Review: Dragon Reunion

Review: Dragon ReunionDragon Reunion (Dragon Hearts 8) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Dragon Hearts #8
Published by Carole Mortimer on 1st November 2019
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 110
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable little story that gives a view of everyone’s happy ending with a new story about a familiar stranger that comes to the Pendragon home. Insta-love with almost no character development, but I liked it anyway.

THE STORY: Maddox Wilder unexpectedly ends up in Wales and is drawn to the Pendragon Castle where he meets a strange family and a young woman, Carys Evans. There is something very familiar about the Pendragon brothers, but Maddox and Carys are intensely attracted to one another. Maddox has secrets and maybe some things to learn about himself.

OPINION: This was a fun story. The setup is pretty predictable for those who have read the series. Man sees woman and instant attraction between them ends up with them as mates.

The nice thing about this one is that there is a stranger who arrives at the family castle. I thought this story worked better as an organizing device than others in the series.

There isn’t much to the story between Maddox and Carys as their attraction and “love” is instantaneous. Rather, this is a story hanging on who Maddox actually is.

A simple and non-complex story, but I found it enjoyable for an easy read.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a nice little story to close out the series. We get to see all the couples and get some update on them as part of the story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DRAGON REUNION is the eighth and final book in the Dragon Hearts series. It’s better to read this book as part of the series because there are lots of characters and situations that only make sense if the other books are read.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: Atticus

Review: AtticusAtticus (Steele Protectors #2) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Steele Protectors #2
Published by Carole Mortimer on April 12, 2019
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this story. Atticus and Jenna are a combative couple and there is plenty of angst around the fact that Jenna is pretty much a sister to the other Steele brothers. As the two navigate a new relationship there is also drama over Jenna’s hidden past.

THE STORY: Atticus Steele is the oldest brother and takes his responsibility seriously, especially towards the family’s unofficially adopted daughter Jenna Riley. Atticus’s problem is that he doesn’t see Jenna as a sister. After Jenna’s abduction, Atticus has become even more protective towards Jenna, but Jenna is ready to show Atticus that she doesn’t see him as an older brother but as the man she wants.

OPINION: This was an enjoyable entry in the series. Atticus is definitely an alpha male combining his desire for Jenna with his intense protectiveness. What makes it good is that Jenna is no doormat and is definitely going after the man she wants even as he tries to protect her from everyone — including himself.

Even though the novella is short, the story sets up the characters so that the relationship seems more complex than what we get to see. Because of their existing relationship, their familiarity works well. The book picks up right when their relationship is changing to a romantic one so the quick turn to sex feels just right.

The story is animated by new dangers to Jenna and the revelations regarding her past. That part of the story works but isn’t the focus or purpose of the book.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a novella length book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ATTICUS is the second book in the Steele Protectors series. The romance here is self-contained, but the characters overlap and Jenna’s story begins in the first book in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

 

four-stars

Review: Scandal

Review: ScandalScandal (Regency Lovers 6) by Carole Mortimer
Published by Carole Mortimer on July 31st 2019
Genres: Historical
Pages: 164
Goodreads
two-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Just okay for me. The story is hot, but I never got any connection between Rachel and Grayson personally. She doesn’t know anything about him that would explain their relationship other than lust.

THE STORY: Rachel Banford is fascinated by Mr. Grayson Long although he is of lower class, being the steward of her friend’s fiance and he is also much older than Rachel. Despite their explosive initial meeting, the two circle around one another. Grayson has a secret and he certainly doesn’t intend to become involved with an innocent aristocratic young woman.

OPINION: I never got any connection between Gray and Rachel and so the rest of the book was just okay for me. I don’t expect much from these stories which are mostly hot sex in with a slight story and character, but this one just didn’t do anything for me. It was an okay read but I wanted more connection between the characters.

WORTH  MENTIONING: This book is novella length.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SCANDAL is the sixth book in the Regency Lovers series. The books are connected with couples and characters starting in one book to the next. This book can be read as a standalone although there is overlap.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2.5 stars.

 

two-half-stars

Review: Surrender

Review: SurrenderSurrender (Regency Lovers 5) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Regency Lovers #5
Published by Carole Mortimer on May 10th 2019
Genres: Historical
Pages: 104
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: A quick read, this isn’t a brilliant book but it was entertaining for what it is. A quick and easy hot historical with plenty of drama and crazy situations.

THE STORY: Clara Catchpole was rescued from her kidnappers by Lord Ezra Stone. After being rescued, Clara doesn’t want to be separated from Ezra and knows that there is a connection between them despite the big age gap between them. (She is eighteen and he is thirty-eight.) But Ezra insists on keeping a distance between them. However, when another threat on Clara’s life arises, Ezra and Clara get closer and it threatens his insistence on keeping things proper between them.

OPINION: This was an enjoyable little read. Crazy circumstances, crazy hot scenes. Nothing about it felt historically accurate or realistic, but it was a quick read with plenty of dramatic situations. I also enjoyed getting to see characters from the series who have important roles to play in this book. Ezra has plenty of secrets that cause serious problems in this book, and they are totally over the top. Clara is definitely not a shrinking violet. She goes after what she wants and that is Ezra despite all the potential obstacles in their path.

WORTH MENTIONING: At about 100 pages, this book is really a novella.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SURRENDER is the fifth book in the Regency Lovers series. Although there are overlapping characters, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Forbidden

Review: ForbiddenForbidden (Regency Lovers #4) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Regency Lovers #4
Published by Carole Mortimer on February 28, 2019
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this story which really felt like a continuation of the previous book in the series. There is plenty of insta-love here, but that aside, the story was enjoyable. I wanted more heat to the story, however.

THE STORY: When Zachary Nobel, Earl of Harrogate, saves the life of Lady Rissa Spencer, he finds himself entranced by the young outspoken woman. But just when he begins to think of romance between them, he discovers that her stepmother is the woman he was accused of raping a decade ago. Even though he was eventually cleared of the crime, he doesn’t have much hope that Rissa’s father will welcome him as a suitor for his daughter. But when a common enemy from the past reappears, Zachary is determined to protect the woman he calls his Angel.

OPINION: I liked this story primarily because I really enjoyed the prior book in the series and this one was closely related. I liked seeing characters I knew from that book again and for two of them to get their own happy ending.

This is a novella length story and thus there is some insta-love involved. Zachary and Rissa are quickly involved but then the story actually starts. One negative is that Zachary seemed somewhat younger than his chronological age. Positives are that I enjoyed the story because it was intertwined with the closure from the prior book.

I also liked that this was a quick and easy read. For fans of the prior book, this one is a great addition.

There is plenty of foreplay in this book, but no actual consummation “on stage” which was a bit of a disappointment. I needed one more chapter.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are appearances from Sophia and Magnus from CRAVING.

CONNECTED BOOKS: FORBIDDEN is the fourth book in the Regency Lovers series. Although it is a standalone, it is closely connected to the third book in the series CRAVING so I recommend reading at least these two in order.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

 

four-stars

Review: Logan

Review: LoganLogan (Steele Protectors 1) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Steele Protectors #1
Published by Carole Mortimer on January 25, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 146
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable start to the new series. The story and characters will be familiar to Mortimer fans but it was a nice version of her typical story.

THE STORY: August Harvey comes to the Steele brothers because her roommate (and the brothers adopted sister) is missing. There she meets Logan Steele who is recovering from being shot. When August is found to be in danger, Logan must protect her.

OPINION: Putting aside the quick turn to love in this book, I really enjoyed the interaction between these characters. The story was simple and compact which allowed the characters to have some interesting interactions with one another.

These book tend to be premised on an intense event which thrusts the characters into close proximity for a short time. That pattern is followed here, but I enjoyed the rude and annoying Logan being taken to taste by the feisty August.

This book is of a shorter length so there isn’t really much character development, but I enjoyed it as an introduction to all the characters in the series and some really hot moments between Logan and August.

WORTH MENTIONING: Atticus and Jenna almost stole the book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LOGAN is the first book in the Steele Protectors series about six brothers.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

 

four-stars

Review: Craving

Review: CravingCraving (Regency Lovers 3) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Regency Lovers #3
Published by Carole Mortimer on December 7, 2018
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I really enjoyed this novella. Yes, it isn’t very deep and the events happen quickly, but I thought the story was well constructed and I really liked the relationship between Sophia and Magnus.

THE STORY: Miss Sophia Marchment is the head of a school for young women where she teaches her students her independent and somewhat scandalous ideas. When she is in London, she meets with a prospective student and her father. Magnus Spencer, Duke of Weston is shocked by his attraction to the young headmistress and while he knows that Sophia has secrets, the heat of the attraction between them brings them together. But someone is threatening Sophia and her past may be the reason.

OPINION: This is my favorite of the series so far. I think I grade these books on a curve. A book trying to be a different length and level of sophistication, or a different author, my rating might be different. But I read these Mortimer books with the intent to enjoy the story alone and not to look for an introspective or complex story.

As a novella this one works very well and I enjoyed the characters more than I expected. Although there is some deep material here, the characters do manage to develop a relationship (although there is some insta-love). I also thought that Magnus ended up being a nice character especially with how he treats Sophia (with one exception — he is a jerk with how he breaks the twist in the story to her).

I especially liked Sophia who is nobody’s doormat here. She is independent and determined to do what she thinks is right. I thought that the strong wills of Sophia and Magnus worked well here. Sometimes the Mortimer heroines are overwhelmed by her strong Alpha heroes, but not here. Sophia definitely holds her own.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is novella length.

CONNECTED BOOKS: CRAVING is the third book in the Regency Lovers series. Although there are some overlapping characters, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Aeran & Rhys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Wicked Christmas

Review: Wicked ChristmasWicked Christmas (Regency Sinners 8) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Regency Sinners #8
Published by Carole Mortimer on October 12, 2018
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: I really enjoyed this book because it operates as an epilogue to the series. After all the drama in the books in the series, it was nice seeing everyone happy. The romance in this story was really straightforward. None of these books is particularly deep and complicated, but this was a nice one time read.

THE STORY: The Sinners and their wives and children gather for Christmas, but echoes from the past threaten their happiness. One woman, insignificant and overlooked in the treason story has the possibility of finding happiness, but she has a secret.  The man she meets also has a secret.

OPINION: Some books are keepers and some books are a fine read that I put down and never expect to pick up again. This is the latter type of book. I enjoyed it as a diversion for an hour or two. The characters were interesting enough and the story flowed well.

Nothing in the story is particularly deep and there isn’t much historical content, but I liked seeing these characters and I especially liked seeing the characters from the series again with their children.

This is an easy read with more conventional sexual content than has been in much of the books in the series. And I liked the characters because everything isn’t titled. The secrets that are being kept perhaps were a bit obvious by the end, but I liked how everything turned out.

WORTH MENTIONING: By the end of this story, we get an update on every couple from the Regency Sinners series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WICKED CHRISTMAS is the eighth book in the Regency Sinners series. While there is a romance here that is self-contained, the book serves as a conclusion to the Regency Sinners series and an update on the couples from that series. Therefore, this book is better read after the others in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Obsession

Review: ObsessionObsession (Regency Lovers #2) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Regency Lovers #2
Published by Carole Mortimer on September 14, 2018
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
two-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Unrealistic and simplistic in many ways, but I enjoyed this easy and short read. More impression than full story, this was an okay one time read.

THE STORY: Lord Alexander Stirling was made the guardian of a fifteen year old girl, sent her to a boarding school and promptly forgot about her. Years later, that ward, Amanda Fullerton has come to London to confront Alex and demand that she be recognized. Alex is shocked by Amanda who isn’t the demur young woman he expects.

OPINION: This is a easy and uncomplicated read. The characters are written in broad strokes, their relationship is mostly drama without much emotional depth. This isn’t one of the complicated romances that I love, but I still thought this book was okay.

Some books are meant to be complicated journeys and some can be enjoyable popcorn that can be read in a quick manner and then put aside. This book is that second type. I enjoyed the quick and dirty story with plenty of heat between the characters. Once the book was done, I put is aside. There wasn’t really much to the story beyond the blurb description, but that was okay because I knew what I was getting.

In many ways, this book is like a novella that is focused on the broad outlines of the story.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has a lot of sexual activity, but no full sexual consummation.

CONNECTED BOOKS: OBSESSION is the second book in the Regency Lovers series. This book can be read as a standalone although there are overlapping characters from the first book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2.5 stars.

two-half-stars