A Princess by Christmas by Julia London book review

Christmas!!! WooHoo!!! This was my first Christmas book this season. If you haven’t read one yet this year; get this one! The festive and gorgeous cover will definitely put you in the Christmas mood. 🎄

Our main characters are Hollis Honeycutt and Marek Brendan, an advisor to the Minister of Trade for Wesloria. I did not realize that this was the third book in A Royal Wedding series, so it can be read as a stand alone. Although, personally, I have to get the first two now. I wondered a bit why I was so confused by the Weslorian/Alucian happenings and descriptions, so it totally made sense when I looked it up and realized it was the third book. 

When widow, Hollis Honeycutt, overhears a rumor about the peace accord between the counties of Alucia and Wesloria, she knows she has to investigate. Hollis is the owner and editor of Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion & Domesticity for Ladies, so it might make for good investigative journalism. Hollis is fun, joyful and doesn’t really care what others think of her, it makes Marek the total opposite of her. Marek is very concerned about the King’s health and of the trade agreements. If they want to uncover some dastardly plan, they must work together to solve the mystery. 

Some unique aspects of this book included a partially deaf main character, a secondary character who was gay and another main character who liked to eat. I really loved Donovan and I really like what the author did with his relationship to Hollis. I don’t know enough history to know the truth of whether or not their living arrangement could have really happened, but it really fit with the book. Oh man! And then the twisty ending!!! Is there a special category for Victorian Romantic Suspense??? (there should be). I definitely recommend this book. Get it before Christmas 😉

The Duke Effect by Sophie Jordan book review

The Duke Effect is the seventh book in the Rogue Files series. Our main characters are Nora Langley and Constantine Sinclair. Nora is, of course, unmarried and is happy learning more about herbs and medicine. She basically apprenticed with her physician father, but couldn’t go to medical school because women were not allowed. Constantine is a soldier, who is horrified to find out he is the only heir left to a dukedom that he does not want. He has to leave his post and head home to England to learn about what he is supposed to do. It wasn’t until I started reading this book, that I remembered some of the other ones. I realized that this was the same Nora who gave her sister a untested pain reliever that ended up having an aphrodisiac effect. 

I think the overall storyline is pretty unique. While the ethical choices can be debated in the real world, I thought it was rather smart of Nora to lead people to believe that her father was still alive so she could give medical advice. She really didn’t have much of a choice if she wanted to keep doing what she loved. What she didn’t expect was Constantine to show up on her doorstep looking for her father’s advice! She was forced to tell the truth and as the reader can imagine, Constantine was angry. This was a major obstacle in the falling in love part of the story! As Nora inserts herself in his life, it’s fun to watch a rigid and stuffy man slowly loosen up. 

The romance is a slow burn. Both Nora and Constantine have some obstacles to overcome. But you can definitely expect some great chemistry and sexual tension within the pages of this book. Readers can look forward to the aphrodisiac making a comeback. I really enjoyed this book, as well as the rest of this series. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but if you are like me....I like to read each and every book in a particular series. This is the perfect book to escape the winter blues. Enjoy!

The Line of Duty by Nichole Severn

Wow! There was a lot of action in this book by Nichole Severn. Our male protagonist was Vincent Kalani, a member of Blackhawk Security member who does work for hire. When he was up in Alaska working on a case, he spent time with Anchorage PD officer, Shea Ramsey. She did not like working with someone who she considered to be a vigilante. She was an officer and she did her best to uphold the law and help people. She decided she did not like working with him….but…. 

One day Shea and Vincent found themselves on the same plane from Anchorage to New York City. Shea had some personal business to take care of and Vincent got a lead on a former case. Then the action started. Their plane went down and they were stranded out in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of Alaska. They did have some gear, but not enough. Shea was realizing that she needed to trust Vincent if they wanted to get out of there alive. Both Shea and Vincent thought their plane was sabotaged, but for different reasons. What they did know was that a group of armed men were shooting at them. The injuries keep piling up and the reader really begins to doubt that they will be able to get out of the Alaskan wilderness. 

The action was off the charts. The setting was really descriptive. I swear I was cold and needed a blanket as I was reading how cold it was in Alaska. The descriptions were that good. I would say the romance is a slow burn, but I guess since they were fighting for their lives, that makes sense. The focus was really on the criminal investigation and corrupt cops. The author also spent time exploring Shea’s experience with post-partum depression and I feel like the reader will really feel for Shea. Definitely a good read when you need some heart stopping action. You won’t be able to put it down until the story is finished.

A Highlander is Coming to Town by Laura Trentham

Do you love Christmas? Men in kilts? If so, then you need to get this book for the holiday season. I’m a big fan of contemporary and historical Scottish romance. I mean, who doesn’t love a tall, strong man with a sexy accent??? 

