NEW BOOKS ADDED TO MY BOOKSHELVES

When I read this book was inspired by one of my all-time favourite movies, the 1940 romantic comedy “The Philadephia Story”, with Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart, I knew I had to read it!

Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley in return for a honest review.

(Playful Brides, #4)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

Lady Daphne Swift comes from a family with two brothers who have proudly served the Crown. She may be a female, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes to prove that she’s as useful to the war effort as her brothers. She even went so far as to secretly marry a spy. The fact that she just happened to have been pining for Captain Rafe Cavendish for years didn’t hurt matters. But after their first mission, when she realized their marriage had been strictly business, Daphne immediately wanted an annulment. The fiery Daphne has always been a multi-tasker and now she’s hell bent on two things: finding the men who killed her brother and securing her engagement to another man to forget about Rafe forever.

As a spy for the War Office, Captain Rafferty Cavendish has been on dozens of missions. But one mission haunts him, the mission that resulted in the death of Daphne Swift’s eldest brother, Donald. Rafe agreed to work with Daphne once and put her life in danger. Now he must find the men who killed Donald, avenge the family, and convince Daphne to give him one more chance. But Daphne’s enlisted her other older brother, Julian, to help her get a quick and quiet annulment so that she can marry a fop who only wants her for her title and money. Can Rafe convince Daphne to give him one more chance, on the mission and with her heart?

♥♥♥♥♥♥

So many of my friends have recommended this book and I’ve finally succumbed to buying it.

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

(The Merridew Sisters, #1))

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

She ran from a brute...

Fleeing violent tyranny, Prudence Merridew escapes with her beautiful younger sisters to London. One of them must marry—and fast. To act as her sisters’ chaperone, Prudence invents a secret engagement to a reclusive duke…But when the duke arrives unexpectedly in London, she needs his help to avert disaster.

...into the arms of a rake

Aristocratic Gideon, handsome, rakish and with a strong frivolous streak, casually hijacks Prudence’s game, awarding himself a stolen kiss or three along the way. Used to managing sisters and elderly men, Prudence is completely out of her depth with a charming, devious and utterly irresistible rake. And her plot goes terribly—if deliciously—awry…

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I’m way behind reading this series but, as this one was free on Amazon, I downloaded it.

Source: Free from Amazon Kindle

(Lonely Lords, #9)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

David, Viscount Fairly, has imperiled his honor…

Letty Banks is a reluctant courtesan, keeping a terrible secret that brought her, a vicar’s daughter, to a life of vice. While becoming madam of Viscount Fairly’s high-class brothel is an absolute financial necessity, Letty refuses to become David’s mistress-though their attraction becomes harder to resist the more she learns about the man…

Perhaps a fallen woman can redeem it.

David is smitten not only with Letty’s beauty, but also with her calm, her kindness, her quiet. David is determined to put respectability back in her grasp, even if that means uncovering the secrets Letty works so hard to keep hidden-secrets that could take her away from him forever…

Award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’s extraordinary writing will immerse you in a Regency world unlike any you’ve experienced.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I was lucky enough to meet up with Miranda Neville last week in London and I received a signed copy of this book complete with a personalised message.

Source: A gift from the author

(The Wild Quartet, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Late Georgian)

Cover Blurb:

The rules of society don’t apply to Caro and her coterie of bold men and daring women. But when passions flare, even the strongest will surrender to the law of love…

Thomas, Duke of Castleton, has every intention of wedding a prim and proper heiress. That is, until he sets eyes on the heiress’s cousin, easily the least proper woman he’s ever met. His devotion to family duty is no defense against the red-headed vixen whose greatest asset seems to be a talent for trouble…

Caroline Townsend has no patience for the oh-so-suitable (and boring) men of the ton. So when the handsome but stuffy duke arrives at her doorstep, she decides to put him to the test. But her scandalous exploits awaken a desire in Thomas he never knew he had. Suddenly Caro finds herself falling for this most proper duke…while Thomas discovers there’s a great deal of fun in a little bit of wickedness.

This is the first of a four book series centered around a group of badly behaved late-Georgian art collectors

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I love Christi Caldwell’s books and, even though I’m way behind in reading her prolific output, I still feel compelled to download each new book. How could I not buy this book when it has the following Acknowledgement?

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

(The Heart of a Duke, #6)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

Ruthless, wicked, and dark, the Marquess of Rutland rouses terror in the breast of ladies and nobleman alike. All Edmund wants in life is power. After he was publically humiliated by his one love Lady Margaret, he vowed vengeance, using Margaret’s niece, as his pawn. Except, he’s thwarted by another, more enticing target–Miss Phoebe Barrett.

Miss Phoebe Barrett knows precisely the shame she’s been born to. Because her father is a shocking letch she’s learned to form her own opinions on a person’s worth. After a chance meeting with the Marquess of Rutland, she is captivated by the mysterious man. He, too, is a victim of society’s scorn, but the more encounters she has with Edmund, the more she knows there is powerful depth and emotion to the jaded marquess.

