Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey

http://www.saralindsey.net/
Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey, a debut novel, was an interesting book to read. Why, you may ask...well, because when I started reading this book I really loved it. I loved the heroine, Isabella, her family and James, the man she has luved forever. Isabella was a very believable, immature, sheltered woman of the 1700's. And, normally I don't read those annoying epigraphs in romance novels, however I loved the ones in this book. Each one is a letter written by Isabella at some point in her childhood, starting at age five and I found them simply adorable.

However, more than half way through the book, I started to get really ticked off at the idiot hero. He is one of those guys, who can't marry, never, never, ever because he doesn't want his wife to become pregnant, because his mother died in childhood along with his baby sister, so all women will die!! And then he has some stupid dream where he sees Isabella in the grave. To top it off, he keeps leaving Isabella...I think it's about three times, I finally quit counting.

So, anyway, there were parts of this book that were really good and the author hooked me into wanting to read more about the wonderful Weston family. If this author clicks, I predict the Weston family is going to be up there with the Bridgertons, Montgomery and Mallerons. Great family. And by the way, the Weston parents are alive.

On the other hand, James was a total selfish moron for waaay too long. I blame him for the rating.

Time Place: Late Georgian England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Warm

Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

http://www.laurakinsale.com/
I have always been a big fan of Laura Kinsale. She is the Queen of Angst. You know, those heroes who had sex with their step-mother when they were twelve and their father beat them, then sent them to an asylum where they went blind and then they turned into a blind assassin and nobody likes them because they kill people, however, they are the designated hero. Now, that is angst! So, when I heard that after a five years absence, Queen Kinsale had written a new, lighthearted book, I, of course immediately put it on my list.

So, I started to read it and for some reason I kept putting it down. I liked the heroine Callista, but really didn’t like Trev. There were some funny gags and slapstick comedy going on. However, it wasn’t until page 289 that I started to like the hero. When he tries to explain why he did a really stupid life endangering act, I finally found him adorable. However, shortly after that his past catches up with him. So, after two weeks, I folded my tent and started another book. Both characters do the “I’m not good enough for you” routine for way too long. I didn’t’ think the couple really clicked.

I am probably the only person in Romanceland who didn’t like this book.

If all of the book had been like page 289, this book would had been astounding, but sad to say it wasn’t and sad to say I found this a disappointing read from a really talented author.

Time Place: Regency England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Warm

Lessons from a Scarlet Lady by Emma Wildes

http://www.emmawildes.com/whatsnext.shtml

This book puts the E in Erotica, however, not the kind where you need to take a shower afterward! No ick factor!

Emma Wildes has done a ton of e-books and for some reason I always feel they are not as good as the writers that have been published in print. I'm not sure why that is, I haven't read any e-books, so I guess I just discriminate against e-book writers for no particular reason. In this case, I seem to be wrong. Lessons from a Scarlet Lady is well-written and has some very interesting characters in it.

Even though the blurb on the back talks about Brianna Northfield and her husband, there are really two stories in this book. We have the story of Brianna and her husband Colton. And, then there is the story of her best friend Rebecca and Colton's brother, Robert. Both stories are very good, and let me tell you the love scenes are hot!

You see Brianna is a newlywed, she loves her husband and the sex is ok, however, he's kind of a cold fish and she wants more. So, what does she do? She buys a racy book written by a former courtesan on all the ways you can hold your man! How to explicitly hold your man, if you get my drift. Colton's confused reaction to his wife's seduction was very entertaining. Of course, there was the eventual misunderstanding, but that was over quickly.

The other story is about Brianna's friend Rebecca, who has had a crush on rakish Robert for years. However, the stumbling block here is her father. To say he doesn't like Robert would be an understatement. So, we have that obstacle to watch.

I loved the brothers relationship, especially when they were trying to express their feeling about themselves and their women. Even though the plots been done before (both of them) they worked in this book and I found this a very pleasant read.

There were only a couple of things that bothered me, first of all the name Colton. Hated it. Threw me out of the story a number of times. Colton in my mind is either contemporary or saying Yipee-Ki-Yay little doggies. The other thing was even though I enjoyed both stories, I occasionally felt they invaded each others space. I'd be really interested in what was going on with Brianna and then Rebecca's story would be there. And vice-versa.

However, those are minor quibbles. I found this book to be very entertaining well-worth reading.

Time Place: Regency England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot! Hot! Hot!

Sinful Surrender by Beverley Kendall

http://www.beverleykendall.com/
Sinful Surrender, a book full of loathsome characters! See the tears in my eyes.

OMG where do I start? I wanted to like this book, and when it started out I thought I had found another debut author who could write romance. But, then it turned ugly. First of all there's the stalker chick heroine Millicent or Missy as she is called by those who love her. She has loved the whiny, jerk hero James forever. James is the friend of her equality atrocious brother (who by the way is the next one to get his book). The brother doesn't think his best friend James is good enough for his sister, and he wants James to end the infatuation. Why would you have a best friend who you don't want hanging around your sister?

