To Sin With A Scoundrel by Cara Elliott

This was a very fun, easy read for me and I am very glad that I have the next two books handy! The heroine of this book, Lady Ciara Sheffield, is a scientist and is accused of poisoning her late husband. She has formally been cleared of the charges but his evil family is desperate for the money that her son, Peregrine (!!! thankfully called Perry) will receive. At first, they just want to have custody of him and set about to prove that Ciara is an unfit mother. But as the story progresses, more sinister actions appear.
Enter our rake hell, the Earl of Hadley, Lucas. His uncle, who has been his guardian since he was a boy, needs the help of the lovely Ciara and Lucas grudgingly sets out to ask for her help. When the two meet, the sparks fly! He has climbed into her window as she has refused to see him, as he has quite the scandalous past and wants nothing to do with him. As he explains the purpose and she sees what it is his uncle has found, she agrees to help him and they strike up a bargain of sorts. She needs to clear her name with the ton and get away from her despicable in laws and Lucas agrees to escort her to some parties and strike up a fake engagement. We all know how those usually go.... :)
I really enjoyed watching Lucas transform from his devil may care attitude into a man who grows to love a wonderful woman and her son. I also liked that even though Ciara is a scientist and her discoveries are a large part of the story, it didn't overwhelm me. I am not a huge science fan and I did not find myself skimming over anything dull. Their is a lovely side story between a fellow member of her Circle of Sin, what five woman scientists call themselves, and Lucas' uncle that was very sweet. There was also just a taste of what we can accept in the next book, To Surrender To A Rogue, that should make that a very fun, sexy read as well! I picked this book up awhile ago but bumped it up my list to read as I won a firstreads copy from goodreads.com of the third book To Tempt a Rake and am glad I did! 4 stars

Then He Kissed Me by Christie Ridgway

This is the second of three books in Christie Ridgways Three Kisses series about three sisters trying to save their family winery. This time we focus on Stevie Baci and newcomer Jack Parini....who just happens to be a prince. Stevie runs a limousine service, aptly called Napa Princess Limousine, and meets the good looking, tough, have-quite-a-history Jack while picking up his sister, Roxy, who is engaged to Stevie's ex Emerson. You would think you would want to hate Roxy for "stealing" Emerson away from Stevie but she is over him and you really grow to root for Roxy and Emerson, who are the side story and have their own issues that are handled very nicely.

I was excited about the royalty aspect of this book because, hey, I admit, I live a a dream world where I marry a real live prince, lol! However, it is pretty downplayed, which in a way, was nice. Jack and Roxy are not full of themselves and their mother is quite a hoot when she arrives! They had a terrible incident happen to them when they were younger and Jack has never really quite forgiven himself for letting Roxy be involved. I enjoyed that Jack and Roxy had some flaws and were not pretentious.

As for Stevie and Jack, well the sparks fly right away and when they are caught in a heated embrace but all of Emersons family, Jacks solution was a bit of a surprise. I felt these two had great chemistry together and Jack helped Stevie feel like that woman she is deep inside and just never let out. Once again we see the build up to the next story with Stevies sister Jules and Liam with a bit more of their back story, just enough to make you really want their story now and not in a few months! I think (and hope!) their story is going to be the best of this trilogy. Even though this is book two of three, I don't feel it necessary to read the first one but of course I do recommend it as it was a fun sweet book as well. Overall, if you are in the mood for a few laughs in a sweet, sexy story about some great family love try this one! 3 1/2 stars

One Night Is Never Enough by Anne Mallory

I am having a bit of a hard time writing up a review for this one.....it's not that it wasn't enjoyable because it was...it just left me feeling a bit.....off, I guess. I think that has to do with the fact it took me four days to read it and they were always just snippets of time, darn real life! That being said, I hope I can do this book with the gorgeous cover some justice!

The premise of the story is a good one, a father bets his beautiful daughter, Charlotte, in a card game and loses to a less than perfect man, Roman. Charlotte, not of any noble blood, has been brought up by her parents to be perfect, in looks, temperament, and behavior. She is tolerated by the ton because it is a know fact that she will marry well and gain some sort of title, thus giving her father the thing he wants more. As a result, she feels cold and lonely from everyone but her younger sister, Emily. Charlotte also feels the pressure to marry well to secure happiness and some sort of freedom for Emily, who is shipped off to boarding school and barely tolerated by their parents because she is too carefree and nowhere near as beautiful as her older sister.

