Poppy Hathaway is the only one of her family that craves a life of normalacy, to not have big adventures, since her life with her family is filled with one adventure after another. Poppy is in the latter part of the season and at the Rutledge hotel where they are staying, on a race for a ferret, and stumbles in a secret passageway she finds herself in Harry Rutledge's arms and dazzled by his sensational kisses, Harry who is a temptation in and of itself to Poppy. Harry Rutledge wants Poppy and will do anything he can to get her. So when they are caught in a compromising position, which forced Poppy to marry the one man that has manipulated everything to this point. Even though she doesn't trust him, and is reluctant to marry, she knows that if she doesn't her life will be ruined. So she marries him, not exactly knowing what to expect out of Harry Rutledge, however she never realized that even though things started a bit rocky, their union would be filled with passion, love and trust.This is my Third time reading Tempt Me At Twilight, and I just love this one, and one of my favorites written by this author and it is my favorite book of this series. I just have always loved Poppy, and I also love Harry, he is the kind of male heros that I love to read about in love stories. The kind that is so Alpha and wants to take control of everything, but what he needs more is a fiery female who will show him love and tenderness and Poppy surely does this, and we see a change in Harry throughout the story. Tempt Me At Twilight is a tender romance that will definitely make you fall in love all over again, a delightful love story!!!

Emma, once sworn her heart to a man she thought she loved who in return rejected their vows to each other, and their daughter, and now barely survives as a weaver until she meets Lord Gilles, who is the Lord over Hawkwatch Castle. Gilles, a powerful warrior and Lord, has already been married once and raised a son, and starts to think he is getting old, until he meets Emma who brightens his day with her smile, and makes him feel alive again and will do anything to have her in his bed, to show her true passion in his arms, but then he falls in love with her and knows that she is the keeper of his heart forever..... Lord Of The Keep is one of my ultimate favorite books.....I first read this book when I first started reading romances, and I just fell iu love with the story and the characters. It starts out with unfortunate circumstances which in the end turns into a silver lining for both Gillles and Emma. What I truly loved was the connection you see the moment Gilles and Emma meet, and I just loved the verbal interaction between the characters. The emotion portrayed in this story is overpowering and riveting, and made it near impossible to put it down. The story plot was exciting and had some twists and turns especially toward the end that will keep you on your toes from beginning to end. Ann Lawrence creates a story of adventure and romance that will capture your heart....A KEEPER!!!!

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Summary

Kelsey Langton has always looked out for her sister. When they lost their parents to a tragic and dramatic death, they were taken in by their aunt and uncle. But when her uncle loses his funds, he convinces Kelsey that she can save them and help provide more security for her sister. So she agrees to sell herself as a Lord's mistress to save her family. When she is put on the block, she end up being Derek Malory's mistress. Derek Malory is not a man to be spontaneous or to buy a mistress especially for the large amount, but when a cruel fellow Lord bids on Kelsey, he knows the pain she will suffer at his hands and he can save her this time. But Kelsey is not what he expected. She is kind, beautiful, intelligent and passionate and innocent. But when Derek realizes he wants to marry Kelsey, because he loves her, it might be impossible with the scandal surrounding their relationship and the secret that Kelsey is keeping from him...

The Hero

Derek Malory is the only son of Jason Malory, with all the responsibilities and duties that come with the Title and being the only son of the eldest of the Malory siblings. Derek believed that his mother died, and his step mother Frances was never a true mother to him. Derek is charming but is also responsible when he needs to be. Derek is such a wonderful hero to read. I love the way he is with Kelsey. He definitely has the type of personality that is a bit different from others in his family. He has a good balance though. He isn't a rake like his uncles are, but also not as strict in responsibilities as his father and uncle Edward.  I love seeing a mix of good characteristics from the family that Derek portrays in his personality.

The Heroine

Kelsey Langton is a truly wonderful heroine that we have. I love her character and personality. She is the oldest of the two sisters, but she is the more responsibile one although she tends to have a bit of a temper at times and I did love seeing that side of her come out. She is very innocent though. And it was interesteing to see how she deals with her situation and how well she handles everything she faces. She is strong and courageous and kind. She is such a likable character and I love how protective she is of her sister and then Derek too.

Plot and Story Line

Say You Love Me was such a wonderful book and is one of my favorite books in this series. It was such a joy and fun experience to re read this one. Although I won't admit how much I have read this book, since its been on my bookshelf for many years and I still love it after allt his time. But then this whole series is like that for me. But there is something unique and different about this couple that I just love. Rarely do you fall in love with a couple that meets in such a unique way as these two meet. It might not be for everyone but I LOVE this and the unique meeting and we get a bit of a danger side to the plot, its a small amount and doesn't take away from the romance. Our villain of the story is Lord David Ashford, who enjoys whipping women to have sex with them. Yeah he is pretty horrible and has his sights set on Kelsey.

