Agent Shiloh Harrison, a federal marshal in the supernatural world, is half-djinn and half human. Part of a five-man unit that keeps the different speAgent Shiloh Harrison, a federal marshal in the supernatural world, is half-djinn and half human. Part of a five-man unit that keeps the different species on the straight and narrow, The story starts out on a high note though it levels quickly with Shiloh being called from her boyfriend’s bed to a hostage scene. Seems like a group of vampires has taken the residents of Myrtle’s Happy Acre mobile home park hostage. She and her team learn that someone or something is kidnapping various supernaturals and the vampires are demanding answers. Unable to locate her boss, Harrison becomes the lead agent and teams up with a vampire master to discover what is going on. Drawing on her investigative skills and the various supernatural talents around her. Shiloh soon learns that everyone is suspect and some secrets are worth killing for.
Fans of urban fantasy will certainly want to try Kelly Meding’s latest venture, Stray Magic. The author of the wonderful Dreg City series once again introduces the beginning of an interesting world with a strong female protagonist. The first in a new series, this story begins in the novella, Freak Show, which you can find in the anthology, Carniepunk. I would recommend picking this up before starting here as Meding starts off with the assumption you have read it. Action-packed and heavily character driven, Meding sets up this world a fast steady hand, giving us just enough background to wet our appetite. All sharp corners and angles; you really have to pay attention.
Solid characters and a strong foundation cradles the tense storyline where the suspense and mystery grip you tight as you follow the twisting and turning path that Meding has laid out for us. She takes her time fleshing out the main conflict the subplots slowly reveal the real story. Some fans may find the violence a bit graphic as Meding pulls no punches and tells it like it is. There is a low key romance in here though it is oddly laid out and feels like a major part of the storyline. It has a viable presence that simmers just below the surface and I found myself uneasy about that. The chemistry and timing felt wrong and it took away from the main conflict. Shiloh has a boyfriend yet she seems to find every man around her sexually attractive and tells us this multiple times. It looks like the beginning of a romantic quad. Sex holds a strong place in this story. I would have been more comfortable had our author spent a couple books building and solidifying the arc before investing this heavily into the romance angle.
Numerous villains and heroes dot the landscape and nobody is what they seem. There are many players in this elaborate and complicated game and the lines between good and evil are rapidly blurring. The end comes hard, fast, and ugly; effectively closing the main conflict but leaving us with many many questions and a bit of a cliffhanger.
While I liked the story, I wasn’t engrossed by it. I enjoyed the heroine’s strength and snark but felt she wasn’t as solid as she should. Various tropes are used in building the world but the blending is clunky. It’s hard to figure out exactly what year we are in as Meding borrows from the 80s through now. There is a lot of repetition in both dialogue and scenes. We are constantly told the same information about Shiloh’s heritage, other characters heritages, and her attraction to everyone. The energy level is low and the pacing showed some fillers that weren’t needed. Not a bad start overall and I am curious about book two, Stray Moon, set to release in November.
Merged review:
Agent Shiloh Harrison, a federal marshal in the supernatural world, is half-djinn and half human. Part of a five-man unit that keeps the different species on the straight and narrow, The story starts out on a high note though it levels quickly with Shiloh being called from her boyfriend’s bed to a hostage scene. Seems like a group of vampires has taken the residents of Myrtle’s Happy Acre mobile home park hostage. She and her team learn that someone or something is kidnapping various supernaturals and the vampires are demanding answers. Unable to locate her boss, Harrison becomes the lead agent and teams up with a vampire master to discover what is going on. Drawing on her investigative skills and the various supernatural talents around her. Shiloh soon learns that everyone is suspect and some secrets are worth killing for.
Fans of urban fantasy will certainly want to try Kelly Meding’s latest venture, Stray Magic. The author of the wonderful Dreg City series once again introduces the beginning of an interesting world with a strong female protagonist. The first in a new series, this story begins in the novella, Freak Show, which you can find in the anthology, Carniepunk. I would recommend picking this up before starting here as Meding starts off with the assumption you have read it. Action-packed and heavily character driven, Meding sets up this world a fast steady hand, giving us just enough background to wet our appetite. All sharp corners and angles; you really have to pay attention.
Solid characters and a strong foundation cradles the tense storyline where the suspense and mystery grip you tight as you follow the twisting and turning path that Meding has laid out for us. She takes her time fleshing out the main conflict the subplots slowly reveal the real story. Some fans may find the violence a bit graphic as Meding pulls no punches and tells it like it is. There is a low key romance in here though it is oddly laid out and feels like a major part of the storyline. It has a viable presence that simmers just below the surface and I found myself uneasy about that. The chemistry and timing felt wrong and it took away from the main conflict. Shiloh has a boyfriend yet she seems to find every man around her sexually attractive and tells us this multiple times. It looks like the beginning of a romantic quad. Sex holds a strong place in this story. I would have been more comfortable had our author spent a couple books building and solidifying the arc before investing this heavily into the romance angle.
Numerous villains and heroes dot the landscape and nobody is what they seem. There are many players in this elaborate and complicated game and the lines between good and evil are rapidly blurring. The end comes hard, fast, and ugly; effectively closing the main conflict but leaving us with many many questions and a bit of a cliffhanger.
While I liked the story, I wasn’t engrossed by it. I enjoyed the heroine’s strength and snark but felt she wasn’t as solid as she should. Various tropes are used in building the world but the blending is clunky. It’s hard to figure out exactly what year we are in as Meding borrows from the 80s through now. There is a lot of repetition in both dialogue and scenes. We are constantly told the same information about Shiloh’s heritage, other characters heritages, and her attraction to everyone. The energy level is low and the pacing showed some fillers that weren’t needed. Not a bad start overall and I am curious about book two, Stray Moon, set to release in November....more
I’ve been hit and miss with this series. Some I enjoyed, others were okay. The fifth in Jordan’s sexy prison based contemporary romance offers a compeI’ve been hit and miss with this series. Some I enjoyed, others were okay. The fifth in Jordan’s sexy prison based contemporary romance offers a compelling story of second chance love, small-town prejudices, and redemption. A young man is released from prison after evidence is found that exonerates him only to discover his small town doesn’t care what the courts say. Throughout this series, Jordan has built vulnerable heroes and heroines who are forced to face their biggest fears in order to move forward. Not a bad trope though at times, like now, the journey is riddled with ridiculous sterotypical behavior from people 10+ years out of high school and a couple, who in my opinion, allows their bullying to go too far. We meet a man and a woman who fell for one another years ago and circumstances kept them apart. Now they have a second chance but again, their own issues block their way. The chemistry driven romance is strong but it had a hard time competing against the multitude of subplots. Especially the “reporter must lie to the man she loves to get story of a lifetime.” Plus, the constant flashbacks and certain scenes left me hard-pressed to suspend my disbelief. Or anger. Body shaming, slut shaming, prison shaming, economic shaming…so much shaming. The last quarter or so was the strongest part which helped to amp up my interest and the speed. Unfortunately, by then I was ready for the end.
Cruz Walsh has been released from prison after serving seven years for a crime he didn’t commit. But some people in town aren’t ready or willing to welcome back with open arms. Except for Gabriella Rossi. That is if she can get past her own feelings of insecurity and the tiny problem that if she doesn’t get an exclusive inside story soon, she will lose her job. In prison, Cruz learned the value of family and family. He wants a fresh start and wants Gabriella there by his side, but with all the lies, gossip, and general mayhem, this beautiful sinner may not be able to keep the only good thing in his life.
Favorite Quote: “I always sleep naked.” “Not with me you don’t.” “As this was the first time we slept together, I did not realize we had established proFavorite Quote: “I always sleep naked.” “Not with me you don’t.” “As this was the first time we slept together, I did not realize we had established protocol.”
Alyse Bell was sold into marriage when her father gave her to a friend in the hopes she would be protected after he passed away. Having reached her maturity, she is ready to start her future with her best friend who promised to come back and take her away. Only, he never arrives and her “husband” arranges for the auction to continue so he can marry another. As she stands on the auction block in the center of town, a rope around her neck like chattel and fuming in silence as she watches those she considers her friends and family bidding on her like a fatted calf, a handsome stranger rides into the square and places the winning bid.
