This latest offering from Miranda Neville is richly entertaining and expertly arranged. 1 part Marriage of Convenience + 1 part love triangle + a little dash of national intrigue = Your next fun read!

When the husband that abandoned her shortly after their wedding returns to town, Cynthia Chorley's battle with temptation and the past comes to a head. She is no longer the provincial nobody the Earl of Windermere married, but a fully grown woman with admirers a plenty and a stubborn streak that will test the Earl's resolve as much as it intrigues him.

Read an excerpt: here

The rift between Damian Lewis, Earl of Windermere and Julian Fortescue, newly minted Duke of Denford, dates back 7 years to Damian's majority. A bad turn of cards and one too many spirits led to the divesting of an important sentimental asset which Julian could have supposedly prevented. In retaliation, Damian interfered with Julian's (an untitled art dealer at the time) career prospects which set him back significantly and led to the lines being drawn in the sand.

One of those lines took the elegant form of Cynthia Lewis, née Chorley- the dukes neglected, provincial bride. Neither husband nor wife entered into the union under false impressions; In marrying Cynthia, Damian regained the asset lost to him all those years ago and also enjoys an infusion of cash. Cynthia gains a title and her family enjoys exalted status and their legacy continuing with the Earldom. Whatever the pretenses of the marriage, Cynthia was enthusiastic about giving married life with her handsome new husband a real go. Sadly, her chance would be delayed a year because shortly after consummating the marriage, Damian accepts an assignment from the Foreign Office which sends him trapezing all over Persia- sans wife.

Damian's slights and inattentiveness to his wife have festered and while the husband is away the devil will play. Julian tries his damnedest to seduce the wife of his ex-cohort almost as soon as he left the scene. When Damian returns he finds himself in an awkward love triangle that has deep seated issues and implications that run farther than forbidden attraction. It doesn't help that the biddable, country bumpkin of a wife he left behind has blossomed into a fashionable, polished temptress. Damian's newest assignment will have him biting his tongue and allowing the flirtation (and perhaps more) between his wife and nemesis to persist. Can he rein in his jealousy long enough to complete his objective? And what of the dizzying attraction he now feels for his wife- will that get in the way of a well-laid plan?

Through all of the misunderstandings and suppressed feelings, Cynthia and Damian will first have to make peace with the past and learn how to forgive  if they ever hope to achieve future bliss in love and friendship.

Rating:
3 1/2


My Favorite Part of the Book: I really enjoyed the Bhang scene where Damian teaches Cynthia about the hookah-like activity he brought home with him from his travels in Persia. The Bhang is a psychedelic which is inhaled and leaves a person feeling relaxed, happy, and "drunk". This scene occurs about 50% into the book and is the first time we see husband and wife truly connect and explore their chemistry. The more relaxed the couple became during the scene, the more enjoyable their interactions became to the reader. One of my favorite aspects of a romances novel is seeing first-hand how the protagonists' love develops and blooms. This scene was unique and sweet.

You can always expect to NOT be disappointed with a Miranda Neville novel. She has a way of putting together scenes and developing characters that secretly burrow their way into your subconscious and differentiates her stories from everyone else's. Her secondary characters are also always a delight and the misunderstood bad boy Julian was no exception (Yes, I am a Julian Fan-Girl). I like how the sub plot of the new assignment with Foreign Affairs that brought Damian back to London was both interesting and not as intrusive on the story as it could have been- leaving more room for relationship reconstruction. That being said, I really wish the love triangle element would have been explored more. If the journey back to harmonious marital bliss was going to take up the majority of the book than I would have enjoyed an even more compelling opposition in the form of Julian and Cynthia's relationship.

I feel as though Cynthia and Damian encountered so many road blocks which stalled their development as a couple and I would have much preferred a furthering of the forbidden connection to fill in some of that space than the rehashing/going nowhere interactions that dominated the middle-end of the book (in other words: a more proportioned distribution+ diversity of plot development). I also didn't connect much to the heroine- I admired her charitable characteristics and resolute attitude that developed from the trials she went through earlier in life, and her vulnerability and loneliness at being neglected by her husband endeared her more to me, but overall I  stopped caring about her as an individual character.


As stated, you can never go wrong with a Neville novel, and this latest offering is no deviation from that fact.

This is another book that challenges the ideas of socialism and the utopia that these politicians and leaders seek in the fiction world of dystopian novels, a world so strict in who deserves what that only the higher IV’s and V’s are allowed to steal from street merchants. Societies that purposely divide the people, controlling where and how they live, how many children they are permitted to have and raise, and keep a strong grip over their personal choices and words against their superiors.

