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The Duke’s Den, Book 3

From the publisher:

It’s really hard to accept a proposal, no matter how well-intentioned, when your heart belongs to another. And that is the dilemma Arabella faces. While Rhys is a few years older than Arabella, they grew up together, next door neighbors, so to speak. They were best friends throughout their childhood until Arabella catches him with a woman. Her heart is broken, and she thoroughly hates him.

Rhys has been partying hard for several years, but also making good money by investing in businesses he finds interesting. When his father dies, he is forced to go back to the estate. It seems that his father hasn’t been quite as successful at earning. But Rhys has what appears to be some form of dyslexia; he has trouble reading and looking at the rows of numbers in the family ledgers. When they were younger, Arabella always helped him with this sort of thing, so he asks for her help, but she doesn’t want anything to do with the man who broke her heart.

That changes when she realizes the house party her parents have planned is really a last ditch effort to find her a husband. She doesn’t want to marry anyone, all she wants to do is get her book of puzzles published. Her parents have this amazing opportunity to live in Greece for a few years, but they won’t leave unless she is married. Distraught, Arabella decides to make a deal with Rhys: she will help him with the ledgers, but he has to pretend to want to marry her. If they are engaged, her parents will be satisfied, and they can break up eventually.

Enemies to love and the fake engagement are wildly popular themes in romances, for a good reason. It works. Doubling up on these just adds to the tension. The Victorian era is interesting, the witty dialogue is fun, and yes, they have sex. These characters are well developed and I couldn’t help but root for them to find their happy ending. Christy Carlyle gives us another good read.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Debutante Diaries, Book 3

From the publisher:

This author was new to me and once again I find myself reading a new series out of order. I poked around and found the first book in this series, The Duke Is But a Dream, hiding on my Kindle so I will read that one next. This was a good read even though I definitely knew I was missing information.

Sophie’s family has arranged a marriage for her to a nice looking man, but she feels nothing for him. She has been putting him off but agrees to announce their betrothal before the season ends. Her father drinks and has lost quite a bit of money leaving her family in dire straights. This marriage is the way to fix that and Sophie feels that responsibility keenly.

Sophie and her friends run a newspaper column discussing various women’s issues of the day. Sophie also runs a women’s group, when they discuss the weekly column. The group has been growing and they need a larger space. This is a secret group, known only to the women who go as men would shut it down immediately. Sophie finds an empty store nearby and meets the owner. He has some serious health issues that sound like PTSD, of course, undiagnosed and untreated. He suffers from insomnia, but spending time with Sophie allows him to sleep. He makes her a deal; she must spend the night with him once a week and then she can use the space she needs.

This was a definite stretch for me to accept this premise, but I did and it was a good story. There is a bit of sex, some humor, and interesting characters. Nothing really new here but why reinvent the wheel when it works perfectly well. At least well enough for me to read more from this author.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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The Wildes of Lindow Castle, Book 5

From the publisher:

Eloisa James is one of my favorite historical romance writers and this book is the perfect example of why she remains so. Viola is beyond demure, she tends to vomit in social situations, never a good thing. In point of fact, at one of her first balls, she tried to hide by escaping through a servant’s entrance but instead, ran smack into a sexual liaison right there in the hallway. The gentleman exploded, yelling at the woman he was with and at Viola. She did not handle that well at all and is quite frightened by his demeanor.

The new vicar seems just her type. Good looking to be sure, but gentle and kind, and Viola decides he is the man for her. Unfortunately, he is engaged to a very loud, very determined woman, but Viola thinks she would make a much better wife for the vicar. There really is no way to tell what he thinks, of course, as he is kind to everyone, even his completely overbearing future mother-in-law.

The Duke of Wynter has determined it is time for him to take a bride to act as his duchess. He is not looking for a love match; in fact, he hopes they will have the heir and the spare and then live separate lives. Until he meets Viola. He brings out a different side of her, and although she believes herself to be in love with the Vicar, she is definitely enjoying spending time with the Duke, which confuses her.

James excels at the witty banter the genre is known for, and this book is no exception. Sweet and funny, this is another excellent addition to her latest series. I loved it.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Sins for All Seasons, Book 5

From the publisher:

It is helpful to read this series in order, but if not, this is a good a place to start as any. Fancy is the baby of the family, but she is finally ready for her coming out. The problem of her birth is a concern, of course, but since her older siblings have married into nobility, it is certainly within the realm of possibility that she will as well. That is her mother’s dream for her, and Fancy wants to please her family.

Fancy runs a bookshop and is a true passion project, which of course, I understand! She helps a new customer, Matthew, and feels a certain attraction that is mutual. Turns out the gentleman is renting an apartment from her brother, and lives just across the courtyard. He is intrigued with Fancy, but is hesitant to tell her who he really is, especially once he sees she is carrying an article around, an article written by his wife before her death. Fancy is a romantic, but Matthew is a realist – he has been burnt once and has no desire to ever find himself in that situation again.

Hidden identity aside, they fall in love but she is determined to marry to please her family, not herself. Matthew knows he can reveal who he is and that will solve the problem, but when it appears Fancy has set up another man to force him into marriage with her, everything goes awry. Until the happy ending of course.

This was a fun read and another excellent addition to this series. I think there is at least one more book to go so that is definitely something to look forward to!

5/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Rogue Files, Book 5

From the publisher:

What a romp! This was such a fun read. Charlotte is engaged to a neighbor she has been friends with since she was a child. Billy is as mild and unassuming as Charlotte, and the match seems perfect. Until Kingston shows up.

Charlotte is one of three daughters of a doctor, but when she loses her parents, Billy’s parents forbid the marriage. When her eldest sister marries a Duke, raising their status considerably, the engagement is back on. His parents are awful, but Charlotte and Billy have agreed to live in the house she grew up in, on the other side of town from his parents, so she thinks it will all work out.

Charlotte suffers every month and her youngest sister is a healer/herbalist of sorts. She gives Charlotte a new concoction to try and shortly after falling asleep, awakens in a feverish mood. She staggers down the hall towards her sister’s room but bumps into Kingston, the Duke’s stepbrother who has come to visit. Charlotte basically assaults him, and things get crazy from there.

Kingston has been a rogue for most of his adult life. But watching his mother die a slow and painful death from the pox has forced him to rethink his life, and he’s been celibate for over a year. But he cannot resist Charlotte, so demure by day and so passionate by night.

This was a really fun escape, with some drama, lots of laughs, and some torrid sex. Another terrific addition to a wonderful series.

5/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Rogues to Riches, Book 4

From the publisher:

Nathaniel, Duke of Rothhaven, lives in seclusion, leaving his property only to gallop his demon-black steed across the moors by moonlight. Exasperated mamas invoke his name to frighten small children, though Nathaniel is truly a decent man — maybe too decent for his own good. That’s precisely why he must turn away the beguiling woman demanding his help.

Lady Althea Wentworth has little patience for dukes, reclusive or otherwise, but she needs Rothhaven’s backing to gain entrance into Polite Society. She’s asked him nicely, she’s called on him politely, all to no avail — until her prize hogs just happen to plunder the ducal orchard. He longs for privacy. She’s vowed to never endure another ball as a wallflower. Yet as the two grow closer, it soon becomes clear they might both be pretending to be something they’re not.

This was a bit darker than I was expecting and brought to light one of the real crimes of the Regency era. I don’t want to give anything away, because the reader doesn’t find out what is going on at the Rothhaven estate until quite a ways into the book.

The Duke is the odd loner of the small Yorkshire town, way outside of London. After five unsuccessful seasons, Althea has refused to leave the family’s country estate, next door to Northhaven, for the London season. While her brother is a Duke, Althea has been tormented each year by society. She is scorned and ridiculed, but only in the most polite ways and she is just sick to death of it.

After her prize-winning pigs invade Northhaven, Althea forces a meeting with the Duke. She wants him to help her learn to navigate society. He gives her a few good pointers but declines to help any further. But one thing leads to another, and they end up spending some time together.

There is something mysterious going on at the Duke’s house, and he is disinclined to explain. Althea is very attracted to the Duke, and to his chagrin, he is attracted to her as well. There are many hurdles here before these two can reach their happily ever after, and the journey is a worthwhile one.

5/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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A Bridgerton Prequel, Book 4

From the publisher:

She was given two choices…

Georgiana Bridgerton isn’t against the idea of marriage. She’d just thought she’d have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she’s abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her life as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.

Enter Option #3

As the fourth son of an earl, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to chart his own course. He has a life in Edinburgh, where he’s close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time—or interest—to find a wife. But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton—his literal girl-next-door—is facing ruin, he knows what he must do.

A Marriage of Convenience

It might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she’d say no. Georgie doesn’t want to be anyone’s sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends… or could they?

But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme. First comes scandal, then comes marriage. But after that comes love…

This is a terrific series, and I was so happy when Quinn extended it with these prequels. Quinn writes great, searing romances, and I love her books. This was, like all her books, unputdownable. In fact, I read it so fast I thought it was a novella. When I read an ebook, I really don’t have much sense of length. As I was putting together this review, I saw that it is a very typical, 384-page paperback romance, and I was surprised. The pages really flew by without sacrificing anything.

Georgie is a wonderful character who had something bad happen to her. In England, in the late 1700s, men ruled the world and society, and women were dependent on them for everything; their income, their homes, their reputations. So when a debt-ridden man kidnaps Georgie, her reputation is ruined. Even though she was the victim. Even though nothing happened. The very appearance of impropriety is enough to ruin a young woman, leaving her with almost no choice. Georgie is fortunate that her parents are well off, and more importantly, they love her and want her to be happy. Most young women in Georgie’s position would be married off to the kidnapper to save face at any cost. Luckily, Georgie is spared that end.

On the other hand, her godfather, their next-door neighbor and closest friends, want to help. Their youngest son Nicholas is away studying medicine when he is summoned home by a cryptic message. When he arrives, he is told what happened to Georgie and that his father, her godfather, wants Nicholas to make it right by marrying her. Nicholas is appalled; he and Georgie are childhood friends, and he almost thinks of her as a sister. But she is not. He is angry that his father is treating him as if he has no say in the matter. But when he sees Georgie again and spends a bit of time with her – like an hour – he realizes that maybe it could work.

As readers of romance know, the path to happily ever after does not run smoothly, and that is certainly the case here. But despite all the obstacles in their way, Georgie and Nicholas fall in love, and lust – Quinn, as always, writes great sex scenes. She also brings some feminism to her books, especially this series. In this case, Nicholas is studying medicine but Georgie thinks about it as well. The school won’t accept a woman, but she can read her husband’s books – and he approves.

This was a fun romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

4/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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The Wallflowers of West Lane, Book 1

From the publisher:

Left standing on the side while their contemporaries marry into society, four young ladies forge a bond to guard each other from a similar fate . . .

Finishing school failed to make a proper lady of Penelope Arrington. But as a Wallflower of West Lane, Poppy has a far more vital role—she and her three best friends have made a pact to protect each other from the clutches of dangerous, disreputable men. So when one of them is about to be married off to a duke sight unseen, Poppy makes it her mission to divine the prospective husband’s true character. If only she didn’t require the aid of London’s most unsuitable rake.

Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has known the headstrong Poppy since she was a young girl, naïve to the ways of men. To her eternal chagrin—and to his vague amusement—they have been at odds over the memory of their embarrassing first encounter all these years. Now, with his services in need, Rhys sees a chance to finally clear the air between them. Instead, he is surprised by the heat of their feelings. If the two do not tread carefully, they may end up in a most agreeably compromising position

Are there certain months that historical romances are published? It feels like I haven’t read one in a while. I wasn’t sure what this book was, either. The title definitely sounds like a historical romance. The cover, less so. And the fact that it is not a mass-market paperback, you know, the little paperbacks you can slip in your bag, was also a surprise. There are some authors who go from those little paperbacks to hardcover books,  sometimes simultaneously. A lot of contemporary romances get the trade paperback treatment, but I don’t recall another historical romance being introduced as a trade paperback – the paperbacks that are roughly the same size as a hardcover book. It is a conundrum. And it is traditionally published, from Kensington. I guess in the end it doesn’t really matter – I read almost exclusively on my iPad or Kindle these days.

So back to the book! It is a very good introduction to a new series. Right away we know the series will be revolving around these four friends, and this first book belongs to Poppy. She is a thoroughly modern character living in another century, as seems to be the trend lately. It works very well here.

The trick of this book is that ostensibly, it is about Poppy’s friend, who is being forced into an arranged marriage. Poppy decides that they need to check out this Duke and find out what sort of man he is. One of these friends is a widow who was horribly mistreated by her Duke of a husband, so they are all concerned. So one would think the romance would be about the arranged marriage. But no! A very clever twist, and I liked it.

The Earl is not as complex as I might have expected, but all the characters are developed well enough to make me care about them. The meet-cute occurs when Poppy is a young girl, and she witnesses the Earl in the throes of passion, shall we say, with someone. How does that happen, you may wonder? They are outside. Up against a tree. ‘Nuff said.

I liked this book a lot. There is a good, believable story, well-deveoped characters, lots of witty banter, and a bit of heat. This is the first book of a series, and I am looking forward to the next.

4/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™