Reviewed by Sandra Scholes

Just when she thinks everything is alright and the bad times are over, Ginny Blanchard finds that someone else wants to interfere in her life and the raising of her son. Her husband, Henry had died, and she for one is glad he did – he was a cruel man who delighted in hurting her and causing her unhappiness. Little did she know that this someone was Simon Webber, a cousin of the family who will act as a substitute father for her young son, Jack. He has been made trustee of her son’s inheritance and until he becomes of age, both her and her son will have to answer to him.

She wants more than anything to get rid of the man who invades her house, and will do all she can to make sure he has a very uncomfortable stay with her, or so she hopes. Harriet tries to make her understand that he might not be the sort of man who would hurt her, or cause her problems with her son – he might turn out to be a nice man who has her and her son’s interests at heart. Ginny doesn’t see it that way, though and wants to be left alone to live her life with her son and friends.

I found this story to have great characterization; Ginny is a woman who has been hurt all her life while being married to a cruel husband, so she expects every man she meets will be the same sort. She tries to come to terms with what has happened to her over the years, but she finds it hard to trust anyone now that she has the chance to go out into polite society and find another beau. The reader can get to understand why Ginny feels the way she does, and also get into Simon’s mind – even though he seems to mellow out once he is in her good company.

Simon is a no nonsense sort who doesn’t like to be kept waiting, so he doesn’t like Ginny when he first meets her, and who can blame him – after all, she doesn’t want him there. He is impatient, brusque and harsh at first, yet he is amazed at why she is so nasty to him when he arrives – he expected a teary widow, but she was something else entirely. He likes the look of her, and wonders why someone as beautiful as her is so bitter, but then he doesn’t know the whole story. He begins to like her company after a time, but he doesn’t dare tell his best friend, Adam that or he will make fun of him terribly.

It is more a case of if the two of them can settle their differences and come to an agreement, they can make a friendship in the house work, but I somehow think that even Ginny wants more than that.

The Desires of a Countess is a riveting read - it has a depth about it that makes readers want more from their heroes and heroines.

Rating:

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by Gabrielle Kimm, guest blogger and author of His Last Duchess

Thank you so much for inviting me onto your blog.  You ask about castles – I thought I’d tell you a bit about what I discovered when I went to Italy to research the locations for His Last Duchess.

I travelled to Ferrara with my sister, back in 2005, and we arrived in the city as dusk fell.  Despite the lateness of the hour, we simply couldn’t bear to wait until morning to go and find the Castello Estense, so, as soon as we had unpacked, we set out on foot, map in hand.   The Castello is situated right in the middle of the city, completely hemmed in by buildings, and you can’t see it from even quite a short distance away.  It came as a surprise – no, let’s be honest, a shock! - to walk down a narrow street, cross a busy road, turn a corner and be confronted with the enormous home of Alfonso d’Este, exactly as I had imagined it:  huge, eerily floodlit and sinister, surrounded by the black water of the moat.

We went back first thing next morning.

The Castello is big and red-brick, and square and bulky.  As it says in the novel, ‘the four great red towers ... [glower] down at the city like scowling sentries’.   It was built in 1385 as a moated fortress, and at that time it was much more squat and featureless than it is now.  The Renaissance generations opened windows in the walls, added turrets and built balustrades and other prettifications, hoping that it would stop looking like a fortress, and would resemble the palace they so wanted it to be.

But, to my mind at least, it didn’t work.  It still looks like a fortress - but a fortress with a few twiddly decorations on it, like a knight in armour with a lacy bonnet on.   The interior has been beautifully restored, and a large section of it is open to visitors (the rest is municipal offices, though  – how sadly boring!).  You cross a heavy drawbridge, and go through an archway into the central courtyard, then the tour - not guided, but directed, one-way traffic through the restored apartments - takes you through a number of wonderful rooms – above ground are the huge formal rooms, frescoed and gilded and gorgeous, and below are the red-brick kitchens and ... the dungeons.

These really freaked me out, I have to admit.  They are dark and louring, oppressive and depressing, each cell with a horrible iron door at least a foot thick.  The low, vaulted ceilings are covered in graffiti:  desperate ramblings written in candle-smoke by the poor unfortunate occupants of the cells.  I felt quite chilled.

The upper floors are no longer accessible to the public, though I’ll let you in on a secret ... I sneaked up a wonderful spiral staircase, desperate to get a peek of the rooms where Alfonso and Lucrezia’s bedchamber apartments might have been.  I felt very naughty – although there were no actual ‘No Entry’ signs, it was so obvious that this was out of bounds.  But up I went anyway, and I peeped through the first door I came to.  Oh, how disappointing!  It was full of filing cabinets!  On my way back down, I was met by a very dour, square, angry-looking museum attendant, but I just chattered cheerfully and apologetically to her in English, of which she understood not a word, and scurried off out of sight as soon as I could.

A day or so later, we drove down over the mountains to Cafaggiolo, the summer residence of the Medici, some ten miles north of Florence.  This place is so different to the Castello – it is low and golden and welcoming, set in acres of Tuscan countryside.  We haltingly explained to the attendant that we were going to understand almost nothing of his guided tour, and, much to our delight, he said he was happy for us to make our own way around the house.  The rooms here are large and low, with heavy beamed ceilings.  Huge windows let in the Tuscan sun, and everywhere feels light and bright and airy.  A nearby waterfall can be heard pretty much throughout the house – a lovely sound effect, I found.

I was entranced by the inner courtyard, where in the novel Lucrezia and Giovanni crouch on their balcony, watching Alfonso’s first entrance into the story.  And the Cafaggiolo kitchens had a homely feel to them, after the great red-brick vaults at the Castello.  You can really imagine them bustling with noise, full of steam and smoke, and the smells of roasting meat and stewing fruit.

History was very kind to me, I reckon.  If I could have picked two locations to suit my story, I could never have bettered the two castles where my central characters actually lived.  Lucrezia’s childhood home is sunny and golden and welcoming and utterly delightful – and she leaves this, full of trepidation, to take up residence in a great, heavy, red-brick fortress.   These two places were simply perfect for the purpose!

There are some more pictures on my website – www.gabriellekimm.co.uk/gallery

Thank you again for inviting me onto your blog – I do hope you enjoy the book!   xx

Buy: His Last Duchess

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This list of reasons is for the young miss of the Georgian, Regency, or Victorian era. Entering into matrimony is not a decision to be made lightly. While it is important that you make a good match, every young lady should choose her future husband with great care. Below I have compiled a list of pros on marrying an earl. The discerning young woman will note the state and accuracy of each of these points against the gentlemen she wishes to wed. Not every earl will have all ten points in his favor, some for instance can be greedy fortune hunters. However, this list is not made with those rapscallions in mind.

1. The rank.

Rank makes all the difference in the world. Do you see yourself as a countess? Would you be thrilled to be deferred to by one and all as the 'Right Honorable Countess of (insert blank)' or 'My Lady?' If so, then marrying an earl is for you!

2. The high society.

You are part of the le bon ton. Being readily established as part of the Upper Ten Thousand will gain you a lot of influence. You'll be rubbing shoulders with Britain's elite!

3. The wealth.

A countess can expect to be able to indulge in a little shopping with the pin money she receives quarterly. She need not worry about money at all unless she is mismanaging her household. That of course, would never do.

4. The clothes.

The clothes, the accessories, the hair styles and shoes... fashion in short, my dears, and being at it's height is marvelous! A countess would be looked upon to set trends and knowledgeable about everything that is all the rage.

5. The parties

All that divine dancing! Which is your favorite? The country dance, the cotillion, or the scotch reel? How about the quadrille or the more scandalous waltz? You will need plenty of dancing slippers but it would be worth it!

