REVIEW: Love is in the Heir by Kathryn Caskie

ISBN 9780446616102

Genre: Historical Romance

(c) July 2006

Kathryn Caskie's website

Rating: 4 stars

Available in Book Depository (print).

"Laugh-out-loud funny"

The Earl of Devonsfield is in need of an heir, and his nearest relations are twins Garnet and Griffin St. Albans. Because the order of birth wasn't determined, the earl didn't know which brother to name heir. He therefore came upon a brilliant plan, which is that the brother who was the first to marry a lady of quality would be named heir. However, they have to keep this a secret, else the earldom may be in danger of being reverted to the Crown and the earl didn't want this to happen.

What ensued was a comedy of errors as Garnet (the rakish brother) posed as Griffin some of the times to help the latter win the lady of his heart.

There were some laugh-out loud moments in this story, ensuing from the two brothers' different personalities. I daresay I've read only a few heroes like Griffin--someone who is gentle and kind and thoughtful and most importantly, isn't a rake. Any romance reader can tell you that historical romances, especially in the Regency era, abound with rakish heroes.

Interestingly, our heroine Hannah Chillton is one very sharp lady, as she is able to differentiate between the two brothers, though she didn't know it at the time. She has too much pride as well and didn't like being humiliated. (Well, who does?) But suffice it to say, she learned a very important lesson about pride and love.

The story took on expected twists and turns, but the execution and writing made the story a delight to read. Also, if you're the uber-romantic and like to have most of the secondary characters with their own love matches, this is the book for you. As for me, I can't abide it. I mean, what are the chances? The exact mechanics of the brothers' courtship were also not explained clearly at the start, which caused for confusion on my part as to the need for the ruse. For once, I'd also like to see a hero who does not end up a viscount or an earl or a duke, not because he gave up the position, but because, well, that's just how the die rolls.

Available in Book Depository (print).

DNF: Three Historicals

My favorite genre, yet even I couldn't stand some of the books.

First of all, I love Mary Balogh. I devoured her Bedwyn series even the off-shoot "Simply" series. I've also read Irresistible, one of her older works where the hero fell in love with his friend's widow. I thought it was good. However, try as I might, I couldn't get into Dark Angel, another older work which was reprinted together with Lord Carew's Bride. I thought the story, especially the beginning, dragged, maybe due to overdescription of settings and the heroine, Jennifer Winwood, didn't catch my imagination at all.


Julia Quinn is a favorite of mine for her humor and ability to make me laugh out loud. Unfortunately, I don't know what happened with this book, which seems to be missing the trademark Julia Quinn humor that I greatly suspect it's not written by her at all! Gasp! Or maybe I was used to her ballroom-gracing heroines that I had a hard time accepting Grace Eversleigh, companion to the grandmother of the duke.

Jack, the hero, didn't endear himself to me at all. I admit to being more intrigued with Thomas (the displaced duke) and his romance with Amelia (the woman betrothed to the duke). And so, my complaint: Why does the hero always have to end up the duke (or marquis or earl)? Couldn't he have remained a mere mister, since that is what he and the heroine wanted anyway?

I also have this nasty habit of reading the ending, so I saw that after Jack became the duke, the dowager duchess was sent to live in a far corner of the estate, because of her formidable and unreasonable temper. Thomas, though he didn't have much affection for his grandmother, still went to visit her sometimes. (I sincerely think he should have been the duke.) Whereas Jack even told Grace she didn't have to visit the dowager duchess anymore, though she did once a month. I think it's safe to say that Jack didn't even visit his grandmother at all. Which led me to the question: Why? Why did he dislike her so? If not for her, he wouldn't have been the duke. Maybe that was the reason? Or maybe there's something that concerns his father? For as I had said, I didn't read the middle part of the book, so maybe that's where the juicy meat is hiding. But like the other books, didn't care to read to find out.

Kathryn Caskie is a new-to-me author. I liked Love Is In the Heir. I thought it has humor and an original hero. However, How to Engage an Earl didn't engage me at all. After reaching the part where Anne Royle got betrothed to the earl (fairly early in the book), I realized I didn't care enough about Anne or the hero to read further. Anne seemed to be one of the daughters from the secret union of the Prince Regent and a Catholic woman, and they were searching for some document to prove (or disprove) it, but I'm not so sure exactly what and I didn't care to find out.

It's really sad when a book makes me apathetic this way. Must be the weather or my lousy choice in books that I picked up three DNF's in a period of one week.

REVIEW: My Lady's Pleasure by Alice Gaines

ISBN 978-1-60310-469-2

Series: Three Kinds of Wicked anthology

Genre: Erotic Romance, Historical Romance, Menage a Trois

(c) May 2010, Red Sage Publishing

Rating: 4 stars

Available in Red Sage Publishing (ebook).

"Hot, sweet and very romantic. Perfect love story to curl up with on a rainy day."

When Viking invaders overran Castle Randmead, Lady Josalyn had no choice but to surrender, not if she wanted to save what remained of her people. She didn't want to be attracted to the Viking leader Ulric, but he affected her in ways she thought only her ideal English prince would. To secure the holdings and the people's approval, Ulric sought to marry Josalyn, but he knew from the moment he set eyes on her, he's also attracted to her and wanted her in his bed.

But Josalyn was shy, a virgin and from her actions, showed that she wasn't particularly predisposed toward Ulric. Hence, when a traveling bard Trey offered his services with potions that would help Ulric win his bride in exchange for the pleasure of joining their marriage bed, Ulric couldn't refuse...

