ARC Review: Once a Soldier by Mary Jo Putney (Release date: June 28, 2016)

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In the opening chapter of the book, a group of 5 men are locked in a room with no probable escape route. Guards are at the door, and death is certain in the morning. On this, their last night together, they decide to talk about what they would do differently if they had another chance and another day to live --

Maybe it's Fate or the Divine, or a bit of both, but these men find a way to escape and to live to fight another day. They decide to hold each other to the promises they made the night before -- with an added agreement to update each other through letters left at an agreed-upon location. Thus, the Rogues Redeemed go their separate way, intent on changing their lives -- present and future.

Will Masterson joined the war with a death wish. Feeling responsible for the death of his wife and son, Will feels he is beyond redemption -- and he thought he was finally going to see the end of his journey in that locked room with those men. After this last brush with death, Will finally realizes (and accepts) that death isn't in his cards yet, and starts to make plans to return home to England, his title, and his life, and responsibilities.

But he has one last mission to fulfil for King and Country: accompany the brave soldiers from San Gabriel back to their country, and to do some reconnaissance to ascertain the political stability of this young, war-damaged country. He does not count on meeting Athena Markham, British, who works as companion and friend to Princess Sofia -- and he is instantly attracted.

But Will and Athena aren't young or fanciful or with their heads in the clouds -- they accept the reality of who they are: Athena is the illegitimate daughter of a lord and a courtesan, and Will is a broken, haunted man on his way home to England. While they entertain the idea of an affair, Will and Athena both decide to take the sensible route and "just be friends" while Will is in San Gabriel.

Much of the first half of the book focuses on San Gabriel and descriptions of how war has devastated the small country. Their king and his heir are still missing, the current regent is a very old man who serves as a titular figurehead than an actual leader, and Princess Sofia, on the cusp of her 25th birthday, is next in line for the throne. I kept trying to look for the romance between Will and Athena between the lines -- and I could see two people who have made the decision to sacrifice their own personal interests/desires for the sake of a greater purpose. Athena is devoted to San Gabriel and to Princess Sofia, whom she loves like a younger sister.

Athena has an interesting background -- she is illegitimate, and, while her mother wanted to have a daughter, it was clear that she didn't know how to protect or care for her daughter. Athena's father begrudgingly gave some financial support, but made it clear that she was not welcome or wanted in his household. At school, Athena was known as Lady Whore's Daughter, and that's something that has not and cannot forget. It's ironic that she finally found her place and her home in a foreign country, among foreign people. So I understand her reluctance to give all of that up to be with Will -- Will who will bring her back to England, because his life and responsibilities are there. Will who will indirectly subject her to society's scrutiny and insults again --

Will lost the loves of his life, felt responsible for it, and had sought oblivion during the war. Now he's found a glimmer of light, a reason to live in the form of Athena Markham. But, should he risk his recently-restored, but still-fragile heart on something as momentary as a temporary affair. I have to give credit to Will for proposing marriage several times -- because it shows that he is willing to put himself on the line for Athena.

There's a secondary love story that develops between Justin and Princess Sofia -- and, again, Mary Jo Putney touches on the dualism of duty/desire -- Princess Sofia cannot marry a commoner. Princess Sofia cannot marry a foreign commoner. But she wants Justin, and Justin wants her. What I love about Princess Sofia is that she isn't passive, and she doesn't give up easily -- she arranges for a quick time away from the castle, so that she could enjoy Justin's company (and hopes that Athena and Will can discover each other outside of the castle and their responsibilities).

This is where the story gets interesting -- when they discover that there is a French general who has nefarious designs on Princess Sofia and on the country -- and Will must, once again, become the soldier that he is. I love how Putney framed this into a David and Goliath battle -- pitting the very limited resources of San Gabriel versus the French general's army. Will shows amazing leadership and courage -- and Athena is admirable in how she contributed to the defense of the country.

A slow start leads to a satisfying end, and fans of Putney's Lost Lords will delight at seeing new graduates of Westerfield figure in this new series.

Once a Soldier is the first book in Mary Jo Putney's Rogues Redeemed series, and will be released on June 28. To find out more about Mary Jo Putney and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I requested this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Kensington Books and Mary Jo Putney for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Happy Release Day! Gambled Away: A Historical Romance Anthology (ARC Review)

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About the book:

Get revenge. Pay a debt. Save a soul. Lose your heart.

Spanning centuries and continents, five brand-new novellas from beloved historical romance authors tell the stories of men and women who find themselves wagered in a game of chance and are forced to play for the highest stakes of all: love.

“Gideon and the Den of Thieves” by Joanna Bourne

London, 1793 – Soldier of fortune Gideon Gage has come home from halfway around the world, fully prepared to face down a ruthless gang to save his sister. But there’s one member of the gang he could never have been prepared for: fascinating Aimée, driven from her own home by the French Revolution and desperately in need of his help.

“Raising The Stakes” by Isabel Cooper

California, 1938 — When the flute she won in last night’s poker game unexpectedly summons an elven warrior bound to her service, two-bit con artist Sam takes quick advantage. With Talathan’s fairy powers at her command, her shakedown of a crooked preacher is a sure thing ... but would she rather take a gamble on love?

“All or Nothing” by Rose Lerner

England, 1819 – Architect Simon Radcliffe-Gould needs someone to pose as his mistress so he can actually get some work done at a scandalous house party. Irrepressible gambling den hostess Maggie da Silva would rather be his mistress, but she’ll take what she can get ...

“The Liar’s Dice” by Jeannie Lin

Tang Dynasty China, 849 A.D. — Lady Bai’s first taste of freedom brings her face to face with murder. A dangerous and enigmatic stranger becomes her closest ally as she investigates the crime, but can she trust her heart or her instincts when everyone is playing a game of liar’s dice?

“Redeemed” by Molly O’Keefe

Denver, 1868 — After agonizing years in the Civil War’s surgical tents, Union doctor James Madison has nothing left to lose. But when beautiful, tortured Helen Winters is the prize in a high-stakes game of poker, he goes all in to save her -- and maybe his own soul.

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My Review:

When one of your favorite authors contact you about an anthology she is in, and mentions the names of more of your favorite authors, you drop everything and read it. Gambled Away features 5 brand-new short stories that all explore the theme of gambling.

In the first story, All or Nothing, Rose Lerner's Simon Radcliffe-Gould is drawn to Maggie da Silva, part owner of the gambling den he frequents. Simon believes he can take better care of Maggie -- every time he visits, he longs to talk to Maggie and ask her questions about herself and her life -- but, mainly, he wants to ask Maggie why she continues to stay and work in the gambling den and allow her business partner/friend/lover to use and objectify her.

When the opportunity finally arises, Simon is surprised by Maggie's frankness -- and discovers that he had been mistaken in his assumptions of her. Maggie doesn't need saving or taking care of. She's fine as she is, but, what she needs, at this moment, is a diversion.

Simon receives a commission from a former classmate, and he knows he must accept the job, even if it means revisiting awkward relationships from his past. Simon comes up with an arrangement with Maggie: pretend to be his mistress, and accompany him on this trip. Of course Maggie agrees to go -- curious to find out more about Simon. It's a business trip that becomes an occasion for self-discovery -- and Maggie and Simon explore the extent of their desire and sexuality.

I think Rose Lerner gambled on two levels when she wrote this story: for one, this is a story unlike any of her other stories. Her characters are uninhibited and very honest and open about their relationships. I love that both her hero and heroine are morally ... neutral. It allows her characters to move and speak outside the boundaries of politeness. It's a short story, yes, but it does not skimp on, what I consider, signature Rose Lerner: a thoughtful discussion and reflection. This time, she examines religion, gender roles, and sexual habits.

