The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries

Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakebourough, agrees to watch of his best friend's cousin while he is away dealing with family business. He knows that he is in for trouble watching over Lady Clarissa Lindsey having known her most of his life. That is part of the problem...he's been captivated with her just as long. But he also knows that Clarissa isn't the type of woman that he wants for a wife...or is she?
Clarissa is determined never to wed after an event in her past. But when she ends up with a stalker, she knows her best chance at protecting herself to to take Edwin up on his marriage proposal.
Can this marriage of convenience turn into one of love?

The Princess Wore Plaid by Karen Hawkins

The Princess Wore Plaid by Karen Hawkins

This is book 2.5 in the Orenburg Princes series.
When royal princess, Tatiana Romanovin's carriage is held up by ruffians, she becomes disorientated and is separated from her group. When she finally finds help, she has no way of identifying herself and must find a way to support herself until she con contact her cousin. A sympathetic innkeeper and his wife take her in and she works off her room and board.
Lord Buchan was left a broken man after the war and he only ventures out once a week to have a meal at the local inn. When he meets Tatiana he is instantly intrigued and knows there is something more to her than meets the eye. He soon finds that he can't stop thinking about the comely maid.
What happens when Buchan learns that the woman he is smitten with, truly is a princess?
I enjoyed this story, but not as much as the rest of the series. My guess is because of it's length. It just didn't draw me into it like, Hawkin's stories normally do.  Usually when I read her stories, I don't want to put the book down until I'm done. This one just didn't hold my attention like the others.
If you are looking for a quick, enjoyable read, then this is the book for you.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Mad for the Plaid, which stars Nik!!

You can get this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

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

Enraptured by Candace Camp

Enraptured by Candace Camp
This is book 3 in the Secrets of the Loch Trilogy
When her uncle dies, Lady Violet Thornhill makes to point to still excavate the site that they planned to visit together. Being a woman in this field gives her little opportunity to shine, so she is not going to let this opportunity to pass her by. When the owner of the site is not in residence, she must deal with Coll Munro, the estate manager. She never counted on being so effected by the man.
Coll is still trying to get use to the idea of his new position when Violet comes into his life and disrupts it even further. Knowing that her station is far above his, he tries to deny the attraction he feels for her and keeps his distance. But when someone breaks into the house, Coll moves in to try and catch the culprit. This, of course, puts Coll and Violet in each others company a lot more.
Can this unlikely duo make it work when they have so much going against them?
This is book 3 in the series and they are all very much intertwined. I would recommend reading all three of them in order and one right after the other.  I really liked Coll. He was definitely what I would consider to be a brawny highlander!! We met him in the first book of the series and he made several appearances in book 2 as well. You see the bitterness in him in the other books and then learn more about why he is the way he is in this one. Of course, it talks a good woman to make him have a change of heart.
Violet was just an ok heroine to me. Nothing that really stood out to me other than that she was determined to live her life the way she wanted which was not common for that time period.
The biggest reason that I would read this series in order and one after the other is that there is a mystery of a lost cash of gold that run throughout the books.  Without reading all three books you don't get the full picture of it.
Camp has always been one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

You can get this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Powell's | IndieBound | iBooks

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

The Rock by Monica McCarty

The Rock by Monica McCarty
This is book 11 in the Highland Guard series.
Having grown up together, Thomas MacGowen is heartbroken when he learns that Lady Elizabeth Douglas doesn't share his feelings. His father, the blacksmith, warned him but you can't help you you fall for. Knowing that he wanted more for his life than to follow in his father's footsteps, he joins the Bruce's army to change his lot in life.
Several years later, Elizabeth is in need to Thomas's help. He wants to turn her down just to spite her, but knowing that an innocent child is at risk he does his duty. As Elizabeth is soon to marry a proper man, she is shocked to find herself so attracted to Thomas. She knows that the son of a blacksmith is not good enough for her, but her heart is telling her otherwise.
Can this unlikely duo find the happiness that both of their hearts are longing for?
I absolutely loved Thomas!! Elizabeth on the other hand...not so much. She did grow on me as we got to the second half of the book, but it was a little too late for me.  I kinda wish that Thomas had found someone else...
I did enjoy the storyline and of course I enjoyed seeing the other members of the Highland Guard again.  McCarty's next and last book in the series, the Ghost, comes out in May/June 2016. I think we have all been waiting to see what happened to Alex Seton when he left the Guards. I can't wait to read it!!

You can purchase this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book A Million | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

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

The Striker by Monica McCarthy

The Striker by Monica McCarthy
This is book 10 in the Highland Guard series.
Eoin "Striker" MacLean and Margaret MacDowell are on opposite sides in a broken Scotland, but they can't seem to fight the attraction they feel for each other. Soon married, Eion must go fight for the Bruce and leave his wife with his family.
Margaret is miserable living with Eoin family and eventually returns to her own family. But with misunderstanding on both sides, Eion and Margaret are soon torn apart.
Six year later, they reconnect. Can this second chance bring them the happiness they deserve?
I LOVED THIS STORY!! If was very hard to do the write up without giving up too much of the plot…so that is why it is one of my shorter ones.
The story starts at the time of their reunion and then goes back to their meeting. We see their struggles to make their marriage work and how tragedy ends it. When they are given a second chance, you can't help but cheer them on!
This is definitely one of my favorite series (even though I haven't read them all…must do that!!) The next book in the series, The Rock, is out on Dec. 29th.

You can purchase this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | IndieBound | Kobo | iBooks

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

The Prince and I by Karen Hawkins

The Prince and I by Karen Hawkins
This is book 2 in the Oxenburg Princes series.
Gregori "Max" Romanovin and his grandmother are stopped by highwaymen on their way to a house party. Max knows that there is something "off" about the highwaymen and is determined to figure out what it is. He soon learns that the leader of the thieves is a young widow named Murian.
Lady Murian was kicked out of her home after her husband's death. With no where else to go, she and her retainers made a life for themselves in the forest. She and the others steal from the guests of the man who stole her home just to survive. When Max finds out that she is the one that robbed him, they find that they have a common enemy. Max and his men begin helping Murian and her people fix up their village while trying to figure out a plan to solve both their problems.
Neither one is looking for anything permanent, but after spending so much time together they are drawn to each other. Can they vanquish their enemy and find a love they didn't know they wanted?
I've read other Robin Hood re-makes, but I don't think any of them have had a woman as "Robin." Hawkins did an awesome job reversing the rolls with her latest book.
I loved, loved, loved Max!!!  He is definitely the type of guy to make a lady swoon!! Who wouldn't love a guy that sees something that needs fixed and rolls up his sleeves and gets busy doing it. The fact that he was a royal prince and didn't see anything wrong with it, made it that much better.
Max's grandmother, Grand Duchess Natasha Nikolaevna, is just as feisty as ever. She is up to her old tricks too. Love that woman!!
Murian is also a character I really liked. She is kicked out of her home and has no where to go. She and her friends make the best of a horrible situation. Most women of her station would have not known what to do. Murian took charge and helped her people survive.
Definitely one of my favorite books by Hawkins and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

You can purchase this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Kobo | iBooks

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

The Art of Sinning by Sabrina Jeffries

Artist Jeremy Keane has been traveling and painting instead of taking over his father's business. In London for a wedding, he encounters the perfect woman for his latest painting. But since she is a member of the ton, there is no way he will be able to paint her. That is until he makes a deal with the lady herself.
Lady Yvette Barlow makes a deal with Jeremy. She will be his model for the painting IF he will help her track down a woman at one of the city's brothels. Jeremy agrees...but what happens when they each find themselves attracted to the other? Will it interfere with both of their plans?

If the Viscount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries

Years ago, Dominick (Dom) Manton was disowned by his brother the Viscount Rathmoor. He had to give up the life that he knew which included his fiancee Jane Vernon. Now Dom is the Viscount and Jane comes to him to help her locate the late Viscount's missing wife.
Jane wouldn't go to Dom except he is the only one she can turn to. Her cousin has disappeared and she fears something dreadful has occured.  Convincing Dom to help her takes some doing and after spending time with him realizes that her feelings for him never disappeared.
Dom soon realizes that he never stopped loving Jane and will do anything to get her back. Unfortunately, Jane just sees that he is still making all the decisions for them and doesn't want to live that way. 
Can Dom fix the mistakes of their past and present so that they can finally get their HEA?

The Prince Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins

The Prince Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins.
This is book one in the Oxenburg Princes series.
Bronwyn Murdock, a bookish spinster, is surprised by a small dog coming out of the nearby forest interrupting her quiet time reading by her favorite tree. A woodsman soon follows and and Bronwyn is intrigued like never before, especially when he kisses her before leaving.
Bronyn soon learns that her woodsman is really Prince Aleksey Romanovin from Oxenburg. When she overhears him talking to a friend about using her to get his grandmother to stop wife hunting for him, Bronyn decides to turn the tables on him. She will make him fall for her and then let him know that she knew of his plan.
But what happens when the feelings become all too real for both of them?
As always, Karen Hawkins has done a masterful job of storytelling. In her latest book, a twist on the Cinderella story, she introduced us to a whole new set of characters that you will fall in love with.
Even though Aleksey was a prince, I thought he was pretty down to earth. Grand Duchess Natasha, Aleksey's grandmother, loved her!!  Being a bookworm myself, I totally related to Bronwyn. She had the best attitude! She finds out that that the prince is using her and she turns the tables on him, LOL!  
I loved Aleksey and Bronwyn together and hope that we see more of them in the rest of the series.

You can get this book at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | iBooks 

Thanks go out to Pocket Books for a copy of the book for an honest review.

How the Scoundrel Seduces by Sabrina Jeffries

Lady Zoe Keane has heard some disturbing news about her family and knows just who to go to, to find out the truth. Having gotten use of their services by keeping quiet during another case, the Duke's Men have agreed to take on her case. Unfortunately for Zoe, the only and best man for her case is the man that she doesn't get along with.
Tristan Bonnaud has had a disdain for the gentry since his father refused to marry his mother and his high-born brother took his inheritance.  The only one available for the case works in his favor as he can use the case as a cover to investigate something of his own.
Having clashed since the moment they met, what will Zoe and Tristan do when they can't fight the attraction that has been there since the moment they met?

The Game and the Governess by Kate Noble

The Game and the Governess by Kate Noble.
This is book 1 in the Winner Takes All series.
Ned Ashby, the Earl of Ashby, has always had luck with the ladies. When his friend and secretary, John Turner, bets him that he won't have the same success without his title he jumps to prove him wrong.  Off to see about one of the Earl's properties, Ned and John switch identities.  
Forced into the life of servitude because of the Earl of Ashby, Phoebe Baker can't believe that he is staying with the family that she is the governess to their children.  She does her best to stay away from the man, but seems to keep running into his secretary. Phoebe soon finds herself fighting the attraction she feels for the man.
What will Phoebe do when the man she has come to love is not who he seems to be?
I thought the beginning of the novel was very confusing. All of the ladies at the house party were being "introduced" and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. I had no idea what was going on and what the relationship was between all the women.  It got easier to understand as the story progresses, but since their were so many people in the story it was a bit confusing at times.
The set up of the story took about 1/3 of the book to get through, but it was needed to set up the circumstances of the bet and to tell the backstory.  I'm hoping that the author doesn't do the same for the remainder of the books in the series.
I really didn't like Ned at the beginning of the story. He was pretty much a Jack@$$, but that was probably the author's point. She wanted us to see how the character grew from beginning to end.  I did like Phoebe. She made the best of her situation and really did love the children that were in her care.   Noble did an excellent job showing us the changes that Ned went through as he navigated the life of not being a lord.  With each new experience, we see how Ned's attitude toward certain things change.
I'm not certain how I feel about John Turner. There were things that he did that I didn't like. I'm very interested in seeing how Noble writes his story and how his change (I'm assuming there will be one) comes about.  

You can get this book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and iBooks.

Thanks go to Pocket Books via NetGalley for a copy of the book for an honest review.

Trapped at the Altar by Jane Feather

Trapped at the Altar by Jane Feather.
Ariadne "Ari" Carfax is not ready to go through with the betrothal made when she was but a child. She may love her betrothed, but she is in love with another man (Gabriel). After her grandfather's death, Ari's uncle is determined to see her married to Ivor Chalfont and ambushes her with the marriage ceremony at her grandfather's wake. There is nothing let for her to do but comply and take her vows.
Even though Ivor has known Ari since they were little children, he is not against the marriage between them. Ari claims that she could never love him the ways she loves Gabriel, but Ivor is determined to make their marriage work.
Going to London on a mission to reinstate the family at Court, Ivor hopes that Ari will get Gabriel out of her mind. What he doesn't know is that Gabriel is waiting in London to whisk Ari away.
Can the long trip to London convience Ari the Ivor is the right man for her?
I loved Ivor and I liked Ari. I kinda thought that Ivor was too good for Ari. He was willing to overlook her having had sex with someone else before their marriage which most men would not have done during that time. Ivor seemed to be making all the concessions where as Ari just didn't seem to want to grow up and take responsibility for her actions.
It took awhile for Ari to grow into her adulthood role and that is when my attitude toward her changed (almost at the end). I really wish that her change had come about sooner in the book.
The writing was good and I'll definitely pick up more from this author.

You can find this book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks go out to Pocket Books via NetGalley for a copy of the book for an honest review.

Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran

Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran.
This is book 2 in the Rules for the Reckless series.
Olivia must find evidence against the man that is trying to kill her. The only way to get a hold of it is to infiltrate the Duke of Marwick's home.  What better way than as a housemaid? When she arrives to interview for the position, she finds the household in need of a housekeeper and since that position will allow her access to the whole house she accepts the position.
Alastair de Grey, the Duke of Marwick, has been holed up inside his bedroom since the secrets of his dead wife came out. Those secrets have turned Alastair into a very angry and unhappy man. When the new housekeeper keeps butting in where she doesn't belong, he doesn't know what to think.
Olivia keeps goading Alastair so that she can finally get access to his papers, but he never leaves his room. All the time that Olivia spends with Alastair is having an unwanted side effect for both of them.  
Can the Duke fight his attraction for his new housekeeper? Will Olivia find the evidence she needs to save her life?
I absolutely loved this story. I liked Olivia when I was introduced to her in That Scandalous Summer. Her sarcasm just struck a chord with me. I really like how the author had us learn how much this couple had in common while Olivia was trying to annoy the Duke enough to get him out of his rooms. Olivia (and the reader) had heard some things about the Duke from her former employer (in the previous book), but it wasn't until she forced herself into his life that the real image of the Duke came to life.
I've not read any other of this author's books except those in these series, but they were enough for me to go seek out her other novels. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for this series.

You can get this book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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

When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries

Victor Cale has been looking for his jewel thief wife for ten years and he might have finally found her.  Victor has gone to Manton's Investigations and the first job they give him, has him looking into a woman that sounds remarkable like his wife.
The first day in Scotland, Victor is "introduced" to his wife, but instead of being frightened when she sees him she looks furious! How can that be when she is the one that ran away from him?
After being abandoned by her husband, Isabella has finally made a life for herself and her daughter. She can't believe that it has taken 10 years for her husband to finally come back for her. She even took his mother's maiden name to make it easier for him to locate her. 
Victor believes that Isabella only married him to get to the jewels that were stolen and then ran off without him. Isabella believes that she was abandoned by her husband after he took his share of the stolen diamonds and has only come to find her because the money has run out.
Will the two of them finally figure out what truly happened? Will the real thieves be caught? Will this husband and wife find their way back into each other's arms?