This is the first time I have ever read this author and all I can is IMPRESSIVE....I was really blown away by this book and I am not sure if I will give this book the credit it deserves but I am going in full speed ahead anyway.
In A Daring Arrangement we have a story of a couple, that are brought together in a night of birthday parties, drinking, horses and a fake engagement...intrigued yet?? Well you all should be because the beginning of the story was quite frankly the best beginning I have read in a long LONG while and it left me grinning from the first couple of pages. Our heroine is desperate. She has fallen in love with a artist, but her father disapporves and heavily. So he ships her off to America to stay with her aunt in New York City for a time. Honora Parker, has a plan, a dangerous one for sure, but she has a plan. In order to return home, she will need to let scandal erupt but not too much. So she will hunt down the biggest scoundrel and dangerous man in New York City and seek out a fake engagement and then her father will bring her back to England so she can be with her first love. Only there is one problem with the plan, her fake fiancee is starting to feel too real, and she is starting to feel more for this American than she has ever felt for her artist. And this daring arrangement has turned out to be one of true love...
What a story that packs a whollop and boy oh boy, has it been a while since I have read a fake engagement romance and one that deals with a lady of the Ton and an American and takes place in the States instead of England as is the norm. I found this setting to be quite refreshing. And another aspect that I didn't expect was our hero. Now this is a man that has had to go after his own future. When his father made a poor investment, his family lost everything. And he never wanted to suffer that again and he became a investment tycoon. And is one of the richest men in New York City. He does have a "wild" reputation but quite honestly this hero of ours is way more responsible than our heroine. Now don't get me wrong, I liked her in many ways. But she was naive and too innocent and very reckless. She wanted scandal and everything but not too much to destroy her but just enough to make her father angry. Thank goodness for Julius being the logical and sensible of the pair here. He keeps her out of TOO much trouble that she is determined to get herself into. I really did enjoy the adventures these two go on and the chemistry that builds between them. This is more of a slow burn romance, it builds in just the right ways. I liked that it wasn't too rushed and seemed to fit right for this pair.
A Daring Arrangement is a love affair that is full of mischief, laughter, nothing too sensible....lively sparks and packed with emotion and adventure!! A Romance to die for and will lift any reader's spirits. This story is bound to keep you on your toes. Guaranteed.
Daring and the Duke is the finale of the Barenuckled Bastards trilogy by this author and I can't believe this delightful series is over already. I think I have been looking forward to Grace's story since the first book was read, she is such an iconic character that just builds the mystery and intrigue throughout the trilogy, so you just ache for her story and seeing more of her background, and there are so many facets to her character that I found fascinating and well worth the long wait for. And of course we have our anti hero(villain) who has just played the "bad guy" for the first two books and one wonders how on EARTH can MacLean redeem this soul? Well she does and its epically beautiful.
Daring and the Duke starts off with a torture session with Grace and Ewan. This is quite shortly after "Brazen and the Beast" and where Ewan is captured by the three and Grace takes out her anger and feelings of betrayal and hurt out on Ewan and Ewan shocked to find her alive, is willing to give her whatever she needs, even if it means causing him pain. He doesn't fight her at all. And then he is tossed out and we jump ahead one year later where Ewan after disappearing for a year, returns to London and to Grace and is more than willing to fight for her, no matter what it takes. Grace knows that playing with Ewan, and sharing kisses with him is dangerous, but she senses there is something redeemable about him and wants to see what is possible with this Ewan who has seemingly changed from the man he once was. But Ewan is hiding a secret from all of them, and only once the secrets are revealed, can Ewan and Grace truly find a future together.
Daring and the Duke was a delightful story that I fell so hard for and so quickly towards and I couldn't get enough of it. I was so captivated by this book and quite frankly READ these books in narration form. That is all I am going to say and you will adore them. I will be honest, I don't physically read this author anymore. I have just found it to be too slow at times and I can have the hardest time getting into them, but boy, Justine Eyre works her magic in narrating these books and probably a big reason why I have enjoyed them so much here.
You are a queen....and tonight I am your throne
I really fell in love with the story though, and even though the beginning scene is not my cup of tea (a heroine hurting the hero is NOT for me) and I almost set it aside because that scene did bother me. I understand the circumstances and why she was so angry, but it just turned my stomach seeing this scene. But then once we do the year jump, then the book turned into all that I hoped for. I loved the groveling but I also liked seeing the heroine see something more in the hero even if she doesn't fully realize it. And all the women in the family coming together and cheering her on in her pursuit of Ewan was AWESOME. We do get some good reconcilation between the brothers and even if it wasn't as much as I wanted to get, it was well done in seeing that friendship be able to rebuild its process.
