One Good Book Deserves Another

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Brothers Sinister, Book 2
Rating: 5 Stars
Length: 315 Pages
Formats: Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by the author via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




With an inheritance of 100,000 pounds, being politely boorish and kindly offensive enough to ward off the interest of titled men seeking a fortune in a wife is exceptionally hard work for Miss Jane Fairfield. It's a desperate balance on a tightrope over the chasm that is the indentured servitude of marriage. Until her sister reaches her majority, however, it is Jane's reality. She will do anything, be anything she needs to be to save her sister. Even make herself a laughingstock. A punchline. A blight.

As plans go, hers is working quite well until the day she is introduced to Mr. Oliver Marshall. No matter how gauche her gown or how rude her behavior, Mr. Marshall obstinately refuses to be anything but gracious to her. Even amused at her most reliable devilish tricks.

Well...that certainly won't do.

Oliver only wants one thing in life: everything. Ambitious and proud, he's on the cusp of finally making his mark in the political arena. His efforts in fighting for the rights of the common man hearken to the modest origins he's worked so hard to rise above. The one thing he doesn't need in his life is a woman like Miss Fairfield, no matter how clearly he sees through her ruse and how enchanting he finds her. She's everything that would close and lock the doors he desperately needs to be opened, and certainly the very last woman on the planet he'd marry. Friendship, at least, he can do, and given the pool of sharks she's swimming with, she definitely needs one.

Even if he happens to be one of those sharks. And is desperate to take a bite of her.


I loved this book.

Jane and Oliver were wonderfully unconventional characters, and that lack of convention fell neatly along my preferences for the genre. Jane is intelligent, cunning, and strong, and about as far removed from a proper society debutante as a character can be, willfully and knowingly being brash and socially inept...while staying within the bounds just enough to keep her uncle from intervening. Some of the most entertaining moments were seeing her pit her skills against the deadly polite and back-biting scions of high society, where backhanded compliments are an art form.

That her efforts took a toll on her made her sympathetic, that she did it anyway because of her love for her sister made her a hero. I adored her. She was a brilliant balance of flagrant self-possession and shadowed pain, of casual confidence and weary insecurity. She knew herself so well she was able to make a weapon of her inadequacies, to make lemonade out of the lemons her life has given her.

Oliver was a bit of an odd duck himself, and I loved him despite...or maybe because...he was really the antithesis of heroic throughout most of the book. Where Jane was a quintessential nonconformist, Oliver has survived by having conformity beaten into him to the point where he doesn't even realize he's no longer the man of integrity he has believed himself to be. He is his ambition, and some of the things he does, or debates doing, for that ambition were definitely less than heroic.

For all that, though, he still has a conscience, and Jane first pricks it, then sets it ablaze the longer they are acquainted. She is everything he once was and is no longer, and he's parched for her thirst-quenching presence. The effect they have on each other is fantastic and deliciously ominous as the conflict between their opposing goals reached its climax. It was very compelling.

The whole story was compelling, and wonderfully rich in plot and character. Secondary and ancillary characters were vibrant and real and regardless of how short their time on the page, they left their mark. There was even a nice secondary romance featuring Jane's sister that was fraught with emotion and complexity, and plot threads surrounding Oliver's colorful family that rounded out the book nicely. I was especially enamored with Oliver's aunt. She had a brief role, but it packed one hell of a punch.

Truly, this one is the whole package. Great characters with faults and foibles easy to embrace (or loathe, as the story dictates), a wildly satisfying and emotional romance, and a plot with wonderful diversity and depth to weave it all together. It pulled me in from the start, gripped my heart hard, and refused to let go until the last page was read. My Happy Reader buttons were flashing in contented bliss when it was all over.

One might even go so far as to say I was tickled fuchsine by the whole thing.

And okay, it taught me a valuable lesson. I won't wait so long to pick up another Milan book next time, especially if we're going to see what's going on with Oliver's cousin Sebastian in the next book in this series. There's story there. I want it.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Reckless Brides, Book 1
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 353 Pages
Formats: Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.





When her brother forsakes family tradition and personal honor, disappearing the day he is supposed to become a member of His Majesty's Royal Navy and board the ship Audacious, Sally Kent knows what she has to do to avoid the family scandal and disgrace. She disguises her gender, dons the midshipmen's uniform, and heads to the docks to take her brother's place.

It's just her dubious luck that she's met by David St. Vincent Colyear, family friend and current lieutenant aboard Audacious. The man has filled out in the six years since she last saw him, and though curt and dour, something about him sets Sally's pace racing. Not necessarily the reaction she wants for a man she is going to have to work to impress and yet try to avoid lest he discover her true identity.

The scandal from that potential debacle would be just as damaging to her family's illustrious reputation in Her Majesty's Navy as her brother's defection. And twice as damaging to her heart.


I seem to keep stumbling over the woman-passing-as-a-boy theme in historical romance of late. I've even read a book in the last year in which the heroine went to sea with the Navy as Sally did here. I don't mind the theme, really, but the seeming prevalence is starting to wear on me.

Fortunately, this story was one of the better ones I've read, so it stood out in a crowd. Essex didn't draw out Sally's well-intentioned if ill-advised deception for so long that it started to annoy, and I genuinely enjoyed her aptitude in the midshipman's role. She really was born ahead of her time, perfectly suited to a life in what was solely a man's world. I loved her plucky, competent, tomboyish, and fiercely independent heart.

And Col was a perfect complement to her. Handsome, strong, loyal, and determined, he also trusted Sally's skill and relied on her to do her job even after he finds out she's a woman. It worked for me. Together they worked for me.

I have to admit, though, as much as I enjoyed the romance between Sally and Col, I was way out of my depth with the naval terminology. There was a lot of it, and without explanation or definition, I had a very hard time with much of the details of naval life and the action on board the ship. It's probably very historical accurate and nautically sound, but it was too much for me.

Late in the book there were a couple of developments that I wasn't fond of, and Sally seemed to fade out of the narrative a bit. The impetus of the plot lost a bit of momentum at that point. And I didn't understand the introduction of Grace's character at all. Her presence and the subsequent scenese with Sally made me question my understanding of Sally as a character. It was a little jarring.

Overall, though, this was a very nice series debut from a new-to-me author. Historical romance fans with an appreciation of the women-disguised-as-a boy theme should definitely mark this as a title to try. Even if you're more ambivalent about theme, this was a solid story with a sweeping romance with great characters and can appeal to a wide audience. I liked it very much.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Merry Widows, Book 3
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 68 Pages
Formats: Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Carina Press via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




Lady Daphne Pomeroy doesn't concern herself with the ton's standards on scandalous behavior. As a widow, she's largely exempt from their collective censure. Even still, from the moment she meets the dashing and stoic Marquess of Hartwell, she pursues him with an intensity that would set the ton on its ear.

His reputation is forbidding, but the time they spent together while sharing a dance suggests to Daphne that he has been horribly misjudged. He's not the Black Hart his sobriquet would have her believe. In fact, Daphne suspects he's rather noble, but intensely shy and socially awkward.

