[Review] A Study in Scandal, by Caroline Linden

Title A Study in Scandal
Series: Scandalous #3.5
Author: Caroline Linden
Publisher: Caroline Linden
Number of pages: 130
Publication date: February 16 2016

Synopsis:

After a youthful infatuation went terribly wrong, Lady Samantha Lennox gave up all thought of suitors and happily-ever-after. But when she angers her strict and demanding father, the Earl of Stratford, he retaliates by arranging a marriage for her to a man she could never admire, much less love. In a panic, Samantha flees, only to find herself lost, alone, and nearly kidnapped--until an unlikely hero saves her.

George Churchill-Gray is an artist, not a knight in shining armor, but he doesn't hesitate to rescue Samantha from disaster and offer her sanctuary. He wouldn't mind if she repaid him by modeling for his latest painting. He's enchanted by her face...her smile...all of her, really. But with every study he sketches, he falls a little more in love with her, and Samantha begins to suspect her scandalous actions might lead to the sort of love she never thought to find...

Review:

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

Although not a fan of novellas, it’s always a pleasure to read one written by Caroline Linden.

The hero, Lord George, is an artist, and the way the author describes his works, and his portraits of Lady Samantha, is so good you can visualize them perfectly when reading.

I liked the chemistry and spark you could feel between the main characters. And how easy it was to hate/really dislike Samantha’s father, and therefore support Samantha and George in their love. A forced proximity kind of trope, I would say.

A short review for a delightful, yet short book.

[Review] More Than a Rogue, by Sophie Barnes

Title: More Than a Rogue
Series: The Crawfords #2
Author: Sophie Barnes
Publisher: Independently Published
Number of pages: 280
Publication date: June 25th 2019

Synopsis:

All she wanted was a kiss…

What she got, was fiery passion…

Emily Howard knows she is destined to be a spinster. She has accepted this fate, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to experience kissing. What she doesn't expect, is for Griffin Crawford, the handsomest man in the world, to do the honors. Or for all her female relations to discover her in his embrace. Naturally, marriage is instantly mentioned, but since Emily knows this is not what Griffin wants, she tries to escape him, her family and the ensuing scandal.

When Emily flees the Camberly ball in the wake of their kiss, Griffin goes in pursuit. He will not allow his sister-in-law's determined friend to risk her safety for any reason. And risk it she will if she means to return to her countryside home by herself. But the longer he remains in her company, the more he is tempted to kiss her again. If only he could risk falling in love and remain in England forever.

Review:

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

This is the second book I’ve read written by Sophie Barnes and… I think her books just aren’t for me.

It took me forever to read the book and, honestly, having finished it yesterday, I barely remember anything from it.

I didn’t connect with the characters, I wasn’t a fan of either Emily or Griffin. The book just didn’t do it for me. It was all about miscommunication, and jealousy, and insecurities.

Instead of being invested in the characters, I found myself wanting to slap them.

The writing was good, the problem for me was the plot and characters.

Sadly, it didn’t do it for me.

[Review] Project Duchess, by Sabrina Jeffreis

Title: Project Duchess
Series: Duke Dynasty #1
Author: Sabrina Jeffreis
Publisher: Zebra
Number of pages: 352
Publication date: June 25th 2019

Synopsis:

A series of stepfathers and a difficult childhood have left Fletcher "Grey" Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt, with a guarded heart, enviable wealth, and the undeserved reputation of a rogue. Grey's focus on expanding his dukedom allows him little time to find a wife. But when his mother is widowed yet again and he meets the charmingly unconventional woman managing his stepfather's funeral, he's shocked to discover how much they have in common. Still, Grey isn't interested in love, no matter how pretty, or delightfully outspoken, the lady...

Beatrice Wolfe gave up on romance long ago, and the arrogant Duke of Greycourt with his rakish reputation isn't exactly changing her mind. Then Grey agrees to assist his grief-stricken mother with her latest "project" schooling spirited, unfashionable Beatrice for her debut. Now that Beatrice is seeing through Grey's charms to his wounded heart, she's having trouble keeping him at arm's length. But once Grey starts digging into her family's secrets, she must decide whether her loyalties lie with her family...or with the man whose lessons capture her heart...

Review:

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

This is the first book in a brand new series about... Dukes!

Grey was a great character, I liked how fierce he was, how he grows throughout the book, how he deals with some things that are problematic (although here I do think some things could have been different, but I’ll expand on that next).

I wasn’t a fan of Beatrice… I didn’t connect with her. I understood some of her reactions, I think she had to go through a lot, and she handled herself the best she could, that’s not the point. I just… didn’t like her.

I liked the middle part of the book the best. The beginning felt a bit slow, and the end was rushed without actually having much happen… It did leave me with enough interest to read the next book in the series, especially since I liked the secondary characters more than the main ones. Joshua and Gwyn have a great chemistry, and I can’t wait to read their story.

Now, this is important. This book handles forms of abuse. Abuse from men towards women. Not rape, but still sexual abuse. Unwanted touching, blackmailing, disgusting comments… Beatrice did have to endure a lot from someone she should have been able trust: her uncle.

Grey is super concerned if the heroine was raped – spoiler alert – she wasn’t. And, of course, he is relieved but, at the same time, it ends up being a bit of a dismissal of the other things Beatrice had to go through. Heroes, especially in (today’s) historical romance, seem always ready to go and defend the heroine’s honour (“let’s go and punch/hurt/kill the aggressor” kind of thing) and, even if it’s something protective, in a way it almost diminishes Beatrice’s role in standing up to herself – which she does.

Apart from that, I did enjoy the book enough to want to keep reading the series.

[Review] Rogue Most Wanted, by Janna MacGregor

Title: Rogue Most Wanted
Series: The Cavensham Heiresses #5
Author: Janna MacGregor
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: June 25th 2019

Synopsis:

There’s one creed all Cavensham men subscribe to: they fall in love completely and decidedly. But what happens when the woman you fall in love with swears she'll only marry you as a last resort? Rogue Most Wanted is the next book in the sparkling, romantic Cavensham Heiress series by Janna MacGregor.

She needs to marry someone.

Lady Theodora Worth needs to marry fast in order to keep her estate. It’s been her heart and home for years, and she’ll not lose it to anyone. There’s just one problem—as a woman who was raised in isolation by her grandfather, she’s completely incapable of pouring a cup of tea, never mind wooing a man. She’ll need a little matchmaking help from her sprightly next-door neighbor in order to find a convenient husband…

It's just not going to be him.

Lord William Cavensham’s heart was broken years ago, and since that day he vowed to never love again. But his spirited Great Aunt Stella is determined he’ll marry or not inherit a single penny from her. And she’s got just the woman in mind—her beautiful and completely hapless next-door neighbor, Thea…

Thea and Will agree there’s no sense in marrying each other. Will wholeheartedly believes he’s incapable of love, and Thea refuses to marry the first man she’s practically met. But Will may be the rogue Thea wants the most after all…

Review:

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

When you choose a book by Janna MacGregor, you’re choosing well.

Rogue Most Wanted is funny, and romantic, and makes you feels good in all the right places.

I loved the characters, and identified very easily with them. Will had been hurt before, and Thea is willing to do almost anything to save and help those that depend on her – even if it means she’ll be unhappy.

They start as friends and end up in a fake engagement at the end to heat things up.

There’s no insta-love in this book. Will and Thea get to know each other, and fall in love slowly, and completely. I love their relationship, and how they become friends and then lovers.

The secondary characters are great! Will’s great-aunt, Stella, is the mastermind behind Will and Thea’s relationship, with the help of her best friend. These two older ladies provide a fun element to the book, with their conversations and tricks to help the lovebirds understand they belong together.

And it’s always a pleasure to re-visit characters we met in previous books. The Cavensham’s are a great family, they stick together, are very loyal, very friendly, and they not afraid to tell each other harsh truths when needed.

Theodora is alone in the world, and all she ever wanted was a family, friends, people she could rely on – and she found it with Will and his family. She fights for her title, her land, and her people, and the Cavensham’s are there to support her – by helping her enter London’s society. Thea has to prove she’s a countess, but due to being away from society – and everyone actually! – for almost all of her life, she doesn’t even know the basics of how to behave herself in society.

The book goes around her learning, and her connection with Will, and his family. As a reader, you feel so happy for Thea, she deserves to be happy, and have friends, and family. And Will, who was dumped when he believed to be in love, also deserves to have his life turned around. He evolves, and opens up, and finally learns to love again.

In short, you can’t go wrong with this book.

[Book Quotes] Some Like It Scandalous, by Maya Rodale

Today I'm sharing a favourite book quote!

This new type of post is something I had been thinking about doing for some time,
and while reading Some Like It Scandalous, by Maya Rodale, I found the perfect quote, that I just had to share:


"It’s the suggestion of pride in one’s appearance. 
It’s a suggestion that a woman believes she is worthy of adornment and feeling beautiful and put-together.
It’s the suggestion of money of her own, probably that she earned. 
It’s not just lip paint. 
It is a declaration that a woman is not content with what God gave her and she believes that she can do better. 
It’s a command to look at her mouth and listen to what she has to say. 
And that is why it’s so shocking."

[From Some Like It Scandalous, Copyright Maya Rodale (June 2019)]

I loved this quote so much because it's so strong, so inspiring! What do you think about this quote? Does it make you want to read the book?

Do you have any favourite quotes you'd like to share? 😊

[Review] Some Like It Scandalous, by Maya Rodale

Title Some Like It Scandalous
Series:The Gilded Age Girls Club #2
Author: Maya Rodale
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 368
Publication date: June 18th 2019

Synopsis:

They are sworn enemies…

Theodore Prescott the Third, one of Manhattan’s Rogues of Millionaire Row, has really done it this time. The only way to survive his most recent, unspeakably outrageous scandal is marry someone respectable. Someone sensible. Someone like Daisy Swan. Of all the girls in Gilded Age Manhattan, it had to be her.

Pretending to be lovers...

Daisy Swan has plans and they do not involve a loveless marriage with anyone. But when a devastating family secret threatens to destroy her standing in society, suddenly a fake engagement with Theo is just the thing to make all her dreams come true.

And now it’s time to kiss and make up…

Daisy Swan aspires to sell cosmetics that she has created, but this brainy scientist needs a smooth talking charmer’s flair for words and eye for beauty to make it a success. Before long, Daisy and Theo are trading kisses. And secrets. And discovering that despite appearances, they might be the perfect couple after all.

Review:

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

Some Like It Scandalous is the second book in The Gilded Age Girls Club and it’s an enemies to lovers kind of story.

I had a problem with this story that in a way stopped me from enjoying it as much as I could have.

Theo was a bully, as a kid. But his actions had repercussions until adult life. And who was the target of his mean, hurtful words? Daisy Swan. Daisy is a great character. She is fearless, intrepid, intelligent, courageous… And Theo…. Theo is lost. He has no idea what to with his life – completely opposite to Daisy, who has everything planned out. Theo is not bad… He just doesn’t think things through, until his father gives him an ultimatum and he has to change his life. And Daisy is backed up into a corner by her mother, who doesn’t want to see her daughter become a spinster.

An amazing chemist, Daisy may not be a beauty, but she does have a gorgeous complexion, all because of a cream recipe that had been in her family and that she had improved. But she needed help to launch it… and here comes another great trope in the romance world: fake engagement.

Theo has a way with words, and Daisy creates amazing “cosmetics”. They become a team, and their relationship evolves from being enemies, to friends, to something else and, finally, to lovers.

Daisy is a fierce woman! She knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to go after it. She has amazing friends, that support her even if they don’t completely agree with her – what more can we ask of a friend, right?

And Theo improves throughout the book, without a doubt, but I still didn’t connect with him.

It was a great Gilded Age book, and it had very good characters, with a very pleasant writing style that pulls us into the story, but the fact that I didn’t like the male character kept me from enjoying this book as much as I could have had.

[Q&A] Maya Rodale and The Gilded Age Girls Club

Today I'm sharing an interview done by Entertainment Weekly!

Maya Rodale was interviwed by EW, and she talked about her series The Gilded Age Girls Club!

Here's the transcrip of her interview, done by Maureen Lee Lenker at EW:

Q: You came to romance a bit late in undergrad, but then wrote your graduate thesis on the genre — how’d you make that jump?
A: Most readers start reading romance when they’re like 12, and they steal it from their moms. I was at NYU majoring in women in fiction as writers and characters, an NYU interdisciplinary major, and my mom was reading romances at the time. She was like, “You can’t get that degree without reading the most popular and profitable books by women and for women ever.” I laughed at her, and I was like, “Those are stupid books for stupid people.” I’m reading Ulysses. But she persisted, and I was like "Fine, give me a syllabus", and she did. They’re wonderful stories, so of course, I started devouring everything I could get my hands on. But the question of how I knew to laugh when she told me to read them stuck with me. I didn’t know anyone who read them. I didn’t have any actual interaction with romance readers. Where did this come from? They’re not talked about in school at all. How did I even know what a romance novel was? I started researching it more in my graduate degree. I was reading a lot about the invention of the novel, and the publishing industry over the years, formulating this idea of how I knew to laugh when we talk about romance novels. Also, why they’re actually not stupid books for stupid women and how they’re the most subversive, empowering things, even when they promote questionable stories or values or whatever. My mom made me do it is the short answer.

Q: A lot of your books have direct pop culture ties – have you always been an avid film and television watcher? Why turn to that for story inspiration?
A: I’m always interested in [the idea that] it’s a book set then, but it’s about us now. They’re [an] escape, but we’re always looking to stories to tell us about ourselves and the world we live in. Bringing pop culture to historical romance is the most natural thing in the world. It makes it relevant and interesting and refreshing to me. I write Gilded Age now, and I love it because the time period allows me to historically accurate but still incorporate what’s happening now in a much more authentic and genuine way.

Q: Speaking of moving to the Gilded Age from Regency, what made you want do that?
A: I probably shouldn’t say this, but I got tired of the Regency and trying to fit characters and storylines into a time period that wasn’t the most natural fit. And it’s like 20 minutes in the span of human history. It’s wonderful and I still read it and love it and may go back to it, but I’ve written 15 or something Regencies, and I was ready for a new challenge. I still have a duke. He’s a very different duke because he’s in such a different time period where you’re not the most powerful anymore. Your title is not enough in this world — you have to make something of yourself to be worthy of this heroine and this title of hero. I found myself writing more of a story where the hero transforms dramatically. We talk a lot about the heroine transforming in her story, but what if she’s just awesome from page one? What if the story is everyone else realizing it, not her coming into her own?

Q: So this era grants more opportunities and independence for heroines?
A: Yeah. She’s a seamstress from the Lower East Side tenements, and she aspires to be a dressmaker. I could have done that in the Regency, but there was a little more mobility and fluidity and acceptance of a woman making her own business. The other aspect is there’s a secret ladies club, the Ladies of Liberty. They’re a mix of female entrepreneurs or society women, and they come together to advance women’s interests, individually or collectively. That’s so Gilded Age. It’s when the women’s club movement started; it’s the progressive era; it’s suffrage. The idea of women forming a club to help other women is so historically accurate to the Gilded Age, but it’s also so the spirit of now.

Q: What’s your research process?
A: For this, it was way more intense because I had to learn everything from scratch. I read books. I found amazing books for this and people’s master’s theses. I’m so appreciative of the work women have done. I found one book on millinery and the dress making trade from 1850 to 1900, and it was just this gold mine. This other one was like Women of Work, Ladies of Adventure, something like that, and the process of women as they went to work and left these traditional cultures and got their own money and had leisure time.

Q: Is this based on a particular movie?
A: No. But it’s based on the whole thing where the impoverished British aristocrat came to find an American heiress. Very Downton [Abbey]. My dressmaking heroine puts pockets in all of her dresses. There’s a scene where she’s talking with the hero and he’s like “What does a woman need pockets for?” She’s like, “Lipstick, love letters, money of her own.” I have my heroine going out to party with a guy with a condom in her pocket. I’ll see what the die-hard historical romance fans think of that, but, a girl’s got to be smart and safe.

Q: Do you think romance will ever get to a place where we don’t have to legitimize it over and over?
A: After writing Dangerous Books for Girls, my feeling is that we stigmatize romance because it’s women and money. It suffers from the whole cheap lowbrow art thing that every art form has. It’s the same way a summer blockbuster doesn’t get the same critical attention as your Oscar bait movie. That’s a bigger issue than romance. It’s how we value art in general. And then how we value women and women’s stuff. I see that changing. From when I wrote my thesis originally, it was there are no examples of romance in the press except for these four and they’re bad. Then even when I re-wrote it three years later, it was very rarely mentioned in the press — here’s like 7 examples where it’s mentioned and they’re bad but also here’s a few where they’re getting better. Now, the New York Times is covering it; EW is covering it; Bustle is covering it. People are enthusiastic about it now. That’s the best thing Fifty Shades of Grey did. It was too big not to talk about, and then we started talking about it in all these media spaces that would never pay attention to romance before.

Q: How much has romance changed in terms of how it deals with consent?
A: Every time we talk about that I think about when I first started writing, the big thing was romance authors always included mentions of condoms. We were always thinking about foregrounding that and thinking about sex and the implications of how we write sex on the page. So I’m not surprised we’re leading the way on consent and sex in romance, and I’m glad people are looking to us. Readers have always been looking to romance whether they realize it or not. Romance is so powerful because we’re saying This is what a good relationship looks like. This is what a good sex looks like. This is how you should be treated. Authors have a very powerful responsibility. We’ve been making the effort to show consent, but I’m glad people are recognizing here’s an example of how to write about sex that’s good for both people and is still sexy. That brings up the thing of should men be reading more romance? Yes, but then what does that do to this women’s safe space and this subversive thing if men start reading it and then they want to write it and it’s not this awesome women’s only thing anymore? If we can let ourselves really reckon with all of this, we’ll come out stronger and more relevant than ever.

Thank you to the publisher, Avon, for sharing this interview with Romancing Romances. You can find the original interview done by EW here.

Dear readers stick around, for I'll have a review of Maya Rodale's new book,
Some Like It Scandalous, the second book of The Gilded Age Girls Club, tomorrow! 😊

Title Some Like It Scandalous
Series: The Gilded Age Girls Club #2
Author: Maya Rodale
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 368
Publication date: June 18th 2019

Synopsis:

They are sworn enemies…

Theodore Prescott the Third, one of Manhattan’s Rogues of Millionaire Row, has really done it this time. The only way to survive his most recent, unspeakably outrageous scandal is marry someone respectable. Someone sensible. Someone like Daisy Swan. Of all the girls in Gilded Age Manhattan, it had to be her.

Pretending to be lovers...

Daisy Swan has plans and they do not involve a loveless marriage with anyone. But when a devastating family secret threatens to destroy her standing in society, suddenly a fake engagement with Theo is just the thing to make all her dreams come true.

And now it’s time to kiss and make up…

Daisy Swan aspires to sell cosmetics that she has created, but this brainy scientist needs a smooth talking charmer’s flair for words and eye for beauty to make it a success. Before long, Daisy and Theo are trading kisses. And secrets. And discovering that despite appearances, they might be the perfect couple after all.

Order now!

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Books-a-Million | Book Depository | Kobo | Powell's | IndieBound

About the author:
Maya Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence. She is now the bestselling and award winning author of smart and sassy romances. She lives in New York City with her darling dog and a rogue of her own.

Maya has never shied away from putting politics into her books. With Some Like It Scandalous , she has created a strikingly feminist heroine at the upstart of the suffragette movement whose dream is to start her own cosmetics business in a time where cosmetics were worn by a certain “type” of woman. Maya has spoken about feminism in the romance genre in multiple panels, and is available for comment on this topic.

In addition to her bestselling work as a romance novelist, Maya is also a journalist and book reviewer, published by NPR Books, Bustle, The Washington Post, and more.


Connect with Maya Rodale:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

BookbBub

Goodreads

Pinterest

[Review] The Determined Lord Hadleigh, by Virginia Heath

Title: The Determined Lord Hadleigh
Series: The King's Elite #4
Author: Virginia Heath
Publisher: Mills & Boon Historical
Number of pages: 288
Publication date: June 27th 2019

Synopsis:

He’s got iron control…

But she might be his undoing!

Part of The King’s Elite: Haunted by Penny Penhurst’s courage on the witness stand, meticulous barrister Lord Hadleigh offers her a housekeeper position at his estate. Despite trying to stay detached, Hadleigh is charmed by her small child and surprised by how much he yearns for this proud woman! Can he break through his own—and Penny’s—barriers to prove he’s a man she can trust…and love?

Review:

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

This this is the final instalment of the King’s Elite. And what a great ending!

In this book, we do not have a spy, but a lawyer (or barrister) instead: Lord Tristan Hadleigh.

We have a saying here in Portugal: “De boas intenções está o inferno cheio”, which means the same as the English saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. And in this book, our main character tries to do his best, with his best intentions, but things take some time before they fall in place. As a barrister, Hadleigh tries to uphold the law and the truth, but he also realizes that the law is at serious fault when it comes to women and their rights. And so, due to some of his personal history that I will not divulge so not to spoil the book for you, dear reader, he acts has an anonymous contributor to help the women that need assistance after lawsuits and other legal actions done against their husbands and families.

And that’s what leads us to our main couple. Hadleigh is in court, and a traitor is on trial. His wife and child are left with nothing. He feels somewhat responsible, and tries to help.

But Penny doesn’t want any help. After years of being controlled, this amazing woman wants only her freedom, and she will do what it takes to take care of her little boy, Freddie, and herself.

Penny is a friend of Clarissa, the heroine in the first book, and so she knows about the King’s Elite. And she believes the anonymous helper is her friend. When she finds out that Lord Hadleigh is actually the one helping, she doesn’t get it, and he doesn’t understand why she won’t accept his help.

It’s a very clever plot point, that shows how good actions may have a different and unpredictable outcome. They get to know each other, and they both learn to trust and make (healthy, reasonable) compromises for what they really want in life, and of each other.

It had some funny moments, with the gossip between the ladies, and it was great to revisit old characters.

I loved the chemistry Penny and Tristan had, and how adorable Freddie was. And even more: how great Tristan was with Freddie, it just melts your heart.

One of the best books I’ve read this year. A great ending to a great series.



P.S. The epilogue was awesome – you will love the reunion and… a few things more.