Friday 20 July 2018

Earl of Wainthorpe: (Wicked Earls' Club #3) by Collette Cameron, Narrated by Joff Manning (2018)





Summary

Could you ever love the unrepentant rake who won you in a wager? 
He didn’t gamble on losing his heart when he won her at the gaming tables. 
Pierce, the Earl of Wainthorpe has finally thwarted his worst enemy. Except he can’t revel in his victory after winning his foe’s ward in a winner-takes-all wager. If Pierce refuses to assume Bianca Salisbury’s guardianship, the fiery-haired beauty with a matching temper may very well find herself sold to the highest bidder.  
The shameful secret she guards makes it impossible to love a rogue. 
Desperate to escape her blackguard cousin, Bianca Salisbury ventures to London to find a husband or employment. Instead, she’s bartered to a notorious rakehell. She either risks being compromised and accepts The Earl of Wainthorpe’s protection, or flees him and her guardian. But without money and a place to go, she fears she’ll face the same tragic fate as her mother.  
Caution: This romance features a sexy, irredeemable scoundrel determined to thumb his nose at the haut ton, a saucy country miss unafraid to speak her mind but terrified of even a hint of scandal, a unlikely aristocratic matchmaker, a trio of busybody sisters you’ll adore, and a very pregnant calico that is convinced humans are only around for her convenience.  
For a pause-resisting historical romance novel brimming with Regency England’s rakish dukes and rapscallion lords, buy this passionate adventure sprinkled with suspense and humor. You won’t be able to put it down.
©2018 Wendy Herrington (P)2018 Wendy Herrington

Review     


This was my first Collette Cameron novel and my first introduction to the Wicked Earl's Club. It works well as a stand alone story. 
It is quite a charming read. Pierce is a very endearing character and not wicked at all. I enjoyed the activity surrounding the bet at the beginning of the novel and Bianca's interactions with the earl's sisters. However I would have liked more drama or suspense with Bianca's cousin, Fairfax, to liven up the story after Bianca becomes the earl's ward. 

I loved the narration. I thought that the characters were all excellently performed and it was very easy to listen to. I would definitely listen to more books performed by Joff Manning. 

This was a lovely Regency romance and I would look forward to reading more by the author although I found it annoying that American words were used instead of English e.g diapers. The inaccuracies annoy me as they have the immediate effect of pulling me out of the story's time and place. The phrase 'didn't have a pence' rather than a 'penny' also stood out. 

Buy Links Audible  Amazon

Wednesday 18 July 2018

Raven's Sight: A Victorian Paranormal Mystery Raven's Shadows Series, Book 1 by R.L. Weeks Narrated by Jodie Hollie-Anne Humphrey (2018)


  • Raven's Sight: A Victorian Paranormal Mystery

  • Raven's Shadows Series, Book 1
  • ByR. L. Weeks
  • Narrated byJodie Hollie-Anne
  • Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Release date: 19-06-18
  • Language: English
  • Publisher: R. L. Weeks

Summary

Award-winning author R. L. Weeks brings you Raven's Sight - a young adult Victorian paranormal mystery. Book one can be listened to as a standalone and as part of the series. 

Raven looks out over the small, industrial town of Cogsworth and imagines a life beyond the confines of her grandmother's mansion. 
However, Raven holds a dark secret that prevents her from leaving. One which comes to light after her father's untimely death. Now an orphan, Raven must do her best to hide her gifts of sight if she's to survive the cruel Victorian society she lives in. 

However, when a ghost of a child comes to her for help, Raven finds herself in the gas-lit streets of London, on the trail of a female serial killer. As she tries to solve the string of murders, she realizes that the murders are almost identical to those from a case left unsolved years before she was born. 

In a race against time, Raven is thrown into a world she doesn't know. With her crush, Tom, now a ghost, her friend, Emmett, now a suspect, and an uncle who runs illicit groups and hates women, Raven will have to unravel the mysteries quickly before she becomes the next victim.
©2018 R. L. Weeks (P)2018 R. L. Weeks

REVIEW 
Sometimes with a review the less said the better in order to avoid spoilers. But OMG! I did not see that ending coming. 

Raven's Sight is a brilliant, creepy and exciting story. I listened to this book in one sitting; I couldn't put it down.

The narrator did an excellent job of performing this novel. For those few hours it took to listen to the novel I was completely immersed in its dark Victorian world where all the creepy paranormal happenings became very believable!

Although billed as a Young Adult novel, Raven's Sight is a must read for anyone who likes historical fiction, murder mysteries or a good old ghost story.
I loved it and can't wait to read the second book in the series.

Buy Links Amazon  Audible

Tuesday 17 July 2018

The Foundling Duke: The Foundling Series #1 by Audrey Harrison (2017), Narrated by Melanie Fraser (2018)





Summary

Fact and fiction combined to create a compelling historical romance.

Family secrets can’t always be kept hidden.

James Massey, Marquess of Avery, is hated by his mother and can’t understand why.

Leonard Massey, Duke of Yarnton, has a secret that will protect his son but destroy his wife.

Catherine Massey, Duchess of Yarnton, hates her husband and son and is determined they will be rejected by society.

One family on an inevitable path of self-destruction.

No one will come away unscathed.


Review             


Audrey Harrison is one of my favourite  Regency romance writers. She writes well researched and interesting stories that keep me turning the pages. They are romantic without any of the naughty bits and so can be safely recommended to all.
The narrator, Melanie Fraser gives another excellent and faultless performance.

The Foundling Duke had an interesting plot line although there was a lot of scandal to overcome and  I'm not too sure how realistic it would have been for the son of a maid to be accepted by all of society so easily. Nevertheless I was very sympathetic to the characters and their situations. I enjoyed listening to James and Olivia verbally sparring with each other when they first met and I delighted in the development of their romance as they realised they liked one another.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Foundling Lady, and especially to seeing the twin siblings reunited.


Buy Links:    Audible       Amazon

Sunday 8 July 2018

The Sweetest Oblivion (Made, Book 1) by Danielle Lori


She’s a romantic at heart, living in the most unromantic of worlds . . .

Nicknamed Sweet Abelli for her docile nature, Elena smiles on cue and has a charming response for everything. She’s the favoured daughter, the perfect mafia principessa . . . or was.

Now, all she can see in the mirror’s reflection is blood staining her hands like crimson paint.

They say first impressions are everything . . .

In the murky waters of New York’s underworld, Elena’s sister is arranged to marry Nicolas Russo. A Made Man, a boss, a cheat—even measured against mafia standards. His reputation stretches far and wide and is darker than his black suits and ties. After his and Elena’s first encounter ends with an accidental glare on her part, she realises he’s just as rude as he is handsome.

She doesn’t like the man or anything he stands for, though that doesn’t stop her heart from pattering like rain against glass when he’s near, nor the shiver that ghosts down her spine at the sound of his voice.

And he’s always near. Telling her what to do. Making her feel hotter than any future brother-in-law should. Elena may be the Sweet Abelli on the outside, but she’s beginning to learn she has a taste for the darkness, for rough hands, cigarettes, and whiskey-coloured eyes. Having already escaped one scandal, however, she can hardly afford to be swept up in another.

Besides, even if he were hers, everyone knows you don’t fall in love with a Made Man . . . right?

This is a standalone forbidden romance.



REVIEW 



This is a new to me author and a genre I rarely dip into however this was an engaging and quick read with a lot of heat.

On starting the story I felt that the characters and their back stories weren't really explained. It left me with the impression that I was missing a piece of the puzzle or that these characters were part of a previous series.

Nico and Elena made sense as a couple and I enjoyed the fact that their romance was slow. I had envisaged that this was going to be an overly erotic book but by half way through I was still waiting on them to get together despite all their naughty talk and sharp wit. It's what kept me turning the pages.

I loved how jealous, dangerous and very possessive Nico was over Elena even before they were a couple and 
 how nice he was to her even when he was mad or jealous.

As a mafia romance I was expecting some crime or dangerous activities and I was a little disappointed that family dinner parties was the closest it got.

This is a standalone novel but I would look forward to more in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reading Copy.

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Friday 6 July 2018

One For the Rogue (Studies in Scandal, #4) by Manda Collins (2018)


LOVE IS THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL

Geologist Gemma Hastings has no interest in pursuing romance—and no patience for Lord Cameron Lisle, an esteemed fossil hunter who has a way of always honing in on her territory. . .annoyingly handsome though he may be. But when a shocking attack puts Gemma in very real danger, she may have to accept Lisle’s offers of protection. Even if that means entering into a dangerous flirtation. . .

Lisle was once amused by Gemma’s dedication to her work. But now that he understands how much he’s underestimated her—a woman whose beauty is matched only by her genius—Lisle is desperate to prove his respect…and prove himself worthy of her. But is he too late? A bitter rival, desperate to steal Gemma’s scientific findings, is still at-large. Can Lisle help uncover the culprit and keep her safe—forever, in his loving arms?






Review 

I am quite fond of this series as I love  romantic historical mysteries. Although entertaining enough it is not my favourite. I liked Cam and Gemma as a couple. Their bickering was cute at the beginning but this story was just a bit too predictable and I found that I had lost interest about half way through. 
The intrigue surrounding the Beauchamp fossil was quite dull. It held no excitement for me (despite having an interest in the subject at university) and there was nothing new to the fake engagement trope. The usual reasons for forcing a couple to marry were also pulled out for an airing.

I liked the ladies' plans for Serena and Beauchamp House at the end of the book. Serena is an interesting character with a good back story that was never fully revealed. I would be disappointed if the series ended here and Serena didn't get her story told.

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