Four young girls, roommates at a boarding school, find an old sixpence in a mattress and decide it would be their lucky charm in finding suitable husbands when the time came...

Something New by Stephanie Sloane (❀❀❀)
Miss Anne Brabourne needs to find a husband and quickly, before she’s banished into the country. She also has a list of requirements and that list doesn’t include either love or passion thanks to the destruction, caused by heightened emotions, she’d witnessed as a child. Anne also gains a strange ally in her husband-seeking quest; Rhys Alexander Hamilton, Duke of Dorset. He’s determined to help her, but he has his own reasons.

This was a cute story. Maybe a tad too short, since both characterization and the plot itself suffered a bit—everything happened rather quickly, feeling a bit rushed. But I liked both main protagonists and especially their matchmaking aunts.


Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle (❀❀❀❀)
Miss Cordelia Padley has invented a fake betrothed to curb her aunt’s enthusiasm of thrusting vicars upon her. But now she’s invited to her friend’s wedding and she’s supposed to bring her man along. The only one she could turn to is the famous Captain Kipp Talcott, her childhood friend. But as she pays him a visit, she discovers Kipp isn’t her Kipp anymore, but Winston Christopher Talcott, the Earl of Thornton. Still, she asks him to pretend to be her betrothed and he agrees, even though he was about to really get betrothed himself.

A sweet story of long-lost childhood friends finding each other again, trying to navigate between old and new dreams and real adult responsibilities, but in the end only one thing prevails—the heart.
I liked the contrast between the slightly flighty heroine and the stuffy hero, they provided a nice balance, complimenting each other rather splendidly. The story moved well, and though the love-story might appear rushed, the fact they were childhood friends compensated for the lack of space and time dedicated to the deeper development of their romance.


Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke (❀❀)
Lady Elinor Daventry is determined to save her father no matter the cost. Even marrying a man she doesn’t love. Anything is preferable to her father standing trial for things he didn’t commit. That’s why, six months before, she broke off her engagement to Lawrence Blackthorne, the man who believes all the nasty rumors about her father, determined to ruin him.
Ellie knows the sixpence is her ticket to marriage to the son of the duke, who might sway the peers to believe her father, but Lawrence Blackthorne has other ideas…And steals the coin.

This would’ve been a lovely second-chances story if it weren’t for the heroine and her determination to believe her father no matter what. Even when she had proof, she was still stubbornly in denial. I didn’t like how she treated the hero when he was doing his duty, the man that gave her up in order to seek justice for thousands of men.
I felt she wasn’t really worthy of everything Lawrence did to get her back, and somehow I didn’t really believe her feelings in the end, either.


...and a Sixpence in Her Shoe by Julia Quinn (❀❀❀❀)
Miss Beatrice Mary Heywood is the most pragmatic of the four friends. And the only reason she’s wearing the sixpence in her shoe is to keep her promise to her friends that she’d do so. And then she meets Lord Frederick Grey-Osbourne and all her dreams suddenly come true.

Short, but sweet.

Granted, the romance seemed a bit rushed, but we’re talking about a short story after all. I liked both protagonists, especially Bea, who looked beyond appearances and her enthusiasm was rather contagious. Frederick was a bit bland, at least compared to Bea, and I absolutely adored aunt Calpurnia in all her matchmaking glory.

Jane Austen would be proud. Her brand of humor, heart and pomp was executed to create a flawless celebration of the majesty that is historical romance. I went into this anthology as a fan of Julia Quinn and left it having discovered three new kindred spirits in my love of regency. Each author add her voice to a collection of stories that blended seamlessly to create one terrific read. Whimsy, sentiment and love collide in this ode to romance.

The Wicked Widow Meets her Match- Stefanie Sloane
Series: Regency Rogues #6
Published by: Ballantine Books, on 1 April 2014
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Pages: 352, Format: eARC
Source: ARC Edelweiss

Though resolute and driven by nature, dedicated spymaster Langdon Bourne has lost his way. Even his passion for his secret organization, the Young Corinthians, has waned—until he is assigned a mission with the potential to finally bring about the peace that has eluded him for nearly two decades. But to eliminate a brilliant, dangerous nemesis, Langdon needs the help of a woman whose loyalties are most uncertain.

Grace Crowther ignores the rumors that persist after the death of her husband, a merciless doctor who won her in a card game. Is she truly the black widow that many believe? One look at her angelic face and one glimpse into her heavy heart tells Langdon all he needs to know about Grace—and his own deepest desires. He needs Grace, if he’s to have any chance of tracking down the leader of the nefarious gang known as the Kingsmen. And he wants her desperately, enough to forget the rules of a good spy and take risks no ordinary man would dare. For Grace has no reason to trust Langdon, or to help him. But somewhere deep inside she knows that he is the answer to her prayers.

*I received a free ARC of The Wicked Widow Meets her Match from Ballantine Books via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review*

 

The Wicked Widow Meets her Match is a delightful historical romance that dares to bend the gender roles, where true love is hard to believe, and a horrible band of criminals has to be fought and dismantled! Grace is a close to perfect historical romance heroine, because she is strong, resilient and intelligent. And while her life has been very hard, she has not hardened her heart in protection. Being married off to a horrible man to whom her father lost her in a card game, Grace had all possible reasons to be hard, so seeing a woman who has a lot of fight in her was awesome. Langdon is a great character as well, and the protective way he feels about Grace from their first meeting got to me.

 

Using Grace to finally capture the king of the infamous Kingsmen and bring peace to his family, Langdon is not happy about having to put her in danger, but he needs to lead this case to the end. The Kingsmen are after Grace for reasons unknown, and killed her husband to get to her. The Wicked Widow Meets her Match is filled with suspense, romance, strong characters and a secondary cast of characters that are also  fun to get to know. There is both humor and hotness, excitement and quiet moments.

 

I think the fact that there is a mystery is one of the reasons I loved The Wicked Widow Meets her Match so much, and Grace plays a big part in taking the Kingsmen down. When the gender roles are slightly bent in historical romances, it makes me happy, even if it is completely anachronistic. Grace is independent in most ways, and is lucky enough to be able to count on Mr. and Mrs. Tremelton who have been working for her during the last years. And when Langdon shows up with a possible way to save her, she is very dubious at first, then grabs on to the possibility of a future with both hands.

 

As the story moves on, it becomes clear that the head of the Kingsmen believes Grace to be able to make a positive identification, which is why they are after her. Langdon and his Young Corinthians are very good at their jobs, though, and manage to stay on top of every plot thrown their way – until the ultimate showdown which was very exciting. If you are looking for a historical with a feisty heroine, you should pick up The Wicked Widow Meets her Match at your earliest convenience. I’m kind of sorry I waited so long before delving into it.

 

Even without reading the prior books in the Regency Rogues series, I never felt lost while reading The Wicked Widow Meets her Match, but I will definitely pick those stories up as well, hopefully, they will be just as full of action, romance and excitement as this one.

 

 Ten years had passed. Grace no longer actively hated her father for what he’d done. Such an intense emotion required too much of her. And ever worse, contemplation insisted that she accept her plight as something never-ending. Unchangeable. Doomed.

 

He’d never reacted to a woman with such gut-deep possessiveness before. He’d lusted after women, of course – with varying degrees of intensity. But this, Good God, this was not just lust. He’d actually heard the word “mine” roaring inside his head.

 

The dear woman patted Grace’s hand again. “I can’t answer that question, my lady. You’ve boiled it down until there’s meet and there’s bones. But that’s not life. Right or wrong is not a simple thing.”

 

Grace looked at Mrs. Templeton pointedly. “Did you have to embarrass the man?” “It worked,” Mrs. Templeton countered proudly. “And besides, we women have very little in the way of weapons. Might as well use what is at our disposal.”

 

The Angel In My Arms is the second book in the Regency Rogues Series. After enjoying the first one, I was very excited to get started on this story. The Angel In My Arms is where we get to know the rogue "Marcus". Marcus has recently become injured so his commanding officer sends him to his country home, to investigate the smuggling operation there and that it might be related to Napoleon. In the beginning Marcus is doubtful that there is any real mission, but when a young boy ends up murdered, he ends up being drawn into a plot much bigger than himself. Sarah has settled in her life, knowing she won't marry and is content with that. When she keeps encountering Marcus, the Earl of Weston, she doesn't want to give into the visible attraction that is between them. As she becomes his partner in discovering the secrets behind the smuggling operation, she learns that the love she has for Marcus is about to be tested, and in ways she could never imagine. Will their love hold true or falter?

The Angel In My Arms is a fascinating tale of espionage and thrills and mystery. I personally love a good mystery, especially when it surprises me. So I was going into this story not expecting such a thrill as I came out finishing from. I did feel like it started a bit slow and took a little while to pick up pace, but once it did boy did I fly through this story. Espionage is one of my all time favorite sub genres to the Regency Era genre. So I love something that definitely gets me at the edge of my seat. Especially in the later half of the book did it really pick up speed and I could barely keep up with my eyes reading the pages as fast I could turn them. The romance is medium well developed, I felt like there could have been more, but I am not one to complain about a good mystery that engages the reader. Overall I would say this would be a satisfying and engaging read with heart stopping moments to put your teeth at edge, and your emotions on high alert!! Be warned you are about to embark on a thrilling adventure in the countryside of Dorset, England.

Short Review:
I have always adored spy regency romances, it adds a bit more spice than what regular regency romances offer. Ever since I first noticed the covers of this series, its been on my list. I have heard some many great things about this series. And so since my local library has all of them, I decided I could start from the beginning of the series. So With The Devil In Disguise, we see a story that begins with Lucinda looking for a husband, and then William displays some real interest that she reciprocates. William is part of the "Young Corinthians", a network of british spy's. I enjoyed seeing these two begin a courtship, even though at first William's intentions is strictly professional and all about completeing his mission. The Devil In Disguise was a sensual read that is packed with a witty dialogue, a plot full of intrigue and mystery, and a romance to captivate hearts!! REMARKABLE!