The Laird Takes a Bride by Lisa Berne

The Laird Takes a Bride by Lisa Berne

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I liked this book so much better than the first! Can't believe this is just a second novel for an author!

I honestly don't remember Alasdair much from the first book but I know I was excited to see he'd be getting his own HEA. He was a great guy that respected Fiona and her wishes even if he didn't particularly like her. At first.

The real star of this show, to me, however, was Fiona. She is SUCH a stick-in-the-mud for part of the novel and it was fantastic to see her transformation. And I didn't see the event that brought that about coming.

I felt like, for the most part, the novel was a nice blend of plot and emotion rather than being driven by one alone. I don't really remember any major slow spots and I had trouble stopping reading at the end of a chapter.

This was a great title and I can't wait for the next!!

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


                                                           -Reader

So I Married a Sorcerer by Kerrelyn Sparks

So I Married a Sorcerer by Kerrelyn Sparks

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Kerrelyn Sparks is fantastic at world building and that continues in this novel. 

Brigitta has the ability to know others are hiding something and to ferret out their secrets. Rupert is a pirate with the ability to control the wind...and a big secret. 

The fun and drama Ms. Sparks is known for was evident throughout this book. I found it hard to stop at one chapter because I needed to know what would happen next. I mean, PIRATES! 

Can't wait for the next book!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

                                                                                                                        -Reader

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

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This book is Tessa Dare at her finest!

I got super excited about this book after Tessa described it as "Beauty and the Beasts meets Deadpool" and was so excited I was even a little afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype I built up in my head. I can tell you, it did! I almost burst into laughter like a lunatic in my kid's Taekwondo class...more than once. I absolutely adored it.

Emma is feisty and unafraid of Ash's blustering.  Ash is a delightful smart aleck and I loved many of his retorts. I felt like the romance did move pretty quickly, but I was okay with that for once because there was more plot going on than that. There's not really much angst and I'm completely okay with that. This is definitely going to be a reread for me!

Loved this title and can't wait for the next in the series!

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

-Reader

The Scandal of It All by Sophie Jordan

The Scandal of It All by Sophie Jordan

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This title was not very plot driven (I usually prefer more of a plot), but I found myself unable to put it down!!

I love a heroine that is older than nineteen or twenty and it was fantastic to see a heroine that was older than the hero. My mom is eleven years older than my stepdad and they've been happily married for nearly twenty-two years so I've seen how well the age difference can work out. I like a heroine that is older because it's easier to believe she'd really know herself enough to make a commitment like marriage. 

I liked Colin, even if I felt he was a bit pushy a few times. He made up for it in the end and turned out to be a great hero after all. I was really excited that Graciela was the type of woman he's normally attracted to instead of the exact opposite. That drives me crazy. 

So why only four stars? First of all, the use of the word "quim". I don't care how historically accurate it might be, it still grosses me out and brings me right out of the moment. Also, there were several love scenes in a row. That's not my thing and I skipped three of them because I felt like they were filler for the lack of plot. 

Ms. Jordan gave us a little tease for the next book at the end of this one, and I can't wait to read it!!

                                                           -Reader

*An eARC was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Lady Be Bad by Megan Frampton

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       I enjoyed this title and will definitely be reading the next!

       I liked both Alex and Eleanor and thought they complemented each other. I liked how both grew as the story moved along and were better versions of themselves by the end. I was entertained throughout the book even though it wasn't very action-filled. Still kept my attention, though, and I wanted to find out how the hero and heroine got their HEA. And I only read one or two "or somethings"!

       My only issues with this book would be the fact that the main problem isn't really treated like THAT much of a problem by the H/h and that there were a few instances where we were told about events instead of them being shown to us. 

       I definitely feel like Ms. Frampton's books are improving as she goes along, and I look forward to the next one!

                                                           -Reader


An eARC was provided by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

        

        

My One True Highlander by Suzanne Enoch Review

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       This title wasn't really my cup of tea, but I did enjoy the beginning.

        Marjorie Forrester is a recent woman of means intent on traveling to Scotland to visit her brother and attend his wedding. Graeme is a highlander trying to take care of his younger brothers, keep their home, and keep from angering their clan chieftain. When his brothers kidnap Ree, Graeme believes the only alternative is for him to marry Ree.

        Honestly, the best part of the book is the beginning. I was fully invested after Ree's kidnapping and was looking forward to watching them get to know each other and become attracted to each other. This doesn't really happen. They're not attracted to each other one day and the next they are. For no real reason, either. I can't tell you what one liked about the other.

        After the initial kidnapping, not much else happens. There was an opportunity here to have a lot happen but Ree only really makes one attempt at escape before deciding to lie for Graeme and his brothers. It just wasn't very realistic.

       I didn't read the first book in this series and felt quite lost at first with all the names being thrown around but I figured it out soon enough.

       Enoch spells out the accents every time a Highlander speaks so if that's not your thing, you might want to steer clear.

       I did find the beginning of the book to be very engaging, and I really found myself wondering who the next book would be about. I'll probably give it a chance and see if it's a little more to my taste.

       I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

                                                                   -Reader
     

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks Review

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks Review

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       So glad Kerrelyn Sparks is back with a new series!!

       Luciana has been hidden away her entire life because of her magical powers, believing herself to be an orphan. That is until her father arrives and gives her the choice to remain on the island she was hidden on or return with him and marry Lord Leofric, the Beast of Benwick.

        Leo has magical powers himself: he power to harness lightning. This power makes him dangerous and he hasn't been touched since he was a child. He is thrilled to be marrying beautiful Luciana, even if their marriage can never be real. Can he and Luciana ever have a real marriage and deal with those that wish them harm?

         I am not new to Ms. Sparks' writing as I read (almost) all of her Love at Stake series. I was not surprised at all by the intricate world building that goes on in the story. She is fantastic at establishing a setting that you feel could maybe really happen. I was quite delighted to find this was something of a historical (although the language is very modern) because the cover made me think this was more of a contemporary.

        As I said, the language is very modern but I wasn't upset by that in the least because this wasn't a Regency historical, it wasn't even set on Earth. I saw no reason for Ms. Sparks not to use modern speech if that's how she wanted the people of this world to speak.

        I loved Leo and Luciana. She was just strong enough and she was just sweet enough for them to really complement each other. I enjoyed watching them grow as a couple and the anticipation for their love scene was certainly worth it!

        A lot happened in the week this is set in. Some conflicts seemed solved pretty hurriedly but this didn't detract from the story at all, for me. Since this is the first book in a brand new series we did get a lot of information in a short period of time but, again, this doesn't detract from the story.

       My only complaint would be the accents at the beginning of the book (I used to be a sucker for Scottish accents in books but I feel they've been overused) but those go away once the story really gets going and they're few and far between after.

        I've already preordered a copy of this title and can't wait for the next in the series!!

       An eARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

                                                                -Reader