The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin takes you across the globe, and into the midst of a young woman about to break out of the confines of her sheltered life, and embark on an adventure. All Wei Wei wanted to do was visit a tea house -- something that she has read about in her studies. The experience proves to be as she had imagined ... and more: on her way home, she meets Gao, an enigmatic man (who is obviously not a scholar, but who knows her brother), and they both witness a murder.

I thought the author did a really great job crafting the mystery: Wu Kaifeng (from Lin's The Jade Temptress) is investigating the murder and asks for Wei Wei's assistance. Wei Wei wants to help, but, as the mystery unfolds, she discovers a connection between the victim and her brother. It becomes a difficult situation for Wei Wei -- if she continues to help Wu Kaifeng, she might be endangering her brother, his reputation and his career. The situation is made more uncomfortable by her growing attraction to Gao, who isn't of her world or rank.

What made this story enjoyable was the experience of the culture and observances of China -- at once different, but also the same. Wei Wei is bound by the rules of society, much like the ladies of our historical romances set in the West, and she faces the same dilemma: if she follows her heart, she turns her back on her family, but, if she chooses her family over Gao, she would be betraying her heart. I was also engrossed with the crime, the uncovering of the motive, and the subsequent resolution.

Of the five stories, Isabel Cooper's Raising the Stakes, took on the greatest challenge: to build a world where elves and humans exist, and weave a romance (between an elf and a human) within this very short format. Sam is female, but this hasn't stopped her from trying to make money to help her family. I liked Sam: I liked how she really did everything she could to survive, and I liked that, despite the difficulties she faced, she never turned her back on her family.

She wins an antique flute in a card game, and it summons Talathan, an elven warrior, bound to the flute and to whoever owns the flute. Talathan is described as charismatic, very handsome (in an other-worldly way), and a fierce warrior. But I would've wanted to know more about Talathan, and about his world -- unfortunately, the author decided not to delve too deeply into it. Instead, she proceeds to lay out the details of Sam's scheme: with Talathan's help, Sam plans to con a conman -- a preacher who hasn't exactly been doing good works. I enjoyed reading about how Sam and Talathan carried out their plan, though, I have to admit to being confused at certain points in the story. (When the plan comes to fruition, I didn't feel the excitement or the characters' satisfaction over their success. It felt a bit "meh" -- and then the hero and heroine just moved on.)

Amidst the world-building and the confidence game, what suffered most in the story is the romance: from time to time, the author did well to hint at the attraction between Sam and Talathan, but I didn't really see any meaningful chemistry.

Where Isabel Cooper infuses fantasy into her story, Molly O'Keefe brings the dark, bleak, and dangerous world of drug addiction and PTSD. James Madison served as a doctor during the Civil War, and, while he was busy saving lives, he was also becoming addicted to chloroform. The addiction costed him his career, and his life -- and he now lives in a brothel, where he still battles the demons and nightmares from the war.

Helen is known as the Northern Spy, a brave woman who infiltrated the South during the war, gathered information and helped free slaves. Now, she is slave to Mr. Park, a cruel and vindictive Southerner, who intends to make Helen pay for her role in the South's defeat. Helen has been regularly given morphine and laudanum to control her spirit, and she's been put in a gilded cage to imprison her body. And, every so often, she is put up as the prize in a high-stakes poker game: win the game and win a night with the Northern Spy. But the game isn't really a game, because, no matter who wins, they eventually discover that they've lost. Helen in a cage, with no will or say of her own, is a difficult and painful thing to witness, but no one dares go against Mr. Park and his assistant, Guy.

There's a part of James that wants to help, but he knows that his days of being a hero are long passed. But you can see him struggling between self-preservation, and saving Helen. Throughout his life, James hadn't been very good with using his gifts -- despite his education, he had damned himself with his addiction. And, his gift with cards (and gambling) had damned him in the eyes of his family. We're told that no man is an island -- but James certainly lived like one. Cast far, far away from anyone or anything that would have reminded him of better times. But Helen comes along, and it stirs a determination inside James.

As I read Redeemed, I really thought Helen and James had no chance of escaping -- they were trapped in a brothel, and trapped by their own circumstances. Even if they managed to escape the brothel, they would have to contend with Helen's withdrawal from drugs -- while on the run. And who would they turn to for help? Because of James' addiction, he had been disowned by his family, and he has chosen to distance himself from the few friends he had left.

Despite the shortness of O'Keefe's story, it succeeds in twisting your insides in that uncomfortable, and excruciating way. You will really empathize for Helen and James, who are so, so broken, but who both so, so deserve to have a chance at life. The author's villain is truly one for the books -- it was skillful how the author presents the many sides and effects of war: James, Helen, Mr. Park and the other characters in the story came home from the war changed for good -- but, where James struggles to save himself (and to protect others from his addiction), Mr. Park has chosen to use his brokenness as an excuse to break others and make them as miserable as himself.

Joanna Bourne's Gideon and the Den of Thieves rounds out this collection of stories of strong, independent women. Aimee is French, and escaped during the French Revolution. She works as the appraiser in Lazarus's den of thieves. It is not a situation she was born into, but it's the situation she is in right now -- and she makes the best of it, rising through the ranks to become one of Lazarus's most trusted cohorts.

Gideon Gage is a wealthy man who willingly walks into the den with one goal in mind: to rescue his sister at all cost. He is armed and ready to fight for his sister's freedom, but he is unprepared for the complex and dangerous rules that Lazarus and his thieves live by. Our hero quickly discovers that Lazarus has kidnapped his sister for a reason, and Daphne would not be set free unless she paid the price.

Joanna Bourne is an amazing, amazing storyteller -- and this short story packs as much punch as her longer novels. I loved seeing the young Adrian Hawkhurst, who provided moments of levity -- but also reflected just how deceptively dangerous the world is. He is very cavalier, but he is also always on guard. Aimee is beautiful, calm and elegant -- she stands with, but also stands apart from the rest of the thieves in Lazarus's employ. She serves as Gideon's guide through Lazarus' Lair -- much like Dante's Beatrice, and the den is Gideon's own inferno. The den of thieves is an intriguing character of its own. It is, literally, an underworld: existing in the dark corners and warrens of London. The idea of Honor Among Thieves is exemplified in how Lazarus governs over Aimee, Hawk, and everyone else. But, like anything created by humans, it is not absolute -- and there are some in the den who seek to usurp Lazarus's power.

Bourne piques your curiosity by hinting at undercurrents of tension and uneasiness -- why doesn't Daphne want to leave? Why is Aimee so worried? Even Lazarus is behaving strangely. Aimee heroically tries her best to protect everyone: Gideon, Lazarus, Hawk, Daphne, and herself. It takes a while for Gideon to figure things out, but, when he does, I admired how he was able to exercise restrain -- trusting Aimee to take the lead, but also being ready to step in if the situation needed it.

Lazarus is a character that previously appeared in Joanna Bourne's other books, but I loved him in this story. He's a figure that inspires fear, but also respect. He is, at once, seemingly invulnerable, and painfully human -- and at the heart of Lazarus is, surprisingly, a heart -- one that recognizes justice and fairness.

Overall, I thought this was a well-balanced anthology, and a great showcase of the five authors' unique styles and voices. I will say that the romances here aren't what one usually finds in longer novels, but, as with the theme, I'd like readers to take a chance and read this.

Disclosure: I received this ARC from Rose Lerner. Thank you to Rose, Joanna Bourne, Isabel Cooper, Jeannie Lin, and Molly O'Keefe for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

To find out more about this book, visit the website.

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About the authors:

Joanna Bourne

Joanna Bourne lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge with her family, a medium-sized mutt and a faux Himalayan cat.

She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She’s fascinated by that time and place—such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.

Website: http://joannabourne.com/

Isabel Cooper

Isabel Cooper spent a large part of her childhood in Southern California, but was more or less law-abiding at the time, and only learned how to gamble later. (Her sister always beat her at card games, too. Accusations of cheating were rampant. And loud.) After moving around a lot, she now lives in Boston, where she plays geeky games of all sorts, occasionally goes dancing, and sometimes attempts to cook. She may be the only person in the world who likes circus peanuts.

