Category: Historical Romance

Temptation & Twilight
AUTHOR: Charlotte Featherstone
PUBLICATION DATE:   06/19/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Iain Sinclair, Marquis of Alynwick, is certain there is a special hell for him. An unrepentant rake, he holds nothing sacred – except for beautiful Elizabeth York. For years, Alynwick has tried to forget the woman he loved so well, and treated so badly. A woman who could hold nothing in her heart for him except hatred.

All of society believes Elizabeth, blind daughter of a duke, to be a proper young lady. But no one knows of her wanton affair with Alynwick. When Lizzy learns of her ancestor’s ancient diary – filled with exotic tales – she longs to uncover the identity of the unnamed lover within and hesitantly allows Alynwick, who claims to have knowledge of the “veiled lady,” to help her solve the mystery.

Eager to be Lizzy’s eyes, Alynwick brings the seductive text to life, and each night it takes greater effort for her to forget his betrayal. With each whispered word, her resolve gives way, without her knowing that a centuries-old secret will lead them to a present-day danger.

REVIEW:
This is the third in the Brethren Guardians series and having not read the first two in the series I must say that I was kind of lost with the background story. Apparently in the first two books the Brethren Guardians have been after “Orpheus” but there is not a lot of storyline in the book to explain the reason why they are pursuing him.

I enjoyed this story but it was just a bit too long for me. The synopsis makes it sound like Iain and Lizzy spend a lot of time reading this diary of exotic takes but I believe there were only about half a dozen readings and much of the story was about Iain wanting to be a different man then he was as a young man and Lizzy not trusting he has changed. It took over ¾ of the book for Iain to even read the first pages to Lizzy so I think the synopsis really gives the wrong idea of this book. However it is a really good book for what it really is… A historical romantic suspense.

I was very disappointed in the ended (the suspense part not the romance part) because there were no clues as to who Orpheus was. However I will say not having read the first two books maybe it was in those but I don’t think so. I think we were supposed to figure it out from this book and I have never been fond of throwing an unknown character in as the villain.

I did really enjoy the romance of Iain and Lizzy. Lizzy is blind but is so strong and her blindness is never written as a handicap. Iain makes women swoon and wish their men would speak so poetically to them. This is a very interesting book and the storyline is great albeit a bit too long but I think the reader can get past that for the great romance Featherstone has written.

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

Heiress Without A Cause
AUTHOR: Sara Ramsey
PUBLICATION DATE:   01/13/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
One title to change his life… A disgraced son with a dark reputation, William “Ferguson” Avenel is content to live in exile – until his father dies in the scandal of the Season. With rumors of insanity swirling around them, his sisters desperately need a chaperone. Ferguson thinks he’s found the most proper woman in England – and he won’t ruin her, even if he secretly desires the passionate woman trapped beneath a spinster’s cap.

One chance to break the rules… Lady Madeleine Vaillant can’t face her blighted future without making one glorious memory for herself. In disguise, on a London stage, she finds all the adoration she never felt from the ton. But when she’s nearly recognized, she will do anything to hide her identity – even setting up her actress persona as Ferguson’s mistress. She’ll take the pleasure he offers, but Madeleine won’t lose her heart in the bargain.

One season to fall in love… Every stolen kiss could lead to discovery, and Ferguson’s old enemies are determined to ruin them both. But as their dangerous passion ignites their hearts and threatens their futures, how can an heiress who dreams of freedom deny the duke who demands her love?

REVIEW:
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was not sure what to expect since I have never read this author before but this will not be the last time I read her books. The writing was great and the story was compelling and I wanted to read every word of it.

Madeleine is a fascinating character. She is not the normal heiress we read about. She has an obsession to act and decides that losing her reputation is worth the compulsion. And to know she is willing to play a man on stage just so she can do what she loves is great. She really is a woman who makes the reader feel empowered. I loved that she was willing to do what she wanted and was not ashamed of it and more so that she would fight for the right to do it. I also loved Ferguson. His strength and his desperation are palpable. The power of his love literally jumps off the pages. And the fact that while he is dealing with his own issues he puts Madeleine’s first was perfectly written.

I would highly recommend this book. I can not wait for the second in the series. If you enjoy historical romances you really must pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.