Christmas Wishes by Barbara Metzger

Read For:
ROR Winter Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
SHE MADE A CHRISTMAS WISH FOR A CHARMING CAVALIER--AND MET THE MOST NOTORIOUS RAKE IN ENGLAND!

Though granddaughter to one of the ancient regime, Juneclaire Beaumont lived without complaint as a poor relation at Stanton Hall -- until a family crisis sent her packing. But the road to London was not smooth, and she was compelled to take shelter in a stable with a handsome, scowling stranger whose curricle had been held up. A delicate situation, although he behaved in a most gentlemanly fashion.

The ton, however, would never believe it of the lordly rakehell Satan St. Cloud! He would preserve this madcap beauty's reputation.... Damn it, for once duty would be pleasure!

But Juneclaire declined marriage solely for honor. She disappeared, leaving the imperious Earl of St. Cloud to spend the twelve days of Christmas on a neck-or-nothing ride to find her....


My Review:
charming  and funny Regency romance- with a "poor relation" storyline. 4 stars!

Teller of Tales by Laurel Ames

Read For:
ROR Winter Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
A GAME WITHOUT RULES
All of London knew Lord Raines as a charming rake and a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars who was no stranger to lush pleasures. Yet the disenchanted nobleman soon discovered that Jenner Page was more blatantly honest in her passions than anyone he had ever known. 
With boyish garb hiding her shattered past and shielding her against the future, Jenner Page had more freedom than most women could ever imagine --- and more loneliness than most could endure. Until the night the infamous Lacey Raines drew her into an outrageous life of impossible love . . .

My review:
While I give this author bonus props for using a rarely used storyline (girl in boy's garb),and trying to boldly use said storyline throughout the entire book, there was something "missing" in this book and I believe it was heart. The hero and heroine were very dysfunctional,"damaged" characters-which is normally a good building block to a fantastic story. Sadly, in this case, the two leads were to self centered in their own needs to ever "grow" from their damage. 

Finally, while it was also bold for the author to introduce a serious topic-rape-into the storyline, again it was too cavilerly done, and never really satisfactorily dealt with between any of the characters. Also, the author introduces a incident in the hero's background that almost put me off the book, and if it would have been introduced earlier in the story, I would have quit the book but I was already more than halfway through so I plodded on, though I could not enjoy the "hero" after this relevation. More shocking was how the heroine received this news, knowing she was an assault victim herself. It left a bad impression on the reader, to be sure. 

While the author's writing style is good enough that I'll try another of her books, I do not recommend this one. 
2.5 stars. 

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie

Read For:
ROR Winter Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
Beth Ackerley knows Lord Ian Mackenzie is mad. Only a madman would give a woman he had never met before a letter warning her not to wed her fiancé and then propose to her. Beth knows Ian is bad for her. One kiss from Ian, and Beth is prepared to give up her quiet new life as a widow and indulge in a scandalous affair with the sexy Scottish nobleman. But Beth knows that Ian is not dangerous. Even if everyone else in society might believe he is connected to the murder of two different women, Beth believes Ian is innocent, even if it means risking her life to prove her faith in him.


My Review:
I really like Jennifer Ashley. I've read several of her books, under Jennifer Ashley, and her other psuedonyms, and have enjoyed them. I  liked this book except for the amount of "relating" to each other the hero and heroine do via their sexual encounters. It seemed like the entire story was about the hero hiding the heroine away and having sex with her. I would have enjoyed learning more about their relationship outside the bedroom, their characters and the secondary characters. In my opinion, having any book filled with sex scenes as "filler" is the lazy writers out, and is disappointing because I know this author can do better.


That being said, I still enjoyed this book enough to give it four stars, but not five for missed opportunities. I'm still looking forward to reading the other characters stories though.

Lady Jane by Norma Lee Clark

Read For:
ROR Winter Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
IN A FEW SHORT YEARS THE LITTLE BACKSTAIRS MAID HAD BECOME A MOTHER, A WIDOW, AND AN HEIRESS TO A STAGGERING FORTUNE...

With her bright, sherry-brown eyes and her dazzling smile, little Jane Coombes was irresistible to men. This was her downfall. It caused her to lose her position as a maid in the prestigious household of the Montmorencys. It thrust her alone into the cold, cruel world.

But fortune gazed kindly on Jane. She was taken into the household of a gracious and forgiving woman whose son fell in love with Jane. She married him.

A few years later both son and mother died, and Jane was left not only with a fortune, but a title as well, Lady Payton. 

Now these become the weapons which little Jane Coombes will use to avenge herself on a world that had tried to destroy her.




My Review:
A very unusual Regency about a young maid, who through an extraordinary set of horrific but then wonderful circumstances, becomes a widowed Baroness. Story deals with some tough issues like rape, unwanted pregnancy, disabilities, and violence. Also, this book is much more explicit than most traditional Regencies, but I didn't consider it offensive.

 I'll be reading more from this author. 5 stars.

Enchanting Jenny by Zabrina Faire

Read For:
ROR Winter Challenge
RYOB Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge

Synopsis:
Fate decreed that Jenny must become the Comtesse de la Garde, but even the power of Fate could not make her love the Comte... Jenny said "No!" But everyone else insisted that this was the right marriage for Jenny. The Comte was the scion of a noble family, said Jenny's mother, pointing out that both Jenny's sisters' chances would improve when she became the Comtesse. The Comte agreed because his mother's secret plan to use Jenny's inheritance was irresistible. Even Jenny's clairvoyant grandmother declared it had to be... Only Jenny herself was opposed to the match. Only Jenny and the Comte's half-brother who viewed the marriage of convenience -- and Jenny -- with contempt.


My review:
second book I've read by this author. Was fairly good but not as good as this author's Lady Blue. These 70's Regencies are very "old school"-high drama, wilting females and machismo males, and nasty villains. 3 stars.

The Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh

Read For:
ROR Winter Challenge
RYOB Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge

Synopsis:
Although her father is determined that she marry a nobleman, Eleanor Transome, who thinks she loves the humble Mr. Wilfred, is forced instead to become betrothed to Lord Randolph Falloden, a man on the brink of ruin.


My Review:
Was an "average" Mary Balogh-which means it was better than most other authors but not one of her best. It was still very good though and had me misting up at the end:) 4 stars.

The Courtship of Izzy McCree by Ruth Langan

Read For:
Fall Reading Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
The Way To A Woman's Heart...
Isabella McCree wanted to be loved. So she traded her lonely Eastern existence for life in a mountain cabin w/ her rugged mail-order husband and his brood. But could she ever put her haunting secrets behind her and become a "real" wife?
Between raising four children and training wild stallions, Matt Prescott had no idea how to court a woman again. Especially not a shy beauty like Isabella. Yet when he looked into her blue-green eyes he saw strength--as well as pain that mirrored his own--and knew he'd somehow find the way to her heart.


My Review:

I like Langan's books-this one was a good one if you like sweet, family orientated stories. Isabella, the heroine, is disabled, an answers a letter from a man looking for a wife and mom to his four children. So she sells off everything she owns to go and marry him-but finds many surprises once she's there.

3.5 stars-a pretty good book.

A Dark And Stormy Night by Anne Stuart

Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
Harlequin Challenge
RYOB Challenge


Synopsis:
The man had secrets...

Blindsided by a hurricane, Katie Flynn was seeking shelter from the storm -- but all she found was a moody, broody recluse named O'Neal. Trapped with him in his house on a windswept cliff overlooking the wildly tossed sea, Katie tried to fight the feelings O'Neal awakened in her -- both of sensuality and fear. She began to suspect that something haunted the tall, gray-eyed man's domain, something more than the wicked servants or family ghosts... something strange that only O'Neal himself could reveal.


My Review:
Pretty good series/paranormal Romance by an old favorite. Loved the Irish and supernatural aspect of the story. 3.5 stars.

The Wild Marquis by Miranda Neville

Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:

The Marquis of Chase is not a reputable man.

He is notorious for his wretched morals and is never received in respectable houses. The ladies of the ton would never allow him in their drawing rooms . . . though they were more than willing to welcome him into their bedchambers. Ejected from his father's house at the age of sixteen, he now lives a life of wanton pleasure. So what could the Marquis of Chase possibly want with Juliana Merton, a lovely, perfectly upstanding shopkeeper with a mysterious past?

A moment's indiscretion?

A night's passion?

Or a lifetime of love?

Even the wildest rakes have their weaknesses . . .

My Review:

I loved this book! The characters are well fleshed out, three dimensional and not "cookie cutter". I love the concept of the storyline-of "bibliomania" a group of avid rare book collectors, their race to get the books they want, and what shocking secrets they learn along the way in relation to those books and their lives. Both the hero and heroine are "scarred" in one way or another-both being raised in very dysfunctional homes. That didn't stop them from being caring people. The love scenes are pretty hot-at least a "R" rating.

I recommend this book and look forward to more from this smart and savvy author. 5 stars!

Jack O'Lantern by Kathleen A. Shoesmith

Read For:
1000 Regency Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
In the year 1730, when Susanna, a penniless woman left alone by the death of her mother, learns of the existence of distant relative, she is overjoyed. She travels south to Silfleet, on the English coast, to locate the father she'd never known. But a killer lies waiting for her and it soon becomes very clear that she can trust no one, least of all her mysterious masked ally, the infamous smuggler Jack O'Lantern.


My Review:


First-I find it cute, that this "Ace Regency Romance (per it's cover) is in actuality, set in 1730, which I believe to be Georgian era. Secondly-dig that cover art! LOL


Finally, to the story-cute Georgian era Romance of a penniless girl who must move in with poor relations.They live in a village known for smuggling-where she meets and falls for the "Jack O' Lantern", a dashing smuggler. A "Scarlet Pimpernel" style story.


The "mystery" was fairly obvious and the typical "the heroine must be a-very young, b-very stupid, and c-very powerless" was a bit annoying but  most heroines written in these 1970's romances were this dumb. It was still enjoyable enough if you are in the mood for a short bit of sentimental fluff.
3 stars

A Wife For Warminster by Margaret Summerville

Read For:
RYOB Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge

Synopsis:
A Difficult Duty

At first it seemed that Miss Elizabeth Newmarch had found a perfect position as companion to wealthy, witty and kindly Lady Honora Trevor. But Elizabeth's new position soon became awkward in the extreme.

Honora was determined that her notorious nephew, the Earl of Warminster, enter into wedlock. And Elizabeth was enlisted to find a bride to make Warminster mend his wicked, wicked ways. 

How could Elizabeth induce a dazzling beauty like Lady Georgina Barley to wed Warminster? How could she possibly put this tender young innocent into his callous hands? And, more to the point, how could Elizabeth allow another woman to possess this libertine lord she wanted so desperately for herself..


My review:
Wonderfully witty "comedy of errors" Regency with a naval/yachting theme thrown in. My first Regency by this author but definitely not my last. This author knows how to write enjoyable secondary characters. Loved Aunt Honora and the gawky but gallant Jeremy Sherwood.  A little too quickly ended, otherwise it would have been a five star Regency. Still well worth a read to any fellow "traditional Regency" fan.
4 stars.

The Jewelled Snuff Box by Alice Chetwynd Ley

Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
RYOB Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge

Synopsis:
Jane Spencer Tarrant finds a half-dead man, victim of highwaymen, with amnesia and in possession of a jewel-encrusted box, the all-important key to a mystery.


My Review:
Good vintage Regency. Heroine is poor gentility who is working as a companion/governess. Hero is a gentleman she finds one night, on the side of the road, unconscious and with amnesia.


3.5 stars

Jane And The Unpleasantness At Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron

Read For:
Thriller/Suspense Challenge
Historical Fiction Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
For everyone who loves Jane Austen... a marvelously entertaining new series that turns the incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth!

On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband--a gentleman of mature years--is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune ... as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery--and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords--a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.


My Review:
I enjoyed this historical mystery featuring Jane Austen (pre any of her books being published) as the sleuth and plan to read the others in the series. A great mystery for those who love the Regency era.
4 stars.

The Runaway Princess by Christina Dodd

Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
MASQUERADE

English orphan Miss Evangeline Scoffield has spent her life contenting herself with dreams. But with an unforeseen inheritance, she can afford one perfect summer--a summer she will spend the rest of her life remembering. She buys herself expensive clothes, travels abroad, and presents herself as a lady of mystery.

MARRIAGE

But she quickly discovers her mistake, for a darkly handsome man appears at her bedroom door, claiming to be a Crown Prince--and her fiance.

OR THE EVER AFTER OF HER DREAMS?

One look into her eyes, and the prince recognizes her. She is his betrothed, the runaway Princess of Serephina. All her denials cannot change that, or alter the passion that burgeons between them. To fulfill their destinies, the prince will do anything--abduct her, coerce her, or, best of all, seduce his reluctant bride into his royal world of peril, promise and passion.


My Review:
Overall, it's about a three. There was pretty much nothing about this book that "grabbed" me. It was entertaining enough, though not anything special. It's definitely a fantasy Romance and as such be prepared for implausibilities galore. Characters were too one dimensional.


2.5 to 3 stars.

Out Of The Common Way by Melissa Lynn Jones

Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
WHAT THE RAKE NEEDED WAS A WIFE. AND SHE WAS JUST THE MISS TO MARRY HIM OFF!

Tall as a gatepost, with hair that put carrots to shame, Cecilia wasn't waiting for love. But neither would she marry without it, as her loathsome guardians insisted she must. Her solution: escape to London and into the very comfortable employment of the dowager duchess of Kelthorpe.

Yet the sight of her employer's dashing grandson sent a shock of recognition through Cecilia's fluttering heart. Wasn't this the Major Trelwyn who had once mistaken her for a lightskirt? It had been an embarrassing case of mistaken identity that had ended in a practical joke--at his expense!

The only way to avoid the man, and keep her present position intact, was to find him a wife. There was but one problem. Cecilia was falling in love....


My Review:
A fairly good Regency, though a bit too heavy on descriptions instead of much needed interaction and dialog, which made this relatively short book read as a much longer one. The relationship between the H/H and other characters was well written though. Finally I loved the heroine's dog, a French Briard named Marpessa.


3 stars

Yesterday's Evil by Dorothy Daniels

Yesterday's Evil
Dorothy Daniels, 1979. 172 pages
Gothic Romantic Suspense
Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
 Thriller/Suspense Challenge
RYOB Challenge

Synopsis:
A TOWN OF GHOSTLY MEMORIES.

When an innocent man was lynched by the angry people of Arnetville, the local minister called down a devastating curse on his sinful parishioner's. And from that moment the town began slowly, frighteningly, mysteriously, to die . . . years later, lovely Adria Arnet return there as the new owner of the town were she had been born. Adria was determined to discover the truth about its terrifying past so she could start rebuilding Arnetville and reopen the nearby marble quarry. Yet in a to Meridee people only buy a half-crazed old woman, a drunken doctor, and the restless ghost of the dead, Adria found little to encourage her. And least not until a co-owner of the quarry, handsome Owen Sloan, fell in love with Adria and eagerly agreed to help her with her plans. But Adria and Owen couldn't foresee what misfortune awaited those who attempted to stir up long-buried secrets. Nor did they dream of the evil that would soon in danger both their love and their lives. . .


My Review:
Set in Victorian or Edwardian times, Yesterday's Evil was a pretty entertaining old Gothic mystery. Full of "Gothic" treats like an abandoned quarry town, curses, tragedies, unexplained deaths and other things that go bump in the night. The mystery was good enough that I didn't figure out who the villain was and the romance was sweet albeit sappy. 3.5 stars.

A Spirited Romance by Alana Clayton

Read For:
RYOB Challenge
ROR Summer Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge
Countdown Challenge

Synopsis:
WILL THE SEARCH FOR SPIRITS TURN OF LOVE INSTEAD?

Clearing Ellery Lawford, Lord Trent's country home, of ghosts is just another job for Miss Vanessa Grayson. After all, her ability to communicate with spirits is her only means of income--and with her missing sister's infant left in her care, she needs funds post haste. But the task at hand is more complicated than usual, because Trent's soon-to-be fiancee seems to be inventing menacing spirits everywhere. Even more disturbing is the fact that Vanessa finds the young nobleman dangerously appealing. 

Lord Trent can't believe that skittish, demanding Cornelia Burnett is the woman he is about to marry--especially with level-headed and inexpressibly pretty Miss Grayson in attendance. But can he trust his attraction to a woman who talks to the dead? A woman whom he suspects might be linked with a nefarious London club and his own brother's disappearance? When the tangled threads of proof become a frustrating knot, Trent knows that he needs Vanessa's help to sort out the whole mess--almost as much as he wants the lovely spiritualist's love.


My Review:


A Spirited Romance is one of these storylines where a mystery keeps the hero and heroine from being entirely truthful with each other for a period of time. While that in itself is not a problem, the duration the "misunderstandings" go on can make or break the book for me. In this books case, they went on far too long, pretty much the entire book till the last 5-10 pages. Because of the misunderstandings, the hero thought all sorts of bad things about the heroine-from being a fake, to being a member of the Hellfire Club, to having a child out of wedlock and involvement in his brother's disappearance. All this was concluded in those ten pages WAY too conveniently , and the heroine just blithely accepts his apology. How are we supposed to feel any romance for a guy who pretty much thinks the worst of the heroine the entire book?


Finally-for a book that was supposed to be about a "ghost whisperer", that takes place way too little in the book as well.


I'd give this book 3 stars, but wouldn't recommend it.

The Falcon And The Flower by Virginia Henley

The Falcon And The Flower
Virginia Henley
Medieval Romance, 470 pages

Read For:
Historical Fiction Challenge
ROR Summer Challenge
RYOB Challenge
What's In A Name Challenge 3

Synopsis:
Promised to him in marriage, she vowed not to surrender her body or her soul.

AN ANGEL WITH HELLFIRE IN HER HEART

Astride her white palfrey, surrounded by a nimbus of silver-blonde hair, Jasmine was a vision to strike a man mute with desire. But the violet-eyed love child of King Richard's half brother had vowed that no man would ever rule her heart. Until she saw the face of the Devil himself in her crystal ball -- the dark, brooding knight who would kill to make her his own. She would risk a dissolute court and a maddened, lustful king to keep destiny at bay, anything to keep her from the hypnotic eyes and burning caresses of... THE FALCON

A BLACK KNIGHT WHO VOWED TO MAKE HER HIS WIFE

A wickedly handsome warrior who lived by blood and the sword, Falcon de Burgh wanted to wed no woman -- until he laid eyes on the exquisite Jasmine, and he vowed to possess her, to teach her all the wondrous ways a man could love a woman, no matter what it might take to conquer her fiery, unyielding heart. Falcon knew only blind, reckless passion as he swore to tame, at the risk of his life... THE FLOWER.


My Review:


A great old school"bodice ripper" 80's historical romance. The hero, Falcon, is way alpha male and the heroine, Jasmine, is pretty much a stubborn twit who continually gets into scrapes that the hero must rescue her from. All that being said-the back story of King John and the machinations of his court were such that the book was still quite enjoyable.


This book would have been 5 stars if not for the stupidity, stubbornness, and just plain bit@hiness of the heroine. The book constantly goes on about her "exquisite, flaxen beauty" and the heroine uses that to manipulate most around her. The most unusual, and implausible thing, is that, even though Jasmine is supposedly a skilled white witch, she has virtually no knowledge of the marriage act and is literally terrified of bedroom relations for over two thirds of the book? She actually cringes when the hero touches her! The hero is crazy about her but at several points he wonders why he puts up with her abuse.


 And yes-he does strike her a couple of times in the book-after her selfish antics put many others in jeopardy and in one instance almost get a man killed. While I don't at all support violence-this heroine was SOO selfish and mean spirited she almost makes ME want to slap her-LOL!


 I give props to Virginia Henley's writing that she can make two leads who are VERY unlikable but still weave an interesting story in spite of them. This is my first Virginia Henley and I hope that most of her heroines are not dingbats like Jasmine, if so I'll skip those books as she is cringe worthy.


3.5 stars.

Belinda Goes To Bath by Marion Chesney

Belinda Goes To Bath
Marion Chesney
Regency, 1991, 155 pages

Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
RYOB Challenge
1000 Regency Challenge

Synopsis:
The delightful Miss Pym returns to the English countryside in search of adventure and romance in distress.

With her infallible wisdom and charming demeanor she corn steer even the most misguided of hearts back on course!

No sooner does Miss Pym board her next stagecoach than she finds herself embroiled in the plight of Miss Belinda Earle, a spirited heiress banished to Bath after swearing off the marriage mart!

When the coach founders near Baddell Castle, and the dashing Marquess of Frenton comes to the rescue, Miss Pym decides to give fate a hand! Although the austere bachelor disdains romance, his furtive glances toward Belinda prove to Miss Pym that her expert matchmaking will soon turn this star-crossed couple into a heavenly match!


My Review:
Belinda Goes To Bath is another great installment in The Travelling Matchmaker series. It's fun to see Miss Hannah Pym, the 30 something former servant, who, after inheriting  a modest income from her deceased employer, goes on her dream travel, via the stage coach all about England.


In this installment, Miss Pym's fellow rider that she takes under her wing is Belinda, who is forced to ride the coach, with her companion, to Bath, to cover up a "scandal". After a coach accident, the coach riders are forced to house at the hero's home, the Marquess of Frenton. A series of comedy of errors, scandals, and machinations develop-keeping the hero and heroine apart and Miss Pym on her toes.


4 stars-recommended.

Irish Enchantment by Kathryn Fox, Candace McCarthy, and Jean Wilson

Read For:
ROR Summer Challenge
RYOB Challenge
Synopsis:

Three stories explore the magic and mystery of a land steeped in legend and lore . . .

Irish Enchantment, an anthology written by the following authors:

1. Kathryn Fox - "Irish Roses."
   A stranger appears at the door of an English woman and tries to convince her that their destinies are entwined . . .
2. Candace McCarthy - "The Bride Price."
   A newly married couple let pride keep them from admitting their deep love for each other . . .
3. Jean Wilson - "Irish Wildfire."
   Sparks fly as a spirited Irish patriot kidnaps an English nobleman to ransom a magical harp . . .

My Review:
Three Irish Historical Romance stories. 
Kathryn Fox's Irish Roses was the best-5 stars. 
Candace McCarthy's story was not good, I quit it forty pages from the end. 
Jean Wilson's story was very good at first but the heroine turned a bit "TSTL" at the end, so I give it 3 stars. 
Overall, I give Irish Enchantment 3 stars.