Compromising the Marquess by Wendy Soliman

Leah Elliot is devastated by her fathers untimely death and the destruction of their source of income, his rare bookshop.  With her mother dying shortly later of a broken heart, Leah and her sister have to turn to the mercy of her estranged uncle and Leah strives to make ends meet by selling tidbits of gossip.  Knowing something is going on at the local pub, she dons her male disguise only to run into the man she suspects is behind the mysterious doings, the Marquess of Denby, Hal Forster.  Leah becomes privy to some knowledge she wants to share but knows she can not, especially with her budding friendship with Hal's sister...and her budding attraction to Hal.  Instead, Hal grows to trust Leah and shares the truth and just when they think they have the mystery solved, it takes a dangerous turn. . .

This was a very action packed adventurous romance!  It was a bit slow in the beginning for me and did not really grab my attention but the second half really picked up and I loved the twists as I was not expecting them and thought they were really well done!  I really adored Hal and his family and am eagerly awaiting their stories.  Hal was polite, protective and passionate and he was instantly intrigued by the bold, smart, curious Leah and together they found a unique way to explore the passions of marriage without actually compromising Leah.  His spy past comes back in a large way in the end and his love and devotion to Leah became very clear as he is forced to protect her....or does Leah protect him?  Together, they were a great couple who had no big misunderstandings and moved past Leah's earlier gossip posts since Hal talks with her about it and Leah actually admits to her reasons behind what she is doing, which was a refreshing and welcome!  Recommended for fans of adventurous romance with a strong sense of family and a nice dose of heat.  3 1/2 stars

eARC provided by Carina Press via netgalley

The Forsters series
Three more titles to come!

Bewitching the Duke by Christie Kelley

Colin Barrett, Duke of Northrop, is forced to return to his country home and attend some matters so all is ready for a upcoming wedding.  He has avoided the place for eight years following the death of his child and wife due to, he believes, the ineptness of the local healer.  So when he awakens to the healers daughter cleansing his home, he is irate...but the sassy lady captures his attention.  Has she no sense of propriety?  Women wear their hair bound, not loose around their shoulders.  They wear shoes and don't let the toes peak out and they do not show off their calves at the lake.  Having Selina White on his lands causes him to much pain as every time he sees her he is reminded of all he has lost due to her healing ways.  He finally orders her off his lands but Selina takes her wise woman ways very seriously and will not abandon all the tenants when they need her as the local doctor is normally drunk and unreliable.  With a crazy plan created with the help of the servants, who adore her, she stays put but the arrival of Colin's family causes Selina and Colin to spend more time together.  As love and passion bloom, can Colin let go of the past and find a bright new future, especially after Selina reveals a long kept secret?

This was my first Christie Kelley book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will be exploring her backlist!  The sparks fly immediately between the willful Selina and the reserved Colin and I loved watching them fall for each other.  Colin is very bitter about his wife and childs death and feels that a proper doctor would have been able to help them and they would still be alive so he is torn about the new feelings he is having for Selina, the first since his wife died.  Selina slowly finds a place in his heart and life by showing him the value of his tenants, whom he has basically ignored all these years, and also showing a stronger feeling of love that he ever felt for his wife...which also scares him.  The plan created by the servants is a bit silly and I find it hard to believe that Colin did not figure it out but it did not overwhelm the storyline, thankfully.  The addition of his sister and stepmother and a nice sense of family and I loved how they reacted to Selina, it was a refreshing change of pace about the differences in class.  I thought I had guessed the secret that Selina was hiding but I was a bit off so that was nice.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I hope we get to see some more stories with the other healers introduced!  A fun, sexy, heart warming, smart, sassy, intriguing read!  4 stars

eARC provided by Kensington Books via netgalley

New Covers

Another lovely batch of new covers from out and about lately!

Jillian Hunter continues her her Boscastle Affair series with The Mistress Memoirs, out March 5th.  I love the attention to detail!  I have yet to read anything by this author but did pick up the first books (because I loved that cover as well) so I hope to be caught up by March in time to pick this one up!

Sweet Madness is book three from Heather Snow and another author I need to read as I have picked up the two previous books!  Argh, lol!  I really like this cover as well!  The blurb says the heroine studies maladies of the mind!  How interesting does that sound?  Look for it April 2nd.

This novella was originally published in an anthology which is no longer being sold so the authors are releasing them separately.   The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright was a delight to read and I urge you to to read it if you have not at only 99 cents!  Such a lovely pink cover!!

Ooh, what a lovely, stormy cover!  Scandal in the Night is book three in the Reckless Brides series and will be out June 25th. 

Amanda Forester is a new to me author and A Wedding in Springtime looks to be her first straight Regency novel (her previous look to be Highlander stories).  It sounds fun and I will be grabbing it on its May 7th release.  I think the cover is very lovely and sweet and sexy at the same time!