Website: https://isabelcooper.wordpress.com/

Rose Lerner

Rose Lerner discovered Georgette Heyer when she was thirteen, and wrote her first historical romance a few years later. Her writing has improved since then, but her fascination with all things Regency hasn’t changed. When not reading, writing, or researching, she enjoys cooking and watching TV. She lives in Seattle with her best friend.

Website: http://roselerner.com/

Jeannie Lin

Jeannie Lin started writing in 2005 while she was teaching high school. After a long journey through rejections and contests and revisions, her manuscript, Butterfly Swords, won the 2009 Golden Heart® award for historical romance. Her first two books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and her second novel, The Dragon and the Pearl, was listed as one of Library Journal’s Best Romances of 2011.

Her stories are inspired by her love of adventure, history, and fantasy in both western and Asian traditions. From an early age she was fascinated by legends of King Arthur and the fantasy of Lord of the Rings as well as the Chinese wuxia (martial arts) fiction. As a result, she writes heroic characters in epic situations while interweaving a strong romance to make larger than life characters human.

Website: http://www.jeannielin.com/

Molly O’Keefe

Molly O’Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.

She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn’t looked back. She loves exploring every character’s road towards happily ever after.

Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she’s not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.

Dishing It Out, her last Harlequin Flipside, won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for best Flipside in 2005. Her Superromance Baby Makes Three won the RT Reviewer’s Choice for best Superromance in 2006. Her novella, “The Christmas Eve Promise” in The Night Before Christmas won the RITA in 2009. And her full length contemporary romance Crazy Thing Called Love won the RITA in 2013.

Website: http://www.molly-okeefe.com/

ARC Review: Jilting the Duke by Rachael Miles (Debut Novel)

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There were times when I felt that Rachael Miles's Jilting the Duke didn't read like a conventional debut novel: For one, it's amazing how skillfully she handled so many different threads and create this complex, and layered novel. There's the tangle of spies, subterfuge, and secret codes hidden in Tom's manuscripts. There's the story of Sophia's re-entry into society. There's the Somerville siblings (Aidan, Colin, etc.) and Sophia's extended family.

Then there's the very clever way she talks about Malcolm and Audrey, supporting characters whose story happens before Aidan and Sophia's. The author intersperses snippets of their story with Aidan and Sophia', and, though we only get a small portion of their story, one can sense that the author has already mapped out the world and characters surrounding Aidan and Sophia.

At its core, Jilting the Duke is a story about second chances: Before he left for war, Aidan and Sophia were young lovers who were secretly engaged. While away at war, Aidan receives devastating news that Sophia had married his best friend, Tom. All contact between the friends stopped then, and Aidan has been seething and wondering all these years.

When Tom dies, he grants joint guardianship of his son, Ian, to Aidan and Sophia. Aidan sees it as an opportunity for revenge against his former lover. Sophia knows she will need to face the long-delayed reckoning, and she has no choice but to trust in her late husband's decision. It's a complicated arrangement, and the mastermind is a man who isn't even there. Tom's dead, but, before he died, he knew he needed to make things right between his childhood best friend, and his wife.

I have to hand to it Tom -- he had little time left, but he used that time very wisely. He made arrangements for his wife and son, he wrote letters and bequeathed very thoughtful items to members of his family, extended family, and staff. There were moments as I read about Tom that I vacillated between thinking that he was the most organized, most thoughtful person (real and fictional) that I've ever known, and thinking that he was the most controlling, micro-managing person (real and fictional) that I've ever known.

The opening chapter shows that, despite the perceived betrayal, Aidan had always considered Tom his friend, and had wondered and worried about his sudden death. I love that the author highlights how enduring love is, but how equally enduring (and more resilient) friendship is.

Aidan's plan of revenge was quite ruthless. It was scary how calculating he was in his actions and reactions to Sophia. He intended to gain her confidence, find something that could damage her reputation, and destroy her in the most public way. It's also very convenient that Aidan has connections to the Home Office, so he could easily cast doubts on Sophia's loyalty to England. But, despite the numerous opportunities, Aidan never exacts his revenge on Sophia. At every chance, his love for her overpowers his need for revenge. It's especially poignant when our hero and heroine finally have the conversation, and all their questions are finally answered.

While our initial impression of Aidan is that he is cold and calculating, as the story unfolds, Aidan is shown to be quite an amazing (and incredibly lovable) hero. It's amazing to see just how much he loved Sophia, and how much he valued Tom's friendship, which would explain how deeply wounded he felt when she married Tom. We also see how deeply involved he is in Ian's life. But the author is quick to show that our hero isn't perfect -- he made poor decisions as well, and he's trying to fix them in the story.

Sophia is also an interesting heroine. Her entire life, she was always on the fringes of things: she was distantly related to a title, and the early death of her mother made for a rocky childhood. Plus, her brother, Phineas, is annoying. Meeting Aidan allowed her to embrace and accept all her unique abilities and talents, but, it was, ironically, her marriage to Tom, that really allowed her to take flight. I loved reading Ian's stories about his parents and their work. Tom and Sophia had a really wonderful marriage and partnership.

Which made me wonder about love -- and I appreciate that Rachael Miles has presented us with a story not about our "one true love" but of the different kinds of love that exist and can exist side by side. One can see Sophia's loyalty and love for Tom in how she tries to carry out all of his wishes, and in how well she knows Tom's works, but, at the same time, what Sophia feels for Aidan is unquestionable and undeniable.

But that isn't the end of the story -- because Rachael Miles has also added an intricate web of spy stuff -- there's a spy/double agent who has followed Sophia and Ian from Italy, looking for a secret list and code that Tom possessed and had sent home to England. He has killed in order to get close to Sophia, and poses a real danger to her and Tom. There's also the mysterious person who is advising the head of the Home Office, who is taking particular interest in Aidan Somerville.

And, as I write this, I realize that there is still so much more to the story. It really is a story that can be read, and reread, and, each time, one can pay attention to a particular facet and see how that proceeds -- but the end result will be the same: satisfaction.

Jilting the Duke is Book 1 in Rachael Miles's Muses' Salon series, and her debut novel. To find our more about Rachael Miles, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Rachael Miles and to Zebra Books for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

ARC Review: Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase, release date: December 29, 2015

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Lady Clara Fairfax has been part of the Dressmakers series since the first book, where she is jilted by the Duke in favor of Marcelline Noirot, even then, she made an unforgettable first impression, and I wondered when she would get her own happy ending.

I appreciate the length of time that Loretta Chase has given Clara to grow and mature -- our heroine is now a lady who has a keen (almost too keen) understanding of society and of the way the world works. She is devoted to her causes, and dearly loves the few friends she has kept through her "mis"adventures in the Dressmakers series. Clara is wary of the shallowness of society, but realizes that she must be part of it. But a greater part of herself is devoted to the Milliners' Society for the Education of Indigent Females, which the Noirot sisters run. When one of the children falls into a bad crowd, Clara is determined to save him -- and she enlists the help of an old acquaintance: Oliver Radford, a barrister.

Loretta Chase continues the theme of matching really incredible, intelligent, and strong heroines with irascible, yet charismatic heroes. Oliver is a difficult person to get close to -- he's all prickles and biting words, but Clara isn't intimidated by him. I love how she's able to stand up to Oliver, and even respond so cleverly to him. This is the novel's greatest strength: Loretta Chase is very, very good at flirtation through witty banter, and Oliver and Clara dance around their mutual attraction with each encounter. There were, admittedly, times when it got a bit much, and I found myself wishing that Oliver would change his tone (a little bit) when he talked to Clara, but he maintained that same exasperated, challenging, teasing tone with her.

