ball, dazzling everyone on an earl’s arm. But as Francis helps Emily get back on her feet, she quickly realizes that a childhood crush is nothing compared to the power of true love.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of The Husband Hunt (Madison Sisters, Book 3) by Lynsay Sands
Historical Romance published by Avon 28 Feb 12

I’m not sure what happened between me and this trilogy. It started wonderfully, I loved the first book. Then things just kinda went…by the wayside.

Richard’s and Christiana’s story in The Countess was a fun comedy of errors, and while I wasn’t bowled over by Daniel’s and Suzette’s book, The Heiress, mostly because they didn’t get much of a story of their own, I still enjoyed that couple tremendously. Using the same timeline in that second book was a good idea, it just didn’t come out exactly as I had hoped. That leaves us here in this moment with The Husband Hunt.

First off, I think what’s needed is some type of encounter between Robert and Lisa in one of the previous books to pique the reader’s interest a tad more. I don’t find this couple as engaging as the others. Lisa has been in love with Robert for years. He’s a family friend and has been around the Madison sisters to help out whenever possible, especially after the recent passing of their father. However, he still looks upon Lisa as that little girl who adoringly followed him wherever he went. She’s decided things have to change, especially after her recent abduction by a local madam to sell Lisa to the Suitor, a nameless villain who wants to play dangerous and painful sexual games.

So the hunt is on for the Suitor, and Robert is taking on the role of Lisa’s protector, which only brings them into more and more contact with one another, causing sparks to fly – all in the wrong direction, as far as they’re concerned. If Robert won’t see her for the woman she now is, well, she’ll have to find someone who will. Thus begins another hunt, this one for a husband, Lisa scouring balls to find someone who may not cause desire and passion to course through her veins, but maybe a decent man who will bring a little pleasure to the marriage bed. And she’s not without a number of suitors, one of which is Charles Findlay, the front runner for Lisa. I have to say I do like the idea of Robert having to play bodyguard each and every time Lisa and Findlay go on a picnic or some such “date.” Especially once he begins to change his attitude in how he views Lisa. Suddenly she’s grown up and Robert is sweating it out when he thinks of some other man in possession of those curves and other womanly delights.

But Robert still refuses to give in. See, he has to contend with the Langley curse. Both his father and his grandfather were victims of the curse, their wives being unfaithful no matter how well they were cared for. Therefore, Robert just knows any woman he chooses will do the same to him. Even Lisa. He just has to sit back and wait for it to happen. As you can imagine, Lisa finds this horribly insulting and wants nothing to do with a man who won’t trust her before they even get started. Thinking the only way to make him come ’round is to marry him and show him how wrong he is, Lisa, with the help of her sisters, is set on a course to seduce Robert and eventually be caught in the act, thus forcing their union. However, when it comes right down to it, Lisa realizes she also doesn’t want a man who doesn’t come to her willingly. So her quandary continues.

In between all of this, there is still the Suitor to look out for, and he does strike again. And it’s this event, along with some sage advice from Richard, that makes Robert see how foolish he’s been. Now if he can only rescue Lisa before it’s too late. I kind of had an inkling about the villain early on, but I was never quite sure if I was right. You’re taken in a roundabout misdirection here and there so you don’t guess too soon. It’s chilling how quickly and how ugly the man turns when faced with a defiant Lisa.

While I did enjoy this book, along with Robert and Lisa – and I really like how Ms. Sands brings in the previous characters throughout the book without sacrificing the romance – I don’t feel the same about them as I do Richard and Christiana and even Daniel and Suzette. I wasn’t as intrigued by them, there wasn’t anything in the previous books to snag my interest as totally as it did with the others. I also don’t like all that much the Lisa we first meet in this story. She wants Robert to see her as a woman, but she still has the affect of a young girl. Now, she does realize that herself eventually and she takes steps to get rid of that image, and that’s when she becomes a more attractive character for me. It also takes a bit for Robert to grow on the reader. I think his hiding behind the family curse goes on too long and that irritated me for a while. But they both end up right where they should be, of course.

No one is more surprised than me at my only liking this trilogy and not loving it as I have every other Lynsay Sands book I’ve read. But it’s still enjoyable, and if you’ve not read it, by all means do.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Let the hunt begin…

Lisa Madison wants a husband, and she has just the candidate in mind: Robert Langley. Trouble is, the infuriating man insists on seeing her as the impish girl she once was—even as every other gentleman in London has taken notice of her womanly…charms. When her beauty lands her in danger, it’s Robert who comes to the rescue…only to announce his affections are not of the romantic variety!

Robert saw enough sorrow in his parents’ union to know he wants nothing to do with marriage, which is exactly what he’ll be trapped into if he acts on his desire for the irksome siren. And then Lisa does what Robert least expects: gives up on him! As feigned indifference gives way, blistering passion burns at last. But just before the pair can give in to hard-won bliss, an enemy with unfinished business lurks threatening to destroy them both.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

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

Lorraine Heath never fails to pull every emotion under the sun out of me when I read her books. And when she does it all through her heroes is what brings me back to her books time after time. In her new Lost Lords of Pembrook series, we meet three brothers who have gone through hell to return home to regain what was stolen from them years before when they were just children. In this book, it’s the oldest brother, the Duke of Keswick, who starts the series off, bringing along guilt, responsibility, and, most amazing of all to him, love.

The Pembrook lords’ frightening plight begins when they are young boys who have been imprisoned by their uncle after their father’s mysterious and very convenient death. Knowing what’s probably in store for them, Sebastian, the oldest and, thus, the next duke, is working out how to escape when the door to the castle tower opens to give them their first view of their fate. But fate has decided to smile on them by sending their friend Mary, who overheard the evil plans laid out for the lads. Grabbing a handful of Pembrook soil, Sebastian and his brothers leave their lives behind, scatter into the wind, and vow to return in ten years to take back what is rightfully theirs. It takes two years more than that before they’re finally reunited.

