Category: Jennifer’s Review

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Jennifer’s review of Almost A Scandal by Elizabeth Essex

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.

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Jennifer’s review of Close Enough To Touch by Victoria Dahl

TITLE: Close Enough To Touch
AUTHOR: Victoria Dahl
PUBLICATION DATE:   8/28/12

ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn’t the land of golden opportunity.  It’s the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment.  So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she’ll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams.  But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting….

Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can’t help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might get to see the real Cole.  The one with a Hollywood history gone bad.  As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay–and those fires from long ago may burn them both.

They’ll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

REVIEW: I adore Victoria Dahl’s books because she always seem to write these great romances in small towns with interesting characters.  I thought this book was good, but for me, it wasn’t as light-hearted as her previous novels.  Grace is a character that has a lot of emotional baggage to deal with when she first arrives at Jackson Hole.  She has no money, no job and no direction but is trying to find her place in life without depending on a man like her mother.  She acted very tough by not letting anyone get close to her and found it easier to lash out at people instead of letting her guards down because she was afraid of being hurt.  I liked her but I wanted her to open up more to people than just pretending to be this tough city chick.

Cole was dealing with emotional issues as well during the course of this novel.  He was slowly recovering from an injury that shattered his pelvis and he was scared that he wouldn’t be able to ride a horse again.  If he couldn’t ride a horse then he would be unable to run the ranch that he was hoping to buy from his boss when he retired.  To him, that was everything and he was guilty of lashing out at others as well. Grace and Cole were so much alike even though from the outside they looked like exact opposites.  The chemistry and sexual tension was extremely hot but that isn’t all there is to a relationship and it took some time for these characters to get past their own issues to try to build that relationship.

I liked this novel but I want others to be aware that this isn’t a light-hearted romance.  These characters have some real emotional issues from mistakes of their past and the romance between the two doesn’t start off easy.  I’m looking forward to reading Victoria’s next novel in the series “Too Hot to Handle” which stars Grace’s best friend, Merry.  Hopefully, her love story will go smoother than Grace’s did.

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

4 Hearts
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Jennifer’s review of Loving Lady Marcia by Kieran Kramer

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.

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Jennifer’s review of Tangled Web by Crista McHugh

TITLE: Tangled Web
AUTHOR: Crista McHugh
PUBLICATION DATE:   10/16/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Azurha, a beautiful former slave turned deadliest assassin in the empire, has just been offered the ultimate challenge–seduce, then murder the new emperor.  But Titus is not the tyrant his forefathers were, and his radical ideas might be the glimmer of hope the empire needs.

Titus Sergius Flavus has yet to master the powerful magic of his ancestors–magic he must wield if he’s to protect his people–but his father’s death has left him no choice.  Rule the Delzian Empire and attempt to right his ancestor’s wrongs, or watch her fall to his greedy kin.

More than just Titus’s ideas hold Azurha captive.  Night after night, he awakens desires she thought lost and uncovers the magic of her hidden lineage.  As her deadline approaches, Azurha is forced to make an impossible decision–complete her job and kill the man she loves, or fail and forfeit both their lives.

REVIEW: This book is the first in a new series by author Crista McHugh and seemed to have everything for me. Tangled Web was an action-packed adventure with a beautiful female assassin and a romantic love story that brought me to tears by its conclusion. Azurha was a very strong character that had been born as a slave and abused by her previous master before she was able to gain her freedom through violence.  After this, she had been trained as a deadly assassin known only as “The Rabbit”, who struck fear into the hearts of her potential victims.

I felt so sorry for Azurha because she had been through so much before meeting Titus and she never wanted to be in a position where she was vulnerable and couldn’t protect herself.  She loved Titus with every ounce of her being and would give up her own life to protect him instead of being the one to kill him, which was very touching.  She couldn’t believe that Titus would give up his entire empire to be with her because no one had ever cared for her or tried to protect her in that way before. Their love had changed Azurha from a cold-hearted assassin to a strong, caring woman and it was nice to watch the transformation of this character throughout the book.  I understood her reasons for not telling Titus the truth about her identity because she was afraid that he wouldn’t love her anymore and she just wanted to hold onto that relationship for as long as she could.  In the end, Titus didn’t care about her past because he knew how she felt about him just by looking in her eyes and watching her actions around him.

Tangled Web is a great read and I have a feeling that this book will stay with me for some time.  I’m looking forward to reading the second book in the series which is Claudia’s story, a character that made a brief appearance in Tangled Web.

DISCLAIMER: The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I received this book free as part of the blog tour.

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Jennifer’s review of All Afternoon with a Scandalous Marquess by Alexandra Hawkins

TITLE: All Afternoon with a Scandalous Marquess
AUTHOR: Alexandra Hawkins
PUBLICATION DATE:   7/31/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Simon Jefferes, the Marquess of Sainthill, has done the unthinkable–he’s fallen in love. The so-called “Saint” has spent his life gambling, dallying with women, and satisfying his every whim.  And he fully intended to continue his wicked ways, until he met the mysterious, exotic, and irresistible Madame Venna–the one woman he can’t have…and the only one he’s ever wanted for more than an evening.  The proprietress of the Golden Pearl, one of London’s most exclusive brothels, Madame Venna takes pride in the lush, decadent club she’s created.  With a half-mask to conceal her identity, she’s careful to safeguard something even more valuable–her heart.  But Saint is determined to tear down the walls she’s built around herself, and to finally expose the truth–that Madame Venna is a woman very much in love…with him.

REVIEW:  I have always heard great things about Alexandra Hawkins’ books and this is the first one that I have read in the Lords of Vice series.  Saint is the typical playboy who spends most of his time gambling and bedding different women.  His friends are getting married and settling down around him while he believes that he will never find a woman that will capture his heart.  Madame Venna is the owner of the Golden Pearl, London’s most famous brothel, and does everything in her power to hide her true identity by wearing a mask until the one night that she decides to take Saint to her bed. One night of passion between the two of them leads to intense feelings that neither one of them are able to ignore.

I loved Madame Venna because she came from a horrible childhood and used that pain to become one of the richest and most powerful women in London.  She didn’t need help from anyone and she had decided to live her life by her own rules.  She also wouldn’t let anyone close to her heart because she wasn’t going to be hurt again and that included Saint.  I was very impressed by her character while at other times in this book that I wanted to hit Saint on the head. There is another storyline in this book where Saint becomes acquainted with Madame Venna on the street while she is living as her alter ego.  She wasn’t wearing her normal half-mask and he never realized who she was.  I couldn’t believe that he slept with her and then he wasn’t able to recognize in the street without her mask.

I liked this book and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the Lords of Vice series.  My only complaint with this book would be there was no resolution with Madame Venna and the adoptive family that had caused her so much pain growing up. They always seemed to be trying to blackmail her and destroy what she had built at the Golden Pearl during the course of this story.  Towards the end of the book, she had a meeting with someone who was acquainted with them but there was no resolution to that dilemma.  I am hoping that this issue would be solved in a future book and not just an oversight by the author.

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

4 Hearts
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Jennifer’s review of Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

TITLE: Full Blooded
AUTHOR: Amanda Carlson
PUBLICATION DATE:   9/11/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:

It’s not easy being a girl. It’s even harder when you’re the only girl in a family of werewolves. But it is next to impossible when your very existence spells out the doom of your race…Meet Jessica McClain…she just became part of the pack.

REVIEW:

Full Blooded has been on my radar for awhile now and I was thrilled to death when I received this in my mailbox.  Jessica McClain is the only female born in a male-dominated pack in the last few hundred years and her existence has created suspicion and mistrust among the people that should be considered her family.  Jessica is the daughter of the Alpha, Callum McClain, and shortly after her birth, a mysterious letter was received stating that a female born would lead to the destruction of the pack.  Fast forward about twenty years and Jessica has grown into a beautiful independent woman with no signs of being a full-fledged wolf.  That all changes one day when Jessica makes her first transformation into a wolf and everything that she once knew is turned upside down. Her pack doesn’t know what to make of her and she has supernatural beings hunting for her because her abilities as a wolf have never been seen before.  She doesn’t know who to trust and her greatest enemy may become her only ally.

I have a little bit of a girl crush on Jessica because I loved just about everything about her.  She was such a strong independent character that was so used to proving herself in this male-dominated world that she didn’t back down from anything.  She was able to fight for her independence from the pack as well as fight any threat that came her way. I loved watching her character experience all these new changes in her life from being just the Alpha’s daughter to a werewolf that had powers that no other werewolf had ever seen before.  The men in Jessica’s life were also very sexy and powerful and I envied her relationships with them.  I would love to see more of James and the mysterious Colin Rourke who seems to have ulterior motives for suddenly appearing on the scene after Jessica has made her first transformation into a wolf.

This series has so much potential and I am looking forward to reading every word of it.  I feel that Full Blooded is an explosive novel from start to finish that will knock the wind right out of you.  Amanda Carlson has created a paranormal world that has changed all the rules about the werewolf legend and this can lead to endless possibilities.  The saddest thing about all this was I didn’t want this book to end and I know I will have a hard time waiting until April to continue the hunt with Hot Blooded.

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