The lady wreaks havoc on Edmund’s plans for revenge and he finds he wants Phoebe, at all costs. As she’s drawn into the darkness of his world, she risks being destroyed by his ruthlessness. And Phoebe, who desires love at all costs, has to determine if she can ever truly trust the heart of a scoundrel.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

This book comes highly recommended by my friend and Guest Reviewer, Wendy Loveridge, and it’s also a period in British history that fascinated me when I was younger.

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

Genre: Historical Romance (17th century – 1666)

Cover Blurb:

It is 1666 – the year when people who take prophecy seriously believe that the world is going to end.

For Chloe Herveaux – twenty years old, half-French and practical – marriage to wild, unpredictable Alex Deveril offers escape from a home she hates. For Alex, it is a refuge of a different kind. But while the marriage remains in name only and both, for reasons of their own, agree to seek an annulment, other forces are gathering.

England is once again at war with the Dutch and Prince Rupert, now commanding the Royal Navy, suspects that sabotage is at work within the fleet. Instructed to find the arch-traitor, Alex enters a dark labyrinth of intrigue – where no life is safe and nothing is what it seems.

Chloe, meanwhile, navigates the malice and scandal of Charles 11’s licentious Court and plots a course of her own aimed at financial independence. But as the surprising facets of Mr Deveril’s personality are gradually revealed to her, the long-awaited annulment becomes a double-edged sword.

Absorbed in his search for a traitor, Alex spares little thought for his bride – until a hot June night on the Falcon Stairs when he and Chloe stand united by tragedy.

As the flames of the Great Fire sweep over London, Alex and Chloe face their ultimate test. Their world is at risk … their choices may save it.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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NEW BOOKS ADDED TO MY BOOKSHELVES

Kerrigan Byrne is a new-to-me-author but I have read some excellent reviews of this book.

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

(Victorian Rebel, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

Cover Blurb:

They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster…

STEALING BEAUTY
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception—and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands…

COURTING DESIRE
But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret—one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I have recently become a huge Monica Burns’s fan.

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

(The Reckless Rockwoods, #3)

Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

Cover Blurb:

WARNING: Book contains a proud Highlander unwilling to surrender his heart a second time, and a half-Scottish heroine who, like most Rockwoods, is up to the challenge of making her man realize she’s The Highlander’s Woman.

Julian MacTavish’s honor made him guard a friend’s secret. But his lies to keep that vow make it difficult to prove his faithfulness as a husband. When a terrible inferno scars Patience’s body and mind, she becomes a recluse, widening the divide between them. But it’s her lack of trust, not her disfigurement, which sends Julian home alone to Scotland convinced he’s lost her forever.

Forgiveness in the face of death comes easily to Patience MacTavish, but the thought of being a burden to her husband does not. When a twist of fate takes Julian’s sight from him, Patience returns home hoping to make amends for not having faith in him. Pity is the last thing Julian wants from anyone, especially his wife, and it’s his turn to question her sincerity. Now, Patience must convince her husband that she’s come home for no other reason than love, even if it means arranging a highlander’s seduction.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Anna Campbell is one of my favourite authors and I’m looking forward to reading this first book in her new Dashing Widows series.

Source: Received from the author in return for an honest review

 

(Dashing Widows, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

For this reckless widow, love is the most dangerous game of all.

Caroline, Lady Beaumont, arrives in London seeking excitement after ten dreary years of marriage and an even drearier year of mourning. That means conquering society, dancing like there’s no tomorrow, and taking a lover to provide passion without promises. Promises, in this dashing widow’s dictionary, equal prison. So what is an adventurous lady to do when she loses her heart to a notorious rake who, for the first time in his life, wants forever?

Devilish Silas Nash, Viscount Stone is in love at last—with a beautiful, headstrong widow bent on playing the field. Worse, she’s enlisted his help to set her up with his disreputable best friend. No red-blooded man takes such a challenge lying down, and Silas schemes to seduce his darling into his arms, warm, willing and besotted. But will his passionate plots come undone against a woman determined to act the mistress, but never the wife?

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I have some of the books in the Windham series but, as I am a stickler for reading a series in order, I needed to buy these two Prequel Novellas to read first.

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

(Windham, #0.05)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

The first novella to be published by New York Times bestselling author Grace Burrowes features the foundation story for her bestselling series. This is the tender story of love tested and won, and how Percy Windham, the dashing and brilliant man who was never supposed to become the Duke of Moreland, wooed the amazing lady who became his beloved Duchess.

