Because of You

Because of You by Cathy Maxwell 1125

Samantha Northrup is unhappy about the changes she knows are coming her way because her father’s death has left her with little recourse. She has been living at her the vicarage in the tiny town of Sproule but the villagers have made it clear that she is expected to move out soon and that means moving in with the local spinsters and become their nursemaid and unpaid companion. One night a stranger appears on her doorstep demanding the keys to the Ayleborough vault and after a brief visit he goes to the local inn where he checks in as Mr. Marvin Browne and promptly falls sick with influenza. Yale Carderock is the son of the former Duke of Ayleborough who left when he was disinherited after blowing his entire inheritance and he has spent the last decade determined to make money and show his father he is worthwhile. But upon returning to England he discovered his father dead and realized that his chance for redemption are long past. As the healer in the village Samantha is called upon to care for Yale, but when he recovers he appears naked in public and everyone demands that they marry.

Seeing how the villagers have turned their back on Samantha after everything she has done for them over the years Yale decides to marry her, take her away from Sproule and reveal the truth before setting her up in a nice house on her own. But things go awry and the two end up spending the day and night in the bedroom and an annulment is no longer a possibility. Before he can reveal the truth Yale’s brother, the current Duke, Wayland, shows up and springs the surprise on his own. Samantha is furious and hurt as she was beginning to fall in love with her husband for how he had stood up for her and done what was right. Yale is still determined to take care of Samantha but he also intends to return to his shipping business in Ceylon and leave Samantha in the care of his family. Wayland tries to intervene to help both of them realize that their future is in England and there are family issues that Yale has to work through before he can feel worthy of the love and affection Samantha is offering. For both Samantha and Yale it does not matte where they are as long as they are together.

 Maxwell has a knack for writing satisfying and fast stories that don’t exactly stand out but do leave a reader with the warm fuzzies and the feeling that it was a small number of hours well spent. This book follows that pattern with two fun to read, if unremarkable, characters engaged in a well developed and realistically formulated romance, with a big misunderstanding or problem that is concluded in a timely manner and does not become irritating in its’ intensity. I did really like Samantha because she was so brave despite the desperate situation she was in and how she wanted so desperately to fit in with the villagers and give them the benefit of the doubt even when they were so undeserving of her care. I even found her abilities as a doctor more believable than most because she did grow up in a vicarage where she was put in that situation and because she did consult with a genuine doctor and it was not just developed through some intuition of hers. I especially liked the nuances that Maxwell bestowed upon the villagers of Sproule; although they were mean and unfeeling at times their actions were well explained.

Yale was also well written as the prodigal son who was a rake when he was younger and then spent the rest of his life trying to prove himself to the family who turned their backs on him. It was made even more poignant because his father passed before he could confront him and because it was obvious that the bitterness he had built up over the years was unwarranted since the family regretted his actions and actively wanted to make it up to him. I really liked the scenes where he had to confront the fact that everything he had believed, and indeed everything he had worked so hard for, was wrong and he had to come up with a new motive and reason for success. He and Samantha had an interesting relationship because there was a big emphasis on the “spark” they had and it often took the form of little arguments and banter which I am not a fan of. They spent a lot of time together and it was clear that they both cared for each other and had the others best interests at heart. There was a decent amount of sex, not too much and not too hot but it was okay.

Rating: A fun, and very fast paced, book with two well suited characters in a fun little romance that was satisfactory and not too sticking. 

The Seduction of Scandal

The Seduction of Scandal by Cathy Maxwell 1016

Lady Corinne's father, the Duke of Banfield, has ordered her to marry Freddie Sherwin, heir to the Earl of Bossley, despite Corinne's numerous objections because he believes that the Earl will one day be prime minister and wishes to maintain strong connections to power. Corinne is determined to avoid marriage to the odious man so she runs away by hiding in the Earl's undercarriage. She is very surprised when the carriage is held up by the highwayman who has been haunting Bossley's land, The Thorn. The Reverend Will Norwich is Bossley's foster son, rescued from a life on the streets of Barbardos, so he owes Bossley his allegiance, but he could not stand by while the Earl robbed his tenants and threatened their livelihood. He disguises himself as the Thorn to steel back the money that Bossley has stolen and gives it back to those it belongs to. But on that fateful night his trip out leaves him in possession of a box full of French coins, proof that Bossley is a traitor, and Lady Corinne, who was accidentally shot by Bossley's men during the nighttime scuffle.

Corinne thinks this new development is perfect and he wants to hide out with Will in the rectory until the wedding date is past so that she can avoid marriage. Will is not so keen on the idea because he worries that Corinne showing up as his cousin will spur questions he is not willing and unable to answer and because of the attraction he has had for Corinne since he first saw her at a dance years ago. Corinne admires Will's passion for life, his dedication to serving the people in Ferris, and his determination to right the vast wrongs he sees in the world. Will is surprised that Corinne is not the spoiled aristocrat he had assumed; she mixes well with the common people and so obviously cares about those around her and she admires his work on behalf of the people. But her parents and the Earl are still expecting her to marry Freddy and their is the question of why the Earl of Bossley decided to adopt a random orphan. The most important thing for both of them is to never lose faith in the other and to trust that their love, and the help of their friends, will see them through and end with their happily ever after.

Corinne was certainly self assured and determined to take her life into her own hands, which I appreciated, but I appreciated even more that she went about it in a manner that seemed on track with a woman of her era. She had no choice but to escape and, while recognizing her options were limited, she took what she saw as the only way out of a bad situation. I liked how she felt that something was missing from her life because that is a feeling I could relate to and how she found meaning through helping others and being a part of something larger than herself. Will was a perfect foil for this because he had a greater purpose in life and it was wonderful reading about how she supported and worked with him doing something that was so important to him and how it became important for her. I liked that he was torn over what he was doing because of his relationship with Bossley but that he did what he knew was the right thing. I especially liked that he wasn't a typical heroine because although he was handsome, he was rather awkward and gawky at times and not always confident.

I really enjoyed their relationship and how it progressed throughout the novel from mere acquaintances to annoyances to respecting the others decisions and choices to falling in love. It went rather slowly, but that was in comparison with the book which moved incredibly fast and they didn't really get to know each other until the last half of the book and I felt like I spent a lot of time waiting for them to get together. There was very little lust or sexual tension between them which matched with the very little sex that was fairly lackluster and uninspiring. There was the huge mystery plot involving Lord Bossley and his treatment of his workers but it also extended beyond that to encompass treason and the search for the truth about Will's heritage. It was incredibly well done, integrated throughout the story and was exceedingly important for the development of their relationship and did not take away from the romance at all. Secondary characters throughout the novel were well written and as usual Maxwell's writing is fast, fun, and easy to read.

Rating: Maxwell writes two fun to read characters with a great mystery surrounding them and while I liked that they had a solid relationship I wish it hadn't been so slow to develop and there had been more lust.

Falling in Love Again

Falling in Love Again by Cathy Maxwell 619

Mallory Edwards married John Barron, a man she barely knew, in order to remain as mistress of Craig Castle, the estate that she has dedicated her life to but risked losing when her father died and the castle went to John's father. John has known all his life that he is actually a bastard, the product of his mother's affair, and he has worked hard to try to belong, but has never been accepted. The marriage had been forced on him but on their wedding night, when confronted by his very young and very innocent bride whose mother had drugged her to make things easier, he decides to make a life for himself. He spends the next several years in the army becoming a war hero and working his way through all the women on the continent. Back in London Mallory confronts him after debt collectors have taken Craig Castle away to pay off loans he has taken. On this very same night Bow Street comes after John for these unpaid debts and after the initial confusion, he realizes that his uncle, whom he had entrusted with his finances, has stolen from him.

He and Mallory are thrown into this crazy situation together and decide to "hide out" near London and wait for his uncle to reappear so they can confront him and make things better. They pretend to be Mr. and Mrs. Dawson and take a job as steward at one of his friend's estates near London. Mallory wants a divorce so she can marry a man local to Craig Castle, but John has no intention of letting her go now that he knows what he has missed all these years. Meanwhile both of them throw themselves wholeheartedly into their new roles; John meets the local folk and, with Mallory's farming knowledge, begins plans to harvest the field and throw a large harvest home festival for all the tenants. Mallory has trouble connecting with the locals and John helps her overcome her embarrassment and her inability to fit in. But just as John realizes that he is in love with her, she discovers that he has more secrets from her and decides that she can never trust him again. Louis shows up and the chance to fix everything arises and both of them realize that despite their problems they can work together and fall in love.

I was immediately struck by the similarities between this book and The Earl Claims His Wife because it featured a man who left his wife on their wedding night and years later she wants a divorce to marry another, but he decides that now is the time to court his wife and win her love. I have to admit it is not my favorite idea for a plot and I put off reading this because of it: even though Maxwell has done this plot successfully in the past, I was not looking forward to another jerk hero. John wasn't precisely a jerk and his motives for leaving her were reasonable, but the fact that he didn't even talk to her or attempt to communicate with her after he had left and his behavior (lots of mistresses) left me wondering if I could forgive him. I feel like she did do a good job of showing how he changed and came to appreciate his wife and was worthy of her love, but I still couldn't get over his shabby treatment of her. I wanted to like Mallory; she was smart she worked hard and cared so much and I loved her insecurity about other people, but it was her feelings about John that made it difficult to like her.

I hated that she had carried a torch for him all these years and I felt like she succumbed to him far too easily. He was definitely the hero who smiled and made all the bad things disappear and I wanted her to be stronger than that. It was even more frustrating because I thought her reaction to discovering her virginity was completely overdone; she had forgiven him for so much and this seemed like a small thing. I also did not like her ability to completely throw over this other man that he wanted to marry and I was horrified that one of her "excuses" was that he had two sickly sisters and she did not want her children to be sickly and was thankful that John was healthy. Seriously?! There was very little sex, it was not at all hot, and there were a lot of times when it was just alluded to and unfortunately I was okay with that because I really did just want to finish the book. I did enjoy the plot about John losing all of his money and how they were going to get it back, and while it was nice that it wasn't overwhelming I thought it odd that such an important part was dropped for a majority of the book.

Rating: The book was fun at times and certainly fast, but the relationship between John and Mallory left me fairly cold for the most part even while I did want to like Mallory.

The Marriage Ring

The Marriage Ring by Cathy Maxwell 521

Richard Lynstead is quite upset when Grace MacEachin accuses his father and his uncle (they're twins) of stealing money from an old woman and then framing her father for the crime. He is convinced that his father at least would never have committed such a crime, although he will admit that he cannot be quite so certain about his uncle. He goes to confront Grace at one of her performances as she is quite the toast of London as the gorgeous new singer. Grace knows that her father is not guilty of the crimes and she wants to prove his innocence, or at least get a small measure of revenge in the form of a blackmail payment, to prove to him that she believes in him. When Richard comes backstage she immediately knows he is self-righteous, stern, and quite a prig. He offers to escort her to Scotland to meet her father and judge for himself whether or not there is any basis for his story and Grace takes him up on the offer, wondering if there is more to this taciturn man than meets the eye.

Their journey proves to be an eye opening experience for both of them as Grace slowly draws Richard out of his shell and he comes to see this woman as a real person, and not as the fallen lady he tried to paint her as. Richard finds that he can tell Grace about his rather lonely and cruel childhood and Grace can easily see that he is a man of honor and a man she can trust. But when his uncle's agents turn against them Grace and Richard are left on their own and one cold night Richard finally loses his virginity to Grace. Grace is worried that he will now look upon her as a whore, but the truth is that Richard knows he has finally found someone he can care about- someone he hopes can care about him too. They both have feelings for each other and they must show the other that the feelings are reciprocated and not in danger of melting into thin air. But just as things seem to be looking up for them, the truth comes out and puts everything at risk. The two of them will need to work out their problems and carve their own path.

Grace and Richard are simply amazing characters that I completely fell in love with. Maxwell does an amazing job telling the story from both of their points of view so I felt like I was completely in tune with what was going on so that even if they were doing something I might not have agreed with, I could at least sympathize with their reasoning. Grace was truly independent (not the odd independence of many heroines) who could take care of herself. I loved that she willing to do some unsavory things to do what needed to be done and yet she knew that what she was doing wasn't right. She jumped in the middle of frays and actually came out on top a couple of times. Richard was just as awesome because of how tormented he was by his relationship with his father and uncle and being bullied as a child, and yet it did not affect his ability to fall in love with Gracie. Their relationship was so great because she was able to help him overcome those insecurities by believing in them and it was beautiful.

I loved the descriptions of the feelings they were each going through as he came to acknowledge that his father had committed some wrongs and she struggled with the guilt she feels over her original treatment of her father. An interesting touch to this novel was that Richard was a virgin (29) when he made love with Grace while she was not. I kind of thought, and hoped really, that the book would have gone in to a little more detail about this or had Richard and Grace have some sort of conversation about it. I also liked that, although she was a rape survivor, it had not completely ruined her ability to connect with another human without great sturm and drung. This book was entirely driven by the relationship between Richard and Grace and it made the book so great. I loved scenes between them where they were getting along and just having fun together and getting to know each other. No needless bantering or arguments that supposedly make their relationship exciting here!

Rating: Great relationship driven book with some great characters. I would have liked a little more spice or excitement, but very well done book!

The Earl Claims His Wife

The Earl Claims His Wife by Cathy Maxwell

On their wedding night, Brian Ranson, the Earl of Wright, told his wife, Gillian, that he was been in love with his childhood sweetheart Jess and intended to remain faithful to her. Gillian was crushed as she had believed herself in love with her husband and she was even more hurt when he promptly went to war and left her with his judgmental and cold parents. Finally after four years Gillian could not stand her living arrangements or her non-existent relationship with her husband so she left them all to move to her cousin estate where she acted as mistress. Just as Gillian is beginning to fall in love with another man, a Spanish baron named Andres, Brian shows up to take his wife back to London. He has plans to gain a position in Lord Liverpool's war cabinet and needs the help of a wife to do so. Gillian agrees but she has high hopes that eventually she will be able to convince the high ups in London to grant her a divorce. Brian has no intention of letting this happen, but he goes along with his wife for now. On the way to London Gillian's feelings for her husband begin to thaw as he reveals himself to be far from the cold, heartbreaking, villian she had painted him as.

It only takes that one night for Gillian to realize that she never really got over her love for Brian and she agrees that she too wants to start over and make everything better. Unfortunately Brian has not been entirely honest with her; yes he does want a new start with the woman he deeply regrets treating so shabbily but he neglected to tell her that he was caring for the son his ex-mistress sired with his own father. Gillian is devestated to know that Brian has played her for a fool again, but she agrees to spend 30 days helping with the sick infant, but after that Brian will try to help her obtain a divorce. Once again Brian has no intention on following through but he is quickly coming to realize that he needs Gillian by his side. He can not fathom how he threw this beautiful, intelligent, strong, independent woman aside for a woman who turned out to be false and he wants to prove to her that he really is worthy. But as Gillian and Brian realize that they're in love with the other the past comes back to haunt them in the form of an ex-mistress and a Spaniard and both are forced to trust the other and risk their pride to see if love is still possible.

I admit that I did spend quite a bit of the novel hoping that Brian would get a big dose of comeuppance as leaving your wife on your wedding night, after telling her you're really in love with another woman, is deserving of one massive slap. However, Maxwell did an absolutely stunning job of making Brian into a very sympathetic man who had been young and foolish and, upon realizing his mistake, genuinely dedicated to winning back the woman he had given up. I was shocked that my feelings about revenge changed so drastically and really it is just a testament to Maxwell's ability to really develop a character. Other proof of this includes Brain's change of heart over accepting a position as ambassador to Holland. Just a really great character and very well written on Maxwell's part. I did find it odd how quick Gillian was to throw Andres away after truly believing that she was in love with him. She certainly agonized over it but it just seemed like something a little off character for one who was normally very self assured and knew what she wanted and how to go about getting it.

One thing I did wonder about though: if the child had been Brian's how would Gillian have reacted? It would have been interesting, but I am very glad I did not have to find out because raising a man's child, whom he had with another woman while married to you, that just could not be romantic and I am very glad she did not try to make it so. As expected from readings of other books by this author there was some mild steam, not all that hot, but a quite good expression of the character's feelings for each other. I was a little upset that making love became a way for both of them to avoid very real, very necessary, discussions and there were times when he used her desire for him against her. There was some very fun bits of angst when they both begin to believe that the other did not return their feelings of love and really just some great introspection into the characters' thoughts and feelings. There were some appearances by some previous books' characters but they weren't entirely overwhelming or just an excuse to show that everyone really does life happily ever after. She does make mention that Lord Liverpool's marriage was quite the romantic love match and I wonder if that was artistic license or really based in historical research?

Rating: This book was very fast and just featured some amazing character development. I don't know exactly what made this book so awesome, but I really enjoyed reading it.

Four Dukes and a Devil

Four Dukes and a Devil

The Irish Duke by Cathy Maxwell
After her parents died Susan Rodgers was forced to make a living for herself preparing girls for marriage. A huge tool in her recruitment box has been her knowledge of the Order of Precedence which states that the Irish Dukes come last. She shares this knowledge, secure that no Irish Duke will ever challenge her and is shocked when Roan, the Duke of Killeigh, comes to confront her. Both are swept up by the challenge the other presents and it is not long before Roan is trying to convince the beautiful spinster to marry him. Susan is terrified that Roan should be looking for a woman of his own station, but he manages to convince her that she is the only woman he wants. An incredibly short mini-novella, not much happens in the way of relationship development in the story. It is certainly a fun and entertaining read, but too much was crammed into too few pages. There is a brief steamy scene at the end that, while good, the space may have been better used showing the reader why/ how exactly these two came to fall in love with each other as a few stolen moments at very crowded balls doesn't really explain it very well.

The Duke Who Came to Dinner by Elaine Fox
Gray Gilliam's sudden decision to take a walk on the wild side ends badly when a dog runs off with her clothes while she's skinny dipping. Luckily the only person who notices her nude midnight bike ride through town is Sam Gregory, the owner of said dog. Gray is trying to loosen up while on vacation in Massachusetts and on a trip into the town's local dive has her leaving with Sam. Unfortunately back at her place the residential "ghost" decides to take matters into his hands and the night ends with some haunted visitors. The story was certainly better developed than "The Irish Duke" and the relationship really had time to really grow. The two spent quite a bit of time together and made a really good couple. I liked how it ended on a hopeful note, rather than on the completely finished note as it made it obvious that Gray and Sam were going to spend more time getting to know each other. The ghost story seemed a little blah and extra little nonsense, but the steamy scene, while not super exciting, made it obvious that when given more room to breathe, Fox is a great, sexy, writer.

Devil to Pay by Jeaniene Frost
Blake has been possessed by the an evil demon and is determined to kill himself even though the demon is doing everything he can to ensure that Blake does not do so. When Elise finds him reeking of death and blood she is drawn to him and brings him back to her lair. She is a vampire and has no fear of the demon but she wants to help Blake get rid of this evil force that has taken over him so she takes him to her sire, Mencheres. The only way he can think to get rid of the demon for good is to bring Blake out to the deserted salt flats and kill him with no living thing around to ensure that the demon does not possess another being. Elise is terrified of losing this person she is drawn to like she has not been drawn to before, but she is faced with the harsh truth that it may be the only way to get rid of this demon. I am not really much for demons and other-worldly creatures in my romance, but it was certainly exciting. Elise and Blake spent so much time together it was easy to see that they had enough time to "fall in love." There was quite a bit of action, some angst, and some nice steam. Despite this book being fairly good I would not have liked to read a full-length novel about this.

Catch of the Century by Sophia Nash
Victoria Givan is escorted her three orphaned charges to their apprenticeship when she is nearly run over by the a carriage. John Varick, the Duke of Beaufort, feels a sense of responsibility for the four travelers who seem intent on walking 60 miles and he offers them a ride. A night at a coaching inn makes it clear that the two can not be trusted to keep their hands off each other. When he discovers that their planned accommodations are ruins he then corrals them into staying at his house where Victoria and John do their best to avoid each other and temptation. That is easier said than done and after being bitten by a snake Victoria fears dying a virgin- a problem John is more than happy to rectify. The incident forces John to realizes that he wants the maddening and beautiful Victoria in his life for good, but Victoria fears joining John's hoi-paloi world and runs away. It is up to John to find her and convince her that she matters more than any society matron's opinion. Very fun and definitely the perfect length with nothing left out. I feel too much more of their argumentative banter would have gotten on my nerves and the reunion of past-novel characters would have been too frustrating. More a turn towards what I really like to read.

Charmed by her Smile by Tracy Anne Warren
India Byron is desperate to get rid of an unwanted suitor named Peter Harte and enlists the help of the first man she stumbles upon to kiss her. She was unaware that her savior is none other than the Quentin, the Duke of Weybridge, who has quite the reputation as a the ton's most notorious rake. Quentin has been suffering from a bout of ennui and spending time with this spunky, talkative, and very clever young lady may be just what he's looking for. Despite hitting it off so well Quentin is reluctant to make their relationship real even as they continue the ruse at a house party in order to ward of Peter's advances. Quentin is determined to keep things between them away from talk of marriage, even as he is coming to realize that India may mean so much more to him than he was expecting. I think it really says something when I felt like an 80 page short story was too long and I kept waiting for it to end. So many of the parts I wish had been expanded, such as them really getting to know each other and talking were washed over while other things (so unimportant I don't remember) were dragged out. There was steam, but this was the only story that didn't feature a "completion" and it certainly had plenty of angst.