Tuesday 30 April 2019

[Review] Highland Crown, by May McGoldrick



Title Highland Crown
Series: Royal Highlander #1
Author: May McGoldrick
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Number of pages: 320
Publication date: April 30th 2019



Synopsis:
Inverness, 1820
Perched on the North Sea, this port town―by turns legendary and mythological―is a place where Highland rebels and English authorities clash in a mortal struggle for survival and dominance. Among the fray is a lovely young widow who possesses rare and special gifts.

WANTED: Isabella Drummond
A true beauty and trained physician, Isabella has inspired longing and mystery―and fury―in a great many men. Hunted by both the British government and Scottish rebels, she came to the Highlands in search of survival. But a dying ship’s captain will steer her fate into even stormier waters. . .and her heart into flames.

FOUND: Cinaed Mackintosh
Cast from his home as a child, Cinaed is a fierce soul whose allegiance is only to himself. . .until Isabella saved his life―and added more risk to her own. Now, the only way Cinaed can keep her safe to seek refuge at Dalmigavie Castle, the Mackintosh family seat. But when the scandalous truth of his past comes out, any chance of Cinaed having a bright future with Isabella is thrown into complete darkness. What will these two ill-fated lovers have to sacrifice to be together…for eternity?


Review:
I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.


This was the first book I’ve read of May McGoldrick (whom is actually two people) and, sadly, it just wasn’t it for me.

I really wanted to like the characters, but I found myself annoyed by Isabella, and a bit confused by Cinaed.

The book has a great premise, and the story is interesting – I love stories that have not only the romance, but something that ties everything together, and this book had that, even if it is sometimes confusing.

I really wanted to like Isabella, but she just didn’t rise to the expectations. She was a physician, and that was the most interesting part about her.

I liked Cinaed, but sometimes he was a bit confusing – completely trusting, and then suspicious, but always ready to protect Isabella… It seemed a bit forced.

Also, I’m not a fan of insta-love. And even though this was more of an insta-attraction for Isabella, it felt like insta-love to Cinaed.

There was a lot going around and sometimes it became confusing and the actions of the characters didn’t seem completely faithful to whom they were.

Sadly, I just didn’t connect with the book. It was the first book I read in 2019, and it took me a whole month to read it. Not the best introduction to this author.



[Q&A] Highland Crown, by May McGoldrick



Welcome to another interview, here at Romancing Romances!

Today we have author May McGoldrick, answering a Q&A about her new book,
Highland Crown!


Q: For those that are reading your name for the first time today, what is the main thing you’d like them to know?
A: May McGoldrick is actually two people. We are Nikoo & Jim, a husband and wife writing team of fifty works of historical romance, suspense thrillers, YA, and how-to books. We’re lovers and friends and collaborators and readers and writers and teachers. We love what we do, but the road getting here had a few bumps and lots of sharp twists and turns. But we look back at all those moments as necessary. They’ve inspired us to be better people and more accomplished writers.
And, as you might have already guessed, we are definitely ‘the glass is always way more than half-full’ types of people. 😊


Q: If a reader is new to your books, which one would you suggest them to read first?
A: Definitely the most recent one. Right now, that would be Highland Crown, the first book in our Scottish Royal Highlander series.


Q: You write historical romances. Is this your favourite genre to read as well? Or do you prefer to read something different? What are some of your favorite authors?
A: We also write romantic suspense, suspense thrillers, young adult, and self-help. But we read across all genres, all types of books, classics and new releases, fiction and research materials. We are readers first and writers second. And as readers, we can never walk away from a good book.
When it comes to favorites, the list is too long to mention. But Charles Dickens has a special place in our heart because of the way he portrayed his characters.
We both just finished Where the Crawdads Sing, and we have to say that Delia Owens moved to the very top of our favorite author’s list.


Q: Does your everyday life influence your writing? What inspires you to write?
A: We write for the love of writing, just as we read for the love of reading. We say that writing is our passion; the career is incidental.
Jim has a PhD in sixteenth century British Lit, and Nikoo, despite her engineering degree, is a true storyteller at heart. Everyday life definitely influences our writing. No author lives in a vacuum. We know from our study of history that human nature and the nature of political systems never change. There is nothing new about the present political climate, and experiencing (through stories) other periods in history—including the ones we write about—helps us understand the conflicts we’re facing today. We’re constantly amazed at how history repeats itself.


