#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.

#219 (#17 of 2012) - Hope ~ Lesley Pearse

ISBN or e-book:

0-718-14707-3

Publisher:

Penguin

Main Characters:

Hope Renton and Dr Bennett Meadows

Brief Outline of Plot and Rating:

Somerset, 1836, and baby Hope is cast out from a world of privilege as living proof of her mother's adultery...Smuggled away from the Harveys and Briargate House to a nearby village, Hope grows up in the arms of the warm and loving Renton family, unaware of her true identity. But fate has harsh plans for Hope and a chain of events sees her forced to lead a vagabond's existence until she finds the courage to fight back and prove herself a fearless and able nurse, a vocation that takes her to the horrific battlefields of the Crimea. But the secrets of the past are not yet done with Hope Renton and she must return to England to face the legacy of her birth.


A completely magic piece of literature .... a 5+ star rating ... definitely not one to be missed.

#218 (#16) - This Wicked Gift (The Heart of Christmas) ~ Courtney Milan * NEW AUTHOR

PART OF A COLLABORATION  - THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS

ISBN / ebook:

978-0-26388942-0

Publisher:

Mills & Boon

Main Characters:

Lavinia Spencer and Mr William Q White

Brief outline of plot and rating:

Despite the fact that Lavinia has been saving hard to give her Family a lovely Christmas, her brother ruins it by stealing the hidden fund and also gets them into debt.  William Q White offers to settle the debt for them for one night with her.  Is that too high a price to pay?

A 3.5 star rating for this story in The Heart of Christmas collaboration.  I would certainly go on to read one of her full books.

Hugs

Kay

#217 (#15 of 2012) - The Season For Suitors (The Heart of Christmas) ~ Nicola Cornick

PART OF A COLLABORATION  - THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS

ISBN / ebook:

978-0-26388942-0

Publisher:

Mills & Boon

Main Characters:

Clarissa Davenport and Sebastian, Duke of Fleet

Brief outline of plot and rating:

When Clarrisa Davenport needs expert advice about avoing a Rake, she asks a Rake ... one Sebastian, Duke of Fleet, the most notorious rake in town.  But will Sebastian learn anything?

A 3.5 star rating for this story in The Heart of Christmas collaboration..

Hugs

Kay

#216 - (#14 of 2012) - A Handful of Gold (Heart of Christmas) ~ Mary Balogh

PART OF A COLLABORATION BOOK - HEART OF CHRISTMAS

ISBN / ebook:

978-0-26388942-0

Publisher:

Mills & Boon

Main Characters:

Julian Dare, Viscount Folingsby and Miss Verity Ewing

Brief outline of plot and rating:

Verity is a gentlewoman down on her luck and has to secretly work as actress, but tells her family that she is a paid companion to an old woman.

Julian takes a fancy to her, and offers her a vast amount of money to spend Christmas with him.  Will she do it?  Will her heart stay intact?

A 4 star rating for this lovely short story.

Hugs

Kay

#215 (#13 of 2012) - Gypsy ~ Lesley Pearse

ISBN or E-book:

978-0-718-15283-3

Publisher:

Penguin

Main Character(s):

Miss Beth Bolton, her Brother Sam, Jack the sharp-witted Londoner and Theo the gambling Aristocrat.

Rating and Brief Description:

Beth and Sam's Father hangs himself and after the death of their mother a short time later they are forced to make their own way in the world.

Eventually their travels take them by Sea to New York to see their fortune.  On the journey the encounter both Jack and Theo ..... two very different people.

Their journey takes them across America and Canada, eventually ending up in the Klondike Gold Fields .... Beth lives by her Fiddle and amazing talent ... they men live by their wits ..... all hoping that they will make their fortune.

A tale of endurance and trust ... but does it include love for Beth? A 4.5 star read, which after a faltering start I really enjoyed.

Hugs

Kay

#214 (#12 of 2012) A Precious Jewel ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN or E-book:

978-0-440-24463-9

Publisher:

Bantam

Main Characters:

Miss Priscilla Wentworth and Sir Gerald Stapleton

Rating and Brief Description:

Gentle Born Miss Priscilla is suddenly left alone and penniless and cast upon her cousin for support and protection, who has made it abundantly clear that he sees her more of a servant than a relative to be looked after.  When he also starts to make sexual advances Priscilla decides to seek out her old Governess, who it seems now runs a finishing school in London.

However, when Priscilla gets there she finds that it is not exactly a finishing school, rather a high end whorehouse.  She was given the opportunity to live with Miss Blythe and become her secretary or companion, but takes the enormous and irrevocable step of becoming one of the working girls.

Sir Gerald has no intention of getting married, or even keeping a mistress .... he'd rather visit Miss Blythe's establishment and pay for uncomplicated sex with the no emotional attachment required.

Unfortunately, after his first time with Priscilla he visits more and more often .... eventually deciding that perhaps she would do for a Mistress until he got tired of her .... perhaps for the time of the lease he's taken on the house he provides.

Is it possible to remain that detached, or does the heart always get in the way?

A lovely, and a slightly different story from Mary Balogh, which really merits a 4 star rating.  A nice tearful ending.

Hugs 

Kay

#213 (#11 of 2012) - Faro's Daughter ~ Georgette Heyer

ISBN or e-book:

978-0-09-946559-1

Publisher:

Arrow Books

Main Characters:

Miss Deborah Grantham and Mr Max Ravenscar

Brief outline of plot and rating:

Max is implored by his Aunt to rescue his young cousin from a thoroughly unsatisfactory passion he has developed for one Miss Deborah Grantham, who runs a Faro table in her Aunt's gaming house.

Max is on an entirely unromantic bent, and as tight as the proberbial duck's bottom, and decides that he would rather ruin her than pay her a groat.

Deborah has a temper, and although she has no intention of marrying the young Lord she is provoked beyond all measure by the high handed Max.

A battle royal begins, but will Max rescue his cousin, and will the protagonists come out heart whole?

After my last disastrous read this was a refreshing 4.5 star rating.

Kay

EPIC FAIL - The Scandal of the Season

ISBN or e-book:

978-0-701-18116-1

Publisher:

Chatto & Windus

Main Characters:

Alexander Pope (a poet)

Brief Outline of Plot and Rating:

A big fact Epic Fail from me - although my mother read it (struggling at first) and enjoyed it.  I've battled on for over a week, and decided that it merits the Epic Fail socre of -1.

The main character is one Alexander Pope (a poet), and whilst this is supposed to be a work of fiction I believe that it might be based on him .... forgive me author if that is not the case, but I'm unprepared to go on further to find out.  Not my style of content or actual writing style ... ponderous in the extreme and wholly unexciting.

Kay

#212 (#10 of 2012) - The Secret Mistress ~ Mary Balogh

picture




IBSN or ebook:

978-0-7499-5697-4

Publisher:

Piatkus


Main Characters:

Lady Angeline Dudley and Edward Ailsbury, Earl of Heyward

Brief outline of plot and rating:

Angeline's pedigree dictated that she land a title, but her heart dictated a kind heart in the one she wed.  Throw in a stolen kiss, a scoundrel and a man on honour that his set his heart on a long-term friend as his bride and you have a nice read on your hands.

Mary Balogh is one of my favourite authors, and this book lived up to expectations with a 4 star rating.

Kay

#211 (#9 of 2012) - The Woman from Browhead ~ Audrey Howard

IBSN or ebook:

978-0-749-3726-30-340-60704-1

Publisher:

Coronet

Main Characters:

Annie Abbott and Read Macauley

Brief outline of plot and rating:

I have in fact already read the sequel to this book, and so had an idea how it was likely to turn out - is that cheating?

I am happy to report that this book didn't disappoint in the amount of misery served up to the characters, and  also that the story was nicely finished off too - just how I like them.

A good solid 4 star read.

Kay

#210 (#8 of 2012) The Ideal Bride ~ Stephanie Laurens

IBSN or ebook:

978-0-749-3726-3

Publisher:

Piatkus


Main Characters:

Michael Anstruther-Weatherby and Caroline Sutcliffe

Brief outline of plot and rating:

Michael is a rising member of Parliament and needs a wife to be granted a place in the Cabinet.  He has his eye on the young daughter of the former Member of his Seat.

Unfortunately, when he returns to meet the young lady and ask for her hand, he comes into contact with her aunt Caroline (a former childhood friend).

Although what he doesn't know is that Caroline has been summoned by Elizabeth to help her put off Michael as she's already in love with a young man.

Caroline herself is a political hostess of note, but following her marriage to a man many years older than herself when she was 17 she is determined to enjoy her widowhood.

Will Michael realise that Elizabeth is not the girl for him?  More to the point if he does, will he persuade Caroline that he's the man for her?

Another enjoyable book, which scores 3.5 stars ..... incidentally, it took a bit of working out what the connection with Breckenridge was, as I'd missed this book originally!!

EPIC FAIL - Symphoney ~ Jude Morgan

I's not going to count this one, as in my opinion it was an epic fail.  I did try, but only managed about two chapters before I threw in the towel.  In my humble opinion it was over-written and boring.  Therefore a -1 score from me.

#209 (#7 of 2012) - Belle ~ Lesley Pearse *NEW AUTHOR*

ISBN or e-book:

978-0-718-15702-9

Publisher:

Penguin

Main Characters:

Belle and Jimmy

Brief outline of Plot:

Daughter of a well-know Abbess in Seven Dials, Belle is kidnapped after at the age of 15 after witnessing a murder.  The kidnapper sells her for a huge sum and she's taken to Paris to await her fate at a brothel that deals in under-age young virgins.  Eventually, she sold on again to New Orleans, but manages to find her way back home.

Rating and conclusion:

5+ - considering the subject I was worried that I wouldn't like this book, or would find it upsetting.  In actual fact it was so beautifully written that I have cleared the library of all the other books they had by this author.  Unfortunately, that didn't include the sequel to this book entitled Belle's War.

Take it as a must that you have to read this book.  The characters were well constructed and the whole issue of child prostitution was dealt with sympathetically.  I can highly recommend this one, and can't wait to read the sequel coming out soon called "The Promise"

Hugs

Kay

#208 (#6 of 2012) - To Distraction ~ Stephanie Laurens

ISBN or e-book:

978-0-7499-4043-0

Publisher:

Piatkus

Main Characters:

Deverell, Viscount Paignton and Phoebe Malleson

Brief outline of Plot:

Deverell is another Bastion Club member that needs a wife, desperately. He seeks advise from his Aunt who recommends just the girl and is dispatched off to a house party in the country to meet her, and finds his prey rather surprisingly in the library, buried in a book.

Bookish Phoebe is tempted to distraction by him, but marrying him isn't on her agenda .... in any case she has secret life that needs to stay hidden.

Rating and conclusion:

4.5 rating with Stephanie at her best - I can't believe that I had missed this Bastion Club book for so long .... I had actually thought that I'd read them all.

Hugs

Kay

#207 (#5 of 2012) - Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue ~ Stephanie Laurens

Book 1 of the Cynster Girls Trilogy

ISBN or e-book:

978-0-7499-5504-5

Publisher:

Piatkus

Main Characters:

Heather Cynster and Timothy Danvers, Viscount Breckenridge

Brief outline of Plot:

Like all the Cynster girls, Heather is looking for true love and somebody to really sweep her off her feet.  Determined that she won't find that in the usual haunts of genteel young ladies she decides to take matters into her own hands and attends a racy soiree.

No sooner than she arrives she's cornered by her nemesis, Breckenridge and ordered home.  On her way out to the carriage she's abducted.  Breckenridge is given no choice but to give chase .... but will he rescue her, and will they fall in love?

Rating and conclusion:

5 stars all the way.  Take time out to read the first 2 books in the trilogy .... I can't wait until the final book in is released on ebook later this month.

Hugs

Kay