2017 Book #60 – A Week to be Wild by J.C. Harroway

Posted in Book reviews, Contemporary romance by rebeccabook17

Title: A Week to be Wild
Author: J.C. Harroway
Date finished: 7/16/17
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: Harlequin Dare
Publication Date: February 1, 2018
Pages in book: 176
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Harlequin Romance Insiders NOTE: I received this book for free from Harlequin 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:

None listed on Amazon

My rating: 2.5 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. This book tells the story of Olivia and Alexander. Olivia is visiting London to be a speaker at a seminar, little does she know that Alex was the one who arranged for her to be invited to speak. Alex is trying to market his new company that helps disabled kids, and he knows that Olivia is just the one to help him get the word out. Neither of them expected this electrifying intensity, and neither are really prepared for the strength of their emotions for each other either. Libby was burned once before, and she’s determined to never fall in love again. Once Alex slips under her skin though will she fight to make it work or will she run away from her feelings instead?

Overall I didn’t love this book. The characters fell flat and what should have been a book filled with passion was really lacking in emotion for me. There were too many sex scenes for my taste but at the same time I thought the scenes weren’t that interesting. While I didn’t particularly enjoy this book, this was a quick and easy read and would probably be a good beach read if the genre is of interest to you.

The bottom line: I didn’t love this book, for me it was lacking in emotion and imagination. I wouldn’t recommend, unless you’re looking for a quick easy beach read in which case it might work out for you.

Link to author website

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

7May2016

2016 Book #43 – Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction, Historical fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: Everyone Brave Is Forgiven
Author: Chris Cleave
Date finished: 5/7/16
Genre: Fiction, historical fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Pages in book: 432
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:

London, 1939.
The day war is declared, Mary North leaves finishing school unfinished, goes straight to the War Office, and signs up.
Tom Shaw decides to ignore the war—until he learns his roommate Alistair Heath has unexpectedly enlisted. Then the conflict can no longer be avoided.
Young, bright, and brave, Mary is certain she’d be a marvelous spy. When she is—bewilderingly—made a teacher, she finds herself defying prejudice to protect the children her country would rather forget.
Tom, meanwhile, finds that he will do anything for Mary.
And when Mary and Alistair meet, it is love, as well as war, that will test them in ways they could not have imagined, entangling three lives in violence and passion, friendship and deception, inexorably shaping their hopes and dreams.
Set in London during the years of 1939–1942, when citizens had slim hope of survival, much less victory; and on the strategic island of Malta, which was daily devastated by the Axis barrage, Everyone Brave is Forgiven features little-known history and a perfect wartime love story inspired by the real-life love letters between Chris Cleave’s grandparents. This dazzling novel dares us to understand that, against the great theater of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs that change us most.

My rating: 2.75 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. This book was about a group of young people and how their lives were affected by World War II. Mary North was born into a life of privilege, but when England declares war on Germany, she decides to sign up with the War Office to be put to good use. They assign her a teaching position, where she befriends a black student. It is through this teaching position that she meets Tom Shaw, who is an administrator for a school district. She falls in love with Tom but then she meets Tom’s friend Alistair while he is home on leave from the military for one night. Alistair stirs feelings in Mary that Tom doesn’t necessarily stir. But Mary is pretty sure that Tom is the one so she ignores her feelings for Alistair.
As we all know, war tends to bring many casualties and these young people’s story is no different. Mary and her friends both face many traumatic events, and Mary even has a sad morphine situation for a while. There were a lot of different story lines merging in this book, including the treatment of colored people in England during this time period and drug addiction and the effects of war. There was a lot going on and all of the story lines were really interesting but it almost felt for me like there was too much going on. I couldn’t really connect with the characters personally and it was just hard for me to get into. The description of Alistair’s experience during war time seemed very real and I thought that was one of the most interesting pieces of the book.

The bottom line: I found this book a little wordy but the story line was interesting. The book just wasn’t really for me, but it would definitely appeal to people who like historical fiction centered around World War II.