Marcus Weatherton (The Scandal of it All) left London after discovering his stepmother was in love with his best friend and his fiancee dumped him for his illegitimate brother. Waking up in jail after an all-night bender, Marcus heads out of town out only to happen upon an auction where a young woman is being sold to the highest bidder. Shocked and outraged by the scene, Marcus intervenes only to discover he didn’t buy her freedom…he bought a wife.
Expecting gratitude, he instead gets attitude and decides to take her to his estate in Scotland and set her up as his housekeeper. But the road to redemption is long and a series of misadventures and close calls shows Marcus that life often gifts you with what you need when you least expect it.
Marcus, the fifth Duke of Autenberry, woke up with a startled jolt face-down in horse shit… So begins the third novel in Sophie Jordan’s Rogue Files series-The Duke Buys a Bride. Delightfully witty and overflowing with snark, guilt, pride, and sexual tension, Jordan writes a compelling and bittersweet story that addresses the lack of female agency and one man’s abrupt awakening to his own privilege. Laughter and a few heart-pinching moments firmly engages the reader as Jordan weaves an opposite attraction romance that delights and enchants from page one.
I love opposite attraction and marriages of convenience, especially when the couple are strong-willed, decidedly independent, and well versed in the art of witty repertoire. Alyce knows her place in the world and has accepted it for the time being because she’s always has a plan. When her plan falls through, she adjusts and adapts. Something women have been doing for ages. Married at a very young age, she was essentially a nanny to the older man’s children and a caretaker for him. It was a tolerable situation because Alyse knew it wouldn’t last forever. Having planned to marry her childhood sweetheart, she is once again denied her voice when he runs away, leaving her at the mercy of the town and her soon-no-to-be husband.
He was supposed to take her with him. He had promised they would begin a life together […] He had agreed. But he left. He had abandoned her. Left her to be auctioned off, sold to any man with the whim to buy her.
Purchased by a stranger, Alyse is determined to use her latest situation to her advantage as they head towards his estate. She attempts to engage Marcus only to find a stubborn, grumpy, and rather stinky man whose speech and carriage tell her he’s not from around there and of a much higher social setting.
“Where are you from?” A beat of silence passed before he answered. “England.” “Obviously.” […] “I hear the highlands are lovely any time of year. I imagine covered in snow they are quite majestic.” At last, he asked in a wearied voice, “Do you plan to talk the entire journey?” “Have you an aversion to conversation, sir? We will be in each others company for a long time and I thought it might help.” “Help? With what? I don’t require pointless banter.” Pointless banter? She huffed out a foggy breath. The man did not win points for charm.
So begins their battle of wits.
Alyse and Marcus are an amusingly prickly couple, tossed together by circumstance. Alyse just wants the freedom long denied her and Marcus wants to be left alone to wallow in his misery. A reluctant hero, Marcus is caught between wanting to save the fair maiden but now that he has, he is unsure what to do with her. His own childhood and a series of blows he has suffered in London has left him weary and disillusioned. He denies the chemistry he feels between them, unable to accept this young woman may be his destiny. Alyse herself has no illusions about Marcus or even romance in general. She has been disappointed so many times. She knows she is not for him and is put out when he cleans up and she can see exactly who he is.
Dear God. This was the man who bought her. Her employer. He’d bathed, shaved, and was positily transformed. He was…beautiful. No, no, no, no. He could not be this. He could not look like this. She could not be stuck with…this.
A series of mishaps follow them on their way to his estate; from sickness to kidnapping, they push their way forward. Marcus fluctuates between bemoaning his situation to worrying about her every step of the way. He repeatedly finds himself in compromising situations with her only to back away and cry foul. He refuses to legitimize their marriage, though when she is abducted, he discovers he cannot live let her go. She has become more than a duty…a burden. She had become a person he cared about.
Their first night together he had simply climbed into bed with her, giving her little thought. Them she was nothing more than a woman he had bought at auction. Someone he had taken pity on and helped through a difficult time.
Now she was something more.
No longer a stranger.
An eclectic cast of secondary characters gives the book some depth and provides amusement. I enjoyed seeing Marcus’ brother and his wife. Alyse’s friend/stepdaughter Nellie was a fierce one and I loved her protective nature. Some minor issues left me a little berate though didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment. I do wish the focus hadn’t been totally on just this couple. I would have enjoyed seeing some resolution from what happened in London though Jordan hints at some reconciliation on that front while preparing the way for the next book concerning Marcus’s sister.
The Duke Buys A Bride is another grand adventure from Sophie Jordan and an entertaining addition to this series.
Favorite Quote: “The darkness has always tempted her. The locks. The barriers. The Impossible.”
Felicity Fairclot'sh fall from grace has left her and hFavorite Quote: “The darkness has always tempted her. The locks. The barriers. The Impossible.”
Felicity Fairclot'sh fall from grace has left her and her family in a pickle. From her unfortunate discovery in a man’s bedchamber to her involvement with a married man, Felicity has lost her friends and her social standing, becoming yet another flower on the wall. When anger and pain have her telling a whopper of a lie, she finds herself a pawn in a dangerous game of revenge when she is forced to deal with the devil for her sins. But Felicity has plans of her own and soon decides tis better to rule in Hell than to serve Heaven. Now she just needs to convince her devil of that.
Once again Sarah MacLean crafts a delightful romance overflowing with laughter, adventure, intrigue and glorious sexual tension. Faithful readers will remember Felicity Faircloth from The Day of the Duchess (#3 in Scandals & Scoundrels series). Witty, intelligent, and quick on her feet, Felicity is a delight and I found myself utterly enchanted as she struggles to extract herself from yet another mess and is forced to deal with a man that not only understands her…but accepts her for who she is. She wants marriage and a family but only with love.
The Devil himself (the illegitimate son of a Duke and the King of London’s underground) has a troubled past and it colors his perceptions of people and romance. His reputation is hard won and he wields it like a sword. His insults and slights towards Felicity are countermanded by his overwhelming need to protective her-especially from himself.
“Lock this door behind me. You wouldn’t want a nefarious character coming in while you are asleep.”
“Locks didn’t keep the first nefarious character out of my room tonight.”
Sparkling chemistry sets off a game of wit between this strong-willed couple. It slowly burns only to blaze up as their attraction catches fire. The more time they spend together, their attraction for one another intensifies but Felicity must use all her skills to convince Devil they have a chance if he is willing to let go of his need for revenge. Emotions run high and the sexual tension is delicious as MacLean leads us towards the conclusion.
A dynamic set of secondary characters help to elevate and push the romance. Devil’s backstory includes three other people whose stories will come in the future though MacLean does dole out clues, hinting at what is to come. Felicity’s relationship with her brother and mother is so much fun. You can feel their love for one another in their lively banter.
“Oh, please. I told a tiny lie. […] Plenty of people have done far more outrageous things. It’s not as though I took up work in a bordello.”
“A tiny lie? And you shouldn’t even know the world bordello.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“I suppose you think that it isn’t proper, me knowing the word bordello.”
“I don’t think. And stop saying bordello.”
The ending is predictable though the hero’s grovel and the heroine’s insistence on saving herself and her man left me clapping my hands in excitement. A short sweet epilogue lets us know how our couple and other characters are doing. Another sure-fire winner for MacLean. I am looking forward to the second book in this series-Brazen and the Beast-set to release June 25, 2019
Everyone knows the story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The poor little orphan who fell in love with the tortured Mr. Rochester and eventuaGrade: B
Everyone knows the story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The poor little orphan who fell in love with the tortured Mr. Rochester and eventually got her happily ever after. Or do they? What if Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte were besties and got involved with a ghost hunting society? What if Mr. Rochester isn’t Eyre’s destiny but something quite bigger? What if the story we all know so well never happened? Cynthia Hand asks that in more in her whimsical reimagining of Jane Eyre. Using Jane Eyre as the main focus with various other classics, Hand creates a piece of comedic historical fiction that will leave you giggling as she leads you down the rabbit hole to gothic Victorian London.
Jane and Charlotte were raised in a school for the poor together though Jane is a few years older. Able to see and commune with the dead and fearing the consequences from that, Jane leaves the school, having accepted a governess’ position in the mysterious Mr. Rochester’s home. Oh yes, let’s not forget her trusty companion, Helen, who is a ghost, tags along with her. Alexander Blackwood is a ghost hunter for the crown. Alex uses his career to get rid of ghosts while searching for his father’s killer. Having seen Jane’s gift, Alex, along with Charlotte and her brother, head to her new job to offer her a job hunting ghosts with him. Adventures Ahoy, the wit and snark are a joy to behold as you watch this foursome attempt to navigate high society while trying to discover who is haunting Mr. Rochester and convince Jane to come home with them. I adored them all through the story and love how Hand managed to incorporate just enough bits and pieces from the original tale to keep you on track while allowing her imagination free rein. I am looking forward to book three of the series....more
Once again Patricia Briggs brings her A-game when Charles Anna are forced to defend the pack from a dangerous threat determined to destroy them all. BOnce again Patricia Briggs brings her A-game when Charles Anna are forced to defend the pack from a dangerous threat determined to destroy them all. Bold, unapologetic, and brimming with action and suspense, Burn Bright blows open some long-simmering storylines as it propels the arc to new fantastical heights.
Favorite Quote: “I know how to be Catalina Baylor, an ordinary person. I know what’s expected of me. I do not know how to be a Prime.”
Nevada Baylor aFavorite Quote: “I know how to be Catalina Baylor, an ordinary person. I know what’s expected of me. I do not know how to be a Prime.”
Nevada Baylor and Connor Ander Rogen are getting married and both families are ready to lend a hand in helping this couple tie the knot with no problems.
That’s easier said than done.
Catalina Baylor is at a crossroads since her power was outed to the world when she was declared a prime. Choosing to focus on her sister’s upcoming nuptials rather than her slowly imploding life, Catalina finds herself forced to once again use her powers when it becomes obvious that certain someone(s) want to stop the wedding no matter the cost.
As Catalina digs deeper into her investigation, she learns that jealousy is a powerful magic all it’s own but she is a Baylor and her sister will marry her Prince Charming if Catalina has anything to say about it.
Diamond Fire is a novella that picks up right after book three. It focuses on Catalina, Nevada’s sister, and a very rare Siren, building a bridge for the next full novel that is her journey. Catalina has been struggling with accepting her magic and the consequences of it since birth. If you are a Kate Daniels fan, you will recognize a similar element in that storyline. According to Greek mythology, Sirens are creatures who used their voices to lure sailors into crashing their ships upon the rocks of their island. Catalina’s life has been somewhat unconventional as she was only allowed interaction with people who were immune to her gift. Now older and more in control, she is able to turn it on and off at will. That, however, doesn’t negate its impact or her own feelings towards it.
“I had practiced controlling my magic since the moment I understood it ruined lives.”
Fast pacing propels the full-bodied storyline along. Witty dialogue and lots of action adds to the story’s overall appeal. I had so much fun reading this novella. I adored getting Catalina’s pov. A sweet teenager who just wants to be ‘normal’ in a family that is anything but. Intelligent and quiet, she isn’t a roll with it kinda girl. She needs rules to feel safe and being a Prime means she needs to learn a whole new set. She has a little bit of all her family in her, though it only shows when she has hit her breaking point. A tight-knit family, the Baylor’s are always there for one another. Through the good…and bad. Co-opted into helping plan Nevada’s wedding, you can’t help but laugh as she and her younger sister, Arabella, attempt to maneuver and manipulate Nevada when she becomes a little to bridezilla for them.
“The queen has dismissed us, “ Arabella announced.
I dropped into a deep curtsey. “Your majesty.”
“I hate you guys.”
“We hate you back,” Arabella told her.
“We hated you before the wedding.”
“Before it was cool to hate you.”
“Get out!” Nevada growled.
A theft and manipulative relatives lead Catalina on a merry chase and forcing her to confront all her fears. But luckily for her, she has more than the Baylor’s on her side this time. She now has the Rogan’s and no one crosses that family and survives.
Grade: A
***Smexybooks is giving away 1 copy of Diamond Fire. One lucky commenter to win. End 11/2.**
The 3rd book in Bailey’s Academy series brings us a forbidden relationship that grows complicated their feelings for one another increase. A Grade: C+
The 3rd book in Bailey’s Academy series brings us a forbidden relationship that grows complicated their feelings for one another increase. A police academy instructor falls for a recruit; throwing him into a tailspin. Add in she is his younger brother’s bestie along with his own commitment issues and you have a sexy and humorous contemporary romance overflowing with emotional angst and sexual tension. I did feel the story moved a bit to fast and didn’t flow as easily as Charlie and Jack’s stories. There was a sense of urgency to the relationship that and I felt the main conflict dominated in terms of character design and plot, leaving little room for us to see the actual romance developing. A fun read but not my fav for this series....more
The deVincent brothers are back in this second installment as more mystery and romance surrounds this family and all those who unfortunately cGrade: B
The deVincent brothers are back in this second installment as more mystery and romance surrounds this family and all those who unfortunately chose to enter their orbit. Gabe deVincent is still struggling to process the death of his sister, his father, and the fact he has a son he never knew about. When the daughter of the family butler returns home to help out, Gabe suddenly realizes that little Nicky is now all grown up in all the right places and his vow to stay away from her no longer seems to matter. Nicolette Bresson grew up with the deVincent brothers but her heart always belonged to Gabe. A one night stand with him left her broken and she left, never to return. As Gabe struggles against his growing feelings for Nicole, a series of events show him that she is in possible danger. When that danger finally strikes, almost taking her from him, Gabe will decide what is more important. Family or the woman he has fallen in love with.
Jennifer Armentrout’s deVincent series is an atmospheric romance suspense that revolves around a trio of brothers whose family history is steep in tragedy and secrets. In this story, the heroine definitely steals the show with her wit and charm. A vivacious woman who takes no crap from anyone, she is the perfect match for the mercurial hero she has crushed on forever. Steamy love scenes blend well with the sarcasm and hints of secrets long buried that permeates this storyline. Gabe has his moments of stupidity but his groveling is from the heart. Armentrout has saved the oldest brother for last and I can’t wait to read his story and learn who is his redemption and savior....more
Favorite Quote: “No one moves like us, Ever. No one talks to each other without words like us. Don’t you know that?”
Charlie Burns figured he found the elusive unicorn of all relationships when he meets and engages in a no strings affair with the most beautiful and sexually enticing woman in the whole state of New York-Ever Carmichael. A police cadet currently at the academy training to be an officer, Charlie is on the fast track and he has no time to devote to an actual girlfriend. When Ever decides to end their arrangement, declaring she is ready to find a steady boyfriend, Charlie realizes he’s not ready for them to end and decides to “help her” find Mr. Right by sabotaging her dates while solidifying his place in her bed as a friend with benefits.
Ever was taught from an early age that if she controlled the relationship, then she couldn’t get hurt, but now she wants more than a string of meaningless flings. She wants the brass ring and everything that goes with it. And in order to get that, she needs to let her current fling go. Only, he won’t go. Every time Ever turns around, there’s Charlie. There to offer her a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen. He’s everything she’s looking for in a relationship except commitment.
Charlie wants Ever and Ever wants Charlie but unless Charlie mans up and realizes that falling in love won’t cost him everything, his disorderly conduct will push Ever away forever.
Tessa Bailey’s Disorderly Conduct opens up on a sexy but superficial meet cute that introduces our protagonists-Charlie Burns and Ever Carmichael. Charlie and Ever’s eyes meet across a crowded bar and they just know they are perfect for one another. Two commitment phobics who only want the fun sexy times without all the baggage or hard work of a real relationship. Adorably humorous and deliciously dirty, the story comes across pretty commonplace in the beginning, building on the notion of you don’t know what you got till it’s gone, only to slowly reveal something deeper and heartfelt as Bailey effortlessly snips away at all the superficial overlay to show us a couple whose fear of falling in love but unavoidable need for one another creates a comedy of errors as they struggle to define their relationship and learn to trust themselves and each other.
What Ever and I had only comes around once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky, and if I can show her that, she’ll come back to me. Hell, I’m saving us both. This is literally God’s work I’m doing.
I’ve always been a fan of Tessa Bailey and her blue collar heroes and heroines. Bright, witty, strong, and vulnerable, Bailey gives her readers characters we can easily relate to. Her romances are brimming with real life and it’s very easy to place yourself into their shoes. I like that she often uses first person dual narrative, allowing us a deeper intimacy with the protagonists as we watch and listen to both sides as the drama unfolds.
