The Countess Conspiracy

The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan

Sebastian Malheur is infamous for his lectures on Darwin's theory of evolution where he shares his experiences with plant genetics and breeding. He is both admired and hated, but it is not the rejection that frustrates him, but rather that the ideas and results he is presenting are not his own. Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury, has been fascinated by plants and genetics since she worked alongside her father and she is enjoying her freedom away from her controlling mother and her husband. As a woman she knows her ideas would never be accepted, so she and Sebastian decide that he will be the public face of her ideas. The two work tirelessly to help Sebastian learn Violet's new theories enough to present them to others and for a while this works well for both of them. Unfortunately, Sebastian soon grows tired of taking credit for others ideas, and by his own brother regarding him as a public nuissance. When his brother discovers he is sick, and about to leave his son and orphan, Sebastian is horrified that his brother considers him him an unsuitable guardian for the child and is planning on leaving him to an aunt. Sebastian has always been fun loving, and everyone sees him as perpetually happy and easy going, and he feels like it is time for him to reveal a new side.

Violet is heartbroken when Sebastian reveals that he no longer wants to be a part of Violet's scheme, and their friendship is on the verge of unravelling. The situation is made worse when Sebastian shares his deep seated feelings for Violet, and it brings forth memories of Violet's own very unhappy marriage where her husband forced her to conceive multiple times even after they all ended in miscarriages and the doctor even said that she could not survive any more pregnancies.  But Violet is determined to share her ideas with the world, even if it means opening up her heart, and Sebastian is overjoyed to finally have a chance with the woman he loves. He does try to branch out, tries to prove himself to his brother, but Violet is the only one who truly understands him and soon Violet comes up with an idea that will allow Sebastian to keep his honor, and allow her to share her discoveries. Violet will have to overcome her fears and her rigid and meticulous upbringing, while Sebastian will have to accept that he can be both the worthy gentleman and the fun loving rake before they can have their happily ever after.

I was conflicted in my feelings about both Violet and Sebastian because at times they were so likable and admirable, but at others they did things that were just ridiculous and impossible to excuse. Violet's fears about intimacy, her adharance to her strict upbringing, and her dedication to her work all made me like her. However, the extent to which she rejected Sebastian, even after all they had been through and it was clear he would never hurt her, negated the intelligence she had in so many other areas. In addition Violet proved herself to be too much of a pushover where her manipulative sister was involved and I could not respect that. Sebastian has loved Violet for years, and I liked how happy he was and how he wanted to make something of himself. His determination to impress his brother was heartbreaking but also frustrating as it was so clear the man would never change his mind. Both of their faults were incredibly human, stemming from a desire to never be hurt or to be loved, and they made both of them well rounded characters. I believe it was just the extent that these things were dragged out that made me grow tired of them.

Their relationship was conducted off page far too much for my liking as they had both really fallen in love with each other by the time the book began and I am never a fan of that. They certainly spent a lot of time together, much of just the two of them and it was clear why they had fallen in love. I guess I am just a sucker for a romantic, or really any kind of, meeting between the two protagonists. Because of her fears there was almost no sex in this book at all and the few romantic meetings between them felt flat me and really did nothing for me. I felt like there could have been a lot more because of their history together, but it was clear these two did not have a huge uncontrollable passion for each other which was a little disappointing. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of this novel was Violet's relationship with her controlling and very very proper mother, especially when a very shocking secret is revealed.

Rating: A slow moving, not very exciting book, with two very human and relatable characters slowly coming to the realization that they are meant for each other.

Unravelled

Unravelled by Courtney Milan

Miranda Darling grew up with a band of traveling actors, but when the troupe fell apart she took in a young boy as her ward, and now she is just trying to get by on the streets of Bristol. Unfortunately the best way to do that was to enlist the help of The Patron, and now Miranda finds herself unable to back out of doing favors for this mystery person. Her latest favor brings her to court, where Justice Smite Turner recognizes from another visit to his courtroom while she was pretending to be someone else. Smite follows her, and Miranda is terrified that he is on to her and asks the Patron to release her, however instead the Patron sends her right back into danger, and right back into Smite's arms. Smite knows Miranda is in quite a straight, she is undernourished, she can't control Robbie, and she is dangerously close to getting herself arrested and running out of money. Smite has earned the nickname "Lord Justice" because of his dedication to finding the truth behind all the charges brought before him, unlike his predecessors who assume everyone is guilty. However, he has dark memories and secrets about his childhood with a crazy mother and an an older brother who ran off to India and a younger brother he grew up having to protect.

Smite finds himself thinking about Miranda incessantly, but he knows he is not cut out for anything lasting of permanent. He offers her a position as his mistress and Miranda is just desperate enough to take it, especially after he offers Robbie a job as an apprentice on a ship. The money and the future is too much to turn down, and Miranda agrees, even knowing that this could end up hurting her immensely. Their first night together is everything Miranda dreams, until the end when Smite, in a desperate attempt to show that he does not need her, walks away and leaves her alone at the end and Miranda realizes that her heart is engaged. When the Patron hurts Robbie, Smite turns to his estranged family to try to help Miranda, but he feels that the best way to keep her safe is to send her away, even if it means he never sees her again. Miranda cannot bear to leave him, so she decides on her own method of dealing with the Patron. Smite and Miranda must fight off powerful enemies to ensure their happily ever after.

Miranda was a wonderful heroine to read about because she was caring, but not sacharine, she was independent but also not afraid to ask for help, she did what she needed to in order to survive on the streets, but she didn't become hard or sarcastic. In a way I would say she was a perfect heroine, precisely because she was imperfect. I liked how she faced her life, and how she wasn't pampered, but was still a woman with standards and hopes for the future; none of the high flung hopes with no chance of coming true, but realistic. Smite was a very tortured hero, and his past was certainly enough to send chills down my spine, but it feels like the world of historical romance has an unspoken contest between authors to see who can make the most horrific past for the hero to explain away why he's afraid of commitment. I admired his dedication to justice and it was certainly very ahead of his time, but the book did take some very advanced views of social issues that would be quite out of place in the Regency period (and might still be today to some people).