This story is part of the Three Kinds of Wicked anthology, where Trey, as part of his punishment, had to travel through time uniting lovers before he could be reunited with his own love, Sage. Though we see things from Trey's point of view only at the end, that part was written so well that I really feel for him, the hope that must sustain him in order to have the energy to go on making love matches for other people while his own love languished elsewhere. And though he gets to particpate in menages with the couples in all the stories in the anthology, I feel he is not happy and that he'd rather be with his love. (Yay! I just received the conclusion of this anthology, which is Trey's story in my inbox! Thanks to Red Sage for the review copy, and of course, to Carole who forwarded it to me.)

Josalyn is a true lady of the castle and we can see this in her relationship with her people and the way they looked up to her. No wonder Ulric sought to win her, but being a straightforward Viking, he didn't know how to woo her with romance. Yet, I feel she's a good match for Ulric, because when Trey tried to court her with romantic gestures, her reactions were very pragmatic, very like Ulric. Though she may think she wants romance, what she really wants is Ulric himself.

For all his brash ways, Ulric is rather sweet, especially when he displays his uncertainty with regards to his wife. He's also the perfect husband in that he sought to give his wife whatever she wants, to make her happy. So, when he thought she wants romance, he gave her Trey and his courtly ways. Now, who wouldn't want a hero like that? Two men to give you all the attention you need. Yum. The climactic scene toward the end was rather heartwrenching at the start for him, but it left him in no doubt who his wife really wants.

Alice Gaines writes a hot yet sweet historical romance about two people who fell in love and were right for each other, but needed to take a detour that would open their eyes to what they really want.

Available in Red Sage Publishing (ebook).

Note: This review copy is provided courtesy of the publisher.

REVIEW: Who Will Take This Man? by Jacquie D'Alessandro

ISBN 9780060536701

Series: Prequel to Love and the Single Heiress

Genre: Historical Romance

(c) November 2003, Avon Books, Harper Collins

Jacquie D'Alessandro's website

Rating: 4.0 stars

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

"Has everything you look for in a book--romance, tension, suspense"

Philip, Lord Greybourne, came home to England to marry the bride Meredith Chilton-Grizedale, the matchmaker his father hired, has chosen for him. However, he triggered a curse during his travels, as a result of which whoever became his bride was fated to die. Unless he could find the way to uncurse himself.

Meredith has worked too long and hard to allow her reputation as a matchmaker to be ruined just like that, when the match between Lord Greybourne and the daughter of a duke was called off due to the curse. So, she took it upon herself to help Lord Greybourne, never imagining that she herself would fall to his charms and become the object of the curse.

There's no one like Jacquie D'Alessandro in crafting historical romances with a touch of humor and lots and lots of sexual tension. By the time the hero and the heroine got together, I was burning along with them. The tension in this book went a touch too long, but I understood the reason, which to reveal would be a spoiler, me thinks. But seriously, I love her humor.

(I read in her website that she would have her first contemporary single title out  next year, and I'm looking forward to that, but I hope she won't abandon historicals totally.)

Unlike other historical heroines, Meredith truly has a past that has a big possibility of becoming a hindrance to stuffy, er, proper marriages among the ton, their social gap notwithstanding. Despite her upbringing, or maybe because of it, she has a compassion for the unfortunate that is credible. I also like the fact that she is not like other heroines who is determined to "adopt" each and every street child that she comes across, because I find such heroines very unrealistic and because of that, annoying.

Combined with the need to find a way to unlock the curse, there is a suspense factor involved with someone intent on hurting the people that Philip cared about. I have to admit I was gripped with the curiosity to find out who this person was. Although I have my sights set on one person, the author dropped enough clues as to confuse me that I have my doubts several times. Needless to say, I love every moment of it.

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

REVIEW: Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran

ISBN 978-1-4165-9263-1
Genre: Historical Romance
(c) July 2009, Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster
Meredith Duran's website

Rating: 4.5 stars





Buy Link: Book Depository

"Wonderful romance and a great read! Not to be missed!"

I was charmed by Meredith Duran's The Duke of Shadows. It is no wonder then that I come to read Bound By Your Touch with a lot of expectations, the least of which is that I should love this book, too.

Bound By Your Touch started with our heroine, Miss Lydia Boyce, being embarrassed in her presumptions of a gentleman's feelings who, in fact, had developed a tendre for her sister without her knowing about it. The prologue has such promise--a sympathetic heroine whom I can't help but root for, and I also anticipate the comeuppance that is sure to befall her um, "evil" sister. (However, there's no comeuppance, because Lydia is a much better person than I am.)

In the four years hence, Lydia developed a strong sense of self, all of which is tied up in her work for her father. She is clear in her feelings toward her family, in that one doesn't shy away from love when it becomes painful. Hence, it's possible to be hurt by a family member yet still continue to love him/her just the same. She has overcome certain desires (for a husband and family) when she believes she will remain a spinster and it is so wondrous to see all these get revived when she starts to fall for James, who gives her hope.

James, who portrays himself as a wastrel and lives to anger his father, is captivated by Lydia. He couldn't understand Lydia's devotion to and faith in her father, despite there being suspicions of her father being involved in a crime, as his own father had let him down very badly years ago. Yet in her, he finds himself learning about faith, and in her he finds his freedom and what he could be.

We also see a wonderful kind of parallelism between the two characters and their situations: Quiet, retiring Lydia and the effervescent playboy James, Lydia who loved her father and James who hated his, and some other stuff which are discussed in other blogs/review sites. I won't repeat them here, and all I can say is that for all the tender scenes between James and Lydia, this book is worth a read. I especially like the one wherein Lydia was declaring her father's innocence and yet, despite herself, doubt was creeping in. To prove her claim, she has to break a stone figure with a hammer. There was a wordless communication between the two of them--with James knowing somehow what was going on in her head, and Lydia knew this--and with every strike, she finds it harder and harder to hold onto her faith at the same time her physical body was tiring. Until finally, James came behind her and lent her his strength, that they were going to do it "together". It was a powerful scene in terms of the emotions it evoked in me.

