Review: The Duke of Danby's Holiday Hijinx

The Duke of Danby's Holiday Hijinx by Ava Stone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I hadn't read anything by any of these three authors before, so I was excited to give this collection a shot. At the very least, I hoped that reading it would put me in a festive mood just before the holidays. Unfortunately for me, even though this collection is advertised as the first in a series, the stories actually seemed to be follow ups to novellas that were published in previous collections, featuring secondary characters from the earlier stories. That left me feeling a bit lost because there was some background and context missing that probably would have contributed to my enjoyment of the novellas included in this collection. As it was, I can't say that I would recommend this collection for anyone who hasn't read the earlier, related novellas or who isn't already a fan of these authors. While each of the stories was, for the most part, pleasant, none of them were anything special. There are much better books out there to enjoy in anticipation of the holidays.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Duke I Once Knew

The Duke I Once Knew by Olivia Drake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have read and enjoyed several of Olivia Drake's previous books, but this one was not one of my favorites. In general, I am not a fan of "big misunderstanding" plots because it is so frustrating for me to know that most of the problems keeping the hero and heroine apart could be solved if they just had an honest conversation. In this case, Abby and Max had part of that conversation somewhere around the middle of the story instead of waiting for the very end, which admittedly cut down on some of my frustration. However, Max's refusal to share the "big secret" of his childhood, or at least acknowledge to Abby that his parents' marriage had been strained, made it almost impossible for Max and Abby's relationship to progress. When Max finally decided that he loved Abby and wanted to tell her the truth about his parents, the speed of it took me by surprise and made his love for Abby seem somewhat unconvincing.

There were several other things about the book that bothered me, particularly that the overall plot was fairly predictable and that I didn't find the heroine to be especially likeable. At first, Abby seemed to be a relatively sympathetic character because of the way her family treated her, but as the story progressed, I found myself liking her less and less. At every opportunity, she rushed to a negative judgement of the hero and never really seemed to trust him. Even in the last scene of the book, when Max is proposing to her, she throws his past behavior with other women back in his face along with a snippy comment about how she's "not like" him because she wouldn't have "made love without being in love." It's hard to have faith in their future relationship if it is not based on mutual trust and respect, and even though Max had proven Abby's assumptions about his rakish behavior to be incorrect on several occasions, she still didn't seem to trust or respect him very much. It made me question why she would agree to marry him at all.

Overall, I would rate this 2.5 stars if half stars were a possibility, but I rounded up to 3 stars because it was generally a well-written book and a fairly light, pleasant read. I will probably give the next book in the series a try and hope that it more closely resembles the earlier books I read by Ms. Drake.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Even the Score

Even the Score by Beth Ehemann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Ms. Ehemann's Cranberry Inn series and its spinoff, Viper's Heart, so I was very excited when she decided to write an additional spinoff story for Andy Shaw, Brody and Viper's agent. Andy seemed like a great guy and didn't deserve the way his awful wife treated him and his children in the earlier books. Danicka was a much better match for him, and seemed to genuinely care about his kids too.

I'm not generally a fan of sports-themed books, but Ms. Ehemann's stories are so compelling and character-driven that I don't mind the sports backgrounds at all. In this case, she has managed to introduce an element of suspense as well because of the arc related to Danicka's stalker, which I really enjoyed. It brought out a different side of Andy, which was very intriguing and unlike anything we had seen of him in the earlier books.

Hopefully this is not the last we will see of these characters!

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The First Kiss of Spring

The First Kiss of Spring by Emily March
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the Eternity Springs series, and "The First Kiss of Spring" is a delightful addition to the previous books. We've met the heroine, Caitlin Timberlake, before, as she is the daughter of previous characters Mac and Ali Timberlake and the sister of Chase Timberlake. I enjoyed getting to know Caitlin better in this installment of the series as well as receiving updates on her family and their friends in Eternity Springs.

The hero, Josh Tarkington, was very interesting due in large part to his mysterious past, which is slowly revealed over the course of the story. What is clear from the beginning is that Josh is a very caring individual, as evidenced by his love and care for his elderly neighbor and disabled dog, Penny. He was a good match for Caitlin and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow.

My favorite thing about books in the Eternity Springs series is that they stand very well on their own for readers who do not have previous experience with the series, while also allowing longtime fans the opportunity to check in with favorite characters from past stories. I hope that Ms. March will continue to introduce new, compelling characters and write books in this series for a long time to come.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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NOTE: I actually read this book back in June 2018, prior to "The Christmas Wishing Tree," which is the following book in the series.  However, I just realized today that I had forgotten to post my review.  My review of "The Christmas Wishing Tree" can be found here. 

Review: A Duke Changes Everything

A Duke Changes Everything by Christy Carlyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"A Duke Changes Everything" was the first book I've read by Christy Carlyle, but it won't be the last. Both of the main characters were incredibly sympathetic and likeable, and as I read, I wanted nothing more than for them to find their HEA. Nick's journey, in particular, was amazing. He had so much to overcome after what he suffered in his childhood, but somehow he managed to grow up into an honorable gentleman (despite his claims to the contrary). Mina was a perfect match for him, and watching them fall in love was delightful. I very much look forward to reading the next books in this series.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Royal Treatment

The Royal Treatment by M.J. Summers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sweet and funny

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it turned out to be really funny and sweet. Most royalty themed romances are incredibly cheesy, but this one actually had some depth to it. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Update (12/17/18): Having now completed the series, I can't recommend it highly enough.  I laughed all the way to the end!

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