In short, he's irresistible to her. And she would be most pleased if any of her best efforts could at least snag his attention. Perhaps a less subtle approach...

Of course, any more obvious and she really will be scandalous.


Though much of the tale of this story is hampered by its extremely short length, I loved both Daphne and Camden so much that I couldn't find it in me to be overly critical. It was a fabulous role reversal, with the spirited and forthright Daphne doing just about anything she could think of to get Camden to notice her and Camden noticing, but being too shy and nervous to approach her.

Normally, insecure romantic heroes are a big turn off for me. I like both my male and female protagonists to be strong. Camden's speech impediment, though, and the trauma that was his childhood, made him more sympathetic and endearing than weak. I adored him.

The romance arc did feel a bit like a mile-high free fall, and love came into their relationship way too quickly for my tastes. I also wish there had been a little less page time spent on their one sex scene. I enjoyed it, but in this case I think those pages could have better served a slightly more robust conflict and resolution for the couple.

None of that detracted so much that I wasn't still able to heartily enjoy what I read. This is a short but very sweet historical romance novella that kept me engaged and entertained for a couple of hours. It was unique and charming. The characters were a dream. I enjoyed it all quite a lot.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Seasons, Book 2
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Length: 368 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Zebra publisher Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




Lord Xavier has never made a wager he hasn't won. This time, though, he's been goaded into a wager with stakes that could cause irreparable damage whether he wins or loses. He's been challenged to invite a proper young woman to his annual Christmas house party. Known for its debauchery and wicked revelry, it's definitely a scandalous place for a young miss. And not only does he have to get a lady to attend, she's got to stay through the duration.

Determined to best the bet and maintain his spotless record, Xavier has to think outside the box. If the lady must stay through his party, then he'd make the party more suitable for a lady. Simple, really.

Or it would have been, had the lady in question not been Louisa Oliver, a brainy little bluestocking who had weathered scandal before and survived. They had a past, in a manner of speaking, and getting her to come to his party and stay for the duration would take more maneuvering than simply making it respectable. For the first time in...well...ever, the only way to secure Lord Xavier's reputation and protect Louisa is to reach past that reputation to the man he is beneath.

When he does that, however, he is forced into a shocking realization: Louisa Oliver is more than a match for both the myth of Lord Xavier and the man, Alexander Edgware. And when it comes to Louisa, all bets are off.


There's something inherently appealing to me about a romantic hero who falls in love with his heroine when she sees into the man he is, not the face he shows the world. Dante-loving, vision-impaired Alex is just such a man. While his Lord Xavier persona is shallowly charming, a touch scandalous, and a bit of a condescending prat, the title has become a velvet-lined prison, so much so that he has almost become completely subsumed by it.

Underneath, though, Alex was a more uncertain and private gent who would rather read a good book than set the ton on its ear with the next bit of salacious gossip. Two sides to the same coin, the one overshadows the other for the sake of reputation and popularity in a world defined by both. He could have annoyed me as character, but I was too amused by the cultivated facial expressions to feel pique at his relentless need to validate his reputation.

Louisa was far more a simply genuine, straightforward character, and I loved her for it. She's my favorite sort of historical romance heroine: intelligent, sharp-tongued, and just a wee bit of a social misfit. I enjoyed her immensely, especially when she was popping pins in Xavier's ego. And she handled herself quite nicely when she needed to with others, as well.

Romain created a highly entertaining and vibrant backdrop for their romance. The two-week Christmas party provided a festive theme and a colorful array of secondary and ancillary characters to meet and enjoy. The plot could have been trite, with the bet setting up a cliched relationship conflict time bomb, but Romain stepped smartly around that pitfall. Louisa finds out about it early in the book so it's a non-issue in the romance, but still a motivating factor in both Alex's and Louisa's actions throughout the story. I thought it was nicely handled all around, actually, especially at the end when the money changes hands.

I did have a couple of issues with the book. Rightly or wrongly, I've gotten the impression from other historical romance that it was considered ruinous for an unmarried young woman of society to spend time alone with a man. Louisa's aunt accompanied her to Xavier's estate, but she and Xavier spent a lot of time alone together. I would have thought that would have been a big no-no. That concern - admittedly, unlearned as it is - niggled me throughout the story and stretched my willing suspension of disbelief a bit.

A larger issue, though, had more of an impact on my appreciation for the read. The dialogue. I don't know if it was a commitment to authenticity in historical speech patterns, or if the dialogue, especially between Xavier and Louisa, was written to be purposely obscure, but it drove me a little nuts. There was so much doublespeak, so much subtext and euphemism, that I had to really struggle sometimes to parse meaning in the conversations, especially between Xavier and Louisa. It significantly slowed my reading and kept me from being able to completely engage with the read.

I haven't read the first book in this series, but the story read fine as a stand-alone historical holiday romance. The main characters endeared themselves to me and their evolving relationship was engaging as the primary plot thread. I just wish I hadn't had to work quite so hard or so often to figure out what they were saying to each other. Even with that issue, though, I felt there were several original and fresh elements in story and character definition. Enough that I'd be interested in following this series as it progresses.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Sons of Sin, Book 1
Rating: 3 Stars
Length: 384 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Forever publisher Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




Sidonie Forsythe entered the dour Castle Craven with fear gnawing on her stomach and determination stiffening her spine. She knew the reputation of the scarred lord of the manor but the debt to a sister who had been a mother to her forced her hand. With Roberta's life on the line, she resigned to give herself to the nefarious Jonas Merrick in her stead.

Jonas had carefully and with great intent spun the web that the beautiful wife of his vile cousin had all but thrown herself into. With victory assured and every marker in his possession lined up, he had every intention of spending seven nights using Roberta to degrade and humiliate the cousin who had stolen so much from him. Except it wasn't the pretty wife that entered his parlor, but the wife's sister. An innocent in every way.

Perhaps it should bother him to continue with his plan, trading one sister for the other, and in so doing, ruin Sidonie's future unequivocally. It didn't. Jonas just wasn't that sort of man. He couldn't afford to be, given his appearance and all it represented.

It was certainly, and cynically, no surprise that the fair Miss Forsythe shivered and shuddered in his presence...though she didn't seem to be overly concerned with his scars. And that was only the first in a series of unexpected aspects of the young woman's personality. Not that it would garner her any mercy.

But maybe...just maybe...a different sort of game is called for. A different focus for this different woman. One who is, Jonas warily acknowledges, far more...everything...than he'd anticipated.


When I read the blurb for this book, I was drawn to the similarities in theme to Beauty and the Beast. Young woman goes to crumbling castle to beard the scarred, wretched beast in his den. She is the only one who can see behind his beastly facade to the man beneath, and her love changes him from monster into prince. They live Happily Ever After. Fade to black.

Irresistible.

