JOANN'S REVIEW ** Real Earls Break the Rules (The Infamous Somertons #2) by Tina Gabrielle **

This book is a revisit to the Somerton ladies. Ms Gabrielle first introduced us to the ladies in her earlier novel An Artful Seduction.

This story was also a delight. When Brandon St. Clair, the Earl of Vale first met Amelia Somerton she was working in a print shop and he was just so intrigued by her. Amelia's sister marries the Earl of Huntingdon, Brandon's closest friend and Brandon invites the whole family for a stay in his country estate Rosehill. As the daughter of a renowned forger she is skeptical of Brandon's proposal to paint his portrait and copy a famous artwork he has in his home.

Brandon just can not keep his hands off Amelia and she too is just as passionate towards him. This is a great book for fans like myself of historical romance. Will the Earl break rules and marry the forger's daughter or seek a wealthy young debutante?

~~ JOANN~~

RELEASE DAY BLISS with SAMANTHA KANE ** FOR LOVE & COUNTRY, Brothers In Arms #13 **

Sir Barnabas James is secretive, manipulative, cold and alone. He abhors society and shuns personal attachments despite a long list of lovers. All the better to be the consummate spymaster in service to King and country. Until an old enemy asks a personal favor…

Lord Ambrose Wetherald has always taken pride in his status as an English gentleman. He obeys even the strictest of society’s rules, is unfailingly polite and deferential, and feels it is his responsibility to protect women and the underprivileged. He has also saved himself for marriage. Until one day he needs a favor…

Melinda de Vere was once the spoiled and willful toast of the London season, but she threw it all away on childish escapades and unfulfilling love affairs. Now she is married to a treasonous scoundrel who abuses and degrades her. Until one day she is rescued by two men she has never met.

When Barnabas demands Ambrose repay the favor in his bed and Mel goes undercover as Barnabas’s housekeeper to help trap her traitorous husband, the three embark on a sensuous affair. Barnabas will have to choose love over duty, Ambrose must surrender his reputation, and Mel will need to learn to trust again if the mismatched, unsuitable lovers hope to survive the devious plot against them.

*For mature readers, 18+

BUY LINK

Monique's Review of * Viking Warrior Rebel (Viking Warriors #2) by Asa Maria Bradley *

In a forest in Washington State lies a fortress where immortal Vikings hide. They must stop half-god Loki from annihilating the human realm. As Loki is not permitted to roam the earth – Midgard – he has henchmen do his dirty deed, wolverines. The immortals’ new queen, Naya, asked her friend Astrid Idrisdotter to find her brother Scott for her impending wedding. Astrid is determined to go at it alone to redeem herself for her previous mission, which went quite badly. Alas, luck is not on Astrid’s side when she runs into a few problems: new, improved wolverines, Scott who has vanished, and Luke Holden, with whom she had had a one-night-stand… 

If only to give you an idea how good VIKING WARRIOR REBEL is, I am not a fan of mythology per se, and I loved this book! Ms. Bradley knows her subject, but better still she is able to smoothly weave mythology, paranormal, suspense and romance seamlessly, thus creating a fresh new world. I ran into some difficulties at the beginning of the story for a somewhat peculiar reason: while they are masterfully written, there were too many action scenes, mostly fighting and sparring scenes, to my taste. However, around halfway through the book, things really take off. I hope Ms. Bradley won’t mind, but almost from the onset I pictured Jason Statham as Luke: Luke is a tough, no-nonsense alpha male, an undercover special agent, but he has a tender side and he is very sweet. He has a terrific backstory, and I would have wished to know even more. Astrid is just a fabulous heroine, and she will forever remain my perception of a Valkyrie.

The romance in VIKING WARRIOR REBEL is simply glorious! The lust that Luke and Astrid experience is palpable, but they work well together, they respect each other’s talents, they are equally strong and wilful, and in spite of major bumps on the road, they trust each other, they have each other’s back. The banter is terrific all around, the characters are all well defined, but what I liked the most is the distinctive spins Ms. Bradley put on a few commonplace paranormal elements. Life mates – själsfrände – are not exactly what we’re used to see, and both Luke and Astrid are somewhat baffled by what it entails. Berserkers, a sort of collective conscience shared by the immortal Viking warriors goes deeper than what we usually see in shifters: it’s more existential than a mere communication device, if you will; it’s the essence of the Viking warriors’ soul and I loved how that it’s much more fluid and that it is not static. And it helps a lot to see real Swedish, and not some made-up Scandinavian drivel. I wonder if there will be some Finnish mythology in the future as well…

I have no idea what Ms. Bradley has in store for us in the third instalment (there will be a third book, won’t it?), but I will be waiting because the possibilities are endless! VIKING WARRIOR REBEL is an innovative, exciting paranormal romance that goes beyond the usual fare; a terrific book! 

~MONIQUE~

Monique's Review of The Legendary Lord by Valerie Bowman

Christian Forester, Viscount Berkeley, isn’t too fond of London Society, and even though he has been searching for a bride for years, he still hasn’t found anyone suitable. He is on his way once again to his refuge, his lodge in the Scottish wilds, however, upon arriving, it’s obvious there’s someone in his home, and it’s not his caretaker Mr. Fergus. It’s the beautiful Sarah Highgate, who is ready, willing, and almost able to defend herself against the intruder! Sarah has fled London and a betrothed imposed by her father; she acted impulsively and not she regrets it, but the inclement weather is not cooperating. The nice Mr. Fergus told her to stay, that the master of the house wouldn’t mind. Christian has spent his life tongue-tied around beautiful women, but it’s not the case around the very appealing Sarah…

THE LEGENDARY LORD is absolutely delightful! Christian and Sarah become fast friends, as they can both help each other, and they do have a lot in common. There’s a touch of Pygmalion, as Sarah endeavours to rid Christian of his problem and find a wife; both are such very appealing characters, individually and together. The banter is very enjoyable, the tone is perfect, and the couple’s chemistry feels very genuine and is off the charts. I had a smile plastered on my face nearly throughout, and I read THE LEGENDARY LORD in one sitting. I often the find snowed-in trope – which is the case here – highly predictable, but Valerie Bowman makes it totally enchanting, not so predictable, and very much fun. The pace is lively, the writing is positively gorgeous, as expected, the story flows seamlessly, and the secondary characters are just as fabulous as Sarah and Christian; the scheming Lucy nearly steals the show. At times, Sarah and Christian are a tad clueless and adorable fools, I loved them both dearly; they’re just perfect!

THE LEGENDARY LORD is a simple story made quite complex because of Sarah and Christian’s upbringings and Regency societal dictates. Once again, Ms. Bowman weaves a beautifully romantic story highlighted by delightfully witty banter, and characters that are both unforgettable and endearing. And on to the next book in this fabulous series!

~MONIQUE~ 

WEEKEND GIVEAWAY ALERT ** D.D. Ayres: EXPLOSIVE FORCES (A K-9 Novel)

Danger is heating up…

When Carly Reese’s beloved fashion boutique catches fire, she sees her dreams go up in smoke. The good news is that Carly was saved from the flames by a barking dog nearby. She soon discovers the heroic pooch is a trained K-9 who’s guarding his unconscious partner …a gorgeous firefighter who ends up in Carly’s arms.

Noah Glover and his K-9 are a fearless duo, and Noah has clearly met his match with the brave, beautiful Carly. Soon they team up to track down the arsonist behind the blast – a psychotic criminal who’s intent on framing Noah. Meanwhile, the sparks between Noah and and Carly could ignite a five-alarm fire. Should they smother their feelings in the name of justice…or fan the flames of passion? Find out in Explosive Forces!

“A power-packed tale of romance and suspense…Rival Forces is Ayres’ best yet.”―RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)

GIVEAWAY ALERT

2 PEOPLE WILL WIN A PRINT COPY OF THIS BOOK... JUST LEAVE A RANDOM COMMENT!

BUY LINK!