Unmasking Miss Appleby by Emily Larkin

Book 1 in the Baleful Godmother series

http://www.emilylarkin.com/

Charlotte Appleby is a good woman in a bad situation; both her parents have passed and she now approaches the ripe old age of 25 under the roof of her insufferable aunt and uncle, still without having received the Season she was due. As a 'charity' case, her aunt and uncle don't seem inclined to help Charlotte find her way in the world, so Charlotte needs to forge her own path; something that becomes a trifle easier when her (albeit scary) Fairy Godmother shows up on her 25th birthday to grant her a special power...metamorphosis. Armed with the ability to transform into whatever, or whomever, she pleases, 'Mr. Albin' decides to make 'his' way in the world by answering an ad in the paper for a secretary... an ad placed by a very handsome earl.

Marcus, Lord Cosgrove, is in need of a new secretary after his last one was ambushed and hurt in a fight; Mr. Albin, while a bit unusual (and clearly untutored in all things manly), seems to be the only one in England who's willing to stomach the risk. Together, Albin and Cosgrove set off on an adventure to find whoever is smashing the Earl's windows, leaving 'nightsoil' on his doorstep, and, apparently, even trying to kill him. Albin and the Earl become good friends as they begin to unravel the mysteries surrounding Cosgrove's life - but will that all change when Cosgrove learns Albin, er, Charlotte's secret?

Charlotte is an amazing heroine - truly, her story and her personality captivated me. She was generous and thoughtful, and willing to take responsibility for her actions at all times - even when it was hard. She was honest (as much as can be expected when one is hiding a major, magical secret) and hard-working, her caring for Marcus stemming from a deeply personal place of friendship and concern. She is a self-made woman, someone who is reasonably afraid but takes action anyway; I found her to be one of the more admirable heroines I've read about. For his part, Marcus was also a gem; funny and loyal, incredibly caring, sexy in his competence and confidence, and very thoughtful. He actually took a backseat in my estimation, with Charlotte really being the mover and shaker in this book, which might be why he shines a little less brightly than she does despite still being a wonderful, consistent character.

The plot was fast-paced; the mystery of who was behind the events happening to Marcus (and when/how he would discover Charlotte's secret) kept the pages flying by and provided a lot of opportunities for Charlotte to prove her worth as Albin. I liked Charlotte's freedom to move through the plot and make change happen, so unusual for women in Regency that often are being pushed around by the ton and relatives, and I loved her growing self-confidence and bravery as she took charge. The setup for the magic is well-done so it doesn't feel ridiculous or overbearing, and the ending - the way Marcus and Charlotte resolve their differences - is classic and sweet. 

Honestly, there was only one thing that brought this book from an A/A+ region to a solid A-, and *SPOILER ALERT HERE - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK* the issue was really only a page, making it even sadder that it brought the book down in my estimation so much. Marcus has been sleeping with a woman called 'Miss Brown' (Charlotte); he realizes that Miss Brown and his secretary, Albin, are one and the same. He flies into a violent rage using his punching bag, repeating over and over in his head 'I fucked a man' while he tears his hands to pieces. The episode smacked of some very real and violent homophobia/transphobia, echoing real world events where trans women who come out to their partners are summarily beaten or murdered; overall, the inclusion of this scene made me wildly uncomfortable and I think there were better ways for the author to express Marcus's discomfort - perhaps by focusing on the lies that Charlotte had told rather than the gender. *END SPOILER ALERT HERE* 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book - a fast-paced, fun and unique plot with a take-charge heroine and a man that matches her fire and spirit. What's not to love? Fun fact: by heading over to Emily's website and joining her reader group, I hear you can get this book for free! What's better than that?

Favorite Quotes: Unfortunately, I was not reading this book with the intention to review it (but once I discovered how good it was I knew I needed to share it with the world!) so I did not mark favorite quotes. Be rest assured, this book is really fun. 

"Sexy"ness rating: One thing I loved about this book was that it got hotter over time - you could see the way the friendship benefited the intimacy. Definitely does not leave you at the bedroom door. 

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: Charlotte is a heroine of her own making; her bravery and self-direction, honesty and selflessness, make her an admirable woman - it felt like an honor to witness her journey to love. Marcus is also honorable, kind, and humorous; he is an alpha hero for sure - self-assured, a bit domineering, but still soft enough inside to be more than lovable.

Pages: 391

Published: November 2016

Genre: Historical/Regency

His Wicked Kiss by Gaelen Foley

Book 7 in the Knight Miscellany Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     Foley is masterful. I've decided she's truly and utterly a mastermind at creating heroines I really, really enjoy.

    Eden Farraday is another one of my 'top five heroines of all time' - which means Foley now holds two of the top five spots for me (with the other heroine being 'Dan' from Prince Charming and a close runner up being Jacinda from Lady of Desire). To be honest, I almost wish the heroes would stop coming in and muddling things up for me, because I would totally read about these women and their adventurous, awesome lives without any romance. But "Black Jack", Lord Jack Knight, does sail into the picture, so I digress.

     Eden is a woman raised in the jungle; her scholar of a father spends his time researching plants that can be turned into medicine. But when he loses his patron, instead of sensibly deciding to return to England, he decides to push forward deeper into the jungle - beyond the Orinoco Delta and into the unknown (and known) dangers of the Amazon. Eden has had enough of the wilds. She longs for the glamorous ballrooms of high society and love - and not from the creepy, over-protective Australian, Connor, her father's assistant. Jack, for his part, is "simply" (ahem: secret mission) sailing through the Orinoco Delta with a shipment of goods to go to England when he spots Eden sitting in a tree above the river. When Eden begs him to take her to England however, he refuses and leaves her in the woods after one hot, scorching kiss. However Eden refuses to be deterred and decides to stowaway on Jack's ship; from there, the book follows Eden and Jack as they discover passion, love, and one another's secrets together.

     The plot was entertaining as always - politics, intrigue, etc. Jack is a very conflicted man who is greatly scarred by his past hurts - mostly emotional. As his true father was the "Killarney Crusher" prizefighter, naturally Jack wins most of the physical battles he engages in. His tenderness with Eden, as well as the respect and admiration of his crew, show us that he is more than just a brute though - he has a gentleman's soul. What I think truly made this book so spectacular for me was Foley's willingness to really draw out Jack's emotional journey from close-hearted Blackguard to compassionate, trusting lover. Even after Eden and Jack's marriage, the problems are just beginning and I loved that.

     The best moment in the book actually came from one of these heart-breaking conflicts. Foley wrote a fight between Jack and Eden so masterfully I could truly understand and agree with both of them; both were so hurt and stubborn, their dialogue was so raw and real, I actually found myself tearing up in sympathy for both of them. It made the HEA that much better when they came around to one another's point of view - they worked hard to deserve it.