The three of us could have easily been broken. Separated. Manipulated,” he said. “It wasn’t blood that kept us together against him. It was you.” She caught her breath. “We all loved you. Whit and Devil like a sister—each of them willing to protect you without hesitation. And me . . .” He trailed off, and she reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. “Like you were a part of me.
The romance between Grace and Ewan was just beautiful. We do get some flashback to when they were younger, and seeing that bright young love blossom and then seeing what Ewan had to do to save all of them and it broke my heart seeing him make the difficult choice knowing it would make them turn against him. I found seeing that and seeing his devotion to Grace when he finds her alive and well, was stunning in its portrayal throughout the book. What he is willing to do to fight for her and support her is beautiful in every way. And seeing Grace fight for him, even if that means standing up for him against the two men that protected her all these years, was mind blowing. You see how much depth of love she contains for Ewan, despite all of his past wrongs, but sees the goodness still in him.
I do not want to be Your Grace ever again. All I want is for you to be my Grace.” He kissed her again. “It’s always been you. Every day. Every night. Every minute. Since the beginning. This is the sum of my ambition: To be worthy of you. Of your love. Of your world. To stand by your side and change it.
Overall I found Daring and the Duke to be a stunning story that won my heart with each beautiful chapter that charmed my soul in its depths of emotion and startling truths of love and growth.....STUNNINGLY EPIC
Avery Dare lives in Miami, being a blogger and online makeup and fashion artist. She does what she loves and is comfortable with it. She has a strong relationship with her siblings and a big family. The one man that she loves is a rock star and is the lead singer. Their relationship has suffered since he got famous with his music. When she receives an invitation to go to one of his concerts, she takes a chance, but when she is invited back-stage and sees what life is really like for him...the attention, press, and groupies, she knows that she can't handle it. So she goes back home and to her quiet life never expecting to see him again. Grey Kingston loves Avery, he has lived his life of fame but it has taken its toll on him, and he is ready to go after the woman he loves more than life. Grey knows that he is in for a battle, because for the first time he will have to chase his prey and keep her if she will let him. But there is a fanatic fan who is determined to tear them apart, can their renewed love withstand what is in the works to break them or will it make them stronger than ever?
Plot and Story Line
Dare to Rock is the seventh installment, this series the "Dare to Love" is based on the Dare family. Dare to Rock is a rocker romance, but a bit different than most rock star romances. In this book, it begins with the scene where Avery comes to Grey's show. Grey wanted Avery at his concert and he wanted to see her again, but when a crazy groupie is all over him despite his efforts to push her away, Avery sees everything and runs away from it and the life he lives. Then it skips to the current time, where Avery and Grey have been living their own lives. Grey has made an effort to keep in touch with Avery, give her unique and special gifts and wants her back. Avery is afraid, mostly because of her past. She suffers from panic attacks. Avery when she was nine learned a truth that her father had an affair with another woman and kids and wanted Avery to donate her bone marrow for a sister who had cancer. Avery did so and took it in stride, but all the press was horrid and she never fully healed, and never confronted her father about her true feelings about the past. We have an additional element in the story...the crazed fan. We see the element of intrigue and danger increase while Avery and Grey are relearning each other and building a new trust again. The sex scenes are plenty, yet sexy and fun.
I realize I left you once, but I promise never again. And I know I'm not a bargain, and I bring with me more hassle than you need or want in your life, but I love you. I want to take care of you, to have fun with you, and to be by your side for the rest of my life.
These two tend to be very playful with each other and I liked how they responded so well to each other. What I also enjoyed was the Dare family...the siblings, they were fun to get to know and the differing personalities was very unique. Even though this is the 7th book, it can definitely be read as a stand alone.
The Cover
What I like about the cover for this one is the black and white hues, with the yellow lettering. The pose is sexy and enticing.
Overall View
Dare to Rock is an emotionally thrilling romance that takes the reader on an adventure of desire, love and danger.
Dare To Love A Duke is the third book in the London Underground series by Eva Leigh. I am not sure why I haven't read Eva Leigh in such a long time, but after hearing some raves about this book on multiple romance podcasts and the big controversy on the Twitter Romancelandia that dealt with a review from Smart Bitches on this book, I decided that I needed this book in my life especially with the set up of the story which involves a Duke and a passion club madame. I grabbed this up from my local library in audiobook format. So first I want to discuss the fantastic narration done by Zara Hampton Brown. Now she is a newer narrator so this is my first time listening to her but she needs to do more historical's for sure because she is just beautiful to listen to. And she really handled this book so well and pretty quickly I was drawn into this audiobook so BRAVO to this wonderful narration that was done here.
Dare To Love A Duke begins with our hero Thomas Powell, is different from who his father the current Duke of Northfield wants him to be. Thomas has always been a bit more rebellious to his father's views in politics and he has wanted to bring about change that is not the most popular opinion. While out with a friend, he is taken to a secret club "The Orchid" , that is a sex club that is all about pleasure and consent. Thomas has an attraction to the madame of the club, but she never participates but Thomas and Lucia have created a friendship over the past year that Thomas has been attending the club.
But when Thomas' father passes away he is to take his rightful place as the Duke of Northfield and certain parties expect him to play along with their political desires. Thomas is torn in two over his heart and to protect his family. His sister is in love with the son of the man that is blackmailing Thomas and if Thomas doesn't fall in line with the right votes that goes against everything that Thomas believes is right, then his sister will lose the man she loves. But before he makes a decision he goes to the Orchid club for one last night and seeks to make love to the beautiful Lucia and after one night of beautiful passion, they both know that this will be the last night they will see each other. But then a dreadful secret comes out, about Thomas' father and Thomas and Lucia are bound to run into each other as Thomas faces a horrible decision where he will have to battle with what is right over what is easy especially when there could be horrible consequences for his mother and his baby sister. But with Lucia by his side, Thomas will find his path and find a breathtaking love worth fighting for....
Dare To Love A Duke is one of the BEST historical romances I have read in years!! My goodness, this book blew me away in so many different ways but honestly, this book was so fulfilling to this reader and I don't think I could sing this books' praises enough. Eva Leigh has done wonders with this book and even though its book three in the series, you definitely can read this book as a stand a lone. But I definitely need more Lucia, so I want to see her interactions in the previous two books. Now I have NO idea why the Smart Bitches review was so horrible and negative about this book and I HELL NO agree with them. Because honestly, I love seeing the matches that form with the members of the Ton and the members of the London underground. I would like to say that I loved both Thomas and Lucia. Normally with Eva Leigh, its all about the heroine and her strength and "bluestocking" ways, however, what I really loved the most was the focus being equaled between the hero and the heroine and seeing the true intimacy that forms between these two.
The hero, Thomas, was so beautiful and breathtaking and I loved his character so very much. First off, he is so devoted to his family in such beautiful ways. He is the protective older brother to his sister. They have always been really close ever since they were children and even as adults they have such a great close-knit bond to each other. He will do anything to make sure that his sister is happy and wants her to be with the man she has found love with. Thomas may not believe in love in the beginning, but he does believe that it is real and wants his sister to find happiness. Thomas is also one that wants a life better for everyone especially those that live in poverty. His political views are the opposite of his father, where he wants more amendments and laws to benefit the poor more than benefiting the rich and titled. But when his father dies, and he is blackmailed he begins to face up to what is right and he has to make a difficult choice but you see that Thomas is a man of honor and true to himself.
Lucia also known as "Amina" is not originally from England, from the narrator's accent for her, Lucia is from Italy. She grew up poor and then she found a way to come to England and she was a prostitute for a while and then was lucky enough to have this position as a madame for the "Orchid Club" which gave her the money to supply the people she loves the most with what they need and she found her family in those that run the Club. And which could give her the dream of building the girl's home that she wants more than anything. Lucia is a woman that is independence and is hard working and has such a kind heart and wants to help those girls out in the streets and teach them the tools to find better positions in society to benefit them and give them hope of a brighter future. I adored Lucia because she isn't ashamed of who she is and what she has had to do in the past to survive but also she isn't ashamed of enjoying the pleasure of sex.
The romance that develops between Thomas and Lucia is so well done and I loved the closeness that these two feel for each other. They fit so perfectly together and have the same dreams for the future. We see how well they work together and despite the difference stations in society that these two fit in, they understand one another and they find what they need for one another. There are so many poignant moments between these two and seeing them find common ground and find what they need in each other is pretty stunning. From the pleasures between the sheets to fulfilling both of their dreams, and finding the balance that they need to get to their HEA is so beautiful.
The only drawback to this story is when a big scandal comes out in the story, the heroine Lucia doesn't treat Thomas very good and pretty much blames him for everything when its obviously not his fault and he is just as much a victim as she is. So I didn't like her treatment of Thomas in the end, but the ending was beautifully done so it made up for it.