He’s just not ready for a commitment now. And not with me. A spiky, slimy, realization creeps under my armor. What if I’m just not the kind of girl you bring home? What if Charlie…knows it?
The storyline is pretty straightforward and low key in terms drama and conflict, which surprised me. I had expected more because of the setup and potential for mayhem. A strong emotional plotline more than makes up for it and keeps the reader firmly engaged (and laughing) as we watch Charlie try and justify his actions once he realizes just how much Ever means to him while Ever become stronger and surer of herself.
How was I so fucking unaware?
The chemistry between Charlie and Ever is instantaneous and it only increases as they both try and deny what is occurring between them. Ever is serious about wanting to experience a real romantic relationship and does her best to avoid Charlie. She doesn’t want to cheat anyone out of her full attention and she knows the more time she spends with Charlie, the more likely that is to happen. But Charlie can’t let her go. At first, he just wants to stay in her bed. Then he takes the time to get know her, realizing just how incredible she is, and just wants to be a part of her life any way he can. It’s rather heartbreaking.
“I want a picture of us together.” Those blue eyes drilled into mine. “One where my hands are on you. Touching your hips, your belly. Your face. I need something to look at when I’m not here to remember. Remember I got to feel you. When you’re not under me, I swear I fucking dreamed it all.”
Charlie and Ever are fantastic characters-both as a couple and individually. They are both intelligent, forthright, industrious people who aren’t afraid to grab what they want and/or tell it like it is. Bailey does a great job with Ever but she really excels in her characterization of Charlie. She doesn’t sugar coat him or make him instantly realize the error of his ways. He’s not a bad guy but he is a little selfish and self-absorbed. He has some abandonment issues and it takes him awhile to find the confidence he needs to prove to Ever and himself that he deserves and is capable of love.
“…I look back and see the things I missed and I never want to miss them again.”
A fun and diverse cast of secondary characters help to round out the story and provide some background and back up. Charlie’s two best friends (Jack and Danika) along with his fellow cadets help him on his missions and provide him with advice or admonishments when needed. The speed dating scene was hilarious. It looks like Jack will be the hero of book two. Ever’s bestie and business partner Nina is good for few laughs as she tries to help Charlie with Ever. We don’t see much of Ever or Charlie’s parents beyond a few key scenes that act as catalysts for both parties.
I did have some issues. Charlie essentially stalks, manipulates, and sabotages Ever because he wasn’t ready for them to be over. Her happiness wasn’t his first concern in the beginning. Some scenes made me uncomfortable and I’m glad he stops early on. This couple is young and it shows in their actions and dialogue. Also, there were a couple of moments that seemed a bit of an overkill for the results. Regardless, Bailey gives readers the perfect ending with some excellent groveling by Charlie and an epilogue that leaves the reader happy and content with this couple’s HEA.
Nora Stuart left her small Maine island hometown fifteen years ago and never returned. Winning a full scholarship to Tufts gave her the freedom to leave and achieve her dreams. Now a specialist in gastroenterology, Nora finds herself longing for home after she is in an accident and awakens in the hospital to hear her fiance making a date with another doctor.
But going home again isn’t as easy as Nora thinks. The town has a long memory and not everyone is happy she’s returned. Nora attempts to mend fences and straighten her with the town and her family, finally dealing with her past and granting herself permission to move on and be happy.
“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you.” As I read this story, that particular quote by Robert Frost kept running through my head. We’ve all had that moment in our lives where we have felt the road to home was blocked to us, only to discover that the block was us. Higgin’s last couple of books have been interesting ventures, the focus on family and personal growth rather than finding (or rediscovering) true love as she digs deep into the relationships we hold with those around us and the effects the past has on our lives.
True to form, Now That You Mention It also focuses on family and the past but chooses to stick with one protagonist instead of two and keeps the romance as a small element in the story. Though once againHiggins chooses infidelity as the catalyst and there is the ever-present notion that weight has a say in whether we are happy and/or successful. Amusing and emotional with a strong running theme of redemption and forgiveness, Now That You Mention It is a delightful story about a woman’s journey back home to heal her body and discovers a way to heal her heart and spirit along the way.
“I got bored with me.” “So what changed?” “I got hit by a van.”
Growing up in a small town is hard enough; being bullied only makes it worse. Nora and her sister had a good life until their father disappeared. While their puritanical mother took care of business as always, Nora ate her way through her depression while her sister turned to drugs. A gifted student, Nora knows her only way out of her hell is through a scholarship and uses her wits to beat out Luke Fletcher, the town golden boy for it, only to be blamed for his inability to handle losing.
Nora leaves the island and uses the time and money to reinvent herself as someone she could be proud out. New look, new attitude, and most importantly new friends and she never look back beyond letters and the occasional meetup. An accident and unfaithful boyfriend sends Nora running home and head first into the dramatics only a small town can manufacture. She is not only blamed for stealing the scholarship and Luke’s steady decline but also for daring to become successful AND attractive.
Lee Harvey Oswald had also had a shitty overprotective mother, they said.
Wanting to rebuild her relationship with her family, Nora settles in for the long haul, renting a houseboat and volunteering at the local clinic for the duration of her stay while reacquainting herself with her family, friends, and the town itself. She begins to ask questions about the events that happened so long ago-the scholarship and her father’s disappearance. We often view life throughout own expectations and realities, only to discover the scenery changes as we grow older and gain experience. Bittersweet in the reveal, Nora learns more about her family and – seeing the subtle differences between what she remembers and what really happened.
“My childhood had ended, and I never even had a chance to say goodbye.”
Witty and energetic, Nora is a bundle of snark and compassion as she wrangles her reluctant niece into joining the human race, befriends a lonely teenager, and tries to set up her mother with the few available men on the island. Told in a single POV, we flash between the past and the present, gaining insight into Nora’s life and seeing the coping mechanisms she developed in response to her childhood. Higgins layers Nora’s feelings with plenty of laughter, sorrow, pain, and honesty. And you feel the range of emotions she experiences and share in them every step of the way.
“You’ve been different this past year.”
“Really, Mom? How would you even know?”
A small romance mainly serves to reward Nora for discovering her worth on her own though I must say I enjoyed their times together. There was a lot of laughter in that journey and I appreciated that Higgins doesn’t make it insta-love or a fix all for Nora’s problems.
An eclectic and vibrant cast of secondary characters contributes their own stories, adding to Nora’s life collage. We meet friends, enemies, exes, and family members, learning in how even the smallest interaction can make a huge difference in life later on. I enjoyed meeting the people who all had a hand in creating the woman Nora is today.
Once again Higgins’ writes a compelling contemporay about family and forgiveness as she invites all of us on a grand adventure to Scupper, Maine and into the home and hearts of the witty and dysfunctional Stuart family.
Favorite Quote: “Nothing ruins a dinner party like expertise.”
Edward (Ward) Reeve is a wealthy inventor and the illegitimate son of an Earl. He has recently gained guardianship of his two younger half siblings (Lizzie and Otis) after his mother passed away. Due to the children’s unusual upbringing, they were raised in a traveling theater troupe, Ward needs a governess immediately in order to get their education up to par and prepare them for their entrance into society.
Mrs. Eugenia Snowe is a widower who chose to open a business centering around governesses after her husband passed away. Her registry has a waiting list that spans months and her governesses are much in demand by the ton. A lady by birth and marriage, Eugenia is not nor has ever been a governess and does not care that she is looked down upon by certain members of society for her “work.” She is content in her life.
After a Snowe governess deserts her post at the Reeve household, Ward comes to the registry and mistakes Eugenia as a former governess, assuming no lady of rank would ever run a business. He sets out to seduce her into coming to work for him. He wants her for his siblings and his bed.
Eugenia agrees after some amusing sexual persuasion and a minor kidnapping and soon finds herself falling for Ward. But Ward’s own scandalous childhood has him demanding only the best for Lizzie and Otis. He will do whatever it takes to keep any more taint and scandal from darkening their lives. Even if it means giving up Eugenia.
I have long enjoyed Eloisa James’ historical romances. Her penchant for writing strong, intelligent, forward driven heroines and heroes who often buck the social norms of their time makes her stories an absolute delight to read. I also enjoy reading about the offspring of previous favorite characters all grown up and ready for a romance of their own. Fans will be pleased to see Seven Minutes in Heaven reintroduces us to Eugenia Snowe and Edward Reeves whom we met as children in the original Desperate Duchess series. As always, James’ pens a charming adventure that brings together two intelligent, spirited, and witty protagonists for a swoon-worthy romance.
