June, 2013 Reviews Part I

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

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

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

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

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

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

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

4.5/5

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (audio)

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

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

3.5/5

My Lady Notorious by Jo Beverley

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

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

4/5

Forever a Lord by Delilah Marvelle

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

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

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

4/5

That Summer in Cornwall by Ciji Ware

Book Description:
A different latitude…a different world…

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/5

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

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

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

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

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

4.5/5

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End of 2012 Re-cap

Happy New Year Everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Their flirtation breaks all of Lulu’s rules, but dance by dance, week by week, walk by walk, she finds herself falling in love with this honest, vulnerable man on the run from his demons. But as Lulu and Joe’s undeniable attraction gains momentum, World War II steadily intensifies toward D-Day. The lovers only have one night together before Joe is transported to France for the Battle of the Bulge, where his skills and his instinct for survival will be pushed to their limits. Lulu distracts herself with flight school and the friendships of her colleagues, but she can’t get the handsome medic out of her head. Only time and hope will tell if her love will return unharmed from War, and if the two will be able to overcome their pasts to form a beautiful life together in peace-time.
  
I absolutely loved this book! Not surprising for I love WWII settings and history and to combine it with a romance - this was a no brainer for me!  Feisty pilot heroine and I adored the vulnerable medic hero!  This was such a surprise, and I was riveted from start to finish.  Exciting moments while flying her planes, near crash landings and what have you.  Joe was a dear, I loved him.  I just adored this whole WWII scenario!  I want more of this couple and see what happens next in their lives.  A real keeper, sexy, evocative, memorable - and what a cover!

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

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

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

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

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

2012 Book Poll

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

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End of Summer Recap

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

The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens (audio)

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

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

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

4/5

A Lady By Midnight by Tessa Dare

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

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

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

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

4/5

Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare

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

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

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

4/5

Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath

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

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

4.5/5

Sweet Release by Pamela Clare

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

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

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

3.5/5

England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch

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

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

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

3.5/5

Song of Susannah by Stephen King (audio)

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker

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

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

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

3.5/5

One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

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A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

Book Description:
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
• convince family and friends they’re in “love”
• outrun armed robbers
• survive their worst nightmares
• 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.

Second in the Spindle Cove Series, Colin and Minerva's story is fabulous!  Heartwarming but sexy and hilarious to boot - thoroughly entertaining. A road trip romance along the Great North Road to Edinburgh with one calamity after another interspersed with hot moments "educating Minerva" - all in the name of science!  I loved it!  Tessa Dare has won me over and I want to read her entire back list now!  So get ready readers for plenty of Tessa Dare reviews over the next year, I can't wait to dig in.  I simply loved the first book in this series, A Night to Surrender and A Week to be Wicked is just as good.

Minerva Highwood's hobby is fossils and they abound in Spindle Cove where Minerva spends most of her time discovering all sorts of interesting things in it's caves.  Little does her family know that she has become a member of the Royal Geological Society of Scotland under the guise of a man (women are not admitted) by the name of M.R. Highwood and she must be at their meeting at the end of the month in Edinburgh to present her paper on her findings of a prehistoric footprint which she has found in one of the caves.  She has made a plaster of it that weighs a ton which she intends to bring with her to the symposium.  The only problem is how to get there.  It's a long journey and she needs help.

Enter Colin Sandhurst.  In A Night to Surrender, Colin is the rakishly good looking cousin of Bram (the hero) who is a lord waiting to come into his inheritance.  Colin has spent most of his adult life as a dissolute ne'er do well until Bram (who is the trustee of his inheritance) forces him to join the local militia of Spindle Cove.  He straightens up a bit, but he's still far from the paragon his cousin Bram is.  During the course of the last book, Colin and Minerva were always squabbling and butting heads which continues in A Week to Be Wicked.  Minerva highly disapproves of him and he highly enjoys baiting her, particularly by never getting her name right, deliberately mistaking it with some other name that begins with an M.  The two are obviously drawn to each other, though neither is willing to admit there is any kind of attraction thing going on.

Colin is the epitome of just the sort of man Minerva has been taught to avoid.   Yet, who does she turn to for help to get her to Scotland?  The local rake, of course!  There's something about her that Colin can't ignore and in a poignant scene she comes to his quarters late at night to enlist his help, having dreamed up an entire scheme to make the whole village of Spindle Cove think he is in love with her they've been having a torrid affair and are eloping to Scotland together!  Hmm, what if...?  Even Colin falls under the spell of her make-believe tale for a tantalizing moment, ending with a near-kiss... until Minerva realizes he's not alone.  How humiliating!  Colin sends her home, refusing to go along with her outlandish scheme.  But the next day, feeling bad about what happened at his quarters, he relents and agrees to escort her to Edinburgh against his own better judgment.

As they set out we learn that Colin cannot sleep alone due to a harrowing night he spent as a child when his parents were killed in a carriage and he was left alone in the dark carriage with them.  Ever since he's been unable to sleep alone, finding a women who will keep his bed warm every night.   Minerva learns soon enough she's going to be keeping him company - every night.  It's a condition.  She has to sleep with him.  Sleep, mind you, nothing else.  Minerva is a virgin after all, albeit a spinster.  Colin may be a rake, but he's an honorable rake and he doesn't deflower virgins.  Yeah, riiiight...

