PUBLISHER: Brava, 5/2012
GENRE: Historical romance
SETTING: England, 1809
PURCHASE:
link
MY GRADE: A
FROM PUBLISHER: Plagued by scandalous rumors, Rheda Kerrich will stop at nothing to restore her reputation and make an honest living for herself — and she’s determined to do it without a husband. But times are hard, and smuggling is a risky though profitable trade. So when a dashing agent for the English government catches her in the act, she desperately resists his charms and conceals her illicit profession. Until she realizes he may be the key to her ultimate freedom — and unbridled passion..
Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, has never had trouble beguiling the ladies of Kent. When his search for “Dark Shadow,” a cunningly elusive smuggler, leads him to alluring and headstrong Rhe, her objections to his amorous advances merely incite a tantalizing game of cat and mouse. Soon, they’ll find the very secrets driving them apart could ensnare them in a love they can’t escape…
MY THOUGHTS: The hero is 32 year old Rufus Knight. He’s got brown hair and brown eyes. The heroine is 25 year old blonde and green-eyed Rheda Kerrich. Boy, do they have an interesting first meeting! He’s attracted to her from the start and she, him. He’s in town to find out who a smuggler, who goes by the name Dark Shadow, is. After meeting Rheda he believes she knows who that person is.
Rheda is involved with things she shouldn’t be. She’s trying to be independent and earn her own money. She has turned down Christopher’s marriage proposal several times because she doesn’t want to be dependent on any man. She confides important things to him and it comes back to haunt her.
There’s also a dark sexual and sinister subplot involving a terrible person and I enjoyed that part a lot. It came to a head at the end of the story and I felt the author could have handled it better, made it less obvious who the bad person was, made it someone else. I’d guessed it early on.
I was unexpectedly happy with this story. Wasn’t sure I’d like it since I didn’t like her previous novel but it sounded good so I gave it a shot. I really liked both lead characters and thought they were a perfect match.
I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Pub. Info: Delacorte, 4/2012
Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance
Setting: England, 1584
Series? Lacey Chronicles,
book 2
My Grade: B
From Publisher: When beautiful Lady Jane Rievaulx begins her service to the Queen at Richmond Palace, she is thrilled to see the court’s newest arrival . . . Master James Lacey.
No matter that Jane was previously courted by the eldest Lacey brother — James is the one who has won her heart. For his part, James cannot deny his fascination with Jane; his plans, however, do not allow for love. He is about to set sail on a treacherous journey to the Americas, seeking absolution for what he sees as past sins. But when Jane is forced into a terrible situation by her own family, only one man can save her. Will Master James return to his lady before it’s too late?
MY THOUGHTS: We first met the heroine, Jane, in the previous book. Now she’s eighteen and widowed. Her much older stepsons are very jealous of the money and property that she’s inherited from their father. They’re out to make her life a living hell. To make matters worse, her own father is a mean man who’s trying to dictate her life and has made awful threats to her.
Her first encounter with James didn’t got so well. He seems to have a chip on his shoulder. He’s scarred emotionally fromthe horrors of war, the things he’s seen and done. There’s also a new addition to James’s family by way of a new sibling.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in this second installment. I just didn’t find it paticularly interesting, especially Jane.
I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Pub. Info: Pocket Star, April 2012
Setting: England, 1809
Genre: Historical Romance
Part of Series? Yes, book 3
My Grade: C
From Publisher:
The surprising news that dashing steward Harrison Tolly, illegitimate son of the Earl of Ashwood, is the rightful heir to his father’s estate comes at a most inopportune time. With a wedding on the horizon and a baby on the way, a new life of privilege and prestige would be a blessing but for one problem: his heart belongs to another woman.
Harrison keeps his desires for his employer’s wife, Lady Olivia Carey, so hidden that even she does not know of his devotion. Her callous husband, Marquis Carey, went into a rampage after Olivia’s troublesome younger sister returned from her tour of Spain pregnant, and Harrison impulsively stepped in to save the entire family from scandal. Now, like Olivia, he is trapped in a loveless arrangement. When a tragic accident claims the marquis’ life soon thereafter, can Harrison seize his chance and cast aside one sister for another? Or will doing so expose the Carey family’s darkest secret—and ruin his only chance to win Olivia’s heart?
MY THOUGHTS: This was awful. This review contains spoilers. The hero, 29 year old Harrison Tolly, is the steward for Edward Carey. Twenty-six year old Olivia is stuck in an unhappy and abusive marriage with Edward, has been for six years. She’s physically, sexually (raped) and verbally abused by her husband.
They find out that her younger sister Alexa (she’s eight years younger) is pregnant. Out of nowhere, Harrison offers to marry Olivia when he barely knows her. He has absolutely nothing to gain by doing so. He just doesn’t want her child to be a ‘bastard’ like he was so out of pity, he offers marriage. Literally, the entire plot revolves around that. He’s in love with Olivia but she doesn’t know until much later, after he’s offered to marry Alexa. Alexa is a selfish immature character and I didn’t like her at all.
Olivia has a young maid named Rue. She’s slow mentally and boy, does the author keep reminding us of it. Almost every time the poor girl is mentioned it’s because she’s doing something wrong. It’s clear her character was created to provide comic relief for the author but I didn’t find it to be funny. Why create a character so you can laugh at her?
Olivia and Harrison get their happily ever after and so does Alexa. An unbelievable reunion of sorts happens involving her right at the end that made me roll my eyes. This was not a good story by any stretch of the imagination.
I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
