Category Archives: Historical

Review: Confessions From An Arranged Marriage – Avon – Miranda Neville

May 16, 2012

ADD IT ON GOODREADS 

Expected Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://mirandaneville.com/
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 4, The Burgundy Club
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy
Official Blurb:

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

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

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

What Worked For Me:

  • Not only was this a book about a Marriage of Convenience/To Avoid Scandal, which are my absolute favorites in historical romance, but it was also an Enemies to Lovers story.  Minerva really couldn’t stand Blake in the beginning, and frankly her opinion was mirrored in him — this made made their romance all the sweeter I think.
  • While I’m not a big fan of “Lord Spy” type novels, I admit that the capers in France were hysterical. That was probably one of my favorite parts of the novel.
  • I do think that despite the fact that it was very obvious early on that this book was part of a previously established series, it worked quite well on its own. All of the important information was slipped in where it was needed without retelling previous tells in their whole, or making the reader feel as though they were missing something by having not picked up the previous novels in the series first.
  • I really liked how the steamier side of the romance progressed. I can’t say much more without it being a spoiler, but I enjoyed the fact that the romance was a great part of the physical side of the relationship.
  • I really enjoyed the blackmail aspect.  While I suspected early on what Blake’s “secret” was, I enjoyed the handling of the situation as fit in with the times.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I admit that I’m getting a little weary of spies who are also members of the nobility.  That’s really not any fault of the author’s, but it’s still something that I’ve found myself avoiding in romance lately. This is actually a fairly minor point because… well, you’ll see.
  • I also didn’t care for all of the politics in the book. While I understood they played a huge part in the times these two lived in, it wasn’t something that really interested me.

This is my first Miranda Neville book, but it will not be my last.  Full of chemistry, a surprising amount of humor, and some very sweet romance, I loved the dynamic between Minerva and Blake.  Blake’s “secret” combined with the animosity between him and Minerva in the beginning sets the stage for some lively adventure as well as a well-paced romance, and I appreciated the fact that it worked well as a standalone despite being part of a previously established series.

Highly recommended for fans of historical couples forced into marriage to avoid scandal, of enemies to lovers, and of sweetly steamy romance with a generous dash of humor.

A very solid 4.5/5 Stars.

The Burgundy Club Reading Order:

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Review: Too Tempting To Resist – Forever – Cara Elliott

May 1, 2012

Expected Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: Forever
Author’s Website: http://www.caraelliott.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Lords of Midnight
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

In the Wolf’s Lair …

Determined to stop her wayward brother from squandering their dwindling fortune, Lady Eliza Brentford decides to follow him to his favorite den of depravity. There, among the candlelight and raucous revelry, she encounters her brother’s role model in debauchery, the notorious Marquess of Haddan, Gryffin Dwight. Staring into his smoldering green eyes, Eliza can’t help but find the rakehell nobleman seductively charming-and sinfully attractive. 

In a Lover’s Paradise …

When Gryffin appears on Eliza’s estate as a guest of her brother, a stolen kiss among the garden’s blooms leads to a night of unbridled passion. Suddenly the lovely widow feels herself opening up, like the petals of a rose. Could this master of seduction possibly feel true emotion for Eliza? Or is he leading her down the garden path to an Eden of delights no woman can resist-and a fall no woman can escape?

What Worked For Me:

  • I loved that Eliza was, at heart, a passionate woman.  She wasn’t one of those Regency widows who was all frigid and shocked by passion. Instead, while she’d had an unsatisfactory arranged marriage in the past, she was familiar with sex and curious rather than frightened by her attraction to Gryff, even when she knew that it would lead to trouble.
  • I loved the secret identities, but more than that, I think what I enjoyed was the fact that the secret identities were actually reasonably necessary, rather than just being obvious plot devices thrown
  • The “kink” in the story was a bit on the ridiculous side, but rather than annoy me, it added a lovely touch of humor to the story.  I also have to admit that the love scene that followed was wonderfully sexy, though I was glad that there wasn’t any more bondage/kink to the story.
  • Two words: Dragon Tattoo. *fans self*
  • I really enjoyed how the Language of Flowers was incorporated into the story. I admit that I’ve always been fascinated by that sort of thing, and to have it so seamlessly blending with the plot was wonderful.
  • I also greatly enjoyed all of the wordplay, and how a popular conversation among various characters was a list of euphemisms for a man’s privates.
  • Another thing I appreciated was the villain being realistic.  Too often in romances, historicals in particular, the villains tend to be over-the-top, but in this case I could actually imagine such a thing happening.
  • I really enjoyed Gussie, Eliza’s elderly spinster friend.  Gussie was sensible when it came to the realities of a woman’s reputation vs. the freedoms that men enjoy, but she was also delightfully frank about topics that most spinsters in romance novels wouldn’t dream of discussing with younger ladies, widow or not.
  • I’m a huge fan of Grand Gestures, and this one was absolutely lovely.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  •  I admit that the shackles scene, while funny and even admittedly sexy, rather jumped the shark a bit for me, and I found it hard to recover and take the story as seriously as I should have from that point on.  I’m not a big fan of heroines being put into humiliating situations, and frankly that one was a bit ridiculous from the get-go.

I was a big fan of the first book in this series, Too Wicked To Wed, and while I admit that I didn’t quite care for Gryff nearly as much as I adored Connor, I still found this one quite enjoyable.

While newcomers to the series miss out on experiencing firsthand the consequences to some of Gryff’s wastrel behavior, I do think that it is made sufficiently clear that Gryff is reforming himself in this book, which makes it work well as a standalone.  Eliza was a perfect foil for Gryff and they balanced each other so beautifully.

I am simply dying to find out who Ms. Elliott pairs Cameron with, and I wait with bated breath for the final book in the trilogy.

Recommended for fans of widows learning to be wicked, rakes who find they’re having a wee bit of trouble reforming, and beautiful grand gestures.

A delightfully solid 4.5/5 Stars

Lords of Midnight Series Reading Order:

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Review & Giveaway {Closed}: The Governess Affair – Courtney Milan

April 29, 2012

Expected Release Date: April 21, 2012
Publisher: Courtney Milan
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: http://www.courtneymilan.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Prequel Novella to The Brothers Sinister series
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

She will not give up…

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

He cannot give in…

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

What Worked For Me:

  • Good gracious I adored Hugo. Ruthless and yet deep down far more honorable than he’d ever considered himself to be, at least in regards to Serena.
  • Just like Hugo, I couldn’t help but be charmed by Serena’s determination, and the banter between the two left me all smiles.
  • On a similar note, I think glimpses of Hugo’s ferociousness and determination made those moments when his conscience started to slip through so much more meaningful.
  • I also enjoyed the dynamic between Serena and her sister, and how it gave so much depth to both characters.
  • Hairpins.  *swoons*
  • The ending was probably one of the most satisfying endings I’ve read in romance in a very long time.
  • I really enjoyed how the epilogue set up the forthcoming series, including glimpses at how the duke finally got his arse handed to him by his duchess.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • Honestly, I had to dig rather deeply for something that didn’t work for me. Since I have to choose something, I will say that having a heroine in Serena’s situation was a bit out of my comfort zone.

This novella was so, SO good. I tell you, Courtney Milan never fails to deliver, and I swear to you she packs more punch in a novella than most authors do in a full-length novel.  With well-developed characters, a very believable conflict, beautifully romantic sensuality, and and ending that will make you cheer, this is easily going on my keeper shelf.

A wonderfully solid 5/5 Stars.

I loved this novella so much I’m going to give THREE lucky readers a copy!  You MUST be able to receive Kindle eBook Gifts from the US Amazon store to win. *You do not have to have a Kindle eReader to be able to read Kindle books — you can read them on your computer using the Kindle Cloud Reader directly from the website, the free Kindle Reader for PC or Mac, and/or Kindle Reader Apps for your smartphone or tablet. 

 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Don’t want to wait for the giveaway?? Snag the novella for only $0.99 at Amazon!)

Also posted in -- Contests -- – 4 Comments

Review: The Tattooed Duke – Avon – Maya Rodale

April 28, 2012

Expected Release Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: mayarodale.com
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series:  Yes, Book 3, Writing Girls Series
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Exclusive—”tattooed duke” finds fortune in ruins!

