My Heart's Desire

My Heart's Desire by Kate Pearce R

Caroline Lyndhurst was widowed in a boat accident that left much of her body covered in burn scars, and even though her time of mourning is up, she is very self conscious and continues to live in seclusion at her sisters house. When her sister throws a house party, Jasper Lord Mansell arrives and he has plans to bring Carolin out of her self imposed exile. He had been in love with Caroline for years and now that she is widowed and a suitable period of mourning has past, he is determined not to let his second chance slide by. Caroline cannot believe that anyone would be interested in her, but Jasper uses every possible opportunity to lure Caroline into private corners where he wastes no time in showing her that her scars do not stop him from wanting her. Caroline must learn to accept herself before she can allow someone else to truly love her and she is able to do that with Jasper's help.

This was a novella in the same anthology as "The Gift" and I admit that that story is quite the tough act to follow, but leave it to Pearce to manage splendidly. I loved that Caroline was insecure about her appearance and had something to genuinely be insecure about. I especially loved that Jasper didn't ignore her flaws, but embraced them and saw them as a part of her, and not something just to be overlooked. He was an amazing romance novel hero and I love the second chance story line that he'd been in love with her for years. The sex was incredibly hot, as expected, and Caroline and Jasper worked together incredibly well and made a perfect couple.

Taming an Impossible Rogue

Taming an Impossible Rogue by Suzanne Enoch 

The Marquis of Fenton is humiliated when his longtime fiance runs out on him at the church and takes up residence at a scandalous gambling hall working as a hostess. He hires his cousin, Keating Blackwood, to bring her back to him and offers him 10,000 pounds, and as Keating is in desperate need of funds he agrees. Lady Camilla Pryce took one look at Fenton and realized that if he'd never even said hello in all the years they'd been engaged, their marriage was doomed. She enjoys the freedom of working at the Tantalus club and the friendships she is making. When Keating shows up at the club it stirs quite a scandal as he had previously admitted to killing his lover's husband, earning himself the nickname "Bloody Blackwood." Camilla finds herself drawn to Keating anyway, especially since he admits that he is trying to get her back with Fenton and does not lie about his motives.

Camilla agrees to go along with Keating and allows him to escort her around town and as they get to know each other they discover they have a lot in common. They both have ruined reputations and for each of them the other is the only one who understands their motivations and why they have done what they have. Keating trusts her with his deepest secret; that he had a child with his former lover and he has been supporting her for years and he needs the promised money from Fenton to support his son. Camilla knows what she must to do to help the man she has fallen in love with and agrees to the marry Fenton and give up the chance of something more- give up the chance for love. But luckily their friends are determined for neither of them to settle and they make their own discoveries that make a happily ever after possible for Keating and Camilla. 

I loved both Keating and Camilla because they were both noble, and scared, and full of hope and passion that had been tamped down by society but together they were able to be true to themselves and be happy. Camilla was wonderful and so real and I felt like every emotion she was feeling was so true and I was rooting for her the entire time. Keating was great as the reformed rake who had made the hard decisions and was willing to live with the consequences of his actions. They were able to heal each other's hurts and become better, happier people with each other and I really liked reading about each moment they spent together and luckily there was quite a lot. It made their relationship seem so strong and based on a really strong connection. Because of their noble-ness there was not very much sex but there was some but it was not exactly hot. 

There was a lot of talk about Keating's past in this novel, and with good reason, but it got to be a little too much for me and I got tired of both of them being so willing to sacrifice their own happiness in order to save the other. A little of that is good but what they were doing just came across as ridiculous and of course, everything was wrapped up a little too conveniently in that department for my taste. I really enjoyed reading about Camilla's relationship with her family because she had to deal with so much from them and learn how to be independent. I thought there was a decent presence from previous characters and the next novel was set up very nicely. The writing was, as always, fast and fun and very enjoyable.

Rating: A fun book with two very lovable characters who could be a little too self-sacrificing for my taste, but overall had a very strong connection.

Any Man of Mine

Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson 1230 L

Six years ago Autumn Haven had lost her mother and decided that a wild week in Las Vegas was just what she needed. Sam le Claire was in Vegas with his fellow Chinook hockey team members blowing off steam when he saw a woman on the dance floor and even though she wasn't his usual tall, skinny, top-haevy bimbo, he wanted her. The two spent 5 days together, checking off some of things on Autumn's list, and spending quite a lot of time getting crazy between the sheets and when Sam proposes they get married Autumn jumps on it, sure that she was found someone special. But Sam has second thoughts and Autumn wakes up alone and Sam files for divorce and she only sees him again after a paternity test proves that her son, Connor, is also Sam's. For the next five years the two agree not to be in the same room together but to try to do whatever is best for their son, even though Autumn feels that Sam spends enough time with Connor and Sam thinks that Autumn is a man-hating shrew. Sam has no trouble going back to his old womanizing party life and Autumn settles down to raise their son.

They reconnect at a wedding and in one large blowup Autumn lays down her feelings about the way Sam has been treating Connor and he decides that he will take a more active role in Connor's life. Autumn is worried that Sam's newfound father instincts will disappear soon and this colors all of her interactions with him and she finds that she is especially worried about the women in Sam's life. Sam can't help but admire the way that Autumn has been a single mother running a successful event planning business and he realizes that she is entitled to the poor opinion she had of him and that he had not been a good father. Despite the animosity that still simmers beneath the surface, the sexual attraction between them has never left and while Autumn is determined to keep their relationship purely sexual, Sam wants more; he wants a second chance. Autumn does not know if she can ever learn to trust Sam again but even she will admit that Sam has changed and the idea of them being a real family is very enticing. She realizes she has never stopped loving Sam and together they take one more leap for a chance at happiness.

Autumn was incredibly strong and capable and I liked that she had a job that brought her fulfillment and did not feel guilty over being a working mom and still managed to raise a very great kid. Her feelings about Sam were totally rational in my opinion and she was smart for wanting to avoid him and worrying about Connor's well being when Sam backed out on plans with him. Sam was a womanizer who spent half the book not really giving a shit about anything but his own pleasure with no thoughts to anyone, including his own son. He was really quite a jack-ass, constantly calling Autumn names just because she was mad at him and didn't seem to have any sympathy for what she went through after he abandoned her. Even at the end I did not get the sense that he had really changed in any way except as a father and he gave only a cursory thoughts to Autumn's very justifiable anger and he still seemed to view her as a shrew. I wish there had been more development of Sam and that he had honestly seemed to regret his actions towards Autumn and had done more to make up for it.