Percival Windham is a second son, and a cavalry officer acclaimed and respected by his men. He is immensely attractive and distracts himself with the women who seem to throw themselves at him at every turn, until at a country house party, he meets beautiful, retiring Esther Himmelfarb. Esther’s wealthier relations are taking shameless advantage of her dependence on them, and only Percy seems to see the striking intelligence beneath her modest demeanor. Percy sees her as the perfect companion and she finds in him the man of her dreams.

(Windham, #0.06)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

Percival and Esther Windham had to beat the odds and face down gossip when their brief courtship resulted in marriage. Five years later, they have four children in their nursery, a ducal estate to care for, ailing family members needing care, and more trouble on the horizon than even a strong marriage might endure.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I have wanted to read Meredith Duran for sometime and was delighted to win a paperback copy of this book as a Giveaway Prize.

Source: A Giveaway Prize

(Rules for the Reckless, #3)

Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

Cover Blurb:

The third searing novel in the Rules for the Reckless series by Meredith Duran, the USA Today bestselling author of sexy and evocative Regency romances in the tradition of Sarah MacLean.

Catching the Lady Red-Handed

Born to a family of infamous criminals, Lilah Marshall has left behind her past and made herself into the perfect lady. Working as a hostess at Eveleigh’s, London’s premier auction house, she leads a life full of art, culture, and virtue. All her dreams are within reach—until a gorgeous and enigmatic viscount catches her in the act of one last, very reluctant theft.

Chasing One Red-Hot Passion

Christian “Kit” Stratton, Viscount Palmer, is society’s most dashing war hero. But Kit’s easy smiles hide a dark secret: he is haunted by a madman’s vow to destroy anyone he loves. When his hunt for the enemy leads to Everleigh’s Auction Rooms, he compels Lilah to help him. But one tempting touch may be their undoing—for what Kit needs threatens all Lilah holds dear, and losing her may destroy Kit.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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NEW BOOKS ADDED TO MY BOOKSHELVES

Having very much enjoyed Manda Collins’s Ugly Ducklings and Wicked Widows series, I looked forward to reading her latest Lords of Anarchy series. Although I was sadly disappointed with the first book, “A Good Rake is Hard to Find”, I did like secondary characters Lord Mainwaring and Lady Hermione Upperton and wanted to read their story. So I was delighted to be offered an ARC to review.

Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review

(Lords of Anarchy, #2)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

TEMPTING FATE

Marriage? To a gambler? You must be joking! Yet Lady Hermione Upperton has never backed down from a challenge. When her spendthrift father offers her at the gaming tables, she is given a difficult choice—wed the Earl of Mainwaring, an infamous gamester with no respect for her skills with the reins, or face charges for the murder of a member of the infamous Lords of Anarchy. Either way she’ll have to clear her name. Can she count on her husband’s help the way she has begun to count on his kisses?

RISKING ROMANCE

All Jasper Fawley, the Earl of Mainwaring, wanted was a night of cards. But by the end of the evening he’s walked away with a fortune—and a bride who’s suspected of murder. Jasper knows Hermione is passionate about her unorthodox membership in the Lords of Anarchy, but he’s certain she would never kill to keep it. Can he protect his headstrong wife from prosecution and a ruthless killer without endangering both their hearts in the process?

♥♥♥♥♥♥

This is Grace Burrowes…need I to say more?

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

(Captive Hearts, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

He’ll never be free…

Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, survives by vowing to take revenge on his tormentors. Before the duke can pursue his version of justice, Gillian, Countess of Greendale, reminds him that his small daughter has suffered much in his absence, and needs her papa desperately.

Until he surrenders his heart…

Gilly endured her difficult marriage by avoiding confrontation and keeping peace at any cost. Christian’s devotion to his daughter and his kindness toward Gilly give her hope that she could enjoy a future with him, for surely he of all men shares her loathing for violence in any form. Little does Gilly know, the battle for Christian’s heart is only beginning.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Lucinda Brant’s books have been highly recommended to me

Source: Free from Amazon Kindle

(Roxton Family Saga, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Georgian)

Cover Blurb:

NEW 2014 EDITION (revised, re-edited, re-covered)

France and England in the age of hedonism and enlightenment
A green-eyed beauty is abandoned at the court of Versailles
The predatory Comte de Salvan plots her seduction
An all-powerful adversary snatches her to safety
But is he noble savior or a satyr most despicable?

Antonia is pursued by the lascivious Comte de Salvan who wants her as a mistress. When the libertine Duke of Roxton snatches her from Salvan’s clutches, she believes herself rescued. Has she merely swapped one seducer for another? Will Roxton save Antonia from the Comte? Can Antonia save the Duke from himself?

A classic romance in the tradition of Georgette Heyer, Noble Satyr pays homage to Heyer’s These Old Shades.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Source: Novella given as a gift only to author’s newsletter subscribers.