Q: Do you see yourself in any of your characters? Have you ever created a character based on someone you know?
A: All of our characters are, in some way, drawn from ourselves or our values or from people we have crossed paths with. As writers, we’re sponges, constantly watching, taking mental notes, storing impressions away for later to use. I (Nikoo) remember being a juror for six weeks in a trial and the judge telling me afterwards, “Send me the book when you’re done with it.” Jim says all of the strapping Highland heroes are totally based on him. 😊


Q: Where do you get your ideas? Do you work with an outline/plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea leads you? Do you use any images to base characters/scenarios/objects on?
A: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. We’ve tried it all. And each story has a life of its own. Each one has a process that is unique to that story. Thrillers lend themselves to more extensive, detailed outlines. When writing historically based fiction, actual dates and real people requires that we stay somewhat true to a time line, so that makes us outline, as well. I’m big on hanging pictures of leading men like Chris Hemsworth above my desk. Jim is a good sport, but he does use the photo as a dartboard.


Q: Congratulations on your new book, Highland Crown. Please tell me a bit about it.
A: This novel delves into actual history that most readers might not be aware of. That doesn’t stop the story from providing a solid historical romance experience, however. It’s 1820 and Regency period England and Scotland are in turmoil. Isabella Drummond is a trained physician who’s been recently widowed, and Cinaed Mackintosh is a ship’s captain with a mysterious past. In our story, Isabella and Cinaed are thrown together in the middle of Scotland’s ‘Radical War’. Theirs is a relationship tested in fire by the ongoing social unrest. We believe that struggle makes their story timeless. Early reviewers are loving the novel, and more than one said it, “Gave me all the Outlander feels.” We can live with high praise like that.


Q: What will make us fall in love with the Cinaed Mackintosh? And what’s your favorite characteristic about Isabella Drummond?
A: Cinaed is loyal, tough, and tenacious. He’s a reluctant hero with a dark past. He’s a Highlander who leads by example, knows his own mind, and will act ruthlessly when the situation calls for it.
Isabella has fierce willingness to fight for her beliefs. She is intelligent, logical, and tough.


Q: Do you have a favourite quote from Highland Crown?
A: Cinaed is looking at a crowd of Highland men, women, and children and thinking, “They were fearless. With a gang of armed men, he had freed two so-called enemies of the Crown, but these people—born with the same Highland blood that flowed through his body—had come here with nothing but empty hands and raised voices. They'd come to this protest, crying out for reform, for freedom, for justice, armed only with a free, clear conscience...and their courage.”


Q: What comes next? I know Highland Crown is the first book of the Royal Highlander Series, and that you already have the second book planned to come out later this year. Will this series be a duology? What are your next projects?
A: We initially planned this series as a three-book project. But the entire series is already stretching to four…and possibly more.
The sequel, Highland Jewel, is scheduled to be released by St. Martin’s Press on September 24th, 2019. In that novel readers will get to know Maisie, Isabella’s younger sister, an early suffragist and one of the founders of the Edinburgh Female Reform Society. In her story, we’ll be thrown into the protests and battles of the Radical War.
In Highland Jewel the reader also gets introduced to Niall Campbell, an officer in the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment. He has spent his life serving the Crown. Battle-weary and searching for peace, he can’t help but step in when his sister’s activism risks her life—and leads him to Maisie. These two are immediately at odds. We don’t want to give too much away, but things will get wild for Maisie and her family in Edinburgh as the government bears down on reformers in Scotland, and more will be revealed about Cinaed Mackintosh and his past, as well.
By sheer coincidence, the film Peterloo is being released this month, and it depicts the slaughter of unarmed, peacefully protesting citizens by British government troops in Manchester at the same time our series takes place. Newspapers that were courageous enough to stand against the government and report on the violence called it the ‘Peterloo Massacre’. Over a dozen men, women, and children were killed by the King’s Dragoon Guards, and 600-800 more were injured. One of the women speaking on the platform was Mary Fildes, the founder of the Manchester Female Reform Society. Highland Jewel starts in the days following this actual historical event.
We’re in the middle of writing the third book in the series, Highland Sword, which is Morrigan’s story. She is a firebrand who is ready to throw herself body and soul into the Radical War. Morrigan is a woman ready to raise both sword and pistol, and fight beside the Highlanders. But in the process, she meets Aidan Grant, a lawyer and a reformer who espouses a different method for achieving change. She wants war; he wants peace. She wants revenge; he wants justice. She is ready to spill blood; he believes too much has already been shed. Neither one will surrender their ideals, but neither can ignore the attraction for the other.




