Have you ever read a book so captivating and so sensuous that it leaves you wanting more? This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. It’s so very well written and from the moment I started reading this, I was ensnared. Grace Burrowes talents sparkle. Her characters are riveting and positively delightful. The dialogue is crisp and enticing and the plot setup is intriguing.
BOOK: THE RANGER
AUTHOR: MONICA MCCARTY
My rating: 5 stars
Review:
With a magnificent cast of dangerous characters, a mysteriously handsome hero and a vivacious heroine, Monica McCarty sets the tone for a lively adventure and immensely entertaining read. No doubt this 3rd book in the Highland Guard series is enough to make your heart melt.
He unnerved her. Made her feel nervous. Discombobulated. Flush with impulses she didn’t understand. She wanted to move closer. Put her hand on his chest and feel the strength underneath. Stare at his face and memorize every hard angle, every line, every scar. It was outrageous to the point of ridiculous.
She’d been attracted to a handsome man before, but this was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Nothing like the fondness she’d felt for Roger, her former fiancé. It was deeper. More intense. More visceral. It reached inside and pulled, compelling her to him.
Arthur “Ranger” Campbell is such a great character to read about. I immediately liked him. He was everything I love in a hero: tall, dark, handsome… and dangerous. What’s not to love, ladies? He will pull at your heartstrings.
Anna MacDougall is a very likable heroine. I enjoyed reading about her. She’s not whiney like a lot of other heroines (major plus!), she doesn’t cry much (another plus!) and she’s strong willed. The chemistry between her and Arthur is fantastic. I love when characters fall in love (and lust) slowly!
Arthur couldn’t wait any longer. The pressure had gathered like a hot fist at the base of his spine, building toward the throbbing tip of his cock, demanding release.
Touching her.
Hearing her cry out in sharp gasps of pleasure.
Feeling her body weep and shudder around his hand.
He clenched his teeth, holding it back, knowing he was about to come like he’d never come before.
Jesus, she was so damned beautiful. Honey-gold hair spread out behind her head, shimmering in the candlelight. Cheeks flushed. Lips parted. Eyes dazed and heavy with passion…
She looked like a wanton who couldn’t wait to get tupped. My wanton. All mine.
Jesus, he repeated, half prayer, half oath. He’d never felt like this before. Desire had consumed him.
Ms. McCarty writes a richly detailed and emotionally intense story. It’s a page turner until the very end. There’s action, adventure, scandalous activities, love and mayhem.
For love, adventure, and lots of fun, read Monica McCarty.
I’m on to the next!
BOOK: ROMANCING THE DUKE
AUTHOR: TESSA DARE
PUBLISHER: AVON
I give this book 4 stars! ****
BOOK BLURB:
As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.
And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one.
Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?
No, no and… Heh.
Now Izzy’s given up on yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six-year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?
This one.
The story begins when Isolde Ophelia Goodnight (Izzy) receives a letter stating that her godfather died and has left her a bequest. She is to meet Lord Archer at Gostley Castle for the particulars.
When Izzy arrives at Gostley Castle, she meets a handsome stranger.
He leaned one shoulder against the archway. “Aren’t we going to continue”
“Continue what?”
“This game.” His voice was so low it seemed to crawl to her over the flagstones, then shiver up through the soles of her feet. “Am I a Russian prince? No. Is my favorite color yellow? No. Would I object if you were to come inside and remove ever stitch of your damp clothing?” His voice did the impossible. It sank lower. “No.”
He was just making sport of her now.
Izzy clutched her valise to her chest. She didn’t want Snowdrop getting wet. “Do you treat all your visitors this way?”
Idiot. She cursed herself and braced for another low, mocking “no.”
He said, “Only the pretty ones.”
She thinks that she might be hallucinating because she had never considered herself pretty or beautiful. She was just plain. Her hair was dark and so unruly that she couldn’t begin to tame it. She simply thought he must be daft. But she faints right in front of him.
This is the part where I’m hooked. And as soon as Lord Archer arrives and tells her that she’s now the proud owner of the castle, Gostley Castle, she can scarce believe it. What luck! A home of her very own! Property always belongs to fathers, brothers, husbands, son. Never women. Nothing like this ever happens to Izzy. And she’s absolutely thrilled.
The Duke of Rothbury is dumbfounded. There is no way Izzy is stealing the property out from under him. He never sold it to her godfather and now he’s beginning to question how this could have happened. It seems, perhaps, that the answer may lie with in the stacks of mail that he hasn’t looked through…. hasn’t been able to look through. He’s blind. Well, partly. Sometimes he can make out shapes or colors or certain things (and that happens usually in the mornings) but most of the time he just simply cannot see anything. And he’ll be damned if this little chit snatches his castle out from under him.
Does this story not sound good so far? I enjoyed it so very much. Especially when both the hero and heroine refused to leave the castle. They both claimed it as their own.
“This isn’t such a quandary as it seems,” she said. “You want to stay. I want to stay. Until the legal matters are settled, we’ll share.”
“Share?”
“Yes, share. This is a vast castle, built to house hundreds of people. I’ll just take a spare tower or wing for my own. You won’t even notice me.”
He leaned close. “Oh, I’d notice you, Miss Goodnight. I’d notice you. There’s no castle big enough to keep a man like me from being aware, every moment, of a woman like you. You don’t have to speak a word. I can hear the rustle of your petticoats. I can smell the scent of your skin. I can feel your heat.”
Heavens. If he could sense her heat, he must feel it right now. She was hot everywhere.
…”Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she breathed. “and you’re mad if you think I’ll back down from this now.”
They stood in tense silence.
“That’s it,” he said, at length. “You’re leaving this place the same way you came in.”
He ducked, caught her by the legs, and threw her over his shoulder–with ease of a man who’d tossed many a woman over his shoulder. This was definitely not his first go at lady-tossing.
But it was definitely Izzy’s first time being tossed, and she had no idea how to respond. Beat her fists against his back? Kick and scream? Later, she’d think of a dozen things. Witty retorts and clever rejoinders. Right now, all the blood was rushing to her head, and her mind was a hot, throbbing blank.
He bounced her weight, plumping her backside with his forearm. “There’s so little to you.”
The dismissive words jarred her tongue loose.
“You’re wrong,” she said. “There’s a great deal to me, Your Grace. More than you know. More than anyone supposes. You can carry me outside, if you like. I’ll come back in. Again, and again. As many times as it takes. Because this is my castle now. And I’m not leaving.”
Oh, and the banter is simply marvelous. He’s sarcastic and she’s stubborn. It’s a wonderful setting for disaster and all things off limits. Try as they might, they cannot stop the growing feeling they have for one another.
He grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her again. Harder this time. mainly just to quiet her prattling, but also to underscore the original meaning. If she wanted tender starlight interludes, Ransom was not her man. When it came to physical pleasure, he was aggressive, bold and unashamed of it. If he had to make the point twice, so be it.
But as he kissed her, something went horribly, horribly wrong.
This time, she kissed him back. Not with mere curiosity or artless enthusiasm but with a sweet, unfettered passion that made his ribs ache.
His eyes flew open in shock–not that it made a damn bit of difference. He still couldn’t see, only feel.
Sweet God above, did he feel.
This was… this was not supposed to happen.
Ransom and Izzy absolutely came alive with passion in this story. It was so much fun to read about.
She said, “But that’s what I like most, you see. No one ever talks that way to me. You’re so crude and profane. I… I know it’s absurd, but I can’t help it. I find it perversely delightful.”
She liked crude? She wanted profane?
Very well, then. Crude and profane he could give her.
“Listen to me. When a man wakes up, he wakes wanting. He wakes hard and rude and aching with need.” He shifted, pressing his massive erection against her hip. “Do you feel that?”
She gasped. “Yes.”
“It wants in you.” he said.
“In… in me.”
“Yes. In you. Hard, deep, fast and completely. Now don’t you wake me at this hour again unless you found the perfect retort to that.”
Ransom is a likable hero. He’s rough around the edges but begins to soften a bit. He’s blunt and to the point and he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him.
It really is enjoyable to read how they straighten out the problem of who’s castle it is. As with most stories, you’ll find out in the end but don’t skip to the back to read just yet. Enjoy the story. It has humorous parts in it, the love scenes are marvelous, and the characters are wonderful.
And I love when an author has an animal that’s apart of the story. This one would be an ermine named Snowdrop. She doesn’t have a huge role in the story but the parts she’s in are hilarious.
I simply love Tessa Dare! You can hardly go wrong with one of her novels.
BOOK: SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A ROYAL BODYGUARD
AUTHOR: VANESSA KELLY
4 stars!
Aden St. George is an interesting hero.
He is ridiculously handsome. A girl would have to be dead–or at least apoplectic– not to react to a man like St. George.
For most of his life he’d seen himself as an outsider. He’d been deliberately rejected by the people in his life who most mattered. He felt unwanted and unworthy, the walking scandal, and someone who didn’t deserve a normal life.
He’s part of the Royal House Guards. He, along with his friend and mentor Sir Dominic, are secretly spies.
When we first meet Aden, he’s rescued one of the tons most acclaimed young women, Lady Vivien Shaw, in the dead of night.
Vivien is a rather likable heroine. Despite being rough handled and kidnapped she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. She’s fearless and is unlike any other the other women of the ton. She also has the added burden of looking out for her gambling mother and younger brother. She constantly tries to keep them out of debt by playing cards. Meeting Aden is a refreshing change in her life.
I loved reading how they both tried their best to not be attracted to each other.
Slowly, the warmth in his eyes transmuted into a seductive heat. When his gaze dropped to her mouth, she could swear all that heat flicked a kiss of fire across it. Her lips parted in an involuntary gasp.
“Christ, Vivien,” Aden murmured n a ragged voice. His gloved hands cupped her cheeks, tilting her face up another inch as he swiftly claimed her mouth.
And claim he did, slipping his tongue between her lips in a swirl of delicious, liquid heat. She tasted champagne and fire and potent masculine energy that drove its way straight to her heart. With a searing delight, both startling and terrifying in its power, she threw her arm around his neck, flinging herself against him.
I enjoyed the budding romance between Aden and Vivien. They matched each other perfectly and the love scenes were scorching.
He had fallen in love with her, God help him. And it made him more vulnerable to making mistakes than he’d ever even imagined.
“You love me?” she asked in a tight voice as she twisted partway around in his embrace.
“Of course I love you. How could I not? You’re the most interesting woman I’ve ever met, despite your unfailing ability to get yourself into ridiculous situations.”
She gave him a tentative smile. “I don’t do it on purpose, you know. Things just seem to happen to me.”
“Yes, I’ve noticed that trouble finds you on a fairly regular basis.”
The horrible villain in this story is Prince Ivan. He’s mean, vicious and will absolutely do anything to have Vivien as his wife… no matter the cost. She’s his obsession. Vivien loathes him, thinks he looks like a toad, and tries to avoid him whenever possible.
Her oldest brother, Cyrus, could also be considered a villain, or close to it. I didn’t like him in the beginning of the story and by the end of the book, I still didn’t.
Vanessa Kelly has really found a unique niche that highlights both her storytelling abilities and stellar talents for depth of character and emotion. Every aspect of this tale is exquisite.
**ARC graciously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
I cannot wait for Griffin’s story in CONFESSIONS OF A ROYAL BRIDEGROOM.
Book Blurb:
The holiday novella, Book 1.5, following the award-winning debut of Forged in Dreams and Magick in the Highland Legends Series:
Desperate to honor a life-long promise, Susanna MacEalan escapes her abusive clan with the fierce determination of never falling under the power of a man. Ever.
Aggravated by shallow-hearted pursuing lasses, Robert Brodie, commander of his clan’s elite guard, has foresworn scheming women. Forever.
When magick transforms Brodie Castle into a Christmas wonderland, the two despondent souls find solace in a most unexpected place . . . each other’s arms.
Amid a whirlwind of escalating events, Susanna’s traumatic past threatens Robert’s ability to protect the one woman meant for him. In a harrowing moment, as her fears and demons coalesce, will hope, faith, and love be enough to save them?
*** PLEASE NOTE ***
Scorching (explicit) sex scenes.
Fire extinguisher highly recommended.
MY REVIEW:
4.5 stars!
He opened his eyes, pinning her with a hard look. “I’ll offer you the world. If you want the sun and moon snatched down from the sky, I’ll hunt them down and bring them to you. The countless stars that glitter in the night shall become jewels adornin’ your hair. All the oceans wide will be yours to traverse, and each creature shall treat you as friend and master.
“As for me–” he dropped his lips to her forehead, grazing them across her soft skin “–my heart belongs to you, my soul is yours, and yearns to give you pleasure like you’ve never imagined.”
Move over, Julia Quinn and Sabrina Jeffries! Kat Bastion is an absolutely gifted author and deserves to be recognized for her talent.
I simply love a good historical romance. This is one of them. A splendid novella that’s perfect for the holiday season (I read it after Christmas and still enjoyed it). It’s a quick story that you can read in no time and leave you with a satisfied smile. This book picks up where the first one leaves off.
Susanna is a strong heroine. She grows up being terrified of her father but when he betroths her to a man she absolutely despises, she runs away. She runs until she finds herself captured by Iain’s trusted commander, Robert.
Robert is tall, dark and handsome. Everything Susanna shouldn’t be attracted to. He and his men are out getting a Christmas tree for Isobel when Susanna stumbles upon them. He doesn’t trust her at first and bounds her wrists and holds her prisoner for a short time.
He finds himself unable to stay away from her. He’s drawn to her in a way he’s never been before by a woman… and he makes her his wife.
“If God granted me a last piece of time to treasure forever, this would be it,” she whispered.He sighed, tears springing into his eyes as he was overcome by new emotions assaulting his heart. “Aye, love. This would be it.”… For the first time in his life, he felt protected. Cherished. Loved.
… “I’ll be wherever you are. I’ll protect you. I’ll offer all that I am to you. Wherever you are–”
Susanna raised a finger and placed it over his lips, silencing him. Her smile grew wider.
“Wherever you are… I am found. You’re the one I wished for. I prayed for you long before I met you.” She cupped her hand over his cheek, fresh tears brimming in her eyes.
“Susanna, I wished for us under that mistletoe.”
She leaned up against him, entwining her hands around his neck as he dipped his head down. She placed the softest kiss on his lips. As he closed his eyes, losing himself in their tender connection, drifting as close to Heaven as God allowed a man to get, he felt her lips curved into a smile.
Sweet words drifted from her lips, branding his heart.
“Then us we shall forever be.”
Please keep in mind that this is a novella. It’s sweet, short and to the point. I adore the love scenes.
I highly recommend you read this novella if you love historical romance. The storyline was superbly thrilling and exciting. It’s one heck of an enjoyable read.
I look forward to Ms. Bastion’s next book BORN OF MIST AND LEGEND. I cannot wait to read Brigid’s story.
**ARC graciously provided by Kat Bastion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
“Do you like to be bound, Mrs. Curtis?”
This is Fifty Shades meets the 1800’s. Or rather, what Fifty Shades would have possibly been like back then.
“I am bad, Emma,” he said softly. “Bad, wicked, and depraved.”
Something released in her, and she finally let out the long breath she’d been holding. She grazed evenly into his eyes. “You are not evil, Luke. Everyone has those kinds of desires. They are human.”
…”If you don’t believe my depraved fantasies to be evil, then what about what I will invariably do to you afterward?”
Oh, Lord, it was an enormous risk. But she wanted him badly enough, she was willing to take it. “What if I told you I didn’t want to think about afterward? That I don’t care if you were to walk away? That I am a grown woman who can make her own choices, and I choose you?” She pressed closer to him. “I want to exist in the present, Luke. I want to stop worrying about the future.”
Emma is a likable heroine. She’s smart, determined, and depends on the Duke of Trent’s brother, Luke, to help her find her husband’s murderer. She forms a friendship with Luke and eventually becomes his mistress. Their hunt in finding Robert Morton takes them both on an adventure and creates a passion that nothing can destroy.
Lukas ‘Luke’ Hawkins is the bad boy kinda hero. He’s a notorious rogue and he has certain tastes in the bedroom that are very wicked indeed. He lives in constant torment when he falls asleep and awakens from nightmares. Nightmares that he remembers from his childhood and cannot seem to overcome. His interest in finding Roger Morton is simple. His mother is missing and Mr. Morton is the last person to have been seen with her.
There is just the right amount of kink in the sex scenes. If you love a bad boy, mystery, action, and plenty of sex then this is the book for you.
“I know I am difficult. I am changeable and moody and temperamental. I am not an easy man to live with. You know this—you’ve seen all of my darkness. But you have pushed me toward the light. You make me want to be a better man. Moreover, you make me believe I can be that man.
“I will never stop loving you, Em. Since the first moment I saw you, you have been the only woman for me. That will never change. You bring me peace. You bring me light…. Be mine, Emma. I want you. For the rest of my life, and yours. Be my wife.”
“Yes,” she whispered. There was no hesitation, no second thought, no concern, no insecurity.
…”I love you so much, Luke. I want nothing more in this world than to be your wife.”
Two wounded people–one physically, one emotionally–brought together by fate to work out their healing. I think Ms. Haywood does a splendid job writing this book. The storyline is fast paced and enjoyable. The romance sizzles, there is mystery, and there are tormented dreams. The many twists and unexpected turns will keep you guessing throughout.
I give this historical romance 4 stars 🙂
Book Blurb:
Amanda Fleming’s outspokeness has cost her clergyman twin brother Stephen his last two positions. Now after his receiving the best one ever, she vows to be the perfect helpmate-even if it means keeping silent. But the ladies of the church test her at every turn and she prays that Cameron Hunt, the man who gave Stephen his living, will understand not send them packing.
But as her friendship with Hunt’s younger sister grows, she finds herself falling in love with him, even knowing he is about to marry the perfect lady and all she can do is watch.
Cameron Hunt, ninth earl of St. Martin firmly believes in following tradition, including being engaged by his thirtieth birthday. With only weeks to spare, he plans to propose to a woman he considers the most suitable candidate by Christmas. But then Amanda Fleming comes crashing into his life, challenging everything he thought he wanted in a countess and turning his life upside down. With Christmas and the village’s traditional sleigh race approaching, will he follow tradition and marry the “right” woman, or follow his heart?
MY REVIEW:
“I suppose I should wait and do this privately,” he said in a voice that carried out over the heads of the spectators. “Or at least until I’ve spoken to your brother. But I will have no rumors or talk about us. Amanda Fleming, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”
A love he prayed he would deserve answered in her eyes, giving them a brilliance that was almost blinding. She placed her beloved hands on either side of his face. “Of course,” she said in a much softer voice. “Of course.”
Ms. Hall will keep you glued to the pages just waiting to see what the heroine will do next. I found myself laughing aloud at the end of Chapter Two. A moving historical romance with heart, soul, and holiday spirit.
Amanda Fleming is a delightful heroine. She is known for speaking her mind and for also having a good heart. She is a wonderful character to read about.
Cam is one of those heroes that knows he must marry but isn’t in much of a hurry to do so. He isn’t rakish at all and is, in fact, a gentleman. I love how he tries very hard not to fall for the spirited Miss Fleming.
The secondary characters rock. I’m not even kidding. They’re splendid! I loved reading about them and especially Amanda’s dog, Hamish (yes, I count him as a secondary character because he has a major part in the story). Hamish is adorable and he grabbed my heartstrings first thing. Who says Labradors have all the fun? A Scottish terrier steals the spotlight in this book.
Perdita (Cam’s sister) is a sweetheart. I enjoyed reading about her and Amanda’s friendship. Ms. Hall really wrote stellar personalities for all these characters.
This author keeps everything clean between the pages. That’s right. There are no bodice-ripping scenes or filthy talk. It’s really refreshing to read a romance that’s just pure, clean fun without all the extra.
The story ended perfectly; I wouldn’t have changed a single word. It’s the perfect historical romance to fall in love with.
It’s also lendable. I borrowed mine from booklending.com
BOOK BLURB:
What does it matter if Kate, Lady d’Allenay, has absolutely no marriage prospects? She has a castle to tend, an estate to run, and a sister to watch over, which means she is never, ever reckless. until an accident brings a handsome, virile stranger to Bellecombe Castle, and Kate finds herself tempted to surrender to her houseguest’s wicked kisses.
Disowned by his aristocratic family, Lord Edward Quartermaine has turned his gifted mind to ruthless survival. Feared and vilified as proprietor of London’s most notorious gaming salon, he now struggles to regain his memory, certain of only one thing: he wants all Kate is offering–and more.
But when Edward’s memory returns, he and Kate realize how much they have wagered on a scandalous passion that could be her ruin, but perhaps his salvation.
4 Wicked Stars!
Whee… that was fun! This book left me quite pleased, albeit a little breathless, at the end. Such a witty, wicked, sexy, and enjoyable read with a splendid HEA.
The only problem I have with the book–don’t judge me but I look at covers–is that the Edward is BLONDE headed in this story, not dark brown or black like the inside cover suggests.
Ah, yes. Blonde like this gorgeous hunk of a man. This is Edward. Ladies, you can thank me later.
Now, as I was saying…
The hero and heroine are so well written. Kate and Edward have a chemistry that sizzles off the pages. Yes, the intense attraction between the couple is just buttercream icing on the cake. Chemistry and an intriguing plot, to boot!
“Kate, love, are you sure?”
She nodded, and reached for him. “Oh, Edward,” she whispered, “I am so sure.”
It was the sound of his name on her lips that nearly broke him.
“I am sure of you,” she went on. “I am sure this is right.”
God help him, but he was sure, too.
And even then, Edward knew that a part of him was holding the truth at bay. he felt in that moment as if he could have remained by her side forever, lost in the sweetness of her. Lost in the solitude of this place, and the steady warmth of Kate’s gaze.
And he knew, just as surely, that it would never be. That he was taking what he did not deserve. Tainting, perhaps, a pure innocence. And for an instant, he felt the hot press of tears behind his eyes again.
“Make love to me,” she murmured. “Pleasure me. Please.”
He hadn’t the strength to say the word that honor required. Perhaps he hadn’t any honor at all. He did not know.
“I will, love,” he assured her. “In time. But you’re the sort of woman a man should love slowly.”
Kate is written as not very pretty, or rather, just plain. I came to think of her as beautiful. Her personality shines. I loved this heroine.
Edward…. ah, dear Edward. Yes, he’s one hunky hero. I would be wicked with him any day. I adore bad boys.
There’s depth here, and Ms. Carlyle peels through the layers until we’ve unknowingly invest ourselves in the characters. I simply adore the secondary characters as well and there’s even a pug in this story. Who doesn’t love an adorable dog that brings a little laughter to the story? Loved little Filou… um, fat Filou.
But it was not just a friendship, was it? It had become far more the moment he kissed her that afternoon by her parlor window. He hadn’t even known who the hell he was, but the moment Kate had opened beneath him, sighing so sweetly into his mouth, he had known that he was lost.
He had claimed her in that moment–in his heart if not his head–and she had been his ever after. Except that he had never told her so. He had never told her that he loved her. Never confessed to her that something inside him had altered; had torn from its moorings and flown to her, and that she now held his heart, bitter and scarred as it was, in her slender but capable hands.
It was such a fun read that I zipped through it in just 2 days.
Hurry, hurry, Ms. Carlyle! I’m ready for more.
“Kate, I love you so,” he said. “Do you love me?”
“Desperately, damn you,” she said impatiently. “I confessed as much some days ago.”
“I love it when you curse,” he said, the words muffled against her throat.
“I never did so before,” she said. “I wonder why the tendency has so lately come upon me?”
He laughed again, and let his lips slide down the long, pale turn of her neck. “Kate, my beautiful seductress, I will give up all my wicked ways and quit London and gaming both if–”
“Good,” she interjected. “You should. Wickedness is never rewarded, no matter what Aurelie says.”
Read this book and you’ll continue to smile to the end. 😉
He is a man of simple tastes—and complex pleasures…
Cameron Mackenzie is a man who loves only horses and women—in that order—or so his mistresses say.
Ainsley Douglas is a woman with a strong sense of justice and the desire to help others—even if that means sneaking around a rakish man’s bedchamber.
Which is exactly where Cam finds her—six years after he caught her the first time. Only then, she convinced Cam she was seeking a liaison, but couldn’t go through with it because of her husband. Now a widow, she’s on a mission to retrieve letters that could prove embarrassing to the queen. Cam has no interest in Ainsley’s subterfuge, but he vows to finish what they started those many years ago. One game, one kiss at a time, he plans to seduce her. And what starts out as a lusty diversion may break Cam’s own rules—and heal the scars of a dark and damaging past..
My Review:
4 sinful stars!
Oh my, my. Where to begin?
I’ve been reading this series from the beginning and found this book to be riveting. Jennifer Ashley has created some of the best Scottish heroes I’ve ever read. Every single one of the Mackenzie men are yummy and such a absolute delight to read about.
And the covers on the books? HAWT!
There’s something about a man in a kilt that will make me swoon. Kilts are sexy anyway you cut it. Add in a little Scottish brogue and I’m a goner! Need I say more?
“I am a bad man, very bad, but in a different way. I want to ravish you until we’re both senseless with it, and then I want to do it all over again.”
Two wounded people… one physically, one emotionally… brought together six years ago. There is also Cameron’s son, Daniel, intertwined throughout the story and the dialogue between all of them flows nicely. The relationships are wonderfully conflicted and are satisfying.
Reading about any Mackenzie can only compare to sipping on whiskey. The experience as you sip and savor, the aroma and the burn that makes the senses come to life… complications and dysfunction that is the Mackenzie way of life.
As always with a Jennifer Ashley romance — the beginning will intrigue you and the ending will please you…
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
On the golden plains of a new frontier, a smart young schoolteacher teaches a single father a lesson–in the power of love.
A scandalous newcomer…
Only the boldest of women would set off for the Dakota Territory without a man by her side. But schoolteacher Jana Hartmann is determined to build a new life for herself and her frail sister, Greta. True to her courageous spirit, Jana takes the only job she can find in the town of Bismarck–modeling dresses in a shop window–which has every man staring and every woman gossiping. Adding fuel to the fire, she’s agreed to help raise money in the annual kissing booth, where one handsome cowboy wants to buy every kiss for himself.
A scorching attraction…
Drew Malone is a lawyer, rancher, and father of two little boys. Although Jana is immediately attracted to the handsome and helpful Drew, she fights it, torn between a budding romance and her responsibility to Greta. But Drew persists and sweeps her away for a romantic Christmas at Rimfire Ranch in the Badlands, where Jana finds herself having to win over the toughest critics of all– Drew’s young sons. As Greta becomes more independent, Jana lets down her guard and opens her heart to the three Malone men. But when the boys are kidnapped on her watch, Jana blames herself and flees to the frontier. Drew must race against the clock to get back his sons…. and make Jana his Rimfire bride.
Ms. Luck writes an enjoyable romance set back in Dakota territory in the 1800’s. There’s substance to her writing. Although this is my first time reading a book by this author, it will not be my last.
I closed this book with a satisfied sigh. Now I admit this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I had a splendid time tearing through this book and falling in love with the characters. Even the secondary characters are memorable. The two boys that are throughout this book are adorable and funny. They will grab at your heartstrings and not let go!
The hero and heroine are an absolute delight. Ms. Luck patiently guides us through a clever maze of characters and will have you emotionally invested in them. Best of all, there’s no nasty cruelness that so often manifests itself in most stories of this tone.
Drew is a wonderful hero. Tall, dark, and handsome. What’s not to love, ladies? He’s a gentleman to an extent but he is, after all, human. He has his weaknesses. *wink*
Jana is a fabulous heroine. She’s independent (which I love all my heroines to be) and she takes care of her sister. She is appealing and likable. AND she doesn’t cry much! Yay! I’m so tired of heroine’s who cry all the time.
Overall, it’s warm, witty, and loving… and human. Sara Luck is an author not to be missed!
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