2016 Book #94 – My Brown-Eyed Earl by Anna Bennett

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: My Brown-Eyed Earl
Author: Anna Bennett
Date finished: 10/4/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Pages in book: 352
Stand alone or series: #1 in the Wayward Wallflowers series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

NEVER SEND A DEBUTANTE
William Ryder, Earl of Castleton, is at the end of his noble rope. Not only has he broken ties with his longtime mistress, his mother has publicly announced her wish for him to marry a suitable young lady―if only to help him raise the twins left in his care. Hiring a governess should solve some of Will’s problems…but when he meets the candidate in question, he finds himself in an entirely new predicament.
TO DO A WALLFLOWER’S JOB
Miss Margaret Lacey is brainy, beautiful, and, once upon a time, Will’s betrothed. But she bowed out of the engagement―and, since then, has never been the same. A tragic accident robbed her of everything, and now, at age twenty-three, her marital prospects are slim to none. Penniless but not without pride, Meg convinces the vexingly handsome Will to hire her for the job. What neither of them could have expected from this arrangement, however, is an attraction that burns stronger than ever. Are these two lost souls finally ready to be schooled in the art of love?

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. Be sure to check out my Blog Tour post on this book, including an excerpt and a giveaway, here! This book tells the story of a Miss Margaret Lacey, a woman determined to obtain a governess position to keep her uncle out of debtor’s prison. Her uncle has been extremely generous taking Meg and both her orphan sisters into his household and supporting them after the death of their parents. Meg is determined not to be a burden though, and so she seeks a position that her friend had heard of in an Earl’s household, only to come face to face with Will Ryder, the man she rejected in a marriage proposal almost 10 years before. The last time she saw Will has haunted her, for she not only humiliated both him and herself but that was also the fateful night she lost her parents. Meg doesn’t see how she could possibly work for Will, but brick by brick he wears down her heard. The more time Will spends with Meg, the more he realizes how much light she brings into his life, and that of his two new young wards. But with their tragic past, do they really have a chance at happily ever after?
Overall I really liked this book! Will’s character was a little overly cocky for me but he was also deviously charming. And I just adored his twin wards, Diana and Valerie, they were such sweethearts. The book definitely grabbed at me, I honestly just didn’t want to put it down! But at the same time, I thought the plot could have been expanded in certain places a bit further. I liked the addition to the plot of a bit of danger/suspense though, as that definitely added to my enjoyment of the book. I felt a certain connection with Meg because I too, probably like many of us, think of myself as a bit of a wallflower. I also liked her strength of character contrasted by her vulnerabilities. For me, this ended up being an extremely sweet and heart warming romantic tale. I would definitely recommend!

The bottom line: I liked this book, the story line was interesting and the cast of characters was engaging. If you like historical romances especially, this is a good pick! It is a quick read with a romantic story, just what we all need.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

3Oct2016

2016 Book #93 – Hero in the Highlands by Suzanne Enoch

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: Hero in the Highlands
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Date finished: 10/2/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Pages in book: 384
Stand alone or series: #1 in the No Ordinary Hero series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Scotland, 1812: He’s ferocious and rugged to the bone, an English soldier more at home on the battlefield than in any Society drawing room. And when Major Gabriel Forrester learns that he’s inherited the massive Scottish Highlands title and estate of a distant relation, the last thing he wants to do is give up the intensity of the battlefield for the too-soft indulgences of noble life. But Gabriel Forrester does not shirk his responsibilities, and when he meets striking, raven-eyed lass Fiona Blackstock, his new circumstances abruptly become more intriguing.
Like any good Highlander, Fiona despises the English―and the new Duke of Lattimer is no exception. Firstly, he is far too attractive for Fiona’s peace of mind. Secondly, his right to “her” castle is a travesty, since it’s been clan Maxwell property for ages. As the two enter a heated battle of wills, an unexpected passion blazes into a love as fierce as the Highlands themselves. Is Fiona strong enough to resist her enemy’s advances―or is Gabriel actually her hero in disguise?

