The Danger in Daring a Lady by Emma Locke

Lord Darius Alexander can't pass up a wager even when he has no money of his own. Talked into playing one last hand of card, he bets the bank note that his brother has give him. Unfortunately he lost...
Caitlin Hart is relieved to have won that last hand at the table. She now has the money to hire help at her farm to bring in the harvest. She didn't count on the man that lost the money to try and get it back from her. The come up with a compromise. He will work off the debt on her farm. When that debt is paid, she will give the bank note back to him.
Caitlin didn't count on falling for Darius. Can her feelings ever mount to anything when she is just a country farm girl and the object of her desire is a lord?

The Duke's Accidental Wife by Erica Ridley

The Duke's Accidental Wife by Erica Ridley
This is book 7 in the Dukes of War series.
Miss Katherine Ross does what she wants even if it goes against society's dictates and that includes getting a husband. Never wanting to have a husband tell her what to do, she has long decided that whenever wants to marry. But that all changes when she finds herself in a compromising situation with the Duke of Ravenwood.
No one would have guessed it, but Ravenwood wanted to marry for love. When he is forced to marry Katherine, he believes that his dreams are over. When he thinks of the perfect duchess, she would be the opposite of Katherine in every way.
Can Katherine and Ravenwood turn their forced marriage into one based on love?
I've been waiting on Ravenwood's story for awhile now and I was so excited to read it. Ridley made it everything that I could have asked for!
If you've read the series, you know that Ravenwood is always the prim and proper duke. But you were occasionally give a small glimpse of the side of him that he shows few people. I was so excited to finally see more of that man!!
I loved Katherine! She was a woman ahead of her time. She had money in which to survive on her own and she took full advantage of it. She focused on the things in life that she loved and didn't let anyone get in her way. You go girl!!
I'm sorry to see this series end, but I know that I will love whatever Ridley puts out for us next!! I can't wait to find out what it is!

You can get this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

Thanks go out to Intrepid Reads via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway by Erica Ridley

The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway by Erica Ridley
This is book 6 in the Dukes of War series.
Clara Halton has expected that she will die alone after being struck with consumption. She sent her daughter off to England never expecting a rough pirate to come and abduct her from her home. With hope of finally seeing her daughter again, she agrees to travel with Captain Blackheart.
Captain Blackheart, known as Gregory Steele in another life, was expecting his package to be an old woman on her death bad. He never imagined that the woman would be about his age and not as sick as everyone imagined. Fighting a mutual attraction during their trip to England, both know that nothing to come of it. But as both get back to their "normal" lives, they can't stop thinking about the other. 
What happens when Clara throws all caution to the wind and stowaways on Blackheart's ship?
I have been waiting for Blackheart's story since he was first introduced. We get to see glimpses of him throughout the series, but it was never enough!! I'm so glad that Ridley decided to write his story!!
Who doesn't love a pirate story!?! One reason I like them so well is that the H/H are thrown into close quarters and they have to interact with each other a lot more than if they were living in London and only seeing each other at ton events. Given that Clara is trying to recover during the voyage, that means the time they spend together is in the privacy of the captain's cabin! Lots of alone time!!
This is definitely another great addition to the Dukes of War series. The next one comes out in March!! The Duke of Ravenwood will finally get his HEA!!

You can get this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

Thanks go out to Intrepid Reads via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

The Brigadier's Runaway Bride by Erica Ridley

The Brigadier's Runaway Bride by Erica Ridley
This is book 5 in the Dukes of War series.
To secure her future, Miss Sarah Fairfax, is marrying her former intended's best friend. What else can she do after finding herself pregnant and her fiancee killed during the war. No one is more surprised than Sarah, when her former intended shows up at her wedding determined to get her back.
Brigadier Edmund Blackpool was left for dead on the battlefield. Fighting to get his way back home, the image of Sarah is the only thing that got him through. He can't believe that she is marrying his best friend and is about to have a baby. But he won't give up without a fight and quickly marries Sarah.
But a lot has changed in 9 months. They are about to have a baby. Can these two lovers find their way back to each other?
This is definitely different than the other books in the Duke of War series or other historical romances for that matter. Sarah and Edmund quickly find themselves parents and a lot of the story revolves around them adjusting to being parents and finding that spark again.
While I did enjoy the story, it definitely isn't my favorite of the series. Captain Blackheart's story is up next. I can't wait to read it. He has intrigued me since we first met him in The Earl's Defiant Wallflower.

You can get this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Thanks go out to Intrepid Reads for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

The Major's Faux Fiancee by Erica Ridley

The Major's Faux Fiancee by Erica Ridley
This is book 4 in the Dukes of War series.
Major Bartholomew Blackpool came back from war without a leg and his twin brother. Having retreated from society, he ignores all his friends and family. That is until he receives a letter from a childhood friend.
Miss Daphne Vaughan reaches out to Bartholomew when she has no one else to turn to. Her guardian is forcing her to get married to get her out of his hair. She proposes a plan to Bartholomew, in which he will pose as her fiancee until she get her inheritance. At that point, they will break their betrothal and both of them will be free.
When the time comes for their break-up, neither wants to ruin the reputation of the other. But what would happen if they made their engagement real?
Loved the story!! 
Daphne was a different type of heroine. She was a crusader that championed the lower classes instead of ridiculing them as others in her class did at that time. 
I loved watching Daphne bring out the "old" Bartholomew. The man that he was before the war. She saw glimpses at that man and made sure to do what she could to bring him out more.
I'm very excited to read the next book in the series which comes out in September!