Link to author website

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

23Dec2015

2015 Book #123 – The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Posted in 2015, Book reviews, Bookish Bingo Holiday 2015, Fiction, Reading Challenges, Thriller by rebeccabook17

Title: The Girl on the Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
Date finished: 12/22/15
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Pages in book: 323
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: My friend Val from work

Blurb from the cover:

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?
Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will count towards my “Holiday 2015 Bookish Bingo” reading challenge, marking off the “Thriller” square, since, well, it was very thrilling. I was on the edge of my seat for a good part of this book! Anyways, this book tells a number of stories but I found that the main focus was on Rachel Watson through the book. The chapters are told from three different points of view: Rachel, Anna (Rachel’s replacement) and finally Megan, a woman who is missing for most of Rachel and Anna’s chapters. Rachel is an alcoholic who has lost her job but still rides the train into London each morning and back in the evening so that she can fool her roommate into thinking she still has a job. Rachel also hasn’t gotten over her ex-husband, who was cheating on her at the end of their marriage and has since moved in with his mistress and had a baby with her.
One night Rachel gets so drunk that she blacks out, though she does remember getting off the train at the station where her ex-husband, and coincidentally the missing woman, lives. Rachel wakes up the next morning with cuts and bruises all over, and she can’t remember what happened or how she got home. All she knows is that something very bad has happened. She spends the next few weeks trying to piece together what has happened to Megan and also trying to remember what happened that night to see if maybe she had some involvement in Megan’s disappearance.
Overall I really liked this book. A couple of the plot twists I did see coming but most of them I did not expect, and the book 10)% did not end how I would have expected it to end. This was a fast-paced thrilling read that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. All of the characters in this story are seriously flawed and have staggering issues that they’re dealing with. It is interesting that in the beginning of the story Rachel watches Megan, who she calls “Jess” at the time, through the train window and imagines the perfect life that she has, when Megan’s life is very far from perfect. I’m interested to see how this book is going to translate to film, it is currently scheduled to be released in movie theaters in October 2016. I would definitely put this one on your to read list (if you haven’t read it already)!

The bottom line: This book has had a lot of hype during 2015 and I can understand why. It was a great, fast-paced read. I would definitely recommend!!

Link to author website

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

12Oct2015

2015 Book #106 – Wendy Darling by Colleen Oakes

Posted in Book reviews, Young Adult by rebeccabook17

Title: Wendy Darling
Author: Colleen Oakes
Date finished: 10/10/15
Genre: YA
Publisher: SparkPress
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Pages in book: 324
Stand alone or series: #1 in the Wendy Darling 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:

Wendy Darling has a perfectly agreeable life with her parents and brothers in wealthy London, as well as a budding romance with Booth, the neighborhood bookseller’s son. But one night, while their parents are at a ball, the charmingly beautiful Peter Pan comes to the Darling children’s nursery, and—dazzled by this flying boy with god-like powers—they follow him out of the window and straight on to morning into Neverland, an intoxicating island of freedom.
As time passes in Neverland, Wendy realizes that this Lost Boy’s paradise of turquoise seas, mermaids, and pirates holds terrible secrets rooted in blood and greed. As Peter’s grasp on her heart tightens, she struggles to remember where she came from—and begins to suspect that this island of dreams, and the boy who desires her, have the potential to transform into an everlasting nightmare.

My rating: 2.75 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. This book tells the story of Wendy Darling, a name familiar to many as the girl from the tale of Peter Pan. This book is the first in a series delving into Wendy’s life and her adventures and travels in London and Neverland. Wendy and her two brothers, John and Michael, live with their parents in London, England. Wendy is in love with the book seller’s son, Booth, from down the street. Once night a strange young man appears at the Darling childrens’ bedroom window, a young man who can fly and promises them a world of adventure if they will come on a journey with him. And he promises that their parents won’t even miss them, won’t even know they’re gone, and that they can return home whenever they wish.
And then the Darlings are in Neverland! Neverland is a magical place where all the landscapes are gorgeous, the sky is always blue, and you always feel right at home. After spending just one day in Neverland, Wendy can’t remember where it is she used to live, or who she used to live with. And whenever she kisses Peter, she can’t understand why she feels a pang of guilt. And then she meets the murderously jealous Tink, a fairy who is very possessive of Peter and will do whatever it takes to get Wendy out of the way.
Overall this was an ok book. It was a little wordy to me in some of the descriptions but the plot was interesting. Also, to be honest the story was a little dark/violent for me but I could definitely understand how people would get hooked on the story, especially with the cliffhanger at the end. I don’t know if I personally am interested enough to read the second book (again it was a little dark for my tastes) but I was hoping to find out what happens to Wendy and her family and Booth in the end so I might just have to continue with the series. I have to say though I wanted to freaking punch John in the face pretty badly, and I found it to be a little weak that Wendy was constantly apologizing to John when he was such an ass to her. Hopefully Wendy stands up for herself a little more in the next book in the series.

The bottom line: I didn’t particularly love this book. It was a little dark/violent for me, but it had a really interesting story line and I would recommend it to fans of Peter Pan who can handle the darkness.

Link to author website

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

22Jul2015

2015 Book #76 – Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

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

Title: Dearest Rogue
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Date finished: 7/21/15
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Vision
Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Pages in book: 326
Stand alone or series: #8 in the Maiden Lane series
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from Amazon:

HE CAN GUARD HER
Lady Phoebe Batten is pretty, vivacious, and yearning for a social life befitting the sister of a powerful duke. But because she is almost completely blind, her overprotective brother insists that she have an armed bodyguard by her side at all times-the very irritating Captain Trevillion.
FROM EVERY DANGER
Captain James Trevillion is proud, brooding, and cursed with a leg injury from his service in the King’s dragoons. Yet he can still shoot and ride like the devil, so watching over the distracting Lady Phoebe should be no problem at all-until she’s targeted by kidnappers.
BUT PASSION ITSELF
Caught in a deadly web of deceit, James must risk life and limb to save his charge from the lowest of cads-one who would force Lady Phoebe into a loveless marriage. But while they’re confined to close quarters for her safekeeping, Phoebe begins to see the tender man beneath the soldier’s hard exterior . . . and the possibility of a life-and love-she never imagined possible.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I am a big fan of the books in the Maiden Lane series, one of which are already reviewed on my blog here. I hope to re-read the others in the series sometime soon and get review up for all those as well. There are many different families involved in the Maiden Lane series, so keeping everyone straight can get a little cumbersome especially with the time between book releases. The family tree I think is most relevant for this book can be found here, on the author’s website. At the bottom of this page there are also links for the other family trees involved in the Maiden Lane series should you be interested.
So this novel is about Phoebe Batten, whose eyesight has been steadily deteriorating for the past five years, and her guard Captain James Trevillion. James was injured while chasing a bad guy and his leg was basically crushed so now he isn’t fit to be a Captain anymore. Maximum (Phoebe’s brother and the hero of Duke of Midnight) hires him to guard his blind sister Phoebe. But when someone starts trying to kidnap Phoebe, James realizes that his injury is preventing him from protecting her effectively and he resigns as her guard. Then she gets kidnapped and James decides to take her somewhere that no one else knows about to protect her. And yes, they fall in love (duh).
I really enjoyed this book and I thought it was a great addition to the series. Phoebe was a great character and I just absolutely loved her. The tension between the hero and the heroine felt very real. I couldn’t put this one down, I ended up reading it in just about 24 hours. Great book and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!!

The bottom line: I would definitely recommend not only this book but the whole series. Loved Phoebe, this was a great addition to the series. Can’t wait to read Sweetest Scoundrel (comes out later this year!)

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

22May2015

2015 Book #46 – Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Posted in 2015, Book reviews, Fiction, Mystery, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2015 checklist, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: Moriarty
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Date finished: 5/20/15
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: December 9, 2014
Pages in book: 285
Stand alone or series: Stand alone, though there is a related e-original short story

Blurb from the cover:

The game is once again afoot in this thrilling mystery from the bestselling author of The House of Silk, sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate, which explores what really happened when Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis Professor Moriarty tumbled to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls.
Internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s nail-biting new novel plunges us back into the dark and complex world of detective Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty—dubbed the Napoleon of crime” by Holmes—in the aftermath of their fateful struggle at the Reichenbach Falls.
Days after the encounter at the Swiss waterfall, Pinkerton detective agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York. Moriarty’s death has left an immediate, poisonous vacuum in the criminal underworld, and there is no shortage of candidates to take his place—including one particularly fiendish criminal mastermind.
Chase and Scotland Yard Inspector Athelney Jones, a devoted student of Holmes’s methods of investigation and deduction originally introduced by Conan Doyle in “The Sign of Four”, must forge a path through the darkest corners of England’s capital—from the elegant squares of Mayfair to the shadowy wharfs and alleyways of the London Docks—in pursuit of this sinister figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, who is determined to stake his claim as Moriarty’s successor.
A riveting, deeply atmospheric tale of murder and menace from one of the only writers to earn the seal of approval from Conan Doyle’s estate, Moriarty breathes life into Holmes’s dark and fascinating world.

My rating: 4 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will be counting towards my goal for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2015 checklist under the “a book with a one-word title” check box since the book has one word for its title. I picked this book up because of the description on the inside cover. I love the Sherlock Holmes movies that have been produced in the last couple of years and every time I watch the second movie I am left with the same burning question, what happened to Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty after they plummeted down into Reichenbach Falls!!??
And so begins our tale. We begin in the place where the last story ended, Reichenbach Falls. Our narrator, Frederick Chase, and his soon-to-be friend, Athelney Jones, first meet here and Chase enlists Jones’ help in bringing down a notorious American crime lord who has recently arrived in London to take over the crime world. Trying to save the streets from the viciousness of Clarence Devereuxx, Chase and Jones team up to put a stop to his madness.