Once they are back in London, all hardened men by the lives they had to lead to survive, each on their own because Sebastian believed they’d be better off separated, they make their grand entrance by crashing their uncle’s ball. What better way to make their claim and give society notice the Duke of Keswick is alive and well. However, because they’ve not mingled and entertained in their lost years with society as they normally would have, their reception is met with gasps and gossip. Luckily Mary is in attendance, and, though hurt by their lack of communication over the years, is the only one to welcome them home, to try to help them fit into a world they know nothing about.

Though Mary is betrothed, she helps Sebastian at every turn, taking the chance of ruining her reputation each time. But she can’t leave him to fend on his own, especially when people stare in horror at his scars received while serving his country during wartime. They’re friends and she can’t abandon him and his siblings to the voracious rumor mill that can leave them on the outside looking in. Knowing he can’t have her, and she wouldn’t want him anyway all scarred as he is, Sebastian valiantly tries to stay away from Mary, even tries to find someone else who would make a good duchess for him, but after too many meetings alone, Mary’s fiance calls off the engagement and it’s left to Sebastian to pick up the pieces of her reputation.

Sebastian is riddled with guilt and responsibility throughout this book, plus his need for revenge against his uncle also pulls at him. He tries to find out what happened to his brothers during their years apart, but neither of them is willing to talk about those times. He left Rafe, the youngest, at a workhouse and sold Tristan, his twin, into service on the seas. Rafe’s cries not to be left alone and Tristian’s stoic silence still weigh on him even after so many years. It’s Mary who soothes his soul, but even that is something he can’t call his own – until after marriage to her, something he dare not want. But as alluring she is in his bed after they are wed, his scars come between them – only because he allows it, because Mary has looked past his scars since the moment they came face to face again – and Pembrook and his need for revenge seem to be more important to him than his wife.

As she always does, Lorraine Heath pulls emotion from the reader from the beginning. The reunion of the brothers is a bittersweet but happy moment, and I wish we could have actually seen it instead of being told about it. Mary is in the middle of a dilemma of a lifetime, wanting to be the dutiful wife expected of her but needing to be the friend necessary to help the Pembrook lords. You can feel her frustration and indecision. You can see her love for Sebastian grow, knowing she doesn’t realize what’s happening. The time she spends with Sebastian when he’s ill is full of unrealized love. Sebastian’s obsession with tearing down the castle tower where he and his brothers were imprisoned are such heart-wrenching scenes. This book is full of such scenes.

I doubt there’s anything Lorraine Heath can’t do, as far as I’m concerned, when writing her books. Her talent is huge and nearly unsurpassed. I look forward to Tristan’s and Rafe’s stories, finding out what happened to them in those intervening years. More emotion to leave me high and dry. I can’t wait.

Grade: A+

Read [name of reviewer]‘s review here.

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

C2’s review of A Rogue by Any Other Name: The First Rule of Scoundrels (Rules of Scoundrels, Book 1) by Sarah MacLean
Historical Romance published by Avon 28 Feb 12

Scoundrels! Scandals! Gambling! A new series that combines all three? I am so there. In her new series, Sarah MacLean returns to Regency London and tells the stories of four lords who, for various reasons, have been cast out of good society. Will love help them put their scandalous pasts behind them?

Twenty-one year-old Michael Lawler, Marquess of Bourne, lost everything not entailed to his title – and very little was not part of the entail – on one turn of the cards. The engineer of this catastrophe, Viscount Langford, was the young marquess’s guardian..the very man who had managed the estate until Michael reached adulthood.

A decade later, Michael (now known only as Bourne) is a partner in one of London’s notorious gaming clubs – The Fallen Angel. He does not move in polite society or do anything marquess-y. Bourne has spent his time regaining the fortune he lost and awaiting vengeance. So when Michael receives word that the land surrounding his very small entailed estate no longer belongs to Langford and is now part of a dowry, he knows what he has to do.

Lady Penelope Marbury is very nearly on the shelf. After a broken engagement years before, Penelope’s status in the ton has steadily dropped – and she doesn’t really mind. Penelope wishes for a love match like the one her former fiancé found or a marriage that isn’t just for convenience, at least. However, Penelope’s unmarried state is beginning to affect her younger sisters’ chances at making a good match and her parents are not above forcing her to pick a suitor. Still, they aren’t cruel people…Penelope’s father recently won a large parcel of land form a neighbor – land that borders her family’s estate. That estate has been added to Penelope’s dowry in hopes it will renew interest in her and give her more choices when it comes to picking a husband.

Penelope and Michael grew up together. They, along with Thomas (son of Viscount Langford), were the best of friends until time and distance (and life) pulled them apart. Penelope and Thomas remained friends, actually. But Penelope always preferred Michael. In fact, even after he went off to school, they wrote to each other until someone decided it didn’t look right for a young lady and gentleman to correspond…and after that, too.

Penelope doesn’t quite know what to think about Michael’s land being added to her dowry. It is a wonderful estate and will certainly attract attention, but that isn’t what she wants. During a sleepless night, when she must get out of the house, Penelope walks through part of her new land. And who does she encounter in the dark? Michael!

Bourne has changed a lot from when they were children. Even though Penelope is friendly and tries to make him smile, he remains aloof. Penelope is hurt by Bourne’s continued coldness toward her – hurt enough to want to strike back at him. She tells him that he is on her land, that she is engaged and that she and her future husband plan to live there quite happily. Too late, Penelope realizes she might have pushed Michael too far.

Bourne takes Penelope to his abandoned house. He decides the easiest way to ensure a marriage – and get his land back – is to compromise her. After spending the night alone with him in an empty house, her father can hardly refuse his suit. After much arguing, Penelope sees she will not be able to talk Michael out of his nefarious plan and sets about negotiating the best outcome for her and her family. (An aside – the scene the following morning, when Penelope’s dad comes to find them? Funniest scene ever!)

