Review: Only Beloved

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Sheila

Only Beloved (The Survivors' Club #7) by Mary Balogh
Series: Survivor's Club #7
Published by Signet on May 3rd 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 393
Goodreads
four-half-stars

“Surely everyone was entitled to some companionship, some contentment in life even when youth was a thing of the past.”

FINAL DECISION: Absolutely loved this lovely story of two people who later in life look for companionship and find love beyond what they ever expected. Balogh managed to finish her Survivor’s Club series in a emotional and redemptive fashion filled with hope and love.

THE STORY: George Crabb, the Duke of Stanbrook has been widowed for 12 years after his wife committed suicide following the death of their son in the Peninsular Wars. Now at 48 years old, George is considering marrying again since all his Survivor’s Club friends have found love. When he thinks of marriage, however, George has only one woman in his mind. He thinks of Dora Debbins, a woman he met briefly a year ago and still hasn’t forgotten. He seeks her out and proposes marriage for companionship and friendship. Dora gave up hope of marrying when a family scandal left her to care for her younger sister. Dora has made a life for herself as an independent music teacher and yet the possibility of marrying the man she hasn’t been able to get out of her mind is seductively attractive. As George and Dora think to build a good marriage, they find out that the past which previously robbed them of their happy ending is dangerously close to stealing their happiness again.

OPINION: I adore how Balogh goes deep into the emotion of her characters. While there is a storyline plot that moves the action forward, the emphasis in ONLY BELOVED is on the developing relationship between George and Dora. George and Dora are characters which I fell in love with. Both had their youthful dreams of love and marriage taken from them, they reached an age when they believed that the possibility of happiness had passed them by. Instead, each had built a life helping others. The marriages of all the other Survivor’s Club members prompt George to think about Dora again and wonder if they might find a measure of companionship, friendship and happiness together. What he knows is that he cannot love — that possibility having been burned out of him by his first marriage.

As Dora and George so obviously fall in love, there is immense sadness that these two people believe that their lives lack the possibility and hope of love. As they reveal themselves to one another, they discover that love exists for everyone. I love how the story develops with a maturity and yet a joyful discovery between these two people. This story demands patience and a willingness to allow these characters their journey. Their story unfolds slowly and patiently but at the perfect pace for these two.

I love the beauty and gentleness of the relationship between Dora and George. I like that it reflected both their maturity and the newness of falling deeply in love. They are both wise in the difficulties in life but also neophytes in loving and trusting and building a life together.

I loved this book and as the last book in the series, I was not disappointed.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the series will be pleased by the appearances and updates on the couples from the series. Just what you would expect from a concluding book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ONLY BELOVED is the seventh and final book in the Survivor’s Club series. It can be read as a standalone although I think the book has more emotional meaning at the end of the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

Review: The Earl Takes All

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Sheila

The Earl Takes All (The Hellions of Havisham, #2) by Lorraine Heath
Series: The Hellions of Havisham #2
Published by Avon on April 26th 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-stars

“Don’t let her figure out that it’s me, the sneaky bastard who takes what isn’t his. Don’t let her realize that I’m not her husband.”

FINAL DECISION: I love how Heath creates situations between characters that seem impossible and then goes deep into the emotions of the characters to make a situation work out. I thought this story would never work and yet Heath made it a lovely romance.

THE STORY: Edward Alcott returns from a safari with his dead twin but is himself masquerading as his twin. It was his brother’s dying wish that Edward care for his wife who is pregnant. Edward intends on pretending to be his twin until his sister in law gives birth. Pretending to be his brother is more difficult than he expected since Edward has been enamored of his sister in law for years. Julia is surprised by the changes in her husband on his return. He seems more wicked and bolder than the man she married. As she falls even more in love, she can’t help but wonder what has changed her husband so much.

OPINION: I often start a Lorraine Heath book thinking “there is no way she can make this work” sometimes I even hate the premise. This book was difficult to imagine from the blurb of the book. I couldn’t imagine that a relationship that begins with the hero impersonating his dead twin to his sister-in-law was going to work. For the most part, the book did work. There were a couple of rough parts that called for more acceptance than analysis on my part, but I got wrapped up in the emotional journey of these characters that by the end, I was totally bound up with wanting their happy ending.

This book does demand some patience from its readers as (1) you have to accept that Julia would not recognize Edward’s impersonation of her husband and (2) you have to accept that she will ultimately forgive him for his deception. Some readers might not be able to get past these hurdles, but accepting these premises allowed me to become absorbed by the emotional conflict in the story which is filled with love, guilt, pain and joy.

In the story, Edward begins as the typical rake, but we soon find out that he is hiding a love for Julia which he always believed was hopeless. His masquerade of a thoughtless rake allowed him to mask his feelings. By pretending to be his brother, Edward begins to lose control of those feelings and falls deeply in love with Julia.

I liked these characters and especially appreciated how Heath walks the line of Julia falling in love with both brothers without diminishing either of them. This is a difficult task and is largely successful — even if I admit that I like Edward better.

The central conflict of the story becomes that even if Julia and Edward fall in love, the deception will have to continue because English law forbids a man from marrying his brother’s widow. The resolution of this story might seem like a cheat to some, but I really liked that the solution, like the conflict itself, is based on historical fact. Heath explains some of the real legal issues involved in her afterword.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of Heath’s other series might see some familiar faces.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE EARL TAKES ALL is the second book in the Hellions of Havisham series. It can be read as a standalone although the first book of the series gives some further background on the characters and their connection to significant secondary characters.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

Review: ‘Til Death Do Us Part

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Sheila

'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick
Published by Berkley on April 19th 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 352
Goodreads
three-stars

“She belonged to him.”

FINAL DECISION: This book was good in many ways but didn’t live up to my expectations for an Amanda Quick book. The mystery so central to the story was just meh and I found to romance good, but not one that I’d want to reread.

THE STORY: Calista Langley owns a Victorian matching agency where she introduces men and women looking for companionship. A stalker begins sending her gifts that creep her out because they are mourning gifts personalized for her. When Trent Hastings, author of a series of detective stories comes to her to complain about Calista involving his sister in her matching agency, the two strike sparks off one another and soon seem to be meeting all the time. Calista seeks Trent’s help in discovering who is stalking her.

OPINION: This book had the setup to be a really good story with Trent’s initial mistrust of Calista and a creepy mystery. For me, however, everything about this story sort of petered out and by the end I was only mildly interested in the romance and the mystery.

I thought the conflict between Trent and Calista was resolved so quickly that it eliminated most of the tension between the characters and made their romance nice but not particularly compelling or memorable.

Instead, the story rested on the mystery of who was stalking Calista. Unfortunately, that story was not good enough to rest the entirety of the book on. I quickly figured out the villain and thus there was no surprise reveal in the book for me. Because there was more emphasis in the book on the mystery than the romance, I needed a better, scarier, more compelling mystery. This one did not engage me enough.

WORTH MENTIONING: I would classify this book as historical suspense with a dash of romance.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ‘TIL DEATH DO US PART is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

Review: The Pirate Prince

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Sheila

The Pirate Prince (Ascencion Trilogy #1) by Gaelen Foley
Series: Ascencion Trilogy
Published by Ivy Books on July 29th 1998
Genres: Historical
Pages: 407
Goodreads
three-half-stars

‘It has been fifteen years since Prince Lazar di Fiore last set foot on Ascencion.”

FINAL DECISION: This book was uneven to me. There were parts that were compelling and beautiful and parts that just dragged and made me want to skip ahead. I ended up liking it more than not but I doubt I would read it again.

THE STORY: Lazar di Fiori returns to avenge what was stolen from him. As a youth, his royal family was murdered and he barely escaped with his life. He intends on seeking revenge by killing the only daughter of his sworn enemy. Allegra Monteverdi inadvertently ends up in Lazar’s hands, and her sweetness and purity makes it impossible for Lazar to kill her. Instead, Allegra offers to be his captive in exchange for her family’s lives. Despite himself, Lazar agrees and finds himself challenged by a woman who demands that he be better than he could have imagined.

OPINION: This book should have been tailor made for me. I love those dark, tormented heroes and Lazar definitely falls into that category. I could never fall completely into the story. I found it uneven and I didn’t become completely captivated by the story or the characters. Parts of the book were absorbing but so much was tedious and I felt like skipping ahead. I didn’t find the totality of Lazar’s journey as compelling as I might have expected. The story had the possibility to being a compelling and rollicking adventure, but while parts were great, there were too many parts that pulled me out of the grand adventure for me to think of the book as anything other than good but not great.

WORTH MENTIONING: Spoilers: The book contains references to slavery and rape.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE PIRATE PRINCE is the first book in the Ascencion Trilogy.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

Review: The Untamed Earl

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Sheila

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.

The Untamed Earl (Playful Brides, #5) by Valerie Bowman
Series: Playful Brides #5
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on May 3rd 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-half-stars

“Being fifteen years of age an a bit plump and unconventional when one’s elder siter was eighteen years of age and willowy a ethereal — if waspish — was decidedly unpleasant.”

FINAL DECISION: My favorite of the series, THE UNTAMED EARL benefits from a sweet romance between two people who are overlooked, underestimated and unappreciated by others but find something special in one another.

THE STORY: At fifteen, Lady Alexandra Hobbs feel in love with a “knight in shining armor” who saved her brother and his friend. The object of her affections is Lord Owen Monroe, a rake who leads a life of drink, gambling and women. Three years later, Alex discovers that her father, the duke, has chosen Owen to marry Alex’s older sister who happens to be a genuine shrew. Owen has to marry because his father will cut off his allowance if he does not convince the duke’s eldest daughter to accept his match. Alex wants to sabotage Owen’s courtship so she offers to groom him into the man Alex’s sister will want to marry while intending exactly the opposite.

OPINION: I loved the couple in this book. Two people who are overlooked, misunderstood and underappreciated by their families find something special in one another. Alex has always been placed second to her older sister. What she wants doesn’t matter in the face of her older sister’s wants. Alex makes a break when she becomes determined to sabotage the engagement of her sister to the man that Alex has wanted since she was fifteen. Through the story and the romance, Alex discovers that she matters and what she wants matters. Owen has also been misunderstood by his father. Because his father does not think much of him, Owen has tried to live up to his poor reputation. In his heart, however, Owen is a good man which Alex recognizes quickly and thus sets her heart toward this “hero” rake. When Owen agrees to marry Alex’s sister, he does so because his father threatens to cut off his allowance, but also because it gives him an opportunity to finally satisfy his father. The need for parental acceptance is strong with Owen even as he denies that desire. For Owen, his journey is being his own man without the desire to satisfy or thwart his father.

In a plot that at times is funny, at times frustrating and at times horrifying, I loved how Alex and Owen find acceptance, strength and purpose in their relationship.

WORTH MENTIONING: The story has a passing feeling of being inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew even though there are not really strong parallels. The shrewish older sister that must be married first, mixed up romances and some comedy gives this a Shrewish feel without being derivative.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE UNTAMED EARL is the fifth book in the Playful Brides series. It can be read as a standalone although other characters from the series appear.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

Review: The Viscount Always Knocks Twice

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Sheila

The Viscount Always Knocks Twice (Heart of Enquiry Book 4) by Grace Callaway
Series: Heart of Enquiry #4
Goodreads

Fun Feisty Romance with a Good Mystery and Lots of Sexy Scenes

“He had no doubt that Miss Violet Kent was responsible for the state of his mind and body.”

FINAL DECISION: This is a fun romp of a historical romance with plenty of sexy scenes, a enemies to lovers story, and a little mystery tossed in.

THE STORY: Violet Kent is an unconventional woman. She likes sports and wearing trousers. She is always getting into trouble because of her curious nature. Her best friend is a man and his brother wants to keep her away because he believes her to be an untrustworthy flirty. Richard Murray, Viscount Carlisle is determined to protect his brother from Violet. When they end up at a house party together, Violet and Richard reluctantly have to join forces to solve a murder for which Richard’s brother might be the prime suspect.

OPINION: I’m a fan of Callaway’s books and this one is in the middle for me. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions — the two seem to have no hope of getting together in the beginning. Violet is definitely not a stereotypical historical miss with her tomboy tendencies and her desire to help investigate crimes. She is outspoken, gets in trouble that would destroy reputations of the women in most historical novels, and doesn’t blink at engaging in pre-marital sexual exploration with Richard. The blatant sexuality of this book is typical of Callaway’s books, but I have enjoyed other books more.

For me, the tension between Violet and Richard is resolved too soon and the story relies more on the mystery to move the action forward. While the story is perfectly fine and I enjoyed it, I missed the sizzling sexual tension in Callaway’s other books.

The book is a quick read and there is plenty here for followup in future books. I also enjoyed Richard’s character as he has to grovel for his poor treatment of Violet in the beginning of the books — and I always enjoy the hero having to grovel.

WORTH MENTIONING: Callaway’s books are always filled with very sexy scenes and this book is no different although most of it stops short of intercourse.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE VISCOUNT ALWAYS KNOCKS TWICE is the fourth book in the Heart of Enquiry series. Although characters from the other books appear, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

Review: Because of Miss Bridgerton

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Sheila

Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) by Julia Quinn
Series: Rokesbys #1
Published by Avon on March 29th 2016
Genres: Historical
Pages: 375
Goodreads
four-stars

Bridgerton Prequel Spinoff That Satisfies High Expectations

FINAL DECISION: A worth successor (although a prequel) to the fabulous Bridgerton series, BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON is good with the feel of the Bridgerton novel with a whole batch of new characters, a different time period, and a different set of troubles.

THE STORY: Billie Bridgerton is what might be termed a tomboy. The eldest child, she loves the family estate and helps to run it, although she is denied the opportunity to inherit because she is a girl. She knows she will eventually marry and everyone (including her) expects that she will marry one of the Rokesby brothers, lifelong neighbors. There are so many choices between the brothers, but the one brother Billie never plans on hitching herself to is George, the heir of the earldom and the one that Billie can’t help but bicker and argue with. The two can’t stand one another and yet when they are thrust together unexpectedly, they find that the sparks they strike off one another might hide a passion for one another.

OPINION: I am a big fan of Quinn’s Bridgerton series. As a result, I worried that this book would be a disappointment because so many of those Bridgerton books are classics. For me, BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON doesn’t meet the best books of the Bridgerton series, but it would fall smack in the middle of the series. It is sold and satisfying and at times hilarious.

BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON has the wit and humor and genuinely nice characters for which Quinn is famous. I am a big fan of the “adversaries” to lovers trope. This one has hysterical situations between Billie and George. The two have known one another forever and yet never looked at one another in a romantic fashion before. Quinn is well known as having couples who fall in love slowly and unexpectedly. This story realistically portrays two people who grew up together but for the first time see one another as a romantic partner. I loved that they have so much in common and have a deep respect for one another which comes from their familiarity with one another. The romance in this one takes some time to develop but ultimately is sweet and fulfilling.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME’s infamous Pall Mall game will find another fabulous — and yet different — game here.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON is the first book of the Rokesby series which is a prequel spin-off series to Quinn’s immensely popular Bridgerton series. This book can totally be read as a standalone even though there are lots of Easter eggs for fans of the Bridgerton series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

Review: Unlocked

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Sheila

Unlocked (Turner, #1.5) by Courtney Milan
Series: Turner #1.5
Published by Courtney Milan on May 26th 2011
Genres: Historical
Pages: 111
Goodreads
four-stars

Companion Novella to the Turner series

UNLOCKED is the story of Lady Elaine Warren who is a friend of Margaret in UNVEILED, the first book in the Turner series. Elaine is trained and tormented in the ballrooms of the ton. Because of her laugh, she is known as Lady Equine. The man who have her that nickname had returned after ten years. Evan Carlton, the Earl of Westfeld is immensely sorry for his treatment of Elaine. He recognizes the hurt he has caused and wants the chance to make amends and be a better person.

I really liked the romance between Elaine and Evan. The hurt that Evan caused does not go away easily. There are no quick solutions here. Elaine does not quickly forget her torment and fall in the hero’s arms. I liked Elaine. She has a quiet strength. “You cannot break me” is how she has survived.

This novella is not dependent upon the other books in the series and can be read independently.
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Review: Taken by the Earl

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Sheila

Taken by the Earl (Regency Unlaced 3) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Regency Unlaced #3
Published by Smashwords Edition on April 2nd 2016
Genres: Historical
four-half-stars

I Loved This Historical Romp of a Novella

FINAL DECISION: This short novella was fun, sexy with a tight story and a romance that I really enjoyed. This was my favorite of the series so far.

THE STORY: Mrs. Felicity “Fliss” Randall is a respectable widow. When she overhears a plot to murder the new Earl of Winterbourne, she is determined to warn the Earl. She ends up having to get an invitation to a notorious house party where she approaches the Earl in his bedroom. When Sinclair Montgomery finds Fliss in his bedroom, he believes the woman he finds in his room is there for pleasure and begins to make love to her. When Fliss insists he listen to her, Sin doesn’t know whether to believe Fliss, but she sure wants her.

OPINION: This was an enjoyable romp with a very sexy premise. Fliss has been restrained and respectable all her life. She has always done what she should until she decides that she must warn the Earl of Winterbourne of the murder plot against him. That decision leads Fliss to do things that she never dreamed of doing. She discovers a recklessness and a sensuality that she never imagined during her perfectly respectable marriage. What’s not to love about a Scottish hero named Sin who is determined to show the heroine her own sexual power and pleasure. The connection between the two is wonderful and the plot serves to move the romance forward without taking away the focus from the relationship between Fliss and Sin.

WORTH MENTIONING: Oh, there is a gentleman in this book who so deserves a happy ending of his own some day.

CONNECTED BOOKS: TAKEN BY THE EARL is book 3 of the Regency Unlaced series. This novella can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this novella 4.5 stars.

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Review: Dragonfly in Amber

Posted on April 9, 2016 by Sheila

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) by Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander #2
Published by Bantam on August 7th 2001
Genres: Historical, Time Travel
Pages: 743
Goodreads
five-stars

Political Intrigue and Romance With Claire and Jaime

FINAL DECISION: I ended up liking this one better than OUTLANDER itself. The story seemed tighter, the relationship between Claire and Jamie more complex and although there is plenty of death and pain in this book, it felt more civilized after the events of the first book. And I ended up in tears for most of the end of this book.

THE STORY: After the events of OUTLANDER, Jaime and Claire have fled to France. There they will try to prevent the coming battle of Culloden in order to prevent the destruction of the Highlanders culture. Their scheme requires them to participate in Eighteenth Century French court politics and intrigues with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the King of France. There are still repercussions from Jamie’s torture and rape at the end of OUTLANDER. Intrigues, danger and the past threaten to tear Jamie and Claire apart even at the point where they share joy at the coming of their child.

OPINION: I liked OUTLANDER, but I liked DRAGONFLY IN AMBER more. OUTLANDER was about Jamie and Claire discovering one another and falling in love. This book is about letting their love and marriage mature. In OUTLANDER Jamie and Claire ran the gauntlet of danger. This book is a slow burn. Things are quieter, more outwardly civilized and yet even more complicated and dangerous. Politics, society and intrigue take up the majority of this book.

For those readers who read OUTLANDER but don’t know more about the series, they will be surprised by the beginning of this book. (I don’t want to give it away, but it is a clever story device to begin the narrative there instead of being strictly chronological). The book feels fresh and different after OUTLANDER. The characters have grown and changed (not always for the good) and there are lots of new characters to get to know. Old friends and enemies also have returned so there is a good reason to review the events of OUTLANDER if you haven’t read it in a while.

Jamie is more remote in this book after the events with Jack Randall in OUTLANDER. He is still struggling with the aftermath and the pressures of trying to save the entire Highlands. Being involved in the political intrigue means that he and Claire spend less time together and thus immense pressure is placed on their relationship.

Claire is also struggling to find her role in this new situation. The new life in the Court of France has new conflicts and restrictions upon this twentieth century woman. She has to use her imperfect knowledge of the past to help avoid Culloden while know knowing whether such a thing is possible. She is also struggling with her relationship with Jamie. She gave up her entire life to be with him and now she has to deal with those consequences.

On a more philosophical point, the book also investigates the idea of changing the past. Is it even possible for Jamie and Claire to change the events that lead to Culloden or does everything they do actually cause that event to happen? Can the past be changed at all? These are universal themes in time travel stories and this book examines those issues with complexity and subtlety. Even better, there are no real answers.

I began reading OUTLANDER when the television series started because I always want to read the books first and I began reading this one in preparation for Season 2. I don’t know if I have been influenced by the series, but I felt that this book went more quickly and the events were clearer, the characters more defined and the outcome more devastating. I cried through the end of the book because it was incredibly well written and sad. At the end of this book, I desperately wanted to begin VOYAGER (book 3) to find out what happens.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book ends on a cliffhanger.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DRAGONFLY IN AMBER is the second book in the Outlander series. It can be read as a standalone, but why do that. Read OUTLANDER first to really appreciate DRAGONFLY IN AMBER.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.