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Review: Pleasure for Pleasure

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Review: Pleasure for PleasurePleasure for Pleasure (Essex Sisters, #4) by Eloisa James
Series: Essex Sisters #4
Published by Avon Books on November 28th 2006
Genres: Historical
Pages: 404
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Entertaining and sweet redemption for women who are more pear shaped than fashionably thin, PLEASURE FOR PLEASURE provides a warm conclusion to the Essex Sisters quartet.

THE STORY: Miss Josie Essex has obtained the unfortunate nickname ‘the Scottish Sausage” because of her full figure. Abandoning the possibility of a traditional courtship, Josie is persuaded by family friend, the Earl of Mayne to throw away her ugly restrictive corset, obtain some clothes to flatter her curvy figure and realize the attractive possibilities of her own body.  When Josie is almost ruined by a boorish rakehell, Mayne steps up to save her.

OPINION:  I enjoyed this book precisely because Josie, the young woman with a poor self-image of herself, the woman who is taunted by bullies having been given the moniker “the Scottish Sausage” manages to claim the man who has gotten away from every woman in this series (including Josie’s own sisters). In this story, there is something especially lovely about the jaded Mayne falling for the lively youngest Miss Essex.  Josie is not a stereotypical sweet gentle miss. She is tart and argumentative and simply wonderful.

I honestly am usually more interested in the hero than the heroine, but this book was one where I so identified with Josie that I focused on her journey.  While she is young, I love how she is able to keep Mayne once she catches him.  I loved her personality which is so different from the mousey wallflower one might suspect.  She feels like an incredibly well rounded and complex character.

One of the interesting parts of this book is how James has Mayne and Josie fall in love in the quiet.  There is no “ah, ha” moment. Yet, by the time the big moment comes at the end of the book, it is clear that these two are perfect for one another.  Mayne has been bored with life, not truly engaging with life.  Josie is so full of life, that she pulls Mayne with her.

My one quibble with the story is that I thought that Josie deserved a bit more in her happy ending with Mayne. After he had been matched with so many women, I would have liked something just a little more demonstrating his devotion to Josie alone.

There is also a secondary romance involving Mayne sister.  I enjoyed that romance as well and it neatly wrapped up all the characters from the series.

WORTH MENTIONING:  The epilogue has a little “in the future”

CONNECTED BOOKS:  PLEASURE FOR PLEASURE is the fourth book in the Essex Sisters series.  It can be read as a standalone but is a great culmination of everything that has happened in the series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: The Taming of the Duke

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Review: The Taming of the DukeThe Taming of the Duke (Essex Sisters, #3) by Eloisa James
Series: Essex Sisters #3
Published by HarperCollins Publishers on November 28th 2006
Genres: Historical
Pages: 400
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION:  I liked this book but there was just too much going on with too complicated issues to be resolved so quickly.  Despite that, I liked the romance between Rafe and Imogen which has been going on since book one of this series.

THE STORY:  Imogen, Lady Maitland, has been widowed for a year and is ready to take a lover. She targets Gabe Spenser, the illegitimate brother of her former guardian, Rafe, Duke of Holbrook.  Imogen has had a contentious relationship with Holbrook especially as he managed to almost drink himself to death.  Newly sober, however, Rafe, has no intention of allowing Imogen to engage in illicit relations with another man.  He masquerades as his brother intending to help Imogen avoid ruin.  Instead, Rafe ends up engaging in a series of inappropriate encounters with the woman who constantly bedevils and entrances him.

OPINION: I was looking forward to this book because Rafe and Imogen seemed likely to set things on fire considering their arguments in past books.  In that sense, I was not disappointed.  Rafe and Imogen had an obvious connection from the beginning.  Imogen spent much of the previous books being petulant and then grieving.  As this book begins, she recognizes her prior bad actions and begins to act in a more mature way.

I liked the story about Rafe turning to sobriety after years of wallowing in drunkenness.  My concern is that he makes that change and then his romance with Imogen happens so quickly after. While the epilogue assures readers that Rafe has been able to stick with his sobriety, I couldn’t help but feel apprehension during the story.  It might be because of my personal experience with alcoholics or my modern thinking about the disease, but I found it difficult to turn off that part of my brain during the story.  I wished that Rafe had decided to kick his drinking in a prior book to give some space before his romance with Imogen. That being said, there is nothing pretty or easy about Rafe’s journey.

Or maybe it was just one too many things for me to accept.  The idea that Rafe could masquerade as his half brother without Imogen immediately realizing the deception was something that I had to accept on faith because it was just too impossible to imagine it actually happening.  It was a silly farce much like the Shakespeare tropes upon which it is based, but it is not realistic.  I did enjoy the situations it allowed Rafe and Imogen to become embroiled in and gave the story some much needed humor.

I just thought that there was too much crammed in here that it didn’t allow the romance the space and time and quiet it needed to really grab me.  There was so much happening that Rafe and Imogen’s romance seemed to be resolved too quickly for my tastes.  It just felt like there needed to be a little more development at the end to fully satisfy me.

WORTH MENTIONING:  There are two romances in this book.  Readers of MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU will be pleased to see the Miss Pythian-Adams again.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE TAMING OF THE DUKE is the third book in the Essex Sisters series  It can be read as a standalone although I think it is better to read Imogen’s whole journey which begins in book one.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: Kiss Me, Annabel

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Review: Kiss Me, AnnabelKiss Me, Annabel by Eloisa James
Series: Essex Sisters #2
Published by HarperCollins on December 13th 2005
Genres: Historical
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-stars

“The day the Scotsman came to Lady Feddrington’s ball, Annabel’s sister decided to give him her virtue, and Annabel decided not to give him her hand in marriage.”

FINAL DECISION:  I enjoyed this book much more than the first in the series.  Ewan, the hero, is sexy and sweet and just my type of catnip. I’m fond of the roadtrip romance in this book.

THE STORY:  Annabel Essex, the second of four sisters, knows her requirements for a husband: he will be rich and English.  After living impoverished in Scotland with her horse mad father, Annabel knows that she can use her feminine attributes to snare the perfect mate.  On the verge of achieving her goal, Annabel ends up in a compromising situation with Ewan, Earl of Ardmore which forces them to marry.  Ardmore is not the man Annabel wants to marry, he is Scottish and impoverished, in London searching for an heiress wife.  Rather than marrying in London, the two agree to wait until they arrive in Scotland to marry.  On the trip to Scotland, the two pretend to be married while exchanging only 10 kisses a day — until they begin to want more.

OPINION:  I found this book very appealing primarily because I absolutely loved the hero, Ewan. Ewan comes to London searching for a bride.  He immediately is attracted to Annabel and tries to woo her although she has no intention of falling for an impoverished earl.  Ewan is incredibly sexy, sweet and immensely kind.  When he is propositioned by Annabel’s grieving younger sister, Ewan recognizes her pain and his impulse is to care for her rather than to take advantage. Ewan has morals that come from his convictions rather than societal convention.  His struggles with his own moral code and his attraction to Annabel is gentle and sweet.  I absolutely adored this Scotsman.

I even ended up liking Annabel when I didn’t expect to at first.  Despite her mercenary view of marriage, I came to understand and sympathize with her.  What turned me toward her was her concern for ruining Ewan’s plans for marriage when they are forced to wed.  Those thoughts and her intent to make the best of the situation made me see her as more complicated than I expected.

The courtship between Annabel and Ewan was quite lovable as the two had 10 kisses a day but could get more if they honestly answered questions.  That brought the relationship some depth and intellectual connection.  These two ended up knowing one another very well by the time they consummated their relationship.  Their courtship was unorthodox but clearly brought these two closer in a sweet and tender way.

My only complaint is that once again it took a while for the romance to actually start.  Both the first book and this one had a lot of confusion with the sisters and the hero until the actual romance began.  I quickly tired of that.  Luckily that portion was shorter in this book.

