Another book that I like well enough but am not able to rate it better than 3 stars (and 3.5 stars if I am allowed the half star).

I saw that this book was first published in 2008? Even back then she was great at writing the intimate scenes. She could use very crude language but manages to not cheapen the act. Her sex scenes are always done tastefully with an animalistic flair, reducing the lead characters to their basest instincts and by doing that, elevating the relationship to an emotional level which does not allow the characters to participate in the sexual act without investing emotionally. If that makes sense at all?

In short: the sex scenes are as hot as they get.

Emeline is one hell of a snob but I don't dislike her. That along is no small feat considering how I detest having a mother for my heroine. The fact I don't hate Emeline is proof that I liked the book well enough. But all the negative reviews are well-grounded. She is a hard character to like. She was kind of shallow, placing great importance on money and rank. And the reason why she felt so "alone" is because her brother, husband and father, all men who were supposed to protect her, died and left her all alone, that she could "never just be and relax". When that "never just be and relax" line popped up very late in the book, I was finally tipped off. I know it was normal for her to feel that way, but I was offended by that line. Yes it is great and all if you could be one of those "kept" women, but not all of us have the luck. And we did not all turn into such a shallow ninny.

I also read other reviewers' objection to the "forced sex". I can see where they are coming from but I could not share that sentiment. I as a woman in no way condone sexual abuse. I just do not think that what happened between Sam and Emeline was forced. It was rough, yeah. But that is as far as I would go.

I really must say though, even though this is not Elizabeth's best work, it is still MUCH better written than a lot of 5 stars romance novels out there, which I could barely turn 2 pages. Granted, I think the story itself needs work. Too loose, too easy, too convenient too cliched but I enjoyed the book still better than a lot of my 3 star books. Hoyt does write a compelling story, though slow-paced at times and not her best work, I would still place it above A LOT OF the mediocre stoeis out there.

It really hard to get the balance just right. Romance first and a good mystery. 

 

Here are some books that do it right!

 

My lists are never in any particular order. 

 

1. Imperfectly Criminal by Mary Frame

 

Freya Morgan thought it was a great idea to hire the bad boy on campus to beat up her douchebag ex-boyfriend after he cheated and treated her like crap. Fast forward a few months, and nothing she’s done has helped her get over the scars left behind by her ex. Not the paid beating, not the string of dates, nothing. 

Dean Collins is in trouble, and it’s all Freya’s fault. After all, she started the trend of all the ladies on campus paying him to do their dirty work. But now, two of the boys he was hired to beat up are dead, and he’s the only connection. 

When Freya agrees to help him find the real killer, she discovers that this bad boy isn’t so bad, after all. And getting involved with him means more than finding a killer, it means potentially losing her life…and her heart. 

 

2. The Jade Temptress by Jeannie Lin

 

Charming and seductive, Mingyu is the most sought-after hostess in the pleasure quarter. She has all men wrapped around her finger--except Constable Wu Kaifeng, the one man she can't resist, the only man to have placed her in chains.

Wu Kaifeng's outwardly intimidating demeanor hides a reluctant, fierce attraction to beautiful Mingyu. But the passionate temptation she presents threatens to destroy them both when a powerful official is murdered and they find themselves on a deadly trail. Amid the chaos, a forbidden affair could change Mingyu's fate forever, for following her heart is bound to have consequences...

 

3. Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens

 

Penelope Ashford, Portia Cynster's younger sister, has grown up with every advantage—wealth, position, and beauty. Yet Penelope is anything but a pretty face in a satin gown—forceful, willful, and blunt to a fault, she has for years devoted her considerable energy and intelligence to caring for the forgotten orphans of London's sooty and seamier streets.

But now her charges are mysteriously disappearing. Desperate, Penelope turns to the one man she knows who might help her—Barnaby Adair.

 

Handsome scion of a noble house, Adair has made a name for himself in certain circles where his powers of observation and deduction have seen him solve several serious and unsavory crimes within the ton. His pedigree, relentless intelligence, and discretion make him a deadly avenger in an elegant guise. Despite his skills—or perhaps because of them—he makes Penelope distinctly uncomfortable, but the stakes are too grave. Throwing caution to the wind, defying every rule for unmarried ladies, she appears on his doorstep late one night determined to recruit his talents.

 

Barnaby is intrigued—both by her problem and her. Her bold beauty and undeniable brains make a striking contrast to the usual insipid ton misses. And as he's in dire need of an excuse to avoid said insipid misses, he accepts her challenge, never dreaming she and it will consume his every waking hour. 

 

Enlisting the aid of Inspector Basil Stokes of the fledgling Scotland Yard, they infiltrate the streets of London's notorious East End. But as they unravel the mystery of the missing orphans, they uncover a trail leading to the upper echelons of society and a ruthless and clever criminal adept at pulling strings who, becoming aware of them and their efforts, is only too ready to destroy all they hold dear, including their newfound understanding of the intrigues of the human heart.

 

4. Get Lucky by Suzanne Brockmann

 

An unlikely state of affairs. For Navy SEAL Lucky O'Donlon was the original love-'em-and-leave-'em guy. Used to women swooning at his feet. So how could it be that the frustratingly attractive journalist Sydney Jameson had nothing to offer him but one very cold shoulder?

 

Well, two could play at this game. But first things first--he and Sydney had a job to do.

 

 

They had to get their man.

 

Then there would be time enough for him to get his woman....

 

5. Desire by Amanda Quick

 

Upon her father's death, beautiful, headstrong Lady Clarre knew that she must wed, for the protection of the Isle of Desire new fell to her. Yet when her guardian's choice of prospective husband rode through her castle gates, she felt utterly betrayed. All sinewy muscle and savage steel, Sir Gareth of Wyckmere was not the poet she'd requested but a fearsome knight whose only interest was in war.

Legions of robbers had fallen beneath the Hellhound of Wyckmere's sword, and now this bold warrior was certain that he could tame one willful wife. Yet even Gareth could not deter Lady Clare from trying to mold him into her ideal... until their clash of wills ignited a passion that set them both aflame... and a treacherous plot put their lives in deadly peril.

 

6. Open Season by Linda Howard

 

Daisy Minor is bored. Worse than that, she's boring. A plain, small-town librarian, she's got a wardrobe as sexy as a dictionary and hasn't been on a date in years. She's never even had a lukewarm love affair, let alone a hot one. So when she wakes up on her thirty-fourth birthday, still living with her widowed mom and spinster aunt, she decides it's time to get a life.

But can a lifelong good girl turn bad? No, not exactly.

But she can pretend, right?

One makeover later, Daisy has transformed herself into a party girl extraordinaire. She's letting her hair down, dancing the night away at clubs, and laughing and flirting with men for the first time in, well, ever. With a new lease on her own place and her life, it's open season for man-hunting.

But on her way home late one night, Daisy sees something she's not supposed to see. Suddenly the target of a killer, she's forced to put her manhunt on hold. But the very moment she stops looking might be the moment she finds what she's wanted all along. Trouble is, before he can share her life, he might just have to save it.

 

7. To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt

 

EVEN THE MOST REFINED LADY

Lady Emeline Gordon is the model of sophistication in London's elite social circles, always fashionable and flawlessly appropriate. As such, she is the perfect chaperone for Rebecca, the young sister of a successful Boston businessman and former Colonial soldier.

CRAVES AN UNTAMED MAN

Samuel Hartley may be wealthy, but his manners are as uncivilized as the American wilderness he was raised in. Who wears moccasins to a grand ball? His arrogant disregard for propriety infuriates Emeline, even as his boldness excites her.

TO RELEASE HER PASSION . . . 

But beneath Samuel's rakish manner, he is haunted by tragedy. He has come to London to settle a score, not to fall in love. And as desperately as Emeline longs to feel this shameless man's hands upon her, to taste those same lips he uses to tease her, she must restrain herself. She is not free. But some things are beyond a lady's control . . .

 

8. Saving Lord Verwood by Elena Greene

 

Penelope Talcott distrusts Lord Verwood, a notorious rake who’s meddled in the lives of her friends. But while in Brighton, she accidentally saves his life and becomes entangled in his affairs. Someone is trying to kill him and despite herself, Pen feels impelled to help. When scandal forces them into a marriage of convenience, they return to his estate in Cornwall, but mystery and danger continue to threaten their happiness. 

For Verwood, marriage to Pen offers an unlooked-for chance for redemption, if he can protect her from the tide of rumor and intrigue that surrounds him. Although he dares not tell her everything, the passion between them grows. But keeping secrets proves dangerous as a nameless, enigmatic enemy from Verwood’s past challenges not only their growing love, but their very lives. 

 

9. All Night Long by Michelle Jerott

 

An Unexpected Love

To complete her latest project, Annie Beckett must temporarily move in with gorgeous but forbidding Rik Magnusson-who lets her into his home, but not his life. Although Annie tells herself not to get involved, an unexpected kiss ignites a searing passion between them-and soon she finds herself longing to know his every secret.

 

When Annie breezed into Rik's life, challenging and teasing, he knows he never wants to let her go. And though she's been chasing excitement all over the country, he's betting he can convince Annie that what she's really been searching for all these years is right here, in his arms-because settling down doesn't mean settling for less, when the reason is love.

 

10. The Butler Did It by Kasey Michaels

 

ike every noble in the London peerage, Morgan Drummond, Marquis of Westham, expects his butler to be awaiting his return home—even when that return follows a five-year absence. But he didn't expect the horde of strangers who've taken up residence in his house, courtesy of that enterprising butler and a discreet classified ad. Morgan's plan to toss his unwelcome tenants into the street is thwarted by a beautiful but indomitable debutante, Miss Emma Clifford—who's not averse to a bit of blackmail for a good cause.

 

Now Morgan finds himself squiring the lovely Emma to the ton's most fashionable events—and what's more surprising, he's beginning to enjoy it. Surely he's not falling for such an infuriating woman, even if she does have a way of making him forget his own name? That butler has a lot to answer for—but then again, it's so hard to find good help….

 

Did I forget your favorite Romance with Mystery? Let me know!

 

Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Romance and Mystery.

I don't really have all that much to say about this book. I liked it, but I think what makes me the happiest is that Jasper (Emeline's fiancée at the start of the book who she loves like a brother) is going to get his own book. That's a little strange, really, that I'm so happy about that but I've read other books were the former fiancée never gets their own happy ending. That Jasper is being paired with Melisande, Emeline's best friend, is just icing on the cake (for lack of a better phrase).

 

Now that that is out of the way, it's time to talk about the book that I'm really reviewing. I liked Emeline and Samuel together, although it really bothered me that they had sex while she was still engaged to someone else. Not really a big deal in the long run but it was too much like cheating for my tastes.

 

I also really liked the fairy tale that was included in snippets at the start of each chapter, although they did confuse me at first.

This book took some time for me to really get into it (that's why a 3.5 instead of a 4).  I didn't really like Emeline at first. As the book progressed, I had moments where I thought I "got" her and others where I still just didn't like her.  Having finished the book, I'm still not sure if I like or dislike her.  However, I liked Samuel.  I liked the depiction of PTSD, the flashbacks are realistic.  Looking forward to Jasper's story.

Why is it that when someone is rich it's always "as rich as Croesus"? Shameful how Midas is ignored I tell you. Excuse me just 10 pages later Samuel is richer than King Midas.

 

Only on the third or so page and Emeline shows such promise by these two lines "She suppressed a shiver. Intelligent men were so hard to manage." hahaha!

 

Emeline struck me as very cold at first, but just average English lady mannerisms? I think Emeline is too accurate of a portrayal of an English woman for me. She is so reserved! There are little wants and desire that eek out in Samuel's presence I just need more of them to surface to connect with Emeline.

 

Oh God love when Rebecca (Samuel's sister) asks the footman if her dress is cut too low and blurts out "the maid doesn't mind her boobies hanging out.." So funny. Definitely feel like there is something up with that footman hmmm.

 

After Samuel confronts Jasper (the man he thinks is responsible for the attack on their regiment) at a ball and then goes back to Emeline's home they have an argument in the sitting room. Here is where I finally felt the heat between this couple. Or maybe it was simply completion of all the stand-offish meetings with wanting communicated just between the eyes. Whatever it was these two characters finally popped for me.

 

Liked how Emeline complains that Samuel not conforming to English customs is all to annoy her. Also quite enjoyed Emeline's friend Melisande, had the most wonderful dry sense of humor. (Melisande is the star of the next book)

 

Heartbreaking storyline of soldiers and how they deal with the aftermath of war. The author did a commendable job of showing how each one handles it differently but still all the same with too much seen eyes that are haunted.

 

Wowza Emeline and Samuel's first sex scene was hot! I think the author tried to set it up with them being cold and arguing with each other, which I got, but I didn't feel it was quite the incredible "moment" it could have been or I have read before. You know how sometimes when you read a sex scene between the characters and you're like "Finally!"? Samuel and Emeline arguing, being a little rough with each other, definitely added some spice to it and the um, cough/blush, descriptive words brought heat to the scene. Samuel and Emeline's sex scene was so passionate I just wish their relationship would have felt the same to me, so close but just lacking, maybe in interaction they don’t seem to be the star of the show but rather Samuel's search for who betrayed him and his regiment during the French and Indian War. Which by the way not to be to picky, but wouldn't the English have called it the Seven Year's War? American's called it the French and Indian War so Samuel saying it makes sense but all the English people saying does not. (My history background rearing its ugly head)

The author used some words and descriptions that I'd call on the risqué side or maybe I'm just not used to this kind of talk in regency stories? This book is definitely not for people who shy away from or can't handle some naughty talk. (icky these two sentences sound kind of prudish)

 

Samuel and Emeline really love to hate each other. She could slap him, he could roughly grip her arm, and then bam they are going at it like mad little bunnies. Great sexual friction/chemistry between these two. Would have been an A book if with that same sexual friction/chemistry there was great cognitive interaction.

 

The author started each chapter with a snippet from a legend called "Iron Heart". I was surprised how much I liked this technique and how much it added to the story and the development of Samuel's character. I almost wanted to read ahead to finish this story within the story.

 

The ending was a tad anti-climatic. They caught the traitor, they didn't catch the traitor? All I know is that Ms. Hoyt better continue the storyline of Rebecca and O'Hare or I will be pissed! (I still think something funny is up with that footman. He seemed to have more of an accent when he talked with Rebecca. When he was with Samuel and Vale searching for Rebecca and Emeline he spoke in proper English. Maybe it was an author mistake and I am just driving myself crazy with theories) ****(Spoiler)**** (Turns out I was wrong SHOCKING! I have actually read this whole series, preparing for the Olympics so I can watch the men's hockey and not get behind on reading/updating my blog which I've been doing lately. Anyway, O'Hare is alas just a footman and we the poor readers hear nothing about them until the last book in the series and it is only for like 5 sentences. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)

 

I would probably describe this story as first a drama and then romance. There are a lot of intangibles in this story which I highly enjoyed. I liked it because it was original but Emeline was a little too cold for me (hush to the people who say this is a more historically accurate portrayal of an English woman during the time period) and Samuel never struck a cord with me. I quite honestly liked Rebecca and O'Hare better and could have read more about them. If you're looking for some scorching booty scenes though this book has that just start reading about 100 pages from the end ;)