#228 (#26 of 2012) - A Hellion in Her Bed ~ Sabrina Jeffries

Book 2 - Hellions of Halstead Hall



ISBN or e-book:


Kindle


Publisher:


Kindle Book Store


Main Characters:


Lord Jarrett Sharpe and Miss Annabel Lake.


Brief outline of plot:


Jarrett's brother has recently fulfilled his part in their Grandmother's ultimatum to disinherit the entire load of them if they don't all marry within the year, and has also it seemed also fallen in love.


Which is something that Jarrett never intends to do after the tragic family accident that left both of his parents dead.


The inveterate gambler is handed an ace card though when his grandmother becomes ill, and he bargains his way out of her ultimatum by agreeing to manage her brewing empire.


However as a gambler he can't resist a wager with the lovely Miss Annabel Lake ... help with her India Brew and ailing family business if she wins, or a night in his bed if she loses.


The outcome sets off a chain of events and he discovers a darker side to her failing family business.  He also discovers more about the death of his parents.


Doe he find a way to help his other siblings still trapped in their grandmother's machinations, and more importantly does he find love?

***

Very nicely written, again with humour and nicely wrought characters.  The whole plot for the series is working along nicely.  By the way please have Lord Jarrett stripped, oiled and sent to my room .... delicious hero.


Rating:


I would go along with the 4.5 star rating for this follow on book.


Hugs


Kay

#227 (#25 of 2012) - The Truth About Lord Stoneville - Sabrina Jefferies *NEW AUTHOR

Book 1 - Hellions of Halstead Hall



ISBN or e-book:


Kindle


Publisher:


Kindle Book Store


Main Characters:


Lord Stoneville (Oliver Sharpe) and Miss Maria Butterfield with supporting roles from the Sharpe family and Maria's Cousin Freddy.


Brief outline of plot:


Having run up against his grandmother's Machavellian plot to ensure all 5 of her scandal ridden hellions' are married within a year or dis-inherited, Lord Stoneville is going about his dissolute life in a favoured brothel, when he becomes entangled with Maria.


Maria is an American heiress who must find he finance to gain her half of her late Father's inheritance, with only the protection of her half-witted cousin Freddy.


Under such circumstances can Oliver find a bride and overcome the tragic loss of his parents when he was a very young man.  Will Maria her missing mate, or mate with somebody entirely different?

***

It's the first time I have read any of her books and she kicked off the first of this series really well, with an enjoyable story and a touch of humour.  Obviously there are the slight grammatical differences between American English and Queen's English, but they are not too evident in her writing.  Neither are mentions of "blocks", we have streets, roads and lanes and therefore a piece of writing advising "...it was only a few blocks..." means absolutely nothing in England.  I am being a bit pedantic, but it is slightly off-putting, and therefore lovely to read non of that rubbish from her.


Rating:


Has to be a 4.5 star rating.


Hugs


Kay

#226 (#24 of 2012) - A Secret Love ~ Stephanie Laurens - RE-READ

This was a re-read - the conclusions can be found HERE.

Rating:

Before 20/10 this time round 5 star.

#225 (#23 of 2012) - The Ideal Wife ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN or e-book:


0-7278-4239-0


Publisher:


Severn House


Main Characters:


Miss Abigail Gardiner and Miles, Earl of Severn


Brief outline of plot:


The Earl told his friend Sir Gerald that if the plainest, dullest, most ordinary of females in all of England was placed in front of him that day he would marry her without further ado to avoid the pressure from his family and their ultimate pinnacle of his happiness, marriage to the beautiful Frances.


The next day, a distant family connection, Miss Abigail Gardiner calls on hm to ask for assistance finding a new position.


Viewing the plain and demure little brown mouse the Earl has a brainwave, and on the spur of the moment he offers her marriage by way of Special Licence 2 days later.


That being her only way out of her difficulty she accepts him.


However, almost from the minute they say "I do" the Earl finds that she is definitely not demure .... will it go horrendously wrong?

***

This book is a connecting story with A Precious Jewel about Sir Gerald Stapleton and Miss Priscilla Wentworth, and the whole things works in beautifully with it.  Mary Balogh always excels at doing that, and I would urge you to read them together - probably The Ideal Wife first and then A Precious Jewel.


Rating:


It has to be a 5 star rating for this book.


Hugs


Kay

#224 (#22 of 2012) - The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae ~ Stephanie Laurens

Third book in the Cynster Trilogy


ISBN or e-book:


978-0-7499-5509-0 and also as Kindle e-book


Publisher:


Piatkus


Main Characters:


Angelica Cynster and the elusive Dominic, Earl of Glencrae


Brief outline of plot and rating:


Running out of time the Earl comes back from the dead to take one final shot at capturing a Cynster sister and undertaking her ruin to save his clan.

***

I realise the above is not much of a description, but you really need to have read the two preceding books:  Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue and In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster.


I can guarantee you will love them just as much as I.


Rating for this one was a 4.5.


Hugs


Kay

#223 (#21 of 2012) - Stolen ~ Lesley Pearse

ISBN or e-book:


978-0-718-15285-7


Publisher:


Penguin


Main Characters:


Lottie Wainwright & David Mitchell


Brief outline of plot and rating:

When a beautiful blonde girl is found half-drowned on a beach, she has no memory of who she is or what horrors have left her there. But an article about her in a Brighton newspaper rings alarm bells for beautician, Dale, who shows the police photographs of Lotte Wainright. The girls met working on a cruise ship and their friendship blossomed as they sailed the seas of South America, until Lotte fell under the sinister influence of an older American couple. To her regret, Dale hasn't seen Lotte since leaving the ship months earlier ... but the girl on the beach - although badly bruised - is indeed her much missed friend.

Their reunion only marks the beginning of a dangerous tidal wave of secrets, lies and nightmares. Where has Lotte been? Who is the man who seems to want to kill her? And what has become of the baby she's recently given birth to?

Dale and Lotte must dig deep and find the strength to hold on against the odds if they are to rebuild their friendship and survive Lotte's stolen - and deadly - past.

Whilst it was a modder story, it was well worth the read  .... so well written, and I loved Lottie ... thank goodness the baddie got what was due.

Overall a 5 star rating.

#220-#222 (#18, #19 & #20 of 2012) - Where's My Hero - Collaboration

A COLLABORATION BOOK (3 stories):

Against the Odds ~ Lisa Kleypas
Midsummer's Knight - Kinley MacGregor
A Tale of Two Sisters ~ Julia Quinn

ISBN or ebook:

978-0-06-050524-0

Publisher:

Avon Romance

Brief Outline and Rating:

This is a collaboration about some of the sub-characters from various books, that needed their own story told.

I loved it as it had Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn men, not sso very keen on the Kinley MacGregor one, but it wasn't truly awful.

A 4 star read taken as a whole work.