WORTH MENTIONING:  The book has a bit of the Taming of the Shrew vibe, but it is Ewan who ends up tamed.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  KISS ME, ANNABEL is the second book in the Essex Sisters series.  It can be read as a standalone although there are overarching relationships that involve all the books.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Much Ado About You

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Review: Much Ado About YouMuch Ado About You (Essex Sisters, #1) by Eloisa James
Series: Essex Sisters #1
Published by Avon Books on December 28, 2004
Genres: Historical
Pages: 391
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION:  This book started out slowly because there are so many characters and situations to set up as this book kicks off the Essex Sisters series. Once the story focused on Tess and Lucius, however, I loved how it went.  Took too long to get there, however.

THE STORY:  When their father dies, the four Essex sisters become wards of the Duke of Holbrook.  The duke means well, but he is a drunkard and a bit clueless about what to do with his four unexpected wards.  The oldest sister Tess realizes that she needs to marry quickly so that she can help her younger sisters marry well.  While Tess gets engaged to an earl, she can’t stop thinking about Mr. Lucius Felton who is just too complicated and tempting for Tess.

OPINION:  This book started out slowly for me.  There are multiple storylines and characters that clearly will be explored during the other three books in the series.  This book sets the table and because of that, this book takes a long time to get going.  There are some false starts until the real romance between Tess and Lucius really gets started.

Once the romance and storyline switches to focus on Tess and Lucius, I loved it.  The two end up being so sweet together.  The contrast between their marriage of convenience and Tess’s sisters marriage of passionate love becomes clear as Lucius falls deeply in love with his wife and the care the two have for one another becomes clear.

I especially liked how Lucius quietly cares for those important to him.  He feels deeply and I loved how he makes things happen.  He is hero that I really liked and not at all like the rake that I expected from the blurb.  Rather, he felt like a real gentleman with a little naughty streak.  Despite his intentions, he clearly falls for Tess and he can’t help how much he wants to care for her.

Before Tess and Lucius gets together, I was a bit annoyed by her character as she appeared clueless at times.  The mixing and matching of the men and women gets sorted out, however, and then the story begins to really take shape.

I hope that the future books in the series can build upon the ending of this book which was strong.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book sets up all four books in the series and thus has a lot of characters material and set up to get through.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU is the first book of the Essex Sisters series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: Once Upon a Dream

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Review: Once Upon a DreamOnce Upon A Dream by Mary Balogh, Grace Burrowes
Series: Bedwyn Saga #6.5
on April 12th 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 193
Goodreads
four-stars

ONCE UPON A DREAM consists of two separate and unconnected stories.

ANOTHER DREAM by Mary Balogh is the story of Eleanor Thompson an independent woman of almost forty. On the way to visit her sister, the Duchess of Bewcastle, she is forced to seek shelter at an inn because of the weather.  There she meets Michael Benning, Earl of Staunton and his two precocious children.  These two mature adults find sweet platonic companionship with one another but never expect to meet again.  When they do, at Eleanor’s sister’s home, they discover that Michael’s children already have plans for Eleanor to be their new mother.

This story was reserved and sweet.  It is book 6.5 in the Bedwyn series and, for me, the best part was seeing all my favorite characters from that series again.  The relationship between Eleanor and Michael was not complicated and they are rather reserved characters, but I enjoyed their romance because it wrapped up some lose ends from the series and I like that these more mature characters also get their happy ending. The children in this story are simply adorable as well.

Rating: 4 stars.

DUKE OF MY DREAMS by Grace Burrowes is the story of a banker’s daughter Anne Faraday who ends up at a house party with Elias, Duke of Sedgemere.  Sedgemere has been attracted to the prickly Anne but she has gently rebuffed him.  She knows that she is not the match for the stoic duke.  During the house party, however, with a duke determined to woo, three irrepressible children and one duck, Elias and Anne find that there is more to them than the duke and the banker’s daughter.  I really enjoyed this story especially as it kept a mystery why Anne was so determined to refuse Elias’s completely proper proposals.  Their relationship was sweet and gentle, but Anne is strong and loving.  I love how she cracks the shell of Elias.

The story is connected to “May I Have This Duke” in DANCING IN THE DUKE’S ARMS.

Rating: 4 Stars

four-stars

Review: The Highlander

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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: The HighlanderThe Highlander (Victorian Rebels, #3) by Kerrigan Byrne
Series: Victorian Rebels #3
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on August 2nd 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 368
Goodreads
four-half-stars

“What a tragedy they both were. Bruised and beaten by those who were supposed to have loved and protected them. Tossed upon a sea of cruelty, and seeking refuge in this unforgiving world.  Seeking sanctuary, but hoping for redemption.”