Their relationship was clouded by their past and their past played a very big part of them getting back together, although it seemed to be more important to Autumn than Sam. Sam gave lip service to it, but for the most part, it seemed like he just wanted Autumn to get over it and that bothered me. There were frequent flashbacks to their time in Vegas and I liked that Gibson made it clear that although their marriage was hasty, Autumn had a reason to believe that their could be a real relationship between them. There was a decent amount of sex, a lot of it taking place in the past, and while it was plenty hot I felt like it did not completely live up to expectations for people who were so attracted to each other. I really did not feel the connection between them and did not really understand how they fell in love with each other. They had a connection through their son but they had nothing in common and there was just no spark of anything other than sexual. Connor was a well written five year-old, very realistic and a fun little boy who was obviously loved.

Rating: I enjoyed the very fast and fun pace of the book but did not really "get" the romance between them and the one thing they had going for them, the sex, wasn't very well done either.

A WInter's Scandal

A Winter's Scandal by Candace Camp 1207

Thea Bainbridge has never thought she needed more in her life than being sister to the local village vicar and helping him write sermons and help run the town as needed. But when she learns that Gabriel, Lord Morecombe, has suddenly become a landowner in the area and moved into his new house she can't help but remember their brief kiss nearly a decade ago when she had been in London for her sister's come out. Thea herself had never had a come out and had thus been relegated to spinsterhood, but she is still embarrassed and upset that Gabriel does not even recognize her. Gabriel has relocated to the country with the company of several of his friends, including Thea's cousin, Ian who is eager to escape his new wife, Emily, for the holiday season. While readying the church for the nativity scene Thea discovers a baby in the manger and, after seeing a brooch with the Morecombe crest, immediately assumes that he is Gabriel's son and wastes no time in confronting Gabriel and in the ensuing argument her hurt over their forgotten kiss is exposed.

Gabriel recognizes the brooch as belonging to his sister, Jocelyn, who absconded from her fiance, Lord Rawdon, a year ago and has not been heard from since. He teams up with Thea to help discover who left the baby in the manger, who the parents are, and where Jocelyn is. Matthew is an easy child and it does not take long for both Thea and Gabriel to fall in love with the cutie and they find themselves in each other's company quite a bit. Gabriel does remember Thea and cannot figure out how she could ever think she was forgettable and he has every intention of making sure she knows precisely how unforgettable she is and how much he desires her. When Matthew is kidnaped they have to race to save him from the kidnapper and a night spent alone in a cabin brings them even closer together. Even as they raise Matthew and work to find out what is happening, Thea believes that she will never be anything more than a distraction. When all is said and done they are left together to discover how they will make a life together work so that they can share their love with everyone, including Matthew.

Spinster sister's of vicars have been appearing a lot lately in romances I feel like and I admit that I don't really have a problem with it because I like the idea of a woman who has had responsibilities and work to do, finally finding love with a man who is equal to her and who appreciates her even while she has gone unnoticed for so long. Thea was intelligent and polite and respected by her community and wanted a family but had convinced herself she was fine with her life because she didn't believe she had a chance for anything more. She had built up the kiss between her and Gabriel because it was the closest she had come to intimacy and she was crushed when he did not remember it. She was obviously very caring because she took in Matthew and wanted what was best for him even if it meant she would have to give him up to his biological family. Gabriel was a town rake although we didn't really get too much evidence of this, which is fine with me, but he proved himself with his dedication to Matthew and his sister and with the way he treated and behaved so lovingly to Thea.

Their relationship was very well established as they spent a lot of time together and got to know each other and proved that they would work so well together. I really enjoyed reading about them together because there were just so many little moments that all added up to a really compatible couple who belonged together. They complimented each other very nicely as she grounded him and brought out the best in him and he gave her confidence in her own numerous abilities. There was some sex, not too much, but enough to give some much needed steam and establish some serious physical connection between them and I felt like it was a really important part of their relationship. The baby plot was a very important part of the story and was well blended with the romance but I did not get the sense that it was taking over and overshadowing the romance at all. It was a huge mystery and they just built on each other until I was very much confused but I really liked that I could not guess right away what was going on and the resolution was a complete shock to me.

Rating: A very enjoyable book with two compatible characters and a great mystery plot that was near perfect if it had been a little more fun or sexy.

Elizabeth, the Enchantress

Elizabeth, the Enchantress: The Real Duchesses of London by Lavinia Kent 1125

Elizabeth married William, the Duke of Westhaven when she was a gawky girl and fancied that he was her prince charming until he left a month into their wedding; leaving her to face the gossip and scandal. William believed that he was a hero rescuing the orphaned girl who was living at the mercies of her cruel uncle and never imagined that his leaving to explore the world would cause any problems for Elizabeth. When he returns he finds her much changed and is confronted with all the pain he has caused her over the years and Elizabeth does not know if she can forgive him. When two cartoons appear that depict two different scenarios involving one of them scorning the other the rest of the duchesses of London, and their husbands, are all thrown together to try to determine who is trying to destroy their reputations and their marriages. So much has changed and each of them is a different person than when they were younger. Elizabeth must discover if she can forgive William and he must help her move beyond their past and see that their future together is full of hope and love.

I am a sucker for stories like this where the characters have so much emotional turmoil between them and so much to work out especially when it involves two characters who are secretly harboring strong feeling for each other but just don’t know how to express it. Elizabeth and Westhaven were both fun and well developed characters, and not just for such a short novel, but completely. It was clear that they were both hurt and confused by past actions and they both had a lot to learn with the others’ help. Their relationship progressed nicely throughout the course of the book and it helped that they spent so much time in each other’s company and talked about their issues and I was glad that it was not stretched out as it would have been in a longer romance. There was only a little bit of sex between them at the very end and it was rather disappointing since it had been building up for a while and they talked about it a lot. The plot involving the cartoons was not as well integrated in this novella and came to an abrupt end and took up a little too much space for my taste.

Rating: I loved the angst and the characters and the relationship they had but did not appreciate some of the other elements of the story.

Linette, the Lioness

Linette, the Lioness: The Real Duchesses of London by Lavinia Kent 1129

Linette, the Dowager Duchess of Doveshire, does not appreciate the rumors and the cartoons claiming that she is having an affair with the new Duke of Doveshire, even if the rumors do happen to be true. James and Linette had grown up together and she had been in love with him, he had been her first lover, and they had sworn to marry. James did not feel like he deserved Linnette so when her parents told her to scram he left and Linette had no choice but to marry her betrothed. Years later James inherited the title and the two picked up right where they left off and James wonders if he can ever make up for abandoning her all those years ago and hopefully create a future for them. Linette's friend, Elizabeth, had hoped to take James for a lover and she feels betrayed to discover that Linette is having her own affair with him. Their feud culminates in a fight in the park where Linette manage to lay blame on Elizabeth and prove that she is not pregnant. Even with the feud going on there is still the matter of how she and James will be able to move beyond what happened in their past, forgive each other for the mistakes that were made, and finally achieve their happily ever after.

