Review: It Started with a Kiss by Ella Quinn

Format: Mass market
Pub Date: April 2017
Publisher: Zebra/Kensington
Length: 362 pages
POV: 3rd, past
FTC: Received a signed copy at RT 17 for free

This is the weirdest book. Admittedly, it's been a LONG time since I read a non-paranormal romance or romantic suspense book where the majority of the conflict was external. But what makes this book weird is that every time the book starts to build the slightest bit of tension, the author undercuts the issue by solving the problem almost immediately.

All of that works to make this story a bit of a mess, with 5 different mini conflicts and no overarching tension to keep the story moving. It was a slog.

Review: Cordelia's Corinthian by Victoria Hinshaw

Format: Mass market paperback (OOP, unavailable in e)
Pub Date: May 2004
Publisher: Zebra Kensington
Length: 219 pages
FTC: Purchased used

This month's theme is Kickin' it Old School (at least 10 years old). I have plenty of those in the TBR, but I particularly love the old print Regencies that they don't make anymore. I haven't had a lot of luck finding many new entries of these tame gems in the ebook world. I miss them.

This one falls into the spinster/poor relation category. Corey (WTH is up with *that* name?) decides to help her very pregnant cousin with her children as Corey tries to figure out what to do about her future. Her parents are spending their money bailing her older brother out of trouble, so she feels like she must soon seek employment to better support them. A plot device that had me giving the side eye to this book early on.

It's Corey's bad luck that her cousin's confinement is coinciding with a traditional fishing tournament hosted by her cousin's husband. (Way to support your wife, jackass). The men in attendance are well known pranksters, and Corey is less than thrilled to have her visit interrupted by them.

The main problem with this book is that everyone except the heroine is a gigantic ass. They are self absorbed, deceitful, manipulative, childish... Even the hero. And there's a big pile of fishing filler. Like, everything you never wanted to know about fly fishing in the 19th century in teeny, tiny detail. Right down to which bugs are hatching. ZZZ.

I never really cared about the romance or any of the characters. It was a big pile of meh. This isn't the worst book out there, but there are definitely better ones.

My Grade: D+

The Blurb:

IS IT A PASSING WHIM...
Cordelia Bransford, a spinster at twenty-four, is happy to spend a few months at Lodesham Hall helping her expectant cousin care for her three little children. Among the guests attending the Earl's annual fishing tourney is Lord Matthew Allerton, a man with a reputation for more than his share of youthful scandal. Cory vows to resist his good looks and easy charm, believing his flirtatious manner is nothing more than habit. No dashing rakehell could possibly be tamed by a vicar's unsophisticated daughter...

...OR A ROMANCE TO LAST A LIFETIME?
Matt has spent the last few months recovering from his Waterloo injuries, and is much in need of pleasant diversion. He delights in teaching Corey and the children the fine art of angling, despite her witty dismissal of his flirtatious advances. She is refreshingly unlike the frivolous young ladies he's known--and now that he actually wants a woman to take him seriously, Matt is dismayed by Corey's absolute refusal to do so! But her love is a prize indeed--and her hand is well worth winning...

Review: Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pub Date: May 2011
Publisher: Avon (Harper Collins)
Length: 374 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

I haven't really loved a Julia Quinn book since somewhere in the middle of the Bridgerton series.  I detested Eloise, Francesca, and Gregory's stories, and was apathetic about most of those novels that came after the series' end. At best, they were fun but forgettable.

Then came Ten Things I Love About You. It is what I consider a turning point for Julia Quinn's writing. Where she gave up any pretense of writing with depth and just churned out cutesy, polished writing with superficial characters and superficial emotion. Deciding to give her one last try, I picked up Just Like Heaven after letting it linger in the TBR for a year. The lingering was on purpose, because I suspected I would be disappointed. Sadly, I was correct.

TBR Challenge Review: The Rake's Retreat by Nancy Butler

Format: Mass Market Paperpack
Pub Date: April 1999
Publisher: Signet
Length: 224 pages
FTC: Purchased myself (no idea when, though)

I admit, this month's theme was a bit of a real challenge for me. I don't have that many books pre-2002 that remain unread. I've either read them, donated them, or sold them. But I found this traditional Regency lurking in a a random pile and decided it would work just fine.

I'm not really a category reader; I tend to like longer books. Which also makes the Regencies sometimes a problem for me. They're fairly short, too. But like categories, a skillful author can make me forget how short the book really is, and that's what happened with the Rake's Retreat.

Review: Promise Me Tonight By Sara Lindsey

This is a very sweet story. It may be a little too sweet for some. I had problems with it mainly because the heroine is so very, very young. And that youth is obvious throughout most of the novel. Isabella really doesn't have any true depth until at least midway through Promise Me Tonight.

I could have done without the prologue. I understood what the author was going for, but it just seemed like overkill. Like using a cast iron frying pan to swat a fly. I much prefer to have that kind of information woven into the narrative. Yes, the childhood loss of both parents and a baby sister plays a large role in why the hero does not wish to marry, but there are subtler ways to do it.

One other pet peeve that this book struck was a vagueness of setting. I want to be able to fully visualize each and every location equally. And I really didn't get that here. There were some great opportunities to use the setting as an integral part of the story, but they were missed. The folly, the neighboring houses, Scotland, the ship all felt superficial.

Despite the few shortcomings, this story was surprisingly effective emotionally. Izzie's correspondence that heads each chapter was delightful. I have a soft spot for boy next door stories; there really aren't that many of them in the historical romance genre. And James's pain and indecision were palpable. As was Izzy's naive infatuation. Best of all, Lindsey has a distinctive writing style. Something that many authors take years to achieve. It's an effervescent style of writing that more often than not will have you smiling at turns of phrase as you're reading.

Overall, it's a fantastic first novel. And, hooray, part of a series!

My Grade: B-

Review: At the Duke's Pleasure by Tracy Anne Warren

Warning: Potential plot spoilers ahoy...

It's been awhile since I've read the whole 'betrothed since birth' story. It's a common story in medieval romances, but seems to have lost some popularity in Regency or Victorian romances. At least in the ones I've been reading recently.

I try not to read other reviews of books before I write my own because I'm afraid they'll color my opinion. But in this case, I broke my cardinal rule. I have to say that I'm apparently in the minority here. I *loved* this book. I completely understood the motivations of the heroine (Claire)--which were sore points for many reviewers. Yes, she goes on spending sprees. Yes, she acts inappropriately. Yes, she ends up endangering herself.  She's acting out in increasingly dangerous ways as the novel progresses. But what motivates her isn't so much resistance against the betrothal or the choice of groom. I suspect it would be easier for her if she were indifferent to Edward. But having watched her mother slowly die inside from having her love rejected, Claire is determined that she can't follow through with the betrothal and is doing anything she can to get him to jilt her.

Review: The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

Sabrina Jeffries starts a new series (after recently concluding her popular School for Heiresses series) with The Truth About Lord Stoneville.  The Hellions of Halstead Hall is about five scandalous siblings who are given an ultimatum by their purse-string-holding grandmother to marry within the year. This is the eldest, Oliver's, story.

I have to say, having read most of Sabrina Jeffries's backlist that this novel was quite a bit darker than most of her other books. The book begins with a nasty murder-suicide. And much of the emotional drama is the natural fallout of that tragedy.

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: Seduce Me By Christmas by Deborah Raleigh

Every so often, I enjoy a sweet story rather than a story filled with emotionally damaged heroes and uncoventional heroines. Seduce Me by Christmas is just such a book. In short: a pleasant way to while away a few hours in front of the fire.

I really enjoyed Raoul and Sarah in this story. They weren't broken or filled with angst. They weren't misunderstood. They weren't in need of the "healing power of love." Instead, they were merely two lonely people who found each other during the holiday season.

There are a few problems with the book. The most egregious being a glaringly obvious grammatical uh-oh in the second line. I had a few problems with the characters, too. In particular, the fact that the heroine, Sarah, is supposed to be an artist yet we never really see or experience her creating any art. I also had some issues with the lack of suspense. Sure, the author throws a few dangerous incidents in there, but the suspense that should have accompanied them was absolutely missing.

Overall, though, it was still a pleasant holiday read. No real emotional depth, perhaps, but I enjoyed the sweet nature of the story anyway.

My Grade: B-

The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens

I am dumbfounded that I am having to write a less than stellar review of the Untamed Bride. Not because I didn't like the story. But because I didn't like the writing! Stephanie Laurens's writing is usually so palpably different from other authors. It is convoluted, yet flows easily. Not so this book. The sentences are too complex. Semi-colons, commas, and dashes extend her sentences to paragraph length. And the intensity she normally conveys through her writing is missing. Her normal writing cadence is off somehow. I've read my fair share of 19th century literature, but these sentences honestly rivaled Thoreau's Civil Disobedience for their length and complexity. Not something appropriate for a modern romance novel at any rate. She corrects this tendency about 1/3 of the way through, but the damage is done.

The characterization also fails to really develop as quickly as it usually does. There is a superficiality to the characters that is very unusual for this author. I don't know if it's due to the need to set up the entire series with a long prologue or if it's merely the inherent difficulties of switching series, but there was a real distance between the reader and the characters that surprised and disappointed me. Del's character eventually evolves into a more realistic character, as does Deliah's, but having to compete with so many other established characters makes them seem less vibrant than they should have.

Most Wicked of Sins by Kathryn Caskie

I love it when I rediscover an author. I've read and enjoyed Kathryn Caskie books before, but I had forgotten just how good she really is.

The Most Wicked of Sins is part of a series featuring seven siblings from Scotland nicknamed the Seven Deadly Sins.

Fans of early Julia Quinn or Victoria Alexander will love Kathryn Caskie. Her writing is so full of mirth that you find yourself chuckling along. And her characters are nothing short of fantastic. Flawed, believable, complex, and compelling.

The plot device in The Most Wicked of Sins is too silly for words. Very improbable, but it sets up the rest of the book so nicely that I gave it a pass. Essentially, our heroine, Ivy, has 1 month to recover the affections of her wayward suitor (now entranced by an Irish beauty) before her father arrives or risk losing his support, affection, approval etc. So she embarks on a madcapped scheme to win him back by hiring an actor to impersonate a peer--someone who would then both a) charm her rival away from her suitor and b) make her suitor jealous by dancing attendance on Ivy.

The "perfect" plan goes awry, however, when Ivy hires the wrong man to impersonate Lord Counterton. Instead of an actor, she hires...Lord Counterton himself. (Here's where the improbable comes in). Of all of the people to be hanging about the theater at the exact same time Ivy is, it just happens to be the very peer she's determined to have someone impersonate? I think my odds on winning the lotto are better, but as I stated, it DOES make for a fun bit of mischief.

I like that Ivy is flawed. I like that she is more than a little bit shallow. I also like that she's vulnerable to what her family (especially her father) thinks of her. She has that need for approval that many of us can relate to.

I also really like the hero and his cousin. I found his early recognition of his feelings refreshing. Most of the Regency heroes have to be dragged kicking and screaming into acknowledging their feelings. Some don't do so until years after the novel's time line (Devil from Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens for example). Here, our hero articulates what he feels before our heroine does.

I really enjoyed the skillful blend of romance and humor in this book. The dialogue is snappy when it needs to be, subtle when appropriate. The story at times frantic, hysterical, sexy, and even sweet. It's a terrific way to spend a few hours on a fall afternoon.

My grade: A-

Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare

It's rare that I enjoy the first book by a new-to-me author. I don't like change, and I like knowing what to expect. What tone, what kinds of characters, the level of angst. Predictable and safe.

Two words that definitely do not apply to Tessa Dare's novel, Surrender of a Siren.

With this book, I am charting new territory. I read it based solely on recommendations from fellow Tweeters. It's a book (and an author) I discovered on Twitter.com . What makes that unusual is that it wasn't discovered on a blog or printed review. It wasn't discovered propped up on the new release shelves or as a loan from my fellow romance readers. A few mentions scattered in those 140 character bursts convinced me to give it a try despite the extremely unlovely cover.

In a word, it was glorious.

I'm a stickler for well developed characters. I loathe action-heavy books with wimpy two-dimensional characters. No danger of this book letting me down there. Every single character jumps off of the page with emotional intensity. Every single one. Even those you only see for a paragraph or two. It's amazing. And a little exhausting.

Even more amazing is that the tension levels in this book are off the chart. The reader experiences the excruciating hyper awareness between the two main characters in what feels like real time.

And Ms. Dare knows her stuff. Sophia, our heroine, is an artist. And having known more than my fair share of artists, I can honestly say she nailed the compulsive need to express oneself that most artists have.

This is the second book in a series, but I haven't read the preceding novel. Surrender stands alone wonderfully.

I highly recommend this book for anyone sick of cookie cutter characters and plots. This is by far the best historical romance I've read this year!

**edited Oct 1 to correct this as 2nd in series, not 3rd.

The Laird Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins

The finale for the MacLean series has arrived, and it does not disappoint. Of all of the books, this one was perhaps the most serious. It was definitely less light-hearted than Hawkins's normal style. But given the long history between the two main characters and the serious nature of the oldest MacLean, that's to be expected.

Aside from the extremely yummy cover (<---), what makes this book intriguing for me is the tiny touch of paranormal that is included in the overall plot. The ability to create storms through loss of emotional control or temper is a wonderful plot device--and helps add depth to the heroes throughout this series. I particularly liked how Hawkins manages to make two characters who were unappealing to me in previous stories seem so compelling in this one without changing their overall personalities or providing excuses for their obvious character flaws. Taking place in both England and Scotland, this book also ties the series up in a nice, neat bow. I thoroughly enjoyed the glimpse of Honoria and Marcus from Lady in Red. Although it could be read as a stand-alone novel, it would be best served by--at the very least--reading the novel preceding it in the series: Sleepless in Scotland.

Love is Blind by Lynsay Sands

I admit it. I'm usually a spoiled New Release girl. I like fresh-off-the-press books. I like reading things as they come out. But, occasionally, I like to reread a favorite author. It usually has to be a fabulous book for me to keep or pick up again. It definitely has to be light-hearted (I don't keep the sad books). Lynsay Sands is a favorite author, and Love is Blind is one of my all time favorite books.

Sands writes in numerous romance subgenres. She's probably best known for her Argeneau vampire/paranormal series, but she's equally at home in medieval, highland, or Regency historicals. Love is Blind is a solid Regency historical. It is also one of the few books to add a word to my romance vocabulary: piffle. As in 'burnt piffle.'

What makes this story terrific is that the humor is largely slapstick. It is laugh out loud outrageous. Who else would write an historical novel where the heroine--deprived of her MUCH needed spectacles by her evil stepmother--mistakes a suitor's lap for a table and spills scalding hot tea on his---well, piffle? In a subgenre where grace and elegance reign supreme, this clumsiness of the heroine is so endearing.

What also makes this book is the hero. A quasi-Beta hero, he brings a Beauty and the Beast quality to the story. A war veteran whose facial injuries caused polite society to shrink in horror, he's uncommonly understanding, thoughtful and kind. He's also decisive, passionate, and a touch arrogant (which is why he's only quasi-Beta).

It had been a few years (and several hundred books) since my last reading of this novel. I do believe I enjoyed this reading MORE than my initial one.

Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens

At long last, Stephanie Laurens has released the conclusion to her popular Bastion Club series. Mastered by Love is the story of Dalziel, aka Royce Varisey. The head spymaster who directed the Bastion club members from Whitehall during the conflict with Napoleon.

For such an aggressive man, I found the story surprisingly passive. Aggressive emotionally--and sexually-- perhaps but passive in terms of the action that normally infuses the Bastion Club novels. The suspense and danger was thrown in at the very end, but the focus was on Royce's struggles to adjust to being a duke--and to convince his bride of choice to accept him.

I have a weakness for finale books and must have the obligatory glimpse of characters from previous installments to make a series feel complete. Laurens delivers that with glimpses not only of Bastion club members but also a few main Cynsters.

Although I really loved Minerva, I found the other characters a little too shallow compared to Laurens's normal characterization. That, combined with the lack of suspense and intrigue normally found in the series, adds to a twinge of disappointment . The romance, though, I considered a bit better--more compelling--than some of the previous installments.

Readers who enjoy the Bastion Club series primarily because of the action will likely be disappointed. But for fans of the series, it's worth reading just to see Royce as himself--and to watch someone normally so supremely confident have to work his way through uncertainty and emotional vulnerability.

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn

Finally! A Julia Quinn novel worth cheering about. What Happens in London is a return to her earlier roots with enough word play, wit and charm to keep you smiling from beginning to end.

There's something magical about Julia Quinn's writing. It's bubbly like champagne without being trite or without substance. It's as if she's smiling the entire time she writes.

There is very little angst in WHIL, but there are some wonderful characters.

Talk of the Ton: Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee, Jacqueline Navin

I am normally quite careful when book shopping to check the 'new release' shelves for reissues. Publishers have a sneaky habit of reissuing older books in new packaging--and they often catch the unwary.

Today, that would be me.

Talk of the Ton is a reissue of a 2005 anthology. To be fair, I KNEW I had read an anthology by that name before with a very different cover. But I was in a hurry and merely glanced at the copyright page, missed the fact that there were 2 copyright dates. I only saw 2009.

The good news is that this is an excellent anthology by Regency romance authors who were just coming into their own back in 2005. And these novellas and short stories are a great deal lighter than some of the more involved historical romances. Eloisa James normally writes historicals that are extremely moving--but are often ones that must be read with tissues close at hand . Her contribution is one of the lightest pieces of writing by her that I've ever read--and just as wonderful as the rest of her stories. In fact, it sets the tone for the general lightheartedness of this collection.

For those who haven't read it and may still be unfamiliar with a few of the authors, it is an excellent choice. For those who have read it, but not recently, it is worth a revist. Even if that revist is unintentional.

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick

Amanda Quick aka Jayne Ann Krentz's Arcane Society series is unique. She switches from Victorian to Contemporary settings depending upon which name she uses, but the underlying themes and premises remain the same. Two very different styles dealing with the psychic powers and filled with suspense.

The last Quick installment left me a bit bored. The characters seemed overwhelmed by the themes of psychic power, murder and mayhem. And without strong characters, the plot really doesn't matter. This one brings Quick back to the strong heroes and heroines that made me pick up her books in the first place. Even her earliest historicals had suspenseful plot lines, but over time the heroines had succumbed to a high degree of wimpiness.

So, while not perfect--the suspense was not very suspenseful this time--the Perfect Poison is a vast improvement over previous Quick installments in the Arcane Society series.

If you like your Regency or Victorian historicals without the paranormal or psychic aspects, though, you should avoid this one.

Don't Bargain with the Devil by Sabrina Jeffries

I adore Jeffries's School for Heiresses Series. They are all a little different, but Don't Bargain with the Devil is of a distinctly different mold than others in the series. I adore the hero--Diego, the magician. Not only was he sexy as hell, he was honorable in his way. And appreciative of Lucinda, our heroine, from the very first.

The shifting locales gave this book a different flavor, and the supporting cast of characters were--as usual--well developed and interesting. I found Lucinda to be unusually immature compared to how I imagined someone used to army camps would act. She seemed a bit too naive for me to fully believe in, but I enjoyed her impulsiveness. At least she wasn't simpering and weak.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read with a few less familiar plot twists and themes. It also sets up the finale quite well. I hope Mrs. Harris's story manages to meet or exceed expectations. We'll all find out next month!

Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch

The Notorious Gentleman series continues with Always a Scoundrel. Unfortunately for me, I can't remember the previous two installments. It's been too long between books or the characters just weren't that memorable. Probably a little of both. I do remember the back to back release of #1 and #2--which begs the question of why the long wait for #3?

Apparently, Avon's marketing department also forgot this was part of a series since the cover of this one bears little resemblance to the almost modern photo look of the other two.

Having read everything Ms. Enoch has written--including that very rare Black Duke's Prize--I have to rank this one as about mediocre. I miss her wit! The characters are still fine (with the villain in this one being particularly evil) but the interplay between the two main characters just doesn't shine as brightly as --say--Georgiana and Dare in the Rake.

It's still an entertaining read, but I wish Enoch would return to the writing style that endeared her to me in the first place.