FINAL DECISION:  The story of two people haunted by violence, Liam and Mena are incredibly sweet in their romance even with all the dark secrets that seem to be against them.

THE STORY:  Laird Liam Mackenzie, Marquess Ravencroft is known as the Demon Highlander from his career in the army.  Returning to his home in Scotland to care for his children, he is in need of a governess and writes to the wife of his half brother who happens to be the king of London’s underworld, the Blackheart of Ben More. Farah sends Liam Miss Philomena Lockhart, to care for his children.  Philomena has secrets.  The most important is that she is being sent to Scotland to hide from her abusive Viscount husband who had her sent to an asylum for going against his family.  Pretending to be an unmarried spinster governess, Mena never expected to be attracted to the dangerous laird.

OPINION:  Can two people haunted by violence find a sweet love together?  What I loved about this book is its relentless determination in showing that everyone deserves love and can find it.

“A good man with a frightening past. A violent man with a wish for peace.”

Liam is a man haunted by the violence that has dominated his life since he was a child. Growing up the heir of an evil and sadistic man, Liam has had violence ingrained in him. Years of being useful to the British Army because of his brutality has only confirmed his belief that he is unworthy of peace and happiness or even forgiveness.

“‘Do ye believe, Miss Lockhart, that we may be forgiven our sins? That the past can ever be left behind us?’  She shook her head. ‘We may try to leave the past, but I don’t think the past ever truly leaves us.  It is part of us; it shapes us into who we are.  don’t think any of us escapes that fate, my laird.'”

Mena is the last woman who should have any feelings for a man of violence. Abused by her husband, sent to an asylum because of her honesty, Mena is now in hiding.  I loved that she discovers a woman who can stand up for herself against a man that she should rationally be frightened of.  For a woman who has had such a difficult life (abused by her husband, dominated by her husband’s family, barren), Mena still has such a good heart. Her capacity for love, understanding and forgiveness was amazing. As she finds confidence in herself, she develops into a very special woman.

In fact, the generousness of Mena’s spirit is what makes their relationship even possible. I love how two people who should never work find their scars and fractures bring healing to the other. Mena gets a strong man to protect her and value her and allow her to be strong.  Liam needs to use his strength to protect rather than hurt and to find someone who accepts him and his past.  I love how these two find compassion, forgiveness and love in one another.

“‘The devil is in all of us, I think.  That’s what makes us human rather than divine. I believe there is a tenuous balance between redemption and damnation. You cannot have one without testing the limits of the other. No light, without first conquering darkness. No courage, without battling your fear. No mercy, unless you experience suffering.’ She turned to gaze at the golden cross gleaming on the altar, her mouth pressing into a line. ‘No forgiveness without someone having wronged you.'”

Byrne is the queen of darkness and angst giving us characters which are tortured and in pain. Yet, there is always a way to happiness and joy for these people.  I have a great fondness for stories where the characters are mired in darkness as the book starts.  Having damaged characters find happiness affirms that everyone deserves love.  The best part of Byrne’s tortured characters, however, is that she never slips into her stories being sad and depressing.  No matter how dark the past of her characters, there is a light at the end of their journey.

The book contains one of the most painfully emotional scenes I have ever read. Sent to an asylum by her husband and her family, Mena is subject to abuse there as well.  Knowing that real women in history suffered the same kind of confinement and abuse merely because they were impertinent and inconvenient for those with power over them, devastated me and I found I could only read those scenes in small doses.  Yet there was nothing gratuitous in those scenes, the truth was painful enough.

I also wanted to mention something I noticed in both THE HUNTER and this book which is Bryne’s incredibly deft way she deals with children who are not related by blood with one of the main characters. Here Liam has two children who are nearly grown. Mena has to develop her own relationship with these children and Liam, himself, having been absent for most of their lives has to find out how to relate to who his children actually are. I enjoyed seeing these secondary relationships develop and am also happy that Bryne didn’t magically “cure” Mena’s infertility but instead gave her a family built on love rather than merely biology.

Finally, I love the appearance of characters from the series who make significant additions to the story.  I prefer when characters intertwine throughout the stories. Here, there is a very nice balance. Readers who haven’t read the other books in the series will not miss anything, but readers who follow the series get to see favorites again.

WORTH MENTIONING:  Kerrigan Byrne is very naughty for giving a preview of the next book in the epilogue. Three intriguing words “rather scandalous duchess.”

CONNECTED BOOKS:  THE HIGHLANDER is the third book in the Victorian Rebels series.  While there are overlapping characters, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Desired by a Lord

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Review: Desired by a LordDesired by a Lord (Regency Unlaced 5) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Regency Unlaced #5
Published by Smashwords Edition on July 22nd 2016
Genres: Historical
two-stars

FINAL DECISION:  This one was barely okay for me.  The characters had too much insta love and lust and the personal obstacles were no real obstacles at all once the external threat was resolved.

THE STORY:  Mrs. Emily Marsden comes to take her deceased husband’s place cataloging the library of Lord Alexander Whitney. Xander certainly didn’t expect a woman, especially not one so young and attractive.  Emily is hiding from her family’s scandal and also blackmail. The two are attracted to one another as the blackmailer follows Emily.

OPINION:  This novella didn’t do anything for me.  The characters were okay but not that memorable.  Their relationship seemed based primarily on sexual attraction and although interesting characteristics were introduced, they were quickly resolved without any real conflict. This was a story that I won’t even be able to recall in a couple of days.  The most memorable parts were the villain and the butler.  There was nothing wrong with the characters, they just were bland.

WORTH MENTIONING: Although there are highly sexual situations in this book, there is no actual intercourse.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  DESIRED BY A LORD is the fifth book in the Regency Unlaced series. It can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 2 stars.

two-stars

Review: Talk Sweetly to Me

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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: Talk Sweetly to MeTalk Sweetly to Me (Brothers Sinister, #4.5) by Courtney Milan
Series: Brothers Sinister #4.5
Published by Courtney Milan on August 18th 2014
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
four-half-stars

TALK SWEETLY TO ME is billed as a coda to the fabulous Brothers Sinister series. The novella tells the story of Stephen Shaughnessy, who was introduced in THE SUFFRAGETTE SCANDAL. Stephen writes a column for a women’s newspaper. (As an aside, the column is hysterical and THE SUFFRAGETTE SCANDAL is worth reading just to catch up on them.)

In this novella, Shephen meets Rose Sweetly. Rose is a mathematician who helps with calculations regarding astronomical issues. Stephen and Rose live close to one another and Stephen loves to hear Rose talk about mathematics. Rose is intrigued with Stephen, but she is wary of him because he has a reputation as a rake and also because she is of African descent, she fears that he might believe she has loose morals.

This novella is short, but I loved the interaction between Rose and Stephen. Rose is brilliant and Stephen is clearly entranced with her. The story between the two is sweet and caring. The story reminds me somewhat of THE COUNTESS CONSPIRACY, but with much less angst and pain.

The edge in this story comes from the racism and sexism of the society at large. What brings the characters together is that they both represent outsiders in society. Rose is black and is a brilliant female in a predominately male field. Stephen writes for a feminist newspaper and is an Irish Catholic. At one point, Rose points out that any children they would have would be black Irish Catholics and all of their lives would be immensely difficult.

Milan writes original stories. It is difficult that seduction and romance can be expressed through mathematics, but that is exactly what happens here.

This novella doesn’t have the complexity of a full-length novella, but I found it a beautiful addition to THE SUFFRAGETTE SCANDAL. There are no appearances by other characters of the series so fans may be disappointed, but new readers can pick this one up without missing much (although it is best read after THE SUFFRAGETTE SCANDAL because a reader will get to know Stephen better).

NOTE: I received a ARC copy of this book through Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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four-half-stars

Review: The Goddess of Small Things

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The Goddess of Small Things by Courtney Milan
Genres: Historical
three-stars

This is a short story which Milan wrote and entered into a writing contest before she published anything. The story is a historical that takes place at a ball where the wildly popular Countess Fraser encounters Damien Rathbourne, Earl of Coulter who believes her a fraud and intends to expose her as being nothing special. The two engage in a dance. This is a short vignette that only hints at these two characters, but has much of the vibrancy of Milan’s later works. It is early stuff and incomplete, but shows her potential.

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three-stars

Review: Premiere: A Romance Writers of America® Collection

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Review: Premiere: A Romance Writers of America® CollectionPremiere: A Romance Writers of America® Collection by Allison Brennan, Amber Lin, Cindy Gerard, Courtney Milan, Diane Kelly, Erica Ridley, Harper St. George, Joan Johnston, Katy Regnery, Laura Kaye, Lex Valentine, Lila Bell, Monica Murphy, Regina Scott, Sabrina Jeffries, Sylvia Day, T.L. Costa, Vicki Lewis Thompson
Published by Romance Writers of America, Inc on February 9th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Historical
Pages: 380
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a collection of short stories all based on the idea of a wrong number. This collection is very diverse and demonstrates a great variety of stories and techniques and genres.

RAVISHED BY THE GEEK by Vicki Lewis Thompson: Jamie Smith receives a misaddressed email from Vivian Crowley who is the woman of his dreams. When Jamie reads Vivian’s fantasy scene in her email, he decides to make her dreams come true. This is a sweet story and Jamie is simply adorable. Rating: 4 stars.

UNDER A WICKED MOON by Lila Bell: Stacia Bryne and Liam MacTire were foster children together. They are now enemies as Liam has been sent to kill the half-human, half-sorceress. Liam is a half-human, half wolf shifter. Stacia creates a potion to turn Liam into her protector but when it works, she fears that what they have isn’t real. I really liked this story. There was something compelling about the characters. It certainly made me interested in reading the connected novellas. Rating: 4.25 stars.

A RIGHT HONORABLE GENTLEMAN by Courtney Milan: Miss Catherine Hooks is a servant in the household of Mr. Edward Glennon. In the almost five years that she has been governess to the widower’s son an attraction between the two has arisen, but their stations make acting on it impossible. When Catherine decides it is time for her to leave, Edward realizes that he doesn’t want her to. This is a favorite. Sparkling characters and dialogue despite the short length. I could read a whole novel about these two and yet this story story also is satisfying. Rating: 5 stars.

STATION 12 by Amber Lin: Isobel Monroe goes to the fire station to return some of her ex’s things and ends up at the wrong station. She meets Matthew Gaines who is also a fire fighter. He asks her out on a date, but she refuses. But their story isn’t over. This story is really just the beginning of their relationship, but I thought the characters were interesting and their interaction felt genuine. Rating: 4.25 stars.

WRONG NUMBER, RIGHT GIRL by Monica Murphy: Ty Webster is a player with women and he is bored. When he succumbs to a dare to get the number of a hot young woman, he can’t help but notice her friend who is definitely not his type. Lauren thinks Ty is attractive but knows this guy would never be interested in her. This story is told in alternating first personal narratives. This is a sweet new adult story about a guy changing his life. Rating: 4 stars.

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS by Regina Scott: Major Sir Percival Nightincourt and Eleanor Grasland knew each other years before but parted when Percy joined the military. Now Percy has given up his commission and when the two encounter one another again, he realizes what he has been missing. This is a sweet inspirational romance. Rating: 3.5 stars.

COMING HOME by Joan Johnston: Savannah Whitelaw is an FBI agent and Luke Winters has just been exonerated after spending 6 years in jail. After being convinced to go on a double date, Savannah can’t help but be attracted to this man who is so wrong for her. I really liked this story because there was definite angst and potential in the story. I wish there was more to the story because this is really just the beginning of a relationship. This story is connected with her Hawke’s Way series. Rating: 3.5 stars.

THE POET by T.L. Costa: Wyatt Hershowitz has had a crush on Hannah Smith since sixth grade. When she asks for the Spanish homework, he accidentally sends her a poem he wrote for his mom’s birthday. What follows is a funny attempt by Wyatt to rectify his mistake. This story is well written and funny and made me smile. Rating: 4 stars.

DEAD WRONG by Cindy Gerard: Erin Livingston has just been acquitted of the murder of her husband and has come home under threat from her father-in-law who blames her for his son’s death. Jed Rafferty and Erin had a thing as teenagers and haven’t seen one another in years. Jed knows, however, that Erin is the woman for him and doesn’t intend to lose the chance with her. This story felt complete and substantial despite its short length. Rating: 4.25 stars.

THE FALLOUT by Harper St. George: Elena Black and Dexter Thomas Herrington married young and within two years were separated. Now four years later, they are getting divorced. When Dex comes back to talk to her, however, they find that there might be something worth saving. This story had much promise, but once the two meet up again, I didn’t feel the emotional connection the story should have had. Rating: 3 stars.

HARD TO BREATHE by Syvia Day: Annalise knows that she needs to get away from her trainer Gareth. Annalise is in love with him although a relationship between angel trainer and student is forbidden. When she tries to get reassigned, Gareth foils her attempt. When she is forced to reveal her reason to him, she feels his rejection but he might be hiding something as well. I loved this story. Well written and executed with interesting characters. I want to read more. Rating: 5 stars.

ALL I WANT by Erica Ridley: Lady Matilda Kingsley and Major Owen Turner were childhood friends but Owen is illegitimate and not the proper match for the daughter of a duke. Years later, they meet again over a game of cards. The story between these characters was sweet and completely unrealistic but enjoyable nonetheless. Rating: 4 stars.

COVERING HER SKIN by Laura Kaye: Emery Morgan has come to Ronan Kane to get rid of one of the biggest mistakes of her life. A year ago, Emery had Ronan, a tattoo artist, give her a tattoo of her fiance’s jersey number and football team right before he dumped her. Now she wants the tattoo transformed. Ronan made one of the biggest mistakes in his life when he agreed to do Emery’s tattoo a year ago and wants to rectify that mistake for the woman he has had a crush on for years and never thought to see again. This story was really good. There is great character development and an interesting idea of transformation. Rating: 4.25 stars.

THE LONG WAY HOME by Katy Regnery: Clarissa Calhoun and Ford McInerney end up sitting next to one another on a bus cross-country traveling to the same wedding. Ford has been in love with Clarissa forever, but she was his older brother’s girlfriend. Now he has a chance to get her to give them a chance. This new adult story was good. The relationship between Clarissa and Ford is complicated and their history makes the story interesting. Rating: 4 stars.

THEIR NIGHT OFF by Allison Brennan: FBI Special Agent Suzanne Madeaux and Detective Joe DeLucca have had a casual relationship for a while complicated by their work and Joe’s ex-wife. Just when Suzanne is thinking that their relationship should be more, the two get involved in one of Suzanne’s cases. This story was just okay for me. It was an interesting story but not enough about the romance between the two. Rating: 3 stars.

FLYING IN THE FACE OF CONVENTION by Lex Valentine: A mis-delivered delivered wedding invitation bring Trey Beaumont and Jordan Smithson together. Trey had been interested in Jordan when they were in college together and now he finds out that they were unknowingly living in the same building. Trey had never told Jordan of his interest in him but now sees a new opportunity. My complaint here is that the character o Jordan is not really developed. It would have been nice to know more about him so that the relationship was more balanced. On the other hand, I really liked the epilogue which gave the story a nice ending. Rating: 3 stars.

AN APRIL FOOL’S FORBIDDEN AFFAIR by Sabrina Jeffries: Mason Brandt, Earl of Westville wants Miss Augusta Hunt, his late wife’s sister but knows that it is impossible since is would be scandalous to marry his sister-in-law. Augusta wants Mason as well but knows only that he has purposely kept away from her. When the two discover a prank by Augusta’s younger brother, they work together to foil it. This story is well written and has characters in an interesting dilemma. I wish there was more to this story because this could be a longer novella or a novel itself. Rating: 4 stars

WRONG ADDRESS, RIGHT GUY by Diane Kelly: Katelyn Harrington is unlucky in love. When her boyfriend is late for their date again, she breaks it off with him. Then her neighbor stands up her date. When that date arrives, Katelyn decides that she will pretend to be his date. I liked this story because the premise was interesting and the romance was sweet. Rating: 3 stars.

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