(A Farthingale Novella)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb:

Lady Evangeline Cameron, granddaughter of the powerful Duke of Lotheil, is holding out for one man’s love, but the only thing George Farthingale knows when it comes to Evie is that he must not kiss her. No matter how much he wants to. Find out if Evie and George find love in If You Kissed Me.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Source: Free from Amazon Kindle

(The Rogues of Ravensmuir, 1)

Genre: Historical Romance (14th Century)

Cover Blurb:

Dear Reader:

Seductive and mysterious, Merlyn was the laird of Ravensmuir — never had a man so stirred my body and soul. I gave myself to him — willingly, trustingly, passionately — and we soon wed. Then a horrible revelation emerged, shattering my innocence and my marriage…

Five years later, Merlyn returned to my doorstep, desperate for my help. The scoundrel swore he was haunted by memories of me, that a treasure locked in Ravensmuir could clear his name. Yet I could not surrender to his will again. Now he is said to be murdered and Ravensmuir has fallen into my hands.

But even as I cross the threshold of this cursed keep, I hear his whisper in the darkness, feel his caress in the night, and I know that Merlyn has told me but part of his tale. Should I do as is right and expose his lair? Or dare I trust my alluring but deceptive spouse – the rogue who destroyed my heart?

— Ysabella

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH GRACE BURROWES

I’m thrilled to welcome US Today and New York Times bestselling author, GRACE BURROWES to Rakes and Rascals today for an exclusive interview.

Thank you, Carol, and it’s a pleasure to be here!

~~~~~

R&R:
Could you tell us where you were born and what it was like growing up there?

Grace:
I was born in Centre County, PA, an unusual place. It’s mostly farmland, but also home to the Pennsylvania State University (and about 35,000 undergraduates), where my father taught for 35 years and where I attended college. My upbringing was thus rural, with many summers spent on my godparents’ farm, and academic. This was perfect for an imaginative introvert, keeping me in touch with both nature and ideas.

Me, aged eight

R&R:
How would you describe yourself – temperamental or easy-going?

Grace:
Interesting question. One of my sisters once remarked that it’s fortunate I’m kind-hearted, because I also have a ruthlessly analytical side. I get worked up over injustice—a fine quality in a child welfare attorney—but I have no killer instinct. I want us all to get along, and so I pull my argumentative punches outside the courtroom, and write happily ever afters. So maybe, neither temperamental nor easy going, but something in-between?

R&R:
When it comes to food do you like sweet or savoury or both?

Grace:
Oh, I do love food! I’d say I like sweet or savory, but not dishes that combine them. No pineapple on my pizza, no sweet and sour anything. No chocolate-bacon-chili pepper gourmet anything.

R&R:
What is your most treasured possession?

Grace:
A compassionate heart, closely followed by a vivid imagination.

R&R:
If you were able to afford a second home anywhere in the world where would you choose and why?

Grace:
A second home sounds like unnecessary complication and expense. I’d live in Scotland if the immigration laws allowed me to (they don’t). I love the scenery and climates, the culture, the proximity to the rest of Europe, the commitment to constructive public dialogue on major issues, the tolerance of outsiders, and the commitment to renewable energy sources…. There’s much to admire there, and a fascinating past.

R&R:
Finally, what has been your most embarrassing moment?

Grace:
I’d have to think about that, but I know when I make a mistake in a book, I’m mortified. In my June release (Thomas—The Jaded Gentlemen, Book I), I referred repeatedly to Brighton when I meant Portsmouth. For a US reader, it probably made no difference, but I have many readers in the UK. Fortunately, a UK reader pointed out the boo-boo, and I can fix it once the sales slowdown.

I’ve been to both cities, I know Brighton has no harbor while Portsmouth does, but I get like some people with a weed whacker. They fire up that thing, get their head downs, and start working their way around the property. They won’t look up, won’t notice that they’ve wandered halfway down the neighbor’s driveway as long as more weeds fall within their line of sight. They become the Weed Terminator, until they run out of gas.

I get like that as a writer, so consumed with the story that I lose sight of the words, and even an egregiously wrong word won’t stand out to me in review. ARGH!

~~~~~

Grace, thank you so much for taking time out to be here today and sharing these interesting facts about yourself.

Your questions made me think, Carol—always a good thing—and it was a pleasure to join you today.

If you would like to find out more about Grace and her books, here are the links:

Website
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter: @GraceBurrowes

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Recent release Review-What A Lady Needs For Christmas by Grace Burrowes

I’m definitely adding this to my Christmas reading!

La Deetda Reads

Title: What a Lady Needs For Christmas

Genre: Historical Romance/Holiday

Author: Grace Burrowes

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Oct. 7, 2014

Source: Free for review from the publisher

Rating: 5

Sexy Rating: 5

Description from Amazon.com:

The Best Gifts are the Unexpected Ones...

To escape a scandal, Lady Joan Flynn flees her family’s estate in the Scottish Highlands. She needs a husband by Christmas, or the holidays will ring in nothing but ruin.

