Review: When A Scot Ties The Knot by Tessa Dare

 

I kissed a man in a skirt…and I liked it.

Maybe those aren’t the exact lyrics but, thanks to WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT, I wouldn’t be opposed to a revision. It worked for our bluestocking heroine well enough!

A little falsehood from the past snowballs into an engagement Maddie Gracechurch never anticipated nor wanted. The same childhood fantasy becomes a Highland Captain’s  ticket to a stable life for his loyal troop. Where lies meet opportunity, can love exist too?

Read an excerpt: here

Madeline Gracechurch uses her boundless imagination to avoid the embarrassment of rejection her first London season by creating a fictitious relationship with an officer at war. This small lie blossoms into a full blown long distance relationship complete with smarmy letters posted for her parents' benefit and a heroic death that frees her to peaceful spinsterhood. But when a very real Captain Logan MacKenzie shows up on her doorstep years later- the tangled web of lies Maddie concocted will take more than a little finessing to undo.

Logan grew up rough, unloved and experiencing horrors of battle in a war that ended with him and his troop without a proper home to be welcomed to.  His hard exterior may ward off nefarious foes, but will it aide his claim on a castle bequeathed to him and the betrothed he never proposed to? 

The silly girl whose incriminating letters of their faux-engagement found their way to his camp over the years has grown into a gorgeous, maddening woman who proves cleverer at shirking his will than any enemy on the battlefield. To provide a home for his loyal followers Logan must get Maddie to submit to a marriage she never wanted in the first place; but also risks his heart as well as hers in the venture.

Rating: 4 Red Roses

My Favorite Part of the Book: Was the beginning- with the letters. This could have been a boring, unfeeling info dump but I enjoyed them immensely. I could have gone on and read a full book of Maddie’s letters to a supposed fantasy fiancé. The letters helped display Madeline’s brain (and the author's fun, tangible writing style) in an unassuming way. It made me think of Lisa Kleypas’ Love in the Afternoon which starts off similarly and I love when authors with a strong voice flex them this way.

Overall, it was another HIT of a love story from Tessa Dare. Again, she writes in a way that speaks close to home and entertains thoroughly.

A few gripes: There were these amazing secondary characters she developed- I wanted more! We have this incredible grandmother who disappeared halfway through the book and pops up sporadically towards the end. And then the band of forgotten soldiers- they all had their own quirks and a dynamic I would have enjoyed getting to see more of.

I have a heavy dislike for the “I am fighting against love/I am not worthy of love” angle most rom-novels adopt, and felt a bit cheated with the MoC plot since consummation took so long to occur, but the spirited heroine (an all-time favorite now), dazzling supporting cast, and expert writing style keep readers fully entwined and satisfied!

I love a good marriage of convenience story, I love the pen-pals (however one-sided) to lovers angle, I love Highlanders and Bluestockings—the way these elements were weaved together, while not always in the proportions I love, were compelling and heartfelt. 

Basically, Read it. Now.

Review: HOTELLES by Emma Mars

HOTELLES is an eloquent and enveloping exploration in sensual intrigue. It balances suspense, mystery, sexual awakening, and romance with a craftsmanship that will endear this writer to many fans of reading. Mars takes readers on a journey that'll not only strip the surface off characters who feel like neighbors, but gives readers the chance to reveal intimate details about themselves to themselves. Buckle up and prepare for an erotic roller-coaster ride of a lifetime.

A Gentleman 'Til Midnight by Alison DeLaine [ARC Review]

It's captain versus captain in this battle of wills, attraction and righting wrongs from the past. A relentless force on the high seas, Our hellion heroine must embark on a journey back to her native England to ensure her inheritance isn't stolen from her. When a blast from the past requires salvation, his identity might help her cause more than she thinks...and in more ways than one.

Adventurous and intoxicatingly sweet, Alison DeLaine’s debut novel will strike a chord for any and every historical romance fan lucky enough to board passage on her story’s voyage.

'Never A Gentleman' by Eileen Dreyer –Review-

Read an excerpt: here

Fresh, different, absorbing- all apt words to describe this latest installment to the Drake’s Rakes series by Eileen Dreyer. A special kind of romance you have to read to believe! I couldn’t get over how much the characters, plot, and circumstances affected me during and after reading. I wanted to run over the Hero in my car, whack some sense into a heroine I ended up loving, and all the while, I crossed my fingers for their happily ever after. This book pushed the limits and sets itself apart from other historicals in a daring way. Never A Gentleman is quite simply a read to remember!

'What I Did For A Duke' by Julie Anne Long -Review-

Read an excerpt: here

It requires a lot of talent to take a beloved and classic literary trope such as the ‘revenge turned romance’ plot and make it into something a reader hasn't read before. “What I Did For A Duke’ was as surprisingly fresh and vibrant as it was clever and passionate. Right from the beginning you see the plot going one way, when suddenly, Julie Anne Long takes it to Mars and back. The story quickly enthralls and readers will become emotionally invested in the outcome with each turn of the page.

'The Countess' by Lynsay Sands -Review-

Read an excerpt: here

   Witty and wonderful, “The Countess” grabs you instantly and refuses to let go until you fall in love. With enchanting protagonists, strong and endearing secondary characters, a fresh plot line, and some delicious dialogue, you’ll find yourself head over heels in no time at all.

   What’s a lady to do when she finds her ‘husband’ lying cold and unmoving on the library floor? Put him on ice and keep his death a secret, that’s what; At least until she finds a rich husband for her sister.

'Seducing The Duchess' by Ashley March -[ARC]Review-

   A brilliant debut, with a wonderful plot line and plenty of sinfully satisfying characters. ‘Seducing The Duchess’ is a wonderful story filled with all the longing, deception, and forgiveness (and of course, romance) a book reader could ever ask for.

   Philip Burgess has his ducal mask screwed on tight and nothing could break through his iron-hard veneer of superiority. That is, nothing except the “Gambling, Carousing, and Flirting” of his wife and duchess, Charlotte. Their marriage was founded on a lie, and after years of trying to get back at her husband and convince him to petition for divorce, Charlotte finally gets his acquiescence.

   Or so she thinks! The Duke of Rutherford has finally seen the error of his ways and has no intention of giving up his Duchess. Now, Philip will commence with the seduction of a lifetime that he hopes will win back the woman he loves before she’s lost to him for good.

[Read an excerpt: here]

   “What in the world...!? The Duke of Rutherford kidnapped his own wife?” A conversation that probably graced ever fashionable drawing room the morning after Philip Burgess barged into a popular gaming hell, bodily removed his duchess off the lap of a gentleman, and into his carriage bound for the country.

   Charlotte Burgess held no illusions about her aristocratically perfect husband. He told her in no uncertain term, the morning after they consummated their marriage, that he wedded her out of revenge. Charlotte’s brother Ethan had stolen Phillip’s fiancée and as a result the best friends turned enemies, and young Charlotte was placed squarely in the middle of a deceitful bid for vengeance.

   Charlotte loved Philip with everything she had, and once her world came crashing back down to reality, she decided she’d never be manipulated and controlled ever again. She wanted a divorce- didn’t give a damn about scandal or propriety- and had been increasingly goading Philip into submission for three years with her scandalous behavior. He claimed to love her once, and she wouldn’t make the mistake of believing it of him a second time.

   The lack of communication between husband and wife has firmly sealed the complex duke in a box with definite & harsh labels, and his duchess can’t see how contrite he really is. Philip realizes he loves Charlotte something fierce and will do anything to have her. He goes about an elaborate plan to do some goading of his own and get back on solid footing with his wife. The sequence of events that take place and the unfamiliar positions it leaves our troubled couple in are enough to make the freeing of his beautiful Charlotte a painful necessity. But Philip is about to learn that sometimes, the best way to seduce a reluctant heart is by letting it go and praying like hell that it finds its way back to you. 

Rating: 4 Read Roses

My Favorite Part of the Book: Is hard to choose! There were many wonderful parts to this book that really worked and warmed my heart (or sent me into a fit of giggles). I particularly loved the beginning of the novel and the kidnapping of Charlotte. The scene was very well written and exceedingly suspenseful. You see into Philip’s head and can’t help but wait on bated breath to find out what happens next!

   This book was a hit in my opinion. It was very well written and exceedingly suspenseful right from the beginning. Every bone in your body screams to know what’s going on and once you get to the last sentence of the first chapter, you know this will be a book you’re going to fall in love with! I am not overly fond of when a book play a little too hard to get, and I definitely would have liked to see more movement forward in the Burgess' relationship, instead of the renewed determination to fight off the inevitable (they do grow, but the hostility is a bit lengthy). Philip’s blind desperation and obsession to have Charlotte back, and the lengths he went to see that happen, grew a bit round about. You may catch yourself screaming at the pages, “Tell her you dammit love her, already. Everything will start to work out if you’re upfront!” You’ll want to shake some sense into Philip and also cuddle him beneath your bosoms because his vulnerability (especially towards the end of the book) is so very palpable. Charlotte also agitated me at times, but she also became one of my favorite characters. The repartee is fabulous and the story just melts off the page like butter in a frying pan. You’re going to want to hop on this read immediately and join the March express to more wonderful novels just like this one. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next!

[A special thanks to the author

for sending the ARC for review]

*Want more March? Yea, me too. Expect her next book, Romancing The Countess, to be out in Fall 2011 (tentative). And make sure you periodically check her fab website (http://ashleymarch.com) / Check out My Interview with Ashley March about 'Seducing The Duchess' and more: here

'The Dangerous Viscount' by Miranda Neville -[ARC]Review-

   In this rousing addition to the Burgundy Club series, Miranda Neville takes the classic ideals of a historical protagonist and turns it on its head! The Dangerous Viscount features a new kind of hero, and you won't be able to NOT fall in love!
   In a society filled with scandalous rogues and irresistible rake-hells, yet determined to make an irrefutable match that can withstand the 'oddness' of her family, Diana Fanshawe must tread carefully in her search for a new husband.
   Book connoisseur, Sebastian Iverley, isn't as dangerous as all that. At least, not until AFTER his whirlwind makeover from geek to chic.
   A kiss that started it all, a bet that went awry, and a thirst for revenge which seals the fate of a timid bookworm and a confident temptress, are the circumstances in which an ever-lasting love is forged.

[Read an excerpt: here]

   Diana Fanshawe isn't necessarily ashamed of her family, but her determination to marry well and keep their 'eccentrics' out of the drawings rooms of fashionable society is unparalleled. She sets her cap for the cocksure Lord Blakely (a duke) and tries to convince herself that a lifetime with him is exactly what she wants. Diana just wants to be normal and make her way in society without the backhanded comments and never-ending whispers.
   She finds her way into Lord Blakely's inner-circle during an intimate house party, and though Blakely doesn't show an overwhelming affection for her (he like's her fortune well enough), he ropes her into a bet that targets his 'homely' cousin, Sebastian. Blakely questions Sebastian's experience with females (along with his sexuality) and it is up to Diana to entice him to kiss her in an allotted amount of time.

   Sebastian Iverley is as bookish as they come and doesn't have time for females. He finds the annoying giggle-machines his cousin usually fawns over infuriating, and would rather not be bothered. Then he meets Diana, and his opinion on women soon changes. The urges he has suppressed since adolescence soon takes precedence and the kiss he shares with Diana sets his blood afire, making him rethink his position on the opposite sex.
   But that new found appreciation for women is shattered when he overhears his cousin and a cohort discussing the bet they started with Diana. He was so close to proposing marriage to the schemer, and then he has to find out that everything was a lie? A joke!? Sebastian has more pride than that, and soon calls on his stylish comrades from the Burgundy club to give him a makeover that will fit his new title of  'Viscount Iverley' and turn more than a few heads. He plans to exact revenge on Diana for playing him like a fool and make her regret what she did to him.

   Diana doesn't understand why that kiss with Sebastian won't stop hounding her thoughts, but as the Season starts to pick up, and the proper marriage she envisioned with Blakely begins to pale, Diana can't restrain her jealousy over the New Sebastian. She never found him unattractive, but his new look isn't going completely amiss either. He ignores Diana completely and pays court to the giggly nuisances he once made fun of, further stroking her ire.

   Sebastian soon put the next phase of his plan into action, and the consequences turn out to be for a lifetime. But all is not lost, because unconditional love lasts just as long.

Rating: 4 Red Rose

My Favorite Part of the Book: Is when Sebastian goes to a brothel for the first time. He wants to increase his experience so that when he seduces Diana, he has the necessary skills. But he can't go through with it and rushes out. The scene had all sorts of implications, but I found it funny when the whore gives Sebastian leave to touch her body and he slips his hands into her bodice. The way he describes the encounter in his mind is just too hilarious for words. (There were many memorable moments in this book, but I just chose this one because once you read the novel, you'll giggle yourself pink at this particular part!)

[Here's a clue: I will never be able to think of raisins as an innocent snack anymore]

   This book was different and yet classic in many ways, and well worth a read (or two!). The plot takes you through many ups and downs and all the while, Diana and Sebastian experience tremendous growth. Diana was social conscious to a fault and Sebastian was a practical scholar who didn't give a wit about 'image'; but together they embraced  who they were and developed the confidence to love themselves as well as each other. And Sebastian's super raw vulnerability is so beautifully written and displayed for us readers to see. I was pleasantly surprised by his unique character and fell in love with him just as quickly as I fall in love with all the other macho hero's from historicals. This book proves that the only reason to be disappointed by a Miranda Neville novel is because the book will eventually come to an end!

[A special thanks to the author

for sending an egalley for review]

*Try the first book in the Burgundy club series, 'The Wild Marquis'!

'Wicked Delights Of A Bridal Bed' by Tracy Anne Warren -[ARC] Review-

   A touching and romantic love-story about overcoming grief and allowing true love to take root. A stellar read that will leave you VERY satisfied, indeed!
   Mallory Byron is knee deep in the throes of grief after the loss of her beloved fiancee', Major Michael Hargreaves. She won't take dinner with the house guest anymore, she hardly speaks at length with members of her own family, and the tears and nightmares still plague her lonely nights.
   Who would have thought it would take the 'notorious rake' and family friend, Adam Gresham, Earl of Gresham, to work a smile on her face. But little does she know, he plans to work way more than a smile out of her and plans to see to her future happiness...with him. Mallory isn't sure if she's ready to abandon her 'comfortable' isolation and take a chance on a man whom she may never be able to love, but Adam is persistent and soon she may find her self become well acquainted with the wondrous, amazing and Wicked Delights Of A Bridal Bed.

Read an excerpt: here

   Mallory Byron is the sister to Duke of Clybourne. She has a loving and supportive family, albeit with their "mad,bad and dangerous" reputations, all of whom have settled and benefited from marriages filled with love, passion, and understanding. That was all she wanted out of life as well, but after her fiancee' is reported dead on the front lines of war, she can't help but feel the acute pain as her deepest desire begins to slips from grasp. Her mourning period has come and gone, but still, Mallory feels Major Michael Hargreaves' passing keenly. Somehow, the tears keep falling, and her heart fall further and further to the point of no return.
   At a house party (designed with working Mallory out of her funk in mind), in walks the dashing and deliciously rakish Adam, Earl of Gresham, who has been a friend of the family for many years and silently in love with Mallory for what feels like just as long (although Mallory hasn't a clue). When he first realized his feelings for Mallory, he was nothing more than a financially deprived heir who was poised to inherit his father's outstanding debt and damn-near decrepit house along with the Earl's title. He didn't have much to offer Mallory, so he decided to hold out until his circumstances improve before starting any courtship. While he kept his distance, the young Major stole Mallory's heart, and Adam had to fight every impulse and let her go.
   As unfortunate as Hargreaves' death is, it provides a window of opportunity for Adam which he can't pass up. But first, he must coax the reluctant Mallory out of her depression and bring some sunshine and laughter back into her life.
   Being found in Mallory's bed, in a compromising state, by all 4 of her intimidating brothers, and forcing the hand of his pal, the Duke of Clybourne, wasn't exactly what Adam had in mind for his grand woo-ing. The circumstances ties our Hero and Heroine together for a lifetime of passion, desire, and mutual healing and understanding as they begin to develop love for one another; but how will Mallory ever be able to let go of her past and embrace this new future?
   In this beautiful love story (and you can not read this book and not call it that), Adam will have to learn that if he truly loves someone, sometimes he just has to let them go-a second time-; and hope that the Wicked Delight of a Bridal Bed and his unconditional love will be enough to have them coming back and staying where they belonged all along. 

Rating: 4 Red Roses

My Favorite Part of the Book: Is the general beginning as Adam begins to work Mallory out of her depression. She hardly eats or socializes, choosing to isolate herself from those who love her most in her time of grief. She has been unhappy for so long, that the family is desperate to bring some warmth and happiness back into her life. Adam loves her, and wants to see her happy again, and you can feel the genuineness of his actions. He barges into her rooms all casual-like and convinces her to eat dinner with everyone else, he helps pick out her dresses and takes her for intimate picnics when she's had enough of everyone else. It is just so heart warming to recount Adam's actions in regards to his Mallory. *sigh*

   In the end, when you open a romance book, you want to see some romance. The love Adam has for Mallory, and the love Mallory develops for Adam, is really believable. I love the concept of Mallory's grieving over a lost love and being granted a second chance at a new one. There is a plot twist towards the end that will have you gasping and "OMG"-ing like crazy and you'll have to read the story to find out what it is (my lips are sealed. =X), but this was one of the more genuine stories I've read in a while. It was deep and dark without letting  those elements overwhelm the plot, and you're sure to fall in love by the time you reach the back cover!

*Check out my Interview (and giveaway) with Tracy Anne Warren where she'll answer some of my questions on the book and more!: -Tentative date- scheduled to be up on the day Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed is release, August 31st, 2010!

[special thanks to Tracy's publicist, Christine

for sending the

egalley for review.]

*Want some more of the Byrons of Braebourne? Check out 'At The Duke's Pleasure', Mallory's brother (the Duke of Cylbourne), Edward's Story! My Review can be found: here

*Also try Book # 1 from Warren's The Trap Trilogy, 'The Husband Trap'!

'Awakened By A Kiss' by Lila DiPasqua -Review-

   Wickedly wanton and thrillingly tantalizing; 'Awakened By A Kiss' was exciting and passionate and one of those reads you just couldn't put down. Set in seventeenth century France, Lila DiPasqua takes 3 beloved childhood fairy tales and gives them a sensuous makeover. You'll never look at sleeping beauty the same way again!
   Awakening to a stranger's kiss, one-night stands, aphrodisiacs, forbidden publications, mistaken identity, special agents for the crown, and scarf-loving bastard daughters of the King. All this and more lay within the pages of this spectacular debut by Lila DiPasqua.'Sleeping Beauty' , 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Puss In Boots' have been transformed into something insanely erotic and gratifying for the adults who like a little heat thrown into their happily ever after...

Read a sizzling excerpt: here

Sleeping Beau- Follows the reunion between one of the most notorious bastard sons of the King and the woman who stole into his bedchamber after slipping him an aphrodisiac, awakening him with a kiss that lead to a steamy sexual interlude. He awakes the morning after with his unnamed 'midnight temptress' mysteriously vanished and the evidence of her virginity smeared along the bedsheets. Fast-forward 5 years later and we meet our 'sleeping beau' once again as his gaze alights over the red-headed beauty who has plagued his dreams in all that time. At first, Catherine tries to deny it was her, but Adrien eventually gets his way and get her to reveal why she did what she did. They proceed to have an affair for the week until Cathrine's betrothed comes to get her. The motives behind her deception is out in the open and Adrien can't help but admire the maddening stubbornness of his ladylove. When Catherine's betrothed come for her early, it may be Adrien's own stubbornness that threatens his future happiness with the woman he's pined after for 5 years and now has come to love.

Little Red Writing- The Vignon spinster sisters were beautiful, intelligent, writer with skill, and guarding a secret that could lead straight to their ruin. Nicolas de Savignac (a.k.a The Wolf) is a Musketeer for the King sent on an assignment to unmasked and bring down Gilbert Deluc; author of the incendiary volumes which besmirch the image of men of consequence. His investigation takes him to his estranged grandmother's house and he zeros in the house guests; The Vignon 'spinsters'. He is immediately attracted to one of the sisters: Anne, and although he is in residence under false pretenses (to forge a civil relationship with his grandmother) and inevitably will have to bring charges up against one or all of the sisters, his can't resist the strong pull that draws him to Anne and an affair begins. While Nicolas ruefully gets closer to identifying which sister is the infamous author, he and Anne fall deeper in love with one another. Nicolas' hand is now forced to act when his comrade informs their commander of their suspicion of the Vignon sisters and he is order to bring in the culprit or have the entire family brought in. The betrayal Anne feels is acute, but the love Nicolas has for her and she for him will have to be enough to eclipse whatever plans the King has in store for 'Gilbert Deluc'. 

Bewitching In Boots- Being the King's favorite daughter is a coveted position. That distinction was currently held by the headstrong Elisabeth de Roussel.She may be thought of as an outrageous flirt, but she knows what she wants; and she wants Tristan de Tiersomier. Tristan was recently injured and relieved of his duties as commander of the King's private Guard. He retired himself to the grounds at his estate, shunning the world and burying his feelings beneath a sea of resentment. When the enticing Elisabeth saunters her way into his inner-sanctum (and wearing breeches and BOOTS no less) demanding fencing lessons, he can only grit his teeth and try to bare it. Elisabeth, however, has plans of her own. She seeks more than lessons in the fencing arts from Tristan and when she successfully induces an affair, she plots to flip the situation in her favor and make Tristan hers for a lifetime. Her plans could possibly blow up in her face, but she will do anything to heal Tristan's hurts and posses his heart.

Rating: 4 Red Roses

My Favorite Part of the Book: There were many! This book had 3 separate stories within it and I have my favorite moments for each. Bewitching in Boots was my favorite story out of the three and my favorite moment is when Tristan starts questioning Elisabeth's motive for seeking him out. He tries to scare her away by saying that if she isn't out of his home by tomorrow she will be tied up to his bed and he will have his way with her. At first, in the morning, Elisabeth and her entourage are no where to be found, but not only do they come back with reinforcements (to help fix up Tristan's house) but Elisabeth presents Tristan with a box of scarves for him to tie her up with later that night.

What it boils down to is this: Miss DiPasqua is probably one of the most promising debut authors to hit the scene so far in 2010. Her short stories were well-written, well-paced and flavored with an insane amount of heat and spice. I think many short-stories are prone to accelerated plots where the love is unconvincing and the character development lacks; that is not the case with 'Awakened By A Kiss'. It's a little different from the classic historicals I am use to, but it has set a new precedence in my reading exploration and I look forward to reading more from this author!

*In November, DiPasqua will delight us with 3 more fiery tales in 'The Princess In His Bed'