#153 (#89) - Lord of Scandal ~ Nicola Cornick

ISBN: 978-0-263-86586-8


Catherine Fenton is an heiress worth £80,000 and caught in a gilded cage, she is engaged to man she hates and surrounded by a cold and dis-functional family.

Benjamin, Lord Hawksmoor is a rake, scandalous, seductive and a notorious fortune-hunter.

Having kissed the woman of his dreams he will stop at nothing to make her his own, but will Caroline find his as hard to resist as the other women do, and will he rescue her?

A 4 star read, with an enjoyable story line, nothing to irritate or annoy in this tale.

Kay

Not bad going - REVISED

I've got one more book on my desk that I need to add, plus another from my Kindle that I finished an age ago and not found the time to write it down.

By my reckoning that should be 154 *EDIT THAT TO 155  158* since I started keeping track last September ... not bad going at all.  I might even be able to squeeze in another read, but am running low on suitable material.  I've just started the Wax Fruits trilogy .... but only a few pages in it's very hard going, so it is debatable if I will stay the course of that one.

I'm pretty sure I have a fair few others to read on my Kindle, and I know my mother has some on hers I've haven't read as well - we inter-change them to read what the other has which is most convenient I think you will find.

Kay

#152 (#88) - Black Sheep ~ Georgette Heyer

ISBN: 978-0-09-946803-5

Miss Heyer it seems likes the name Miles for a Hero, as this book also has a Miles - this time Miles Calverleigh .... recently returned from India after a couple of decades of banishment.  Apropos of  nothing Miles is also my daughter's choice of name in the future.

Our Heroine is a Miss Abigail Wendover, Abby to most people, as she hates "Abigail" with a vengeance - puts her in mind of maid servants!!

Eight and twenty Miss Wendover has been away for quite a few weeks from her home in Bath leaving her older spinster sister (Selina) in charge of their orphaned niece, Fanny.  Who is a sweet, beguiling and beautiful heiress.

Whilst Abby has been aware another Calverleigh, Stacy, has insinuated himself into Miss Selina's good books, and persuaded Fanny that she is in love with him.  Mr Stacy Calverleigh, younger than his uncle by some years, but the head of the family is a damn loose fish of the first order, and with pockets to let into the bargain.

Reliably informed by her brother that he would never countenance such an alliance, and aware that Fanny can be headstrong, Abby has to untangle the whole mess and get her niece away from the undesirable Stacy Calverleigh unmarried and as heart-whole as possible.

Miles comes to Bath to deliver the son of a friend into the safekeeping of his doting Mama, and happens upon the whole situation quite by accident.  Having never met his nephew, and having no dutiful familiar feelings, will he walk away and leave poor Miss Abby to her own devices?

A 5 star read, again I have read it so many times, but it never gets old.

Kay

#151 ~ The Unknown Ajax

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars












I'm not certain exactly how many times I have read this book before, but certainly 3 or 4 at a conservative estimate ... still a 4 star read though.

Miles Darracott is summoned to the home of his paternal grandfather, Lord Darracott, as due to an tragic accident he is now the heir. He's never met his family as the marriage of his parents was not acknowledged .... in fact Lord Darracott refers to his grandson as that weaver's brat. It seems that the rest of the family were unaware of the existence of Mile, so the whole meeting is going to prove to be dreadful.

The irascible and short-tempered Lord has not made matters any better with the family as he gives the impression that the "weaver's brat" is an uneducated clod who will bring disgrace to the name. He therefore requires his other grandsons to bring him up to snuff, and his grand-daughter Anthea to marry him to keep it in the family.

The unknown offspring arrives, and indeed is is as bad as they feared, Major Miles Darracott has a strong northern accent, and no idea how to go on. Anthea makes it clear from the start she has no intention of marrying him, and everybody else leaves him in no doubt that he hasn't the wit nor breeding to live up to the Darracott name and is most unwelcome.

Throw in a bit of smuggling and you've got the perfect tale .... oh and Miles ... proves them wrong on all levels and gets a full 4 stars.

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay.