Smite wasn't mean to Miranda, but he did make it clear they couldn't have a relationship, and of course it was because he wasn't good enough for her or because his past prevents him from ever forming an attachment with anyone. I really enjoyed all of the time they spent together, even before their romantic relationship started, because they got along so well together, with none of the fighting or banter that so many authors use to show a connection between protagonists. They had common interests, they were both strong willed and independent and they certainly worked very well together in the bedroom. Their sexual relationship was very hot and was a really great addition to show why their relationship worked so well. The Patron played an important part in the story and there was quite a lot of how Miranda would escape from his clutches and, of course, a kidnapping plot at the end, but with the nice little twist of Miranda rescuing the man.

Rating: I enjoyed the book and the relationship and the plot about the Patron. I do, at times, wish that Milan's novels were more faced paced, but her writing was, as always, superb.

A Kiss for Midwinter

A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan

As a young girl Lydia Charingford is seduced by a married man and becomes pregnant, and only the doctor and his assistant, Jonas Grantham, know the truth. Years later, Lydia is living at home with her parents after an engagement is called off and Jonas is the town doctor and decides it is time to marry. Without remembering her from the long ago night, he knows she is the one because of her happy nature and ability to not fawn over one of the most eligible men in town. Lydia knows exactly who he is and has no intention of marrying him and is determined not to let his intrusive into her life make her unhappy. Jonas pursues Lydia for months and nothing he does seems to win her over so he makes a deal with her: he will show her around and if she can find the happiness in everything he shows her she wins a forfeit, but if he wins then he gets a kiss. Jonas takes Lydia on his rounds; to visit a prostitute with several kids, a young boy with a broken leg, and Jonas' senile father who is a hoarder. When she wins he agrees to never speak to her again, but the wager has brought up the past for Lydia and she finally has to confront her feelings about the miscarriage. Jonas has always known that Lydia is the perfect match for him and now Lydia is coming to the realization that the outspoken and blunt Jonas will always be there for her.

I absolutely loved both of these characters and thought they were so perfect for each other. I loved that Lydia was a genuinely happy person and enjoyed life. I liked that she had issues from her past that she had to work through and that Jonas was the one to help her through them. I loved how blunt Jonas was about sexuality and the truth of the world and the conversations they had were hilarious, but also showed how well suited they were and were so honest and forward thinking. Jonas was wonderful and could see himself truthfully, including his flaws such as his compartmentalizing everything in his life. His relationship with his father was touching and so beautiful to read about, and I liked that Lydia helped him through some of his problems. There was some sexy moments, but the book was far more about their emotional connection and while the sex was hot, it was not the focus of this book at all. Overall this was a wonderful book with two very well written characters who had a beautiful relationship. Milan's writing was spot on as usual, if a little slow moving at times.

The Heiress Effect

The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

Miss Jane Fairfield is the richest woman on the marriage market, but she has no intention of marrying any time soon, and her merchant background has already made her fodder for the gossip mill. She needs to remain unmarried so she can continue to live with and protect her younger sister, Emily, who suffers from minor seizures and their uncle allows her to be "experimented" on by doctors. She decides to let her independent nature and outrageous tastes rule over her and soon she is more well known for saying whatever comes to her mind and wearing unbelievably atrocious outfits than she is for her immense dowry. One of the men she's managed to upset with her blunt honesty is Lord Bradenton, who happens to hold a powerful and prominent role in Parliament. Mr. Oliver Marshall ha spent his entire life trying to prove himself and to earn a place in Parliament, even if it often meaning shoving down his own emotions, and his goal is to one day be Prime Minister. Brandenton tells Oliver that he will throw his considerable influence behind Oliver's attempt to extend the franchise, but only if Oliver will humiliate Jane publicly, in return for a slight she visited on him.

Oliver has always thought of himself as better than that, and he cannot imagine intentionally hurting someone else who has done him no wrong, but the promise of so much support is more than he can turn down and he agrees to Bradenton's request. His first meeting with Jane is not what he expected as she is much more intelligent and self-assured then her facade has lead him to believe, and Jane can't help but be drawn to Oliver. She thinks his status as a society outside, because he is a duke's bastard, even if he is acknowledged by his half brother and thinks of his adopted father as his true father. Through several meetings, Oliver becomes more and more convinced that he could never hurt Jane because he is falling in love with her, but he also knows that marrying her would be political suicide and so when the time comes, he does not embarrass her, but does allow her to walk away from him after no more than a kiss. However, he promises to always be there for her, and when an emergency arises with her sister, he is the only one she trusts and Oliver realizes he cannot let true love slip through his fingers again.

Jane was a nice change of pace from Milan because while she still had the haunting past and the familial issues, she also was outrageous and flamboyant in a way that was impossible not to like. Instead of coming across as naive, Jane came across as someone who thought her way out of big problem and wasn't afraid of putting her own reputation at risk to help those she cared about. Oliver's past was so well developed and, even while disagreeing with many of his choices, I could understand why he did the things that he did. I loved his epiphany at the end when he realized he was tired of always being "safe" and knew that he wanted to live dangerously and take a chance on Jane. While normally the idea of characters just being "drawn" to each other, which is different than sexual attraction, is laughable, Milan always manage to pull it off with skill, because she is so great at writing well rounded character emotions and thoughts and the reader really can see why the characters are just "drawn" to each other.