Bound By Your Touch has its own appeal over The Duke of Shadows, and in my opinion, BBYT could be better than DoS overall because of the heroine. Then again, I was only charmed in the first half of DoS.

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

REVIEW: A Dangerous Beauty by Sophia Nash

ISBN 9780061231360

Series: The Widows' Club, Book 1
Genre: Historical Romance

(c) June 2007, Avon Books, HarperCollins

Sophia Nash's website

Rating: 4 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"Exciting historical read, with the right combination of action and romance"

Sophia Nash is a new-to-me author. I first picked up her book, The Kiss (review to come), because I was intrigued with the characters' situation, that of friends becoming lovers. When I learned that it's the second book in the series, I searched out A Dangerous Beauty, the first one.

And I wasn't disappointed.

A Dangerous Beauty is an exciting read, with the right combination of action, romance, angst, humiliation, yearning, betrayal and ostracization.

I like that Luc St. Aubyn, Duke of Helston, recognized his feelings for Rosamunde Baird quite early in the book, but that he was hindered from his declaration by things that he believed are important to Rosamunde but that which he couldn't provide for her. It was his stance that the St. Aubyn family owed Rosamunde quite a bit for the things she had suffered in the 8 years of her nightmarish marriage, so the aforementioned belief coupled with his need to make amends made him think that the best thing he could do for her was to stay away from her. There was also his grandmother's hope for him, which ran contrary to what he wanted. Selfless, yes, but a bit presumptuous of him. The least he could've done was ask. Well, in the end, he did ask, but it was a reflex reaction and Rosamunde did well to reject him.

Actually, they each have their own preconceived notions of what the other wanted. Perhaps if they talked? But I guess the time wasn't ripe then. Still, the last time they made love, the scene was so touching I wanted to cry. It was also told from Luc's point of view, which made it doubly heart-wrenching.

I've never seen a heroine so ostracized and who suffered so much, except for the heroine in Ain't She Sweet? by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, perhaps. So why do I like this? Because it makes my heart ache and break for Rosamunde and when that happens, it's a good thing. I then root for her and am glad to see the comeuppance of those who dealt with her badly. When my bloodthirsty needs are satisfied by the hero, the book leaves me with feel-good sensations.

I'm just a bit surprised that there wasn't more interaction among the widows, but merely superficial conversations. Or maybe, the reason was because Rosamunde came into the club late and hadn't been with them enough time to form the bonds of friendship. She did have a friend though, her younger sister Sylvia, who sacrificed her youth to stay with Rosamunde in an nightmarish marriage. I did find that funny, but I soon forgot about it in the rationale that the sisters were close and Sylvia was a very loyal sister.

I certainly wouldn't mind reading more about Luc and Rosamunde, and I hope they're featured in the rest of the series. I just have one beef about this story and it's a spoiler, so I'll blank it out.

I understand that Luc thought Rosamunde wants nothing to do with him and only wants to return/be reconciled to her family. Also, he was fully convinced that St. Aubyn men don't make good husbands, hence he sought to spare Rosamunde. And being a filial grandson, he sought to fulfill Ata's wish for a grandchild/heir by proposing marriage to Grace Sheffey, since Rosamunde hasn't borne a child in her 8 years of marriage to her first husband.

Now, my question is this: What if Grace had said "yes"? Then there would have been no HEA for Luc and Rosamunde. If he had really loved Rosamunde, why didn't he fight for what could be and ask Rosamunde her opinion of the matter (or if she even loved him)? Why did he succumb to Ata's wish, even if he didn't love Grace?

For me, that's one weak point in an otherwise excellent story.

Update March 14: Received a response from Ms. Nash some days ago on my question/concerns above. To avoid spoilers, I'll have to blank this out as well. Read at your own risk!

Your rationale is absolutely correct for our modern age, however, I could not discount the mores of the Regency era when honor (and living up to a promise or a word) was everything to a gentleman. You see, Luc believed that there was an unspoken understanding that he would one day offer for Grace. He thought Grace and Ata believed this. And they did. It was hinted out loud when he asked Grace for the use of her townhouse to give a ball for Rosamunde. He was also certain that Rosamunde wanted nothing to do with marriage ever again as she had said it to him. And she had no reason to marry again. She was restored to her father and to her family. So yes, a modern day man would probably try to figure out a way around all of this but a Regency era aristocrat with a high moral standard probably would not. Remember how Mr. Darcy could not bring himself to address Eliza Bennett when he first returned with his friend who proposed to Jane (in Pride and Prejudice)? He, too, believed Eliza would not have him, and did not love him...This is an example of another man who, at first, gave up hope before finally gaining the courage to ask her to marry him - just like Luc did in the end.

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

REVIEW: The Club by Sharon Page

ISBN 978-0-440-24490-5
Genre: Historical Romance
(c) March 2009, Bantam Dell, Random House
Sharon Page's website 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Links (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook 

"Riveting and hard to put down! If you're looking for a historical romance that is unique and with substance, this is it!"

Enter into a world of dark pleasures and darker intrigues.

Jane St. Giles, Lady Sherringham, is on a mission to rescue her best friend, Del, who has gone missing. For this, she has to enter The Club, a place of sin and decadence, a place of which she is out of her depth. She is surprised to find that Christian, Earl of Wickham and Del's brother, has followed her and together, they made an uneasy pact to find Del. But when Del is found, Jane finds to her dismay that she is losing her heart to Christian, a man who determines only to teach her the pleasure she had never found in her husband's arms.