You can get this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Thanks go out to Intrepid Reads via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

Romancing the Earl by Darcy Burke

Never wanting to be an Earl, Major Elijah Hollister is just trying to get his life and estate together after the death of his brother. When Miss Catriona Bowen shows up at his door looking for a treasure map, he starts to believe that his brother's death was no accident. Now on the hunt for answers, he plans on keeping Catriona close to see what she might know.
Catriona is trying to make a name for herself by finding one of Britain's greatest treasures, but she needs Eliah's help to do so. Can she convince him that helping her will also help him find his brother's murderer? 

The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress by Erica Ridley

The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress by Erica Ridley
This is book 2 in the Dukes of War series.
Having established herself firmly on the shelf, spinster Jane Downing has decided that she wants to take a lover if only for one night of pleasure.  Having spent years not being seen, she would like one night where someone "sees" her and who better than Xavier Grey one of the few man that has intrigued her. Learning that he is leaving for his cottage in Essex, Jane follows him with seduction on her mind.
Xavier wants nothing more than to be out of the spotlight and to forget what he did during the war. He can't believe that Jane has followed him and is intend on seduction. As attracted to Jane as he is, she doesn't know all the terrible things he has done. He doesn't feel like he deserves to be the one to take Jane's special gift.
Can Jane talk Xavier into one night of passion?
Loved this story! Ever since Xavier spoke up in The Earl's Defiant Wallflower, I thought he had a wicked sense of humor (what a time to finally speak!!). As with the other books in the series, Ridley has me laughing out loud and so engrossed in the story that I couldn't put it down until it was finished. This series is definitely in the top 5 of my all time favorite reads!
I can't wait to see what Ridley has in store for us when the next book in the series, The Major's Faux Fiancee, comes out in June!

You can get this book at the following retailers:  

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

Thanks go out to Intrepid Reads via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

The Earl's Defiant Wallflower by Erica Ridley

Miss Grace Halton must find a husband that will let her take her dowry and go back to America to pay for the medicine that her mother desperately needs. Unfortunately, the man that she is attracted to needs her dowry just as bad as she does.
Oliver York, the Earl of Carlisle, must marry an heiress to salvage his estates from the damage that his father did. As much as they fight it, Oliver and Grace can't stop their attraction for each other and find suitable spouses. What happens when they are caught in a compromising position?

The Viscount's Christmas Temptation by Erica Ridley

The Viscount's Christmas Temptation by Erica Ridley
This is book 0.5 in the Dukes of War series.
Lady Amelia Pembroke has been managing her brother's home since she was very young and he inherited the dukedom. The managing tendency has carried over into her personal life as well.  Upon realizing that her brother probably won't marry until she does, Amelia decides to use the upcoming Christmas ball to find a husband. That is until she learns that a lightning strike has cancelled it.
Lord Benedict's well ordered life is turned upside down when Amelia decides to take care of the planning of his family's annual Christmas party. Deciding to let her have her way with the planning, Benedict never imagined that this managing female would worm her way into his heart.
This is my first story by Erica Ridley and it definitely won't be my last. I was laughing out loud throughout the story and loved every minute of the bantering between the H/H.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store for us!

You can get this story at the following retailers:

Amazon | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Overdrive

Thanks go to Intrepid Reads via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

The de Valery Code by Darcy Burke

Miss Margery Derrington and her aunt are in dire need of money. When Margery finds an old manuscript in the attic, they think that it will be the answer to their prayers.  She is off to see the Rhys Bowen, a known scholar, to see if he is willing to purchase it.
Rhys can't believe that the de Valery manuscript is finally in his hands, but it doesn't do any good without the companion book which his cousin has.  Seeing that the manuscript has more value to it than she originally thought, Margery is not quite ready to sell it yet. She conveniences Rhys to take her to the other book to determine what they can find out about a supposed treasure.
When they arrive to check out the second book, they soon learn that it has been stolen.  With the help of an unlikely source, they learn where a copy of it is. 
Unfortunately, they soon learn that they are not the only people hunting down the treasure and find themselves in some dangerous situations.  What will the couple do? Margery needs the book so that she and her aunts can survive, but Rhys wants to solidify his position as a leading antiquarian. Can they both get what they want and want they didn't know they wished for?

The Cheer in Charming an Earl by Emma Locke

The Cheer in Charming an Earl by Emma Locke.

This is book 3.5 in the Naughty Girls series.

Elinor Conley is determined that she will not remain a spinster and has decided that Earl of Chelford is her perfect mate. It doesn't matter that she has only gotten a glimpse of him once in her life. She concocts a plan to get to meet him and have him decide that she would be the perfect wife.

The Earl of Chelford, Grantham Wendell,  is having his annual bacchanalia when a carriage crashes into his kitchen. Innocent Elinor Conley entrances him from the beginning.

How will Grantham feel when he finds out that Elinor set out to catch him as a husband?

I didn't particularly care for this short story. For the lead to just catch sight of the man and decide that he was the man for her is a little far fetched. I know that it is a novella, but there are many authors that do a very good just within the confines of a novella.  I will give this author another chance and read one of her full length novels. I'm hoping that with the longer format, the romance of the characters will be a little more believable.

You can this this story as part of an anthology at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks go to NetGalley and Intrepid Reads for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.