Review: The Last Duke

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Review: The Last DukeThe Last Duke (The 1797 Club #10) by Jess Michaels
Series: The 1797 Club #10
Published by Passionate Pen Genres: Historical
Goodreads
five-stars

 

FINAL DECISION: This book just made me happy. It was everything that a final book in a series should be. We got a great romance combined with getting to see characters from the series in their happy every afters.

THE STORY: Kit’s father finally passes and Kit is the last of his friends to take on the title of duke. Now the Duke of Kingsacre, Kit also is responsible for the care of his much younger sister. The problem with this is the governess that comes along with his sister. Sarah Carlton is a lady who has fallen on hard times after the deaths of her parents. Kit and Sarah had an unpleasant confrontation several years ago and now the two are under the same roof.

OPINION: This book closes the series about this group of friends. Appropriately, the book is filled with the characters from the series and it was especially gratifying to get to see all the couples together and happy with their children.

This story is more quiet than others in the series. The big event here is the death of Kit’s father and the effect it has on him and those around him. I really liked it because the quieter pace allowed for more of the relationships between not only Kit and Sarah, but also all the characters from the series.

Kit and Sarah talk, work through their relationship and build a family. The characters are good people. Kit is responsible and didn’t have great tragedy or drama in his past like the other dukes. Instead, his tragedy is now. I especially liked how the issue of his and Sarah’s past confrontation was addressed. His anger at Sarah is so wonderfully explained by his friends.

Sarah is a woman who is making her own way in the world. Her change in circumstances has been difficult, but she perseveres. Dedicated and sweet and such a good person.

This might have been a boring book — the characters are so nice without deep trauma or drama. Instead, I ended up loving this book best in the series. The characters are nice and good people. They have the normal loss and pain one might expect from life and it is so sweet how much they like one another. I especially loved in this book how all the other characters help to gently push Kit and Sarah together.

I ended this book just being happy. The book satisfied all my desires to see this series wrapped up.

WORTH MENTIONING: One of my favorite scenes is the duchesses acting as fairy godmothers. Just made me smile from start to finish.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE LAST DUKE is the tenth and final book in the 1797 Club series. The romance here is self contained and can be read as a standalone. There are, however, overlapping characters in the series and this book is much more enjoyable knowing all the characters.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

five-stars

Review: Aeran & Rhys

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Review: Aeran & RhysAeran & Rhys (Dragon Hearts 7) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Dragon Hearts #7
Published by Carole Mortimer on November 9, 2018
Genres: Paranormal
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: A good ending to the series. Because of the menage story, this romance ended up having some different twists which made it different. I was disappointed that the story didn’t have a concluding chapter wrapping up all the couples.

THE STORY: Dragons don’t share their mates. Aeran and Rhys are two brothers who are so different. One has totally adapted to the twenty-first century and one is closer to his ancient warrior roots. Things go haywire when Aeran and Rhys meet Cristina. Connected with the man who attempted to kill their brother’s mate, Aeran and Rhys find Cristina troublesome and exactly what the two dragon shifters want. The question is whether the two brothers can resolve their desires to each possess their mate.

OPINION: I really enjoyed the conflict in this book as the two brothers have to readjust their visions of their future when they have the same mate. The adapting that Aeran and Rhys have to do was the best part of this book because the challenge is more complicated. These two are brothers but they don’t necessarily mesh well together. Now they have to find a way to love the same woman.  Cristina is a good counterbalance to these two.

This is a crazy and fun read. Nothing big and complicated, but an enjoyable diversion.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has a menage relationship with two men and a woman.

CONNECTED BOOKS: AERAN & RHYS is the seventh and final book in the Dragon Hearts series about a group of dragon-shifter brothers who find their fated mates. The romance here is self-contained and thus can be read as a standalone, but the book assumes knowledge about the prior events and thus is better read after the others in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Misadventures with a Professor

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Review: Misadventures with a ProfessorMisadventures with a Professor (Misadventures, #17) by Sierra Simone
Series: Misadventures #17
Published by Waterhouse Press on November 6, 2018
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Hot, sexy story combined with a rather sweet romance. The relationship between these characters made this book a winner for me even though the story line was fairly predictable.

