Regency in the country and the city. Gave this 3 stars. Had 1 sex scene and no details provided.
Juliette & Grayson. These 2 knew each other from chilRegency in the country and the city. Gave this 3 stars. Had 1 sex scene and no details provided.
Juliette & Grayson. These 2 knew each other from childhood & were neighbors. She was 9 & he 12 when they had their last Christmas & he gave her a special locket. He went to Eaton & spent holidays there (as per the wishes of his sire) & she didn't see him again. I'd call her experience @ 9YO 'puppy love.'
15 yrs. on, she sought out Gray, now a duke. Her sire/ earl wanted her to wed a horrid man. Sire ignored her pleas & came across as heartless due to influence of 2nd wife. Juliette's step-mother broke her spirit. Gray an admitted rake, had no interest in an innocent woman (heroine). Or did he?
This needed more depth to better develop the challenges they faced in life. Changing from a rake to a devoted husband would have some kinks in the road (no pun intended)?...more
England & tropical locale 1875. I skimmed parts of this-which had too many tropes. This had sex scenes (for those w***domestic violence off-screen***
England & tropical locale 1875. I skimmed parts of this-which had too many tropes. This had sex scenes (for those who want this info) & I gave it 2.5 stars.
Rand Hamilton served as ship's captain. He traveled for botanical research & experiments. People financed his travels. He'd been a Confederate Lt. in the war & had spent time as a POW.
Claire's godfather the duke, funded Rand's newest trip. On the condition that Claire could go along. She wanted to find her botanist sire & half-brother in the So. Pacific. Claire needed/ obtained a companion for the trip as she was blinded 18 months prior.
Grumpy Rand mostly wanted to be left alone on this voyage. His crew thought he hung the moon. I liked 7 foot tall Cutch the best. I thought Rand came on too strong in the sex dept w/ Claire (the 1st time): why?
Too many tropes. Blindness, grief, family dysfunction, misread women, curses, the proud Southern man (who can't be in 2 places at once) & his losses. And to find a treasure by first solving a riddle....more
***Caution: past domestic violence (no gory details)***
Regency England. Gave this 2 stars. Had kisses only.
Richard & Claire (daughter of an earl) had***Caution: past domestic violence (no gory details)***
Regency England. Gave this 2 stars. Had kisses only.
Richard & Claire (daughter of an earl) had been in love 10 yrs prior. She said yes to his proposal, but afterward her sire said no b/c Richard had insufficient funds to treat her in the style to which she was accustomed.
10 years on, Richard now Captain of a merchant ship & wealthy (but no braggard) offered Claire a job to sponsor his niece Samantha in meeting the Queen & having her first ton season. Claire agreed (as she secretly had bill collectors at her door.) She'd been widowed from her often-drunk spouse x 1 year. Richard of auburn hair & beard, treated her better, but she still feared could she choose a good man? He gave orders like a captain, caught himself doing this & then reversed this.
This story had too many tropes: 2nd chance love, an uncle murdered? someone a traitor to England? a marquess of questionable character? Sam transitioning from country to city living. Sam falling for her male cous Vaughn. A lady related by marriage lifting items (from the main house) not belonging to her.
MCs had pride, anger about the past, & let distrust and impatience toward each other get in their way. I wish the author had emphasized resolving these elements more. IMO 25% on MCs + 75% on other tropes....more
Regency kisses-only mystery romance. Lady Olivia's butterfly referred ******Caution: human & puppy abuse******
Disappointing: my worst read this year.
Regency kisses-only mystery romance. Lady Olivia's butterfly referred to a birthmark & butterfly shaped key. I read fiction for escape-NO escape here. Gave this a generous 1-star review.
This was unnecessarily gritty. Two men (past & present) heaped various forms of abuse & humiliation on the heroine Olivia. This felt too much.
Widowed Olivia met former military man Max, by design in order to claim her 2 1/2 yr old son Julian. Max served as Guardian of the boy. She didn't reveal her true connection to Julian. Her late spouse's screwy last Will + Testament about redemption and Julian's custody should've been challenged in court. O+M fell in insta-love. Later Max thought her a sultry and insincere woman as his cousin (her late spouse) had described her. Max barely said sorry and needed to grovel.
This had the 3 Gs. Grit, grovel (lacking) & gross. Why did the baddie destroy an innocent puppy in front of Julian? I need something light-hearted to cleanse my mind after reading this I don't-know- what-to-call-it....more
Regency mystery romance. 3 women in the story summarized past abuse. Thankfully no flashbacks. MCs had sex.
This featured celibate Luke, former Army iRegency mystery romance. 3 women in the story summarized past abuse. Thankfully no flashbacks. MCs had sex.
