Holy Cherry Tootsie Roll Pops!!!! Upcoming Historical Romance!!!

January 25, 2022

Authors with an asterisk*, I'm picking up! Authors with **asterisks have either fallen off my radar or new to me, and I'm might read them this time around. Release dates mostly between February 15, 2022 and March 14, 2022. For more Upcoming Releases that aren't historical see HEY DELIA!!
 
Series indicates a series, spin-off, sequel, trilogy, brother/sister, secret society/spies, good friends who attended Oxford/Eton, vampire/werewolf - anything that has something continuing - even if written 20 years ago. Anthology/novella/short stories could be an anthology or a bunch of books in one print or novella - one tiny book or an anthology with a bunch of novellas - could be a short stories by one author, could be short stories by multiple authors - could be - I'm getting a headache. Ebook, only sold electronically for now. Debut - congratulations!

By the way, it is not my fault if a publisher changes the release dates - just so you know, they do not consult me. Let me also add this warning - since I am now using different sources, I am finding that one person's genre isn't necessarily another persons - sorry if your book is in the wrong genre.

 

Historical Romance

	Alyssa Clarke** https://alyssa-clarke.com/ The Scoundrel You Know - Kindle Only Those Very Bad Fairbanks February 22
	Carol Arens Inherited as the Gentleman’s Bride The Rivenhall Weddings February 22
	Catherine Tinley http://www.catherinetinley.com A Laird for the Governess Lairds of the Isles February 22
	Christi Caldwell https://www.christicaldwell.com/ To Catch a Viscount, ebook The Heart of a Duke February 22
	Elizabeth Everett http://elizabetheverettauthor.com A Perfect Equation The Secret Scientists of London February 15
	Elizabeth Cole http://www.elizabethcole.co Poppy and the Pirate The Wallflowers of Wildwood February 15
	Ella Quinn http://www.ellaquinnauthor.com The Most Eligible Bride in London The Lords of London February 22
	Emma V. Leech http://www.emmavleech.com/ Just a Little Daring Daring Daughters February 25
	Eva Devon Much Ado About Dukes Never a Wallflower February 22?
	Eva Leigh http://evaleighauthor.com The Good Girls’ Guide to Rakes Last Chance Scoundrels February 22
	Fenna Edgewood https://www.fennaedgewood.com The Duke Report, ebook Must Love Scandal February 28
	Gerri Russell http://www.gerrirussell.net/ The Return of the Heir, ebook Guardians of the Isles February 24
	Golden Angel https://www.goldenangelromance.com Dukes Pursuit, ebook March 8
	Harper St. George http://www.harperstgeorge.com The Lady Tempts an Heir The Gilded Age Heiresses February 22
	Heather Grothaus http://www.heathergrothaus.com The Knight’s Pledge, ebook Sons of Scotland March 1
	Jane Ashford http://www.janeashford.com Earl on the Run The Duke’s Estates February 22
	Jenni Fletcher http://jennifletcher.com The Highlander’s Tactical Marriage Highland Alliances February 22
	Julia London* http://www.julialondon.com/ Last Duke Standing A Royal Match February 22
	Kate Pembrooke http://katepembrooke.com Say You’ll be My Lady The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair February 22
	Lotte R. James The Marquess of Yew Park House Gentlemen of Mystery February 22
	Melanie Rose Clarke https://melanieroseclarke.com/ The Untamed Duke, ebook The Secret Crusaders February 15
	Michelle Styles http://www.michellestyles.co.uk To Wed a Viking Warrior Vows and Vikings February 22
	S.M. LaViolette https://www.minervaspencer.com The Bastard, ebook The Masqueraders March 9
	Sadie Bosque https://sadiebosque.com An Offer from the Marquess, ebook Necessary Arrangements February 22
	Sandra Sookoo http://www.sandrasookoo.com Persuasive in Pink, ebook Colors of Scandal February 15
	Shana Galen http://www.shanagalen.com I Want You to Want Me, ebook Survivors March 8
	Sophie Jordan http://www.sophiejordan.net/ The Rake Gets Ravished Duke Hunt February 22
	Tammy Andresen Marquess of Diamonds, ebook Lords of Scandal March 1
	Virginia Heath* http://www.virginiaheathromance.com The Earl’s Inconvenient Houseguest A Very Village Scandal Book February 22

Historical Fiction

	Karen Joy Fowler http://www.karenjoyfowler.com/ Booth March 8
	Matthew Harffy http://www.matthewharffy.com A Night of Flames A Time for Swords March 3
	David Field Conquest, ebook The Medieval Saga February 16
	Kate Heartfield http://heartfieldfiction.com/ The Embroidered Book February 17
	Eva Stachniak http://www.evastachniak.com The School of Mirrors February 22
	Lee Kravetz http://www.evastachniak.com The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. March 8

Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath

January 21, 2022

 

Gents!!!!
https://www.lorraineheath.com/

Because I repeat myself all the time, I shall do it again. Sometimes, when one gloms an author's work, one experiences things. Sometimes one notices the author’s writing pattern. Often, it’s a word that is used over, and over, and over. For example, Mary Balogh uses “I daresay” a lot. In the case of Lorraine Heath’s, Scoundrels of St. James series, she uses the word “gents” a lot. So much so, that I became irritated. Now that I have brought this to your attention, you may become irritated also. Having said that, you must read this book!  Just ignore all the “gents.”

Because I was not that impressed with the first book in the series, In Bed with the Devil, 2008, I was a little wary about Between the Devil and Desire. Not to worry, not to worry! The Devil and Desire turned out to be a wonderful book! After I finished the book, I sighed…in a good way.

Jack Dodger, is the owner of a gentleman’s club in London. And, by the way, there are prostitutes working there. But, like alllll good heroes, he doesn’t partake of what they offer. He just makes money off of the men who do partake, and also gamble at his place…ummmm…sounds almost pimp-ish. But, he’s our hero, so he can’t be a pimp! Anyway, Jack was part of a gang of children who grew up in the slums of London. The gang's mentor was a man by the name of Feagan. Jack was taught to pick pockets.  He was a fast pickpocket, he could dodge through the crowd, hence his name. Then one day, the gang (four boys and one girl) were taken from the streets of London, and housed at the Earl of Claybourne’s estate. Turns out one of the boys is the heir to the Earl of Claybourne. (see previous book). Now, the children have a bright, new world open to them. But, allll of them have experienced dark tragedies that have made them what they are. Even the Earl of Claybourne cannot banish their dark thoughts.  I found the unfolding stories of their lives very intriguing. Now, Jack is a wealthy man, and he has no morals whatsoever. Jack is a real scoundrel. When this story begins his life as he knows it is about to change. Enter Olivia, the Duchess of Lovington.

Olivia, is the Dowager Duchess of Lovington, and she has a young son, Henry. By the way Henry is a scene-stealer. Anyway, Olivia is waiting for the will to be read. She wonders why Jack Dodger is there. He doesn’t have a clue. He vaguely remembers Olivia’s husband coming to his gentleman’s club. But, her husband never participated in any of the things available there. Mostly, Jack remembers her husband standing around and observing. So, Jack and Olivia have no idea what is going on with the will. Well, the sparks are about to fly. It seems that Olivia’s husband has made Jack her son’s guardian. The reaction of Olivia and Jack to this news was priceless. From this moment forward, the book is full of wonderful sniping, banter, and downright callous moments. I loved every minute of these two circling each other.

This is a totally engaging story. The chemistry between Olivia and Jack is steaming. I can’t tell you how much I looked forward to alllll the scenes between Olivia and Jack. Wonderful! Were there some bumps in the road? Besides being irritated with “gent,” I had a slight problem with how long it took Olivia to get over her antagonism of Jack. But, it was just a minor bump.

This book is not only about a great couple. They are surrounded with amazing secondary characters, which includes an adorable little boy named Henry. Ms. Heath has done a great job of taking us back to Victorian England. The narrative creates some great atmosphere. London is brought vividly to life, the sounds, sights, and smells are all there for the reader to relish. 

In case you can’t tell, I loved this book…even with the plethora of Gents. I do recommend Between the Devil and Desire. If you haven’t read it you’re missing a good story.

Time/Place: Victorian England

Sensuality: Hot!

In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath

January 19, 2022

Charles Dickens, here we come!

https://www.lorraineheath.com/

I hope everyone is fond of Oliver Twist, because that seems to be what Lorraine Heath has based her Scoundrels of St. James series on. Unlike Charles Dickins, Ms. Heath isn’t stingy with the sex scenes.

The first book in the series is In Bed with the Devil. Our luverly couple are represented by Lady Catherine Mabry and Lucian Langdon, Earl of Claybourne. Allow me to expound on something often referred to as “pet peeves.” Once upon a time, a long time ago, I read an article or a comment about the use of the term “pet peeves.” This article/comment suggested, that we should never use that term. According to the article/comment, “pet peeve” implies the negative, or whining, or something subjective, or it just wasn’t nice. To which I must say: well, yeahhhh. You betcha! A pet peeve does imply that I, the reader, finds something in the book irritating. Usually, it’s something I, the reader, have read over, and over, and over, again. While, maybe the first time I read it, it might not have bothered me, but after the 5 gazillion times, it becomes an eye-roller. It becomes a sigh occasion, a throw one out of the story moment; hence a “pet peeve.” Because I don’t like to stir the pot, I have adopted the luverly term of “hot button.” Isn’t that so much better?

Anyway, In Bed with the Devil has one of those pet peeves aka hot buttons. Our hero, Lucian Langdon is in luuvvvv with his childhood friend, Frannie Darling. He has luved her always. He wants to marry her. He can never luv another as he does her. No other woman can mean as much to him as Frannie. Too bad his Timothy Toad bumps into buildings every time his eyes land on Catherine Mabry. Here is the conundrum I had with Lucian. How is it possible for someone to luv someone sooooo much he can have no other, but he still can’t honor her enough to keep his willi-winker in his pants. Hence a strong “pet-peeve.” Lucian was dishonest with both the woman he luved, Frannie, and the woman he lusted after, Catherine. I have arrived at the conclusion after all these years, if you cannot control what your Timothy Toad does, then you are not really in love with the person you are supposedly committed to. I couldn’t get past Lucian’s dishonesty with himself, Frannie, and Catherine.

So, that’s Lucian, but what about our heroine Catherine? Well, you know how there should be some kind of connection between the heroine and hero. That’s the assumption I’ve been under all these years in Romancelandia. You know that little problem Lucian had controlling his willie-winker? Not only was it irritating, but I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand what he saw in Catherine…and, let me tell you, it was an instant attraction. If the author hadn’t told me he was lusting after Catherine, I would never have known. Catherine seemed like a pod-person…you know the ones I mean…the ones who walk around stiffly and – talk – like – robots. She was a nondescript pod-person.

Then what about the rest of the book? I’ll tell you. It’s too bad there was all the rigamarole surrounding the romantic duo, because there were some wonderful back stories. Lucian’s childhood was especially interesting, and vividly drawn. The solution to his problem was written with some lovely emotional finesse. The secondary characters who inhabited Lucian’s world were absorbing, and made me want to read their stories.  This could have been such a good story, if only the hero hadn’t been so dishonest and the heroine hadn’t been so flat. Ms. Heath brought both the dark side of London, and its aristocratic world to life. Too bad her two main characters didn’t fit into the story. Catherine and Lucian just didn’t work for me.

Time/Place: Victorian England

Sensuality: Tons of Legs over Ears

Whine

January 5, 2022

Here we go again!
To glom or not to glom, that is the question.
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of books that don’t grab you
Or to glom parts of an author’s library

Who knew reading could be so hard? Yes, my Petunia’s I have been reading, or should I say, trying to read. I am not calling the following books DNF, because honestly, I didn’t get that far in them. There is a tear traveling down my face because these books just didn’t talk to me. Some were overcrowded with past characters, some had slang which threw me out of the story, some had plots which made no sense, and some had clunky writing.

I decided to put them aside, maybe for another time, maybe not. Until the next batch of new books catch my eye, I shall be filling in the empty space with one of Lorraine Heath’s many series, Scoundrels of St. James. The books are: In Bed with the Devil, 2008, Between the Devil and Desire, 2008, Surrender to the Devil, 2009, Midnight Pleasures with a Scoundrel, 2009, and The Last Wicked Scoundrel, 2014. The dates on these books kind of scare me because they indicate some fast writing. But I must forge ahead.

 

Sigh list. The books I put aside.

	Jennifer Ashley https://www.jenniferashley.com The Sinful Ways of Jamie Mackenzie
	Louise Allen http://www.louiseallenregency.com The Duke’s Counterfeit Wife
	Manda Collins http://www.mandacollins.com An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire
	Mary Balogh http://www.marybalogh.com Someone Perfect
	Emily Sullivan https://emilysullivanbooks.com/ The Rebel and the Rake
	Lisa Berne http://www.LisaBerne.com The Redemption of Philip Thane
	Stacy Reid http://www.stacyreid.com A Scoundrel of Her Own