“I find it intolerable that this lord is out there going about his
depravities unhindered. I was hoping you might know some way to deal with the man."
"Oh, Yes," James said with a dark, ominous smile. "I can think of a few ways."
"Short of killing him, that is," Derek felt it prudent to add.
James said nothing for nearly ten seconds, then, "If you insist.”

But Derek is the one man that he fears. I did love seeing the way the Malory family deals with the "scandal" and the way each member of the family tend to clash when they disagree on a issue and can I say how amusing this family is. Now to get to the romance between Derek and Kelsey. I just love their story so very much. At first, its slow, getting to know each other and not what you expect especially with the set of the story and Kelsey being purchased as Derek's mistress. And a misunderstanding occurs in the beginning, but I really like seeing how you get to the heart of their characters in the beginning of the story. We see how wonderful of a connection they have together.

"She liked Derek, liked being with him, liked making love to him, liked everything about him. And unless he did something drastic to alter that, she was afraid those feelings were going to get much stronger.
That was a horrible thought. She didn't want to love Derek. She didn't want to agonize over the day he would tell her he had no further use for her. And that day would eventually come. When it did, she wanted to sigh in relief, not cry her heart out."

They can flirt, they can laugh, share powerful chemistry and just click pretty quickly. I love they their relationship isn't all "sex" in fact, its pretty light on that front compared to other romances I have read. I like seeing the growth and intimacy these two have emotionally despite the fact Kelsey is keeping a big secret like the fact she is a daughter of a titled Lord. That she is part of the same crowd as Derek but can't tell him the truth or risk the scandal touching her sister who she will protect no matter what. And its one of my favorite things about Kelsey. It would be easier to just tell everyone the truth, but then she risks hurting her family and is very protective of them. She is always thinking of others and is so selfless in so many ways and I truly love that about her. And when she falls in love with Derek, her selflessness only increases but not in a negative way. And it was fun to see how they find a way past the scandal with some creative ideas from the Malory family.

The Cover

I love this cover, with the gate looking into the manor, and makes me want to jump into the cover and explore the grounds.

Overall View

Say You Love Me, is a endearing and charming romance with a kind hero, a emotionally strong heroine and a romance that is superb!!! A MUST READ JEWEL OF A ROMANCE!

Click To Buy On Amazon

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Anything For You is a sweet and short novella that takes place between books 1 and 2 in the series here. I am really becoming charmed by this series here and its so delectable. I just can't seem to get enough of the style in which Jessica Scott has written these books. In Anything For You we have a story that I wasn't expecting. This was a short but slightly angsty story of a marriage in redemption. The hero has been spending years fighting in the wars and serving the military, they have been married for years, but the heroine is tired and after her last bout of being deployed, she doesn't feel the connection to her husband anymore and leaves. But he is determined to fight for their marriage and goes after the woman he loves. I really adored this book and seeing the way that these two slowly reconnected. And while it was my least favorite book of the series so far, as I did struggle with the heroine at time, I was also understanding of what she was going through and the battle she was trying to overcome. Its a story that if you adore reconciliation and military romance, then this one is for you!

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

First Impressions
The Return of the Duke is the last in the Dukedom trilogy and I am so pleased with this book. This author in recent years has become such a hit or miss author for me. So I never know what I am getting into with this author. I am so happy to say that this book was such a WIN for me. Not my favorite of the series, as I think book one still wins that medal, however, I was so delighted with this book and everything that is delivered in this one here. I absolutely adored what Lorraine Heath delivers here, and it was so different and was still just as spicey as you would come to expect from her writing. Lorraine Heath has always been ahead of the steam when it comes to historical romance. This story was such a kick ass romance, and if you are a fan of spies and lovers ,then this one will totally work out for you. I was so charmed by this one, and I didn’t expect it. I went smart and tried it out in audio and so grateful that I did. It has a talented narrator and really made this book shine.

Summary
In The Return of the Duke, we have a story where our hero, Marcus Stanwick, was the heir to the Duke of Woilfford, and is determined to find the culprits that worked with his father in the plot to kill the queen and the reason that he and his siblings were stripped of everything that had because of it. On his journey to get to the other involved, he comes across Esme Lancaster, who has secrets of her own and is on her own journey as she is a secret agent for the crown and has been working with the Queen for years now. She doesn’t know what Maccus’ angle truly is, but she doesn’t trust him. But as they come with a compromise in working together, there is a chemistry that builds between them and she doesn’t know that she can keep her resistance to Marcus much longer. But to Esme this is just a job, but soon it becomes so much more than that. As Marcus and Esme get closer to revealing the truth about the lies and secrets, will they find a way to their happy ending or are their worlds too different to find common ground?

What I Loved
The Return of the Duke was such a captivating romance and I enjoyed it so dearly. In fact, I had the most challenging time actually rating this book, it wasn’t quite a five (because I did have a few issues) but I will say that this one truly worked for me in such beautiful ways. There is a sense of redemption in this story and we really get to see so much depth to a hero that has been so secretive in the past two books. I loved this side of him that we get to see in this one here. I truly found him so remarkable in how honorable and full of integrity he is. We see how his father’s betrayal really affected him and how he is wanted to redeem his family name. We see his good heart and sense of responsibility to his siblings. Then we have Esme, who is the “secretive” of the pair. Normally the hero comes off as being the secretive one in a romance, but Esme is the one that fits this bill. We don’t really know her intentions at the beginning of the story and I really admired her tenacity and strength. She is a vibrant woman that has so many capabilities, she has her own strengths and will to get the job done. She is a survivor and is completely loyal. I truly had a blast with the layers of chemistry that is built throughout the story. We see so much in their romance in how its deeply layered side by side with the plot that worked so well. Marcus and Esme make such a strong team and really balance out each other’s strengths in a synchronized manner. You see the level of attachment they have, but also their fierce level of protectiveness for those in their care.

What I Struggled With
I will be honest inthat the heroine was a hard one at times, and she didn’t show any vulnerabilities or flaws at all. I don’t really want a perfect heroine, I want a character that is real and relatable and she felt so “perfect” and untouchable. I also wasn’t a fan of her actions in the end. The story built up into such a crescendo but the ending just didn’t harmonize with the rest of the story, and left me feeling so untethered. I want a “riding off into the sunset” and this one just didn’t quite deliver on that front.

The Narration
I will say that Kate Reading has such remarkable talent, especially in how she narrates historical romances, there is something in her manner of voice and delivery that is so attractive and endearing. I really enjoyed the way she used the levels of her voice to display the hero and heroine and other gender of characters that we get faced with in the story. The accents were done just right and the way she delivered the sexual tension really built throughout the story so well. I do think that Kate Reading is a star out of female narrators and such a joy to listen to. Her voice is highly engaging and she immediately pulled me into the story here.

Overall View
I found The Return of the Duke to be a remarkable listen and Lorraine Heath definitely delivered a solid finale that struck gold! Its a story of sacrifice, sizzling chemistry and a duty bound love that will warm the heart and bring such light delights to entertain!

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.

What A Difference A Duke Makes is a fun romance that really surprised me. I have been impressed with this author, her writing is superb and so easy to get into which isn't always the case with regency romances lately. Now I won't say she is the best regency author, some of her books are more modernized and so at times I struggle with her writing and I did feel like this story had some modernisms but not as much as some of her previous books.  What I found most intriguing was the "Mary Poppins" retelling, I was really curious to see how Bell would handle this aspect and man she rocked it!! I just had such a blast with it especially since I LOVE Mary Poppins.

Mari has been brought to London with the promise of a job, but when she arrives her luggage is stolen and she is late and ends up losing the job promised to her. Mari knows no one in London, she is an orphan and has no family to go to. But when she overhears of a governess posting, with two children of a Duke, whose shenanigans have forced the most recent governess to leave....Mari knows that this is her chance. Mari has the abilities to wrap the most rebellious of children around her finger. When she arrives, the children instantly are drawn to her but the father....the Duke of Banksford is a whole different story. At first, he doesn't hide the fact that he doesn't want her in his home, thinking she is too "frail" to handle his wild children. However, Mari is determined to prove to the Duke of Banksford that she can handle anyone including the stubborn prideful man himself. But there is a connection between Edgar and Mari, which is forbidden. Mari is a governess and Edgar a Duke....how can she be anything but a mistress and a servant? But Mari isn't who she seems to be, her past is about to come into light and Edgar will need to fight for the one woman he loves.....

You have a light shining from you, Mari. It draws everyone's eyes to you. Your smile is incandescent. When you're in a room, everything gravitates toward you, haven't you noticed? The way you were able to charm the children in such short order. The way you charm me. Disarm me.

I will say that this book rocked my world in some unique delights. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was truly a wonderful read, and I couldn't put it down, I became so easily immersed in this story.

I do want to mention the negative thoughts I had about this book, there is really only one aspect that I wasn't a huge fan of. I didn't really approve of how easily their "match" would be accepted by society. Of course, we don't really see the fall out of their match. However the hints given show that it was unlikely that Mari would be so accepted by the Ton, but you also have to take into account who we learn her birth parents are which does help quite a bit but doesn't solve the problem and we don't really see much focus on this. I felt in some ways that Lenora Bell sugarcoated this aspect, which might work for some readers, but I would have liked to see this pair deal with this dilemma a bit more than was touched on. But honestly, this aspect didn't bother me quite as much, probably because of the way this story was written that charmed me completely.

Our heroine is a miracle worker with children and I love how she is so intuned with the twins. Edgar didn't realize he had any children until recently, and the moment he learns of their existence, he instantly placed them in his home and has gone through so many governesses until Mari. A young woman who is lovely inside and out. Who isn't afraid to get dirty, knows her garden snakes and can wrap children around her little finger. There is a strong chemistry between Edgar and Mari, but Edgar knows this attraction he feels for Mari is very dangerous and doesn't want her in his home because of how strongly he is feeling for her but he also can't deny what she has done with his children.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was the connection to the "Mary Poppins" theme and I was so delighted with these small moments that connect with certain scenes from this charming story. I felt like the character depth is pretty detailed and I loved seeing the background behind both Edgar and Mari. Both of them have struggled in their own ways. Edgar have to live with an abusive father, estranged from his mother and his adventurous sister. Mari having been abandoned at birth, with only two clues of where she came from. Part of the reason she wanted to come to London was to find her parents or any family connection that she can find.

The romance that develops between Edgar and Mari was so sweet yet very sexy. I loved the little "swept up in passion" moments between these two and I will say that Lenora Bell knows how to write a sexy kissing scene....very swoon-worthy. I did find that these two have much more in common as individuals when you take away the titles and formalities and the difference in background and stations. There is an emotional bond that forms between them that is endearing and poignant. A pure delight to read to leave you feeling those happy feels that only Lenora Bell delivers to her readers.





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Ares was such a delightful addition to the series, and I really enjoyed seeing how this story built up. I have such a soft spot for sexy MMA romance. I really liked that both the hero and heroine are MMA fighters. The hero retires and ends up being her coach, and I really liked how he is able to really focus her emotions on fighting and becoming a better fighter. Ares is also the God of War and so seeing how they are so equally matched and how she so readily accepts him and his nature was pretty great and we get back to Hades who plays a role in them finding their way to their HEA. I really loved the way that Carly Spade built this story and developed the romance, I became so charmed by it. Definitely, a strong edition to the series and I am eager to continue on more.

Jamie is the youngest of her sisters, but is the one that has always protected them. For her that is normal, however for most families...its not. So when the king orders that one of her sisters marry Alec Kincaid, she is at a loss on how to comfort them..for they will have to marry a scot and a barbarian. However when she meets Alec, he chooses her as his bride. At first Jamie doens't comprehend why he would want to marry her, but knows that she has no choice, better her sacrifice than any of her sisters. So with both her and her sister Mary married off to his friend, they head out to Scotland, not knowing how her life may change. At first all that exist between Alec and Jamie is confusion, opposite personalities and a powerful desire that fires up the blood. However as things progress between these two, a tender love develops.The Bride is one of the historical's written by Julie Garwood. Its also one of my favorite type of story plots that I enjoy reading. I know I have read this one before now, however I know its been along time since there were moments that I was surprised and part I didn't remember. So it was good reading this again, and getting to know these characters and what a great story it is. We have a heroine that isn't appreciated, who was practically treated a a servant, and Alec is very protective of her, and shows her what its like to be appreciated and cherished. Something she has never experienced before until she meets him. Such a truly magical story with love and passion and some mystery aspects to heighten the blood, and one that will delight you!!! I loved it!!!


My Favorite Quote
"I want you Jamie," Before Jamie could catch her breath, he cupped the sides of her face and claimed her mouth. Jamie's last coherent thought was that Alec Kincaid certainly knew how to kiss.

Reckless in Texas was such a powerhouse of a read, and this book completely swept me away. I couldn't believe that I had waited so long to read this book. This has been on my TBR since 2016!! And even though I love me some cowboys, I am not sure why it took so long to pick her up, but I saw this one available on my library catalog (and yes I know its in KU) but didn't realize until after I had grabbed it from my local library. From the first moment, I was completely swept away by this story. There was something so balanced in this book and normally most angst romances just aren't like this at all. There was this light balance of humor that was so well done. I was really drawn into the relationship dynamics of this story. We have both characters that are athletes of sorts, and I liked that this one wasn't the typical cowboy romance. We have a hero that basically plays with BULLS haha not a risky sport at all. But I loved his relationship with our lady. They definitely get into it, but I fell like all the way through the story we get to see these hidden depths to the characters that are just hidden so much of the time. We also see them learning to rebuild trust not only in each other but in themselves and their decisions.

I am definitely seeing why so many readers fell in love with these books, and you can bet that I will be reading more of this series.