Their relationship was very well written and the two spent quite a lot of time together and I loved that they were always honest with each other, if not always with themselves. I could really tell that these two belonged together and would suit each other and work well in everyday situations. There was not a lot of steam in this story and only a couple rather short, and unexciting sex scenes towards the end of the book, which was definitely disappointing as I felt like these two could have scorched up the pages- especially given her outrageousness and his stuffiness. There was also a secondary romance between Emily and a student at the nearby university, which came with lots of strings attached because she has seizures and is still under the control of her guardian, and because he is Indian. That relationship is short and sweet and ends on a funny note with him turning back Emily's uncles' fears back on him.

Rating: This was more fun than many of Milan's stories, but featured her hallmark wonderful writing and well developed characters who are perfect for each other.

The Duchess War

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

Because he is a duke, Robert Blaisdell, Duke of Claremont, everyone assumes he will be haughty and unconcerned about those beneath his station. In fact Robert is all too aware of his unearned status at the top of society and is dedicated to improving the lives of those his equals typically trample upon. He is called to a small manufacturing town to help put down the threat of unions, but Robert has no plans in aiding the corporations. His father had been a cold and uncaring man and Robert will do anything he can to avoid becoming one as well. The local army captain believes that shy spinster Minerva Lane is behind the onslaught of new union papers and doesn't believes she is up to no good behind her shy exterior. Minerva is hiding a secret, but it is certainly no desire to be a rabble rouser. Her tumultuous childhood, where her huckster father had her dressing up like a boy, only to abandon her when the ruse was discovered, has lead her fearful of attention of any kind. She lives with two "aunts" who graciously accepted her into their home, but knows that their financial generosity cannot last forever and that she will one day have to wed.

Robert knows that Minerva has nothing to do with the unions, but is equally sure that she is hiding something and he desperately wants to know what precisely that is. With the captain breathing down her neck and trying to prove that she is behind all the local problems, Minerva realizes she will have to find someone to marry in order to avoid having her past exposed to everyone. Using his investigation into her as an excuse to spend more time with her, Robert and Minerva work together on some of the projects her ladies Hygenic Society is sponsoring and he slowly begins to unravel the secrets of her past. When the army captain moves forward with his witch hunt against, Robert knows there is only one way to put her above any potential for prosecution or suspicion. Minerva hopes that, with time, she and her husband, can know each other well enough to fall in love and only when are their secrets are exposed will they both be able to find happiness with each other.

This book was very slow moving, and like all of Milan's book, relied on more descriptive prose than on actual dialogue, and while I do normally appreciate this style of writing since she does it so successfully, when used with two such already rather unhappy characters, it made the book darker than I prefer. Minerva's deep secrets were hinted at throughout the book, but the pieces did not really fall completely into place until near the end, and while it was intriguing at first, it became a little overdrawn for my taste, and I just wanted to know what had happened. Whenever anything has a buildup like that it is destined to be a disappointment because nothing can live up to those expectations. However, her upbringing helped explain so many of the confusing aspects of her personality and seemed very realistic for someone who had been through so much. I admired her resiliency and her journey toward become a woman full of confidence, and appreciated her loyalty towards her friend and her aunts.

Robert's dedication to helping the working man was admirable, but also rather a roundabout way of going about it, as he could simply have raised the wages of his own employees instead of causing trouble and endangering people. His background was shrouded in mystery, unless you had read the prequel in which case the foreshadowing seemed ridiculous. Minerva and Robert spent quite a lot of time together, however most of it was spent in serious discussions or other matters that didn't really do a great job of showing how they would get along on a daily basis. There was very little sex and almost no real chemistry or steam between the characters, which is a common theme in Milan's book and always something that irks me as I feel it would add some much needed levity.

Rating: I admired the characters, but did not really see how they would work together in a relationship, and found the book rather slow.

Three Weddings and a Funeral

Three Weddings and a Funeral

The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare

Eliza Cade is the youngest of four sisters and because of a scandalous misunderstanding as a child she is not allowed out into society until all of her sister's are married off. She chafes under these restrictions and finds herself running into Mr. Harry Wright, a rake of the first order, at nearly every opportunity. They meet in abandoned drawing rooms, at house parties, and slowly get to know each other over the years. Harry also begins to realize that he needs to make a change in his life and he wants to earn the respect of the uncle he is going to inherit a Dukedom from and from Eliza. They fall in love during these little tete-e-tetes until finally they are both able to admit their love and marry.

This story was very short but a lot was accomplished as Dare did a wonderful job portraying a full romantic relationship. Eliza and Harry were both super fun characters who worked so well together and their meetings were entertaining and sweet at the same time. I admired Harry's desire to become a better person and Eliza's dedication to her family. There was very little sex in this novel and it was romantic and fit well into the story and there was some nice sizzle throughout the story. I enjoyed this story and how it was written a lot differently than other stories I've read.

The Misbehaving Marquess by Leigh LaValle

Catharine, the Marchioness of Forrester, has run the estate for years since her husband ran off to Europe. She is stunned to find him in the library and shocked when he announces he is back because he needs to create an heir. Forester knows that he made a mistake by disappearing shortly after their marriage when his wife had been young and foolish and created a scandal by appearing alone with a notorious rake. He knows he has a lot to make up for and is determined to show Catherine that he is not going anywhere, but Catherine does not know how she will ever trust him again. They will both have to overcome the past to move on and create a future together.

I very much enjoyed this story and loved reading about a couple learning to forgive and falling in love all over again. The story was very emotional and both sides of the story were skillfully told so it was clear no one was to blame and both of them were so in love with the other and deserved to be happy together. Catherine was strong and vulnerable, capable and intelligent and so full of love while Forester was a strong hero who learned to be more open about his emotions who needed to let the woman he loved into his life. The story was sexy, but that was definitely not the focus of the story and everything worked very well in this novella.