     The second best moment of the book is all Eden though - when she is discovered on the ship and the crew surround her. Her brave fight and defiance of good ol' Cap'n Jack endeared me to her and earned her a place in my top five. Bravo, Eden - for your bravery, your love, your adaptability, and your intelligence. Jack's acceptance of Eden's adorable bluestocking nature was also a plus - as well as her immediate understanding of his noble heart, even when he refused to accept her words of praise for him. They struggled, but in the end they truly amazed me with the depth of their commitment and love for one another.

     What brought this book down for me? Near the beginning of the second half of the book, I was unsure I recognized who Eden was anymore - she'd turned into a high society lady, but too quickly for me to catch it, and suddenly her bratty and uppity behavior was all up in my grill. For his part, Jack reacted very defensively to her cold shoulder (which was cold for a long, long while) and became kind of a grumpy Neanderthal. I chalked it up to Eden's over zealousness to truly live her glamorous dreams and Jack's bone-headed inability to trust anyone and general fear of society people. Jack's pain here is evident, and I truly felt bad for him since Eden's inability to forgive seemed mightily unjustified. Eden and Jack eventually go back to normal, but this 150 page weird "Who The Fuck is this New and Shitty Eden" brought the book down in my esteem a lot. I was glad to see Eden return to normal near the end, and Jack too.

Favorite Quotes: 

While discussing including the Duke of Wellington, famous for his battle strategy in defeating Napolean, in their secret plans:

"Can he be trusted?" [Jack said.]
"Jack, he's Wellington," Damien snorted.

Without warning, she hurled her machete - it flew through the air and plunged into the mast quite near Jack's head.
... "Miss Farraday," he reproached her with an indulgent tsk, tsk. "You stabbed my ship."

"Sexy"ness rating: There's less erotic behavior in this book than the other's I've read by Foley so far due to the squabbling nature of our leading lord and lady, but the scenes are no less steamy and delectable.

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: Eden is a heroine you'll instantly fall in love with and Jack is an adorable wounded hero who gets a second chance and land lubber life due to his new, loving wife. Now all Foley needs to do is pull out that section with Eden's bratty behavior and we'll all be happy! 

Pages: 434

Published: 2006

Genre: Historical

Prince Charming by Gaelen Foley

Book 3 in the Ascension Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     This was the first Foley book I read outside the Knight series, and I was glad to see her masterful character development did not disappear.

Can I just say - Lady Daniela Chiaramonte is probably one of my favorite heroines ever, in my reading history to date. She is moronically brave and noble, a real spitfire... she has balls of steel. She knees the Prince of Ascension in the balls after robbing his carriage and then, when her friends get captured, she bombs the jail and sneaks into the palace to rescue them single-handedly. I usually dislike idiotically ballsy heroines - but Dani always seemed to know what she was doing. She had a plan, knew the risks, and wasn't afraid of death getting in her way. I was charmed, instantly.

And perhaps that was why I was willing to forgive the giant piece of unrealistic bull that came about 50 pages in - where the Prince of Ascension, hero Rafael (Rafe), goes to the jail where Dani is being held before being hanged for thieving (her escape plans didn't quite go as expected) and tells her if she wants to live, she's going to marry him. At first I was like - no way in hell would a prince (who has been kneed in the precious jewels) propose to marry a world-class thief after meeting her once. That's not how royalty, or love, works. It's just too quick.

But then, I was charmed quickly by Dani - and I could see the incredibly bored Prince Rafael being charmed by her immediately as well. Adding in her sway over the people as a 'Robin Hood' figure, and Rafe's desire to be in control of his own destiny, I actually came to respect this inconceivable plot device, and enjoy it. Unfortunately, after this point, things went downhill. The development of true love was weak - it just exploded upon us, and then Dani and Rafe began acting super weird and lusty and there was a ton of PDA and I was like 'ugh, I'm so out'. So the romance ceased to amuse me because it lacked the proper build up - Foley rushed into things and then had nowhere to go. So they just kept pawing at each other, and occasionally getting into little tiffs that made me roll my eyes. This part dropped the book a full letter grade for me - because Dani was an A+ heroine until Rafe came along. And if you say that about a romantic couple, better off alone than together, you know something went wrong.

Still, the plot was intriguing - our villain was a masterful and unassuming Iago type, complete with long monologues to the reader about his evil plans. I gave huge props to Foley for actually killing real characters that we came to care about to (yes, you read that right - in a romance, no less). Foley's not afraid to take us for all the emotion we're willing to spend. The writing was Foley's typical smooth flow, with nice descriptions, and only a few stagnant scenes that the editor should have cut (that first scene in Rafe's bedroom... WTF was even happening? What were all those rape-y feels we got from Rafe's 'friends'). The book occasionally felt like Foley had meant to go in one direction and then forgot, leaving us with more loose ends than I would have liked. I was willing to forgive the few inconsistencies of character from Rafe just because he was such an overgrown child at the beginning, and children are fickle. Towards the end he became much more steady.

Final positive - this book was funny as all get out. A lot of good, dry humor coming from one of my new favs - Dani Chiaramonte.

Favorite Quotes: 

I should have taken notes. This book actually made me laugh out loud on my couch. It was hysterical.

"Sexy"ness rating: Why do I even bother with this part? The books are always hot, hot, hot!

Overall Rating: C+

Bottom Line: An amazing, amazing heroine - the epitome of true strength and courage (if a little big pigheaded) and a hero with so much room to grow at the beginning, who becomes a leader and a fabulous lover by the end. Unfortunately, the first 150 pages are better than the last 250, leaving me with a sad feeling as I closed on the HEA.

Pages: 412

Published: 2003

Genre: Historical

Lady of Desire by Gaelen Foley

Book 4 in the Knight Miscellany Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     So this was the third book I read in my Gaelen Foley binge (see my review of Book 6, One Night of Sin, in her series for the fourth book I read) and I liked it very much. Frequently, we see historical series that have a bunch of older brothers and a spirited younger sister thrown in the mix (see Mary Balogh's Bedwyn Saga). Often these spirited sisters are a little too overly aggressive (overcompensating) for my tastes and all seem to come from the same mold. Jacinda Knight, our leading lady, is a beautiful blend of youth and innocence with the strength and ferocity to understand and overcome the barriers of innocence to her life's adventures. She admits she's wrong, is not wise beyond her years (but is wise enough that she knows it) and has the strength and spirit of youth.

     Our hero, Billy Blade (Earl of Rackford), is unconventional to say the least. With a miserably sad past as the unnecessary second son, Billy has left his aristocratic family behind and is now leader of a gang - the Firehawks. But he still has the manners of a gentleman, when it comes to Jacinda at least, when she wanders into his territory while following the boy who picked her pockets, preventing her from running away from her brother's arranged marriage for her. She is fascinated by his dangerous allure (and tattoos) but when he finds out who she is (after a stolen kiss and a few other liberties), he immediately returns her to her family.