THE STORY: On her way to start a research assistant job with an old stuffy professor, Zandy Lynch has a goal — to lose her virginity — and she has one night in London to accomplish it. Oliver Graeme isn’t looking for a woman but when he runs into a young woman looking for a one night stand with a stranger, he wants to protect her from her own actions. Of course, he ends up succumbing to her charms. By morning, Zandy and Oliver go their separate ways. But when Zandy meets her new boss, she’s shocked to find that the stuffy professor isn’t so old or so stuffy — and he just happens to be her one night stand.

OPINION: This was a hot and sweet story. Oliver is a really cute hero with lot of hangups based on his past. I really enjoyed their interactions with one another. Amanda is inexperienced, but not naive. She, in fact, pushes Oliver to confront his fears.

The story, like others in this series, is really focused on the sexual relationship. These two really enjoy roleplaying. Hot and sexy with the sweet but determined heroine and the grumpy brooding hero. The relationship between these two was a 5 for me.

The story was entirely predictable and while I still really enjoyed the book, I sighed a little at the predictable twists in the story.

WORTH MENTIONING: The story is told in alternating first person points of view.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MISADVENTURES WITH A PROFESSOR is the seventeenth book in the Misadventures series. These books, however, are completely independent stories and thus are standalones.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Leverage in Death

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Review: Leverage in DeathLeverage in Death (In Death, #47) by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #47
Published by St. Martin's Press on September 4, 2018
Genres: Futuristic, Mystery
Pages: 385
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Eve is surrounded by her supporting cast and this one really worked for me. Books where Eve and Roarke get to work together are always better in my opinion. This one is really about Eve and those around her with an intriguing mystery.

THE STORY: A man walks into a conference room wearing a suicide vest and kills his colleagues. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the scene and soon discovers that there is more than a disgruntled employee involved. Someone held his wife and child hostage to compel is actions. To discover who and what was the motive, Eve gets some help from her husband Roarke.

OPINION: I really enjoyed this book. Honestly, the “mystery” wasn’t as intense as others in the series, but this book really sold the relationships in the series well. There is good stuff with Eve and Roarke, Eve and Peabody, Eve and Nadine. The book also closes off some of the lingering storylines in the series.

I did like the mystery even though it felt less important to this book than in others. The crimes were pretty dramatic and the motives and methods intriguing and murky. That I really enjoyed.

But my favorite part of this book is that we get to see Eve and Roarke working together. I read these books because I love seeing these two together and I liked this book so much more because the two of them spent most of the story interacting with one another.

WORTH MENTIONING: Sometimes I am shocked into thinking of how little time has passed in the In Death world. The Oscars where the Icove movie is nominated is just happening.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LEVERAGE IN DEATH is the forty-seventh book in the In Death series. The mystery here is self-contained but a reader is tossed immediately into the characters with no re-introduction for new readers.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: When Strangers Marry

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Review: When Strangers MarryWhen Strangers Marry (Vallerands, #1) by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Vallerands #1
Published by Avon on August 1, 2002
Genres: Historical
Pages: 390
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Certainly not as complex as Kleypas’s more recent works, I enjoyed the main characters: the innocent heroine who is strong and doesn’t cower from the hero and the hero who has a bad reputation but quickly falls for the heroine.

THE STORY: Lysette Kersaint is being forced by her stepfather to marry a man who repulses her. Instead, Lysette decides to take her future in her own hands and escape. But her flight puts her in the path of Maximilien Vallerands. Max decides to use Lysette for revenge against her prospective bridegroom. Lysette, however, has no intention of allowing Max to use her.

OPINION: This book was mixed for me. The story certainly isn’t particularly complex and the characters don’t have a tremendous amount of depth to them, but I really liked the characters.

Lysette is young, but she quickly shows strength and determination and the ability to manage Max who is fifteen years her senior. And the relationship between Lysette and Max is one of the nicest of Kleypas’s books. These two like one another almost from the beginning — and not the sexual liking, but rather the two have an emotional and intellectual connection from early on in this book. I really liked how these characters interacted with one another. I would have expected the older and more experienced Max to crush the young Lysette, but instead their relationship is a combination of her strength and his caring for her enough to include her opinions in his considerations.

If a reader is looking for an equivalent of Kleypas’s later works, there is apt to be disappointment, but I enjoyed this book on its own terms.

WORTH MENTIONING: I really loved the different time period and location. This book takes place in Louisiana at the turn of the 19th century. The book uses Aaron Burr’s post-Hamilton duel history in the Louisiana territories which led to him being tried for treason as the historical underpinning for this story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHEN STRANGERS MARRY is the first book in the Vallerands series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: Drums of Autumn

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Review: Drums of AutumnDrums of Autumn (Outlander, #4) by Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander #4
Published by Delta on August 7, 2001
Genres: Historical, Time Travel
Pages: 880
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I ended up enjoying the story of Claire and Jamie establishing themselves in the American colonies. This feels like a transitional book getting all the characters in the right place and time, but I enjoyed the personal stories of Claire and Jamie and Brianna and Roger.

THE STORY: This book begins after the events of VOYAGER. Jamie and Claire have ended up in the colonies and begin building a new life together there as the settlers begin to have conflicts with the native inhabitants. In the future, Brianna has to deal with the loss of her mother. She and Roger also rekindle their romance but the discovery of a clipping announcing the death of Jamie and Claire due to a house fire forces Brianna and Roger to make a decision.

OPINION: While this book is filled, as all Outlander books, with various adventures, what attracted me most to this book was the personal relationship between Claire and Jamie. Here, the two are building a life together for the first time. The boring, daily details of life — cooking, cleaning, preparing the land — are what the two have to deal with (punctuated by various adventures). For the first time, the two have to learn to live together after so many years apart. This book feels like a settled and romantic couple which I really loved. In the daily living, true love is shown. And for the first time, there is no question that Jamie and Claire will be together throughout the book.

What I really didn’t expect was how much I would love the story of Brianna and Roger. With Claire and Jamie on a less extreme emotional path, the torch of young love is passed to Brianna and Roger. I ended up loving both of these characters and I look forward to seeing their relationship develop.

As the series has progressed, I’ve become more acquainted with the historical events which form the pillars of the stories where these characters exist and with each book, I have enjoyed the historical parts more. Perhaps because we have moved into more familiar territory for me, I found the historical events and tidbits here fascinating.

As with all the books in this series, parts of the story are resolved and then parts are left for future books.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book depicts a graphic rape.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DRUMS OF AUTUMN is the fourth book in the OUTLANDER series. The book assumes knowledge from the previous books and therefore the books should be read in order.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Archangel’s Prophecy

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Review: Archangel’s ProphecyArchangel's Prophecy (Guild Hunter, #11) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #11
Published by Berkley on October 30, 2018
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 368
Goodreads
five-stars

“One must die for one to live.”

FINAL DECISION: Fantastic book which turns everything upside down. Dramatic and powerful, this book is a game changer in the Guild Hunter series, and left me screaming at the end for the year’s delay before finding out what happens next, but I believe this could be one of the most amazing books in the series because it challenges the reader rather than keeping to a formula.

THE STORY: Elena is the only mortal in memory to have been made into an immortal angel by the ambrosia kiss of Raphael, the Archangel. But something seems be going wrong. Elena is regressing and becoming more mortal. Raphael and Elena are in a race against time to discover what is happening. At the same time, Elena is tracking a murderer who is threatening her family. Even worse, the Cascade is at work again with sinkholes filled with Lava and flocks of mysterious birds approaching Elena.

OPINION: Eleven books in and a series can become predictable and stale. Singh tosses all the rules away with this ending of this book. Some readers might be upset by the cliffhanger ending and by what it portends, but it worked in ways that I didn’t expect when I first finished it. I ended up re-reading the last quarter twice and I loved it more each time. The last quarter of this book was intensely dramatic and powerful.

This book is an interesting mixture of an big and important Cascade story and a more mundane murder investigation. This book allows readers to see all of Elena — the mortal and immortal parts — and things begin to change in big ways. I was happy to get to see several of the secondary characters in this series, but this is very much an Elena-centric book. This is about her journey.

Things in the series seemed to be going on an expected path and I thought I knew what was going to happen. This book upset all those expectations and thus brought confusion and anger and quite a bit of disorientation by the end. But ultimately that is why I ended up loving it.  This book asks a lot from the reader and I, too, had to sacrifice predictability and security along with the characters.

Elena and Raphael are not characters who will be bound by fate and prophecy. They make their own path — even when that path is unclear and uncertain. I’m just along for the ride now.

This is the only book since the first book in the series where I have no idea what is going to happen next. There is something wonderfully creative and fascinating about being in this place of uncertainty.

I also need to re-read it in total as soon as I finish this review.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book ends on a cliffhanger.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S PROPHECY is the eleventh book in the Guild Hunter series. This series is meant to be read in order. While each book is an episode, there are significant overarching storylines in this series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

 

five-stars

Kiss Me at Christmas Release Date

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Today is a release day for Kiss Me at Christmas, the latest Playful Brides novel by Valerie Bowman. Our review can be found here. We also have an excerpt to share (Kiss Me at Christmas_Excerpt).

 

Not every leading lady finds love, gets married and sustains a domestic life. What about the ladies who were never swept off their feet? Do they take matters into their own hands? In the delightful addition to Valerie Bowman’s Regency-set Playful Brides series, Regina has written off the prospect of marriage, but she still would very much like a pleasurable distraction in her life. KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS (St. Martin’s Paperbacks, October 30, 2018, $7.99), connects a headstrong spinster and a noble Bow Street Runner tasked with protecting her during Christmas time in London. Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf abhors Christmas. Caroling and holiday cheer only remind him of a dark time. When a close friend calls on him for help, Daffin is happy to capitalize on the
distraction. But when he learns the lovely Lady Regina is the one in danger, he’s to become bodyguard to the captivating woman… Regina has one mission: to find a night of passion in the arms of a gentleman. Considered firmly on the shelf, Regina has given up on marriage—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be denied the pleasure married ladies experience. Daffin has long captured her attention…and when a threat calls him to her side, the sparks between them ignite. But how can a hired bodyguard find his way into Regina’s reserved heart?

VALERIE BOWMAN grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her mini-schnauzer, Huckleberry. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS. She is the author of the Secret Brides series and the Playful Brides series.
KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS
By Valerie Bowman
Price: $7.99
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-14752-3
St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Review: Kiss Me at Christmas

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Kiss Me at ChristmasKiss Me at Christmas (Playful Brides, #10) by Valerie Bowman
Series: Playful Brides #10
Published by St. Martin's Press on October 30, 2018
Genres: Historical
Pages: 320
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: The romance was the highlight here. There is a danger/threat story that was just okay for me, but the characters and their relationship was sweet and intelligent and quite enjoyable. I especially like these cross-class stories and this one had good intelligent characters.

THE STORY: Lady Regina is facing a marriage to a man who she doesn’t love. She decides that she wants something for herself since it appears that the love of her life isn’t going to arrive. She decides to settle for making the decision of who to give her virginity to. And Regina has decided on Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf with whom she has a flirtation while he was investigating a murder. When someone seems to be threatening Regina, Daffin is hired to help protect her allowing the two to get closer.

OPINION: I enjoyed this book primarily because of the interactions between Regina and Daffin.

Regina is a woman challenged by the times she lives in. She would rather be a spinster, but her family wants her to be settled and married to an aristocrat. She is about to give in to her uncle’s choice but wants to experience her own rebellion first. Regina is intelligent and thoughtful and willing to take responsibility for herself. Her acceding to her family’s wishes comes from a place of love and caring and responsibility rather than weakness. I liked that she is lively and clever.

Daffin is a good man with a past that makes him feel unworthy of Regina even as the two get closer. He is accomplished in his profession and has good friends, but Daffin only can see the past. And part of his past is his dislike for Christmas. As he spends time with Regina, however, Daffin begins to recognize that Regina is not anything like the stereotype his has about aristocratic women. And that makes things even more complicated for him.

I really liked that Daffin and Regina’s relationship is built upon talking and friendship. Their connection was obvious from the beginning of the story. The only things really keeping them apart are Daffin’s doubts and the difference in their social status.

What didn’t work as well for me was the danger aspect of the story. The villain didn’t feel as necessary as the pages it took up. Fortunately, Regina and Daffin were wonderful and I ended up only being vaguely interested in the other parts of the story. Thankfully this is a romance and I much prefer that the romance be great!

WORTH MENTIONING: We get a small glimpse into the final book in the series towards the end.

CONNECTED BOOKS: KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS is the tenth book in the Playful Brides series. This book can be read as a standalone although there are characters from prior books in the series. The romance here is self-contained.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to help prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-stars

Review: ‘Tis the Season

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Review: ‘Tis the Season'Tis the Season: Regency Yuletide Short Stories by Christi Caldwell, Eva Devon, Grace Burrowes, Janna MacGregor, Jennifer Ashley, Jess Michaels, Louisa Cornell
Series: Rogues to Riches #0.5, The Brethren #3.5, The Many Brides of Lord Creighton #3.5, The Duke's Secret #1.5, Cavensham Heiresses #4.5,
on October 23, 2018
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a collection of short stories which are unconnected to one another (although most are connected to a series the author writes).

A FIRST-FOOTER FOR LADY JANE by Jennifer Ashley:  When her grandfather predicts that Jane will merry this year’s First-Footer, Jane is disbelieving. She intends to marry the man she has known since childhood. But at midnight, Captain Spencer Ingram walks through the door and turns her expectations upside down. This was a sweet story. There wasn’t much to the romance between Jane and Spencer, but Spencer’s sincerely made up for that along with the meddling Grandfather. A sweet holiday treat. Rating: 4 stars.

A KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Grace Burrowes: Chloe Thatcher is in danger of losing her grandfather’s bookshop after his death. Aidan Ferris has the job of gaining ownership of the property for the man who saved him from the streets. This is a prequel to the Rogues to Riches series. I really enjoyed the tone and characters in this book although the romance is merely sweet. I liked this one well enough to want to read the next book in the series. Rating: 4 stars.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Christi Caldwell: Martha and Graham Whitworth (from THE ROGUE WHO RESCUED HER) are getting ready to celebrate their first holiday together after their marriage when they receive a summons from Graham’s parents (who tried to separate them) asking for a reconciliation. This book operates an an epilogue to THE ROGUE WHO RESCUED HER. However, I haven’t read that book and this story was still perfectly understandable and I immediately got the issues with the parties and the connection between Martha and Graham. I really enjoyed this story and it made me want to read Martha and Graham’s story. Rating: 4.5 stars.

STEALING CHRISTMAS by Louisa Cornell: Sebastian and Minerva Brightworth are going to be spending their first Christmas together but their happiness is interrupted when Minerva insists on inviting Sebastian’s brother to the festivities and Sebastian doesn’t want him there. This story didn’t work as well for me. I haven’t read the book that this couple is introduced in and I didn’t feel that the story seemlessly introduced these characters to me so that I would care about them despite not knowing their story. The story got better as it progressed, but I think this might be better for those familiar with the couple. Rating: 2.5 stars.

JOY TO THE DUKE by Eva Devon:  Robert Deverall and his wife Harriet aka Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Blackstone, celebrate Christmas but there are shadows of the past. This one didn’t work for me. There were too many characters that I was not familiar with not having read the other books in the series. I didn’t feel connected to the characters because there were obviously stories here between the characters of which I was not aware. Rating: 2 stars.

THE EARL’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE by Janna MacGregor: Cameron Dunmore, the Earl of Queensgrace, wants to win the woman he loves, Julia Lawson. Julia, however, even as she loves Cam has been hurt by his withdrawal from her life. But even if she can forgive him, she is not willing to leave her family to be with him. I liked this story although I had trouble getting into the story because I was not familiar with the characters and it took me a while to orient myself in the characters and the story.  I did, however, end up really liking the story once I was able to sort everything out. Rating: 3.5 stars.

SILENT NIGHT by Jess Michaels: Ewan and Charlotte, the Duke and Duchess of Donburrow, are planning Christmas with their friends and family. Charlotte, however, has a secret that causes Ewan to reexamine where he is in his life. This story is really an epilogue to THE SILENT DUKE from the 1797 Club series. This was my favorite in this collection because I already knew the characters and liked seeing their story advance. Ewan and Charlotte are wonderful together and this story brings something new to their romance. Rating: 4.5 stars.

four-stars