Saturday, October 17, 2015

Duchess Decadence by Wendy LaCapra

Thea Worthington is the Duchess of Wynchester.  She has not lived with her husband in three years due to a comment he made after losing her baby.  Now, the Duke of Wynchester's brother has resurfaced after long believed dead and Thea needs to save her marriage and husband from his own brother.

I liked this book so much that I immediately preordered it and bought the first two in the series.  I loved the different plot.  The heroine and hero were married before the book started.  The Furies were an integral part of the novel and added to the depth of the book.  The one drawback to the novel was as the third book in the series, I had a hard time following at points because it was the culmination to the series.  (I ended that issue by buying the first two in the series)

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Sunday, October 11, 2015

First Season / Bride to Be by Jane Ashford

While both "First Season" and "Bride to Be" are republished novels, I enjoyed reading the novels.   They are refreshing, engaging and stand the test of time. My favorite is "First Season" (1999) because it is a second chance at love with love having grown from a friendship. They are both novels that I will read again and again.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you.








Thursday, October 8, 2015

Dark Before the Rising Sun by Laurie McBain

This novel was published in 1982.  It is the third in the "Dominic" series and the second one that Dante and Rea are the main characters. I read this book in the late 1980s when the genre was quite different. I find now that my preferences have changed and the time I have to devote to reading a novel 518 pages is null.

My rating is for how I felt when I first read this novel.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

Chance the Winds of Fortune by Laurie McBain

This novel was published in 1980 and I read it several years after it was published. I remember thinking that Dante Leighton was the hunkiest titled lord turned pirate that had ever sailed the seven seas.  At that time, Laurie McBain was a pioneer of historical romance. The novel is quite dramatic, with lush settings and high energy scenes.  But, Dante and Rea do not meet until almost the halfway point in the book.

This book is being re-released thirty-five years later.  The romance genre has evolved and expanded.  Unfortunately, a Laurie McBain novel can no longer compete with the current genre. We read for an escape from hectic, busy, stressful lives and finding the time to read a novel that is 505 pages.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Demon's Librarian by Lilith Saintcrow

Francesca Barnes is a librarian that has discovered hidden books in the library she works at.  When she discovers demons preying on the schoolchildren in her city, she opens the books, does her research and goes hunting.  Ryan's partner has gone to the library looking for the books and disappears.  Ryan joins forces with Chess to find his partner and help her survive.

I enjoyed the Sci Fi element joining with romance.  The book was well written.  The author could have included a glossary because the constant use of terms that the reader has to decipher the meaning was very distracting and took away from the book. If there had been a glossary, I would have given it five stars.

I didn't know until I was leaving my review on Goodreads that this is a reissue.  I am glad that the cover was changed.  I would have never picked up the book because it looks like a horror novel to me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you.




Some Like it Scot by Suzanne Enoch

Suzanne Enoch never disappoints.  I have enjoyed this series and was thrilled that Bear got his own HEA.

Catriona MacColl is on the run with her half-sister and is hiding in an abandoned abbey belonging to the Clan MacLawry.  Munro "Bear" MacLawry is the last of his siblings left unwed.  He isn't seeking marriage when fate hands him Catriona in the form of a trouser wearing sharpshooter.  Bear helps Catriona and her sister and ends up helping her fix it up so they can survive the winter.  Catriona is to be the bride to a MacDonald to ensure clan peace, but that isn't what Bear wants.

I liked the characters in this novel.  Bear MacLawry is the best match for stubborn, independent Catriona.  I always enjoy reading about characters from previous novels.  Again, Suzanne Enoch did not disappoint.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you.

Good Earl Gone Bad by Manda Collins

Lady Hermione Upperton is passionate about her horses and joining a driving club.  Jasper Fawley, the Earl of Mainwaring is a friend of Frederick Lisle who married Hermione's friend. He came to her aid when Hermione's father lost her horses in a card game, leaving her membership in the Lords of Anarchy on shaky ground.  Hermione is desperate to get her horses back and in disguise seeks out the gambler that won the from her father, only to find herself involved in a murder.  Jasper wins Hermione in a card game and Hermione discovers that they are quite compatible.

I loved the mystery entwined in this romance.  This is the second in a series, so the characters were familiar, yet it stands well on its own.  The mystery adds a different twist to this novel.  I enjoyed reading this novel.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!