     Unfortunately, a set-up forces Blade to either leave his beloved Firehawks behind for ton life or be sent to the gallows. Jacinda is none too happy to see him in London society, but eventually (recognizing a hopelessly lost man) begins to warm to Blade's plight and helps him adjust to his new lifestyle as gentleman and Earl. As they begin working together more closely, the romance blossoms and linger feelings ignite a passion. Foley's story goes beyond the romance, leading to an extended ending, to wrap up a few loose ends of the plot - but instead of being tedious, it's amazing. My favorite moment comes near the end of the book and has very little to do with the romance - and everything to do with Jacinda being amazing. I'd tell you what it is, but I really want you to read it for yourself. Suffice it to say, I can picture her standing on that rooftop, the best backup ever, hair blowing in the wind, the goddess of awesome-sauce and the coolest rescuing heroine ever.

Billy and Jacinda's romance is uniquely beautiful not only because they are unconventional but also because they help each other grow and mature so incredibly. They are so good for one another that it hurts, and it makes the heartbreak of Billy's past and Jacinda's future fade away into the kind of magical HEA that Foley does so well. The writing is superb, the pacing is excellent - there's truly very little to complain about here other than the unrealistic nature of the story's events and a few not-explained-well-enough plot holes (why can Billy's father spring him from jail but not Lucien?). The moment with Billy's father at the end, neatly wrapping up his horrible history, was touching but also a tad unrealistic. Jacinda's awesome - but maybe not awesome enough to cause such a conversation to occur in so short a time.

Favorite Quotes: 

I was not planning on reviewing this book so I didn't grab any quotes for you - but oh my goodness, it was funny. Jacinda and Blade, and the Knight brothers, promise some serious fun.

"Sexy"ness rating: Billy Blade is pretty good with his sword...

Overall Rating: B+

Bottom Line: An amazing heroine with plenty of fighting spirit and a dashing, unconventional gentleman for her lover. The romance was amazing, but truly it was Foley's portrayal of Jacinda that really bumped this book up from an average romance to an amazing romance.

Pages: 412

Published: 2003

Genre: Historical

One Night of Sin by Gaelen Foley

Book 6 in the Knight Miscellany Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     First, let me say that I've been on a Gaelen Foley binge these past two weeks - I've read four of her books in rapid succession. This is the first one I've stopped to review, for the sad reason that it irritated me some. I promise I'll try to post my more positive reviews of her other books soon, to be fair.

     In One Night of Sin, Rebecca 'Becky' Ward, cousin to an evil, scheming, lusty Prince Mikhail Kurkov, is being hunted down by her cousin's Cossack warriors after running away from their ancestral pile when he a) becomes her super-creepy guardian and b) kills a man in cold blood. When notorious rake (and gambler) Lord Alec Knight rushes to her rescue after finding her running about the streets of London alone, some hot and steamy romance ensues where he, presuming her to be a harlot, frees her of her innocence consensually and immediately. After he uncovers her innocence, he desires to marry her for honor's sake but is thwarted. However as the two grow closer when Alec helps Becky bring her cousin to justice, he begins to desire marriage for more than honor - for love.

Awww.

First - the good. Alec is charming, and his back story is very sad. I appreciated the author's credit to sexual situations that make men uncomfortable. Foley found a unique way to show that not all her male characters (and thus not all men) want all the sex they can get, all the time, and even rakehells are more than their dicks. Alec's story made the romance all the more delightful because you could see it healing him - watching his wariness and brokenness fade away was sweet. Becky is strong-willed but gentle with Alec, and so awesomely fierce. Talk about a fighter, whew. The sex is well-written and very erotic. The plot is interesting and there's plenty going on in the book other than the romance to keep us entertained without being confusing or distracting. 

Second - the disappointing. Nothing ruins a book for me than contradictions of character or poor pacing. Contradictions came in early and stayed til the end. Examples? Becky is very independent and strong (she kicks a dandy in the gonads about 35 pages in), and has successfully found her way to London from Buckley-on-Heath, the self-professed middle-of-freakin'-nowhere, but now that she's in London, can't seem to find her way to a single street and doesn't have the warrior spirit to march up to someone and ask. How about Alec - ultimate fop and aristocrat, never been in a battle in his life but enjoys sparing with his friends, who successfully kills multiple Cossack warriors single-handedly (yeah right) and doesn't even think twice about the violence when this is likely the first time he's killed someone is such an overly bloody manner. Literally, no moral musings about killing people at all. Similarly, other violent events against people who are unarmed (though maybe a tiny bit deserving) also struck me as just a bit contradictory for such a gentleman. 

The pacing - Alec had so many woman-issues and trust problems, rightfully so, but he divulged them all to Becky and got over them and into loving her way too quickly for my tastes. I expected a delicious and bitter fight for his heart til the end, and Foley tried to sell me that story, but it simply wasn't true. Alec was hooked from the start - but he shouldn't have been. So the poor pacing made me sort of impatient with the romance; it was simply too easy.

Finally, the fact that the book hinged on Alec's rather serious gambling addiction unsettled me. If I were Becky, I'd be less concerned about the allure of other women and far more worried about how his addiction was going to ruin our marriage. That thought left a lingering sour taste in my mouth about the supposed Happy Ever After - I was in no way convinced Alec was not going to turn their fortune into chips at the table.

Favorite Quotes: 

Unfortunately, though there were a few good laughs, I did not take notes while reading this book and thus I have no quotes for you. Sorry, loves.

"Sexy"ness rating: Yum with a cherry on top. We are steamy from the first page to the last (pretty much literally, by the way).

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: An entertaining read, and definitely a worthwhile part of the Knight Series. Alec really tugged at my heartstrings, and the book had no end of adventure and heat. Becky was fun and enjoyable, the writing was Foley's typical awesome-sauce. I could have handled a little more consistency and realism though, and after three good books it dropped this one in my esteem a bit.

Extra Note: I truly do love the notes Foley puts in the back of her book, lending credibility to her stories by discussing the historical research she's put into the series. It's a small bonus for her readers, but I'm always interested in seeing how much work goes into a piece of fiction - more than anyone ever suspects.

Pages: 467

Published: 2005

Genre: Historical

Mad About the Earl by Christina Brooke

Book 2 in the Ministry of Marriage series

http://www.christina-brooke.com/

This is the first review I've done in a while, so bear with me as I organize my thoughts.

First, I love Beauty and the Beast tales - and boy was this a good one! Lady Rosamund Westruther is the perfect innocent, a lady with stars in her eyes. While those stars may dim a little throughout the course of her tumultuous romance with the occasionally boorish yet strong and handsome Earl of Tregarth (Griffin), her strength of character, persistence, and innovation make her a lovable and unique heroine. I enjoyed her from the very beginning when she first set her stubborn sights on Griffin and set him in his place. Brooke did an excellent job walking the line between emotional strength and high-strung prissiness with Rosamund. Similarly, I enjoyed how Griffin never truly lost some of his more gruff, burly qualities. Rosamund may have polished him a little bit, but she certainly didn't make him change for her. Rosamund's naivety was a little startling at times, considering her mother's more scandalous behavior, but I found her shy sensuality adorable and refreshing. I think the only thing I could have wished for was to understand Griffin's epiphany moment a little better - it seemed rather sudden and unprovoked. 

