[Review] An Outlaw's Honor, by Terri Brisbin

Title An Outlaw's Honor
Series: Midsummer Knights #6
Author: Terri Brisbin
Publisher: Luckenbooth Press
Number of pages: 188
Publication date: July 7th 2020

Synopsis:

A Midsummer Knights Romance: A Tournament World of Chivalry, Intrigue, and Passion

When the only man she can trust is known for his dishonorable past, what could go wrong?

A Dishonorable Man
Thomas Brisbois of Kelso has only one goal when he arrives at the tournament—to defeat the only knight who ever bested him in battle. If he succeeds, the Scottish king will return to him his lands, his honor and his life. He has little interest in other prizes, and even less when he learns that the lord for whom his rival fights has included a daughter among the spoils at stake in their contest—a lovely daughter with no desire to play the pawn, or to see her father's champion win. She is a distraction, all the more after she explains her own ideas about which knight shall have her, and how and when.

A Desperate Woman
Annora may be a pawn in her father’s plans but she has no intention of letting that happen without a fight of her own. When she sees the frank desire in Thomas’ gaze for her, she makes her own offer—she’ll help him win if he’ll let her go... after he beds her. Her plans go awry when she discovers the truth of the man beneath the armor. The man who had lost everything and struggles to regain his life.

Only the ultimate tournament battle will reveal if she’s made the biggest mistake of her life or if she’s found the answer to all her problems in trusting an outlaw’s honor.

Review:

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

An Outlaw’s Honor is a novella in the series Midsummer Knights. I enjoyed this story, even though it left a few loose ends at the end.

The spark between Thomas, our hero, and Annora, our heroine, was palpable, but never scary. I really liked their connection.

The villain(s) is horrible! Le Govic is well thought, and the kind of person whom you definitely don’t want to meet, and that makes your skin crawl. I would have liked to know exactly what happened to him at the end of the tournament, just to make sure he wouldn’t hurt anyone else.

I liked the love story, even though sometimes it seemed… not very believable…?

In the end, I liked reading this novella, but that’s just about it.

[Review] Say Yes to the Duke, by Eloisa James

Title Say Yes To The Duke
Series: The Wildes of Lindow Castle #5
Author: Eloisa James
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 400
Publication date: May 19th 2020

Synopsis:

A shy wallflower meets her dream man--or does she?--in the next book in New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James' Wildes of Lindow series.

Miss Viola Astley is so painfully shy that she’s horrified by the mere idea of dancing with a stranger; her upcoming London debut feels like a nightmare.

So she’s overjoyed to meet handsome, quiet vicar with no interest in polite society — but just when she catches his attention, her reputation is compromised by a duke.

Devin Lucas Augustus Elstan, Duke of Wynter, will stop at nothing to marry Viola, including marrying a woman whom he believes to be in love with another man.

A vicar, no less.

Devin knows he’s no saint, but he’s used to conquest, and he’s determined to win Viola’s heart.

Viola has already said Yes to his proposal, but now he wants her unruly heart…and he won’t accept No for an answer.

Review:

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

I have a feeling my opinion is going to be very different than most people’s, regarding this book.

I really like Eloisa James’ books, but this one suffers from the same problem of a book I’ve also read very, very recently. The plot is almost inexistent. Hey, if that’s your thing, great! It’s a light, fun, sexy book. But I warn you, the secondary characters have a more detailed story than the main ones.

Some people described this story as enemies to lovers. I don’t actually agree with that, as I don’t consider Viola and Devin to have been enemies at any point. She might have disliked him slightly in the beginning, but that changed so quickly that I can’t consider this an enemies to lovers trope. In fact, I’m having a hard time defining a trope for it at all.

I liked Devin and Viola just fine – they were fun, Devin comes down from his high horse (hello Duke!), and Viola becomes more sure of herself throughout the book. And they have very romantic, loving, sexy, I would even say hot times, but… that’s it. I reached 90% of the book and just thought: “well, there’s nothing else of value happening now”, and I was right.

So… this isn’t a bad book, or anything similar. Eloisa’s great writing skills definitely show through the book, but the plot was somewhat lacking. If you’re looking for a light, fun, simply entertaining book, that this is a great choice. Just don’t expect anything else.

[Review] First Comes Scandal, by Julia Quinn

Title First Comes Scandal
Series: Rokesbys #4
Author: Julia Quinn
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: April 21st 2020

Synopsis:

She was given two choices...

Georgiana Bridgerton isn't against the idea of marriage. She'd just thought she'd have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she's abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her life as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.

Enter Option #3

As the fourth son of an earl, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to chart his own course. He has a life in Edinburgh, where he's close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time—or interest—to find a wife. But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton—his literal girl-next-door—is facing ruin, he knows what he must do.

A Marriage of Convenience

It might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she'd say no. Georgie doesn't want to be anyone's sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends... or could they?

But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship, they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme. First comes scandal, then comes marriage. But after that comes love...

Review:

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

Julia Quinn is one of my favourite authors, and I can’t tell you how ecstatic I was when I saw that I had been given the opportunity to read the last book in the Rokesby series, the Bridgerton prequel.

This is the story of Nicholas and Georgiana (Georgie). I like marriage of convenience stories, and I thought I would really enjoy this one, pretty much until I got to 98% of the book. Because that’s when I realized I had been waiting for the plot to move, for the twist, the drama, something. And there was none of it. I even went to check if this was a novella or something of such, because I couldn’t believe so little had happened and the book was now over. I’m pretty sure my flatmates think I’m slightly crazy as I was rambling around the house talking to myself about how this didn’t make sense, and I was confused, and not happy.

First things first. It has lots of banter, it’s a funny book, and has great Easter eggs. I mean… young Anthony and Benedict, and always hungry baby Colin. How adorable is that? I loved the glimpse into Edward and Violet’s wedding bliss, but it wasn’t enough to make me forget that in truth… there really isn’t a proper, full, complete plot in this book. And it breaks my heart to say this, as I love, love, love Julia Quinn’s books. But this one… it almost felt like she didn’t have much to give us, and so this is what was available…?

It probably isn’t as bad as you might be thinking, reading this. I loved getting to know Nicholas, a med student, and Georgie, a young lady who has a very clever mind, who just wants to learn everything related to Medicine. And cats, I loved the cats, but they disappeared after the carriage ride from Kent to Edinburgh. What happened to Cat-head, and Judith, and Blanche? Did Cat-Head ever warm up to Nicholas, and vice-versa?

We have a virgin hero and a virgin heroine in this book, and it’s adorable, and sexy, and romantic, to see them grow together as a married couple. But… that’s just it. There was no conflict. Maybe the beginning of the book was supposed to be the conflict? With Nicholas and Georgie being slightly reluctant to marry one another? But that was fixed from day to night, literally. And then… that was it.

I actually enjoyed the book, I just feel that it wasn’t complete. So… I’m giving it 3.5* but plot wise (and I can’t believe I’m saying this)… It probably wouldn’t reach a 3*.

Still funny, and romantic, but definitely not as good as the previous books.

[Review] Dukes Prefer Blondes, by Loretta Chase

Title Dukes Prefer Blondes
Series: The Dressmakers #4
Author: Loretta Chase
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 372
Publication date: December 29th 2015

Synopsis:

Biweekly marriage proposals from men who can't see beyond her (admittedly breathtaking) looks are starting to get on Lady Clara Fairfax's nerves. Desperate to be something more than ornamental, she escapes to her favorite charity. When a child is in trouble, she turns to tall, dark, and annoying barrister Oliver Radford.

Though he's unexpectedly found himself in line to inherit a dukedom, Radford's never been part of fashionable society, and the blonde beauty, though not entirely bereft of brains, isn't part of his plans. But Clara overwhelms even his infallible logic, and when wedlock looms, all he can do is try not to lose his head over her.

It's an inconvenient marriage by ordinary standards, but these two are far from ordinary. Can the ton's most adored heiress and London's most difficult bachelor fall victim to their own unruly desires?

Review:

This was the final book in the dressmakers series, a series I really liked. Although the dressmakers are sisters, Clara Fairfax is not one of them, but a customer who became a friend instead.

I had really high expectations for this book, and sadly it didn’t meet them as much as I wanted.

The relationship between Clara and the male lead, Raven, felt somewhat lacking. I liked their battle of wits, and how we could see the world through their different views, but it just wasn’t as good as the previous book in the series.

Raven, aka Oliver Radford, is super logical and not good with feelings. It’s fun to see him come around to what he Clara have together, and there are some very good romantic scenes in the book.

It's beautifully written, as always, but I just don’t know what else to say. It was good, but still somewhat disappointing.

[Review] The Girl With The Pearl Pin, by Lynne Connolly

Title The Girl With The Pearl Pin
Series: The Society for Single Ladies #1
Author: Lynne Connolly
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Number of pages: 232
Publication date: September 10th 2019

Synopsis:

Founded by the wealthiest woman in London, an unconventional crime-solving club brings together single lords and overlooked ladies from every rung of society. It’s a perfectly scandalous match...

As London’s most sought-after bachelor, the Duke of Leomore stuns society when he announces his engagement to a woman who has just been branded a thief. Yet as his painfully shy “bride-to-be” understands, it is merely a ruse until The Society for Single Ladies apprehends the true culprit—and a ploy to further delay Leo’s obligation to wed. For him, marriage will be a purely practical affair. Still, why does a stolen kiss with his faux fiancée conjure such tempting visions of romance?

As if being falsely accused weren’t mortifying enough, Phoebe North is now the talk of the town. And while she knows Leo did the honorable thing to protect her reputation, she can’t help but long for more. It would be an impossible match given their unequal stations, and Leo has made his view of marriage quite clear. Yet his kiss and flirtatious ways say something else. If only she could persuade him of how delightful it would be to thumb their noses at convention—and become fools for love...

Review:

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

This was my first time reading a book by Lynne Connolly. To be honest, I don’t actually know what I was expecting.

This book is a bit slow, particularly in the beginning, but it gets better closer to the end.

The best thing about the book for me was the Society for Single Ladies, yet we saw so little of them… Hopefully they’ll get a bigger spotlight in the next books.

I liked Phoebe more than Leomore, he was a bit too possessive for my liking, but in the end he gets better. Phoebe is a clever young woman, and she deserves to be happy.

The mystery didn’t really work for me, I was pretty sure of the result right from the beginning.

Angela, Phoebe’s best friend, is one of the best characters of the book, and I think her story will be more interesting.

The romance wasn’t bad, but it could have been better… There just wasn’t enough chemistry for me between the main characters.

This is the kind of book that doesn’t really stick with you, it’s pleasant, but that’s just about it.

[Review] The Infamous Duchess, by Sophie Barnes

Title The Infamous Duchess
Series: Diamonds in the Rough #4
Author: Sophie Barnes
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: March 26th 2019

Synopsis:

A woman with a shocking past…

Branded a money-hungry con artist for marrying the elderly Duke of Tremaine days before his death, Viola Cartwright has found refuge in her work at St. Agatha’s Hospital. No one must know the painful reason behind her marriage. She steers clear of attachments—until Henry Lowell, heir to the Viscount Armswell, lands on her operating table after a duel. Charming and wickedly handsome, Lowell is one of London’s most inveterate scoundrels. Yet he may not be all that he appears.

And the man who can promise a future filled with love…

Posing as an unrepentant rake has helped Lowell avoid women pursuing him only for his title. But now that duty has finally called on him to marry, he finds himself entranced by the mysterious, independent-minded Viola. Then her late husband’s son returns from overseas, contesting Viola’s inheritance. Lowell longs to help her and sets out to convince Viola that a strategic union may be the best way to save all she holds dear. But can he also persuade her to take a chance on love…?

Review:

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

This is a mixed feelings book. I was really liking it in the beginning, but then our hero, Henry Lowell, kept saying something that was annoying me and that I don’t personally like – something like “She’ll be mine no matter what”. And I don’t like that because every time I read that sentence or a similar one, all I could think about was that he didn’t really care about our heroine, Viola, he simply saw her as a prize to be own, no matter what. I wouldn’t be mentioning it if it was something he had said/thought once, but no, he keeps thinking/saying it. He evolves as a character to someone who learns to love and who actually sees Viola as a person and not a prize, but his mind-set doesn’t seem to change, which is one of the reasons why I couldn’t connect as much as I wanted to with this book, hence the rating not going over the 3*.

I really wanted to like Viola – she is a fierce, dedicated woman, a physician, even if she didn’t go to University, and in the beginning of the book she seems so confident, with a bit of sarcasms and wit, but as the book develops, she morphs into someone else, all that strength we saw in the beginning almost disappears… So, I really wanted to like her, but the author made it a bit difficult.

I have to say the best character – “construction” wise, I mean – was probably the villain. We hate him from beginning to end, and he behaves exactly like he should and as we expect him too – with an extra at the end that was perfect. And at that point we see the Viola from the beginning.

So, to be honest, I liked the beginning and the end, and the book isn’t badly written, or anything similar, it just didn’t allow me to connect to the characters enough for me to love them.

The character that most intrigued me and that actually left me wanting to know more was Carl Guthrie, the criminal from St. Giles – now that was someone who I would like to get to know better. Can’t wait to read his book. I’m sure it will be much better than this one.

[Review] The Scoundrel in Her Bed, by Lorraine Heath

Title The Scoundrel in Her Bed
Series: Sins for All Seasons #3
Author: Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 400
Publication date: February 26th 2019

Synopsis:

The third electrifying romance in Lorraine Heath's USA Today bestselling Sins of all Seasons series.

The bastard son of a nobleman, Finn Trewlove was a shameful secret raised by a stranger. As Finn came of age, he had secrets, too—the clandestine nights spent with an earl's daughter. But her promise of forever ended in betrayal.

Driven by a past that haunts her, Lady Lavinia Kent seeks redemption in London's underworld, engaged in a daring cause inspired by the young man to whom she gave her innocence, and who then proved himself a scoundrel by abandoning her.

When their paths cross again, they can't deny the yearning and desire that still burns. As they discover the truth behind the deceptions that tore them apart, Finn and Lavinia must fight to reclaim what they've lost, no matter how dangerous—because love is worth the risk...

Review:

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

I’m having a hard time rating this book.

I love Lorraine Heath, and the fact that she likes to talk about difficult issues in her books. But in this one, I think something was…maybe holding her back? I don’t know, I feel like it had something missing.

This is a lovers-reunited/second-chance lovers story. I have to admit, I didn’t feel very connected to the characters. I liked the young version, I did not, however, enjoy their transition. And, again, I think this has to do with the way the author dealt with their problems.

It’s hard to do a review without talking about something that does not show up in the synopsis, and therefore it is a spoiler, but that is the base of your concerns with the book.

Finn had a difficult life, and Lavinia was sheltered, as any nobility-born lady. But as they spend their together, she gets to know a different world. And then something happens that separates them. When they meet again, they are different people, but still harbour some of the same feelings they had years before.

I did not like Lavinia – I’m sorry, she went through a lot, I know, but I just couldn’t connect with her. Finn, on the other hand, was much easier to like and understand. I only liked Lavinia when she was young, and when she makes a right decision at the end of the book. I would, however, like to point out, she is doing her best to help those who need it, and I value that trait, no doubt.

I really liked Finn’s family, and I look forward to reading more their stories, even if this wasn’t my favourite book written by Lorraine Heath.

[Review] The Duke I Once Knew, by Olivia Drake

Title The Duke I Once Knew
Series: Unlikely Duchesses #1
Author: Olivia Drake
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Number of pages: 336
Publication date: December 31st 2018

Synopsis:

First love is always the sweetest.

For years, Abigail Linton devoted herself to caring for her aging parents and the children of her siblings. Now, eager to make her own life, she takes a position as governess on the neighboring estate. It shouldn’t matter that her absentee employer is Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, the infamous rake who once broke her youthful heart. Surely he’s forgotten her, for he hasn’t set foot on his estate for fifteen years. At least, that is, until he arrives unexpectedly.

Max is incensed to meet his sister’s new governess. But why does Abby appear just as displeased to see him when it was she who’d rejected him all those years ago? Why is he so drawn to the independent spinster she has become? And why is there a sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes that suggests they might have a second chance at love?

Review:

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

So… I’m not the biggest fan of the second chance trope, but this book handled it well. I really enjoyed how the author turned it around, maybe because the thing that had separated the couple the first was handled… well, not right away, but almost. Which meant they didn’t really had much stopping them from getting back together.

Abigail reminded me of… me, in a way. And I liked how she finally took the reins of her life and started making her own decisions. Go Abby! You can’t let your family make all the decisions – especially if they’re bad for you.

Max, on the other hand, is our typical moody, secret-y hero. Because talking never helped anyone, right? Abigail is good for him. She tries to keep her distance, but she really likes her new job as Max’s sister’s governess, so it’s hard to be away from him for a long time.

The love they once shared is still there, even if different, since they are now changed people.

I just didn’t like that Max didn’t really consider his sister – he always says he’s worried about her, and cares for her, but he rarely sees her, and then takes a group of strangers – with bad reputations – to his house, where his sister lives. The excuse he uses is okay in the beginning, but… it wasn’t credible enough for me.

Apart from that, I enjoyed this book, it was romantic and sweet, I just wished it had a more developed plot.

[Review] Devil in Tartan, by Julia London

Title Devil in Tartan
Series: Highland Grooms #4
Author: Julia London
Publisher: HQN Books
Number of pages: 379
Publication date: February 20th 2018

Synopsis:

Peril and passion on enemy seas…

Lottie Livingstone bears the weight of an island on her shoulders. Under threat of losing their home, she and her clan take to the seas to sell a shipload of illegal whiskey. When an attack leaves them vulnerable, she transforms from a maiden daughter to a clever warrior. For survival, she orchestrates the siege of a rival’s ship and now holds the devilish Scottish captain Aulay Mackenzie under her command.

Tied, captive and forced to watch a stunning siren commandeer the Mackenzie ship, Aulay burns with the desire to seize control—of the ship and Lottie. He has resigned himself to a life of solitude on the open seas, but her beauty tantalizes him like nothing has before. As authorities and enemies close in, he is torn between surrendering her to justice and defending her from assailants. He’ll lose her forever, unless he’s willing to sacrifice the unimaginable…

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the author

Devil in Tartan is the fourth book on the Highland Grooms series, by Julia London.

Having read the first three books, it’s impossible not to make comparisons between them. Sadly, for me, this was my least favourite book.

It had an interesting premise, and I liked Aulay, but I just couldn’t connect with Lottie.

Lottie is described as strong, courageous, fearsome woman, but even if she was trying to do her best to save the (illegal) family business, she just didn’t act nor did justice to her descriptions. She was, no doubt, intelligent enough to use her pretty face to fool men, but that didn’t make me like her more – it actually made me like her less.

And Aulay, although I did like him more than Lottie, he too was a bit of an empty character. He was a painter, which I liked, but felt it wasn’t explored enough. I liked that Julia London mentioned his role in the family, how he felt, because that made me connect with him more, but it just felt like it was lacking something.

I liked revisiting characters from the previous books, but it was for such a short while that it wasn’t enough to save the book from a simple 3 star rating.

I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as in the previous books, and I felt that with both Lottie’s crew and Aulay’s crew always around it felt a bit too crowded and there were too many characters (and sometimes I even got confused with who was whom – and I read the book in just two days, and rarely get lost in these books, but with this one it was hard to remember all the minor characters).

Julia London’s writing isn’t being put in question here, she was as good as always, I just felt like she tried to put too much in one book and ended up not focusing enough on what was really necessary. Still, it was a different read, and I managed to enjoy parts of it.