Clara is, I think, the more complex and layered character of the two. She's a lady who has played Society's marriage game several times, and lost. She knows she is valued for her looks and title, and she longs to be more, to do more. She isn't naive, but she displays an innocent optimism and faith in the people around her, perhaps this is why she sees more to Oliver than I do.

Clara did not run screaming from the room. A lady didn't run screaming from anywhere unless her life was in immediate danger.

This was simply another marriage proposal.

...

Today was Lord Herringstone's turn. He said he loved her. They all said so with varying degrees of fervor. But being an intelligent girl who read more than she ought to, Clara was sure that he, like the others, merely wanted to claim the most fashionable girl in London for his own.
- loc 197 to 201

The author challenges our hero and heroine with a very gritty (and dangerous) obstacle: one of the children in the school that the Noirot sisters founded has been recruited by a known criminal -- not just any petty criminals, but one of the more deadly ones -- and he doesn't take too kindly on Oliver and Clara interfering with his operations. Because of his work, Oliver has had previous dealings with Jacob Freame. He knows the dangers and hazards of the area, which is why he is very reluctant to expose Clara to it.

Clara's exposure to the underworld does a good job of highlighting the social differences between her and Oliver, but what is amazing about Clara is that she isn't afraid to get her feet dirty. Clara is determined to save the child, and she doesn't really consider how the situation might affect her. It is partly reckless, but mostly brave -- other ladies would have heeded Oliver's warning and allowed him to handle everything, but Clara is tired of sitting and waiting. For her, now is the time for action.

Clara held up her hand, silencing him. If she didn't immediately seize control, they would. They'd treat her like a child, the way men usually treated women, especially young women. They'd murmur soothing things and send her on her way. They might even tattle to Papa's solicitor. She doubted any lawyerly rules of confidentiality applied to women.

Do not show uncertainty or anxiety, she commanded herself. For once in your life you can do something more productive than decline marriage offers.
- loc 442

The other obstacle is something more personal: while Oliver is related to a duke, he isn't in line to inherit the title, and Clara's family wants her to marry into the peerage. Oliver has lived with this sort of discrimination his entire life -- his cousin, Bernard, the current duke, made his life in school difficult. Oliver lives in a strange state of limbo: he's had to prove himself to his titled relatives, and, at the same time, to his fellow barristers. At this moment in his life, he is nicely settled and well-respected, and recognized for his own achievements, but, with Clara's entry into his life, it makes him realize that there might be something more for him to pursue. (In that, the title of the novel spoils this particular part of the plot. Because of the title, we know that Oliver will inherit the title -- all the struggle that he goes through to prove that he, by himself, is enough, is negated. Perhaps it was the author's idea of creating an ironic situation -- that Clara's parents objected because they did not know, and we did, but there's a part of me that wished he remained a barrister.)

There were moments when I felt Oliver was in danger of becoming a flat character -- he was consistently cantankerous, and I kept waiting to see a different side of him. It comes out, but not as often as I had thought was needed to prove that there was more to him than his gruffness. It is his default, yes, but I wanted to be surprised by him. I have to admit that, when the softer side of Oliver comes out, it's hard not to love him. There is a reluctant tenderness and openness to him that makes him quite adorable. (Though he would probably sue me for saying that.)

I guess the author also realized that she needed to soften Oliver's edges a bit, and so, gifted him with an incredibly interesting set of parents. His father married his stepmother when he was 50 years, and his stepmother was a divorcee, who was decades younger than George Radford. In the chapters where Oliver visits his father and stepmother, you could see warmth and tenderness in their dynamic. It's heartbreaking for Oliver to see his father, a barrister like himself, slowly decline. It's the elephant in the room in the Radford family -- and, is perhaps, one of the reasons why Oliver tries so valiantly to keep himself so together, because the alternative would be to completely fall apart.

While not my favorite in the series, Dukes Prefer Blondes is a great story and a wonderful addition to Chase's Dressmakers series.

Dukes Prefer Blondes is Book 4 in Loretta Chase's Dressmakers series. It was released last December 29, 2015. To find out more about Loretta Chase and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC copy via Edelweiss. Thank you to Avon Books and Loretta Chase for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

ARC Review: A Duchess in Name by Amanda Weaver (Release date: January 18, 2016)

Click here to pre-order the book on Amazon, release date January 18, 2016
The Duchess referred to in the title is Victoria Carson, an American heiress who has lived in London since she was a young girl. Her mother has grand ambitions of having Victoria marry a title, and Victoria has lived her whole life preparing to be a peer's wife. It is near the end of another season for Victoria, and with only one suitor, she is preparing herself to accept his proposal, despite her own reservations.

But when her parents inform her of her (sudden) engagement to the Earl of Dunnley, Victoria is, at once, concerned and intrigued, because she had never heard of or met the man before, and she wonders how a man could propose marriage so quickly without ever having met her. She had long accepted that society would regard her for her wealth first, and that seems to be the case with the Earl of Dunnley.

She said nothing more. No one cared what she thought anyway. She existed only to be attractive, polite, and to marry well, and that was apparently about to happen with very little input from her. Whenever she'd imagined her future, her husband had always remained little more than a shadowy figure in the background. Since she had almost no say in the choosing, she didn't waste mental energy imagining some paragon of a man she'd never have. Now it seemed she would have the Earl of Dunnly, whoever that was.
- loc 359

No one had heard of the Earl of Dunnley, because Andrew Carson had spent most of his adult life away from England. He enjoys his work in Italy, digging up remnants of Etruscan history, his field of expertise. As a second son, and a bastard, Andrew has never had close ties with his families -- but, when his older brother died, Andrew knew it was only a matter of time before he would be summoned by his father to do his duty to their family name.

It was already a distasteful prospect, but, when Andrew discovers how his engagement to Victoria came about, it became even more disagreeable.

Prepared to dislike Victoria, Andrew is unprepared for Victoria's breathtaking beauty. And Victoria is equally disarmed by Andrew's handsomeness.

None of this was genuine. This was an arrangement he was being forced into to save his sisters. And Miss Carson, no matter how attractive he found her, was marrying him for one reason only: to claim his cursed title for her own. Whatever desperate straits had driven him to this moment, she was here because she wanted something, and that something had nothing to do with him as a man. For her, this was business, and it needed to remain that for him, as well.
- loc 454

For a while, I worried about Victoria and Andrew, because it was obvious that they were relying solely on the physical attraction between them, and I wondered how the author would proceed with their love story with that being the sole basis. But, Amanda Weaver shows that she has a clear vision of her story, and that the initial draw between our hero and heroine would later become part of a more complex picture.

In truth, this story takes a while to set-up: with the lengthy narrative into Victoria's unhappy relationship with her mother, and her years at Lady Grantham's Finishing School. Then there's the emphasis on Victoria's (lack of) experience in managing country estates. This was another point that I initially wondered about -- because it made Victoria seem so shallow, but, as the story progresses, I realize that this is a very useful detail after Andrew and Victoria marry.

All the pieces start falling into place when Andrew and Victoria marry -- to be more precise, it starts to fall into place on the night before they marry. Andrew discovers a deeper (more insidious) story to his father's arrangement with Victoria's father -- and, while Andrew's first instinct is to call off the wedding, but he is honor-bound to fulfill his part of the bargain.

There is a tug between attraction and repulsion between Andrew and Victoria -- Andrew is determined to keep Victoria at arms' length, but Victoria's innocent and passionate response to him is hard to resist. Fight or fold? Andrew abandons his wife of one day in Briarwood, their broken-down estate and returns to Italy with only a brief note informing his wife of his plans.

Victoria wakes up alone, and unprepared for the life Andrew has left her with -- but, like her husband, she is determined to fight -- and, with the help of her maid and the housekeeper, Victoria slowly restores Briarwood. This is where all the set-up in the early chapters really come to play -- and we see Victoria grow from a social butterfly, into something grander -- into a version of herself that she hadn't even imagined for herself.

My favorite part of Weaver's plot: Victoria's quest for a family. It is such a tension-filled arrangement with Andrew -- and I love the ruthlessness and single-mindedness in which Victoria pursues her goal. After Andrew's initial abandonment, Victoria turns the tables on him and takes control of their sexual affairs. She is clear that she wants a child, and she lays out all the ground rules for her and Andrew. Page after page, chapter after chapter, I kept wondering if she is able to achieve her goal -- because, at this point, I found myself rooting for Victoria. I want her to have it all. I want her to achieve her dream. I want her to have her happy ending.

She could not let him in. He was untrustworthy, and had broken her too many times already. She wasn't giving him any more chances to do it again. He could do what he liked with her body, if that's the way it had to be. He would not gain access to her heart through it.
- loc 2656

A slow start that leads to a spectacularly amazing finish: I hadn't expected to enjoy Amanda Weaver's novel as much as I did, but it really is a beautiful, well-planned out story. There are a lot of points that I could discuss further here, but this is really one of those books you have to read for yourself.

A Duchess in Name is Amanda Weaver's debut historical romance novel (She previously wrote and published contemporaries) and will be released on January 18, 2016. It is the first book in her Grantham Girls series. To find out more about Amanda Weaver and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Carina Press and Amanda Weaver for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

ARC Review: Daniel's True Desire by Grace Burrowes, release date: November 3, 2015

Click here to pre-order the book on Amazon, release date: November 3, 2015
Click here to pre-order the paperback at The Book Depository
Up to the age of 20, Daniel Banks had lived a golden life, fulfilling his and his father's lifelong dream for him of becoming a vicar, and then being assigned to a good parish. But, at the age of 20, Daniel Banks makes the decision to marry, despite his father's reservations, and that's when trouble starts for Daniel. His wife, Olivia, is everything a vicar's wife shouldn't be: cold, indifferent, materialistic, etc. -- but Daniel practices what he preaches and patiently bears his wife's venom and vitriol.

Daniel is now 30, and weary. He's weary of his vocation, which has, lately, become more a liability than an asset. He's weary of his wife's blackmail, threatening to expose Daniel's son, Danny's true birthright. But Daniel is giving it one last go -- and doors have opened for him to become the new vicar of Haddondale.

Kirsten Haddonfield is bracing herself: her sister, Della, is about to make her debut in the coming London Season, and Kirsten foresees all sorts of terrible things to happen: Della might hear whispers of the circumstances of her birth -- a fact that has already been acknowledged within the family, but has never been brought it out into society. More importantly, Kirsten is bracing herself to revisit her own past and the failed engagements that came from her stay in London. Kirsten hates London, but she must go for the sake of her sister. This winter is her chance to gather and store whatever strength and confidence she needs for the coming battle.

While it's true that opposites attract, it's also true that like recognizes like -- and it's an instant connection between our hero and heroine. There's just so much to love about the relationship between Kirsten and Daniel, and they know it, too -- unfortunately, Daniel is married. It stands as a great, unmovable obstacle that stands in the way of happiness.

"Are you happy, Mr. Banks?" she retorted. "You say I'm a grouch, meaning I deal in truth rather than appearances and gossip. What do you deal in?"

"Not gossip." Which left ... appearances? "You deal in honesty, my lady, but what of kindness? Has it no place in your scheme? Truth can wound, cripple even, and should be wielded with caution."

Olivia had taken it upon herself to bludgeon Danny with the unvarnished truth of his origins, for example.

...

"This business of honesty and kindness is not a philosophical debate to you, is it?" Lady Kirsten asked.

...

"Truth and kindness are not mere concepts to you either," Daniel said as the sleigh inched forward. "I like that about you. You do not mine a topic for clever remarks you can toss out in company. You embrace a matter with your intellect, and wring from it what truths or contradictions it has."
- loc 426

It's a great, unmovable obstacle that stands in the way of everything. Olivia continues to haunt Daniel with his threats to expose Dannny, Daniel's illegitimate nephew -- it looms above Daniel, like the Sword of Damocles, about to drop anytime. Daniel is also bracing himself for questions about why his wife isn't with him.

In between, Grace Burrowes intersperses slices of life in Haddondale -- of a vicarage in need of repair, of young boys needing guidance, education, and distraction, of one young boy needing some clarity and assurance as his whole life is upended by his mother's marriage. Danny's situation is very unique. He is actually Daniel's nephew, but, in order to protect him and his mother's reputation, Daniel and his wife publicly claimed Danny as their son. Danny has grown up calling Daniel "Papa" and the two have a wonderful bond. However, with Danny's mother's marriage (read: David: Lord of Honor), Letty Banks has decided she wanted Danny back in her family -- leaving Daniel with a gaping hole in his heart. This is the other difficult situation in Daniel's life -- how could he fight his own sister for Danny? Whose happiness is of greatest importance? Is it Letty's? Is it Daniel's? Is it Danny's? And whose interests are served best by the current situation?

It really amazes me how Grace Burrowes is able to include so much of what goes on in a person's life. Her stories are never about characters in a vacuum, but characters in their milieu. It's wonderful how she contrasts the burdens with the blessings -- one magnifying the other, and vice-versa. It's all so comprehensive, but not overwhelmingly so. As the story progresses, Burrowes goes through a reflection of the different kinds of love: romantic love, the love between sisters, the love of a father to his son, the love of a husband and a wife, and the selfish love of Olivia Banks.

What keeps you reading (and finishing this book in one sitting) is the need to find out how the author would write her characters out of Daniel's situation: there's the easy way, and there's the hard way -- and there's the way Burrowes does it, that makes you exclaim, "Why didn't I think of that?" -- without giving anything away, I thought it was brilliant how she addressed Daniel and Kirsten's problem.

Burrowes continues to endear the Haddonfield Family to her readers -- they rival the Windhams in complicated family history, and also rival them in affection and kinship. The author has characters crossing over from her Lonely Lords series, which I haven't read. (I have promised myself, however, that I will find time to read the 12 books in the series.)

Daniel's True Desire is Book 2 in Grace Burrowes's True Gentlemen series and will be released tomorrow, November 3, 2015. To find out more about Grace Burrowes and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to Grace Burrowes for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

ARC Review: Say You Love Me by Ally Broadfield

Click here to pre-order the book on Amazon, release date: October 19, 2015
A lady who loves fairy tales, and a marquess who loves Math -- how can you not want to read a book with such characters?

Then you discover that said lady is engaged to another man, whose mistress disappears on the night of their engagement, and is later discovered dead.

I was intrigued, so I requested an ARC.

By anyone's definition, Abigail is living a fairy tale -- she's engaged to her childhood friend and love, but Abigail can't shake the feeling that there's something wrong with her dream-come-true story. Robert, her fiance, isn't the same man she grew up with. Then, she spies upon him and his sister's maid, Sarah, in a dark hallway, on her way to the ball celebrating their engagement. I have to admit I didn't like Abigail's passivity -- I would have confronted Robert right then and there, but she allowed the matter to slip. (And did the slightly passive-aggressive thing of casually mentioning the incident, without naming names, to Robert's sister, Lady Jane.)

If her stomach quivered slightly when thoughts of him consorting with his sister's maid entered her mind, well surely that was natural for a young, inexperienced girl. Her social circle was quite limited, and aside from Henrietta, she wasn't acquainted with anyone who had married yet.
- loc 119

It's the mystery of the Sarah's death that takes center stage here -- Abigail sees her prior to the engagement ball. Then Robert disappears after their first dance, only to reappear later on to announce that the maid (his mistress) is missing. Her dead body is then discovered in the Thames.

All signs point to Robert's guilt, and Abigail wants to cry off -- but their family's long-standing friendship with Robert's family compels her to stand by him during this time.

Enter Edmund, who is the older brother of Abigail's best friends, Lady Georgiana and Lady Henrietta. Even though there's a Bow Street Runner on the case, Abigail wants to find out for herself whether Robert is guilty or innocent. She enlists the help of her two best friends, who then ask their brother, Edmund's help. I love Edmund (and it's obvious that the author favors him, too, because his character is so well-defined in this story) -- he is the brother to six sisters, and a son to a mother who has not yet recovered from her husband's passing. He knows his duty to his sisters, and is doing an excellent job of staying away from the usual pitfalls that befall a gentleman of means. He doesn't gamble. He doesn't have mistresses. And he doesn't intend to marry until he sees all his sisters comfortably settled.

Edmund studied the worry lines that had formed around her eyes and mouth. He disliked seeing her in such a state. He wasn't sure when she had transformed from his little sister's friend into a woman, but he was very aware of her now.
- loc 1009

The one thing missing from Edmund is a showcase of his mathematical abilities -- it is mentioned, and there are some instances where he displays the very logical side of his personality, but it didn't delve as deeply into it as I would have wanted. The same is true for Abigail, whose interest in fairy tales is only very lightly tackled in the story. In a sense, I think the author is trying to avoid being too esoteric and is keeping the focus on the mystery at hand.

There were really good aspects in the investigation (I loved the involvement of Edmund's butler, but, unfortunately that really didn't produce anything helpful), and some points that felt rushed -- but, on the whole, I thought that the author handled this central storyline very well.

But, beyond the mysterious circumstances of Sarah's death, the author still needed to tackle how she could get Robert out of the picture and Edmund and Abigail together. Because so much of the book is devoted to the investigation, there really wasn't much opportunity to see how well our hero and heroine get along -- though, the few (and brief) instances (mostly at balls while dancing) that they do are very promising.

Overall, a solid book to spend your afternoon (or evening) reading.

Say You Love Me is Book 1 in Ally Broadfield's Unexpected Suitor series, and will be released on October 19, 2015. To find out more about Ally Broadfield and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Ally Broadfield and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Happy Release Day! An Indecent Invitation by Laura Trentham (Review)

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Gray Masterson is a soldier and a spy, who has returned home to England, weary and wary. His best friend, Rafe Drummond, has turned recluse after sustaining injuries during the war, and his mentor is missing. This book made me realize that I have a soft spot for heroes who wear glasses -- not much is mentioned of Gray's physical appearance, other than that:
1. He has green eyes.
2. He is a large man.
3. He has scars.
4. He wears glasses.

It's when the author drops that final detail that made me sit up and pay attention to our hero. Aside from his spy work, Gray has also been tasked by Rafe to look after his sister, Lily, who is making her first appearance in society. Gray hasn't seen Lily in years, but he still believes he can anticipate what will happen to her: he thinks she'll cause a scandal, or that she'll get into trouble. Imagine his surprise when Lily turns out to be nothing that he'd expected, but everything that he'd dreamed of in a woman.

"Rafe wouldn't allow it. He'd lock you away." He couldn't hide his desperation.

"I'd pick the lock."
- loc 1330

This novel plays on mistaken impressions -- a lot of it from Gray's side. He initially comes across as very arrogant and presumptuous with all of his preconceived ideas about how Lily would behave, so it is quite gratifying when Lily proves him wrong. Lily proves to be a brave and capable lady, who knows what she wants. (My one very, very small reservation about her is how she continues to refer to a man's penis as his "dangly bits.")

An Indecent Invitation focuses on two stories: the disappearance of Lily's father, the Earl of Windor, who happens to be Gray's mentor, and the love story between Lily and Gray. There's are a lot of implications regarding the Earl of Windor's mysterious disappearance, because:
1. He happens to be a top spy, so his absence could just be a small piece of a bigger problem (maybe a threat to the spy network? a threat to the crown?)
2. It is suggested in the story that Lily and her father had an unpleasant confrontation before he disappeared, and Lily feels responsible.

I'm glad the investigation/spy work wasn't overly complicated, and gave the author a lot of wiggle room to explore the relationship between her hero and heroine. There's a bit of Pride and Prejudice in how Gray initially disapproved of Lily, and how they couldn't seem to interact on the same plane of thought -- there were always misunderstandings, but I thought it highlighted how differently men and women communicate.

"But where on earth did you learn that song?" His tone had turned from complimentary to faintly admonishing. The pulse of resentment settled her nerves to manageable levels.

"One of the gypsy women at the harvest fair last fall. And before you ask, in London I played a dreadfully dull hymn to satisfy even the most conservative matron. No one suspects my improper bent for scandal. I'm not sure where you and Rafe got the idea I don't know how to act with discretion."
- loc 898

Then the author flips the Pride and Prejudice plot by revealing that Gray is actually the son of the Earl of Windor's estate manager, and is, in fact, not of equal rank to Lily. It didn't seem to be an impediment at the start of the story. I had the impression that Gray was well-received in London society, but it's his father who reminds him of his place, and it's a revelation that comes a bit too late in the story (around the middle part when the two have gotten over their initial prejudices and are already slowly falling in love), but it adds a very interesting twist to it. It's difficult enough that Lily is the little sister of his best friend, it becomes an almost insurmountable challenge to find out that Lily is also out of reach, socially.

"...The earl and your brother will want you to marry a peer. My job is dangerous and has me leaving at a moment's notice for months on end. I can't be worried about anyone but me. I can't afford to care, to have a burden waiting. I don't have room in my life for entanglements."
- loc 1316

The supporting characters, Rafe Drummond, and Lily's friend, Lady Minerva Bellingham, are fleshed out well, and I'm curious whether they would become a couple in the next instalments of this series. (There is no indication of it in this novel, but I think the two would be an interesting match. ^_^)

An Indecent Invitation is Book 1 in Laura Trentham's Spies and Lovers series, and releases today, August 25, 2015. This is also Laura Trentham's first historical romance novel! (She previously published a contemporary romance series.) To find out more about Laura Trentham and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Samhain Publishing and Laura Trentham for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Happy Release Day! Tremaine's True Love by Grace Burrowes (Book Review)

Title: Tremaine’s True Love
Author: Grace Burrowes
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency

Summary

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes introduces a brand new gorgeous Regency Romance series featuring the Haddonfield ladies and their loves.

He's had everything he could ever want ... until now

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren't for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives-protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita's heart.

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* * *

My Review:

I thought it was very bold of Grace Burrowes to declare in her title that she was writing about one of her character's true love -- but, as I read through the novel, I realised that Tremaine does discover exactly that: his true love. But, how do Tremaine and Nita (and we) know that it is true love?

Tremaine is a man with a mind focused solely on business, and Nita is a woman with a heart focused solely on helping others. Tremaine, being half-French and half-Scottish at this very awkward point in history has very little family to speak of, and is estranged to the ones he knows of. Nita has family -- a very large, very meddlesome family that has extended to include well-meaning, yet, equally meddlesome spouses. It's two very different worlds struggling to become one.

And Grace Burrowes accomplishes this synthesis of opposing personalities and paradigms without raising a voice.

It's the first thing I noticed when I was reading: there is a deceptively light tone (and touch) to this story. It tackles a very dramatic theme, but the drama within the novel is very subdued and we get whispers instead of histrionics. A lot of this has to do with Nita, brave and noble Nita, who quietly pursues the work of tending to the health and welfare of her brother's tenants at the expense of her health and reputation. She is doing this at a time when women were NOT doctors, and were NOT supposed to pursue any sort of medical work outside of making poultices or creams. Nita is very, very good at what she does -- and, while she has earned the town's custom, she realises she has not truly earned their trust or their respect.

"...Martyrs have many admirers but few friends, Lady Nita, and worst of all, they never have any fun."
- loc 642 to 655

This is Nita's tragedy: she is doing heroic, unselfish work, but no one recognises her heroism or appreciates her skills. We've heard the expression "So-and-so will be the death of me ..." and we don't put much weight on it -- but Nita's brother's have said this of her, and, whether it's meant in exasperation or frustration or concern or humour, there is truth to it.

And this is the other side of Nita's altruism -- the very selfish aspect of her charity. During any of Nita's visits, she could contract any number of diseases, and then spread it to the rest of her family. With babies on the way, and with young Haddonfields running around, like the sword of Damocles, the possibility of illness (and death) loomed over their entire family.

The medical calls were taking a toll on Nita, on the entire family, in fact. Nita had been plump as a younger woman, sturdy and rounded. She was nearly gaunt now, and her mouth was grim far more often than it was merry.

Addy Chalmers had an unfortunate fondness for gin. Had Nita acquired an unfortunate fondness for misery?
- loc 2309

Tremaine is a really wonderful character -- is quite a progressive thinker and is a man who is learning from the mistakes of the past. When he was a boy, his mother left (abandoned) them in Scotland at the mercy of their grandfather, so she could return to France and be with Tremaine's father. Both his parents died during the turmoils of the Napoleonic Wars, so he's seen how the passionate pursuit of something could destroy a person and his family. How, then, does Tremaine figure into Nita's well-structured, disciplined, very self-contained, yet tense life?

Initially, he did not want to be involved. He wanted to get the business of procuring sheep quickly, quietly and neatly concluded, so he could proceed to the his other businesses at hand -- but circumstances forced Tremaine to linger at the Belle Maison, the Haddolfield family seat. He hadn't wanted to interact with the Haddonfield ladies, and had no thought to consider any of them for marriage, but there was something about Nita that drew him to her.

Though the Haddonfields were not at peace with each other, or at least not with Lady Nita. All families endured such tensions, which was part of the reason Tremaine remained largely outside the ambit of what family he had.

He took another bite of cold eggs and vowed to pin Bellefonte down regarding the herd of merino sheep before the sun had set. The sooner Tremaine transacted his business with Bellefonte and was on his way, the better.
- loc 238

The conflict of the story is life itself: when one's life's work and one's dream stands in the way of fulfilling a greater life's work and a greater dream. And this is where I know that what Tremaine feels for Nita isn't just a passing fancy:

"I cannot and will not let children die when I can help, Tremaine. I cannot allow women to suffer a complaint of the privy parts because they're too ashamed to seek Horton's dubious counsel. Where is your Christianity?"

Tremaine jerked on his breeches. "Where is your sense? ... I don't fault your kindness, my lady, but I cannot abide the notion that you repeatedly put yourself and your loved ones at risk merely for the asking. You risk your life, Nita, for anybody who asks it of you. I offer you happiness and a husband's rightful protection, and you disdain my suit."
- loc 3401

1. It's not instantaneous. Tremaine and Nita's relationship grew very, very gradually -- much of the narrative tackled day-to-day life at Belle Maison, and our hero and heroine would meet each other through the course of the day. They were ordinary, yet meaningful interactions where they learned a little bit about each other, and discovered how they complement each other, and how they counter each other, because, honestly, two people cannot be perfectly perfect for each other.

2. It required sacrifice. Nita's life and work are in ..., and Tremaine is just passing through and already has plans for his next business trip. While Tremaine appreciates Nita's skills and abilities, and admires them -- Tremaine's views for married life is still very conventional. Tremaine intends to look after his family, while Nita plans to take care of the world. I love that Tremaine recognises the importance of Nita's work. I love that Nita understands Tremaine's concerns -- and what is required of our hero and heroine is a radical shift of ideas and intentions. It becomes a question, then, of whether what they will gain is worth what they are giving up. It's quite heartbreaking to see them weigh their options in the hopes of finding a way for everything to work.

"Are you rejecting my offer of marriage, Nita Haddonfield?"

"Are you rejecting my calling as a healer, Tremaine St. Michael?"
- loc 3413

Grace Burrowes tackles such weighty issues such as medicine, healthcare (and poor people's lack of access to proper ones), a woman's place in society, and family -- and is honest enough not to provide a be-all and end-all answer, but instead offers the means by which such issues could be tackled: through thoughtful and mindful conversations and negotiations.

Tremaine's True Love is Book 1 in Grace Burrowes's True Gentlemen series. (The Duke's Disaster is connected to this series.) To find out more about Grace Burrowes and her books, click below:

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Disclosure: I requested this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to Grace Burrowes for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

ARC Review: The Beautiful One by Emily Greenwood

Click here to pre-order the book on Amazon, release date: June 2, 2015
Click here to pre-order the paperback at The Book Depository
Anna Black has had her image stolen from her, and the villain wants more. Her trust and privacy betrayed, Anna is now hiding under a different name and identity, hoping to shake off the men who are pursuing her. The Beautiful One is a painting of Anna, that she had neither willingly posed for or known about -- until it was presented to her by the Marquess of Henshaw, who plans to showcase the painting and reveal Anna's identity during his annual ball. But the painting is not complete, and Henshaw wants Anna back. Anna has hidden herself safely at Rosewood, a finishing school and she'd been content with her life -- until she was tasked to accompany a student back to her guardian.

Anna had hoped to deliver the student and then quickly return to Rosewood, but the situation proves to be more complicated: the Viscount Grandville is still grieving over the death of his wife, and wants to be left alone. Lizzie is his late wife's niece, and the daughter of Will's best friend. He had thought he could keep the girl at arms length by sending her away to school and paying for her bills, but Lizzy has a different plan for herself. Unhappy with Rosewood, she planned a rendezvous with a gentleman, knowing that she would be caught and then expelled. She had hoped her uncle would allow her to stay with him -- but his response wasn't what she had expected.

Anna has to serve as mediator between uncle and niece, and finds herself getting slowly and more deeply involved with both her ward, and her ward's guardian. With the unveiling of The Beautiful One drawing ever closer, Anna realises just how much she stands to lose if she doesn't act quickly.

My favourite aspect of this book is that Emily Greenwood decided to take a different approach to her heroine's problem -- indirectly. Like the Sword of Damocles, the threat of Anna's identity revealed (and ruined) loomed menacingly over her, Instead of focusing on the pursuit/chase and the thwarting of the villain, the author decided to show that Anna had other problems (and the other aspects of her life) to consider as well -- making the threat a shadow that followed Anna. I think it added to the suspensefulness of the story: When would Will discover Anna's true identity? When would The Beautiful One be unveiled? What will happen next?

In the meantime, life went on. Emily Greenwood weaves a complex domestic drama:

Lizzie is Will's niece by marriage. It's difficult for Will to have Lizzie in his house, a constant reminder of his beloved wife. Will can't help his attraction and fascination for Anna, and vice versa. Anna tries to maintain a respectful distance between her and Will, because of her secret and out of respect for Will's late wife, who is portrayed as a paragon. Then Will's stepmother, Judith, and Will's brother, Tommy, enter the picture.

I thought the author was planning to pursue a secondary love story between Tommy and Lizzie, because their initial meeting had sparks -- but it doesn't seem to be the case. Which leads me to one of the few problems in the story:





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***** SPOILER ALERT *****
***** SPOILER ALERT *****
***** SPOILER ALERT *****




Lizzie overhears a conversation between Will and his brother, and it devastates her. This scene scream for a confrontation between Lizzie and Tommy, but it never happens. There is a resolution to this particular issue, but it seemed vague -- I'm not sure if there was an apology, but I'm certain there was no forgiveness. I don't know if this is something the author plans to develop in future stories, but this felt a bit lacking in this particular story.

Lizzie confused me, actually. And I think I'm meant to be confused. She is 17, and an orphan. Her closest living relative is a man who doesn't want her, so I understand her outrageous behaviour, but there doesn't seem to be anything consistent about her. (Except her desire to go back to Malta.) Does she have hidden depths, and only pretending to be vapid and shallow? What is it that she truly wishes to happen? I ask these questions because I wondered about her behaviour in some chapters of the book. (When she dressed and acted seductively. When, in anger, she broke that part of one of Will's statues. Etc. We know there's brokenness within her, but I'm trying to figure out what is her motivation.)

With the generous allowance she began receiving from her uncle, she'd buried her grief under mounds of pretty clothes, the kinds of things a poor churchman's daughter would never have owned. And she'd set herself learning every bit of the reviled deportment. The girls at Rosewood didn't laugh at her anymore, but by then she hadn't wanted their shallow friendship. Gentlemen were better.
- loc 403

***** END OF SPOILER *****

I was also a bit concerned about how the love story between Will and Anna was developing. I loved, loved, loved their initial meeting and was expecting the sort of sparky chemistry you see when grumpy meets sassy. I started wondering about Will during their second encounter -- Will isn't really a hero I could sympathise with. I was very surprised when he propositioned Anna (and believed she could be "bought" if the price was right.) I could not shake the feeling that he never saw Anna as anything more than ...

"Not for my ward," he said, wanting to stop himself from saying one more wicked word even as he gave in to the despair that told him nothing mattered anymore. "For me."

A pause as realisation dawned and color flooded her face. "I cannot believe you would propose such a thing."

Her breathing had quickened, and a distant part of his mind was shouting that he was a devil and he'd shocked her horribly. But he was unmoored from that man now. He reached up and put his palm against her cheek. Dear God, the soft warmth of a woman's skin, the give of her smooth flesh.

He read mutiny in her eyes as she pushed his hand away. "How dare you!"

"I'm willing to make it worth your while. You have the look of someone who would put a hundred pounds to good use."

His answer was a forceful slap that left his cheek burning, as alive to sensation now as the hand that had touched her.
- loc 288

On the other hand, I really appreciated how he saw through Anna's drabness and found Anna's beauty. I have to say that one aspect of Will that I really appreciated was his sense of responsibility to his family. He maintained a good relationship with his brother and their cousins, which is a contrast to Anna's own relationship with her father.

It's interesting to see how Anna never saw herself as beautiful -- her father was more interested in Anna's brain than her physical appearance, and Anna never had to worry or fuss about herself. I loved how she slowly came to the realisation of her full value -- not just her mind (her father). Not just her face and body (the Marquess of Henshaw). But her full being. Will is partly responsible for this, but I think Will's stepmother, Judith, and Lizzy also contributed to her awakening.

Her gown really did look like boiled dust. And for the first time, she cared.
- loc 1841

I'm trying to think of how to conclude this review. Did I like the book? Yes. While it wasn't without flaws, I could see the author's intentions and the story was resolved well. Anna, especially, was an interesting heroine and, perhaps, the greatest asset of this story. Of all the characters, hers was the most fully formed and most understandable.

The Beautiful One is book 1 of Emily Greenwood's new The Scandalous Sisters series, and releases on July 2, 2015. To find out more about Emily Greenwood and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I received this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Emily Greenwood for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

ARC Review: The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes

Click here to pre-order the book on Amazon, release date: April 7, 2015
Click here to pre-order the paperback at The Book Depository
The plot itself is simple: he's a single duke in possession of a good fortune, and he's in want of a wife*. Unfortunately, the wife he had in mind is marrying someone else. With the season ending, and with the duke wanting to keep to his schedule, he settles on the next best thing: the lady's companion. Lady Thea is surprised to receive the duke's proposal -- and would really rather refuse him, preferring to find another position as lady's companion. But, Noah Winters, the Duke of Anselm, makes a very convincing case and Lady Thea reluctantly agrees to the marriage.

"A young lady's companion," he said, withdrawing his hand, "is little more than a finishing governess, Lady Thea. You are in want of a position, I am in want of a duchess, and I am offering you that post."

No eyebrows, no gasp of shock, no reaction at all, as she regarded him out of puzzled green eyes. "You're serious."

To a fault, according to most women who'd ventured an opinion, including Noah's most recent mistress.

"Your papa was an earl," he said. "You're comely, quiet, past the vapid stage, and from good breeding stock. You are every bit as much duchess material as that giggling twit you supervise."
- loc 20 to 28

What happens next is what makes Grace Burrowes's romance stories stand out -- the duke discovers something potentially damaging about his wife. From hereon, the plot transforms from simple to extraordinary: it's amazing how Burrowes is able to dispense the information with deliberate gradualness. This is not a suspense or a mystery story, but it had the same gripping/engrossing quality to it. You'll keep flipping through the pages and reading because want to find out what happened to Thea in the past, and you want to find out what will happen to Thea and Noah now.

Noah Winters is so frightfully capable and so frightfully, perfectly efficient. After he and Lady Thea get engaged, he sets about to fix Thea's affairs, which include her drunken/wastrel brother. One is tempted to call the Duke of Anselm perfect, which is unrealistic, but, when you think about it, this seeming perfection is his character flaw: he's not as infallible as he thinks he is (or pretends to be) -- as evidenced by what is revealed by Lady Thea on their wedding night. He never saw it coming -- and now must deal with the situation the way he handles everything else in his life: he tries his best to fix it.

Lady Thea is sensible and practical. She weighed her options and decided that marrying Noah was the better option. I just wondered at her reaction to what happened to her -- and I don't know if I should admire her for how contained and "together" she is, or be worried about her mental/emotional health. Did she really not find an opportunity to inform him prior to getting married?

I know I'm being vague about Thea's past, because this is a big part of what makes the plot so amazing. I don't want to spoil it. Suffice to say, what the Duke of Anselm thought was a marriage of convenience, turned out to be the most inconvenient thing to happen to him. I have to give Noah plus points for how graciously he reacted to the situation, and how kindly he proceeded from the point.

There are actually two disasters in this story: even without the vital information that Thea fails to tell Noah, there's this other one: from the very first chapter, Burrowes establishes how very pragmatic and objective our hero and heroine both are. They knew they were entering into an arrangement and had not expected emotions of any kind to be involved. Imagine their surprise (and chagrin) when they discover how well-matched they are, and how passionate their relationship becomes.

"...Then too, I like Lady Thea." Which Noah probably should not have admitted in present company. "But not too much."

"That's promising." Meech topped up his own drink, his tolerance for spirits being legendary among the college boys. "Does she like you?"

"She's willing to tolerate me," Noah said, opening a gold snuffbox on the mantel and catching a whiff of cinnamon, of all the nancy affectations. "The female who likes me has yet to be born to the human species."
- loc 222 to 231

* * *

When had his ducal priorities shifted from endless duty to marital joy?

This was not husbandly insecurity or a manly whatever.

This was a husband falling in love with his brand-new wife.

This was a man, for the first and only time in his busy, self-important, and oddly beleaguered and lonely life, falling in love with a woman.

And hoping like hell she could someday love him back.
- loc 3800 to 3809

Finally, many of Grace Burrowes's stories features a "running joke" -- in The Heir, it was lemonade. In The Duke's Disaster, it's chocolate (and the idea of doting). I really, really love this moment about chocolate -- and would love to see this printed on a t-shirt:

"Quiet," Evvie ordered, butter knife poised. "Is this a holy moment?"

"All science is holy," Erikson said. "Particularly when chocolate is involved, and such good Dutch cocoa in the chocolate too."
- loc 2247

The Duke's Disaster is related to Grace Burrowes's upcoming The True Gentlemen/Rogues in Love(?)** series and will be released on April 7, 2015. To find out more about Grace Burrowes and her books, click below:
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Disclosure: I requested this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to Grace Burrowes for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

*Apologies to Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice.
**In the Connected Books section of Grace Burrowes's website, the series is called "The True Gentlemen" series, but, in the individual pages for each book (with excerpts!), the series is called "Rogues in Love".