While the romance itself was lovely, a dash of drama with hints of tortured hero and exasperated heroine, the main plot of the book was overused. Hint, hint: There's a murder and some smugglers. To be honest, I didn't like this overly dramatic plot the first book I read it in, and become less enamored with it with every reboot. Also, the plot feels a little rushed - it's undermentioned in the first half of the book, so suddenly we're in a cave, fighting some smugglers like 'the fuck'? When the real murderer is revealed, the motivation behind it doesn't real come across so you're left confused as to why the author chose to use this inane plot device in her story at all. The sheer annoyance of having to read through the babble about the 'mystery' really turned me off during the second half of the book and I couldn't have wished it to be over fast enough.

For supporting characters, we have a clever and cynical Duke (Rosamund's guardian), a nasty mother (on that note - the painting catastrophe was also a strange and unnecessary addition to this book that I could have done without), a supportive sister, and a set of sometimes-loyal-sometimes-not townsfolk. I'd love to see more of the Duke and Xavier (the brother) for sure and was happily amused at the mother's situation, as it was revealed during the epilogue. 

Favorite Quotes:

Sadly, I did not take down any this time - I was not planning on reviewing the book (due to limited time constraints indicated by my clear inactivity on my blog in the past year or more) so I didn't take any notes. But trust me, there were many heart-melting and rotfl-inducing moments in this tale!

"Sexy"ness Rating: Hot! Only a few lovemaking scenes but dayum are they delicious!

Overall Rating: B+

Bottom Line: If you like gruff heroes and the stubborn heroines who step on their toes then this is a book for you. Beware the overused and dramatic main plot - skim if possible - and enjoy!

Pages: 328

Published: January 3, 2012

Genre: Historical

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Book 1 in the Highland Pleasures series

http://www.jennifersromances.com/

It’s mighty sad that it took me about half of the book before I recognized that these Mackenzie men are Highlanders. With names like Ian, Cameron, Hart, and Mac… well, some days I prove to be slow-witted.

Moving on. Ian Mackenzie was locked in an insane asylum as a child for his unusual penchants – but has been released again to roam in polite society (rather impolitely). A collector of porcelain, he is fascinated by beauty and truth. Beth Ackerley has recently inherited a large fortune from the wealthy widow to whom she was a companion. Beth is about to marry the sordid Sir Mather. Ian feels compelled to save her because of her beauty and sincerity – he deems her worth saving and so he reveals Mather’s sexual proclivities and massive debt. While the two could’ve parted ways, Ian is drawn inexplicably to Beth and follows her to Paris. The two become quite entangled and as dark, mysterious elements from the Mackenzie brothers’ past begin to show up, Beth becomes determined to help Ian discover the truth. At any cost.

Ian… is a very unique hero. He was mad enough (he has various attention issues, observation issues, etc) that he was interesting and inimitable but not so mad as to be strange and unlikeable. Overall, he was a good man if a little overprotective of Beth (way before his time, I might add). He acts like a caveman sometimes and while it’s endearing too a point he went way beyond endearing to Neanderthal. His absolute obsession and absorption with beauty was fascinating. I liked seeing how Beth opened him up to more feeling and depth of emotion – he wasn’t miraculously ‘fixed’ by the end of the book but he was better (this is good. I despise the miraculous fix). My only complaint is that his character was occasionally inconsistent – at one instance he talks of how he is unable to talk when he gets too overwhelmed or angry but at the next moment he’s screaming ‘Fuck you’ in a man’s face (and I quote).

Beth, for her part, was a fantastic heroine. I loved watching her stand up to all the patriarchal men around her. I loved her sass, her loss of inhibition, her beauty, honesty, and trusting nature. She didn’t even seem out of place for the era despite her un-lady-like tendencies. She was strong-willed, stubborn, and I loved her for it. Ian was indeed a lucky man to end up with her. There’s not too much more to say about her than that – she’s well-developed, well-rounded, intelligent… all-around a good woman with a good heart.

The plot was a bit tired. It was clearly overused and didn’t always make sense. Frequently, conclusions were reached on assumptions. A lot of the time it required me to suspend my belief in reality and good police work which, frequently, I was happy to do. But it still niggled at the back of my mind. Other than that, I liked her style of writing – the prose flowed nicely and the dialogue was excellent (especially between Beth and Hart and Beth and Fellows). I liked that some of Beth’s journal entries were included in the book – the change in narrative perspective was nice. Often, the reader is in the hero’s head and can miss the female perspective. Not here! I appreciated how the setting of the book appeared to be constantly changing - it was a good reflection of Ian's restlessness. Finally, there were some really poignant scenes between the brothers. While I didn’t find all of the romantic scenes especially powerful, all of the scenes between the brothers pulled at my heart-strings. This looks to be a promising series and I look forward to reading the other books.

Favorite Quotes:

“‘I find that a Ming bowl is like a woman’s breast,’ Sir Lyndon Mather said to Ian Mackenzie, who held the bowl in question between his fingertips. ‘The swelling curve, the creamy pallor. Don’t you agree?’

Ian couldn’t think of a woman who would be flattered to be compared to a bowl, so he didn’t bother to nod.”

“‘Find her,’ Ian said. He jerked Fellows upright. ‘You’re a detective. Detect something.’”

 “Sexy”ness rating: Hot… except for the cunny. Why, why, why would you EVER use the word cunny? I know about historical accuracy… but there are fewer words less appealing to come across in the middle of a hot sex scene. Really.

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: Well-developed characters, a moderately interesting (if not terribly extended) plot to keep things moving, some interesting twists and the classic I’m-pregnant-I-promise-you-won’t-be-like-your-dad-honey happy ending, if you like historicals this one will likely suit your tastes.

Pages: 323

Published: April 28, 2009

Genre: Historical

Taming the Beast by Heather Grothaus

http://www.heathergrothaus.com/

First, let me say, I’m a real sucker for Beauty and the Beast stories. If you’re not, you won’t adore this book nearly as much as I do. That warning aside, this book was fantastic! Roderick Cherbon has returned from the Crusades hideously disfigured. The only good news is his hated father has died, leaving him the Cherbon lands – with a condition. He must marry before his thirtieth birthday, to a lady of good family. In an effort to keep his lands, he sends out a proclamation asking marriageable ladies to the castle. Lady Michaela Fortune, also known as ‘Miss Fortune’, comes from a poor but titled family. After being rebuked harshly by the man she thought she loved, she leaves for the Cherbon lands, determined (and I do mean determined) to win the man and the fortune he’s offering to heal her damaged pride and save her family from ruins. But the ‘Cherbon Devil’ turns out to be more than Micheala bargained for at first – can she even hope to tame the beast?

