When Beauty Tamed the Beast

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James 704

Linnet Thrynne is the belle of the ton and everyone has taken notice, including one of the royal dukes, the Prince Augustus Frederick. But when the scandal breaks, the Prince hies it off to a castle, and Linnet is left outcast from society with everyone believing she is pregnant. Her father, a Viscount, and her aunt, the very dramatic Zenobia, run roughshod over her suggestions and come with a solution. The Duke of Landling is desperate to find his son, Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, a wife, and since Piers is believed to be impotent and the Duke is obsessed with royalty, the belief that she is carrying a royal bastard is more of a help than a hindrance. Piers has earned a reputation as a beast since he is a doctor who treats his patients with very little patience and yells at everyone who crosses him. There is no love lost between father and son as Piers has never forgiven his father for being an opium addict who, while intoxicated, threw him into a fire and permanently damaged his leg so that Piers still walks with a can. The Duke also divorced his loyal and loving wife and dragged her through the mud when she left him.

Piers is determined not to like his father's choice, but Linnet is certainly gorgeous and she brings happiness to his dreary hospital. She immediately befirends several of the patients and proves invaluable in the sickroom and soon Piers finds himself offering to teach her to swim. Seeing her in nothing but a wet chemise makes it all too clear that Piers is not impotent and he sees the need to make it clear to her that he will not marry her and she agrees that she would never marry him. But the two spend more time together, both during swimming lessons, and while Piers is grousing at patients that Linnet is trying to help, and neither can resist the other. Sparks fly between them, but Piers still refuses to admit that there is a possible future with Linnet, even while she finds that she is falling in love with her grumpy lover. When his mother begins to forgive his father, Piers clings even more tightly to his unhappiness and throws Linnet out. Only when it is a matter of life and death does he come to his senses and realizes he would do anything, risk anything, to win back the woman he loves.

I was initially worried about Linnet because the first chapter was all about how beautiful and perfect and well liked she was. But she did become real as the book progressed and I was able to see her faults and that there was a real person who had feelings, and cared about others' happiness, underneath the very beautiful facade. She was definitely not very self aware as she did spend a good portion of the book convinced that Piers was not the right man for her even as it was obvious she was falling in love with him. It was nice to see that she was able to stand up to the gossip and survive on her own. Piers was not so likeable, and that is the god's honest truth, because he was certainly miserable and unhappy and seemed to do his best to be completely unlikeable and make everyone around him as miserable as he was. Yes, he was in immense pain because of his injury, yes he had to deal with some lying and miserable patients, but I just wanted to slap him and tell him to smile. He was even less self-aware than Linnett with his bad attitude and insistence they wouldn't suit in the face of the truth.

While I could see what he saw in her, because she was caring and considerate to the patients, I really did not see what she saw in him. He was intelligent in regards to the medical profession, but the brief moments when they were together and happy doesn't equal a lasting and caring relationship to me. Other authors have done unhappy heroes much better and the heroes have ended up changing/ redeeming themselves throughout the book, but in this instance there was just one very dramatic incident at the end where Piers had to prove his love and how much he had changed. I was definitely not impressed to find out that Piers was based on my least favorite television character, Dr. House, who, to me, represents everything that is wrong with the medical profession and makes me fear going to meet a new doctor. I really did enjoy the side plot about the romance between his mother and father and it really rang true and was quite heart rending to read about a man who was desperately trying to make up for the many mistakes he had made when he was addicted to opium; it was very moving.

Rating: One character that I liked and one that I absolutely loathed did not lead for a good romance, but the writing was lively and amusing and fast so it might be worth a try.

The Perfect Mistress

The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander 703

The widowed Lady Julia Winterset is desperate for funds after her very kind husband left her nearly penniless and his very proper family cut off her allowance. Luckily her scandalous great- grandmother left her memoirs to Julia and, although they are old, there is still an interest in reading them because several of her lovers are still alive today. One of those ex-lovers is the father of the Harrison, the Earl of Montdale, and since scandal has never touched the family Harrison is determined to keep this memoirs from seeing the light of day. His sister-in-law (the wife of his deceased older half brother), Veronica, is close friends with Julia, along with fellow widow Portia, and she makes it clear that Julia is going to sell the novel and nothing will stop her. Harrison attempts to purchase the memoirs so he can destroy them, but Julia is having none of it and turns him down flat. He is infuriated and convinced that she is far more intelligent than any woman should ever be, and she is equally upset at his high-handed manner, and of course neither can get the other out of their mind.