6. The servants.

A countess need not cook or clean or lift a finger she does not want to raise. She can devote her energies to more personal and rewarding tasks such as correspondence, reading, drawing, visiting and more.

7. The London townhouse.

A townhouse in the most fashionable part of London is the perfect place to host an assembly or fancy dinner party. Many a hostess will envy your accomplishments in presentation and decoration of your home.

8. The country estates.

When London gets to be too smoggy and the Season is not in full swing, a countess must have a place to retire. Her country estates are just such a location and their beautiful sprawling gardens are the icing on top of the cake.

9. The travel.

To see all the beautiful sights and sites of the world or England is a joy for any countess. Won’t all your friends be envious of your latest trip to Paris?

10. The earl.

The most wonderful thing about being a countess is the earl. Do you not agree ladies? He should be handsome, kind, well mannered, not marred by scandal, and good to his hired help. It wouldn't hurt if he liked children, old matrons, and dances at Almack's, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. He's bound to have a failing somewhere. Just remember to keep the pros of marriage to him in the front of your mind and you will be content indeed!

Photo Credits: http://www.weheartit.com/

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I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a fan of the love triangle for many reasons. The first and foremost reason is because I feel it's just a ploy by an author to fuel the angst and drama of a mediocre story. Haymore proves me wrong. She does not do this. The love triangle is a valid part of the plot and wholly integral with the storyline. She approaches the love triangle in a very unique manner. I don't want to spoil anyone, because it's so different than anything I've encountered before in my readings.

Another reason I have trouble with the love triangle situation is the waffling. I simply don't get it. I'm told this is because I haven't been in one and until I have triangles are hard to appreciate or sympathize with. If you're like me you probably think it's very black and white and very little gray. In my head, I know it's gray. I know that it is possible to love two people at once, but the Grinch side of me feels that if you can't make a choice between them then you don't love either one enough and should let both go. Haymore made me feel the conflict that Sophie, who is in the middle, goes through. I appreciate her position and I sympathize with her, something that is way out of the norm with me.

I have a feeling that a second read through will make it a better read, because I know where it's going. I was looking at all the wrong things in the book the first time and therefore was anxious and worried about how the plot was developing, certain that Haymore was going to bungle it. I just couldn't see how it was going to work out.

Haymore surprised me, the ending surprised me, and that says something. It made me reevaluate the whole book and all my complaints and worries held no weight.

A fan of the love triangle will be placing this novel on their favorite shelf. Someone who like me, needs a little persuasion about the loving the love triangle can read this and appreciate it. Who knows, it may hook you so completely you can't wait to grab a hold of another love triangle!

A brief summary:
Sophie loved Garrett since she was 16 years old and was devastated when he didn't return home from Water-Loo. Tristan is her best friend and together over many years they healed from their mutual loss. One night after their marriage Garrett returns. Everything as they knew it is changed from property to titles, from money to marriages--Haymore explores Regency law and Regency hearts.

Rating: 3.5-4 Stars

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I selected this novel because of the gorgeous female cover model. She looks like a fairy princess and the pink and black and warm tones are just lovely. The big plus is this is how the heroine is described… well, I think it was an angel, but you get the point: lovely, blonde, kindhearted.

Moving on, the first half of the novel can be said in three sentences:

Grace Sheffey has been jilted twice, widowed once.

Michael Ranier has murdered twice, rescued once.

These two souls get together under a single lodging and share one passionate interlude.

The second half deals with the consequences. I found Love with a Perfect Scoundrel to be a fun, fast-paced romp filled with nutty characters, sensual situations, and many a marvelous moments. Some to me seems a little over the top, like a seventy-five thousand pound promissory note, but I will let you decide for yourselves.

I had a wonderful time reading the novel and I felt great when I finished. I haven’t read anything else by Sophia Nash, but I highly recommend her if her other novels are like this one.

Love with a Perfect Scoundrel is book three of the widow club.