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Gabriel Forrester, a self-made man who enjoys his life as a soldier and whose only desire in life is to keep doing the job that he’s good at. That all changes though when some great-uncle he’s never even really heard of dies and leaves him a title. And so Gabriel becomes the new Duke of Lattimer. This is one of the few issues I had with this book. I feel like if some old guy with no kids was duke for 20 years, they probably wouldn’t have waited until after he died to start looking for who the guy’s heir would be. They probably would have had it figured out ahead of time. So anyways, getting past that issue, Gabriel finds out that he’s a duke and that one of his properties in the Highlands doesn’t ever seem to make money and that it has a surly steward who doesn’t want to send down a set of financials for him to review. So he goes up there to investigate himself, only to find out that his steward is a young and very attractive female. Fiona has been barely holding everything together over the last few years and the last thing she needs now is a nosy Sassenach butting in his head where it doesn’t belong. Neither of them can deny their attraction to each other, but can they learn to trust each other as well?
Overall I really liked this book a lot. I thought it was a sweet and romantic story. And I just loved loved loved Fiona’s character. She was hard-headed and stubborn and just so fierce, it was entirely refreshing to see a heroine so confident and independent. I liked Gabriel a lot too, I loved how straightforward and sincere his character was not only with Fiona but with everyone he interacted with. This book had a good cast of characters, some of the side characters had some funny antics. I thought that the author did a great job of getting the reader to really see into the character’s minds and emotions. This was a great read and I would definitely recommend it!

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this book, I always like a good historical romance novel! I would definitely recommend, especially if you enjoy Highlander novels.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

18Sep2016

2016 Book #86 – Once a Soldier by Mary Jo Putney

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: Once a Soldier
Author: Mary Jo Putney
Date finished: 9/18/16
Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Zebra
Publication Date: June 28, 2016
Pages in book: 368
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Rogues Redeemed
As heir to a title and great wealth, Will Masterson should have stayed home and tended his responsibilities. Instead he went to war. Now, after perilous years fighting the French, he intends his current mission to be his last. But all his plans are forgotten when he arrives in the small mountain stronghold of San Gabriel and meets her.
Knowing herself to be too tall, strong, and unconventional to appeal to a man, Athena Markham has always gloried in her independence. But for the first time in her life, she finds a man who might be her match.
Two of a kind, too brave for their own good, Athena and Will vow to do whatever it takes to vanquish San Gabriel’s enemies. For neither will back down from death, and only together can they find happiness and a love deeper than any they’d dared imagine. . .

My rating: 3.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Will Masterson, who had been previously mentioned in other books from Putney’s Lost Lords series. Will lost his wife early on in their marriage and so decided to devote himself to the Army to give himself something to live (or die) for. He makes it through the war unscathed and is tasked with returning a squadron of soldiers back to their home, San Gabriel. When he arrives there though he meets Athena Markham, an illegitimate daughter of Lady Delilah, who is good friends with the rulers of San Gabriel. Athena has been acting as governess to the young princess Sofia and also acting as an adviser in protecting the country of San Gabriel from the French army.
Overall I thought this book was ok. The story line just didn’t really click with me and I found the characters to be flat, more two-dimensional than a living, breathing character with heart-felt emotions. I enjoyed reading a lot of other books from Putney’s Lost Lords series, which is connected to this series. I just couldn’t connect with the characters in this story line.

The bottom line: This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The characters felt two-dimensional and the story fell flat. It was an easy read with a happy ending but just didn’t click with me. I am a fan of this author though so I would still recommend trying it!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

5Jul2016

2016 Book #67 – How The Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell

Posted in Book reviews, For the love of books, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: How the Duke Was Won
Author: Lenora Bell
Date finished: 7/5/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Pages in book: 384
Stand alone or series: #1 in the Disgraceful Dukes series
Where I got the book from: The Reading Room NOTE:I received this book for free from The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

The pleasure of your company is requested at Warbury Park. Four lovely ladies will arrive… but only one can become a duchess.
James, the scandalously uncivilized Duke of Harland, requires a bride with a spotless reputation for a strictly business arrangement. Lust is prohibited and love is out of the question.
Four ladies. Three days. What could go wrong?
She is not like the others…
Charlene Beckett, the unacknowledged daughter of an earl and a courtesan, has just been offered a life-altering fortune to pose as her half-sister, Lady Dorothea, and win the duke’s proposal. All she must do is:
* Be the perfect English rose [Ha!]
* Breathe, smile, and curtsy in impossibly tight gowns [blast Lady Dorothea’s sylph-like figure]
* Charm and seduce a wild duke [without appearing to try]
* Keep said duke far, far from her heart [no matter how tempting]
When secrets are revealed and passion overwhelms, James must decide if the last lady he should want is really everything he needs. And Charlene must decide if the promise of a new life is worth risking everything . . . including her heart.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of James, who has returned home as the Duke that he never expected to be. Following the death of both his father and only brother though, he is forced to become responsible for an estate that he didn’t ever think of as his. In order to make sure that his lineage continues, he has to get married and beget an heir, and fast. So he decides to invite 4 eligible ladies over to his country estate and spend time with them to decide which one he should marry. Unfortunately for Lady Dorothea though, who is currently returning from Italy, she won’t be able to attend the competition. That is unless she has a half-sister that could pass for her twin, which oh hey guess she has one of those. Charlene Beckett is Dorothea’s half-sister and agrees to masquerade as Dorothea at the competition in exchange for certain monetary payments. Charlene has her reasons for agreeing to this arrangement, not the least of which is that she wants to arrange for her younger sister to have formal training for her painting talents.
Overall, I liked this book a lot. According to the author website this was her first book and I thought it was really great for a debut novel! It was romantic and sweet and heart-wrenching. It had a Cinderella-like feel to it which I really liked. The characters in this book were all witty and interesting and very funny and I didn’t want to put the book down. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, If I Only Had a Duke, coming out in late August.

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and was well-paced and interesting throughout. It was very romantic and somewhat of a Cinderella story, which I loved. I would definitely recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

5Jul2016

2016 Book #65 – Once Upon a Moonlit Night by Elizabeth Hoyt and BLOG TOUR

Posted in Blog tour, Book reviews, Book series, Historical Romance, Maiden Lane series by rebeccabook17

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Title: Once Upon a Moonlit Night
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Date finished: 7/4/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Forever Yours
Publication Date: July 5, 2016
Stand alone or series: #10.5 in the Maiden Lane series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE:I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

From New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt comes a delightful Maiden Lane novella that begins once upon a moonlit night—and ends wickedly, wonderfully ever after . . .
Hippolyta Royle is running for her life. Pursued by hounds on a cold rainy night, the heiress flags down a passing carriage and throws herself at the mercy of the coach’s occupant. Whoever this handsome traveler may be, he is her only hope to escape a terrible fate. But should he agree to escort her to safety, he’s in for much more than he bargained for . . .
At first Matthew Mortimer doesn’t believe Hippolyta’s story, that she’s a fabulously wealthy heiress who’s been kidnapped. He assumes she’s a beggar, an actress, or worse. But once his new travel companion washes the mud from her surprisingly lovely face, and they share a breathtaking kiss, there is no turning back . . .

My rating: 3.75 stars out of a scale of 5

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My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Hippolyta Royle, who we left in book ten of the series fleeing for her life after being kidnapped by the Duke of Montgomery. I’m glad that Hoyt wrote this short story to let the reader know what happened to Ms. Royle, I was deeply concerned for her well-being at the end of the last book. Hippolyta comes across a carriage while she is fleeing for her life, and the owner of said carriage, Matthew Mortimer, agrees to take her to the next town so that she can obtain passage in a mail coach to get back to London. Matthew doesn’t believe that Hippolyta is actually a wealthy heiress on the run from her kidnapper, more likely she is a down on her luck actress looking for some sympathy and a caretaker.
Overall I liked this short story a lot. I was very interested in finding out what had happened to Hippolyta after escaping from the Duke of Montgomery’s clutches. I’m glad that everything worked out for the best even though Montgomery is just a total jerk for kidnapping her in the first place. This was a sweet story and was a good addition to the series most definitely but overall it was a short story and wasn’t overly thrilling or detailed. Good story though and for anyone who likes the Maiden Lane series I would most definitely recommend.

The bottom line: I liked this novella and I thought it was a good addition to the Maiden Lane series. I appreciated learning about the fate of Ms. Royle since that was one of the open ends of book #10 in the series that I wished we had wrapped up. Nothing overly exciting but was a good addition to the series. I would recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

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About the Author:

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series.Publishers Weekly has called her writing “mesmerizing.” She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

Follow this link to enter to win a SIGNED copy of DUKE OF SIN: http://bit.ly/29dxlnQ

Social Media Links:
www.ElizabethHoyt.com
Twitter @elizabethhoyt
Facebook.com/ElizabethHoytBooks
Add Once Upon a Moonlit Night to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1S30uww

27Jun2016

2016 Book #64 – Beauty and the Highland Beast by Lecia Cornwall

Posted in 2016, Blog tour, Book reviews, Historical Romance, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2016 checklist, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: Beauty and the Highland Beast
Author: Lecia Cornwall
Date finished: 6/26/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: June 21, 2016
Pages in book: 273
Stand alone or series: #1 in the Highland Fairy Tales series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE:I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Powerful and dangerous highlander Dair Sinclair was once the favored son of his clan, The Sinclairs of Carraig Brigh. With Dair at the helm, Sinclair ships circled the globe bringing home incredible fortune. Until one deadly mission when Dair is captured, tortured and is unable to save his young cousin. He returns home breaking under the weight of his guilt and becomes known as the Madman of Carraig Brigh.
When a pagan healer predicts that only a virgin bride can heal his son’s body and mind, Dair’s father sets off to find the perfect wife for his son. At the castle of the fearsome McLeods, he meets lovely and kind Fia MacLeod.
Although Dair does his best to frighten Fia, she sees the man underneath the damage and uses her charm and special gifts to heal his mind and heart. Will Dair let Fia love him or is he cursed with madness forever?

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. Also, this book will count towards my “PopSugar 2016 Checklist” reading challenge, marking off the “a book based on a fairy tale” since this book is based around the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. This book tells the story of Dair Sinclair and Fia MacLeod. Dair’s father is desperate to save him from the madness that has consumed him since watching his cousin’s brutal murder. When an old midwife prophesizes that a virgin will save Dair, his father goes off in search of one. He finds one, but crippled and scarred Fia is not what anyone expects that Dair needs. As Dair and Fia spend more time together though, Dair does in fact feel himself pulling back from the brink of insanity and instead spending more and more time thinking about this girl his father brought home that he wants nothing to do with.
Overall I really liked this book. I thought the author did a really good job of inciting that mass hysteria mentality within the Sinclair clan. I was definitely scared for Fia’s life at a number of points in the story. This story definitely kept me on my toes, the plot line was fast paced and I was interested throughout the book. The story line was appropriately romantic and also thrilling. What happened to Dair’s cousin was definitely awful and tragic though and I definitely felt sadness throughout the story over the tragic events that led to the story’s beginning. I think this was a really good book though and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, When A Laird Finds A Lass.

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and was well-paced and interesting throughout. It was scary and thrilling and romantic, pretty much everything you could want from a Highlanders novel. I would definitely recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

31May2016

2016 Book #57 – The Beast of Clan Kincaid by Lily Blackwood

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Highland Warriors series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: The Beast of Clan Kincaid
Author: Lily Blackwood
Date finished: 5/31/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Pages in book: 320
Stand alone or series: #1 in the Highland Warriors series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE:I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

A Highland warrior battles to reclaim his birthright in the first of a new series filled with seduction, revenge, and soul-stirring passion…
They call him the Beast―a hardened mercenary whose heart seems as cold as his icy blue gaze. They do not know his true name: Niall Braewick, son of the Laird of Kincaid. It has been years since he escaped into the forest the night his father was murdered. Now he has returned, ablaze with a vengeful hunger. He will gain the MacClaren chief’s trust, gather his clan, and take back his lands. And take the MacClaren’s daughter as well…
Though he pulled her from the river, saving her life, Elspeth has been warned to keep her distance from her father’s hired warrior. He is a barbarian―a shame, as he is far more compelling than the lechers and fools competing for her dowry. Little does she know that, like the castle itself, she is a prize Niall intends to claim…but will he extract blood for blood and possess what is his, or will his enemy’s beautiful, innocent daughter tempt him to forsake his dream of conquest?

My rating: 4.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I have a secret weakness for Highlander novels so when I saw this book available on NetGalley I was excited to read it. I’ve never read anything by this author before but the description for the book sounded too god to pass up. This book tells the story of Elspeth MacClaren, eldest daughter of the MacClaren chief, who at the request of her father is looking for a husband. She knows that she should be forming an alliance with a neighboring clan for the sake of her family, but for some reason she can’t get the mercenary warrior Niall out of her head. Niall Braewick is there to extract revenge for his family that was murdered seventeen years ago. Every moment since that fateful night he has spent honing his skills and planning his attack. Little does he expect to have his head turned once his plans are set into motion though, especially not by the man that he intends to kill.
Overall I really liked this book a whole lot. There was danger and intrigue and romance and everything you could be looking for in a historical romance novel. And the scene where Niall finally reveals who he is was AWESOME! Everything about this book was just great, I couldn’t put it down because I was just dying to find out what would happen next. And I read the description for the next book in the series (warning you all it will spoil the surprise at the end of the first book so make sure you read this book before you go snooping around!) and I CAN NOT WAIT to read this next book and I’m very much hoping there is a third book in the series! There are some violent scenes in the book but nothing overly graphic. And the Highlands is a pretty violent place so I think its almost to be expected. This was a great book though and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

The bottom line: Loved the premise for this book, I was hooked right from the beginning and I am eagerly awaiting the next book to find out what happened to Niall’s brothers. Some of the scenes are a little rough/violent (it is a Highlanders novel) but really it was a very romantic tale and I loved Niall’s character. I would definitely recommend this one.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

30May2016

2016 Book #56 – His Wicked Wish by Olivia Drake

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Cinderella Sisterhood series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: His Wicked Wish
Author: Olivia Drake
Date finished: 5/30/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Pages in book: 336
Stand alone or series: #5 in the Cinderella Sisterhood series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE:I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

MARRIAGE TO A NOBLEMAN? NOT IN HER WILDEST DREAMS. . .
The daughter of a disgraced woman and a common actor, Madelyn Swann has been shunned by the nobility. No proper lady would traipse about on a Covent Garden stage, let alone sell herself at auction to the highest bidder. So why in heaven’s name would Nathan Atwood, Viscount Rowley, make a generous offer for her hand?
Turns out Maddy is exactly the type of woman Nathan wants as his wife. Finally, he can embarrass his snobbish and cruel father, the Earl of Gilmore—and scandalize London society—with his beautiful, unsuitable bride. Then he’ll depart England forever and leave his wife behind. Having secret plans of her own, Maddy is happy to play the role … only to find that enjoying her husband’s seduction requires no acting whatsoever. But as she falls madly in love with Nathan, can she persuade him to stay with her for always?

My rating: 3.75 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I love anything involving fairy tale retellings and so when I saw this book available on NetGalley I definitely wanted to read it. It didn’t turn out to be quite the fairy-tale retelling that I was expecting but since it is part of a series I suspect that each book in the series holds a piece of the plot that ties it to the Cinderella story. For this book there was a godmother who, while not a fairy, was instrumental in bringing the two lovers together and there was also a pair of fantastical shoes. This book tells the story of Nathan Atwood, who returns home to England after spending 10 years in the Far East when he receives a distressing letter from his godmother. Nathan thinks (really hopes) that he’s returning home to a dead father but he is surprised to learn on his arrival that his father did not die from smallpox, but his brother did. Shocked that he is now the heir, Nate determines that he will marry some tawdry loudmouth in the hope of embarrassing his father. That’s where he thinks Maddy comes in. Maddy is a very successful actress who has dreams of a bigger future. Her mother was actually the daughter of a duke, shunned when she married a lowly actor. Maddy wants to find her grandfather, the Duke, and confront him over how he treated her mother so many years ago.
Overall I liked this book a lot. There were a lot of pieces included in the plot development that I really liked, including a secret granddaughter, questionable parenthood, a tawdry actress, lots of snobbish behavior, a villainous rogue, and a dimpled hero. The only thing that really did not appeal to me with this book is that I thought the development of Maddy and Nate’s relationship was not quite what it could have been. I usually like to see the relationship between the hero and heroine be full of emotion and a deep connection, but I didn’t necessarily feel that in this story. I still really liked the book and would still recommend it. I am excited to try another book in the series as I liked the author’s plot developments.

The bottom line: This was an ok book for me. I would probably read more in the series. The relationship development between the hero and heroine was somewhat lacking for me but other than that this book had some great plot developments and was highly entertaining. I would recommend it and I will try more in the series once I have time in my reading schedule.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

30May2016

2016 Book #55 – Lana and the Laird by Sabrina York

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Historical Romance, Untamed Highlanders by rebeccabook17

Title: Lana and the Laird
Author: Sabrina York
Date finished: 5/29/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Pages in book: 384
Stand alone or series: #3 in the Untamed Highlanders series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE:I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD
Lachlan Sinclair cannot escape his accursed heritage in his Highlands homeland. Somewhat resigned to the fate that destroyed his ancestors, he is prepared to live his life without an heir, without a wife―without love. But when he meets the woman of his dreams in the flesh, the bewitching lass makes him want to throw away his cursed, restrained existence…and unleash the highlander within…
Lana Dounreay has only seen the Duke of Caithness in her dreams as a wild, rugged man, while in reality, his life has been cramped by curses and cravats. He may have forgone his kilt and lost his brogue, but Lana knows that the heart of a true Scotsman beats within his broad, muscular chest. But what plans does the mysterious, passionate Lachlan have in mind for her―and can she convince him that love is stronger than all else?

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I have a secret weakness for Highlander novels so when I saw this book available on NetGalley I was excited to read it. I’ve never read anything by this author before but I have one of the earlier books in this series on my TBR list. This book tells the story of Lana Dounreay, the third sister featured in the Untamed Highlanders series, and Lachlan Sinclair, her laird. Lachlan grew up in England learning how to be a proper duke, but when he nears his thirtieth birthday he returns to his Scotland home. Lachlan believes that his family is cursed and that he will die before his thirtieth birthday. Haunted by his father’s ghost, Lachlan returns to Scotland with the main purpose of restoring his family home. His plans change however, when he meets Lana at her brother-in-law’s castle. Lana’s brother-in-law is the Laird of Dunnet and is a Baron of Lachlan’s. Lachlan is desperate to do whatever it takes to appease his father’s ghost before he dies himself, even if that means drastic measures, but once he meets Lana he discovers that maybe there are more important things to do with the short amount of time he has left.
Overall I really liked this book. I loved Lana’s character, she was extremely feisty/opinionated and I thought it was awesome that she could see and communicate with ghosts. While most people found this scary, Lachlan found this fact interesting and even appealing because of his experiences being haunted by his father. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect and the fact that Lana and Lachlan had this in common. The whole cast of characters was just extremely amusing, especially Isobel, Lana’s niece. After reading this novel I would definitely be interested in reading the other books in this series, in fact I am quite eager to do just that! The only thing I can say was somewhat frustrating was Lachlan’s naiveté (for lack of a better word) in regards to the villain of the story. Lachlan was being tricked for most of the book and I kept wanting to yell at him to open his eyes! Other than that though, I thought this was a sweet and engaging story. It was entertaining and dramatic and very romantic. I would definitely recommend this one.

The bottom line: I very much enjoyed this book! I am eager to read the other two books in the series when I can find time in my reading schedule. The relationship between the two main characters was well developed and I loved the supernatural element in the book. Great read I would definitely recommend!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

30May2016

2016 Book #54 – Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Historical Romance, Maiden Lane series by rebeccabook17

Title: Duke of Sin
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Date finished: 5/28/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Pages in book: 368
Stand alone or series: #10 in the Maiden Lane series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE:I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

A MAN OF SIN
Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.
A WOMAN OF HONOR
Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery’s household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.
A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH
Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can’t resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets-and neither may be as nefarious-or as innocent-as they appear . . .

My rating: 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I have been a big fan of the Maiden Lane series from the beginning, this one being the tenth book in the series. This is my second book I’ve finished during my Reading Retreat, the first one being the previous book in this series. This book starts up pretty much right where the last book left off, with a scene between Valentine, the Duke of Montgomery, and his housekeeper, Bridget Crumb. The last book in the series left off in something similar to a cliffhanger, meant to entice the reader by leading them into this book’s story. (***SPOILER ALERT***) As we learned in the last book in the series, Bridget was planted in Val’s house on purpose in order to retrieve certain items he was using to blackmail women that Bridget knew well. While working for Val though, Bridget grows to care for him (somehow) and even though she knows he is somewhat evil, she still finds herself falling in love with him (again somehow).
Overall this was not my favorite book in the Maiden Lane series. I was really looking forward to this book because Hoyt (usually) does such a great job of taking a total jerk and making the reader like him. And Val had been mentioned in the last few books in the series as a quasi-villain so I was interested to see how she was going to turn his character around. I didn’t really feel like that ended up happening though. Val kept up with his blackmail and actually killed someone in front of Bridget in this book and she still ends up liking him. Most of the other villain-y heroes in the Maiden Lane series have some kind of redeeming quality but from what I could tell from this book Val was pretty much a sociopath. He had no version of right or wrong, he thought he could do whatever he wanted without caring about consequences, he was power-hungry, and he thought everything revolved around him. He did act redeeming in certain situations, for example his actions towards his sister Eve, but overall I didn’t see how anyone could’ve fallen in love with him and survived. He wasn’t really a good man. He was willing to join the Lords of Chaos for more power without really caring about the fact that they were harming women and children. So anyways, suffice it to say I couldn’t really connect with the hero and heroine in this book. It was still a good book and it was interesting to hear Val’s story but it wasn’t what I expected.

The bottom line: This definitely wasn’t my favorite in the series but I would still say that this is a good addition to the series so I would still recommend!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page