[Review] Would I Lie to the Duke, by Eva Leigh

Title Would I Lie to the Duke
Series: Union of the Rakes #2
Author: Eva Leigh
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: August 25th 2020

Synopsis:

When an ambitious entrepreneur pretends to be a lady of means, she catches the eye—and heart—of a duke...

Jessica McGale's family business desperately needs investors, and she's determined to succeed at any cost. But she knows London's elite will never look twice at a humble farm girl like herself. Posing as “Lady Whitfield,” however, places her in the orbit of wealthy, powerful people—most notably the Duke of Rotherby. His influence and support could save her company, but Jess never expected the effect he'd have on her.

Society thinks Noel is a notorious, carefree duke who dabbles in investments, but there's a side to him that only his closest friends see. When he crosses paths with Lady Whitfield at a business bazaar, his world tilts on its axis. She's brilliant and compelling, and brings him to his knees like no woman has before. Trust is difficult for Noel, but Jess makes him believe anything is possible...

As time ticks down on her Cinderella scheme, the thought of achieving her goal at Noel's expense breaks Jess' heart. He doesn't just want her now, he wants her forever. But will her secret end their future before it begins?

Review:

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

Would I Lie To The Duke is a book I had a hard time describing how it made me feel, for a very simple reason: I hate liars. [I like the fake relationship trope because both characters are aware and in on it]. And yet, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, with the exception of the moments I was reminded that Jess was lying, because she had several opportunities to tell the truth.

But let's start at the begging. Jess's family is in trouble and they might lose their livelihood, which is why she became a companion and is searching for people who will sell her family's soap in London, as well as invest in their factory.

Cue the Bazaar. A place where wealthy people look for their next profitable investments. It would be a dream to be able to present her project there.

After being rejected by Bond Street vendors, Jess meets (at a distance) the also investor and savvy Duke of Rotherby, Noel. And luck has it, he is one of the Bazaar's investors.

So, when Jess decides to try her luck, he is there, and she presents herself as a Lady, even though she is truly a commoner, a farm girl as she describes herself.

She continues her lie during the whole Bazaar, and her acquaintance with Noel, even when he tells her he feels so happy with her because she doesn't lie, and she doesn't want anything from him. She had several opportunities to tell him the truth. Not necessarily to the Bazaar people, but to him at least. And she abandons him after he pretty much pours his heart out. I was heartbroken for Noel.

In the end, I enjoyed the book, but ended up with the feeling that maybe they shouldn't be together. Jess had her reasons to lie, but that still could have changed as they got to know each other.

I was always disappointed with Jess when she failed to tell him the truth. I think he would have understood (as he did in the end) but suffered less if she had been honest. And I believe he would have helped her, if only she had asked. My favourite part (with the exception of the very sexy, very steamy sex scenes) was when Jess' siblings told her she didn't need to be doing all of that on her own. I think she really needed that bucket of cold water to take her down from the mind-set of "I'm essential, nothing will work without me". Because that's the feeling I got when she said to herself, she was doing it for family, they needed her, who would take care of them? But they were all grown ups. So.... there was a lot of lack of communication that could have helped so much.

I did like Noel quite a bit, as well as his friends. He was intelligent, business savvy, he cared about his tenants. Yes, he used to be quite a rake, but he never forgot his responsibilities. He admired other smart minds, no matter their gender. And he had a crooked smile, who can resist that?

I'm sure that when you read this, you'll think I didn't really enjoy the book, but that's a lie. Even with its problems, I laughed out loud several times as I was reading it, I loved the sexy moments, I really enjoyed a business/inventions background to the story, and I did like at least one of the main characters, which was enough to get me through the book with me cheering for Noel the whole time.

Steamy, great hero, and it left me curious about the other men in the Union of Rakes circle.

[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] 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.

[Review] Mr. Hunt, I presume, by Valerie Bowman

Title Mr. Hunt, I Presume
Series: Playful Brides #10.5
Author: Valerie Bowman
Publisher: June Third Enterprises, LLC
Number of pages: 110
Publication date: February 8th 2019

Synopsis:

He never forgot her…

When General Collin Hunt is ordered to take a much-needed holiday, he resigns himself to rest and recreation at his brother’s country estate. But when the only woman he ever loved—and selflessly gave up—shows up as his sister-in-law’s governess, his carefully ordered life is turned inside out.

She’ll never forgive him…

When Erienne Stone defied her family and fled her life of privilege, she never expected to be reunited with the man who’d abandoned her more than a decade before. But Lucy, Duchess of Claringdon, is a hard woman to say no to, even when Erienne’s heart is in danger of breaking all over again.

A meddling matchmaker may be the key to their second chance…

After a decade of pain and heartache, can two star-crossed lovers trust the truth in their own hearts?

Review:

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

I should have known better –why do I keep doing this to myself? I love Valerie Bowman’s books, and I know what novellas are, and yet I keep reading them.

Novellas/short stories don’t work for me. The beginning is always great and then everything is done in a jiffy. And it works for some people, it just doesn’t for me.

If you like novellas, this is a good one. It’s a sweet story, a reunited lovers trope. It has characters that we already know and love from previous books in the series.

The writing, as always, is entertaining and funny, romantic and pleasant to follow.

This is a typical case of “it’s not the book, it’s me”. So, go for it, if novellas are your thing!

[Review] Seduced by a Scot, by Julia London

Title Seduced by a Scot
Series: Highland Grooms #6
Author: Julia London
Publisher: HQN Books
Number of pages: 376
Publication date: October 30th 2018

Synopsis:

There’s no matchmaking an unruly heart

When a prominent Scottish family faces a major scandal weeks before their daughter’s wedding, they turn in desperation to the enigmatic fixer for the aristocracy, Nichol Bain. Remarkably skilled at making high-profile problems go away, Nichol understands the issue immediately. The family’s raven-haired ward, Maura Darby, has caught the wandering eye—and rather untoward advances—of the groom.

Nichol assuredly escorts Maura toward his proposed solution: an aging bachelor for her to marry. But rebellious Maura has no interest in marrying a stranger, especially when her handsome traveling companion has captivated her so completely. Thankfully, Nichol loves a challenge, but traveling with the bold and brash Maura has him viewing her as far more than somebody’s problem. Which raises a much bigger issue—how can he possibly elude disaster when the heart of the problem is his own?

Review:

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

Seduced by a Scot is the sixth book in the Highland Grooms series. After such a good fifth book, I thought it might be difficult to come back to that excellence. But Maura and Nichol came pretty close to it. Maybe because Maura (after leaving her house, of course) reminded me of Catriona? I don’t know. What I do know is that I really enjoyed this book.

Both Maura and Nichol have had a hard time in life and, in this book, both of them find themselves without a place to call home. Even if it might seem that the attraction isn’t immediate, we can feel the sparks growing.

We have a strong perspective of how women were seen in the past (I mean, some of us today are still experiencing this - sadly), and how most males thought it was always their fault that they caught someone’s eye. Because, of course, even if she pushes them aside, it’s still her fault because she’s pretty? Thankfully (and as expected), the hero treats her like a real person, even if he tries to lead her to a life she doesn’t want. He believes it’s the best for all involved, but when things between them start to change it’s hard for Maura to keep to the plan, and Nichol showed a huuuuge resolution almost to the end. Sometimes, his prerogative in forcing her to this “good life” that he envisioned for her as a bit too much. It felt like he was doing the same that had been done –no, forced on to her for her whole life. And didn’t really like that.

Also, for a very intelligent and resourceful man, Nichol wasn’t the brightest in the bunch when it came to understanding why the Baron MacBain acted the way he did. I knew right from the start, he literally tells him to his face. I can understand that a child might not put the pieces together, but adult Nichol (and Ivan – his brother - to be honest) should have known the truth a loooooong time ago. He even says so himself!

Anyway, those are the only reasons why this book has a lower review score than the previous one (which was 4.5*).

Maura was so determined and I’m pretty sure she would have made it on her own (which would have been interesting to see). The story contains a bit of a Cinderella and Rapunzel vibe to it, which some readers might appreciate.

In the end, it was a sexy book, with determined characters that overcame their struggles and past emotions, even if sometimes behaved unlike themselves.