Waking Up With A Rake by Connie Mason with Mia Marlowe

 

The Fate of England's Monarchy Is In The Hands of Three Notorious Rakes.

To prevent three royal dukes from marrying their way onto the throne, heroic, selfless agents for the crown will be dispatched...to seduce the dukes' intended brides. These wickedly debauched rakes will rumple sheets and cause a scandal. But they just might fall into their own trap...

After he's falsely blamed for a botched assignment during war, former cavalry officer Rhys Warrick turns his back on "honor." He spends his nights in brothels doing his best to live down to the expectations of his disapproving family. But one last mission could restore the reputation he's so thoroughly sullied. All he has to do is seduce and ruin Miss Olivia Symon, and his military record will be cleared. For a man with Rhys's reputation, ravishing the delectably innocent miss should be easy. But Olivia's honesty and bold curiosity stir more than Rhys's desire. Suddenly the heart he thought he left on the battlefield is about to surrender. (Taken From GoodReads)

Book Details:

Title: Waking Up With A Rake, Author: Connie Mason with Mia Marlowe, ISBN, 978-1-4022-7240-0, Publisher: Personal library, Format: Mass Market Paperback, $7.99, Release Date: January 2013, How I Read It: Mass Market Arc from Publisher, Rating: 4 Cups

This is the third book by Connie Mason and Mia Marlow that I have read devoured and I must say that each one I read is better than the last.

Miss Olivia Symon (both rich and virginal) has been selected to be a contender in the ‘Hymen Race Terrific’* yet certain people are not so thrilled with the House of Hanover succeeding and are willing to do anything to eliminate the duke’s potential brides.

After returning from the horrendous defeat at Maubeuge, France during the Napoleonic Wars Rhys Warrick has been content to live the life of a rake. Yet when Alcock tells him he must ruin the Duke of Clarence’s potential bride, Rhys immediately says no. However, Alcock has the power to ruin Rhys’s family, which was a rather persuasive bargaining tool.

However once Rhys meets Olivia he realizes things are not going to be as easy as he thought.

I loved this book. It had all of the right elements (scandalous behavior, a tortured hero, a heroine with moxy, drama, romance, and intrigue) and was well researched. I also enjoyed the fact that the Hymen race was brought into the story because it’s not something you see in romance novels.

Olivia was a clever mix of proper society lady and someone who is willing to push the boundaries. I found her interesting to read for the fact I was never sure what she was going to say next.

Rhys was the perfect tortured hero. From the first few pages you could see that the war, and the French, are still haunting him. Although he may be a self-professed rake, he has redeemable qualities that you can see develop throughout the course of the plot.

The plot was brilliant. I won’t get into the events because I truly believe that this is one of those romance novels that you have to read for yourself although I will say that the plot was so brilliantly developed that you will be constantly turning the page.

Lastly, I must say that Rhys Warrick is the perfect example of character development and it made one brilliant read.

This is the first book in The Royal Rakes series and I cannot wait to read the others.

* Hymen's War Terrific Race in 1818, the year Queen Victoria was conceived, to produce a future heir to the throne when George III was old and senile; his son, the future George IV, had produced one child, Princess Charlotte, but she had just died. The line of succession then passed to the siblings of George III or their heirs. The race involved three of George III’s 14 children: the Duke of Clarence (later William IV); the Duke of Kent (Victoria’s father), and the Duke of Cambridge.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Instead of experiencing newlywed bliss, Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives.

When Luke Stoltzfus loses his job at a furniture store in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, he is given the opportunity to learn a new trade from his uncle who lives in Indiana. Despite his wife’s reservations, Luke jumps at the chance and makes plans for a quick trip to Middlebury.

Along the way, Luck meets with tragedy, and life as he knew it will never be the same.

Despite all odds, will the faith and love Luke and Meredith share be enough to bring them back together again? Or will Meredith begin a new life with another? (from the back of the book) 

Title: Goodbye to Yesterday, Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter, ISBN: 978-1-61626-085-9, Publisher: Barbour, Series: A Lancaster County Saga, The Discovery Part 1 of 6, Format: Trade Paperback, $6.99, How I read it: Finished copy from Handlebar publishing, Rating: 3 Cups

My Thoughts:

Luke and Meredith haven’t been marriage for long, yet they find their marriage being tested when Luke loses his job. Seeing the answer to his prayers in the form of buying into his uncle’s headstone engraving business, he believes that he should travel to his uncle’s place in Indiana. Meredith knows that Luke is stressed out about losing his job so when she believes herself to be pregnant she decides to wait until Luke returns to tell him.

Leaving for Indiana shouldn’t be too much of a problem, yet with a winter storm on the wing Luke becomes the target for Alex, a homeless drug addict, who is demanding that Luke hands over his wallet. When Luke refuses, Alex beats Luke and leaves him on the bathroom floor.

Seriously! You are going end the book with the main character beaten and lying on the bathroom floor. While I wasn’t too thrilled about the cliffhanger ending, I knew given the size of the book and the fact that this is billed as part one of six, something such as that would occur.

I liked this book—even with the cliffhanger ending. It wasn’t your typical Amish book where the couple is this happy go lucky couple that makes flowers sprout on the ground each time they walk. Luke and Meredith are a couple struggling with the problems most marriages go through and that lends a realness to the story that made me want to devour the book. The book also brings the outside world in in the form of Alex so I am eager to see how this story unfold.

As this is part 1 of 6 with only 121 pages, this book has the feel of a sampler or a short story. While I am now hooked on the series, I am a bit annoyed with the format as I would rather have a complete story.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Waltz With A Stranger by Pamela Sherwood

"May I have this dance?"

Aurelia wasn't hiding exactly. She just needed to get out of the crush of the ballroom—away from the... people staring at her scar, pitying her limp. She was still quite enjoying the music from the conservatory. And then a complete stranger—dashing, debonair, kind—asked her to waltz. In the strength of his arms, she felt she could do anything. But both would be leaving London soon...

When they meet again a year later, everything has changed. She's no longer a timid mouse. And he's now a titled gentleman—with a fiancée. Is the magic of one stolen moment, one undeniable connection enough to overcome a scandal that would set Society ablaze and tear their families apart?

Title: Waltz with a Stranger, Author: Pamela Sherwood, ISBN: 978-1-4022-7322-3, Format: Mass-Market Paperback, $6.99/£4.99, Release Date: December 2012, How I Read It: Personal library, Rating 5 Cups

My Thoughts:

After a horrible horse-riding accident that left her with more than just physical scars, Aurelia Newbold waltzes with a handsome stranger in a conservatory.

A year later the handsome stranger, James Trelawney, finds himself newly titled and in need for a wife, thus he enters into an agreement with none other than Aurelia Newbold’s twin sister, Amy. Aurelia and James find themselves thrown into each other’s company as unseen circumstances cause James to confide in Aurelia.

Filled with sexual tension, honor-bound promises, a death inquiry, and a smuggling venture that places James and Aurelia in dire danger, Waltz with a Stranger has everything a good novel requires.

While the story focuses on James and Aurelia, this is Amy’s story as well and the events that unfold in each one of their lives had me continually flipping the pages to discover if they ever received their HEA.

I was a bit worried when I started reading the book that I would not like Aurelia as I found her a bit whiny for my taste but I was glad that she finally found a way to rise above her whininess. James was a very endearing character, while I was a bit angry with him for asking Amy to marry him, the author made him suffer because of his choice and it made for good reading.

Another thing that I liked was the Cornish setting as I have become addicted to books set in Cornwall. Plus, this book actually focused on a plot rather than just trying to figure out a way to get the hero and heroine in bed.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

The Favored Queen by Carolly Erickson

Born into an ambitious noble family, young Jane Seymour is sent to court as a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s aging queen. She is devoted to her mistress and watches with empathy as the calculating Anne Boleyn contrives to supplant Catherine as Queen. Anne’s single-minded intrigues threaten all who stand in her way; she does not hesitate to arrange the murder of a woman who knows a secret so dark that, if revealed it would make it impossible for the king to marry Anne.

Once Anne becomes queen, no one at court is safe, and Jane herself becomes a victim of Anne’s venomous rage when she suspects Jane has become the object of the king’s lust. But Henry, fearing that Anne’s inability to give him a son is a sign of divine wrath, asks Jane to become his next queen. Deeply reluctant to embark on such a dangerous course, Jane must choose between her heart and her loyalty to the queen. (from the cover flap)

Book Details Title: The Favored Queen, Author: Carolly Erickson, Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, ISBN: 978-0-312-59690-3, Format I read: Hardcover, $25.99, Source: My personal collection, Rating: 4 Crowns

My Thoughts:

Given the title, The Favored Queen: A Novel of Henry VIII’s Third Wife, I was expecting this to be about Jane Seymour’s life. Although rather than being an account of her life, it is Jane’s account of the happenings around her starting towards the end of Katherine of Aragon’s reign and ending with Jane’s death.

Jane is present for every argument, every birth, and every important diplomatic visit all the while falling in love twice (neither time with Henry). She gives in-depth accounts of the end of Katherine’s reign and Anne’s yet there is little about her time as queen. To my surprise, most of Jane story was wrapped up in the two men that she loved, which on occasion felt forced, and the hate she held for her father. What also surprised me was the fact that Henry took Jane into his confidence and fully trusted her.

While the novel is engaging and pulled me in, I had to ignore my knowledge of Tudor history as the author tells readers that this is a ‘reimaging of the past’ and while some details are historical accurate, most have been pulled from the author’s imagination.

Overall, I found that I could not put this book down. I was thoroughly engaged in the story that unfolded, which surprised me considering that I am a Tudor history buff. While most of the events that occur in The Favored Queen are purely fictional, some have their roots in Tudor myths giving the book an interesting turn. What bothered me the most was the fact that Jane’s brother, Thomas, was absent throughout while Edward was front and center almost as much as Jane was. Also, I was a bit irked that she portrayed Henry as having gold hair when it has been proven that he had red/auburn hair.

Read For—The flowing descriptive story that takes you inside the intrigue Tudor court.

Overlook—The historical inaccuracy. In a note to the reader, the author does caution that reader that ‘The Favored Queen is a historical entertainment, in which the authentic past and imaginative invention intertwine. Fictional events and circumstances, fictional characters and whimsical alterations of events and personalities are blended. Fresh interpretations of historical figures and their circumstances are offered, and traditional ones laid aside.’

If you are eager to feed your Tudor-addiction with a healthy dose of Tudor fiction, you should give this book a go.

If topsy-turvy reimagings of history drives you up the wall, perhaps you should check this out from your local library before purchasing it.

*review also posted on Royal Reviews

The Island House by Posie-Graeme-Evans

In 2011 Freya Dane, a Ph.D. candidate in archaeology, arrives on the ancient Scottish island of Findnar. After years of estrangement from her father, himself an archaeologist who recently died, Freya has come to find out what she can about his work. As she reads through his research notes, she sees he learned a great deal about the Viking and Christian history of the island. But what he found only scratches the surface of the discoveries Freya is about to make.

In 800 A.D. a Pictish girl named Signy loses her entire family during a Viking raid. She is taken in by the surviving members of the Christian community on Findnar, but when she falls deeply in love with a Viking boy, she is cast out. She eventually becomes a nun and finds herself at the center of the clash between the island’s three religious cultures. The tragedy of her story is that, in the end, she must choose among her adopted faith, her native religion, and the man she loves.

Centuries apart, Freya and Signy are each on the verge of life-changing events that will bring present-day and Viking-era Scotland together. The Island House plunges the reader into a past that never dies and a love that reaches out across a thousand years. (taken from Goodreads)

Book Details:

Title: The Island House, Author: Posie Graeme-Evans, ISBN: 978-0-7432-9443-0, Publisher: Atria, Format I read: Trade Paperback, $16.00, Source: Publisher, Rating: 4 Crowns

The bones of the brothers lay in the dark. Dust thick as cloth covered them, for the air was ancient and dead.

It has been a different world then, in the days of the Wanderer. A time when people turned from the old Gods, and slaughter stalked those of the newer ways. Gods are never replaced without blood.

The younger had died for love, seeking justice. The older was cut down as he’d expected to be, surrounded by his fighters. They were both betrayed.

-Taken from page 1of The Island House

My Thoughts:

Crossing between present day and 800 AD, the story is essentially a book about relationships. The relationship between the present and the past. The relationship between Signy, a Pictish girl, and Bear, a Viking boy. Dan and Freya. Freya and her deceased father. Freya and her father’s girlfriend.

While each relationship was interesting, I felt that I couldn’t quite connect with Signy and Bear. While their story was heart wrenching and well plotted, the connection just wasn’t there. Surprisingly I felt more of a connection to Freya, Dan, and the story of the present.

I would describe this book as a cross between Susanna Kearsley and Bernard Cornwell. And like Cornwell’s novel Stonehenge, the story of the past, while entertaining, fails to connect.

Overall, I was hooked from the opening. The flowing prose pulled and kept me glued to the book until the very last page.

Read for: The amazing way Posie Graeme-Evans weaves the story of the past into the story of the present.

Overlook: The lack of regional dialect and the fact that Fraya and Dan go from chalk and cheese to sugar and spice in under sixty seconds.

*review also posted on Royal Reviews

An Amish Love By Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long

 

Two of today's most popular genres--Romance and Amish fiction--together in one volume.

"Healing Hearts" by Beth Wiseman: Levina Lapp and her husband Naaman are alone for the first time in 30 years. When Naaman left to visit cousins in Ohio, Levina wasn't expecting him to be gone a year. Now that he's back, will they be able to move beyond this estrangement and fall in love again?

"What the Heart Sees" by Kathleen Fuller: A tragic accident rocks a peaceful Amish community, leaving Ellie Chupp blinded and Christopher Bender's future shattered. But they find love and forgiveness in a place they least expect.

"A Marriage of the Heart" by Kelly Long: Rachel Yoder is tired of her Amish lifestyle and her domineering father's ways. When handsome Joseph Lambert comes back from the Englisch, she lies to force a marriage of convenience, providing the perfect means to escape her father's rule. But Rachel never imagined she'd fall in love with Joseph so quickly or irrevocably.

My Thoughts:

This book would make the perfect gift. Containing three Amish novellas penned by three different authors, An Amish Love was an enjoyable read.

Each author has a unique voice that makes each novella truly stand out. While I did not have a particular favorite, the book was amazing. I look forward to enjoying more from these lovely authors.

Mailbox Monday

 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

January Host is : Lori's Reading Corner

For Review:

Georgette Heyer by Jennifer Kloester—The groundbreaking biography of one of the world’s best-loved and bestselling

After The Rain by Karen White

Purchased:

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer

The Foundling by Georgette Heyer

Received as Gifts

The Favored Queen by Carolly Erickson

Rival to the Queen by Carolly Erickson

Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen by Anna Whitelock—nonfiction

Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill by Susan Holloway Scott

Head In The Clouds by Karen Witemeyer

I received a lovely book filled gift basket, which contained the following:

Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough

Edmund Bertram’s Diary by Amanda Grange

Colonel Brandon’s Diary by Amanda Grange

A leather bound book journal

A “Keep Calm and Carry On” Ceramic mug

A Tin of Rose Petal Gypsy Tea

The 1969 Version of Jane Eyre starring George C. Scott and Susannah York

I also received numerous gift cards to B&N and Amazon.

What little lovelies arrived at your house?

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,