As a young adult novel it deals in dark themes such as going into prostitution and supposed incest between Daxton and Lila Hart but this is Young ADULT so there will be that slight chance at it becoming just a little more dark than many would expect. And as a dystopian novel it's not bad, though its not refreshing to the point of standing out amongst the others in its genre either.

What you probably expect based on the reading: Kitty Doe facing day after day of government influence before being offered the chance at a better life and then working with others to begin a revolution

What you'll get: A rushed/fast paced beginning which leads straight into Kitty having to be trained to act like Lila which will last a couple of chapters. Family members who constantly try to get rid of one another, a small glimpse at the rebellious forces, a few plot twists here and there, and a somber ending.

FINAL VERDICT: 3 - 3/2 “Red Roses”  While the main idea was interesting enough there could have been more focus on the society itself. If the history of how the world came to be the way it was were to be further expanded on or even just showing the readers more of it, it could add more to the book’s plot. The book is definitely more action based - dealing with what Kitty must do to convince others she is actually Lila Hart while working to escape Daxton and the plans he has for her. Character relationships do not come off too strongly yet so it’s possible the next book will add to them - of course the strongest relationship is between Benjy and Kitty which causes the book to give off the vibe of a dystopian romance more than anything else.

Other books by Aimee Carter:
The Goddess Test Series

Book Trailer:


-Reviewed by Emily A. for NARB


copy of the book obtained at Harlequin TEEN preview

HOTELLES is an eloquent and enveloping exploration in sensual intrigue. It balances suspense, mystery, sexual awakening, and romance with a craftsmanship that will endear this writer to many fans of reading. Mars takes readers on a journey that'll not only strip the surface off characters who feel like neighbors, but gives readers the chance to reveal intimate details about themselves to themselves. Buckle up and prepare for an erotic roller-coaster ride of a lifetime.



Hotel des Charmes is a special hotel in Paris, France where each room is designed and dedicated to a historically famous mistress, lady of the night, or woman who used her wiles to seduce men. It is an apt setting for our female protagonist, Annabelle- aka Elle, the escort.

Putting herself through school for journalism and caring for a cancer-stricken mother, Annabelle turns to escorting as a way to keep her head above water. She's not as sexually free as her fellow escorting friend, Sophia, but she does what she musts and starts to "sleeps" with her clients to command higher fees. She never feels quite that satisfied after these illicit encounters but her purpose resonates deeply within her and she's resolved to do whatever it takes.

WAITING ON YOU by Kristan Higgins is rife with emotion and not as cookie-cutter as you'd expect a small town contemporary romance to be; These quintessential Higgins characters learn lessons in love, forgiveness and acceptance that keeps a reader engaged until the final page.
Colleen O'Rourke is the beloved bar owner/matchmaker in the small town of Manningsport, New York. She has found contentment with her lot in life with the help of some awesome friends, loving and supportive (often times annoying) family, prosperous business with unique regulars, and a faithful dog named Rufus. That's not to say the betrayal of her first love marrying another woman or her father's infidelity and subsequent neglect doesn't make her feel blue or seek out the reassuring attention of the nice but mysteriously unappealing gentleman of Manningsport. Colleen's unattainability mixed with her nurturing disposition makes her pretty popular. Will the calm she worked so hard to develop be disrupted beyond repair when a blast from the past blows into town?

10 years, a miscarriage, failed marriage, and sick uncle later, Lucas Campbell finds his way back to the small town that never really felt like home. His only family included an aunt that went above and beyond to make him feel like an outsider, a dimwitted but lovable cousin, and the kind but preoccupied (and pussy-whipped) brother of his father. The only person that made Manningsport worth living in, back then and now, was Colleen O'Rourke- but she currently regards him as the asshole who refused to marry her because he wasn't ready one moment and then turns up engaged the next. Despite the awkward tension, Lucas has to insert himself back into the fold of the town- if only to honor a dying wish and see his cousin settled before Uncle Joe's passing. It wouldn't be nearly as frustrating if his ex-girlfriend wasn't butting in at every turn and trying to set the cousin up with someone who was obviously a waste of time (or was she?).

Characters both young and old learn from their mistakes and find contentment in exactly who they are. When misunderstandings from the past float to the surface, a second chance at first love just might persevere.


My Favorite Part of the Book: Was the complexity of the relationship between Colleen and her father. This dynamic resonated with me deeply and was written in a very convincing and poignant way. I love when I can see little pieces of myself and true life struggles in the books that I am reading and it's nice to be on the outside looking in on something that hits close to home.  I connected a lot more with the characters because of this.