I really wanted to admire Linette since she was very confident and competent and was secure in her sexuality while forging her own rules and still being on top of society. However I felt like her character was not developed entirely, not enough about her was explained and there were times when she came across as mean. James was fairly well done and his motives were very clear and he so obviously wanted to make up for the mistakes he had made and make Linette happy. Their relationship seemed to be built a lot on the past that they had together and not much of it was made in the present and I never really like that. There was some hot and scandalous sex in this book, but definitely not what I would consider a lot, rather a lot of it was just hinted at. The feud between Elizabeth and Linette just appeared in this book with little explanation as to what was happening or how it started so it confused me. The relationship between the women was also very prominent in this novel and we got to see all the little bits of drama they had going on between them.

Rating: A heroine I had trouble liking in a romance that was missing romance and friendships that were rocky for reasons I couldn't understand.

A Beginner's Guide to Rakes

A Beginner's Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch 1030

Diane Benchley, Countess of Benchley, returns to London amidst a firestorm of gossip after she and her husband had fled England for Vienna chased by creditors demanding payment for her husbands debts. When Lord Cameron dies Diane is left nearly penniless and uses her skills to convince people that he had left her all the unentailed properties and is determined to never ever be under any man's thumb again. Oliver Warren, Marquis of Haybury, hears the rumors surrounding Diane's return and decides he wants nothing to do with her. The two of them had engaged in a brief affair in Vienna and when he had found that he was falling for her he hightailed it back to London to make nice with his uncle who was threatening to leave him a bankrupt title. Diane felt betrayed and she too wants nothing to do with Oliver, until her partner in waiting passes away and the only person she can think who could help her is Oliver. Diane wants to make gambling finally work to her advantage and plans to open a club in her own home and as a dedicated gambler himself, Oliver is the perfect partner.

Oliver is not eager to help Diane, but she has information about the one time he cheated at cards and he cannot risk his reputation at the table so he agrees to loan her money to help start her venture, to teach her employees- all female- how to work at a club, and to move in upstairs but leave her alone. Diane needs to keep her distance from Oliver and even carries a gun around for protection if he should get ideas, but he quickly proves to be more than she can handle, moving around as if he owns the place, and truly becoming a partner and helper in her business, instead of the reluctant victim of her schemes. As he sees her attempt to run such a complicated establishment and try so hard to prove that she doesn't need anyone, the more he wants her to need him and he wants to make up for what he did long ago and show that he has changed and there is a future for them. Diane is terrified of how much Oliver is coming to mean to her and how much he can hurt her but it it is only with her help that she can take care of her problems; both from her family and coming from inside herself, and they can finally find love together.

Diane had admirable qualities like her ability to look after herself and her complete self-centered-ness was a change of pace from the usual romance novel heroine. That is about all I can say about her that is good because I found nothing about her to be sympathetic, likable, or worthy of anyone falling in love with her. She was cold, incredibly cold, and it was impossible for me to warm to her because she was only concerned with herself; her money, her feelings, her ability to take care of herself. The book briefly mentions how she is taking in women who have nowhere else to go, but it felt more like a desperate attempt to make her seem human and it fell far short. Oliver was definitely more human but I felt like there was nothing special about him and I could not really get into his character because I was so horrified that he was in love with such an unlikeable heroine. Their relationship started years prior so I felt like I missed out on them falling in love- like perhaps Diane had been lovable back then but I saw no evidence of this in the present.

I felt like their relationship, in the present, got off to a very poor start with the blackmail because I felt like it gave one person far too much power in the relationship. Enoch tried to make it seem like Oliver was there, eventually at least, of his own free will and that Diane's control was not so all encompassing, but I just did not get over her holding a pistol to him for much of the book. I also did not enjoy that their relationship was based on one-upping each other like they were in constant competition and trying to prove something to the other. It did not come across as the basis for a stable, or very romantic relationship. They were both supposedly incredibly attracted to each other and while their was quite a bit of lust on both their parts, the sex, when it finally occurred, was not all that impressive even while I recognized that might be because I didn't really like the characters. The side plot involving her ex brother-in-law was interesting, but after so much to do over what would happen it was settled incredibly quickly and in a rather ridiculous manner.

Rating: Two characters I disliked in a romance that was far from romantic and a side plot that was ridiculous, but the writing style was easy and fast paced.

Romancing the Countess

Romancing the Countess by Ashley March 1025

Leah George was in love with her husband, Ian, when they married but shortly after the ceremony she discovered his affair with the wife of his best friend and for the last year she had gone through the motions without engaging her emotions. Sebastian Madinger, Earl of Wriothesly, was in love with his wife, Angela, for the entirety of their marriage and he lavished attention on her and their son, Henry. He is shocked and angry and hurt when Angela dies in a car crash with Ian and it is obvious that they had been having an affair. His first thought is of protecting Angela's reputation to ensure that no scandal touches Henry. Leah has had an entire year to get used to the knowledge of the affair and after hiding behind society's strictures for so long she has no desire to live the next year mourning a man she had lost long ago. Although Sebastian's plea for discretion does resonate with her she wants to live her life, she wants to not be lonely, to be the center of attention for once in her life so she decides to throw a house party, which of course infuriates Sebastian and he goes rushing off to stop her.

Sebastian cannot help but compare Leah to Angela and he finds that she smiles wider, she talks and laughs louder and she enjoys being with people for her own sake and not merely to make other people like her. He cannot get her out of his mind even while he recognizes that her actions threaten to start a scandal that could lead to the truth. Leah is enjoying herself even with Sebastian trying his hardest to prevent a scandal and she finds that the more he tries to interfere the more she enjoys his company and believes he is enjoying hers. But she is worried that he is constantly comparing her to Angela and finding her wanting, just as Ian did and she cannot forget how betrayed she felt in her marriage and she never wants to feel like that again. When Leah finally causes a scandal that could threaten all of them Sebastian finds that the most favorable solution is to marry her and realizes that this is something he wants; to be a part of Leah's life and to have her in his. She must overcome her fears and anxiety before she too realizes that Sebastian is the perfect man for her and in this marriage the love is mutual.

I absolutely loved Leah because she was so amazing and I found myself totally immersed in the story of this woman who was just starting to live her life. Reading about her and how she had lived a half life, following all the rules and doing exactly what was expected of her and slowly succumbing to unhappiness and then realized she had a whole life ahead of her and she had control of it, was completely moving. It was depressing that her actions kind of backfired and she ended up almost worse than where she started but I was with her every step of the way as she assuaged her loneliness and tried to find happiness. Sebastian was far too obsessed with protecting his dead wife's reputation but he made up for that with his love for his son which was so touching to read about. I also loved that he was in love with his wife and his betrayal felt so real and yet I could understand the process of him coming to realize that he needed Leah in his life. The comparisons he made between her and Angela were somewhat troubling, but it also served to show how perfect she was for him and how he and Leah were equals.

Their relationship definitely was well developed and underwent complete dissection through every step of the process; from mutual anger and hurt to fear of the newness of their feelings to eventually admitting their feelings and hoping they were returned. I really felt like these two were perfect for each other because they were foils for each other and, without claiming that they had a lot in common, I knew that they "meshed" together and they made each other so happy. There was not very much sex between them because she was haunted by her sexual past and she never wanted to be under a man's power. They danced around each other and wanted each other but there was not even a buildup of lust and the eventual culmination was rather disappointing because it took so long in coming. There was certainly a lot of angst in the book as the each questioned themselves over what happened and the influence of what happened was seen throughout the book. I never felt like it took over the romance, which remained the focal point, and I never felt like it was marginalized which I appreciated.

Rating: A very good novel about betrayal and learning to trust and love again with two characters who were so obviously perfect for each other.

The Seduction of His Wife

The Seduction of His Wife by Tiffany Clare 922

Emma, Countess of Asbury, is forced to visit a high class brothel because the the Earl of Waverly is blackmailing her by threatening to expose her career as a painter of the nude female form. Waverly is in possession of a self-portrait that could ruin Emma's standing in society, but she never expected to run into her husband at the brothel. Richard and Emma had married young, at eighteen and fifteen respectively, and he had left the day after to start his own career and make his own fortune by trading in opium. It has been over ten years since they have seen each other and a lot has changed for both of them and while Richard finds the changes in Emma intriguing and makes him want to start a real life with her, Emma is not sure if she wants to give Richard another chance or if there is room in her life for him. There is someone after Richard as he and his partner, Dante, attempt to sell their opium business and so he decides to move Emma and her two sisters, the widowed Grace and the youngest Abby, to their country estate where he hopes to get closer to Emma and keep everyone safe.

Richard finds himself wondering his wife took lovers while they were separated and he especially dislikes her friendship with the Marquess of Vane, a notorious ladies man who spends too much time around his wife. He knows that if he can convince her to just give him a chance that he can make their relationship work, but there is still so much about her that he does not know. Emma  is still worried over Richard's reaction to her work and that he will become bored and leave her again, breaking her heart permanently and leaving her unable to pick herself up after his abandonment. Her sisters recognize that she is still repressed and dare her to indulge in some semi-scandalous activities that her husband always catchers her in and it brings them closer together, but they continue to hold something back from each other. When he discovers her paintings he is fearful of what will happen when her identity is discovered, but it is his own enemies that prove the real threat as his old business partner returns to wreak havoc and Richard must prove to Emma that he is there to stay and that their love will last.

Emma is a painter and I tend to have a difficult time relating to characters who are very into something that I honestly really do not like so I was immediately disinclined to like her. Her refusal to just admit the truth to her husband was really irritating to me because I felt it was made clear early on that Richard was determined to be her husband and he would be willing to help her out of difficult situations, even though his love was not present. I felt like this major difficulty could have been solved early on and a big obstacle to their relationship would have disappeared and I just don't like big problems, especially when they're big ridiculous problems. She was a boring character because she had nothing going for her except the paintings and my favorite part of her was the letters she apparently wrote to Richard after he left because they revealed real emotion and I admit I loved the scene where he discovered them. Richard was  a typical romance hero; gorgeous, sexually experienced, insanely possessive and jealous when it came to his woman, but I did like how when he decided to woo his wife he devoted himself entirely to her.

I had high hopes for their relationship because of their situation, thinking there would be lots of emotions and angst, but I did not really feel like they explored their issues. About 1/3 of the way through Richard and Emma had sex and from then on out the book bordered on erotica because they were going at it constantly. There was nothing particularly shocking about it, a lot of dirty talk and lots of hard pounding, but even I started to think there was just too much of it and that I wanted to see that the two of them had something in common other than a need for a good fuck. The daring adventures her sisters sent her on came across as rather pathetic to me and I know I was supposed to feel like her awakening coincided with the reappearance of her husband and see that this meant that he was the perfect counterpoint to her, but I did not see it. There was a decent side plot involving her sister Grace and Dante the business partner that was also very heavy on the sex and not so much on anything else. I had no interest in the blackmail plot, the weird thing with his enemy and especially none on her paintings.

Rating: Two pretty boring characters who had lots of sex and were surrounded by interests and problems that did not interest me.

For the Earl's Pleasure

For the Earl's Pleasure by Anne Mallory 910 R

Abigail Smart and Valerian Rainwood, heir to the Dukedom of Pemburry, were once the closest of childhood friends but when Valerian's older brother, Thornton died, a horrible secret was revealed and the two of them became the strongest of enemies. Now Abigail' social climbing mother has hired Mrs. Browning to bring Abigail out into the ton, even though Abigail has never had a standout beau. Valerian knows he should stay away Abigail, that the two of them move in very different circles, but he cannot get her out of his mind. One night at a gaming hell he and his friend are attacked and suddenly he is a spirit and the only person who can see or hear him is Abigail- the girl who had revealed her ability to see spirit's when his brother died and whom he refused to believe. He knows that he is still alive somewhere and since Abigail is the only one he can ask for help, he refuses to leave her alone until she agrees. Abigail does not want to help the man who has made her life miserable for years, but when he continues to haunt her she is worried that he strange actions will make it clear to her mother that she is still seeing spirits.

Long ago her mother had enlisted the help of a doctor to cure Abigail of her affliction and the memories have haunted her nightmare's and she will do anything to avoid that happening again. But Valerian is not like the other spirits that Abigail has met before because he can touch her and if there is one thing that she has been missing in her life it is the touch of a human being- even her mother has stopped touching her. Valerian is trying to figure out who is behind what happened to him and occasional flashes to his body tied down give him clues as to what is going on, but he still needs a physical human to aid him. Abigail leads Valerian and her med, Telly, around the seedy parts of London and it becomes clear that not only is someone using Valerian's body for some unsavory deeds, but this person knows about Abigail's secret and is determined to do her harm as well. Together the spirit and the human will put their lives at risk to find out what is going on, but neither knows if their newfound friendship and love will be enough to put aside years of estrangement and their pasts and truly fall in love.