On the night that Charlotte is to pay her fathers debt, Roman offers her the chance to refuse, but as he has needled her beforehand, she declares she does not back down from paying whats due. Roman also is not a member of the ton. He is a self made man, with many dealings in gambling halls and many of the under goings of London. He is a bit of a sinister man but is instantly attracted to Charlotte and thus begins the back and forth between these two.

I really enjoyed watching the attraction grow into something deeper and how Roman gradually broke down her walls and her with his. But at the same time, I was a bit confused with everything else that was going on. I never really grasped what all Roman does, and that may have to do with the fact I just never got to sit down and really read, but I just felt a bit muddled throughout. We learn quite quickly that Charlottes father expects nothing but perfection but the ending didn't really resolve that issue for me. Their was some resolution with the relationship with her mother, but I would have liked a bit more. Emily was a fun addition to the story and I would have liked to know a bit more about her and I hope she turns up in future books (if there are more). It was nice to see Max and Miranda again and how Charlotte wishes in her heart to have the love they have. Also, there were a few too many dangling threads left open for me and I would have like resolved.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book. Maybe not the best to me, or for me, but I can see this appealing to many readers as it was very well written but I just never got that deep connection this time. I look forward to more books, hopefully one involving Romans brother as his back story was just skimmed over and there has to be much more there! 3/12 stars

I received this book via netgalley.com

Prelude to a Scandal by Delilah Marvelle

By reading the back cover blurb for this book you would expect the story to be about "the battle between the lady and the rake is about to begin". Which it is.....Lady Justine is willing to become her friends (I just can't think of a better word right now) mistress in exchange for him helping to get her father out of prison for his book on his views on animals, sex, and how they are similar to humans. Justine is very surprised when Radcliff, Duke of Bradford, makes a different offer to her instead, he wants to marry her in six weeks time but they can not see each other, as he has gotten a terrible scar on his face due to his...problem.

That brings us to what else this book is about. When you open the book and read the Dear Reader letter, you learn that Radcliff is dealing with a sex addiction problem. Which really leads to some, um, interesting happenings in the book that definitely pushed my comfort zone area and left me shaking my head a bit. But Ms Marvelle does make the request to set aside what we think of 1829 and allow her to give us her version of 1829. So, I did try to do that and with saying that, this actually was a very interesting book to read. I did not love it but I did not feel like I was wasting my time reading it. It definitely makes you think that this probably really did happen during this time and I thought the author did a fairly good job handling it.
Overall, I give this book 3 1/2 stars. What dragged it down a bit for me was how Radcliff suddenly had an "aha" moment as to why he acted the way he did and I didn't quite feel that. Also, he had quite a few mood swings and with his problem, even though the romance between Justine and Radcliff seemed very genuine and true, I'm just not sure if it is deep enough to outlast everything. And then there is his (rotten) brothers pregnant mistress, Miranda who is part of the book. I didn't really like her and I thought her twist she added was a bit too much and not needed. There are two more books in this trilogy, Once Upon a Scandal and The Perfect Scandal which I am looking forward to reading. But this book reminds me to always check for that Dear Reader letter so you know what you are getting yourself into because the back blurb may not always define it so clearly! :)

Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke

I was really looking forward to reading this book, which follows Wedding of the Season, and features the straight laced Aidan, Duke of Trathen, and the carefree Julia and I am so glad that it was just as excellent, if not a bit more, than the first! The book opens with Julia finally getting her divorce from her hateful husband, Yardley. But in the process of getting it, she ends up causing yet another broken engagement and scandal for Aidan as she uses him in her desperate plan to leave her husband.

Now six months later, Aidan is entering back into the ton in hopes of finding a proper duchess and producing an heir. He keeps thinking about Julia and their afternoon together in the cottage but is only having hazy memories. When they bump into each at a ball, the sparks are still there but they both ignore them. Julia keeps up her pretense of carefreeness that she has built all around herself as a result of some horrible actions done to her from her ex husband and continues to believe that she can never be good enough for Aidan. At the same time Aidan keeps having these memories of all their past run ins, which include the first time they meet thirteen years ago, that he just can not seem to let go.

As the book unfolds and we learn more and more of both Aidan and Julias past together and Julias deep emotional scars, Aidan slowly transforms from the stuck up man and gradually loosens up a bit and when Aidan and Julia finally reconnect....so romantic, sweet, and hot. After reading the first book and seeing how Aidan was with Trix (Julias cousin) I wasn't sure how he could change enough to satisfy Julia, but Ms Guhrke seems to have done a good job. And I was surprised at how long Julia and Aidan have known each other and how they always had these lingering feelings even though they barely knew each other. There are plenty of fun moments as Julia is quite a character with everyone and her dog Spike adds some good doses of humor as well. It was really an emotional ride as you want to know what Julias secrets are and what really happened that afternoon and when she finally confides to Aidan how Yardley treated her, well, it was worth the wait. Overall, if you are in the mood for a fun, sexy, emotional (but not deep) this is a great book to check out. 4 1/2 stars

I received this ebook from netgalley.com

Rules of an Engagement by Suzanne Enoch

This was an enjoyable sea worthy tale, and while I didn't love it, it is still a fun, easy read. This is the third installment in The Adventurers Club series and we get the swash buckling, dashing Captain Bradshaw Carroways story. (Just a side note...I think this could be read as a stand alone as almost the entire book takes place at sea so the previous characters make only brief appearances). Shaw is tasked in taking Miss Zephyr Ponsley and her father, Sir Joseph, around to islands so that Sir Joseph may collect new plants and animals for his discoveries. Even though Shaw is in the marines and this is not exactly what he signed up for, he accepts as he also has a secondary secret mission given to him from the Duke of Sommerset (who was hardly in the book this time around, sigh).

Now, Zephyr has been her fathers assistant for years, traveling the world helping him collect his botany and drawing sketches to accompanying his findings. She was not brought up in London and therefore does not know all the proper rules of society and is very free with her thinking and her opinions. Upon her first meeting with Shaw, she snorts at some comment he makes and he is immediately intrigued and drawn to her. He takes it upon himself to always accompany her about the islands as they travel, to protect her from unknown dangers, and they continue their sparring back and forth. Shaw tells her he wants to bed her and she tells him that he must court her properly....and he does. There are some wonderful, tender moments as their courtship progresses. Oh and the ending on the ship, so sweet it brought a sigh to my heart.

Overall, this was a good book. A few things dragged it down a bit for me though. Shaw is forced to take on some more passengers who need to get back home immediately and I felt they added a layer of unnecessary chatter that wasn't needed. I can not really imagine ladies and gents and maids willingly go aboard a naval ship versus a passenger ship...the comforts are far different! Also, once again, was the overuse of the word chit. I don't know why it bothers me but I just do not like seeing it on almost every single page! Then of course, we barely see Lord Sommerset and I really hope Ms Enoch is working on his book next! But for this book, if you like a strong, snappy (in a good way) heroine and a strong, passionate hero who fall in love over the high seas with a bit of danger, this is a great book for you! Oh, and of course, the talking parrot makes an appearance to add a bit of chuckles! :) 3 1/2 stars

The Unclaimed Duchess by Jenna Petersen

This was another excellent read from Jenna Peterson. We get the story of the stuck up, proud Rhys Carlisle, Duke of Waverly, and his betrothed from birth wife Lady Anne. Upon arriving home from their honeymoon, their neighbor and friend, Simon delivers some devastating news to Rhys that makes him take off immediately without even a goodbye to Anne. Anne is devastated and sets out to find out where her husband is and makes Simon tell her of the one place Rhys used to go as a child that made him happy. Anne heads to the small countryside cottage, surprising Rhys who orders her to leave. She refuses as she can see he is in deep pain but he will not confide in her. Then Rhys deals Anne the news that they must divorce, but will not tell her why, and therefore they can not risk getting Anne pregnant.
Now, Anne has been in love with Rhys ever since they were children and he protected her from his friends and she refuses to listen to Rhys and sets about trying to seduce him and praying to keep her marriage real. Rhys and Anne spend ten wonderful, passionate (hot!) days together and Rhys slowly lets down his tough guard that has been installed in him from his father. After all, nothing is more important than bloodlines.... Rhys late father had installed in him how to be a proper, cold duke and that they are more important than everyone else. So it was wonderful to see Anne slowly chip away at some of that stubborn pride and remind him of that a caring duke can do great things for others as well.
Unfortunately, Anne and Rhys must return home to London and Rhys is still intent on his plans to separate from Anne, still not telling her his secret. When he finally reveals all to her, her love continues strong for him but she grows angry at his continual dismissal of their marriage and future together. When a blackmailer threatens to expose all, she fears she has lost him forever. The ending was very pleasant and resolved the situations nicely I thought. The epilogue once again led up to what should be another excellent book in this series. I loved how Anne stayed strong and finally broke down Rhys barriers with her love and I can not wait to read more from Ms Petersen. 4 stars