Rating: 4 Stars

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by Marcia, guest reviewer

Constantine Huxtable is thinking about taking his next spring mistress.  He takes one every year, usually one of the many widows that are available.  He ends these affairs in the summer when he returns to the country.  There is no shortage of women eager for his company despite the fact that he is only a ‘Mister’.  He is looking for someone elegant and poised enough to be seen with him, intelligent enough to hold a decent conversation and, of course, discreet.

The notorious Hannah Reid, Duchess of Dunbarton, has decided to take a lover.  She has finished her year of mourning after ten years of marriage to a man old enough to be her grandfather and who has left her extremely wealthy.   She wants a more vivid life.  She wants a lover who is devilishly attractive, wickedly skillful in bed and has no heart to break.  She is looking for someone who is a challenge to control, masterful and hopefully in the end, devoted.  She knows exactly who she wants…Constantine Huxtable.

Constantine is not enthusiastic when the Duchess makes her interest known.  Why would he want an ice princess?  She always wears white with a lot of diamond jewelry and a half smiling, provocative expression.  Lord knows, she is beautiful with wavy platinum blond hair that is so light that it is almost white, large blue eyes and a slender but curvaceous figure, but she is arrogant, shallow, vain and …desirable.  He assumes, like the rest of society, that she was unfaithful to her husband during his final years with one or all of the men who served as her escorts when her husband was too frail to attend the various social events of the season.  He finds adultery vaguely distasteful.  Despite his misgivings and much to his family’s distress, he finds himself drawn to her.  So begins a discreet but not at all secret affair between Devil and the Duchess.

Readers who are familiar with Seducing an Angel, will see a number of similar plot elements in A Secret Affair.  Both books feature women who have been widowed after ten years of marriage; both widows have childhood friends who disapprove of their affairs. Even Stephen Huxtable notes that he met his own wife in the park and teases Constantine that perhaps Constantine is fated to marry the Duchess after they both encounter the Duchess there.  However, Constantine is his own man and A Secret Affair is his own love story.

Like many of Mary Balogh’s stories, there is no real antagonist.  The tension is created as the lovers struggle with their own negative personality traits, misconceptions, and fears.  In Constantine’s words, they have to “work at finding and building love”.  As a result of this approach, the characters are complex, multi-layered and real.  Unlike Seducing an Angel, there is no spiritual thread, but there are some philosophical musings about the illusion of time and an unseen hand guiding the characters to their purpose and joy.  Balogh shows real technical artistry when, just as we think the love story is coming to a satisfying conclusion, she introduces a plot element that exposes the cruelty of Regency England in its attitudes towards the mentally handicapped. Then Hannah Reid, the Duchess of Dunbarton, in an effort right a wrong, reveals a secret affair.

Rating: 5 Stars

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by Susan S., guest reviewer

Merely Magic is part of Sourcebooks Casablanca Classics Collection. It’s an out-of-print romance novel re-released for the enjoyment of new readers as well as old.

Summary: Heroine, Ninian Malcolm Siddons, is a woman who marches to the beat of a different drum. She doesn’t look, dress, or act as other ladies. There’s also the fact that she’s financially independent. And a witch. Further proof she’s…different. Ninian has healing abilities and aids the sick with her herbs. She also acts as the village midwife, and possesses a gift for sensing human emotion. But she’s also a lonely woman. Men tend to avoid Malcolm witches. Yes, being a witch and accepting one’s heritage can be a lonely undertaking.

Or at least it was…until Drogo Ives, the Earl of Ives and Wystan, visits his Wystan estate. Legend and family warn the danger of Ives men. Ms. Siddons believes she can avoid Drogo along with his mysteriously dark and handsome features. That she’s strong enough to resist him.

Or so she thought. Until a meddlesome step-sister intervenes. Unbeknownst to Ninian, she imbibes some wine tainted with a magic potion. When a Malcolm witch finally succumbs to the charms of an Ives, will it bring calamity or happiness encountered only in legends?

Review: Merely Magic has some pros adding to the overall enjoyment of the story. For instance, the mystery man who calls himself Adonis. He appears various times and always unexpectedly; leaving us wondering if he’s friend or foe. The secondary characters really added a fun twist. Drogo has a lot of brothers, half-brothers, and one half-sister. Makes for an interesting family dynamics.

We also have some cons. The heroine’s behavior was a bit contradictory. Ninian is believed to be independent, but allows Drogo’s half-sister and friends to override her decisions. Leaving Ninian’s assertiveness to take its leave. There’s also some descriptive redundancies, e.g., too many “references” to the hero’s eyebrows. They were: curled, wretched, dark, craggy, thick and curling, etc. The same held true for Ninian’s mental status. Because she’s different, the earl thinks her: dim-witted, rattled, insane, a madwoman, lunatic, etc., etc.

If you disregard the cons, it really is quite a lovely story. The crashed wedding chaos alone is an incredibly well-written scene. As was Drogo’s near-drowning.

Further Commentary: This novel leaves readers with a few unanswered questions. For example, what is Adonis’s real identity? There’s also an unsolved murder. It’s possible the answers may reveal themselves in future installments. If I’m not mistaken, when Merely Magic was released in 2000, it was followed by Must Be Magic. Mayhap the answers lie within the pages of the aforementioned sequel.

Rating:

Buy: Merely Magic

Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Romance, March 2011, Trade Paperback, 344 Pages. ISBN# 978-1-4022-5193-1.

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It’s been years since I’ve picked up such a delicious romance featuring the twin theme and mistaken identity. It is right up there with my personal favorite, Thursday's Child by Sandra Brown (don’t trust those Amazon reviews… lol).

The evil twin’s devilry:

The bad twin, George Radnor, believed he had successfully murdered his twin and for the last year has been impersonating Richard. In that year he wed his wife Christiana at first pretending to be a charming suitor when in reality he was an ogre of the worst sort. Luckily the servants are all on her side.

On the day this story starts, the man known as Dicky dies.

Christiana can’t quite believe she’s free of the miserable tyrant, but she can’t breathe just yet. First she and her sisters have to hide the body, because if anybody knew they would have to go into mourning and they can’t do that without risking scandal from their father’s gambling debts. Suzette is determined to web a fortune hunter of her choosing to pull the family from the brink of ruin.

Will the real Richard Radnor please stand up?

On the same night of her release from the prison of her marriage, who should walk into the ball but her quite dead husband Dicky! Ill at ease and feeling frantic, Christiana doesn’t know what to do, but then what can she do but follow her husband’s lead as he whisks her onto the dance floor?

Inherited wife or scandalous divorce?

Richard must make a tough decision. Will he take his brother’s wife as his own? After all she thought she married him, the true earl. Or does he divorce her so he’s not trapped in an unwanted marriage? His decision is based on one question only – did Christiana murder his brother?

Can true love win the day before… the time ice runs out?

Recommended to those who like or love twins, mistaken identity, and a delicious comedy of manners.

Rating:

Buy: The Countess

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by Susan Sigler, guest reviewer

A Marquis to Marry exemplifies the very essence of what a romance novel should be. It was superbly written and I’ve added Amelia Grey to my list of top authors. This is a novel I’ll read time and time again!

I recommend this book to every romance lover, regardless of their favorite sub-genre. This was a happy, witty, feel good romantic tale I know you’ll love.

A Marquis to Marry is book 2 of Grey’s (The Rogues’ Dynasty Trilogy). It completely stands alone, and you do not need to read book 1 A Duke to Die For in order to follow the story.

The Marquis (Alexander Mitchell Raceworth) is absolutely stunned, when a young Dowager Duchess by the name of (Susannah Brookefield ) accuses him of having “her” grandmother’s Talbot pearls. The very pearls “his” grandmother (Lady Elder) left to him in her will.

Susannah travels from Chapel Gate to London, with the misconception that all will be resolved quickly. What she didn’t foresee was that Race would be so stubborn! It seems she’s not the only one after the pearls; there are 3 men who also covet them. When the pearls are stolen, it’s a race against time to find the thief and recover the pearls.

Susannah has a lot to accomplish: retrieve the pearls, resist Race’s handsome good looks, convince him the pearls belong in her family not his, and re-enter London’s Polite Society despite her tarnished reputation of youth.

Every time Race calls the Duchess by her Christian name Susannah, it made my heart skip a beat. Grey has you feel the emotion & want, that emanates from the hero.

Things I enjoyed:

• Race’s shock when Susannah invites him to her bedchamber
• The camaraderie between Race, his cousins, and their older friend Gibby
• How Race pursues Susannah
• His informal notes to her
• The way Grey expertly transitions you from reader to character, you’ll feel every emotion as Susannah and Race fall in love

I didn’t grant this book the full 5 stars because of the pugilist (boxing match). It stole time away from the main characters, time I wanted for Susannah and Race.

A Marquis to Marry was absolutely beautiful! I’m eager to read book 3 An Earl To Enchant, which is set to release in April 2010.

Rating:

Buy: A Marquis to Marry

Regency Romance, ARC, Trilogy, Sourcebooks, Inc., Casablanca, October 2009, Print Pages 359.
ISBN-10: 1402217609 ISBN-13: 978-1402217609.

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Looking for an irresistible historical romance with an unusual twist? You should try Passions of a Wicked Earl. It features an arranged marriage, unrequited turned requited love, enemies to lovers, seduction of a rakehell, and an evil other woman.

Exiled to the country less than twenty-four hours after marrying her husband, Claire Westcliffe knew she deserved it. It didn’t matter that she was unaware of exactly what Westcliffe’s brother and her best friend, Stephen meant to do when he said he’d save her from her wedding night, because she wanted the reprieve. That all changes when her sister comes to her and begs to be given a season in order to avoid marrying the man their father picked for her. For her sister, Claire will brave her husband—his wrath and his bed—because somebody deserved romance.

After the disastrous wedding night, Westcliffe took himself off to London where he cut a swathe through the women (never a married woman or an innocent). It was his way of showing he didn’t care and a way to reaffirm his manliness which was striped away so completely upon the sight of his brother in his wife’s bed. It’s been years and he doesn’t believe there will ever be a reconciliation between them and he’s not sure he even wants one. If he divorces her and marries his current mistress, he knows what he’s getting into – a loveless marriage based on lust.

What he doesn’t count on is Claire. The more she learns about her husband’s true nature, the more she likes him and the more she wants to keep him. His actions were in reaction her own and while those actions were equally wrong, she knew they both had things to be sorry for, and that they could start fresh. But with Westcliffe avoiding her at every turn how was she to get her rakehell of a husband into bed? By seducing him of course!

Spoilers: Now I know what you’re thinking. Claire getting into bed with Stephen is completely inexcusable. How does the reader/hero get past something as morally challenging as that? Would you be able to get past your spouse cheating on you with a sibling? Probably not, but appearances can be deceiving as Westcliffe will find out when he finally consummates his marriage to Claire.

Westcliffe’s confirmed adultery is another morally challenging bit. Can a man like that be sympathetic? Of course he can when Lorraine Heath writes him. Westcliffe hid a broken heart in a string of very public affairs. Claire’s deception was the straw that broke this camel’s back. Westcliffe has always felt unloved. His mother obviously loved his younger brothers, and Stephen was notably the preferred child, but she never warmed up to Westcliffe because of who his father was.

Personally, I liked both the hero and heroine. Their flaws, backgrounds (morally challenging bits and all), and personalities just worked for me and I really enjoyed their romance. It was sexy, passionate, and sweet.

Rating:

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