5 stars Overall, this collection easily garners five stars from me. Almost every story is above-average and worth reading. Read on for a more detailed review of each story. 2-21-2022 The Harlot's Hero - Tabitha Waite 3 stars From the very beginning, I cringed at the idea of the story. Poor, innocent Persephone was to be auctioned off to the highest bidder for first crack at the beautiful virgin, destined for life as a courtesan because her mother was owner of the bawdy house in which she'd been raised. She seems sad, yet resigned, having always known it would come to this. It also becomes clear that her mother is determined to sell her to the highest bidder, regardless of his reputation as an abuser. Enter: Hunter Bennett, Duke of Falcourt. He outbids, rescuing "Sephy" from the deranged Lord Alabaster Gregory, and taking her home with him. But he has no intention of defiling her. Instead, he departs the country, intent on bringing down his arch-enemy, Gregory. Five years later, he returns, and based on his letters home, Sephy has fallen in love with him. He still insists he will not sleep with her, but she decides to seduce him. This is where the depiction of Sephy as the innocent virgin goes to hell. She's way too knowledgeable, confident, and skilled for the reader to square her initial hesitancy to become a harlot with the still-untouched, yet sexually confident woman who initiates intimacy with Hunter. OK, so she was trained for this. Then maybe she shouldn't have been so conflicted at the beginning… My biggest problem with the story is that I never connected with the characters or felt empathy for them. Although I might remember the story, the characters are utterly forgettable, like some inanimate elements used to further the plot. Some of the writing is unclear and could have been written better. My first realization of this was when the word aroused was used instead of roused. It's a small editing issue, but greatly influences the meaning of the sentence. It was nothing compared to mistakes like this: "Sephy glanced up at Hunter where she'd been eating her breakfast in companionable silence." So, she was eating her breakfast on Hunter? Later, Sephy is thrilled to meet some new puppies. She kneels down by the mother of the pups. Then, "Sephy scratched behind her ears as she spoke to Henry." How unladylike! Scratching behind her ears? A bit later, Sephy needs to leave the house in a hurry. She wants to leave a note for Hunter but she's told there's no time. She decides to send word later. Why not just tell the butler? Still later, Sephy thinks of herself as "a woman with a past littered with scandal." She was barely seventeen when Hunter rescued her. When did she have an opportunity to litter her past with scandal? Near the end, Hunter tells her, "I told you that I would never leave you." Did he? I don't remember that. For me, the most interesting part of the story was the author's note at the end. It's there that we learn the story is partially based on real people, at least, when she conceived of the story. Sure, it's not true, but I found the historical basis fascinating. Not enough to increase my rating beyond two stars, however. 2-22-2022 Gambling on the Duke’s Daughter - Diana Bold 5 stars This story was engaging and compelling and brought tears to my eyes. Diana Bold has found a new fan in me. Captain Dylan Black, the black sheep of the family, has never been able to please his father. As the story progresses, we find out that his mother died when he was seven, and after that, he was frequently beaten by his father. To get away from his father, he joined the army, but sold his commission after twelve years because he missed London. Meanwhile, Natalia Sinclair, daughter of a duke, is much sought after because of her huge dowry. She also lost her mother at a young age, only four, and is convinced her father plans to marry her to the man of his choosing. Her stepmother, who is only a few years older than she and has become her best friend, assures her that her father wants what is best for her and she should tell him what she wants. She warns her that her actions, turning down every potential suitor, has convinced her father that she wishes to marry her mother’s cousin, a Russian prince. Nothing could be further from the truth. She merely wishes to avoid developing feelings for anyone when her father will ultimately decide her fate anyway. There’s also the small matter that she doesn’t believe anyone can actually love her for herself (without the dowry) because she doesn’t love herself. When she meets Dylan, everything changes. He awakens something within her that wants to take a risk. Meanwhile, he feels things with her that he has never felt with anyone else. Unfortunately, their relationship begins with a lie and a few other lies threaten to tear them apart. There are some fascinating surprises regarding Dylan’s financial situation, the death of his mother, and why his father is such a bastard. But it’s truly the love story between them that is the showpiece of this story. Characters are relatable and it’s easy to feel their pains and joys. 2-23-2022 Return of the Wicked Earl - Sadie Bosque 5 stars This story was very well plotted and chock full of intrigue. The reader never quite knows the full story or what is going to happen yet, but it’s not because of confused writing. It’s because this author knows how to layer revelations so the reader learns only what is necessary to understand each scene, before moving on to the next. Bit by bit, we learn about Blake and Annaliese, their courtship, marriage, and discontent. Reading Blake’s recollection of his father’s advice to him about the differences between a wife and a mistress is disturbing. Only slightly less disturbing is Annaliese’s mother’s advice and warning on what to expect from marriage. I’m sure it’s a good thing no one was watching me read because I’m sure my face was a mask of horror. It’s as if they started with a handicap designed to interfere with their ability to bond and create a healthy marriage. I didn’t feel satisfied with the ending in terms of fully understanding the reason that Blake had been kidnapped. I guess we’re not supposed to understand what the “bad guys” are looking for, and if we want to learn more, we’ll need to read additional stories in this series. I’m open to doing that because I did enjoy this one. 2-24-2022 The Secret Seduction - Charlie Lane 5 stars This is a brief, fun story with lots of clever banter and silly situations. Opposites attract, or so it would seem. Allison and Carter discover they have a lot more in common than they would have suspected, but each needs to decide what they are willing to give up to be together. I have only one complaint. There is a scene in which the two of them are quite intimate while a party takes place only a few doors away, in someone else’s home. I realize it was supposed to highlight their adventurous spirits, but instead, it just seemed reckless to me. I was nervous the whole time and found it hard to believe that the two of them were so blasé about it. The story reads very quickly due to the tempo of the dialogue and the quick transitions in the plot, but that's fine. For fans of Bianca Blythe, you may find the dialogue is similar to the type her characters employ. I love her books and I really enjoyed this one. 2-25-2022 The Art of Loving You - Cara Maxwell 5 stars This is a cute story about Oliver, Marquess and art aficionado, and Harmony, daughter of a duke and an artist. They have been corresponding for two years anonymously—Harmony as an artist in need of a sponsor (really, more of a mentor) and Oliver as an anonymous patron. Harmony has fallen in love with her mystery man and is determined to meet him during the one week he is visiting London. It becomes clear that Oliver, the man who seems to be distracting her, is the mystery man. He realizes this before she does. And when he does, “Oliver’s stomach clenched and then dropped. He would not have been surprised to look down at the ground and find the organ laying at his feet.” It’s a bit later that we realize it is because he realizes he has fallen in love with her and fears she is in love with the “other” him. One of the things I liked most about this story was the relationship between Harmony and her father, a doting and attentive man with his daughter’s best interests at heart. Her mother is also remarkable. The two of them are supportive and considerate about Harmony’s passion as an artist, and they trust her enough to allow her the freedom to do things independently. Harmony believes she is in love with her anonymous patron because she senses someone who will also value her passion, and she discovers that Oliver does also (not realizing he is the same person). I’m botching the summary because I don’t want to go into too much detail, but suffice to say, I really enjoyed the story. 2-27-2022 How to Train Your Viscount - Courtney McCaskill 5 stars Wow! I really liked this one. Henry, best friends with Harrington, Lady Caroline's older brother, insults her when she is fifteen and obviously has a crush on him. He immediately regrets it and tries to apologize but she won't allow it. He is haunted by how cruel he was and wants desperately to tell her he’s sorry. Four years later, they see each other again and he is determined to deliver his apology. But every attempt he makes results in sarcastic comments ricocheting between the two of them, and it's quite amusing. A few times, I laughed aloud. It's clear that the two of them are enjoying the banter, even as Caroline tries to retain her anger. Subsequent to Henry breaking Caroline's heart, she and her maid embarked on a regimen designed to highlight her every virtue and minimize every flaw. As a result, when she comes out at the age of nineteen, "She arrived at every event in smoggy London glowing as if she had frolicked through a meadow to get there." It's no wonder that every eligible male is trying to court her. The scene in which there are forty-three gentleman callers vying for her attention during “visiting hours” at her home is quite funny. Caroline's older sister was unexpectedly widowed after only a short time of being married. She has opened a shelter for women and children in need. Caroline goes to visit and is horrified by some of the stories she hears. One child describes how another's father died at work (a mill). His arm was ripped off and he bled to death on the spot. The child then blandly stated, "You know, the usual sort of thing." Indeed. It's hard to imagine that sort of thing being "usual" nowadays. The story is not limited to just the interactions between Henry and Caroline. There are bad guys and stolen objects and danger. Caroline is a strong, confident, and intelligent woman. Exactly the kind of woman Henry wants but never realized she could be. Naturally, he doesn't feel worthy and she has to save the day and show him he is. The writing is witty and engaging with characters you'd want to call friends. Fanny, Caroline's maid, is one such ally. When Henry upsets Caroline, Fanny is quick to hit him with her parasol or simply stand between them as a guard dog. It happens several times as Henry struggles to win Caroline's affections. I'm going to add Courtney McCaskill to my list of favorite authors. 2-27-2022 Tempting the Scoundrel - Tracy Sumner Tracy Sumner is one of my favorite authors and I already read this story, but I was happy to read it again. Christian is a watchmaker and Raine is a house servant for a duke, but this is not your typical unsuitable romance. Christian fell in love with Raine ten years ago when she worked for his uncle, but he was too shy to speak to her. Instead, he has carried her memory around with him and compared every woman to the girl his fifteen-year-old self has idolized for years. He considers it a miracle that he has found her, and maybe it is. The challenge is convincing her they are destined to be together. Tracy Sumner's books are always filled with unusual descriptions, but this one made me chuckle. Penny, Christian's valet and best friend, after interrupting a kiss, tells Christian, "... you look like you've been dipped in something sticky and not yet dried. And she looked about the same." Although quite brief, this story is still an enjoyable one, and it's above-average because of the author. 2-28-2022 Masks of Desire - Fenna Edgewood 5 stars Although this is not my favorite trope—father forbids marriage and bars contact while young man struggles to contact young woman because he loves her—this one offers some differences from those I've read before, and it is well told. I have to admit I was more than a little annoyed that Caroline so quickly believed the ugly story her vile and untrustworthy father told her because it didn't fit what she knew of Henry. She knew her father didn't care about her and delighted in her misery so I can't understand why she believed his "proof." Especially since it made her so miserable. Henry is a sympathetic character and his pain was palpable. His parents, especially his mother, are loving and compassionate. In contrast, Caroline's mother had died many years earlier. His brother Francis is also featured in this story; he is the opposite of Henry in almost every way. John and Matthew are a surprise. I won't spoil anything, but simply say, they were both wonderful—caring, considerate, forgiving, and protective. Caroline is fortunate to have them. Overall, the story was great. I felt for the characters and I impatiently waited for a happy ending, which seemed highly unlikely at times. There is a great deal of suspense as multiple threads are woven together. I'm interested in reading more from this series. I want to know more about some of the peripheral characters.
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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