Thank you May McGoldrick for visiting Romancing Romances, it was a pleasure to interview you.

Dear readers stick around, for I'll have a review of
Highland Crown soon, and a book excerpt for tomorrow! 😊



Title Highland Crown
Series: Royal Highlander #1
Author: May McGoldrick
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Number of pages: 320
Publication date: April 3oth 2019
buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery
Synopsis:
Inverness, 1820
Perched on the North Sea, this port town―by turns legendary and mythological―is a place where Highland rebels and English authorities clash in a mortal struggle for survival and dominance. Among the fray is a lovely young widow who possesses rare and special gifts.

WANTED: Isabella Drummond
A true beauty and trained physician, Isabella has inspired longing and mystery―and fury―in a great many men. Hunted by both the British government and Scottish rebels, she came to the Highlands in search of survival. But a dying ship’s captain will steer her fate into even stormier waters. . .and her heart into flames.

FOUND: Cinaed Mackintosh
Cast from his home as a child, Cinaed is a fierce soul whose allegiance is only to himself. . .until Isabella saved his life―and added more risk to her own. Now, the only way Cinaed can keep her safe to seek refuge at Dalmigavie Castle, the Mackintosh family seat. But when the scandalous truth of his past comes out, any chance of Cinaed having a bright future with Isabella is thrown into complete darkness. What will these two ill-fated lovers have to sacrifice to be together…for eternity?




About the author:
Authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick (writing as May McGoldrick) weave emotionally satisfying tales of love and danger. Under the names of May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey, these authorshave written more than thirty novels and works of nonfiction. Nikoo, an engineer, also conducts frequent workshops on writing and publishing and serves as a Resident Author.Jim holds a Ph.D. in Medieval and Renaissance literature and teaches English in northwestern Connecticut. They are the authors of Much ado about Highlanders, Taming the Highlander, and Tempest in the Highlands.


Connect with May McGoldrick:


Website

[Excerpt] No Other Duke But You, by Valerie Bowman



Today I bring you an excerpt of Valerie Bowman's new book, No Other Duke But You!




Title No Other Duke But You
Series: Playful Brides #11
Author: Valerie Bowman
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Number of pages: 320
Publication date: April 30th 2019
buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery
Synopsis:
SINGLE LADY SEEKS DUKE

Lady Delilah Montebank has her marital sights set on the Duke of Branville. There’s just one problem: he barely knows she exists. But no matter, she’s got a plan to win him over with her charm, her wit—and perhaps the love potion she has in her possession wouldn’t hurt her cause...

Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, thinks his best friend Delilah’s quest to become a duchess is ridiculous. He’s always said he’d rather give up all the brandy in London than commit to one person for life. Besides, he knows that Delilah’s love potion can’t possibly win over Branville…since she accidentally gave it to him instead. But perhaps this is the excuse he needs to show her he’s always loved her...

Delilah can’t believe she gave the potion to the wrong duke. Then again, Delilah could do a lot worse than win the hand of her handsome best friend. Could it be that the right duke has been before her eyes all along?


Chapter Twenty-Four

Delilah glanced up and down the dim hallway. It was well past three in the morning, she was still dressed in the pink ball gown she’d worn to the party, and she clutched the small vial of Cupid’s Elixir in her sweaty, guilty palm. She pressed her back against the shadowed wall not far from the Duke of Branville’s bedchamber. She could do this. More importantly, she would do this. She’d come this far, hadn’t she? What did a little sneaking about in the middle of the night matter?

