From the New York Times bestselling author of To Desire a Devil comes this thrilling tale of danger, desire, and dark passions.
A MAN CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES . . .
Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .
A WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST . . .
Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.
A BARGAIN NEITHER COULD REFUSE
Being new to the romance genre I knew Elizabeth Hoyt was an author I had to try. What better way to start than with the beginning of a new series! And it did not disappoint.
Instantly I was taken by Temperance, here is a character I hadn't met before, a widowed woman with a large family helping run basically a small orphanage, her day to day problems were very different that the ones of more heroines I have read about. And Lord Caire, he was a lot "darker" than most of the heros I've read about. It was just a really nice change of pace.
And there is also a mystery, an almost Jack the Ripper type mystery and I really think romance and mystery jive very well together! The setting for this story was rather spooky a bad area of London where people get attacked at night, again very different. I also must say it's probably the naughtiest historical romance I've read!
There was also a side story with Temperance's sister Silence (what horrid names this people have!) that I feel isn't quiet over so I hope to see her again as this series progresses. Mysteries still remain but some are solved. I've read a bit of the next book, Notorious Pleasures and it looks like it could be even better!
Overall I think I find myself very much a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt and can't want to read more by her!
Wicked Intentions was released on August 1st 2010 Genre: Historical Romance 4/5 Stars ARC provided by the publisher
In Tessa Dare’s dazzling new trilogy, the men of the Stud Club live and play by their own rules—until passion changes the game.
The bastard son of a nobleman, Julian Bellamy is now polished to perfection, enthralling the ton with wit and charm while clandestinely plotting to ruin the lords, ravish the ladies, and have the last laugh on a society that once spurned him. But after meeting Leo Chatwick, a decent man and founder of an elite gentlemen’s club, and Lily, Leo’s enchanting sister, Julian reconsiders his wild ways. And when Leo’s tragic murder demands that Julian hunt for justice, he vows to see the woman he secretly loves married to a man of her own class.
Lily, however, has a very different husband in mind. She’s loved Julian forever, adores the man beneath the rakish façade, and wants to savor the delicious attraction they share—as his wife. His insistence on marrying her off only reinforces her intent to prove that he is the only man for her. Obsessed with catching a killer, Julian sinks back to the gutters of his youth, forcing Lily to reach out with a sweet, reckless passion Julian can’t resist. Can her desire for a scoundrel save them both—or will dangerous secrets threaten more than their tender love?
Three Nights with a Scoundrel is the last of the Stud Club Trilogy. The book sees to the end of the mysterious death of founder Leo, who's sister, Lily finds love in this book with friend Julian. Throughout the other two books Julian came off as an ass and just rather unlikable but in this book you really get to know him, and for me I think he ended up as my favorite of the three male leads in the books.
I liked the premise of this book, friends that become more and that carried me for awhile but by the middle I was ready to just be done. Luckily I really enjoyed the ending, the mystery to Leo's death was pretty interesting, and there was a nice conclusion for the whole series, so luckily that saved the book for me.
In Book One, One Dance with a Duke, we learn that Lily is deaf but it's not mentioned for the first 25 pages of this book, which is thought was really bizarre. If you were new to this trilogy you would really have no idea. The believability that she was deaf sort of came and went for me.
Overall, a nice conclusion to the series.
Three Nights with a Scoundrel was released on July 27th 2010 Genre: Historical Romance 3.5/5 Stars Review copy provided by publisher
When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they’ve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because she’s a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Will’s world is much larger. He is allowed—forced, in his case—to go to school. Neither is happy.
So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.
The Education of Bet is a sweet and humorous story told in a wonderful voice! I have read at least one historical novel where a woman dresses like a man to do something only a man can do and I absolutely adored it, so when I heard about The Education of Bet bringing this concept to the YA genre I was really excited!
And Bet didn't let me down. From page one I had a lot of fun reading about her adventures in school masquerading as a boy. The author crafted her voice in such a way that she is so proper even while doing scandalous boy type things, I loved it! And falling for her roommate that thinks she's a boy, priceless! Her relationship with James (her roommate) is so sweet, even when they are both boys, they really look out for each other. We don't see a ton of her relationship with her "brother in spirit" Will save for the beginning of the book but I really liked what I saw of Will as well.
I knew eventually Bet would have to be discovered by someone as a girl but I didn't know how and it was so fun getting there. The Education of Bet was a sweet and very cute book, which I definitely recommend!
The Education of Bet will be released on July 12th 2010 Genre: Historical Young Adult 4.5/5 Stars ARC provided by Amazon Vine
The daring members of the Stud Club are reckless gamblers and no strangers to risk—until love raises the stakes in Twice Tempted by a Rogue.
Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur. His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his good friend in the elite gentlemen’s society known as the Stud Club. Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper who dares him to take on the demons of his past—and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love.Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan. But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is torn between determination and desire. As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago.
I definitely preferred the storyline in Twice Tempted by a Rogue to that of the first in the trilogy One Dance with a Duke. I loved the idea of someone that felt so worthless and unlovable (Rhys) paired with someone that had always loved him no matter what (Meredith). I think this is the first book I've read that had a widow so that was a welcome change for me! I liked how confident she was in her abilities to take care of the people that frequented her inn. I also really liked that the mystery of the murder of the Stud Club founder took a back seat for most of the book, a lot less horse talk.
We did get to learn a bit more about Julian who takes center stage in the third and final book, Three Nights with a Scoundrel. In the first book I didn't really like him but he's starting to grow on me and we are also introduced to Cora who plays a role in the mystery and has a sorted past but ends up fighting for a new life for herself, I liked that!
Rhys and Meredith's back and forth keep me going through most of the book, with new revelations about their shared past constantly being brought up but towards the end I started to feel like the magic was sort of fading for me. I don't know what it was, maybe the predictability of the genre? I really don't know. Overall still a fun book.
Twice Tempted by a Rogue was released on June 22nd 2010 Genre: Historical Romance 3.5/5 Stars Review copy provided by publisher
Welcome to the first of three blog tour stops for the Tessa Dare Stud Club Trilogy, check back for the final 2 later this summer! Today I have a guest post from the author, review, and a giveaway for the entire trilogy later this afternoon!
In One Dance with a Duke—the first novel in Tessa Dare’s delightful new trilogy—secrets and scandals tempt the irresistible rogues of the Stud Club to gamble everything for love.
A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members—yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke—until Lady Amelia d’Orsay triesher luck.
In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?
Let's start with a guest post from the author!
There’s a phrase I’d like to banish.Okay, not banish – because I really don’t believe in banishing phrases.But let’s just say, I wish I didn’t hear it quite so often.It’s this one:
“Guilty pleasure.”
A lot of romance readers use this phrase.I’ve heard endless variations on “Romance novels are my guilty pleasure.”In fact, I’m relatively sure I’ve said it before myself, but only lately has it started to make me cringe.
I get the “pleasure” part of it.Romances are fun, entertaining, enjoyable.For those who love the genre, a great romance is pure reading joy.But why the “guilty”?Is romance supposed to be like potato chips or chocolate--detrimental to our health if we consume too much?
I suspect the “guilty” factor has more to do with time. Unlike eating, or even watching television, reading demands our focused attention.It’s hard (but not impossible!) to multitask while reading a book.Reading time is time we take exclusively for ourselves. Romance readers are mostly women, and women have busy lives.If you’re a doctor, mother, teacher—or all three—with a lot of people demanding your attention, it can be hard to carve that “me-time” out of the day.
Amelia, the heroine of One Dance with a Duke, struggles with this.As the only woman in a family of five brothers, she finds herself always tending to their needs, putting others first.It’s a dilemma with which I can readily sympathize, after making my fifteenth PB&J of the week, meticulously removing all evidence of crust so it can pass preschooler muster.
But that’s exactly why I think we should strive to filter the term “guilty pleasure” from our vocabulary.We work hard!We deserve to enjoy life’s little pleasures where we find them, without an ounce of guilt…be they romance novels, long baths, rock climbing trips, or something else.In fact, I’m off to have a pedicure right after I finish this post.
What’s your favorite not-so-guilty pleasure?
Thanks Tessa! Onto my review!
In One Dance with a Duke, we are introduced to a trilogy based around a club of men who together own a horse, The Stud Club. The Stud Club takes the focus at the beginning and towards the end of the book with the middle being my favorite part, the boy meets girl part! Maybe a bit too much horse and murder talk for me. I will admit though, I love a good mystery!
Heroine Amelia is rather likable, she’s not too worried about the fact that she is unmarried and puts her family first. When making all of her decisions she always thinks about how it will affect her family. She comes to know Spencer through one of her brother’s gambling debts. And I love the scene when they meet, it really shows off both of their personalities and how they sometimes (a lot of the time) clash.
I found Spencer to be a bit rough and aggressive towards Amelia at some points to the point of unattractiveness, most of the time in the way he spoke to her in the bedroom, but when the narration was from his perspective I found him to be a lot more likable then when we were viewing him from Amelia's eyes.
While this book didn't burn as bright for me as some of the others in the genre I have read, I think this is an intriguing set up for a trilogy with the mystery spanning what appears to be all three books. Can’t wait to find out more about the quiet and mysterious Rhys in the next book, Twice Tempted by a Rogue.
One Dance with a Duke was released on May 25th 2010 Genre: Historical Romance 3/5 Stars Review copy provided by the publisher
Amazon.com: Meet three noble bachelors and a quartet of American girls of questionable manners! New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp delights with an exciting new series featuring love, laughter, and intrigue.
When Mary Bascombe’s stepfather tries to sell her and her sisters to the highest bidder after their mother’s death, she resolves to take drastic action. Although their British mother was estranged from her family, Mary decides the four will flee to London and take their place in society as granddaughters of the Earl of Stewkesbury.
Dashing Sir Royce Winslow doubts the honesty of the young women’s claim—despite their charms, they seem to be hiding something. His attraction to feisty Mary, however, is no ruse, so when the sisters are shipped off to Willowmere, the earl’s country estate, to acquire some polish, Royce is quick to join them. When an unknown villain attempts a kidnapping, Royce and Mary are thrown together as they confront the danger . . . and Royce learns that while high society may sing the praises of proper behavior, it is a most improper American who is winning his heart.
Having read just a small stack of historical romances I think I am beginning to understand the common plot elements that most novels in the genre possess. I have also begun to see what is unique to each story and I think in A Lady Never Tells that would be the strong sense of family.
Right away we are introduced to the four Bascombe sisters, headed by eldest sister Mary. They are right off the boat from America and aren't afraid to use their mouths and weapons (seriously) to stop a thief from taking a satchel of important papers. They are a refreshing family, unlike any I have seen so far in the historical romances I have read. They are a great match for the refined Sir Royce Winslow and his brothers. They are amused by each other because they are so very different. I never got tired of these characters! There are also secondary characters, cousins and friends that were really great as well!
The relationship between Mary and Royce while not an uncommon one in the genre is a lot of fun! It seems whenever these two are alone naughty things happen. So it should be said that A Lady Never tells is higher on the steamy scale. While their arguments were typical I still really enjoyed reading their story and carried it around with me everywhere I went most of the few days I was reading it.
I think this book is a great set up for the Willowmere trilogy and I simply cannot wait to read the next book, A Gentleman Always Remembers. I will be getting it as soon as it comes out!
A Lady Never Tells was released on April 27th Genre: Historical Romance 4/5 Stars ARC provided by Amazon Vine
1. Sebastian Grey is a devilishly handsome rogue with a secret.
2. Annabel Winslow's family voted her The Winslow Most Likely to Speak Her Mind and The Winslow Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Church.
3. Sebastian's uncle is the Earl of Newbury, and if he dies without siring an heir, Sebastian inherits everything.
4. Lord Newbury detests Sebastian and will stop at nothing to prevent this from happening.
5. Lord Newbury has decided that Annabel is the answer to all of his problems.
6. Annabel does not want to marry Lord Newbury, especially when she finds out he once romanced her grandmother.
7 is shocking, 8 is delicious, and 9 is downright wicked, all of which lead the way to
10. Happily. Ever. After.
My adventure in historical romance continues and what a fun book Ten Things I Love About You was! I really liked Annabel and LOVED Sebastian. He was played off as a bit of a rake but he was so darn sweet and a very nice guy! He has a secret occupation that no one else knows about but makes him so very endearing, that was definitely my favorite part of the story.
And Annabel's struggle between doing what's right for her family and what's right for her, stuck between a mean (and disgusting) uncle and his nephew he hates. It happens accidentally but when it comes down to it, words are had, fists are thrown and it's kind of awesome.
Another great character was Annabel's grandmother, oh god lord this lady had a mouth on her and she made every scene she was in! But really all the secondary characters were great like Sebastian's relatives and Annabel's cousin.
Ten Things I Love About You has a really great balance of humor and the dramatics and for those of you that want to know it's light on the sensual scenes but there is still a touch of it there. I've been hearing for awhile know Julia Quinn is a talented author and I would have to agree! I can't wait to go back and read some of her earlier books including The Duke and I!
Ten Things I Love About You will be released on May 25th 2010 Genre: Historical Romance 4/5 Stars E-galley provided by publisher
Check out the super cute trailer below. Is it just me or are book trailers getting better and better? Love this one!
Amazon.com: A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.
Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.
But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.
If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake (or 9 Rules for short) is the first ever adult romance novel I have ever read and I think Sarah MacLean may have just led me to a whole new genre to explore! After having read her Young Adult title (and first book), The Season I knew I would read anything else she wrote and this book took my breath away! Coming to 9 Rules from The Season was very natural and just ramped up everything a little bit more. I love that they are both from the same world and time period.
Now it's time for some details. Main character Callie is someone that I could instantly relate to, she isn't as young as the other society girls and has been labeled a spinster and has been almost forgotten about. She realizes that after playing the part society has cast her in she really hasn't had any fun and hasn't gotten anything out of being a good polite woman and so the list is born.
The whole idea of Callie completing a list of basically un-lady like and scandalous tasks is written in a very clever and funny way. Seeing someone try something new is usually always funny and when they have to sneak around in disguises and in the pitch black night it's all the more fun. And add in Ralston and you are very much set!
I loved every single character in this book, pretty much as much as I loved Callie (except for maybe her mother, lol!). From her younger sister Mariana who is engaged, to her older brother Benedick, to Ralston (swoon) and his brother Nick to everyone else. The characters are fabulous. I'm very excited that this is the first of 3 books in this series because I definitely want more where this came from (as if you couldn't tell!).
And the romance, how can I say this politely, it was HOT! (And 2 months later having read a stack of romances, it's still the HOTTEST!) I loved all the back and forth between Callie and Ralston too, the misunderstandings, the stubbornness, the flirting and the silliness it was just adorable! I loved how they would end up hidden in corners, empty hallways and all sorts of places just slightly out of range of the ton, it was dangerous!
I took my time with this book, a week to be exact because I really wanted to enjoy it. I finished it 4 days ago and I haven't really been able to get into anything else since. This book was a complete and absolute treat! RECOMMEND!
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake will be released on March 30th Genre: Adult Romance 5/5 Stars ARC provided by the publisher
*** As you can tell I read this back in January, which is when I also wrote my review***
She was his last chance for a future of happiness…
A gifted fortune-teller from a humble background, Jenny can make even the most sophisticated skeptic believe her predictions simply by batting her smoky eyelashes. Until she meets her match in Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, a sworn bachelor and scientist.
He just didn't know it yet
Broodingly handsome, Gareth is scandalized to discover his cousin has fallen under the spell of "Madame Esmerelda," and vows to prove Jenny a fraud. But his unexpected attraction to the fiery enchantress defies logic. Jenny disrupts every facet of Gareth's calculated plan—until he can't decide whether to seduce her or ruin her. Now, as they engage in a passionate battle of wills, two lonely souls must choose between everything they know…and the boundless possibilities of love.
While Proof by Seduction started slow for me (I will account it to the fact I'm still new to Historical Romance and anything historical in general) it ramped up quickly and I had a great time reading Jenny's story!
I felt like we really got to know Jenny and Gareth, so much of their past and family is explained it's really hard for you to dislike either of them or understand why they are exactly the way they are. I thought Jenny was very strong, she made her living in a dishonest way (she has a good reason), and decides to stop, she also takes care of herself, she doesn't get men to fight her battles and does what she can to support herself.
Gareth knows nothing but science, fact, and serious frowns. But then he meets Jenny who really sees him and sees how lonely and stuck with the title of Marquess of Blakely he is. And they are brought together by sweet Ned, the cousin of Gareth. I'm very excited to see that Courtney's next book, Trial By Desire, is Ned's story!!!!!
I thought the chemistry was great, fact vs fiction, have to's and wants. Jenny and Gareth sure test each other and I love it. Can't wait for the next story in this series!
Proof by Seduction was released on January 1st 2010 Genre: Historical Romance 4/5 Stars Review copy provided by Amazon Vine
Amazon.com:
