Mass Market Paperback, 382 pages

Published August 1st 2010 

by Grand Central Publishing

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Series: Maiden Lane, #1
My Rating: ❀❀❀❀
Genre: Historical Romance

A man controlled by his desires...

Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand— she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk.

A woman haunted by her past...

Caire makes a simple offer—in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control—one that may well destroy them both.

A bargain neither could refuse.

First of all, I have to say--that's a blurb! Talk about sucking me in. I have been intending to start this series forever. Of course, like soo many, I hadn't gotten around to it. But, I must say, I'm anxious to continue this series. I think the huge thing for me was the setting. Set in the slummier parts of London, this is a story that follows the life of a simple woman who isn't a noblewoman. Who has little in the way of money. Who is, really, a commoner. Now, I'm used to regency novels where this is hardly ever the case. The dark setting, mysterious hero, the plot involving murders all took me by surprise and yet, I was drawn in and loved every second of it. 

Our hero is a deviant of sorts. He's a lord, but not exactly well looked on by his peers. And his appearance gave me the impression this man was dangerous. As did some other allusions that proved to be some rather depraved and scandalous for the day, which Temperance rather enjoys...But I'll let you lovely readers muse on this while I go on to say that I loved Lazarus. He was wicked, but he was good too, and he wanted to set those murders right. I was intrigued that he was willing to tolerate Temperance's touching him when touch caused him pain, but it was one of the many ways in which he proved he wasn't as wicked as his reputation might hint.

Book Two

Temperance was an interesting character too. Brave, determined, smart, she hardly struck me as someone from the working classes. She worked hard, had a passion and determination that made me cheer and was in no way dejected or hopeless. She was a prude though. No question about that. But then, suddenly, Ms. Hoyt unpeeled a layer to Temperance that again shows us that people are not always who they appear. And that's why I loved this couple together. They are both so much more than appearances.

I also quite enjoyed that this story wasn't merely about Temperance and Lazarus. It was also about family, and what you are willing to do for your family. I am intrigued by Silence, and what her story might be now that she's been cast out by her husband. So far, her story has been heartbreaking.

Suspenseful, wickedly delicious reading with a cast of characters I'm dying to read more about, I cannot wait to continue this series.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published November 4th 2014 

by Harlequin 

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My Rating: ❀❀❀❀
Genre: Contemporary Romance



Scott Walker doesn't have time for a relationship. The sexy mechanic has career ambitions, not to mention a mother and three sisters to take care of. The last thing he needs is Carrie Jameson, the beauty he never forgot, arriving in Templeton Cove over the holidays with some unexpected news. 

Scott still finds Carrie irresistible, and he's not one to shirk responsibility. Scott's issues with his own dad make the prospect of parenthood a minefield. But if he and Carrie can overcome their fears, this Christmas could bring them the best gift of all.

I enjoy reading holiday themed romances around the holidays. Knowing Ms. Brimble to be  a great storyteller, this was an easy pick. I can't say I was disappointed. The characterization was excellent and I really connected to Scott and the burdens he carried. 

Carrie has decided to tell Scott he's a daddy a couple years after her baby is born. She wants to clear her conscience and convince herself that there really is nothing between her and Scott. But, Carrie isn't expecting things to go any other way than her plan, and she certainly wasn't expecting to have her fears confirmed: that she has been in love with Scott for years. To her surprise, Scott isn't merely a one night stand kinda of guy--he is a family man, and is serious about being involved in his daughter's life. And being involved with Carrie, in every sense of the word.

This throws Carrie. She's a woman who is used to being in control, and I thought it rather funny that Scott throws her perceptions and expectations about how things would go once she revealed the truth, on its head. Every time she told herself she needed to get back control of the situation, I laughed. As if anyone has control over life. But she was a sweet character, strong and so dedicated to doing what was right for her daughter that I really loved her. I loved the way she stands up to Scott. I loved the way she takes a chance on him. 

This holiday romance brought a smile to my face. Set in a cute little town, filled with a rounded out cast of supporting characters who jump off the page, and some hot kisses, this is a read that gave me that feel good cheer and made for happy reading.

I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of the novel, in exchange for an honest review.

Paperback, 448 pages

Published October 23rd 2012 

by Harlequin MIRA 

(first published January 1st 2012)

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Series: Whiskey Creek, #2
My Rating: ❀❀❀❀❀
Genre: Contemporary Romance


After growing up in cheap motels, moving from town to town with her sister and mother, Cheyenne Christensen is grateful to be on her own. She's grateful, too, for the friends she found once her family settled in California. But she's troubled by the mystery of her earliest memories, most of which feature a smiling blonde woman. A woman who isn't her mother.

Although Cheyenne has repeatedly asked for explanations, the people who could help aren't talking. Cheyenne is set on finding answers, but without so much as a birth certificate, it won't be easy.

Things get even more complicated when her closest friend is attracted to the man Cheyenne has secretly loved for years. For Eve's sake, she decides to step aside — which lands her right in the arms of Dylan Amos, oldest and baddest of the hell-raising Amos brothers. He's the kind of guy she's sworn to avoid. She can't afford to make a mistake, not when she finally has a chance to learn who she really is and change her life for the better. But . . . maybe there's more to Dylan than she thought. Maybe letting him go would be a bigger mistake. 

I'm just going to come out and say, I loved this book. I think it was because it left me wanting. Not that I felt it was incomplete, but because there was still so much I wanted to know about the characters. Initially I was confused when it seemed that the author was setting up Cheyenne with a love interest that was not named in the blurb, but later I saw how much better off she was with Dylan. Because Dylan wasn't a dream she was in love with, he was a real person who loved her far more deeply than Chey's dream man ever could. 

I loved that Chey was a mixed up character. It was darn frustrating at times, because she was so hot and cold with Dylan, but it really highlighted how much her childhood had hurt her. And it opened up a layer of emotion with her sister that was really beautiful and meaningful--I can't wait to read Presley's story. 

What really resonated with me was how much Chey came into her own in this book. It was really hard for her to live life authentically because she was always living a life of shame--she was the good girl in her family, and her mother and sister were the shame she had to carry around in small town Whiskey Creek. That made her more responsible, more kind, it earned her respect and friendship, but I found that she also was living a life where her choices were largely made because she had to keep up that respectability she'd earned for herself. Dylan was a blight on that since he was a bad boy, or at least from the wrong side of the tracks. Tracks that Chey lived among, but didn't belong to. These dividing lines were very interesting since Dylan wasn't all that much of a bad boy. I think that's why I thought they fit together--Chey was the good girl, but she had lived a life that wasn't all roses and sunshine just like Dylan. Dylan had the bad boy rep still, but he had cleaned up big time, and no one had noticed. By being with Dylan, letting herself become drawn into his world bit by bit, even when she did doubt the wisdom of this, Chey was letting go of being the good girl, and beginning to live authentically, and I really liked that because it takes true courage to do that, especially for someone like Chey who sought for approval all of her life. 

I loved this book, pure and simple. 

Paperback, 384 pages

Published June 24th 2014 by Avon

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Series: Scottish Highlanders, #2
My Rating: ❀❀❀❀
Genre: Historical Romance

Highlander Campbell Sinclair is no stranger to battle, so when he sees a lad attacked by bandits, he jumps into the fray. He didn't count on being stabbed. Grateful to the boy for nursing him back to health, Cam offers to accompany Jo safely to his destination. But when he accidentally comes across the lad bathing in the river, Cam discovers that Jo is actually Joan...with the most sinful of curves.

Joan promised her mother that she would deliver a scroll to the clan MacKay. But traveling alone is dangerous, even disguised as a boy. When a Scottish warrior lends his aid, she is more than relieved...until he surprises her with lingering kisses and caresses that prove her disguise hasn't fooled him. As their passion ignites, will the secrets of the scroll force a wedding...and lead to a love she's never known?

I quite enjoyed this novel. Lynsay Sands really knows how to write a great historical. They're romantic, full of passion, with well developed characters and the plots are always engaging and fun. I read this almost immediately after reading the first in the series, which I adored, and I found this was one hell of a fun read. Not as funny as the first novel, but still sharp and it pulled at my heart strings.

Inside cover.
I love the inside covers of romances!

I loved how Cam and Joan could not keep their hands off each other. It was entertaining and it was artfully done so that their encounters built true intimacy between them. So it was an easy marriage in a way--they both loved one another, so even though it was a forced marriage, it really was an easy marriage too. But nothing is ever really easy in romance, and the happily ever after has to be earned, so there are of course obstacles for this couple to overcome. One being something of a misunderstanding and lack of communication between our hero and heroine--but that's always the way. The other is something far more sinister.

This novel has a great cast of supporting characters, some of who I hope to see again and some that I'm glad I'll never see again *grin* It was also nice to see Ross and Annabel again, and they shone marvelously. I love it when authors can bring back characters from a previous novel in the series in a meaningful way. I am sure to continue this series and will be reading more from this author in the future.

So, it's December and I'm finally getting back to blogging. I hope. So why have I been so quiet? Basically, I've run out of steam. I have been so busy of late, and soooo sick, that I just had no energy to boot up my laptop. So, if I couldn't do it from my phone, it wasn't getting done.

Why so busy? Well, being sick sucks, and working while sick sucks bigger. But it sucks biggest when you're sick, working and enduring pain from an injury.

Picture is not my own work

 And trying to treat that in my off hours. But, that's life right? Sadly, it caused me to fall behind on other things. Cleaning. Friends. Blogging. Not the reading, because there's always time for that. And let's face it, when you feel like doing nothing, reading is a far more entertaining substitute.

But, my injury is getting better. FINALLY. And while I might be sick from now till spring, that at least I can handle. Even if colds are a nasty pain in the you know what.

So, essentially that's the scoop. I have lots of books I need to blog...but I'm not sure when that's happening. I'm going to try and make that ASAP, I promise!!! I've read some really good books that I'm dying to share with you. So stay tuned everyone!

Happy Reading 

Jewels