Overall I found Dare To Love A Duke to be a beautiful portrayal of this Regency romance that is truly outstanding in shape and form, a tale of an intimate romance that brings you all the feels and depths of emotion and heart....a gutsy love tale that will make you fall head over heels in love!
Daring Miss Danvers is the first book in the Wallflower Weddings series and a fun cute read and if you are looking for something charming and sweet and light....then this is definitely a book for you. I will admit that this book I struggled with at times, mostly due to not being fully invested in these characters, Honestly, I just wasn't in the feels with this story, especially the first half. The latter half was much better in how it was written and really pulls in the reader more into the story. The actual story was pretty well solid, its a sweet romance, and I really liked the friends to lovers and fake relationship and unrequited love tropes that were delved into this story. The dynamics were pretty fun to read. I do think the unrequited love trope I struggled with, to be honest, they were dancing around each other in some ways that did drive me crazy at times. It's not a horrible story or anything, but just a fun sweet interlude of a romance. The relationship that we see form is a very interesting one. We have two characters that have known each other for years, there is a strong level of trust between them and they come to an agreement so that the hero can gain his inheritance to build the hospital to honor his father's memory. There is an unrequited love aspect but mostly this is built due to lack of honest communication, there are hints here and there, but really if they just sat down and had an open conversation, they would realize the real truth that is happening between them.
Despite my issues with the story, I found it heartwarming and full of warm promise and sweet delights that will endear the reader in a beautiful way!!!
Grace Burrowes is one of my favorite authors to read. After reading some of the Wyndham series, she was bumped up to the top of my list. In the past, her stories have been emotionally driven stories with powerful characters. Darius is the first in this series, and by reading the synopsis I was beyond intrigued. Darius is definitely a bit different than Burrowes other stories. As I first started reading Darius, I wasn't sure how much I would end up liking it. How Darius and Vivian meet and get together isn't the exact situation I am normally comfortable with. However as I continued to read through it, I found I was captivated by this sweet story that ended up putting my emotions through the ringer.
Darius, finds himself being put in a bad situation. Penniless and desperate to protect his sister, decides to offer himself up in return for money. Each and every time he gives his body, he can barely live with himself, but he does what is necessary in order to survive. Then one day a titled lord approaches him with a offer with a huge amount of funds in exchange for get his wife pregnant, to secure her future. Vivian loves her husband, but not in a way of passion or romantic love. She was a friend of his first wife, and agreed to marry him when she had no one to turn to. Now he has persuaded her that since he is older and unable to give her a child, that she will need one after he has died. In the beginning Vivian refuses to do so, but knows it is her only option. When she goes to their country estate and meets Darius, she finds herself captivated by his touch. She has never felt passion until now, and now that she has found a man that she could come to deeply care for, she will have to let him go and act as if they are mere acquaintances. When she does find that she is pregnant with Darius's child, she doesn't know if she can let him go. Will Darius and Vivian be able to find their happy ending?
Overall I found Darius to be a astounding read and a great beginning to the Lonely Lords series. I found this story enriching and deeply provoking. I loved seeing Darius and Vivian and seeing how their relationship turns out. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting. I loved Darius from the beginning despite his being a man ho of sorts. But I loved how protective he was of Vivian. There was such a tender connection between these two that I admired from the start. The intimacy that grows between them was endearing and I couldn't help but fall in love with these two. Even Vivian's husband I admired as well, such a sweet caring that you are bound to love as much as I did. A intoxicating read full of a complex plot, lively characters and a story that will break your heart!! A KEEPER TO PUT ON THE SHELF!!!
This is the third book in the series, and continues off where the second book left off. This ia story where we see Dante and Rhea grow in their relationship. We see them arrive in England, and at first we see them settle in their marriage, taking time to get ready to meet Rhea's parents. But then shockingly her father arrives in London, and what a sweet reunion Rhea has with her family. At first tension is high, and Dante is forced to prove himself. But finally they do accept him and love him as their own. Rhea and Dante journey up north to his family's estate and this is where the story really escalates with intensity and emotion. Dante has to face his past in order to save his future. He has an enemy that is out to destroy him and all that he holds dear. This is a stimulating romance that is riveting and stunning. So much emotion and I got wrapped up in this story and fell hard for it. I definitely plan on trying out McBain's other stories. Loved getting to know this family and the various facets that come together in the end!!!
Charlotte Vintage and her best friend Gabrielle, are on the run. They live in hiding and secret from a dangerous man. Charlotte's brother and mentor were murdered, as well as Gabrielle's grandmother. Charlotte has unique abilities, and when she receives a vision of three men that are tracking their movements, Charlotte and Gabrielle decided to go on the defensive. They are tired of running and hiding and being afraid and never feeling safe. They head to a dance club, hoping to have some relaxation and fun and needing to do more than live away in secret. Tariq Asengard, is a ancient Carpathian. He runs a most popular dancing club, and is well known in society's circles. When he senses his lifemate close by, seeks her out and saves her and brings her and her friend to his highly guarded estate. Charlotte has never felt a connection like she does to Tariq, a man of mystery and power but is gentle and patient with her and encourages her gifts. But there is a threat, a dangerous master vampire who tortures, rapes and kills innocent women and children. Children that are under Tariq and Charlotte's protection...
Plot and Story Line
Dark Carousel is the 30th installment, in the Carpathian Series and man I can't believe we are on #30. Kinda crazy how many books are in this series and the way it has developed. The one aspect I love the most is the world building. And Feehan keeps you intrigued more and more. Now I admit I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. The past two heroes in this series, haven't exactly been my favorites at all, and I was curious to see what she would do with Tariq. But thankfully, he turned out to be good!! I was very delightfully surprised with this one. Tariq is a lot more tamer than most of the more recent heroes in the series. He is alpha male, very, but at the same time he isn't stuck in the old ages either. He doesn't try to force or demean Charlotte. He encourages her gifts and even wants her to learn how to fight vampires just in case its needed. We have a major villain in play here. And man he is one of the worst I have seen since I stumbled across this series. Tariq has adopted five children that he rescued from a master vampire who was doing experiments trying to sire his own children. Four girls and one boy. The girls had the worst of it and two of them are still suffering from intense forms of PTSD. Charlotte doesn't know if she can be a good mother or even friend to these children who need a therapist or someone capable of seeing to their needs. All of them are living a half life. Not fully in the human world yet not fully in the carpathian one either. The romance that develops between Tariq and Charlotte was different and had some upsides and downsides. First, it felt a bit rushed in my opinion even for a Feehan romance TOO fast. I like to see chemistry build up and a relationship grow, not happen in one night!! It's probably the one factor I would change about this story. Everything else I had a blast with, but their romance just happened to quickly to be believable. But man I loved the way Tariq does treat Charlotte. Like a partner, he puts her opinion above almost everything else unless she is in danger.
I am not going to tell you I don't have a dominant personality, because I do. That said, I don't want a submissive woman. I want an intelligent woman thinking for herself. I want a strong woman to help me figure out what to do with enormous problems I have facing me. Do I make decisions fast? Yes. Absolutely. I want my woman to be able to do the same. You're that woman. Will it always be easy? We have five children to look out for. Five. Two are already teens. All of them are traumatize. We have Fridrick and his bosses with their army coming after Emline, Genevieve and you. We have the threat of the three men following you from Paris. I don't need a submissive woman, Charlotte. I need a warrior. A woman walking beside me. Fighting beside me. Standing in front of those children beside me. I know that woman is you
But Charlotte although capable and strong-willed, is understanding of Tariq's nature, and knows when to put her pride aside and let him lead especially when its a dangerous situation.
I'm savoring every moment with you. Committing it to memory. The start of us. The beginning. I do not want to miss one single second with you
I did like how well these two complimented each other. The added factor of traumatized children was different and very emotionally driven. I did like the other Carpathian's that work with Tariq----especially the really ancient ones, it will be interesting to see how Feehan does their stories. I did adore how his friends are so protective of the children, and even though they don't feel emotion---the children bring out echoes of emotion for them. Definitely quite a few tear jerking moments in this one. And we got a hint of a future romance between one of the children Liv and Tariq's friend Val. But since she is only ten in this story----it will be a while before we get their book but I am curious to see if we will see hints of their relationship over the next few installments. Now as for the danger aspects of the story----well written in every form, intriguing and intense!!
The Cover
One of the best covers I have seen in this series ever!!! Just gorgeous and dramatic and I love it!! The Carousel theme is just perfect especially with the fire like effect.
Overall View
Dark Carousel is a story of romance, passion, and danger!!! We see growth, strength and courage develop and seeing a couple work together to bring down a dangerous villain to protect innocents----a nail-biting suspenseful romance that keeps you on the edge!!!
