Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath

What a lovely, heartbreaking, satisfying conclusion to Lorraine Heath's Lost Lords of Pembrook series!  At long last we get the story of the youngest brother, Lord Rafe Eason and the woman who breaks down the walls around his heart, Miss Evelyn Chambers.  Evelyn is saddened by the death of her father but her half brothers promise to look after her takes a very unexpected turn when he sells her off and after one glimpse, Rafe knows he has to have her...and no one tells him no.  Yet when the circumstances become clear as to what Eve is to become to Rafe, he sees her shock and dismay and for some reason, gives her time to adjust.  He finds himself fascinated by this slip of a woman, this woman who talks back to him and does not back down in fear.  Rafe knows his dark and tortuous past will be too much, even for Eve and he realizes he must let her go before she finds out about how much pain he has caused and try to avoid causing pain to Eve.  Eve is stubborn though and when his life is threatened he can only hope for Eve to find him so they can find a new life together. . .

I have been eagerly anticipating Rafe's story since I read the previous books in this series as I knew that underneath that gruff exterior was a kind, caring soul and I was so happy to see this all unfold.  Rafe is tough and comes across rude and unbearing to those around him, which helps immensely in the running of his club, yet Eve with her boldness and gentle heart seeps into the cracks he has built around himself and sinks in in a way that Rafe never thought possible.  I loved watching the relationship between Eve and Rafe develop but also that of Rafe and his brothers.  They have overcome so much and dealt with so much at a young age, it has been hard for them to find common ground to start anew on, even after many years of being reunited.  As Rafe still struggles with how he was seemingly abandoned by his older brothers, Eve is there to charm and help heal.  I was drawn to the story straight from the beginning as was sad to read the epilogue as I knew this tale was over.  Equal parts joy, love, heartbreak, heat and humor this romance will be a winner for all romance fans alike!  4 1/2 stars

eARC provided by Avon books via edelweiss

The Lost Lords of Pembrook series
Could be read as stand alones, deeper sense if read in order

New Covers

Some lovely new covers to share. . .

Lover Be Mine is the second in Nicole Jordan's Legendary Lovers series and based on Romeo and Juliet.  Since we all know how that ends, I am anxious so see how this story ends, as it will have to have a happily ever after!  Look for it May 28th.

Oh my.  I love, love, love this cover!  The attention to the background detail is fabulous and I adore the parasol and the green just pops!  I have yet to read anything by Kate Noble and goodreads shows this to be book five in a series so I will have to see if it will work as a standalone because I want to read it based on the cover alone!  Let It Be Me will hit shelves April 2nd.

Having just read the first book in this series, I know I will be picking up One Night with a Rake June 4th.  Purple, check!  Sexy dude, check!  Looking to share a drink, ok!  Shaping up to be another good read!

Who doesn't adore Lorraine Heath?  She shared the cover for the conclusion of her current trilogy, Lord of Wicked Intentions this week.  Sigh...so lovely.  Dying for this one.  Hurry up April 30th!

This is a bit of a different pose than we normally see and I really like it!  With the cover reveal, it stated that this will be a city miss meets country duke story...ooh, definitely have my attention (as if the red did not already!).  I'm not sure if this will be the start of a new series or a stand alone.  Look for more details about Why Dukes Say I Do closer to its July 30th release.

Another lovely batch of covers and all are books on my wishlist for this coming year!  Hard to believe we are about to say goodbye to 2012!  Which of these books have caught your eye?

Have a wonderful holidays!!

Deck the Halls with Love by Lorraine Heath

This was an absolutely lovely holiday novella!  It features a secondary character from the previous book in the series (Lord of Temptation), Alistair Wakefield, the Marquess of Chetwyn.  After letting his fiance choose her own path to happiness, Alistair is determined to get back the love he lost as a result, the lovely Lady Meredith Hargreaves...who is unfortunately engaged to another.  Sneakily cutting into a dance with her, he expresses his desire to be with her and it causes just enough confusion for Merry to start to reconsider her choices.  Throw in some billiard lessons, ice skating and a snowstorm and you get a magical rekindled romance!  Alistair is such a wonderful hero...kind, generous, passionate and considerate of Merry and her choice for her own path.  Merry is determined to not let the man who broke her heart have it again but being stuck in an abandoned home forces them to talk and she sees the truth of Alistair and how far he is willing to go to protect her and let her lead the life she wishes.  Overall, a delight and a perfect holiday treat!  4 stars

eARC provided by Avon via edelweiss

Lost Lords of Pembrook series
(not necessary to read previous books to enjoy this one!)
   
Lord of Wicked Intentions   April 30th, 2013

New Covers

Some new covers shared recently. . .

I love Lila DiPasqua's super steamy fairy tale retellings so I am very excited she has a novella hopefully out this month!  She shared the cover for The Duke's Match Girl on her website and I can't wait to read it!

What a perfectly festive cover for a holiday novella!  Deck the Halls with Love is part of Lorraine Heath's current series, Lost Lords of Pembrook and will be out Dec 18th.

Well, this cover is certainly different from Christina Brooke's previous covers (which I loved)!  I'm a bit on the fence about it...I like the pretty dresses better I guess but since these upcoming books focus on the men I guess it makes sense.  Oh well I have London's Last True Scoundrel preordered for its June 25th release as I loved the previous books!

For all you Stephanie Laurens fans she shared her newest cover in her newsletter this week.  I have not read a lot of her writing but what I have, I have enjoyed.  Look for And Then She Fell March 26th.

Maggie Robinson also shared her newest cover via her newsletter this past week and its another good one!  I enjoyed the previous book in this series so I look forward to Captain Durant's Countess and will pick it up on its Feb 21st release.  Bonus the ebook is only $5.94 instead of tenish for a trade paperback!  This makes me really happy and I hope to see it happening more in the future!

And lastly Delilah Marvelle is continuing her School of Gallantry series with three new books she will be self publishing!  The first is Lady of Pleasure which she shared this week.  I have not yet read the previous two books in this series but they are on top of my list for the new year as I have come to really enjoy her wicked sensual unique stories!  Look for this around March.

Well, thats all for now!  Which of these covers caught your eye?

Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath

When Lady Anne Hayworth blows into a bar one night and asks for his help to sail to visit her fiance, Lord Tristan Easton rejects her offer of monetary payment and alludes to a different sort of payment.  Shocked, Anne dismisses him and tries to secure another captain only to find them all unavailable...to her.  Her emotions high, she confronts Captain Jack, as Tristan is know in his shipping life now, to be told her payment will be just a kiss at his time of choosing.  Thinking that she can ignore the burning attraction between them-and as she really has no other options, she agrees.  They leave in the dark of night to avoid confrontation with her father and brothers and arrive at their destination quickly...with still no payment being given.  Matters are attended to and they start the voyage back home and their flirtation continues but Anne has withdrawn back into herself and Tristan does all he can to have her back.  Having finally broken down the last barrier of grief, they find passion and happiness together.  But Tristan's heart belongs to the sea and Anne wants a life on land with her husband home to be with her and their children.  And with Tristan's rough background also factoring in, how will this couple find a way to bridge their life differences and find happiness together?

 I really enjoyed this second installment in Lorraine Heath's The Lost Lords of Pembrook!  First, I was surprised that it takes place a couple years after the first book, She Tempts the Duke.  We get to see more of Mary and Sebastian and how the three brothers still have not forged a strong relationship with themselves or society.  When Tristan was a boy, he was placed on a ship after almost being killed by his uncle and the resulting circumstances shaped him into the strong yet a bit bitter man he is today.  No woman has tempted him to give up his mistress of the sea like Anne.  Anne with her generous nature and pale, stunning looks.  She quickly captures his heart but Anne is holding on to a lot of grief due to her goodbye to her fiance.  And all the feelings she develops for Tristan just reenforce how cruel she thought she had been.  Even though this book has no major side plot, it really is just about the growing relationship between Tristan and Anne and how to overcome the love of the sea aspect, I found myself always wanting to settle back into the story and I was disappointed when it was over!  I wanted it to keep going as I was enjoying watching everything unfold so much!  This is a strong romance about a couple that has had a lot of hurt and loss in their past, coming together in a way perfectly suited for them with the help of family.  I am really looking forward to the youngest brothers story next as he seems to have quite a dark past to overcome.  Lorraine Heath is in her element with this series and I look forward to each new book she writes with anticipation!  4 stars

eARC provided by Avon via edelweiss

The Lost Lords of Pembrook
Could be read as standalones but work much better together

 Lord of Wicked Intentions April 2013

New Covers

This weeks new covers that I have seen, also know as the white dress edition :)

First up is Season for Surrender by Theresa Romain.  This is the follow up to her debut book and I love the little touch of holiday and as the author said herself, it looks like Louisa is up to no good :)  This one will be released October 2nd.

Blackstone's Bride is a new book from Kate Moore and I don't see much information about the story line yet.  I have not read anything by this author but I do like the cover so I guess I will wait for more info on it.  Look for it August 7th.

Oh, look what Julianne MacLean shared this week!  I love it and I love the super sexy stepback as well :)  I am so excited to read this new series and this will be book two and Princess in Love is set for a November release.

I know I have shared the cover of The Bride Wore Pearls previously but Liz Carlye shared the stepback this week and as I love stepbacks, I thought I would share it with you in case you did not see it.  This one will be out July 31st.

Having really enjoyed the first book in Lorraine Heath's new trilogy, Lord of Temptation is on top of my list to read in October.  I like how the author name is bigger than the title :)  I wonder if there will be a stepback for this one because I can imagine it would be nice and sexy...

I don't have much information about this newest title from Stephanie Laurens as I see no info on her website yet and for some reason it is on Amazon and not goodreads yet.  It looks to be a new title as it says 'first time in print' and the release date is set for Sept 25th.  And it has yet another lovely white cover.

Look--a non white cover! :)  I'm really liking this cover!  The shade of blue is lovely and I like the fact the heroine looks like she is about to -- ahem get 'ruined by the moonlight.'  Ruined By Moonlight: A Whispers of Scandal Novel will be out Sept 4th.

And one last one to add quickly-- A Most Naked Solution is a novella by Anna Randol that is set for release June 26th and the cover sure is pretty and gold!  Doesn't necessarily scream 'historical' to me but definitely alludes to the naked part of the title.  This will feature the sister of the hero from her debut book and I'm eager to read it.

So, which covers are your favorites of this batch?  What do you think of the white trend?

End of January releases!

Wow, I can't believe it is almost the end of January already!!  Here are some of the upcoming releases I am most looking forward too.

This one just came out on the 24th and it is the highly anticipated conclusion to Sabrina Jeffries Hellions of Halstead Hall series and it is already downloaded on my Kindle and I hope to read it soon.

Also releasing on Jan 24th, but just for you lucky Nook owners (the rest of us have to wait until Feb 21st, I think) is a debut from Sara Ramsey that sounds good!


Here is a look at all the great titles releasing on the 31st!  Four great debuts from Jillian Stone, Anna Randol, Manda Collins and Sophie Barnes.  Plus a the start of a wonderful new series from Lorraine Heath and a new series from Nicole Jordan, a continuation from Jennifer Haymore (a novella and a full length out on the same day) and from Victoria Alexander and a conclusion from Stephanie Laurens.

 

And if nothing catches your eye here (but I'm sure a couple have!) don't worry as there are some great releases in just a week on February 7th from Shana Galen, Samantha Grace, Heather Snow, Victoria Alexander and Carolyn Jewel!

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath

Well, this book grabbed my attention from the very first page and never let go!

Sebastian Easton, Duke of Keswick, has had a very hard life.  Nearly killed alongwith his two brothers as a young lad, he escapes unharmed to only have to split up from his brothers to protect them.  Sebastian takes off to the war and in the process, he becomes quite scarred inside and out but the one thing that keeps him going is that he must seek revenge against his vile uncle.  Life finally allows the three brothers to gather together in London and they find a quite dramatic way to announce their arrival back in society and Sebastian's proper place as the duke.  And no one is more shocked by their arrival than Lady Mary Wynne-Jones....the young girl who freed the brothers and has been waiting twelve long years for any word of them.

Mary is overjoyed to see her best friend from childhood is back but is a bit shaken by her grown up attraction to Sebastian.  After all, she is engaged to another, perfectly acceptable man.  But that quiet, proper man is not quite the right fit for Mary who is strong, bold and cares deeply for those she cares about.  And it is that deep, abiding caring that keeps her coming back to Sebastian and helping him try to find his new place in society.  This causes a few burned bridges for Mary but allows this destined-to-be couple to find happiness together.

I adored this book!  It is a wonderful, heart pleasing romance of childhood friends to lovers but mixed with enough danger that you will breeze through it and end with a happy smile on your face.  I was not expecting the slight 'Beauty and the Beast' theme but it played out very well.  Mary never saw Sebastians scars as anything to pity and her way of expressing this to Sebastian was a key turning point in their relationship.  I also was very happy with the fact there is no cheating on Mary's fiance, besides one kiss.  I'm always nervous about cheating while engaged to another but that is not the case here.  In fact, it takes almost three quarters of the book for the major heat factor to kick in and I'm not really complaining.  The storyline just moved along so well that when it finally happened, it was right.  There is a strong sense of family between the brothers despite being apart for so long but with that comes many doubts on Sebastian's end but Mary is the perfect balm to help him heal.  I am so eager for the next two books as there is so much history of the brothers to discover!  Overall, this is a perfect romance that blends true love and danger in a way that will keep you up late finishing the book!  4 very solid stars

I received this eARC from Avon via netgalley.com

The Lost Lords of Pembrook
  Lord of Temptation Oct 2012
Book 3 2013

Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman by Lorraine Heath

This is the follow up to Passions of a Wicked Earl featuring the middle brother, Stephen Lyons. His older brother is an earl, his younger a duke and he has always felt out of place and turned into a bit of a black sheep. His brothers purchase his papers for the army and suffers some serious setbacks when he finally returns home. He survived a horrible explosion that left an angry scar on his perfect face and wiped his memory of that time. So when our heroine, Mercy Dawson, appears on his doorstep with his son, he does the honorable thing by agreeing to marry her, even though he can not remember her. Stephen does not tell her this and Mercy has her own secrets as well about his son.

This was just another okay read for me by Lorraine Heath. The passion was great but the back and forth ness for the whole middle of the book just dragged for me. The do I tell her I don't remember her and the do I tell him the truth over and over was too much. I would have liked more story there. I have to try some of her previous works as many of my friends have recommended her and I just don't thing this series is clicking for me. I am looking forward to finishing up the series though with Ainsleys story. Overall, this passed a couple of afternoons for me but was not that memorable for me. 3 stars

Passions of a Wicked Lord by Lorraine Heath

This was my first Lorraine Heath novel and while not spectacular, I will try some of her previous works. Fair warning, if you do not like books with a cheating husband this book is probably not for you. The opening chapter has our hero, Morgan Lyons, Earl of Westcliffe, at his mistresses home only to return home to find his estranged wife, Claire, is back in London. Claire had been promised in marriage to Westcliffe even before she was born and they were married shortly after her seventeenth birthday. She obviously has serious reservations about her wedding night to this tall, meanincing looking man who would not play with her and her sister and his brother as children. So in all who wisdom and maturity agrees to Stephens, Westcliffes younger brother, plan of postponing the wedding night by being together, clothed, in bed. However, instead of talking with them like they thought he would, Westcliffe packs Claire up and ships her off to the country estate with no chance of explanation. Now three years later she is back in London to give her sister a Season in hopes of finding her a promising marriage offer.
There are numerous ups and downs as they try to feel out their relationship and discover that they really never had one. It's hard to believe that only three years have passed and Claire is so much more mature and daring but that's the way it is. The storyline moved along nicely but had many moments of frustration and there is a bit at the end I didn't really feel connected the best. Overall, still an easy read, as long as you can move past the fact Westcliffe continues to see his mistress (but does not sleep with) after Claire returns. I am looking forward to Stephens story, Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman (London's Greatest Lovers, #2) but will probably just get it from the library, based on some early reviews for it. I have seen many great reviews for Ms Heaths previous works, so I look forward to reading those and hoping this one was just a slight miss for me. 3 1/2 stars