I'm leaving tons out, but to to jump ahead, they embark on this crazy, hilarious journey that is full of nonsensical events and fantastic tales.  Colin is an expert at dreaming up all sorts of crazy stories on the road much to Minerva's chagrin.  One of the funnier whoppers was making some naive and very gullible passengers in a shared carriage believe he is the last remaining member of the royal family of Crustacea!  His female devotees take it all in hook, line and sinker.  Luckily they're too stupid to know that Spain doesn't even border Italy, nor what a Crustacean really is!  What a scream!  Unfortunately, this tale comes back to bite Colin in the butt when highway robbers hold up the carriage and all the other passengers tell the robbers he's royalty!  Uh-oh.

I can't begin to list all the funny moments in this book, there's just loads of humor and one unbelievable adventure after another.  But that's not all.  Their nighttime adventures are just as entertaining - in a different way.  Colin takes on the role of teacher, instructing Minerva about all the new ways she can enjoy a bed!  She is a fast and able learner, taking to the subject like a duck to water - for educational purposes of course!  And isn't it strange how Colin has this uncanny ability to get Minerva's name straight during their lessons?  It's obvious these two are really meant for each other and it was a pleasure to take it all in and see how both learn to appreciate the other.  Minerva, who never thought of herself as pretty enough to be noticed, blossoms into a beautiful young woman with love and confidence and Colin, who was convinced he was a failure at everything he attempted, comes to the realization that he can do anything right - for love.

Do they make it to Edinburgh?  I won't spoil the ending, you'll have to see for yourself.  This is a must read for anyone that enjoys a screwball comedy with an endearingly, stubborn heroine and a roguish hero who's dying to be reformed - even if he doesn't quite know it yet.  A real treat, I highly recommend it!

4.5/5 

P.S. And how about this sexy inside flap, I love it!  Because I read this on my kindle, I don't get to see these extras. Minerva looks gorgeous!

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A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare

Book Description:
Welcome to Spindle Cove, where the ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are... nowhere to be found. Or are they?

Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: the painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there.

Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn't belong here. So far as he can tell, there's nothing in this place but spinsters... and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders to gather a militia. It's a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch—a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram's makeshift army.

Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle... but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?

I simply loved this story of how genteel, Susanna Finch, used to running things in her little seaside town of Spindle Cove comes up against (literally) Bram, aka Victor Bramwell, a no-nonsense career army officer bent on returning to his regiment after suffering a near crippling knee injury.  He has a month to organize a local militia and whip them into shape for a big military review for the top brass.  Yet the only men in town aren't exactly the military type and he's got his work cut out for him.  Susanna doesn't like the idea of Bram and his men stirring up the delicate sensibilities of the women in town.  Or rather, she doesn't like the way he's stirring up her own sensibilities, much less all sorts of other things inside her.  From the first moment they meet sparks fly and passion ignites.  As much as they are on opposite sides of the equation when it comes to his militia and her girls, the two of them learn to give in and compromise.  Of course, they fall in love along the way and I adored reading about how it all comes about!

Aside from the fun storyline that kept me interested throughout the entire book, I loved the humor and silliness during some parts.  Spindle Cove is a seaside resort that Susanna has set up as a haven for awkward young women and there are virtually no men around, except for the kind that are entirely non-threatening to her women of delicate dispositions.   Yet when Bram and his ne'er do well cousin, Colin and Corporal Thorne come to town, what's the first thing on their mind?  Sheep! (you'll see what I mean!)  It's so silly and funny how all these sheep throw Susanna and Bram together!  Plus, it's so cute how even a little lamb winds up becoming a pet to Bram..  Susanna names him "Dinner."  Ha-ha! I loved it!  The side stories in the book were good too.  A couple of surprises caught me off guard as well, not what I was expecting!

Not only is there plenty of humor and surprises, but the sensual scenes were well done too!  Exciting and provocative, maybe a bit on the unrealistic side, but quite hot and earned Bram a spot on my swoonworthy hero list.  (I still think underwater sex is over-rated though.)  I was completely caught up in the love story between Susanna and Bram.  I was rooting for them and loved their interaction with one another.  Great chemistry.  But of course, they have a fundamental problem.  He wants to go back to the army because his pride tells him he must to compensate for his injured leg, but she doesn't want him to abandon her and leave Spindle Cove.  Yet despite the knowledge he'll most likely leave, she can't stop being with him.  She's fallen for him and it's fun!  She knows it's wrong, unmarried women just don't go out and have passionate affairs with army officers (in the middle of the village green no less!) yet I thought her struggle was kind of realistic.  Once you start, it's hard to stop when you're in love, all you want to do is be with that person no matter what.  They're having this clandestine love affair and it's passionate and wonderful, but where is it going to go - what's going to happen after his month is up and the big military review takes place? Will he change his mind about going or not?  He can't just love her and leave her, can he?  I had to keep reading to find out, in fact I really found it hard to put this book down!

To sum it up, I loved this book.  A sexy, humorous romance with an original plot that includes a likable hero and heroine, a quirky village and it's citizens and a poignant and revealing side story involving Susanna's medical background as a teen and her current relationship with her father that brings it all together at the end.  A great start to a new series which I'm eager to continue with from this new to me author.  This book had it all, I highly recommend it!

4.5/5

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