I loved this book. LOVED. Sigh. I love you Anna Bradley. I LOVE YOU!!! This was one of those books I just couldn't put down. I started it late last night. Like after 11pm. And I just couldn't stop. Wait, its after midnight? Don't care, this story has totally enthralled me. Wait, it's after 1 and my husband is snoring in my ear? I'm too in love with these characters to care. It's after 2 and my children will be up in 4 hours going bonkers? No regrets. My husband woke up and was like, “YOU'RE STILL READING?? Go to bed, it's like 1am!” Me, looking at the kindle that clearly says 3:06am....okay honey. Then, I couldn't even fall right asleep when I finished. My eyes felt wide behind my closed lids, replaying my favorite parts of this story. My heart was still clenched in my test, filling the whole thing. I felt like the grinch cartoon after he learns what Christmas truly means. And her heart grew three sizes that day, all because of Logan and Juliana. I am still floating in book love. Four hours of sleep, with a smile on my face and new favorite characters in my heart. It's a great day to try this death wish coffee my husband bought haha!

Juliana has some things she must accomplish. She must find a husband to protect the guardianship of her beloved niece, Grace. Unfortunately for her, two of her betrothels have failed and she is quickly running out time. She pins the blame on Logan, who she demands to fix the situation.

The first half of this book takes place in Scotland and it is just wonderful. I could so clearly experience the scenery. I quickly fell in love with Juliana. I read usually for the hero, but there was just something about her gumption and personality I couldn't help but love. Logan has behaved despicably before the book really even gets going. As time goes on, you understand what drove him to do what he does. The time in Scotland is just so precious to me. Feeling each other out, learning each other's personality. Being totally surprised by what the other becomes after the initial assumptions. The butterflies and beginnings of love. I adored the entire scene leading up to their first kiss and the kiss itself. I think they both take each other completely by surprise.

Logan is a wonderful hero. He cares so much about Scotland and his people. He doesn't really know what to make of Juliana. He knows her through letters he was never supposed to read and has made wrong assumptions about her. As he watches her determination and fierce stubbornness, you can feel his confusion and pull towards her. I adored feeling him fall in love.

The second half of the book takes you back to London. This time is angst filled and riddled with miscommunications. Jealousy, uncertainty about each other, they must learn to trust each other. Juliana does something that makes me ever so sad. This book just felt real to me. Real mistakes, doubts, the pain of hurting someone and trying to fix it. I thought they were both flawed characters that persevered through to find the gift of true love.

There is a lot of Gaelic in this book. She does include a guide at the end, so you can glance at that to decipher. I didn't know it was there until I finished haha. This book also touches on the Highland Clearances, which I've never heard anything about. Absolutely heartbreaking history. I love books that take place in Scotland, and to see the breakdown of the clan systems after so much time, it's so sad. The book feels well researched and of course I adore Bradley's writing style. Her characters fly off the page to me, full bodied and real.

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This anthology has 3 novellas all taking place during winter. One story each by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney

A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter

The heroine abducts the hero and keeps him hostage due to some information she has about him. Their relationship forms during his 'imprisonment'. There are a few twists and turns in the this story that keep it a bit more interesting.

I think I am the only person that didn't like this story. The premise was definitely different, but I could not understand how the heroine could begin to form feelings, or do anything physically with the hero, thinking what she was thinking in the beginning. I can't say their conversations brought me butterflies or anything, in fact it was a lot of just boring or downright negative dialogue. I get that the heroine has reason to not like the hero in the beginning, but I don't understand how there was any chance of them having feelings for each other. I found the heroine completely unlikable and couldn't understand any of her actions. I didn't see how the hero had come to care for her. I would give this story alone 2 stars, but perhaps it was just a character disconnect with me personally.

A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries

I completely adored this novella. I didn't realize it would be a continuation of her Duke Dynasty series (Book one being Project Duchess) so was extra excited to have another story from that family tree. This story is about Heywood and Cass.

