Reading Fanatic Reviews
Historical RomanceThe Dreamer and the Debutante by Ava Devlin
The Dreamer and the Debutante*
Didn’t Buy the Romantic Relationship
It just so happens that I read The Viscount and the Vixen first because that’s how they were available at my favorite book reviewer site. This book is definitely a prequel for that book, as it sets the stage for the premise of it. This love story shows the difficulty of having a relationship across class boundaries in 19th century England. Lady Heloise is the sister of a viscount, and the young man that she falls in love with is the housekeeper’s son who is currently a stablehand. This book details their story from when she comes home on a summer break from her finishing school to when she has to go back before the start of the London season.
The book definitely had moments of romantic interest, including a steamy scene or two, but I didn’t really feel like the relationship was well developed. I just didn’t buy from the beginning that they would have such feelings for each other so quickly. She was often his tormentor when she was younger; at the very least, she talked him into doing some untoward things to help her with her capers. Yes, she returns as a beautiful young woman, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a transition given their complicated past. Some of those romantic moments I mentioned before are quite lovely, but I just had a hard time buying them as a couple. The book does end on an HFN, but if you’ve read The Viscount and the Vixen, you know that her path is not smooth. I definitely recommend that you read the books in order, this one first before the other one, though it isn’t strictly necessary. The other story doesn’t need this one; it stands well enough on its own, but this story illuminates the reason for that story. I quite enjoyed The Viscount and the Vixen, much more than I enjoyed this one, as I thought that was a very well-done historical romance.
NOTE: This book does not appear to be available at any bookseller. The page at Goodreads said it is only available for the author’s newsletter subscribers, but I got it from one of the book review sites I use.
Highlander’s Touch by Joanne Wadsworth
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Smashwords, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Highlander's Touch*
Disjointed Book with Much Action Off Screen
I have read several books in the Matheson Brothers series, and unfortunately, I have found them to be of variable quality. I find myself disappointed in this particular installment because the presentation is choppy and just odd. So much action seems to happen outside of the pages of the book, off screen so to speak. We are just told of things happening, not shown them, and then are only shown some repercussions of what we were told about before the book moves on to the next somewhat discombobulated telling portion. This book is just odd. And I would call it steamy to the point of being crude, which is not my favorite. I don’t mind a certain level of explicitness in intimate scenes, but it can be taken too far in a book that isn’t specifically called erotica. This book, I think, teeters on that edge. While some of the books in the series are worthwhile, this one was just disjointed and strange.
A Foolish Wager by Rose Pearson
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
A Foolish Wager*
Not a Good Hero
I found myself frustrated with the hero in this book. The heroine is one who has suffered much in her life mostly because of one childhood mistake. She loved climbing trees as a child, but as we see and the prologue, one day she takes a misstep that ruins one of her legs forever. She had already had a strained relationship with her father, and this made it worse. After her father’s death, her uncle very much wants to marry her off, but her first season was fraught with heartache and disappointment because not only could the ton not see beyond her disability, but she was openly ridiculed for it. What chance would she have to secure a gentleman?
For such a beleaguered heroine, I would love to have seen a completely swoon-worthy hero. But that is not what we got in this story. Instead, the hero is quite the rake, in previous Seasons only interested in women for what he could get from them—and this was wagered on in his gentlemen’s club. From maidens, he likes to steal a kiss, and from widows and unhappily married women, he likes much more. He and the heroine literally run into each other. They both find each other intriguing–though she isn’t beautiful or perfect enough for him—but he only pursues her when blackmailed by a man (with knowledge of one of his affairs with a married woman) who wishes to capitalize on a bet at White’s so he can replenish his coffers. The wager he lays down is that the hero will not only kiss the heroine but will make her fall in love with him. The hero is not as introspective about this as one would hope, and I was actually disgusted when, after thinking about it for a bit, he decided that he had no choice but to go forth in the matter, even knowing it would break her heart–thinking something along the lines of, “Oh, well, it can’t be helped.” Ick. He goes into it knowing how bad it will be for her but still goes ahead. That is not hero material in my book.
Haunting Miss Fenwick by Alina K. Field
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Haunting Miss Fenwick*
Strong, Smart, Capable Heroine… Loved It!