Harrison enlists the help of Mr. Ellsworth, an author with quite the reputation with the ladies, to help him win the manuscript from Julia, but it is not long before he finds himself jealous of the man's headway with Julia and upset at the possibility that she could fall for his charm. Julia, meanwhile, is more convinced then ever to publish the manuscript because she wants the income and because her great-grandmother's ghost has taken to appearing in her bedroom every night. Julia possesses none of the qualities that Harrison wants in a wife, but he cannot get her out of his mind and he is very worried for her when she becomes the subject of vicious and scandalous gossip among the ton. He immediately goes to her rescue and to the realization that she is everything he needs in life; happy and carefree, willing to take risks, and far too smart to let him get away with anything. Just as Julia thinks she has found someone to bring excitement to her life, she discovers his agreement with Ellsworth and Harrison has to pull out all the stops, and risk quite the scandal, in order to win the woman he loves.

Julia was a likable heroine because she was forced to adapt to completely new circumstances; going from a wife in a very content marriage, with few worries, to a nearly broke widow. I thought she handled the situation with great aplomb- she did what she had to do, she thought through her actions, and she did it all while keeping true to herself and not compromising herself. Harrison was fit into one of the romance novel hero stereotypes; the oh-so-propor lord who had far too many standards and placed far too much emphasis on reputation. I do often like this romance novel staple, but I felt like there wasn't enough to distinguish him and I was terribly disappointed because something was revealed in the book that would have really shook up his world and made things very interesting, and yet it went nowhere. I had the same problem with both of them and that was that they did not connect; I felt like there was very little chemistry and so Alexander fell back on having them argue and spar constantly throughout the novel and somehow this was supposed to represent them falling in love.

I am not a fan of couples that connect over arguments because, while disagreements are healthy, I do find the idea of a marriage filled with verbal tongue twisters, romantic at all. I really did not get much progression of their romance at all and there were very few scenes where they were not arguing, but what there was was entertaining and I really wish there had been more. The best relationship(s) in the book was that between Julia and her two close friends because it really did seem like a genuine friendship where they supported and aided each other and I was impressed because most romance novel friendships are just blatant attempts to set up the next books in the series. The plot involving the memoirs was nice and served as an impetuous to get the two of them together without having the question of what would happen to them take over. However, there was a ghost. A ghost. I almost fell off my seat when the ghost appeared and I realized we were supposed to swallow this. I do not want ghosts in my romance novels and think it really should have been mentioned in the blurb.

Rating: An interesting story with so much potential and while I enjoyed reading it I wish there had been more of a relationship between the characters and that there had NOT been a ghost.

Highland Master

Highland Master by Amanda Scott 629

The Cameron and the Chattan clans have been feuding for centuries and the cruel Duke of Albany, brother to the King of Scotland, decides that they should have a great battle to finalize everything. At the end Sir Finlagh is the only member of his clan who is left and, at the encouragement of a Cameron friend, he jumps into the river and escapes certain death. Four years later, Catriona Mackintosh finds Fin wounded in the forest and takes him back to her castle where he learns that she is the granddaughter of the leader of the Chattan Clan, the Mackintosh. Her father had lead the Chattan clan during the great battle and Fin had sworn to his father right before his father died that he would kill him. But the Mackintosh family takes him in and he realizes that he cannot kill his own host, or do that to Catriona, whom he is quickly coming to respect and like. Catriona has a reputation in her family of being a wildcat who acts and talks before she thinks and it does not take her long to discover that Fin will not stand for her losing her temper with him.

However, danger lurks in the form of the Duke of Albany and Fin is actually working for the future King of Scotland in an attempt to form an alliance with the Mackintosh. When Davy Stewart shows up he immediately begins flirting with Catriona and this makes Fin very nervous, and quite jealous but there is little he can do because Davy is royalty. The leader of a neighboring clan, the Comryns, also has his eye on Catriona and is determined to make life difficult for everyone until Catriona agrees to marry him. The meeting between Davy and the Mackintosh, and several other clan leaders, doesn't go precisely as planned and there is quite a bit of bickering. Things calm down temporarily when a misunderstanding leads Davy to insist on Catriona and Fin getting married and they are both worried about the other's feelings for them. Albany has one last trick up his sleeve and pulls out all the stops in a move that could threaten the Chattans, the Camerons, and all of Scotland. Catriona and Fin must work together to put an end to the threat and then admit their feelings for each other.

When I read a romance novel I like having some historical elements thrown in, especially when they are true and it's history I am interested in, but it is really important for the romance and the relationship between the main characters to be the central focus. Everything else to me should be in the background and should serve as a backdrop or an impetus to speed things along, but either way it should not overwhelm or take over from the next story. This book really suffered because the focus of the book was on the history and the suspense surrounding the Duke of Albany and the alliance between the Mackintosh and Davy Stewart. I felt like the romance was not even the secondary element, but more like the fourth and their relationship/ their meeting was merely the impetus for getting Fin to converse/ form an alliance with the Mackintosh and, just as bad, a way for the reader to learn more about the feuding between the two different clans. Catriona and Fin were rarely alone, had far too little quality time, and when they were together they were dealing with the other elements of the plot.

Catriona started as a likable character because she was independent and caring but as the book progressed she got incredibly annoying. It started with everyone talking about what a firecracker she was and although she eventually did show that she had a temper, by almost slapping someone who insulted her and then talking loudly without thinking (gasp!), it came across as incredibly condescending on everyone's part and made her almost childlike. Fin was one of those condescending people so it was difficult to like him and, aside from his loyalty to Davy Stewart, whom I did not think deserved it, he didn't really seem to have anything going for him. His guilt over what happened during the clan battle was ridiculous and obviously meant to flesh him out, but it failed miserably. They were apparently very attracted to each other, but absolutely nothing happened until near the very end and, without going into details, there was one scene that rather repulsed me in it's abruptness.

Rating: The book was far too long and far too little of that was on the relationship. I did not like the book, but I appreciated the writing style and the historical elements to some extent.

The Raven Prince

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt 624

Anna Wren has been widowed six years and has been living with her mother-in-law and a maid of all trade, but they are barely scraping by on the money they are earning. Her entire town of Little Battleford is abuzz that Lord Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartington, has returned after years away. Edward wants a family because he misses having people around, after his entire family died from a smallpox epidemic that left him with scars that would later terrify his wife before she died in childbirth. Edward has quite the temper and after one more secretary quits, his estate manager hires Anna to be the new secretary even though he has some reservations. Meanwhile Edward is in London finishing up an agreement with an upstanding family to marry the daughter of a Barron. He wants a large family, wants the laughter and excitement and warm fuzzy feeling that feeling like he belongs, but his lack of people skills has lead him to a very arranged marriage with a woman he doesn't truly care for. He meets his match in his new secretary and immediately the two of them get off to an exciting start.

Anna accompanies him across his farm to help with the tenants, she diligently helps him work on his new book on horticulture, she soothes his temper and looks after him when he gets in a fight. Edward cannot fight the attraction he feels for his new secretary so he makes arrangements to go to London and visit Aphrodite's Grotto. Anna is furious that he is turning to other women, but luckily her newest friend is the older sister is one of London's most famed courtesans, so she finagles her way into the Grotto. She is the masked woman who greets Edward and the two spend two nights together before Anne realizes she wants more from Edward than just sex; she is in love with her caring, temperamental, and very intelligent employer. There is also the matter of the woman who Anna's husband had an affair with and she is desperate to keep Anna quiet so that her own husband does not find out. She wants to keep Anna and Edward apart and knows just how to do it; by revealing all their secrets to each other. There is a lot standing between Anna and Edward but they know it is best to work them out for the sake of love.

I immediately loved Anna because she was self-assured and able to take care of herself in a genuine way, not in the way many helpless heroines think they can take care of themselves. However, she was not scared to admit that she needed outside help or that she wanted someone else in her life. She knew what she wanted and she definitely went out on a limb to get it and she took some major risks by taking in a sick prostitute and then traveling to London to be with Edward. She had true friends who she treated well and held her own with her enemy and she faced some pretty tough situations in her marriage with her head held high. Edward was a little unusual in a hero because he was physically imperfect, we were told numerous times about his pox scares and how they had horrified his deceased wife, and he did seem to be a genuinely angry person. He wasn't a mean angry, although he did not deal with incompetence well, but he was hard to get along with and at one point he berated his own house which I had never heard of a romance hero doing. Nevertheless he was incredibly sweet with Anna.

The majority of the book was spent with these two spending time together which is really important to me in a romance novel and it really allowed me to see that these two worked really well together. They had common interests, they cared about the other, and they were willing to go out of their way to do nice things for each other. There was a sexual undertone throughout the book and when it was finally unleashed it exploded and set the pages on fire. It was HOT, it was slightly kinky, and it was great to read about these two outwardly staid people finally getting it on with each other. The sex was really just down perfectly because I was so invested in them falling in love and finding their happily ever after. There were a few side plots, including a really interesting one involving small town morals and a prostitute that Anna takes in and cares for that really shows off her great character. There was also the mean spirited woman who wanted to hurt Anna and while her attempts were short lived, still added a nice little "what might happen" to the book.

Rating: Another stupendous showing from Hoyt and I really hovered between 4 and 5 hearts here, but Hoyt just impresses me so much on all levels.

A View to Kiss

A View to Kiss by Caroline Linden 622

Mariah is the beautiful and well-loved daughter of the Earl of Dorcester, who has made quite a name for himself in politics. The family has returned from years of travel and Mariah is thrust on the social scene to find a husband, and while her parents will leave the decision to her, Mariah is horrified to find that the men of the ton bore her. Harry Sinclair works for the crown as a spy and his latest job is to keep an eye on three men whom the government believes could be targets of discontents. So Harry dons several disguises while he discreetly follows the Earl of Dorcester around London, including that of Sir Henry Wroth, an elderly gentleman with a hunchback and a naughty sense of humor. At one of her parents balls, Mariah escapes the crows out on the balcony where she runs into a mystery man who tempts her and intrigues her like no man she has met. Harry knows that Mariah is far above him and that he should not be trifling with her, but he cannot stop himself from flirting with the beautiful and intelligent young woman, but he leaves before giving her his name.

More determined than ever to find out who he is, she enlists the help of her cousin and her mother, even while she doesn't reveal the entire story. Harry cannot resist and finds himself sneaking into Mariah's window at midnight to spend time with her and during these interludes he tells her about himself while still maintaining his anonymity. He begins to wonder what is going on with his latest mission because it does not seem like his usual protection business and he is proven right when he confronts his superior to discover that the men he is following, including Mariah's father, are possible traitors to the crown. Mariah realizes that Sir Henry Wroth is her Harry and sets out trying to spend every second possible with him, even while Harry is trying to keep his distance because he feels like he is not worthy of Mariah. But then Harry finds out that the Earl, and possibly Mariah, are in danger from the real traitors and when he intervenes he is thrust into Mariah's sights and she has no intention of ever letting him go; she just needs to convince Harry that they belong together.

This book languished on my bookshelves for awhile because I have not had much luck with Linden's spy novels, even while I have loved her other books. Mariah was rather one-dimensional I felt like and I couldn't really find anything about her that set her apart or made her special and I just felt like I didn't get much of anything from her. She was bored by the men of the ton, but I could not see why they weren't just as bored with her because I certainly was. Harry was a little better because we were given some interesting background about his family, but I feel like an interesting family history isn't really enough to make him interesting. I guess Mariah was drawn to him because he met her on dark terraces and in her bedroom in the dark because I didn't see what else there could have been. The two spent very little time together in the book and that very little time was secretive, furtive, and over incredibly quickly. I don't understand how either of them could feel like they knew the other well enough to fall in love. I really wanted these two to have had more time together- maybe that would have made them more interesting.

The majority of the book was taken up by her trying to find out who Harry was or thinking about how she wished she knew who Harry was and by him doing his spy job and trying to convince himself to stay away from Mariah. Really, that does not make a very interesting book and I will say again that I was so disappointed in the very stingy amount of time these two spent together. There were a few kissing scenes that got a little heated, but the only actual sex came at the very end and by then I was just eager for the book to be over and it was not that hot at all. Both of their families were interesting and I thought that her family was particularly well written because they were traditionalists but still were really just looking out for the best interests of their child. The spy plot was interesting at first, but when the romance completely stagnated I got frustrated that the spy plot was progressing while the relationship wasn't. I was able to guess what was going on before Harry and I just wanted to slap him for not seeing it too, and I wish that it had taken a backseat to more romantic developments.

Ratings: The book had a nice flow and writing style, but there was little romantic development and far too much spying in a book where neither character was able to pull me in.