Eugenia and Ward are a joy to get to know both as individuals and as a couple. Their chemistry sparks at their first meeting and only flames higher the more time they spend together. Though an unlikely match, their relationship flourishes and deepens as they become further acquainted with one another. While Eugenia’s beauty and widow status are what initially attracts Ward, it’s her charm, passion, intelligence, and genuine caring of his siblings that soon captivates him. He gradually realizes that the face she presents to society only serves to hide a complex woman. Ward is also not what Eugenia initially thought him to be. He has a strong sense of convention, conviction, and compassion behind his devil may care attitude that only strengthens her attraction as she uncovers his many facets. As she spends more time with him, she realizes that he may be exactly what she needs.
This wasn’t making love. This was making fun.
Amusing and tantalizing love scenes are used to tease the reader and show deepening affection that is slowly building between them. I do adore a couple who can have fun in and out of bed and this couple excels-the french letter scene is hilarious. They have a romantic sensual way about them that reassures the reader that they could very well have a very happy future together.
Had she just promised to be indecent with him at a later time…out of the carriage?
His wanton grin confirmed that she had.
“Just a minute,” she said hastily.
“I would wait a lifetime for you, Eugenia.”
The main plotlines are pretty low key in terms of conflict. Grief is the base on which this story is built. Everyone in here is mourning something. Though Eugenia has been widowed for seven years, she deeply loved her husband and still grieves for him. I like that James did not vilify him in order to facilitate her relationship with Ward. The children grieve the loss of their parents, acting out in unusual fashions as children often do. Ward himself not only grieves for what the children must have gone through (he knows what their mother was like) but also for his own childhood that never let him forget he was a bastard.
You’re wretched nuisances, but you’re my nuisances.
I admit a part of me was irritated at the hamfisted way the main source of conflict was handled. One conversation-one sentence-would have resolved the whole thing but James chooses to continue with the misconception and drags it out far longer than necessary.
A personable cast of secondary characters round out the story, adding depth and a sense of continuity. Lizzie and Otis are delightful and James’ does an excellent job of allowing us to see the damage done to them and Ward’s attempts to help them heal. He truly loves them and even though he makes some mistakes, everything he does is out of love. I enjoyed seeing cameos from previous characters (Mia, Villiers, India). It’s always nice to see where everyone is at in their lives after their initial stories are told.
The resolution wrenches the heart but James quickly sets our hero straight with some outside help. He does an excellent job of groveling and Eugenia stays true to herself and her heart to the very end.
Seven Minutes in Heaven is another winner from Eloisa James that gives readers a joyful and heartwarming story of love, laughter, forgiveness, and family.
LAPD consultant Sophia Ross is handed the opportunity of a lifetime when she comes to the UK to fulfill the terms of a will. Upon arriving, Sophia realizes that there is more at stake than a little breaking and entering. Sophia has landed right in the middle of an ongoing war between the Light and Dark Courts.
Nikolas Sevigny, a Daoine Sidhe knight of the Dark Court, has been in exile for centuries along with his fellow knights. Unable to return home to Lyonesse, he has been searching for a way to reunite his people in order to stop Isabeau, Queen of the Light Court, from destroying them all. He will use anyone and anything to win this war. Even at the expense of his own happiness.
Nikolas sees a way to get what he wants through Sophia though she refuses to be anyone’s pawn. As their animosity rises, so does their attraction to one another. When Isabeau unleashes her fiercest fighters to stop Nikolas and Sophia, they will have to set aside their differences and band together if they want to survive what is coming.
Moonshadow is the first in a new trilogy that spins off of Harrison’s best-selling Elder Races. Set in the UK, Harrison expands on the ongoing dark Fae demesnes storyline that has weaved itself in and out of the main series. Easily read as a standalone, new and long time fans will able to sink right into this new world and character influx with nary a bump.
I’ve been a huge fan of Harrison’s since she released Dragon Bound and introduced us to the Elder Races. This explosive series gave PNR a much needed shot in the arm with its fantastic world building, dynamic characterization, and an arc brimming with suspense, intrigue, humor, and plenty of sexy romance that has kept me enthralled ever since. I was pleased to see Harrison diving into the Fae demesnes and their long standing war. The clues and engaging bits of information she has dropped throughout the series hinted at an epic storyline well worth the wait. Unfortunately, I wasn’t all that impressed with this first installment.
The story opens with Sophia in America. She is doing a reading and in a vision, she finds herself face to face with an unknown, gorgeous man. She disrupts the vision and wonders how and why this man was able to see her and if this is an omen about her future.
Sophia Ross worked with the LAPD as a witch consultant until she was shot multiple times while on assignment. On an indefinite leave of absence and unsure what to do with her life, she meets with Dr. Kathryn Shaw and learns that she has been named in Dr. Shaw’s late father’s will. If she can gain entrance to the Shaw family mansion in the UK within in 90 days, she will own it, all of its possessions, and the land free and clear. Built as a monument of victory on a broken crossover passageway (a gateway between Earth and the other worlds) the family abandoned the home when ‘it’ stopped letting people enter. Sophia jumps at the chance to learn more about her origins and leaves immediately for the UK. Her arrival drops her into the middle of a war when she rescues an abused dog and meets Nikolas Sevigny.
Nikolas Sevigny is the leader of the Daoine Sidhe Knights of the Dark Court. Considered abominations because of their multiple bloodlines, the Queen of the Light Court has made it her mission to destroy them all. Trapped on Earth centuries ago when Queen Isabeau’s Captain of the Hounds, Morgan le Fae, destroyed their only way of getting home, Nikolas and his remaining knights have searched tirelessly to find a way home while avoiding death. When he scents a familiar fae he’s been looking for, the trail leads him to Sophia.
Tempers flare….wills clash…and a destiny awakens…
Moonshadow takes place in a relatively short span of time. It was hard to narrow down an exact time frame because of the time shifts between Earth and the other worlds. I estimate everything occurred in a two week span-give or take a few days. I found this short time frame didn’t allow for the storyline nor the romance to evolve as naturally as I expected. It was very rushed and forced in some places. The development occurs on a singular level, not allowing for any real depth or exploration. We are given the bare bones of the conflict at hand and the characters involved. This book essentially sets up the world and conflict, staying in the present and leaving me feeling there was so much missing. The flow was off , the pace uneven, and the narrative choppy.
The romance also wasn’t a sell for me. I adore the trope of antagonistic attraction, something Harrison excels at, but this is one time I felt it didn’t work. Sophia is very independent and self-sufficient. Nikolas’s autocratic behavior rubs her the wrong way and she reacts in a sarcastic and at times a juvenile manner. The brief background we learn about her does explain the basis of her nature but she goes overboard and by the end, I was exhausted by her.
I couldn’t see why this couple fell in love. From their first meeting to their final declaration of love, I felt they were more infatuated with one another than anything else due to being forced into a volatile situation and having to depend on one another. While I could understand the attraction; both are intelligent, loyal, hard working, and extremely self-sacrificing, there wasn’t enough time for them to get to know one another much less fall head over heels. Sophia repeatedly refers to Nikolas as an arsehole and snarks at him when she feels he is ordering her around. She claims to dislike him and initiates sex with no strings, then gets angry when he agrees and distances himself. Her insults are framed as foreplay.
Nikolas is not much though I understood his reasoning better. He is much older than Sophia and has been fighting one war or another for most of his life. He knows the dangers around them and while he tends to react with anger over Sophia’s actions, it’s out of concern for her well-being.
As always, Harrison writes some steamy, chemistry boosted, love scenes and while I enjoy them greatly, I will admit I am prejudiced against the word spurt. It’s a whimsical word that works well (in my opinion) in erotic and or comedic romances but felt very out of place in the seriousness of the storyline and characters.
A cast of interesting secondary characters are brought in to round out the story and I’m looking forward to seeing each shine in their predestined roles. Many new faces and some old ones make an appearance. We meet the other knights and the Puck (Robin) holds a strong place in the story. The most intriguing character to me was Morgan la Fae. Harrison hints a few times that there is more to him than what meets the eye and I’m interested in seeing how and even if she redeems him.
