Full disclosure: I’m not at my cognitive best (stupid fibro fog). The other day I tried to open a box of sidewalk chalk and you’d have thought I was cracking the combo to a safe. I went to the pharmacy and was asked for my birthdate and the spelling of my last name, and I was sorely tempted to say, “Look, if I could do all that, I wouldn’t need to be here.” So I’m … Continue reading The Illegitimate Duke by Sophie Barnes
A Most Unlikely Duke is a lovely, if implausible, Regency romance in which the very rich and the very poor collide in a variety of unlikely ways. I loved this book for its lovely use of language, its focus on the problems of both the lower and upper classes, the incredibly likeable characters, and the affirming, sexy, sweet romance. The premise is that a man named Raphe Matthews (our hero) supports his two sisters in … Continue reading A Most Unlikely Duke by Sophie Barnes
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days by Laura Lee Guhrke is $1.99! This historical romance is the second book in An American Heiress in London series.Featuring a marriage of convenience, our heroine only agrees to marry the hero because he’ll be living his life out on another continent, until a near death experience brings him back home. Readers do give a trigger warning for rape and abuse, which divided many reviews. It has a 3.8-star rating on Goodreads. The first book, When the Marquess Met His Match, is also on sale!
The Trouble With Being a Duke by Sophie Barnes, book one in the At the Kingsborough Ball series, is a Regency Cinderella story. I enjoyed the premise—I love the Cinderella trope—but my reaction to the book was lukewarm. Isabella Chilcott is a young woman of marriageable age from a poor family. Her father works for a carriage manufacturer, and money is always tight. Her father’s employer, Mr. Roberts, has taken an interest in Isabella, and … Continue reading The Trouble With Being a Duke by Sophie Barnes
The first three books in the When the Wallflowers Were Wicked are together in one box set… THE ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS When your reputation is ruined, why not enjoy it? For Regency wallflower, Miss Verity Barnes, nothing is more difficult than obtaining a voucher to Almack’s Assembly Rooms…except salvaging her reputation after committing a grievous faux pas within ten minutes of stepping through the doors. But being cast out of fashionable society inspires Verity to seek … Continue reading When the Wallflowers Were Wicked: Collection One
Thorncliff Manor is the perfect setting for a masquerade ball… where the heart’s secret desires are about to be uncovered in this scintillating Regency romance from Sophie Barnes… Richard Heartly has exiled himself from society since the war, plotting his revenge for a terrible betrayal. A masked ball at Thorncliff Manor is intended to be a brief diversion. Instead, he encounters a fascinating young woman as entranced by the music as he is. He can’t … Continue reading His Scandalous Kiss
An unexpected passion ignites as secrets are exposed in Sophie Barnes’s captivating Regency-set romance Despite the diversions offered at Thorncliff Manor, former spy James, the Earl of Woodford, has one purpose in staying there. He must find an encoded book that exposes a conspiracy within the British aristocracy. And he must do so without revealing his purpose to the clever, tempting Chloe Heartly. The lady has a knack for appearing wherever it is least convenient. … Continue reading The Earl’s Complete Surrender
It's time for the most excellent and fun and terrifically expensive thread of the month, wherein I ask what you're reading and you tell me and then we all buy books. Sounds good, right? So here's what we're up to: Sarah: I flew many many hours last weekend (MANY) so I'm catching up on the books I read and want to review, but I'm not reading anything at the moment. Wow, that's boring. (I'm still craving … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? August Edition
RECOMMENDED: This entry is all historicals, but first, thanks to @ClinicCynic, heads up! The Amazon price fairy is clearly experimenting with strange numbers again. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is .31c for the Kindle. This book has tremendous emotion, angst, and teenagers dealing with adults things that are difficult and challenging – and all of those things can make for a polarizing reading experience. This book was a Book Club Pick in August 2012, … Continue reading Books on Sale: Eloisa James’ Lady X, and Other Historicals You May Enjoy
A Seduction at Christmas by Cathy Maxwell is $1.99 right now. This is the first book in her Scandals and Seductions series, and it's a historical romance with a good amount of comedy, and a faux guardian/ward setup. She never expected it would come to this. Desperation and an empty stomach forced Fiona Lachlan to agree to a plan that ended up luring the wickedly notorious Duke of Holburn into trouble. Everything went terribly … Continue reading Books on Sale: Historical Romances - And Books for Grade School Readers
