This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also:[image]
This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also: Cancun setting! [image] ... and a really hot guy who's trying to keep our heroine away from his equally hot twin brother. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape, what's not to like?
Isabelle Lind had one of those crushes on her old college friend Marco Dawson ― the kind that lasts for years. The kind where the guy never sees you as more than a friend, because you're too shy and understated. And, most painfully, the kind where the guy dates and marries your roommate and best friend, Daisy.
It's about seven years later now. Belle has gained in confidence and style, and now has a successful career as a fashion designer, but she's never forgotten Marco. When a mysterious and helpful matchmaker (Pearl) happens to mention Marco is now divorced and will be at a week-long family reunion at a Cancun resort the next week, Belle decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and take a vacation (she needs one anyway, right?) and accidentally-on-purpose run into Marco.
It works like a charm, apparently, except the one she runs into first is Flynn, Marco's charming twin brother ... who Daisy has recently contacted, begging him to help her to get the chance to patch things up with Marco. What's a loyal brother to do? Especially when there's a sexy blond girl making eyes at him. Even if she thinks he's his brother. Duh: pretend to be your twin brother and keep her away from him! Of course!!
Flynn's impersonation scheme gets exploded a lot sooner than I expected, which actually made this book a lot of fun. He and Belle continue to maneuver, each trying to put their plans into play and block the other's, while fighting the attraction they have for each other. Flynn's surrounded by the rest of his family ― parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, and more, not to mention Marco ― and they're adorable. Meanwhile, Daisy is staring daggers at Belle.
A few things happened toward the end a lot more quickly than I thought made sense(view spoiler)[, especially when Belle suddenly realizes that Marco isn't as perfect as she remembered and then, in very quick succession, that Flynn is the one she really wants anyway (hide spoiler)]. I also could have lived without the Big Misunderstanding trope coming into play, but its role is very short-lived so I could deal. Generally, though, this is a great escape, with some satisfyingly hot kisses.
Now I need to go to Cancun, or Cabo, or somewhere ...
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for ... not a review, actually, but some copyediting. But she gets the review too. :)
Merged review:
[image]
This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also: Cancun setting! [image] ... and a really hot guy who's trying to keep our heroine away from his equally hot twin brother. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape, what's not to like?
Isabelle Lind had one of those crushes on her old college friend Marco Dawson ― the kind that lasts for years. The kind where the guy never sees you as more than a friend, because you're too shy and understated. And, most painfully, the kind where the guy dates and marries your roommate and best friend, Daisy.
It's about seven years later now. Belle has gained in confidence and style, and now has a successful career as a fashion designer, but she's never forgotten Marco. When a mysterious and helpful matchmaker (Pearl) happens to mention Marco is now divorced and will be at a week-long family reunion at a Cancun resort the next week, Belle decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and take a vacation (she needs one anyway, right?) and accidentally-on-purpose run into Marco.
It works like a charm, apparently, except the one she runs into first is Flynn, Marco's charming twin brother ... who Daisy has recently contacted, begging him to help her to get the chance to patch things up with Marco. What's a loyal brother to do? Especially when there's a sexy blond girl making eyes at him. Even if she thinks he's his brother. Duh: pretend to be your twin brother and keep her away from him! Of course!!
Flynn's impersonation scheme gets exploded a lot sooner than I expected, which actually made this book a lot of fun. He and Belle continue to maneuver, each trying to put their plans into play and block the other's, while fighting the attraction they have for each other. Flynn's surrounded by the rest of his family ― parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, and more, not to mention Marco ― and they're adorable. Meanwhile, Daisy is staring daggers at Belle.
A few things happened toward the end a lot more quickly than I thought made sense(view spoiler)[, especially when Belle suddenly realizes that Marco isn't as perfect as she remembered and then, in very quick succession, that Flynn is the one she really wants anyway (hide spoiler)]. I also could have lived without the Big Misunderstanding trope coming into play, but its role is very short-lived so I could deal. Generally, though, this is a great escape, with some satisfyingly hot kisses.
Now I need to go to Cancun, or Cabo, or somewhere ...
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for ... not a review, actually, but some copyediting. But she gets the review too. :)...more
If you liked Red (the Bruce Willis movie where someone is trying to kill off the retired black-ops team and they decide to fight back), Killers of a CIf you liked Red (the Bruce Willis movie where someone is trying to kill off the retired black-ops team and they decide to fight back), Killers of a Certain Age might be up your alley.
Here we have an all-woman team of assassins who've been working for 40 years with a secret organization, called the Museum, to take out Nazis and other villains. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie are now being retired by the Museum and are given an all-expenses paid vacation as a send-off. It turns out to be planned as more of a send-off than the four women signed up for! They go into hiding together to figure out who's planned their demise and how to get the order for their deaths revoked ... or assassinate the people who gave the order.
I noticed a couple of plot inconsistencies (they say at one point that the Museum doesn't want innocent bystanders being killed, but then what's up with (view spoiler)[the whole blow up the entire cruise ship part of the plot (hide spoiler)]?
It's kind of a beach book, not deep but a fun read ... at least if you like murder mysteries and don't mind a high death count. And I loved Helen Mirren in Red and this is kind of like her times four. Hard to go wrong with that!
Kindle freebie romance time again, and this one falls squarely into the "brain candy" category.
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Jacintha, the lovely third daughter of a duke,Kindle freebie romance time again, and this one falls squarely into the "brain candy" category.