Expecting the usual historical romance, I was shocked and surprised to find that The Club is...so much more. Instead of the usual balls and soirees and musicals, light flirtation and determined matchmakings by the mamas, The Club deals with the story of women abused by their husbands and the existence of a sexual club catering to the desires of married couples where anything goes (but the main couple didn't partake). It is different and it is certainly not gentle reading (not only because of the happenings in the club but also the subject matter of the book).

Jane and her friends typify the kind of woman who stayed with their abusive husbands--wanting to run yet in the end not finding the courage to do so, scared yet not having anywhere else to go. I think it is even harder for women in historical times for under the law, they are the property of their husbands. Their spirits are crushed and they learned to be quiet, to be invisible, to obey and do whatever their husbands wanted in order to escape their punishing hands. To these women, the death of their husbands could only signify freedom.

For Jane, the death of her husband was a relief, and she looked forward to a simple and contented life with her meager savings. Her crushed spirit started to mend, and because of her experience with her husband, she determined to save other women from such a fate. Her friends and even Christian referred to her as "crusading Lady Jane". However, Christian's appearance in her life showed her that not all men are the same. With Christian, she dared to do things, knowing he wouldn't hit her even if he were angry at her. The way he protected her and kept her safe warmed her heart and made her want to stay with him, but she'd vowed never to marry again. She didn't want to put herself under the control of a man again. Before Christian's re-entry into her life, she only sought for survival, but with him, she dared to risk her heart again.

However, Jane, no matter how crusading she is, is not one of those annoying TSTL (too stupid to live) heroines. Her heart prompts her to rescue the people she loved, even if it puts her in danger, and she is courageous when the going gets tough, but she knew when to obey Christian when it counts. As for Christian, he appears to be a rakehell hero who breaks marriages and even kills a man in a duel, but underneath it all, he has a good heart and well, appearances are deceiving.

Still, I wonder why historicals almost always portray the hero to be the sort of man who goes from bed to bed. Even if he beds only women who sought him out and who are unhappy in their marriages and whose husbands have mistresses, he is just the same as the husbands, even if he has a good motive of bringing the woman pleasure that is missing in her life. Don't heirs to dukedoms and earldoms have better things to do? Like learn estate management and how to take care of their tenants so they can take over when their fathers died? Or maybe, estates run themselves under the management of a good steward.

Anyway, finding Del led to discovering that a greater mystery and more evildoings abound. I especially like the way the author foreshadowed who the ultimate villain would be, yet in the end, she still managed to surprise me.

REVIEW: Sleepless At Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro

ISBN 978-0061231384
Series: Mayhem in Mayfair, Book 1
Genre: Historical Romance
(c) June 2007, Avon
Jacquie D'Alessandro's website

Rating: 5 stars









Buy Links (paper): Amazon, BookDepository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"Wildly romantic, this book is a must read for all romance lovers!"

It's official. Barring my liking Confessions At Midnight (which I haven't yet read) more than this, Sleepless At Midnight is my absolute favorite book in the series. And after first reading books 3 (Seduced At Midnight) and 4 (Tempted At Midnight), which are both great reads, that's saying a lot!

What do I like about Sleepless? Mainly the not-a-(classic)-beauty heroine. It is rare that we find this kind of heroine. Too often, she's gorgeous, beautiful, lovely, pretty, etc.

Sarah Moorehouse could never be called a classical beauty, because according to the hero, her features are mismatched--too big eyes, too small (pert) nose, too lush lips, etc. Having a stunning sister (Carolyn) and beautiful (Julianne) and pretty (Emily) friends, it's a wonder Sarah isn't insecure or, worse, bitter. But no, Sarah has accepted that gentlemen will never "see" her, nor will they ever ask her to dance. She has instead devoted herself to her plants and books and sketches.

And though we all aspire to beauty, not a lot of us can identify with the gorgeous, perfect, sexy heroines we read about and whose faces and figures grace the covers of books. On the other hand, it's so easy to identify and sympathize with Sarah, because we've all been there, we've gone through what she has, we've all resigned ourselves at one point or the other to accept ourselves as we are, and we've gone through the same wonder and amazement of discovering there's someone who loves us as we are. After all.

And knowing what Sarah is and what she believes of herself, I also can't help but root for her as she began her romantic journey with Matthew and experienced the thrill of falling in love with a man worthy of her. If it were not for the fact that I needed to work the next day (and hence needed to sleep), I would've finished the book in one sitting.

The hero who sees beneath the surface. When Sarah and Matthew had their first conversation, Matthew wasn't bowled over by her looks. Yet, something about her touched him, such that he couldn't get her out of his mind, he was drawn to her, and he was jealous when he saw her having fun with another man. And in his eyes, she was beautiful. He compared her once to a Botticelli painting, which I don't know anything about, but which must be good. (I googled. Here are the images.) I like how his friend described him toward the end, that whenever he talked with Sarah or even looked at her, Matthew lit up from within as though he'd swallowed a candelabra.

Logan Jensenn also saw beneath the surface, but too bad for him, Sarah doesn't like him in that way. Not only did she only feel this intense attraction toward Matthew, but they also have similar experiences in their past that drew them to one another, that created a bond of understanding between them, that allowed their souls to commune with one another. Perhaps then, this is the beginning of love.