Every time I read a book by this author I have some pop culture comparatives to mention; This book was like Cheers meets the soap opera Passions (anyone else remember Passions!?!). I tend to shy away from small town novels because they can read too cookie cutter (and honestly too staid) to me- and for a short time in the beginning of the novel I started to worry this one would follow suit. Sure enough, Higgins worked her magic and delivered characters and plot twists that kept me engrossed with the story all the way through. I appreciated the flaws of the characters (not just protagonists) and the very real way the author chose to address those insecurities and short comings. I also appreciated a female protagonist who actually knew she was pretty, not pulling the whole "I-am-a-simple-small-town-girl-with-no-idea-how-gorgeous-and-irresistible-I-am", but Colleen did start to irk me when her beauty and her promiscuity became a repetitive theme she liked to use as a defense mechanism. And as hilarious as #TeamMenopause was, some of their conduct (and specifically a scene at a single's painting class event) just read too dramatic for me. Still, this book is classic Higgins and delivers a story ripe with characters worth reading and plenty of inspirational messages to take home.

Little Bird Publicity and Kristan Higgins would like to offer a copy of WAITING ON YOU to one (1) lucky commenter! Comment on this review AND fill out the rafflecopter form below to be entered. This giveaway is open to US only (no P.O. Boxes please) and will end April 17th. A winner will be chosen and emailed.


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If I won the lottery, I'd buy a castle; Lucky for the heroine of this magnificent tale, she happened to inherit one - scary, yet severely sexy duke included! 

Izzy's life wasn't exactly akin to the characters' in her father's widely acclaimed stories. She was incredibly "plain" and exceedingly poor- but through a crazy twist of fate she now finds herself the new landlady of a dilapidated castle. 
Ransom Vane is the scarred and ornery duke hiding away in said castle and not exactly thrilled at the new intrusions Izzy's warped fairytale lucky has wrought. Sparks will fly, someone's sanity is questioned and two hearts join in this latest pleaser from Tessa Dare!


Read an Excerpt: here



Isolde Ophelia Goodnight did not have a life as fanciful and fairytale-esque as her name suggests. Those familiar with her father's work likely find her lacking and unremarkable upon actually meeting her- nowhere near the image that came to mind when reading her cameo's in The Goodnight Tales. Due to her father's deplorable money management, the now adult orphan is without money or prospects and lives off the generosity and hospitality of the more ardent fans of her father's work. Just when all hope looks lost a letter arrives informing Izzy of a change in circumstance fit for a chapter in a fanciful story book.

The reclusive Duke of Rothbury is recuperating from a duel-gone-bad in an ancient castle that has been in his family's holdings for centuries. Ransom has shut the world out as he goes through the motions of existing while feeling out the new normal his injuries have forced upon him. Everything is a haze of grey and shadows but his unexpected visitor will test not only his failing vision but his mind and convictions too. She may have bought with her only one small valise (and smaller ermine), but the baggage she heaps on his door will infiltrate every nook and cranny of the enormous castle leaving no room to escape his past, present or future.

The table piled high with unattended correspondence and the possibility of duplicitous solicitors threatening what little Ransom has left to rely on leaves him no choice but to remain under the same roof as his supposed new landlady as they work together to sort through one hell of a mess. With a little love and a few unlikely friends, the castle, Ransom's business affairs and two hearts may not be such a hopeless case after all.


My Favorite Part of the Book: What wasn't my favorite would be an easier question to answer. This book was so amazing and everything worked perfectly. The fact that this book wasn't one I had to skim through to get to the interesting bits and that it kept me truly entertained and engaged from start to finish is what I took away most from it. The book was an experience. I had been on a dry spell of books lately that didn't capture me like romance novels use to do when I first started to read. Dare put that elusive touch of magic back into reading with every page.

This novel is simply stunning. I can not think of sufficient adjectives to adequately describe my adoration of this latest from Dare. Upon reading the first few pages I immediately tweeted the following and could have simply left this as an accurate review of the book as the sentiment expressed remained true throughout and thereafter:

Ever begin reading a book & want to simply tweet thank you to the author? Thank you for sharing your gift & helping me escape @TessaDare
— Rita Jett (@NotAnotherRBlog) December 14, 2013

Dare has outdone herself with this one. Romancing the Duke had such an incredible balance of humor, dark/serious elements, camaraderie, LOVE, multidimensional characters and plot twists. Dare's voice shines through and guides us readers on a journey that keeps you entertained from cover to cover. As stated previously, you can not skim this one. You will be able to take it in and savor it like fine wine. Each scene, line and metaphor is crafted in an enticing and artful way that resonates with the reader. This is an incredible read and astounding way to start off what will probably be yet another successful book series filled with characters and stories that'll stick with me long after the happily ever after.

Want more? Book 2 in the series, Say Yes To The Marquess, (which I can not wait to devour) will be releasing in Late 2014. Can't wait? This book isn't a fluke. Ms. Dare has a habit writing similarly amazing stories/series and you can get lost for months on her back list. Try the Spindle Cove series (Book 1: A Night to Surrender)

Read an excerpt: here Buy at Amazon: Print: here | Kindle: here

What can I say? I simply adored this book.
From the first page I knew this book would be riddled with characters my heart could bleed for. Ms Bernard has the special gift of not only making her characters feel authentically real, but making readers want to feel for them almost the minute they step onto the page. Gayle and Rowan will go down as one of my favorite historical romance couples ever. Their relationship and interactions felt very genuine. And I’ve been CRAVING a good romance with a Doctor lead for a while. I could gush about this book for forever, but I think I’ll just get to my review and outline what made this book work for me.


At the beginning of the story, readers find themselves in the middle of a house call Dr.Rowan West is attending to. Fatigued beyond belief and pushed to his emotional limits, Rowan does all he can to ensure comfort for one of his favorite patients and then proceeds home for a few hours’ sleep before he starts the cycle of endless calls and sometimes heartbreak at the unfavorable results all over again. But when he arrives home, his butler informs him a lady visitor has been awaiting his return. The persistent head ache Rowan had been enduring is about to get some more fodder!

Enter, Miss Gayle Renshaw. The orphaned great granddaughter of a knight with a hefty inheritance and some decidedly unladylike ambitions for her time. Gayle’s only surviving relative believes she’s traveling for some worldly polish and a French trinket or two, when really, she’s waiting in the salon of a bachelor Dr.West with an outlandish proposition and the intent to blackmail should she not get her way.

A female apprentice? A female physician? Rowan’s mind is reeling as he takes in the proposal the strange woman in his home has offered him. He knows that no one in his profession would seriously consider a woman capable of anything other than child bearing, maintaining a household, and switching out bed pans in a nurse’s uniform, but the mysterious Gayle will hear nothing of it and is determined to apprentice under the wing of a respected London doctor so that she may apply for medical school with unquestionable and indisputable credentials; or bring said respectable doctor down in a flame of reputation-destroying scandal if he does not comply.

With little choice and an alternate plan to bury Miss Renshaw in a sea of medical texts and laboratory work, Rowan agrees to take Gayle on as his ‘assistant’ and discreetly give her the education she has asked for. His plan however backfires, and not only can Gayle handle everything he throws at her with -albeit exhausted- grace, but she seems to thrives on it and her passion for the medicinal arts becomes evident with each challenge she overcomes. As maddening as Gayle’s stubbornness can be sometimes, Rowan can’t help but respect her; He also can’t help his deep, ludicrous attraction for her.

As Gayle works on breaking down barriers and resisting her arousing teacher, Rowan is busy trying to determine who wants to do harm to him and his group of friends known as the Jaded. The treasure they brought back with them from India is causing more harm than good as anonymous threats are made and lives become endangered. There’s so very much to lose on both sides, so very much at stake, but just maybe, fate has something else in mind and dreams can expand to include an unyielding love between a doctor and his apprentice.


My Favorite Part of the Book: Is actually one of the saddest parts of the book. In a last ditch effort to dissuade Gayle on her hazardous path, Rowan bring her on a call he’s been dreading for a long time. A beloved patient has neared his end and as Rowan predicted, Gayle’s emotions got the better of her and he lashes out on her while trying to teach a lesson. The passing of the patient is just so potently written; I seriously started to tear up. It was beautiful. All the characters’ pain was so palpable and genuine that I couldn’t NOT feel it. It was sad, but very well done. I got the same feeling I did as when Doby died in the last Harry Potter book! It’s not pretty, but it’s special when an author can do this to a reader.

Ecstasy Wears Emeralds is one of my favorite books from 2011! Bernard’s got the goods. This was my first book by this author, but I can assure you it will not be the last. This book had so many elements in it, such as social classism, male chauvinism, a mystery sub plot, enjoyable character camaraderie, ect that it can strike a chord with so many different readers. I did end up skimming over some of the sex scenes, though. Not that they weren’t written well, but there were quite a few and they were all pretty thorough so maybe I just wasn’t in the mood (no pun intended) for all that smex in that sitting- especially when I was so interested and invested in the plot. I’ll probably be thankful for said scenes later during a future re-read, but I just wasn’t into them at that point (they were very steamy from what I gleaned). Also, the ending was a bit lack-luster for me. I wanted it to go off with a bigger bang and I feel like there were many mini climaxes towards the middle end that once I got to the real climax at the end I needed more of a UMMPH. You guys know I love action-so I wanted more- but it may be just right for some. But seriously, with such exceptional characters- both primary and secondary, a winning plot, very tangible emotion and passions, how come you are still reading this review and not out waiting on line at your local bookstore with your copy? It’s such a special read, truly something to be remembered.




Want more Renee Bernard? You’ll have to beat me to her latest release, Passion Wears Pearls: