REVIEW: Consumed

Title: Consumed
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Dark Protectors
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Kensington
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: Review Copy Cleanup
Links: Goodreads

Summary:
(from Goodreads)

Katie Smith is the best of her class, part of an elite hunting force trained to eliminate werewolves from the hills of Western Virginia. She's good at it because she has the kind of focus and drive that won't back down no matter how steep the odds. Call it southern sass. Whatever it is, there's no denying her willingness to risk everything for the only man she's ever cared about--a man on the verge of losing his very humanity. . .

Sometimes You Mate To Stay Alive

For the past ten years Jordan Pride has dedicated his life to protecting his people from a deadly shifter virus. But in a rare moment of distraction, Jordan's guard drops just long enough for his fate to take an irreversible twist. Unless the woman he loves surrenders everything to him, again and again, under a full moon rising. . .

Review:
Consumed is the fourth book in Rebecca Zanetti's Dark Protectors series, but the first one I've read.  You don't need to read the previous books to understand what's going on in this one, but I would still recommend it, to learn the background of some of the side characters in this one.  I also think it'll help give some context, such as the ongoing war and the virus the Kurjans have created.  But this book is still enjoyable without reading the previous ones.

This book is about Katie and Jordan, both mountain lion shifters.  Jordan had saved Katie when she was 4 years old and Katie has loved him ever since.  He's been her protector her whole life, but she left home after being infected with the virus and has been away for 10 years.  She's grown up now and Jordan is seeing the woman she is.  He's been fighting his attraction to her, and is trying even harder now that he's been infected too.  But Katie isn't having any of that.

I really like that Katie is a strong female character.  She's not just sitting on her butt pining after Jordan.  Instead, she's doing something by hunting werewolves.  Also, after learning Jordan has been infected, she fights harder to be with him and save him, as he tries to push her away.  I also like how Jordan is an Alpha, but not one of those no-means-yes type of Alpha.  He's sexy and strong, but still sweet.  Though there weren't many overly romantic scenes, I did feel a bond between them and their mating was hot!

The pacing of the story was a bit slow, especially at the beginning.  But it interested me enough to keep me reading, and it eventually did pick up.  There are several twists, one especially that I didn't see coming at all.  By the end, I was left with several questions still...but I guess that's the point!  It's ensured that I'll read the rest of the series, haha.  I definitely want to know what's going on between Kalin, Janie, and Zane.  I also hope there's a book for Maggie and Terrent!

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REVIEW: Royal Weddings, an anthology

Title: Royal Weddings
Author: Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley, Loretta Chase
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Format: e-book
# of pages: 77
Source: bought from Amazon
Links: goodreads

Summary:
(from goodreads)

You are cordially invited
To help celebrate the Royal Wedding of
Prince William to Catherine Middleton
As we present a 77 page original anthology
Written by three utterly wonderful authors!

Stephanie Laurens' The Wedding Planner: Lady Margaret is proud plan the ton's most important nuptuals—including that of a prince. But it's Lady Margaret who falls in love . . . with dashing Gaston Devilliers!

Gaelen Foley's Ever After: How scandalous! Eleanor Monford, Countess of Archer, is in love with her own husband. And as Princess Charlotte of England weds Prince Leopold, Eleanor's "secret" is about to come out.

Loretta Chase's The Jilting of Lord Rothwick: On the eve of Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert, the Marquess of Rothwick learns his fiancée, Barbara Findley, has broken their engagement! So he desperately rides out of London to seek her out . . . and to win her back.

Review:
Okay, this is an anthology, so the stories are going to lack a bit of depth.  But still.  The longest of the stories, which could have had so much more going on, was the one I liked least.  I'm going to have to rate these separately because I liked them on such different scales.

The Wedding Planner, which took up more than half of the 77 pages in this anthology, could not hold my attention.  This one is about Lady Margaret, aka Meg, and Gaston Devilliers, a man At the beginning of the short story, Meg seemed to strongly dislike Gaston, calling him a fiend and a pest.  She had also said that it was unfair her fiancé had perished at war, but Gaston had lived.  Then all of a sudden, she knows what he's thinking and is entertaining the idea of marriage to him.  Sure, there were many scenes with them in it, but really no interaction.  I didn't really sense any true romantic connection between and their romance was just not believable to me.  Also, just a side note, the name Gaston reminds me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast movie, lol.
Rating: ★★

Ever After was about Eleanor, who is in love with her husband, which is not done in the ton.  However, she keeps her feelings in and her husband doesn't know.  She thinks he's cheating, and tries to keep in her feelings about it because she knows that it a married man's prerogative to keep a mistress.  But she does snap and her husband, who had been wondering why she was upset with him, notices.  He puts her fears  to ease and reveals that he loves her too.  Even though this was really short, I really liked this one.  It had an "aww" factor for me, and I'm really happy there was a happily ever after, as the title suggests. :)
Rating: ★★★★

The Jilting of Lord Rothwick starts with Rothwick having already on the doorstep of his ex-fiancée.  It wasn't that hard to find her.  From the title and little summary, I thought she had fled somewhere, but no...she's at home.  He asks for an explanation and she just tells him she doesn't think they're suitable anymore.  Not knowing what more he can do, he leaves and their engagement is broken.  In reality, she loves him but doesn't want to be the only one in love.  In the end, she can't leave it be, because she can't live without him, so she goes after him.  This one was a bit too short as well, but I liked it and am glad they get their happy ever after too.
Rating: ★★★

I don't know, for some reason I was able to feel a connection between the couples in the last two stories, but not the couple in Laurens' story.  I haven't read anything by Gaelen Foley or Loretta Chase before, but I'm going to be looking into some of their novels now. :)

Overall: ★★★

REVIEW: Blazing Midsummer Nights

Title: Blazing Midsummer Nights
Author: Leslie Kelly
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Links: goodreads

Summary:
(from goodreads)

Anything can happen on a magical midsummer's eve
Marketing director/workaholic Mimi Burdette has The Plan-work for her father and date his right-hand man. Problem is, there's no heat in the relationship. Not even a spark. And worse still, Mimi is having some seriously sexy, panties-ablaze dreams-and the star looks a lot like Xander McKinley, the hunky firefighter next door. Mimi's dreams might be due to the strange tea she drank. Or the predictions from the fortune cookie she ate. Or they could be due to Xander's smokin' hotness. But whether it's magic or just old-fashioned fireworks, Mimi is about to break all of the rules-including her own!

Review:
The title made me think of Shakespeare, haha.  But this isn't Shakespeare.  It's a hot romance by Leslie Kelly, who is one of my favorite authors.

The main characters, Mimi and Xander, are attracted to each other at first sight.  But Mimi is not looking for a hot man, as she's looking to earn a promotion from her father.  Instead, she's trying to date the Dad-approved guy.  And Xander decides to not get involved after learning that Mimi's an heiress.  But it seems like the universe has other plans and wants to keep throwing Mimi and Xander together.  First, with him mistakenly walking in on her half-naked in her bedroom, and then with him racing to her rescue and catching her when she falls from trees.  And then of course, there was the fortune cookie, strange tea, and vivid dreams.  I think this was Leslie's way of trying to add a unique aspect to this plot, but  Mimi didn't even remember the dreams when she woke up, except for her last dream, so I don't think it added much.


No doubt that these two have chemistry, allowing Xander to help Mimi release the real her and leading this book to be sweet, romantic, and funny at times.   However, the side characters didn't add much for me.  They were just there.  We hardly heard from them, since most of the book was just Mimi and her thoughts or Xander and his thoughts or them talking to each other.  We didn't get much interaction between Mimi and Dmitri, so I thought having him there was pretty pointless.  There was no real love triangle there, no conflict.  Mimi pretty much dismissed Dmitri as a romantic option at the beginning, and so I never got the sense that she was truly considering seriously dating him. I guess they were there as plot movers, creating scenarios for Mimi and Xander together and moving the plot along quickly.  But I felt like there could have been more interaction...I hope I'm making sense, lol.

And then, I'm a little iffy with the ending, but not because of Mimi and Xander's ending.  Dmitri ended up getting engaged to Helen, who he apparently had a relationship with before moving to Athens, GA.  When they saw each other at her parents' home, where Mimi also lives, after Helen had moved back, they were both shocked and tense.  I already knew they were going to get together when it was revealed that they knew each other.  But I want to know what happened between them!  How did they end up engaged?  I felt like that could've been a whole other book.  Or at least, a little more in the epilogue, other than Dmitri holding is soon-to-be wife and stepson.


But overall, the main characters were likable and this was a cute, easy read.  I recommend this if you're looking for a quick romance to read.

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REVIEW: Bet On a Cowboy

Title: Bet On a Cowboy
Author: Julie Benson
Series: A Cowboy for Every Mood
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin American Romance
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: n/a

Summary:
(from Goodreads)
Commitment phobic Colorado cowboy Griffin McAlister has it all figured out. Do the reality dating show, get the money his family desperately needs and go on with his life. Actually falling in love was never part of the deal...least of all falling in love with the show's spunky director.

Maggie Sullivan knows she's found a star the minute she meets Griffin. But as she gets to know the man behind the dimples, she realizes she might have found something more. It doesn't matter, though; she has a job to do. Besides, how could he ever notice her while he's busy wooing ten gorgeous women?

Now Griffin has a choice to make: stick with the plan and lose Maggie forever, or risk everything for a chance to win her heart!

Review:
I'm back with a review!  Finally, lol.  I get a break from school for a week, so I'm getting in as much reading as I can, while I have time. :P  I was looking to start with a light, fun read and definitely found it in Bet On a Cowboy.

The plot was not very original, but it was still fun.  The main characters are what make this book though.  They have great chemistry, leading to great dialogue and witty banter.  They didn't fall in love at first sight, though I do think Maggie fell in lust at first sight, but who wouldn't?  Griffin is described as tall, charismatic, very good looking and oozing sex appeal.  Maggie didn't stand a chance against lust here.  Though she does have some self-esteem issues which makes her think Griffin would never look twice at her.  And Griffin thought the same too, remarking on how plain Maggie looked, except for gorgeous emerald green eyes.  But Maggie is different from the usual girls Griffin dates, and so he doesn't know what hit him until later on in the book.

As they work on the Bachelor-esque show together, they get to know each other better, learning about each other's pasts.  Also, Maggie sees past Griffin's facade and doesn't fall for his bs, like women usually do.  She doesn't let him charm her into giving him everything that he wants, which is great.  They slowly realize they've fallen in love, but their romance is not easy as they are both torn between proclaiming their love for each other and their duties, Maggie's to the show and Griffin's to his mom.  But in the end, they get their happy ending.

I felt the story was just the right pace, not too fast and not too slow.  I really connected with Maggie and rooted for her and Griffin all the way.  It was also great to meet Griffin's family, who are all great characters.  Griffin's is the second book in this series.  His older brother, Rory, was the main character in the first book.  You don't need to read the first one to understand what's happening in this one.  I haven't read the first one and didn't feel I missed out on something I needed to know.  But I will try to get my hands on it, as I really like Julie's writing style.  Also, I think Grffin's sister, Avery, will be getting her own story too.  I recommend this book for a light, fun read!

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ARC REVIEW: The Summer My Life Began

Title: The Summer My Life Began
Author: Shannon Greenland
Release Date: May 10, 2012
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: Speak (Penguin group)
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: 24 Hour Readathon

Summary:
(from Netgalley)

This is what seventeen-year-old Em gets when she goes to spend a month at her aunt’s island resort. It’s a dream come true—and exactly the break Em needed from her strict family and their high expectations of her. But when Em uncovers a long-buried secret about her family, everything changes. And suddenly, Em finds herself making some big choices about her future—choices she never dreamed she’d have the chance to make . . .

Review:
The Summer My Life Began is a cute, fast read.  Perfect for the beach!  Really, there isn't too much depth in this one.  A lot of it is quite predictable, like the thing at the end with the paintings.  But I was a little caught off guard with the family secret.  I was thinking too much and thought of several of other possibilities...So that was a surprise!

This story was basically about our narrator, Em, finding herself, or at least realizing that she doesn't want to follow the plan that has been set out for her her whole life.  And also about her finding out the family secret, I guess.  I mean, I enjoyed reading about her time at The Pepper House and her enthusiasm for cooking, it just felt quite rushed.  And because of that, we didn't get to totally see the depths of our characters and their emotions.  Also, there were quite a few characters that were thrown in there that I thought would mean something,  but they didn't really add to the story.  Like Jeremy.  That little storyline was kinda pointless to me...I know he was supposed to be a part of the love triangle, but that didn't really work since she hardly showed any interest in him after that first meeting.  So, it didn't add anything to the story for me.