And this book would have been, too, if it hadn't been for one or two niggling details that broadened that simple concept into the plot of this book. Details like Jonas, a character that is damaged and complex and on the surface everything I love most in a hero...turning out to be a ruthless bastard who took shameless advantage of a woman's addiction to force her into his clutches so he could cuckolded her husband as punishment for his offenses against Jonas. With not the first thought for the welfare or consequences the woman would suffer after he'd discarded her at the end of that week.

And when that married woman's completely innocent and virginal sister shows up instead, he still refuses to relent. Instead he adapts his plans and holds the gambling debt of her sister over the innocent's head so that she is forced to service him in her sister's stead.

Yeah, Disney didn't exactly cover that one with singing teapots and dancing brooms.

Of course, there is attraction between the beauty and the beast, and the book is written as a slow seduction of the one as we get glimpses into the pain and damage of the other, but I found myself struggling with the basic measure of a man who would consider - even if he didn't actually do it - using a woman as shamelessly as he intended to use Roberta. That trod a little too close to the irredeemable line for me to fully embrace Jonas as the romantic hero in this tale.

And believe me, I was absolutely no fonder of the idea that Sidonie's sister would allow her to face Jonas on her own in her stead, regardless of the abusive husband. For the first several chapters of the book, the only character I could even remotely tolerate was Sidonie herself. But that little bit didn't last too terribly long either, what with the secret Sidonie held back from Jonas even knowing exactly the price he'd paid for it.

Campbell does have a descriptive, emotionally significant writing style that appealed to me, though. The nuances of the main characters' emotions, damages, flaws, and insecurities were particularly well crafted. That appeal was able to smooth over some of my initial displeasure as I read further into the book. I was even able to eventually feel a genuine bit of the magic between Sidonie and her beast as their romance progressed. I just tried to forget the grim manipulations that put the players into the positions they were in. That helped.

The sex scenes were deliciously hot and went hand-in-hand with the angsty emotional consequences of Jonas' disfigurement, but they also overwhelmed the story a little. I would have traded one or two, or been content with shorter scenes in lieu of more complex character evolution and depth of plot.

A better balance in the plot would have been nice, as well. The main characters spent so much of the book in Devon that the plot threads that directly dealt with or spun from Jonas' cousin late in the book seemed cramped and abrupt, and there was one huge twist that seemed to spring up out of absolutely nowhere, despite all the care taken against it. And as much as I did appreciate the emotional quagmire that Jonas was forced to deal with on a daily basis, understanding the trust issues that could spawn, the relationship conflict and subsequent climax still seemed starkly abrupt and a bit out of character to me.

For all that, this wasn't one of my favorite historical romances. I think Campbell is more than capable of a thoroughly entertaining read full of flawed and damaged characters and sweeping romance. These characters and their story just didn't reach that level for me. That said, Campbell's authorial voice is solid and some of the secondary and ancillary characters introduced in this book did spark my interest to a degree that I would continue with the series if they're to be featured.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs, Book 1
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Length: 372 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle,
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Ballentine Books publisher Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




Their clans are vicious enemies but their king wanted an alliance between them, and what the king wants, the king gets...no matter who or what it costs them all.

Montgomery Laird Graeme Montgomery is furious that he's being forced to wed the daughter of the Armstrong Laird. For decades the two clans have warred with each other. His own father was slain in battle by his future bride's grandfather. To add insult to injury, he's heard Eveline Armstrong is...damaged. Mentally. Graeme will be unable to father children and risk his line being brought low by that sort of illness. For the clan Laird it is a bitter pill.

She has hidden herself so well for so long, too well, really, for her deceptions - though for good reason - have become her cage. Eveline knows she is loved by her family, but even they could not save her three years ago, and since her fall and subsequent illness, she has used the silence she endures to give the impression she's touched in the head. It's kept her safe, but it has a high price.

She's not damaged, nor is she stupid or ignorant, and she's definitely not mentally ill. What Eveline is, is deaf.

She knows that her father is unhappy about the king's decree, but once Eveline meets Graeme she can only see the opportunities. Maybe in another household, away from the threat that locked her into the lies she lives, she can be both a good wife and mother, be accepted for who she really is. All she has to do is convince Graeme that she's not what he thinks, and win over a clan raised to loathe her family with every fiber of their being.


This book represents everything I love about Scottish historical romance. Honorable Scot warriors, braw and mighty, and the strong, intelligent women who love them - and are loved by them. It just sets my heart to pitter-pattering, especially when the characters are as eminently lovable as Graeme and Eveline are in this book.

Readers for whom historical authenticity is paramount may not find this book as appealing as I, but I've never been one to quibble over those details. In fact, I often find the more historically accurate books to be a bit too realistic and depressing for it. This book had just enough of a medieval Scottish feel to maintain my willing suspension of disbelief but not so much that I was either annoyed, dismayed, or utterly horrified by what life was really like back then, especially for women.

And it had Graeme and Eveline. I loved them both. Graeme was the perfect alpha male, strong and commanding, but with some truly endearing moments of confusion, uncertainty, and vulnerability. I've always felt it's those less than perfect moments and how the characters respond to them that define my favorite alpha males and make them the most lovable. Graeme is right up there with my favorites.

As much as I loved him, though, it was Eveline who made this book such a rousing success for me. I always appreciate books with a hero or heroine who have to deal with a disability of some sort, and I loved the slant the story took with Eveline's deafness. Her character was completely sympathetic, but not once did she come off self-pitying or weak. The decisions she made in relation to her own clan were extreme, but understandable, and the efforts she made with Graeme and the Montgomerys were laudable. She was smart, resourceful, and independent. I just adored her.

I loved them both together, too, and the arc of their relationship evolution was full of just the sort of heart-touching romance...and sexy intimacies...that I love most in romance novels. That, along with Eveline's challenges in her new home, were the strongest elements of the story.

They were also the majority of the story, and that's the only reason this book didn't quite hit the full five stars for me. For all I loved what was there in the plot, I have to admit that it seemed a bit too straightforward and lacked the depth that could have made it meatier and more intense a read. What little external conflict there was struck me as a bit predictable and lacking in originality.

I liked it well enough, but I knew fairly early into the book just what the conflict climax was going to entail and how it would resolve. When I can see it coming that far in advance, it doesn't leave room for many pleasant surprises.

Obviously, that was only a minor complaint, because I heartily enjoyed this read. It's my first experience with Maya Banks in the mainstream, and I have to say, I'm thrilled by it. This was a wonderfully strong, emotionally satisfying, excellently cast way to kick off a new series and I can't wait to get another shot at the Montgomerys and the Armstrongs both.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Jewels of the Ton, Book 1
Rating: 3 Stars
Length: 356
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Sourcebooks Casablanca publisher Sourcebooks via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




She is...flawless. Women revere her for her sense of fashion and style, men yearn for her attention. The Duchess of Dalliance, sobriquet bestowed by the Prince Regent himself, supports herself on little more than the fickle attention of the ton. She is a known courtesan, one of three under the protection of the Earl of Sinclair, the Earl of Sin.

The truth, Juliette knows, is largely immaterial in these sorts of matters.

The papers have lately taken to linking her name with the Duke of Pelham, a man whom Juliette has never actually met. To fan the very flames of speculation and rumor which assure her continued validity in Society, Juliette maneuvers an introduction to the dour but powerful Duke when presented the opportunity at Prinny's latest fête.

The Duchess is horrified - on the inside, she certainly doesn't let it show - when the Duke publicly cuts her, then calls her a whore. In front of the Prince Regent and all the ton.

With her future now at risk and humiliation burning a hole in her soul, Juliette escapes the crowd. Unfortunately, her evening is not destined for improvement. As she stands in the shadows on the balcony, the Duchess witnesses a vicious murder. To truly consign the evening's events to the deepest depths of hell, the victim is no other than the Duke of Pelham's fiancée.

And Juliette knows the killer, a true devil of a man who calls himself Lucifer.

Her first instinct is to flee, but her actions throw her directly into the path of the Duke of Pelham. Problem is, the man not only doesn't believe her, he makes it clear he has no intention of sullying his reputation with the likes of her, no matter how desperate she is for his help.


This series debut by Galen perplexed me a little. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. There is quite a discrepancy between the book blurb and the actual storyline. And not only that, but the tone of the book is different, as well.

That's not a criticism. I liked the premise of the storyline quite a lot and particularly appreciated the threads of suspense in the book. It was more the characters and the inconsistency in the execution of the story that gave me pause in places.

I struggled with Juliette's character. I kept hoping she'd explode across the page with self-sufficiency and independence, push beyond the dictates of society and force Will to judge her based solely on her wit and strength, and that just never quite happened. It's not that she was a victim or a damsel or anything like that, but she very much lived a life within the boundaries. That disappointed me.

The Duke, Will, was a bit of a different kettle for me. I loved his quirky OCD issues and all his stiff-upper-lipness. I was so charmed by him when he got his first glimpse of Juliette. I loved Galen's writing in that scene. There was such a delightful sense of self-deprecation in him.

And then, unfortunately, he spoke.

He turned into an utter prat who treated Juliette with cruelty and disrespect for no other reason than he was displeased by his attraction to her and he assumed she was responsible for the gossip articles that his friends keep mentioning to him. He punished her, was as offensive and humiliating as he could be. And throughout the rest of the book, just when I started to warm to him again, feel some sympathy for his character or amusement at his quirks, he'd open his mouth again and crush Juliette.

By about the third time I could no longer understand why she took it like she did. And that severely impacted my ability to fully enjoy their romance. By the end of the book he had disparaged her one time too many and the final resolution didn't have nearly enough of him on his knees grovelling for her forgiveness.

I had a couple of other small issues with the plot of the external conflict. It seemed fairly one dimensional, and there was an odd plot twist or two that lacked the emotional impact it could have had. There were surprises, but those surprises were based on my uncertainty about the plausibility of some of the events, and I wish Juliette's backstory had been better represented to provide a more well-rounded foundation for others.

Without a doubt, there were some fun moments in this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed Galen's writing style. The plot thread with Lucifer is something I'm assuming is going to carry through each book of the series, so I look forward to seeing how the other two diamonds will play into it all.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Spindle Cove, Book 3
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 384 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided by Avon Books publisher HarperCollins Publishers via Edelweiss. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




Kate Taylor loves her life in Spindle Cove, a place that offers her a home and friendship and allows her to make a living doing something she loves, unhindered by the birthmark that mars her face. Still, she yearns to know who she is, where she came from, and has only brief, elusive memories of her past before her time at Margate School for Girls.

She thinks she was loved, once, and still has hope that she will be again.

Though not, quite obviously, by the brooding and severe Corporal Thorne, who has, in his time at Spindle Cove, done nothing but prove to her time and again that he holds her in no kind regard. Imagine her surprise, then, when it is the dour Corporal who not only saves her from a bad turn, but steps forward when strangers show up in Spindle Cove claiming to be her kin. And insists he is her fiancé.

Corporal Thorne hasn't lived an easy life, but he takes his responsibilities seriously. One of his most important responsibilities is protecting the women of Spindle Cove. Especially this one woman. That's the only reason he claims Miss Taylor has agreed to wed him.

Not that he doesn't personally care for the woman, as she believes. His feelings are quite the opposite, but Thorne knows Miss Taylor deserves far, far better than a thief, a convict, and a battle-scarred warrior such as himself. He would lay down his life for any of those under his protection. But for Miss Taylor, he's already traded his future. He did so a long, long time ago.

That she doesn't remember is a blessing. That she will never know is a necessity. Now he just has to keep reminding himself that every moment their pretend engagement keeps her by his side.


This third installment of my favorite historical romance series came as a bit of a surprise. It's absolutely as well written and as full of rich, memorable characters as I've come to expect from the talented Tessa Dare, but it has a more serious tone than its predecessors and a more traditional (relative to the series) pair of main characters and storyline.

Dare set up this relationship between Kate and Thorne quite nicely in the second book of the series, and I was looking forward to seeing how the characters would develop once they were given their own story. I've liked both of them since their initial introduction in the series premiere, especially Kate, but this book quickly became all about Thorne for me. I adored him for all his taciturn self-sacrifice and quiet dedication.

I loved the backstory between them. It was as interesting and original as it was unexpected. And I couldn't help but hurt for everything Thorne has lived through since they were children. It certainly explained a lot about his personality. And my goodness, some of his revelations to Kate about their past together were horrifying and heartbreaking. How could I not love the man who was no more than a boy when he risked so much for so little?

Their relationship arc provided a solid read, but I have to admit, this wasn't my favorite book in the series. Not only did I miss the witty banter and sardonic humor that set apart the first two books and gave me lots of laugh-out-loud moments, but Thorne was such a somber character for so long, certain of his lack of worth, that there were a couple of scenes between him and Kate that got a little depressing.

I was also confused by the description of Kate's birthmark in this book. I thought I remembered it being described as almost fully covering one side of her face in the first book, but in this one it's described as a heart-shaped mark at her temple. It's entirely possible I mis-remembered, and I don't have the first book to go back and check, but the impression was there and it created a seeming lack of continuity that bothered me.

The sudden arrival of Kate's long-lost and alleged family seemed a little convenient, timing-wise, but I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed all of them as secondary characters. Harry, and the deft handling of her passionate proclivities, was particularly delightful. While perhaps there was a lack of historical authenticity in how her relationship with Ames was portrayed and accepted by her family, historical authenticity has never been a series bailiwick, and I appreciated it for its very existence.

I liked Kate and Thorne together very much. Their romance arc was full of emotion and the characters passionately appealing. I melted a little every time Thorne referred to her as Katie. Thorne's character seemed to have a greater depth and dimension with a more complex personal history than Kate's did, but each personal trait and every story element fit together just right to create the perfect tapestry of two people who were destined, really, to find joy with each other.