There are, however, inconsistencies in this book and in TAM that I've discovered, a curse of having read and loved TAM a lot. One that I spotted is that I was under the impression from TAM that Emily's parents' marriage was a love match, which was why her mother wanted the same for her. However, in this book, it stated that Emily's father has expensive mistresses, which was one of the reasons for the family's dire financial straits. (Maybe it was a love match from the mother's POV only? *snicker*) Another inconsistency, this time within this book itself, is that at first, it was mentioned that it was Julianne's mother and Emily's aunt who were in attendance at the house party. Later on, Emily could be seen saying something about her (Emily's) mother and Julianne's aunt, who were both at the party. Now, we know from SAM and TAM that Julianne does not have an aunt while Emily most assuredly has.

Despite the inconsistencies above, which caused me to pause and read the passages again to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me, I enjoyed this book very much, so much that I'm giving it the highest rating.

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, BookDepository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

REVIEW: England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch

ISBN 978-0-060543-13-6

Series: Lessons in Love, Book 3
(c) March 2004, Avon Books, Harper Collins
Suzanne Enoch's website

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Links (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"Heartwrenching and romantic"

A year or so has passed since the ladies have written down their "lesson plans" and both Georgiana and Evelyn have fallen in love and married their "students". Lucinda Barrett has watched from the sidelines with some envy, and so when it came her turn, she chose someone she wanted to marry, someone who would give her a simple, amicable life and who would also be in good terms with her father (a war hero), someone who was so gorgeous he turned young women's heads--the Duke of Fenley's 4th son, Geoffrey Newcombe.

But then, there was Robert Carroway, the younger brother of Georgiana's husband, who'd been wounded in the war and who was so traumatized by his experiences that he shunned all contact with Society, because noise and crowds bother him. Yet, he was drawn to Lucinda, for her peace and serenity, and he decided if he wanted to become "normal" again, he needed help. So, he made a trade with her, and in exchange, he would help her snare her desired husband.

Robert Carroway is definitely not your typical historical romance hero. His scars and wounds go deeper than a past betrayal at love or a rakish reputation, and they are not the type to be easily solved with the magic of true love. Yet, love does help, for thoughts of Lucinda enable him to go through some of his worst times. I love how he overcame his own trauma in order to help Lucinda with her lessons. I think the scene wherein he danced with the other ladies at the ball is one of the nicest and heartwrenching scenes in the book. It would be so so so easy to fall in love with such a guy.

He also has his own lessons to learn, and one of these is to ask for help from family and friends, people who are concerned about him. I love the supporting cast that Ms. Enoch brings into this book, Georgiana and Tristan, Evelyn and Saint and the entire Carroway clan, especially Edward. I originally didn't like Bradshaw for the comment he made to Robert at the start of the book, though he was merely trying to help, but he more than redeemed himself later on in the story. I like how Ms. Enoch portrayed the dynamics of the Carroway family--realistic and heartwarming.

I like how he and Lucinda were friends first, and I like seeing how their friendship developed into something more, especially for Lucinda, who hadn't really set her sights on him. I like how Lucinda is a dutiful daughter, and most especially, I like how she sees Robert for what he is--a man tormented by his experiences of the war, yet a man nonetheless.

Lucinda was torn with her feelings for Robert and what she envisioned she wanted in her life, which includes providing her father with a son-in-law he could get along with. Yet, it is no secret that there was bad blood between Robert and her father. Despite Society's insinuations about Robert and even her father's admonition to stay away from him, I like how Lucinda never wavered in her estimation of Robert and how she was strong enough to stand with him at a time when most people wouldn't have.

Suzanne Enoch has truly penned a gem in this story that is both heartwrenching and romantic and that celebrates the power of love.

Rating: 5 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, BookDepository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Links (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

* Oldie But Goldie reviews are reviews of books published before 2005 and which garner at least a rating of 4 stars.

DNF: Two Historicals and A Romantic Suspense

After finishing Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen (awesome book! Review to come soon), I thought I'd read some historicals before going into more paranormals (Deidre Knight's Red Fire and Larissa Ione's Passion Unleashed and Ecstasy Unveiled, not to mention the next two books after Nightkeepers). I've read so much about Julia Justiss that I picked up her book and another by Anne Mallory. Sad to say, I was disappointed.

A Most Unconventional Match by Julia Justiss utlized my favorite trope: friends to lovers. I was so sure I would love this! Unfortunately, the book (the writing, the characters) just didn't grab me. I read until the chapter when the hero and heroine met again after seven years, before I finally gave up. One good thing I do have to say for Ms Justiss: The hero has a speech impediment and his dialogue clearly showed it (unlike other books).

I was intrigued by For The Earl's Pleasure by Anne Mallory, as it also seemed to be a friends to lovers story, plus the fact that the hero became a ghost and only the heroine could see him (I gathered this from excerpts and reviews). I thought it was interesting and it probably is. I wouldn't know because I couldn't get past the first chapter where Ms Mallory meant to show that the hero and the heroine were at odds with one another and how they kept baiting each other through the years. She was able to show this marvelously, however, the characters came across as silly. I know there's not much maneuver room for historicals, unlike say in paranormals where the author is only limited by her imagination, but still...

A previous DNF (one I hadn't blogged about) is Hard to Hold by Stephanie Tyler. Just about everything about this book caught my attention--the cover, the back summary and the excerpt, and so, I picked it up while I was browsing in a bricks-and-mortar bookstore without reading the reviews beforehand. I don't know though whether it would have helped. I believe I read up to Chapter Three before I gave up. Aside from the fact that I didn't like the heroine (not usually something that happens to me), the book just didn't grab me. I forced myself to read on, but at some point, I just couldn't, so I stopped.

However, your mileage may vary, so don't let my DNF reviews stop you from picking up and enjoying these books. I know for a fact several reviewers gushed about Julia Justiss and that Shana enjoyed Hard to Hold, so you may have the same taste as them.