This book takes place on the Yorkshire coast during that small amount of time between the Regency and Victorian eras. I found it to be a delightful read. The hero thinks himself a bit crafty in the beginning, but he finds himself pitted against a very smart heroine. I loved that Tilly was so strong, capable, and intelligent. She’s a far cry from many historical romance heroines—and in a good way. Although the hero was trying to make her new home appear haunted, Tilly isn’t buying it. When she finds him out and discovers why, her personal sense of justice makes her want to help him despite the way he has been such a pest. (And he helps her out, too, so the relationship isn’t one-sided.) I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between these two characters. The way the author depicted it, especially in the beginning, made me smile more than once. I loved the dog, Wulver, too! There is a little suspense here, and a few surprising twists and turns despite some obvious factors. The characters are so well drawn, and the story is so well written. If you enjoy historical romantic intrigue, consider giving this book a try.
The MacInnes Affair by Blair McDowell
Available at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
The MacInnes Affair*
Dramatic, Powerful Scottish Romance
I was drawn to pick this book at my favorite book reviewer site because I love all books about Scotland; I have Scottish heritage myself on my father’s side. I was further intrigued when I saw that one of the Scottish families in question had the surname of Glendenning. My own Scottish 4x great-grandmother, born in the 1700s, was named Jean Glendenning. I myself visited Scotland last year and hoped that the author would handle both the contemporary and historical aspects well. I loved that the modern heroine was from Canada. Though I am American, my Scottish ancestors came to this continent via Canada (though New Brunswick, not Alberta.)
For the most part, she did. I thought a few of the Scottish aspects wear off, but you wouldn’t really know that unless you had recently visited yourself or were knowledgeable about Scottish history. For instance, Highland cattle aren’t relegated to just a few on the Isle of Skye and at Balmoral; I got up close and personal with some myself in Applecross. Some aspects of the history around Culloden and its aftermath were not wholly accurate either. But these are minor quibbles. Other elements as she nailed completely, like the international flavor of travelers in Scotland. I was surprised at the different number of accents that I heard there. I loved her descriptions of the various plants; I recognized a few. I loved hearing the names of cities, towns, and places I went to on my trip mentioned in the story.
But the story really isn’t about all this, even though it does add a note of Scottish flavor to the story. Or should I say stories, as this book is a blend of two different storylines, a contemporary one and one that’s from the past. The modern heroine, Lara MacInnes, is a Canadian of Scottish descent who decides to take a trip to Scotland to research some family history after a bad breakup. Her mother’s friend runs a Scottish castle B&B; the castle has been in her husband’s family for a long time. Lara meets the son in this family, and that’s where the contemporary romance aspect comes in. Diaries from a Glendenning ancestor, Elspeth, who briefly married one of Lara’s ancestors show a complex world of secrets, deceit, and difficult choices. The contemporary and modern stories weave in and out of each other. The past story is heartbreaking. As someone with an interest in genealogy myself, I could understand as the contemporary couple’s need to find out more about the ancestral couple’s story. The stories complemented each other and were both well written. The story is immersive, and I enjoyed it thoroughly, even the parts that were sometimes hard to read because of Elspeth’s and Lachlan’s difficulties. The author brought the feels, for sure. If you enjoy Scottish romance, either contemporary or historical, you might want to give this book a try.
Whispers of Light by Jennifer Monroe
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Whispers of Light*
Interesting Premise that Falls Apart
This book had an interesting premise, but I do not think that it was fully realized. Marriages of convenience that turn into more are common in Regency romance novels. I liked both the hero and the heroine; I wasn’t as wild about the heroine’s family. I felt like there needs to be more development in all parts of the story, both before the marriage and definitely after. I think the author waited too long for the big reveals about the two main characters. They acted and reacted to situations based on their history, but we as the readers did not know this history until almost the very end of the book. I think the author should have given this information slowly over the course of the novel, as it would have helped make the characters’ actions make more sense.
The crux of the matter for the hero is that he sees himself as less of a man because he has a limp. This concept is beaten like a dead horse throughout the book, but it doesn’t seem like enough to hang all the duke’s foibles on. What man would really be like that? It just didn’t seem believable. While I didn’t think enough was shown before the marriage, I thought the book went off the rails after they married. All of a sudden, the book wasn’t about the hero and heroine anymore (and their mysterious backstories) but how the heroine interacted with the hero’s sister—who actually showed up kind of late. The last part of the book wasn’t all about that, of course, but a surprising amount of time just after marriage was just about this relationship. The couple had enough issues between themselves because of their histories that those would have been enough for them to work on, especially with the interference from the heroine’s family and her problems with her sisters. After such a promising concept in the beginning, I was disappointed that the book just completely fell apart for me.
Haunting Miss Fenwick by Alina K. Field
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Haunting Miss Fenwick*
Strong, Smart, Capable Heroine… Loved It!
This book takes place on the Yorkshire coast during that small amount of time between the Regency and Victorian eras. I found it to be a delightful read. The hero thinks himself a bit crafty in the beginning, but he finds himself pitted against a very smart heroine. I loved that Tilly was so strong, capable, and intelligent. She’s a far cry from many historical romance heroines—and in a good way. Although the hero was trying to make her new home appear haunted, Tilly isn’t buying it. When she finds him out and discovers why, her personal sense of justice makes her want to help him despite the way he has been such a pest. (And he helps her out, too, so the relationship is not one-sided.) I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between these two characters. The way the author depicted it, especially in the beginning, made me smile more than once. I loved the dog, Wulver, too! There is a little suspense here, and a few surprising twists and turns despite some obvious factors. The characters are so well drawn, and the story is so well written. If you enjoy historical romantic intrigue, consider giving this book a try.
I Dream of Darcy Book 2 by Andrea David
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Angus & Robertson, and Bol.de
I Dream of Darcy Book 2*
Didn’t Like As Much as First
I read and enjoyed book one of this serialized Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen fanfiction. I was eagerly anticipating book 2. Unfortunately, I find myself a little disappointed in the book. There are times when Elizabeth just doesn’t seem like the one we know from canon. She seems to notice the way men look in a way that is not typical in a Regency. She decides to put herself firmly on the marriage mart while in London. She seems way too caught up the notion of rank as well as country vs. city people. Of course, under those comparisons, she finds herself wanting. Darcy, too, seems overly preoccupied with rank. I just found that off-putting for both of their characters. I like the addition of more Fitzwilliam cousins in this book. They each seem to have their own personality, which was fun. Even though I was disappointed by this installment, I am curious to see how the complete story wraps up in book three.
Third Husband’s the Charm by Nancy Yeager
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Third Husband's the Charm*
Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave
What a very different historical romance! It’s quite a complicated tale, so I can’t really do it justice in the short space of a review. Suffice to say that the heroine is very strong-willed and has devised a rather creative plan to help get her due in a system that is definitely set up against women. She needs a man to make it work, and the man she chooses, poor Percy, believes that he is losing his mind like his father before him. In fact, he believes her when she tells him that they married, even though he has no memory of it. These are both fascinating and complex characters, and what begins as a sham marriage instigated by the heroine to help her dire circumstances becomes a true one of good-hearted, deserving people. I quite enjoyed the interactions between the family members and the couple as well. The heroine didn’t know what she was getting involved in when she set up her plan! A very good historical romance read.
A Bride for Brynmor by Jacqui Nelson
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
A Bride for Brynmor*
Excellent Start to a New Series
Even though this is the start of a new series, it is great to see some characters that we’ve seen in passing (or more in-depth) in other books closely related to this series. I loved Grandpa Gus before, so it was a delight to see him again. But this is the story of Brynmor and Lark. She is attempting to make a complete separation from her villainous troupe manager and collect her sisters of the heart after they scattered attempting to run away from Ulysses after he nearly choked Lark to death. Unfortunately for Lark, her sisters are not at their predetermined meeting place—but Ulysses is. He makes moves to reclaim her, of course, but Brynmor is there to save the day. Not everything is resolved in this book, but that’s fine because there’s more to the series. This book is a fast-paced read as the hero and heroine try to sort out the mess as well as their feelings for each other. I like both of these characters. They are both up against so much, yet they are determined and very strong and even stronger together. They are both so willing to protect and sacrifice for those they love. The little lambs added a sweet note as well. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Used To Build My Websites
NetGalley Badges