Review: Ask Me to Stay

Ask Me to Stay by Terri Osburn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read and loved all of Terri Osburn's previous novels, so I was thrilled to be chosen to review an ARC of her latest, "Ask Me to Stay." This book was just as well-written as all of Osburn's previous efforts, though I must admit that it took me a bit longer than usual to get into it. I would describe the romance as a "slow burn," which I usually enjoy, but this time it almost seemed like there was a genuine dislike underlying the main characters' relationship at first. Once Kendall and Liza got over their initial dislike and started to realize their attraction for one another, I found myself relaxing into the story and it was tough to put the book down.

The secondary plot involving Ray's desire to tell his life story, and for Liza to write a book about it, was quite engaging, though I was able to guess the "twist" pretty early on thanks to the clues that were dropped along the way. I still enjoyed reading along and trying to figure out how everything would be revealed, plus Ray himself was a pretty interesting character. While it may have been difficult for his loved ones to understand why he did what he did, his love for his family seemed clear to me, and overall, I found him to be a pretty likeable guy. Sometimes good people find themselves in bad situations, and maybe that's what happened to Ray here.

The other secondary characters, particularly the residents of Haven Island including Francine, Aadi, and Larimore, were also charming and added a lot of depth to the story. As I read, I found myself hoping that Larimore would get a story of his own in the future. Fingers crossed, maybe we'll have the chance to revisit Haven Island at some point!

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

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Happy Release Day to Suzanne Enoch's "It's Getting Scot in Here"!

I'm thrilled to be participating in the blog tour celebrating the release of Suzanne Enoch's latest novel, "It's Getting Scot in Here," book #1 in the Wild Wicked Highlanders series.  I've long been a fan of Ms. Enoch's books, and her latest is a witty delight that is sure to appeal to fans of Julia Quinn and Eloisa James.

"It's Getting Scot in Here" tells the story of Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his two older brothers, Aden and Coll, who are summoned to London by their English mother and ordered to find English wives in order to fulfill an agreement she made many years ago with their Scottish father, from whom she is estranged.  If her sons fail to marry according to her wishes, Lady Aldriss will stop providing the funding that the MacTaggerts' beloved ancestral estate, Aldriss Park, desperately needs to stay afloat.  An additional provision in the agreement between Lord and Lady Aldriss states that at least one of their sons must marry a young lady of Lady Aldriss's choosing.  A turn of the cards determines that this duty will fall to Coll, the eldest, but the hot-tempered Highlander is not at all happy about the prospect.

In an attempt to thwart their mother's plans and seek revenge for her abandonment of them as children, the brothers have planned to find meek, spineless Englishwomen to marry, then leave them behind in London and resume their carefree bachelor lives in Scotland.  The first wrinkle in this plan appears when Coll and Niall meet Miss Amelia-Rose Baxter, the young lady their mother has chosen to be Coll's wife.  The outspoken Amelia-Rose is nothing like the meek Englishwoman Coll is looking for, and he quickly abandons her at the theater, leaving Niall, the family peacemaker, to attempt to salvage the match in order to save Aldriss Park.  As Niall spends more time with Amelia-Rose in Coll's stead, he begins to realize how poorly matched she and Coll are, and how much he wishes he could court her for himself.  But Amelia-Rose's parents are set on her marrying a man with a title, and Coll, as the heir to the earldom, is the only brother they will accept.

For her part, Amelia-Rose has tried desperately to be the perfect example of an English young lady, but her wicked tongue often gets the better of her.  She wants to make her parents happy by catching a man with a title, but isn't convinced that marrying an "uncivilized" Highlander is the best prospect for her future happiness.  She is desperate to escape her parents' house, but dreams of a life in London, not the vast, empty Scottish Highlands.  Despite these fears and her almost-engagement to Coll, Amelia-Rose is drawn to Niall, but knows that her parents will never accept the match.

Will Amelia-Rose and Niall find a way to be together despite her parents' objections, and compromise on a lifestyle and place to live that will make both of them happy?  The answer, of course, is yes, but the journey is filled with twists and turns that will keep the reader turning pages quickly.  Both of the main characters are incredibly well-developed and likeable, as are the secondary characters, particularly Niall's brothers, who will presumably be featured in future books in this series.  I also appreciated the humorous moments in the story, particularly those involving Rory the deer. 

Overall, "It's Getting Scot in Here" was a 5-star read for me, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

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

 Check out an excerpt of "It's Getting Scot in Here"!

