Review: The Governess (Wicked Wallflowers #3) by Christi Caldwell

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The Governess by Christi Caldwell

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Spice Level: 💋💋💋

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Regina (Reggie) Spark has loved Broderick Killoran, the resourceful and protective proprietor of the Devil’s Den, ever since he saved her from the streets and made her his right hand at the notorious gaming hell. For just as long, Reggie has never admitted her true feelings for him. Nor has she revealed her spirited ambitions—to buck convention and expectations and open a music hall.

While Broderick built his gaming empire with ruthless cunning, his loyalty to his employees is boundless. So when he learns of Reggie’s plan to leave his side and take charge of her own future, the betrayal cuts Broderick to the core. He responds as he would to any business rival…with swift retribution.

Instead of wilting, the savvy Reggie rebounds with a fury that shocks Broderick and stirs a desire he’s been holding in reserve for only ladies of nobility. But as their seductive battle of wills ignites under the harsh spotlight of the London Season, secrets are exposed as well—ones that could be ruinous in decent society but invaluable for the heart. 

Three of my favorite tropes in one! friends to lovers, rags to riches, and my all-time favorite a redeemed bad boy. These two will keep you on the edge of your seat with the back and forth and you wonder if they will kiss or not. They are two stubborn people going to battle and neither one wants to open up. I loved when Reggie’s secret came out and how Brodrick reacted. My heart almost dropped when he went to the opera because I thought he was going to listen to his sister.

Reggie will not let her secret ruin the family or let Brodrick control her life. I loved her from the start because she won’t give up or run from anything. She had a heart of gold and slowly everyone saw why she was trying to leave.

Brodrick melts my heart. We’ve gotten to know him a bit from the other books, but this time his story really comes out. He is stubborn to the core, but when kissed her that first time I knew his walls were coming down. I loved when he told his story.

Little Stephen breaks my heart in this one. He is struggling so much and taking it out on everyone at every chance. I loved seeing more of his story and hope he one day gets his own book.

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Review: Mr. Hunt, I Presume (Playful Brides #10.5) by Valerie Bowman

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you buy a book through my link. There is no extra charge and I use these funds to feed my book addiction and keep my puppy in sweaters and toys. I only post links for books I love.*

Mr Hunt, I Presume by Valerie Bowman

My Rating:❤️❤️❤️❤️ Spice Level: 💋💋💋

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He never forgot her…

When General Collin Hunt is ordered to take a much-needed holiday, he resigns himself to rest and recreation at his brother’s country estate. But when the only woman he ever loved—and selflessly gave up—shows up as his sister-in-law’s governess, his carefully ordered life is turned inside out.

She’ll never forgive him…

When Erienne Stone defied her family and fled her life of privilege, she never expected to be reunited with the man who’d abandoned her more than a decade before. But Lucy, Duchess of Claringdon, is a hard woman to say no to, even when Erienne’s heart is in danger of breaking all over again.

A meddling matchmaker may be the key to their second chance…

After a decade of pain and heartache, can two star-crossed lovers trust the truth in their own hearts?

I love star crossed lovers and second chance romances and this one is a great mix. Fate brought them together with a little help from Lucy. The flashbacks of them just pull at your heart and it’s clear that they were meant to be together. No matter what their minds told them, their hearts were leading the way. I absolutely loved the proposal scene.

Erienne couldn’t do what her family wanted while her heart was broken. I loved how much she cared about her brother and would do anything to help him. She was very strong, but also knew her heart was pulling her.

Collin doesn’t know how to relax and leave work behind. His heart always belonged to her and he wasn’t letting go this time. My heart broke when he was told the lie about where she was.

This is a great quick read.

Review: Captivating the Scoundrel (Legendary Rogues #4) by Darcy Burke

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Captivating the Scoundrel by Darcy Burke

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Spice Level: 💋💋💋

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Daphne Foliot has always known she’ll be married off to a man who, like her, descended from one of King Arthur’s fabled knights. That doesn’t mean she wants to be, even if it is her beloved father’s wish. Raised without a mother, she owes everything to the man who encouraged and funded her education and supports her dream of becoming the first female member of the Order of the Round Table. But when she suspects her chosen husband is a traitor to the Order, she plans to expose his treachery, regardless of their extraordinary mutual attraction. 

Heir to the thirteen treasures of Britain, Gideon Kersey vows to do anything to protect his family’s legacy from a secret society bent on exploiting the items for personal gain, including marry a woman he doesn’t love. Except she ignites a passion he was certain died with his first wife, and when the truth behind the Order’s objectives threatens everything Daphne knows, Gideon must fight to save her—and any future they hope to share.

