Review: The Seduction of Scandal by Cathy Maxwell

Format: mass market paperback
Pub Date: Sept 2011
Publisher: Avon
Length: 375 pages
POV: 3rd
FTC: Not sure if I paid for it or not, but from RT12 and signed by the author

I used to read Cathy Maxwell all of the time, but she's fallen off of my reading radar in the last several years.

This is a book that could have been excellent. I'd have loved it to either have a grittier take on the highwayman or a humorous take on the whole highwayman/reverend dichotomy. Alas, it does neither, and leaves itself to dwell in the land of Avon Homogeneity.

Review: Too Wicked To Love by Debra Mullins

Format: Mass market
Pub Date: June 2011
Publisher: Avon
Length: 375 pages
FTC: Purchased used but don't remember where

I've read and enjoyed Debra Mullins in the past, but sadly, this book was just not that great. It is the worst sort of wallpaper romance: thin setting, flighty and shallow women characters, and anachronistic language throughout. Worse, though, is that I simply didn't care about the characters.

I'm a character-driven reader.  I like to get in their heads and be shown their emotions. I want to feel their anguish, uncertainty, passion, fear...I got none of that from anyone here. We're told that our hero, John Ready, is anguished about his choices, but we're never shown. Every emotion is told to us in a way that doesn't let us experience it, and that weakens what should have been a fun, memorable story. The author does a little better with the heroine, but we're still very much on the outside looking in...

This was the blandest romance I've read in years, despite the presence of two highwaymen, a surprise duke, and an "outspoken" heroine. There was no tension at all between anyone. Maybe it's because this comes at at the end of several interconnected novels, but the villain is only menacing in a mustache-twirling kind of way, and the hero isn't really all that heroic. Just a big pile of MEH for me, which is disappointing in the first historical romance I've read this year.

My Grade: D

Review: When A Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Format: Mass market, also available in e
Pub Date: Sept 2015
Publisher: Avon
Length: 376 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

Although I normally love Tessa Dare's books, this one just didn't measure up to her normally high standards. It's not terrible. In the sea of fluffy historical romance, it will still stand out. It's just not as deeply emotional as usual, and her distinctive voice has been muted. House style was a little heavy handed this time, Avon. :(

There are some redeeming qualities, for sure. The best of which is the not-yet-mating lobsters. I guess I was hoping for a bit more along the lines of Ravished by Amanda Quick: an almost fanatical devotion to her "hobby." I wanted there to be some real emotional investment in her talent, but I just didn't really get that from the book.  Even the claustrophobia and anxiety around crowds that Madeline suffers from didn't have the same emotional depth that I usually get from Dare's writing.  The confrontation with a soldier experiencing mental problems also failed to have the suspense  I was hoping for.

Maybe it's me, but it feels like this would have been a different, but so much better book, if Dare weren't aiming for the Avon style of light romance.  The humor is here, but it's not balanced with the emotional gut-punch that Dare normally delivers. The genre needs those emotionally resonant books. Fingers crossed for Dare's next book, because she's more than capable of writing that kind of story.

My Grade B-


The Blurb:
On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shyly pretty and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart.

A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to her, but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter … and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.

Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh. The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep—handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He’s wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters… and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.

TBR Challenge Review: Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long

Format: mass market paperback
Length: 371 pages
Pub Date: 2008
Publisher: Avon
FTC: purchased used

This is one of those series that everyone seems to love...but I honestly can't remember if I've read any of the other entries in it. I may have read I Kissed an Earl, but I have no record of it. It sounds really familiar. I hate my memory sometimes. Anyway, I think this qualifies for this month's theme, since I am *really* behind on the series. I'm especially behind everyone else who has read the series because they're all breathlessly awaiting Lyon's book. I'm back at #2. We'll just call this month's theme "aka Late to the Party."

I love Julia Anne Long's voice. Her writing is so evocative, you just sink into the story. It's sly and witty without being too obvious about it. I found myself smiling at turns of phrase, just because. And the characters were all uniformly well formed. There are no cardboard secondary characters here.

Quickie Review: Guarding a Notorious Lady by Olivia Parker

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pub Date: June 2011
Publisher: Avon
Length: 372 pages
FTC: Library book sale

It's been a long while since I've read an Avon historical romance. To be honest, I've become a little bitter about the homogeneity of that publisher's offerings. They seem to be a bit like the Borg in that every author who joins them starts to sound exactly like all of the others. Avon has a strong brand and style, which can be helpful for debut and midlist authors, but it comes at a cost of strong authorial voice.   And while I enjoyed Guarding a Notorious Lady by Olivia Parker, I wish it had a more of the pizzazz I found in Parker's debut novel, The Bride Hunt Ball.

The only thing that sets this book apart is the humor. Although not as funny as the author's previous book, there is still a bunch of situational humor here. The main characters are interesting, even if the conflict seems a bit thin. And while the main characters are believably drawn, the secondary characters are little more than names on a page.

I wanted more emotion, more real danger earlier in the book, more of everything. Despite the caper-ish nature of the novel, it's a very passive book. Things happen to the heroine, but she doesn't really DO much. Unfortunately, this is a fun, but forgettable book. 

My Grade: C+

The Blurb:

Exquisite trouble . . .
A woman of pristine breeding, Lady Rosalind Devine is also an unrepentant meddler and snoop—which is why her brother refuses to leave her to her own devices while on his wedding trip. But Rosalind will not make things easy for any unseen,unwanted “nursemaid”—and vows to use her considerable wiles to expose her mystery guardian.
Nicholas Kincaid, the Marquess of Winterbourne, agreed to secretly guard his friend’s spoiled, stubborn sister, though her infuriating penchant for mischief is causing him to question his decision. Though bound by the rules of society—and friendship—Rosalind’s spirit and sensuality have sparked a fierce desire in Nicholas to play a very different role in her life,one that entails passion, ecstasy . . .and unavoidable scandal.

Monday Crankiness

I have a case of Monday Crankies. Everything seems to be setting me off. Today, two things involved RT Magazine. Well, sort of.

First, there's the giant advertisement in the magazine by Avon promoting its k.i.s.s. and teal awareness campaign for ovarian cancer (September, page 7). That's a good thing, right? Right. But amongst the many participating new release titles, I spotted something odd. Avon had chosen The Deed by Lynsay Sands as a title to include in the program. My problem with that? It's not a new release. It's a reissue of a Sands backlist title that Avon purchased from Dorchester when they (Dorchester) first started having financial problems.

A little sleuthing around online revealed a bit more. While Amazon marks this book as a reissue in the product details, nothing on the front cover gives any clue that it's not a new book. And Barnes and Noble has no mention whatsoever of its "classic" status.

Review: My Irresistible Earl by Gaelen Foley

Format: Mass Market; ebook
Pub Date: March 29, 2011
Publisher: Avon (Harper Collins)
Page Count: 400
FTC: Digital ARC via Netgalley

Melodrama, bad dialogue, and an irritating premise made this one a struggle to finish.

I don't mind spies in my stories. I don't even mind secret societies. But I do mind characters who are so immature and irritating that I don't believe anyone in their right mind would trust them with any mission of significance. 

I seem to have a problem lately with books that have flashback scenes to characters in their teenage/early twenties years. Mainly because it seems like authors aren't making an effort to mature those characters once they shift from flashback to the "present." The characters are exactly the same at age 30 as they are at age 16. And that just doesn't work for me.

I found myself skimming the second half of the book. I just couldn't stay engaged. Although there were a few secondary characters who intrigued me enough to want to read the next book in the series.


My Grade: C-

The Blurb:

The Inferno Club: In public, this scandalous society of London aristocrats is notorious for pursuing all manner of debauchery. But in private, they are warriors who would do anything to protect king and country . . .

Once, she had vowed to marry the Earl of Falconridge. Now, she vows to forget him. After he abandoned her for a life shrouded in secrets, Mara, Lady Pierson, has succeeded in keeping him away, until he appears in London unexpectedly, making her fall in love all over again. 

Forced back into Mara's life by duty, the earl quickly stays for love. He has never forgotten this passionate beauty and never meant to break her heart. But their newfound happiness is endangered—because the Inferno Club demands much of its members, and his vital mission is exposing a deadly plot that could threaten their very lives . . .

Review: Captured by a Rogue Lord by Katharine Ashe

Format: Mass Market Paperback; ebook
Pub Date: March 29, 2011
Publisher: Avon (HarperCollins)
FTC: Digital ARC via  Netgalley



Captured by a Rogue Lord really reminded me of Stephanie Laurens's books. Especially Captain Jack's Woman. Probably because smuggling plays a pretty large role in both books. The setting was very well done, with plenty of the atmosphere you'd expect from a book set in or near the coast.

The writing is pretty standard Avon fare as far as I can tell. Nothing jumped out at me as bad OR wonderful. I tend to prefer a stronger voice in my stories, but that's just me.

Quickie Review: The Lady Most Likely... by Julia Quinn, Connie Brockway, and Eloisa James

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pub Date: December 28, 2010
Publisher: Avon/Harper Collins
FTC: Purchased myself
Blurb: At end of review due to length

I have to admit, I was more than a little nervous about reading this one. I used to be a big fan of Julia Quinn, but her more recent efforts have fallen very flat with me. It's been a long time since I've read either Eloisa James or Connie Brockway, too. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

This is technically not an anthology, but given the fact that it's a novel written in three parts about three different couples, I'm going to review it as one.

Julia Quinn

Surprisingly, my favorite part of the story. The shy heroine is a favorite trope of mine, and while this one does not bring anything startling new, it is still charming without losing heart and substance.

Connie Brockway

It's been so long since I've read a book by Connie Brockway. I remember liking them, but that's about it. This was another solid story in the book, even if the plot was pretty tired and overused. I really liked Captain Oakes.

Eloisa James

My least favorite of the three, and I'm not sure why. Maybe because Hugh didn't seem like the same character from the first two novellas. It's the smuttiest (not in a bad way) of the three, but I just didn't see Georgie's capitulation as believable. I think it would take far, far more than an afternoon with Hugh to change her mind.

Bottom line: If you usually like all or any of these authors, you'll probably like this one. But if they aren't usually your cup of tea, this will not change that. There's a necessary sketchiness that comes from the novella length of each story, too, so be prepared for that.

Overall Grade: B/B-

The Blurb:

Three of the brightest stars of historical romance invite you to a party at the country home of the Honorable Marquess of Finchley

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife, so his sister hands him a list of delectable damsels and promises to invite them— and a few other gentlemen—to her country house for what is sure to be the event of the season.
Hugh will have time to woo whichever lady he most desires . . . Unless someone else snatches her first.
The invitation list includes:

• The horse-mad but irresistibly handsome Earl of Briarly
• The always outspoken Miss Katherine Peyton
• The dashing war hero Captain Neill Oakes
• The impossibly beautiful (and painfully shy) Miss Gwendolyn Passmore
• The terribly eligible new Earl of Charters
• The widowed Lady Georgina Sorrell (who has no plans to marry, ever)

And your hostess, Lady Carolyn Finchley, an irrepressible matchmaker who plans to find the lady most likely . . . to capture her brother’s untamed heart.

Review: At The Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker

At the Bride Hunt Ball isn't brand spanking new...it came out last year. Somehow, I missed it. Which is a shame, since it's VERY funny.

The plot is a Regency play on the TV formula of the Bachelor...where young hopefuls compete against each other for the chance to be the bride of the Duke's younger brother. (Or the heir as the duke has sworn off matrimony).

The cast of characters is pretty typical and unsurprising. There's the normally taciturn duke, the shallow bachelor, the shy wallflower in love with the bachelor, the overbearing parents, the catty fellow contestants, and the spunky main character who reluctantly enters the contest under protest.

For all that the plot progresses exactly as you'd expect, I still enjoyed the journey. The characters might be stereotypical, but they're well done. And the dialogue and interaction between our hero and heroine is snappy, funny, and really quite sweet.

Nothing is a surprise here except how much I enjoyed the book. Parker's writing style should appeal to fans of Julia Quinn or Jacquie D'Alessandro. Light, fun, fluffy, historical fare.

My Grade: B

Review: With Seduction in Mind by Laura Lee Guhrke

I'm always fascinated when authors write about characters who are authors. It gives me the feeling that they're incorporating a little bit of themselves into the character. After all, they know what it feels like to write. What kinds of emotions that evokes. What difficulties it can present.  So while there's no doubt the characters are fictional, I always feel like I'm getting a secret glimpse into their hopes, dreams, fears, triumphs.

In the case of Laura Lee Guhrke's newest book, With Seduction in Mind, both the hero and heroine are authors. One is an aspiring, unpublished author; the other is a burned-out formerly successful one. They could not be more different in temperament, experience, or style, but the author uses those differences wisely.

I love Laura Lee Guhrke's writing. No one writes romantic tension better than Guhrke. She manages to make it suspenseful without dragging down the pacing of the novel. The seduction of Daisy is a genuine seduction. A step by step heightening of desire. You can feel Daisy's resistance melt without feeling as if she were coerced or manipulated. And you can sense, as well, the unexpected way Sebastian finds himself seduced by someone who shouldn't challenge him at all, but clearly does.

Review: Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell

It's always an adventure starting a book by a new-to-me author. I never know quite what to expect. I would like to say that I loved Captive of Sin, but unfortunately, the writer's voice just didn't connect with me. Her writing style REALLY bothered me.

The characters start the book as interesting, believable characters, but show very little growth during the course of the novel. Instead of feeling as if the characters were more real, they became less so as the narrative progressed.

Part of the problem lies in their almost overwhelming self analysis. We spend way too much time in the heads of the hero and heroine. And there is a huge reliance on telling rather than showing. It's also painfully melodramatic.

There were parts of the book that really connected with me, but they were buried under a mountain of empty, pretty phrases and inward castigation by the characters. The plot seemed unevenly paced, the finale rushed.

Most egregious to me was the insta-cure for Gideon's psychological trauma. I just didn't buy that he would be fixed by getting it on with the heroine for a week or two. Not realistic at all.

Overall, I felt it was a tad worse than your standard Avon fare.
My grade: C-

Love with the Perfect Scoundrel by Sophia Nash

This is the first book I've read by Sophia Nash. At first glance, it is typical Avon historical fare--right down to the extremely BORING cover. But after a page or two, it becomes pretty obvious that Nash's characters are anything but ordinary.

Her hero, a former colonist blacksmith, is certainly not your typical bored noble or haughty aristocrat. And I loved the combination of gruffness, practicality and gentleness he exuded. The heroine was also not your average, easily discomposed young lady, but a realistic, pragmatic woman.

What I didn't love, at all, was the jerkiness of the narrative. It plodded along at a steady pace, then --whoosh--jumped through scenes that could have been more fully explored. The bad guys in the story popped out of nowhere, had a scene or two, then popped back out. The ending was extremely odd--almost an afterthought.

I finished the book, feeling as if two terrific characters were treated unfairly in a sub-par book. Turns out the cover was a fairly good indicator of the mediocrity of this particular novel.