The first thing that I liked, right off, was the uniqueness of the time period. There are so many Beauty and the Beast tales set in the Regency period that it was nice to see one in a different era, during 1103 and the Crusades. The dialogue was active and engaging, and I loved seeing things from Roderick and Micheala’s point of view. Both were especially poignant, and very different from the other. I liked seeing how their differences made them so compatible. I loved seeing her go from a childish, light-hearted dreamer to a more serious and mature, but still kind and caring, woman. I loved seeing her share her light with Roderick. This book actually reminded me a bit of Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (one of my all time favorites) because of Micheala’s persistence to help Roderick see the good in himself, and his insistence to only see the worst in himself.

Roderick was a heartbreaking character. His abusive father instilled in him a sense of his own worthlessness, and he went to the Crusades hoping to prove his worth. Instead he comes back a failure in his own mind, crippled, missing a leg, and scarred beyond compare. He feels no one can love him as he is - a disgusting failure. He repulses himself, and is so filled with his own self-loathing he can’t find a way to escape it. He, just like Dain in Lord of Scoundrels, is a perfect dark, brooding, angsty hero who tries to hide his pain in his cruel words and actions to other. I loved his fear of being loved because he’d never been loved before, his child-like uncertainty. He was just so… perfect. I was piling on the empathy for this man. My heart still breaks for him.

Lady Micheala Fortune was admirable and loveable. She kept hoping even when it was hopeless, and was the right blend of patient and relentless. She never stopped loving him, or telling/showing him she loved him. I liked watching her change from a girl into a woman without losing any of her fabulous qualities. I loved her guts – how she was willing to yell at Roderick whenever he yelled at her, and how she never left. She was the only kind of heroine to help Roderick, and she made him whole again - or perhaps for the first time ever. She, just as he grew, also really blossomed in my eyes. I especially loved her motherly sentiments towards Leo, Roderick’s son, and how she brought the father and son closer together. (Again, Lord of Scoundrels, anyone?)

All in all, with the sweet little boy, Leo, the wonderful mother-figure Micheala, and the wounded hero father, Roderick, could one have a more perfect family?

Now, one short paragraph of what knocked this book from A+ position. The dialogue was a little inconsistent for the time period. Some of the sentences seemed accurate in structure but others included words or phrases that seemed too modern. Whether they were, I’m not certain, but I had to question the authenticity of the syntax for the time period. The ending was my biggest problem – it was unrealistically happy. Everyone’s friends and ***BIG BIG BIG SPOILER ALERT HERE*** Roderick’s leg that is missing gets healed-ish by some freaky ‘Justice’ man. I hate to say it, but the soldiers over in Iraq who have their legs blown off, despite the injustice of it, don’t get new legs all of a sudden. I really disliked how unrealistic that was. ***END OF BIG BIG BIG SPOILER ALERT***. I like happy endings, but this was completely unrealistic, which surprised me. The rest of the book focused on the realism of Roderick’s injuries, and the very end seemed to make all his previous struggles negligible for the sake of the perfection of the ending. It was too much a fairy tale ending, especially compared to the rest of the book. It just didn’t match and felt forced, and that definitely pulled the book down in my esteem. Finally, the villain was tots cliché. But I was expecting that.

 “Sexy”ness rating: More tender than flaming hot, but there is sex

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: Sweet and beautiful, with a unique setting and good dialogue (and a fabulous cast of characters) this is def worth your time!

Pages: 343

Published: November 3, 2009

Genre: Historical

A Scandalous Propostion by Wendy Soliman

www.wendysoliman.com

Thanks to NetGalley for this review copy!

This book came scandalously close to not being finished. I had so many notes of annoyance and frustration marked that it was almost comical to look over my angry scribbled-upon page. The characters were completely inconsistent – for example our heroine’s personality: a timid spy who feels guilty for telling a little white lie of omission? To a stranger she doesn’t know? Adam was an annoying asshole hero, especially in the beginning when he determines he has been hurt by the fact that Florentina (whom he met when she was being chased by a mean, angry man) doesn’t tell him that she’s a courtesan. Well, I don’t know about you fellow readers, but if I were Florentina the first thing out of my mouth when a man I don’t know offers me a ride isn’t “hey thanks, and by the way I’m a courtesan and, if you’re who I think you might be, I’m also your mama’s companion”. Um, no. That’s really not how people work. Adam draws conclusions not based on fact but on his own piggish misconceptions and stupidity and I disliked how he was used only to move the story forward and awkwardly place the heroine in his arms. Adam is FAR from a gentleman. He's an arrogant, self-serving hedonist who is no better than those he claims to protect Florentina from.

So, without further ado lets go into the bashing section of this review (I know, you thought we were already there, didn’t you?) where I detail and rant about all the things I was immensely displeased with in this book.

For example, this actually historically accurate use of the word ‘ain’t’.

“Well, I know nothing about that, and what’s more I ain’t interested.”

Spoken by the current Duke of Southsea, Adam’s brother James. When I read that I was more than marginally appalled, having never encountered the word ‘ain’t’ spoken by a Duke in a historical before (or anyone else for that matter). Now, it turns out that this is actually a historically accurate fact according to Wikipedia (which provided me with a very comprehensive look at the history of the word) – in 19th century England peers would use the word ‘ain’t’ if they were familiar with another peer. However it was only used once throughout the book and it was, in my personal opinion, entirely inappropriate and shocking. Part of writing a good story is writing one that is believeable and likeable to the average reader. For example: people in 19th century England did not smell good and rarely took baths. However, in historical romance novels there’s usually a bath drawn a day and everyone smells like jasmine and sandalwood. While that’s not necessarily accurate, it’s what the readers want to read and in romance you can bet your bottom dollar you want to write what readers want to read. So that word, while accurate, was jarring and aggravating since I find ‘ain’t’ irritating even in ghetto romance.

The story and plot don’t make sense – they’re stupid, too-easily-solved, and unrealistic. The characters are flat, contradictory, one-dimensional… especially the Duke, the new Duchess, and our villains. Florentina was wimpy, weak, and TSTL – not the strong, passionate, courageous woman I’d hope she would be. Adam was an arrogant, self-confident bastard whom I hated with a burning passion. He believes himself the most intelligent, fiercest man alive yet has all those typical insecurities ‘she doesn’t love me, I’m not good enough’ etc. He can fix any problem and was a pathetic attempt at perfection that failed miserably. He was thoroughly unlikable and un-relatable. Their relationship was awkward, clumsy, and forced instead of a natural ebb and flow, give and take banter.

The sex scenes (which were, unfortunately, numerous) were weird, cliché and very purple – and the author uses the word ‘bayonet’ to describe Adam’s mighty wang – as in 

"Open your legs wider, Mrs. Smith. I don’t want to hurt you with my bayonet.”

