Fall Reviews 2013

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

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

Book Description:
Bridget Jones is back!

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

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

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

5/5

Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt

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

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

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

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


4/5

The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry

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

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

4/5

Can't Get Enough by Sarah Mayberry

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

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

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

4/5

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas

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

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

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

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

4/5

 
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

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

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

4.5/5

The Soldier by Grace Burrowes

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

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

4/5

A Garden Folly by Candice Hern

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

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

3.5/5

True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

His Every Kiss by Laura Lee Guhrke

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

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

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

3/5

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

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

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

5/5

 

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June, 2013 Reviews - Part II

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

He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan

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

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

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

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

4/5

Stolen Kisses by Suzanne Enoch

Book Description:
FIRE AND ICE ...

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

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

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

3.5/5

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

Book Description:
The toast of the town...

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

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

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

3.5/5

Fairest of Them All by Teresa Medeiros

Book Description:

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

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

Nobody's Darling by Teresa Medeiros

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

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

4.5/5

Roaring Midnight by Colleen Gleason

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/5

The Trouble with Valentine's Day by Rachel Gibson

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

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

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

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

4.5/5

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April and May Reviews - Part II

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

Love Irresistibly by Julie James

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

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

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

4/5

This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

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

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

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

4/5

See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

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

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

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

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

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

4/5

The Heir by Grace Burrowes

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

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

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

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

4/5

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long

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

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

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

4.5/5

To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries (audio)

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

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

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

3/5

The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry

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

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

4.5/5

Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner

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

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

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

4/5

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

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

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

4.5/5

Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath

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

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

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

3.5/5
 

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Reviews from February & March 2013

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

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.5/5

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

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

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

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

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

4/5

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

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

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

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

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

4/5

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

In Bed With the Devil by Lorraine Heath

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

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

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

3.5/5

Prince Charming by Julie Garwood

Book Description: 

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

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

4/5

The Wedding Bargain by Victoria Alexander

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

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

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

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

3/5

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

Book Description:
She will not give up…

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

He cannot give in…

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

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

4/5

Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson

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

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

4/5

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

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

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

3.5/5

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

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

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

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

4/5

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

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

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

3.5/5

A Rogue in Texas by Lorraine Heath

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

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

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

3.5/5

The Summer of You by Kate Noble

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

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

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

3.5/5

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