The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes

  In this blog post, I reviewed Eva Leigh’s The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes, the first installment in the Last Chance Scoundrels historical romance series. This debut historical romance is daring, smoking red hot, and spectacular to keep you in suspense. When Kieran Ransome helped plan his best friend’s narrow escape from marrying his sister Willa with his brother Finn, it placed his family in jeopardy and a pricy ultimatum. As a scandalous rake, he had a year to find a respectable bride as his wife and to reform his reckless ways. If he, Finn, and his best friend Dom don’t make it by the deadline, they would be cut off from their families. So Kieran needed someone to help him respectable in society’s circles for young women. And he found the perfect partner, Dom’s sister, Celeste Kilburn. Due to this scandal, her father wanted her in high-esteem and to find the perfect man as her husband like in Lord Montford. When Kieran sought her out, they made a pact to help each other out: he would help her find her freedom by taking her to the darkest alleys, and she would reform him to Society. An offer they couldn’t dare to refuse, in spite of dire consequences. Together, they knew each other better, in good times and bad, without falling too hard in love with each other, since Montford provided a daring obstacle to them and stood in their way. It was up to Kieran to help Celeste out by setting her free, no matter if it costed his heart, and claim her for his own.
 
This intriguing historical romance keeps you in suspense. I cared for Celeste on how everyone treated her with little to no respect on her wants and dreams. I loved how Kieran challenged her to become a better person while he is what he is, reformed or not. The scenic settings in and around London made it perfect for the location to dangerous dark alleys to safe mansions. The theme of the story is you are who you are, and no one could change it other than you.

This passionate historical romance is heartfelt and moving and pulls at your heart strings. I have one nitpick on this book: astonishment was overused and could’ve been replaced by a better emotion, or shown better. I rated this book, four out of five stars, since it was damn good.  If you love daring  historical romances with steamy romantic drama, sizzling non-stop action, and lots of smoldering suspense, pick up a copy of The Good Girl’s Guide to Rake today. This book is recommended for those who love Bridgerton, historical romances, and classic period novels.

The Lady Loves Danger

  In this blog post, I reviewed Anabelle Bryant’s The Lady Loves Danger,  the second installment in the Maidens of Mayhem historical romance series. This historical  romance is enriched with drama and intrigue  will sweep you off your feet on every page. Lady Delilah Ashbook is looking for Oliver, a young boy who had been snatched under her care in the dangerous streets of London. Everywhere she looked, she couldn’t find him and needed all the help she could get to find him before it was too late. That’s when she met a mysterious man named Sebastian St. Allan, who knew the streets like the back of his hand as a secret agent for the prince regent. When they worked together to find the missing boy, he had his own mission to locate the queen’s diamond collar for her missing dog.  Could both cases be linked together to the same culprit? While Delilah sought out the Maidens of Mayhem’s help, she became intrigued on how they operated and wanted to join them to help out with her causes to save London’s impoverished children who had no families to call their own. Sebastian worked with his colleagues and Eva Fields, the only agent in their team, who worked undercover to unearth a startling link to the queen’s paramour himself. The chemistry between Sebastian and Delilah were fiery hot, though her Aunt Helen wishes she would find more suitable like a lord to court her. But Sebastian had stolen her heart. When they worked together to find the culprit, it became life and death for Delilah when an unforeseeable foe reared their ugly head to turn against her. During her recovery from that harrowing ordeal, she wondered how Sebastian felt for her before she had find her happy ever after ending.
 
This lovely historical romance is passionate, daring, and wonderful. I cared for Delilah who wanted to do something to change London’s poverty state and take daring risks to locate Oliver and to go above and beyond to find her true calling. I’ve found Sebastian as a sexy debonair man, who had a sordid childhood past, and became his own true person. This awesome twosome make quite a pair and a lovely duo that would scorch the pages. The location of London and its surrounding neighborhood were picture perfect for the scenic settings.  The theme of the story is be your own true self by becoming our own person to make things happen.