Review: Lady Derring Takes a Lover

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Julie Anne Long's recent contemporary efforts have been excellent, but I'm so glad she's back to writing historicals because "Lady Derring Takes a Lover" was a delight! I loved everything about this book, from the well-developed and likeable hero and heroine to the scene-stealing secondary characters and the unique setting in a boardinghouse near the River Thames. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the hero, Captain Tristan Hardy, wasn't a typical Regency aristocrat. I am a big fan of books featuring non-traditional heroes, and Captain Hardy was one of the best I've read in some time. He was a completely self-made man, having been born in the slums of St. Giles and rising through the ranks of the Royal Navy to become commander of the King's blockade. He was by nature a rather taciturn fellow, but when he did choose to speak, it was often with a dry humor that made me chuckle several times over the course of the book.

Delilah, Lady Derring, was a terrific female lead and foil for Captain Hardy. I loved her determination to stand on her own without relying on a man for support after her husband's death, and the friendship she developed with Angelique along the way was lovely. I look forward to reading Angelique's story in a future book of this series!

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

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Review: Wicked Temptations for the Seduced Duchess

Wicked Temptations for the Seduced Duchess by Olivia Bennet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was well-written, especially for a debut novel. The main characters, Lydia and Edward, were nicely developed and generally likeable. I also enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters, particularly Lydia's sisters Caroline and Mary, who were fun and added a bit of lightness and humor to what otherwise could have been a very dark story. In addition, the plot was action-packed and engaging, and the central mystery kept me guessing all the way to the end.

That being said, Lydia and Edward seemed to fall in love somewhat too quickly for my comfort. They were exchanging "I love yous" not even 1/3 of the way through the book. They didn't really know each other at all (and for that matter, Edward didn't even know himself at that point!). How could they possibly be in love so soon? I am not a fan of the "insta-love" trope, and this felt very much like "insta-love" to me. However, this is a historical and attitudes toward attraction and sex were very different than they are today; maybe Lydia and Edward just didn't know another way to express their feelings besides "love." Also, they got to know each other much better as the story progressed, so I was comfortable with the state of their relationship by the end of the book.

Also, there were a few historical details that weren't quite right, but nothing that can't be easily remedied before the next book. For example, there seems to be some confusion between a "valet" and a "footman." A "valet," otherwise known as a "gentleman's gentleman," was responsible for performing personal tasks such as shaving or assistance with bathing, caring for a gentleman's wardrobe, etc. Footmen were tasked with fetching and carrying things, heavy lifting, etc. A household might have employed multiple footmen, but likely only one valet (unless there was more than one gentleman in residence, and they each desired their own personal valet/manservant).

In any event, this was a promising debut and I look forward to reading future books by Ms. Bennet.

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

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Review: I Owe You One

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, but for some reason I found it more difficult to get into than Ms. Kinsella's previous books. I think at first I was kind of annoyed by Fixie's inability to stand up for herself, or even to recognize that she should be standing up for herself. It was nice to see her finally grow up and realize that she didn't have to be her family's (or Ryan's) doormat. Also, the "do-over" ending with Sebastian was very sweet.

Overall, not one of my favorites by Kinsella, but still an OK read.

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

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Review: Mr. Hunt, I Presume

Mr. Hunt, I Presume by Valerie Bowman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Mr. Hunt, I Presume" was a short, sweet addition to Valerie Bowman's Playful Brides series. I have read some, but not all, of the previous books in the series, and enjoyed each of them very much. While it includes a few characters from previous books, this story stands well on its own.

Even though this was a novella, both of the main characters were well-developed. General Collin Hunt is a respected Home Office official who has become a workaholic to try and forget the young lady he loved years ago, but gave up under pressure from her family. Miss Erienne Stone, the lady Collin once loved, became a governess instead of bowing to her family's pressure to marry a man she didn't love, but now feels guilty because that decision contributed to her family's current difficult financial situation and inability to pay for the surgery her injured soldier brother desperately needs. They find each other again when Erienne accepts a position as governess to Collin's brother and sister-in-law's young children. They fight their feelings for each other, of course, but come to realize that they are meant to be together (with a bit of help from Lucy, Collin's sister-in-law and matchmaker extraordinaire).

The one (small) thing that I didn't like about the novella is that while Erienne's mother's role in their parting as young lovers is addressed, her father's role is not. He wrote Collin a letter asking him to break things off with Erienne so that she could marry someone more "suitable." However, Collin never told Erienne about that letter, and it seems that Erienne continues to believe that Collin broke things off with her because he was choosing his career over their relationship. Erienne deserves to know the whole truth and that Collin didn't give her up because he was being selfish, but because he thought he was giving her the chance at a better life than he could have offered her at the time.

Other than that, I very much enjoyed this story and look forward to the next (final?) installment in the Playful Brides series.

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

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Review: The Military Wife

The Military Wife by Laura Trentham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed "The Military Wife." The characters were well-developed and sympathetic, and I found it easy to root for them as they faced up to their struggles and tried to create new lives for themselves in the wake of tragedy. As someone with several friends and family members in the military (or with spouses in the military), I applaud the author's efforts to highlight the difficulties these families face, especially the impact of PTSD not just on the soldier, but the entire family. Also, the difficulties military spouses face in finding jobs is very real. The increase in telework and home-based business has helped a lot in this regard, but it was nice to see another idea presented for how military spouses may contribute if they wish to work outside the home.

As far as the romance between Harper and Bennett, I really appreciated the realistic conflict they faced in coming to terms with the "ghost" of Noah between them. I also very much appreciated the fact that the author didn't feel the need to tear Noah down in order to make Bennett look better by comparison. (I've read too many books lately where a "big secret" was revealed about the deceased spouse that suddenly made them seem like a terrible person, especially in comparison with the prospective new spouse.) It's possible to love more than one person over the course of a lifetime, and my personal belief is that a truly loving spouse would want his or her partner to be happy after they're gone. I think Noah would have been glad to know that Harper and Bennett found each other, and that his son has a loving stepfather who will make sure that he grows up to be an honorable man like his father.

I look forward to the next book in this series!

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

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Review: Katie's Highlander

Katie's Highlander by Maeve Greyson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This is a tough review for me to write because I really, really wanted to like this book. In general, I love time travel romances, and I am always looking for good ones to fill in the gaps between Lynn Kurland's releases. Unfortunately, "Katie's Highlander" was not one of the good ones in my opinion. I struggled to finish this book. If I hadn't gotten it from NetGalley and committed to writing a review, I would have DNF'd it. But instead, I persevered, and to be honest, I wish I hadn't wasted my time.

First, a couple of positive things about the book. Even though it's the third book in a series, it stands well on its own. The author did a good job of setting the stage at the beginning so that I didn't feel lost even though I hadn't read the first two books in the series. In addition, the setup for the time travel is very creative. In most of the time travel books I've read, it seems like the characters are just flung through time at random and never figure out why or how it happens. In this case, it actually serves a purpose: the protection of the Heartstone, which in this world is the source of all of humanity's love and hope. It's kind of cool to think about there being Highland Protectors out there fighting to keep those things alive for us, especially in this day and age when we hear about so much bad in the world.

Unfortunately, the things I didn't like about the book far outweighed the good. Most importantly, I didn't like Katie, the female main character, at all. She consistently came across as a spoiled shrew who threw temper tantrum after temper tantrum and treated the people around her like dirt. I couldn't figure out what Ramsay, the male lead, saw in her that was lovable. And speaking of love, the development of the relationship between Katie and Ramsay was basically nonexistent. About halfway through the book, shortly after they have traveled back in time, Ramsay basically just looks at Katie and thinks, "I love her and have to have her because she's so spirited!" By the way, this happens while Katie is in the middle of one of her tantrums and is actually threatening to kill Ramsay. She throws a knife at him a minute later! I guess that could be considered "spirited," all right, but seriously, WTF?! For Katie's part, she decides that she's in "love" with Ramsay basically because they have hot sex. This totally seems like a relationship that is destined to last!

There were a number of other things about the plot that bothered me too, but it was actually the author's writing style that I found to be the bigger annoyance. For example, I lost count of how many times she used the word "snugged" or "snugging." (I didn't realize it before I read this book, but apparently, I hate that word like many people hate the word "moist." It sounds just like nails on a chalkboard to me. Obviously, that's a personal problem, but still, let's all remember that variety in word choice is a good thing!) I could have ignored it if the word had only been used once or twice, but it was used repeatedly. Ramsay "snugs" his belt against his hips. Katie "snugs" against a cairn of rocks or against Ramsay's chest. I'd just like to point out that there are other words - nestle, snuggle, press, tighten, secure, etc. Thesauruses (thesauri?) are our friends!

Bottom line: This book just wasn't for me. It had a lot of potential, and with better editing I think it actually could be quite good. But in its current state, I just can't recommend it.

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

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