This featured celibate Luke, former Army intel man & current surgeon & earl and Rosiland who's secret past encroached on her current life. Luke had visible & in- visible scars. Rosa lived with her guarded male cous Benjamin, also an earl, who had a secret love.
I liked the MCs but the story seemed too angsty & had too many plots and sub-plots. Ben received pressure from the War Office chief & his bestie to investigate 2 murders in Cheshire, where Rosa and Ben resided....more
***Caution*** Julia had a late, abusive spouse who left emotional and other scars.
Regency. Alex, former military man & midwife Julia met again. They ha***Caution*** Julia had a late, abusive spouse who left emotional and other scars.
Regency. Alex, former military man & midwife Julia met again. They had common friends in Adam & Mariah (bk #1). Julia distrusted all men & did not like to be touched by or in close proximity to men. Someone tried to harm Julia. Alex suggested he wed Julia to protect her. She agreed, with several conditions.
They wed. It seemed Julia needed more time than the story allotted to feel comfortable with Alex. It felt rushed. Then Alex learned she was an heiress & pondered: would she need and want him once out of danger? She could have any man.
Too many lose ends were tied up too perfectly in the end. The antagonists needed to calm down or go away. Ben nearly stole the story....more
New Zealand setting covered 1885 through 1895. Historical fiction with 'romance' elements. Bk #2. Skipped ahead and DNF.
1WARNING: Domestic violence.
New Zealand setting covered 1885 through 1895. Historical fiction with 'romance' elements. Bk #2. Skipped ahead and DNF.
16 YO Amy was pressured into marrying her horrid husband, Charlie, 30+ years her senior. For the good of her birth family. Her father knew Charlie had a rep for drinking and being cheap. Charlie subjected Amy to physical & mental abuse IE she had to ask permission to leave his property, blamed Amy when men looked at/ smiled at her. He expected his 2 sons, 3 and under to remain silent at dinner. Further along, Amy issued him an ultimatum. Finally!
Charlie slapped/ punched/ shoved/ beat Amy when she questioned or "annoyed" him. She tried to be a better wife, when all along, Charlie needed to go away or divorce her.
Charlie showed slight kindness/ affection to his 2 sons, but an implied threat hung over their behavior. Charlie's 'back story' did not justify his evil behavior.
Rattlesnake-like Charlie & (Amy's stepma) Susannah would have made the perfect couple!...more
WARNING : Domestic violence depicted in this story.
This was my 3rd reading of this book. I felt conflicted about the humor and sorrow. Setting: EnglaWARNING : Domestic violence depicted in this story.
This was my 3rd reading of this book. I felt conflicted about the humor and sorrow. Setting: England 1816.
This story contained 3 romances- 1) Witty hero Gideon & heroine Prudence, 2) Prue's sister & a fine man & 3) Prue's uncle & his friend/ hero's aunt. (HEA implied).
Prue & her 4 beautiful sibs took flight from their abuser. Prue lied to widowed Uncle Oswald, who took them in & became enchanted with his 5 nieces. Prue told many lies to protect the 5. Prue discovered another dastardly male & liar (not Uncle Ozzie).
At the start, Prue mistook Gideon for another. Also he saw her as mercurial & she saw him as frivolous and never serious. Gideon questioned his rake-ness and decided those were "empty dalliances" once he discov- ered love. Gideon showed wit when taking on his rival.
The evil abuser fell early on & should have had a brain injury or died. I'm not a violent person, but he took up too much air & space for my taste.
Major Stuart Hartford was proper, priest-like and "abstained from baser urges." ***Warning on pedophile.***
This story happened May 1814 going forward.
Major Stuart Hartford was proper, priest-like and "abstained from baser urges." Eden was awkward, ugly, plain and prickly and actively disliked men (according to H).
When her beautiful Mom married for a 2nd time to Ivor, a baron, her daughters were 12 & 8 and her son 10. Son later died @Waterloo. Sickly mother endured several miscarriages, & became "a poppi eater."
Evil step-father groomed Eden for sexual advances by accidently bumping into her when she was 17 and kissing her @18. This led to sexual activity. He threatened to rape her younger sister if Eden failed to comply w/ his desires. He beat Eden with whips and sketched her in the nude. He used alcohol to make her more cooperative with his demands.
Eden later described to hero, her being Ivor's willing "sex slave." I disliked that her sex activity was thought sexy when Ivor was a pedophile. It was disgusting that the servants overlooked this horrendous behavior. Later the hero threatened the former servant blackmailer of h. So this story had 2 baddies.
IMO the author could tell a story but needed to refine her rationales for character behavior, actions and reactions....more