All in all Moonshadow was a disappointment when compared to the jewels I have read from Harrison. I’m hoping this is just an anomaly and the second book in this trilogy takes us back to her normally exceptional works.
Favorite Quote: “Let me captain this ship, Alec. I might dash it upon the rocks and send myself into the depths, but at least I did it myself.”
Miss Lillian Hargrove thought she had found the man of her dreams. Caught between two worlds, neither aristocratic nor the serving class, she has spent her life in limbo, just waiting for someone to notice her. And someone does. An artist whose whispered promises of love and marriage convinced her to pose nude for a portrait. A portrait to celebrate their passion. A portrait that was to be kept between them.
Until it wasn’t.
The man of her dreams turned out to be the king of toads. Her painting is about to enter the world for all to see and gossip about. Disgraced and hurt, all she has to do is wait 10 days. Then on her birthday she can take her inheritance and run and hide from the scandal.
Except someone doesn’t want her to run.
Alec Stuart, The Duke of Warnick, hates all things English but when he is informed he has a ward who’s embroiled in a terrible scandal, he leaves Scotland and comes to England on a mission. Marry off his troublesome ward so he can go back home to peace and quiet.
Only, he never expected her to be so beautiful.
Alec is determined to protect Lillian, even from herself, but Lillian refuses to marry except for love. As Alec leads her through the ballrooms of the ton, intent on securing her future, he finds his own life changing for the better. But unless Alec can come to terms with his own scandalous secret, he and Lillian are doomed.
A Scot in the Dark is the second installment Sarah MacLean’s Scandals & Scoundrels series. We first met Alec in A Rogue Not Taken. He gives the Marques of Eversley a much needed kick in the breeches to help along his romance with Lady Sophia Talbot. As always, trashy tabloids, scandals, and opposite attraction are the bases on which McLean’s latest historical romp is built upon. Though not as physically demanding or as outrageously played out as in book one of the series, MacLean designs the romance to fit this couple’s more solitary natures. Invoking quiet humorous scenes and heart-wrenching internal monologues, we get to intimately know a man and woman whose lives have been a series of disappointments and heartbreaks, delivered by those who should have known better.
Lillian Hargrown’s father was the steward for the 4th Duke of Warnick. She was made a ward of the family when her father passed away. Though each succeeding duke treated her decently, she falls through the cracks when Alec Stuart inherits the title and effectively ignores her for five years. An unparalleled beauty, her looks are a strike against her so she spends her life inside a gilded cage, isolated and alone. Forgotten by everyone, Lillian only wanted someone to see her. To touch her. To love her. This leads to her being preyed upon by a lecherous artist, Derek Hawkins, who covets her beauty for his own gain. His unwavering attention to her, along with his declarations of love and marriage, blinds her to his intentions. He convinces her to sit for a nude portrait and she is shocked when he reveals his plans to unveil it to the world.
They did not realize her life was ruined. Her heart crushed beneath his perfectly shiny boot. They did not realize she was cleaved in two before them.
Or perhaps they did.
And perhaps it was the realization that gave them such glee.
I liked Lillian. Witty, intelligent, and stubborn; her only crime was trusting and loving the wrong person. Thoroughly embarrassed and shamed for the unintentional role she played in her own ruination, she plots her own means of salvation.
I have a plan to save myself […] I plan to run.
Alec Stuart never thought he’d inherit a dukedom. This gorgeous, brawny, quite pouty Scotsman hates all things English. He is angry he is being forced to assume this mantle after a series of bad luck befalls the seventeen dukes before him and decides to stay in Scotland and just ignore it all. When he finally learns of his ward (five years later) he is aggravated he will have to travel to England to untangle the mess she seems to have gotten herself into. Nicknamed the Scottish brute, Alec is extremely self-conscious about his size. He feels like a brute at times, especially when around women. Already disgruntled at having to play hero to a woman he doesn’t know or even care about, meeting Lillian drags out his protective instincts and he is at a loss on how to deal with her.
Nothing made a bad day worse than a beautiful English woman.
Alec is not at all what I expected. I found him quite colorful when we first met him and expected similar characterization in here. MacLean instead shows us a silent man who chooses to embrace solitude due to fear. A single decision in his childhood set him on a path that left him ashamed and in the possession of a scandalous past himself. We learn that his need for Scotland isn’t so much rooted in his hatred of England but his need to hide from himself and his own actions.
Lillian and Alec are like oil and water in the beginning. Alec comes across rather high-handed as he sweeps in on his white horse, assured that his role as savior is justified and wanted. Unfortunately, Lillian isn’t falling to her knees before him in gratitude. She doesn’t want to be saved and harbors quite a bit of resentment towards him for
“‘I am a ward of the Warnick estate. I wouldn’t get too possessive if I were you.”
“Am I not the Warnick?”
“Perhaps not for long. You dukes do have a habit of dying.”
“I suppose you’d like that?”
“A woman can dream.”
Lillian wants her freedom. From him, from London, from all the gossip but Alec refuses to allow her to run. He hatches the plan to marry her off and proceeds to compile a list for her to choose from. This becomes a major bone of contention between them as Lillian tries to impress upon Alex and us that no matter what she does, she will always be held to blame for what happened and the world will never let her forget her fall from grace.
“The world harbors impressive hatred for women who make the mistakes I did. Beauty, used for anything but the holiest of acts, is a sin.”
Though their time spent together is relatively short, this book takes place in a span of only ten days, MacLean attempts to build a romance that unfortunately reeks of emotional angst and ghosts of the past. While I could easily believe the attraction between them-the intensity of the situation and their close quarters lends authenticity to their rising chemistry-I wasn’t sold on them actually falling in love. Lillian desperately loved another man just ten days prior and I felt her falling for Alec was more in response to finally having someone notice her. Alec’s reasoning was harder to pinpoint as he rejects Lillian and his feelings for her till the very end.
I found it ironic that Lillian ends up being the stronger of the two. Alec’s physical dimensions are quite impressive but he is weak in the areas of the heart and easily condemned by his own feeling of inferiority. His inability to move beyond his past keeps him on a constant loop of trying to convince himself that Lilian deserves better than him. This one aspect truly annoyed me. He blows hot and cold the entire book.
A lively cast of secondary of characters is what breathes life into this story, pulling the protagonists out of their heads and into the real world. Familiar faces and places from book one of this series and from its parent series, The Rules of Scoundrels, are seen in here and everyone offers to help in their own way. The Dangerous Sisters arrive in full force, especially Sesily, and the laughs are plentiful. The sisters know what Lillian is going through, having had they own dealings with the gossiping ton, and they offer her some invaluable advice.
“You can’t let them win. Not ever. There is nothing in the world they like more than tearing a woman down for having too much courage. Ad there is nothing in the world that makes them angrier than not being able to break her.”
The sisters also offer Lillian something she has always wanted-friendship. Lillian soaks up their attention and blossoms into to a strong woman who is able to look beyond her scandal and move forward with her life.
While I liked A Scot in the Dark, it does falls victim to an overabundance of plot lines, a fast-tracked romance that doesn’t allow for realistic development, and a couple who spend so much time on their own agendas I never truly felt the connection between them. Regardless, MacLean’s talented writing flows smoothly with its infectious narrative and personable characters, allowing for enjoyment despite any problems.
I am looking forward to the third in the series, The Day of the Duchess, set to release April 27, 2017.
Before there was Eve Dallas or Lisbeth Salander, there was Kathleen (don’t call me Kathleen or Kathy) Mallory. A rogue detective with the NYPD, this well-known sociopath thankfully uses her skills for good to help keep the streets of New York safe. In Blind Sight, Mallory and her long-suffering partner, Riker, are on the hunt for Jonah Quill and the person who murdered his aunt, Sister Michael, in broad daylight. As Mallory and Riker comb the city for clues, they discover a tangled web of deceit and murder that trails from the wealthiest scions of New York…all the way to the mayor.
I have long been a fan of Carol O’Connell and this series. As this is the 12th installment, I won’t go too in depth into the background of the main protagonist, only saying that Kathleen Mallory is still the same cold, calculating, manipulative, narcissistic anti heroine that fans first met in Mallory’s Oracle-book one. A genius with the face of an angel, the soul of a killer, the skill of a black hat, she has her own skewed moral compass when it comes wielding her sword for lady justice and she only follows the rules when they suit her.
