Finally! Lord Julian's book is here and it definitely delivers! From the first chapter you'll become enraptured by this seductive tale of mutual subterfuge which is sprinkled with wit and heart. An unwanted dukedom, three unwanted wards, but a very much wanted governess will drive Julian Fortescue to commit unthinkable acts-- such as love and rising to responsibility.

Read an excerpt: here

If you thought Marie Antoinette had it bad, those aristocrats who survived the French Revolution might beg to differ. One fortunate (or unfortunate) noble who made it was Jeanne-Louise Marie-Adoree de Falleron, the once pampered daughter of the Marquis de Falleron. She endured the horrors of witnessing her family's execution and jumping from traitorous "protector" to "protector" to stay alive. She vows revenge against the man named Fortescue who betrayed her father's trust and foiled her family's escape plan- just as soon as she finds him.

Going by the alias of Jane Grey, Jeanne's hunt leads her to London and the home of the new Duke of Denford. The unexpectedly handsome new duke has just been saddled with the care of his precocious half sisters. This allows for the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the home of a member of the Fortescue family and with that Jane applies for the position of governess. The dubious potholes in her past notwithstanding, the duke finds her (and her looks) satisfactory and gives Jane the job. A dangerous dance of balancing pretenses and desires ensues, becoming further complicated with the entry of some treacherous characters in the form of an evil surviving cousin of Jeanne/Jane and a nemesis from the art world who has his eyes on Julian's treasured collection.

Rating:
4 Red Roses

My Favorite Part of the Story: Was witnessing Julian rise to the challenge and become an admirable brother, friend, lover, and peer of the realm. From the previous book, you know Julian isn't as dark and careless as his persona lets on, but it was very gratifying to see his evolution and the ways in which Neville displayed this. I was in love when he was a rotten apple, so I am positively smitten now.

I am no longer surprised when I reach the back cover of a Miranda Neville novel and realize she's done it again. This has to be one of my favorite stories and a perfect end to an exciting series. I can't think of much I didn't enjoy in this book. The references and respect of art (some aspects I could actually identify!) were always well represented and complimentary to the story. That rat of a cousin Jeanne/Jane had truly got under my skin, and the three step sisters were endearing and funny. I am never one for a long, drawn out, secret identty plot, but Neville made it bearable with her amazing secondary characters and scenes filled with heat. I am already anxiously awaiting what Neville conjures up next!

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.

About The Book:
The next sizzling romance in New York Times bestselling author Karen Ranney's Clan Sinclair series...

Logan Harrison is looking for a wife. As the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, he needs a conventional and diplomatic woman who will stand by his side and help further his political ambitions. He most certainly does not need Mairi Sinclair, the fiery, passionate, fiercely beautiful woman who tries to thwart him at every turn. But if she's so wrong for him, why can't he stop kissing her? He is completely bewitched.

Mairi Sinclair has never met anyone like Logan Harrison, the perfect example of everything she finds wrong with the world. He's also incredibly handsome, immensely popular, and impossible to resist. His kisses inflame her and awaken a passion she can barely control.

Can two people who are at such odds admit to a love that would bind them together for life?


More on the Author:

Her books have been described as evocative, intensely romantic stories featuring characters who leap off the page.
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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)

It's captain versus captain in this battle of wills, attraction and righting wrongs from the past. A relentless force on the high seas, Our hellion heroine must embark on a journey back to her native England to ensure her inheritance isn't stolen from her. When a blast from the past requires salvation, his identity might help her cause more than she thinks...and in more ways than one.

Adventurous and intoxicatingly sweet, Alison DeLaine’s debut novel will strike a chord for any and every historical romance fan lucky enough to board passage on her story’s voyage.


Read an Excerpt: here





Abducted and held captive at the age of 17, Katherine Kinloch has known great terror and helplessness at the hands of powerful men. The late Scottish Earl’s daughter turned concubine turned pirate makes her own way in the world now while also serving as karma to corsairs with ill gotten goods. Katherine has been cutting a swath and earning her moniker of “Corsair Kate” handily for several years now, but when her inheritance is threatened back at home, the misunderstood piratess trades in the sunny blue Mediterranean seas for smoggy London air.

On her way back to Britain, some cargo of interest bumps up along side her ship. Despite her better judgement and ever mindful of the potential threat of disease or enemy alliance, she directs her crew to hoist the unfortunate soul from the water. The newcomer turns out to be very much alive and very connected to someone she isn't too fond of. She'll later find out that the word "connected" is a huge understatement

Captain James Warre is ready to resign his commission and live the quiet life his years at sea have yet to afford him. Before he can settle down with his brandy by the fireplace he has a debt to repay to the woman he couldn't rescue all those years ago but who ironically saved him from a watery grave. When they finally land in London he finds out that his brother is in cahoots with the Parliament powers who want to see Katherine disinherited. James' debt will take a little more time and finesse to work out than he originally believed; All the while his admiration and attraction to the strong Captain/Countess grows stronger with each new day and obstacle.

James and Kate have won countless battles at sea, but it's the one on land and for the heart that proves most challenging and worthwhile.

My Favorite Part of the Book: I am torn! I really enjoyed seeing Katherine battle propriety and her pirate instincts when it came to handling a ne'er-do-well of the ton whom was after her, but I am a sucker for more tender emotions, so the interaction between James and Katherine's daughter, Anne stole the show for me. I mentally swooned so many times! There's nothing like a man bonding with a child to make me turn into a silly weepy emotional mess! Anne could have easily been just a prop in this story, but her ailment combined with James' compassion gave an extra level of dimension to this book that had me hooked!

Looks like Ms DeLaine has made an instant fan out of me. For starters, one things I love (and need) in my romances, almost as much as a compelling central love story itself, is a strong cast of secondary characters. It's a hard balance to write characters that support just enough rather than overwhelm the story or fall short/come off unnecessary and tedious. This book had a lot that worked for me and it beings with the intriguing supporting characters (And might I just say, I am positively painting for Lord Winston's book! He was a blackguard for 90% of the book and I fell irrevocably in love!).

I will say that I was expecting a bit more drama on the voyage back to England in the first few chapters. A bad storm and hidden identity were nice, but coming off of reading great "at-sea" romances like the Black Cobra series by Stephanie Laurens and many of Johanna Lindsey's classics, I wanted even more angst (I thought for sure they would be engaged by rival corsairs). Also, I wanted the romance to pick up faster and more intensely. I'd already invested in the couple after a certain point, so I wanted less waltzing around propriety and more stolen moments that grew their bond as a couple. I favored James a bit more than Kathrine and liked how his character fleshed out. Kathrine took some time for me to warm up to but eventually won my heart along with her sweet daughter and peculiar motley crew.

Finish this year off right by being one of the first to read this year-end treat from an author you'll be sure to hear more of very soon!