#150 ~ Promises Lost

Promises Lost by Audrey Howard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars















A 3 Star score for this one, would have been a 3.5 score if it hadn't ended so abruptly - it seems quite a few of Ms Howard's books end that way ... almost as if she can't be bothered to finish them off properly, or she is told to cut them down a bit and goes for the red slash right at the end!

I'm hardly getting anytime to read, and thus even less time to review, so just to remind me this is the story of Sara Hamilton, youngest daughter of a country doctor (he is a gentleman, but has very little money) and Jack Andrews a navy who rescues Sara and her sister Alice from a gang of rough railway workers on the randy.

He gets beaten near to death for his pains, and Sara and her father nurse him back to health. Having fallen love with her he sets off once recovered determined to make something of his life and prove to the Doctor that he is worthy of Sara.

Meanwhile the Doctor dies and leaves his daughters penniless and homeless, and Alice is driven by the need to get her sister away from, as she sees it the lowering influence of Jack. She decides the girls shall go to Liverpool so that he will never be able to find them.

Will the girls find a home, and work, will Jack ever find Sara or will she settle for another man?

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#149 ~ Devil in Winter * RE-READ

Book 3 of the Wallflower series

Nothing more to add about this one, as it wasn't that long ago that I actually read it....but Mum had it sitting around so I just fancied dipping back in. For the original post CLICK HERE.

#148 ~ The Convenient Marriage

The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars













Actually, this is a re-read (many times over) of one of my favourite authors.

I won't bore you with it, but suffice to say it's a 3.5 star read about 17 year old Honoria Winwood, who offers herself in marriage to Marcus, Earl of Rule (he's in his mid 30's) so that her sister can marry the man she's in love with. It's a convenient agreement, in that Honoria promises not to interfere with what Marcus gets up to ... only problem is they both end up in love!!

There is no way I could go down to 3 stars, so have rounded it up for Amazon and Good Reads.

Buy it from Amazon HERE.

Happy Reading.

Hugs

Kay

#147 ~ No Man's Mistress

No Man's Mistress by Mary Balogh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars












Mistress Trilolgy #


The Duke's brother, Lord Ferdinand Dudley wins a house in a card game, and hies off to have a look around....stopping only briefly the day before to have a fit of sport at the village fair and a stolen kiss with a country miss.

Unfortunately, when he arrives at his newly acquired property he finds he has a sitting tenant, Viola Thornhill ... who maintains that the deceased Earl of Bamber had left her the property in his will .... she refuses to leave and so does Ferdinand .... who's in the right?

Some nice little funny bits in this one, and a lovely all round story. Too good for 3 stars, so awarded four, but in reality it's a 3.5 star read.

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#146 ~ More than a Mistress

More Than a Mistress by Mary Balogh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars













Mistress Trilogy #1




Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham takes himself a Mistress after she gets him shot in the leg during a duel, but will he come to love the Jane Ingleby or marry Lady Sara Illingsworth? Who is Lady Sara anyway?

A case of mixed or mistaken identify, for this well rounded Regency Romance ... near a 3.5 star read, but have upgraded to 4 as it was better than a three.

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Happy Reading.

Hugs

Kay

#145 ~ Don't Tempt Me

Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase

My rating: 4 of 5 stars













Fallen Women Series #2



Zoe Lexham, daughter of Lord Lexham, had always been a bolter, but at the age of 12 that was her undoing ... a maid sold her into white slavery in Egypt by convincing everyone that she had simply run away ... and of course, with Zoe's history she was believed.

12 years later Zoe manges to outwit her captives and return to England to her family, however Lucien de Grey, Duke of Marchmont who is a close family friend is determined to prove that she is an imposter.

Although as soon as he sets eyes on her, realises that it is the very same Zoe Octavia that drove him to distraction when he was a young boy.

As you can imagine Zoe's reputation, and thereby her family's is now standing in tatters, and she is being hailed as the "Harem Girl" in the press. Lucien therefore takes on the task of making her respectable and accepted enough to be presented at Court, thanks to his title and friendship with the Royal Family.

He's the most popular bachelor in the Beau Monde, but can he pull it off and remain heart whole?

