The Trouble with Being a Duke by Sophie Barnes

Isabella Chilcott has dreamed of going to the Kingsborough Ball since she was a girl watching the fireworks from her bedroom and with the passing of the duke, the ball has been on hold for a few years.  With the announcement that it will resume, Isabella knows she must attend before she is married to the stuffy man her parents have picked for her.  She dons a beautiful gown stuffed away in the attic and sneaks in and captures the attention of the new duke, Anthony.  Even knowing that Isabella snuck in he finds himself captivated by this vibrant, cheerful woman and when she slips away his only clue in finding her whereabouts is a drawing they had done together and also the fact that someone recognized her gown as one that has been missing.  Taking these pieces he attempts to find the woman that has captured his heart in a glance but when he finds out the truth, will he be able to overcome all the objections, especially when a jealous lady spreads vicious lies?

The start of Sophie Barnes newest series is a feel-good, happy romance and I was very charmed by it.  This was a delightful spin on one of my favorite fairy tales, Cinderella and I loved how all the pieces fit together but were a bit fresh from what I have read before.  Isabella adores reading and finding her own happily-ever-after but the man her parents have chosen for her will help the family financially (as they are struggling) but he does not inspire her or treat her with the respect she deserves.  Meeting Anthony changes everything but she knows he is well above her class station and that they can not have a future, no matter how much Anthony says that they can.  Her mother has very strong feelings against the aristocracy and this adds some weight to the story.  I did feel like her parents refusal to even consider the duke as a suitor was overdone but as the story unfolded, it made sense.  Anthony had been feeling the weight of all his responsibilities following his beloved fathers death and meeting Isabella makes him feel happy again, the desire to have fun resurfaces and his load feels lifted with Isabellas sense of humor and forgiving nature.  Stolen kisses, vengeful peers and a strong family bond complete this romance and one scene in the book will leave you very anxious to read the next book in this series and find out what else happens at the Kingsborough Ball.  This book made me smile, laugh and sigh which is what all of Sophie Barnes charming romances make me do!  4 stars

Review copy provided by author

At the Kingborough Ball

    Dec 31st
Untitled book 3 August 2014

New Covers

Here is the latest (long) batch of lovely new covers. . .

This is the cover that was voted on for Kieran Kramers upcoming Say Yes to the Duke!!  Love it!  (Though it doesn't really 'fit' with the previous covers...) Very excited for this one!  Look for it Aug 27th.

Oh, look at this lovely red cover!  And a heroine with red hair.  Love the snow in the background :)  I really enjoyed Valerie Bowman's debut so I can't wait for Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage to come out Oct 1st!

Squee!!!  How eye catching is this green?!?  And a mask?  Ooh.  Beyond excited for this one and so happy the cover is just stunning.  Look for No Good Duke Goes Unpunished Aug 27th!

The Perks of Being a Beauty is a novella by the lovely Manda Collins set for release June 18th.  I believe this features a secondary character from her debut series.  I am so happy publishers are taking the time to make nice covers for novellas!

Miranda Neville is back with The Ruin of a Rogue.  Love that title and the cover is very sexy!  Look for it Aug 27th as well.

Grace Burrowes always has such lovely covers and Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait is no exception.  (Christmas already?!? lol)  The green is perfect for the holidays and I adore the attention to the background detail.  Look for this one Oct 1st.

Wicked Little Secrets looks to be a new to me author.  The cover and premise have caught my attention so I hope to give this one a go on its release, Aug 6th.

Purple, my favorite :)  I like all the pretty scrollwork as well as the detail in the background.  Look for Love on a Midsummer Night Aug 6th.

Love!  The sky blue is just stunning!  Very impatient for the release of this one!  A Rake's Midnight Kiss will be out Aug 27th (boo).

And finally is the start of a new series from Sophie Barnes, The Trouble with Being a Duke.  I love that her dress has a pattern on it and masks are always intriguing :)  Look for this one Aug 27th.

Well, there you go.  Lovely, lovely covers from Avon, St Martins, Sourcebooks and Grand Central.  Now to wait. . . Which covers are your favorites??

The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda by Sophie Barnes

Lord William Summersby has decided to marry a nice, quiet young lady, one that is proper enough for a future earl and will provide the requisite heir.  So when he suddenly finds himself engaged to one bold Lucy Blackwell, a woman he doesn't even know until they share a dance, he knows his duty and will marry Lucy but will not be happy about it!  The only thing he asks of her is to have no secrets... Lucy has her own reasons for trapping William into marriage.  She needs the former spy to help her find her parents murderer but she knows he does not trust her, nor does she blame him for this fact, and she finds it hard to try and build a new relationship while keeping her true life secret.  When it becomes clear that the murderer has found her after all these years and takes drastic steps to ensure her silence, William notices the cracks in her composure and pressures her for the answers.  Can Lucy find a way to tell the truth while protecting all those threatened?  Will William be able to forgive another lie and find a way to protect the woman that is slowly becoming so important to his life?

I have enjoyed all of Sophie Barnes novels and this one is no exception!  The beginning will grab you and then the craziness of Lucy's plan will keep you turning the pages and watching Lucy and William attempt to find some common ground in their very unconventional marriage was a delight to read.  Seeing the horror of Lucy's past first helps you get a better understanding of her reasons to need William's help, since the plan is bold and crazy and thankfully, the family stands by her even though they distrust her initially.  William is strong, proud and underneath the gruff, caring and protective.  I liked the twist of her past catching up to her in England instead of in Constantinople.  However, when the story does travel abroad it adds quite a bit of drama and tense moments but also felt a bit over the top.  I think for me, it was just a little too much coupled with the way Lucy and William got betrothed.  I liked how Lucy and William formed a bond before anything happened in the bedroom and I liked watching them slowly fall for each other.  I also liked the strong family bond and watching the relationships change and grow stronger among them as well.  Overall, an action-packed, crazy, fun romance that will sweep you away.  3 1/2 stars

eARC provided by Avon via edelweiss

Summersby series
Can be read as stand alones but characters are recurring

There's Something About Lady Mary by Sophie Barnes

Mary Croyden grew up with her father, a surgeon, learning all she could from him and is devastated by his death but she is even more stunned by all the secrets he was hiding.  Her father was an earl and never told her, instead choosing to live his life quietly providing medical care.  He made provisions for Mary though in the form of passing his title on to her, along with a fortune, so now Mary finds herself a lady and in the unfamiliar waters of the ton.  Always feeling plain her whole life, she is pleased when a handsome man takes an interest in her and she knows she needs to tell Ryan Summersby about her illegal profession.  However, just as things are heating up, the truth about his interest in her is revealed and Mary is left feeling hurt.  Ryan tries to redeem his blunder and then he learns the full truth about Mary and he has a hard time grasping what she does.  With someone out to steal Mary's fathers journals, with no regards to her life, can Mary and Ryan uncover the secrets that they hold?  Will Ryan be able to come to terms with Mary's daring lifestyle and find a way that they can be happy together?

This was a very enjoyable, fun tale!  I really enjoyed Mary and her determination to do the right thing, not matter what the cost.  Being a female surgeon is highly illegal but she still considers the life of the patient first over her own safety.  I liked seeing a bit about the medical profession without being overwhelmed in the process...it also made me very glad we live in modern times with regards to a simple procedure that just wasn't really done at the time!  Mary is bold, sharp and has quick comebacks for Ryan.  Ryan is just the sort of man you love--kind, smart and generous.  Yet when it comes to Mary, he is a bit of a numskull.  He has no problems with his daring, unique sister but when some of the same characteristics are shown in Mary, he is unable to accept them and it takes a series of missteps to realize the depth of his feelings for her.  I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story, I really did not know who the final villain was (in part due to the fact there were quite a few people in the story and it was a bit hard for me to keep track of them all).  Everything blended together very nicely for me...the mystery didn't overwhelm, the medical aspect didn't overwhelm either.  I could have used a bit more romance as Mary and Ryan seemed to fall for each other pretty quickly, but I did like seeing the Summersby family again and the lovely interactions between them.  Overall, a delightful tale that is a bit unique filled with fun, romance, mystery and love.  4 stars

eARC provided by Avon Impulse via edelweiss

Summersby series
Can be read as stand alones but previous characters are featured
(Nov 20th)

New Covers

Quite a few great new covers shared recently. . .

What a lovely cover for a debut (and it has a sexy stepback, bonus!).  What Happens in Scotland is a debut from Jennifer McQuiston and since Sarah MacLean is endorsing it on the cover, you know I will be picking it up!  Look for this one February 26th.

I was excited to see this cover since I knew it would be red based on the title and what loveliness it is!  Shana Galen is one of my favorite authors and If You Give a Rake a Ruby is book two in her Jewels of the Ton series and I am eagerly awaiting its March 1st release!

Tiffany Clare has had gorgeous covers for all her books and Midnight Temptations with a Forbidden Lord is no exception!   A very lovely blue just a pop of purple!  This will be book two in her new series, Dangerous Rogues and should hit shelves April 30th.

The Prince's Bride will wrap up Julianne MacLeans The Royal Trilogy and it fits in beautifully with the previous covers.  I enjoyed the first book in this series so I am looking forward to this one when it releases April 30th as well.

Seduced by a Pirate is an ebook companion to The Ugly Duchess featuring Sir Griffin Barry.  Look for it Oct 30th and it is only 99 cents!  Woot!

Sally MacKenzie continues her Duchess of Love series with Surprising Lord Jack.  The cover fits in great with the previous titles but shoes featured so prominently always throw me.  They always look to modern to me, even though they are right.  Oh well, lol!  Love the dog peeking out.  This was is set for release March 4th.

Sarah MacLean shared her stepback for One Good Earl Deserves a Lover this week!  Love.  Love that her spectacles are still there.  Still waiting for it to be Jan 29th. . .

I'm not quite sure how they keep coming up with such lovely covers for Grace Burrowes Windham series!  Lady Eve's Indiscretion is book seven and should arrive February 1st.

I don't have any info about this title yet but I really like the simple holiday cover.  I recognize two of the names on here, Sophie Barnes and Karen Erickson, but the others are new to me and shorts stories are always a great introduction to new authors.  Five Golden Rings will be out as an ebook (and probably in print later I'm guessing) Dec 11th.

I have yet to read anything by Karen Ranney but The Lass Wore Black has captured my interest.  First I love the black and pink of the cover but she posted the full back cover copy on her site here and the blurb sounds good!  I think I will be picking this one up on January 29th and giving her a shot!

Well, this started off with I think four covers but quickly grew!  Which titles are you most excited about?  I thinking I need to win the lottery stat!

New Covers

New covers shared this week. . .

Does this cover say romance or what?  Pretty, pretty, pretty! I'm usually more focused on the gorgeous gowns on these covers but I love how the background stands out so much for this one! This will be book two in Valerie Bowman's Secret Bride series and I am so excited for the debut title at the end of Sept!  However, Secrets of a Runaway Bride will not be out until March 26th.

Three Schemes and a Scandal is a novella from Maya Rodale set for release either Sept 25 or Oct 2nd.  On her website she says Sept 25th and on Amazon it says Oct 2nd.  Either way I have it pre-ordered :)  Looks like this will be book 3.5 in her Writing Girls story and looks to also be a complete story.  I like the simplicity and sassiness of this cover.

Sophie Barnes returns to her Summersby series with two back to back releases!  First up is There's Something About Lady Mary and I love the bold blue!  She looks sassy :)  This will be out Nov 13th.

And then just a week later (seriously, she must write in her sleep!) on Nov 20th we get The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda.  Gold is quickly becoming one of my favorite colors for covers!  I really enjoyed Sophie's previous books so I am anxiously awaiting two new ones!

Happy Release Day!!

Here are a few titles that are being released today!  Enjoy!

 

I think I will be picking up all of these in some form or another.  If the Slipper Fits is the start of a new series and since I love anything Cinderella, I'm looking forward to it.  The Taming of a Scottish Princess is the conclusion to Karen Hawkins Hurst Amulet series, a series I need to get caught up on!  I know Carla Kelly has many fans and are eagerly awaiting a new regency book from her.  I have not read a lot from her by Marriage of Mercy sounds good!  One Naughty Night is the start of a new series from Laurel McKee and one I am also looking forward too.  And finally is Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure, the start of a new series from Sophie Barnes and a book I would recommend!  So, hope there is a book or two out for you to enjoy today!  Lots of good ones next week as well :)

Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure by Sophie Barnes

Michael Ashford, Earl of Trenton, has no clue how fast his life is going to be turned upside down when he has to go retrieve a possible traitor, William.  As Michael has never met William before in his duties with the Foreign Office, he agrees that William's 'brothers' should accompany him to correctly identify William.  Michael believes these two brothers will just be in his way and really pays them little mind.  He does find it odd that Alex needs to constantly wear a scarf to cover a disfigurement but again, pays it little mind.  The shock of finding out that Alex is truly Lady Alexandra, renowned swordswoman, angers Michael.  But after the anger of being betrayed recedes, a deep admiration for this spirited hoyden grows until he knows that Alex is the only woman for him.  Convincing a marriage scared Alex is a whole other matter though...

After her mothers death when she was a young girl and watching her father fall to pieces without his partner anymore has turned Alexandra into the daring woman she is today, but not without cost.  She can best her brothers at swords easily and would rather wear breeches than a ball gown and once her father came out of his deep grief, he thankfully encouraged her and had her train with the best.  She is determined to prove her brother Williams innocence and will not get hanged up on the man set out to see him accused.  Besides, she has no intention of ever marrying and having her love die and leave her alone and saddened by grief.  But as life throws Michael and Alexandra together through some delightful occurrences (the duel, yes a real duel, between them is quite fun!), Alex keeps Michael at arms length until it is too late.  Alexandra must decide if true love is worth the risk after all.

This was another delightful novel from Sophie Barnes!  I really enjoyed how Alexandra was encouraged to follow her desires to wield a sword and fight by her father and her brothers.  She was not forced to be a 'proper' lady but underneath all her hoyden ways, she is still a woman longing for love and scared to accept it when she finds it.  I also enjoyed her reasons for not wanting to marry--she had a wonderful example from her parents but the thought of enduring the sadness that her father suffered when her mother passed too soon, really shaped her views on love and marriage.  Her relationship with her two brothers, William and Ryan, was great and leads to some fun interactions!  Michael is a perfect balance to her and adds a sense of calm and is one of the only people that can actually best Alex at a few things!  He knows fairly quickly that Alex is the only woman for him but convincing Alex of that proves to be more of a challenge than he thought.  I did feel that our couple fell for each other fairly quickly but it then took awhile for them to finally say their true feelings for each.  And when they finally do, Alexandra's temper almost gets the best of her :)  Overall, this is a fun, light, sexy read that has just enough intrigue to add some weight to the story.  I started laughing fairly early on and I kept smiling throughout the whole book.  I am really looking forward to William and Ryan's stories!  4 stars

I received this eARC from Avon Impulse via edelweiss.com

Summersby Tale series
Two more books to come in November, yay!

New Covers

Another week, another batch of lovely covers!  I mean seriously, how do they keep coming up with all these great covers?

I'm really looking forward to this one as I enjoyed Sophie Barnes debut.  The title isn't my favorite but I am expecting another warm, sexy, funny story.  This will be out through Avon's ebook imprint (Avon Impulse) first on May 22nd and paperback shortly after that I think.

This cover fits in very nicely with Suzanne Enoch's Scandalous Brides series and is a title I am looking forward too. Rules to Catch a Devilish Duke is set to release Sept 25th.

A Lady Never Lies is the debut from Juliana Gray and Elizabeth Hoyt has given it a very positive review on goodreads and the summary sounds great so I am very anxious to read it!  It releases Aug 7th.

Thankfully, no long wait for the sequel, A Gentleman Never Tells. It will be out November 6th.  Both books have good covers!

Well, thats all for now!  You should start seeing more reviews slowing popping back up as my little vacation is about over :)  Have a wonderful week!

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!