Practical, ambitious mill owner Dante Hartwell offers to marry Joan, because a wellborn wife is his best chance of gaining access to aristocratic investors.

As Christmas—and trouble—draw nearer, Dante and Joan’s marriage of convenience blossoms into unexpected intimacy, for true love often hides beneath the most unassuming holiday wrapping…

**

Yes, all you romance lovers, Grace Burrowes has done it again. She has given us a damsel in distress, a hunky, hot hero to come to her rescue…

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REVIEW: NICHOLAS: LORD OF SECRETS BY GRACE BURROWES

(Lonely Lords, #2)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

Nicholas Haddonfield has something to hide…

After a wild youth, Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, has promised his ailing father he’ll finally take a bride, though doing so will force Nick to make impossible choices and face old, painful wounds.

Leah Lindsey is glad to find refuge from her own desperate situation in a marriage of convenience with the gallant viscount. But soon convenience is not enough, and Leah can’t understand why Nick remains so distant. What is he hiding, and will he ever allow her into his heart?

An extraordinary and passionate tale of courage tested and fears overcome. Once you enter the lush Regency world of award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes, you’ll never want to leave.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

This is the second book I have read in the Lonely Lords series and, once again, Grace Burrowes has written an engaging story full of heartfelt emotion and richly drawn characters.

 

“The Snowdrop is for hope.”

Nicholas is a big man with an even bigger heart…so devoted to his family and willing to allay all Leah’s fears and do whatever it takes to protect her from harm –

“I will see to your welfare, and without bringing you further misery. You are out of the habit of hoping and trusting, and you grow frantic at the thought of fate pressing upon you. Trust me, and I will win you free of it.”

I did want to bang his big, stubborn head against the nearest wall for keeping secrets from Leah for far too long and causing so much pain and heartache. But the scene where he finally gives up all his secrets was so moving, that I couldn’t help but want to throw my arms around that great big bear of a man and hug him tightly.

Hope, he thought with a flash of insight. Hoe that set teats seeping from his closed eyes, and joy sang through him in the very coursing of his life’s blood.

Other things endeared him to me; his charm and humour and when he sends flowers to Leah with a special meaning and the fact that he likes making birdhouses.

I had so much sympathy for Leah; her life marred by a youthful scandal and feeling alone and unloved.

She’d felt cast out, judged, unclean, and unforgivably stupid as a younger woman, and Society had done its cruel best to reinforce her opinion.

She is barely tolerated by a cruel, unfeeling father, who is only too happy to see her off his hands and married to an old lecher of a man. All she has ever wanted is to be accepted, loved and cherished. I love her courage, her honesty and her wit. Despite Nicholas’s insistence on a ‘White Marriage’,  Leah’s love and loyalty remains steadfast. She is there to support him when he most needs her.

The story also introduces Nicholas’s older, illegitimate half-brother, Ethan Grey. He is still living with the legacy of his father’s betrayal when he was a boy. which also caused a rift between himself and Nicholas. It was heart-warming to see these two starting to rebuild the close relationship they once shared and I was also moved by the poignant scene between Ethan and his dying father.

Favourite romantic quotes

When Nick Haddonfield held her, she felt protected, cherished, understood, and…treasured. When he kissed her, she felt all that, and so much more.

Sitting on the stone bench in the moonlight, his backside going numb, his wife in his arms, Nicholas Haddonfield knew he was absolutely and unshakeably, unequivocally and eternally loved.

Nicholas: Lord of Secrets is another wonderful addition to this delightful series.

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 /5 Stars

SENSUALITY RATING:  HOT

Read April 2014

 

The Lonely Lords series to date (click on cover for more details):

         

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MY TBR PILE CHALLENGE – UPDATE

 

I have made a good start and managed to read all my selected books for March. 

Here is my list of books for April:

~ A book that has been gathering dust on my pile

Alistair Carsington really, really wishes he didn’t love women quite so much. To escape his worst impulses, he sets out for a place far from civilization: Derbyshire–in winter!–where he hopes to kill two birds with one stone: avoid all temptation, and repay the friend who saved his life on the fields of Waterloo. But this noble aim drops him straight into opposition with Miss Mirabel Oldridge, a woman every bit as intelligent, obstinate, and devious as he—and maddeningly irresistible.

Mirabel Oldridge already has her hands full keeping her brilliant and aggravatingly eccentric father out of trouble. The last thing she needs is a stunningly attractive, oversensitive and overbright aristocrat reminding her she has a heart–not to mention a body he claims is so unstylishly clothed that undressing her is practically a civic duty.

Could the situation be any worse? And why does something that seems so wrong feel so very wonderful?

~ A book by a new-to-me author

Trapped under the reign of a cruel keeper, Ellen Harding longs to be free. Under his oppression, her soul and conscience have died while her body lives on, fulfilling his dissolute desires. She is empty—a vessel—deaf to the voice of morality and blind to shame.

