The Governess was Wicked by Julia Kelly

Hey everyone,

Today I’m reviewing The Governess was Wicked by Julia Kelly, a historical romance about a Governess and a doctor. I was immediately intrigued by the occupations of the hero and heroine because it differs from the usual suspects of aristocrats, soldiers or ‘mistresses’. I wanted to see how Julia Kelly would incorporate ideas of class and social standing into the romance. Also before I start I need to thank Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The book:

This delightfully charming and saucy Regency era romance is first in the Governess series in which three best friends are employed as governesses for different families, and all find themselves wanting something they can’t have.

Elizabeth Porter is quite happy with her position as the governess for two sneaky-yet-sweet girls when she notices that they have a penchant for falling ill and needing the doctor. As the visits from the dashing and handsome Doctor Edward Fellows become more frequent, Elizabeth quickly sees through the lovesick girls’ ruse. Yet even Elizabeth can’t help but notice Edward’s bewitching bedside manner even as she tries to convince herself that someone of her station would not make a suitable wife for a doctor. But one little kiss won’t hurt...

My thoughts:

When we meet Elizabeth Porter she is working as a governess for Juliana and Cassandra Norton, two girls who often fake illnesses to gain attention. Although Elizabeth isn’t always convinced of the girl's maladies she won’t take the risk incase they are seriously ill. This results in many late night visits from a Doctor Edwards Fellow, the family physician. Both Elizabeth and Edward occupied an unusual position in society. Elizabeth as a governess is slightly above the rank of a servant but is still considered replaceable and of little importance by her employers. Above all else Elizabeth has to be beyond reproach, she can’t risk any scandal being attached to her name.

He was the sort of man Elizabeth could imagine forgetting herself with. But a governess could never forget herself, no matter how much she wanted to.

The Heiress by Lynsay Sands

Hey everyone,

When I first got into romance books Lynsay Sands was one of my favourite authors. I adored her books for their light-hearted, fast-paced plot-lines. Still to this day if I see a Lynsay Sands novel my first instinct is to buy it, and when I saw The Heiress in Waterstones it was no different.

The book:

Suzette is not like other heiresses; she wants a poor husband, a gentleman who will be so grateful for her dowry that he will allow her access to it so that she can pay off her father's gambling debts. When this alluring beauty encounters Daniel Woodrow—handsome, titled, single . . . and even more impoverished than she could have hoped for—it seems Suzette's wildest dreams have come true.

But Daniel has not been truthful. Tired of being accosted by an endless stream of vapid coquettes and their fortune-hunting mothers, Daniel has decided to plead poverty to stop them in their tracks. Yet here is a most refreshing and delectable lady, who claims to be thrilled by his penury. Now all Daniel has to do to find true happiness is to keep a little white lie alive . . . while avoiding a villain who's determined to prevent this union by any means necessary.

My thoughts:

The Heiress is the second book in Lynsay Sand’s Madison Sisters series and honestly I think it suffered from middle-child syndrome. It wasn’t a bad book and I certainly didn’t hate reading it, but I also wasn’t grabbed by it. Nothing in particular stood out and made me want to keep reading about Suzette and Daniel. Everything just fell a little flat.

Suzette was different, her responses were honest, her need real not feigned to jolly the exercises along, and that passion in her had called out to his own.

Destiny’s Surrender by Beverly Jenkins

Hey everyone,

I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’ve never read a Beverly Jenkins novel. Especially considering she is one of the iconic authors in the romance genre. I can’t say for certain why I picked Destiny’s Surrender out of her entire back-list, but I just thought it sounded good from the blurb.

The book:

The child he didn't know he had . . . 

Andrew Yates has come to a decision: it's time to stop sowing those oats and start a family. But searching for a bride isn't as simple as he'd hoped, and many of the respectable women of his acquaintance feel . . . lacking. Then beautiful, feisty Wilhelmina "Billie" Wells arrives at the family ranch with a toddler in her arms, claiming Drew is the father!

The woman he didn't know he loved . . . 

Billie had no choice but to show up at Destiny in search of Drew. For the sake of their child, she's willing to leave him with his father so the boy can have a better life, but then, before she can blink, she's saying "I do" in front of a preacher in a marriage of convenience. All Billie and Drew have in common is the heat that brought them together, but can their sizzling passion lead to an everlasting love?

My thoughts:

Given everything I heard about Beverly Jenkins and her books I had very high expectations for Destiny’s Surrender. I was excited to read a historical romance book with a black heroine and a hero with Spanish ancestry. I was intrigued to see how Beverly Jenkins would merge the romance plot with the attitudes towards race in America at the time.

Her name was Wilhelmina. Most called her Billie but this remarkable man had given her a unique name all his own: Mina.

The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh

Hey everyone,

Mary Balogh’s Slightly series was one of the first romance series I was read and I still regularly return to her books ten years later. The Secret Pearl is one of Mary Balogh’s classic romances and I couldn’t wait to start reading it!

The book:

The Secret Pearl is a tale of temptation and seduction, of guarded hearts and raw emotion…and of a love so powerful it will take your breath away….

He first spies her in the shadows outside a London theatre, a ravishing creature forced to barter her body to survive. 

To the woman known simply as Fleur, the well-dressed gentleman with the mesmerizing eyes is an unlikely savior. And when she takes the stranger to her bed, she never expects to see him again. But then Fleur accepts a position as governess to a young girl…and is stunned to discover that her midnight lover is a powerful nobleman. As two wary hearts ignite–and the threat of scandal hovers over them–one question remains: will she be mistress or wife? 

My thoughts:

The Secret Pearl is a wonderful historical romance book from the 1990s. Like most romance books from this period the pacing and tone of The Secret Pearl is long and drawn out. With the plot being carried by the secrets and the emotions of the hero and heroine. Yet I loved The Secret Pearl because of this. It gave me time to became immersed in the characters emotions and world. This was particularly important because of how the hero and heroine first meet. When Fleur arrives in London her circumstances force her into prostitution, which is how she meets Adam Kent. Mary Balogh doesn’t shy away from the transactional nature of Fleur and Adam’s first meeting. Nor does she undermine the psychological affect this experience has on Fleur. That for me is what made The Secret Pearl so great.

I don't think I could have been more terrified of the devil than I was of you," she said, "when it was happening and in my thoughts and nightmares afterward. And when you came home to Willoughby and I realized that the Duke of Ridgeway was you, I thought I would die from the horror of it.

The Actor and the Earl by Rebecca Cohen

Hey everyone,

I’d been eyeing up The Actor and The Earl by Rebecca Cohen on Amazon and Goodreads for quite a while and finally brought it last weekend. I was intrigued by an M/M novel where the two heroes are married in Elizabethan times.

The book:

Elizabethan actor Sebastian Hewel takes his bow at the proscenium only to embark on the role of a lifetime. When his twin sister, Bronwyn, reneges on the arrangement to marry Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, Sebastian reluctantly takes her place. At nineteen, Sebastian knows his days as a leading lady are numbered, but with this last performance, he hopes to restore his family’s name and pay off his late father’s debts. Never mind the danger of losing his head should he be discovered.

He didn’t expect Anthony to be so charming and alluring—not to mention shrewd. While he applauds Sebastian’s plan, Anthony offers a mutually beneficial arrangement instead. Sebastian will need every drop of talent he has to survive with both his head and his heart intact, because this is the best part he’s ever had.

My thoughts:

Before beginning this review I would like to repeat what Dreamspinner have already about the Timeless Dreams range: 'these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma'. Because of this I will not be judging The Actor and the Earl on its historical accuracy. This M/M romance tells the story of Sebastian and Anthony, who meet when Sebastian’s twin sister elopes with someone else while engaged to Anthony.

Your errant twin sister has reneged on an agreement she made with my father and has run off to Kent with Jeremiah, the blacksmith’s son.

The Duchess by Jude Deveraux

Hey everyone,

Believe it or not this is actually the first novel by Jude Deveraux I’ve ever read. Considering she is a staple of the historical romance genre I was amazed that I hadn’t picked up one of her books before buying The Duchess at my local library. Read on to see what I thought of this old-school historical romance!

The book:

Jude Deveraux captures the thrill of an American beauty's Highlands wedding, where a royal title is at stake -- and where love wins the day.

Claire Willoughby risked losing millions in her inheritance if, as decreed by her grandfather, she did not wed an "acceptable" man. Harry Montgomery, the eleventh Duke of MacArran, seemed perfect. He owned a historic castle, he looked manly in a kilt, and he was as much a titled Scotsman as Bonnie Prince Charlie himself.

Their engagement announced, Claire's future as a duchess was assured -- and she set off with her family to meet the Montgomery clan in Scotland. Bramley Castle was a damp, chill place, overfowing with eccentric relatives. But there was also Trevelyan, a secretive, brooding man who lived in Bramley's ancient halls. Whoever he was, he wasn't at all like Harry: Trevelyan was the most exasperating, arrogant, know-it-all of a man Claire had ever met. And the most fascinating...

My thoughts:

It’s been a while since I’ve read a classic of the historical romance genre, and although The Duchess was published in 1992 (so no issues of consent thankfully), it definitely had the feel and tone of a classic historical romance. This mostly came across in the problematic depictions of foreign cultures and yet I really enjoyed reading this book despite all that. I loved that knowledge and learning was such a huge part of the heroes and heroines personality. It was the bedrock for their friendship and academic study (and everything surrounding it) is an important plot point for The Duchess.

For the most part people do not like to learn. They like to know and they like to tell others what they know, but they do not like the process of learning

His Favourite Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren

Hey everyone,

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know I’ve been on a massive historical romance binge at the moment. The book that started it all was His Favourite Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren, the third and final book in her Mistress Trilogy.

The book:

Vivacious Gabriella St. George is penniless yet proud. Thanks to the benevolence of a generous relative, she gets a chance for a new life in London, never dreaming that it will entangle her in a sensual battle of wills with an irresistible rogue who doesn't believe in love. With one scorching caress, Anthony Black invites Gabriella to share his bed. But she wants his heart and his name, so the determined beauty embarks on a daring game of seduction to win both.

My thoughts:

His Favourite Mistress starts with Gabriella attempting to kill the uncle she’s never met for the death of her father. Of course, being a Tracy Anne Warren novel, the heroine instead aims her gun on our hero Anthony Black, a close friend of Gabriella’s uncle. Not exactly an ideal first meeting, but certainly a memorable one. Anthony being a classic regency rake, quickly seduces Gabriella into dropping her gun and kissing him instead. Not without some defiance from our heroine however.

And you will find that I am well used to the blandishments of smooth talkers and confidence tricksters. I doubt your efforts will prove any more successful than theirs.

Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase

Hey everyone,

One of my good friends gave me Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase for either Christmas or my birthday. Unfortunately it took me a few years to actually read the book, I know books linger on my shelves for far too long. Bur I’ve read it now so keep reading to see what I thought of it...

The book:

Brilliant and ambitious dressmaker Marcelline Noirot is London's rising star. And who better to benefit from her talent than the worst-dressed lady in the ton, the Duke of Clevedon's intended bride? Winning the future duchess's patronage means prestige and fortune for Marcelline and her sisters. To get to the lady, though, Marcelline must win over Clevedon, whose standards are as high as his morals are . . . not.

The prize seems well worth the risk—but this time Marcelline's met her match. Clevedon can design a seduction as irresistible as her dresses; and what begins as a flicker of desire between two of the most passionately stubborn charmers in London soon ignites into a delicious inferno . . .and a blazing scandal.

And now both their futures hang by an exquisite thread of silk . . .

My thoughts:

Without a doubt my favourite aspect of Silk is fro Seduction was the hero and heroine. I absolutely adored Marcelline, she was independent, strong-minded, loyal and caring. Similarly Clevedon, although originally portrayed as just a typical rake developed wonderfully as a character. Through meeting Marcelline he started to examine the world around him and see it through the eyes of someone else. I think part of the reason I loved Marcelline and her sisters was because they weren’t typical aristocratic heroines. Instead they worked hard for a living, constantly turning any situation into an advantageous one for their business. Yet despite her proud and fierce exterior Marcelline’s past and future dreams showed her softness.

She was a dream and a schemer and one did not dream and scheme without hope.

Talk of the Ton by Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee and Jacqueline Navin

Hey everyone,

I actually brought Talk of the Ton by Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee and Jacqueline Navin during my travels around Canada. I completely fell in love with the bookshops in Canada and the incredible romance sections they had! I even started reading Talk of the Ton in Canada, but only finished it a few weeks ago... 

The book:

Nothing sets tongues wagging like a scandalous dalliance...

In the salons of the ton, no tidbit is more delicious than a rumour of amour - the more outrageous, the better. Rakes and rogues, ladies of high station and low morals are all choice fodder for society’s gossips. Now, four of today’s most popular Regency authors titillate the ton with tales of how untoward talk can fan the flames of passion...

My thoughts:

A Proper Englishwoman by Eloisa James tells the story of Emma  Loudan and the Earl of Kerr (Gil) who have been engaged since childhood. Yet in those years of engagement Emma has hardly ever seen her finance, but boy has she heard about him. In particular she’d heard about his love of French woman. So what does any scorned English woman do? Why pretend to be French of course! More specifically pretend to be a French lover from her husband’s past. Not to win Gil’s heart, however, but instead to win control and force him to finally get married.

“I have to win the challenge,” Emma explained, “because otherwise Kerr will see no particular reason not to continue in his indifferent ways. I think it best to take him in hand before we marry.”

Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt

Hey everyone,

I’ve being reading the Maiden Lane Series since it first came out, in fact it was one of the first books I ever reviewed. You could say we’ve being going steady for a while now... Too much? Okay, I’m sorry. Shall we just continue with the review?

The book:

WHEN A MASKED MAN . . .

Twenty years ago Maximus Batten witnessed the brutal murders of his parents. Now the autocratic Duke of Wakefield, he spends his days ruling Parliament. But by night, disguised as the Ghost of St. Giles, he prowls the grim alleys of St. Giles, ever on the hunt for the murderer. One night he finds a fiery woman who meets him toe-to-toe—and won't back down . . . 

MEETS HIS MATCH . . .

Artemis Greaves toils as a lady's companion, but hiding beneath the plain brown serge of her dress is the heart of a huntress. When the Ghost of St. Giles rescues her from footpads, she recognizes a kindred spirit-and is intrigued. She's even more intrigued when she realizes who exactly the notorious Ghost is by day . . .

DESIRE IGNITES A DANGEROUS PASSION

Artemis makes a bold move: she demands that Maximus use his influence to free her imprisoned brother-or she will expose him as the Ghost. But blackmailing a powerful duke isn't without risks. Now that she has the tiger by the tail, can she withstand his ire-or the temptation of his embrace?

My thoughts:

The Duke of Midnight came out in 2013?! Can’t believe how far behind I’ve fallen with this series. Elizabeth Hoyt is one of my favourite historical romance authors and I’ve always loved The Maiden Lanes series because its focus wasn’t on the aristocracy and instead on normal people just trying to survive. Sure its featured aristocrats in the past but St Giles has always felt like an important part of the story. In my opinion the Duke of Midnight departs from this setting.

“No! You must go to London. You must get him out. You must save my brother because if you don’t, I swear upon everything I hold holy that I’ll ruin both you and your illustrious name. I’ll—” 

Four Nights With The Duke by Eloisa James

Hey everyone,

For the last five days I’ve been ill and confined to my bedroom. This has meant a lot of time for reading, which luckily for me coincided with the release of Eloisa James new book Four Nights With The Duke. I'm not faking I swear! Also this may contain slight spoilers.

The book:

As a young girl, Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington told the annoying future Duke of Pindar that she would marry any man in the world before him—so years later she is horrified to realize that she has nowhere else to turn.

Evander Septimus Brody has his own reasons for agreeing to Mia's audacious proposal, but there's one thing he won't give his inconvenient wife: himself.

Instead, he offers Mia a devil's bargain...he will spend four nights a year with her. Four nights, and nothing more. And those only when she begs for them.

Which Mia will never do.

Now Vander faces the most crucial challenge of his life: he must seduce his own wife in order to win her heart—and no matter what it takes, this is the one battle he can't afford to lose.

My thoughts:

Firstly can I just say I love the cover of Four Nights With The Duke, the lace detailing on the dress, the old-fashioned wallpaper and the soft lighting just tick all the right boxes for me! Anyway enough about the gorgeous cover and on with the actual book. I loved it! As usual in an Eloisa James novel it contain a fair few references to William Shakespeare, which as an English Literature graduate I personally found interesting and enjoyable. The character of Uncle Chuffy (who is probably one of my favourite secondary character EVER) is particularly found of sprouting Shakespeare, and throughout the wedding of Mia and Vander he chooses to quote Twelfth Night to hilarious effect.

Three Weeks with Lady X by Eloisa James

Hey everyone,

Am I the last person to read Three Weeks with Lady X by Eloisa James? Possibly. Is that going to stop me from reviewing it? No way! As soon I finished reading this book I wanted to talk and obsess about it and due to a lack of IRL friends who read romance I have instead turned to the online community.

The book:

Having made a fortune, Thorn Dautry, the powerful bastard son of a duke, decides that he needs a wife. But to marry a lady, Thorn must acquire a gleaming, civilized façade, the specialty of Lady Xenobia India.

Exquisite, headstrong, and independent, India vows to make Thorn marriageable in just three weeks.

But neither Thorn nor India anticipate the forbidden passion that explodes between them.

Thorn will stop at nothing to make India his. Failure is not an option.

But there is only one thing that will make India his—the one thing Thorn can't afford to lose...

His fierce and lawless heart.

My thoughts:

I had high, and I mean HIGH, expectations for this book. Eloisa James is one of my favourite authors and her Desperate Duchesses series in my opinion is her best. Also I had heard a lot of people say that Three Weeks With Lady X was Eloisa James back at her finest (not that I ever noticed a drop).

Mastering A Sinner by Kate Pearce

Hey everyone,

So I seem to be on a bit of a historical romance kick because I have another regency romance I want to review. Unlike my other ones, however, this is high on sexual content so if that isn't you're thing or you're under eighteen look away now! So this week I'll be reviewing Mastering A Sinner by Kate Pearce, an erotic BDSM historical romance based around the Sinners Club.

The book:

Bound by sensual secrets and illicit fantasies, the select members of the Sinners Club are privy to carnal pleasures too shocking to share...

Alistair Maclean enjoys his work as secretary at the Sinners Club until the women at the Club demand a secretary of their own. Suddenly Alistair finds himself at the mercy of a wanton beauty who demands Alistair submit to her in ways he's only ever dreamed about...

Diana, Lady Theale, has secrets from her past she must protect. But that doesn't stop her from enjoying passion in the present. She needs Alistair's help to untangle the mystery of her parentage, but she also needs his body to satisfy her darkly erotic desires...

My thoughts:

This book will not be everyone. Some people will read it and hate it. Others probably wouldn't even consider reading. The reason for this is simple, despite the fact the romances featuring BDSM have become huge since Fifty Shades, people still feel uncomfortable reading books where the woman is the dominant and the male is the submissive.

"I will expect you to be naked and on your knees.” 

He looked over his shoulder at her. “Go to the devil, Lady Theale.”

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn

Hello everyone,

Julia Quinn was the first romance author I ever read and since then she has been an auto-buy for me. I own all her published books and have re-read them multiple times; for this reason I had to review her new book The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy.

The book:

Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. . . 

He knows he can't be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family's infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She's the type of girl you don't notice until the second-or third-look, but there's something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she's the one.

Iris Smythe-Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can’t quite believe it’s all true. And when his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can’t help thinking that he’s hiding something... even as her heart tells her to say yes.

My thoughts:

This is a hard review for me to write, partly because I don't want to say what I feel I should say. Okay I'll just get it over with by saying it up front, this book was alright. It was a light-hearted regency romp, but until about the half-way mark I honestly didn't care what happened to the two main-characters. Therefore for me this was a book in two parts. The London period and the Yorkshire period; because of this reason I'm going to talk about them separately.

Texas Mail Order Bride by Linda Broday

Hey everyone,

This week I wanted to read something different from my usual romance sub-genres. I felt like I was in a reading rut, as I kept starting books only to end up disappointed. So after searching around the internet I stumbled across a new to me author, Linda Broday and decided to try the first book in her new Bachelor’s of Battle Creek series.

The book:

Rancher Cooper Thorne thinks his life is finally on an even keel-until Delta Dandridge steps off the stagecoach and claims she's his mail order bride. Brash and quick-witted, the meddling Southern Belle is everything Cooper thought he never wanted...and everything his heart is telling him he needs. 

But Cooper swore long ago that he'd never marry, and he aims to keep his word, especially now that the demons from his past have returned to threaten everything-and everyone-he holds dear...

My Thoughts:

Texas Mail Order Bride was such a breath of fresh air for me. Although I love historical romances and religiously return to them again and again I rarely read any Westerns; I loved to say this wasn’t an active choice but I’m ashamed to say it is. If you’ve been following my reviews for a while you will know I have a ‘dislike’ of small town romances. To me they always come across as too tweed, too ‘happy’ and just completely unbelievable (especially the contemporary small town romances). I assumed that all Westerns would be small town romances, due to the nature of the historical Mid-West, and therefore avoided them.

The Hidden Women Series by Stella Knightley

Hey everyone,

This will be my last post before Christmas and as such I have decided to make it my virtual Christmas gift to anyone who has read this post and others from my blog over the last few months. I'm amazed how many of you, and from so many different countries have actually tuned in and read my rambling words about my favourite book genre in the world. Thank you.

I'm going to keep it short and sweet as I know this is an incredibly busy time for people around the world, and for those of you who don't celebrate Christmas just think of this as a lovely December gift from me to you.

Well I hope you all think it's lovely, if you don't just do the fake smile and quickly move onto a better gift trick, I'll pretend not to notice don't worry!

My gift is in the form of a reccomendation but instead of a single novel I offer you a whole series to enjoy over the Christmas period. The Hidden Women Series by Stella Knightley is potentially my favourite series read this year and I would highly, highly recommend it! For a start the covers are simply beautiful

Each books in the series follows Sarah Thomson a historian who appears to focus on the forgotten women in history. The ordinary women in history who lived extraordinary lives. In each book she is based in a different city for research purposes; first Venice, then Paris and finally Berlin. The cities are almost a character in themselves and become such an integral part of the story both past and present.

The Christmas Widow by Jillian Eaton

Hey everyone,

In keeping with the festive season, today I’m reviewing The Christmas Widow by Jillian Eaton, a sweet historical romance novella set during Christmas. So without further ado I give you...

The book:

Known as “Mad Lady Bea” by the townspeople of Blooming Glen, Lady Beatrice Tumbley has not left her estate since the tragic death of her husband on Christmas Eve. Terrified of the outside world and the dangers lurking within it, she lives in complete seclusion, determined never to love again. 

Until one cold, snowy night a handsome stranger comes knocking… and shows Beatrice her heart is not quite as frozen as she believes it to be.

My thoughts:

I want that dress. It is so pretty that I don’t even care that I have absolutely no where to wear it. I could dance around the house and pretend I was a princess from the olden days... Anyway enough with my insanity and on with the actual review for The Christmas Widow by Jillian Eaton.

Rover Defiant by Anna Markland

Hey everyone,

I know, I know I'm an awful person who totally didn't post yesterday! In my slight defence I was in bed all day with flu but I realise this is a pitiful excuse so you have my full and humble apology. Today I'm reviewing The Rover Defiant by Anna Markland, a romance between a Viking noblewoman and a former Thrall or slave.

The book:

Torstein is a free man, but the Viking nobility will never forgive or forget he was once a slave. The high-born woman he loves has too much pride to give herself to a former thrall.

My thoughts:

I brought this because firstly I love viking romances and secondly all the reviews were highly positive and raved about its excellence. So despite my misgivings about the covers (too much flesh/mascara) and the shortness of the blurb I decided to give it a go. I can’t say this is a decision I regret but I also doubt this is a book I will re-reading or recommending. The plot of The Rover Defiant revolves around Torstein’s and Sonya’s forbidden love due to differing social class. I love forbidden love stories, it is one of my favourite tropes and this book had it in spades. Torstein in particular had a lot of insecurities due to his former position as a slave.

Semper Fi by Keira Andrews

Hey everyone,

Hopefully you are all liking the new blog design and are enjoying the holiday season. As I currently work in retail I realise how hectic it can be this time of year so it’s always nice when you can relax, put your feet up and read a good book. Semper Fi is a historical m/m romance that I’ve had my eye on for a while and I finally got around to reading it this week.

The book:

The war is over. The battle for love has just begun.

As Marines, Cal and Jim depended on each other to survive bloodshed and despair in the Pacific. Relieved to put the horrors of war behind him, Jim went home to his apple orchard and a quiet life with his wife and children. Knowing Jim could never return his forbidden feelings, Cal hoped time and an ocean between them would dull the yearning for his best friend.

But when Jim’s wife dies, Cal returns to help. He doesn’t know a thing about apple farming—or children—but he’s determined to be there for Jim, even as the painful torch he carries blazes back to life. Jim is grateful for his friend’s support as he struggles with buried emotions and dark wartime memories. Then Jim begins to see Cal in a new light, and their relationship deepens in ways neither expected. Can they build a life together as a family and find happiness in a world that would condemn them?

My Thoughts:

If you want a love against all odds love story Keira Andrews should be your go to author. Semper Fi tells the epic love story of Cal and Jim, two men brought together by the horrors of the Second World War when they both joined the Marines. I think my favourite aspect to this book was the dual timeline between Cal and Jim’s experiences in the Marines and also the time they spent together after the war on Jim’s farm, Clover Grove. While in the Marines they became best friends as well as brothers in arms; they helped each other survive the war despite all the pain and suffering they witnessed.

Honor Among Thieves by Elizabeth Boyce

Hello everyone,

Hopefully you’re all enjoying the weekend and have managed to find some time to relax with a good book. I myself spent the morning reading while my two dogs sprawled out my bed like they owned the place. The book I read was Honor Among Thieves by Elizabeth Boyce and as soon as I finished it I knew I had to write a review of it.

The book:

Grave robbing ain’t no job for a lady… 

To pay off her recently deceased brother’s debts, however, Lorna Robbins must take drastic measures. When she happens upon a resurrectionist gang stealing his corpse, she does the unthinkable and joins the criminal outfit to save her family estate and her younger sibling. For the first time in her lonely, duty-driven life, Lorna finds herself leading a treacherous and exciting double existence. By day, she becomes a popular lady of the ton, relying on society gossip to help her body-snatching gang. By night, she becomes the grave robber known only as the Blackbird.

Surgeon and anatomy teacher Brandon Dewhurst relies on resurrectionists to bring him the specimens he needs to further his research on pregnancy. When his usual suppliers become unreliable, and then downright sinister, he’s reluctantly drawn further into the black market. As Lorna and Brandon both target the same body—a pregnant woman who is still very much alive—they find themselves powerfully drawn together time and again while trying to maintain their own respectable facades. But this daring duo is courting danger, and romance is a complication neither can afford.

My thoughts:

I know this is a book that will stay with me long after I finished reading it. The writing, the character development and the plot were all superb but these are not the main reasons why this book will stick in my memory. It was the world that Elizabeth Boyce chose as her setting for Honor Among Thieves, the underbelly or dark-side to Edwardian medical advances.