The events in Find Me (book 9) wrapped up a long ongoing series arc, leaving readers to wonder where Mallory would go from there. Though she returns to the NYPD after months of unauthorized absence, many reader were dismayed to find nothing is ever mentioned of the life altering journey. Books nine and ten stuck strictly to the crime at hand and we didn’t see much growth or personality in Mallory beyond a sense that she is indeed capable of some forms of empathy in cases involving children.
Blind Sight really isn’t all that different from the last two books in that is an intense and convoluted psychological crime novel that speeds along, using a varied cast of complex characters and a myriad of fluid plot lines. There is no longer a subplot involving Mallory and search for her past which disappoints me to a certain extent. In the beginning, Mallory was a mystery in itself to unwrap but now that we have unwrapped her, we aren’t sure what to do with her.
Multiple narratives, told in the third person from several parties, give readers a kaleidoscope view of what is happening in different areas at the same time. The story opens on a series of snapshots, following three people up to the moment everything changed. What looks to be a simple string of random murders becomes a complicated story of murder for hire and insatiable greed.
Using the Mallory and Jonah as anchors for the story, O’Connell alternates between their scenes like a visual stopwatch-the constant tick tock reminding us of what’s at stake. Truth is all in the eye of the beholder and this is especially true as Mallory digs deep into the murdered victims’ pasts to discover what tied them together. O’Connell’s knowledge of procedural investigative work shows as she submerges us into the investigation though the constant head jumping is disconcerting. Verbose characters and the labyrinthine storyline guides us towards the answers. What I have always found especially interesting in this series is how the majority of the narrative is often centered on those questioning what Mallory is doing rather than from her own perspective. And even then, it is often a race to understand where her thought process is taking her and how she will make her victims look foolish in the end.
The chapters devoted to the kidnap victim (Jonah Quill) and the killer are interesting to follow as Jonah he must draw upon everything his aunt ever taught him to try to stay alive. The skill at which he uses to humanize himself to his captor belays his young age. The killer’s thoughts and dialogue are clear and concise; helping to build understanding for the events taking place. There is a hunt of mysticism surrounding these two people, alluding to the age old question of whether a strong emotional attachment can tether someone to the physical plane when they pass.
The secondary characters are as complex as our protagonist. O’Connell doesn’t write heroes. She creates people with feet of clay who often manipulate the system around them in order achieve their goal-justice. Each one has a personal stake in the case and they all add personality, drama, and insight to the story. The cast provides a solid foundation in which to give our heroine a frame from which to work and build from. I enjoyed seeing some familiar faces though I felt O’Connell spends too much time allowing these characters to reminisce on Mallory’s past deeds in her youth, creating unnecessary lag time in the story. Quite a few pages could have shaved off the story simply by foregoing the trips down memory lane. After twelve books I find it a bit disingenuous that anyone who knows her is surprised by how she behaves anymore. There is a faint feeling that O’Connell is setting Mallory up for a new personal storyline but I’m truly baffled by where she will take her.
The ending comes at the reader hard, fast, and overwhelms as Mallory connects all the dots, using information from cases long ago and we are the inundated with quite a bit of information. Not much time is given to absorb the sheer magnitude of what and why of the crimes committed. The use of an old case to help solve this new case, along with the added bonus of offering benediction to Riker felt out of place in the grand scheme of things. All the loose ends are wrapped up, most questions answered, and the wrongs of the past are made right and finally laid to rest. While each story is self-contained; explored and resolved within the book, the protagonist is a very complicated figure whose appreciation and understanding of requires starting from the very beginning.
Favorite Quote: “Would you like to know why I kept the name?” “Yes.” “Because doves mate for life, and I knew there would never be another for me.”
Readers have been waiting for this couple’s story since they were first seen in book one-A Rogue Not Taken. Malcolm, the Duke of Haven, is caught at a party in a compromising position with a woman who is not his wife by his sister-in-law, Sophie Talbot. Sophie reacts in typical Talbot fashion by calling him a whore and pushing him into a fish pond.
“My only regret is that the pool was not deeper. And filled with sharks.” -Sophie Talbot (A Rogue Not Taken)
Seraphina, the Duchess of Haven, has had enough and leaves. Malcolm searches relentlessly for her for years but he never catches even a single glimpse of her until the day she walks into Parliament and asks for a divorce.
“I am Seraphina Bevingstoke, Duchess of Haven. And I require a divorce.”
Malcolm is thrilled Sera has returned. He regrets how he treated her and seeks to make amends but Sera doesn’t care. She is no longer that woman who was desperate to repair her marriage; begging for her husband’s understanding and love. She has found her calling in America now seeks a divorce so she can go back and live her life out as she so chooses. But Malcolm doesn’t want a divorce. He wants his wife back and a chance to prove himself once again worthy of her and their marriage but he knows he has his work cut out for him. Sera has long let go of her feelings of anger and hurt and is now mostly indifferent to him.
Malcolm decides he needs something to keep her with him so he comes up with a somewhat idiotic plan, telling her she must help him find a new wife if she wants her freedom. After all, he needs an heir. He hopes a whole summer in close proximity may be exactly what they need to reconnect and move forward together. Sera agrees to his terms but decides to bring her sisters into the fray, knowing they will add to her strength while helping to convince Malcolm to give her a divorce.
The Day of the Duchess is the 3rd book in her Scandal & Scoundrel series. This emotionally turbulent, heart-wrenching, and humorous second chance love story gives readers a personal look into a relationship that was damaged by some good and not so good intentions. Redemption of a character is a tricky concept to pull off. You have to not only convince the reader the character is worth redemption, but also give them a reasonable explanation for their previous behavior and a believable reason for the change. MacLane addresses this situation perfectly. Writing with her trademark compassion and honestly, we see that neither person was blameless for the destruction of their relationship. We see the terrible decisions they made and the consequences they suffered because of them.
The story starts in the present but flashes back periodically into the past to show how this couple met and what led to their demise. MacLean does a superb job of drawing out their emotions for us to fully appreciate. We are made privy to their personal conversations, intimate thoughts, and the sheer magnitude of the love and loss this couple experienced.
“The sorrow is mine. The regret. I never told you how much I loved you. I never showed you how I ached to know you.”
Sera and Malcolm first laid eyes on each other at a ball and instantly fell head over heels for one another. They begin to spend all their time together, enough to get noticed by the gossip papers. Mrs. Talbot felt that Malcolm’s intentions weren’t sincere though. He didn’t court Sera as he should have. He never presented her to his family nor visited with her’s. After all, the Talbots weren’t thought to be a suitable due to their working class origins and the sisters were mocked and referred to as the Soiled or Scandalous S’s. Sera’s mother devised a plan to force Malcolm’s hand and because Sera loved him dearly and believed he loved her enough to understand and forgive her, she agreed to it. It worked but it was the beginning of the end of their marriage. The pain, anger, and bitterness all worked together to ruthlessly force this couple apart until one heartbreaking event leads to another and our hero and heroine are left broken and damaged
Oh, how I enjoyed getting to know Sera and Malcolm and seeing their evolution from heartbreak to forgiveness. Sorrow and disappointment can easily crush a spirit but not for these two. Both have suffered for their mistakes and despite all that has happened, they still love one another. I grew to like Malcolm despite everything, though I admit hearing from his point of view certainly helped. Once you learn his backstory, you understand where he was coming from and it goes far into explaining why he acted like he did. It doesn’t excuse his actions and neither does he but is does smooth your anger towards him a little. He admits to his crimes and has paid for them every single day he was unable to find her. He now knows why she did what she did and understands it was not for his title or his money but out of love and fear.
“Regret and shame flared. How many times had he felt them? How many times had they consumed him in the darkness as he searched for her? But they had never felt like this. Without her, they’d been a vague, rolling emotion, present, but never truly there. And now, faced with her, with her tacit acceptance of their past, of his actions, of his mistakes, they were a wicked, angry blow.”
Seraphina suffered for her love and Malcolm’s actions eventually broke her. Disappearing to America and becoming the “Sparrow” helped her to heal her spirit, heart, and self-confidence. I loved how Sera took charge of her own happiness. The Sera that left England three years ago is no longer the insecure woman who crumbled under the censure of the Ton and her husband’s anger and infidelity. She is now a strong, independent, and secure woman who knows her self-worth and will never let anyone, man or woman, treat her as anything less than the queen she is.