REVIEW: The Rake by Suzanne Enoch

ISBN 978-0-380-82082-5
Series: Lessons In Love
(c) June 2002, Avon Books, HarperCollins
Suzanne Enoch's website

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"A promising start to the series, with delicious lessons in love!"

The three friends, Georgiana, Evelyn and Lucinda, banded together to teach three chosen rogues a lesson in love, such as not trifling with a lady's feelings. For Lady Georgiana Halley, the person she targetted was Tristan Carroway, Viscount Dare, who stole her innocence six years ago on a wager.

Georgiana had never gotten over that incident, and to her relief--and confusion--no scandal rocked the ton of her scandalous behavior. In fact, nobody seemed to know of the incident except Tristan and her. The reason the secret was kept under wraps was due to Tristan's creativity, though she knew of this only later in the book. But now that Tristan is looking to marry an heiress (to solve his monetary problems) Georgiana took it upon herself to teach him to be kind to his wife by making him fall in love with her then breaking his heart.

For his part, Tristan had never forgotten Georgiana nor the taste and scent of her. Six years ago, Tristan decided to take on the wager because it served as an excuse to steal a kiss from the woman who had captivated him. Things went too far because he couldn't help himself. It seemed that one touch of her skin had him inflamed and burning and he must have her. He had long wanted to make amends but she wouldn't let him, instead declaring to all and sundry that she hated him. But when she started being nice to him, he was wary yet intrigued.

Suzanne Enoch can be expected to deliver on a good story, yet what I like about The Rake is the numerous interactions between the main characters and how each learned to trust the other again. I like that Georgiana and Tristan talked and shared things, outside of the bedroom.

From Georgiana's point of view, we know from her observation that Tristan had changed. Certainly, he's more sensitive and kind and family-oriented. We also know from Tristan that he had wanted to make amends for his behavior six years ago, that he had thought it would be better if they had been caught then. My thought on this is that caught or not, if Tristan had really possessed a sense of honor, he would've offered to marry her, whether she liked it or not. He didn't have to tell her family that he's compromised her, but he could've put more effort into courting her in the days after her ruination. After all, she was already half in love with him at that time. But I guess he was young and selfish and he hadn't really wanted to be leg-shackled, no matter how much he desired Georgiana. He was having too much fun sowing his oats. His thought on it "being better if they had been caught" was made in retrospect, when his choice was being made for him by circumstance.

The ending though is wildly romantic, especially when Tristan made his proposal, when he laid all his cards on the table, vulnerable and hopeful. I like that both characters learned something about love and life and each other.

At this point, I would've said on to the next book in the series, however, I don't like stories where the heroine takes an interest in an orphanage or some such thing, so I'm going to skip it and read England's Perfect Hero instead, which Silver assures me is the best in the series and which is highly recommended by everyone in blogland.

Rating: 4 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

* This is the first of my Oldie But Goldie reviews, which are reviews of books published before 2005 and which garner at least a rating of 4 stars.

REVIEW: Seduced at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alesandro

ISBN 978-0-425-22549-3

Series: Mayhem in Mayfair, Book 3
(c) 2009, Berkley Sensation, Penguin Group
Jacquie D'Alessandro's Website

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble 
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"Unique and intriguing with an unusual hero and the heroine who'd risk everything for him"

I love Tempted at Midnight so much I rushed out and got Seduced at Midnight. I was intrigued by Julianne's dilemma and wondered how Jacquie D'Alessandro would deal with it.

Lady Julianne Bradley is an earl's daughter, and she is the epitome of the poor little rich girl. She has everything--gowns, jewels, etc--but the warmth of a family, love, laughter, companionship. Her parents are the typical ton couple, and though it wasn't stated in the book, I believed they married for advantageous gain rather than love, as her father could barely tolerate her mother. The fact that Julianne is an only child and female renders her useless in the eyes of her father, as the title would now go to his younger brother, whom he hates. Her mother is cold and ruthless, seeing in Julianne a daughter who needed to marry to advance the family's position in Society.

However, Julianne is not content to be merely a beautiful decorative piece on the settee. Seeing her friends marry for love, she has dreams and wishes to find a husband who would love her and whom she could love in turn. She longs for romance, passion, love, friendship, companionship. Laughter. And she thought she could find all these in Gideon Mayne, the man who haunted her thoughts ever since she saw him two months ago.

There was only one problem.

Gideon Mayne is a Bow Street Runner, the best in the business yet a man so far socially beneath her that he needs to "step on a ladder to see the hem of her skirt"--Gideon's own words. Yet, there is no doubting the attraction between them, and Gideon fights it and himself. But when Julianne becomes the target of a murdering thief, Gideon is hired by her father to protect her.

As Gideon is so fond of summarizing things in one word, the word I have for this book--Delicious!

The author takes full advantage of the um, delicious situation our hero and heroine find themselves in and what we have is a hot, hot, hot story where the pages sizzled with their tension and passion, not to mention all that angst and internal conflict. I couldn't stop turning the pages and I finished the book in two days! (And only because I needed to sleep)

Julianne describes herself as not being very brave, but I think her decision toward the end of the book is one of the bravest things she'd done. I guess love is truly a very powerful force, able to move mountains and men's hearts.

As for Gideon, I would've liked it better if he had BEGIN SPOILER asked for Julianne's hand in marriage BEFORE he knew that she was willing to give up her station in life for him. That would've created more uncertainties for him, and there's nothing I like better than to put the hero through the ropes. In fact, he already had an advantage. He already knew Julianne loved him, though they hadn't spoken the words, and he knew she preferred him over her other suitors. What was keeping him from offering for her? Maybe he was insecure because although her life with him would be comfortable, it wouldn't be what she was accustomed to. Maybe he didn't want to subject her to the hardships of what their life would be should she marry him. And yes, that is exactly what we are told, during one of his thought-monologues. But still, I think Julianne should be given the chance to decide (well, indirectly, she was) since it's her life that's going to be drastically different. Certainly I would have LOVED the story more. END SPOILER But that's my opinion.