When her eyes are drawn to a beautiful man for no other reason than his looks, she imagines what it would be like to escape her chains for a night by giving her body to him.

But Edward Marlow is kind and gentle when he touches her, and her subconscious whispers, this man could be her salvation. Yet how can he help her when she has secrets which prevent her freedom?

Edward is restless, lonely, and a little angry with his lot in life—it is his only excuse for being drawn to another man’s mistress. The woman’s dark hair and pale eyes are striking, and he cannot take his gaze off her while she watches him over the top of a fan with an illicit intent in her eyes.

Once he’s known her, he cannot forget her, and once he’s seen the evidence of her supposed benefactor’s brutality, he wants to help her. But how can he when she will not run any more than she will speak of her past?

When a desperate Ellen finally relents and shocks Edward from his sleep, he doesn’t hesitate, he helps her flee. He just doesn’t know he’s running headlong into the secrets of her past.

~ A book in a continuing series or a completely new series

After a wild youth, Nicholas Haddonfield, Viscount Reston, has promised his ailing father he’ll finally take a bride, though doing so will force Nick to make impossible choices and face old, painful wounds.

Leah Lindsey is glad to find refuge from her own desperate situation in a marriage of convenience with the gallant viscount. But soon convenience is not enough, and Leah can’t understand why Nick remains so distant. What is he hiding, and will he ever allow her into his heart?

~ A book by one of my favourite authors

The Victorian era was full of majestic beauty and scandalous secrets—a time when corsets were the least of a woman’s restrictions, and men could kill or be killed in the name of honor…

Lady Mary Darrel should be the envy of London. Instead, all society believes her dead. For Mary holds a secret so dangerous, her father chose to keep her locked away…and have a grave made for her near her mother’s. Driven to the edge of desperation, Mary manages to escape the asylum, only to find that her fate yet again rests in the hands of a man…

Edward Barrons, Duke of Fairleigh, longs for some way to escape the torment of his father’s crimes. In Mary’s warrior spirit and haunted gaze—which so mirrors his own—he finally sees his path to redemption. He will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even as she seeks revenge. But will the passion they discover in each other be enough to save them from their demons?

~ A book selected completely at random

Mixing business with pleasure never felt so right.

Blake Buchanan and Anastasia Delaney were roommates in college and could never see eye to eye about anything. The only time their walls came down was during one night of passion before Ana left without a word, never expecting to cross paths with Blake again.

Years later, Blake has made his millions. He comes back to Ana’s small California town to manage a corporate takeover that will close down the home restoration business she’s poured her heart and soul into. The fiery Ana is determined to convince money-minded Blake of her business’s worth, but when a family emergency throws them together, their walls come tumbling down once again…

Problem is, Blake’s business-first position hasn’t changed. And Ana can’t fall for the man who could become her boss—it’s not only her job at stake, but her heart.

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NEW BOOKS ADDED TO MY BOOKSHELVES

THE SCANDALOUS DUKE TAKES A BRIDE BY TIFFANY CLARE

Source: Purchased from Amazon KIndle (auto-buy author)

(Dangerous Rogues, #3)

Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

Cover Blurb

In this dazzling Dangerous Rogues novel, a daring and dangerously handsome duke will do anything for the woman he loves—even if it sparks a scandal. 

FRIENDS AND LOVERS…

As a wealthy young widow, Lady Jessica Heyer must endure the closest of scrutiny and most wicked of rumors from society gossips. Their whispers would be utterly unbearable if it weren’t for her oldest friend, the Duke of Alsborough. Jessica knows she can always count on Hayden. What she never could have expected, however, is that he is deeply, madly in love with her…

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD

For years, Hayden has kept his longing for his beautiful friend Jessica a secret. But now that she’s finally free to remarry, will she be willing to take their relationship to a more intimate level? He’ll get his answer soon—at a glittering masquerade, where identities are hidden, hearts are open, and true love is unmasked…in a single, shameless act of passion.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

WHEN THE DUKE WAS WICKED BY LORRAINE HEATH

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle (auto-buy author)

(Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

Cover Blurb

They are England’s most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways…

Lady Grace Mabry’s ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her—or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon?

With no interest in marriage, Lovingdon has long lived only for pleasure. He sees little harm in helping Grace find a proper match. After all, he’s familiar with all the ploys a scoundrel uses to gain a woman’s favor. He simply has to teach the lovely innocent how to distinguish honest emotions from false ones. How better than by demonstrating his wicked ways. But as lessons lead to torrid passion and Grace becomes ensnared in another man’s marriage plot, Lovingdon must wage a desperate gamble: Open his heart fully—or risk losing the woman he adores…

♥♥♥♥♥♥

ANDREW: LORD OF DESPAIR BY GRACE BURROWES

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle (auto-buy author)

(Lonely Lords #7)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

Andrew Alexander will do anything to protect those he loves…

After a tragic yachting accident leaves him wracked with guilt and despair, Andrew Alexander becomes certain he doesn’t deserve to be around his own family, let alone the beautiful, forthright Astrid Worthington. He wanders for years, only allowing himself respite from his self-imposed exile when he thinks Astrid safely married. He returns home to find instead that the only woman he’s ever loved has been recently – and mysteriously – widowed.

