November 2013 Reviews

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

When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas

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

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

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

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

4/5

To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney

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

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

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

3/5

The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale

Book Description:
THE SHADOW

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

THE STAR

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

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

4/5

The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes

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

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

A WIDOW WITH A HEARTBREAKING SECRET...

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

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

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

3.5/5

Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh

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

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

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

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

4/5

A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long

Book Description:
She rose to spectacular heights…

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

He never expected to fall so hard…

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

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

3.5/5

The Care and Feeding of Pirates by Jennifer Ashley

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

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

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

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

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

2.5/5

Dreams of Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

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

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

She Awaits His Return...

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

To Sate A Desire More Powerful Than Death...

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

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

4/5

Truman by David McCullough (audio)

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

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

4.5/5

Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn

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

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

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

To kick off the Christmas season...

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

3.5/5

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October 2013 Reviews

Happy Holidays to everybody!

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

How to say Sassenach

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


Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (audio)

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

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

4.5/5

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins 

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

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

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

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

3/5

Dragon Warrior by Janet Chapman

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

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

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

4/5

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

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

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

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

4/5

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (audio)

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

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

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

4/5

Heartless by Mary Balogh

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

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

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

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

4/5
 

The Cowboy Takes a Bride by Lori Wilde

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

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

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

3.5/5

Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne

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

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

4/5

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July 2013 Reviews

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

Now onto the reviews...

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

Book Description:

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

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

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

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

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

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

4/5

Demon From the Dark by Kresley Cole

Book Description:
A scorching tale of a demon outcast poisoned with vampire blood and the vulnerable young witch he vows to protect—even from himself.
 
Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.
 
Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

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

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

4.5/5

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

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

4/4

The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig

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

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

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

3.5/5

By Love Undone by Suzanne Enoch

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

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

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

4/5


Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath

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

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

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

3.5/5

Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh

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

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

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

4/5

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (audio)

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

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

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

3.5/5

The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

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

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

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

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

3.5/5

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/5

A Kiss to Rememeber by Teresa Medeiros

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

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

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

4.5/5

Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath

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

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

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

4/5

Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas

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

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

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

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

4.5/5

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