In this case, Holt might not have the sexy accent going on, but Claire does ;) This is the third book that takes place in Highland, Georgia where they embrace all things Scotland. Accurate descriptions of Highland Games, music and drink. I love it! I really liked Holt’s character. He is always doing the right thing and he seems to be pretty laid back and nice. He works hard and hasn’t been the most lucky in the romance department. Part of it is all his responsibilities and part of it is small-town living. Claire came to Highland to run away from her past and to decide what to do with her family commitments. She started working for Ms. Meadows, doing things around the house that she could no longer keep up with. As a secondary character, her secrets brought Claire and Holt together a bit more. I think it was pretty swoon-worthy when Holt tried to impress Claire with a nice date night. 

I really like the setting of the town. It’s small, friendly and loves a good party. I think this series and this book will appeal to those readers looking for a nice, sweet, contemporary romance. It’s a got a bit of humor, some personal issues to work through, but a kind and supportive cast of friends. Along with a good dose of kilts and sexy accents.

Running Out of Time by Cindi Myers book review

Nooooooo!!!! I did not want this series to be over! I have really enjoyed all four of the books in the Tactical Crime Division series. I loved the collaboration between the authors and the fun book trailer that was created for this series. This last book, titled Running out of Time, by Cindi Myers is about Jace Cantrell and Laura Smith. Jace is definitely the hot alpha military type and Laura is the uptight behind the scenes researcher. They both work for the Tactical Crime Division and are sent in undercover as a married couple. That right there was a great beginning. Who knows what juicy things will happen when forced to live together??? 

 

Jace and Laura are being sent in as the new employees at Stroud Pharmaceuticals to figure who is behind a string of poisonings linked with tampered packages of the company’s best-selling herbal Stomach Soothers. As possible suspects are rooted out, the tension and suspense rise in this story along with the sexual tension between Jace and Laura. There are several secondary characters that add a lot to the story that readers will enjoy. I also love the small-town setting (Mayville) which adds to the connections between victims and possible suspects. There are multiple bombings which adds to the urgency of getting this crime solved. The author did a nice job working in some humor to some of the scenes. I particularly enjoyed it when Laura got to their trailer and saw just one bed. She was already distracted by Jace’s presence. Her reaction will have you laughing. I love that the author was able to add this humor to otherwise serious and tragic events. It added a lot to the story. I’m a sucker for a happy ending and this book will not disappoint. Read the whole series. If you are not currently a reader of romantic suspense, this series might convince you otherwise.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries book review

I get excited anytime a new Sabrina Jeffries book pops into my feed! I’ve been waiting for this one. In this series titled, Duke Dynasty, the cast of characters is unconventional and complicated. I think it adds a lot of fun to the backstory. In this third book, Who Wants to Marry a Duke, Marlow Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, runs into Olivia Norley for the second time and a lot of good and bad memories come rushing back to both of them. They definitely had some chemistry, but circumstances (and blackmail) prevented them from getting together. 

It’s been nine years since their first run in and during that time, Olivia has been working on her career as a chemist. She has a lot of obstacles in her way, the biggest one being that she is a woman. But she is determined and takes a job offered by the Duke of Greycourt. Greycourt is Thornstock’s half brother, which is the connection that brings Thornstock and Olivia back into each others’ circle. Greycourt hired her to determine if his father had been poisoned by arsenic. This job might just be the one where she makes a name for herself as a chemist. 

This book definitely has a lot of mystery and the deaths of previous dukes in this family may all be connected. Someone makes an attempt on Olivia’s life as she is conducting her investigation. The issue of trust is the stumbling block for this couple. It definitely takes a while to earn that trust back. There is a lot of suspense and the danger goes up a few notches in this plot. There is definitely some sizzling chemistry between Thornstock and Olivia. This story is a good addition to a complicated family tapestry and perfect for those readers in the mood for a historical romantic suspense story.

When You Wish Upon a Rogue by Anna Bennett book review

I have really been enjoying this series by Anna Bennett.  When You Wish Upon a Rogue is book #3 in the Debutante Diaries. Book #1 is titled First Earl I See Tonight and book #2 is The Duke is But a Dream.  As always, I prefer reading the books in order, but they can be read as a stand-alone.  I always like returning to familiar settings and seeing glimpses of previous couples.

In this book, Miss Sophie Kendall is being forced by her parents to wed for money.  She doesn’t want to and tries to escape her reality by organizing meetings of the Debutante Underground and writing an advice column targeted to women.  But she knows that her marriage will be happening soon and is conflicted between her loyalty to her family and doing what makes her happy.  As she was searching for a new meeting space, she ran into Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire.  He allows Sophie to use his space and in exchange, she has to spend some time with him to help him get over his wartime trauma.

I really like that Sophie was a feminist and a subversive heroine. Henry is definitely not perfect.  He is troubled by his past and is a bit of a tortured soul.  He also does not have much money, which is exactly the opposite of what Sophie’s family needs from her.  I like the elements of friendship in this book and overall sweet romance. If you are looking for your next historical romance with some slow burn chemistry, you should pick this one up (along with the previous two books).  I am a fan of Bennett’s books and enjoy her style of storytelling.