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Jacintha, the lovely third daughter of a duke, has never quite gotten over her almost-kiss with her friend Henry Musgrave when she was younger. But then Henry was sent off by his family to parts unknown to learn to take care of his family estates. He's just recently come back after some years, but now that he's reached his majority he's only interested in drinking and partying (and, it is implied, sleeping around). So, though it pains her heart, Jacintha blows Henry off - I have to say I liked that part - and tries to talk herself into accepting the attentions of Lord Slate.
Little does Jacintha know that between her pointed words and a stern talking to by his uncle, Henry has finally realized that by heedlessly enjoying his freedom, he's been hurting his family and damaging his own and his sister's prospects. He quickly resolves to turn over a new leaf and, by the way, try to impress Jacintha with his changed ways and try to convince her to give him another chance.
Uncle Roderick's grand idea is to have Henry join him in fighting smuggling operations on the coast of England. It just so happens that this is right where Lord Slate's mansion is. (Here's where the coincidences start to pile up.) And maybe Lord Slate is involved in smuggling ... (view spoiler)[And OF COURSE there's a hidden tunnel from his mansion to the caves down the sea. Duh. How could that possibility not have occurred to Uncle Roderick's anti-smuggling task force? I called it immediately. (hide spoiler)]
The characters are pretty much one-dimensional and the plot falls on the unbelievable side of contrived for me. There's also this weird thing where Jacintha keeps talking about how she just wants a "marriage of convenience," by which she actually means a practical union that's not complicated by love, not one where the couple isn't sharing a bed. She's saying this for no apparent reason that I can see, especially since when she's presented with the perfect practical option with Lord Slate, she totally drags her heels. Because Henry! (view spoiler)[And personally I think an author is taking the too-easy way out when they make the other potential love interest turn out to be a villain. (hide spoiler)]
On the plus side, the plot moves along at a good smart clip and I didn't see any painful (for me) proofing errors in the text. (Some earlier reviews mention a bunch of errors, but I think they must have been fixed.) It's a very fluffy story and very unrealistic as far as being true to Regency times, but it's enjoyable for a brain candy romance and a Kindle freebie. This is the third in a series but worked fine as a stand-alone read.
Content note: squeaky clean, other than some veiled references to Henry's wild ways in the past and some not-so-veiled threats by the villain ("you'll sleep with me and do whatever I want, haha" kind of thing)....more
99c Kindle Regency romance. I found the hook so interesting that I had to give it a shot: Our American heroine is married (at age 13 1/2) to a handsom99c Kindle Regency romance. I found the hook so interesting that I had to give it a shot: Our American heroine is married (at age 13 1/2) to a handsome English young man who's about 5 years older ... for her own protection, as she has an uncle who's stolen her rightful inheritance in England. So it's to be a marriage in name only for a few years, and her husband Christian heads back to England with his father. Unfortunately there's a shipwreck, and all are lost.
Or maybe not. Five years later the orphaned Azalea (yep, that's her name) heads to England herself. There she unexpectedly meets Christian, who's now a lord ... and who has absolutely no recollection of ever meeting her, let alone marrying her. To make matters worse, Chris is engaged to Azalea's cousin, who she's living with. And Chris has a major chip on his shoulder against Americans, even beautiful redheaded ones. And let's not forget the dastardly conniving uncle!
I will say it was a fun read if you like Regency romances, but in the cold light of morning the contrived nature of the plot, and all of the many coincidences, was just too much for me to take it even a little bit seriously. Read for brain candy only!
Content note: a couple of intimate scenes, including one short but explicit bedroom scene. Of course they are actually married ... (view spoiler)[and by the time they sleep together he has remembered that. But the earlier kissing scene, in which clothing starts to come off even though Chris doesn't know they're married, really has no place in a traditional Regency novel. It's totally unbelievable. (hide spoiler)]...more
These Timeless Romance anthologies are like a box of chocolates. Hershey's, though, not See's or Lindt.
Each of these stories is based around a[image]
These Timeless Romance anthologies are like a box of chocolates. Hershey's, though, not See's or Lindt.
Each of these stories is based around a road trip. My ratings and comments for each of the six:
3.25 stars for "What Falling Feels Like" by Jolene Betty Perry. An interesting take on post-high school meetup of the popular girl and the younger nerdy guy who had a crush on her. Now Kendell (the girl) is divorced and recovering from hard times, bad decisions and a user of an ex, while Tyler is the hot guy inclined to make her regret dissing him back in high school.
3 stars for "Antiques Road Trip" by Sarah M. Eden. A fun read for non-hardcore Jane Austen fans, in the form of a TV reality show contest in the context of acting like you're in Regency times. Well, sort of. It's more like Austenland. It's a sweet-hearted tale, as most of Sarah Eden's are, but a little shallow and not really memorable.
4 stars for "Wouldn't it be Nice" by Ranee` S. Clark. Jaqueline dumps her boyfriend Colin, who's been continually putting his journalism career ahead of their relationship. She takes off on their planned road trip without him, and meets up with her best friend's brother Hudson, who's been in love with her for years. Off with the old and on with the new! ... or is it? Sort of a love triangle-ish story, but avoids most of the pitfalls. I enjoyed it.
3 stars for "Head Over Heels" by Annette Lyon. Singles blogger Tristan meets an interesting guy named Mac at Salt Lake Comic Con (before it was renamed FanX), at a speed-dating event. When she suddenly needs a quick ride from SLC to Las Vegas, her good friend sets her up to do the road trip with MacKenzie. Haha. Fun meet-cute and gender-twisted names, but otherwise I'm not going to remember this one either.
3.75 stars for "Two Dozen Roses" by Heather B. Moore. A mother-daughter road trip up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) accidentally synchs up with a similar road trip of two brothers ... both of whom are interested in Dayna. The brothers, Garrett and Roman, have a LOT of baggage, and that extends to their romances. Will she choose the flirty guy who's charming her mother, or the quieter brother?
2 stars for "Try, Try Again" by Aubrey Mace. Sarah's dream comes true when her co-worker Justin suddenly breaks up with his girlfriend, announces that Sarah is the girl of his dreams and kisses her. But when she freaks out a little and asks for more time, Justin backs way off and disappears from her life. Did she make a mistake that can't be undone? A road trip (which she ropes her very pregnant girlfriend into joining her on) to Justin's grandfather's funeral in another state might be the way to show Justin she really wants him. Maybe. Sarah blew hot and cold and kind of drove me (and her girlfriend) batty. And her deciding to crash the funeral viewing in another state when they both still live in the same city was a head-scratcher for both me and Justin.
You always know what you're getting with these "Timeless Romance" novella collections, but I always seem to buy them when I see them on a 99c sale. They're harmless and sweet, nice palate cleansers between other heavier reads, and sometimes they're really appealing. This particular collection, with six novellas by different clean romance authors, wasn't one of my favorites, and none of the stories REALLY grabbed me (in a good way), but it's not bad if you like this kind of light contemporary romance reading. ...more
A little bit of Christmas romance fluff that I picked up as a Kindle freebie and whipped through in an hour or so, as a palate cleanser between heavieA little bit of Christmas romance fluff that I picked up as a Kindle freebie and whipped through in an hour or so, as a palate cleanser between heavier reads. Keira is a young single mother who owns a chocolate shop. She was widowed a year or so ago by a tragic auto accident that killed her husband, which has left her with a major phobia of driving in snow. Her friends are trying to line her up with Pete, a handsome (of course) local veterinarian.
Pete and Keira miss each other on the blind date their friends set up, but they run into each other later and figure it out. Except maybe not: Pete has been burned before by dating a single mother and getting deeply involved in the life of her son, falling in love with the boy as much as the mom. The breakup was so painful that he's made a hard-and-fast rule not to date single mothers ever again.
So despite their mutual attraction, he reluctantly tells her he can't pursue the relationship. Keira takes this way harder than it probably deserves given how little time they've spent together at that point, but I have to admit I've been there myself and it's not as far-fetched as it might seem. Meanwhile, Pete is trying not to second-guess himself, telling himself over and over again that his rule against single moms is a GOOD idea, especially since they keep running into each other. This got old REALLY fast, BTW. I mean, no reader believes for a second that he won't change his mind, and the negative motivation seemed foolish here.
Anyway, Keira decides to get her 4 year old son a dog, and Pete gets involved because, why not? They're just friends! And he knows dogs and can help!!
The son is very cute. The dogs are even cuter. Pete is ... nice but forgettable, except for his being so stubborn about his rule whilst sending ALL KINDS of mixed signals to Keira. Also, the book needed another good proofreading pass; I noticed a few glaring misspellings. (Glaring to me, anyway. Things like "diffused" instead of "defused.")
Some discussion of prayer and faith, and the romance is squeaky clean.
Kindle freebie romance time again! (now back to 99c) This cute novella takes a few elements from the legend of Robin Hood and turns them into a sweet,Kindle freebie romance time again! (now back to 99c) This cute novella takes a few elements from the legend of Robin Hood and turns them into a sweet, squeaky clean contemporary romance, with just a little bit of Bible scripture-quoting and answers to prayers making their way into the mix.
Our heroine, Robyn, is a hardworking, no-nonsense kind of gal who broke up with her boyfriend Arrowe (NO LAUGHING AT THE NAMES) a year ago, because he wasn't much good at adulting, spending most of his time working on being a YouTube star. Robyn and Arrowe are both into competitive, trick archery, and when she needs a celebrity archer to be part of an archery tournament at the grand opening of the Sherwood Horse Archery Center that she's organizing, somehow it works out that Arrowe is the only qualified person available on those dates.
Meanwhile, Arrowe has been trying to change some of the things in his life that bugged Robyn - like excess flirting with other women and not being a responsible adult - and he feels like now's the time to try to patch things up again with Robyn, even though she's doing her best to avoid him. Just to thicken the plot, Robyn also has a stalkerish guy chasing her, Monty, that she dated a few times who is refusing to take no for an answer, certain that they're meant to be Together4Ever. So far he's stuck to sending daily notes and flowers, but when Arrowe shows up in Robyn's life again, Monty starts to escalate.
"Shot to the Heart" is short, cute, rather fluffy and not overly taxing of the brain. The Christian faith elements are there but play a pretty minor role. Plus points for what seem to be fairly knowledgeable details about trick archery. Fun and lighthearted read, except for one personal danger(view spoiler)[threatened torture (hide spoiler)] scene....more
3.5 stars. Another Timeless Romance anthology goes on a 99c Kindle sale, and I always snap them up when they do. It's brain candy, no question, but I 3.5 stars. Another Timeless Romance anthology goes on a 99c Kindle sale, and I always snap them up when they do. It's brain candy, no question, but I definitely get my dollar's worth of amusement and romance feelz from these collections. This one has six novelettes, all set in New York City. The city itself actually does play a fairly significant role in most of these stories; it's not just window-dressing.
Some of the stories here are a little edgier than other Timeless Romance collections seem to be. I was especially amused by Janette Rallison’s "Job Hazards," in which Lydia Robinson, an undercover cop on assignment as a prostitute in a sting operation, is tracked down on the street by her old high school boyfriend who CANNOT BELIEVE she has sunk to such depths. It was pretty funny when she was trying not to break cover while she's talking with Harrison, but at the same time she's trying to give her backup cops (she's wired up) the message that she's not in danger from him.
I found the first three novelettes distinctly more appealing than the second three, though the last story, simply titled "&", has some good moments. They're all fairly short, around 30-40 pages, and I would have liked at least some of them to be a little longer, but you know, they are what they are.
Full review to come, but the collection is still on the 99c sale when I'm writing this, so grab it if clean, light contemporary romance shorts are your literary crack of choice....more
Summer House Party is one of those Timeless Romance novella collections that tend to come up on 99c sales every so often, and I usually jump on them wSummer House Party is one of those Timeless Romance novella collections that tend to come up on 99c sales every so often, and I usually jump on them when they do since sometimes they're surprisingly enjoyable. Brain candy, pretty much always, but still enjoyable (assuming you have a soft spot for historical romances of the squeaky clean variety). This one, with three stand-alone novellas, superficially linked by the Regency house party theme, was so-so.
The breakdown:
"An Engagement of Convenience" by Regina Scott: The title pretty much says it all. Kitty Chapworth is the older, poor relation, taken in and kept by her coldhearted uncle because she's a useful chaperone for her younger cousins. Quentin Adair is the handsome neighbor that Kitty had once fallen for, now returned from a ten year banishment to Jamaica, the result of some manipulative behavior by one of Kitty's cousins. Quentin proposes a fake engagement to Kitty for rather far-fetched reasons. Kitty agrees even though she knows she'll likely get burnt again. It all plays out in standard Regency romance ways.
"A Perfect Match" by Donna Hatch: Genevieve Marshall's best friend Matilda Widtsoe is wildly in love with the "man of her dreams," Christian Amesbury, and she's sure that Christian is about to propose. So the Widtsoe's summer house party seems like a great chance for Matilda to hang out with Christian, get him to pop the question, and BTW introduce him to her best friend Genevieve so she can approve of her choice. Genevieve does approve ... a little too much. And Christian - who's way less into Matilda than she thinks (in fact, she's pretty much scared him off) - equally approves of Genevieve. It's pretty much love at first sight, complicated by the agonies of disloyalty to a best friend and a subplot with a stalkerish viscount who's also captivated by Genevieve.
This was a pleasant and enjoyable light romance, but I have to say the gloss was taken off of it when I realized that the romantic tribulations of Genevieve and Christian are continued in the novel A Perfect Secret, which, based on my reading of the blurb for that novel, has WAY too much drama for my taste.
"The Pauper's House Party" by Sarah Eden: Sarah Eden is one of the most popular authors in the Mormon clean historical romance genre, for good reason. This was the most memorable novella in this set, with a truly unique premise: A wealthy and childless couple, the Warricks, invite a couple of dozen destitute members of the gentry to their home for a two-week-long house party, and then stun their guests with the announcement that one lucky guest will be chosen as the heir to their lands and fortune.
Chaos ensues, as nearly everyone wildly jumps through hoops to try to butter up the Warricks, who are soaking in all the flattery like a couple of self-satisfied cats. But a few of the guests, including Edward Downy and Agatha Holmwood, try to hold onto their pride and refrain from the suckup fest, despite Agatha's father's insistence that she do whatever she can to befriend Lady Warrick. It is kind of interesting how it all plays out, but the story was undercut for me by the implausible ending(view spoiler)[, when the dreadful Warricks, against all odds and their past behavior, hand over their country estate and money and conveniently disappear from the lives of our main characters, WAY too easily (hide spoiler)].
Overall this set was a pleasant enough diversion for an evening's reading, but not one I'm particularly likely to revisit. ...more
3.5 stars for this Kindle freebie high school romance novel (now back to $2.99). It’s a quick cute read, even if it’s not plowing any new ground. Vero3.5 stars for this Kindle freebie high school romance novel (now back to $2.99). It’s a quick cute read, even if it’s not plowing any new ground. Veronica (Ronnie) is a talented high school soccer player, but she’s always been treated as one of the guys, invisible for dating purposes. So when she gets a scholarship to a private school before her junior year, she sees it as a chance to remake her image and get in with the popular crowd at Briarwood. Luckily she has her best friend’s girlfriend, Margo, to help her with the makeup, hair and fashionable clothes thing.
Veronica’s plan is working like a charm when she (literally) runs into Drew Remi, a hot guy and baseball player who used to be at her old school and is now also at Briarwood. At first she’s afraid he’ll recognize her, then she’s a little offended that he doesn’t. Drew’s very attracted to the new girl at school and can’t figure out why she’s avoiding him. Then one night there’s a party...
This is a cute, fluffy novel for readers just looking for a quick romantic fix. The writing is competent if not inspired (it’s self-published, I think, but I only noticed a handful of errors). The ground here is littered with tropes, and the characters are stock. All the usual lessons are learned. I would’ve been more impressed if the plot had been a little more creative. It does, though, get an extra half star for a really satisfying relationship scene at the end. I’d recommend this one to high school-aged readers who love romances.
Content note: Mild swearing, including the use of God's name, talk about other students hooking up. Kisses only for our main couple....more
Charity Girl is one of Georgette Heyer's later and lesser offerings, but I still found it a fairly amusing and engaging read. Thirty year old ViscountCharity Girl is one of Georgette Heyer's later and lesser offerings, but I still found it a fairly amusing and engaging read. Thirty year old Viscount Ashley Desford, after getting chewed out by his ailing father for not getting married to Henrietta (Hetta) Silverdale, the neighbor his father picked out for him years ago ("I love her, but only like a sister," is Desford's excuse), takes off to visit his aunt. She invites him to join her at a small, country ball being held at the home of her neighbors, the Bugle family. There Desford meets and flirts with the lovely eldest Bugle daughter, Lucasta. He also meets Charity (Cherry) Steane, the Bugle's sweet, destitute niece, who lives with them and is bullied and treated like a servant.
The next morning, as Desford is driving his carriage back to London, he meets Cherry trudging along the road. She's run away from the Bugles and is hoping that her grandfather, Lord Nettlecombe, will take her in, even though he disowned her father many years ago. Cherry's mother is dead, and her father disappeared a year or so ago and is presumed dead as well. One thing leads to another, and soon Desford is entangled in a series of misadventures as he tries to help Cherry find a permanent place to stay. Luckily he's able to drop Cherry off at his good friend Hetta's home while he's off scouring the countryside for Steane relatives in an effort to help Cherry.
I avoided reading any spoilers for this book, so it was amusing to try to figure out which lady Desford is going to end up with. I had my suspicions but wasn't entirely sure until Heyer tipped her hand about halfway through the book with a few fairly blatant clues.
Desford is heroic and goes far beyond the call of duty; Hetta is intelligent and clear-eyed; Cherry is sweet and unselfish. There are some fairly funny scenes with various colorful relations of Cherry's. Unfortunately none of these characters is particularly memorable.
Even more than most of Heyer's other novels, Charity Girl is really a comedy of errors/manners (a mix of both) much more than than a romance. What romance there is, is extremely perfunctory, taking up less than two pages. But the characters and witty dialogue were enough to see me through it in good humor.
I wouldn't recommend that anyone except a Heyer completist really go out of their way to find and read Charity Girl. It's rather slow-paced, but I enjoyed it well enough, though it's not going on my "reread someday" list. Don’t expect too much from it and you might find it amusing....more
2.5 stars. Jean Webster, best known for her charming 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs, also wrote this 1907 bit of fluff novel, Jerry Junior. Jerry (Junior)2.5 stars. Jean Webster, best known for her charming 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs, also wrote this 1907 bit of fluff novel, Jerry Junior. Jerry (Junior) is a wealthy upper-class American, a handsome young man whiling away several days in an Italian village, waiting for his sister and aunt to arrive. He's getting very bored, so when the hotel waiter tells him about a lovely young American woman staying in a nearby villa, he decides to drop by (without an invitation or introduction, gasp!) and meet her.
Unfortunately, Jerry and Constance get off on the wrong foot, and she dismisses him without a whole lot of thought. Jerry, angry and a little humiliated, is about to leave town when he overhears Constance discussing him with her father at the hotel's restaurant, admitting he was handsome and slightly regretful about how it played out. Since Jerry's attracted to her, he decides not to leave town after all. When he also overhears her asking for an Italian guide for some hiking the next day (“He must have curly hair and black eyes and white teeth and a nice smile; I should like him to wear a red sash and earrings.”) Jerry - in a burst of dubious inspiration - decides to disguise himself as their guide (though he speaks almost no Italian).
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The next day during the hike, Constance makes him almost immediately but decides not to let on that she recognizes him, and flirts with several handsome Italian officers just to make Jerry jealous. Jerry digs himself deeper with lies and scheming, but also manages to do some close-up flirting with Constance. When Jerry's sister finally arrives, the plot thickens further.
So this one didn't appeal to me all that much, though readers of old-fashioned romances might get a kick out of it. There's some amusing dialogue, but I was too annoyed with Jerry and Constance's relentless game-playing with each other. I got kind of bored with the whole story and started skimming after a while, though it picks up a bit toward the end. There's also a strong dose of unexamined classism and stereotyping of Italian characters, nothing wildly out of line (it's pretty typical for a century-old novel) but it didn't help Jerry Junior's case.
This is a Gutenberg and Amazon freebie, but I'd only recommend it to those who really love retro romances ... which I generally do, but not so much in this case. Too bad! The Gutenberg version does contain some charming Gibson Girl-type illustrations.
Autumn Masquerade is a collection of three 100-page Regency romance novellas that I picked up on a 99c Kindle sale. If sweet romances with improbably Autumn Masquerade is a collection of three 100-page Regency romance novellas that I picked up on a 99c Kindle sale. If sweet romances with improbably handsome and kind noblemen (two out of the three stories involve dukes) are your literary brain candy of choice, then I recommend this set. The unifying theme is that all three of the stories involve an autumn masquerade ball of some sort, but otherwise there's no connection between the stories. It's all rather fluffy but good fun.
My thoughts on the individual novellas:
3.33 stars for "A Merry Dance" by Josi S. Kilpack. Nineteen year old Lila, a lovely but illegitimate orphan who lives with a kind uncle, is in the habit of hiding in a corner of her uncle's office to listen in on his business (just because it's far more interesting than what a lady would normally be allowed to hear about). She overhears her uncle and his solicitor talking about a 33 year old former military man who's considering moving to the area, and her uncle's hopes that this man and Lila might make a match of it. Lila is appalled: 33 is too old for her, and how could she ever love a man named Mortimer Luthford, and anyway she's already decided she's in love with her cousin Neville, who's been away for a long time but is due back soon. So Lila decides to act out in a way that Mortimer will be put off and drop any interest he might have in her. The problem is that when they finally meet, she finds him much more interesting than she thought she would.
This is a solid story, though I always cringe when characters decide to act weird and out of character to someone else because of Reasons. There's a nod here to women wanting more challenge and adventure in their lives. Bonus points for a hero that’s neither nobility (he’s of the gentry) nor devastatingly handsome. :)
4.25 stars for "Unmasking the Duke" by Donna Hatch. Hannah Palmer (another orphan) lives with her sister Alicia, who's married to an earl. Hannah is painfully shy and a little clumsy when she's feeling awkward, so she's NOT excited about her sister's masquerade ball to celebrate Hannah's birthday. Alicia encourages her to use the fact that she's hiding behind a mask to flirt with confidence, since no one will know her. It works - so well, in fact, that the charming guy she's been flirting with sweeps her off to the library for a kiss or ten. But when he takes off his mask, she's appalled to find out that it's her stuffy neighbor, the duke of Suttenberg. She never wants to speak to him again, but the duke has other plans and hopes.
It's a charming story, with a fairly realistic take on the problem of shyness and the difficulties that would create in Regency society. I think this is one of those sequel stories where the secondary characters were the main characters in a prior tale? At least it felt that way, which always gives me an odd vibe when I haven't read the prior story.
4.5 stars for "What's in a Name" by Nancy Campbell Allen. Identical twins Penelope (the scientific-minded, awkward one) and Persephone (the ladylike, social one) - MORE orphans! what is this thing? - are both are living with their small-minded, social climber aunt. The twins have been hiding some secrets: Persephone is in love with the local doctor (Auntie would NOT approve), so when someone asked her to write a letter to a duke whose mother is trying to get him married, she passed him off to Penny. Penny and the duke (who, like Penny, is deeply interested in rocks and fossils) unexpectedly hit it off and have been writing ever since ... except she's been signing her letters as Persephone. Now the duke is coming to town for the Autumn Masquerade Ball, and Persephone insists that Penny continue the deception.
What I liked about this one, for a nice change of pace, is that the duke is a sharp guy who instantly realizes that the twins are trying to pull one over on him ... but why? He decides to go along with it to find out why the girl he's fallen in love with through her letters is playing this game. It made for an interesting story, and I liked all of the characters (except the aunt :P). The masquerade ball connection was pretty perfunctory, but whatever, it didn't matter.
Good brain candy for an evening's relaxation. Squeaky clean - kisses only....more
Melanie Jacobson writes delightful contemporary romances set in the LDS (Mormon) culture, with liberal doses of wit and humor and insight. This book, Melanie Jacobson writes delightful contemporary romances set in the LDS (Mormon) culture, with liberal doses of wit and humor and insight. This book, for a change of pace, is set in New Orleans. It's certainly not a hotbed of Mormon culture, but Lila Mae Guidry is a born and raised Louisianan and loves her home there with all her heart. She's also a dedicated and talented high school history teacher in a New Orleans public high school.
Lila has never forgotten Max Archer, who spent three years in her neighborhood when they were young teenagers ten years ago - a cute boy but a jerk, who never ceased to complain about living in Louisiana. Now Max has shown up again, a rising corporate star. He claims he's changed and is trying to get Lila to give him a chance. But Lila isn't sure she can forgive him for some of the rude and thoughtless things he did as a teen, and more importantly, it's clear that Max doesn't mean to stay in New Orleans, and Lila never wants to leave.
Southern Charmed is a pleasant romantic comedy type of novel, the kind I like to curl up with once in a while as a palate cleanser. The main characters here are both very likable, Practically Perfect in Every Way; the story is about whether they'll be able to figure out a way to make their competing life goals compatible. What sets this novel apart is the New Orleans setting and Lila's work with a particular student of hers, a 17 year old African American girl who has the talent to rise above her hard life and home problems.
Melanie Jacobson's rom com novels aren't preachy at all, but they are immersed in LDS culture and will likely confuse readers who aren't familiar with that culture (for example, the 3 years Max spent in New Orleans as a teen were because his dad was the mission president in the area, and Lila is the Relief Society president in her LDS singles ward). Anyway this is a heartwarming story and I've found a new book boyfriend to add to my collection. :)...more
Regencyland! where there are a plethora of young, handsome, single dukes in want of ladies of no particular fortune. 3.75 stars for this set of three Regencyland! where there are a plethora of young, handsome, single dukes in want of ladies of no particular fortune. 3.75 stars for this set of three novellas, one of the better brain candy romances I've picked up (this one was on a 99c Kindle sale).
Our three stories:
3* for "On the Duke's Errand" by Rebecca Connolly. David Chambers is the second son of a duke, visiting his father’s estate in Scotland as a problem-fixer. He has a series of run-ins with Ceana Shaw, the daughter of a neighboring baronet. She's determined to dislike him (he is a little sarcastic with her) and then ... she isn't? She's also under the mistaken impression that David is the actual duke himself, and for (kind of hazy) reasons David chooses to let her go on thinking that. Not bad, but forgettable.
4* for "Vingt-et-Un | Twenty-One" by Nichole Van. This was fun, different kind of romance with a bit of humor as well as drama. Eliza is living in the village of Rothsbury, far away from London. She's a young widow living in genteel, reduced circumstances, content with her life ... until she finds out that her childhood sweetheart, Liam Trebor, now the Duke of Chawton, is coming to town. Is it an accident, or is he seeking her out? He broke her heart five years ago, so Eliza really doesn't want to see him ever again. The story is interspersed with scenes from their childhood and teenage years. It gets a little cutesy (there's a name thing that was kind of witty but made me roll my eyes at the same time) but this was good fluffy times!
3.75* for "I Kissed a Duke" by Janelle Daniels. Madeline, on the fringes of the ton, gets tangled up with Lady Louisa, a young woman who is fond of issuing difficult dares as a condition of joining her inner circle. Louisa's challenge to Madeline: kiss Ethan Sommerlin, the Duke of Hargrave. Madeline is lucky enough to catch Ethan alone at the party and confesses the nature of her dare (at least she's honest about it) and Ethan is amused enough to take her up on it. Sparks fly! And it's a good thing, since Lady Louisa has much more up her sleeve. So very, very far-fetched, but it was a fun read. The ending was just a little too abrupt for me.
Recommended for fans of the squeaky clean variety of Regency romances....more
3.33 stars for this set of four historical romance novellas, two of them steamy, that I picked it up as a Kindle freebie. They're okay if you like you3.33 stars for this set of four historical romance novellas, two of them steamy, that I picked it up as a Kindle freebie. They're okay if you like your Regency romance novels with some sexytimes, but I have to say that none of them are particularly memorable. A few weeks after reading them, I could barely remember the plots - I had to go back and look at the stories again to be able to write this review.
Here's the breakdown:
His Wicked Embrace by Lauren Smith: Zehra Darzi is a half-English Persian princess, kidnapped by the man who murdered her parents, a gleefully evil guy named Al-Zahrani. He brings her to England and sells her as a slave at some illicit auction at a brothel. Luckily for Zehra, Lawrence Russell, one of the good guys, is at the auction undercover, helping investigate the slave ring. He sees Zehra and can't resist buying her, even though he wasn't supposed to do anything to interfere. Unfortunately this isn't the end of Zehra and Lawrence's problems: Al-Zahrani wants her back, and Lawrence's brother is beyond angry that Lawrence went off-plan. I rolled my eyes a little with virginal Zehra's begging Lawrence to take her to bed. It's so unrealistic, but when you read a book that brags about scoundrels and wicked embraces, I suppose you know what you're going to get.
The Secret Scoundrel by Kristin Gabriel. Twenty-five year old Diana Harwood, too tall and a little too plain to appeal to most guys, escapes from the ball into the garden and runs into a man who introduces himself as Henry Lanford. He gives her a small package, which he begs her to keep safe for him, and then surprises her with a sexy kiss. When they meet up at Marwick Manor for a wedding a week or so later, Diana is disturbed to find out that her Henry is actually Colin Sinclair, the Marquess of Thorne. She's hurt that he was playing with her feelings and lying to her, but Thorne (actually Colin Henry Lanford Sinclair) swears he's serious.
They end up kind of competing and kind of cooperating in an effort to solve a crime. Since part of the plan is that they'll pretend to be attached, more kisses ensue. A fun story, though a bit too much insta-lovey. Kisses only in this one.
One Duke or Another by Ella Quinn. Lady Aglaia Trevor's coldhearted, tyrannical father, the Duke of Somerset, arranges with one of his neighbors, the Duke of Bolton, to marry Aglaia (Laia) off to Bolton in exchange for some property Bolton owns that adjoins Somerset's Bath estate. Bolton has been married four times before - and all four wives have died under rather suspicious circumstances. Laia, bewildered but obedient, is going to go along with the plan. But Laia's brother Damon, who's managed to escape from his father's tyranny, begs Bolton's heir, his nephew Guy Paulet, to Do Something ... preferably that something is to romance Laia away from his uncle. Once Guy meets Laia, he's all into this plan.
This was kind of a weird one for me: the basic plot sounded SO FUN, but the storytelling itself got oddly boring and I started skimming after a while. The sexytimes were so out of character for Laia, and so weirdly abrupt, that they left me completely cold.
A Scoundel at Heart by Laura Landon. Lord Thomas Renfrew's face was disfigured by a fire years ago, and he's never been comfortable in society since. But then he meets the lovely and kindhearted Lady Cleora, who is blind. They hit it off and he finally feels understood and loved ... but he doesn't want Cleora to suffer the social scandal that he thinks would be her lot if she married him. Plus there's reason to believe she might get her sight back. So Thomas decides to be all noble and self-sacrificing, but Cleora doesn't want to go along with that plan.
Umm ... yes, there's also some kind of mystery plot, which was entirely forgettable. It's really all about the relationship drama anyway. Another kisses-only story....more
2.5 stars. Kindle freebie romance time again. I'm sorry to be mean here, but we need to keep things real. I'm an outlier and most of my clean romance-2.5 stars. Kindle freebie romance time again. I'm sorry to be mean here, but we need to keep things real. I'm an outlier and most of my clean romance-lovin' GR friends enjoyed this one, so take this for what it's worth if you're generally a fan of this kind of sweet romance book.
So for a change of pace, we have an ordinary dude, Jordan, who meets up with a (widowed) princess when he lands on her family's private beach. Crown Princess Astrid is inclined to tell him to get lost at first, but he's (a) too tired from windsurfing to leave right away, and (b) a nice sensitive (and cute, of course) guy, so they start talking and hit it off ... though she doesn't tell him she's a princess, and she gives him one of her middle names instead of Astrid. He thinks she's just from an extremely wealthy family, which, to be fair, is also true.
Anyway, they start hanging out, both thinking this is just a fun summer fling (with a few kisses here and there but nothing more intense than that). But when the press gets hold of some pictures with them kissing in the sand, the jig is up. Astrid's country is like Victorian-age strict when it comes to PDA, and it's either a quick marriage or loss of (first) place in the succession and exile for our princess. Yes, for reals. Faced with this choice, both Astrid and Jordan agree to marry.
It's realistic that a marriage like this, despite good intentions from both people involved, is going to run into some serious issues. But it was all just too long and meandering for me. There were some pretty good scenes (I especially liked a particular discussion about not friend-zoning), but it was surrounded by a lot of not-very-interesting fluff. Jordan learns how to behave like a royal, yada yada. I ended up doing a fair amount of skimming.
Other problems: I was over Astrid's personal issues long before she was. And there was a late twist involving her first husband that I didn't think was fair play.
Recommended for not-very-critical critical clean romance fans. I think the freebie part ends today, so grab it while you can if this is your brain candy of choice!...more
Kindle freebie romance time again! A weak 3 stars for this one, which had a very cute if contrived concept but kind of stumbled in the execution. ThisKindle freebie romance time again! A weak 3 stars for this one, which had a very cute if contrived concept but kind of stumbled in the execution. This one is for non-critical, sweet romance fans only.
Lisette is gorgeous and brilliant (though you wouldn't know it from most of the choices she makes ...) and speaks several different language fluently. After graduating and getting dumped by her idiot boyfriend - from his limited dialogue, it's hard to understand what she saw in him - she comes up with a business plan: language immersion services for business people trying to learn a new language. She shadows them all day long, helping with the language. After too many clients try to pick her up and harass her, Lisette gets herself a "make-under": wearing an awful wig, makeup that ages and uglifies her, and schlumpy clothing.
All works well, until Erik comes along: a hot, Icelandic dude and successful businessman. Suddenly Lisette wants to dump the whole make-under and show Erik her real self. But she's afraid of ruining her business and her friendship with Erik.
Both the characters and the storyline are pretty shallow and improbable, and the plot gets disjointed, giving some subplots short shrift (like the whole thing with Lisette's mother and the guy who wants her, and how that got resolved in the end, which should have been developed a lot more fully or just left out) and skimming over time periods that could have used some more delving into. But it's a cute, very light romance if you want to just put your brain on autopilot and roll with it....more
Six pleasant and very fluffy historical romance novellas, of the squeaky clean variety, and all Christmas-themed. They weren't particularly memorable Six pleasant and very fluffy historical romance novellas, of the squeaky clean variety, and all Christmas-themed. They weren't particularly memorable for me and I wasn't really feeling most of the romances, but they were fun enough for a few hours' diversion. I picked these up on a 99c Kindle sale.
3.25 stars. "Fairy Christmas" by Lucinda Brant - a spin-off of Brant's Salt Hendon novels, involving a penniless young woman taken in by the Earl of Salt Hendon and his wife, a somewhat scandalous aunt, and a Russian aristocrat. The misunderstanding was a little silly but there was a surprising shift in focus that I thought was fun and different.
3.25 stars. "A Christmas Promise" by Sarah Eden - Sean Kirkpatrick, on his way to a new job in a new area of Ireland, takes a wrong turn onto the Butler farm and finds Maeve Butler ... and her very protective dogs and brothers. Sweet and charming, in a very Irish-flavored way.
4 stars. "Twelve Months" by Heather Moore - Lucien Baxter's longtime friend Will is a roguish player, with a pregnant wife that he's cheated on several times. On his deathbed, Will asks Lucien to marry Cora (and, by the way, treat her better than Will did). But Cora doesn't want to be anyone's pity project. Something in this story touched me, so it was a winner. (view spoiler)[I think there was a bit of glitch with the baby being born 9 months later; I might be wrong (and I'm too lazy to check right now) but I thought she was supposed to be something like 3 months pregnant when she and Lucian first meet. (hide spoiler)]
2.25 stars. "A Fezziwig Christmas" by Lu Ann Staheli - Young Ebenezer Scrooge and his friend and co-worker Dick Wilkins romance the Fezziwig daughters. Cute but superficial, and knowing what later happens with Scrooge and his romance with Belle gave this one an oddly unsatisfying vibe for me, though the story focuses mostly on his friend Dick.
3.75 stars. "A Taste of Home" by Annette Lyon - Claire Jennings is taking the train back home to Utah to spend Christmas with her much-missed family. Claire is looking forward to her mother's holiday cooking, especially her walnut-topped toffee. She's a little irritated to be escorted home by a young man, William Rhodes, who teased her terribly when they were growing up (he really did do some pretty awful things!). But when Claire's visit home goes off track, it might be William who saves her Christmas. The story raised some interesting family relationship issues that I wished had been delved into more deeply.
3 stars. "A Modern Girl" by Becca White - In 1924, Margie leaves behind her coal miner beau Henry and heads to New York City, where she's sure she's going to find the exciting new life she's always longed for. When she's hired as a clerk at Macy’s department store in New York City, she's delighted. Though she's mostly enjoying her independence and city life, she begins to see the drawbacks in it as well. This story was weak in the romance department but enjoyable as a slice of 1920s life for a NYC shop girl....more
Kindle freebie romance time again: Here we have a slightly Cinderella-ish plot about a female veterinarian, Kat Parsons, who is the longtime American Kindle freebie romance time again: Here we have a slightly Cinderella-ish plot about a female veterinarian, Kat Parsons, who is the longtime American BFF of Sophie, a princess of a small (made-up) European country. Princess Sophie has a hot older brother, the crown prince, who views Kat with deep suspicion, because she must be trying to get her claws into some hapless royal guy. And a mother, the queen of their country, who does NOT want her children marrying anyone but the bluest of bluebloods. Which Kat definitely is not, but she is a dedicated friend and great vet.
Plus Christmas!! *throws tinsel in air*
There's lots of silliness here that I may or may not decide to probably won't take the time to pick apart (like lots of completely baseless suspicion of Kat's motives on the prince's side, purely to increase the drama factor), and an improbable plot that will require a rock-hard commitment to suspending disbelief. But if this type of fluffy romance is your brain candy of choice, grab it while it's free! It's cute and fun and delivers fairly well on the romantic feelz. This is one of those series where there are some secondary characters milling around who have been in the prior books, but it works fine as a stand-alone read....more
Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽
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