The Gift by Julie Garwood - The Garwood Wayback Machine Project, no. III

March 25, 2019

Garwood Wayback Machine continued
https://juliegarwood.com/
Now, on to the third in the series – The Gift - 1991. I know all of you romance readers out there have experienced this. You read a book, and there is a scene you will remember forever. The problem arises when years pass. While you still remember very vividly a particular scene, you forget what book it’s from. You start rereading old romance books in search of it. You go online, hang out on message boards; sometimes you even get up enough nerve to send a “help me identify this book” message. Don’t lie, I know it’s happened to you. Well, when I started to reread The Gift I was smacked in the face with one of those scenes I’ve been trying to find alllllllll these years. Yes, yes, yes!!!! Now I can clear my mind of that little problem – I just have a gazillion more scenes to find.

The scene. We are witness to a wedding scene with a stoic groom and a drooling bride. The bride turns out to be four years old and the groom fourteen. They are, of course, then separated. Years pass and our hero, Nathan, has come to collect his bride. He hasn’t seen her in a while, for all he knows she could be as ugly as sin, but he’s willing to sacrifice. She, of course, isn’t anywhere close to being ugly – far from it. She – Sarah - is tired of waiting for her groom. She has sent unanswered letters to him over the years, and he’s never put in an appearance. When Nathan kidnaps Sarah, she’s more than ready to go. They board Nathan’s ship and are off on a grand adventure.

By the way, Nathan is the brother of Jade/Pagan from Guardian Angel, and he has taken the name of Pagan for his own. There is one problem with this: he gets sea-sick, which provides us with some funny scenes. Sarah is another one of Garwood’s innocent-charming female leads. She is a bit of a klutz; accidents happen when she’s around. This proves especially disastrous aboard a ship, and the crew at first wants her off. She damages the ship, injures members of the crew, even accidentally poisons them – but the crew is so captivated by her charm that they cannot hurt her feelings by rejecting her.

I feel as if I’m repeating myself. As with the other books in this series, I thought this book was great fun and I’m enjoying this reread a lot.

Time/Place: Regency England/Sea
Sensuality: Warm/Hot

Castles by Julie Garwood - The Garwood Wayback Machine Project, no. IV

March 25, 2019

Now onto the fourth book in the series, Castles, where we run into a snag
http://www.juliegarwood.com  
It had to happen. Remember me rambling on about the wonderful Garwood alpha males? How we love those alpha males, blah, blah, blah. Well somewhere in our journey in the Wayback Machine we ran into an alpha male who also happens to be a bonehead. Yes, Colin is a stubborn, boneheaded, alpha hero. Now these boneheads come in many varieties. Some are drunks, some are gamblers, some are abusive, some are unfaithful, and some would rather be poor then use any of the little woman’s money. Guess which one Colin was? Colin, by the way, was the missing brother of Caine from Guardian Angel. He now has his own book, and compared with the rest of the males in this series he’s a let-down.

First of all, Colin is avoiding his family because he believes everyone is trying to match-make, and nothing could be worse than being married. Secondly, he’s in need of funds but doesn’t want anyone else to help him – ever. He owns a shipping company, and he’s doing it his way. He has a five-year plan, and nothing will interfere with that. Oh yes, he also limps. 

Enter Princess Alesandra. What do I always say about princesses? I hatesssssss ‘em. Anyway, Princess Alesandra is staying with Colin’s parents, but they have flu or something. They ship her off to Colin to stay while they recover. They can’t send her to Caine and his wife because they also have the flu. Colin doesn’t believe any of it; he thinks they are trying to match make. He visits all of them. He gets the flu. Alesandra nurses him back to health. I started to have a problem with this novel at this time. I’m thinking Ms. Garwood didn’t necessarily abide by the historical romance guidelines of an unchaperoned woman living with a bachelor. But that seems to be overlooked in this narrative.

Along the way, Alesandra is almost kidnapped, which somehow forces Colin to marry her. By the way Alesandra makes lists. Why am I telling you that? Because, in one of the funniest scenes of this book, Alesandra takes a pad of paper and pencil to bed with her on her wedding night. She wants to take notes. It was all very funny.

Even though Alesandra was a princess, I liked her. She found all kinds of ways around her husband’s five-year plan. She had tons of money, and she used the name of Uncle Albert to buy things – like ships. Among the many things she did, without her husband’s knowledge, was have special shoes built so that he doesn’t limp. Why doesn’t he know about any of these things? Because he’s a stubborn bonehead hero.

He will not use her money – ever. He will not use her money to save his company, buy ships, eat bread – whatever. He makes it impossible for her to be honest with him. When she wears fancy jewelry, he gets nasty because HE didn’t buy it. This is one of the problems with alpha males in Romanceland – they just won’t use that money that’s sitting there doing nothing.

Anyway, while Castles had a delightful heroine, the hero turned out to be a headache. Out of the four books in this series, this was my least favorite.

Overall, I had a fun time in the Wayback Machine with Julie Garwood. For the most part, these stories still work and surprisingly don’t show too much of their age. It was a pleasure to read them again.

Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot

Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch

March 18, 2019
Romanceland Plan Alert
 
http://www.suzanneenoch.com/
Even though Suzanne Enoch is one of my auto-buy authors, I must issue an alert for another Romanceland plan. Not only is there a romanceland plan in this book, it’s a dreadful one.

Ms. Enoch has been one of my go-to authors since she was knee-high to a grasshopper – that’s a very long time. As with all authors, no matter how much I love them, every once in while a clinker comes along. As much I as I wish otherwise, It’s Getting Scot in Here didn’t work for me. Why is that? As I mentioned before, it allllll boils down to Francesca’s Romanceland Plan. This plan makes everyone in the story look odious.

Once upon a time, Angus MacTaggert, Earl of Aldriss, and Francesca Oswell meet, fell madly in love, married, and left for his ancestral home in Scotland. It isn’t long before the bloom is off the rose (or whatever that saying is). Soon Francesca and Angus are having marriage problems. He hatesssss London, loves Scotland; she loves London, hatesssss Scotland. Eventually they have four children, Coll, Aden, Niall, and Eloise. When Francesca gives birth to her daughter, the youngest of her children, she decides she cannot take it any longer.  Yes, she’s had enough peace and quiet in the wilds of Scotland – what a horrible place to bring up a daughter. Her daughter will never turn into a refined lady by living among the trees. Oh yes, something very important to the plot line: Francesca controls the money from the Oswell family. It is the Oswell family coffers which are keeping the Aldriss land afloat – I guess.

As I was saying, Francesca’s had enough, she’s mad as heck, and she’s not going to take it anymore.  She makes an agreement with Angus. She will leave her sons behind with Angus and return to London with Eloise. Angus lets her, as long as she continues to pump money into the land. What a great set of parents. Did you notice something? What about the boys? Let me repeat Francesca’s actions again for you. When she agrees to Angus’ demands, she is choosing life in London’s society over her three young sons. Francesca leaves her three young sons behind to be raised by their father in the wilds of Scotland. Coll, who is the eldest, is twelve at the time; the other two are just a few years younger.  What a traumatic experience that must have been for those abandoned boys. What does that say to those boys? It says that their mother loved the social swirl more than she does her own sons. Seventeen long years pass with nary any communication between Francesca and her sons. There is also no contact between Eloise and her father, nor Eloise and her brothers. While Angus is to blame for some of this, Francesca’s choice of society over being with her sons is a betrayal. Francesca is never going to win the mother of the year award. As far as I was concerned, this was a selfish act which would take a lot to be redeemed in my eyes. But wait, there’s more! Someone puleeeese make it stop! Seventeen years have passed, and she’s got a plan! Yes, Francesca has a Romanceland Plan – and, it’s a doozy.

Francesca’s plan. She is going to stop supporting her husband’s ancestral home/farm/estate/village/tenants in Scotland (Aldriss Park) unless her sons come to London and marry English women. One of those women has to be someone she chooses. This plan didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I’m not sure what she was hoping to gain. She doesn’t seem to be aware of just how much her sons have grown to resent her over the years. Not only has she been out of their lives for seventeen years, she abandoned them for something frivolous.  She has ignored them, and never been there when they needed her. Now, not only is she forcing them to separate from their father, she is threatening their livelihood, the place which they love, and the people who depend upon them. Talk about bullying. Her plan was baffling; it didn’t make any sense to me. It was a cruel, heartless plan, and I was disgusted with her. Did she think this plan would create some kind of bond with her sons, that they would learn to love her?  It was all very confusing.

The more I thought about this plan, the less it made any sense. So, what if the sons allllllll married women of their mother’s choosing? Did that mean that once they were married, they would remain in London with their wives? Not likely. Wouldn’t the sons pack their wives off to Scotland? None of her sons liked the city; their lives were in a different country. They would still resent her, and probably the women she selected. They would still live away from her, as would any future grandchildren. Of course, she could always threaten them again. Francesca and her plan made me fume throughout most of this book, and writing this review is making it allllll come back.

Francesca’s chosen bride. Francesca has picked a suitable match for her eldest son Coll: Amelia-Rose Baxter. I thought Amelia-Rose had possibilities in the beginning, she was spirited, and spoke her mind – sometimes. She turned out to be unlikable, and hey, she didn’t like barbarous Scots. But wait! She has a horrible mother too! Her mother wants a title for her daughter and she doesn’t care what has to be done to get it. Her mother has no love for her daughter; she is overbearing, and mentally abusive to her. Amelia-Rose will do almost anything to escape from her mother’s control, even marry a barbarous Scot. You know this book was jam-packed with unpleasant women. But, it’s not just the females who had me grinding my teeth. Let’s talk about the so-called future heroes.

Coll, Aden, and Niall’s plan. Yes, there is another plan in this story. The guys have decided to make things as unpleasant for their mother as they can. That includes a bagpiper and a stuffed giant animal. They plan to be rude, insufferable, and completely obnoxious. They plan on showing their mother just how uncivilized they are. Even though Coll is the son who is picked out for Amelia-Rose, it is Niall who steps in to smooth things over. He is the one who escorts Amelia-Rose to the opera, dances, picnics, etc. And, he is the one who falls in love with her. Why is that? Well because Coll is a big bonehead, intolerable jerk through out most of the book. He disappears at the beginning of the story after he finds out that Amelia-Rose isn’t the shy, reserved woman he will accept as a wife. No, Amelia-Rose insults him almost right away. Evidently the tenants in Scotland don’t mean all that much to Coll, because he leaves Niall to cover for him. Of the three brothers, Niall was the most likeable, but they were all pretty much childish clods. But then, they were being forced to do something by a woman who abandoned them and now was trying to win them back. Here comes my rage again. AAAAaaaarrrgggg.

The more I think about this book the less I like it. While this story was supposed to be a romance, that part of the story was lost among many hateful, unpleasant people. There wasn’t any chemistry between Niall and Amelia-Rose, and I found allllll the parents in this book appalling. Every time I try to talk about the hero and heroine in this story, I become distracted by the “plan.” I am disappointed that this book came from the pen of one of my favorite authors. I’m not sure if the future books in the series will be able to redeem the main characters. I had such a strong reaction to Francesca’s dreadful plan I cannot recommend this story.

Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Hinky-dink without chemistry

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long

March 7, 2019
Another author returns from the dark side.

http://www.julieannelong.com/
After a short absent to the dark side - contemporary romance - Julie Anne Long burst back into the historical landscape with her new series, Palace of Rogues. The first book in the series is Lady Derring Takes a Lover.  I believe, as with the Pennyroyal Green series, Ms. Long is well on her way to creating another absorbing series. I’m excited. I love the way she builds her worlds. This world seems to revolve around a brothel which has been converted to a boardinghouse. Probably some of the buildings close to the boardinghouse, and possibly the tavern beside it will also become part of this series. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series, which will be coming out in October of 2019. Antici-pation!

I will admit when I began reading Lady Derring Takes a Lover I struggled for a few chapters, but I keep reading. Then a strange thing happened. I looked at the clock and discovered it was 3:00am and I was still reading. Loss of sleep made for a most interesting work day. But it was worth it, because somewhere along the way I became immersed in the story of Delilah, Tristan, Angelique, and the rest of the well-rounded characters. There was a lot going on in this story, and while it is categorized as a romance, it is the unique supporting characters who glue the book together.

We begin the book with the newly widowed Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring. She has just found out that she has no money, no home, no furniture, and no food. Oh sure, she still has her maid, Dot, but that’s only because no one else wants Dot. Dot’s a bit of a klutz, but a loyal klutz. Anyway, Delilah is in the middle of berating her husband’s solicitor when another woman barges into the office. Turns out her husband also had a mistress, and the mistress has also been left without funds. Well, needless to say, Delilah is a bit flummoxed. She’s broke, she has a klutzy maid, and her husband had a mistress. But, let’s look at the bright side – there is an old derelict house along the waterfront of London which her husband won in a card game. That house is now alllll hers – free and clear. Even if it’s in a rather seedy section of London. She packs up Dot and heads out to inspect the place. They end up in a run-down tavern beside the shabby house. Guess who else is at the tavern drowning her sorrows? The mistress – Angelique Breedlove. What a day this has turned out to be for Delilah. Delilah approaches Angelique, sits down with her and starts asking questions.

After a few drinks, which give them some courage, Delilah, Angelique, and Dot trudge over and investigate the dusty, empty house. While the women shuffle through the dust, dirt, and spider webs, Delilah’s idealism takes over. A light bulb goes off! She has a brilliant idea! A boarding house for congenial travelers. While not completely sold on the idea to begin with, the other two women are soon drawn into the plan by Delilah’s enthusiasm. They form a partnership. This partnership eventually becomes a friendship. This friendship is one of the extraordinary bits of writing in this book. The chemistry between Delilah and Angelique is pretty amazing. It’s realistically drawn; they form a sisterhood. Yes, yes, a sisterhood! I can hear some of you groaning. But at no time does Ms. Long climb upon her soapbox and beat us over our heads about female friendship. The chemistry between Delilah and Angelique is all about true friendship/sisterhood. Do they have differences of opinion? Yes. Do they argue? Yes. Do they hurt each other? Yes. But they also support, respect, and are there for each other when the time comes. Ms. Long does a great job of writing Delilah's and Angelique's characters.

While Delilah is more idealistic, Angelique is more pragmatic. Delilah is the more innocent of the two. She names the boardinghouse The Grand Palace of the Thames. Unbeknownst to her, at one time the house was a brothel named Palace of the Rogues. But Delilah has dreams. She wants the house to be more than just a boardinghouse. She wants her paying guest to “experience an oasis of comfort and safety.” She dreams of her guests becoming a family of sorts, and associating with each other. Which is why she creates a number of rules and regulations that require they spend four nights together dining and sitting by the fireplace. Everyone must be in at 11pm, and there must be no hanky-panky. She and Angelique start to interview people who wish to stay at their boarding house, and soon they have quite a collection of unique individuals staying at the house.

Unique characters. Frances. Frances doesn’t actually live at the boarding house. She is the owner of the tavern next door. I might be wrong, but because of the way she’s written in this story, I suspect she will show up again in future books. Frances spends her time at her tavern reading. The paying boarders include the mysterious Mr. E, who we never see, but who rents the best suite. There is Mr. Delacorte, a loud, gaseous, medicinal herb salesman. He is also mighty proud of his most popular medicine - ground up horns and testicles. Also, a young Andrew Farrady who mistakes the house for a brothel and requests one of the old brothel’s outstanding positions - the “Vicar’s Hobby.” After Delilah and Angelique correct an embarrassed Mr. Farrady, he stammers out his dilemma. He has run away from home. His parents want him to marry his childhood friend Lucinda and he doesn’t want to.  He eventually seeks refuge in The Grand Palace of the Thames. Later, in a very funny scene, Lucinda Bevin-Clark also shows up. She’s also running away. There is also the strange, shy Gardner sisters – Margaret and Jane. Margaret’s shy and eats a lot. Jane whispers. Helga the cook and Gordon the cat round up this group. Oh, don’t forget the hero, Captain Tristan Hardy.

Yes, there is a hero. He’s a detective/spy/undercover worker for the Prince. He and his lovesick sidekick, Lieutenant Massey, are searching for the murderous Blue Rock gang. One of the things the Blue Rock gang has done is smuggle cigars. They have also murdered a family in the process. Now Tristan has traced those cigars back to Delilah’s husband.  Hardy is a ruthless, cold man. He always gets his man, no matter what. He doesn’t care who gets in his way or what their motivations are. Bottom line for Hardy – the law is the law, no matter what. He has quite a struggle with his beliefs when he starts to fall in love with Delilah. He knows that he is going to end up hurting her. It’s all quite angst-filled.

There is so much in this book. There is a surprise villain, which you may not see coming. There is great dialogue, witty banter, a hero trying to read past the page six of Robinson Crusoe, and some laugh out loud moments. But, it’s not all laughs. There are poignant moments, angst which is conquered moments, and all kinds of friendships formed. There are a hundred delightful little moments entwined among the big moments. There are two bruised women trying to make their own way in a male dominated the world. Oh yes, there is also an exceptional sensual, steamy first kiss – what a doozy.

Did I have any quibbles? Just a few. The beginning was rather dry and I struggled with it. But once the lodgers started to show up I was captivated by this story. There was also an occasional wrong word (editor must have missed) and a couple of times the author repeated herself. But, these didn’t distract me, or lessen my enjoyment of this story. This is a wonderful tale, and I’m hoping the rest of the series brings me as much joy as this one did. Lady Derring Takes a Lover was a real pleasure to read. I just might reread it again - soon. In case you didn’t guess, this is a recommendation.

Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot

Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

February 28, 2019
Another of Sebastian's children.

https://lisakleypas.com/
Once upon a time, Lisa Kleypas wrote only historical romance. Then she turned to the dark side and started penning contemporary romance. When she did that, I was concerned because occasionally it is a sign that an author is bored and they are in the process of losing their magic. In Ms. Kleypas' case, she decided to write both contemporary and historical romances consecutively. That's a mighty hard thing to do, sometimes spreading author's creative juices way tooooo thin. I was worried. As much as I love Ms. Kleypas' writing, I must admit I haven't been all that fond of the Ravenel series. Except for Marrying Mr. Winterborne - which I loved - I have found this series to be a little ho-hum. But, all is not lost! With The Devil's Daughter, the fifth in the series, we are once again on top, or close to it. While not in the same class as Marrying Mr. Winterborne, The Devil in Winter, or Dreaming of You, this is still a good book and one of the better in the Ravenel series. And now on to the book.

We have Lady Phoebe Clare, daughter of Sebastian and Evie from Devil in Winter. We also have West Ravenel, brother of Devon from Cold-Hearted Rake. West is one of the secondary characters from Cold-Hearted Rake who I was fascinated with. He was a scene-stealer. Sometimes those attention grabbing supporting characters can be problematic, especially when they are given their own book. In this case, Ms. Kleypas has been able to maintain the fascination I had with West in the previous book. Of course, the title implies the story isn't about West, but Phoebe - hence the word "Daughter" in the title. This book actually connects two series' together - the Ravenel series and the Wallflower series. The focus of the story is divided equally between West and Phoebe.

When the story begins, Lady Clare is traveling to her brother Gabriel's wedding. She's dreading it. It is her first public appearance since the death of her husband 2 years prior. And, she's not looking forward to it - she's nervous. On top of that she suspects that West Ravenel will be there. Since the bride is a Ravenel, that turns out to be a pretty good guess. She's holding a grudge against West. He is the man who bullied her husband, Henry, when they were young. Henry was a weak, sickly boy, who was easily picked on by bullies. Phoebe and Henry were fast friends, and childhood sweethearts. She was protective of him, always ready to fight his battles for him. Henry told Phoebe about the boy in school who bullied him, West. Phoebe hated that bully-boy. As they grew older, because of his illness, they were hesitant to marry. Eventually they decided to enjoy the time they had. And, they did. Phoebe and Henry's marriage was a calm, quiet, loving partnership which produced two children before Henry's death. Warning - these children, Justin and Stephen turn into scene-stealers. There is also a scene-stealing cat - Galoshes. Some of the more poignant moments in this story are between Justin and Galoshes, so I advise you, have some salted peanuts by your side to counter the sweetness.

We also get to see some of our previous characters: Sebastian, Evie, Devon, Kathleen, Pandora, and Severin - but they are not a distraction from the story. They are what they are supposed to be - supportive.

I loved both West and Phoebe. They are attracted to each other almost immediately; even though Phoebe puts up a good fight, she just cannot resist him. They were well-developed characters. Neither of them were perfect; they made mistakes, and they acknowledged those mistakes. West had the most angst to overcome. To me his problem boiled down to his not liking himself. He felt he had a past that could not be conquered. Even though I could understand how horrible his childhood was, I did grow a little tired of his I'm-not-worthy routine. But eventually, I was compensated by some wonderful groveling dialogue from him.

I also had a slight issue with Phoebe. Phoebe grew up surrounded by strong, opinionated, assertive people. Her parents would never put up with fools, and in most cases Phoebe was made of the same stock. So, it puzzled me as to why she would put up with a whiney mother-in-law and Henry's weasel of a cousin for so long. She could put West in his place, but she had trouble telling Henry's family where to get off. Although, for the most part Phoebe was a delightful character. Speaking of Henry's family - what happened to his irritating mother? One moment she's whining and complaining. The next moment she's off to Italy and just sort of vanishes from the pages. I guess on her way to Italy she stopped at the Island of Disappearing characters. 
 
This story is peppered with great dialogue and wonderful chemistry between allllll of the characters. The children and Phoebe are a wonderful family group. Phoebe and her father Sebastian are a great father/daughter team. West's interaction with Phoebe's sons was delightful. Justin and Galoshes were charming.

Two memorable scenes. Spoilers - sort of. Watch for two wonderfully written scenes in this book, one poignant and one amusing. A smile came to my face when West shipped off the cat, Goulashes, to Phoebe after Phoebe had told her son he couldn't keep the cat. He sent a job application with it. "I hereby offer my services as an experienced mouser and personal companion. References from a reputable family to be provided upon request. Will accept room and board in lieu of pay. Indoor lodgings preferred. Your servant, Galoshes the Cat." The other wonderful moment involved a book West purloined from Henry when they were in school together. The book had been given to Henry by Phoebe and it had XOXO's throughout it. West's reason for never giving this book back to Henry is so touching you will find yourself falling under West's spell. What a great piece of writing the book scene was - so keep your eyes out for it.

Overall, this was a very satisfying read. For those of you who are following the series, this is a must read. For those of you who have never read Kleypas - what are you waiting on? And, by the way - where was the epilogue? I thought the ending was rather abrupt, I could have used just a few more pages of something, anything which felt like an ending. Even with the few qualms I had, I do highly recommend Devil's Daughter.

Time/Place: England 1877 
Sensuality: Hot

Holy Jelly Beans!! Upcoming Historical Romances!!!! March 15 to April 14, 2019!!

February 26, 2019
Authors with an asterisk*, I'm picking up! For more Upcoming Releases that aren't historical see HEY DELIA!! March 15, 2019 to April 14, 2019. By the way, it is not my fault if a publisher changes the release dates - just so you know, they do not consult me.
**Book by an author who is either new to me or has fallen off of my list

 Historical Romance

	Amy Jarecki http://www.amyjarecki.com The Dukes Untamed Desire Devilish Dukes series April 2
	Anabelle Bryant http://www.anabellebryant.com/ London's Best Kept Secret Midnight Secrets series March 26
	Cat Sebastian https://catsebastian.com/ A Duke in Disguise Regency Imposters April 9
	Catherine Tinley http://www.catherinetinley.com The Earl’s Runaway Governess Paperback - March 19, Ebook - April 1
	Eliza Knight http://www.elizaknight.com The Highlander’s Secret Vow Sutherland Legacy March 26
	Eliza Redgold http://elizaredgold.com/ The Scandalous Suffragette Paperback - March 19, Ebook - April 1
	Grace Burrowes http://www.graceburrowes.com/ When a Duchess Says I Do Rogues to Riches April 2
	Greta Gilbert https://harlequinblog.com/2018/03/author-backstory-greta-gilbert/ Seduced by Her Rebel Warrior Paperback - March 19, Ebook - April 1
	Jane Ashford http://www.janeashford.com A Lord Apart The Way to a Lord's Heart March 26
	Janice Preston http://www.janicepreston.co.uk His Convenient Highland Wedding The Lochmore Legacy Paperback - March 19, Ebook - April 1
	Karen Ranney* ttp://karenranney.com To Wed an Heiress All for Love series March 26
	Lara Temple https://www.laratemple.com Unlaced by the Highland Duke The Lochmore Legacy Paperback - March 19, Ebook - April 1
	Louise Allen* http://www.louiseallenregency.co.uk Least Likely to Marry a Duke Paperback - March 19, Ebook - April 1
	Marguerite Kaye* http://www.margueritekaye.com The Earls Countess of Convenience Penniless Brides of Convenience Paperback - March 19, Ebook - April 1
	May McGoldrick http://www.MayMcGoldrick.com Highland Crown Royal Highlander March 26
	Michele Sinclair http://www.michelesinclair.com/ How to Marry a Highlander The McTiernays series March 26
	Rosanne Bittner http://www.rosannebittner.com Logan’s Lady March 26
	Sophie Barnes** http://www.sophiebarnes.com The Infamous Duchess Diamonds in the Rough series March 16
	Virginia Heath* http://www.virginiaheathromance.com The Disgraceful Lord Gray The King’s Elite series March 21

Historical Fiction

	Chanel Cleeton http://www.chanelcleeton.com When We Left April 9
	Dave Patterson PattersonWriter Soon the Light will be Perfect April 9
	Kelly Rimmer http://www.kellyrimmer.com The Things We Cannot Say March 19
	Martha Hall Kelly http://www.marthahallkelly.com Lost Roses Caroline Ferriday series April 9
	Mary Monroe http://www.marymonroe.org Over the Fence Neighbors series March 26
	Robert Fabbri http://robertfabbri.com/ Emperor of Rome Vespasian series April 3
	Steven Rowley http://www.stevenrowley.com/ The Editor April 9
	Susan Meissner http://susanlmeissner.com/ The Last Year of the War March 19
	Wilbur Smith http://www.wilbursmithbooks.com/ King of Kings Courtneys and Ballantynes series April 2

A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy

February 15, 2019
We got us a winner.

https://www.miavincy.com/
Yippee! At last, a winner. A debut author who has done some mighty fine writing, and in the process has made me smile. I am a happy camper – and, you can be toooooo!. At the time of

this writing, this book is only available through Amazon. Puleese don’t let that stop you from somehow getting this book. I purchased a paper copy. OMG, a paper copy! I almost forgot how to turn pages. Beware, you are about to enter into Gush territory. It’s been a while since I’ve been this enthused about a writer.

I didn’t want this book to end. Our hero is Joshua Dewitt, and he’s happy as he is. He’s also married to our heroine Cassandra, but they haven’t seen each other since their wedding night two years ago. And, that wasn’t all that memorable. But, he’s a happy camper anyway, ‘cause his wife isn’t around. Just so you know, this is a marriage of convenience story, or in this case inconvenience. Anyway, Joshua aka Grumpy Gus, usually spends his time in Liverpool taking care of business and Cassandra spends her time in Warwickshire taking care of her sisters – never the twain shall meet. Or at least that’s what Cassandra thinks when she comes up with a plan – yes, a Romanceland plan. Her sister, Lucy is rather spoiled or something and she throws a fit. She’s tired of hiding out in the country, she wants to have a season, or at least that’s what she says. Cassandra, who always wants everyone to have what they want, decides it’s time to go to London to see her grandmother. She just knows that down deep her grandmother will give Lucy a season. Even though her grandmother has ignored her, she knows she will be pleased as punch to sponsor Lucy. Cassandra also knows she can stay at her husband’s house because he’s never in London.  And, in true Romanceland fashion, they of course run into each other almost right away. They do not recognize each other in what turns out to be a very humorous first encounter. And with this initial encounter it is quite a delightful ride to the end.

Both Cassandra and Joshua are very complex characters. They both have problems, with bits of angst spewed here and there. But they also have some great chemistry, some of the best I’ve read in a long time. Their encounters are chock full of witty dialogue and I was amazed at some of the outstanding writing coming from the pen of a debut author. Were there some anachronisms? Of course, there were; however, as I’ve said in the past, when I become invested with characters and story I don’t really try to find problems. I just sit back and enjoy.

Did I like all the secondary characters? Well, I’m not sure I cared for Cassandra’s sisters, but we will see where the author takes them – if she does. I did enjoy Joshua’s friend Arabella and the Marquess – and, they have their own story. By the way the stories will not be published in chronological order.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. The characters were complicated, funny, well developed, and just way too delightful for words. A Wicked Kind of Husband was full of rich texture. This is a must read for anyone who loves romance stories. Yes, my little Petunia’s, I have great hopes that we have found another wonderful romance writer in Mia Vincy. This book is to be savored.

Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Hot