Penelope and Bourne marry and begin to find a way to move forward in their lives. Deals are negotiated and wagers are made. But there are other scandals waiting in the wings. Scandals that will force Michael to decide between revenge and people he cares about.

Oh, faithful reader, I very much enjoyed this book. I always like watching a scoundrel come up against the person who makes him want to be better. And I also like it when a heroine that’s been floating along in life suddenly is forced awake and decides to take an active role in how her life goes. Michael encourages Penelope to push for what she wants…to take advantage of opportunities. And from the first, Penelope gets past the walls he has built up as Bourne and finds the parts of Michael that still exist. Also, the letters that open each chapter are a nice touch, I think. They give the reader a glimpse of Penelope and Michael before life happened to them.

I had no plans to read this book until the blurb caught my attention. My previous experiences with Ms. MacLean’s books have been mixed. I thought her first book was okay, but I could not get into the second book, so I never bothered to try the third (this book is loosely connected to that book, by the way). But I am so glad I decided to give it a try! And I am looking forward to the next book (I loves me some scoundrels, remember). I say the book stands alone just fine. However, if you remember “The Grape” from Ms. MacLean’s previous book and wonder how things turned out for her, here is your chance to find out. Otherwise, if you are looking for a book with heart and touches of humor, I encourage you to try this one. You won’t be sorry. Besides, don’t you want to know what the first rule is??

Grade: A-

Summary:What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets. . .

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.
A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to an unexplored world of pleasures.
Bourne may be a prince of London’s illicit underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them . . . .even her heart.

Read an excerpt (scroll down).

Connected books:

C2′s Duckies Do Series Review of Turner Brothers Series by Courtney Milan
Historical Romance Published by HQN

In her Turner series, Courtney Milan tells the stories of three brothers (with very unusual first names) whose lives are shaped by their troubled mother.  How each brother is affected and how each chooses to live his life and move past those early problems is central to the stories.

Unveiled – 25 Jan 11

In Unveiled, we are introduced to the Turners.  As a teenager oldest brother Ash went to a wealthy distant relative to ask for money – his younger sister was ill and their mother would not take her to a doctor. The Duke of Parford, a distant relative, turned him down and, soon after, his sister died.  Knowing he needed to be able to take care of his family, because his mother could not, Ash ran away to India and made his fortune there. When he returned to England, fortune in hand, he was able to find his younger brothers (by then living on the streets) and get them settled into a normal life.  Years have passed since then – years in which Ash has been working toward getting revenge on the man he blames for his sister’s death.

Ash has information which will result in the duke’s children being declared illegitimate and that will change the inheritance of the title from the duke’s oldest son to Ash.  Ash’s petition will be decided by the Parliament.  In the meantime, Ash visits the ducal estate to take stock of things – in case the duke decides to steal from or otherwise undermine the estate.  The duke is in residence and in poor health; the strain of the whole situation led to the death of the duchess some months before.

Also residing at the family estate is Lady Elizabeth, the duke’s daughter.  She is posing as the duke’s nurse – she was already taking care of her father before word of Ash’s visit came – and using a different name.  Her brothers want her to spy on Ash and uncover whatever incriminating information she can…anything that might help their case before Parliament.  Since she blames Ash for her mother’s death, Elizabeth is glad to stay and spy – even if it means dealing with her very difficult father.

Ash takes one look at Elizabeth and knows she will be important to him – he has always relied on his impressions of people…the feeling he gets…and the feeling he gets when he sees her is awfully close to love at first sight.  Ash is not what Elizabeth expected.  This large, thoughtful, cheerful man is the person trying to ruin her family? Still, she tries to uncover whatever information she can…at first. Eventually, she discovers a closely guarded secret that could ruin Ash but can she do it?

I really like Ash – excellent hero material, says me.  Early on, Elizabeth calls him “cheerfully ruthless.”  I love that!  Because, really, being ruthless doesn’t mean you have to be all gloomy.  ;-)  Add in Ash’s self-confidence, even in the face of extreme obstacles, and his love for his brothers?  *swoon*  And Elizabeth, even though she started out not particularly likeable, ends up being an excellent match for Ash – and saving the day.  Yay!

Grade: A

Summary:

He was her bitterest enemy….

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

And her dearest love

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

Read an excerpt.

Unlocked – 26 May 11

Though it is the most recent release, Unlocked (a novella) falls between Unveiled and Unclaimed chronologically.  Unlocked is the story of Elizabeth’s best friend, Lady Elaine Warren.  We meet Elaine very briefly in Unveiled.

Unlocked takes place several years after Unveiled, and Lady Elaine is firmly on the shelf.  Society has not been kind to her – thanks in large part to some unkind remarks made in her first season.  Remarks that began with Evan Carlton.  As is sometimes true with boys, when they like a girl they will do anything to get her attention – not realizing that all attention isn’t good attention.  Unfortunately, the things Evan said were repeated by others and soon Lady Elaine was an object of mockery.  By the time he realized what he had done, it was too late to reverse things, so Evan fled to the Continent.  While traveling through the Alps, he discovered a love for mountaineering (aka mountain climbing).

When Unlocked begins, Evan has just returned to England, ostensibly to take up his title – he is the Earl of Westfield.  However, he also realizes it is time to make amends for the damage he did to Lady Elaine’s reputation all those years before.  However, when Evan apologizes and tries to explain his actions, of course Elaine doesn’t believe him.  Especially since his cousin has made her life miserable in the years he was abroad. Mean-spirited heifer!  >:(  I digress…

All Evan can do is try to prove his sincerity with his actions – or non-action, in this case.  Not joining his cousin in her meanness.  Not encouraging her – and,  in fact, actively discouraging her bad behavior.  He becomes a friend to Elaine – all she would allow since she didn’t believe he had romantic feelings for her. But will Elaine realize he’s telling the truth?  Or will she ignore the love right in front of her?