By at Amazon HERE.

Happy Reading.

Kay

#144 ~ A Lady of His Own

A Lady of His Own by Stephanie Laurens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars












Bastion Club Series #3



I really don't have any time at the moment, as I'm busy doing a really big stamp order and still have a long way to go ... so this is just a quick rating and brief outline of the characters (more for my own benefit than any one else!).

After years as a spy in France Charles St Austell, Earl of Lostwithiel, returns to London and launches himself on to the marriage mart .... however he is quickly disillusioned by the sweet young misses and their mamas, and hies back off to Cornwall to work on a case for Dalziel.

Before he went into the army he had had spent an unforgettable afternoon with his childhood friend, Lady Penelope Selbourne, which has haunted him ever since.

His return finds Penelope still unmarried, and her mind has told her she wants nothing more to do with him ... her body on the other hand has very different ideas.

Will they get it together? ............ find out in this 4 star read.

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Happy Reading

Kay

Not much time to read at the moment

plus the Audrey Howard books that I've just finished take up quite a bit of time .... they are long .... still a Loretta Chase double to look forward to next I believe, and a whole stack of others waiting in the wings .... a nice Winter's day snuggled up to read them all would be good!!

#143 ~ All The Dear Faces

All The Dear Faces by Audrey Howard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars















The 3 Star sequel to Ambitions. What was a bit disappointing about this one is that it missed a generation .... and we were left wondering about the early life of Sean (James) Osbourne and his marriage to the cold Serena.

However, the story of Lacy's grandchildren - Elizabeth who marries Sir Harry Woodall and James who marries Irish lovely Mara O'Shaunassey ....... plus thrown also into the mix is the passion between Elizabeth of Mara's brother. The disappointing aspect of this tale is the fact that it simply just ended in a most unsatisfactory way .... it's as if the author simply gives up, or is told to cut some of the story off .... maybe she intends to write a sequel ... who knows?

Buy at Amazon HERE.

Happy Reading

Hugs

Kay

#142 ~ Ambitions

Ambitions by Audrey Howard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
















Review taken from my Blog Post in July 2011, after I borrowed the book from the local library:

A 3.5 Star read .... the story of two very different woman who built a life and business together and who both fell in love with the same man ... obviously one one was lucky enough to win his love .... or was she?

Wealthy and upper crust Lacy Hemmingway, pampered daughter of Charles Hemmingway the shipping magnet witness the terrible death of one of her Father's Irish workers and then goes on to be-friend that man's daughter, Rosie O'Malley.

Together they go on to challenge the accepted way of doing things and build a business together, but with both woman in love with the same man, James Osbourne ...... how will it end?

Buy at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#141 ~ Reflections From The Past

Reflections from the Past by Audrey Howard



My rating: 4 of 5 stars












Abby Murphy and Roddy Baxter had always known they were in love, but this love was tested, ultimately to be torn apart over the coming years.

Returning from an illicit skating adventure an accident on that day, was to catalyst to the splintering of their young dreams.

The death of Richard Goodwin, forces his tyrannical father to recognise his son's illegitimate daughter, and Abby is forced from her poverty-stricken family and forbidden to see her childhood sweetheart, and trained to be a lady.

Bradley Goodwin is determined to see his bloodline continue, and having got rid of Roddy Baxter arranges for her to wed her Cousin, Noah Goodwin without her really understanding what is going on.

She finds herself trapped in a marriage, merely a possession, but she is determined that she bearing a steadfast passion for her first love.

Is there any escape? Will she ever be with her love, or come to realise that she has to make the best of her life as it has turned out, and make a happy and contented marriage?

Obviously.... you know what I will say .... you will need to read it to find out the answers for yourself - a 4 Star read though, and I am sure you will like it too. As usual from this author, well written with more than its fair share of human misery and torment - just how I like them.

Buy it from Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Kay

#140 ~ A Secret Affair

A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars














This proved to be a 5 Star read, and has now cleared up the questions that I had about Constantine Huxtable very nicely.

Through a twist of fate, and even though his parents were married, Constantine was not considered legitimate and the Earldom went to his handicapped brother Jonathan, who sadly died at the age of 16 - the Earldom then passed to a distant Cousin, Stephen and a feud began with his other Cousin the Duke of Moreland.

Meanwhile, the stunningly beautiful 19 year old Hannah Reid married the Duke of Dunbarton, who was elderly and lived a lot longer than anyone could predict. Throughout her marriage there were rumours of her persistent and flagrant affairs.

After a year of mourning, she arrives back in London for the Season at the age of thirty determined to live up to her reputation, and take a lover, but not just any old lover, the darkly handsome, delicious and dangerous Constantine.

Surely a Season's worth of fun with Constantine will do her good, and give her a chance the following Season to find the one thing the old Duke promised her she would eventually find .... the love of her life.

Secrets uncovered, and a love that neither of them were expecting makes this a highly readable tale.

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Kay

#139 ~ Scandal in Spring

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars














Reading this book, made me want to go back and re-read the other 3 .... a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read - 4.5 Star.

The last of the Wallflowers, Daisy Bowman, has been unable to garner a marriage proposal, and is told in no uncertain terms by her Father Thomas that is she can't snare one in short order, she will have to marry his choice - his apprentice, Matthew Swift.

Daisy is horrified ...... Matthew Swift is a cold, ruthless and aloof man whom she heartily dislikes.

On a visit to her Sister's country estate she re-meets Matthew and finds that he has an unexpected charm, and finds here self falling for him .... which turns into a blazing inferno of sensuality. Just when it seems that she will have a happy future after all a scandalous secret is uncovered that threatens the future that promises.

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Kay

#138 ~ Between Friends

Between Friends by Audrey Howard





My rating: 3 of 5 stars











Well worth a read and a 3 Star rating from me. Three friends - Martin Hunter, Tom Fraser and Megan Hughes prospects were vastly improved when they were taken from an orphanage at about 11 to work for the Cook, Mrs Whitley, of one of the emigrant Hotels in Liverpool owned by the Hemmingway Shipping line.

They blossomed, each to find their way eventually, but with the coming of the First World War their bright futures were brought to an abrupt end and threatened to separate them.

Over the years Meg had become more beautiful and alluring and both met fell in love with her. Having grown up with them, she loved them too, but in two very different ways.....she is also to bear the child on one of them. What will her choices be, and the decisions made and how will that effect them all?

Actually, now that I've read quite a few of these books I've noticed that the quite frequently the names of people like the Hemmingways, etc crop up across the them, but in a subtle round about way.

Buy at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Kay

#137 ~ Lady of Quality

Lady Of Quality by Georgette Heyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars














Old review for this book that I've had as a paperback for ages.

I've had this book of my book shelf since I was really very wet behind the ears, and it comes out every now and again for an airing - always delightful and easy to read - a 3.5 star read (or a 4 on Amazon or Good Reads).

In case you don't know vastly independent and spirited spinster, Miss Annis Wychwood (in her late 20's and almost considered an ape-leader now) sets up her own establishment, to which she is returning after a stay with her irritating brother when she comes across a gig with 2 very young persons stranded at the road side (Miss Carleton and Mr Elmore).

They have run away, or Miss Carleton has, Mr Elmore is merely assisting her - as she doesn't wish to be pushed into a marriage with him - presumably little thought has been given that they are actually facilitating a match by doing this!

Miss Wychwood takes up the young lady, leaving Mr Elmore to follow on later. Over the coming weeks Miss Carleton's Guardian ... the vastly ill-humoured and rude rake Oliver Carleton ........ becomes involved, as well as the delicate sensibilities of Miss Wychwood's companion and her brother.

What will be the outcome?

Buy at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#136 ~ How to Marry a Marquis ** RE-READ**

I have so little time for reading at the moment, so plumped for a re-read of one of my favourites, the story of Elizabeth Hotchkiss and James Sidwell, Marquis of Riverdale.

Enjoyable the second time around.  See the original post CLICK.

It got a 3 star rating last time, if anything I enjoyed it a little bit more this time, as some of the subtle humour was missed before and a 3.5 star rating this time.

Hugs

Kay