‘A delightful but troublesome pair!’ Rosie’s #Bookreview Of #HistoricalRomance How Not to Chaperon A Lady @VirginiaHeath_ @MillsandBoon

How Not to Chaperon a Lady by Virginia Heath

5 stars

How Not to Chaperon a Lady is the third book in the Talk of the Beau Monde trilogy, a series of historical romances.

Charity Brookes is an opera singer who is following in the footsteps of her very succesful mother. Charity’s rise to stardom offers her a tour of some Northern theatres and she has asked her best friend, Dottie, to travel with her.

Charity’s reputation for mischief and spontinaity worries Dottie’s brother Griffin and he insists on chaperoning the ladies. This sparks yet another argument between Charity and Gruff Griff, as she calls him. They have sparred for almost seventeen years of family friendship and it looks like it will be a very long and tedious trip for them both.

I am not going to give away the rest of the story, except to say that these two characters must have fought with the author as well as each other all the way to the end of the book; what a delightful but troublesome pair. I was engrossed with the tale and loved every moment of the conflict, which made for a very satisfying ending.

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His childhood nemesis…

…is the woman he can’t resist!

Chaperoning Charity Brookes while she’s on a singing tour should be easy for Griffith Philpot—he’s spent his whole life sparring with her over her flighty ways! But as he discovers that she’s much more than the impetuous girl he thought he knew, a passion ignites between them… Sharing a steamy kiss leaves him torn—he’s supposed to be responsible for guarding her virtue!

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

The Talk of the Beau Monde

Book 1: The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady
Book 2: The Marquess Next Door
Book 3: How Not to Chaperon a Lady

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Rosie’s #Bookreview of #RegencyRomance THE EARL AND THE SECRET PAST by Janice Preston

The Earl With The Secret Past by Janice Preston

3.5 stars

The Earl And The Secret Past is a Regency style historical romance and opens with a prologue. Adam is an apprentice architect who has fallen in love with Kitty, the daughter of a peer, but they are too far apart socially for a serious relationship to be permitted, so Adam makes a decision that leaves Kitty broken-hearted.

Fifteen years later Adam is shocked to discover that he is the long lost son of an Earl. In London he meets Kitty again; she is now a widow and Adam wants to re-ignite their relationship, but a lot has happened in those lost years.

I have read quite a few books by this author and I usually like her style of writing, however, with this story I struggled to connect to the characters, which was a shame because the overall story arc worked well. There were a few occasions where very little happened and some of the detail felt a little repetitive.  Also I found Adam’s Scottish dialogue rather annoying; there was too much of it for my taste. So overall, an okay story in this genre, but it wasn’t my favourite novel from this author.

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An unexpected inheritance

An explosive reunion

Hardworking architect Adam Monroe’s world is shaken when he inherits an Earldom! Thrust into the ton, he bumps into widow, Kitty Fenton – his lost love. Years before, he’d refused to elope with Kitty to save her from ruin, and was heartbroken she’d married so soon after he left. Perhaps fate has given him a chance to discover the truth – after all beneath the hurt the sparks of attraction are as strong as ever…

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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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My #BookReview of #RegencyRomance His Mistletoe Wager by @VirginiaHeath_ #SundayBlogShare

His Mistletoe Wager by Virginia Heath
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

His Mistletoe Wager is a Christmas Regency romance. The prologue opens with Lizzie Wilding jilted on her wedding day.

Five years later: two characters are unwilling to join in the parties and balls of the festive season. Lizzie is being paraded by her father in the hope of snaring a husband. Meanwhile, reknowned rake Hal Stuart, the Earl of Redbridge, fears the hordes of single young ladies and their determined mothers who see him as an ideal catch.

To add a little excitement to an otherwise dull occasion, Hal’s brother-in-law, Aaron, challenges Hal to obtain five kisses from a lady of Aaron’s choice, before Twelfth Night. Unable to refuse a tantalising wager, Hal agrees, assuming the task an easy one.

However, Aaron choses ‘sullen Lizzie’, who has a reputation as a frosty wallflower and Hal must look for a new tactic to charm his way to her side.

For five years Lizzie’s family have kept a secret. But now her father’s constant attempts to find her a husband are relentless; Lizzie has decided that after Christmas, she will leave London and make a new life for herself away from the gossips and prying eyes of society.

Lizzie knows of Hal’s scandalous reputation, so is very surprised when he offers to form an alliance with her; he would act as a suitor and her interest in Hal would deter other young ladies.
What begins as a game soon becomes serious when one persistent suitor threatens to expose Lizzie’s secret. Hal finds himself wanting to do all he can to protect Lizzie, the woman who has inched her way into his heart.

This is easily a stand alone novel, but links to Her Enemy At The Altar. I enjoyed, once more, meeting the characters from the first book, and Hal was a lovely rogue. I especially liked how he set out to teach his nieces to be hellions. Lizzie was a strong, wronged woman and I liked seeing her bloom under Hal’s attentions. Not just for Christmas, this book is an ideal Regency romance for any time of the year.

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“Five berries equal the five separate kisses I challenge you to steal.”
Notorious rake Henry Stuart, Earl of Redbridge, is certain he’ll win his Christmas bet—until he learns he’ll be stealing Lady Elizabeth Wilding’s kisses. A woman who refuses to be charmed!
Once jilted, Lizzie must guard her heart, because the ton is unaware of her scandalous secret—her son! Despite their increasing attraction, she can’t risk the persistent Hal bringing down her defenses. But when her former fiancé returns, Lizzie realizes that perhaps Hal’s the one man she can trust—with her heart and her son…

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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