January 29th, 2010 — 4 Stars, A-C, Book Review, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Great Britain, Heiress, Historical Romance, Mistaken Identity, Science, Spinster, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine
I literally couldn’t put Vexing the Viscount down. I devoured the book in just two days. For those on Twitter, this was the book I was talking about not too terribly long ago. So what's it about?
Romance treasure, naughty sculptures, and pagan adventures are the pursuits of the impoverished Viscount Rutland and curious Miss Daisy Duke. But even more scrumptious than the thrill of finding lost treasure is watching Daisy Duke attempts to win over the reluctant Viscount.
The man won’t budge! Ever since Lucian Beaumont's run-in with her pike while playacting when they were younger. (Despite the past acquaintance they are not childhood friends.) If her deadly aim weren’t enough of a detraction, clearly there must be something dreadfully wrong with her as she is a lovely unwed heiress… must mean she is nothing less than socially unacceptable. He needs a fortune, but he does not need hers! As if his own reasons weren't enough of a deterrent his father’s particular disliking for the Dukes, especially her uncle, must be taken into consideration.
Still, Daisy remains undaunted. Adventure she craves and adventure is what she's going to get. The girl takes the mistaken identity plot device and runs with it - playing herself by day and courtesan by night. It's wicked good fun! Plus Lucian Beaumont is a virgin hero. Yes, that means what you think it does… a virgin hero going to a virgin heroine for love lessons. Squee!
Vexing the Viscount is engaging, spicy, and delightfully intricate... a must read for the adventurous at heart.
Rating: 4 Stars
Originally posted 2009-03-28 11:58:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 5th, 2009 — 4 Stars, A-C, Comedy of Manners, Great Britain, Historical Romance, Mistaken Identity
Secrets of a Proper Lady is a tale of deception, mistaken identity, and double... double crosses, all in the name of love. Victoria Alexander weaves a delightful story all about the comedy of manners and if it wasn't for the delightful bedroom scene could be considered a Regency romance. The scandalous and amusing misconceptions are definitely worth reading.
Miss Sarah Palmer is being most scandalous in her behavior. On the behalf of her employer, distant cousin, and good friend she is stalking Mr. Sinclair's secretary, a Mr. Warren Lewis. It is imperative that Lady Cordelia know all about the man her father is forcing her to marry. Mr. Sinclair could have bad breath, loose morals, or worse still be a total bore. Warren Lewis, looking out for his employer and good friend, finds his conversation with Miss Sarah Palmer to be most engaging and informative... at least about Sarah herself.
The more Sarah meets with Warren to learn about Daniel Sinclair, the more she wants to spend time with him. Time not spent talking strictly about Lady Cordelia's assets or Mr. Sinclair's. She wants to get to know Warren. He isn't wealthy, but then again Sarah doesn't care about that. She is looking to marry for love and she could quite easily come to love the honest and upright Warren Lewis.
Unfortunately for Sarah, she is really Lady Cordelia. Warren Lewis is not her intended, nor the man she is supposed to get to know. But his kisses are intoxicating and his eyes mesmerizing. How can she reveal to him that she is not Miss Sarah Palmer, but the woman his employer is going to marry sight unseen. He would surely despise her! And her father would be most upset because his business would fail without the elder Mr. Sinclair's money and connections, maybe not immediately, but it would fail and the family would be in ruin. Cordelia has wanted to be considered an adult in her family for years, and here was the opportunity to achieve that; for even spoiled princesses must make sacrifices. If only Warren were the prince she needed, or a knight that could find the treasure and rescue her from her fate.
Warren Lewis is just as conflicted as Cordelia, though he doesn't know that the woman he loves is his employer's future wife. He needs a wealthy heiress as all his business dealings and prospects in America are sure to dry up and disappear without a sudden and heavy influx of money. Sarah is a woman whose affections a man should not play with unless he intends to marry her. Warren Lewis can not marry Sarah, because he is really Daniel Sinclair and the heiress he suddenly needs is the woman he's been avoiding; Lady Cordelia Bannister. How on earth is he going to confront the sweet and charming Sarah Palmer and tell her of his deceit and his intentions to marry another woman? He can't, he just simply can't. If only Sarah was wealthy in her own right, or his father's money wasn't tide up in preparation for dealing with Lady Cordelia's father... why then everything would be perfect, he could tell Sarah he loved her and wanted to marry her. If only.
Rating: 4 stars
Buy: Secrets of a Proper Lady
Originally posted 2008-12-06 06:10:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 8th, 2009 — 4 Stars, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Dukes and Earls, Executive, Great Britain, Heiress, Mistaken Identity, P-R, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Virgin Heroine
Every time I read the heroine’s name, which is Emilia Highhart, I wondered if it was a play on Amelia Earhart. Doesn't it sound like a play on words for you? Anyway, that's beside the point and doesn't have anything to do with the story. The story has to do with sibling rivalry and mistaken identity. They are the main plots of this novel.
The Duke of Grafton had two sons. They were twins. His heir, Phillip, was the important one. Devon was the spare. He was only worth something if Phillip got in trouble. Devon would take the punishment... he'd do anything for one scrap of his father's approval, but getting into a duel for an action he hadn't committed? Enough was enough!
Five years later Lord Phillip Kensington, Marquis of Huntley, is the soon to be Duke (of Buckingham? - weird title change at the end of the novel). His dying father kept talking about getting married, but Phillip wasn't interested.
Devon Kensington arrives in London at his father's request and as the man was dying he decided to come. He passed time idly in London as his brother and had a little run in with a young American girl. The gorgeous redhead turned his head and fueled his lust. One kiss from her was not enough...
Phillip was intrigued by the gossip of this little American, Emilia Highhart and how he had caught her at a ball he didn't remember attending. Upon learning she was the heiress of Diamond Shipping he was determined to claim her for his own.
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: The Heir and the Spare
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July 6th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Book Review, Category, Cowboy, Divorced, Historic America, J-L, Mistaken Identity, Ranching, Rape/Abuse, Snowed-in, Spinster, Survival, United States of America, Virgin Heroine, Western, Working with Land
When wild woman, Mad Mag, came across a pair of boots underneath a layer of snow, she was determined to ignore the dumb sod and let him freeze to death. Stupidity was not something she or anyone could afford to accommodate in untamed Wyoming. Just as she was leaving, a familiar dog barked… Boots… which meant that the unconscious cowboy was Garret Daines.
Garret Daines was the first man to show her kindness, besides Ira, since she ran for her life fourteen years ago. Unfortunately that meant she had to save him. Mentally cursing the emergence of her conscious Maggie hauls Garret onto her sled and drags him two miles up the mountain to her little abode.
Safe inside and tucked under her sheets, Garret thinks he’s dreaming of an angel. Maggie, uncomfortable around people is not at all sure what’s going to happen when he wakes up. What’s a girl to do with a half dead man in the middle of a blizzard?
There were quite a few grammatical and spelling errors in the Harlequin Historical, which surprised me. I’m not used to seeing them. The most notable was wreaked when the word reeked was appropriate. As for the story, got to say it was one of the best stuck and snowed-in I’ve ever read. Very fun, I laughed quite a bit in the beginning. The ending was sort of bland/typical, lacking the strength of the beginning and middle of the novel.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy: Mountain Wild
Buy on eHarlequin: Mountain Wild
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