This book is unique in that the hero is not even a commoner in trade (read: not noble, but wealthy--good enough), but a Bow Street Runner, for goodness' sake, something that's beneath the ton's notice, unless they need help to catch the criminals who rob them. I don't think I've read a book where the hero is in this profession before. I think I'm a snob, but I don't usually notice the runners either, preferring to read about lords and ladies, earls and dukes.

Yet, here is this runner--the hero! Gideon's profession is actually one of the things that made me curious and intrigued to read this book, and the second is how the author is going to resolve the characters' situation. And she didn't disappoint, having given Juliana all the incentives she needed to make her want to forsake the cold, lonely world she's known for one of love and laughter with Gideon.

I love Jacquie D'Alessandro's writing and I'm off to get the rest of the series! One thing I love about this series is the friendship among the four women, and how Julianne's friends actively came together at the end to give her their support.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble 
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

REVIEW: Wicked All Day by Liz Carlyle

ISBN 978-1-4165-9492-5

(c) October 2009, Pocket Books, Simon and Schuster

Liz Carlyle's website 

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook 

"Enjoyable with a unique, fiesty heroine" 

I read this and Tempted All Night back to back and while I was writing my reviews, I interchanged them. Ugh. Good thing I discovered my mistake on time or y'all would have been confused.

Before I start my review, I would like to take a moment and say I love love love the cover. And I rarely gush about covers, since all of them are interchangeable, one way or the other. The same with titles. I know, I know. I'm digressing. As I was saying, the woman in this book's cover could have been Zoe, with her dark hair, heart-shaped face and that impish expression on her face. She's so pretty it's not a stretch to imagine her breaking hearts all over London.

Our intrepid heroine, Zoe Armstrong, is the bastard daughter of Lord Rannoch, hero of My False Heart. I call her brave because it takes a lot to go against Society's notions of how an unmarried yong lady should behave. The reason she behaves deliberately in this way is rooted in her youth, when as a little girl (before her father married Evie) she hears ugly things about her due to her parentage and decides, why not be bad instead since being good does not seem to do anything for her?

It's her way of thumbing her nose at Society, who looked down on her due to her parentage, her way of declaring she doesn't care how they see her. But deep down, I believe she does care. This can be seen in her reaction when Robin, betrothed to her, kissed a tavern maid in front of her. She rebukes him for his actions, not because he'd been unfaithful to her, but because she couldn't bear the pity in other people's eyes. She cares about what people would think of her. As can be imagined, she is a trial to her father, whose infamous temper is once again displayed here. However, Lord Rannoch truly loves his daughter and only wishes for her to be happy.

Stuart Rowland is the grim Marquess of Mercer, cold and restraint, and Zoe has always incited strong, frustrating feelings in him that he can't quite grasp or control. Hence, he denies them, forces them out of his mind and heart, and feels it's safer to lose himself in the arms of his paramours or mistresses. Until the day he sees Zoe in a compromising position in Robin's arms and realizes he could lose her in marriage to another man. And his world explodes in his face.

To head off a scandal, Robin and Zoe are engaged and they all head to Greythorpe, Mercer's country seat. It is here that Stuart (Mercer) comes to terms with his feelings and decides to act. I buy into Mercer's feelings for Zoe and his self-revelation, but are we to believe that Zoe never realized how attractive Mercer was before they went down to Greythorpe and she had her alone time with him? Maybe she was blinded by the fact that she thought the only thing Mercer felt for her was annoyance and vexation at her pranks? That he lived only to scold and chastise her? That she could never do anything good/right in his sight? Or, maybe Robin's subsequent behavior finally put Mercer's strength and restraint into good light.

Because I haven't read any Liz Carlyle when I heard about Wicked All Day, I went and read My False Heart and A Woman Scorned and Tempted All Night first before coming to this book. And I like visiting with previous characters, since it's a treat for me to know what happened to them months, years after their romance. Another added plus is the interaction between the characters. Rannoch is still temperamental, especially where his children (inclusive of Evie's cousins) are concerned, and Evie is there to soothe and balance him. We can also see the respect Stuart and Robin have for Cole (their stepfather), and Stuart's role as the older brother to Robin, and the conflict he felt in their current situation. In any case, it's interesting to see the characters keep true to their previous characterizations, with Stuart the grim and restraint Lord Mercer, when duty and responsibilities are forced on his young shoulders, and Robin's carefree, devil-may-care attitude. Though this is not to say that the characters didn't change and grow throughout the book.

However, I feel it isn't necessary to read the other books in order to enjoy Wicked All Day, since it's basically a stand-alone book. The only thing that left me slightly dissatisfied is my wishing for more romantic scenes between Zoe and Mercer. I feel there's not quite enough of them.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

REVIEW: Tempted All Night by Liz Carlyle

ISBN 978-1-4165-9313-3

(c) 2009, Pocket Book, Simon and Shuster

Liz Carlyle's website

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"Like all good stories, Tempted All Night delivers."

Due to a tragedy in her past, Lady Phaedra Northampton has made the conscious decision to lead a quiet life, far from gaiety and Society, and resolves never to marry. She doesn't think any man would want her, broken as she is, and there seems to be something wrong with her. She buries her fragility, hopes and dreams, and focuses on running her wealthy brother's household and solving everyone's problems. However, her search for a tavern maid gone missing leads her to London and into the arms of Tristan Talbot, Viscount Avoncliffe and future Earl of Hauxton.