She’d got detailed instructions to Branville’s room from Derek, who thankfully hadn’t asked any questions about why she wanted to know. According to him, the room was four doors to the right, just past the staircase on the third floor. The third floor was where all the bachelor gentlemen were sleeping. It would be a complete scandal if she was found lurking about alone at this time of night, but she’d waited until the household seemed quite asleep and then waited a bit longer for good measure. Anyone who saw her now would be skulking about themselves, which meant they would hardly be in a position to judge her. She briefly wondered if she’d run into Lavinia.

It was not as if she was out to do anything particularly scandalous. It was more silly and frivolous than anything else. She’d simply die, however, if Branville woke up and asked her what she was doing sprinkling pixie water in his eyes. She’d already decided to pretend as if she were dreaming, thinking she was Puck in the play. Sleepwalking. That would make all the sense in the world. Wouldn’t it? She swallowed hard. Probably not, but she wasn’t about to let the fear of being caught stop her. Besides, all of her and Lucy’s matchmaking had turned into a colossal mess. If a spray of perfume could sort it out, so be it. Of course, Delilah’s conscience reminded her that she hadn’t offered any of the perfume to Rebecca to use on Thomas. She didn’t want to even contemplate that. She’d already shared it with one other person, and that made her guilty enough. The image of Madame Rosa’s disapproving, craggy face had haunted her all evening.

Delilah shook off the thought and turned her attention back to the matter at hand. Pressing her empty palm against the darkened wall, she inched her way along until she came to Branville’s door. She felt like a spy. This was how professional spies did such things, wasn’t it? Too bad she was too embarrassed by her actions to ask the veritable house full of professional spies who happened to be asleep behind other doors right now. She transferred the vial into her opposite hand and slowly reached to grasp the door handle. The metal was cold in her bare hand. She’d discarded her gloves, deciding that they would make her actions more clumsy. The last thing she needed tonight was to be more clumsy than usual. Decidedly, she needed to be less so.

She clutched the door handle like a lifeline and closed her eyes, steadying her shaking fingers on the knob. She was close, so close. Praying that the door wouldn’t squeak, she turned the handle slowly. The only sound was the thumping of her own heart in her ears. When the handle was turned as far as it would go, she pushed it, praying fervently that it wasn’t locked. It took a moment before she realized the door was opening. Its hinges silent, merci a Dieu. Completely silent.

She slipped inside the cool, dark room. Steady, deep breathing came from the bed. Thank goodness, she hadn’t woken the duke with her entrance. She could barely see a thing, but she didn’t dare light a candle. A tiny stream of moonlight filtered into the room through a small opening in the curtains on the far window. She used that to identify the hulking bed in the center of the room. She tiptoed over to it slowly, taking care in case there was anything to trip over. No doubt she would find it if there was.

She made it to the foot of the bed without incident and paused, trying to quell her nerves and dispel her guilt. She clutched the vial more tightly in her palm, shaking with fear and anxiety. Now that she was here, she had no earthly idea how to drop liquid on a man’s eyes without awakening him. Besides, how much of it was she supposed to use? Surely not much. She would employ the tiniest drops possible so as not to disturb him, but she also needed to ensure the perfume touched his eyelids. Tricky business, this being a fairy. She had a sudden appreciation for Puck. Holding her breath, she lifted her skirts with her free hand and tiptoed to the right side of the bed. Because it was summer, the bed curtains weren’t drawn. The window was open, and a slight breeze blew through the crack in the curtains.

The outline of the duke’s body was barely visible in the moonlight. He was turned away on his side, his back to her, his face toward the window. She would have to lean over his body to sprinkle the elixir on his eyes. The bed was tall. She must carefully climb up to do this task properly. She only hoped she didn’t jostle the mattress enough to wake him.

She waited in silence for a few moments to ensure his breathing remained steady, then she carefully lifted first one knee and then the other, bracing them on the mattress and pulling herself up, still clutching the vial. She winced as he moved slightly in his sleep, but he kept his face turned away. Blast it.

Once she was fully atop the bed, she paused and hoped the hammering of her heart didn’t wake him. He smelled good, a combination of soap and maleness that she wanted to breathe in. There was something vaguely familiar about his scent.