The Lady Always Wins by Courtney Milan

Ginny grew up poor and after moving in with her aunt, she met Simon, the boy next door who's wealthy parents disapproved of their relationship. When Simon demanded she marry him despite his parents threats to cut him off, Ginny panicked at the thought of being poor and married another man. After her husbands death, Simon shows up to win Ginny back and finally the woman he has loved for years. The two fall back into their old habits, verbally sparring and challenging one another, and Simon fears that Ginny will discover that his current finances are in danger. He finally realizes that he cannot trick Ginny into marrying him because he loves her, but Ginny has a few tricks up her own sleeves to prove that she is more than a match for Simon.

I really liked Ginny right off the back, because she was so realistic and practical, and it was refreshing to see a romance character who wasn't scared to admit how important money was to a happy life. I didn't find her mercenary because it also was for Simon's own good as well and I loved that he had not dropped the torch he was carrying for her. I did not really like that so much of their relationship seemed to be founded on verbal sparring, which typically annoys me and doesn't seem very romantic. There was some hot sex in this book as both of them were adults when the story took place so it was a necessary and nice addition to the story. I found myself drawn into his business dealings and reading on to find out what would happen there and the ending was absolutely perfect and satisfying.

Solomon's Wisdom by Carey Baldwin

Anna and Charlie were best friends in small town Texas even though Charlie was the star of the football team and Anna was destined to become the town librarian. The night Anna declares her love for him is also the day Charlie's ex-girlfriend commits suicide and, freaking out, Charlie leaves town and does not return for years. Anna is determined to keep her distance, but Charlie wants to prove to Anna that he is ready for a relationship with her. But things don't go as planned as their friend and her son disappear and someone is obviously out to keep a secret from the past from coming to life. Anna and Charlie work together to solve a long buried mystery and to create a relationship together.

This was a modern romance, which I tend to avoid, and this book did not do much to change my mind. It was well written, but I guess I just find it too unbelievable when these things happen in modern times, then when they happen in historical novels. Anna and Charlie were well developed characters and I liked reading about their past together, but it was really a stroke of misfortune that it was thrown into an anthology with another reunion story, since that was much better done. Their relationship was too rushed for my taste, and the mystery side plot, which was very interesting, really took over the book. Overall the story wasn't to my taste and the romance should have been more the focus.

The Governess Affair

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

Hugo Marshall has spent his whole life proving himself worthwhile and is determined to make it big one day so he enters an agreement with the Duke of Clermont. He will make Clermont profitable and in return he is due a very large sum of money so his number one priority is ensuring that no one make the very wealthy Duchess of Clermont so angry she withdraws her husbands funds. Serena Barton was raped by the Duke while she was working as a housemaid and after finding herself pregnant she goes to the Duke looking for what is owed to her and encounters Hugo instead. Hugo is determined to get rid of this woman who threatens all of his plans, but he cannot help but be sympathetic to her plight and angry at his employer for getting into this situation. While she camps outside the Duke's townhouse, Hugo finds himself going out to meet her and admiring her stalwart determination even while he plots against her and her sister. Only when the full truth of what happened to her, and the consequences of it, are presented does he truly realize what he is doing is wrong and he decides to marry Serena. While not the most auspicious start to a relationship the two get on well and manage to forge a relationship away from the duke.

This novella intrigued me at first but when it became clear what had happened between Clermont and Serena I became increasingly incensed that Hugo continued to display such ruthless tactics against her. While she didn't confirm his beliefs, namely that Clermont had raped her, he strongly suspected it and that really made his actions completely despicable. I could not understand how Serena could fall for him under those circumstances, and the things he threatened to do were truly quite awful even if they didn't constitute physical harm, and made a relationship between them hard to stomach. Serena was an intriguing mix of juxtapositions as she was strong and vulnerable, smart and yet horribly naive at the same time, and it was really these qualities that made her so realistic. Hugo's background was supposed to explain his actions, but I was not buying and it did not redeem him at all in my eyes. There was no sex in this book, but the writing was wonderful as always, full of emotion and I was really drawn into what was happening.

Midnight Scandals

Midnight Scandals

One Starlit Night by Carolyn Jewel

Portia Temple and Connor, now Viscount Northword, were once young lovers, but a tragic accident threw their relationship apart. Ten years later, they reunite at Doyle's Grange as her brother is hoping to become a vicar for the new Viscount, and all the feelings they had come rushing to the fore. Northword is now widowed and visiting his old friend, Portia's newly married brother, who he might make a vicar on his own estate. Unfortunately Portia is feeling like a third wheel and has agreed to marry a man whom everyone but her can see is completely unsuited for her. When her brother and sister-in-law enlist his help in preventing the marriage they find themselves spending a lot of time together and some startling revelations are made in how their relationship had ended so long ago. They must forgive and forget, let go of old problems, and find a way to love each other again.

I do so much like stories involving former lovers who reconnect after many years and this story really hit all of the checkmarks of what makes this particular sub genre so great. Portia and Connor were surprisingly well developed for such a short novella and I really felt like I could connect with both of their characters. Jewel's writing is a little slow at times and very introspective but it really worked here because of the situation between her two characters. There was a lot of history and heart break between these two characters that would have been too melancholy if it had lasted for a whole book so I really feel like it was much better suited to this smaller medium. There was quite a bit of sex for such a short book, but I really feel like it worked well here because they had been intimate before. All in all this was an enjoyable read and very well suited to this format.

What Happened at Midnight by Courtney Milan

Mary Chartley had lead a charmed life until everyone discovered that her father had embezzeled money from investors and so she runs away from London, leaving behind her fiance, John Mason. When John finds out that his nephew has been robbed of his inheritance by Mary's father he goes after her determined to get it back. He finds her serving as a lady's companion, being virtually controlled by her charge's husband, and is forced to reevaluate how he has thought of this woman. They begin to meet at midnight to discuss what happened and how they can fix things, both financially and between each other because neither wants to give up the feelings that were growing between them. Together they must discover what happened to the money, break the bonds that have been holding Mary and her charge captive, and repair their own broken relationship.

This book had a lot of substance to it and a lot of things to work out and Milan did an excellent job of solving all of these problems in a believable way without any letdown. Mary and John worked so well together and we could really see that during their little midnight jaunts and I enjoyed reading about the two of them rediscovering why they had fallen in love doing so all over again. There was no sex in this novel, but it worked fine for me and fit in with how the novel progressed and did not feel like anything was lacking. The romance was great but easily the most intriguing aspect of this story was the domineering husband/ employer who completely controlled his wife and even Mary once she began to work for him. I almost wished that this was a story in itself as his wife regained her confidence and her independence.

A Dance in Moonlight by Sherry Thomas

Isabelle Endleigh is heartbroken when the love of her life, Lord Fitzhugh, chooses his wife over her, and in her grief she mistakes Fitzwilliam for her lost love and passionately kisses him. She is horrified to discover it is not Fitz, but she asks him to pretend to be Fitz for one night and during that night she discovers that they have much in common. Suddenly her one night of pretending that Fitz loves her becomes so much more and the two write letters for several months and a genuine relationship develops. Her sister is convinced that Isabelle is just after Fitzwilliam because of his resemblance to Fitz, but she is able to prove to everyone that her feelings for him are much deeper and provide the backbone for a healthy relationship between them.

I did like this story and really felt like Thomas did a great job making it clear that, although Isabelle was initially drawn to Ftizwilliam because of his resemblance to Fitz, their relationship progressed beyond that and they really were well suited to one another. Their conversations and correspondence really showed how well suited they were for each other and we could see Isabelle getting over her infatuation with Fitz as she fell in love with Fitzwilliam. He was surprisingly unconcerned about the origins of their relationship which was probably the only weird part of the story for me as he should have been more worried that she only fell for him because of his looks. I felt like this was a great finish to Ravishing the Heiress and really showed a nice happy ending.

Trial by Desire

Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan

In the book prior to this, Ned Carhart and Lady Kathleen were forced to wed in order to avoid scandal and after a few months of marriage Kathleen is trying desperately to prove to Ned that they can have a happy and very passionate marriage. But Ned is determined to prove himself something other than the young wastrel that his family believes him so he decides to go to China to find out what is happening in the opium trade. Kathleen is heartbroken and spends the next three years trying to get over her love and ignoring the many lords who try to take advantage of her newly abandoned state. When Ned returns it is to find his wife much less willing to reconcile than he had imagined and to find that his friend, Lord Harcroft, has lost his wife, Louisa. Harcroft, Ned, and Ned's cousin, Gareth, and his wife, Jenny, all come together at Ned's estate to think of a plan to find Louisa and Ned realizes that Kathleen is on the outside of all the action. Kathleen is terrified that Ned will learn her secret; she helps women in abusive relationships escape their husbands and she is currently hiding Louisa on a small cottage on the estate.

When Ned discovers Louisa's whereabouts on his own, and why Louisa has run away, he gains a new respect for his wife, and is doubly determined to earn back her trust and prove that they can have a happy relationship together. Kathleen knows she must protect her heart from Ned as it is painfully obvious that Ned continues to hold something back from her. She wants to break through the control that Ned has on himself and unleash the passion she knows is in him. However, Ned, is hiding his own demons; he suffers from manic episodes of depression where he has to physically and mentally force himself to survive and he fears any crack in the armor will lead to his destruction. Kathleen wants to be a part of this armor, to be someone that Ned can come to for comfort and succor and does not know how their marriage will work if Ned does not learn to trust her. Things come to a head when Harcroft discovers what has become of Louisa and has Kathleen arrested on trumps up charges and Ned must work harder than he ever has to save the woman he loves. To truly save their marriage though will take a leap of faith from both of them as they learn to trust each other and trust in their love for the other.

Trial by Desire follows up Milan's Proof by Seduction and while this book was a stand alone it would be made much easier by reading the first book. I read it a long while ago and could not remember many things that were referenced in this book and was confused at times, especially when it came to Ned's overwhelming desire to prove himself because of something in his past. I wanted to like Kathleen very much because of her passion for helping abused women, but unfortunately I found her life outside of that to be boring and uninteresting and her personality to be weak and unlikable. She maintained a huge distance between herself and others, supposedly to keep her secret life a secret, and seemed to have very few friends. She vows not to give into Ned's seductions but gives in remarkably quickly after making this promise to herself. I felt like her refusing to give into Ned for so long served no purpose and made it even more ridiculous when she just gave in, pretty much out of the blue. Ned was very confusing because there is such a big deal made about this darkness that haunts him and yet, it really does not affect his relationship with Kathleen at all and seemed more like a red herring.

Their relationship developed rather slowly and had an air of just slog to it, like neither of them was really happy with the other and the sex was pretty lukewarm. I loved the way that Milan dealt with domestic abuse in this novel; she excellently portrayed this as a very difficult situation for the women who find themselves abused and for the friends and families who find it so difficult to accept and act when confronted with abusive relationships. Louisa is a very well written abused wife, struggling with balancing her love for her son and the very restrictive laws of the time. Just as importantly, Milan portrayed Ned's actions regarding the abusive relationship could not have been better; he was outraged and he acted in the right by helping his wife, but he also confronted the harsh realities of the times. Unfortunately Milan does not do as remarkable a job at portraying mental illness, particularly depression. I understand that everyone wants to believe that depression can be defeated by strength of will, but it cannot and Ned being able to do so is like a slap in the face, in my opinion, to the people who suffer from it.

Rating: Two difficult characters for me to like in a depressing relationship where the only thing I could admire was her portrayal of domestic violence in a different relationship.

Unlocked

Unlocked by Courtney Milan 1222

Lady Elaine Warren has been a wallflower ever since her debut was sabotaged by Evan, the Earl of Westfield, took it upon himself to lead the ton in making fun of her very loud laugh. She did not know that Evan was secretly enamored of her and her confidence and the way she laughed with her whole soul and his cruelty was to avoid anyone guessing his true feelings. Ashamed of his actions Evan left for the continent for years and took up mountaineering and Elaine managed to find a few friends of her own and avoid Evan's comrades in teasing. When Evan returns he finds Elaine jus as amazing as ever and wants to apologize and attempt to make up for all the damage he caused, but he finds that his feelings for her have not changed. Elaine discovers Evan's feelings for her and while she can see the possibilities that a friendship with him offers, she does not think she will ever be able to completely trust him or forgive him enough to have a relationship with him. She underestimates Evan's feelings for her and the depths he will go to to prove himself to her and she realizes that she can trust him and she does love him.

I really enjoyed this book and certainly far more than I've ever enjoyed a short story. First off the plot grabbed me right from the beginning and I completely got into it and could not wait to see what was going to happen and how they would learn to forgive and move past what had happened. Elaine and Evan were both perfect for each other and complimented each other so nicely as he became a better person for her and she learned to trust and accept society for him. He was mean to her in the past and while it was awful and caused a lot of harm, Milan did an amazing job of showing through his words and actions that he regretted what had happened and really did love her. He really did do some amazing things, standing up for her and her family, and I felt like he redeemed himself completely. It took a long time to forgive him and I felt like the process moved realistically and there was even a minor little hiccup that they had to work through that added a great element of tension to the story. There was a little steam; really just the perfect amount for a story and it was pretty hot.

Rating: A perfect plot that I was a sucker for and I fell in love with the characters and completely enjoyed their relationship. A perfect little novella.

Unclaimed

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan 1218

Sir Mark Turner has become the most popular man in England after writing The Gentleman's Practical Guide to Chastity. He was knighted by the Queen, he is beset by every matchmaking mamma and papa in the realm, and he has reporters writing about every move he makes. His book has spawned the Male Chastity Brigade which has taken Mark's words and twisted them to make an exclusive organization that sees women as the impediment to male chastity. After being offered a position on the Poor Commission in the government, George Weston decides to ruin him by hiring his former courtesan, Jessica Farleigh to seduce Mark. Jessica has survived as a courtesan after being thrown out by her father, the vicar, but that is all she has done; merely survived. She hates Weston but is desperate for a way out of this life and the only way she sees to make enough money to never need a protector again is to take him up on this offer. Mark retreats to his small hometown of Shepton where he quickly runs into the widowed Mrs. Farleigh.

He is angry that the town has spurned Jessica purely because she dresses more provocatively than the rector deems appropriate and is drawn to her outsider status and her subtlety. One incident, where she reveals she hates him because of his righteousness and his purity, makes it clear to him that she is special. And Jessica is finding it harder to stick to her mission because for the first time she has met a man who is not attempting to simply use her for his own needs. She feels guilty but does not know how she can get out of her agreement and worries about what his reaction will be when the truth comes out. As she lets seduction fall by the wayside and her relationship with Mark becomes about so much more than physical lust, Jessica knows that she cannot do anything that will lead to Mark's ruin. Mark feels betrayed and hurt but he understands what Jessica has been through and knows that she is the one he is meant for. It is up to him to convince her that she is worthy of finally finding happiness and that he is someone who will always stand by her side.

Jessica is a courtesan and the book makes many apologies and excuses for her career choice and it is clear throughout the book that she detests her profession and it has killed her soul. Normally I dislike being so judgmental of prostitutes and their profession but Milan did a really great job explaining why the lifestyle really did not work for Jessica without completely trampling on all courtesans. It also went towards giving some justification for the horrible actions she was taking against Mark. I really felt like she underwent many changes throughout the book a she went from being desolate to being full of life and love and finding someone that she was willing to do anything for and who truly loved her for herself. It was moving really. Mark was wonderful because he was so conscious of who he was and was completely comfortable with himself. His virginity was not even a big deal to him, he handled fame very maturely, and his dealings with Jessica were spot on for a man who was falling in love and lust but who still wanted to do things the correct way.

Their relationship progressed in both a rational and a passionate way; he used her to illustrate his dedication to not treating women as whores and he did manage to abstain but it was clear throughout all their interactions that their was a connection sizzling just under the surface. They worked well together and they spent a lot of time together, including a lot of quality time getting to know each other. There was not very much sex between them and while it made sense because of the characters and the plot I still felt like these characters needed it. What brings the book down is the length and the very ponderous writing that went on and on with big, and even little, misunderstandings abounding and one thing after another popping up to keep them apart. The villain in the story was interesting but his plot against Mark held a pal over the whole novel and prevented me from feeling any enjoyment for them and in the book. I also could not help but feel like the idea of a man writing a book like that so utterly ridiculous that I wanted to laugh every time it was brought up.

Rating: While I felt like their relationship was well written, I could not get over the almost depressed tone of the book and the incredibly long length.

Unveiled

Unveiled by Courtney Milan 915

Ash Turner is returning to Parford Manor in triumph; after being turned aside by the current Duke, he is now the declared heir after revealing that the Duke's marriage was illegal and his two sons and daughter are illegitimate. Lady Margaret Dalyrample is staying on at Parford pretending to be her sick father's nurse in order to spy on Ash to aid her brother's in their attempt to Petition Parliament to declare all of them legitimate. She is determined to hate the man who has torn her life asunder, but from the second he arrives he defies all her expectations and makes it difficult to despise him. He is kind, he listens to her and treats her as if her opinions matter and it becomes apparent that there is a past between Ash and his younger brothers and Margaret's own male relatives, and it is the Turner's who come out better in those comparisons. With a single glance from Ash Turner makes Margaret feel like she is important, that she matters, and that is all that she needs in these traumatic times when nothing seems to be going right. Ash has always trusted his instinct in business matters and when it comes to people and he knows that Margaret is special and wastes no time in making it clear to everyone how much she means to him.

No matter how special Ash makes her feel, no matter how charming he is, she cannot forget that he is the one who has caused her to be ostracized from society and turned her into a bastard. She is the only person that Ash can trust with his secret; he is unable to read because the letters on the page jumble up on him. And when his younger brothers come to visit, it becomes clear to Margaret that there is a vulnerable side to Ash and she learns that his motivation is to create a better life for them then the one they had growing up with their hyper religious mother. The closer they become the more she worries over his reaction when she is forced to reveal who she really is to him and how it will threaten their growing relationship. With a vote in Parliament coming up over who will inherit the Dukedom, Margaret knows she will be forced to choose between her family and the man who is coming to mean so much to her. And Ash will once again prove to be as amazing as she has always believed when everything comes out and he is standing there and they both know that they are supposed to be together.

By the time I had read 50 pages I was in love with Milan's writing; it is simply gorgeous in details and descriptions and in conveying emotions, without being overly wordy or flowery. Just remembering it I am blown away by her ability to make me truly understand what her characters are going through. Margaret and Ash were phenomenal characters because both were well written, caring, beautiful, and flawed in a way that made them so real to me. I love how torn she was between her family and the love of her life and how Ash was the one encouraging her the whole time to do what she needed to do even while knowing her choice could affect him. Her fear over being turned away from the life she had lead for so many years, her dedication to caring for her very mean-spirited father, and over what would happen with her relationship with Ash fleshed her out in a way that is very hard to accomplish in writing. Although I disagreed with the choices she made at times, it turned out the way it had to turn out and she remained true to herself throughout the book.

Ash was on a completely different plane than 99.9% of romance novel heroes. He had all the physical characteristics, he had the childhood trauma- living with a crazy religious mother, the hardship to overcome- dyslexia. But it was his reactions to Margaret that made him special; his single-minded dedication to her happiness, even if it could possibly come at the expense of his own. His reactions to her and the things she did made him the most amazing and understanding person and man I really wanted him for myself. Their relationship developed throughout the novel, by getting to know each other and I love how they could trust each other and Ash, the strong silent type, opened up to her. There was a lot of sexual tension between them, but there was not all that much sex and it was fairly hot if nothing spectacular. Their families played a really important role in this story because their respective brothers were their motivation, their enemies, and their best support all at the same time and I really liked that.

Rating: A very good book with two amazing characters, real characters who had a romantic, supportive, and special relationship. I was torn between 4 and 5 but the mediocre sex and very slight drag made it 4.

Proof by Seduction

Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan 210

Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakeley, is determined to prove that his cousin is being taken advantage of by the gypsy fortune teller Madame Esmerelda. He is a completely rational and scientific man who lives his life relying solely on the evidence he can proof with his five senses- and needless to say a fortune hunter does not fit into this world. Jenny Keeble was left with little choice when she was abandoned by her protector but to try to make her own way in the world. She had been educated at a prestigious finishing schools where she had been ostracized by her more well connected peers and with no parents to speak of her choices were either to become some rich man's mistress or lie. Ned Carhart had come to her deeply depressed and, like all her other clients Jenny had told him what she knew he wanted to hear- and it worked; he got better and believes his life is worth living. But Gareth does not trust her so he enters a wager with her that if she does not successfully pick out his future bride than she will admit to her falsehoods.

But something happens between Gareth and Jenny as Gareth realizes Jenny has some fundamental spark inside of her that he has been lacking ever since his grandfather began to train him for the marquesship. Jenny sees the best in people, helps people become better person, and truly believes that Gareth is not better than her. With strong rational Gareth in her life Jenny comes to understand that while she has been helping some people there is a definite sordidness about taking money from people to tell them what they want to here. Jenny contemplates giving up her profession while Gareth contemplates allowing himself to feel something for another person, but Ned is still determined to prove that Jenny really can tell the future. His plan go horribly awry and in the culminating events Gareth tries to save Ned from himself and in the process discovers that he really wants nothing more than for Jenny to be by his side- keeping him from closing himself off to the world.

Wow- I really cannot believe this is a debut novel because it is seriously outstanding on every level. The writing is superb, from the conversations to the action to the truly great internal musings of the character there were so many paragraphs that I had to read twice out of sheer awesomeness. The characters absolutely blew my mind as they were so well developed, likable and sympathetic yet obviously flawed, and just completely perfect for each other. Gareth struggles with issues about his title and while normally heroes who have split- personality disorders (he doesn't really) seriously annoy me (and seem a tad ridiculous) but Gareth's problems separating his stressful life as Lord Blakeley from the man who enjoys studying scientific hypothesis are well written and not at all overdone so I can sympathizes without becoming frustrated. Jenny is a working woman- something I always admire in a heroine- and I love that she has been able to move past her lonely life at school to this woman who does so amazingly well with other people.

Jenny extroverted personality and ability to see the best in people is the perfect foil for Gareth's severely rational and scientific mind and vice versa. This makes their romantic relationship so enjoyable to read because the two complement each other and really throughout the book just serve to make the other a better person. Gareth thaws, loses some of his hauteur, and begins to look at life from a different perspective while Jenny learns that there are people she can trust and depend on without ever feeling inferior. And to cap it all of in wonderfulness this book is seriously super hot- these two really have trouble keeping their hands off each other and Milan writes them perfectly- full of passion and romance simultaneously. Even the side characters in this book are superb and the interactions between them and our hero and heroine really go a long way into developing both the characters and the plot of this book. Ned's little machinations led to quite the conundrum and apparently Milan is delving more into that her next book- which I am super excited to read!

Rating; Should be fairly obvious from my review. Absolutely loved every aspect of this book from the writing to the characters to the relationship to the romance to the sex- EVERYTHING!

The Heart of Christmas

The Heart of Christmas

A Handful of Gold by Mary Balogh
Verity Ewing recently moved to London with her widowed mother and younger sister because said sister has an illness that requires competent and expensive medical treatment. To raise money for this she has taken a job as an opera dancer and told her family she is a companion to an older lady. Unfortunately the money does not quite make ends meet so she agrees to accompany Julian Dare, Viscount Follingsley, to a hunting cabin for the week of Christmas. It does not take long for Julian to discover that she is not the experienced light skirt he had anticipated and he, and the other people at the cabin, are pleasantly surprised when Verity takes over planning for a very joyful Christmas. As Julian spends time getting to know this happy, faithful, and caring young woman he knows that Christmas week will never be enough. But Verity knows she is not good enough for the heir to an earldom and takes over leaving Julian to find her and prove that the happiness found on Christmas lasts far beyond that one day.

The story was enjoyable and lasted the perfect amount of time for a Balogh story. There was the typical inherent goodness found in all her heroines present in Verity as she is just completely childlike in her appreciation of Christmas and in her reaction to the first snowfall. She takes in weary travelers, she decorates the cabin for Christmas, and delivers a baby and it was not long before I wanted this young woman to do something a little naughty. She was an opera dancer and she did agree to become a courtesan but her motives were so pure and noble it kind of negated that bit of naughtiness. However at least it explained why Julian fell in love with her as she certainly was pure and happy, while I can't really figure out why she fell in love with him- it just sort of happened. I would also warn that this book comes very close to be a little too Christian for me as there is lots of talk about Church, prayer, and the Christ child. I like it better when Christmas is just about love and family. Short, satisfying, and only a tad annoying.

The Season for Suitors by Nicola Cornick
Clara Davencourt was mortified when she proposed to her brother's friend Sebastian Fleet, Duke of Fleet, and he turned her done. Despite his immense attraction to Clara Sebastian is too old for Clara, he is ten years her senior, he is a dedicated rake, and he has promised himself that he will never marry. Years ago when he was young a tragic accident occurred and his younger brother Oliver died and Sebastian blames himself. So of course he can not be trusted to love and protect Clara or to remain faithful to her. When Clara enlists Sebastian's help in keeping fortune hunters away he finds that it is him who needs to be kept away from Clara. They both know that they have no future together yet neither can keep their hands off of each other. Sebastian knows that he needs Clara in his life but is determined that he needs to stay away from her so he makes a last ditch effort to move to the continent but Clara confronts him before he can leave. Now it is up to her to convince him that love is worth the risk and up to him to realize that this young woman he's admired for years is worth taking that risk.

I enjoyed this novella much more than the one that came before it. It had much more substance and the heroine was not as annoyingly good and child-like. And I loved that she knew what she wanted throughout the book and went after it. I do wish we had had more of them getting to know each other as, with all books that pick up after the character's have met, the falling in love originally seemed to have been done off book. Granted the situation where she went and asked for help staying away from rakes was ridiculous and his blaming himself for his brother's death was overdrawn but I guess she needed something to bring them together and then cause a possible wedge between them. I got the feeling while reading this I was supposed to know back ground on Martin and Julianna's (her brother and his wife) but I did not know any and that got a little frustrated. As usual with Cornick's writings I loved reading the inner musings of both Sebastian and Clara as they were both just completely in love with each other and yet very torn about how the other felt and how/if they could/ should admit their feelings. The pacing in the novel was done very well and there was some subdued steam at the very end of the book.

This Wicked Gift by Courtney Milan
Lavinia Spencer has been trying to hold her family's lending library business together while her younger brother tries his best to destroy it and her father remains bedridden and sick. When Jamie's problems end up with Lavinia losing her Christmas funds a handsome patron from the library comes to the rescue. William White has been coming to the lending library for over a year and has never managed to make his move on Lavinia- until now. He demands that she sleep with him to repay the debt he feels she owes him; only to discover she did not owe him anything. But it is too late and both Lavinia and William are thrown together with William trying to hide his feelings and Lavinia trying to get him to embrace them. William refuses to let himself hope that Lavinia can ever be his because his family name was ruined and he has very little money. Both characters have been making mistakes in their lives and together they are able to make amends and move on together.

Both characters undergo tremendous emotional growth through this novel and it was absolutely wonderful to read about. Lavinia learns how to trust others and put more stock in her younger brother and that was really just so amazing to read about how their attitudes towards each other changed. William had been convinced he was irredeemable because of how he "forced" Lavinia to sleep with him, and reading about him slowly coming to realize that there is always hope and that the gift of love is never forced really completed him as a character. I will say that the whole "falling in love" part was a little wham-bam and all of a sudden they were both saying they loved the others, but at least it was explained better in this short story than in most others of this length. There was quite a couple sexy scenes and they were very well written if somewhat tinged with a hint of hopelessness at the beginning. I especially enjoyed that the money issue was resolved in a reasonable and fairly realistic manner instead of having him end up inheriting a dukedom or something else ridiculous.