I just read Pamela Sherwood's debut and I am eager for her next story, A Song at Twilight. I again love the attention to the background detail and the pretty shade of purple.  Look for this one August or October (different dates on goodreads and Amazon).

Well, will any of these be added to your list for the coming year?  I was hoping to get caught up on my mountain but I keep adding to my list for the new year of books I want to read. . . :)

Happy Release Day!!

Here are some recent releases to have on your radar. . .

All released Nov 20th, all recommended!

Another good set of recommendations!  Fallen and The Key are reprints and are books I have not read yet.  Kiss Me, Kate is an ebook prequel to Tiffany Clare's new series.   Happy Release Day!  Hope you find something wonderful to curl up with!

Waltz with a Stranger by Pamela Sherwood

Aurelia Newbold stays on the outskirts of society following an accident that left her scarred and crippled.  Instead, she lets all the attention focus on her perfectly lovely twin sister but when a mysterious man waltzes with her one night in the gardens, she starts to realize she might be worth something as she is.  This belief is cemented even more following a trip to Paris which restores her mentally and helps her physically.  Anxious to be back in London and with her sister, she is shocked to learn that Amy is engaged and disappointed when the man turns out to be her waltz partner.  James has newly inherited an earldom which he never expected to inherit and it is in dire need of funds so he proposes to Amy, a wealthy American and all seems fine until he sees Aurelia again and the attraction still burns between them.  With neither of them willing to hurt Amy, whom they both care for, they seem destined to be apart.  However some matters from the previous earl's past arrive in threatening letters and a persistent ship man and James finds himself confiding in Aurelia.  As they attempt to solve the questions lurking, will they be able to in time and find a way to be together, without hurting anyone?

This was an enjoyable, pleasant debut that is a bit on the sweet side.  I enjoyed watching Aurelia find the strength within herself following her accident, that her scars do not define her.  She was sweet, strong and sensible.  James was a perfect gentleman who I wish would have just waited for the sister who held his heart after just one dance but he thought her too timid and shy at the time so I guess I understand. . . We also get to see a lot of Amy and her feelings about her upcoming marriage and her new feelings for James' friend.  There is a wonderful sense of family and I really enjoyed their little bits they added and am excited for their stories to be told.  The mystery aspect wasn't bad and adds a bit of drama near the end but overall the book felt a little long.  As James is engaged and Aurelia refuses to betray her sister, not much happens on the romance front in the first half of the book and I would have liked a little bit more to happen sooner for my taste.  The writing is well done and smooth with lovely attention to detail and I will defiantly check out future works of Pamela Sherwood even though this one was a little slow for me.  Recommended for fans of a sweet romance with memorable secondary characters with just a dash of intrigue.  3 1/2 stars

eARC provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via netgalley.com

Connected books

August 6th, 2013

When the Duke Found Love by Isabella Bradford

Lady Diana is the youngest of her three sisters and it has come time for her to marry, especially since she has had a few indiscretions already but since her sisters are duchesses she is hanging on to her respectability.   Through some persuasion from her sisters and mother, she agrees to a marriage to a man she doesn't know.  After all, the arranged marriages for her sisters worked out wonderfully so it can happen again, right?  Wrong.  Her intended is a dreadful bore and not suited for her at all.  And to complicate matters, she runs into the most dashing man at the park...a man that sparks her interest and he is just as intrigued by her.  The Duke of Sheffield is no stranger to gossip himself and needs to marry a respectable young lady quickly to avoid the kings wrath and he finds himself engaged to a passable lady.  Unfortunately she is in love with another and all of Sheffield's thoughts are consumed with Diana.  Will Diana and Sheffield do what is proper of them or will the do one last daring, risky endeavor for true love?

Overall not a bad conclusion to a fun, yet somewhat predictable, series.  I enjoyed Diana and her zest for life but I did feel she bent to the rules her mother and sisters wanted her to follow rather quickly.  I thought there might have been more conflict with her but there was not anything major.  Sheffield was a joy to read.  Yes he has rakish tendencies but underneath he has a heart of gold.  I liked his manner with dealing with his fiance and I thought his dog added a wonderful sense of humor.  Paired with Diana's love for her cat, the animals are a great secondary act.  The attention to details through fashion and the surroundings was great and something I always appreciate and enjoy.  The love blooms fast between Sheffield and Diana but they find it hard to find some time alone but I appreciated how truthful they were with everything.  So while nothing major happens, which is a nice change of pace sometimes, this is a nice comfort read with love, laughter and family.  3 1/2 stars

eARC provided by Ballatine Books via Netgalley

Wylder Sisters series
Best enjoyed in order since the sisters are featured heavily