Shaking away that unhelpful thought, she moved gingerly across the mattress on her knees until she came to a stop at his side. His shirt was off. The beam of moonlight hit his smooth, muscled arm. She swallowed. The man’s chest was positively swoon-worthy. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and uncorked the vial. Then she carefully leaned over as far as she could to locate his eyes. They remained shrouded in the dark, but she took a guess as to their general direction and tipped the little vial as slowly and carefully as she could. He turned then, and she was afforded enough light to see that the first tiny drop of liquid did indeed fall directly onto his eyelid.

He blinked, and she held her breath. When he settled back into sleep, she closed her eyes and said a brief prayer that she would get away with it a second time before tipping the vial once more to allow another tiny drop to fall on his other eyelid.

He blinked and rubbed at his eyes while Delilah held her breath again, paralyzed with fear. Soon, he settled back into his pillow and his breathing returned to its steady pace.

She pressed a hand to her throat. It was over. She was done. All she had to do was extract herself from the bed and the room without being seen or heard. The difficult part was behind her.

Still praying he wouldn’t stir, she backed away from the duke. Slowly. Slowly. She’d nearly made it to the edge of the bed when he flipped over to face her. A beam of moonlight slid over his sleeping features.

Delilah gasped.


What do you think? Are you excited about this book?
Tomorrow Valerie Bowman will be visiting us and answering a few questions.
And a review of the book will be out soon 😊




About the author:
Valerie Bowman’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.

Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her mini-schnauzers, Huckleberry and Violet. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.


Connect with Valerie Bowman:


Website

Thursday 25 April 2019

[Review] The Discerning Gentleman's Guide, by Virginia Heath



Title The Discerning Gentleman's Guide
Series: --
Author: Virginia Heath
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Number of pages: 368
Publication date: 03 Nov 2016


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery
Synopsis:
"Choosing a wife is not a task that should be undertaken lightly."

Bennett Montague, sixteenth Duke of Aveley, is seeking the perfect bride. He's narrowed his search to five worthy "Potentials"…until the arrival of his aunt's companion unravels his carefully laid plans.

Having fought for everything she has, Amelia Mansfield is incensed by Bennett's wife-selection methods. But as she's forced to spend time in his company, she begins to see another side to Bennett—and that man is infinitely more tantalizing and enticing…


Review:
I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.


First of all, I love the title. It makes me want to know more about the book right away.

Bennett Montague, sixteenth Duke of Aveley, is an interesting man. He wishes to follow his father’s footsteps, but he is so different from his father, that it doesn’t work. He wants a wife who is pretty much “perfect”, as in the perfect politician’s wife. And, of course, he has a list. And he’s narrowed it down.

Enter Amelia Mansfield, who definitely does not fit the mould his looking for. She’s stubborn, and feisty. And she becomes rather indignant with the way Bennett chooses to find and select a wife.

There’s lots of banter, and you could feel the tension between the two characters.

I really liked Bennett, how he grew to understand he was behaving in a way that did not match his personality, and he was trying to be someone he was not. And when he realized he could do his best by just being him, that’s when everything changed for both our main characters.

The book also discusses politics and how people of different stations lived in during the time period. It’s interesting to see how Amelia, who has been trying to adapt to her situation as much as she can, also battles herself about how to make the world, and especially Bennett, see the true life of the poor and weak.

An entertaining and romantic book, with just the right amount of conflict.



Wednesday 24 April 2019

[Review] Never Deny A Duke, by Madeline Hunter



Title: Never Deny A Duke
Series: Decadent Dukes Society #3
Author: Madeline Hunter
Publisher: Zebra
Number of pages: 304
Publication date: April 30th 2019


Synopsis:
He is the last duke standing...

...the sole remaining bachelor of the three self-proclaimed Decadent Dukes. Yet Davina MacCallum’s reasons for searching out the handsome Duke of Brentworth have nothing to do with marriage. Scottish lands were unfairly confiscated from her family by the Crown and given to his. A reasonable man with vast holdings can surely part with one trivial estate, especially when Davina intends to put it to good use. Brentworth, however, is as difficult to persuade as he is to resist.

The Duke of Brentworth’s discretion and steely control make him an enigma even to his best friends. Women especially find him inscrutable and unapproachable—but also compellingly magnetic. So when Davina MacCallum shows no signs of being even mildly impressed by him, he is intrigued. Until he learns that her mission in London involves claims against his estate. Soon the two of them are engaged in a contest that allows no compromise. When duty and desire collide, the best laid plans are about to take a scandalous turn—into the very heart of passion...


Review:
I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.


I’m going to be completely and utterly honest with you: I was a bit afraid to read this book. If you follow this amazing author on social media, you might know her husband, Warren, passed away on February 2018. I had the immense pleasure to meet this lovely couple in person (thank you again, Madeline, for visiting Lisbon!) and had dinner with them in an informal setting. And, of course it is a dream come true to meet one your favourite authors, but I would also like to mention how sweet and caring Warren was.

And so, what do you do when your “best friend, [your] great love, and biggest supporter” (Madeline’s Facebook Post ) passes away? I can only imagine how hard that must be, and how hard it must be to continue to write beautiful love stories.

So, yes, I was a bit apprehensive to read Madeline’s new book, simply because I was afraid such an event could have changed the way she wrote/expressed those love stories. Thankfully, I didn’t need to be.

Never Deny A Duke was a great book. It had the right amount of romance, a good plot line that introduced the characters and circumstances in a way that was easy to follow and to make us fall in love with such characters.

Eric and Davina had different purposes in their lives, and at some point that collided. And here’s where the story starts, with a land dispute. And all could be solved (in a male point of view, of course) with a simple arranged marriage that would take care of everything. But Davina isn’t a fool, and Eric isn’t interested. And even when that interest changes for both of them, Davina’s pursuit of the truth doesn’t, which was the thing I most liked about her.

Stories that mix Scots and English are always fun, simply because they may share a country, but they are, in their true essence, very different types of people. Our Scottish heroine Davina MacCallum, is fighting for what she believes to be her inheritance, and our British hero, Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth, is fighting for what he believes to be rightfully his – even if it is something that has its own (dark) baggage.

I loved how the couple looked together for the truth, in a forced proximity kind of scenario, and how that allowed them to understand each other better, and to develop and attraction, and later on a lasting, loving relationship.

A great book that ticked almost all of the right boxes.



Tuesday 23 April 2019

[Review] Anything But a Duke, by Christy Carlyle



Title: Anything But a Duke
Series: Duke's Den #2
Author: Christy Carlyle
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 368
Publication date: April 30th 2019



Synopsis:
Self-made man Aidan Iverson has seen more closed doors in his thirty years than he’s ever cared to count. As a member of the elite Duke’s Den, he has all the money he could possibly need, but the one thing he can’t purchase is true power. If roguish Aidan can’t buy his way into society’s hallowed halls, he’ll resort to a more extreme measure: marriage.

Brought up to be a proper lady, the only thing Diana Ashby desires is to be left alone to the creation of her own devices. But when her dreams are crushed, she must find another way to secure the future of her invention. Knowing his desire to enter her world, Diana strikes a deal to arrange Aidan’s marriage to the perfect lady—as long as that lady isn’t her. She doesn’t need any distractions from her work, particularly of the sinfully handsome variety.

As Diana and Aidan set out to find him an aristocratic match, neither are prepared for the passion that ignites between them or the love they can’t ignore.

In the Duke’s Den, can happiness ever be a winning prospect?


Review:
I received an ARC through a giveaway, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.


I love books with self-made heroes/heroines. And this book has both!

It was interesting to see how Diana worked hard to not lose focus, and to present her work in the best way.

I really like the kind of story that is about “deals” to find a husband/wife for the opposite character. And this is that kind of book.

It’s always amusing to see them trying to find someone for each other, but thinking/acting like they could never be the one for each other. And when they realize they are a match, and that any obstacles that might come their way can be dealt with, as long as they are together, then the story unfolds and we have our happy ending.

Aidan tries to help Diana with her inventions, and she tries to help him get the right bride. Of course, his definition of “the right bride” changes throughout the book, as he finds himself more and more in love with the woman that rescued him – literally.

This was the first book I’ve read written by this author, and it was a pleasant surprise. I shall be reading more for sure.