The Lady Meets Her Match by Gina Conkle

The novel opens with Claire Mayhew sneaking into a masked ball given by Cyrus Ryland.  She needs his signature so she can lease one of his properties.  Cyrus finds her in his study and is attracted to her.  When she leaves behind her slipper, he has to find her.  After hiring people, he finds Claire at the coffee house she has opened.  

I just could not get into this story.  I found that it just drug along and didn't flow.  It was quite the disappointment after reading the first book in the series and liking it so much.  


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

The Duke's Holiday by Maggie Fenton

Lord Cyril Monk has been the Duke of Montford since he was four.  He was in the family carriage with his parents when they had an accident that killed them and Montford wasn't found for two days.  To say that Montford has some quirks is an understatement.  He has to have his wardrobe precise.  There is a drawer for each type of his breeches.  The one bane to his existence is the Honeywell family.  There is an agreement that the property that the Honeywell's own would revert to Montford  when there is no heir.  Montford has just found out that Aloysius Honeywell has been deceased for the past year.  He sends his man of business, Stevenage, to find out what is going on with the Honeywell Ale brewery.  After several weeks, Stevenage isn't responding to his correspondence so Montford travels to Yorkshire.  Montford's life will never be the same after he meets A. Honeywell and the Honeywell family.

This book is why I read.  At the beginning, Montford was such a stuffed shirt he needed surgery to remove a well placed stick.  By the end, he was a changed person due to Astrid.  Astrid has been keeping her family together since her father's first stroke fourteen years ago.  She is a strong woman that believes women are smarter than women.  I loved Astrid's aunt.  It would be a hoot to read a novella about Anabel Honeywell's adventures.  I will be buying this book!

My only issue with this book is the abrupt ending.  It was as if you were running and ran into a brick wall at the end of the road.  I even downloaded the Kindle edition to see if my ARC was missing pages.  

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

When a Rake Falls by Sally Orr

Lord Boyce Parker wants to regain his father's respect after he published a scandalous book.   The Earl of Stainthorpe has placed an advertisement because his daughter needs a husband.  The Earl issues the challenge of a race that ends in Paris.  There are several contests within the contest and each one has it's own cup.  Boyce hires a hot air balloon to take him to Paris so he can win the race and the challenges.  The pilot of the is Eve Mountfloy.

To be honest, I just could not get into the book.  I got to chapter two and couldn't read further.  I found Boyce to be an arrogant idiot and stopped reading.

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

Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer

Olivia Grace has been abandoned and disgraced by the man she loved, Jack, the Earl of Gracechurch.  She is living with Kate Seaton, the Dowager Duchess of Murther in Belgium.  Olivia has gone with a friend to help her find her father after the battle is over when Olivia finds Jack and he is wearing a French uniform.  Not wanting him to be caught as a traitor, Olivia strips him and brings him back to Kate's house.  Jack has absentia and thinks he is still married to Olivia.  He can't remember where he is and how he got there.  Under recommendations from a doctor, Olivia lets Jack continue thinking he is still married to her.  At the same time, she must escape notice of Jack's cousin.

As the story progresses, Jack starts to figure out that he was betrayed by the people closest to him and the one hurt was Olivia.

This was a great read because it wasn't the typical romance.  The main characters had already been married.  I loved the story from the beginning to the end.

A Highlander's Passion by Vonnie Davis

Kenzie Denune and Bryce Matheson had been friends from Kindergarten into High School.  When Bryce met Miranda, he cast Kenzie aside because of Miranda's jealousy. Years later, Bryce is a single dad because Miranda died after the birth of their daughter.  He is still feeling guilty for Miranda's death when he has a torrid affair with Kenzie.  When Bryce breaks it off, Kenzie is devastated and soon after married Duncan.  Duncan turns out to be an abusive husband.  He beats Kenzie in a jealous rage causing her to lose her baby.  When Duncan is killed, Kenzie is finally free and Bryce is determined to win her love.  Bryce has always known he is a bear-shifter but Kenzie is just learning that she is a witch.  There are mysterious forces from the past she is unaware of that may prevent her from reaching her happy ever after.

I have been waiting for this book since I read the first in the series, "A Highlander's Obsession".   As soon as I got this as an ARC, I put down the book I was reading and didn't stop reading until I was done.

I loved that this book was a part of a series, yet somebody that didn't read the first book could pick this one up and read it.  I was thrilled to see how one of my favorite characters, Effie, is given new depth as a mentor to Kenzie.  Between the emotional baggage left between Kenzie and Bryce that needs to be resolved and Kenzie's past, the novel is more emotional and complex than the first novel.  It was nice to see favorite characters from the first novel.

As much as I liked the novel, I felt that the last chapter was too rushed.  So the bad guy was vanquished and now what happens? There was a nice description of the wedding preparation but when it came to the wedding, it just seemed like it was shoved together.  And Bryce's daughter Colleen.  She was way over the top and so cutsie it was annoying.  It wasn't funny when she found her Uncle Ronan's "dirty magazines".  But to let her cutsie speech as the Cheery Greeter at Matheson Lodge go on and resolve/disclose things was just nauseating.  The one thing that can spoil a great book is when kids are written poorly and Colleen is coming close.

There one thing that bugged me was the usage of the word "fer" instead of "for".  I understand the characters are Scottish.  There will be dialect.  When it occurs at times when the characters aren't speaking, it is annoying.  It was so bad I could have made a drinking game out of it.

All in all, I loved the book and was glad I received an ARC!

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

Sebastian's Lady Spy by Sharon Cullen

Sebastian Addison has been a spy for several years.  He now wants to retire and resume his duties as the Earl of Claybrook.  However, he has a mission the Crown will not let him refuse - one with his former lover (and woman he can't forget) Contessa Gabrielle Marciano.

I loved the espionage and the fact that the heroine was a spy too.  Too many times, the hero is the spy and has to rescue his heroine. Gabrielle is a capable spy in her own right.  Sebastian was quite surprised to find the lover that he can't forget is also a spy.

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

The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes

Lady Araminthea Collins was forced into service as a companion by circumstance.  Noah Winters, the Duke of Anselm was planning on marrying her current charge, Marliss, the daughter of Viscount Endmon when another suitor staked a claim first.  Anselm makes a very hard to resist proposal to Lady Thea.  When they marry, Anselm finds that things aren't as he anticipated.  He has to court his own wife.

I loved how Thea and Anselm grew as their marriage progressed.  There are several misconceptions that make up the plot.  The one is very transparent while the other surprised me when it was resolved. The supporting characters added to the depth of the novel.  I was hooked from the opening sentence to the end.

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