[Review] Someone to Wed, by Mary Balogh

Title: Someone to Wed
Series: Westcott #3
Author: Mary Balogh
Publisher: Berkley
Number of pages: 361
Publication date: November 7th 2017

Synopsis:

When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can’t afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life...

A recluse for more than twenty years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate—and oh-so-dashing—earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will only agree to a proper courtship, hoping for at least friendship and respect to develop between them. He is totally unprepared for the desire that overwhelms him when Wren finally lifts the veils that hide the secrets of her past...

Review:


Mary Balogh is one of my all-time favourite authors. Her books are always feel-good books, they make me happy. And this one was no exception.

I have to say, even if I do love a good rake/rogue book, I miss the beta heroes so much. And Alexander Westcott is a beta hero. And it made me so happy.

He’s a practical man, who had a title and property dropped on his lap without any warning – and property/land that desperately needs money. And Alex is a good man, so he will do whatever it takes to bring it back to its glory, even if that means marrying for money.

This is where Wren comes in. I really liked her character. She’s so lonely, and all she wants is a family, but she believed almost all of her life that she would not be able to have anyone love her – don’t we just love an “unlovable” trope?

Wren is rich, young, and when she discovers Alex’s predicament, she invites him over for tea – actually for a marriage proposal, but surely that can be discussed at tea time?

I felt so much for Wren. Her life had been defined by what she covered with her veil, and as we follow her in this journey, taking baby steps to meet more people, to connect, we see and feel her pain, and her growth. And Alex is right by her side, supporting her, cheering for her, calling her out when needed, without ever being a brute.

Before getting this title, Alex dreamed of respect, family, and hopefully love, and in the beginning he’s not sure he can have that with Wren. It’s a pleasure to see his relationship with Wren grow, and when things don’t work and he’s confronted with other possibilities, Wren is his choice. And they both learn how to love each other, and love their lives, on their own, and together.

As always, a pleasure to read.

[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] Eyes On, by Esme Brett

Title Eyes On
Series: --
Author: Esme Brett
Publisher: Esme Brett
Number of pages: 59
Publication date: November 21st 2019

Synopsis:

A steamy and sassy novella.

Ever pretended to be a stripper to save someone from an awkward situation? Taylor Francis hadn’t. Until he had.

Francis runs a successful event company and lounge bar. Greta Winters is an old-money socialite. Their paths would never usually cross: Francis avoids women in Greta’s tax bracket like a New Yorker avoids Times Square. But in the face of unexpected public embarrassment, he won’t leave her to the wolves.

The impulse rescue sparks an attraction Francis can’t get out of his head. But Greta is wary of being charmed by this too slick, too smooth, too gorgeous lothario. Which would be much easier if his voice didn’t make her think of sweaty limbs and twisted sheets. Mostly his limbs. And her sheets. And his –

Damn. She’s in trouble.

[16,000-word contemporary romance with a HEA. Contains graphic language and on page sex.]

Review:

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

This book is written by an amazing bookstagrammer, @feministromance , and that’s how I found out she was writing a book, and I volunteered to read her novella, Eyes On, knowing it would be written in a sassy, funny, sexy way. And it was!

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I mostly read historical romance, and so this contemporary novella was just the break I needed.

Fair warning: if you don’t like sex on the page and strong language, skip the book. It’s well written, but it will not please everyone – as with all books, of course.

This book has a plus-size heroine, a man who embraces all that she is, safe and consensual sex, amazing sexy times, witty banter, what more could you ask from a short erotica novella?

For me, it doesn’t get the 5* because I feel like novellas are too short to really get into the characters, and Esme gave us so much info that could have been expanded for a longer story… Anyway, that’s just me, novellas and I just don’t see to match as well as we should.

I don’t want to give nothing away, as the synopsis already says all you need. So, if this is your kind of book, don’t walk, run to buy it!

[Review] When the Marquess Was Mine, by Caroline Linden

Title When the Marquess Was Mine
Series: The Wagers of Sin #3
Author: Caroline Linden
Publisher: Avon
Number of pages: 400
Publication date: September 24th 2019

Synopsis:

In the game of love…

Georgiana Lucas despises the arrogant and cruel Marquess of Westmorland even before learning that he's won the deed to her friend Kitty's home in a card game. Still, Georgiana assures Kitty the marquess wouldn't possibly come all the way to Derbyshire to throw them out—until he shows up, bloody and unconscious. Fearing that Kitty would rather see him die, Georgiana blurts out that he's her fiancé. She'll nurse the hateful man back to health and make him vow to leave and never return. The man who wakes up, though, is nothing like the heartless rogue Georgiana thought she knew…

You have to risk it all

He wakes up with no memory of being assaulted—or of who he is. The bewitching beauty tending him so devotedly calls him Rob and claims she's his fiancée even as she avoids his touch. Though he can't remember how he won her hand, he's now determined to win her heart. But as his memory returns and the truth is revealed, Rob must decide if the game is up—or if he'll take a chance on a love that defies all odds.

Review:

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

Caroline Linden has become one of my go-to authors. Her books are always romantic and amusing, and this one was no different.

The main trope that’s present in the book is amnesia, and it’s a trope that sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Here, I think it worked perfectly.

Georgiana is a sweet girl, who saves a man’s life by saying he’s her fiancé, instead of the man the family she is with hates. Lord Westmorland – Rob – is a rake/rogue, and he won a house in a bet. But he’s not a bad guy so, to make sure the house is never lost again, he decides to give it to the man’s family, so that they know what happened, and can keep their property safe. But Kitty, Georgiana’s friend, has been warned that a bad man is arriving at her house to kick her, and her family, out of their home. And Kitty is fierce, so she has all the guns ready to protect what’s hers.

When Georgiana finds a man beaten almost to death, she decides she can’t leave him to die in the street, and gets him to Kitty’s house, and when she sees his face, and discovers that he’s Lord Westmorland (and she was the only one there who had actually met him), she knows she has to lie to make sure Kitty will help him. And, because Rob was beaten in the head, he loses his memory for some time.

Georgiana tends to Rob, and when he wakes up, they start spending more time together, and… I’m sure you can guess what happens. Georgiana and Rob’s love is something at risk, because she’s engaged to someone else, so when Rob’s brother comes to get him, and Rob’s gets his memory back, they come up with a plan, and decide not to see each other again. Of course, days past, and they keep thinking about each other.

There are some family problems regarding Georgiana’s family, and this is more developed at the end of the book. There’s also some mystery that is mostly dealt with at the very end of the book, so it’s not very important throughout the book, but it does drive the story at the end.

It’s a sweet story, with romance and funny moments, with a rakish hero, and a sweet heroine who finds her voice.

[Review] To Wed a Wild Scot, by Anna Bradley

Title To Wed a Wild Scot
Series: Besotted Scots #2
Author: Anna Bradley
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Number of pages: 259
Publication date: September 24th 2019

Synopsis:

Some brides like it wilder…

A single lady of birth, beauty, and large fortune should not have this much trouble making a match. Yet after two failed betrothals, Lady Juliana Bernard is in a bind. She must find a husband at once or lose guardianship of her beloved niece. Her childhood friend the Duke of Blackmore is her last, best hope, but once she tracks him down in Scotland, she receives startling news.

First, the duke is already engaged. Second, it’s his brother Logan’s fault Juliana is now lacking a bridegroom. So, what’s a lady to do when she’s lost her betrothed? Marry his scandalous brother, the Laird of Clan Kinross.

Wooing does not go well at first. But just as Juliana begins to welcome the boisterous but tenderhearted Scot into her life (and her bed), secrets come between them once more. And it will take a determined husband indeed to ensure that a marriage begun in haste leads not to heartache…but to 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 Anna Bradley’s book – and I loved it!

There’s so much bantering, and funny moments, and love in this book! Yes, there’s also miscommunication, and some moments when the reader is clutching the book, waiting to see what’s going to happen next, but it just made everything more exciting.

Juliana Bernard is a woman that decides to take her future in her hands, not just for herself, but for her sweet niece, and she hopes her friend, the Duke of Blackmore, might help her. But when she reaches him, she finds out he’s already with someone whom he’s in love with, and she does not want to break apart two people who clearly love each other. Juliana feels like she has no other option, and when he suggests his brother Logan.

Logan is a true Scot, and he’s been keeping Juliana (and her letters) from reaching his brother, for reasons he believed were good, but he starts to understand that maybe that wasn’t his best move. He’s a bit of a brute at the beginning, and it’s not very easy to like him right away. But when we get to see more of him with his family, and clan, it becomes easier to believe he’s a good hero.

When he meets Juliana, a proper English lady, he wants nothing with her, even if she intrigues him. Even though he is a Scot, and the last thing he wants is to marry an English lady, he also has the heart of a gentleman, and so, even though they decide not to marry at the beginning of the book, he starts to get to know her, her strong character, her sweetness, how good she is with everyone, how she has the people in his clan ready to marry her and protect her. Maybe an English lady wouldn’t be such a bad idea, after all…

When they start to be better acquainted with each other, and stop hating – not hating, disliking – one another, things start to change. But, as usual, it couldn’t be this easy to fix everything, right?

Miscommunication and past secrets come up, and threaten the peace that had started to grow between our main characters, and they have to fight to stay together. They have huge trust issues, which is a big part of why they don’t get together sooner.

A romance with angst and very different, flawed characters that end up finding love together.