Though not my favorite book of the three, this is a solidly entertaining installment of an absolutely beloved series. I'm not sure what's to come next from Tessa Dare, but it's my sincerest hope that her readers (okay, namely me) get a chance to return to Spindle Cove soon.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Spindle Cove, Book 2
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Length: 356 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle



Though Minerva Highwood loves her sisters and suffers her mother, she can't embrace the sort of life they lead. She is happy only when her nose is buried in a book, or when she's off by herself, studying the rocks and fossils that thrill the geologist in her. She's a brainy bluestocking who wants nothing more than to be respected for her intellect and acknowledged for her discoveries.

She cannot, however, abide the thought of her beloved sister marrying the town rogue. In exchange for leaving her sister alone, she offers Lord Payne a deal. It's brilliant, really, and mutually beneficial. Instead of wedding Diana, he can run away with her. They can make it look like an elopement. If he accompanies her to Edinburgh to help her present her recent findings at the upcoming symposium for the Royal Geological Society, she will give him the five hundred guineas that she's sure to win for best presentation. Any ensuing ruin to her reputation is a personal price she's willing to pay.

Payne wants nothing more than to get out of Spindle Cove, but even he has his limits, and Miss Highwood has definitely exceeded them with her outlandish scheme. That's even assuming he could do what she asked, which he can't. The symposium is less than two weeks away and travelling would be problematic given his restrictions - restrictions he's loathe to explain in detail.

He may be a rake, and his reputation may be suspect at best, but even he has honor, and he refuses to ruin an innocent lady in such a callous way. Still, Minerva is intent and leaves him with exactly two choices, indulge her harebrained scheme until she begs off the journey and scurries back home, or become the worst sort of cad, letting her traipse off into the wide world all alone. That is really no choice at all, and he resigns himself to do what he can to look after her.

But neither his tattered honor nor his best intentions may be enough to help him ignore the passionate nature he starts to see peeking out at him from behind Minerva's spectacles now that she's slipped beyond the shadows of propriety. Heaven help them both.


My first visit to Spindle Cove secured my appreciation for author Tessa Dare. The delightful blend of sardonic humor, romance, and story in that series debut helped it become my favorite historical romance of the year and one of my favorites of all time. I was anxiously looking forward to continuing the series with this book, but I was trepidatious, too, as it's so rare in a series to have the same level of spectacular fun for two books in a row.

I needn't have worried.

Though this book as a whole wasn't quite as totally thrilling and all-encompassing in it's pleasure to read (only by a slim margin), the main characters Minerva and Colin, their evolving relationship, and their adventurous journey far exceeded my expectations and provided several hours of sublime enjoyment.

I loved Minerva for all her intelligence and strength, her honesty and her unabashed curiosity. She's guileless and true, and even with her insecurities she's forthright. She is truly a sharp character, and I adored how she took Colin to task on all manner of things when necessary. She never backed down, often initiating volleys of verbal warfare, keeping him on his toes. I even liked the bit of intellectual elitism she displays once or twice, and appreciated how she uses her intellect to shield her most tender feelings.

Colin ended up being even more of a delight to me than I had anticipated. I was expecting a fairly pedestrian if well-written transformation from rogue to dedicated hero, but what I got was a remarkably complex personality with some startling issues and a slow journey towards self confidence. Charming, yes. The man is definitely a charming rogue, seeming one with all the personal depth of puddle at the beginning, and Colin uses that charm like Minerva uses her intellect, both as a shield and a bludgeon.

We know of Colin's issues with sleeping alone from the first book. In this one we find out exactly from whence those issues sprung, and it is tragic. He is also a man dangerously close to the edge, living life day to day to quiet the rumblings of self-loathing and jaded cynicism that have him in his clutches. He is someone who has mostly given up the idea of being a truly good man because though his heart is often in the right place, his actions tend to blow up on him and anyone else in his vicinity.

He's a bit of a chameleon, actually, and easily adapts to every situation in which he finds himself, often in the most outlandish ways. He's one of those people who can be a friend to all but truly known by very, very few. And he's a little touchy about feeling worthy of Minerva's affections. All these wonderful, juicy layers to his character are slowly peeled away and displayed throughout the arc of the story and it provided much more depth and sweeping emotion to their romance than I was expecting.

Together, Min and Colin are simply fabulous. The banter between them was superb. Then their journey started and the relationship they began cobbling together becomes something remarkable. It's almost a begrudging friendship at first, growing warmer and warmer through familiarity and helped along by a wealth of inside jokes and tender moments. Along the way we see both characters grow and mature, finding their joys in themselves as well as each other.

As far as romances go, the one between Minerva and Colin was one of the best I've read for the depth and dimension given to their relationship. These two people truly learn each other, then truly feel for each other, for who they are at their core. It startled me a little, actually. There was such complexity in their relationship, so much knowing and accepting of their core selves, that it hit me just how rare that is in romance fiction.

I wasn't as enamored with the scenes from Spindle Cove that are sporadically interspersed between the chapters of Minerva and Colin's road trip. As much as I love that town with all its quirky charm and unique characters, those scenes were more a distraction than a benefit. I appreciate that they set the foundation for the romance between Kate and Thorne for the next book, but they just seemed an unnecessary disruption in this one.

For ardent fans of absolute historical authenticity in regency romance, I would caution readers this may not be the book or the series for you. The dialogue is more conversational and relaxed, and the plot is a bit out there. On the other hand, if you prefer your historical romance heavily sprinkled with humor, don't mind a lack of stiff-upper-lipness, and are hit by waves of spontaneous lust when you hear mathematical terminology, then I would suggest booking a trip to Spindle Cove as soon as possible. Like me, you'll fit right in.

Quotables:

"My name is Minerva. I'm not your pet. And you're deranged if you think I'd ever marry you."
"But I thought you just said-"
"Run away with you, yes. Marry you?" She made an incredulous noise in her throat. "Please."
He blinked at her.
"I can see you're baffled."
"Oh, good. I would have admitted as much, but I know what pleasure you take in pointing out my intellectual shortcomings."

"How could you be certain of winning the prize?"
"I'll win. I could explain my findings to you in detail, but a great many polysyllabic words would be involved. I'm not sure you're up to them just now."

"Oh no. Oh God. I couldn't possibly be so stupid."
"Don't limit yourself. You can be anything you wish."

"At least Sir Alisdair would remember my name."
"Perhaps." He closed the distance between them, standing so near his chest grazed her breasts. "But could he kiss you so hard, you forget it?"

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Fairy Tales, Book 4
Rating: 2 Stars
Length: 384 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Avon Books publisher HarperCollins Publishing via Edelweiss. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




Theodora Saxby suffers no illusions. She's heard the whispers, knows very well what she looks like. Theo has no qualms about acknowledging that her profile is mannish and she does not have the plushest of physical attributes that are gracing the ballrooms this season. She's adjusted as best she can, crafted her wit to snag a husband who could at least find her interesting.