Tristan, like so many historical romance heroes, is a dissolute rake. However, he has a reason. His experiences in Greece are so bad that he turned to licentious living to numb his feelings. Moreover, his relatives have never accepted him, due to his mother's less than exceptional lineage, and he is determined to live up to their perception of him--that of being a good-for-nothing and unworthy to inherit the earldom.

Yet, for all his conflicting feelings, he loves his father, and when the earl asks Tristan for a favor, he readily gives it, and his investigations lead him to a seedy part of the city and to Phaedra, who inspires deep feelings in him and who sees him as no one else.

I like that Phaedra is what Tristan needs in a turbulent time of his life, and that Tristan is what Phaedra needs to understand and accept herself for what she is. I like that Tristan feels regret for his wicked past as it relates to Phaedra, which we don't see a lot of heroes doing. The only other hero that I've read of who has this same feeling is Elliot Armstrong in Liz Carlyle's My False Heart. I like that Phaedra also meets and strikes up a friendship with Zoe Armstrong, a woman as lively and bad as Phaedra is quiet and good, yet Zoe is exactly what Phaedra needs in her life to draw her out of her shell, to live life, so to speak.

I like a good story, and Tempted All Night delivers. Regarding the ending, I normally would've agreed with Phaedra, yet given Tristan's family background and his loveless childhood, it is easy to believe that Tristan would choose a love-filled marriage with her. Love would've been reason enough, but Tristan's history made his choice especially believable for me. Now, I can't wait to read Wicked All Day about the wicked Zoe Armstrong.

Rating: 4.0

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

REVIEW: Tempted at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro

ISBN 978-0-425-22699-5
Series: Mayhem in Mayfair, Book 4
(c) 2009, Berkley Sensation, Penguin Group
Jacquie D'Alessandro's website

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook 

"A read that flows like warm honey down your throat, charming and enchanting."

Lady Emily Stapleford is in dire straits. Her family is on the brink of financial ruin, and only her advantageous marriage to a wealthy man can save them. However, though she loves her family and is willing to do anything for them, she wants to marry for love, the way her friends had done. Hence, she comes up with a scheme to earn enough money, but while she goes about putting it into effect, her actions didn't escape the eagle eyes of Logan Jensenn, a rich shipping American magnate and one of her father's creditors.

Logan doesn't know why he was captivated by Emily, but he couldn't get her out of his mind since they shared a kiss, albeit a hot, intense one at that, three months ago. The mischief in her eyes told him she was up to something, and he was determined to discover what it was. And when his past inadvertently puts her in danger, he vowed to do everything he could in order protect her.

I thought this series is called the Midnight Series (owing to all titles bearing the word "midnight"), but luckily, I found out that I'm wrong before I posted this review. Mayhem in Mayfair sounds more interesting!

Jacquie D'Alessandro charmed my socks off with Tempted at Midnight. The story holds a twist, in that it's the heroine's family--instead of the hero's--that's penniless and is in need of new funds to replenish their coffers. The author's writing style also made this an easy and exciting read. I totally couldn't wait to learn how Emily's and Logan's romance would progress, and this kept me turning the pages. Oh, and midnight did play an important part in the story.

Emily is a truly likeable heroine, and it's easy to see why Logan would fall in love with her. She's funny and resourceful and strong, and best of all, she has a kind heart that extends outside of her family members. Though she could be seen to be prejudicial against Logan at the start, since she has all these concepts about him that were wrong without intending to find out if these were true, yet, she was using these as a buffer against the intense attraction she felt for him. She approached her world with curiosity and compassion, which makes her an intriguing heroine.

Logan is the typical attractive, wealthy, to-die-for hero with a deep, dark secret past that he was determined wouldn't touch Emily. It is refreshing to read about a hero who is not commitment phobe, and his proposal (the last one) to Emily is so romantic. No, let me correct myself. What's romantic about Logan and what makes him the perfect hero is his desire to please Emily in all ways possible, especially in the things in which she has expressed an opinion, one of which is the proposal. In one of their conversations, Emily has informed him how she wished to receive a proposal from the man she loves, and though their wedding was a foregone conclusion, Logan still obliged her, even though he didn't need to do it. In Emily's own words, "(his eyes) searching hers with an expression that suggested she had a choice and might say no. It was completely unnecessary and superfluous that he ask, that he give her this on-bended-knee romantic proposal..."

If all men during the Regency era are such, it's no wonder the ladies need smelling salts!

But more than the characters per se, it's their interactions with one another that truly made this an unforgettable and charming and enchanting story for me. Emily and Logan progressed from not liking one another due to the misconceptions they have about each other, to having these misconceptions cleared up, and then to falling in love. It's much more romantic than how I'm describing it here, believe me. Their dialogues are funny and sweet, and I could just read them over and over.

There's also a lovely scene wherein love was perfectly portrayed, in my opinion. Carolyn, Emily's friend and heroine of Confessions At Midnight, seemed to be having a serious medical condition, though they didn't yet know for sure what it was or if it was curable. As the physician was called in to check on her, Emily and Logan were in the library (I think) awaiting news, and Emily was so distraught that Logan took her in his arms to comfort her, lending her his strength. For me, this was a very beautiful picture. Sorrows and tragedies may come (and they will), but there's someone beside you who would go through life's challenges with you.

I love this story so much I wanted to read the stories of the other ladies who are Emily's friends and make up the Ladies Literary Society. When I couldn't wait to get all my hands on the author's backlist, I know this book deserved the highest rating it could get.

Rating: 5 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook