Review: The Sins of Lord Lockwood

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: The Sins of Lord LockwoodThe Sins of Lord Lockwood (Rules for the Reckless, #6) by Meredith Duran
Series: Rules for the Reckless #6
Published by Pocket Books on February 27th 2018
Genres: Historical
Pages: 368
Goodreads
five-stars

“A man can learn to live for revenge.”

FINAL DECISION: At times dark and sad, this book is ultimately about the ability of the human spirit to endure and ultimately triumph. A wonderful companion to THE DUKE OF SHADOWS, I loved Liam and Anna’s story.

THE STORY: Liam Devaliant, Earl of Lockwood, was kidnapped on his wedding day and sent as a prisoner to the colonies. He has returned a changed man bent on making the man who betrayed him pay. What he doesn’t expect is the arrival of his bride who believes he deserted her on their wedding day. The four years that have passed have made Anna bitter.  The two talked of a marriage where each would be free, but she did not expect her groom to disappear without a wedding night. Anna, however, does have something she needs from Liam and is determined to get it and then return to her home in Scotland.

OPINION: Powerful, emotional and sometimes dark, this is the story of a man who lost everything and how the love he left behind brings him back.

I loved this story become of the complex emotional heart of it. Anna and Liam lost so much four years ago. The structure of the book makes this especially poignant by intermixing the story of their courtship with their current reality. The switching between these time periods brings emphasis on the pain of their separation.

Liam is an honorable man who is struggling. Seeing the difference between the man he was four years ago and the man he is now is sometimes difficult. The way the book is written puts the reader in the same place as Anna who has to discover who the man she married is. He is a wonderful hero who centers this book.

Anna is strong-willed and independent and yet vulnerable under the face she shows others. That is another theme of this book, the faces that one shows. As Liam and Anna both discover the complexity of one another. That no face is false, but rather an aspect of character. But that there is a face that only can be shown to the one you love.

I alternately found this book sad and triumphant. While these two were torn apart, they manage to find their way to one another and build something different and perhaps stronger than what they would have had four years before.

Some characters are so vivid and fascinating that it is hard to close the book on them. Anna and Liam are those kinds of characters to me.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book deals with what we now call PTSD in a complicated and sober fashion.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD is the sixth book in the Rules for the Reckless series. While the romance is separate, I recommend reading A LADY’S CODE OF MISCONDUCT and then a related book THE DUKE OF SHADOWS because this book flows nicely from those two books.  The events of this book run somewhat concurrently with THE DUKE OF SHADOWS.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

NOTE: I received and 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: The Duke of Shadows

Review: The Duke of ShadowsThe Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran
Published by Pocket Star on March 25th 2008
Genres: Historical
Pages: 371
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: Powerful as the characters have to overcome their experiences with death in Colonial India. The romance is sweeter than I might expect but life gets in their way. One of Duran’s best.

THE STORY: Emmaline Martin is an heiress who has come to British Colonial India to marry the man who has been selected for her since her childhood. Emma suffers after the death of her parents on the journey to India. When Emma arrives, her fiance is not the man she thought he was and as India seems to be exploding all around her, Emma turns to Julian Sinclair, Duke of Auburn for help.

OPINION: I’ve had this book on my to-read list for years, but always shied away from reading it because people called it dark and difficult to read. I’m sorry now that I waited although it turns out that I read it at exactly the right time since it falls right before Duran’s new book.

Yes, the subject matter is dark and the journey of this characters, especially Emma is difficult to read at times, but the story is fantastic and the romance balances beautifully the darkness of the plot.

That is what surprised me most about this book. The beauty of the love between Julian and Emma in the face of the darkness that threatens them everywhere. And the darkness is not merely external. Emma especially has trouble dealing with the events of her parents’ deaths and then the horror of the Insurrection. I won’t lie, sometimes these brutal events are difficult to read, but they are not gratuitous or unduly graphic. Emma has PTSD in a time that didn’t have the vocabulary or understanding of what was happening to her.

She is difficult to get close to as a character because her pain keeps her emotions closed off and frozen. And that is one reason that I adored Julian. His determination and dedication to her when she pushes him away is sweet and lovely. I loved him and his strength in not allowing Emma’s pain to push him away.

This is ultimately a hopeful book and I look forward to reading the story of Julian and Emma again and again over the years.

I really enjoyed the different setting for this book. It exposed me to a time period that I did not study in school and the book sparked my interest in reading more.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book takes place in India during the turmoil of attempts to overthrow of British rule in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The book is sometimes violent and difficult to read but powerful.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE DUKE OF SHADOWS was written as a standalone. However, Duran has written, years later, a book in the Rules for the Reckless series, THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD, which tells the story of Lord Lockwood and his wife who appear in THE DUKE OF SHADOWS.  The timeline of this book and its content now places is right around the same time as THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD in the Rules of the Reckless series and it might even be considered to be part of that series now.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

 

five-stars

Review: Sight Unseen

Review: Sight UnseenSight Unseen: A Collection of Five Anonymous Novellas by Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran, Erin Satie, Emma Barry, J.A. Rock
Published by Open Ink Press on June 6th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical
Pages: 386
Goodreads
four-stars

SIGHT UNSEEN is an anthology of five stories written by different authors.  Three months after the publication, the authors will be revealed.

LOST THAT FEELING:  Alma is being held in prison where she is told she is a thief and a murderer.  Having cast a spell on herself, Alma has lost her memories from the last seven  years.  When she is rescued by a man named Driss, he tells her he is a friend and that she is actually a hero helping to overthrow an oppressive leader. Alma, however, doesn’t know who to trust and also who she really is.  This story was a disappointment to me.  I really loved the setup and the relationship between Alma and Driss seemed to have much promise, but instead of focusing on the relationship, the story spends too much time on the reasons that Alma’s spell went wrong. I wish there was more relationship development.  Rating: 2 stars.

CLEAR VIEW OF YOU:  Kate was raised by her mother as a future witch, but Kate was a disappointment to her mother. As she grew, Kate realized that her mother was actually running a cult and that magic is fake.  Fleeing to the “real world” Kate finances her education by acting as a psychic.  When her new client, North, has a special request for Kate, she wonders if this is an offer of a lifetime or one too good to be true.  I really liked this story.  My complaint was that it was too short.  I would love to read more stories in this world with these characters.  For such a short story, there is a lot of development in the story with both discovery of self and also dramatic plot developments.  Fun and intriguing.  Rating: 4.5 stars.

FREE:  Brad White is in love with Wren Masters.  The complication is that Brad works for a criminal motorcycle club and Wren is the club’s president’s daughter.  When Wren discovers the truth about the club, she works with Brad to discover the truth about what is going on with her father’s club.  The truth may, however, threaten any future for Brad and Wren.  This story was uneven and parts of it were unsatisfying, but I loved Brad and his devotion to Wren even when she doesn’t respond to him.  There was something fresh and intriguing about the story even if it didn’t feel polished.  I wanted to know more about the future of these two.  Rating: 4 stars.

CHARIOT OF DESIRE:  CJ Crespo has always been interested in her bandmate Donny Times. After years of self-destructive behavior (it was the 1970s after all), Donny has joined a cultish religion which imposes a morality that threatens to tear the band and Donny and CJ apart.  This is more a vignette than a fully reconciled story.  I was unhappy because while the story tells something about these characters, it felt unfinished and I was left asking what would actually happen between these characters.  Rating: 2.5 stars.

THE HEART IS A UNIVERSE:  On the planet of Pax Cora a young woman is slated to be the sacrifice in order to save her planet.  Vitalis, however, has moved from acceptance of her fate to the decision to flee and save herself.  Her desperation leads her to accept an invitation to a courtship summit where she meets the heroic and handsome prince Eleian of Terra.  Immediately upon their meeting the stranger Eleian proposes marriage. What is unclear is what are Eleian’s motives in wanting to marry a woman who will die in sixteen days if she doesn’t escape.  Absolutely wonderful.  My favorite story in the anthology.  While all the threads didn’t come together for me in the end, I thought the journey and the relationship between these characters was compelling.  I couldn’t put it down and kept turning pages wanting to know what the secrets between these characters were, how the two would resolve the dilemmas facing them and just wanting to know what the end would be.  Rating: 4.5 stars.

four-stars

A Lady’s Code of Misconduct Blog Tour

by Meredith Duran
Genres: Historical

Top 10 Romance Books is honored to be hosting a release day stop on the Blog Tour for LADY’S CODE OF MISCONDUCT.  This is a fabulous book that I couldn’t put down even into the wee hours of the morning!  I give the book 5 enthusiastic stars and you can read my full review here.

BONUS Reckless Reward Giveaway!!  — ENTER BY LEAVING A COMMENT ON THIS POST

We also are giving away one set (Reckless Reward!) of three autographed copies in the Rules for the Reckless series: Fool Me Twice, Lady Be Good, and Luck Be A Lady. Twenty blogs participating in the blog tour will be also be participating in the giveaway (each giving away a set).  You can enter on all participating sites, but you can only win once. See the full list of participating blogs below.  U.S. only.

To win, leave a comment below. The giveaway ends tonight (2/28) at 11:59pm.

 

FROM THE USA today bestselling author of FOOL ME TWICE, the 2015 RITA AWARD Winner for Historical Romance

AND LUCK BE A LADY, AN RT BOOK REVIEWS NOMINEE FOR BEST BOOK OF 2015 HISTORICAL NOVEL

A LADY’S CODE OF MISCONDUCT

Fifth in the Rules for the Reckless Series

By Meredith Duran
Pocket Books
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
ISBN: 9781501139024
Price: $7.99

Praise for A Lady’s Code of Misconduct:

“Political intrigue and conspiracies abound in Duran’s engrossing fifth Rules for the Reckless Victorian romance (after Luck Be a Lady), which boasts plot twists galore…Duran is at the pinnacle of her craft as she weaves together humor, forgiveness, and love in a flawlessly executed plot. Jane, Crispin, and the rest of the characters are all well drawn, and the love scenes strike the perfect balance of steamy and sweet. Each layer in the story is suspenseful and delightful, making this the best installment so far.”

Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW

“A sham marriage, political intrigue, and a case of amnesia provide a backdrop for this absorbing Victorian romance. Although Duran (Luck Be a Lady, 2015, etc.) has written a novel as layered as an onion, the characters are well-drawn and the plot flawlessly executed. Add in some very steamy sex, and the fifth installment of Duran’s Rules for the Reckless series can’t help but delight. This book weaves its spell so thoroughly that the most fortunate reader will be the one who has time to read the entire thing in one sitting. A masterful tale of suspense, forgiveness, and love.”

Kirkus STARRED REVIEW

“Political intrigue drives a captivating historical romance…This Regency romance, part of the Rules for the Reckless series, is a smart love story, peopled with complex and absorbing characters.”

BookPage, TOP PICK IN ROMANCE

“A riveting story.”

—Heroes and Heartbreakers

“A masterful author of historical romances…A Lady’s Code of Misconduct takes worn threads of old tropes, like amnesia and the tortured hero, and weaves them into a lush tapestry with sophisticated, beautiful writing. Crispin seems power-mad and Jane seems saintly, but as Duran slowly unravels their characters amidst a plot of intrigue, betrayal, and dark secrets, we discover they’re more alike than they (or we) realize. The hero is swoonworthy, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Jane as his flaws shine a light on her own. The tale and characters so captivated me, that I literally couldn’t put it down.”

—Omnivoracious Amazon Book Review by Sabrina Jeffries

“Thoughtfully written and the story creates not just a simple story of two people but an entire world for them to inhabit. If you like your historicals to have some meat to them, I highly recommend this one.”

—All About Romance

“Extremely relevant to our current political state…I could have easily sat and devoured this in one evening as each of the chapters seemed to end on a cliffhanger that just won’t let you put the book down. Quill says: A Lady’s Code of Misconduct is the perfect book to sit in your favorite chair with and let the world pass by for a little while you get lost in the past.”

—Feathered Quill

“I absolutely love this series… Meredith writes intelligent characters with a fast paced plot.  Her writing is sensual, witty and totally captivating.  This book has everything you would want in a Historical Romance.   It is witty, sensual with a mystery that will keep you guessing to the very end. Crispin and Jane are extraordinary characters in a riveting story that will leave you wanting more.  The journey of Crispin and Jane to their HAE is fabulous.  I will read anything that Meredith writes.”

—The Reading Wench

“A fun read. I enjoyed Duran’s characters and plot…there’s a villain who made me think of a Regency era James Bond villain.”

—Bookfan

About the book:

USA TODAY  bestselling author Meredith Duran’s A LADY’S CODE OF MISCONDUCT is the fifth sizzling novel in the Rules for the Reckless series—a sexy and evocative Regency romance between a famous heiress and an infamous crime lord.

A DEAL WITH the DEVIL…
Trapped in the countryside, facing an unwanted marriage and the theft of her fortune, Jane Mason is done behaving nicely. To win her freedom, she’ll strike a deal with the most dangerous man she knows—a rising star in politics, whose dark good looks mask an even darker heart.

…NEVER GOES TO PLAN.
The bitter past has taught Crispin Burke to trust no one. He’ll gladly help a lovely young heiress, provided she pays a price. Yet when a single mistake shatters his life, it is Jane who holds the key to his salvation. And in a world that no longer makes sense, Crispin slowly realizes that she may be the only thing worth fighting for…

About the author:

Meredith Duran is the author of ten previous novels, including The Duke of Shadows (winner of the Gather.com First Chapters Romance Writing Competition); Wicked Becomes You (included on the Woman’s World List of Best Beach Reads for Summer 2010), and the USA TODAY bestseller and RITA Award Winner Fool Me Twice. She blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history, and for convincing her that princely love is no prize if it doesn’t come with a happily-ever-after. She enjoys collecting old etiquette manuals, guidebooks to nineteenth-century London, and travelogues by intrepid Victorian women. Visit her at MeredithDuran.com, on Twitter @meredithduran and Facebook AuthorMeredithDuran.

Reckless Reward:

The twenty starred blogs (*) below will giveaway one set (Reckless Reward!) of three autographed copies in the Rules for the Reckless series: Fool Me Twice, Lady Be Good, and Luck Be A Lady. You can enter on all participating sites, but you can only win once. To celebrate the fifth in the series, there will be five Reckless Reward giveaways per day beginning publication day, Tuesday, February 28th – Friday, March 3rd. U.S. only.

Blog Tour:

Bookaholics Romance Book Club INTERVIEW WITH MEREDITH DURAN and  GIVEAWAY

Sunday, February 26th
Nikbooklovers Blog
 Monday, February 27th
Books for Her
Tuesday, February 28th
*The Romance Dish
*Canadian Book Addict
*Just Another New Blog
*Top 10 Romance Books
*Unabridged Chick
Buried Under Romance
Dear Author
Toot’s Book Reviews – Feature
Il Profumo delle Pergamene
Marvelous Things
My Book Addiction and More
Wednesday, March 1st
*Book Nerd
*Reviews by Crystal
*All About Romance
*Booktalk with Eileen
*We So Nerdy
Roses Are Blue
In the Hammock
Feeding My Addiction Book Reviews – Spotlight
Romance Book Reviews for You
Thursday, March 2nd
*I am, Indeed
*A Midlife Wife
*Literary Gossip
*Undeniably Book Nerdy
*Dew On The Kudzu
Books and Beauty Are My Bag
Ebook Obsessed
Abigail Books Addiction
Dirty Girl Romance – Spotlight
Bookhounds – Q&A
Friday, March 3rd
*Black ‘N Gold Girl’s Book Spot
*JoJo the Bookaholic
*Sportochick’s Musings
*The Reading Wench
*Got Fiction Book Blog
Cup of Tea and Book
The Reading Addict
Nicely Phrased
Ladeetda Reads
Silvatrend8553 Book Blog
Night Owl Reviews – Author Guest Post
Bookbitch
Saturday, March 4th
Passionate Encounters
Sunday, March 5th
My Little Book Corner
Monday, March 6th
Reading Frenzy – Spotlight
Bookish – Giveaway
Foreign Circus Library
Poof Books
Tuesday, March 7th
I Love Romance
Bookworm2bookworm – Spotlight, Excerpt, and Review
Dirty and Thirty
Wild Wordy Women
Polished Bookworm
Sammi’s Bookish Reality
Passionate Reads
Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh my!
Celtic Lady’s Reviews – Spotlight
Wednesday, March 8th
Moonlight Rendezvous
One More Chapter
Fresh Fiction – Spotlight
Thursday, March 9th
Happy Ever After Romance Book Reviews
The Book Junkie Reads
Three Boys and an Old Lady blog
 Friday, March 10th
Smitten by Books
Celtic Guardian

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Review: Lady’s Code of Misconduct

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: Lady’s Code of MisconductA Lady's Code of Misconduct (Rules for the Reckless, #5) by Meredith Duran
Series: Rules for the Reckless #5
Published by Pocket Books on February 28th 2017
Genres: Historical
Pages: 400
Goodreads
five-stars

“Who are you? How do you know me?” The color drained from her face. “I…” Her lips opened and closed. “I’m Jane,” she said unsteadily. “And you…” Her indrawn breath sounded ragged. “You, Crispin, are my husband.”

FINAL DECISION: Oh, how I loved this one!  A man who might otherwise be the villain of the story completely — ok, not so completely — redeemed by love.  Complex and twisty and so enjoyable.  This series just keeps getting better!

THE STORY:  Jane Mason is trapped by her uncle who intends to marry her to his son in order to control her fortune. Condemned to suppress all her personality behind a meek exterior, Jane desperately wants to evade her uncle’s plots.  Mr. Crispin Burke is a ruthless man who intends to be prime minister.  He will do anything to protect his alliance with Jane’s uncle — even if that means destroying Jane’s own chances.  A blackmailed bargain and a murder attempt ends up with the two being married, but when she gains control of her fortune, will Jane be able to leave the man she hated…but for whom she has begun to care?

OPINION:  This book is so wonderful but so difficult to describe without giving away the twists and turns which make the book sing.

The book begins with a hero who seems completely irredeemable.  He is ambitious to the exclusion of all else and exceedingly immoral.  He will bribe, blackmail, and deal in all types of corruption in order to succeed.  He will be Prime Minister and he will do anything to accomplish that feat.  Crispin threatens the heroine and blackmails her into doing his bidding.  Even when he knows that Jane is desperately mistreated and willing to do almost anything to free herself…he ignores her plight except to the extent that it can benefit himself.  Jane has known Crispin for years and she knows that he is a ruthless and immoral man.

“Power made a fine panacea for any number of old aches. It would be revenge and pleasure and comfort rolled up into one.”

While Crispin appears a lost cause as the book begins, a twist of fate strips him of his invulnerability and leaves him open to change.  An attempt on his life leaves him with no memory of the evils he has done or the reasons for them.  Jane, now married to Crispin, knows the man he was, but finds herself falling in love with the man he is now.  The fear and drama of the story is that neither knows what will happen to them if Crispin remembers the man he was.

Jane is a woman who is struggling for independence. A beloved daughter who was valued for her intellect and opinions, she has begun to lose herself under the oppression of her uncle. Yet she is determined to free herself. Her stubborn and powerful will for freedom allows her to make a decision which will change her life and Crispin’s as well.

The tension in this book is tightly drawn because as the two attempt to discover who attempted to kill Crispin, they must explore who Crispin was and what he was up to.  The danger of every revelation is that is might trigger Crispin’s memories and the return of the man that Jane knows she cannot help but hate.  Something else happens as the two make their discoveries…the reasons for Crispin’s heartless pursuit of power become clear and perhaps provides a more sympathetic portrait of the villain at the beginning of the book.

What I loved most about this book is that its core message becomes one of understanding and acceptance that love requires. Crispin is not all bad and we learn that Jane is not all that good.  People have flaws and weaknesses.  Those flaws can make us the heroes of the story as we overcome their influence on our lives and protect against the damage they may do, or they can make us hard and indeed the villain of our own story. Both Crispin and Jane are more complex than they appeared at the beginning of the book.  By the end, they both see one another clearly and as a whole fallible person.

That brings me to the chemistry between Jane and Crispin which is blistering hot. The two seem to relish the intellectual battle of wills as enemies which leads to sexy encounters even as their antipathy diminishes. I loved these two together, couldn’t put the book down and really didn’t want the book to end. In fact, as the book ended, I couldn’t help but hope we might see more of them in future books.

This might be my favorite book in the series and I really, really liked the last one.  Now I have to read both again to compare!

WORTH MENTIONING:  Oh, I hope we get to read more about Lockwood!

CONNECTED BOOKS:  LADY’S CODE OF MISCONDUCT is the fifth book in the Rules for the Reckless series.  This book does not rely on any other book in the series and can be read as a complete standalone.  This book also has a glancing connection to the standalone THE DUKE OF SHADOWS as LADY’S CODE OF MISCONDUCT refers to Lord Lockwood’s disappearance. Lockwood is a character in THE DUKE OF SHADOWS.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 5 stars.

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

five-stars

Review: Sweetest Regret

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: Sweetest RegretSweetest Regret by Meredith Duran
Published by Pocket Star on November 28th 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 110
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: An enjoyable and well developed story about a second chance at love.

THE STORY: Georgiana “Georgie” Trent is left by her diplomat father to entertain his guests for Christmas and to search for a letter that one of the guests has stolen. To assist her, her father sends Lucas Godwin. Lucas broke Georgie’s heart two years ago when he left without a word to her. The two fight one another while searching for the letter and end up discovering what actually happened two years ago.

OPINION: I enjoyed this novella a great deal.  Georgie and Lucas have a tremendous amount of sadness and pain behind them. Even when they discover the truth, Georgie doesn’t believe that they have a future. The twists of this story were intriguing and the characters were well developed.

WORTH MENTIONING:  SWEETEST REGRET was previously published in the anthology WHAT HAPPENS UNDER THE MISTLETOE.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  This book is a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2015

This list of ten books is not necessarily my best reviewed books of 2015.  Rather, these are ten books which stuck with me for one reason or another.

10. Pia Does Hollywood by Thea Harrison — This novella does exactly what I love.  It revisits characters from the series and moves their story forward.  This novella has a tight story line and reminds me how much I love Dragos and Pia as a couple.

9. The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean — A classic road story, this first book in MacLean’s new series ticks all the classic romantic tropes — two protagonists who start out hating and fighting one another but soon cannot help being attracted to one another, a highwayman, illicit nights spent on the road together, and a rake brought to his knees.

8. Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz — Perfect balance between romance and suspense in this story of the past that comes back to haunt the heroine. I loved the twists and turns of the suspense story and also the connection between the hero and heroine.

7. The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward — A book I was inclined to dislike merely because of its description which sounds like a 1980s Dynasty or Dallas description, I found the story of this rich family that is falling apart on all sides to be compelling.  These are not always likable characters but their development makes great drama. The story is a  sweeping and epic family drama with a lot of romance.

6. Luck be a Lady by Meredith Duran — I love these cross-class romances.  Here, the hero is a criminal mastermind and the heroine is a woman who wants nothing more than to be a strong business woman.  Challenging all her assumptions Catherine has about herself, Nick is clever, daring, rough and sexy.  Their interactions are what I remember most from this book.

5. Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh — Nassir, Nassir, Nassir.  Cuddly as a cat and as dangerous as a viper, Nassir is such unique character.  His search for his mate is as singular as Nassir’s own nature.  I loved that we get to know so much about Nassir and yet he becomes more mysterious and compelling.  Mee-yow!

4. Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh — The only author with two books on my list, Nalini Singh has two diverse genres.  Rock Redemption is her contemporary series about the members of a rock band.  When Noah and Kit were introduced earlier in the series, readers discovered that Noah purposely destroyed any potential relationship between them by having Kit catch him having sex with a groupie.  How these two find a path together is my most heartbreaking and angst filled read of the year.

3. Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase — This book has a quirky relationship between a barrister and an aristocrat.  The two of them have a very bantering relationship with lots of arguments and discussions which draw them together.  I always love the sense of place that Chase novels have with many historical details.  Chase makes a stuffy lawyer very sexy.

2. Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt — Hot, hot, hot. This story between a sensualist and a woman who fears even being alone with a man is romantic and sexy while also being sweet and gentle.  Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series is one of my all time favorites and this book’s story is big and bold and sexy — and so is Asa Makepeace.

1. The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long — My favorite book of the year did something that is almost impossible — exceeded high expectations. The final book of the Pennyroyal Green series, this book tells the star-crossed lovers story of Lyon and Olivia whose families rival the Capulets and Montagues. Lyon and Olivia’s story has been a catalyst throughout the series and thus readers had high expectations for their story. This book was beautiful, emotional and one of the best closures of a series I have ever read.

Review: Luck Be a Lady

Luck Be a Lady
Luck Be a Lady by Meredith Duran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Favorite of the Series

“Since their first meeting, she had wondered about him. He was so very . . . free . . . in this attitudes and behavior. She had never met anybody like him.”

FINAL DECISION: Lovely story with a sexy and charming self-made rogue and a strong woman who wants to make her own way. LUCK BE A LADY is steamy and dramatic and filled with deep emotions. It satisfies fans of the series but also can be thoroughly enjoyed by new readers.

THE STORY: Catherine Everleigh is talented and has wanted nothing more than to work in her father’s auction house her whole life. Her father left the auction house in equal shares between Catherine and her brother, but Catherine cannot control her share until her marriage. Known as the “Ice Queen”, Catherine is a spinster with no desire for marriage, but she will sacrifice in order to save the auction house. Her brother has begun to embezzle from the business and Catherine knows that there is no time to lose. In her desperation, she turns to Nicholas O’Shea and proposes a marriage of convenience. Nick is a survivor and a crime lord who is moving into legal operations. He agrees to Catherine’s proposition in order to protect his own turf and because he has wanted Catherine for a year. While their marriage is supposed to be all business, Nick intends to seduce the ice queen.

OPINION: I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Nick is dashing and naughty and incredibly wonderful. A man who has made something of himself despite all odd to the contrary. He is also incredibly respectful of Catherine’s abilities. That is what she ends up appreciating most. He likes her mind and her strength and is not threatened by her. Catherine is proud and smart and hard working. She is a working woman in a society that has no appreciation for her talents. In the prior book in the series, LADY BE GOOD, I didn’t like her very much. Through Duran’s talents, Catherine is made entirely sympathetic here. These are complex and fascinating characters and I didn’t want their story to end because I liked them both so much.

I am a huge fan of social mismatch stories and this story is a good one. Their match is so inappropriate that Catherine uses it as blackmail. The romance is deep and adult and there are not silly misunderstandings. These two people learn to talk to one another, to see things in each other that they did not expect and to fall in love.

The plot is also exciting as well. There are unexpected twists that kept me turning the pages quickly even as I wanted to savor the story. The story was complete and satisfying but at the same time I was sad when I finished the last page because I loved these characters so much.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the series will get a surprise appearance by a character who readers met before and who plays an important role in this book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LUCK BE A LADY is the fourth book in the Rules for the Reckless series. Although there are appearances from characters from the series, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.