It has been forever it seems since I have picked up a Lorret romance and I had forgotten how swoony her books are and they are so easy to get into. I have been in the mood for historical audiobooks lately, And I grabbed this one up from the library since I hadn’t read it yet and its the first book in her latest series “Misadventures in Matchmaking” which is about three sisters who start a matchmaking business together along with their uncle.

The Duke of Rydstrom is looking for a wife to help fill his coffers and help bring him the money he needs for his lands and tenants. Like many Aristocrats, he is need of a rich wife especially since he has a half sister that needs his love and all the support that he can give her. So he goes to the matchmaking business to find the right wife but what he doesn’t expect is to find the matchmaker rifling in his office in the middle of the night. Jacinda is determined to find the goods on the Duke of Rydstrom and she knows that he is keeping something from her and she finds a clue in a child named Sybil so she heads to the country to find out the truth but then she wakes up from a carriage accident and has no memory of who she is, all she has is a book with her name inscribed “Emma” by Jane Austen. When the Duke of Rydstrom finds Jacinda in a accident with no memory of who she is, he is instructed to keep her at his estate until she recovers or she may never recover her memory. So at first there is a high tension between Rydstrom and Jacinda that is the result of both of them denyig the sexual tension that they feel for each other. But their relationship is forbidden, because he is a Duke and she has no wealth or lands. Will these two find their way to their happy ever after?

How To Forget A Duke was a fun book but I will be honest at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did here. The heroine really threw me off at first, mostly due to how she treats the hero at first and how she intrudes on him just to learn his secrets. (in modern times she would probably make a good reporter though) but I did enjoy the amnesia twist and what really impressed me was that she doesn’t lose herself in the amnesia. We still see her personlity shine through despite her memory loss but she does make some foolish decisions that didn’t really make sense. For example when she is injured and just been taken to the Rydstrom estate, she is going out exploring the estate even though she has a head wound, dizzy, and wouldn’t even eat the meal brought to her….she just thinks its a good idea to go exploring despite how horrible she feels physically. It just seemed really foolish As the Duke and Jacinda keep running itno each other, chemistry between them keeps becoming stronger between them. And this is where the romance really became so satisfying and fun. I loved the swoony moments between these two and seeing them figure out the love that is developing.

I found this story to be a unique and charming one, both of these characters are flawed and make plenty of rash decisions but they also truly love each other and it was fun seeing them go on this journey together and discover what is most important in life. A fun and humorous filled romance to give you a smile.

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Jagged is the fifth book in the Colorado Mountain series and I am in love with how Kristen Ashley has written these books. I love a mountain setting in a romance and its really easy to relate to since I currently live in one and I am pretty close to Colorado and undestand some of the references that Ashley shows in her stories. Jagged is a story that takes us back to the town of "The Gamble" and this is also a second chance romance thrown into the mix.

Zara and Ham have been in love with each for a long while, but Ham was still hung up on the pain of his past and wasn't fully ready to give himself to Zara and Zara even though she loved Ham couldn't keep waiting for him to be ready in taking their relationship to the next level. Even though the sex between them was explosive she needed more than sex, and when Ham couldn't give it to her she asked for him to let her go so she could find love and happiness. So Ham does let it go, Zara marries but then three years later is now divorced. When Ham is almost killed by a ax murderer, he starts to see things differently and doesn't want to take his life for granted or this second chance to make things right with the one woman who gets him in all the ways that matter. So even though things are pretty tense for Zara and Ham at first, they find their balance and reconnect with each other but there is still their pasts they need to confront and together to find a way to heal and find their happy ever after in each other.

Jagged was a beautiful romance and I just love how this one was written. This book though was disappointing in that it was way shorter than the previous books (and I have gotten a kick out of her longer length novels) so I was surprised to have read this one so quickly but then glanced at the number of pages and yeah half the length, a little over 300 pages in this book. Its still well written but not as deep as some of the previous books. I did love seeing Ham and Zara finding their HEA and seeing some old favorite characters we were first introduced to in "The Gamble" and I really loved how this story evolved. We see the true test of family and loyalty and really liked the plot twist of Zara's nephew and the abuse of her father and the loss of her sister. There is quite a bit of emotional dramatics that come into play but I really liked how this story was written and of course its Kristen Ashley so its going to give you a full range of emotional outbursts.

Overall I found Jagged to be a intense yet heartfelt romance that brings two lost souls and the sense of strong family ties and seeing this pair find their second chance as they take a leap of faith on each other and the love that binds them!! OUTSTANDING!

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lady Derring Takes A Lover is the first book in her latest series “Palace of Rogues” and I am so happy that Julie Anne Long is coming back to historical romance. She just does fabulous work in writing historical romance, especially since she does a decent job with the dialogue and setting up the regency. I was curious how her new series would go and how she would introduce us to this new series and I was pleasantly delighted with this book and even though it wasn’t quite the full page turner I was expecting, it was a fun read and I had a blast with Lady Derring Takes A Lover.

Lady Derring Takes A Lover, when our heroine, Delilah, the Countess of Derring’s husband dies, and she learns that her husband was in deep debt that she didn’t know about and she is now destitute except for a handful of jewelry and a building near the docks. Delilah, knows that her whole life has changed and she will have to be creative in order to survive. While on her way to the only building she owns, she runs into a woman she doesn’t know, but admires after having a conversation with….her husband’s mistress. They decide to join forces and create a boarding house, she has a dream to create a haven for those coming into London from the docks and even though it could be a better neighborhood, she is determined to make a success of it.

Then we bring in our hero, Captain Tristan Hardy, who is on a mission, to discover if Lady Derring is innocent of her husband’s crimes and to figure out what Lord Derring was up to with the secretive shipments of cigars so he goes to the boardinghouse that Lady Derring is showing, takes a room and works undercover to find out the truth behind the building and behind the mystery of Lady Delilah Derring. But as he gets close to the truth their relationship turns into something more than just a business deal and secrets could destroy the fragile trust between them.

This book was simply delightful and I enjoyed every moment. I have to say that the one aspect of this Long’s writing is her sexy bantering that she displays. I just love seeing what she has done here and so well done for sure. It was very interesting to see the series set up as a boardinghouse on the London Docks. I am not sure how realistic that is, but it was written very well so it did work for me. It was fascinating to see Tristan and Delilah come together and yes Tristan has a lot of secrets including his work for the foreign office. Now of course, there are secrets so you know that there will be backlash from that especially since its the scenario where the secret is dragged out. I wasn’t a big fan of this happening, but this author made it work without having it drive me crazy and I have to say that Tristan does a great job in his grovel in the end, PERFECTO!! I got all sorts of good feels seeing this story wrap up so nicely and we get a lovely teaser for the second book, so you do have some great things to look forward to here.

I adored the romance that builds between Tristan and Delilah. Its not a perfect romance by any means, but its quite enjoyable and highly entertaining. I love how well these two get along in and out of bed. Their characters are very charismatic in different ways so I loved seeing how they make a relationship work. It has a whole bunch of give and take that occur between them before they find the balance they need in their relationship. I do want to mention that the chemistry between these two are explosive, my goodness, this author knows how to write sexual chemistry and does it so well so that it doesn’t overtake the relationship. We also have a fun mystery about Lord Derring and this mysterious house on the docks.

Overall I found Lady Derring Finds A Lover to be a stimulating, sensual and empowering romance!! A SEXY ROMANCE TO DELIGHT IN!

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride is the first book in the outlaw mail order bride series, which is connected to some of Broday’s previous series so it was really fun to see old favorites that connected to this story. This story was a unique twist on mail order brides and I really liked that it wasn’t your average mail order bride romance but with all the aspect of the “wild west” that you can admire and Linda Broday has always done a wonderful job in crafting beautifully penned westerns and this story is no different.

Clay and Talley is a pairing that takes us on a journey to the wild west. Clay is lonely, he craves someone to love and to grew old with and someone to raise children with. He hasn’t had the best luck in women, who seem never able to be strong enough to stick by his side through the hard stuff and he tends to always be abandoned by women he thought he could care about in the long haul. But he tries one more time with Talley, who he thinks might just be strong enough to stick with him no matter what. Talley has been living in hell for years. Her step mother, after her father and brother were killed suspiciously, forced her into an insane asylum and she went through hell and now that she is free, she is determined to free the iinnocent women being held there. Some of them with mental disabilities and others innocent, but tossed in because family members didn’t want them. One, a little girl, she rescued who is blind and has adopted her of a sort as her daughter. Talley doesn’t know if her marriage with Clay will work though because she is being hunted by those who run the asylum but she will do everything that she can to protect her daughter. Clay and Talley ‘s relationship is strained at first, but soon they develop a strong affection for each other, an affection that builds into something more stronger. But Talley has her reservations and doesn’t trust men easily, but she realizes that Clay is strong and kind enough to take her on and protect her from the dangers that hunt them

The Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride is a stunning romance that sweeps the reader off their feet pretty instantly. What I truly loved about this story was the beautiful love that builds between Clay and Talley. Now at first, I wasn’t quite on board with the heroine, she tended to leave when things get tough, always running but she does learn her lesson pretty quickly. My issue with the heroine is that she tended to break her promises to Clay and take the cowards way out with no protection and anything. But I love that her daughter truly helps her see that Clay can be trusted and that he is strong enough for them both. Even though the girl is terrified of men, she slowly begins to trust Clay and loved their beautiful father-daughter relationship form. Clay is one of the best heroes’ you can read. He is strong, protective, kind and understanding. He never judges either of his girls and just accepts and loves them for who they are and even though he has been burned bad by women in the past he doesn’t let that keep him from true happiness with Talley.

Overall I found Outlaw’s Mail Order Bride to be a stunning story of adventure, edgy suspense, tender moments to delighten you and a romance to cheer on!!

 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This Scot Of Mine is the fourth book in Jordan's "Rogue Files" series and I have had a blast with this book and its my favorite of the series so far. I still need to read book one, (which I have heard is the fan favorite) however, this book really worked for me and I read it a lot quicker than I ever expected. Sophie Jordan is a author I will always be a fan of, I just admire how she writes and she just adds spice to regency that can become a bit boring if you read too much of it. But this book was simply wonderful and it shows how few resources women had to make a good life for themselves and how little rights they had and what strength we see in them. We see it so well in this book.

Our story begins with our heroine, Lady Clara, who had to rescue herself from having to marry a man she didn't like and ruin herself in scandal by claiming to be with child. She is traveling to be with her brother who lives in Scotland. On her way to her brother's home, she and her maid and close friend, take a break at a local inn and they get caught up in a bar brawl between two Scots over a bull. And one of them she finds terribly attractive but she is appalled by the level of violence over a cow. As she arrives at her brother's home, she is stunned when his closest friend and neighbor, is the same Scot she saw at the inn.

Our hero, Hunt MacLarin, never expected to have such a chemistry with Lady Clara. Hunt fears the future and the risk of having a child. His family has been living under a curse for generations. This curse is one where  every Laird, will never be alive long enough to see their child born. Fatal accidents have killed both Hunt's father and grandfather and he doesn't want the same to happen to him. When he learns that Lad Clara is pregnant though, its the answer to his prayers. He can have a family without being at risk of dying early in his life. There is a strong attraction between Hunt and Clara, and as they form a connection, they will have to rely on each other to face their fears and embrace the present and not concern themselves over the future and to live in the moment.

This book truly is a test for both of these characters and I was in love with the "curse". I love seeing some of my favorite authors implement curses into their books, especially into a regency historical romance. Now in this book, I wouldn't say the "curse" aspect isn't as strong as what I have seen other authors write in the past, but I really enjoyed how it didn't overwhelm the story. I really adored the sizzles that pass between the hero and the heroine. Its simply delightful and one of my favorite aspects of the story.

From their first meeting, the attraction between these two is heartfelt and what I really appreciated is how even though Clara could have kept the truth from Hunt she chose not to and boy I respected her even more for that. For being upfront and honest, even if that meant Hunt not being willing to marry her. But these two find their way and I really loved seeing how the curse ends here and how Jordan writes it and seeing the importance of not taking the ones you love for granted and also never taking life for granted, to appreciate the precious time we have now. I really loved seeing these characters come together and boy there is so much charm and sensuality in this story. There is a great mix of delightful humor that comes with a Sophie Jordan novel, but some marvelous intrigue too that I was drawn into.

Overall I found This Scot Of Mine to be a sensational romance that delivers in style, poise, and wit!!





 





 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

The Truth About Love and Dukes was a wonderful book and I have always enjoyed reading this author however, this book was a bit different than I was expecting. I think what Laura Lee Guhrke has NEVER lost is sexy bantering and I am not sure if it was due to the talent of the narrator or if it was the story itself, but I found myself amused by the angst the develops between these two here. The Truth About Love and Duke is Gurhke's first book in her "Dear Lady Truelove". If you love journalistic set ups, than this book is much for you. Now many have compared this book as a copy cat for one of my favorite books from her "And Then He Kissed Her" DONT LISTEN, I definitely don't agree with that evaluation. There are so many differences in this book from her backlisted novel.

The Truth About Love and Dukes begins with our hero, who is the Duke of Torquil, and when he and his siblings see a newspaper article about a woman writing to "Lady Truelove" about a certain set of circumstances and too many details of those circumstances come too close to their mother's situation who has become romantically involved with a Italian painter. Even though he knows that she was never happy with his father, who could be a hard man before he passed away, he knows she is only thinking of herself when they find some of her things gone, with a note implying she is going off to be with her painter.  Henry is determined to find his mother's location through this "Lady Truelove" but what he finds is an independent woman who is more than willing to battle him verbally. But the situation takes a turn for the worse when Irene realizes the mistake of poking the angry bear when its hurting, and they find themselves battle with each other and the love they find. But can a newspaper woman and a Duke find a happy ending?

I simply adored this story so much here, it was so enchanting and boy the angst between these two is some of the best I have seen in a long while from this author and I had a blast with their interactions with each other but most especially in the beginning. Their first meeting was so hilarious and I was so highly entertained by this one here. I really loved how strong both of their personalities are in this book. They are both fighting for what they believe in and even though they are on opposite sides of the situation, they do learn to appreciate each other. I really liked both the hero and heroine so much in this book. The heroine is feisty and yeah she is a bit arrogant and proud and she can be self righteous at times, but the hero definitely knows when to fight her on things and when to back down. I like that they can argue and battle with their wills of each other, but also I love the passion between them. Seeing them journey together in their desire for each other, and find a way past what is forbidden was truly fun and there is such a depth of emotion that comes into play in this story. Even though they love each other, both Irene and Henry have to fight themselves in different ways to come to terms with their own shortcomings before they can really embrace what they have together and there is such growth that we see from both of them here.

Overall I found The Truth About Love and Dukes to be a sexy, humor filled romance that will give its readers delights, smiles and swoony moments to satisfy!!





 

Daisy Bowman, the last of the wallflowers left to marry, has had three season and has yet to find a man to marry. So her father insists that she has two months to find a husband, or she will be marrying Matthew Swift. From what she remembers of Matthew Swift is a cold man so much like her father, who is driven and intelligent, but when she meets him again she is stung by how much he has changed over the years. No longer a "bag of cabbage" he is handsome, strong features and mesmerizing. So with the help of her brother n' law and Evie's husband, they have selected some gentlemen eligible for her, to come to Westcliff's home in the country. Matthew Swift exudes charm and sensual beauty that has every woman tittering in his favor. However Daisy is insistent on trying to ignore Matthew, but as much as she tries, she finds herself feeling more alive around Matthew than any other man. His kisses waken up her senses, and she aches not only for his sensual touch but she also aches to know the man as well. But Matthew is hiding something, something that haunts him and could destroy everything....Scandal In The Spring is the fourth in the Wallflower Series. This is Daisy's story. I find that whenever I read any books from this author, I just fall in love with the story and the characters, and the same is true for Scandal In Spring. It was such a delight to read this one, and it has been some time since I have. I loved both of these characters, as far as hero's go Matthew Swift is one of my favorites. He is handsome, driven, passionate, and throughout the story we see Matthew come to life. The interaction between Matthew and Daisy is witty, fun, and at times sensual; and entertaining to the reader. As far as love stories go this is a golden treasure, and one that will charm any reading with a romantic heart. Scandal In Spring is definitely at the top of best romances!!

Beatrice, is shocked when Reynaud drops in, confused and in a rage, expecting to come back and find his title and home ready for him. Beatrice, is the niece of the present Earl, and is amazed that he is alive. Having viewed his portrait many times, she finds him around even hurt, exciting and filling her with such need...Reynaud, only knows of his past and doesn't believe he has any family or friends left that he can trust. The only one he seems to be able to believe in is Beatrice, who is lovely inside as she is out and knows that despite her loyalty to her uncle, she can help him regain his title and lands again and a future...To Desire A Devil is the last installment in the Four Soldier Series. I really enjoyed the earlier books in the series, and even though I found this one a entertaining and sizzling read...it was far from my favorite. I found Reynaud too selfish at times, but I admired Beatrice and for standing up to him and not being afraid of his certain savageness. I did enjoy the plot, and I loved the side story of Beatrice's friend...Overall I found To Desire A Devil to be a heated story filled with heated scenes, intriguing plot full of mystery and suspense, and a tender love story