And that leads to my issue with the main relationship that we all see coming from the beginning.  I felt no chemistry between her and Cade at all.  They had a rocky start and hardly talked in the beginning.  After they started kind of having friendly conversations, she picked an argument with him really for no reason, and then mooned after him when he didn't speak to her for a week afterwards.  A few kisses and everything was better.  To me, their relationship was purely physical.  I have no idea where the emotional connection came from...since there was a lot of telling, but not much showing.  And this "telling, but not showing" thing was a major thing in the story that kept me from connecting with the characters, so I was just pretty whatevs towards them.

Anyway, the setting sounded absolutely gorgeous and like somewhere I'd love to vacation at.  I think B&B's are cute, even though I've never been to one, and The Pepper House sounded like a great place!  The only thing I found odd was that Tilly would leave her door open while she wasn't in her room, and was out and about working.  For some reason, I thought she would maybe lock it for privacy...?  But again, I've never been to a B&B, so maybe it's common.  And also, maybe it's different in the laid back Outer Banks, where they don't have to worry about that stuff?  I mean, that didn't affect the enjoyment in reading this.  I just found it curious.

So overall, this book was nice.  It's a great read for a lazy day, when you don't want to think too much.

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REVIEW: Bumped

Title: Bumped
Author: Megan McCafferty
Series: Bumped
Genre: YA
Publisher: Balzar + Bray, HarperCollins
Format: Kindle e-book
# of pages: 324
Source: bought from Amazon
Challenge: Read the Month (April)

Summary:
(from Amazon)

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Review:
This book totally sucked me in!  Okay, so I was pretty confused in the beginning, with all the slang, and just a bit frustrated, but in the end I couldn't put it down.  But let's start from the beginning...

When we begin the story, we are thrust right into our characters' lives.  Harmony, the religious twin, has come to the Otherside to "save" and "witness" her long lost twin Melody.  They live in a world where a virus has made almost everyone over the age of 18 infertile, so teenagers have become hot commodities, especially if you have excellent genes like Melody (and Harmony).  Surrogacy has been glorified and turned into a profession, with couples offering full college tuition, cars, and even liposuction to land a surrogacy contract.  Melody has one such contract and is just waiting for her RePro Rep to pair her up with the best of the best Sperm (a.k.a. a RePro).  Harmony obviously does not think this is okay, and decides to hijack Melody's life after she is mistaken for her.  But then she ends up falling for Melody's RePro, Jondoe.

I especially liked Melody's voice and character.  Melody is strong, beautiful, intelligent, and athletic, and is beginning to feel like she doesn't want to be the Surrogate that she was raised to be.  She doesn't have any enthusiasm for it, and what happened with her best friend Malia before, and what happened to her best friend Shoko this time around didn't help the matter.  Another best friend that didn't help boost her enthusiasm much?  Zen, who I also liked.  Though we don't ever get to hear his point of view, we learn enough through his interactions with both Melody and Harmony.  He isn't "reproaesthetical" due to being only 5' 7.5" even though he has all the other qualities.  He's smart and good looking, and also beginning to question what the world is turning into with Surrogacy becoming ever more popular.  And according to Melody, everyone likes him, and she's pretty much right...can't help but like Zen!  And then there's Harmony.  I don't know why, but I didn't like Harmony much.  She's written by the same author, and yet, I didn't like Harmony's character and was not pulled in by her voice quite as well as I was with Melody.  I didn't really care about her story, unless it related to Melody's story (like when Harmony stole Melody's "RePro" Jondoe).  Actually, she was kind of annoying.  Jondoe was not much better.

As for the story...I'm not one to actually analyze a book for it's underlying meanings, but this book is pretty obvious with the issues.  I mean, I think it's pretty obvious that it's a satire dealing with the sensitive issues of teen pregnancy and religion.  But I feel like it also deals with ever evolving technology creating a more big brother like presence, with people needing know everybody else's business ASAP. (Reminds me of that 4G commercial..."That was so 5 seconds ago...")  Overall, I think this is a topic that hasn't really been touched in this way before, so I found it interesting.  I feel like Megan McCafferty wrote it well.  I didn't always like reading what was written, mostly during Harmony's parts, but it was an interesting, easy read, and I recommend it!

Moments I Loved: Melody and Zen in the treehouse at the library.  I really hope they end up together in the sequel!!

WTF Moments: Most of Harmony's scenes.  Honestly, at times, I really thought she was certifiable.


Rating:
Plot - ★★★★
Characters - ★★★★
Ending - ★★★★
Overall:

REVIEW: A Callahan Wedding

Title: A Callahan Wedding
Author: Tina Leonard
Series: Callahan Cowboys
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin American Romance
Format: ebook
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: Read the Month (April)
Summary:
(from Harlequin.com)

Sabrina McKinley broke Jonas's heart when she left him for another man. Then the eldest Callahan brother gets the surprise of his life when he sees her again…holding his son. Even at six months, his bouncing baby boy was wearing the legendary Callahan smile!

Which means Sabrina has got to marry him, even if Jonas has to drag her to the altar.

Sabrina's been head over heels for the hunky cowboy doctor since the day she first came to Rancho Diablo; it's always been Jonas keeping her at arm's length. She won't settle for anything less than the real deal—the love and happiness that Jonas's five brothers have found.

But when a revelation about a family secret comes out, Sabrina can see Jonas is ready to look toward the future. He won't be the last bachelor on the ranch. After all, he's a Callahan!

Review:
This is the sixth book in Tina Leonard's Callahan Cowboys series.  I haven't read the previous books in the series, so it affected my reading and enjoyment a bit, since there are quite a few references to the other books.  I was left with some questions because of that, so I recommend reading the previous books before reading this one.

The main story is, of course, Jonas trying to win Sabrina back.  All of a sudden, he's accepted that Sabrina's son was his, so he had to marry her.  Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of Jonas from the start and that didn't change too much throughout the story.  I understand that he needs to be macho, but as Sabrina said, most of his proposals (if you could call them that) were chauvinistic.  He didn't ask her to marry him, he told her she needed to!  Also, I didn't get too much chemistry from Jonas and Sabrina together.  Maybe that's because I haven't read the previous books, since they got together before in a kind of "friends with benefits" type thing.  But there was a big lack of romance in their relationship in this book.  He didn't even tell her he loved her until the end!  He would tell himself, sure, but never mentioned that to her, so of course she wouldn't know how he felt!

There was also the added mystery of the family secret.  A man is hanging around the Callahan property trying to find out if any of the Callahans know the secret.  He was caught before, in one of the previous books, but was released and is on the prowl again.  The ending of this books makes it seem like it's probably not the last time you'll see him, so I imagine there'll be another book in this series.

Overall, the plot was okay and most of the characters were likable enough.  I would recommend this book if you're looking for an easy read about a cowboy romance in a small town.  But remember, read the previous books in the series first!  I think it'll help your enjoyment of this one...

Rating:

Plot:	★★★
Characters:	★★★
Ending:	★★★
Overall:

REVIEW: Wicked Weekend

Title:  Wicked Weekend
Author: Gillian Archer
Series: Pleasure Code
Genre: Romance, Erotica
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: ebook
# of pages: n/a
Source: NetGalley
Challenge: n/a
Summary:
(from NetGalley)

Why did Lauren Vaughn introduce her sister to the man she herself was crazy about? Now Lauren is watching the happy couple at their combined bachelor/bachelorette party-while Lauren sits all alone at the bar. Until she spots a hot stranger with the telltale black handkerchief in his pocket: the signal for "seeks no-strings affair with sexy submissive." Lauren can't take her eyes off him. So when he comes over, she kicks her inner good girl to the curb and follows Jamie Forman to his room, where he makes her scream with pleasure all night long.

But Jamie is a complicated man. He can't handle how desperately he wants her in his bed-and his life. It's up to Lauren to teach him how to make all night last forever.

Review:
Wicked Weekend is a short novella about Lauren Vaughn's fantasy of BDSM and the man she meets who helps fulfill it.  Lauren sees herself as too curvy and always lost in her little sister's shadow.  When the story starts, we find her at her sister's bachelorette party, as her sister prepares to marry the man Lauren has had a crush on forever.  Needing escape, she ends up at the bar of the restaurant, where she spots Jamie and the handkerchief hanging out of his pocket.  She lingers on it, but doesn't make a move and doesn't think anything will come of it, until Jamie approaches her.  What happens next is the best night of her life!  Her introduction to BDSM leaves her wanting more...and more of Jamie.  She can't stop thinking about him now, and accepts his offer for another night.  But this time, it doesn't go as planned...as Jamie's history comes back to haunt him and taint the experience.

Both Lauren and Jamie were easily likable, as well as Sawyer, Jamie's friend and Lauren's idol in the BDSM world.  Lauren has issues with self confidence, and seems to find an inner strength through her encounter with Jamie.  And Jamie has issues with relationships, due to his family history.  Both don't count on the heat and reaction to each other turning into wanting something more than just a sexual fling.  Jamie can't deal with it at first, and it affects their second sexual encounter leading to some misunderstandings.  Also, though their relationship was purely sexual and they hadn't talked enough to have a deep relationship, I was rooting for them.

Another interesting aspect was the flagging system.  I haven't researched BDSM or anything, so I'm not sure if that's a common aspect of it, but I found it interesting.  I hope it's explained more in future installments of this series.  I'm interested in what all the different colors mean, since Sawyer was mentioned as having a gray hanging out.  I don't know if I missed it, but I don't think it was explained what exactly that meant and I want to know! Haha...

This was a fast read, and I enjoyed it.  It has several sexual scenes that are graphic, but not to an extreme, so be aware of that.  I recommend it if you're open to the idea of BDSM and looking for a quick, hot read.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★
Characters - ★★★★
Ending - ★★★★
Overall - ★★★★

REVIEW: Wedding of the Season

Title: Wedding of the Season
Author: Laura Lee Guhrke
Series: Abandoned at the Altar
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Format: Kindle e-book
# of pages: 360
Source: bought from Amazon
Summary:
(from Amazon)
Abandoned at the altar . . .

Lady Beatrix Danbury had always known she would marry William Mallory. She'd loved him forever and she'd never doubted he loved her, too. But when she made him choose between their life together or his lifelong dream, Will chose the latter . . . and left two weeks before their wedding.

Return of the duke . . .

Will has no illusions that Beatrix would welcome him back with open arms, but six years did not dim his love or desire for her. The only problem is, she's about to marry someone else. Someone safe and predictable . . . the complete opposite of Will. But can he stop the wedding of the season and win Beatrix back, or is it just too late?

Review:
Beatrix, Trix for short, and William Mallory, now Duke of Sunderland, had been engaged 6 years ago.  They were happy and in love until he decided to go to Egypt to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming an archaeologist, and Beatrix decided not to go with him.  They had different expectations, it seemed.  She expected they would settle down in the country side and have a family, living as their ancestors had, and he expected she would follow him on any adventure.

So, the wedding was called off and she has tried to forget Will for the past 6 years.  She thinks she's finally over him and ready to move on with her life, until he returns.  Will has also been trying to forget Trix, and has himself thinking he hates her.  He initially hadn't come back to stop her wedding, but after spending time with her again, his old feelings resurface...the ones that never really went away.  He still wants her, still loves her.  And he wants to show her that her marriage to safe, dependable Aiden Carr, the Duke of Trathen, will pretty much bore her death.  He wants to show her that he's become responsible and dependable, and he wants her to give him a second chance and marry him.  This time, he's not giving up until she says yes.

But, he also says he's not giving up Egypt and his quest to find King Tut's tomb.  And, as mentioned earlier, that's always been a sore spot in their relationship because Trix doesn't want to go to Egypt.  She has a mindset that means home should be in England, that their children should be raised there, and that they should preserve their heritage.  Her ideals are completely different from Will's in that sense.

Trix is independent, very stubborn and set in her ways, and I like that about her.  She doesn't give in so easily, even though she wants to be with Will.  She doesn't just throw away her ideals for a man without really looking at them in comparison to a life without him.  Eventually, she realizes what's really important, as does Will.  I found Will to be very charming and likable, though he could be a bit of a jerk to Trix sometimes.  But he was trying to hide his feelings, and trying to get a rise out of her, so I forgive him, haha.

I enjoy Laura Lee Guhrke's writing, and the story of old loves finding each other again is always a good one.  Highly recommend this one!  Also, I'm looking forward to reading the Duke of Trathen's story, which is the next installment in the series.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★
Characters - ★★★★
Ending - ★★★★
Overall - ★★★★

REVIEW: A Waltz at Midnight

Title: A Waltz at Midnight
Author: Crista McHugh
Series: n/a
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a - 19,000 words
Source: Netgalley
Summary:
(from Netgalley)

New York, 1866

When her mistress receives an utterly unromantic letter from a potential suitor, servant Susanna Parkwell is asked to craft an appropriate response. Though hesitant to take part in the deception, Susanna agrees, never dreaming the scorned suitor will write back.

Theodore Blakely abhors being pressured by his family to marry, but he's intrigued by the witty refusal he receives from "Charlotte". After exchanging more letters, Ted believes he's found a soul mate in his thoughtful and understanding correspondent, and asks permission to formally court her.

Though racked with guilt over her lies, Susanna can't resist the opportunity to meet Ted in person. So she poses as Charlotte at a holiday ball, where she vows to tell him the truth. But when the clock strikes midnight, will Susanna have the courage to reveal her identity and risk losing the man she loves?

Review:
A Waltz at Midnight was a sweet, romantic little novella set after the Civil War. Our main female character, Susanna, had to move from the South to New York to survive. She works at her aunt's boarding house, which houses Vassar students, to earn a living and to save up for her brother's Bar exam. While working there she is persuaded by one of the residents, Charlotte, to reply to a letter from an unwanted suitor. This turns into so much more, as Susanna continues to exchange letters with the suitor, Theodore Blakely, also known as Teddy. They form a connection to each other through these letters, but that's not at all what Charlotte wants. So she makes Susanna pose as her at a masquerade ball to tell Teddy the truth and end it once and for all. But Susanna kept waiting for the right time, which never came. Instead, midnight comes around, the deadline Charlotte had given her. Susanna has to leave, and she tells Teddy to never call on her. Teddy doesn't listen, and ends up calling on Charlotte, which lead him to finding out the truth.

The characters were likable, with both Susanna and Teddy experiencing hardships in their past. Through their letters, they are able to express these hardships, which have never been told to another person. Though they were able to connect like this and their love story was sweet, it was almost too easy. There wasn't really any conflict, other than Susanna lying to Teddy about who she was in her letters. But then, that was resolved really easily too. I thought it could've been a bit longer. Teddy went to confront Susanna, and after an apology, he pretty much forgave her. Susanna kind of seemed more upset than him. I don't know...if I was lied to by the supposed love of my life, I'd be a lot more upset than Teddy seemed to be. But that's just me. And the fact that he's not so upset and everything seems to go easily for the characters, especially him looking past their differences (him from the North, her from the South, etc.), makes this a sweet, but unrealistic love story. Add in the the Cinderella tendencies of this story: stroke of midnight and leaving clothing behind, and it's definitely got a fairytale feel.

But I like fairytales and happy endings and unrealistic love stories, because it makes me happy and helps me get away from the real world for a bit. So overall, I did like the story. It was a sweet and easy read. I recommend it if you're looking to relax and get away from the real world for a little while.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★
Characters - ★★★
Ending - ★★★
Overall - ★★★

REVIEW: A Duke of Her Own

Title: A Duke of Her Own
Author: Lorraine Heath
Series: Rogues and Roses
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Format: Kindle e-book
# of pages: 368
Source: bought from Amazon
Summary:
(from Amazon)

Lady Louisa longs to marry for passion and love—but will she find happiness in the arms of the duke?

Review:
This is the first Lorraine Heath book that I've ever read, and it didn't disappoint.

A Duke of Her Own is set in an era of England where times are quickly changing.  The ton no longer lives as leisurely as they're used to, as they're now wrought with money concerns.  Most of them have hardly any money left, and the men of the ton are now looking to marry American heiresses for money.  And that leaves Lady Louisa without many options.  She is a lady of the ton without a dowry, thus basically eliminating any marriage prospects.  Realizing her situation and having no hope in it, she decides that she won't sit around to wait and see what happens with her future.  She takes it into her own hands and decides to post an ad in a women's paper advertising herself as a chaperone and social guide to an American lady.

She is hired by the Rose family, who has two daughters they'd like to see married to men with a title, and her brother, the Earl of Ravensley, and his friends, the Duke of Hawkhurst and Marquess of Falconridge, are ecstatic about this.  They all want to marry one of the Rose daughters and think they have an in through Louisa.  I'm not sure why the Rose daughters, Jenny and Kate, are their main focus.  It was never explained what made them more attractive than other American heiresses, but that's not that big of a deal, I guess.

Anyway, the men thought wrong, as Louisa does not think they are at all suitable for either of her charges.  But they try nonetheless, and Louisa has made a promise that, while she won't encourage their suit, she won't purposely hinder it either.  Since this is Hawkhurst's novel, it follows his suit of Jenny Rose, who he thinks will be the better of the two as his wife.  (Actually, all the men prefer Jenny, and I don't blame them!)  But though he's trying to court Jenny, all he can think about is Louisa, his friend's sister!

Mrs. Rose highly approves of Hawkhurst, as only a Duke will do for her daughters.  But Jenny has a mind of her own, and wants passion in her marriage!  She likes the Duke, but hasn't had time to see if he has the passion she's looking for, with her chaperone keeping a tight leash on her.  Besides, she's noticed the way the Duke looks at Louisa, and Jenny and Louisa have become friends throughout their time together.  And, more to the point, Jenny's just not ready to get married yet.

But Hawkhurst is getting desperate, as he has his mother and a secret sister to support.  So he plans to be caught compromising Jenny, in order to ensure marriage to her.  You know what they say about the best laid plans...especially when you tell a rival about them!  Instead, Hawkhurst is caught in a compromising position with Louisa, who he then marries.  Married life is good for them, but Louisa begins to realize the situation Hawk is in, and feels guilty.  So, she decides to do something that causes a bit of conflict, but in the end, all is well, as they realize their love for each other.  There wasn't anything too dramatic; no real shockers in this book.  Just a nice little story.

I like that they didn't just fall in love all of sudden.  Instead, in the beginning, they had a slight interest in each other that they didn't want to admit, and that interest grew as Hawkhurst attempted to court Jenny.  Instead of concentrating on courting Jenny, Hawkhurst couldn't stop thinking about Louisa.  Their love slowly built up, as they learned more about each other.

And I really liked both of the main characters too.  In addition to being the usual strong male, Hawkhurst was kind and passionate, while Louisa was strong, independent and also passionate.  I also liked Jenny Rose and her brother Jeremy Rose.  Jeremy is mentioned more in the last half of the book, and him and Louisa are friendly with each other.  He becomes he champion after Hawkhurst compromises her.  I'm looking forward to his story, as well as Jenny's.  I'm guessing that Jenny will most likely end up with Louisa's brother, as she was dallying with him in this book.  Though I have no idea who Jeremy will end up with, or even if he will have a book in this series.  I hope Ms. Heath writes him a story.  As for Kate Rose...I have to say, I didn't like her very much.  Her story is already out, the second installment of this series.  She ends up with the Marquess of Falconridge, and from the reviews I read, she doesn't change at all from how she is in this book.  The reviews made her seem even worse.  So, I think I'll skip her story.  But I really want to read Jenny's story and Jeremy's story, as Louisa has promised to help him find a wife.  I hope Ms. Heath's muse decides to give her inspiration to write both books soon!

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★
Characters - ★★★★
Ending - ★★★★★
Overall - ★★★★

99 cent YA Kindle Books and more!

I guess Harper Collins is feeling quite generous at the start of this new year!  Several of their YA novels in Kindle edition are only 99 cents!

Here are some of the ones I bought:
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (I reviewed this one here, and am so happy to finally own a copy! :])
Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Some other ones that are also 99 cents:
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Lucky by Rachel Vail
The Poison Diaries by Mayrose Wood
Vesper by Jeff Sampson

And a FREE one!
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

I also bought Delirium by Lauren Oliver because it is $2.99 right now, and I have been wanting to read it forever!

It has been my experience that ebooks from the big publishers are usually not this cheap.  So, I'm not sure how long these prices will last.  Take advantage while you can!  I definitely am!  lol...my reading for the new year is off to a good start, with all these new books!  You don't need a Kindle to read these, just the Kindle app.  So, you can read this on your PC, IPad, or smartphone!  Also, this is not really a comprehensive list...I'm sure there a lot more 99 cent Kindle books out there!  I'm just not up for searching for them right now, haha.  If you do go looking for them, please share! :)