I cant say much more about the book without giving away the ending but I just have to say I was completely floored by the twist of events at the end of the book, I never saw it coming! The ending really made the book for me, I liked it ok right up until the second to last chapter, and then I loved it!

The bottom line: I would definitely recommend this book, it was extremely interesting and had a great unseen twist at the end.

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

28Feb2015

2015 Book #15 – I Married the Duke by Katharine Ashe

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Bookish Bingo: Jan-March 2015, Historical Romance, Prince Catchers, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: I Married the Duke
Author: Katharine Ashe
Date finished: 2/27/15
Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Pages in book: 363
Stand alone or series: #1 in the Price Catchers series

Blurb from the cover:

On the way to marry a prince in a castle, a lady should never: 1. Bribe an infuriatingly arrogant and undeniably irresistible ship captain, 2. Let him kiss her senseless on a beach, 3. Battle thieves at his side, and 4. Exchange wedding vows with him, even under the direst circumstances.
But daring, determined Arabella Caulfield isn’t just any lady. And Luc Westfall is no typical ship captain. He’s the new Duke of Lycombe, and to defeat a plot that could destroy his family he must have an heir. Now he knows just the woman for the job…and he’s not above seduction to turn this would-be princess into a duchess.

My rating: 2.75 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will count towards my “Bookish Bingo” reading challenge, marking off the “Start a New Series” square. This book had an awful lot going on. A scarred, pirate, soon-to-be duke who needs to help a governess crsos to France for a new job where she’ll meet a prince that maybe she’ll marry and instead she almost gets raped (that part was pretty awful and scary) and then the pirate dies (or not really) and then he appears at the duke’s chateau in France where the governess just happens to be. And then the pirate ends up being blind and she leaves him at the altar and oh my goodness. I could barely keep up at some points, but was pretty bored at other points. It actually made for an emotionally confusing read. I think that the plot line of this book had real promise but there was just too much thrown in there for plot twists.
And to be honest, I couldn’t stand the heroine for most of the book. During the day she keeps pushing the hero away and rejecting him, thinking he doesn’t really love her and they shouldn’t have gotten married while he was dying on a beach, but then as soon as he comes in her room at night she’s like “take me,” Ugh it was so aggravating. I know that men and women have communication issues but the hero and heroine in this book had maybe 2 meaningful conversations. They couldn’t ever seem to actually talk to each other about how they were feeling. I don’t know where the relationship was but I missed it. There were parts of the book that I liked but overall I think it was frustrating. Hopefully the next book in the series is a little less frustrating.

The bottom line: This was far from my favorite. I’m going to stick with the series though, I want to find out who marries the prince.

Link to author website
Link to Amazon

21Feb2015

2015 Book #14 – Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Posted in Book reviews, Bookish Bingo: Jan-March 2015, Fiction, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: Gods Behaving Badly
Author: Marie Phillips
Date finished: 2/21/15
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: December 10, 2007
Pages in book: 292
Stand alone or series: Stand alone

Blurb from the cover:

Being a Greek god is not all it once was. Yes, the twelve gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London townhouse-and none too happy about it. And they’ve had to get day jobs: Artemis as a dog-walker, Apollo as a TV psychic, Aphrodite as a phone sex operator, Dionysus as a DJ.
Even more disturbingly, their powers are waning, and even turning mortals into trees-a favorite pastime of Apollo’s-is sapping their vital reserves of strength.
Soon, what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills. Two perplexed humans, Alice and Neil, who are caught in the crossfire, must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed-but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?

My rating: 3.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will count towards my “Bookish Bingo” reading challenge, marking off the “Based on Mythology” square. This book was pretty interesting. I’ve always been fascinated by the stories about Greek gods and goddesses. I remember reading a book about Odysseus in middle school and I just devoured the book, I loved it. Due to this, I was really looking forward to reading this book. I have to say I was a little let down. The story was interesting and a couple points made me consider big picture ideas outside the exact scope of the book but I felt there was a lack of depth and a lack of emotion to the characters. Also I know they were supposed to be that way but I found the selfishness of some of the gods to be pretty annoying.

The bottom line: Didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. If you’re in love with mythology then I would recommend. Otherwise, you can probably pass.

Author website
Link to Amazon

24Jan2015

2015 Book #6 – Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Posted in Book reviews, Bookish Bingo: Jan-March 2015, Fiction, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: Something Blue
Author: Emily Giffin
Date finished: 1/23/15
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: March 21, 2006
Pages in book: 338
Stand alone or series: Stand alone kind of but there is a related prequel, Something Borrowed

Blurb from the cover:

Darcy Rhone has always been able to rely on a few things: Her beauty and charm. Her fiance, Dex. Her lifelong best friend, Rachel. She never needed anything else. Or so she things until Dex calls off their dream wedding and she uncovers the ultimate betrayal. Blaming everyone but herself, Darcy flees to London and attempts to re-create her glamorous life on a new continent. But to her dismay, she discovers that her tried-and-true tricks no longer apply – and that her luck has finally expired. It is only then that she can begin her journey toward redemption, forgiveness, and true love.

My rating: 4.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will count towards my “Bookish Bingo” reading challenge, marking off the “Blue Cover” square. I absolutely loved Something Borrowed, and after reading it I just couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen to selfish, narcissistic Darcy. I even left work early (8pm but that’s early by tax season standards) and went straight to Barnes and Noble to buy Something Blue because I could not wait one more day to start reading it! This is the second book I’ve read by Emily Giffin and I have to say I just absolutely love her books. I am excited to read her other books that she’s published as well. She infuses such emotion and depth into her characters. Even with this book, I went into it not sure what to expect since after Something Borrowed I couldn’t help but think of Darcy as a bad person. But her growth throughout the novel was astounding. And there is so much put into each characters’ personalities, I feel as if I know them. They become real to me as I read the story and I find myself unable to put the book down. I think it was a wonderful story about love, friendship, and how much a person can change for the right reason. Darcy was determined to become a better person for her sons and I am so glad that she found love.

The bottom line: I would definitely recommend this book! I loved it! The previous book, Something Borrowed, is great too!!

Author website: http://www.emilygiffin.com/
Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Something-Blue-Emily-Giffin/dp/0312548079/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1422112177

18Jun2014

2014 – Book #53

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Cynster family series, Cynster Sisters trilogy, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

The fifty-third book I read in 2014 was In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 6/17/14. This is the 17th book in the Cynster family series and the 2nd book in the Cynster Sisters trilogy. The Cynster Sisters trilogy is actually a sub-series within the Cynster family series. I have read other books in the Cynster series and have many other blog posts on them. This book was actually a re-read for me since I’ve read it before. This time I rated it 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5. This book tells the story of Eliza Cynster and Jeremy Carling.

Eliza has been kept under lock and key by the males in her family ever since her sister Heather was rescued from her kidnappers by Viscount Breckenridge. For some reason unbeknownst to the Cynster family, a villain is out there trying to kidnap one of their girls. The family lets down their guard though at Heather’s engagement ball, thinking that Eliza and Angelica (the youngest sister) are safe in the company of so many family members and friends. What they don’t know though, is that their villain was counting on this vulnerability. He has hired a new set of kidnappers to come fetch Eliza for him, and they are able to do just that. The kidnapper, Scrope, proves himself to be more of a villain than Heather’s set of kidnappers, keeping Eliza drugged for days. Scrope also has a vested interest in handing Eliza over to the laird since he specializes in this type of business and having it known that he kidnapped Eliza Cynster from beneath the other Cynsters’ noses will make him infamous in his sphere.

Scrope keeps Eliza drugged along the way to Edinburgh for three days after the kidnapping. Following that though, Eliza is kept lucid and tries to think of a way to escape. When she sees a curricle going in the opposite direction as them, she happens to recognize the driver and reaches out to him for help. Jeremy recognized the girl who shouted to him for help inside the carriage but it takes him a minute to place a name to the face. Once he does, he turns around and follows Eliza’s coach to Edinburgh where some friends help him plan to rescue her from her kidnappers. Once she is out of Scrope’s clutches, Jeremy tries to spirit her away to the closest safe destination, but nothing goes according to plan. Along their journey to safety, while they are being pursued by both Scrope and the laird for different reasons, both Jeremy and Eliza discover sides of themselves and things about themselves that they never knew.

Overall I really liked this book. I thought is was a little dry/repetitive towards the middle, they seem to keep getting thwarted at every turn when they start making any kind of headway, which I’m sure was just so the hero and heroine could spend as much time alone together as possible plot-wise. But other than that, this is a very sweet story about two people stuck in an unlikely situation who fall in love. I also really liked how they made the original villain (the laird) come out to be a hero in the end of this book. Not to spoil the surprise for the next book in the series, but the change in his character along with Angelica’s piece in the last few pages of this book are both good leads into the next book.

Link to other reviews in the Cynster Sisters trilogy: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-sisters-trilogy/

Link to other reviews in the Cynster family series: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-family-series/

Link to author website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Pursuit-Eliza-Cynster-Sisters/dp/006206861X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403093615&sr=8-1&keywords=in+pursuit+of+eliza+cynster