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: Naked in New England by Jacquie D'Alessandro

ISBN 978-0373441228

(c) July 2001, Harlequin Duets

Jacquie D'Alessandro's website 

Rating: 5 stars

"Hilariously funny with a sweet and romantic hero. A great romance!"

Ryan Monroe is an architect who needed to refresh his creativity in order to score the biggest coup of his career, and his friend Dave offered the use of his country cabin for Ryan to recharge. Lynne Waterford, on the other hand, is an interior designer and she has been commissioned by Dave's wife and her friend to renovate the cabin as a surprise for Dave. A storm stranded them together and sparks fly between the two.

If you've been following this blog, you'd know I'm a Jacquie D'Alessandro fan. I loved her Mayhem in Mayfair series, which I've read except for Confessions at Midnight (will get round to it someday), and so, I wondered, does Jacquie D'Alessandro only do historicals well? What about contemporaries? Especially romantic comedies, where humor, as we know, is very subjective?

Guess what? I found Naked in New England to be completely hilarious! The funny, laugh-out-loud aspects are interwoven seamlessly with the characters' thoughts and behavior, making this a true comedy and not of the slapstick variety. Waldo the racoon also provided muich laughter, especially with his one precious antic toward the near end. Not only that, but the hero, Ryan Monroe, is very sweet and romantic. I just about melted, especially toward the end. The things he was willing to do just to gain her heart and to make their future possible... *sigh*

Here's one of the passages I sighed over: 

Her eyes goggled. "You bought me twenty-five pounds of Godiva chocolate? Talk about a sweet deal!" A laugh huffed from between her lips. "You realize it will take me forever to eat this. As much as I love it, I'll have to ration the calories out over the next fifty years so I don't gain a hundred pounds."

"Perfect. That's exactly what I want."

"For me to gain a hundred pounds?"

"No....I want the next fifty years." 

*melts* 

Naked in New England is part of a Harlequin Duets, but I picked up this book solely to read Jacquie D'Alessandro's story and the money's well worth it.

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: 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: 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

Treasure Ahoy!

I can't believe I haven't read this author before! I picked up this book by Jacquie D'Alessandro, Tempted At Midnight, on a whim. I wasn't even particularly tempted by the summary on the back cover, because there are hints that a vampire's involved, and I'm not a fan. But then, I turned to the first chapter and started reading...and I was hooked. I love me a good story, and this sounds like one. Moreover, Logan (the hero) appeared to be human, since he's out in broad daylight. ;)

I've only read about halfway through, but I'm happy to say I wasn't mistaken. I love the scene where Emily and Logan took a long walk and had an interesting and illuminating conversation. I was totally charmed, especially by Logan. Okay, I'll stop or I'll have nothing to say for the review post.

Checking out the author's website made me realize I've read the last book first! No wonder Emily's other friends are all married to the loves of their lives. It doesn't matter, because I'm checking out the other books as soon as I'm done with this one!

So, my TBR pile grows by another three books (and I'm not promising to read them in order):

Sleepless At Midnight

Confessions At Midnight

Seduced At Midnight

I wonder what "midnight" has to do with the stories. ;)