Tag: historical

A Wager Worth Making (Arrangements, Book 7) – Review

timelessnovels

wagerby Rebecca Connolly

  • File Size: 376 KB
  • Print Length: 277 pages
  • Publisher: Phase Publishing; 1 edition (October 1, 2017)
  • Publication Date: October 1, 2017
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B075SL3H2P

Purchase from Amazon

The riskier the wager…

Everyone knows that Gemma Templeton is a wonderful, cheerful, friendly young woman who is well worth one’s acquaintance. She is vibrant and warm, and plays the violin with exquisite talent. The only thing she lacks is a husband, and time is growing short for her in that regard. When an interesting opportunity arises from an unlikely source, Gemma’s future is suddenly far more appealing, and a small wager makes all the difference.

…the sweeter the return.

What everyone does not know is that a certain man of a less warm reputation is very much interested in changing Gemma’s unmarried state, and he doesn’t care what anybody says. Lucas Sinclair, Lord Blackmoor, is a dark mark upon the face of Society, and his unexpected interest in Gemma leaves many to wonder if his motives don’t hide some sinister purpose. He takes her ridiculous wager, and will stop at nothing to see it paid.

This is the seventh book in the Arrangement series with A Wager Worth Making being darker than the others. I usually don’t care for darker books but this book is well worth it and needs to be darker due to the main character.

Rebecca Connolly’s characters continue to be unique and well developed. I did have a little bit of trouble keeping track of some of the side characters from previous books but I love the reappearance of previous characters, especially Kit, Marianne, Nathan and the Gent.

There was a mystery throughout the book that I liked even though I had predicted who and what was involved.

The characters are what stood out the most for me. Lucas Sinclair, Lord Blackmoor, is a tortured soul. My heart really felt for him and his circumstances. He had to go through a lot of bad things that were not of his own making.  As an outside observer, I questioned why felt he needed to protect others instead of sharing the burden with those he loves. However, I am the same way though my situations are nothing like his. I think everyone can relate to him and his struggle in some way.

Gemma Templeton was a perfect match for Lucas.  A depressed person would have brought him down, a fake, bubbly person would have annoyed him, but Gemma’s positive, honest personality brought out the best in him. They seemed meant for each other.

I am looking forward to spending Christmas with the Gerrards.

Falling for a Duke (Timeless Regency Collection) – Review

timelessnovels

dukeby Rebecca Connolly, Nichole Van, and Janelle Daniels

  • Print Length: 241 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Mirror Press (September 19, 2017)
  • Publication Date: September 19, 2017
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B073T4F86B

Purchase from Amazon

From the publisher of the USA TODAY bestselling & #1 Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology series in Clean & Wholesome Romance, comes FALLING FOR A DUKE.

Three brand new Regency Romance novellas by Rebecca Connolly, Nichole Van, and Janelle Daniels

ON THE DUKE’S ERRAND by Rebecca Connolly. Lord David Chambers has one goal—to put his father’s Scotland estate to rights. Even if it means leaving in the middle of the London Season and avoiding the matchmakers. As the second son of a duke, David looks forward to facing the wilds of Scotland, and trying to make something of himself and prove his worth to his father. But David’s not prepared for the censure he receives from the local Scottish gentry, especially Ceana Shaw, the baronet’s daughter who not only mistakes him for the duke himself, she seems determined to think the worst of David.

VINGT-ET-UN | TWENTY-ONE by Nichole Van. Eliza Mail had found the perfect place to live out her days as a young widow, away from the pain of her past and lost love. Seemingly by chance, Eliza’s childhood neighbor, Liam Trebor, Duke of Chawton, comes to her village for a visit. Eliza hasn’t seen Liam in over five years, and his presence panics her. Will he reveal what he knows to her friends and neighbors, destroying her current life? Eliza must avoid Liam at all costs, but he seems equally determined to flush her out of hiding. What happens if Eliza’s past does not stay where it belongs . . . in her past?

I KISSED A DUKE by Janelle Daniels. Madeline Maybury will do anything to be invited into the inner circles of the ton. She takes on a challenge from a high society lady to kiss the Duke of Hargrave. When she finds Ethan alone and explains that she needs to kiss him, instead of turning her away, he’s amused. He also obliges. Madeline believes she can report back and achieve all of her ambitions. Instead, she’s given an even greater task. Once she accomplishes it, she realizes that the Duke of Hargrave is a very different man than she expected, and she’s in grave danger of falling in love

I am a big fan of the Timeless Romance Anthology series, especially the Regency collections.  They bring together really great authors who write excellent stories.

ON THE DUKE’S ERRAND by Rebecca Connolly

-I have really enjoyed Rebecca’s Arrangement Series and I love that this is connected to that series.

-Let me just say that the main character David is hilarious! Rebecca said that he “made me laugh a lot” and I completely agree.

-Ceana is a spitfire and I love that she isn’t all ladylike. She has a fun personality.

-The two main characters have a great relationship and I love seeing the two of them together.

-I look forward to more interconnected stories to come.

VINGT-ET-UN | TWENTY-ONE by Nichole Van

-I love when characters meet as children and their first meeting was adorable.

-I felt oddly personally invested in Eliza and Liam.

-There were certain elements of my favorite book Persuasion.

-I liked how the scenes would switch back and forth between present and the past and how the reader was only given small pieces of the past at a time. It built up the mystery surrounding their past.

-I usually predict a lot of things in books but the truth of Eliza’s husband surprised me.

 

I KISSED A DUKE by Janelle Daniels

-This was my least favorite in the set.

-I felt that the way they fell in love was too rushed.

-I did like the general storyline and characters

-It seemed confusing that Ethan hates people who are after his title but he has no problem with Madeline’s dare and the fact that she was after a title even though it wasn’t his.

-I would have liked to find out what happened after the book ended, especially in regards to the other character’s reactions.

 

12 Days at Bleakly Manor (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas #1) – Review

timelessnovels

bleaklycoverby Michelle Griep

  • Series: Once Upon a Dickens Christmas
  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Shiloh Run Press (September 1, 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 168322258X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1683222583

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase Kindle Version from Amazon

A mysterious invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home may bring danger…and love?

England, 1851: When Clara Chapman receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet feels compelled to attend—for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of five hundred pounds.

But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, Benjamin Lane.

Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on whoever stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is faced with the anger of the woman he stood up at the altar. Brought together under mysterious circumstances, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters.

What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.

Pour a cup of tea and settle in for Book 1 of the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series–a page-turning Victorian-era holiday tale–by Michelle Griep, a reader and critic favorite.

Ben and Clara have had a hard last year and Clara is not yet ready to trust Ben again with her heart. Ben has to choose between redemption and revenge. Will Ben and Clara get their second chance?

bleakly

This really is such a great book on so many levels.  The storyline is very unique and interesting. I love the characters and all the mystery; there was a lot of things that kept me guessing. The characters are so eclectic and kooky, especially Miss Scurry with her mice.

I like how the chapters were broken down by the days of Christmas. This would make an excellent story to read around Christmas but is still enjoyable any time of year.  I highly recommend this book!

 

Love Held Captive (Lone Star Hero #3) – Review

timelessnovels

lovecaptiveby Shelley Shepard Gray

  • Series: A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story
  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Zondervan (October 10, 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0310345472
  • ISBN-13: 978-0310345473

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase Kindle Version from Amazon

After the War Between the States, a Confederate officer longs to heal the heart of a beautiful woman—but first he’ll have to right the wrongs that were done to her.

Major Ethan Kelly has never been able to absolve himself of the guilt he feels for raiding a woman’s home shortly before he was taken prisoner during the Civil War. He is struggling to get through each day until he once again crosses paths with Lizbeth Barclay—the very woman he is trying to forget.

Life after the war is not much different for former Captain Devin Monroe until he meets Julianne VanFleet. He knows she is the woman he’s been waiting for, but he struggles to come to terms with the sacrifices she made to survive the war.

When Ethan and Devin discover that their former colonel, Adam Bushnell, is responsible for both Lizbeth’s and Julianne’s pain, they call on their former fellow soldiers to hunt him down. As the men band together to earn the trust of the women they love, Lizbeth and Julianne seek the justice they deserve in a country longing to heal.

I had mixed feelings about this book.  I found it to have too many points of views and story-lines. I would have enjoyed it more if the focus had been on Major Kelly and Lizbeth’s story.

Lizbeth provides the only good example. She is strong and tries to put her past behind her which includes not seeking vengeance. She also helps others even when it is hard on her. Ethan has a mixed sense of obligation. He is hung up on revenge but also wants to protect Lizbeth due to their past.

Julianne kept justifying her sin saying it was something she had to do instead of repenting. I don’t have a problem when someone repents of their sin and is turning their life to God, but they aren’t seeing it as a sin and she is not repenting. Devin falls in love with Julianne and wants to marry her when the only real conversation he had with her was about the fact she was a mistress and wasn’t ashamed of it.

The pace of the majority of the book was slow and the story-lines were not progressing. They seemed stuck in a loop.

Just about everyone is obsessed with revenge and murder when vengeance is the Lord’s. ““Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” -Romans 12:-19

My favorite part of the book was Lizbeth and Ethan’s storyline and the flashbacks.  While things were retold from the first and second book, I feel the reader would benefit from having read the first two before reading this one.

An Inconvenient Beauty (Hawthorne House #4) – Review

timelessnovels

beauty.jpgby Kristi Ann Hunter

Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, and he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. He’s certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, but while Frederica is strangely elusive, he can’t seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.

Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, her uncle will only help them if she’ll use her beauty to assist him in his political aims. Already uncomfortable with this agreement, the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she wishes to be free of her unfortunate obligation.

Will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and face their fears in time to find their own happily-ever-after?

I have liked Griffith since I first read A Noble Masquerade and have really been looking forward to his story.  It did not disappoint!

I loved this book.  I wished that I could read it in one sitting but had to make due with reading it all in one day. I really didn’t want to put it down.

Griffith is such an interesting character. I love his little quirks. And Isabella was so perfect for him.

I love the scene where Griffith had to keep jumping to his feet every time Frederica suddenly leaves the room.  This book had me feeling all different emotions. I love when a book is funny as well as romantic.

incbgraphic

I also liked how actual historical events were interwoven throughout the book.

This book and A Noble Masquerade were my favorites from the series but I would recommend all of them.  I am sad to see the Hawthorne House series end but look forward to what is coming next.

“I love you. Whatever matters to you, matters to me. And I take care of what matters to me.”

 

Havencross – Review

timelessnovels

haven.jpgby Julie Daines

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc. (August 1, 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1524403326
  • ISBN-13: 978-1524403324

Purchase from Amazon

When a shocking scandal involving her father spreads through London society, Elaine Cardinham and her parents are forced to retreat to their country home in Cornwall for refuge. But Havencross is no sanctuary for Elaine. She is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her brother and the heartbreak she left in her wake all those years ago.

It has been five long years since Gareth Kemp last saw Elaine when she rejected his marriage proposal. Her reappearance convinces him of one thing: he has never stopped loving her. To put his feelings for her aside, he focuses his attention on the dangerous smuggling plaguing the Cornish coast. As Elaine attempts to run from her past, she ventures ever closer to a dangerous truth and Gareth may be the only one who can save her from a deadly finish.

-This story drew me in from the very beginning of the book.

-I liked the stories and legends throughout the book as well as the locations and descriptions.

-This quote is so relevant even more in this day and age:

“If a man and a woman vow fidelity, there should be no straying, not even of the slightest. This casual way society had of overlooking such vows left a bitter taste in her mouth. Such marriages could not possibly bring happiness to either partner. There could be no trust.”

-Gareth was my favorite character and I liked his sarcastic comments throughout the book.

-While this is a nice thought, unfortunately I am more inclined to agree with Gareth’s viewpoint regarding this quote:

“I believe that we each must find our own Camelot. Somewhere in this world, there exists a place where we might find the idyllic life we seek. A place of joy and peace, love and respect, where we are whole.”

-I hope everything turned out well for the Williams.

-The book was interesting and adventurous. I rated it 5 stars and would highly recommend it.

Miss Leslie’s Secret – Review

timelessnovels

leslie.jpgWritten by Jennifer Moore

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc. (September 1, 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1524404152
  • ISBN-13: 978-1524404154

Purchase from Amazon

Decorated war hero Conall Stewart has spent ten years envisioning his return to his beloved Scottish Highlands. But now, with the days of battle finally behind him, it seems that his dreams of home have been in vain: the land of his youth lies in ruins, and his family is gone. Though he will never stop searching for his kin, Conall knows he must begin again. But when he takes on a rented farm in a nearby town, he finds far more than the fresh start he was looking for .

After catching a mischievous local lad stealing, Conall returns young Jamie to his mother, Aileen Leslie—and finds the woman’s coddling of the child maddening. What Conall does not realize is that Aileen hides a frightening secret: her devoted protection of Jamie is all that shelters them from discovery by a dangerous man from their past. Drawn together by circumstance, Conall soon develops a fatherly relationship with Jamie—as well as romantic feelings for Aileen. But even as the couple accepts their growing affection for one another, time runs out for Aileen and her son: after years of hiding, they have been found. Conall lost his family once—he will do all in his power not to let history repeat itself .

-I liked that the book was set in the Scottish Highlands. There were some wonderful descriptions of the location and lots of fact based history.

-I did not like how superstitious the characters were. I also didn’t like many events at the Beltane festival, like the belief that the fire had protective powers and they had the animals walk though the smoke and put the ashes on each other. They also seemed to put their traditions and superstitions on the same level as God and following his Word.

“The combination of pagan customs and Christianity seemed at odd to some, but to her, it made perfect sense. The connection with the land and blessings from the heavens brought harmony to her world.”

-I was surprised that Aileen didn’t trust Conall with her secret, even when they were engaged.

-I liked the characters, especially Jamie and Conall. There were also some very strong and developed minor characters. I really hope the next story will be a continuation of Jamie’s life as he gets older.

-Except for the things relating to the pagan traditions, I enjoyed the book.

The Promise Bride (Montana Brides #1) – Review

timelessnovels

promisebride.jpgWritten by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitham

  • Print Length: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Zebra (August 29, 2017)
  • Publication Date: August 29, 2017
  • Sold by: Penguin Random House Publisher Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01N6D2X7L

Purchase paperback from Amazon
Kindle Version from Amazon

In a booming frontier town, a heavenly match may be in store for mail-order brides seeking a fresh start . . . women of strength and spirit who embrace the challenges of life and love in the wild Montana Territory.

 Determined to save her father and siblings from a crumbling Chicago tenement, Emilia Stanek becomes the long-distance bride of a Montana rancher. But when she arrives in Helena, a rugged lawman shatters her plans with the news that her husband is dead—and deeply in debt.

County sheriff Mac McCall can’t afford to be distracted by the pretty young widow, not with scandalous secrets emerging as he investigates his friend’s suspicious death. Mac’s gruff order that she leave town at once only spurs Emilia’s resolve to take ownership of her late husband’s ranch and face his debtors. But as her defenses soften, Emilia begins to accept Mac’s help, feel compassion for his own wounded heart—and learns that trust means taking a leap of faith . . .

Emilia becomes a mail order bride in order to save her family from living in the dregs of Chicago. She feels lucky that she has fallen in love with her groom, Finn, through letters and she agrees to marry him by proxy. However, when she arrives in Montana she is told he has been killed.

Sheriff McCall just lost his best friend and is looking for the murderer but now he must make sure that stubborn Emilia and her family are protected while also trying to protect his heart.

-A main focus of the story was Emilia’s struggle with the belief that if someone gives you something or helps you, they want something in return.

This was my favorite quote regarding that:

“You haven’t lived today until you’ve done something for someone who can never repay you.”

-This idea becomes a major problem for Mac and Emilia because Mac is always trying to rescue people and fix problems and Emilia doesn’t want to be indebted to anyone.

-Another main idea in the story is the idea of trusting people even when it is hard.

“Perhaps that was the highest level of trust, when you gave it because of who was asking, not because of what was asked.”

-Hypocrites have always bothered me and not only are the women in town gossiping, but they are doing it in the church building on the Lord’s day.

-One of the take-aways from this story is that you can be strong and independent and still accept help from others. Sometimes you have to be Lazarus and let your friends carry you.

-The epilogue so makes me want to know what happens next! I hate that there are still so many questions but I look forward to a sequel.

-This was a clean, interesting story that is a mix between romance and mystery. I would recommend it. I received an ARC but the opinions expressed here are 100% my own.fff