Breaking news, scandal fans: 

You thought you knew the dangerous Duke of Wycliff, London’s globe-trotting adventure addict. Here’s what you don’t know: he’s penniless. Sebastian Digby’s dukely lifestyle is over forever unless he finds a rich bride. But thanks to The London Weekly, everyone knows better than to tangle with this lothario. Besides (as one writer can testify), it seems that Sebastian has been unable to keep his hands off his own lowly housemaid…

And that’s a problem. A big one. 

Because that housemaid just happens to be me. Eliza Fielding. The same undercover Writing Girl who’s been exposing the Duke’s most intimate secrets to the world. And now I’ve gone and complicated everything by falling in love with him. Passion and deception have never been so delicious, but now the truth could destroy everything. This is more than a conflict of interest. It’s a seduction where love itself hangs in the balance.

What Worked For Me:

  • I didn’t want to like Sebastian when I first began reading.  We often see “rakes” in historical romance, but Sebastian’s proclivities play a huge part of the story. I didn’t want to like a man who wanted nothing to do with his title and his dependents and who instead wanted to travel the world and bed as many native women in as many creative ways as possible.  And yet, just like Eliza, I found myself quickly falling under his spell, and becoming captivated by the differences between his reputation and the expectations of his family, and of just how honorable and good he was despite his carefree manner.
  • Eliza was a delight.  Desperate to “make it” as a Writing Girl, and hiding quite a few secrets of her own, she’s an amazing investigative reporter who does whatever it takes to “get the story”.  When this comes up against the realization that her own success will mean the downfall of a man that she’s come to admire and respect, her character is forced to grow quite a bit, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her mature.
  • I loved the angst caused by Eliza’s duplicity, both from her struggle between doing what was “right” and what was “right for her career”, and from the heartache it caused both Eliza and Sebastian in their relationship.
  • As a fan of the series as a whole, I’ve always enjoyed the rapport between the Writing Girls, and this one was no exception.
  • One thing that pleasantly surprised me was that while there was a ton of chemistry and some fairly steamy “false-starts” as I call them, there was no actual full lovemaking until the end. Considering that Sebastian was a terrible rake in the beginning, this was a delightful surprise, and made their actual consummation all the better for it.
  • This doesn’t affect the final rating, but there was plenty of set-up for the next novel in the series, which will star Knightly!! *squee!* I’ve been waiting for Knightly to get his for quite a while now, and I admit, I’m chomping at the bit to read it when it comes out.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • This one got off to a bit of a slow start for me. I’m not certain if it was a matter of disliking Sebastian when he was first introduced, or if it was the background to Eliza’s installation into his household, but despite a rather scandalous start (and yummo to the tattoo!), it was about a third of the way in before I really got into the story.
  • I admit, there was just a little too much going on at times.  I can’t really elaborate without giving spoilers, but it seemed that it if it wasn’t one thing, it was another, and it got to the point where I was truly wondering if these two would ever actually get a Happily Ever After.

This one got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but about, oh, 1/3 of the way in, things really started to pick up.  Once things started to pick up, however, I ended up staying up all night to finish it, because I couldn’t stand the thought of putting it down even for a few hours.  I quickly fell in love with Sebastian and was on the edge of my seat waiting for an elegant solution to Eliza’s dilemma. While I was a little disappointed with the number of villains, I have to admit that having several antagonists certainly kept the pace right where it needed to be.

I’m also thrilled that the next book is going to be Knightly’s!  *fangirls all over the place for a moment*

Recommended for fans of deliciously reformed rakes, of ruthless heroines trying to balance between her ambitions and her conscience, and of seemingly impossible love finding a way.


An incredibly solid 4.5/5 Stars.

Writing Girls Series Reading Order:

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Review: Shadow’s Stand – HQN – Sarah McCarty

April 26, 2012

Expected Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HQN Books
Author’s Website: http://sarahmccarty.net/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 5, Hell’s Eight
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

Shadow Ochoa is lying low in the western Kansas Territory, waiting for his fellow Texas Rangers—the Hell’s Eight brotherhood—to clear his name. That is, until he’s unjustly strung up for horse thieving…and pretty Fei Yen intervenes. Invoking a seldom-used law, the exotic lady prospector claims Shadow as her husband and rides off with the bridegroom shackled to her buckboard.

Savvy, fearless Fei is single-mindedly devoted to her hidden claim and all it promises: wealth, security and freedom. A husband is just a necessary inconvenience and a name on paper to hold the claim she cannot.

Shadow isn’t a man to take orders from anyone, especially from lovely Fei—except that the daily friction between them ignites into nightly blazes of all-consuming passion. Soon Shadow is dreaming a little himself: of the life they could have if only Fei could see past the lure of independence. If only bounty hunters weren’t closing in on him. If only he’s left standing when the impending showdown has ended….

What Worked For Me:

  • I loved Fei.  Smart, beautiful, and cunning enough to know that no matter how unjust societies strictures may be, it’s better for a woman to manipulate them to her satisfaction than to outwardly buck against them. I truly adored how sly she was, and I laughed out loud several times at some of her bolder actions.
  • Oh Shadow. *fans self*  So deliciously alpha, and yet a good man underneath all of his crankiness, the fact that he was about to be hanged as a horse thief when Fei rescued him in a far more dramatic fashion than I’d anticipated simply added to his appeal.
  • Having never read other books in the series, I greatly appreciated the amount of history supplied so that when more characters from previous books made an appearance, I was never lost.
  • The climax of the book was very exciting, with plenty of action and harrowing moments.
  • I was also both please and amused with the resolution between Shadow and the rest of Hell’s Eight.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • What really threw me off was the spanking. Now, just because something isn’t really my kink, that doesn’t mean that it’ll pull my rating down. However, when something like erotic spanking is going to be brought into a story, I tend to prefer a bit of, well, warning.  In my mind, there was nothing that hinted towards this type of thing until it was happening, and it really threw me for a major loop. In fact, I actually put this book down for quite a while because of this. Now, before all the die-hard Hell’s Eight fans grab the torches and pitchforks, remember I’d never actually heard of this series until I saw it on Netgalley, and in turn, didn’t realize that this series was considered to be more on the romantica side than regular romance.
  • The “elixir” in regards to the cousin and her captors seemed a little too convenient, though I admit this was a fairly minor point in the long run.

While I don’t think I’m a prude (because really, how can one read as much steamy romance as I do and still be a prude?), I was a bit taken aback by the spanking. Not that it was objectionable, mind you, just that it was unexpected in the context of the story and really threw my off my stride in reading this, and I don’t think I ever really recovered from it.

It was deliciously steamy, and I really loved the chemistry and dynamics between  Shadow and Fei Yen, but because unexpected spanking is unexpected, I couldn’t say that I loved it. *shrugs* From what I understand, though, this series tends to be more romantica than just steamy romance, which of course tends to have light kink and/or taboo acts in them just for the thrills. It was completely a case of mea culpa there since I didn’t pay attention to the fact that previous books in the series were from a steamier imprint.

Even knowing that, however, I can only go by what I actually felt while I was reading it, and in the end I simply never recovered my stride in reading after that one minor incident, no matter how much I enjoyed the characters and the storyline.

4/5 Stars

Also posted in Western Romance – 0 Comments

Review: Improper Relations – Carina Press – Juliana Ross

April 22, 2012

Expected Release Date: April 23, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://julianaross.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

Dorset, 1858 

When Hannah’s caught watching her late husband’s cousin debauch the maid in the library, she’s mortified — but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she’s used to being ignored. 

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she’s witnessed, but there’s something about Leo that draws her to him. 

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can’t bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she’s losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?

What Worked For Me:

  • I admit, the entire “sexually uneducated widow” trope is a guilty pleasure read of mine. I don’t know why it appeals to me so much, but I’ve always enjoyed the tutoring of women who have previous experience over that of virginial heroines.
  • I loved the forbidden nature of Hannah and Leo’s relationship.  The illicitness definitely added a lovely layer of steam to the story.
  • I also really enjoyed how Leo was willing to own up to his own asshattery, and didn’t try to pawn off blame for any of the consequences of his actions.
  • I was very pleased that Ida was an okay kind of gal. She didn’t play an enormous part in the story, but I was concerned that she would’ve been one of those “bitter ex’s” that make things difficult for the couple in the future. Instead, she was a decent person, and I greatly appreciated that the author didn’t take the easy route and make her a villain.
  • “You’ve ruined me for anyone else” *swoon*
  • Strangely enough, I found that I enjoyed the uncertainty of their  relationship. There’s certainly something to be said for having to savor the moment rather than take things for granted.
  • I loved that the I Love You’s weren’t thrown around willy-nilly, and instead came at a very believable time.
  • There was a fantastic epilogue, which is something that I absolutely adore in romance.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I’m just not a big fan of crude sexual language, especially in historicals.  I absolutely understand that a lot of people find that sort of thing sexier than euphemisms, but it’s really not my thing.
  • On a very similar note, I don’t really think there’s anything sexy about anatomy lessons in love scenes.
  • This did not count against the final rating, but voyeurism isn’t my kink. Well, no, that’s not actually accurate — I prefer not to witness one of the protagonists having sex with another character. However, as I said, this did not count towards the final rating, because I was well aware going into the story that Leo would be “debauching” a maid in front of Hannah.
  • I can’t really explain fully as it would be a spoiler, but I was very frustrated with one of Leo’s actions because I just knew as I read it, that it was going to lead to Bad Things.

My biggest issue with this novella is that I’m just not a big fan of “blunt” or “crude” language in romances, nor do I care for anatomy lessons during lovemaking.  It’s simply not a writing style that appeals to me.  So you can probably understand when I say that this was actually a tough story to review.  I loved the characters, with the unrepentantly wicked Leo and the blossoming widow Hannah taking center stage.

However, when a story is billed as an “erotic romance”, it’s very hard to rave about it when you didn’t actually care for the lovemaking. I loved the characters, and I enjoyed the plot, but the actual love scenes really didn’t do much for me.

So, in the end, I’d recommend this for fans of historical widows experiencing their first sexual awakening, bored rakes fighting their ennui with a forbidden affair, and explicit language to go along with the explicit romance.

3.5/5 Stars

Also posted in Short Story Or Novella – 2 Comments

Review: How to Ravish a Rake – Forever – Vicky Dreiling

April 12, 2012

Expected Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: Forever
Author’s Website: http://vickydreiling.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, How To Series
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

SCANDALOUS DESIRES . . . 

Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match. If she can’t, she’ll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security-if little else. What she doesn’t count on is the inappropriate-and irresistible-attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will “The Devil” Darcett . . .

DEVILISH DELIGHT

When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton’s shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand. Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be. Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it. But winning Amy isn’t simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he’s mended his wicked ways . . .

What Worked For Me:

  • I do love Aunt Hester. She’s probably one of my favorite characters in the series.
  • I also really liked that there was no “Big Bad” villain, and instead the tension from the book came from their relationship and results of their own actions.
  • The chemistry between Will and Amy was lovely, and the love scenes were the right blend of sweetness and heat.
  • Without giving away spoilers, I didn’t really care for Will at first because of some of his behavior early on, but I ended up really loving him.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • A minor point, but the in-depth descriptions of the card game and the dance together were a bit, well, too in-depth for my tastes. While I understood the artistic choice to include a lot of details about both events, since they were integral to the story, but even so, it was a bit tedious to read at times.
  • There was just a little too much “psycho babble” for my tastes.  There were a few times when a character gave a rather sophisticated psychological analysis of another character, which felt out of place for the times
  • I really found that Georgette’s “side romance” of sorts was more distracting and felt a bit like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the story.

I actually felt like the blurb was a little misleading, but not enough to really count it against the final rating.  However, one thing I did definitely enjoy was the fact that it was Amy and Will’s own secrets that added the most tension to the story, rather than relying on an outside villain.

Overall, though, I was actually rather disappointed with this one. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, but it’s almost as if the author lost steam while writing this one.   The intricate details of the card game and the dance rather pulled down the pacing for me, and Georgette’s side romance felt like filler rather than an interesting part of the story.

Don’t get me wrong, there were certainly redeeming qualities — Aunt Hester in her wonderfully snarky glory, the sweet love scenes and chemistry between Will and Amy, and even the little kitten, Poppet, all made things more interesting.

In the end, however, it wasn’t quite enough to make this one a favorite.

Recommended for fans of marriages to avoid scandal, of repentant rake fortune hunters, and of wallflower heroines who aren’t really as shy as they may first have seemed.

3.5/5 Stars

How To Series Reading Order:

 

 

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Review: Hunter’s Prey – Samhain – Moira Rogers

April 10, 2012

Expected Release Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Samhain
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: http://moirarogers.com
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2, Bloodhounds
Series Best Read In Order: Yes, but works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

He can’t fight his inner beast, but she can tame it.

Ophelia retired from life as a prostitute, but her new position is even more complicated. Managing the bloodhound manor in Iron Creek is difficult and time-consuming, a job she enjoys less with each passing day. Then there’s her inconvenient attraction to Hunter. The newly turned hound seems eager to enjoy her company, but wary of anything more intimate.

Having survived the violence of his first full moon out of a cage, Hunter isn’t looking forward to his first new moon. Ophelia offers to be the woman who sates his needs during the three long days of sexual fury, but he can’t abide the thought of hurting her in a state of mindless lust. Especially since she longs to settle into a respectable life, and his needs are anything but respectable.

Their mutual goal is simple: avoid entanglements. It’s a solid plan, at least until a vampire drug lord and a couple of nosy Guild representatives force them to work together to defend their friends and everything they hold dear—including each other.

Warning: Contains a mostly feral, vampire-hunting hero and a tough survivor of a heroine whose retired-hooker heart is more steel than gold. Also included: dangerous frontier intrigue, fancy brothels, mad-scientist weapons and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.

What Worked For Me:

  • Good LAWDY Moira Rogers can write some hot scenes, without ever going into the really crude or kinky end of the romantica genre.  *fans self* I love the incredible intensity and almost desperation of Hunter’s attraction to Ophelia, and how open Ophelia was to his lovemaking.
  • I don’t typically like promiscuous heroines in my romances, but by golly I loved Ophelia. And yes, I just said “by golly”. *nods*  Her pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to sex was very realistic for a border town in the Wild West, even if it is a Wild West filled with vampires rather than natives as a threat.
  • Nate! I’d actually forgotten about the development with Nate, as it’s been quite a while (and literally hundreds of books) since I’d read WILDER’S MATE, but I absolutely loved him in this book.
  • Hunter was absolutely delicious.  Literally a tortured hero, I think I fell in love with him the first time he called Ophelia “Miss”. Good manners make me swoon, and it was lovely seeing him treat her like a “real lady” even knowing she used to be a prostitute. Knowing that he really wanted to be with Ophelia and yet was too afraid that he would end up hurting her made for some lovely angst as well, and added a delicious amount of heat and tension between them.
  • There was quite a bit of action as well, with the scene at the train depot absolutely blowing my mind. I could actually picture it in my head like a big budget Hollywood movie, and let me tell you, it’d be awesome.
  • I also enjoyed the politics with the Guild, especially in regards to Hunter and Nate, and I am greatly looking forward to seeing two certain bloodhounds in the future.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I hate to say it, but I’m not really a fan of the cover.
  • There were a few tiny moments of confusion for me, involving the train depot and the whole “Wilder and Satira and Archer are all gone” bit, but this was a minor issue and didn’t really count too terribly against the final rating.

I’m a huge fan of the Moira Rogers writing team in general, and an even bigger fan of this series specifically.  A bewitching blend of magic, Wild West, steampunk, and some hot, hot lovin’, the world that they’ve created is absolutely captivating.

Ophelia is an intriguing character, unapologetic about her history and practical when it comes to every day matters, and yet, still rather tender-hearted, which I really enjoyed.   Hunter’s hesitance to involve himself with anyone, especially given his history, made him endearing without negating his very strong sex appeal, and when the new moon hits? *fans self* Some major heat is guaranteed.

Recommended for fans of wild west action, fascinating steampunk adventure, betrayals, politics, and romance, all liberally doused with some delicious heat.

4.5/5 Stars

 

The Bloodhounds Series Reading Order:

 

Also posted in Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, Western Romance – 3 Comments

Review: Silk Is For Seduction – Avon – Loretta Chase

April 9, 2012

Expected Release Date: June 28, 2011 (Available Now)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://lorettachase.com/
My Source for This Book: Library
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, The Dressmakers
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

The allure of the perfect gown should be twofold: 
Ladies would die to wear it… and gentlemen would kill to remove it!

Brilliant and ambitious dressmaker Marcelline Noirot is London’s rising star. And who better to benefit from her talent than the worst-dressed lady in London; the Duke of Clevedon’s intended bride? Winning the future duchess’s patronage means prestige and fortune for Marcelline and her family. To get to the lady, though, Marcelline must win over Clevedon, whose standards are as high as his morals are…not.

The prize seems well worth the risk. This time, though, Marcelline’s met her match.  Clevedon can design a seduction as irresistible as her dresses; and what begins as a flicker of desire between two of the most passionately stubborn charmers in London soon ignites into a delicious inferno . . .and a blazing scandal.

And now both their futures hang by a thread of silk…

Marcelline Noirot is the world’s greatest modiste. Now, she just needs the upper crust of the ton to realize it.  Needing to draw in a prestigious new client who can showcase the Noirot designs, Marcelline settles her eye on the Duke of Clevedon’s intended bride, Clara.  A beautiful woman, Clara has been dressed by Marcelline’s biggest competitor up until now, much to her detriment.

Knowing that wooing a client’s husband — the man who pays the bills — is just as important as attracting the client herself, Marcelline sets out to charm Clevedon, walking a very fine line between temptation and respectability.

Never one to mince words, Marcelline informs Clevedon from the start that she’s only after his money and his future wife’s patronage, but mercenary as she may be, this time Marcelline has met her match.  When Clevedon’s fascination with her begins to fan the flames of attraction between them, it could lead to a scandal that could cost Marcelline and her family everything…

What Worked For Me:

  • I have no idea how she does it, but Ms. Chase has such a talent for creating heroines that the reader should hate for being so beautiful and perfect, and yet we can’t help but fall in love with them.  Marcelline is what makes this book, and despite the fact that she’s pretty much “perfect” — gorgeous, smart, cunning, adaptable, an incredible artist/designer, etc. — I loved her. It was no surprised that poor Clevedon found himself so utterly enthralled with her.
  • I loved that Marcelline was quite adamant about not wanting to have an affair with Clevedon. Yes, she wanted to seduce him, but she wanted to seduce him into spending money at her shop, and not into sleeping with her.
  •  I loved how Marcelline would point out the struggles of the working class and her distaste in how the nobles would just ignore it.  What was even better was watching Clevedon finally realize that she wasn’t joking when she said that money and reputation were important because it was what put food on her table and clothes on her daughter’s back and a roof over her entire family’s head.  For someone who’d never had to consider the cost of something before in his life, this was huge.
  • One thing I really enjoyed was that while Marcelline’s late husband, Charlie, was a typical “Noirot” man (that is, a bit of a scoundrel), she wasn’t all angsty about having had a horrible first marriage. This was so refreshing, as most widowed romance heroines tend to have had terrible first marriages that pretty much scarred them for life.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • Even though it worked out quite well for everyone in the end, I couldn’t help but despise Clevedon for pursuing Marcelline while for all intents and purposes engaged to Clara.  Even though their engagement had never been made “formal”, it still reeked of infidelity, and while that was absolutely “the norm” for titled men in those days, it still turned my stomach enough to make it difficult for me to fully embrace Marcelline and Clevedon as a couple.

You can always count on Loretta Chase to provide utterly enchanting heroines and delightfully besotted (and befuddled) heroes, and this book was no exception.   Marcelline’s perfection and even her arrogance would have been supremely annoying had she been written by any other author, but Ms. Chase was able to make Marcelline so captivating that she, and indeed all three of the Noirot sisters, easily stole my heart.

Clevedon was so wonderfully captivated by Marcelline that he was completely oblivious to so much around him, and I loved watching him slowly come to realize that even though he was rich and powerful in society, he was actually a bit, well, sheltered at times in regards to how the world really works.

I also enjoyed Princess Erroll of Albania, which is definitely a feat when you consider I tend to dislike children in romance novels.

In the end, the slight distaste I had for Clevedon’s pursuit of Marcelline while expecting to marry Clara did take away from my enjoyment, but even so, I absolutely adored it.

A very solid 4.5/5 Stars, and I’m looking forward to seeing the other Noirot sisters get their HEA’s as well.

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Review: The Wolf Who Loved Me – Sourcebooks Casablanca – Lydia Dare

April 3, 2012


Expected Release Date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Author’s Website: http://www.lydiadare.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 5, Westfield Wolves
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Regency England Has Gone to the Wolves!

Lady Madeline Hayburn Has Money Problems…

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

Weston Hadley Has An Identity Crisis…

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

What Worked For Me:

  • The cover is gorgeous. It’s most definitely what made me pick this book up in the first place.
  • I didn’t want to like Weston. I really didn’t. He’s immature, slutty, and moody.  And yet… I couldn’t help but love him.  His boyish charm, combined with how very obviously besotted he was with Maddie made him a bit hard to resist, no matter how annoyed I might have been with his rakish ways.
  • I really liked Maddie. Prim and proper because she had to be, I loved watching her finally let loose and be herself.  Granted, she needed to be smacked occasionally, but that’s the case for most historical romance heroine I believe, and not something I could really hold against her.
  • I’m a huge fan of forced/arranged marriages in romance, and this was no exception. There’s just something so sweet and romantic about watching two strangers forced into an unwanted relationship, and then falling in love.
  • I admit, as frustrated as I was with Maddie giving into her hormones so early on, the love scenes were quite nicely steamy.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I didn’t really care for the whole Sophia/Archer subplot. While I liked Sophie and want to see Archer get his comeuppance, I felt that far too much time was spent on the setup for the next book.
  • Monologuing villain. Blech.
  • Okay. So. You’re a “proper lady” in Regency times, the daughter of a Duke. You witness a man literally turn into a wolf right in front of your eyes. You’re rightfully terrified and run for your life, get attacked, kidnapped, and told you’re going to have to marry this man.  You’re terrified, angry at the injustice, and absolutely filthy from your run through the woods. Do you kiss him? And get all happy happy from it?  I should hope not. If you’re a normal person, I would like to think that you’d still be, oh, I don’t know, terrified out of your mind because the dude turned into a freakin’ wolf in front of you.  In other words, I wish Maddie had held off with the hormones for just a wee bit longer and milked the whole “You’re a werewolf/I can’t believe you’re kidnapping me/I don’t want to marry you/Did I mention you’re a werewolf” thing.
  • I’m not really into “humiliation humor”. For example, movies like “Meet the Parents” was far more horrifying for me than it was amusing.  While that type of humor wasn’t nearly as rampant in this book as it was in that movie, I still found it a bit distasteful.  Add to that a moment that was pretty much a “forced nudity” situation (the good old “wet chemise” thing that happens in far too many historicals), and I wasn’t really thrilled. I just felt like Maddie had been put through enough without the added embarrassment.
  • As much as I love a “Grand Gesture”, I really prefer it to be on the part of the hero rather than the heroine.

This book was a very hard one to rate.  There were multiple things that didn’t appeal to me over the course of the story, and yet, I couldn’t put it down. So when it came time to write my full review, and I compared the positive point against the negative points, it looked as though this book would end up with a low-ish rating.

However, despite the fact that there were quite a few things that didn’t quite work for me, in the end, this book was simply entertaining. There was a sort of light-heartedness to the story, despite some of the very serious events that occurred, which left me feeling quite happy at the end of the book.

So, overall, I thought this was a very enjoyable historical paranormal romance.  4/5 Stars

 

 

Also posted in Paranormal Romance – 1 Comment
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