…especially from himself.

When Andrew leaves, Astrid refuses to pine. She finds an amiable husband and contents herself with a cordial if unexciting marriage. But her husband’s sudden death and Andrew’s reappearance threaten to break her heart all over again. When Astrid’s life is threatened, she finds Andrew will do anything to protect her not only from her enemies, but also from the truth of his dark past.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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NEW BOOKS ADDED TO MY BOOKSHELVES

SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A ROYAL BODY GUARD BY VANESSA KELLY

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle

(The Renegade Royals #1)

Genre: Historical Romance (18^th Century)

Cover Blurb

In this witty, sensual new series, Vanessa Kelly introduces the Renegade Royals, illegitimate sons of the Royal Princes who are finding their rightful places in society…

Accomplished spy Aden St. George prefers to stay away from the frivolous ton, especially after the way his mother was used by the Prince Regent. But his latest mission compels him to guard unconventional, vibrant Lady Vivien Shaw. Rescuing her from kidnappers was easy. Resisting her beauty is not. Duty demands he keep an eye on her—and naturally, his lips soon follow. For someone who views entanglements as a weakness, this is pure, delicious folly…

Though grateful for Aden’s help, Vivien has secrets she must keep hidden. Yet with her abductors still at large, she needs Aden’s protection almost as much as she craves his touch…

♥♥♥♥♥♥

THE LAST WICKED SCOUNDREL BY LORRAINE HEATH

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

(Scoundrels of St. James Novella #5)

Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)

Cover Blurb

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lorraine Heath brings us the eagerly awaited final story in the Scoundrels of St. James series.

William Graves is the last of Feagan’s scoundrels. A onetime grave robber turned royal physician, he has devoted his life to saving others—because he knows there is no way to save himself. Especially not around a lady like Winnie. Though undeserving of her touch, he cannot resist. His passion cannot be tamed…even in the face of certain danger.

Winnie, the Duchess of Avendale, never knew peace until her brutal husband died. With William she’s discovered burning desire—and the healing power of love. But now, confronted by the past she thought she’d left behind, Winnie must face her fears…or risk losing the one man who can fulfill all her dreams.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

DOUGLAS: LORD OF HEARTACHE by GRACE BURROWES

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

(Lonely Lords, #8)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

Douglas Allen needs a home for his aching heart…

Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, hates having arrived to his title without knowing how to manage what few properties he has. Guinevere Hollister is a distant family connection raising her daughter, Rose, in rural obscurity and stewarding the estate they live on. At the urging of mutual family, Douglas reluctantly puts himself in Gwen’s hands for lessons in land husbandry and discovers beneath her prickly exterior a woman of passion and honor. Yet despite the closeness they find, she will not marry him.

Guinevere Hollister needs a champion…

When the powerful Duke of Moreland arranges an engagement between Gwen and his heir, Douglas knows the marriage is not what Gwen wants. In Douglas’s eyes, Gwen deserves to make her own choices, even if she chooses continued poverty and disgrace over the love Douglas offers her. Douglas will take on their family, the meddling duke, and Gwen’s own lonely, stubborn heart to ensure his lady’s happiness.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

LOVE ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT BY CHRISTY ENGLISH

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

(Shakespeare in Love, #2)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

A Regency-era retelling of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The charming, dissolute Raymond, Earl of Pembroke, is the most notorious rake in London. Home from the war against Bonaparte’s forces, he spends his life gaming, drinking and bedding courtesans, trying to forget the only woman he ever loved.

Arabella, Duchess of Hawthorne, is the woman who betrayed him. Forced into a marriage with an old man against her will ten years before, Arabella never saw Pembroke again. But now her elderly husband is dead, and the new Duke of Hawthorne wants to force her into his bed.

Desperate, Arabella goes to Pembroke in the dark of night and begs for his help and protection. In spite of his anger and bitterness, Pembroke can not turn his old love away. He and Arabella journey to Derbyshire during the midsummer festival to escape the marauding duke. Arabella and Pembroke find that their attraction for each other has not diminished, but has grown to a conflagration beyond their control. They find themselves falling under an enchantment, caught in a dream from which they never want to wake.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

FOREVER BETROTHED, NEVER THE BRIDE BY CHRISTI CALDWELL

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

Hopeless romantic, Lady Emmaline Fitzhugh, is tired of sitting with the wallflowers, waiting for her betrothed to come to his senses and marry her. When Emmaline reads one too many reports of his scandalous liaisons in the gossip rags, she takes matters into her own hands.

War-torn veteran, Lord Drake devotes himself to forgetting his days on the Peninsula through an endless round of meaningless associations. He no longer wants to feel anything, but Lady Emmaline is making it hard to maintain a state of numbness. With her zest for life, she awakens his passion and desire for love.

The one woman Drake has spent the better part of his life avoiding is now the only woman he needs, but he is no longer a man worthy of his Emmaline. It is up to her to show him the healing power of love.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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NEW BOOKS ADDED TO MY BOOKSHELVES

GARETH: LORD OF RAKES BY GRACE BURROWES

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

(Lonely Lords # 6)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

She’s caught between a rake and certain ruin…

Felicity Worthington’s only hope of avoiding poverty—or worse—is to accept her distant cousin’s dubious bequest…a thriving, high-class brothel. Felicity has 90 days to convince her cousin’s solicitors that Gareth Alexander has taught her the art of pleasing a man, though she’s more interested in the gentleman she glimpses beneath Gareth’s debauched airs, than in the rake he’s become.

In the business of love…How much should he teach her?

Gareth Alexander, Marquis of Heathgate, has little incentive to help a spinster learn to manage a brothel—except that the alternatives for the prim, pretty Miss Worthington are even worse. His resistance to teaching Felicity how to be a madam leaves Gareth wondering if the honor he’d thought long dead still survives, and if that honor allows him to yield to the lady’s ruinous scheme…and to their shared desires.

♥♥♥♥♥♥

IF YOU GIVE A RAKE A RUBY BY SHANA GALEN

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

(Jewels of the Ton #2)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

Her Mysterious Past Is The Best Revenge…

Fallon, the Marchioness of Mystery, is a celebrated courtesan with her finger on the pulse of high society. She’s adored by men, hated by their wives. No one knows anything about her past, and she plans to keep it that way.

Only He Can Offer Her A Dazzling Future…

Warrick Fitzhugh will do anything to protect his compatriots in the Foreign Office, including seduce Fallon, who he thinks can lead him to the deadliest crime lord in London. He knows he’s putting his life on the line…

To Warrick’s shock, Fallon is not who he thinks she is, and the secrets she’s keeping are exactly what make her his heart’s desire…

♥♥♥♥♥♥

THE SCANDAL BEFORE CHRISTMAS – A HOLIDAY NOVELLA – ELIZABETH ESSEX

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

(The Reckless Brides  # 3.5)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas, and he can’t afford to be choosy. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea – all within a matter of days.

Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, and nothing and no one to recommend her but her own self. She accepts the lieutenant’s hasty offer only for the comfort and security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm snows her and Ian in, they both find they got much more than they bargained for – daughter, light, and a Christmas filled with honest to goodness true love…

♥♥♥♥♥♥

THE GREATEST LOVER EVER BY CHRISTINA BROOKE

Source: Bought from Amazon Kindle

(The Westruthers #2)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

Passion to last a lifetime…

The Sweetest Scandal

Beautiful, exuberant, and stubborn Georgiana Black has more spirit than sense—which she learns when an ultimatum to the Earl of Beckenham ends their engagement. Six years later, Georgie is less concerned with impending spinsterhood than with making sure her young sister doesn’t make the same mistakes she did. But soon Georgie stumbles into a scandalous encounter with none other than her former fiancé. Beckenham is still breathtakingly desirable.

The Truest Temptation

Beckenham’s brief engagement to Georgie taught him one thing: when it comes to a wife, he wants a woman who will do her duty and cause no trouble. When the fiery Georgie falls unexpectedly into his arms, Beckenham remembers just how lushly delectable she is. Suddenly, the idea of actually marrying Georgie is irresistible. In a battle of wills, can passion conquer pride?

♥♥♥♥♥♥

LORD OF THE SEA BY DANELLE HARMON

Source: Gift from a dear friend

(Heroes of the Sea # 4)

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Cover Blurb

A Sea Devil Who’s Reckless At Heart. . .

Captain Connor Merrick’s thirst for danger has brought him fame and fortune as one of the most brazenly successful privateers of the War of 1812. But deep beneath his swagger, derring-do and charm, the handsome American captain is hiding a devastating secret, and he’ll go to any lengths to protect it . . .

A Beauty Who Gets More Than She Bargained For. . . .

Rhiannon Evans has longed for an adventure—and a mysterious, dangerous man to sweep her off her feet. While enroute to the tropical paradise of Barbados, she never dreams that her heart will be captured by the dashing American privateer who rescues her from bloodthirsty pirates. Only Rhiannon can see beneath Connor’s reckless façade to the man beneath. But when tragedy strikes, can Rhiannon’s love save Connor from himself? Or will the secret he guards so carefully, end up being the undoing of them both?

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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