Um… no. No, no, no. No thank you. Call it what it is, or at least something attractive. Otherwise I have an image of her being speared by a long sword on the end of a gun and that is NOT sexy at all. There was also, I kid you not, this fascinating quote:

“Florentina sat up, plump breasts bouncing straight into his hands."

What are they, puppies eager to be petted? I don’t know about your twins, but mine don’t bounce straight into people’s hands. Can you see it? Adam waiting with his hands at the right height, palms up, Florentina sitting up suddenly and *BOING BOING BOING* straight into his hands! WTF? The imagery was just so warped and strange and purple I had to laugh. That should not be the mood of an intensely emotional scene – but that’s what you get when breasts start bouncing themselves places like bunnies or puppies or bouncy balls… One last beautiful example of this author’s terrible ability to write a sexy sex scene that I think speaks for itself:

“Taking a leaf from his own book, she ignored the strawberries and lapped gently at his creamy testicles…”

In the end this book had nothing to recommend it. No intrigue, no plot, flat characters, confusing, contradictory personalities, an awkward romance that read more like erotica than romance, and really creepy, non-sexy words that ruined the possibility for good erotica. Seriously, ladies, don’t pick this one up – and if you do, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Creamy testicles, bayonets and bouncing puppy breasts indeed.

Favorite quotes:

“…An odious little man insisted upon carrying a cage full of pigeons inside the conveyance, regaling us at nauseating length about the amount of money he’d get for them at market. The wretched creatures didn’t stop squawking the entire time.” (Florentina)
“Cooing.” (Adam)
“I beg your pardon.”
“Pigeons coo, Mrs. Smith. They don’t squawk.”  
“I beg to differ. I was subjected to their squawking for an interminable amount of time and so know what I’m talking about.”

“Oh, you’re sometimes infuriatingly infuriating!” (Florentina)
“Only sometimes?” (Adam)
“I dare say if you work at it, you’ll be able to make your infuriatingness a permanent facet of your charcter.”

“Sexy”ness rating: Um, definitely a scorcher rating - but I found it awkward and clumsy, not hot.

Overall Rating: F

Bottom Line: This book could’ve been average - there were C- moments interspersed throughout. However the book was mostly irritating, dull, flat, and uninteresting. The characters were one-dimensional and the entire book held no appeal.

Pages: around 375 (at best guess. This book is on my kindle) 77,000 words

Published: September 12, 2011
Genre: Historical

Desired by Nicola Cornick

Book 5 in The Scandalous Women of the Ton series

www.nicolacornick.co.uk

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC review copy!

This book was great – and very disappointing. The book was well on its way to being an A+ book, and the first 90% deserves that A+ rating. The last 10%... not so much. The absolute disappointment made me want to give this book a superbly low rating, but Cornick really does write a fabulous book and I can’t justify giving this book anything less than a B.

Teresa, Dowager Marchioness of Darent, has been married three times already – and isn’t looking for a forth. Scandalous and secretive, Teresa is an enigma to the ton who both slander and slight her. However Viscount Rothbury, better known as American foreigner and Captain Owen Purchase, sees just enough behind the supposed ‘featherbrain’s mask to be intrigued as to Teresa’s real personality. Only problem? Owen is hunting the mysterious reformer, Jupiter, who creates slanderous cartoons of government figures and he has a hunch that Jupiter and Teresa might be one and the same. But when Teresa comes to him with a surprisingly desperate marriage proposal, how can he refuse? Teresa and Owen embark on a journey together through deception and secrets, fear, scandal, and discovery – can they possibly be headed towards a happy ever after?

So lets start with that first 90% and all that was awesome. The heroine, Teresa (Tess) is done to perfection. I loved her duality – she was complex, believable, and both pitiably weak and strong. I loved how hard she tried to be Wonder Woman and how she almost succeeded. She was a lovely heroine, struggling to keep control when the world kept stripping it away and struggling to keep her dignity when the world is so quick to condemn. Tess was heartbreaking and lovely. Then there’s Owen, our hero, who is possibly the kindest, cleverest, sweetest, most trusting and patient hero I’ve ever had the complete pleasure to read about. I was in love with him as soon as I saw him. He had wicked bad boy charm but he also knew how to be sensitive and caring, and that gave him the perfect blend of dark coffee and cream. Their relationship, and the romance, was adorable and so touching I almost found myself crying during some of the scenes. There were a lot of unique settings in this book, as well, and the plot was fast-paced and never boring.

I loved the banter between Owen and Tess – they were both very clever and cute. I loved their honesty (although it did take a while to get to the honesty). I also loved that Cornick didn’t tell me the story – she showed it to me in one of the best examples of show-not-tell I’ve seen in years. I was incredibly involved in the characters and the story. The secondary characters I actually didn’t like that much, but they didn’t show up very often so my unease with Joanna, Justin, and Emma was like white-noise in the background. The first 340 pages of this book had me ecstatically happy.

And then. Oh, but then dear reader. This book had pretty much maxed out its drama-meter before the last 40 pages. There was a lot of drama, a lot of emotion, but the book had been winding to a very satisfying, enjoyable close that would’ve been a little anticlimactic but very peaceful. But no, Cornick could not resist the last, final drama that didn’t even truly conclude the novel and instead opened up another who can of worms and question. I won’t tell you what this massively annoying and completely unnecessary drama was, because it would be a spoiler. But suffice it to say that I was annoyed with this drama, it ruined the end of the book for me, and I found myself ready to throw my Kindle across the room because I was simply so upset that this absolutely wonderful book had just been ruined. Although I loved this book, the last forty pages of Desired will forever leave a desperately bitter taste in my mouth. On the whole, I would recommend Desired - but I would stop reading around page 340.

Favorite Quotes:

“Warned you that I might want to sleep with you?” Owen raised his brows. “It is the done thing in many marriages.”

“On the contrary, my lord,” Owen said. “I never felt more grateful to be an American than I do now.”

“I have the special license,” he added. “We may marry whenever you choose.”

Tess jumped snatching her hand from his. A tremor of disquiet shook her. “Marry?”

“It tends to follow a betrothal,” Own pointed out.

“Sexy”ness rating: *fans self*

Overall Rating: B to B+

Bottom Line: This book was so, so good and I thought it unique, fun, and very well-written. Except for those last thirty or forty pages this book deserves an A+ rating and I would definitely recommend it on the hero alone. The perfect mix of bad boy seduction and sensitive, sweet gentleman. Oh, Owen. *sighs*

Pages: 384

Published: November 15, 2011

Genre: Historical

Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer

Book 1 in the Drake’s Rakes series

http://www.eileendreyer.com/index.shtml

This was an incredibly emotional book. Wow. So, the Earl of Gracechurch, henceforth known as Jack, was once married to Olivia Grace before divorcing her after claiming she cheated on him, gambled notoriously, and that her baby isn’t even his after catching her in a ‘compromising’ position with another man (who, by the way, he killed in a duel). While Olivia is innocent of all the crimes Jack accuses her of, she still gets tossed out onto the streets, penniless with her child, and has to work to make her way for five years while numerous other tragedies occur in her life. Olivia is working with a duchess, helping soldiers after the battle of Waterloo, when she discovers Jack barely alive on the battlefield – wearing a French uniform. Working against her desire for revenge she takes him to the duchess’s townhouse where he wakes – with no recollection of the last five years. Jack believes he and Olivia are still happily married and can't imagine what he could've done to have lost her. What will he do when he discovers the truth? And will he ever remember the years that led up to him donning the Frenchie colors – a truth that puts them all in danger?