What the Duke Desires by Jenna Petersen

I wasn't too sure about this book when I started it. Lillian Mayhew is visiting the new Duke of Billingham, Simon Crathorne, with her friend Lady Gabriela. Lillian is there with the sole purpose of extracting revenge against Simon but her hatred is really directed to his late father. The previous duke had done a horrible act against Lillians mother which caused her to commit suicide. As she heard her dying fathers wish to seek revenge, though this was said to her brother, not her, Lillian sets out to diminish the late dukes perfect, honored reputation any way she can. But as she arrives and is greeted by the most handsome man, she is thrown for a loop when he introduces himself as Simon.
As the sparks fly between Simon and Lillian, and everyone from Simons mother to best friend, Rhys, tell him that this is a match that can never happen (the scandal of the suicide, she has no money!), Lillian keeps feeling drawn to him and him to her. The real turning point, for me, to make this book a good read was when Simons discovers the secrets of his late father. They are some major secrets that have been hidden his entire life. They transform this dashing man into a devastated, humble man and made me really love him. Throughout all this, Lillian is by his side but still never revealing her secret. When she finally, finally, reveals her true reason for being there, Simon is heartbroken but chooses to stay with her. Lillian flees back home for a bit until we get the happily ever after.
Even though the first half or so was just ok, the second half was excellent. It has heartbreak, sorrow, love, joy. It will make you tear up, smile, and want to smack Lillian. The epilogue leads right up to the next story, The Unclaimed Duchess (Billingham Bastards, #2) and I have started it already as I was so intrigued to continue with this story and see all the fall outs waiting to happen. I hope there is more to come in this series. 4 stars

Storming the Castle by Eloisa James

This was a fun, sexy short story that follows A Kiss at Midnight and gives us the yummy Wicks happily ever after. Phillipa has been betrothed to Rodney since they were children and he proclaimed his love for her, but as the story opens and they consummate their engagement...in the stables....Phillipa realizes she can not marry him. Ever. As she does not want to do that ever again! She hears how the new prince and princess are having difficulties with their new baby and runs off to help with the little guy...and to get away from Rodney.
After she arrives and meets Wick, they both know that they have found their soulmates. However, even though Phillipa is posing as a nursemaid, it becomes evident that she is a lady and Wick, as the butler (though truly he is the illegitimate half brother of the prince) know he can never marry her and force her to downgrade her station. But still, they continue to meet up and have some lovely kisses and when Phillipa finally breaks down Wicks barrier about not sleeping together, ah, so sweet. He shows her what true lovemaking is like and she of course, wants more.
Phillipa returns home with her father and gets a promise from Wick that she will wait one week for him to come get her. The ending is very sweet and shows the deep love that Phillipa and Wick have for each other and also the love that Phillipas father has for her, and his desire to see her happy. This was a great little story to tide me over until the next book in the series, When Beauty Tamed the Beast, comes out in a month and I can't wait! 4 stars for this short, sweet love story! (And thanks to Ms James to listening to her readers who wanted dear Wicks story!)

