His Lordship's Last Wager by Miranda Davis

January 24, 2018
Yeahhhh!!!

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5421963.Miranda_Davis

It's been a long time, almost 5 years since Miranda Davis' last book. Finally - finally!!! The wait was over! I put all my other books aside and plunged in. Before I begin, I must say I read my story with a Nook device and there was a formatting snafu which I found irritating, but I learned to live with it. Back to the story. Miranda Davis writes books which are longer than most other romance books around. And, while I am one of the people who continue to whine about the need for longer romance books, this story could have been edited down just a tad. There were just some scenes which were superfluous. However, even with the weird formatting and extra scenes, I had a smile on my face. It was just great to have a new Miranda Davis story in my hands.

For me, His Lordship's Last Wager was a delightful book and mostly a pleasure to read. Was it as sensational as The Duke's Tattoo? No, but it's still very good. We are reintroduced to Lady Jane Babcock, a not so nice secondary character from The Duke's Tattoo, and Lord Seeyle Burton, one of the Four Horseman of Apocalypse. And, after reading it I decided to reread the other two - just so my memory would be restored. I'm not sure if it was the formatting or the story but I had a hard time starting the story. However, I eventually found the author's rhythm and I was finally able to enjoy the story without too much distractions.

The best part of the book begins when it turns into a road trip story. Jane and Seeyle are great fun as they journey across the country with a big brown bear. There are tons of improbable turn-of-events, a lot of silliness, and things that wouldn't really happen - but it's all great fun. This part of the book was well written and highly enjoyable. It was also fun to have the four horsemen back together again. There were numerous scenes in which the four friends were friends, with all the jabbing, witty exchanges, and loyalty that happens in a true friendship.

Overall, this was a fun read, full of great secondary characters and a fun romance couple. It was great having Miranda Davis' newest book in my hands. While it may not have reached the heights of the first story, it was still good and I do recommend it.

Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm

Hokey Smoke Bullwinkle! It's time for Upcoming Historical Romances!!!

Authors with an asterisk*, I'm picking up! For more Upcoming Releases that aren't historical see HEY DELIA!!  February 15, 2018 to March 14, 2018. By the way, it is not my fault if a publisher changes the release dates - just so you know, they do not consult me.

	Emma Harrington http://www.annaharringtonbooks.com/ As The Devil Dares Capturing the Carlisles series March 6
	Ann Lethbridge http://www.annlethbridge.com Rescued by the Earl's Vows paperback - February 20, ebook - March 1
	Caroline Linden* http://www.carolinelinden.com My Once and Future Duke The Wagers of Sin series February 27
	Ella Quinn http://www.ellaquinnauthor.com The Marquis and I The Worthingtons series February 27
	Grace Burrowes http://www.graceburrowes.com/ A Rogue of Her Own Windham Brides series March 6
	Julia London* https://julialondon.com/ Devil in Tartan The Highland Grooms series February 20
	Kelly Bowen* http://www.kellybowen.net/home.html A Duke in the Night Devils of Dover series February 20
	Lara Temple https://www.laratemple.com Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies series March 1
	Lisa Kleypas* http://www.lisakleypas.com/ Hello Stranger The Ravenels series February 27
	Lynna Banning http://www.lynnabanning.net Miss Murray on the Cattle Trail February 20
	Marguerite Kaye* http://www.margueritekaye.com From Governess to Countess Matches Made in Scandal series paperback - February 20, ebook - March 1
	Megan Frampton http://www.meganframpton.com Lady Be Reckless The Duke's Daughters series February 27
	Meredith Duran* http://meredithduran.com/index.html The Sins of Lord Lockwood Rules for the Reckless series February 27
	Michelle Styles http://www.michellestyles.co.uk The Warrior's Viking Bride March 1
	Sarah Mallory http://www.sarahmallory.com The Ton's Most Notorious Rake February 20
	Shana Galen http://www.shanagalen.com No Earls Allowed The Survivors series March 6

Redeeming Lord Ryder by Maggie Robinson

January 12, 2018
Coincidence...fancy meeting you here

http://www.maggierobinson.net/
In Redeeming Lord Ryder by Maggie Robinson, we are asked to believe that a woman, Nicola, who lost her voice in a train wreck, and a man, Jack, who is responsible for the train wreck, end up in the same place at the same time for rehabilitation, and fall in love. Kismet, destiny, karma, or coincidence? Could be all of those, but it’s also the plot, all boiled down to one sentence - but of course that isn't all there is to it. We, after all, have a ton of pages to fill.

Actually, this book started out promising. Nicola lost her voice because of the trauma of being in a train wreck in which a couple of people were killed. She has journeyed to Pudding-on-the-Wold for rehabilitation, but it's not working. She has not regained her voice back; however, she has grown quite comfortable in her little cottage. Unlike some of the previous books in this series, her "keepers" have been kind to her. She eats what she wants, she goes where she wants, she is able to communicate with her family, and she seems to be independently wealthy. She’s even been kicking around the idea of staying in her cottage forever, though she hasn't figured out how she will manage that. Her fiancé broke off the engagement when she lost her voice, but she has accepted that - after all, he has dreams of being a politician and everyone knows a wife of a politician needs to have the ability to talk. So, she understands - in fact, Nicola understands almost everything.

Then we have Jack, Lord Ryder, and he has come to Pudding-on-the-Wold because he feels a tremendous amount of guilt over the train wreck Nicola was in. It’s a crippling amount of guilt. You see, it was his foundry which produced the faulty girder, which then caused a bridge to collapse, which then caused the train to plunge, which then caused two deaths and Nicola's injuries. Jack has overcompensated for the disaster. He has dumped every business he owns which may injure anyone - even if the injuries are in the most infinitesimal of ways. He has helped the two families who suffered the losses of their loved ones, but he just can't get over the horrible guilt. He is one big angst lump.

Jack and Nicola encounter each other by accident on one of their walks one day and the sparks fly. They are instantly in lust with each other but they also become friends. Of course, they have their keepers to contend with. Their keepers do not allow any kind of hanky-panky at Pudding-on-the-Wold, and if any of you are familiar with the previous books in this series you will know that is a big joke - no hanky-panky my eye. Anyway, neither Jack nor Nicola know who each other is, nor do they have any idea of how much they have in common. This will of course lead to a big misunderstanding, followed by an even bigger conniption fit by our hero. I will be honest with you here; by the time the conniption fit rolls around I had become somewhat bored with this couple and the hero's big snit seemed to be way out of proportion to what actually happened.

Much to my sorrow, I struggled with this book. I started to lose interest in Nicola and Jack about half-way through. All I wanted to do was finish this story, so there was some skip-reading toward the ending. I couldn't find anything to connect with either Nicola or Jack. I grew tired of Jack's continual guilt fest and tired of Nicola's trying to seduce Jack. I know I'm in trouble when a book allows my mind to wander.

Ponder moment. Why do a lot of authors use the grand old oral hanky-panky-ooh-la-la moments as the first sexual encounter of heroes and heroines? I've thought about this a lot lately, because it's not just Ms. Robinson who fills her books with “insert tongue here” first time occasions. I'm often startled when these first-time episodes happen and here's why. Usually these encounters are the woman's first time at any kind of sexual intimacy - ever. She is in all likelihood a total innocent, in more ways than one. She doesn't know anything about the organ or the act. On top of that, she probably doesn't even know the guy all that much. Remember I’m talking about historical romance novels, not Fifty Shades of Whatever stuff.

It seems to me that this kind of first time moment implies a whole different type of intimacy. And, it should be more than just a method of birth control. When someone is rooting around underneath a skirt, there is more involved than just a moment of relief. Allowing someone to do this is highly personal; it involves all kinds of trust issues. You are opening yourself up to all kinds of up-close and personal stuff. For a long time I've thought that this act is more intimate than the actual big bang moment. So, to have someone you barely know, or a couple who have just met, or for this to be an innocent's first time is bothersome to me. I have finally arrived at the conclusion that this type of intimacy is an expression of trust for a couple and I wish authors would write these encounters after the big bang and not as a precursor to it. Or, even worse, as a writer-delay-build-the-tension-scintillate tool. I asked my husband his opinion, and he, like all good husbands, agreed with me. And, that is my rant. Writing of the act itself does not bother me; the placement of it in a book does. It's been on my mind lately while reading romance books and it just so happened that this is the book that triggered my ponder moment.

Bottom-line. I had trouble with this book. While the premise of the book had possibilities, the luv-couple didn't connect. They didn't connect with each other and they didn't connect with me. I was disappointed.

Time/Place: 1880s England
Sensuality: Warm

A Good Day to Marry a Duke by Betina Krahn

January 13, 2018
Welcome back Betina – it’s been a while…

https://betinakrahn.com/
Let me see, the last time I read a new book by Ms. Krahn was Make Me Yours in 2009. You know, I’ve actually seen some authors in their human forms, so I know they are not robots or aliens or something not of this earth. And, because they are human I know they all have trials and tribulations just like everyone else. So, even though I periodically checked Ms. Krahn’s website I had arrived at the conclusion that she was going to join that list of authors who have vanished from Romanceland. (That list makes me cry.) Imagine my delight when I discovered she had taken up her quill again! While I was excited, I also had some trepidation. Would the old Krahn spark still be there? Well, glad to say, yes it is! While this story does not reach the level of my alllll-time favorite Krahn, Behind Closed Doors, it is a most welcome endeavor. It is a nice to have Ms. Krahn back.

A Good Day to Marry a Duke begins the new series Sin and Sensibility by Betina Krahn. We are introduced to Daisy, a rich American heiress and also a heroine who is mighty hard to like – just so you know. Not only is she hard to like, but her reasoning at times is childish and she’s somewhat selfish. Yes, yes, everyone is selfish because we are all “self” centered but she is a harebrained selfish and that was my one quibble with this book. So, let’s get it over with.

Rant. The problem I had with Daisy was how could she not know that going against the conventional standard established for women of her time period would eventually hurt her and her family? Hanging out with the guys, passing the flask between the fellas, being out-spoken, and riding astride would all be cause for censure. Daisy’s stubbornness in flaunting the rules was irritating. It actually reminded me of an old movie with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball called Fancy Pants. Lucile Ball did the things she did because supposedly she didn’t have the proper know-how because she lived in some podunk town in the old west. Now, we are creeping up on one of my pet-peeves: the representation of “hicks” in movies, literature, news, etc. I have always been insulted when I am bombarded with images/written words which love to make out that the only culture we have is in the large cities and that country-folks are just morons who wouldn’t know a Seurat from a Delacroix. Sure, they are not exposed to some “cultural” items on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean they can’t think. So, for this book to imply that Daisy did the things she did “because she didn’t have no learnin” pressed by buttons. I digress. I rant.

Anyway, it’s too bad that Ms. Krahn picked a heroine who triggered one of my aversions because the guys in the book were so very interesting.  First of all we have the hero of the story, Ashton. Ashton is the wastrel-black-sheep of the family. Hardly anyone in the family likes him; he’s someone that the rest the family cannot control. But, Ashton has a weakness - his brother Arthur. He will do anything to protect his brother and if that means seducing that flamboyant American heiress Daisy away from his brother, so be it.

Secondary guys. Arthur. I loved Arthur. He was a sweet nerd – he likes flowers and bugs. Arthur could expound on any kind of bug that flew past. His mind was filled with all of those wonderful flying insects, he had no time for anything else and that included his estates, his servants, and his maybe fiancé. The only person he held in high esteem was his brother, Ashton. Arthur has been so busy with the bugs, he is still a virgin. Daisy actually is good for him and they do become friends. I loved watching Arthur emerge from his cocoon, so to speak. I also thought Ms. Krahn did an excellent job with the tangled web of Ashton, Arthur and Daisy.

Then we have Reynard, a gossip, a rake, and a man who avoids matrimonial women of all kinds. I hope we get to see him get what he deserves. There was also something going on between Daisy’s uncle Red and her chaperone. But just what that was never was explored – maybe there will be room in a novella for them. 

Overall, I thought this book was a fine beginning to a series and a lovely return of an author who has been gone for a while. While I found Daisy to be irritating and the solution to Ashton and Arthur’s problem eyebrow raising - I’m not sure if legally Ashton and Arthur could do what they did, but hey, I’m not a lawyer - I do recommend this book. I think that we will probably see some pretty good writing in the books that are to follow.

Time/Place: 1880s England
Sensuality: Subtle