Whew. Let me start off by saying that I was so glad that Jack remained Jack throughout the story, and did not turn into Jack’s brother or Jack’s eerily look-a-like best friend or something like that. All too often the injured scoundrel of a husband (or ex-husband in this case) is reformed during his illness – only for us to discover it’s the older brother of said injured scoundrel, and oh by the way the heroine has already slept with him four times so they might as well get married. That vastly improved my mood and my opinion of this writer that she took the hard road – the one fraught with difficulty and peril – in repairing the hero and heroine’s relationship, especially after such strain. The theme of this story: Love, truly, can always find a way.

That being said, while the plot was enjoyably unique it was boring on occasion and way too long. I literally skipped about 50 pages because, while I was thoroughly invested in both the characters and the storyline, nothing was happening. I understand that Jack is still healing from his injuries, but the middle of the book was S-L-O-W. At least 70 pages could’ve been trimmed away without diminishing the value of this work at all. In fact it most assuredly would’ve made it better. While I cannot judge the whole length because I don’t think I’ll ever go back and read those 50 pages, I can tell you that I didn’t feel I was missing them (other than a few plot lines that inched forward during those 50 pages, I barely even notice that I’d skipped them). The romance was sweet at the end, tough in the middle, and harsh at the beginning. It was a truly emotional tale, and even if I wasn’t happy that Jack was included in the HEA, he did make a concerted effort to right his past wrongs – even if nothing he could do now would make up for what he had done in the past.

Jack was kind of annoying. I found I hated how gullible, untrusting, and doubting (and unfair, unjust, unintelligent, annoying, ridiculous, judgemental… gr!) he was, and I hated how he treated his wife. He was always suspicious of the wrong person and I honestly wanted to throw the book against the wall several times on his behavior alone. While I’m glad that Dreyer was able to inspire such a wealth of feeling in me, perhaps making me hate the hero just a little less vehemently would’ve been a plus. To me, Jack will never EVER be good enough for Olivia, who was intelligent, trusting, calm, rational, strong, supportive, and should’ve left the damn Frenchie-coated man for dead. In fact, were it I who had stumbled upon Jack, I would’ve gotten the officials to hang him myself. Nasty, nasty man. Olivia was so magnificent in her ability to forgive Jack and trust him again, opening herself up again to all the hurt he’d piled on her before. It’s hard to have a satisfying HEA when you feel the hero is totally unworthy and will never be able to make up for all he put the heroine through (which, by the way, she came out of better not bitter. Olivia dealt with the ridicule, humiliation, pain, and desperation with grace and I found her truly inspiring) but I did try to find some smidgen of satisfaction in me, if only for Olivia's happiness.

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: While good, this book wasn’t fabulous. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more Dreyer works, as I definitely want to see if her writing improves and condenses as she continues writing. A very emotional tale, the heroine is strong and inspiring but the hero is gullible and doubting and I wasn’t very happy that she got HIM as her HEA hero.

Pages: 392

Published: July 1, 2010

Genre: Historical

Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant

Book 1 in the Dark Sword series

www.donnagrant.com

The McLeod brothers captured my heart with their desperate, sad situation. My heart broke for Quinn and Fallon especially (the brothers of our hero, Lucan) seeing as they had such a hard time adjusting. But they all lost their family, their lives, their sense of self and their happiness. Unfortunately, empathy was one of the few emotions this book made me feel. I couldn’t feel the love blossoming between Cara and Lucan, nor could I understand some of the feelings of our protagonists. There was some silliness in this book that I just didn’t appreciate, as well.

Cara meets the McLeod brothers when, as she gathers mushrooms nearby, she starts to fall off a cliff. Lucan saves her from death and brings her to the castle, where the brothers argue about what to do with her, then end up protecting her from an attack. The book revolves around Cara learning about and understanding the gods inside each of the McLeod brothers, and helping them. She also learns about her own magical powers (she’s found to be a druid) and Lucan teaches her how to defend herself in case of another attack. While I felt the suspense, the attacks were too long and drawn out, clearly to give Cara time to learn to fight. I would have thought that Diedre (our villian) would’ve been smarter in her attack strategy, if she was as all-powerful as we were told. It made the plot slow, and a bit boring, on top of being unrealistic.

There was a lot of silliness in this book that I didn’t understand. For instance, the McLeod brothers have been in hiding, from everyone, in their castle for the last three centuries. Apparently, neither Deirdre nor the other Warriors thought to look for them in the castle. That would be the first logical place to look! Of course they returned home! They’re highlanders! And if you had 300 years to look for them, wouldn't you circle back to the castle on occasion just to see? Also, Cara discovers she has powers when she accidentally almost kills a plant (when she was angry and touching one). She then gets all freaked out about her powers. Why? It’s a plant! If I discovered I had powers that could potentially save me from being taken captive by an evil drough I would be hoping about trying to learn everything I could and explore. Her reasoning and fears, in that regard, didn’t make much sense. One of the things I hate the most in books is when things don’t make sense. It simply ruins the world-building and character-building. I mean, come on. Who WOULDN’T look at the castle? Seriously?

Finally, the characters were not consistent, nor well developed. With the exception of Quinn, I didn’t form a real bond with any of the characters and couldn’t see any real depth. There were also several inconsistencies in regards to Cara. At one point she pulls the typical heroine move - the ‘I must run away because my presence puts the hero in danger’. Then later in the book, with no significant thought-process to indicate why there would be this sudden change in though, Grant writes something like this: ‘he was just trying to protect her - the least she could do is cooperate.’ from Cara’s view. Huh. Where, Ms. Grant, did this new attitude come from? There were also occasional grammatical errors - talking in third person for a sentence, using the name of the person when speaking when they’re standing right next to you (not to gain their attention or anything), etc. It was enough to make me take note, but not so bad as to make me rant about it. Still, the silliness and stupidity, the inconsistency and lack of depth, and the inability to make me feel much beyond empathy leaves this book solidly at a C.

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot

Overall Rating: C

Bottom Line: The book was good, but I was feeling the lust more than the love. I had a hard time feeling the characters connect with one another. I felt plenty of empathy for both Cara and the McLeods, and felt fairly connected to them. The plot was interesting, but too slow and occasionally unrealistic. An average read.

Pages: 339

Published: December 29, 2009

Genre: Historical

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Dangerous in Diamonds by Madeline Hunter

Book 4 in the Rarest Blooms series

www.madelinehunter.net

I think the thing I loved most about this book is how intelligent the characters are – and how well-developed every nuance and facet of their personalities is developed. Daphne and the Duke of Castleford are well matched in determination, willpower, smarticles, and passion and I loved watching them grow in their love for one another. One decent spark was all that was needed before the two fell into an explosive passion worthy of a gasoline-fueled fire. And Castleford... oh my, Castleford. Wow. So, onward, my dearies, to the plot.

Castleford has just mysteriously inherited four small estates from his deceased, but still sanctimonious, cousin – each with tenants who board for mysteriously little rent. The man who bequeathed the estates to him asks only that he continue to allow the tenants to board at that mysteriously little amount for the rest of their lives. Determined to get to the bottom of all this mysteriousness, Castleford sets to the first of the estates where he discovers a little flower shop run by a woman that sets all his previous mysteries to shame – Daphne Joyes. Never has he met a more intriguing woman – a woman that can match and entertain him every day of the week, including Tuesdays. Her intelligence, her wit, her will are all unmatched and Castleford simply must have her. But Ms. Joyes may be the one person the Duke of Castleford cannot buy…

Castleford was an incredible character. Not only was he seething with intelligence but he practically oozed charm and gorgeousness. I was drowning in him every time his name filled the page. He was a character, surely, and a delicious one at that. I had only wished he’d lived up to the reputation he’d set for himself in the earlier books – he was a little less witty and charming (and outrageous) in this book that the previous ones. He was seductive, however, and dangerous in that without-a-care rich-bad-boy way. I loved his compulsion with Tuesdays and how that played out in this book, and I liked his manipulative ways. I found them more amusing than dastardly, especially because he usually uses his manipulative intelligence for good rather than ill. He’s a much better man than he, or the world, believes him to be and that endeared him to me greatly.

The Duke has never had to work for anything and is desperately bored and in need of a challenge, which is definitely what the lovely Daphne turns out to be. Not wooed by wealth or charm (or a wealth of charm, which Castleford certainly possesses), Daphne is the epitome of the strong, resilient, wonderful heroine who continually saves herself and everyone around her even when it is nigh impossible. It was very clear to see why Castleford loved this strong, self-possessed woman – and she deserved his love. She was an amazing woman, and I delighted in her company throughout the book.

The only unfortunate thing for this book was that it didn’t live up to my high expectations. The plot was interesting, though a little chaotic, the characters were humorous and fun, the romance was gratifying and passionate. But Daphne, and especially Castleford, had been built so high in the first three books I didn’t quite feel they met my expectations and I found myself underwhelmed and a little disappointed. Castleford was much less exciting when he got his own book. In fact, at times he felt more comfortable than dangerous. I think this book would have gotten a much higher grade had I not gone into it with my hopes so high, but the feeling of un-met expectations left a slightly bitter taste to the book long after I’d finished and for any lover of this series, it will probably do the same.

“Sexy”ness rating: Yum-tastic *sighs* Every girl needs a Castleford.

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: While this book didn’t live up to my high expectations, it was definitely a good and worth-while read! Castleford is the supreme rake and Daphne is challenge. It was entertaining and enjoyable, an excellent way to round out this fantastic series that I would recommend to any historical romance lover in a heartbeat.

Pages: 359
Published: April 26, 2011
Genre: Historical

A Scoundrel's Surrender by Jenna Petersen

So here's a big thank you to the lovely ladies over at Romance Reviews Today for sending me this book for review! Here's the link to my review on their site: A Scoundrel's Surrender by Jenna Petersen

http://www.jennapetersen.com/

Alright, so this is generally something that doesn’t matter to me, but still annoyed me greatly with this book – the cover. THE COVER DOES NOT SAY HISTORICAL ROMANCE – at all. In fact, it broadcasts contemporary, what with the highlights in the girl’s hair, its modern-esque layered cut, and her heavy eye-makeup which I am certain did not exist in the 1800s. Let’s face it, even the way they’re postured screams contemporary! So boo and hiss, Avon, for your idiotic cover. You normally do so well. However, let us not hold the cover against the author and her writing when there are so many good parts of this book. I mean, really, this book could’ve been covered in saran wrap and it wouldn’t have affected my reading experience.

So what was bad? The book was underwhelming, and a little disjointed – a series of photographs rather than a panorama view. The setting was poorly done, so I found myself floating around in the space of Petersen’s London without an anchor. I found myself watching dances at balls when there wasn’t clear context or reading about tea at random. To be honest, however, the floating effect was only a lingering annoyance – like a flying buzzing around while you watch TV. It definitely wasn’t overwhelmingly distracting, and I found, for the most part, I enjoyed the book and its scenes even though I had issues following the protagonist’s London life. The passage of time was also a problem in that it wasn’t marked clearly, but again it wasn’t overwhelming. However these were simply minor annoyances.

For most of the story, I found myself struggling with the humanity of our protagonists. I truly didn’t like Caleb at the beginning of the story – he was rude, selfish, and wallowing in self-pity. I didn’t particularly like Marah either, though I empathized with her and felt her pain, so I was less annoyed with her. I was worried about how much I could possibly enjoy the book – after all, if I don’t like either of the main characters can I really like the book? Yes, it turns out. Yes I can. What made this book so incredible is that Marah and Caleb made each other better. I liked them better together than apart. Marah helped Caleb become less selfish – more thoughtful and compassionate – and Caleb helped Marah stop hiding from herself, her family, and the world in general. Together, I grew to like them for their combined strength and it was a unique, touching approach to romance. I also found, as I reflected on the book, that I appreciated the human faults that Caleb and Marah have because while they made the romance less whimsical and more realistic.

The best part of this book, the part that really made it for me, was the happy ever after. Caleb’s considerate behavior showed he was finally focusing his energy on someone else and their needs, wants, and desires. He’d finally let go of his hurtful selfishness and I could really see his inner beauty. I was sold, during the happy ever after, and finished the book very confident that Caleb and Marah had many, many gloriously wonderful years ahead of them. I was also confident in the strength of their relationship – one thing that Petersen shows really well. Other positives worth mentioning are the well-written emotions, fun secondary characters, and really hot sex scenes. Overall, there was a lot of good in this book – but while it was good it wasn’t fabulous, and its underwhelming nature makes it a bit unmemorable. An ‘eh’ read.

Favorite quote:

Justin was on his feet in a moment and Caleb couldn’t help but stare. His normally dark and dangerous brother had just lit up like a candle glowed within him.

“Victoria,” Justin breathed…

“Sexy”ness rating: Really, exceptionally hot

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: The book was enjoyable, but not great. Unmemorable with exceedingly annoying characters that somehow became less annoying together making for a wonderful HEA.

Pages: 372

Published: July 26, 2011

Genre: Historical