Three Little Secrets

 

Title: Three Little Secrets
Author: Liz Carlyle
Series: None
Genre: Historical Romance

I love when romance novels are slightly different.  When there is something about the story that takes it out of the norm.  In this case, the main couple had been irrationally married at Gretna Green when they were young.  Due to a misunderstanding, Maddie thought her father had paid of Merrick and that their marriage had been annulled, while Merrick believed that Maddie had run away from him and didn't want to be married to him anymore.

Both have lived a lot in the pats 12/13 years since that happened.  But when they see each other again, they have the same reactions to each other.  It's as if neither one of them has gotten over the other.  But since they both believe that the other had betrayed them, it's a long road to getting back to together.

I haven't read a straight romance novel in a while and I forgot 2 things.  One, how much of a simple pleasure they are.  Easy reads that make me feel happy and doe-eyed.  The second thing is how predictable they are and overall not that entertaining.  I guess going from A Game of Thrones to a "trashy" romance novel wasn't the best choice.

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron

Title: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: Highland Pleasures (Book 3)
Genre: Historical Romance



Lord Cameron, a Mackenzie, never wants to get married again. His late wife, Elizabeth, was abusive towards him and his son. He's never really emotionally healed from that and now sleeps with married women of the ton.

Ainsley Douglas, the queen's confidant, has been sent on an errand to retrieve some stolen love letters of the queen. She is caught by Cameron rooting around in his bedroom looking for the letters.

It seems at first that Cameron wants to make Ainsley his mistress and she hems and haws about it, not wanting to embarrass her family. Although she knows that she loves him and would like to be pampered and taken care of. She finally puts her worry for her family aside and agrees to go away with him. He surprises her, instead, by taking her to get married. But the happily ever after doesn't happen then. Ainsley has to help him to work through his emotional scars left by his wife.

Again, Jennifer Ashley put something a little different into her story. The MacKenzie family is a strange breed and I feel like each sibling's story has something not 100% traditional about it. How often do you get an abused man in a romance novel? She also wins for longest book names.

I fell for Cameron right away, although was irritated by Ainsley's name. I had a hard time remembering she was the main female character, because I find Ainsley to be a boy's name. I kept thinking - who is this guy?

Overall, I felt there could have been a little more conflict to the story - they came together too easily. But otherwise it was another original read.

The Duke's Perfect Wife (Hart's Story) is up next, due out April 2012

A Night to Surrender

Title: A Night to Surrender
Author: Tessa Dare
Series: Spindle Cove (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance


Spindle Cove is Susanna Finch and many other ladies oasis. It is a small seaside town that has few men and what men there are aren't much bother. The ladies who go to Spindle Cove are those that just don't fit in the rest of society. They may be spinsters, "ill" or simply not get along with their husband. It is a perfect retreat where their days are filled with activities and womanly fun.

Then Victor Bramwell, a hurt soldier who only wants to return to the battlefield, arrives to speak with Susanna's father and everything is set on it's head. The women are forced to be around men again - and that includes Susanna. Susanna and Bram are drawn to each other and don't let much get in their way.

The character of Susanna was such a strong character, yet seemed to totally change once Bram was on the scene, I felt much in the same with Bram. It's like the author created 2 characters initially then completely changed to different ones. I understand that a character might develop within a relationship, but in this story did not feel that was the case.

I felt that the book wasn't fantastic, yet it wasn't horrible. Another luke warm story that is too predictable. I know most romance stories come together in a predictable way, but sometimes it's just too much. I'm going to continue to read the series to see what happens anyway.

The Traveller

Title: The Traveller (Anthology: A Knights Vow)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 4)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance

Julianna is having a rough time in life. She's unemployed, broke, boyfriendless and trying to eat right - carob covered carrots?! She decides on a whim to write her friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth sends her a copy of Jamie's time traveling map and tells her to watch where she goes. Julianna is a bit cocky and goes to sit on The Bench that Elizabeth herself sat on (A Dance Through Time). She is transported back in time where she meets William.

William is the second son of an unsuccessful second son. He doesn't have much, but is given a keep as inheritance. His father steals the keep for himself and William is trying to get it back when he finds Julianna. In the end he trades his father the keep for Julianna and they go to the future.

Another 100 page quickie in an anthology. I adore when William comes to the future. It's another light hearted with characters that I don't recall seeing come up again yet. William is a de Piaget - I just realized this and wonder why it is in the MacLeods' grouping on the website but not the de Piaget. Hmm.

And the Groom Wore Tulle

Title: And the Groom Wore Tulle (Anthology: Veils of Time)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 3)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance

At some point in the series we have previously learned that Ian MacLeod is wasting away in a dungeon. Eventually, his captors believe that he is dead, so they remove him from the dungeon and throw him into the forest on his own land to make his people angry. Fortunately for Ian, instead of waking up in his own time, he wakes up in a Bridal Shop in the 20th century.

Jane is getting walked on at her job at the Bridal Shop. She never imagined she'd be designing gowns and letting someone else take the credit for it. She's working another long holiday weekend (alone) when she finds Ian in the backroom.

Immediately, Jane takes Ian in, buys him clothes, feeds him, and gets on a plan with him to Scotland to find Jamie (A Dance Through Time) They find/meet Jamie and bam! Decide to get married.

Because this is in an anthology and somewhere around 100 pages, there is little development between the main characters. Aside from that, and the fast pace, it was a decent and quick read that gets Ian married off.

A Dance Through Time

Title: A Dance Through Time
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 1)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance



Elizabeth is engaged to a "wimp" of a man who has readily admitted that he never actually wants to get married. She is fed up with her small NYC apartment and has just dreamed about her dream guy. When she awakens, she finds that she can still hear his voice and thinks she's going a bit crazy. She decides to take a walk and then take a nap on a bench in the park. Surprisingly, when she wakes up, she has found her self in 14th century Scotland.

Jamie MacLeod is the laird of the keep. One of his rules, passed down from his father, is no women in the keep. When his trusted adviser, Angus brings a woman home, Jamie is none to pleased. She is kept briefly in his chamber before he decides to throw her into the dungeon/pit.

Eventually Jamie has a turn of heart and lets her out. The two struggle to find a comfortable relationship, with Jamie being hard headed and at times rude and Elizabeth wishing for some romance, but with a spine of steal. The two come to the time when Jamie should have died, but lived because Elizabeth is in his time. The two then decide to jump forward to Elizabeth's time.

After reading this book, I really wish I would have read them in order. There were little things that I remembered from books further in the series that connected with this one. Such as the Inn/Innkeeper where Madelyn (Garden in the Rain) stays at is the same place Elizabeth and Jamie stay when they come to the future.

One thing I did struggle with, is I felt the Jamie of this book was nothing like the Jamie of the books later in the series. Maybe his being with Elizabeth has mellowed him 0ut and that's why he's slightly different in my opinion.

I find it interesting that usually I love the first book of a series the best. I always wondered if it had something to do with the author writing the book first or because I read it first. Although I did enjoy A Dance Through Time, I feel like I enjoyed some of the later novels more. This also could have something to do with the fact that there are more familiar characters later on, where in this book there are very few.

I do admit that this book had me both laughing aloud as well as crying (while waiting for a orthodontist appointment ...how embarrassing) It still was of the PG-13 nature that I now know the author is known for, although it is a little more intense sexually then her later books, which she has addressed on her website.

When I Fall in Love

Title: When I Fall in Love
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 10) / De Piaget (Book 4)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance



Jennifer (MacLeod) McKinnon isn't really happy with where her life is. She's living in Manhattan, an amazing and on the up violin player. But, her apartment was broken into (again), stuff was stolen (again) and she has no love interest. She visits her sister in England and decides to do a little sightseeing while in the area. Thanks to a few family ghosts, she is thrust through a time gate into the 1300s where she meets Nicholas De Piaget.

Nicholas is rumored (in modern day through family folklore) to be the most perfect and chivalrous knight. He automatically knows that Jennifer is from the future because his brother-in-law is as well. He falls for her almost immediately and is somewhat rude to her because he doesn't want to fall for her and then have her leave.

After Jennifer tries 3 gates and none of them work, she realizes that she may be stuck in the past. Nicholas hasn't let her know that he knows her secret, nor has she told him. The two decide to spend 2 weeks together without worrying about the future and fall in love.

This book belongs to both series, because it is a crossover between the two families and it's not the only one. I am loving the author more and more. I feel like in many novels, you get to the ending and feel like you wish there was just a little more to see what happens. I feel like the author gives that to me. Usually I think the novel would traditionally be over, but there are another 2 or 3 chapters where we still get to follow them.

I love the little Time Travel complexities such as Jennifer's family seeing her name in the past in the current family history books. I was also a fan that the time gates seem to be such a revolving door that they can go back and forth to visit and such. Amazing.

Up next is one book I get to actually read in order - MacLeod series book 11!

My Hero

Title: My Hero
Author: Glynnis Campbell
Series: Knights of de Ware (Book 3)
Genre: Historical Romance



Garth de Ware has immersed himself in the monastery. He is scarred from the one woman who he let himself believe that he loved. She laughed at him and told him he can never satisfy her, that he's half a man. Ever since then he believes that he indeed is not good enough for any woman and throws himself into his studies.

Lady Cynthia has recently lost her elder husband of 2 years. While there was affection between the two of them, it was not a love match. When her husband dies, he bids her to marry again and this time for love. Cynthia has no intentions of doing so.

When Cynthia's husband dies, she sends away the Abbott, from whom she got the feeling that he disliked her. Garth comes to fill his spot and Cynthia recognizes him from when they were younger. She remembers the wonderful, gentle and full of life little boy that he use to be and vows to help him remember some of that part of life.

The two are immediately drawn to each other and while Garth tries his best to keep the distance between himself and Cynthia, she is quite determined to keep it otherwise.

A fitting end to the trilogy. I enjoyed the last few chapters when all of the brothers came together with their wives (and wife to be).

My Champion

Title: My Champion
Author: Glynnis Campbell
Series: Knights of de Ware (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance



Linet de Montfort likes to think of herself as of noble blood and a lady. She would have been, except her father fell from his family's grace when he married a commoner and had Linet. When Linet's father was disinherited, her mother left him right after Linet was born. Because of these circumstances, it was drilled into Linet by her father never to trust nor fall in love with a commoner. She made him a promise on his deathbed.

Duncan de Ware, wants Linet from the moment he sees her standing up to a Spanish Captain to take goods to pay for what was stolen from her. Linet picks the most nasty of all Captains, so Duncan decides he must be her knight and keep her safe. He portrays himself as a humble gypsy, which with Linet's distaste for commoners, just rubs her the wrong way.

The two go on quite an adventure across the seas and into another country, with Duncan constantly providing and saving Linet's life, while she betrays him at every turn.

I found this book hiding in the back of my closet from high school. I couldn't remember what the story was about, so decided to give it a go. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised by the gem I unearthened. The story is full of action and twists around every corner. I couldn't put it down. This really helped me in the tail end of my slump and I'm grateful I found the 2 other books in the trilogy with it!

Pleasure for Pleasure

Title: Pleasure for Pleasure
Author: Eloisa James
Series: Essex Sisters (Book 4)
Genre: Historical Romance


Josie has been nicknamed the "Scottish Sausage" by a mean boy of the ton. Her season seems like it is going to be over before it had totally started. Josie knows that no man will want her because she is too heavy.

The Earl of Mayne (jilted one sister, refused to have an affair with another), who is now engaged, decides one evening to show Josie how to walk like a woman and really embrace her curves. He encourages her to get new dresses without crazy slimming contraptions and tries to show her she is beautiful just the way she is.

When Josie gets manhandled by an irate member of the ton, Mayne knows that it is his duty to marry her. Josie is concerned at first, because she wasn't ruined merely scared. She thinks that Mayne will want to get the marriage annulled when he finds out. Luckily that is not the case.

What happens to Mayne's fiance? She gets angry at him for making advances (which we find out why at the end of the book in a very discrete manner) gives him his ring back and it seems that he all of a sudden no longer loves her and realizes his love for Josie.

I seemed to have the biggest issue with Josie herself. Because she was so young when the series started, I had a hard time seeing her as old enough to be going through this. It didn't bother me that Mayne was 16 years older than her. I often has this problem when we watch a character grow up. They don't grow up in my eyes and the book takes on a slightly odd feel to it.

When Beauty Tamed the Beast

Title: When Beauty Tamed the Beast
Author: Eloisa James
Series: Eloisa's Fairy Tales
Genre: Fairy Tale, Romance



Linnet has been flirting with the prince. This combined with a poor wardrobe choice, and the everyone thinks she's pregnant. She is no longer getting any suitors and is ruined, without actually being ruined. Her aunt and father concoct a plan in which they arrange a marriage for her with a man who cannot have children, that way everyone is happy.

Piers is a cranky, limping, doctor, who doesn't want a wife. He hates his father and when he brings a wife for Piers, Piers doesn't want her.

The dialogue between Linnet and Piers was fantastic. They went back and forth with each other and they had me laughing at times. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and what finally brought them together in the end had me in tears.

Although this is part of the Fairy Tales series, it is not connected to A Kiss at Midnight. This is only the second story of Eloisa James I have read, but I have enjoyed both of them highly.

A Kiss at Midnight

Title: A Kiss at Midnight
Author: Eloisa James
Series: Eloisa's Fairy Tales
Genre: Fairy Tale, Romance



Kate is our Cinderella, her father died when she was a young age, leaving all the money to her Step-Mother, who then forced Kate to move to the attic and work as essentially another servant. A pleasant change of pace is her stepsister, Victoria, who isn't evil at all but a wonderfully loving and nice sister.

Kate has to pretend to be Victoria at a Prince's ball due to a dog bite on Victoria's lip. Kate gets to wear Victoria's nice clothing, be pampered and pretend to be engaged to Victoria's fiance. Victoria and her fiance need the blessing of his relative, the prince.

Gabriel, "Prince Charming," is betrothed to a Russian heiress. He needs the money to save his failing castle and keep it's inhabitants comfortable and fed. Gabriel discovers that Kate isn't Victoria and starts to fall for her.

I adored this little twist on Cinderella. The twisted family trees, and somewhat more realistic characters. I'm a little skeptical that not even the people who knew Victoria could tell that it wasn't her, but for the sake of the story, I could pretend.

Kate was very down to earth and I enjoyed her as a heroine. She told it just like it was, with often pointing out what parts of certain characters were more fake then others.

Gabriel made a fantastic prince. He put aside his own wishes so that he could keep his family and subjects safe and cared for. I'm glad in the end he got what he really wanted.

The Immortal Highlander

Title: The Immortal Highlander
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Highlander (Book 6)
Genre: Historical Romance, Time Travel



Adam Black is a fae that we've met in many of the previous stories in this series. He tends to play the bad guy, but every so often seems to surprise us with an act full of compassion. I was highly worried that I wouldn't like his story because of what a "bad" guy he was portrayed to be. Boy was I pleasantly surprised.

He has meddled in the lives of humans once too often and royally irritated his Queen. She strips him of most of his powers, rendering him human and places a curse on him so he cannot be seen by humans. This leaves him to live a solitary life, with no interaction but a lot of luxuries.

Gabrielle is a Sidhe Seer, she can see the Fae. It is a burden and she must pretend that she cannot see them. There would be dire circumstances, including death, if the fae realized she could see him. She happens to stumble upon Adam and can't help but stare because he is so beautiful. When he realizes that she can indeed see him, he decides that she is going to help him get to his Queen so she can reverse his punishment.

I really fell for Adam and his treatment of Gabrielle. He treated her like a princess, giving her only the best. I love how protective of her he became. The ending and his ultimate sacrifice just blew me away. I admit - I got a little misty eyed.