Heywood needs an heiress so he can restore his home upon his return from being an officer. Cass has become an expert at avoiding fortune hunters by keeping her dowry a secret and vowing to marry only for love. This story is just fun, past faced, and well developed for a novella. I feel like I am right in with the family getting ready for the holidays. Sabrina Jeffries characters come to live and have bursting personalities, even the secondary characters. 5 stars

ONE WICKED WINTER'S NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney

I loved that the beginning of this novella took place in India. Wish I got to see a bit more of Diana's time there. She returns to London after receiving a letter from her favorite niece and realizing it's time to go home. Upon her return, she meets a dashing corsair at a masquerade ball who turns out to be her lost love and the reason she fled England years ago.
I really enjoyed this novella. It actually felt like a full story. I usually don't like where the hero and heroine have a previous history because I feel like I'm missing things but with this it worked really well. The story felt full bodied, I loved the characters including the secondary ones and adored the Panda and the Spook.

My only complaint about this, which probably would be another positive if I was caught up with Putney's work, was this novella also felt rather like a giant epilogue for all the characters of the Rogue's Redeemed series. So if you have read those, this is wonderful to see all the characters again I'm sure. As it was, it made me feel extremely curious about their stories, as I've only read the first in the series. 5 stars

So overall a great set of stories, especially to curl up with this fall/winter.

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so so close to being an all time favorite. I loved the beginning of this book so much! But the middle and end lost it for me and it never really recovered. This is the third book of Minerva Spencer's Outcasts series, the first being Dangerous and the second being Barbarous. I have overall enjoyed all the 3 books. If you've never tried her before I find I enjoy her writing. Shes rather witty, some parts are mildy humerous, she tends to cover strong topics and has unique scenery, characters and stories.

Sarah was raised in an African village with her missionary parents. Her parents died 2 years prior and she has stayed in the village helping with medicine (although I wouldn't say she's a doctor). She is captured with members of her village by a slaver ship and held in the hold.

Sarahs personality was feisty for sure. She doesn't have a problem with confrontation and holds numerous men at gun point. I felt like her character was okay. I didn't get a ton of character depth to her. I felt like I didn't really know her that well after the book was done. I felt like I couldn't understand why she was in love with hero with their interactions. I also was curious why her Christianity made her really think about forgiving others and refusing to take anyone's life yet she was a total wanton. I mean, I'm not complaining, I didn't mind it but it was just a little weird for these character traits I guess.

Martin was a character I really liked. Arrogant, vain, with a short temper, seething with jealousy. Thats my thing, terrible I know. He is such a damaged character and has overcome so much. I felt like Sarah could have really healed him yet it turned into more enemies to lovers as the book progresses. To me they just stayed enemies way too long. Refusing to share their feelings until the very end of the book, fighting tooth and nail until then. They both can be rather cruel to each other in their words because they don't understand each other's feelings. I guess by the end of the book I was hoping to see more of their relationship as solid and that they were perfect for each other. While I'm not left unhappy, especially with the epilogue, I just felt like I never got to see how they were going to WORK together and that was important with everything Martin has gone through.

The first half of this book is so much my favorite. It takes place on board Martins ship and its just wonderful. Its tension filled, hot, the first kiss was so steamy, I adored it. Sarah helps teach Martin and it was such a wonderful part of the book. But as the book goes on and they continue to fight, I feel like the tension and relationship starts to fade. They are separated and when they are together they don't really talk. Both are having interactions with other people and I just prefer my couples to be together. And interacting. And talking. And other stuff. Wink wink. I love Spencer's sex scenes but in this book there was a long dry spell and it kind of killed the story for me. I love that tension to keep it going, there doesn't have to be a ton of sex. I also was getting tired of Martin by the end and his lack of action towards a relationship with Sarah.

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The first chapter touches on how Phoebe and Marcus have a history. A very brief and for Phoebe, a rather traumatizing event took place and she just cannot get over it. She never wants to set eyes on Marcus again, even after 8 years have passed.

Marcus fell into insta love with Phoebe the moment he saw her. He calls her his vision and it was kind of adorable how much he was certain they were meant to be together. However, he is young and arrogant, and has quite a lot of growing up and maturing to do, though he would never admit it. After 'the incident', he is banished to the West Indies (for other reasons as well) and he truly grows into a man and can admit his past mistakes.

After 8 years, he returns to England. He still cares deeply for Phoebe and only wishes to make her forgive him and allow him to make her happy. Phoebe hears of his return and flees to go shopping in London and visit friends, anything to avoid being in his presence.

This book fits something I have been missing lately. While not a totally conventional female, as she has been given much freedom with her 'older age', she is very much aware of the social requirements of the time. There is a scene that just screamed regency romance that I loved where she is standing with a man, whom she *gasp* hasn't been introduced to, and they were standing so close that her ruin would have been imminent if her aunt hadn't come and rescued her. This is something I feel is being somewhat lost in historical romance now, the risk that we just can't even fathom with the way our world is now. I miss that. Not that I want to read it all the time but I feel like it's few and far between with books now.

Unfortunately, after a little build up that I enjoyed where Phoebe didn't know Marcus' true identity, the story just got so boring. I kept waiting for something to happen. There is a villain that pops up occasionally and acts extremely predictable even though I couldn't understand why he was there. During much of the middle of the book, he felt like a mole in a whack a mole game. Attend a ball, evil villain lurks, someone, usually Marcus, whacks him and he's gone. Another ball, evil villain looms and leers, whack he's gone. It culminates at the end in a fairly predictable way.

I also just couldn't understand why Marcus loved Phoebe so much. She was completely ridiculous to me. And perhaps this is my being a hypocrite – I want the feels of the social structure of the times yet I felt Phoebe's reaction to Marcus' early behavior was absurd. She basically had PTSD and couldn't look at a man for 8 years because of a kiss. She was such a ninny.

When I'm done with the book, I just still felt like I don't know either them. I didn't get any character attachment or depth. So much of the page time was an extremely boring, uneventful courtship, I just wish the author had spent more time building up the initial attraction, or even gave Marcus some depth by sharing more of his time in the West Indies, or building a depth of relationship upon their rekindling their relationship or you know, anything else.

This book definitely hasn't left a lasting impression on me. I've already forgotten half of it.

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was pleasantly surprised by this read! I’d first like to mention that it is a sweet story, with only a few kisses described and everything else is fade to black or heavily glossed over. (Example: she opened to him and moved from maid to wife) I was NOT expecting that. The fact that I enjoyed this story despite that is a testament to how much I liked it

Sarah is the youngest of four American sisters. The story opens with her having her heart stomped on and she vows to leave London and find somewhere to belong away from the aristocracy. She flees to the estate of her sister and brother-in-law, though they are in America. The country home of the missing Duke. The mysterious, missing Duke, no one knows what happened to him. He's been gone for 5 years. When a friendless, tanned, tattooed man shows up, everyone wonders who he is. Named “Art” he forms a relationship with Sarah while recovering from a gunshot wound.

This book started out so strong for me. All I wanted to do was read it. I was sneaking it into the bathroom and hiding from my kids. Alas, about 1/3 of the way in my interest started to wane. This is my second try with Betina Kahn and I felt similar about the first one I tried. There just tends to be a lot of plot going on, mystery, action, and the characters get a little lost for me. I want more time spent on their relationship and the feels of the relationship. I think if you like your books fast paced with a hint of mystery and action you would like her writing. There's definitely a few parts that are funny.

I'd also like the say, even though this is book 3 in the series, it's fine as a standalone. Series are usually better in order, with knowing who is who and the character depth of seeing the family members, but you definitely won't be lost with just picking up this book. (I love series like this, it's nice to just pick up a book and read it and not have to hunt down everything else first.)

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I found this story rather fun and unique. Our heroine, Elizabeth, writes novels for the upper classes of society by day. In secret, she likes to write the "penny dreadful" novels so loved by the lower classes. Our hero, Fletcher Walker, comes from from the lower dregs of London and also writes penny dreadful novels. He belongs to the Dread Penny Society, a wonderful group of people pledging to better the lives of who they can, protect what they can of the lower class, and fight for the rights of education in the poor ragged schools.

A competing penny dreadful author, Mr. King, is cutting into the profits of Fletchers work, thus affecting the profits and abilities of the Dread Penny Society. The two authors work together, Fletcher wanting the identity of Mr. King, and Elizabeth wanting some adventure in her life.

The story is split up into sections of each authors penny dreadful novels as well as the main story. I really liked this and was totally drawn into the gothic feel of the novels. I enjoyed Sarah Eden's writing, the flow.

This story does lose stars for me though because I felt like the hero and heroine were barely together in the page time. It really downed the romance for me, which was extremely sparse anyway. I love historical romance for the feels, the tension, the longing and being transported to another era. Unfortunately for me this book missed most of the those things.

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.