The Countess by Lynsay Sands

The Countess was my first book by Lynsay Sands and I have found yet another author to watch and catch up with! This was a fun, sexy book...if you can get past the tad bit silly plot of hefting around a dead man numerous times! Christiana assumed she had met and fallen in love with the man of her dreams, Dicky Fairgrove. But once they are married Dicky dissolves all the charm and turns into a cruel, spiteful man always criticizing Christiana and refusing any callers or to go to any balls. When Dicky suddenly drops dead one afternoon, she decides, along with her two sisters Suzette and Lisa, to put him on ice (literally) and head to a ball to try to snare a husband for Suzette as their father has run up some gambling debts that need to be paid by her dowry.
Now, imagine their surprise when "Dicky" turns up at the ball! It is really Richard, or the real Earl, coming home to confront his twin brother George, who tried to murder him. Richard is just as surprised to find that he has a wife but is intrigued by Christiana almost immediately. After all, she might be a money hunter or a murderer! As the truth begins to unravel about George, Richard, the past and plans to best salvage and protect everyones reputation, Richard and Christiana develop deep (hot!) feelings for each other.
Part of what I really enjoyed about this book was the relationship between Christiana and Richard. She was attracted to him immediately, even though she thought he was her spiteful husband, and I was glad the truth came out fairly quickly. Though not until after they had a very steamy night together...that bit I didn't like too much as she had had a bit to drink and Richard seemed to take advantage of her, even though he didn't! But still.... I loved how Richard strove to prove to Christiana how different he was from George, and how he planned to stay that way and her gradual acceptance of that and her loosening of the ties she had restrained herself with to be "perfect" for George and go back to her carefree self was wonderful to read. I also really enjoyed the humor in this book. I mean really, first the sisters tote around dead George and then later on its Richard and his friend David moving him about. All the funny mishaps that happen while doing this were quite fun. The mystery surrounding Georges death was done well. It was not a huge part of the story but it offered just enough intrigue to help the story along. The relationship between the sisters is wonderful as well, and how Richard takes them all in as part of his family immediately and sets to protect their reputations was so sweet. Later on, when the sisters dad comes to rescue Christiana from her horrible marriage brought a smile to my face to have such a loving father. And this is yet another story that did not have that 'big misunderstanding' so that was a plus for me! Overall, if you are in the mood for a fun, sexy, with a bit of a mystery, pick up The Countess! I know I am looking forward to Suzettes story (which I think runs at the same time as this one so we will see how that goes!) in The Heiress and hopefully Lisas story later! 4 1/2 stars
I received this ebook from netgalley.com

Wicked Nights with a Lover by Sophie Jordan

This was my first book from Sophie Jordan and it was a pleasant, fun read and I look forward to reading more of her works! The premise for this book intrigued me....Marguerite Laurent is told that she will not live to see her next Christmas. Of course she scoffs at the seer that told her this nonsense but then when her patient (she is a sick nurse) unexpectedly dies by the end of the week as the seer foretold, she starts to believe. Marguerite decides to live her life to the fullest and the first thing she decides to do is go to Spain and have a grand love affair. However, before she is able to embark, she is abducted by her fathers partner, Ash Courtland.

Ash has been Jack Hardleys, Marguerites absentee father, gambling hall partner for years but is told that Jack has decided to marry his three daughters (her half sisters) off to titled gentlemen to help cross into the ton and be fully accepted by society. Ash and Jack are not nobleman, just lowly men who have made a great success...well Ash has made most of the success with Jacks money. Ash, of course, is not good enough for the sisters and Ash is livid about the fact he will lose out of the money he has worked so hard for that he decides to swipe one of the sisters and marry her. Marguerite just happens to be leaving Jacks home and Ash abducts her and tells her they will marry but she will basically have her freedom after a few months.

The journey that Ash and Marguerite have to find their happily ever after is really a sweet one. Ash is a wonderful man that genuinely wants to please Marguerite and grows to care for her very quickly. And when Marguerite keeps changing her mind and trying to run away from Ash, because she does not think she can be happy because of what the seer had foretold for her, he is very patient with her when I wanted to smack her upside the head, lol!

Overall, this was a very easy read and I enjoyed it. I was able to read it over the Christmas weekend easily, and since it takes place over the Christmas holidays, it was the perfect read. Also, even though this is book three in a series, I did not feel that I missed out on anything previous. Her friends were just mentioned a few times and that was it. I look forward to reading the previous two books though! 4 stars

Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer

This is Kieran Kramers second book in the Impossible Bachelors series and I thoroughly enjoyed it! If you are in the mood for a light, funny, laugh at loud romance with a delightful, spirited heroine and a dashing, spy hero this is the book for you. We get reacquainted with the second of four Impossible Bachelors, the Duke of Drummond, Nicholas Staunton (though he was know as Lord Maxwell I believe in the first book) who needs to marry to stay a member of the Service. Now, Lady Poppy Smith-Barnes has turned downed numerous proposals because she is a member of the Spinster club....they will only marry for love, nothing else. She always says in her rejection, that her heart belongs to the Duke of Drummond, whom she believes is not real. Needless to say, when the real Duke turns up....she is forced to accept his proposal or be ridiculed by everyone in the ton.
They hi jinks that accrue after this fact are quite fun. Poppy accidentally discovers that Nicholas is working undercover in the Service on a highly sensitive mission and he is forced to tell her the details and enlist her help. Her help comes in handy as they need to stay close to the Prince and Princess of Russia to get a painting away from them. Poppy has had a childhood crush on Sergei since she was a teenager and finds it very easy to be around him, until he reveals his true self to her. And Nicholas, unfortunately, had a brief relationship with Natasha beforehand and is forced to endure her advances, even though he despises her. Ugh, Natasha...what a vile female!! And Sergei is no better! But as Poppy and Nicholas work together, their feelings for each deepen.
The one thing that bothered me with this book was the ending. Once again, like When Harry Met Molly, so much happens in the final chapters it is overwhelming. Its like...bam...bam...bam...and another bam. I just wished some of the secrets had been exposed a bit sooner instead of one right after another. Besides that fact, this is a fun, lively book and I look forward to Ms Kramers third novel, Cloudy With A Chance Of Marriage! 4 1/2 stars

Unveiled by Courtney Milan

Loved. That's all I have to say. Ok, just kidding...but really, I absolutely enjoyed this book. This is the first book I have read from Courtney Milan and I am very happy that I have purchased her two previous books (Proof by Seduction and Trial by Desire) because I can not wait to read them if they are anything like Unveiled!

What did I love about this book? The hero, Ash Turner for one. He has harbored ill feelings to the Duke of Palford for turning him away when he was young and his two brothers and sister needed help desperately. As a result of the Dukes coldness, his young sister died and Ash vowed to seek revenge on the man. So when he finds out the Duke is actually still married to his first wife, now living in America, he brings forth the bigamy charge against him and thus discrediting his second wife and their three children, two sons and a daughter. As it happens, his two sons went to school with Ashs two younger brothers and they got into a few scuffles due to their distaste of each other.

This brings me to the next point of enjoyment in this book, the heroine, Lady Anna Margaret Dalrymple, Duke Palfords daughter. After being declared a bastard and all her society friends turning their backs on her, it is decided she will remain at Parford Manor and act as a nursemaid to her father while her brothers try to secure necessary votes to remain the heirs to the dukedom. When Ash and Margaret meet, sparks fly. You would think Ash would be a cold, heartless man based on his previous manners but he turns out to be a honorable, caring, loyal and protective man of his family. He repeatedly makes people understand that you matter, you are important, regardless of station in life. As Ash and Margaret get closer, Ash continues to be a gentleman allowing Margaret to make the decisions. Margaret takes this all in along with knowledge that could destroy Ashs chance at claiming the dukedom and finds the strength to follow her heart.

There are numerous other points of the story that I loved....when Ash finally realizes who Margaret is and his reaction to it....Ashs love and protection and need to fit in with his brothers....Margarets resolve to help her brothers even though they basically turn their backs on her to better themselves. I do not really want to say too much more about the plot but the way everything is resolved will leave a smile on your face. This was a wonderful book and I can not wait to purchase it and read it again in Jan! And I eagerly await the next in the series, Unclaimed, in Oct! 5 stars

I received this ebook from netgalley.com

When Harry Meet Molly by Kieran Kramer

This is the debut novel from Kieran Kramer and it is a delightful one! This premise is a bit far off, Harry convinces Molly to be his pretend mistress to win the "Most Delectable Companion" contest after his real mistress runs off with her supposed fiance whom she is eloping with to Gretna Green. Harry and Molly have a history with each other and despise each other as a result of it. This, of course, leads to many smart remarks to each other and growing sexual tension. Once they arrive at the hunting box to start the competition, Harry starts to teach Molly how to be a mistress...and "practice" kissing. There are many hijinks that happen that will give you some good chuckles. The sexual tension that builds between Harry and Molly is very believable and the fact that Harry does not actually formally compromise her was a nice surprise to me.

I very much enjoyed this book until the last couple of chapters. So much happened it was a bit overwhelming, like Ms Kramer was trying to wrap up too many loose ends all at once at a big ball. The whole book is a bit silly, which is fine to me, but the ending was just a bit too much. Overall though, this is a great start to what will be a hopefully wonderful new author to the historical romance genre! I look forward to the next two books in the series, Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right and Cloudy With A Chance Of Marriage! If you are looking for a fun, sweet book to curl up with, grab this one! 4 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

A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch

In book two of Suzanne Enochs Adventurers' Club series we meet the delightful, but very proper, Theresa and the surly wounded Colonel Bartholomew James. First, let me say that is just the most awful name to me and his nickname of Tolly just isn't much better! But, if you can get past the name problem this is another fun, easy read.
Tess and Tolly meet each other at Tollys brothers home (his wife is Tess' cousin) where he is trying to heal his bad knee that he received as a result of a horrible attack by the Thuggee. Almost instantly they are attracted to each other and Tess starts to do some improper things that she clearly mentions in her booklet she wrote, that a proper lady must never do. She speaks her mind quite clearly to Tolly and that intrigues him, especially her parting comment of "you may watch me dance", as Tolly is incapable of dancing at the moment due to his poorly healing knee. Oh course, Tolly turns up at the next dance and has another amusing chat with Tess and she boldly speaks her mind to him again and even allows him to kiss her. Another big no-no in Tess' booklet of proper behavior for ladies.
As they continue on with their flirting, it gradually deepens into something more. Tolly has his knee rebroken in hopes of setting it correctly to it may heal. As Tess was at his home to "visit" her cousin, she heard his screams and came to assist in the surgery. Right before he passes out, he tells her he did it so he could dance with her someday. So sweet! Naturally, he denies it later when she mentions it but they both know it to be true.
The side story was very well done I thought. Tolly is obviously dealing with PTSD and deep emotional issues from his tragedy with the Thuggee. Tess is able to break through this emotional walls he has built up around himself. But the officials of the East India Company are denying that Tollys tale for fear of losing lots of money due to fear of traveling and being attacked and killed by the Thuggee. Which results in a huge cloud of suspension and disgust for Tolly and he refuses to bring Tess into his mess. Her reaction at first bothered me but thankfully she turns it around and does the right thing.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a bit better that the first but I wished we had seen Tess be a bit more proper before meeting Tolly. They meet by the second chapter and Tess is always saying she needs to be proper but we really never got a sense of that beforehand. We did learn the reason why she feels the need to be so proper and how it helps her connect to Tolly, but I guess a preface of some sort would have been nice for me. Looking forward to starting the next book, Rules of an Engagement, soon and I really hope with get the delish Duke of Sommersets book after that!! 4 stars

The Care and Taming of a Rogue by Suzanne Enoch

This is yet another delightful historical romance from a new to me author. This is the first book in Ms Enochs Adventurers' Club series, and I am glad that the next two books, A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior and Rules of an Engagement, are already out so I can dive right into them!

This book follows the adventurer Captain Bennett Wolfe and Phillipa aka Flip. Bennett returns to London after being presumed dead from his fellow co adventurer Langley. Needless to say, when Bennett arrives at his friend Jacks home, the reading party gathered there to discuss "his" book, everyone is quite surprised. He hears the voice of Phillipa and is instantly intrigued and drawn to her. Bennett is not one to follow rules, though and Phillipa wants a proper courtship....not to be told that Bennett wants her naked, that is just not proper! Oh, and red roses are definitely not proper for a first flower!

Bennett has another problem to contend with than just courting Phillipa properly; Langley has stolen his journals and written a book from them and has all the credit while making Bennett look like a fool. Phillipa sees right though this new book though as Bennett has written two previous books that are in a much different tone and decides to help Bennett get his journals back so he may clear his name.

This book has plenty of laughs and sweet moments in it along with a bit of, well, adventure. Bennett returns home with his pet monkey, Kero, who is a great addition to the storyline, I think. Bennett and Phillipa seem to balance each other, her book loving, quietness to his adventurousness. While this book has a few flaws with it, like how the side story of Phillipas sister Olivia and her relationship with Jack just kind of hangs there, it is still a easy, fun read. I was able to read it easily in two days even with by boys running around, which is quite an accomplishment in our house! 3 1/2 stars