This book started off incredibly confusing and the character's were so mean together for a chapter with vague hints about a secret and I was very close to just putting it down. Surprisingly the story didn't start getting interesting until Valerian's spirit entered the spirit because the characters finally started acting friendly toward each other. As previously stated I am not a fan of paranormal romances and I would not have normally picked this up except the back made absolutely no mention of ghosts or spirits which drives me insane and I think is just false advertising. One of my biggest problems with the ghost plot was that it forced Valerian to spend all of his time with Abigail, and while these two had a lot to work out and talk about, I thought that making him completely dependent on her made the development of their relationship rather suspect. It did not seem like they would have gotten together if he had continued to be "alive" and they would have continued as enemies. However, many romances don't have characters spending enough time together so this one method of "solving" this problem.

Abigail's ability to see spirits aside, I really like that the pain and loneliness she suffered from because of her unusual ability, was made clear and was interwoven into Valerian's strange ability to touch and feel her as a spirit. It really made the moments when he was touching her so poignant and moving because it was two people who needed each other and it was just beautiful. Valerian came across as a bit of an ass because even with the explanation of what went wrong in their relationship (which occurred far too late) I wanted to slap him because he didn't want her and was really mean to her, but didn't want anyone else to have her either. He did undergo a change throughout the course of the novel as he came to understand what was going on with Abigail, and I did begin to like and respect him because of his love for Abigail. The sex between them was hot if nowhere near frequent enough, but maybe that's just as well because ghost sex is a little icky to me. The side plot involving what happened to Valerian was overwhelming and did take over the book, but at least it had a lot of twists and did come as a shocker.

Rating: A good book with some problems such as a ghost and an overwhelming mystery plot, but the romance and relationship were fairly well done and the book was readable.

Confessions of an Improper Bride

Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore 815

Serena Donovan left London in disgrace after the entire ton discovered that she had carried on an affair with Jonathan Dane, heir to the Earl of Stratford. Serena was in love and was devastated when Jonathan turned his back on her in her time of need and had no choice but to head back to her family's bankrupt estate in Antingua with her twin sister, Meg. On the journey home Meg falls overboard and is lost at sea, but unknown to Serena and her sister's, her mother has Serena declared dead in the London papers and secretly writes to Meg's beau back in England posing as Meg. When Meg's beau proposes, Serena's mother reveals the scheme and sends Serena and one of her sister's back to England to marry, in the hopes that the family's status in society will be elevated enough to send all the sister's to London to make matches. But coming back to London brings her face to face with the man who abandoned her and all the feelings she thought were long gone come bubbling to the surface and she realizes she never stopped loving him, even as she goes along with her mother's charade.

Jonathan has spent every day regretting what he did to Serena, but he was young and his father was threatening to cut him off if he did not abandon her. He has spent the last six years drinking and whoring himself into oblivion and is determined never to read to spite his deceased father and to atone for his belief that he killed Serena. He knows immediately that the woman claiming to be Meg is his Serena and now that he has a second chance with her he has no intention of letting her go, even if her new "fiance" is one of his closest friends. He maneuvers every opportunity to get her alone and convince her to give up the farce she is living and take one more chance on him. Serena is tempted, but worried about what affects her actions will have on her sisters' hopes for the future. It is Jonathan who is there to help her when her sister runs off with an inappropriate man and Serena realizes that Jonathan will be there for her in the long run, even when things don't go perfectly as planned. Both of them need to move on from the past, forgive each other the hurts and the lies, in order to find their happily ever after.

Serena was a very nuanced character with very real emotions and fears and having her pretend to be her sister, the "good" twin, made it more clear that she really needed someone who would be there standing behind her the entire time and love her with all the mistakes that she makes. I liked that she cared about her family and wanted what was best for them, but had enough wherewithal to go for what she needed for herself. Her pain over what happened was heartbreaking to read and I felt like she was completely right to fear getting back with Jonathan, but I did feel like she fell into his arms a little too quickly. She was determined to avoid him and yet it seemed like not time had passed before she was kissing him and I felt like it wasn't realistic for a woman who had had six years to get over a heartbreak and betrayal. Jonathan was not my cup of tea because he had not stood up to his father, which was understandable if not admirable, and then had spent six years being a pretty worthless human being to stick it a dead man. I believe I was supposed to feel like it proved his love to Serena but it was just too much.

Because they had known each other beforehand there was definitely a sense that they falling in love had happened earlier and just drawn over to the present. However, I liked that Serena and Jonathan spent a large amount of time together and when they were apart they were thinking about the other, as if they were influenced by each other in everything. And there were times when I saw reasons they would fall in love with each other, especially when Jonathan helped Serena during a difficult situation with her sister. Their relationship progressed from hostility, to longing, to fearing love, to love and I liked that I could really see into each other those steps. There was not that much sex between them and I was actually rather surprised because it was not as hot as I am used to reading from Haymore who usually blazes the pages. The book featured several very well rounded and very well written side characters, including Meg's fiance, Serena's sister, and their very proper aunt, who made the book complete and helped all 410 pages fly by.

Rating: A good book with two characters scared of not being able to move on from the past, with very genuine emotion and great secondary characters.

Notorious

Notorious by Nicola Cornick 810

Susanna Burney and James Devlin were young and in love but on their wedding night Susanna panicked and ran. She found herself penniless and alone and in his heartbreak James took a commission with the navy and sailed away. Over the next ten years Susanna lost the baby she carried and promised to take care of her friend's twin children on her deathbed. She falls into a profession; she is paid by wealthy parents who want to break their children apart from unsuitable mates. Her latest employment takes her to London where she is hired by the Duke and Duchess of Alton to separate their son, Fitz, from Francesca Devlin, James' sister. This throws them into the same circles and James is furious that his former wife is throwing herself at a selfish bastard like Fitz and that her appearance has thrown into question his own determination to wed Lady Elise for her money. Despite his knighthood the Devlin's are actually facing mounds of creditors and marriage into the aristocracy could be the only way to save them.

The two engage in mutual blackmail; each hoping that the other won't reveal the others' past. James decides to try and keep Susanna away from Fitz as much as possible, but throwing himself in front of her has unforseen consequences for both of them. They are both angry at each other and upset about what happened in the past but the feelings, and the lust, they felt for each other have not disappeared. While they are still both angry and upset they cannot keep their hands of each other, even while James is convinced that Susanna betrayed him and is no better than an adventuress. Although he does not know precisely why Susanna wants Fitz, he is angry and possessive at the idea of her with another man and finds their courtship confusing. The more time she spends with Fitz the more she realizes she cannot continue with her sham romance, but she worries about his reaction when she tell shim more of her secrets. When the truth comes out about their relationship it will cause a huge scandal and possibly bankruptcy, but together they want to conquer everything.

Nicola Cornick's books have been up and down for me because I love her writing style and the emotion she puts into her books and the development of her characters. Unfortunately she also has a tendency to right protagonists who are so emotionally entangled with each other that they have trouble being polite or nice or loving towards each other. This is the case in Notorious with James and Susannah spending a large portion of the book upset with each other, feeling hurt about what has happened, and really taking it out on the other. There was a lot of history between them so I was not expecting them to be super happy with each other and loving right from the beginning but to read a romance where every interaction between the character is tinged with the feeling of betrayal and pain is unpleasant for me and I just have a hard time seeing the romance in that. Since the book started after they had met and done the falling in love I felt like I was just supposed to "understand" that they were already in love and therefore they didn't need to be loving towards each other anymore.

I admired Susanna because she found her niche in life and performed her job well and was, for the most part, not ashamed, of the way she earned her living. I did not like the addition of the children she had to care for because I felt like it was an excuse for what she was doing and because it just seemed like an odd little hiccup in the book. I also think her reasons for running were not well explained and their long separation had too many holes in it. James was a typical romance novel hero, well the penniless variety, but I found it hard to admire him because he was unapologetically marrying an unlikable woman purely for the money. His desire to marry his own sister to a selfish bastard also made him hard to like and I did not understand Francesca's desire to marry Fitz. The sex between them was very emotional, fairly hot and definitely not boring, but nothing particularly special. The ending was the only reasonable way for the book to end without veering off into fairy tale land so I liked that it was more realistic than many romance novels.

Rating: Very well written and very emotional, but I did not like the hurt and anger that tinged their interactions and the characters themselves had too many unlikeable flaws.

A Scoundrel's Surrender

A Scoundrel's Surrender by Jenna Petersen 807

When Caleb Talbot found out that he was the product of an affair his mother had he finds comfort in the arms of his sister-in-law's best friend, Marah Farnsworth. Marah has enjoyed getting to know Caleb during her time in London and when he needs someone to help him in this difficult time she sees how close they have become and expects that their relationship will only deepen. But in his hurt Caleb turns his back on everyone and runs away to hid in the bottom of glasses and drown his sorrow, leaving Marah heartbroken and determined to never think about him again. Caleb comes home two years later when his brother informs him that their father, well the man who raised Caleb, is dying. Caleb does not want to stay with his mother so he moves into his brother's town house and Marah just so happens to be staying with them for the season as well. Immediately the attraction that flared between them is back and Caleb cannot resist baiting Marah, trying to get her ire up so that he can prove he still affects her, even while she insists she wants nothing to do with him.

Marah has her own family difficulties as her father had married below him socially and was cut off from his family. When her mother died in childbirth her father dumped her with her maternal grandmother and the entire, very high ranking family, had turned their backs on her. She wants stability in her life and has settled on an ambitious business man who can offer her security and not the passion that troubles her so with Caleb. Caleb is furious at the idea of Marah with someone else, but knows that he has given up any right to her favors, even while trying to get to her at every available opportunity. Family comes first when Caleb's father takes a turn for the worse and it is once again Marah who is there for him in his time of need and once again Caleb mucks things up. Despite his mistakes they support each other through difficult times involving their undiscovered families and Caleb realizes he will need to prove to Marah that love is worth risking things for. Marah must decide if love is more important than the security she has cherished for so many years.

Marah was defined by her relationships with her family members and it really showed in how she acted toward Caleb. She so obviously cared for him but his abandonment of her really scared her and it took a lot for her to recover. I did not enjoy how forceful she was in insisting she didn't want anything to do with him when we knew she was in love with him. It made her seems childish and like she could not be taken seriously. Caleb was just as immature with his inability to confront difficult situations: I understood that it was hard, but hiding in a bottle for 2 years was not justified. It also made it hard for me to root for him and Marah to get together. Their relationship fell back on the banter/ argue that I absolutely loath in romance novels. I want to see the characters getting along, working together, and arguing to some extent because it happens, but I felt like their relationship was based on her trying to get her mad at him just so that she would show some emotion and he could prove that she still had feelings for him. The sex was rather boring and there wasn't a lot of it and it was all packed at, or very near, the end.

I was incredibly frustrated by the blatant way that everyone was throwing these two together; it was obnoxious and showed a lack of respect for Marah's feelings in my opinion. She had a very justifiable reason for not wanting to get close to him and Victoria's actions made her seem like not a very good friend. My favorite parts of the book where when Caleb was dealing with the issue of his own paternity and when Marah was dealing with her fears about her father's family. It was very real and touching and there were definitely times when I cried; the heart to heart Caleb has with his mother was almost heart breaking. It was the most emotional either of them ever got and I wish they had showed the same amount of heart and fear and caring when dealing with each other- it would have made for a better romance. Something that really bothered me was the assumption that we had read the previous book in the series (which I had, but promptly forgotten) because it talks about their past together and I was completely at a loss.

Rating: In the end I couldn't give an unappealing romance a high mark, even though I did really enjoy reading the non romantic emotional moments.

A Wedding Wager

A Wedding Wager by Jane Feather 710

The Honorable Sebastian Sullivan falls in love with Lady Serena Grantley, but because of her dependence on her step-father she is forced to break his heart so that she and her step-father can run away to Brussels. General Hayword, her step-father, has always stayed one step ahead of the law, opening up gambling houses, and Serena knows to do what he tells her. Three years later they are back in London and though she hopes to avoid Sebastian, London is not that big of a town. Sebastian needs to marry a woman of questionable morals in order to fulfill the terms of his uncle's will so that he and his brother's can inherit quite a large amount of money. He wants to forget about Serena, and has been semi successful over the last 3 years, but he cannot keep his mind off of her. Serena knows that Hayword intends to marry the young Abigail Sutton, an heiress from a trade family whose mother wants her to marry well, and Serena is determined to thwart his plans.

A trick of fate throws Sebastian into the Sutton's orbit as well so it becomes even more difficult for the two of them to avoid each other. The passion they had felt for each other years ago is far from gone and even though the two of them both feel like there can be no future they arrange to sneak off together and indulge themselves. However, Sebastian quickly comes to the realization that he wants, he needs, Serena in his life and it is only a bonus that his uncle regards Serena as a fallen lady so she would fulfill the terms of the will. But Serena has lived all of her adult life under the thumb of a domineering man and is wary of placing herself under Sebastian's power and she refuses to let go of her plan to keep her step-father away from young Abigail. So Sebastian agrees to help her in this endeavor so he can get her to marry him and they find help in Abigail's true love and set out to win over the Mrs. Sutton. But the General has one more trick up his sleeve that threatens Sebastian and Serena's relationship forever, and they must make one final go so that they can have their happily ever after.

The biggest hole in the book permeated everything from the very beginning so I need to address it at the beginning of the review. Serena's refusal to leave her step-father just seems absolutely ridiculous weather at the beginning, when she first falls in love, and then later when she and Sebastian are reunited. During their first fall in love I couldn't figure out what hold her step-father had on her except for money and Sebastian wasn't that broke and they would not have starved so why didn't she just leave him? Then later her excuse that she wanted to save Abigail just came across as ridiculous and caused her so much grief. She didn't want to tell anyone the truth about her evil step-father because they would take Abigail away from London and deprive her of a season but that seemed a small price to pay. Instead she stayed with a man who abused her and really killed her mother even though she should have just left him in the beginning. This was a really big hurdle to get over and even while I liked the rest of the book this really provided a ridiculous background for the rest of the book so I couldn't forget it.

Sebastian and Serena were both typical romance novel characters; he was strong and broody and she was beautiful and able to take care of herself (although we know she would do better with a man cause she made some bad decisions). The only thing that was surprising about him was that he wasn't rolling in the dough and possess great financial acumen. Their relationship was quick to develop because they had already done the whole meet and fall in love thing and I wish I had gotten more of a look into what drew these two together. They both forgave each other very quickly over what happened which surprised me, but there was still a really large amount of angst on both their parts. The sex was more frequent than I was expecting and spread throughout a lot of the book but it was not really that steamy or hot; really kind of bland. My favorite part really was the romance between Abigail and her beau and the relationship between Abigail's parents. I liked getting to read from the POV of many different characters and Feather certainly developed all of them very well. The book was just a little too long though- 450 pages.

Review: I did enjoy this book although I wish it had been shorter and it easily could have been if there hadn't been quite so much of Serena's reluctance to leave her step-father.

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.

My Irresistible Earl

My Irresistible Earl by Gaelen Foley 428

Mara Bryce, the widowed Lady Pierson, has devoted the last years of her life to her toddler son, Thomas. She is not prepared when her childhood sweetheart, Jordan Lennox, the Earl of Falconridge, reappears in her life. Jordan is the only one who knows how horrid life with her family was and yet when he left to serve his country, he did not send her a single letter. Feeling she had no other choice, she married Lord Pierson, only to find out later that he was not the caring man he seemed, and his death was not something she mourned. Jordan is actually a member of the Inferno Club, a secret Order that works for the crown and is devoted to destroying the Promethean Council, a club of evil-doers who want to use black magic to gain control over Europe. He has never forgotten the beautiful young woman he fell in love with and had to abandon because of his duties to his fellow Inferno members, and upon first seeing her again he is determined not to let her back into his life. Mara remembers how it felt when Jordan abandoned her and she believes that he had been merely toying with her when she was younger and thus is equally determined to not let him back into her life.

Things never go precisely as planned and with the rest of the Inferno Club so happily married, Jordan wonders what he missed out on when he gave Mara up all those years ago. Seeing her with her son makes him yearn for what he never had and suddenly he decides that it would be a good idea for Mara to be back in his life, however he knows that he can never tell her about his secret life. Conveniently Mara is close with the Prince Regent, and his work with the Inferno Club, requires that he infiltrate himself with a member of the Regent's inner circle as he is believed to be working for the Prometheans. Like many in London, he worries that Mara 's closeness with the Regent means that she is his mistress, and it brings up all sorts of jealousy in him. Mara finds herself quickly falling back under Jordan's spell, he is courteous and charming and he is so kind to her son, but she feels like there is something he is hiding from her. Even when things begin to look to be going well for them the Prometheans come out in full force, using everything at their disposal to try to found out who the members of the Inferno Club are, and will stop at nothing to get their way. Jordan has to trust Mara with the truth and his heart, and she has to forgive him for the past before they can move on and love each other.

I have enjoyed the Inferno Club series so far because I like Foley's writing style and the way she blends serious intrigue and murder with some really great romance. She once again nails the characters with Jordan and Mara and I will admit I am a sucker for lost love and the angst that it brings. Mara is a passionate woman who cares deeply about her son and I really like the way that Thomas was the center of her life and yet she still came across as a well-rounded character. Jordan was also great as the hero torn between his duty and his love and who has lived his life trying to have no regrets, but is now realizing that he is due for a major change in life. Their relationship in the past was touched on briefly, enough for me to get a feel for how they got on and to recognize that they did have a deep attraction and set the stage for what was to come, but the main focus was on their current relationship and how it progressed. Their relationship felt very natural and they had so many qualities that complimented each other and they had to deal with so many fears that came in between them and deal with their past. The sex between them was pretty hot, but it wasn't as frequent as it could have been.

Former heroes and heroines from Foley's other books make infrequent appearances, but I never felt like their appearances hit me over the head of took over from the main characters, rather they just served as a back drop and were colleagues of Jordan's. The Promethean/ Inferno Club plot has been one of the very few intrigue/ spy/ mystery/ conspiracy plots that I have been able to stand in romances. Most of the time they are either overwhelming or they just seem to be there to fill up space and are boring and not at all important. This plot is an integral part of the plot because it influences their relationship as far as them breaking up to begin with and then him "using" her to get closer to the Prince Regent, and also because his involvement in the Inferno Club really made him the man that he is today. It was also interesting and I love that she tells some of the story from the point of view of the bad guys and the suspense is just right. I also like that the reader is "in the know" about what is going on so we don't feel lost or too on edge, but that there is still a little mystery there about what is going to happen.

Rating: A strong showing by Foley who presents another strong romance with a fun side plot, but I would probably give it only 3 1/2 stars because it dragged at points.

To Desire a Wicked Duke

To Desire a Wicked Duke by Nicole Jordan 317

Two years after her fiance, Richard, is killed in battle Tess Blanchard feels well enough to emerge back into society. She has dedicated her life to various charitable causes and one of those involves a theatre master with a penchant for ghosts who also happens to be quite the ladies man. Tess takes a chance on a kiss with him but she is discovered by her nemesis, Ian Sutherland, Duke of Rotham. Ian had fancied Tess at her come-out ball, but had gracefully stepped aside when Richard, his cousin, had staked his claim. Upon Richard's death he felt responsible for Tess and has quietly looked after her from afar for all these years, but witnessing her kiss changes everything and awakens the feelings he had suppressed long ago. Richard and Tess are passionately attracted to each other and are very quickly discovered in their own scandalous position and her godmother insists that they marry. Ian agrees to let things move at Tess's pace, but she is still not happy about having to marry a well known rake and scoundrel as she had always hoped to marry for love. This is made worse when she goes to his estate to discover a young child who bears a striking resemblance to Ian which sends Tess fleeing to his estate in Cornwall with her courtesan friend Fanny.

The estate is supposed to be haunted and it is not long before she is hearing stories about rattling chains and moans coming from within the walls. Meanwhile Ian has followed Tess and Fanny up to Cornwall, accompanied by his newest secretary, Fanny's beau, whom he hired at Tess's behest in the hopes that Basel will finally propose to Fanny. One night Tess senses a presence in her room and goes to Ian for comfort and that marks a turning point in their relationship as they come to rely on each other and help each other try to solve the ghost mystery. Tess has always maintained their distance by constantly needling each other and she continues to believe that the only way to keep herself from becoming to emotionally involved and falling in love. An ex-soldier proves to be their mystery ghost and tells them about a vast conspiracy of thieves and smugglers and it is up to Ian and Tess to stop them. But even when that is solved, it does not mean that everything between Ian and Tess are cleared up and she goes searching for the truth about Ian's character and about his young ward. Ian knows that he loves Tess, but wants her to discover on her own that he is worthy and that he is someone she could love and live happily ever after with.

Tess was a slight deviation from a typical romance novel character because I really got the sense that her charitable works are genuine and not merely an attempt to feel better about her own immense wealth. She really was a giver and a caring person, which made her blind spot and loathing of Ian all the more confusing and frustrating. I like the idea that Ian has secretly wanted Tess for so long but did the noble thing by stepping aside for his cousin. Despite his reputation as a rake, Ian has actually been quite noble throughout his acquaintance with Tess, with various donations to her causes and by keeping an eye on her, and generally not really living up to his rogue-ish reputation. I could not figure out why all of his good deeds had to be kept a secret from Tess and served as a really unnecessary block in their relationship that I didn't like.  I did like the angst that arose for Ian when he feared that Tess was still in love with his cousin because it seemed like something reasonable for a man in his position to fear and because it showed some vulnerability in this otherwise strong man. There was some decent sex here, pretty hot, but I know that Jordan has done better, and after the strong sexy start I was really expecting more from this book.

A little more than halfway through this book devolved into the romance novel staple of having both protagonists waiting for the other to admit to love first. Saying those three words became a sign of weakness and vulnerability and both feared admitting to the feeling. This is so common that it took  me awhile to realize how obnoxious it is and it comes across as just a way for the author to extend the book when every other problem has been solved. am having difficulty deciding if I liked having the mystery solved about halfway through the book; on the one hand it made the book kind of anti-climatic and did rather drag on, but on the other hand it left a significant portion of the book for Tess and Ian to focus completely on their relationship and on falling in love. The mystery was very fun and was a great opportunity for Jordan to show how well the characters fit together, even if it did lead to some sassy heroics on Tess's part that rather irritated me. It wasn't a big page turner, but it did not blow up into something crazy and involve kidnappings and murder plots, but was a nice addition to a romance novel. For the majority of the novel, Jordan managed to avoid bringing in all the happily ever afters from previous books, but by the end it was a big giant reunion and I was a tad annoyed.

Rating: An enjoyable and fun romance with a nice little mystery to accompany it, but there were some very frustrating aspects of the book and it was really nothing special.

Seducing the Duchess

Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March 311

Charlotte, Duchess of Rutherford, fancied herself in love with her husband until their wedding night when he revealed that he had only married her for revenge. Her brother Ethan had run off with the Duke's fiance three days before the wedding and Philip, the Duke, saw Charlotte as the best way to get back at him. Philip's revenge was hollow  as Ethan was disowned by the family and moved to Europe before he could see the farce play out. For three years Charlotte and Philip live together, but lead separate lives as she nurtures her hatred for the man who betrayed her. She is determined to get a divorce so she flaunts her many lovers around town and behaves scandalously by gambling and drinking. As time goes by Philip starts to feel guilty over the way he treated Charlotte, and notices that he misses her; misses being her friend, misses her company and her laughter. He finds himself going out of his way to be with her and he realizes that he made a terrible mistake and is in fact desperately in love with her. Determined to win her back and make a splash he forcibly removes her from her many admirers and ensconces her in his country estate.

Philip makes a deal with Charlotte in the hopes of gaining more time with her; he says he will petition for a divorce, and he writes a letter to his solicitor right away, if she will teach him to be a better husband for his next wife. Charlotte is excited at the prospect of finally being free of the man who betrayed her, but she admits to being uncomfortable preparing him to marry another woman. As she gives him mini lessons on how to please a wife, she makes it clear that he has failed miserably in this regard and he sets out to gain her favor. He is kind, he buys her thoughtful presents, and he tries the best that he knows how to let go of his lordly pretensions and be comfortable around her. But Charlotte cannot forget what Philip did to her, even as she finds herself beginning to fall under his spell again. Philip fears being vulnerable and is scared to admit his feelings for Charlotte, even while recognizing that it may be the only way he can win her back. Things begin to look good for the two of them when another possible betrayal rears it's head and Charlotte is back to not trusting Philip or her own judgment. Philip fears he has lost her forever and must lay his pride and his hopes on the line in one giant last ditch attempt to prove that he is honest and that they can love each other happily.

I loved that Charlotte was independent and not scared of being a sexual being in public, but I was not too crazy about her doing it just for revenge against Philip. She was self assured and confident in her place in society, but not all that exciting in general. While what Philip did was quite awful and I understand that she was upset and found it hard to trust him again, I felt like it dragged on far too long. I felt like he made it clear that he had changed and had difficulty remaining invested in the story once it was clear that there really was nothing standing in their way and she were just creating roadblocks. I did like that Philip's declaration of love did not magically solve everything as it does in so many romance novels where those three words from the hero signal the end of all conflict and the resolution of the book. I liked Philip as the brooding and tortured hero who had difficulty coming to terms with his deep emotions toward the woman he never expected to love. I loved his attempts to truly earn Charlotte's love as they were so sweet and simple and showed that he really cared about her. Some of his attempts were immature and backfired horribly, like when he tried to make her jealous, but it just showed how desperate he was and he was wiling to try anything.

 The relationship was definitely the central plot of this story and the majority of the story was dedicated to them falling in love with each other. Because the past played such a large part in their relationship I was hoping that there would be some more flashbacks to key moments, but the flashbacks were sadly brief and far between. Despite Charlotte being quite the seductress and Philip being a very virile, there was very little sex in the book, it was brief and not that sexy, and it was not until the very end. My biggest confusion in this book came near the end when Philip suddenly became convinced that it was his status in society and his dedication to behaving in ways fitting to his station that had driven Charlotte off. Suddenly he was trying to act more like a commoner, he was burning pictures of his stately grandfather who instilled the sense of betterment in him, and thinking about giving up his title. This was odd as this had nothing to do with why he betrayed Charlotte or why she was mad at him and it did not make sense to me why this was suddenly an issue. There was a nice little side story regarding some brief attempts to reconcile Charlotte with her estranged family that could have been really interesting, but it was far too short unfortunately.

Rating: There were definite moments in this book and Philip was quite great, but I did not like Charlotte and the problems between them went on for far longer than warranted.