December 3rd, 2009 — 3 Stars, Book Review, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Erotica, Great Britain, Kidnapping, LGBT, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, S-U, Virgin Heroine
Looking to add some spice to your Regency romances? Try Sinjin by Julia Templeton! This erotica novel focuses on the main romance but you’ll also get to experience some other sexy scenes featuring the hero’s brothers and their current paramours. There’s a lot of sex some of which features a little voyeurism and a little ménage trios action. Additionally there is a tiny hint of lesbian interaction that stops at dirty talking and a kiss, in case that bothers you.
The Rayborne brothers are being forced to find brides by their mother. Sinjin being the eldest must find his bride before the summer is out and preferably at a two week house party their mother is throwing. Prepared for the worst, determined to be a martyr to give his brothers more time to sow their wild oats, Sinjin strides through the doors and is arrested by the sight of the beautiful Katelyn Davenport.
Katelyn is engaged to be married to a terribly wretched peer. He’s forty plus years of age to her just shy of twenty years, overweight, balding, and a bore. His strict views of propriety and womanhood are so imposing Katelyn can hardly imagine marriage to him. She’s determined to use this time away from him at the Rayborne house party to enjoy herself while securing for her sister one of the brothers. When Sinjin’s smoldering gaze lingers on her Katelyn dares to imagine a life spent with him… or at the very least his bed!
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy: Sinjin
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July 7th, 2009 — 2 Stars, Book Review, Captain, Category, Cross-Dressing Female, Dukes and Earls, France, Friends, Great Britain, M-O, Mistaken Identity, Regency, Russia, Secret Agent, Soldier, Travel, Virgin Heroine, Widow or Widower
His Cavalry Lady was a very clever concept, but I had a hard time with the romance. I understood how Alex could fall in love with the duke, but the poor duke spent half the time fantasizing about two females (who are Alex in different getups). Most of the hero and heroine’s interaction was when Alex was dressed as a Russian soldier with Dominic treating her as a younger brother.
The story was additionally a little long in tooth. I got bored with Alex always running away. She runs from Dominic at a ball, back to Russia, to her family’s estate, etc. There’s a lot of it for a woman of extensive bravery. I guess battling for love is a tad bit scarier than storming Napoleon troops.
I thought it was exceptionally cool that the story was in part based on a real Russian female who dressed up as a man and joined the army. Her name was Nadezhda Durova and she managed to conceal her gender for ten years! Like the heroine she started off as a common foot soldier and was promoted to an officer position by no less than the Tsar himself, who knew who she really was. Talk about an inspiring woman!
Rating: 2 Stars
Buy: His Cavalry Lady
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July 4th, 2009 — 1.5 Stars, Bodyguard, Book Review, Category, Contemporary, Divorced, Entrepreneur, J-L, Older Woman/Younger Man, Pregnant, Secret Baby, United States of America
Part of the Famous Families line, A Weaver Wedding, is littered with names. Most likely they are characters of past and future novels all dealing with the Clay family. By the time you’re introduced to them all your head is spinning. It’s easier to keep the names down and the interaction between the leads up.
If you’re good with names and one time introductions this won’t be a problem, but I can’t follow that many characters. Well, that’s a lie, I could, but I don’t care to in a short novel. If I’m going to get lots of names dropped it better be in a long novel or series.
It was predictable, bubblegummy, and not overly compelling. It needed meat, sustenance, something to truly be endearing.
Besides the name dropping, I did not like how the hero and heroine got together in the beginning. Did she have to be drunk?
I understand it’s contemporary but I just don’t understand why drunkenness is needed to urge a modern woman into bed with a handsome man or why a suitably charming, upright, dependable hero would agree to sleeping with a drunk heroine when he’s so virtuous in character.
I figure if they were smart enough for condoms, she should be smart enough to avoid getting to the point of slurring drunkenness even if her brother stood her up on her birthday. He should have been more upright and not taken advantage. I don’t care that he’s wanted to act on his attraction to her for the past five or so years. I care that he looks out for her.
Which brings us to the ironic part of this review as the hero is the heroine’s bodyguard.
Review: 1.5 Stars
Buy: A Weaver Wedding
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