Friday, July 29, 2016

Only an Earl Will Do by Tamara Gill

Three years ago, Lady Elizabeth Worthingham and Lord Henry Andrews, Earl of Muir fell in love and anticipated their vows.  Henry had left for America to make his fortune and Elizabeth's father sent him a letter telling him that he needed to return home.  They received an out of character reply from Henry forcing Elizabeth to marry a man to give her child a name.
Henry has returned to England with his American cousins.  He seeks out Elizabeth only to find her reception as cold as a Highland winter.  

I did not finish this book.  I got through chapter 2 and realized that I HATED Elizabeth.  She was just so stupid that I could not continue.  There were just too many secrets and opportunities to tell Henry he was the father of her son.  

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


The Scottish Lord's Secret Bride by Raven McAllan

Eight years ago, Lady Morven Weston had a wild, passionate summer with Lord Fraser Napier.  They found themselves wed in a Gypsy ceremony.  Fraser had to go to Barbados to oversee the family estates.  He returns eight years later still wondering if the marriage was valid.  Morven's mother insists on dragging her and her sister to Scotland to visit her BFF (convenient Fraser's dear mother).  Fraser and Morven spend their time attempting to be alone together and finding the gypsies that were there for their ceremony.  And avoiding the weather because someone keeps messing with the barometer.
From the synopsis, this promised to be a good book, however, it drug on to the point I just lost interest.  The whole plot revolves around Fraser and Morven finding out if they are truly married.  It takes almost the WHOLE book and a ton of manipulation from Morven's mother and sister to get to that point.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Toast and Char by Jennifer Bramseth

I have been waiting for Prent and Miranda's story since they were introduced in the Epilogue of Bottled Bluegrass.  I was hooked from the beginning of Toast and Char to the end.  It is the story of a love that matures.  Both Prent and Miranda were going to call off the wedding because of insecurities but he beat her to it.  Watching their love mature was heart warming.

I liked how this is the eighth in this series yet it is still fresh and one of the best series I have read in a long time.  You do have to know some of the backstory of the books because they are part of a community.   Each book stands on its own, but keeps the reader up to date with characters from previous books.

I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you.

Monday, July 18, 2016

The Duke of Daring by Darcy Burke

I absolutely loved this novel.  The characters were well written and the plot was different than the usual historical romance.  At 233 pages, the length was perfect.   It had the beginning, middle, sexy times and plot resolution without the book feeling like it was droning on and I wanted to skip to the end.

I loved Andrew as the tortured hero.  He was so daring and wanted to protect Lucy, yet struggled to protect his heart due to losing his family at a young age.  Lucy was a strong heroine that deserved her HEA.  Her father had gambled away the family fortune and taught Lucy to gamble.  She used her skill to get the money she needed to be able to join her grandmother in a little cottage in Bath.  I also liked the secondary characters of Ivy and Aquilla.  They need their own books!

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






Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Once Upon a Moonlit Night

Miss Hippolyta Royle was kidnapped by the Duke of Montgomery.  The Duke's housekeeper helped Hippolyta escape.  She had fallen down, was covered in who knows what and was cold, wet and miserable.  Hippolyta was able to flag down a carriage.  The owner of the carriage, Matthew Mortimer, does not believe Hippolyta is the wealthiest heiress in England but still helps her.  

I liked Hippolyta in "Duke of Sin" and loved her in her own novella.  I was so glad that she got her HEA (no matter how much I adore Val, he was so naughty in kidnapping her).  Hippolyta was intelligent and a strong woman that deserved her true love.  Matthew was the perfect match for her.  He didn't care that her mother was Indian and helped her thwart her blackmailer.  

That being said, I wish the book could have been longer to give more plot development.  It felt rushed, like an after thought.  As if it needed to be hurried so the readers would know what happened to Hippolyta.  I was left loving the novella but wanting more from it.  

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

Stormswept by Sabrina Jeffries

This is a story of betrayal.  Juliana St. Albans is the daughter of the Earl of Northcliffe. Juliana's father has won the Vaughn's estate Llyndd in a card game and devistated, Mr. Vaughn commits suicide.  Rhys and Juliana meet at a rally for Welsh rights.  Eventhough there is anamosity toward the English Juliana over what her father did, Rhys still falls in love with her.  They elope and Juliana stupidly leaves a note in her room.  Her brothers do not want her married to a Welsh radical so they find Rhys and Juliana at the local inn.  They sell Rhys to a press gang (along with his friend) and bribe the innkeeper to lie.

Six years later, Juliana has found out hat Rhys died in a shipwreck.  She has kept her marriage secret at her father's request.  Her brothers want her in an advantageous marriage.  They are just about to announce her engagement when Rhys walks in.

This is a reissue of a revised novel.  It was originally published in 1995 under the pseudonym Deborah Martin.

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favorite authors.  However, this novel left me mad.  When Rhys returned, Juliana's brothers were still sticking with their lies and no matter how much Juliana told Rhys the truth, he believed them.  SHE WAITED SIX YEARS FOR HIM and he still won't believe her.  I had a line of people I wanted to smack for Juliana, starting with Rhys followed by her brothers.  That would be after I shook Juliana and told her to wake up and leave the ass.

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