All she needs is a polite introduction to the one on whom she's set her sights. After all, she's not without benefit to a potential suitor. She'll inherit a vast wealth and her dowry will be substantial. And Theo has long-range plans. As soon as marriage has given her some freedom, she'll immediately set about dressing as befitting her form and coloring. That alone should help, though she knows she'll never be beautiful.

She needs the help of her childhood friend, the boy - now a handsome young man - with whom she had been raised. His father the Duke had kindly taken in both Theo and her mother after Theo's father, the Duke's best friend, died. Now, as soon as she convinces James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to introduce her to the dashing man she wants as a husband, everything will be just fine.

Theodora Saxby had no idea that it would be James, her dear, beloved James, the same James who persists in calling her Daisy no matter how hard she tries to get him to stop, who would sweep her off her feet and marry her while her head is still spinning. She didn't know that two blissful days as his wife would be the very best time of her short life. And she could not possibly have guessed, or ever, ever imagined, that it would end in such a brutal fashion, betrayal flaying the heart from her chest, cruelly stripping away everything in her life that she had thought was good, true, and honest.

Leaving nothing in its path but the broken wings and ravaged plumage of one ugly Duchess.


This book gave me fits. Eloisa James is proven in her craft, writing sweeping, emotional historical romance. She can certainly tell a captivating tale. Still, several elements of this story didn't sit well with me at all. There were moments early in the book when I thought it was going to be okay, when I saw James and Theo's relationship as they first married. I felt comforted by the genuine love between them, even knowing it would have to come crashing down at some point.

Of course I loathed the Duke and think he should have been gut shot and left to bleed out slowly, but regardless of the horrendous betrayal that's disclosed in the opening chapter, James did love Theo, and despite his guilt, did marry her with true feelings in his heart. That went a long way with me. And I liked Theo, too. I appreciated her forthright honesty and her sense of humor.

Then it exploded in a hail of emotionally devastating bad choices made by all.

From the moment Theo finds out about the theft of her inheritance all the way through to the end I had my jaw clenched and my hands fisted on my Kindle. And honestly, maybe even surprisingly, not all of my animosity was pointed at James.

Oh, don't get me wrong, quite a lot of it was, but not all of it.

James Ryburn was a hideous emotional coward who lacked the testicular fortitude to stand up for what he believed in or fight for who he loved. He then compounded that egregious character flaw by embracing his inner reprehensible narcissist, spending seven long years gallivanting around the high seas like some hapless cad, thinking only of himself.

Then again, Theo kicked him out and told him quite clearly that she never wanted to see him again, even informed him that he should remove himself from the country. He took her at her word, so she was certainly not blameless. She was also not always a completely endearing character. For all that she felt horrible when labeled rudely for her looks, she was known to be rather sharp-tongued and openly critical of others. After the betrayal her personality often seemed unappealingly cold and biting.

Of course, James does return to England eventually. Problem is, when he is face to face with Theo again he is an arrogant, contemptible, cavalier ass, lacking in even the merest glimmer of contrition or apology for past bad acts. Sure, he spouts some romantic drivel about Theo being the other half of his soul, but by that point all I could do was gape in astonishment, because he continues to regard his seriously bad judgement and worse actions as inconsequential.

He also seems to suffer from the unconscionable belief that everything will be just fine between him and his wife as soon as he can toss her skirts up once or twice.

For all that I detested the man at that point in the story, there were still moments when Theo and James together was a good thing, even moments (however brief) when their romance worked for me. And honestly, I'm glad they found their way to a Happily Ever After. I'm just disappointed - and in some cases, horrified - about how it all developed. I needed more than what the book provided to help me get over all the horrendously bad choices and actions. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Rumor, Book 1
Rating: 3 Stars
Length: 377 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by HQN Books publisher Harlequin via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




It was an innocuous meeting. One tall, exquisitely dressed gentleman speaking to one fiery-haired woman on a random street during a random day. Though it was obvious that they were of vastly different stations in life, Georgia enjoyed the gentleman's precise English accent and his handsome face. She was enough of a realist, however, to not trust the gentleman's intentions.

After all, what would a man of his obvious wealth want with a widow of her obvious lack of same except for the obvious? And not a chat over a cup of tea as he had oh-so-politely suggested. Georgia is a pride-rich but money-poor working woman of New York and knows the way of things. She makes her money through physical labor that does not include selling her body, thank you very much. And even if he wasn't trying to buy her time, he was definitely trying to charm his way into her.

If it wasn't for that thrice-damned thief who stole her bag after she'd bid the gentleman a polite but firm good day, or the gentleman's own sense of chivalry as he chased after the lout, Georgia would never have seen the man again, she was sure. But then the stranger ran out into a dusty intersection and was struck down. He was badly injured for her sake, and as impetuous as the action may have been, she couldn't just abandon him to an uncertain fate.

Georgia gets him to the hospital. She harangues the doctor to make sure he's sufficiently cared for. Problem is, she has no idea what his name is, and when the gorgeous stranger finally regains consciousness, neither does he. In fact, he has no recollection of who he is or where he's from, and what he does remember isn't real.

Burdened by her own sense of responsibility, Georgia does what she feels is the right thing to do, even knowing the risks. She takes the man who calls himself Robinson to her home. No doubt, when his memory returns, she'll pay for the indignity. And in more ways than one, for though he may not recall his past, his presence in her present is rocking Georgia to the core in a way that no man has since her husband passed. And that may be the most dangerous risk of all.


This series debut by Marvelle was a mix of highs and lows for me. I absolutely adored seeing a historical romance set in New York City, and applaud the work that went into the delightful authenticity of the setting. I soaked all of that up like a sponge. The medical conditions of the era and the limited understanding of the brain's intricacies were wonderfully realistic to the times. Also, I loved seeing a member of English nobility taken out of that world and put at the mercy of Georgia, who, for all her wit and pride, is a common woman of her time.

Less appealing, however, were elements of the story itself. While I have no problem with the amnesia, which may have been convenient but was also very well done, the depth of feeling between Georgia and "Robinson" bloomed way too fast for me. I could've embraced lust in that time frame, especially as the attraction had already been established, but love and an unwavering desire to be together forever has to take longer than forty-eight hours to be believable to me. When it doesn't, the entire romantic arc of the book starts to crumble.

The story also suffered from a rather large and slightly odd section of information dump in the middle that related directly to Robinson getting his memory back. I wish the story had split all that up a bit and doled it throughout the story, however that could have been accomplished, so it wasn't quite so overwhelming and didn't put the pace of the plot on hold as much as it did.

Then there was the issue with the characters. As much as I adore strong female leads, Georgia's personality strode over the line of strength and right into strident and querulous. She wasn't just independent and tough, she came off as a shrieking harpy in places. Much less appealing.

I adored Robinson for several reasons throughout most of the book, though, even when I thought it irresponsible of him to make unwavering promises before his memory returned. Like I couldn't see the inherent problems with that coming a mile away. I became much less enamored with him, however, when he assumed the role of king of his relationship with Georgia and started making decisions for her and on her behalf.

I can't begin to express how much I dislike that too-often seen habit of a character martyring himself (or herself) and/or the relationship for the good of his (or her) partner...without, of course, any actual input from said partner. After all, one wouldn't want to actually respect and value the thoughts and feelings of the person you claim to love enough to let them have a say in their future. I find that so remarkably insulting, and tedious as hell in romance novels.


Georgia's reaction to it was full of moxie, though, and delightfully Machiavellian, I'll give her that. It wasn't to my personal taste, as I would have preferred society not be allowed such power and it seemed to be a...loss of her character in a way, but I did respect her accomplishments. Because I did, though, I felt Robinson...now Roderick Tremayne, Duke of Wentworth...got better than he deserved faster than he should have. More grovelling. He definitely needed to do more grovelling.

The highs and lows from all of that made the book an uneven read for me. The parts I enjoyed were very well done and totally entertaining, and the parts I didn't either annoyed me or had me rolling my eyes in frustration. And it was definitely one or the other. There just wasn't much in the way of middle ground at any point of the tale. The elements that appealed the most, though, do bode well for the future of the series.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: N/A
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 278 Pages
Formats: Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Carina Press via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




As a little girl, Georgiana Knight didn't give a thought to whether or not her parents were married. They were her mama and papa and they loved her and her twin brother Harry. They loved each other. Then her father died, and her mother, an actress in London, raised her and her brother in the theatre she loved so much. But her mother died as well, bleeding out in the street after being attacked by a mugger.

Or so the story goes. Georgy and Harry have other suspicions. They think that their paternal grandfather, a man who denied that his son had married their mother, purposely covered up the truth of their legitimate birth. They think their mother was murdered for her determination to claim her children's heritage. There is an earldom on the line, after all. But no proof.

While her brother looks for any proof of their parents' marriage in Yorkshire, Georgy tries to get hired to the house of the current Earl of Dunsmore, their cousin, to search for any sort of documentation that might be hidden there. When she fails and her options dwindle, Georgy comes up with a wild and potentially dangerous plan: costume herself as a young lad and hire on as the valet of Dunsmore's friend, Lord Nathaniel Hawthorne, until the upcoming holiday house party at the Dunsmore estate opens the door for her as Hawthorne's manservant.

Nathan hired the young man named George on a whim after an impressive interview with the lad, and he hasn't regretted that decision in the weeks since, despite the lad's lack of experience and age. Though young, George is exactly the sort of valet he wanted: quiet, prompt, and precise. He is mightily discomfited, though, when he feels his body responding to George's touch one morning as his valet assists him after a night of over-indulgence.

Both relieved and intrigued when he discovers the truth of George's gender, his interest in his pretty little valet takes a much more compelling turn. Nathan keeps mum about his knowledge, watching and waiting and enjoying every moment of the chase...until it becomes clear that the secrets "George" is keeping may do more than compromise an old friendship and several laws, they may actually be risking her life.


Joanna Chambers provides a lush and richly entertaining historical romance that resonates with emotional depth and authenticity in her authorial debut. With a deft hand and sharp eye, Chambers weaves her story around two layered and realistic characters, imbues them with individuality and vibrant personality, and sets their paths to cross, then merge in ways that delighted and charmed me.

The story demanded a studious attention to the complications and complexities in class difference, and required the development and explanation of rarely-seen levels of servitude. For all that detail could have bogged down the pace of the story or overwhelmed weaker characters, Chambers struck a solid balance between story, background, world-building, and character definition that kept the story flowing nicely.

I liked Georgy and Nathan, and was pleased at how well they fit together as a couple. Their relationship evolution was one of the stronger story elements in the book. I enjoyed seeing the two go from strangers to master/servant to wary man/woman to interested man/woman and beyond. Their romance was poignant and full of tender emotion, and the heat level between them was fiery. It provided for an engaging reading experience.

Secondary and ancillary characters didn't have quite so large a presence in the narrative as I would have liked, but there were enough to keep the book from feeling too sparsely populated, and gentle touches and ancillary story threads surrounding them added layers to the romance plotline.

In the second half of the book, threads of mystery and suspense were subtly woven into the tale, serving to enhance the book's storyline. It got a little hectic and went a little crazy towards the end, when carefully maintained lies and secrets started to come unraveled, and one or two things didn't make sense to me when revealed, but overall it added some spice to the read and pushed the book forward on those plot-driven points.

I couldn't help but wonder though, given the location of a significant revealing moment in the story, why things happened as they did, why Georgy's mother had ended up as she had, and why the truth hadn't come out long ago...but I guess it wouldn't have been a book if it had.

Despite that confusion, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. It was a solid read, the characters were full of personality and fit well together, and the story kept me engaged. I can only imagine a bright and brilliant future for Chambers if this is how she kicks off her authorial career. With this evidence of her talents read, I know I'll be on the lookout for whatever comes next.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Beau Monde, Book 1
Rating: 3 Stars
Length: 416 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Sourcebooks Casablanca publisher Sourcebooks via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




Lord Andrew Forest is a rake and a rogue, a man who revels in his bachelorhood and flees even the mere mention of marriage. He enjoys the female form entirely too much to ever settle for one. And once he gets a gander of the delectable unmentionables of one Miss Lana Hillary, spotted from his position on the ground as she shimmied out of a second story window to evade a persistent suitor, he would heartily enjoy adding her form to his extensive collection.

He's not so much of a blackguard, however, to ruin an innocent, no matter how her quick wit and humorous banter stirs his mind as well as his blood, or how, on each subsequent meeting, she becomes more deeply embedded in his thoughts.

She has already learned a painful lesson when it comes to avoiding men like Lord Andrew Forest. After all, Lana had been engaged to one, and one dissolute rake is enough to last a lifetime. Of course Drew is handsome and charming. And of course he makes her pulse pound. That's a rake's standard. She's smart enough not to give into it. Especially as they hardly travel in the same circles.

Those thoughts comfort Lana until Drew shows up at her friend's country estate, where Lana and her mother had been invited to spend the summer. Forced to fend off her mother's idea of suitable husbands on one front, Drew's avid attention on the other, Lana suddenly finds herself overwhelmed. She's got to stay away from the glorious Lord Andrew or risk losing a piece of her heart as well as her reputation. Lana knows if that were to happen, neither one would ever be repaired.

Drew is at his wits end. He can't stop thinking about Lana. He's lost interest in his comfortable, disreputable life and grown bored with gaming, wenching, and parties. He has to get the chit out of his system and get back to his happy life. If that means a summer with his family and using his younger sister as a co-conspirator, so be it. He'll banish Lana Hillary from his hear...er...mind and be back to himself in no time.

Just as soon as she stops avoiding him, ignoring him, snubbing him, and generally putting him in his place whenever he's around, at least.


It started out so well. I wasn't fond of the scope of Drew's lusty past, but can't fault the authenticity of the lifestyle, and I admired Lana for her independent nature and stalwart determination for more than a loveless marriage mired in infidelity. The chemistry between them frothed and bubbled quite pleasantly every time they locked horns, and while Drew was perhaps a bit typical for the genre, I thought Lana was a lovely breath of fresh air.

She was a virgin, yes, but one whose eyes were open wide to the conflicts between society restrictions and her own willful nature. I quickly grew quite enamored with the girl who wriggled out of a second story window to get away from a man who was bothering her when she thought no one was watching, relied on her big brother to shield her from unwanted attentions when they were, then turned around and gave him what for when he overstepped and tried to corral her life in private.

And okay, it's true, I think there's something endearing about watching a dissolute rogue have his head turned by a woman to such a degree that his life does a complete about-face without him even realizing it. Especially when he keeps having those delicious little inner monologues that so clearly show how delusional he is as he tries to justify his feelings as a passing obsession. They led to so many fun machinations and amusing gyrations as Drew worked to insinuate himself into Lana's life while they were at his family's estate.

Surrounding all that fun and two solid main characters was a healthy number of secondary and ancillary characters who were fleshed out nicely and added depth and complexity both to the storyline and to the main characters' lives. The book had a very full feeling to it in that regard, as it did in the plot while the romance game was afoot.

Then things took a turn around the halfway mark. Though Drew blossomed into a lovely and devoted man...if a bit thickheaded about it sometimes...Lana melted into a wishy-washy neurotic with poor self esteem and a decided lack of intelligence. I got a bit of whiplash from all the angsty, overly emotional back-and-forth she did about Drew.

To make matters worse, the majority of the storyline belabored her indecision and flakiness in that second half. To the point where some of her actions and emotional reactions became tedious and absurd. The only aspect of the story that really attempted to balance that out was an odd plot thread of suspense that didn't make a whole lot of sense and should have been much better woven into the whole of the tale to really have any hope of seeming substantial. It ended up doing little but placing Lana even more firmly into the role of a damsel in distress. Not a favorite role of mine for female leads in romance or any other genre.

I disliked the latter half of the book to such a degree that it almost ruined the whole of the read for me. Only my absolute pleasure and amusement in the first half helped temper my overall impression of the story.

There was enough good in this book to showcase debut author Samantha Grace's easy-to-read writing style and her steady grasp of the historical genre. And there were enough teasers in this one to make me wonder about what is going on between Drew's former lover Lady Amelia and Lana's brother Jake Hillary, who are featured in Grace's sophomore effort, Lady Amelia's Mess and a Half. I just hope that one will provide more than a half of a great read.

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Return of the Highlanders, Book 2
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 381 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Forever publisher Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.




There is only one thing that Alexander Bàn MacDonald does with more frequency, skill, and enthusiasm than swiving the lasses, and that's fighting. Though it's a narrow margin. Now that the skilled fighter is back in the Highlands, his cousin Connor settling in as clan chieftan, it is up to Alex and his best friend Duncan to aid their friend in securing alliances while all of Scotland rumbles with the discord between Crown and rebellion.

Paying favor to the neighboring MacNeil clan with a visit is all well and good, but Alex draws the line at the idea of a marriage alliance. He can and will happily bed any and all comely lasses, married or no, but he will never take the shackle himself. Not after the example his parents set for him. He'd sooner take a blade in the chest.

Fortunately for him, MacNeil's eldest establishes quickly and unequivocally that she's no keener on the idea than he. Though she is definitely a beautiful lass.

Glynis MacNeil has good reason to want to avoid a marriage bed. She's had one already and it didn't end well. Her first husband proved himself to be an unfaithful lout, and she ended that marriage with a deft flick of a blade. Wedding Alex MacDonald, a known philanderer, is just as likely to end in bloodshed and pain. She would take no part in it. No matter how handsome the rogue is.

Alex is forced to reevaluate his stance, though, when faced with the consequences of his past. It's only then that he realizes how untenable the idea of marriage would be with any woman besides Glynis. Convincing her to give up her own reservations, however, may take more charm than even the eminently charming Scottish warrior can claim.


It's true, I'm a sucker for a hot guy in a kilt. Toss in a healthy brogue and a bit of scruff and I'm a puddle. And the great thing about Highland historical romances like Mallory's The Sinner is that all the men are hot guys in kilts. It's a veritable cornucopia of yum! In this case, there's also a rather large amount of fantastic story surrounding all that fictional beefcake.

Maybe I wouldn't have been quite so thoroughly entertained, though, if it hadn't been for Glynis. I loved her from the start. She was feisty, independent, intelligent, and not afraid to take a sharp point to a man who desperately deserved it. Mallory made her believable for her time period, gave her a backbone and an inner strength that I appreciated, and imbued her with a warrior spirit, for all her femininity.

Alex was also a pleasure, though I favored Glynis a bit more. He was definitely a nicely layered character with plentiful depth, but I wasn't as fond of his background. I know it's historically authentic, but the bed-hopping man whore persona isn't a favorite of mine for romantic leads. In his favor, he was honest and forthright about it, he certainly didn't deceive or betray Glynis, and his moments of insensitivity, while painful, weren't intentionally so.

I did have difficulty fully sympathizing with him about his parents' contentious relationship. Especially as so many of Alex's issues with marriage concerned the effects of his father's indiscretions - the sort that Alex had spent his life practically reliving. Still, both Alex and Glynis were three dimensional and likable. As individual characters they exuded a force of personality that couldn't be denied, and as a couple, they were incendiary.

The plot was complex and layered and wholly entertaining, especially when surrounding such strong lead characters. Expansive and detailed, weaving together a wide array of plot threads and story elements, it's a varied, intriguing journey through early 16th century Scotland. Action, danger, robust emotion, sizzling sensuality, battles and pirates and kings; it's all bound up into a fast-paced narrative that swept me up and carried me along from the first to the final page.

A major relationship conflict in the romance arc between Alex and Glynis struck me as less compelling. The complete breakdown in communication between them and Glynis' reactions to it, which seemed slightly out-of-character at the time, are never things I enjoy. Despite that, the evolution of their relationship was, for me, the true gem of the book. I loved how well suited the characters were for each other, first as like-minded friends and eventually lovers. The development of their relationship felt organic to both their characters and the situations in which they find themselves.

All the facets of this book pulled together to form a fantastic tale. I haven't read the first in the series, though I'm happy to say it wasn't necessary to enjoy this one, but I have every intention of reading the next. I felt for Duncan after hearing the opening strains of his upcoming opus in this book, and I liked him quite a bit as he stood beside Alex as a warrior and a friend. I am intent on seeing Mallory provide him with the sort of happiness the poor love-lorn male deserves. After The Sinner, I anticipate another rousing romp of danger and intrigue and romance in the Scottish Highlands. And braw men in kilts. Lots of yummy braw men in kilts.