If you are curious about the series and have never tried Ms. Milan’s writing, this novella is an excellent opportunity to do so.  It stands alone from the rest of the series nicely but gives a good feel for the world of the other books.

Grade: B+

Summary:

A perpetual wallflower destined for spinsterhood, Lady Elaine Warren is resigned to her position in society. So when Evan Carlton, the powerful, popular Earl of Westfeld, singles her out upon his return to England, she knows what it means. Her former tormenter is up to his old tricks, and she’s his intended victim. This time, though, the earl is going to discover that wallflowers can fight back.

Evan has come to regret his cruel, callow past. At first, he only wants to make up for past wrongs. But when Elaine throws his initial apology in his face, he finds himself wanting more. And this time, what torments him might be love…

Read an excerpt.

Unclaimed – 20 Sep 11

Unclaimed is Mark’s story.  Mark is the easy-going brother.  He is very comfortable with himself, even if he is sometimes uncomfortable with things around him.  Mark is the youngest Turner brother and has made a name for himself – and been knighted, even – for his treatise on male chastity.  Umm…yeah.  You can imagine the kind of attention that gets him.  There are many who have embraced the principles he put forth and want nothing more than to be like him…or their vision of what he is like, which may or may not be anything close to the truth.  And there are others who want nothing more than to prove him to be a liar and see him knocked down a peg or five.

As we begin the book, word around town is that Mark will soon be offered a government position…a position someone else wants and is willing to go to extremes to get.  If a woman seduces Sir Mark and gets proof (his signet ring), she will get 300 pounds.  When Jessica hears of this, she decides she can do it…she can no longer live the life of a courtesan.  With the money (she negotiates a higher reward), she will go live quietly (and man free) in the country.

Sir Mark has decided to take a break from the madding crowd in London. He can’t go anywhere without a crowd gathering around him – reporters even go through his trash! (heh…the more things change, the more they stay the same for celebrities) So Mark decides to revisit the village he grew up in.  The townspeople were remarkably unhelpful when it came to assisting him and his siblings when they were young…maybe they will leave him alone now, too?  Not so much.

This book isn’t just a story of opposites attracting and finding redemption (although it does a very good job of that). Unclaimed is an interesting look at celebrity – how it happens so randomly for strange reasons, is maintained often through less-than-honest means – whether the person wishes it or not – and how people try to use the celebrity of others for their own purposes.

I love Mark – easy going, good natured, thoughtful…with a stubborn streak, sure, but that’s okay. Jessica tries very hard to be tough and self-centered, but, when push comes to shove, she does what is right rather than what will most benefit her – and still finds a way to help herself without hurting anyone else. Mostly.

Grade: A

Summary:

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

Is to ruin the man she loves…

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

Read an excerpt.

Unraveled – 9 Dec 11

Finally, we come to Smite’s book – Unraveled.  Smite is a magistrate. People charged with crimes are brought before him and a couple of other magistrates to be heard and, perhaps, sentenced. Smite very much wants justice, not just the standard penalty regardless of facts, for the people that come before him. He lives alone in Brighton – he has day servants but none that live in – partly because he has nightmares caused by childhood trauma. Smite’s only constant companion is his dog, Ghost (we meet Ghost in Mark’s book, actually).  Another interesting thing about Smite – he has an eidetic memory (aka photographic)…handy for a judge-y type, yes?

Miss Miranda Darling grew up traveling with her parents. Her father led a troupe of actors around England, so Miranda is a good mimic of accents, manners, etc. When we meet Miranda, she lives in a section of Brighton known as Temple Parish. It is not the best area but, for those under the protection of the mysterious Patron, it is safe enough. Miranda and her foster brother (the best term I can think of, although it isn’t quite accurate) have that protection – but it doesn’t come without a price. Miranda owes the Patron a favor a month – the favor she is to perform when we meet her is going to the courthouse and serving as a witness so the accused can go free…something she has been called on to do before. She is unaware of Smite’s memory. Oops! Smite is intrigued and follows Miranda back into Temple Parish – where he warns her not to try to fool his court again.

Unfortunately, the Patron has other ideas. In order to protect her brother from the Patron’s machinations, Miranda is instructed to find some records…records in the courthouse. She doesn’t get the records, but Smite does manage to find where she lives. And gets conked on the head for his trouble.

Thus begins their relationship. Smite, now having a better understanding of Miranda’s situation, offers to help her. Eventually, he sets her up as his temporary mistress. Smite thinks he doesn’t have the time or energy to devote to a real relationship, but a temporary one might be acceptable. You can imagine how that goes, can’t you, faithful reader?

Unraveled is the most action-y of the series. Full of twisty-turny goodness. Smite is the most complex of the brothers. His motivations for the life he has chosen are so misguided but completely understandable. And Miranda is my favorite of the heroines. With all that life has thrown at her, she manages to still be mostly happy and find enjoyment where she can.

Grade: A

Summary:

He has no use for love…

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

But love has other plans for him.

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

Read an excerpt.

I have to say I very much enjoyed all the books. For me, it’s all about the hero and Ms. Milan’s heroes are excellent. Such genuinely good guys…not perfect…just genuine and real. They encourage those around them to be their best and not just do what is expected.

All in all, this is an enjoyable series (and the covers are lovely, too). If you like British historicals but are in the mood for something outside the norm – tired of dukes and delicate misses?? – I highly recommend Ms. Milan’s books. And aren’t you curious about the names?? If you end up unhappy, you can come back and yell at me.

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

Sandy M’s review of Sins of the Highlander by Connie Mason with Mia Marlowe
Historical Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablance 1 Jan 12

What historical romance reader hasn’t daydreamed of a braw Scottish Highlander abducting her from the altar and a future of boring days on end, racing across the countryside with her in his arms, toward an unknown destiny filled with steamy nights and never-ending love? Come on, ‘fess up. What’s not to love about such a romantic scenario, especially with a sexy, yummy hero like Mad Rob MacLaren.

