BOOK REVIEW⎜Recap!

This review is brought to you by Camille, a.k.a “The Angry Reader“.
We seem to share a common taste for awesome books and blunt reviews. Check out her blog at The Angry Reader  where the motto is “Painfully Honest Book Reviews“!

Book Infos

Someone to Trust

Someone to Trust

During a rare white Christmas at Brambledean Court, the widow Elizabeth, Lady Overfield, defies convention by falling in love with a younger man in the latest novel in the Westcott series.

After her husband's passing, Elizabeth Overfield decides that she must enter into another suitable marriage. That, however, is the last thing on her mind when she meets Colin Handrich, Lord Hodges, at the Westcott Christmas house party. She simply enjoys his company as they listen to carolers on Christmas Eve, walk home from church together on Christmas morning, and engage in a spirited snowball fight in the afternoon. Both are surprised when their sled topples them into a snowbank and they end up sharing an unexpected kiss. They know there is no question of any relationship between them, for she is nine years older than he.

They return to London the following Season, both committed to finding other, more suitable matches. Still they agree to share one waltz at each ball they attend. This innocuous agreement proves to be one that will topple their worlds, as each dance steadily ensnares them in a romance that forces the two to question what they are willing to sacrifice for love. . . .

Relatively Normal

Catriona Masterton's fiancé, Ethan, is Normal.

He plans trips six months in advance and arrives at the airport a minimum of three hours early. He purchases life insurance, luggage insurance, and always opts for the extended warranty. He's responsible, reliable, and would make any woman a wonderful life partner.

In other words, he's the exact opposite of the Masterton clan.

Cat's mother has a kitchen gadget fetish, a father whose best friends are taxidermied field mice, and a super stoner man-child brother who lives--where else?--in the basement. Then there's Nan, her proud Scottish grandmother with a proclivity for profanity and mischief.

What on earth will Catriona's Normal fiancé think when he comes home with her to meet her parents? What will he think when he discovers his soon-to-be in-laws invited Cat's ex to join them for a holiday dinner?

Find out in a laugh-out-loud journey of self-discovery, familial pandemonium, and love. A must read for fans of a true romantic comedy!

My One and Only Duke

My One And Only Duke

A funny thing happened on the way to the gallows...
One minute, London banker Quinn Wentworth is facing execution. The next, he's declared the long-lost heir to a dukedom. Quinn has fought his way up from the vilest slums, and now he's ready to use every dirty trick he knows to find the enemy who schemed against him.

There was just one tiny problem...
Jane Winston, the widowed, pregnant daughter of a meddlesome prison preacher, crosses paths with Quinn in jail. Believing his days are numbered, Quinn offers Jane marriage as a way to guarantee her independence and provide for her child. Neither thinks they'll actually have a future together.

They were wrong.
He's a wealthy gutter rat out for vengeance. She's a minister's daughter who must turn a marriage of desperation into a proper ducal union. Are they doomed from the start or destined for a happily-ever-after?

The Angry Reader Reviews

RATING

A 4 star read in the usual Mary Balogh fashion. Characters that felt like real people with problems that you don’t generally find in romance books. Elizabeth and Colin are friends – related through marriage. They have a bit of a crush on one another, but both believe that the 9 years between them makes the other not attracted to them.

I thought it was frustrating in a fun way to watch Elizabeth and Colin each look for love while it was staring them in the face. The potential suitors and ladies were believable and interesting. You could see why Elizabeth/Colin would perhaps go for something easier rather than a relationship that felt like an uphill battle. I loved the natural progression of their attraction and how they ended up together.

There was a kind of slow subplot. And there are so many characters in this book – a commonality throughout this series. There must be 75 people in the Westcott family – and at some point over half of them trot through any book. It can be confusing and aggravating. I mostly gloss over the description of how the people are related, but I know that other readers can’t get over it.

I’ve ready plenty of Balogh before. You can check out my reviews. You’ll see that I find her a solid, comfortable and smart author with strong heroines and readable plot lines. This was no exception.

RATING

ARC received for an honest review.

This was much cuter and easier to read than I’d anticipated. It’s always hard to know what to expect from a book billed as “funny.” And while I didn’t laugh out loud while reading this I did thoroughly enjoy myself.

This book is something of a romance, but more of a journey. Our heroine is one place – mentally and physically – and she needs to be some place else. There’s no steam, a funny grandma, and mice wearing kilts. Honestly, I think that pretty much sums this up.

It could easily be read in one sitting, and I would have given it 4 stars had the timeline been different. I just thought things happened too quickly. Overall it’s mostly a 4 star read. If you’re in the mood for something light with a holiday vibe I can definitely recommend this easy little book.

RATING

I remain enthralled by Grace Burrowes’ low-key alpha males and interesting story lines. And I’m excited that she has a new series in the works!
Burrowes writes historical romance with an underlying practical streak that endears me to her characters one and all.

Quinn is a working man from York with an awful childhood who struggled mightily to make something of himself. Now he finds himself imprisoned and facing execution for a crime that he may not have committed. Jane is the daughter of a frenzied preacher. Her life motto is “don’t rock the boat.”

Quinn’s family needs to be set to rights, and Quinn needs to decide what’s important – his future or his past. At times the writing felt uneven. And Burrowes’ stories are always pragmatic enough to not dredge into the stronger emotions. However, there is something be said about a good honest story. And that’s what you get from Grace Burrowes again and again. She remains an author I will buy without even glancing at the back cover.

Author Bio & Links

MARY BALOGH

Mary Balogh is the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Slightly novels: Slightly Married, Slightly Wicked, Slightly Scandalous, Slightly Tempted, Slightly Sinful, and Slightly Dangerous, as well as the romances No Man’s Mistress, More than a Mistress, and One Night for Love. She is also the author of Simply Love, Simply Unforgettable, Simply Magic, and Simply Perfect, her dazzling quartet of novels set at Miss Martin’s School for Girls. A former teacher herself, she grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada.

WHITNEY DINEEN

While attending the University of Illinois in Chicago, Whitney Dineen was discovered by a local modeling agent and began an unexpected career as a plus-size Ford model. She modeled in New York City before moving to Los Angeles with her husband.

During “The Hollywood Years,” Whitney was bitten by the writing bug and started creating characters that are inspired by strong women with a great sense of humor. Her first romantic comedy, She Sins at Midnight, won a silver medal in the 2015 Reader’s Favorite awards. Her second, The Reinvention of Mimi Finnegan, is a finalist in the 2016 RONE Awards, won a silver medal at the 2016 Reader’s Favorite Awards and won Honorable Mention at the London Book Festival. Her third chick-lit book, Mimi Plus Two, was a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite Awards and a Runner-Up at the London Book Festival.

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

GRACE BURROWS

Grace Burrowes grew up in central Pennsylvania and is the sixth out of seven children. She discovered romance novels when in junior high (back when there was a such a thing), and has been reading them voraciously ever since. Grace has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a Bachelor of Music in Music History, (both from The Pennsylvania State University); a Master’s Degree in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University; and a Juris Doctor from The National Law Center at The George Washington University. Her debut novel, The Heir was chosen as a Publishers Weekly Top Five Romances for 2010, and is the first in an eight-sibling historical romance series published by Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Grace writes Georgian, Regency, Scottish Victorian and contemporary romances in both novella and novel lengths.

Your turn, say your piece :

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.