Category: Historical Romance

TITLE: Strictly Forbidden
AUTHOR: Shelley Bradley
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/17/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Miss Kira Melbourne is anything but a proper English rose. Her exotic beauty, courtesy of her foreign mother, has marked her as an outsider, and her ghastly reputation as a woman of loose virtue has only added to that status. The victim of a devious viscount’s horrible lies, Kira has the chance to redeem herself and become a member of polite society as the fiancee of a respected country clergyman. She’ll finally have a place to belong…even if it’s in the arms of a tepid man she doesn’t love.

Gavin Daggett, Duke of Cropthorne, isn’t about to let his naive country cousin marry a scandalous woman like Kira Melbourne. The solution is a simple one: Gavin will seduce the vixen and prove her unworthiness, thereby releasing his cousin from any obligation. But spending time with Kira is like awakening to a world of color and beauty, and it stirs the fiery desires that Gavin has fought to suppress his entire life. Caught in his own dangerous game, sharing forbidden pleasure with Kira, Gavin knows the price of loving her is high–and yet it is one that he will willingly pay..with every beat of his heart.

REVIEW: I have read other novels from Shelley Bradley that I have absolutely adored and I couldn’t wait to read another historical romance from this author. Kira Melbourne is a beautiful young woman that is trying desperately to escape the vicious rumors that she is a woman of loose morals by marrying James Howland, a country pastor. Gavin Daggett, James’ cousin, is instantly attracted to Kira because of her beauty and plans to seduce her to prove that she is unworthy of being his cousin’s wife. This plan ultimately backfires because he finds that Kira is a lovely woman that seems to be the perfect match for him instead of his cousin.

I enjoyed Kira’s character because she was very sweet and trusting but she seemed so naive at times about how things were going to turn out with Gavin. Gavin was a hero that I had a hard time connecting with due to the fact he wasn’t very nice to Kira for most of the novel. He acted like a complete jerk and didn’t really redeem himself until the last few pages of this book. I almost had the feeling that Kira could have found somebody better than Gavin just by the way that he acted toward her. I also wish that Kira’s brother, Darius, had more interaction in this story because he was a great character. I loved that he was so protective of Kira and I wanted him to find his little piece of happiness with someone.

I am going back to read Strictly Seduction which was Brock and Madeline’s love story, who played a minor role in this book. This book wasn’t a winner for me but I still love Shelley’s books and can’t wait to read the next one that she releases.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: More Than a Stranger
AUTHOR: Erin Knightley
PUBLICATION DATE: 6/5/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:

When his family abandoned him at Eton, Benedict Hastings found an unexpected ally in his best friend’s sister. Her letters kept him going–until the day he had to leave everything behind. Years later, Benedict has seen his share of betrayal, but when treachery hits close to home, he turns to his old friend for a safe haven…

After five torturous years on the marriage circuit, Lady Evelyn Moore is finally free to live her life as she wishes. So when her brother shows up with a dashing stranger, she finds herself torn between her dreams…and newfound desires.

Despite his determination to keep Evie at a distance, Benedict cannot deny the attraction that began with a secret correspondence. Yet as they begin to discover each other, the dangers of Benedict’s world find them, threatening their lives, their love and everything they thought they could never have.

REVIEW:
This is a fantastic debut from Erin Knightley that will capture your heart and have you believing in second chances. Evie is a spirited, intelligent woman that has spent her youth writing letters to her brother’s best friend, Benedict Hastings. What started as a simple correspondence turned into something more when Hastings abruptly ends their correspondence for no reason and ultimately breaks Evie’s heart. Seven years later, Hastings is troubled by the events that have occurred in his life and turns to his old friend, Richard, for help. His wish is to come to their family estate in the country for solitude to sort through the horrible predicament that he has found himself in. When they arrive at Richard’s country home, Hastings is shocked and delighted to find that Evie is there and that he may finally have a chance to make amends with this beautiful young woman. When he is initially introduced to Evie, he pretends to be someone other than Benedict Hastings for fear of Evie’s response to the real Hastings and Evie is unaware that the man that broke her heart is currently residing in her family’s home. The attraction between the two is instantaneous and Evie believes that she has finally met her match.

I liked Evie in this novel. She was fun, adventurous and very independent at a time when women were expected to be nothing more than a pretty face. She convinced her family that she needed to take time off from the Season to pursue her own hobbies and would save the husband-hunting for a later date. No man seemed to interest her or captured her attention until she laid eyes on Hastings. Even though he was a stranger to her, there was an instant connection between the two and I enjoyed their scenes together and her snarky comments to him. Hastings was a dashing hero that any woman would like to spend time with but I wish that he would have told her earlier who he really was. Evie deserved the truth and she would have understood the dangerous situation he was in. The letters between the two was a delight to read and added so much to this love story as well as meeting all the members of her family. This was a great story and I am excited to read Richard’s story, A Taste for Scandal, that will be released next month.

Disclaimer:
The following review is my opinion and not a paid review.

TITLE: Almost a Scandal
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Essex
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/31/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: A LADY IN DISGUISE…. For generations, the Kents have served proudly with the British Royal Navy. So when her younger brother refuses to report for duty, Sally Kent slips into a uniform and takes his place–at least until he comes to his senses. Boldly climbing aboard the Audacious, Sally is as able-bodied as any sailor there. But one man is making her feel tantalizing aware of the full-bodied woman beneath her navy blues…

A MAN OVERBOARD….Dedicated to his ship, sworn to his duty–and distractingly gorgeous–Lieutenant David Colyear sees through Sally’s charade, and he’s furious. But he must admit she’s the best midshipman on board–and a woman who tempts him like no other. With his own secrets to hide and his career at stake, Col agrees to keep her on. But can the passion they hide survive the perils of a battle at sea? Soon, their love and devotion will be put to the test….

REVIEW:
I usually love reading historical romance and I was excited to read this novel about a woman that assumes the identity of her brother on a Naval ship. The problem that I had with this novel was that the love story was minimized for me by the endless technical descriptions in regards to running a ship. This made it difficult for me to get deeply invested in the characters because I was trying to figure out what these terms meant and how it related to the storyline. I thought that Sally was a very brave woman for taking her brother’s place and placing herself in harm’s way to prove that the Kent family didn’t turn away from their responsibilities. Other than that, I had a hard time relating to her character and the romance between her and Lieutenant David Colyear felt rushed at times. I couldn’t see the chemistry between these two characters and I was left feeling disappointed at the end of this book.

Even though I didn’t like “Almost a Scandal,” I still would like to read more from this author and read her next book called “A Breath of Scandal.” This book may not have been enjoyable for me but I don’t like giving up on historical romance authors without reading at least a few of their books first.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: Loving Lady Marcia
AUTHOR: Kieran Kramer
PUBLICATION DATE:   8/28/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: MARCIA GETS SCHOOLED…  Of the three Brady sisters, Lady Marcia has always seemed the girl most likely to lead a perfectly charmed life.  But after a handsome cad breaks her heart, she swears off love and devotes her life to teaching girls at a private school.  In spite of her family’s wish for a London debut, Marcia is happy where she is–until terrible news sends her back to the Brady clan…and into the arms of an unexpected suitor.

ON THE SUBJECT OF LOVE… A dark and dashing earl who knows Marcia’s past, Duncan Lattimore is surprised by what a fascinating and independent woman she’s become.  Marcia, too, is surprised–by the fiery attraction she feels for Duncan.  But why–why–must he be the brother of the scoundrel who broke her heart? Why must Marcia’s rival at school forbid her from seeing him?  How can this lady possibly resist this fellow–when they know that it’s much more than a hunch…?

REVIEW:
This book was a real treat for me and I loved every minute of Lady Marcia’s story. Lady Marcia started this novel as a bright-eyed, sweet, innocent girl that had developed into an intelligent, yet reserved, young woman who wouldn’t let anyone near her heart, five short years later.  She had resigned herself to be the headmistress of a prestigious school and wouldn’t participate in London’s notorious Season because she felt she wasn’t worthy enough to be married to any man.  When she meets Lord Chadwick again in London, he becomes so smitten with her, even though he was initially unaware that his brother had broken Lady Marcia’s heart as a teenager.

Duncan Lattimore was the perfect romantic hero for me.  He was loving, caring, responsible to everyone in his charge and he did everything in his power to remedy Finn’s indiscretions, even if it meant damaging his own reputation among society in the process.  His own love for Lady Marcia was so strong that he was willing to help her with her job and he wanted to marry her regardless of the secrets that she was protecting from everyone else.  He would have done anything in his power to win her heart and I wish there were more men like Duncan in the world because he was just a great guy to have in your life.

Finn Lattimore, Duncan’s younger brother, was the epitome of bad boy.  Charming and good-looking, the perfect toxic boyfriend that would leave broken hearts behind him without a second thought to the consequences.  There were times during this novel that I wanted to reach in and hit him for his actions but if it wasn’t for him, Duncan and Lady Marcia wouldn’t have had that special connection with one another.

This is my first Kieran Kramer novel and I’m happy to say that it won’t be my last.  She has created a humorous, well-written, beautifully romantic tale about second chances after initial first impressions.  I loved the Brady Bunch references throughout the novel that made this amazing story even more delightful.  Loving Lady Marcia is a wonderfully romantic novel and I’m looking forward to more from the House of Brady in “The Earl is Mine.”

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.