I will admit this is one my of favorite tropes (I stole that from LynneC!  ) when getting lost in pages of the Highlands. The hero abducts the heroine, of course, for his own purposes, mostly revenge, and over the course of the story his feelings change, as do hers, paving the way for love and romance. It’s what’s in between the bride stealing and the love that either makes or breaks the book.

Robin MacLaren – dubbed Mad Rob due to his wild and dangerous behavior since his wife’s death – has hatched a plan to gain some revenge on the man who had a hand in Fiona’s demise. They shared only twelve days of wedded bliss before she was gone, and now all of his scheming has finally come to fruition. What he doesn’t factor into his plans is the woman he plans to abduct. He discovers very quickly she’s more than a possession to be fought over.

Doing her duty of marrying a man to unite their clans is the only reason Elspeth Stewart is standing before God, her family, and the two involved clans. She hopes for love, but her husband to be doesn’t excite her in any way. And when the doors to the kirk are thrown open and a wild man on a huge, black horse plucks her up and tosses her over his saddle while holding a broadsword to Lachlan’s throat, she now understands the vision her Sight had given her . She should feel afraid of this rough and rude warrior, but something about him causes that much awaited excitement to rush through her.

However, Elspeth will do all she can to escape her captor, and Rob will do everything in his power to keep her to make his enemy sweat. She thinks the man truly is mad to do such a thing – in a kirk of all places. His opinion of her changes when she bravely faces him and the dangers they encounter on their journey to his home. Rob now looks at her as someone of worth and definitely not worthy of the man she’s to marry. And as Rob protects her from wolves and even her fiance, Elspeth also sees him in a different light, one that has her thinking perhaps she’s better off with a madman than the evil bore she’s been promised to. Her eyes are now wide open as far he’s concerned.

Upon arriving at Rob’s home, an army is awaiting them, effectively imprisoning his clan. But another plan has formed, and he desperately hopes after all they’ve shared that Elspeth will be in agreement when she learns what his negotiation with her betrothed and her father entails. Another flash of her Sight and Elspeth knows that all will end in disaster, something she can’t allow. Sneaking away and taking Rob’s secrets with her, she tries to save everyone’s lives while leaving her heart behind. Unbeknownst to all, there’s another faction planning Elspeth’s downfall, and now not even her visions will be able to save her.

I enjoyed these characters, even the villain. He’s smarmy enough to be interesting, but it’s still nice to see him get what he deserves. Rob and Elspeth are both honorable and trustworthy. Their love grows steadily and sweetly. This is a couple I could read about over and over again.

From heart-pounding moments to gentle and sensual steaminess, this story of revenge and love moves at a nice pace, keeping a reader’s interest throughout. I’m not sure what I expected with two authors working on the same book, and not having read either of them before, I don’t know whose voice is dominant. Either way, the tone of voice is pleasing and works very well for the genre.

Grade: A

Summary:

Abduction

Elspeth Stewart’s gift of Sight hadn’t warned her of the dark-haired madman who charged into her wedding and bore her away into the wild Scottish highlands. Pressed against his hard chest and nestled between his strong thighs, she ought to fear for her life. But her captor silenced all protest with a soul-searing kiss, giving Elspeth a glimpse of the pain behind his passion—pain only she could ease.

Obsession

“Mad Rob” MacLaren thought stealing his enemy’s bride would be the perfect revenge. But Rob never reckoned that this beautiful, innocent lass would awaken the part of him he thought dead and buried with his wife. Against all reason, he longs to introduce the luscious Elspeth to the pleasures of the flesh, to make her his, and only his forever.

With two clans against them burning for battle, they must find a way to join—body, breath and soul. Or both will be made to pay for the … Sins of the Highlander.

Read an excerpt.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Craving the Highlander’s Touch by Michelle Willingham
Historical romance short story ebook published by Harlequin Historical Undone 01 Sep 11

As the Undone line has evolved, many authors have chosen to utilize the shorter format as a “teaser” for their full-length Harlequin Historical books.  Like all things concerning series books, it all boils down to how much series-itis creeps in, and whether or not as the reader I feel like I’m being manipulated.  Yes, I’m talking execution.  Michelle Willingham is one who loves to use the Undone line to flesh out secondary characters from her connected novels, and she’s also one that generally makes it work for me.  This short story tied to her MacKinloch Clan books is no exception.

Alys Fitzroy, Lady of Harkirk, has endured a marriage to a brutish English husband.  Besides terrorizing her, he’s made many enemies among the local Scots – who he has a habit of imprisoning and torturing.  Although English herself, this treatment of the locals sickens Alys, especially when it involves children.  So she does what she can, freeing as many of them as she can – helping them to run away.

Finian MacLachor is his clan’s chief, and his failed uprising against Alys’ dear husband has not gone well.  He’s a man who has lost everything – his wife, his daughter, and his very soul.  Beaten, bloody, and sitting in the dungeons waiting to be made an example of, he’s resigned himself to die, because he thinks he has no right to live.  Then Alys shows up with the keys.

Willingham tends to put a lot of story in her Undones, but this one might take first prize.  This really could have been a full-length novel.  Between the various character baggage, the battle scene, the love scenes, and the final chapter?  There’s a lot going on here.  While the author does have to take a few “happens off page” short cuts to keep things moving along, this is a story I could really sink my teeth into.  It is also especially lovely to read love scenes that are an intricate part of the romance and character development.  They aren’t here just for filler – they need to be in this story.

I do think reading the two full-length novels will allow readers to get a bit more out of this story.  However, that being said, I still have both novels languishing in my TBR and I rather liked this short tale.  If anything, it succeeded in me kicking my own behind for letting those novels sit unread for these last several months.  So in the end?  The author’s ploy worked.  Teasing me with the short makes me want to run out and read the full-length stories.  Which makes me part of the problem, but given how much I enjoyed this story?  I don’t rightly care.

Grade: B

Summary:

Scotland, 1306

For Alys Fitzroy, Lady of Harkirk, her brutish husband is more of an enemy than the wild Scots she is supposed to hate. Her heart longs to help her husband’s prisoners—especially Finian MacLachor, the intense Highland chief who bears the scars of his own failed uprising, both inside and out. With her help, he has a second chance to make things right for his clan—and and to show Alys the nights of unbelievable pleasure she’s been missing.…

No Excerpt Found.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
Historical Romance published by Berkley 6 Dec 11

The elements of this book come together quite nicely to give readers what they’ve come to expect from Alissa Johnson. Revenge against a brother, an attraction that begins from afar, jealousy that leads to false accusations, and a love that grows despite everything working against such emotion.

Adelaide is expecting a proposal from Baron Maxwell, but she’s dragging her feet to face him this night. As much as her family needs his money, this is certainly not a love match. But it is up to her to make the sacrifice – her sister needs a Season, her brother’s debts need to paid, and her young nephew needs a stable home life. But before she makes her way to the house party, she is waylaid by a handsome gentleman and then trapped in his company as they wait for the coast to clear so they’re not caught in improper circumstances. Connor Brice is a charming rogue and has a way of seemingly reading her mind about her reluctance to actually make it inside for the party.

Revenge has been on Connor’s mind for years. He and Baron Maxwell have a very contentious history, with luck not being on Connor’s side throughout. Discovering the baron’s interest in Adelaide, his plans now include her. He slowly seduces her, but Adelaide surprises him. She has a good head on her shoulders and looks at all sides of a situation. So he takes matters into his hands to make sure she’s tied to him. But even compromising the lady doesn’t work as neatly as he figured.

With two men’s proposals waiting for an answer from her, Adelaide is determined to make the right choice, though after all the revealing things she learned about the baron tonight, her choice really is clear. But she’s cautious and intelligent and makes doubly sure the men know she’s in charge, especially because they don’t see her as a person or a woman but more of something to fight over. She accepts Connor’s proposal with her eyes wide open. Too bad her heart doesn’t follow suit.

While Connor keeps his eyes on his revenge plans, Adelaide begins to see him in a new light in this new life they share. The sweet way he makes love to her, the way he cares for her nephew, the revelation of his feelings for her before he even knew she was involved with the baron. Even the way he listens to her when she stands up for herself in their marriage.

But when love enters the equation, Adelaide wants more from Connor. His life has and is consumed with revenge, but if they’re going to have a life, a family together, he needs to step back and see what’s more important to him. And Connor does listen to her, but he’s running on a one-track mind. He decision is made swiftly, however, and to me it’s a little too fast. Seems like to me after fifteen years of nothing in his life but his revenge that it should have taken just a bit longer to whittle it down the way he does. Does he give it all up? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?

I enjoyed these characters immensely. Connor is the one who must truly change, even though Adelaide is taken with his unexpected gentlemanliness as she gets to know him. There’s more to him than meets the eye, and it all comes out through his growing love for her. I like that Adelaide is not a beguiling beauty, but just your everyday girl next door and she doesn’t leave that behind despite what happens in her life. The baron is one piece of work, and I thoroughly reveled in his downfall.

Alissa Johnson always gives readers a lovely romance featuring charming characters, wicked and handsome heroes, along with intelligent and independent heroines. I enjoy her storytelling and look forward to the next book by the time I’ve finished reading the one currently in hand.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Her heart was a target…

Adelaide Ward has but one goal—to obtain an offer of marriage from the respectable, if less-than-appealing Baron Maxwell before her family is ruined. But it’s the devilishly handsome Connor Brice who captures her imagination—and a kiss in broad daylight—in front of a dozen members of the ton.  Now Adelaide must decide if the charming scoundrel who stole away her reputation might still be trusted with her heart.

His aim must be true…

Connor Brice seeks a long overdue revenge on the baron. And what better way to launch his campaign than to steal the lovely Miss Ward for his own? A quick “compromising” and an even quicker wedding ought to do. But if Connor wants to establish any sort of domestic tranquility, he’ll have to regain Adelaide’s trust and choose what means more to him—his thirst for vengeance, or his need for Adelaide.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Under the Same Sky by Genevieve Graham
Historical Romance published by Berkley Trade 3 Jan 12

This book poses a huge dilemma for a reader. It’s one you can’t put down. It’s that good. But it’s also one that you have to put down. Just to exhale that breath you’ve been holding, to then inhale and take on a calmness so you can continue on. It’s not that easy, however. The story is that heart-wrenching, so full of tragedy for these courageous, honorable, and so very likable characters.

Maggie Johnson has always had “the Sight.” Whatever she dreams come true. Whatever she sees will come to pass. Among all the horrible dreams there’s been one constant, the boy whose smile and eyes are with her always. They’ve grown up together, seeing one another but never speaking or touching but understanding a look across the span of thousands of miles. As they grow older, Maggie calls this warrior her Wolf, bringing to mind those graceful predators. For Andrew, Maggie is the prettiest woman he’s ever seen and he knows they belong together, that some day they will find a way to each other. He also is able to see events before they occur, and his dreams are as full of Maggie as hers are of Andrew. The way the book is set up, several chapters are devoted to Maggie, written in first person, then several chapters are given to Andrew from his POV, and this continues throughout the book.

Tragedy strikes Maggie and her family after her father has died. She, her mother, and sisters have been surviving the best they can, without letting townsfolk know about the lack of a male presence on the homestead. But that only lasts for so long, and the day comes when men ride up with evil intentions on their minds. One shot is all it takes to leave the girls on their own, at the mercy of these men, their intent to sell them as slaves – after they deliver their own brand of evilness. These are such heart-breaking scenes, especially when it comes to Maggie’s youngest sister, ten-year-old Ruth. Though her scene is not described in detail as Maggie’s, you know what’s happening to the child in the woods, and that fear is confirmed when the men return without her. As man after man has his way with these girls, you want to reach through the pages and choke the ever-lovin’ life out of each of them. Maggie and Adelaide do their best to hold on, knowing the horror has to be over soon and escape is still a possibility.

War is the tragedy in Andrew’s life – he loses everything and everyone he loves as a result of the battle at Culloden in 1746, fighting with his father, brothers, and other Highland clans. Of course, we all know the outcome of this particular battle, the massacre that is a significant part of the downfall of the clans of Scotland. At first, surviving such an onslaught is not the gift it should be for Andrew. Then finding his home, along with his mother, destroyed, coming in contact with no other person – Highlander or Sassenach – for days on end, he’s more than tired enough to lie down and let this nightmare end, but he fights on.  Finally he discovers the friends that will become his family as they all rebuild their lives. Feeling disconnected from everything to do with his country, wanting to get as far away as possible from the violence, Andrew decides to leave his homeland for good, along with others who feel the same.

Maggie and Adelaide are rescued by a tribe of Cherokee, who take them in and help them heal. The sisters learn the Indians are not the savages they’d always heard about, and they carve out a place for themselves, learning the language and way of life of these people who don’t frighten them as the white man now does. Eventually Maggie is allowed to accompany the men to the closest fort to trade furs and skins, and she does well for them, understanding how the tribe has always been cheated. But meeting Captain Quinn, a respected man about town, once again ends with Maggie bearing the brunt of men and their superior attitudes. She’s accused of and tried for – railroaded, actually – murder.

I kept thinking to myself throughout this book, “When are these two going to catch a break??” I was exhausted after reading these scenes and just had to put the book down to take a deep breath. But then I had to immediately pick it up again to see what happens to them, how they react, how they recover, how they move on. And, because of the era, they, of course, resolutely move on just because they have to, that’s how people of the time lived and died. I haven’t been this emotionally wiped out reading a romance in a long time.

Andrew finally makes landfall in America, receives land given to immigrants willing to work hard, and makes his way toward Maggie. Even that journey is fraught with danger and delays. But all along they’ve had each other in their dreams, and for a while now those dreams have been very real. They now touch, they feel, they talk, and they remember it all with clarity afterward. Though these scenes of them together are nice and frequent enough so that hero and heroine are together at various intervals throughout the book, I wish there’d been either more of those dreams or more of Andrew and Maggie together at the end of the book. After everything each of them have been through, have helped the other through with comfort and strength, even knowing that happily ever after would be upon them soon, I wanted to see more of that happiness instead of being told about it because it’s now time for the story to end. That’s my only nitpick. For me, there’s just not enough. We’re given just enough to let us know their life together is good and gets better as the years will go on, but I wanted to feel it more, to see it happening, to experience a bit more with them after such a harrowing time has been had to get them to this point.

I’m quite impressed with Ms. Graham’s debut novel. She takes a reader on an epic journey that thoroughly engages the heart and gives them characters who defy horrific odds and who never give up. I look forward to her future work.

Grade: A-

Summary:

The year is 1746. A young woman from South Carolina and a Scottish Highlander share an intimacy and devotion beyond their understanding.

They’ve known each other their entire lives.
They live a half-world apart.

And they have never met…

Maggie Johnson has been gifted with “the Sight” ever since she was a child. Her dreams bring her visions of the future and of a presence she knows is not a figment of her imagination. She calls him Wolf, having watched him grow from a careless young boy into a fearsome warrior, and she trusts him with her life and her heart.

Andrew MacDonnell is fascinated by the woman who has visited him in his dreams for as long as he can remember, entranced by her beauty, knowing deep in his soul that she is as real as he. Although he doesn’t know who she is, Andrew believes that destiny will bring them together.

When tragedy and war strike their homelands, both Maggie and Andrew suffer indescribable losses. Separated across an ocean, the bond they share nevertheless grows as they sense each other’s pain, lend each other strength, and embark on a journey of the spirit to find and love one another at long last…

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Unlikely Wife by Debra Ullrick
Inspirational historical romance published by Love Inspired Historical 03 Jan 12

One of the reasons I like historical western romances is that I love heroines with a harder edge to them.  Granted, there were many civilized parts of the world that were unforgiving to women, but you had to be a tough cookie to survive in the American frontier. Being stupid wasn’t really conducive towards….oh, survival. Debra Ullrick’s latest inspirational romance features my kind of heroine, but sadly it fumbles on the execution.

Michael Bowen is a prosperous rancher in Idaho Territory and is ready to get married.  So he places an ad, and begins corresponding with Selina Bowen.  Her letters are magical, and she thinks pretty highly of him as well!  Before you can say Big Misunderstanding Ahoy these two get hitched, sight unseen, by proxy. Naturally Michael about swallows his tongue when his wife gets off the train looking like an outlaw – wearing trousers, a beat-up hat, and carrying a rifle(!) – instead of the genteel lady who wrote those letters.

Turns out that Selina cannot read or write, so her BFF wrote the letters for her. Selina told her what to say, but it turns out the BFF fudged with the truth just a wee bit.  Loathe to go back on the oath he took before God and his local preacher, Michael takes Selina home.  However, he’s torn by the fact that the woman he fell in love with doesn’t seem to exist.

Many a historical western has been written about a mail-order bride arrangement gone awry, and Ullrick’s spin on it is actually quite believable. Unfortunately, the bulk of the conflict for a very good portion of the early going seems to sit squarely on the fact that Selina wears…..pants! Seriously, the hero practically has a raging case of the vapors over it.  I get that a chick wearing pants would be rather unconventional, but the guy is living in Idaho Territory. You’re telling me there ain’t one unconventional chick within spitting distance of him? It’s also hard to be tolerant of his dislike for her wardrobe especially when his entire blessed family seems to love the girl, on sight. So exactly what is the problem? She’s resourceful and his family adores her.  Ooooooh, but she wears pants!  ::eyeroll::

Selina is a straight shooter, is shaped by a life lived in poverty, and is pretty unbending about changing herself for a man considering the types of relationships she witnessed back home.  The main issue here is dialect.  Yep, the author writes all of Selina’s dialogue in the vernacular.  I swear the word “iffen” is going to haunt me in my dreams.  There is a way to convey Selina’s background (poverty, lack of education) without having the reader slog through hillbilly dialogue that even the writers of Hee Haw would have axed from a script.

This book is marketed as an inspirational, and the God Stuff here is pretty heavy.  If you’re a reader who reads inspirationals because you want a Christian message?  Yeah, you’ll probably be right at home.  However, if you read inspirationals more because they are “clean” than any overt religious elements?  Be prepared for things like:

“The Lord wants His children to depend on Him, Michael.  You may not be able to love Selina on your own, but God can do it through Christ as you submit to Him.  Ask God to give you a deep, lasting love for your wife, Michael, and He will.”

Just what every girl wants to hear, I love you because I asked God to make me love you.  Who said romance was dead?

Despite my varied issues with this story, I still managed to inhale it in one day. It’s also hard to outright hate on a book when the main message of it (it’s OK to be different) is so genuine.  In other words, the story’s heart was in the right place.

Grade: C

Summary:

The arrival of Michael Bowen’s bride, married sight unseen by proxy, sends the rancher reeling. With her trousers, cowboy hat and rifle, she looks like a female outlaw—not the genteel lady he corresponded with for months. He’s been hoodwinked into marriage with the wrong woman!

Selina Farleigh Bowen loved Michael’s letters, even if she couldn’t read them herself. A friend read them to her, and wrote her replies—but apparently that “friend” left things out, like Michael’s dream of a wife who was nothing like her. Selina won’t change who she is, not even for the man she loves. Yet time might show Michael the true value of his unlikely wife.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Sunrise with a Notorious Lord (Lords of Vice, Book 4) by Alexandra Hawkins
Historical Romance published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 3 Jan 12

These Lords of Vice only get more and more interesting as the series goes on. Each man is so different from the other, with only their sin in common. They make sexy and sinful feel like satin sheets you want to roll around in until you’re sated and exhausted. And then there’s that tender side of them, the humorous side, the protective side, even the fiery and explosive side. But when it’s all for his heroine, well, sexy and sinful take on a rather different tone. I’d love to be wrapped up in any one of these men, to be the recipient of such devotion. And sin.

Isabel has been the lady of the house since her father’s death and her mother’s incapacity to get beyond her grief. So when fate smiles on her and her sister, Delia, in meeting a lady of the ton who then invites them to London for the season, Isabel is hopeful, albeit slightly, that Delia might make a good match after all, something the family desperately needs. Delia has other thoughts about marriage, however; she’d rather flirt with every man who steps in her path.

Vane, as the Earl of Vanewright is known to his friends, revels in sin just as the other Lords of Vice, though several of them have settled down recently. There’s too many lovelies and other earthly pleasures to be had for him to ever think of marriage. But when he’s going through a very public breakup with his current mistress, he spies the Thorne sisters in the dressmaker’s shop and moves on to those other pleasures. As beautiful as Delia is, it’s Isabel who garners more interest from Vane, and when she deftly steps in front of the pickpocket who helped himself to Vane’s snuffbox, he’s amazed and irritated she would take such a chance. But she’s all the more fascinating for it.

Thus begins Vane’s attempt to woo Isabel into his bed and her attempt to marry him to her sister. But then Isabel finds her attraction to Vane hard to resist, especially with his onslaught of attention. Plus, her role in his life is not all it seems to be, so how will he react when he finds out what she’s done? Vane takes a little longer to realize his feelings go just as deep. He can’t figure out why it is this particular woman seems so much more to him than any other woman or mistress he’s ever had. I enjoyed watching these two come to the same conclusion, starting from very different beginning points. However, it isn’t as easy as all that. They do hit bumps in the road, but they work it out. Except for those fears Isabel has about Vane learning the truth.

Vane does go ballistic. Through all they’ve shared, she’s lied to him. But when he learns her ruse began closer to home, he has to look at her “lies” differently. I like that he works this out on his own, he doesn’t need help or platitudes to know what he feels for Isabel is real. That’s why it hurts so darned much. He realizes he doesn’t need all those other women any longer. All the sin he needs is in one petite package.

While my favorite book in the series is still Till Dawn with the Devil, Vane is a very close second, despite no deep-seated tragedy or the like in his past. But I have a feeling that both of those may lose their standing to either of the next books, most especially Frost. There’s just something about that man. It’s probably his total devil-may-care attitude, what-have-I-got-to-lose look at life. He takes sin to a whole new level, and I am very anxiously looking forward to his story.

Grade: A

Summary:

FOREVER THE BACHELOR

Christopher Courtland, Earl of Vanewright—known around London as “Vane”—is the very picture of a rich, handsome ladies’ man. Why shackle himself to just one lady when he’s free to sample them all? In spite of his own mother’s attempts at matchmaking, Vane has sworn to stay single. Until he has a chance run-in with Miss Isabel Thorne…

NEVER IN LOVE—UNTIL NOW…

A modest and refined beauty, Isabel is a lot more brazen than she appears. When a pickpocket tries to make way with Vane’s bejeweled snuffbox, Isabel attempts to thwart his escape…and manages to steal Vane’s heart. But the harder he tries to seduce the sharp-tongued, strong-willed Isabel, the more she resists. Now it’s up to this tried-and-true bachelor to find a new way to play the game…or risk losing the one woman who’s ever captured his heart.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series: