Saturday, April 19, 2014

The Duke's Shotgun Wedding by Stacy Reid

I just loved this novella.  I was hooked from the first sentence!  It was so hot that I thought my e-reader was going to burst into flames!

The novella opens with Lady Jocelyn Rathbourne pointing a derringer at the Duke of Calydon.  She is there because his brother, Anthony, had implied marriage when he gave her an heirloom pendant.  Jocelyn is shattered to find that Anthony has already married.  Her father is on the verge of debtor's prison and she decides to negotiate a settlement for the damage to her honor.  When she attempts to get a higher settlement by demanding that Sebastian marry her, she is shocked when he agrees!  They are married the next day.

This was a very well written novella.  I loved the strong, determined, character of Jocelyn and Sebastian is a great tortured hero (one of my favorite types of heroes).  The novella bordered on erotic with the descriptions of their wild lovemaking.

I received this book as an ARC.  As soon as I was done, I bought the book.  This is a book that I will reread over and over when I need a quick read!  Just beyond thrilled that I was able to read and review it!!!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Entangled Publishing.

Dancing with a Devil by Julie Johnstone

Lady Audrey Cringlewood is a strong, determined young woman who does not want a typical ton marriage of convince.  She longs to be loved by her husband as she was never loved by her father and her brother.  Lord Trent Rutherford was a spy and was betrayed by his French wife, leading to his imprisonment and torture.  However, it seems only his friend and fellow spy, the Duke of Dinnisfree know he was married.  When he escaped and returned to England, Rutherford thought his wife was dead.   Lady Audrey is the friend of his cousins, Ladies Whitney and Gillian.  Rutherford isn't looking for an innocent miss.  When he kisses her at a ball and she finally tells him she is an innocent,  he declares they should be friends.

While I thought the book was well written, I felt like I was joining a play after the first intermission.  There is just so much that is thrown at the reader during the novel.  From Trent constantly waffling between "just friends" and "I don't want anybody else to have her" to Lord Thortonberry who starts out as a villain because he goes to a new demirep each night only to disclose that he is looking for a half brother, then is a semi villin because he wants Audrey because his now deceased older brother kissed her years ago after he had told his brother he loved Audrey.  And, the drama with Audrey's cruel father who doesn't love Audrey and never loved her mother causing her mother to take a lethal dose of laudanum.  He finds Trent doing a little more than kissing Audrey on a balcony and starts a fight, causing a fatal heart attack.  Audrey's scumbag brother leaves her in poverty because their father was in debt.  Yet, he was able to leave his true love and their daughter well off.  

I am giving this book 3 stars because it is well written.  I just need to read the first two so I can fill in the missing pieces.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.




Saturday, April 12, 2014

Wallflower Gone Wild by Maya Rodale

After four seasons of being on the marriage mart, Lady Olivia Archer has been labeled as "Prissy Missy" and one of "London's Least Likely" and had a gentleman jump into shrubbery to escape her (and her mother).  Olivia finally sees her dream man when she is pushed into him by one of her former classmates.  The next morning, Olivia is stunned to discover that their is a marriage proposal.  When she discoverers that it is Lord Radcliffe, "The Mad Barron" that seeks her hand, she vows to do everything scandalous to avoid having to marry him.  Phinn has been vilified in the press for murdering his first wife after he caused the death of his older brother and gained the title.  He is an inventor and is in town to build a Difference Engine for the Great Exibition.

The escapades that Olivia has while trying to not marry Phinn are hilarious.  She gets drunk at Almacks because her friend spikes the lemonade then Phinn's friend spikes it!  Phinn takes her for a picnic and she gets drunk on the wine.  When they get married, Olivia's mother visits her at the hotel they are staying at outraged that her daughter is living in a hotel.  She finds some one of the "naughty" periodicals that Phinn's friend left in the room.

If you read the first book in the series, it is fun to see Olivia's BFF Emma and her husband the Duke of Ashbrook. 

I am a huge fan of Maya Rodale.  All of her books are great romances with a touch of humor.  This series started out great with "The Wicked Wallflower" for Emma's story.  Next, is Prudence's story.  Can't wait!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom by Vanessa Kelly

Another impossible to put down book by Vanessa Kelly.  This novel opens with Griffin Steele, the bastard son of the Duke of Cumberland selling his bordello to the woman that worked there.  He discovers that an infant has been left at his house with a mysterious message. Griffin calls for help from his friend Sir Dominic Hunter. Dominic calls for his goddaughter, Justine Brightmore to help as a nanny.  Justine is the daughter of a former spy and didn't "take" during her almost two seasons.

I loved Griffin and his bad-boy, yet sensitive character.  He is intrigued by the strong character of Justine.  And the supporting characters were well written.  This was such a wonderful novel.  I started reading it and had a very hard time to put it down to do the necessary things in life like sleep and work.

Again, I can't wait for the next book in this series.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.


Sunday, April 6, 2014

To Charm a Naughty Countess (The Matchmaker Trilogy #2) by Theresa Romain

I just loved tortured heroes that need their one true love to heal them. Caroline, the Countess of Stratton has had her marriage and doesn't want to remarry.  When Michael, the Duke of Wyverne returns to London with the reputation of a recluse, he needs Caroline to help him find an heiress to save his family fortunes.

As Caroline guides him through society, she slowly realizes that she is falling in love with Michael again.  And, she needs to choose between him and the life she holds dear. 

I fount this novel to be entertaining and a great read.  I liked getting to know Caroline and appreciating Michael's social anxiety. Their HEA was wonderful.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hot and Bothered (Hot in the Kitchen #3) by Kate Meder

This story opens in a very unusual way.  The heroine is giving birth and the hero is there by her side, but it isn't his baby!  Jules Kilroy has come to America to escape her bad girl image and to make a new life for herself and her baby and to heal her relationship with her brother.  She waltzes into her brother's restaurant and announces that she is pregnant.  That is when she meets Taddeo DeLuca who ends up being her best friend.  But, when Jules is ready to date when her baby boy is 18 months, Tad realizes that he doesn't want another guy touching her and he wants to be her man.

I am not much of a contemporary romance reader.  This one was so smoking hot!  I need to go back and read the other two.  Great book!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley!



Desiring Lady Caro by Ella Quinn

"Desiring Lady Caro" is the fourth of "The Marriage Game" Series by Ella Quinn.  Lady Caroline Martindale fled England after her abusive marriage to live with her godmother in Venice.  She attracts the attention of a dangerous and spoiled Venetian marquis.  When most of his friends have gotten married, Gervais, Earl of Huntley, arrives in Venice to visit his aunt (Caro's godmother).  As the marquis starts to threaten Caro, Huntley steps up and devises a plan to save her.  They flee the palazzo in the middle of the night staying one step ahead of the marquis. 

This is the hardest review I have had to write.  I was thrilled when I got the ARC for it because of how much I loved "The Seduction of Lady Phoebe".  I started reading the first chapter or two but after they escaped from Venice, but found that the book kept plodding along.  So, I let it sit and read several other books, then picked it up again.  I even tried starting the book over.  I just couldn't get past the sheer obsession that the evil Venetian marquis had with Caro.  It was just too over the top.  Huntley and Caro get married and he still obsessed on how he was going to abduct Caro and abuse her.  I read for fun, not dark and gloom.  I just couldn't complete the book because of the dark plot.

I received this book as an ARC for an honest review from Net Galley.