DNF @ 12%

The synopsis made me think of Nikita in the Elizabethan era.

Intriguing, right?

Wrong.

The first chapter was a battle scene, but you couldn't tell. It was all about the heroine, her rage, her need for vengeance and her utter hopelessness as a "soldier". Instead of putting the reader in the thick of things, where you can feel the cold nipping at your skin, where you can smell the blood and sweat of your fellow soldiers, the author spent the best part of the battle inside the heroine's head. And let me tell you, it was a very boring place.

The boredom proceeded with the next few chapters where absolutely nothing happened (no torture, no boiling oil, nothing), but for the heroine to notice just how attractive and gentle her captor was. Foreshadowing much?

So I went and read the last few chapters, to see if it was worth it...It wasn't. The last few chapters were as boring as the first few. The characters were rather bland, the pacing was plodding, and as original as the synopsis sounded, the story was nothing but.

Book: Kissing Shakespeare

 

Author: Pamela Mingle

 

Genre: Fiction/Teen/Time Travel/Historical/Romance

 

Summary: Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood; she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school’s staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide. Fellow cast member Stephen Langford has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks her if she like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he’s a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to sixteenth-century England - the world he’s really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare - who is showing alarming signs of taking a very different path in life. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world’s greatest plays will never be written. Miranda isn’t convinced that she’s the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Still, she reluctantly agrees to help. After all, Stephen promises that once Miranda’s part is played, he will return her to the present and she can get on with her “real” life. What Miranda doesn’t bargain for is finding true love … with no acting required. - Random House, 2013.

Who doesn't like a fake engagement? Cass's fiance killed himself and she feels so much guilt from that. She hid herself away for 2 years, only now coming back out for her brother. Adam has baggage from his childhood in regards to his father. He has been estranged from both father and brother for years.
Both characters are relate-able and easy to like. Because of Cass and Adam's prior friendship (her brother- Jack and Adam are friends and they all grew up together), the romance was believable. I liked Cass's interest in politics and how that was encouraged. Overall, I enjoyed this. I wonder if Hugh will get a book?

eARC courtesy of Entangled Publishing/NetGalley

It's a great historical romance novel. I loved reading it. All the characters are amazing, and it's so well-written. Once I started reading it was difficult to put it down.

Adam Gray is a war hero and now that he is back in society he plans to run for the house of commons. For that he needs his friend Jack's support and also make new friends who are capable to back him up. So he becomes reacquainted with Jack and his family.

Cass is Jack's sister. She is surprised to find Adam back in their lives. It has been quite a few years since they last met. Apparently they have both changed during that time. War has changed Adam. Cass also had her share of tragedy in her life. Now they are both vary of love and skeptical, for this reason they don't have any intention of ever getting married. But when they find themselves in each other's company things become difficult/ Clearly they are attracted to each other and keeping a distance doesn't seem to be an option...

Against their better judgment they must play a part of their dreams. They must pose as being engaged to one another. It won't be easy to keep their feeling intact but they will try... or may be this false engagement would turn into a real one...

Very intriguing story, with lots of drama, romance, heart-break, but in the end all will be well or say they are hoping. This is a must read for historical romance lovers.

Politics, conspiracy and romance make for a lethal combination. I was so sure that this was another suspense romance. Arranged engagements and intriguing alliances. In need of a break from those I hoped for the best when I turned the first page of Pamela Mingles's romantic read. Ms. Mingle won me over the minute I met Cass. She has every reason to close herself off from emotional connections. Love has left her heart in shambles and with a fear of every opening herself to more pain in the future. I expected her to be a overly sensitive but that was not her. She was fighter and I enjoyed that part of her personality. She was in constant conflict with herself because despite what her head told her, her heart wanted the opposite. The strength of her characters and the amount of heart that went into A False Proposal is what I found exceptional.