Whisper Falls by Toni Blake

This is the third book in Toni Blakes Destiny series and a wonderful addition to an already wonderful series. This time around we meet Lucky, the long lost bad ass brother of Mike (Sugar Creek) who took off right after high school without looking back or telling anyone where he was going. He has returned to Destiny for a reason, a spoiler so I don't want to reveal it, and is trying to turn his life around after being in a bad motorcycle gang and leaving that and residing in Milwaukee (love when WI pops up in a book!) trying to blend in and escape. He now has a respectable custom motorcycle shop doing painting and meets his neighbor, Tessa one night as she is looking for her friends lost cat outside. She is a bit startled by his appearance--long hair, grim reapers tattoos but is surprised when he gets a bowl of milk to coax out the kitty. She recognizes him for who he is and tells her best friends Amy and Rachel, who happens to be Mikes fiancee.
Lucky and Tessa start up a flirtation via their back decks and Lucky hires Tessa, an interior decorator, to make his home more "normal". If you have read the previous books, this book starts off much slower in the romance department than those ones but as Tessa and Luckys continue their flirtation, Lucky always pulls away for fear of his past coming back to haunt him. Tessa decides to take matters into her own hands and the results are smokin as Toni Blake does so superbly!
Ah, the emotion in this book is off the charts for me. When Lucky and Mike and later Lucky and his parents reconnect....wow, it will make you hope, cry, smile and even cringe a bit (Mike has quite a few issues with Lucky leaving like he did). And the love between Tessa and Lucky, while a bit slow starting up, is beautiful. When Lucky tells Tessa he loves her, so sweet and tender. I love the back story on why their little area they live in is called Whisper Falls and the words they whisper to each other are perfect. This whole book is perfect in fact. I can not wait to buy it and read it again and add it to my keeper shelf. Big big 5 stars!

I received this ebook via netgalley.com. (Thank you!)

Side note: Ms Blake has mentioned that this series can be read as a stand alones and while it can, I recommend reading at least the previous book, Sugar Creek to get a bit of Mikes backstory and if you can read One Reckless Summer to meet Jenny and Mick, who pop up as well you should. They are both wonderfully, emotional 5 star reads.

Backtracking....

Since starting my new job working from home, I have let my reviews slide due to lack of time so I thought if I had a bit of time I would backtrack on some of the awesome books I have read this past year. One of the benefits of my job is that I can listen to audio books which in turn had lead me to check out some other books that I may not have found time for otherwise.
The first series I want to mention today is the In Death series by JD Robb aka Nora Roberts. The first book in the series of over 30 to date is Naked in Death and Indulgence in Death (In Death, #31) just being released this Nov. This whole series focuses on Lieutenant Eve Dallas and the handsome, suave, glorious Irishman Roarke....sigh....he is to die for :) These books are set in 2058 but don't let that stop you if you avoid future type books. They are written in a way that you don't feel like they are so futuristic. Just some great ideas, like professional mom pay!, and vertical lift for cars. Yes, there are 31 books so far and many more to come I hope, but Robb does a great job with the suspense, some books are better than others, and the romance and love between Dallas and Roarke is smokin! But what really makes these books just keep working and working are the the wonderful supporting characters. They make the books from Peabody to Mavis and beyond...

And since I have listened to all of these on audio so far I have to mention the fab-u-lous narrator, Susan Erickson. She has breathed life into all these characters in a way that is beyond great. I am only up to #23 and I took a bit of a break from them to start up JR Wards Brotherhood series (LOVE!!) but I can not wait to get back to them!! Almost all these books have been 5 star reads for me. If you have not picked one up yet...you.must.do.so.!! :)

Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis

Here is yet another new to me author and while it was good, it wasn't spectacular. I decided to try out this author because many of my book friends online really seem to like her and this book seemed to do well and is the first in a series. I enjoyed the premise of the story--well, heres the back cover: Accountant Katie Kramer is a quintessential good girl—working hard, recycling diligently, all the while trying to ignore the feeling that she doesn’t fit in anywhere. That’s all she wants. Well, that—and amazing sex, and the kind of daredevil escapade she can look back on when she’s crunching numbers in a dusty cubicle. Which explains why she just took a job in Wishful, California, working for Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. Waking up to find a magnificently built stranger towering over her bed—that part defies explanation…

After wandering the planet for months following a life-changing accident, Cameron Wilder has come back to the only home he knows. Under other circumstances, he might be thrilled to find a gorgeous woman sleeping in his cabin, but now, while he’ll risk his body taking clients on adrenaline-drenched excursions, his heart is off limits. Still, Katie’s killer smile triggers something deep in his gut…among other places. Showing her how exhilarating it can be to stop balancing her life as if it was a checkbook is the biggest rush he’s ever felt—and an adventure Katie’s wishing would never end...

I guess from reading that I sort of expected more, especially in the steaminess area. I mean, it took over half the book for them to finally get together, and while that is fine, I guess I thought it would happen sooner. Overall I give this three and a half stars. I enjoyed reading it but I found myself easily distracted and not in a hurry to get back. I have the next book, Instant Gratification, on my wish list at PBS to read so hopefully that one will be better for me. I also have a few other Jill Shalvis novels on my list to try out as well....maybe they will fill that void I felt this one left better because she gets many positive reviews and I usually just fall in line!