Darcy knows how to end a series with a bang! I’ve loved the whole series, but this was favorite. The story of finding the cloak all the info surrounding Gideon being the heir to all of will have King Arthur lovers like me bouncing off the walls. Daphne and Gideon are a mix of enemies and allies turned lovers that will have you on the edge of your seat at every turn. From a rushed wedding to a great fight scene, I couldn’t put it down for a second.

Daphne is my favorite heroine. She is smart enough not to completely believe anything without proof and she listens to her heart. I loved her right away because of determined she was to find what she wanted. She was nothing like her father.

Gideon just wants to do what’s right. He was a bit of a villain in the previous books, but I knew there was more to him and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved how determined he was to keep the treasures safe. He knew he lost his heart to Daphne quickly.

The ending was exactly how I wished it happened even with Daphne doing the one thing I hoped she would do but didn’t expect her to do! So many things come out in this book that about different things that it’s a favorite. I’m sad to see the series end, but it ends on a great note.

ARC Review: Lady Saves The Duke (Lord Love a Lady #3) by Annabelle Anders

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Lady Saves the Duke by Annabelle Anders

Releases February 6, 2019

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Spice Level: 💋💋💋

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Miss Abigail Wright, disillusioned spinster, hides her secret pain behind encouraging smiles and optimistic laughter. Self-pity, she believes, is for the truly wretched. So when her mother insists she attend a house party—uninvited—she determines to simply make the best of it…until an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction.

Alex Cross, the “Duke of Ice,” has more than earned the nickname given him by the ton. He’s given up on happiness but will not reject sensual pleasure. After all, a man has needs.

The week ought to have been pleasantly uneventful for both of them, with nature walks, parlor games, and afternoon teas on the terrace…but for some inferior stitchery on poor Abigail’s bodice.

And now the duke is faced with a choice. Should he make this mouse a respectable offer and then abandon her to his country estate? She’s rather pathetic and harmless, really. Oughtn’t to upset his life whatsoever. 

His heart, however, is another matter… 

This is a heartwarming and gut-wrenching story that will have you on a rollercoaster of emotions. They both have stories that will make you cry, but those stories bring them together and they understand each other more than they know it. If you’ve read A Lady’s Prerogative then you got a glimpse of their first meeting, but it’s not as innocent as everyone thinks. They are very different from each other but drawn to each other and it shows in that first meeting.

Abigail is a brave and strong woman that I admired more and more as her story unfolded. She had been through so much, but you wouldn’t know by how she carried herself and acted. I loved that she didn’t hide away and when angry she didn’t run. She stayed when others would have ran away. So many women can relate to her in different ways.

Alex will break your heart with how much his thoughts of the past eat at him. He needed her and didn’t really know why at first. I loved him and how wanted the truth and understood what she needed. He never blinked an eye at anything she told him. He could also deliver a well-deserved pounding when needed.

Their wedding will go down in history as one of the best ones for very unique reasons. When it came to her parents I wanted to strangle them so much from the blaming her to the horrible jokes they made.

I want to praise Annabelle for writing a curvy heroine with a real body stretch marks and all. We need more like this.

I also want to mention that this book does deal with a past rape that happened before the book. There are no graphic details, but it is a huge part of the story. It is handled very well by Annabelle, but still may be triggering to some.

Review: The Leading Lady (Half Moon House #2) by Deb Marlowe

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The Leading Lady by Deb Marlowe

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Spice level:💋💋💋

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Passion and secrets swirl–and the battle between Hestia Wright and her enemies continues–in another delicious installment of the Half Moon House series.

Miss Callie Grant has hidden her true identity her entire life, but now elements from her past are threatening to destroy England’s future. To save someone she loves, she agrees to a dangerous mission–and to masquerade as the bride of Lord Truitt Russell.

Lord Truitt wants only one thing–to restore his honor. Only the capture of the Wicked Lord Marstoke will do the job. But the intimacy of playing husband to the gorgeous, infuriatingly independent Callie Grant proves a temptation difficult to resist. In the end, which will he choose? Honor or Love?

I was on the edge of my seat from the moment Callie questioned the two men. This is not a love at first sight story, more of a loath at first sight that takes you on a whirlwind. Once they got to know each other it was clear they were perfect for each other. As always I love reading Hestia’s diary and getting to know her story more and more. I was holding my breath a couple of times because I didn’t know what Marstroke was going to do next. OMG the ending shocks you so much!

Callie is fiercely independent and won’t hesitate to take down someone if needed. I loved her right away with how she made it clear how she felt and what she wanted. She knew things had to change.

Tru hates that he was tricked in the past and will do anything to end Marstroke. I love how he understood her and didn’t want try to control her. He saw things that most didn’t.

Review: Wicked Laird (Brethren of Stone #2) by Tammy Andresen

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Wicked Laird by Tammy Andresen

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️  Spice Level: 💋💋💋

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One family united by loss, driven to find love… 

Laird Blair Sinclair doesn’t need help from any man. Though the second son in the Alban line, he is as strong as his brother Stone and even more determined to build a shipping empire with his own two hands. He doesn’t have time for anything or anyone else. But when he rescue’s a beautiful woman, he can’t deny that Elle needs him. Nor can he rid himself of the feeling that he wants to need her too. 

Elspith McIntre learned the hard way to only rely on herself. Which is why it’s infuriating that she requires help from the arrogant new laird. It’s even more maddening that she can’t get rid of him. She wants no man and especially not a powerful one who could decide to crush her at any moment. She will not make that mistake again no matter how tempting the thought of leaning against his powerful chest. 

After the death of their parents, six siblings unite around their eldest brother, Stone. They consider blood a binding oath and vow to protect one another. They all must face their own demons as they find love and their places in the world. 

I can’t get enough of this family! No matter what darkness is after them there is always some humor between brothers knocking some sense into each other. These two were made for each other and didn’t know it, but everyone else did. A small misunderstanding just adds to the whirlwind of their love. I was holding my breath in the end and didn’t see all of it coming.

Elspith was determined to never get close to a man again after the last one. I loved her right away because she wasn’t going down without a fight. She didn’t run from her feelings or hide them as well as she thought.

Blair was broken hearted after the last time he rescued a woman, but he knows this is different. I loved how he didn’t let pride get in the way. He was going to help everyone.

Review: Suitor by Surprise by Claudia Dain part of The Duke of Danby’s Holiday Hijinx (The Duke of Danby’s Christmas #1)

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you buy a book through my link. There is no extra charge and I use these funds to feed my book addiction and keep my puppy in sweaters and toys. I only post links for books I love.*

Suitor by Surprise by Claudia Dain

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️  Spice Level: 💋

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Miss Judith Whitton, youngest niece of the Duke of Danby, is not yet married. Having met John Copley one year ago at her first Christmas in Yorkshire, she is puzzled that John has not yet offered for her, especially after the intimacies they shared. * Mr. Alfred FitzHerbert knows why Copley has not offered for Judith: Copley is a scoundrel. If Alfred can distract Judith from her fatal infatuation with Copley successfully, Danby will fund his bridge project. Distract, not wed. No one looking at Alfie could ever imagine him being any girl’s fatal attraction, an insult no true Englishman can be expected to ignore, not even one nicknamed ‘the archbishop.’

Never underestimate the Duke of Danby’s reach! This is a whirlwind romance that will have you waiting for the next surprise. You never know what is going to happen with them. I loved the ending and what happened with Copley.

Judith isn’t completely blinded by love. She is a surprise at every turn because you think she will do one thing and she does the opposite. I loved how she acted in the end.

Alfie Thought he knew the Duke of Danby better than anyone. I loved that he was so sure of himself and his plan. He was what she needed and didn’t know it.

Three Little Words by Samatha Grace part of The Duke of Danby’s Holiday Hijinx (The Duke of Danby’s Christmas #1)

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you buy a book through my link. There is no extra charge and I use these funds to feed my book addiction and keep my puppy in sweaters and toys. I only post links for books I love.* 

Three Little Words by Samantha Grace

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️  Spice Level: 💋

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Disheartened but not defeated, Gavin MacBride temporarily abandon’s plans for restoring the family coffers to escort his sister-in-law’s long-lost relative to Yorkshire for a reunion. Gavin might have failed to secure funds to ensure his family’s future prosperity, but surely, he can deliver a young woman to Danby Castle in one piece. * Heiress Victoria Eastland isn’t making his job easy, though, especially when she sets off for Yorkshire alone. With no carriages for hire at the local coaching inn, Gavin is resigned to give chase on horseback in inclement weather, but a Good Samaritan takes pity on Gavin and invites him to share his coach. Soon, the newfound friends are led on a merry chase that ends with a bold rescue and an unexpected discovery. The outspoken, foolishly brave Miss Eastland has been under Gavin’s nose the whole time—and a little too close when one is unprepared to lose his heart. 

One of the funniest cases of mistaken identity I’ve read! The whole chase was hysterical and ended very well for everyone. They were instantly drawn to each other and you wonder if the Duke of Danby had planned it or not. I knew there was more to the story of her family than she thought. I wish it had been longer.

Victoria is not a woman you want to make mad and she can take care of herself. She was not going to be told what to do by anyone, but she also didn’t hold back from what her heart said.

Gavin was determined to do something right for his family. He’s one of the few that isn’t afraid of the Duke of Danby. He also didn’t hold back from his heart.

Drama in the Romance Community: Why You Shouldn’t Boycott the Books and How You Can Make Your Voice Heard

You’re getting a bonus blog today and sadly it’s not for a good reason.

If you’re on any social media and follow romance authors then you’ve probably heard about the latest drama involving a cover model. If you haven’t then just look up Suzan Tisdale on FB because she has a video talking about it.

Now the reason for this post is because Many readers are saying they won’t buy books with this model on the cover. THIS IS NOT a good thing to do because you will be hurting the authors you love more than you will be hurting him.

Reasons not to do this

1. Not every author has control over their covers so they can’t change them. If they are with a publisher they can’t just say I don’t want him on my book anymore.
2. Not every indie author can afford to change their cover. Most aren’t rolling in money so they can’t just change it. Covers can cost $150 and up per book and if they need to change many that’s a fortune. Stock images are cheap by themselves either.
3. You may not even know he’s on their covers. Authors buy stock images and sometimes you don’t even recognize the model after editing. I know one that has him on several covers and I didn’t know it and can’t tell which ones.
4. Not buying their books will mean less money coming in for them. They could be planning to change the cover, but no sales mean no money to do it.
5. A new cover isn’t instant. If the authors are changing their covers it will take time. Cover design takes time and artists are busy (I know one that books up months in advance). They have to work with the authors to get new images and design the covers.

What you can do

1. support the authors looking to change their covers. Buy their books and when they change their covers your Kindle editions will update. If you already have the book then buy for friends.
2. Spread the love. If you see authors, cover artists, and cover models offering to help authors change their covers share the news. If you know of romance books that have heroines that are curvy and/or struggle with body image share them.
3. Voice your opinions nicely to publishers. There is power in numbers and if they see a lot of readers aren’t into a cover they sometimes will change it. I’ve seen this done before when readers didn’t like a cover.

My feelings on this

I personally pay little attention to male models on covers and I don’t buy a book based on its cover. Pretty colors and dresses get my attention more. I’m not going to punish authors for having him on their covers. I’m also not a cover model follower and there are only two male models that I usually recognize right away. I only know one’s name (Michael Foster) and follow him because he is very sweet and kind at all times.

I know I was offended by what was said and not just because I’m a curvy girl. No one should by body shamed or judged by how they look. Ugly is on the inside and it comes to the surface no matter what you do.

ARC Review: To Ruin a Gentleman (The Scarlet Chronicles #1) by Shana Galen

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To Ruin a Gentleman by Shana Galen

Releases January 15, 2019

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Spice Level: 💋💋💋

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The true story of the Scarlet Pimpernel . . .
Angelette, the recently widowed Comtesse d’Avignon, only invited Viscount Daventry to her country house party as a favor to her sister. When the handsome British lord arrives—two days late—he’s full of unnerving tales of unrest and violence in Paris. Angelette assumes it’s all exaggeration…until her chateau is attacked and her life threatened. Daventry rescues her, and the two are forced to run for their lives. But when danger closes in, will the viscount stand at her side or save himself?

Is not the one you’ve been told. 
Hugh Daventry visits France frequently to import wine for the family business. On his way out of the country, he stops at the comtesse’s house party out of obligation. But after meeting the raven-haired beauty, he tries to persuade her to leave France with him. When the peasants attack, he realizes he’s already too late, and now he must protect Angelette, whose sharp tongue is far from angelic. Too soon the couple is caught up in the rising revolution, dodging bloodthirsty mobs, hiding from soldiers, and embroiled in the attack of the Bastille. Hugh wants nothing but to leave tumultuous France for the calm of England. He knows Angelette is intelligent and resourceful—a survivor. But can Hugh survive without her? 

Be prepared for a wonderful story time that hooks you from the start and surprises you in the end! I love that it starts with Hugh telling his son the story. You will fall right into the brutal story of the attacks and riots and be holding your breath afraid of what will happen next. They are a couple at odd from the start with him trying to save her while she is determined to stay. There are many times that you think the story will go one way and it takes a turn in another way. The ending to their story will totally surprise you and it’s sweet at the same time.

Angelette is very loyal and it’s almost to a fault. She didn’t understand what was coming until it was too late, but she was different than her friends. You won’t love her right away, but you will in the end with how she surprises you.

Hugh lost his heart quickly and didn’t even know it. I loved him right away because he kept trying to make people understand what was coming. No matter what he kept coming back to her.