Regency #Romance Rosie’s #Bookreview of The Earl She Should Never Desire by @laratemple1

The Earl She Should Never Desire by Lara Temple

4 stars

The Earl She Should Never Desire is a Regency romance set in London. Lily Walsh is a widow living in Birmingham; her younger sister begs her to travel to London to spend a few summer weeks with her. Anne is engaged to be married and Lily is delighted for her, but she wonders if Anne is truly happy.

Lord Sherbourne is pleased to meet Anne’s sister after hearing much about her, but she isn’t the person he had imagined. It troubles him that he feels more drawn to Lily than Anne, but he’s a man of honour and he can’t back out of the wedding now.

I enjoyed getting to know Lily and finding that she had a passionate side under her practical dresses. The author has done a fine job of creating the sisters as opposites. Outwardly Anne is the pretty one who has been groomed to be a society wife. Lily is the black sheep, the one her mother finds a disappointment. I wasn’t sure how the story would work out at the half-way mark, but I was very keen to keep turning the pages to find out. Lily has a troubled past that she must work through and she needs a friend who she can trust to be there for her at all times. The little fears which kept popping up were understandable and I particularly liked the final setting; it felt very appropriate. A great story and a wonderful set of characters.

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Lara Temple offers you a taste of the forbidden in this sexy Regency romance.

This very handsome earl…Is the one man she cannot fall for…

War widow Lily Walsh has left her aristocratic family behind, but she can’t deny her younger sister’s request to come to London to meet her fiancé. Though not a love match, Lord Sherbourne is kind, amusing and ideal for her sister on paper. But as Lily gets to know him, she’s finding him alarmingly attractive! And the forbidden look in the earl’s eye shows the feeling is mutual…

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Rosie’s #Bookreview Of #RegencyRomance THE SCOUNDREL’S BARTERED BRIDE by @VirginiaHeath_

The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride by Virginia Heath

4.5 stars

The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride is a Regency style historical romance. Lady Lydia Barton’s family are desperate; they plan a marriage contract for Lydia to pay off their multiple debts. Their only choice is an odious lecher – the Marquess of Kelvedon would certainly have enough money to clear the family debts and, sadly, Lydia’s family care little that he would be a dreadful husband for her.

Owen Wolfe spent seven years in a penal colony for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he owns a high end gambling hall in London, but he began life as a stable-hand. Lydia Barton’s impending nuptials interest him, enough for him to put his own offer of marriage on the table. Now there is a choice: an old man with bad breath and a wandering eye, or an ex-convict.

I liked the dark brooding and mysterious Owen Wolfe; his years spent in the Antipodes were an unusual theme for this genre. I also enjoyed the sub-characters who were part of his ‘new family’; they were a fun and lively mix.

Lydia and Owen’s relationship had several expected highs and lows, but they still managed to add a fresh feel to the story arc with their surprising responses to situations. I liked this and read almost all of it in one sitting; a very easy book with which to escape for a few hours.

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Marriage…to the highest bidder!

Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he’s returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems, like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counteroffer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections, or dare Lydia hope that the charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband?

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#NewRelease Rosie’s #Bookreview of #Histfic #Romance The Disgraceful Lord Gray by @VirginiaHeath_

The Disgraceful Lord Gray by Virginia Heath

4 stars

The Disgraceful Lord Grey is an historical romance and part of the King’s Elite series. It takes place in Suffolk in 1820.

The King’s Elite are on the trail of The Boss, a notorious leader of a smuggling gang. Lord Graham Chadwick (Gray) and his superior Lord Fennimore have set themselves up as neighbours of Viscount Gislingham, who may just be the elusive Boss.

Whilst swimming in a stream, Gray meets Gisingham’s niece Thea. He uses the chance meeting to secure an introduction to her uncle, but the man he meets seems unlikely to fit the role of a gang leader. Instead the charming Gislingham encourages Gray to pursue his niece.

Romancing Thea might be easy for Gray because he likes her, but he has a scandalous past; one which left him penniless. However Thea is not an easy catch, and Gray finds that he must juggle his job as spy against Thea’s suspicious nature.

I would suggest reading all the books in this series to get the full benefit of the storylines. This book focused heavily on the romance between Gray and Thea more than the smuggling, although I didn’t guess the surprising denouement.

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A spy on a mission…

Until he meets this heiress!

Part of The King’s Elite. Miss Theodora Cranford’s learned to keep her impetuous nature locked away. She won’t be deceived by another man who can’t see past her fortune. She wants an honourable, sensible sort – not a self-assured scoundrel like her new neighbour, Lord Gray. Although she’s sure there’s more to him than meets the eye… But after that first captivating kiss, she’s certainly left wanting more!

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Rosie’s #Bookreview Of Regency #Romance A Scandalous Winter Wedding by @MargueriteKaye #fridayreads

A Scandalous Winter Wedding (Mills & Boon Historical) by Marguerite Kaye

4 stars

A Scandalous Winter Wedding is a Regency romance and is part of the Matches Made In Scandal series. This is the story behind the infamous woman known as The Procurer, someone who can make the impossible, possible.

When Kirstin Blair reads the details of the latest request for her Procurer’s services, she is shocked to see the name of a man she met six years ago. Someone who has frequently filled her mind.

Cameron Dunbar is desperate for help; his niece has gone missing and the need to keep the details secret have lead him to The Procurer, because of her reputation for outstanding discretion. When Kirstin decides to take this case, she keeps her identity as its founder a secret. To Cameron, she is just a woman he met six years ago, who happens to work for the infamous Procurer. Together they follow clues to the missing girl. But their joint past threatens their business relationship, while Kirstin hides a deeper secret from Cameron.

The series, so far, has hinted at the story behind The Procurer, and now it’s time to tell her tale. This is an ideal conclusion to a string of stories that have taken romance and secrets to some of Europe’s well-known cites.

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A Matches Made in Scandal story: Kirstin Blair has spent seven years trying to forget brooding Cameron Dunbar. Now self-made man Cameron needs her help to recover his missing niece, and Kirstin must face the truth: seeing him again sparks the same irresistible attraction that first brought them together! She must decide… Resist, or give in to temptation and risk Cameron discovering everything she’s fought so hard to protect…

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My Review of #Regency #Romance Lady Cecily and the Mysterious Mr. Gray by @JaniceGPreston

Lady Cecily and the Mysterious Mr. Gray by Janice Preston

4 stars

Lady Cecily And The Mysterious Mr Gray is a Regency romance and book #3 of The Beauchamp Betrothals series.

Thirty year old Lady Cecily attends the marriage of her brother Vernon. He is the second family member to find love in recent months. The wedding atmosphere is beautiful, but makes Cecily feel disheartened about her own future prospects. She fears she will become the spinster aunt; always the companion, but never the one with a family of her own.

Lost in thought, Cecily is unaware of the wedding guest seated next to her in the church. Mr Gray (later to be known as Zach) is the man who recently saved the life of the bride’s brother. They meet later in the gardens, where Gray sees through Cecily’s inner turmoil. Their conversation flows easily and Cecily find herself opening up about her fears.

Zach is half Romany and his social label has moulded the man he has become. Currently he chooses to live freely, putting a troubled past behind him. But he can’t get Cecily out of his head. However, they can never be together unless he claims his true ancestral rights, but first he must fight for Cecily and face past torments.

This book can be read as a stand-alone; however, to get the most from the series I recommend reading them in order. This way, the reader will have a good understanding of the secondary characters, which will improve with the overall experience. I do like this author’s work; there are always some unusual characters or animals which add to the storyline, making it a memorable read.

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Love or family…How can she choose between them?Lady Cecily Beauchamp has always put her family first. Until she falls under the spell of the mysterious Zachary Gray–a man of Romany descent. Knowing her family will forbid their match, Cecily steels herself to do her duty and marry someone else. Only she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Zach as the spark between them ignites a passion neither can deny!

I’m Janice and I’ve been writing emotional, sensual and satisfying Regency romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon (HMB) Historicals since 2014. I love to write books with linked characters, so you’ll often find old friends popping up in my stories!

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Cinderella and the Duke (the Beauchamp Betrothals #1) by @JaniceGPreston @HarlequinBooks

Cinderella and the Duke by Janice Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four point five stars.

Cinderella And The Duke is a Regency romance from Mills & Boon / Harlequin. The book is set in 1812, with dual locations of Buckinghamshire and London.

Thirty year old Rosalind Allen has complicated family relations. She has run away, with her crippled brother, to the safety of a house on the Foxbourne Manor estate, and sent her step-sister, Nell, to London to prepare for her first social season, hopefully in time to find a husband before Nell’s obnoxious guardian, Sir Peter Tadlow, can marry her off in a deal to pay off his gambling debts. Forever the ‘poor relatives’, Ros and Freddie lack the social standing to prevent Tadlow taking advantage of his guardian role.

Ros meets Antony Lascelles, the new owner of neighbouring Halsdon Manor, and Leo Beauchamp, the widowed Duke of Cheriton, who is visiting his cousin with friends who wish to buy horses from Ros’ family friend and landlord.

To protect herself and her siblings, Ros calls herself Mrs Pryce and makes it known that she is a widow. Leo too, prefers some anonymity whilst in the shires, using the name of one of his lesser titles. This way he hopes to prevent endless introductions to marriageable young ladies.

Ros and Leo meet at first by accident and then again when they rescue a young runaway child. Ros becomes quite attached to the child, who becomes an excuse for the pair to continue meeting and their friendship grows.

Messages from London have both Ros and Leo urgently heading to the capital. Ros must take the place of Nell’s chaperone for the season and Leo must attend to his family. But when they meet in society, long kept secrets come to the fore. Will they be able to trust each other? Will the gap in their social standing keep them apart?

A very well written story which I enjoyed, both settings worked well and the characters were easy to fall in love with. I enjoyed the part played by Hector the Wolfhound too. Definitely a book I would recommend for readers of this genre.

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Book Description

Falling for a duke in disguise!

Never welcomed into society circles, Rosalind Allen gave up her marriage prospects long ago–life has taught her she’ll only get hurt. So she’s shocked when an encounter with a mysterious stranger makes her long to reconsider…

Little does Rosalind know that her mystery man is Leo Beauchamp, Duke of Cheriton, traveling in disguise to evade the ladies of the ton! Impoverished Rosalind is the first woman to captivate Leo–but can he persuade this wary Cinderella to trust him with her heart?

About the author

I grew up in Wembley, North London, with a love of reading, writing stories and animals. After leaving school at eighteen, I moved to Devon and any thoughts of writing became lost in the hectic rush of life as a farmer’s wife, with two children and many animals to care for. When my children left home for university, I discovered a love of history and of the Regency period in particular and began to write seriously for the first time since my teens.
Real life then got in the way and I didn’t write again until 2009. I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association in 2012 and my first Regency romance was accepted for publication by Harlequin Mills & Boon in late 2013.
I now live in the West Midlands with my second husband and two cats and I continue to write Regency romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon.

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A WARRINER TO PROTECT HER by @VirginiaHeath_ @HarlequinBooks @MillsandBoon #SundayBlogShare

A Warriner to Protect Her by Virginia Heath
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Warriner to Protect Her is a Harlequin / Mills and Boon regency romance and is due for publication in May 2017. I read an ARC copy for review.

Violet Dunstan is a Tea heiress. Her family wealth was made through the tea trade and she is due to inherit upon her upcoming twenty-first birthday. However, her guardian uncle has other ideas—he agreed to her kidnapping by the Earl of Bainbridge for an enforced marriage at Gretna Green. The pair would then split her inheritance after the marriage.

However, Violet, or Letty as she prefers to be called, is a wilful young lady. She seizes an opportunity to jump from the carriage that thunders through the night, and dashes for the cover in the woods. Hours later, drenched and freezing cold, local landowner, Jack Warriner, discovers her whilst returning home.

Jack takes her to the home he shares with his three brothers, where they bring her back from the brink of death. A cautious Letty tells them essential snippets of her circumstances, and a covert trip to the village reveals that Bainbridge’s men are searching for Letty, with a reward offered for her safe return.

A determined Jack vows they will protect her until her birthday, when they will take her back to London. Letty brings warmth and friendship to the Warriner family home. She soon charms the menfolk, although Jack’s behaviour towards her blows hot and cold. He finds Letty both intriguing and frustrating, yet he battles with his responsibilities to his brothers, the family home and his fears about his family reputation.

Regular readers of this genre know the story arcs: boy meets girl, the ups and downs of their will they won’t they relationship and the expected wrapped up ending. The pull for the reader is how they actually get there, the details of those ups and downs, the break-up and make-up moments.

I enjoyed Jack and Letty’s tale; this is the first of the Wild Warriner series, with books promised for each of the brothers in turn. Look out for book #2 in July.

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Book Description

An heiress in distress and an earl in disgrace…

When heiress Violet Dunston escapes from an abduction she finds an unlikely protector in Jack Warriner―a member of one of England’s most infamous families. Ensconced with mysterious Jack behind his manor’s walls, soon escape is the last thing on Letty’s mind!

Jack may be an earl but his father’s exploits have left him with nothing to offer except a tarnished name. He’s turned his back on the ton, but with Letty tempting him day and night, he finds himself contemplating the unthinkable―a society marriage!

About the author

I live on the outskirts of London with my understanding husband and two, less understanding, teenagers. After spending years teaching history, I decided to follow my dream of writing for Harlequin. Now I spend my days happily writing regency romances, creating heroes that I fall in love with and heroines who inspire me. When I’m not doing that, I like to travel to far off places, shop for things that I do not need or read romances written by other people.

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