This sensational historical romance is so hot, it sizzles with a capital S. I didn’t find anything to nitpick on this book. I rated this book, four out of five stars because of no reason. If you love historical romance with daring non-stop action, a tidal wave of sexy romantic drama, and heart-stopping suspense on every page, The Lady Loves Danger is the one for you. This book is recommended for readers who love Bridgerton and Downtown Abbey, classical historical romance movies, and intriguing historical romance authors like Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, and Teresa Mederios.  

I'm Only Wicked With You

  In  this blog post, I reviewed Julie Ann Long’s I’m Only Wicked With You, the first installment in the Palace of Rogues historical romance series. This historical romance novel is deeply enriched with plenty of drama and suspense to keep you on your tenterhooks. Lady Lillias Vaughan wasn’t an ordinary daughter of an earl in London. She’s a bit wild and have done things in an extraordinary way like riding down the rails or mouthing off expletives for example. She might be the talk of the ton, when a duke might calling on her to court her. For American Hugh Cassidy, this Irish bloke was on a mission to find Amelia Woodley across the globe and landed in London to look for her. But then he had met his match with Lady Lillas Vaughan, his complete opposite from her, but understood where she came from. When they’ve gotten to know each other better, heads had turned when they were almost caught in the act. To do the right thing by her, he proposed to her in a fake engagement. But at the time of their announcement, a formidable rival wanted Lillias’ attentions which could be no match set for Hugh, and later break her heart. To find their true happiness, they would proclaim their love for each other and find how they were well-matched from the start.

This was a compelling and riveting historical romance novel. I loved how the opposites attract trope had worked its magic between these two love birds by the end of their love story. I instantly cared about Lillias and how she wanted to do things her way, even if she might have to break some rules in her wild temperament to show how different she truly was from each other. I’ve found Hugh was unique in his character on how he searched for Amelia and found his true love with Lillias on the same trip. The dual locations in central London and the Palace of the Thames and the Heatherfield estates had painted the scenic settings real clearly and vividly in my mind. The theme of the story is we might all different from each other, but we would find our true love where we might least expect it.

This historical romance novel was daring, riveting, and couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t find anything to nitpick on from start to finish since it was real good. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no specific reason. If you love historical romances, with non-stop romantic action, plenty of sparks of intrigue and a heap of heart-stopping dramatic moments, check out this title today.  This book is recommended for those who love historical romances and Bridgerton on Netflix.

The Stars Are Fire

  In this blog post, I reviewed Anita Shreve’s The Stars Are Fire. This historical woman’s fiction novel is deeply heart-wrenching and powerfully moving read. In the late 1940s, Grace Holland is a young devoted mother of two and a wife in Hunts Beach, Maine. Her husband Gene is intolerable and her mother-in-law can’t stand her for some reason. Though Gene’s a good caring father, he has a funny way of showing it. Based on the true account of the wildfire that blazed that area in Maine, he helps the other fire fighters and hot spotters to contain it from spreading. Grace, and her neighbor Rosie, evacuate their homes to seek out shelter from the firestorm. After it ended, everything’s lost when she needs to find a place to call home and sought out her late mother-in-law’s home, and Gene is nowhere to be found and presumed missing if not dead. Grace would have to look for work and take care of her children with her mother’s help during this time. To make ends meets, she works at a clinic and meets new friend there. She also encountered a gifted pianist named Aidan Berne, who slummed in her home, and invited him to stay as a guest. They get to know each other better as his music enchanted her when he had stolen her heart. And when he left to play in Boston, Grace’s nightmare came to life when her husband Gene returned to his mother’s house with a frightful encounter that challenged Grace and pushed her to the limit. She discovered the real truth about her marriage as she seeks a way out of a loveless marriage to protect her children from him and to fight for her freedom to escape him.

This was a heartfelt and powerful woman’s fiction novel with a historical romance slant to it. I cared for Grace on how she cared about her children and tried her best to please Gene. She needed to support her family and do everything she could to avoid going into poverty. Before, during, and even after the fire, she had been dealt with some many life-challenging struggles, one too many she had to face alone. I’ve thought Gene had gotten what he deserved for his mistreatment to Grace and their children. I loved the dual locations of Hunts Beach and Biddesford Maine, which painted a vivid picture of how people lived during that time and what hardships they were dealt with. The scenic settings were picturesque and compelling to transplant yourselves over there. The theme of the story is that life can challenge you in the most difficult times, when you have to rely on yourself. The only nitpick was that there was no indication if Grace filed for divorce and gained primary custody of her children before she made her trips back home.

This historical woman’s fiction was so riveting, I enjoyed it completely to read it and be absorbed into Grace’s story. I couldn’t find anything to nitpick on from start to finish. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no specific reason. If you love historical romances and woman’s fiction novels with non-stop dramatic action, plenty of sparks of intrigue and a heap of heart-stopping moments,  check out The Stars Are Fire today. This book is recommended for those who love historical novels, both romance and fiction, and woman’s fiction novels as well.

Never Mix Sin With Pleasure

 In this blog post, I reviewed Renee Ann Miller's Never Mix Sin With Pleasure, the 5th installment in the Infamous Lords historical romance series. This daring newest tale would captivate you and enthrall you in an intriguing love story. Olivia Michaels never had a family and lived in an orphanage. During the day, she worked as a companion to a lady until she came across Lord Anthony Trent's carriage and gotten mixed up with him. During the night, she roamed the streets as the Phantom, exacting revenge to those people who discarded pregnant woman and orphans like her late friend Helen. When she went to apologize to Lord Trent, jobless and alone, he made her an offer she couldn't refuse: work as her grandmother's companion instead of being a maid. For Tony Trent, he mooned over his sister-in-law Caroline and became jealous of his brother's marriage with her. While they were away for the month, he was left in charge of the finances. But he had trouble dealing with numbers, until Olivia helped him with the ledgers to stay on top of things. While she'd gotten the glimpse of the good life with the dowager, Tony treated her with some fun and excitement while trying not to fall in love with her. But he can't get her out of his mind. On the moment she needed to finish the revenge, her life depended on it if she could avoid being caught as the thief. It was hard to separate the two when she had to tell the truth to Tony before it was too late. Can they withstand the odds and find true happiness together to give her the family she ever wanted?

This was a compelling and very intriguing historical romance novel. This had an almost rags-to-rich theme to it. I cared for Olivia and how she kept her secret life a secret to keep all of London guessing who was the Phantom. I also loved how she helped Tony with the ledgers and had a good old time with him on a night out in the town. I also loved Tony, who had difficulty with math--something we've never seen before, a character with a learning disability as in numbers, and requested Olivia's services. I loved the London scenery in a vast array of locations for the settings from the pubs to the shipyards and beyond. The themes of the story are be true to yourself and never be afraid to show your true self, flaws and all.

If you love fascinating historical romances with non-stop action, plenty of romantic drama, lots of intrigue, and sparks of humor, this novel is right up your alley to read.

Not the Kind of Earl You Marry

 In this blog post, I reviewed Kate Pembroke's Not the Kind of Earl You Marry, the first installment in the Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair historical romance series. This scintillating love story is like no other and would sweep you off your feet. It all started when someone posted a fake engagement announcement in the local paper that pitted William Atherton, Lord of Norwood, and Charlotte Hurst, a wallflower and country girl, together. At first, the idea was absurd since he was the most eligible bachelor in London and left many  tongues wagging across the ton. But they've gotten to know each other better when Charlotte received  curricle lessons from William as she learned how to live in London in style and made new friends along the way. Until they discovered who planted that scheme into the paper, they put on the charade that they were a couple before an evil threat lurked to reveal its ugly head to throw a moneywrench into the romance. Before they could say I do, they have to conquer this latest obstacle and get their happily ever after.

 This historical romance was so enticing and interesting with the fake proposal trope. I love how it brought them together in the beginning and straight to the end. I cared for Charlotte, who wasn't the type of woman to fall for any type of love match. She loved the quiet life until she found William and sought after an adventurous side to her. I loved how William transformed her and molded her into the type of woman he ought to marry, while he kept his political role with the chairman's board in check. I loved the dual locations of Chartwell and London painted a vivid picture in my mind with mesmerizing scenic settings. The theme of the story is that love can move mountains and transform you into something beautiful.

If you love historical romances that pull at your heart-strings with non-stop action, plenty of romantic drama, tons of suspense, and a hint of humor, Not the Kind of Earl You Marry is perfect for you.

Bombshell

 In this blog post, I reviewed Sarah MacLean's Bombshell, the first installment in the Hell's Belles historical romance series This daring new tale is dangerously sexy and breath-taking in every page. For Lady Sesily Talbot, she's the youngest and unmarried among her sisters. She lives a free life and is out on a mission to right the wrongs with her gang of lady friends who have a bone to pick with the crooked elite in society. But at the night at the ball, she ran into Caleb Calhoun, a former flame from two years, and an American with a secret to hide. They kept run into each other and chasing each other.  But though they had so much animosity between each other from the past, they both have a sole mission they conspired to work on together: to bring down Viscount Coleford. For Sesily, it's for he's robbing the helpless by making them poor; for Caleb, he wanted to keep his secret identity to himself and avoid his capture at all cost and with good reason. Caleb couldn't stay away from Sesily and didn't want to put her in danger. He loved her too much to do it. But if he knew Sesily, she had a trick up her to sleeve to bail him out of a jam and to make things remotely possible for them with a fitting ending.

 This was a terrific introduction to this new historical romance series. It was riveting, compelling, and scintillating to read in one fantastic novel. I cared about Sesily and how she had a careless demeanor and to live precariously to however it suited and fitted her. I loved her brood of friends and this selfless mission to bring their form of justice to dirty aristocrats in society. I've found Caleb dashing and handsome, who had a good reason to keep her safe, while he knew the odds were  up against them from getting together in the first place. I loved the location from the pubs to the castles in 1800s England for the scenic  settings. The theme of the story is love can set you free when revenge is best-served... cold.

If you love heart-stopping historical romance with non-stop action, plenty of romantic drama, tons of intrigue and spine-tingling goosebumps along the way, Hell's Belles is the book for you.

Between Heaven and Hell

 In this blog post, I reviewed Jacqui Nelson's Between Heaven and Hell, the first installment in the Lonesome Hearts historical romance series. This beautiful loveswept story takes place along the Oregon Trail in 1850s. For Hannah, she lost her family when she was young, and the Osage adopted her as one of their own, calling her Blue Sky, and raising her in the tribe. After she lost her mother and sister due to a tragedy, she became estranged from her foster brother, Eagle Brother, who sworn to kill her one day. Right before the wagon trail to Oregon, she volunteered herself as a scout. But her journey to the West Coast wouldn't be an easy one. Paden Callahan led the wagons to Oregon and needed a scout to take them there. He also mourned the death of his late wife Jeannie, killed by a savage crew of Indians, who had no room to love. He doubted Hannah and had her proof her worthiness to the wagons. People stared at her and gave her a rough time, including himself. But during the trail, they dealt with hardships and disease on the trail, when they begin to trust each other and learn more about each other's pasts. They both have a distinctive connection to the Native Americans and learn that they have in more in common than they realized like having a rough spot. With Hannah's brother's hot on their trail, they were at the crossroads on the trail. While they cared for each other, Paden talked to Eagle Feather to keep Hannah safe from others while he sought out his wife's true killer. But those two weeks were agonizing for her until she sought him out on the trail to get her own piece of Heaven with him in return. 

 This was an endearing and emotional historical romance story that takes place in 1850s in Kansas and set during the Oregon Trail. This story is rich with accurate details about what's life for pioneers along the trail by wagon trail and by horse. I cared for Hannah who looked for a place to call home and for Paden who wants to avenge his wife's death and to keep everyone safe from harm. From Kansas to Oregon during the 1850s was the perfect location and storyline setting with compelling scene that transported me there. The dual themes of the story is home is where the heart is and to let go of the past.

If you love historical romance novels that's touches your heart with non-stop action, plenty of romantic drama, lots of suspense, and bits of mystery, Between Heaven and Hell will take you there.