Even though we are talking a time period when an innocent girl would have a chaperon, our stalker heroine doesn't seem to have any problem waltzing into James house at all hours of the day and night to throw herself at him. Of course, he can't resist, he can't control his lust, he can't, he can't, he can't. So, his predator animal instinct takes over and he has mind-numbing sex with her and then he kicks her out of his house. Does she get the hint? Are you crazy, we still have more pages of this atrocious behavior to go through. One of the more heart warming moments is when he parades his mistress around in front of her and then gets mad when her feelings are hurt. That was sarcasm. I really hated this guy.

Of course, there are always the secondary characters that might save this story, there is the Ice-princess who lies and says James is the father of her child, the drunken lover who when he's not drinking is glaring at people, there is the 17 year old about-to-have-her-own-book-woman who publicly insults Millicent's atrocious brother. This book is so full of people I couldn't keep track of all of them. Now, I will admit that not all of the characters were horrible. There were a few that had redeeming qualities, maybe four out of, oh...I don't know, hundreds.

In case you missed it, I hated James, he was such a ass and I really don't know why Millicent thought she loved him. I would have cut my losses the first time he showed up with a floozy on his arm. He really was a whiny big baby.

The sad thing about this book is technically the writing is good, but the characters in the story are horrible. I debated on the high rating.

Time/Place: Victorian England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot!

Faith by Deaneane Clark

Duck!! Watch out wall!!!!

http://deneaneclark.com/category/deneane-clark/

If you like " I hate rakes, but I'll kiss them...then I'll never believe anything they say", then Faith by Deneane Clark is for you. Do you know why Faith hates rakes? Because when she was five she was tricked into a maze and caught the eldest son of the household having fun with a maid (if you get my drift). Anyway, he told her that if she moved or made a sound a giant spider would eat her. So, because of that she doesn't like rakes and is afraid of intimacy...get it...a giant spider is going to eat you, so you will always hate rakes. Plllleeeeaaasse!

I could not finish this clunker, the writing was of the "I can do this" style. I really like to give new authors a chance, and I had read a favorable review calling this book a romp. However, someones definition of a romp and mine are not simpatico.

I will confess, that yes, I did skip ahead in the story...Because, this idiot couple were having one misunderstanding after another...Never talking to each other...listening to bad advice. The book is 288 pages long for Pete's sake and they don't get around to consummating their forced marriage until page 250. And, then...and then...because she's a virgin and he thought she was a whore, they have another misunderstanding and then she gets kidnapped. Where's that wall!

I don't think I will be waiting for this particular author to develop her craft.

Time/Place: Regency England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Warm

A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

http://www.marybalogh.com/
Get your cute-0-meter out!

Mary Balogh's is in top form with A Matter of Class, a novella that reminds me of the old traditional Regency. Of course, the old traditional Regency was not $15 buck-a-loos, so check it out from your favorite library or borrow it from a buddy, but read it!!

Whether you like Mary Balogh's or not, she knows how to put words together to make a full story and even though this story is short, it is a well-written book. For those of you that don't like flashback, too bad, because they are in this book; however, they blend perfectly into the storyline. In fact, they are needed for this particular story. I can't tell you too much of the plot because there are some unexpected surprises in this one. (Unless, like me, you read the end of your books first...I have to tell you, in this case resist the temptation!)

The hero, Reginald is the son of a wealthy coal merchant. His father wants him to be a gentleman. The heroine (Lady Annabelle) their neighbor, is the daughter of a Marquess. And, let me tell you the marquess is a real snob and very class conscious. Reginald and Annabelle are both well-written, interesting characters.

So, find this book (remember $15.00), pull up an easy chair, get a cup of hot chocolate and spend a few hours enjoying a pleasant read.

Time/Place: Regency England
Rating
Sensuality Rating: Warm

How I Met My Countess by Elizabeth Boyle

http://www.elizabethboyle.com/
If you don't like flashbacks be warned, half of this book is a flashback. However, the flashback is the best part of the book. With How I Met My Countess, Elizabeth Boyle is back on top. I have a feeling that not everyone is going to like this book, but I enjoyed it. It was a fast read, nothing earth shattering or hard to understand.

I especially enjoyed the heroine, Lucy. She is the daughter of a pick pocket who runs a spy school (and I'm sure that was in one of Boyle's other books, but I can't remember). Now don't get excited about the spy part, because we don't really see any spying, just the training.

The first part of this book is fast paced, and fun and I loved Lucy and Gilbert. When Lucy and Lord Gilbert meet, it is hate at first sight. Lucy is really rough around the edges, and she doesn't give a fig; Gilbert is an aristocrat who believes in everyone in their right place. They really butt heads, I only wish there had been more of this part.

How I Met My Countess had a two book feel about it, and for me the momentum in the first part was lost when the flashback is over. I had the feeling that Ms. Boyle realized she had two more books in the series and had to figure out a way to squeeze that info into a small amount of pages. So, the second half felt a little rushed.

But all in all, if you want a break from those heavy duty, brain-numbing books you've been reading, this one is for you.

Time/Place: Regency England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Really Warm