“The whole world thinks you ruined me before you married me, when the truth is that I was not ruined until after the fact. You ruined my hopes. My dreams. My future. You ruined my life. And I’ve had enough of that. I am here for one reason only, Your Grace. I want my life back. The one you stole.”
The tension between this couple was tangible and witnessing the dam of politeness finally break and all their bottled up emotions finally come pouring out was both exhilarating and frustrating. Both are lively individuals with a quick wit and strong convictions who are well matched despite everything that has happened. Sera is magnificent and defiant in her stubbornness and it takes quite a while for her to even admit she even likes Malcolm. I did wish Malcolm had been more verbally honest to Sera a lot earlier in the book. Communication was not their forte. One aspect I admired was that legally Malcolm could have forced Sera back to his side but choose not to. He swallows his pride and did what he should have done from the beginning. He woos her. He courts her. He gets to know the new Sera and he realizes what a beautiful, exciting, and intelligent wife he has. And what an utter arse he had been.
“I love you,” he whispered like a prayer. A kiss. “I need you.” Another. “Stay.”
A house full of hopeful mamas and daughters, along with Sera’s sisters, a few familiar faces from the previous series, and a new face only adds to the mayhem, anticipation, and humor of the situation. I adore the Talbot sisters. Such gregarious, melodramatic, and vivacious women who march to their own beat. Their motto is since they have already been convicted, why not go ahead and commit the crime? The relationship between the Talbot sisters is amusing and enviable. They always have each other’s backs no matter what but they will also tell each other like it is. And they invoke that privilege often especially when Sera chooses to hide rather than face her feelings.
The ending is the ultimate HEA romance readers adore and was exactly what I felt needed to happen. Sera needed to know Malcom would have married her regardless and Malcom needed to prove that to her. MacLean gives our couple the life they have more than earned and leaves us an epilogue that solidifies it though I wish Maclean would have kept the status quo and still given us a happy marriage. We are given clues to the next Talbot sister to fall in love and we are introduced to the heroes of MacLean’s next upcoming series.
The Day in the Duchess is a delicious second chance romance that pushes a couple through an emotional gauntlet and allows them to emerge triumphant.
Fury on Fire is the third book in Sophie Jordan’s Devil’s rock series that revolves around a trio of incarcerated felons and the woman who free them from their demons.
North Callaghan and his brother Knox (All Chained Up) were sentenced to Devil’s Rock for manslaughter after they killed the man who sexually assaulted their cousin. Good men who had their whole lives ahead of them and lost it all with one bad impulsive decision. Each book works as a stand alone through they are loosely linked.
After years in prison for a crime he committed but certainly regretted, North Callaghan is finally free and he more than makes up for lost time by sampling every delectable treat that was forbidden to him on Devil’s Rock. Women, food, freedom…he gorges himself on it all as he strives to keep the demons that haunt him in check. He keeps his head down, working and living day to day, while avoiding family and friends. Sexy, broody, and emotionally dormant, North feels tremendous guilt for things he saw and did to survive in prison and he feels he doesn’t deserve any happiness because of that. When he gets a good look at his new neighbor, he’s more than willing to give her a one-time ride she’ll never forget but it doesn’t take long to see that this woman isn’t like the others. She has committment written all over her and he can’t afford to let down his guard for anyone.
Faith Walters is a social worker who strikes out on her own after spending years taking care of her brothers and father. Her first act of independence is purchasing half a duplex. Her attempts to befriend her next door neighbor are viciously rebuffed, leaving Faith feeling a bit disgruntled. Born into a family of warriors (her father and brother are in law enforcement and her other brother is special forces) she has been somewhat sheltered all her life and is unsure on how to react to such rude behavior. The stereotypical ‘good girl,’ she is intelligent, well bred, has a pleasant personality, predisposed to champion the underdog, and sexually inexperienced.
Faith and North butt heads from the very beginning. She bakes scones to introduce herself-he tosses them back on her front stoop uneaten. He parks in her driveway and she leaves him passive aggressive notes. She complains about his loud bed partners and he begins to playfully tease her with nude walks in his backyard. They go back and forth until a meeting face to face changes everything.
I wish I could say I enjoyed this story but I cannot. The story starts out strong and engaging but loses steam before the halfway mark. I was disappointed to see the elements of suspense and external conflict that energized the first two books isn’t evident in here. Neither is the individuality or sense of anticipation. The story and main characters are predictable and show little development or substance beyond their initial characterization.
Keeping her focus predominantly on the protagonists, Jordan merges their backstories with the present one, intent on building a bridge between these two different personalities. It works in the beginning but then quickly becomes trite and repetitive. Even the few minor conflicts tossed in for depth aren’t enough to save the story. The romance develops very slowly, starting out as a chemistry enhanced physical attraction only to become a tedious tug of war as North and Faith admit to their feelings only to make up excuses and run.
The ending was rushed and both characters acted out in a ridiculous manner that didn’t match up with their personalities. Faith behaves like a spoiled child and decides that if North won’t/can’t return her love then she not only has to sell her house and move but also go out on a blind date. North decides the best way to grovel is to steal the for sale signs and then power wash Faith’s windows during the date. It was all very…odd.
Though I enjoyed the first two books, I felt the story and protagonists in this installment were weak and poorly executed.
Mrs. Edwina Chelton was dismayed to learn her late husband left her and their young child with nothing upon his death. Having spent her marriage keeping the books for her husband’s company, it’s only when the company begins to show a healthy profit does he decide to hand everything over to his debt harassed brother who ends up running the company into the ground. Luckily for her, a dear friend is able to help her secure an interview to be a secretary for a Duke.
Michael Hadlow needs a secretary yesterday. Having spent his valuable time turning away fourteen applicants, he is at his wits end. Your typical aristocrat; he is high-handed, boorish, quick to cut, and suffers fools lightly. Honest to a fault, he expects the same from those around him and does not play the games polite society insists upon. When he meets Edwina, he sees a beautiful woman. When he talks to her, he sees an intelligent woman who intrigues him and hires her on the spot.
The fourth installment of Frampton’s smart and humorous standalone series-Dukes Behaving Badly- introduces us to Michael, the Duke of Hadlow, and Mrs. Edwina Chelton. Two very intelligent and somewhat unconventional people whose personalities and social class differences make for a light-hearted and whimsical boss/secretary romance. Frampton uses “reasons” for why Dukes fall in love as chapter titles that only adds to the light atmosphere of the story.
Edwina and Michael complement each other well. Edwina is not some virginal miss intent on finding herself a husband. Nor is she looking to gain herself another. As a widow, she has already sampled the marriage mart and quickly learned she can only depend on one person-herself. Intelligent and forthright, she uses her brains and skills to obtain a position not offered to women in this day and age in order to not only secure herself a future but one for her daughter. She is not afraid to say what is on her mind and holds her own against Michael’s more intense personality.
Michael is very linear in both his thinking and attitude. Born into a ducal family and always knowing his place in the world affords him a luxury and sense of superiority. He doesn’t seem to realize that not everyone thinks the same way he does so he views them as inferiors for not understanding what he wants. But Edwina understands him. She also gently nudges him towards thinking beyond himself and his needs.
The romance is comfortable, cute, and sexy as we watch Michael and Edwina’s affair smoothly unfolds. Sensual erotic scenes and some rather intriguing dirty talk keeps you firmly engaged. What I enjoyed most was the contrast between their dialogue and their internal thoughts. You watch them fall in love but it takes much longer for them to verbalize it. Especially Michael.
Various secondary characters flow in and out of this couple’s lives, used to further flesh out our protagonists, two important ones being Gertrude, Edwina’s daughter and Chester, Michael’s dog. Both are lively beings who are frankly used as plot devices but amusing enough for you easily forgive the author for using them in such a manner. I am very curious to know Edwina’s friend Carolyn’s story. Her warnings to Edwina against men in general leaves you to wonder who hurt her so badly. I do wish the conflict regarding Edwina’s brother in law had been drawn out more. It all felt rather rushed in its resolution.
Why Do Dukes Fall In Love is lightweight romance that doesn’t divulge too deeply beyond the basic parameters of the trope used. Michael and Edwina aren’t particularly profound or demanding emotionally and their romance isn’t a love story for the ages. It’s a simple and fun feel good story; perfect for a few hours of relaxing escapism.