The Devilish Lord Will - Jennifer Ashley 

Last book in this trilogy but book 10 in The Mackenzies & McBrides series, it tells the story of how Lord William Mackenzie helped his family return to their homeland after the Jacobite risings.

This is one of my favorite series ever and so is the author but I’m afraid this book was only ok and not as exciting nor romantic as the rest of the series. I was several chapters in and still didn’t know where the story was going and I felt lost somehow. It took me a long while to really get into it and although it did get better, I still didn’t feel any sparks between Josette and Will, not even with their shared past. I don’t know, perhaps because of everything that was going around them, what with the treasure hunting, Josette’s blackmailer, and Will on the run, it felt as if the story didn’t leave much room for romance.

*I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher*

Love with a Notorious Rake - Karyn Gerrard 

You now that feeling when you already like an author's work and then you read their newest and you're totally reminded of why you like it? This was a perfect example of it for me. 

With a course hovering over his head, Aidan has spent his entire adult life in debauchery. His last stint lands him in the care of Cristyn's father's sanatorium, where she acts as kind of a physician's aid to her father. He and Cristyn form a friendship that eventually transforms into more but because of Aiden's reservations they end up parting ways.

I loved Cristyn's openness and candor. She still behaved as a proper lady however that never stopped her from acknowledging her feelings, speaking her mind, and demanding the respect she knew she deserved. 
I found Aiden's true feelings touching and the perfect basis for his addictions. There was honesty in what he did and as a character he grew immensely, trying to make up for past mistakes, and by taking up on his family's radical ideas of helping those in need. He was frank about his mistakes and totally owned them. I particularly loved how he handled his association with an old paramour, which in the eyes of his society would have been total ruin, possibly even worse. 

Other characters from previous books make appearances here giving us glimpses of Aidan as part of a loving family. It also provided a sort of epilogue for the other men of Wollstonecraft stories, which I always consider a treat. Overall, I thought it was an endearing, charming, and unique story. I would recommend this series and author to anyone that enjoys history along with their romance.

* I received a copy of this story at no cost to me; this is my honest opinion and in no way was it influenced by the author or publisher. *

First Earl I See Tonight - Anna Bennett 

Fiona seeks out the help of Grey, the Earl of Ravenport, because she can’t forget how he very gracefully “rescued” her after she made a fool of herself by tripping in the middle of a ballroom. In her mind he’s an honorable man that would at least listen to her plight and with any luck she could convince him to marry her. I had some trouble connecting to her in the beginning because more than trying to be in good terms with him (after all, SHE was asking HIM a huge favor) she tended to correct, challenge, and even berate him. And what did he do? He found her attitude “refreshing” ¯_(ツ)_/¯ I don’t know, I’ve never thought rudeness a refreshing trait but what do I know… Fiona was a romantic at heart so I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she acted that way because she thought she was going to marry for other reasons than love.

Gray was an honorable man that just happened to be cynical about love, and with good reasons. He was not exactly surly but I wouldn’t call him the life of the party either. His parents left his life and earldom in shambles and the few people he’d come to love and trust ended up betraying him. But even with all that baggage he was still considerate and caring. Once he realized Fiona and he made a good match he took upon himself to make her feel at the very least admired and protected. Of course it didn’t take long for either one of them to admit being in love and once they did I thought Gray did a wonderful job at declaring his love.

As far as the blackmail, I was glad Fiona was smart enough to open up to Gray and that he didn’t act like she had betrayed him as well. I think they both acted accordingly and to the best of their abilities given the situation. I didn’t like much how they took care of the blackmailer because to me his punishment was kind of vague and left me wondering if he’d come back after our couple in later books. All in all it was an enjoyable read and I recommend it for anyone in search of a light read.

*I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher**

A Duke Like No Other - Valerie Bowman

Fun, sexy, intriguing romp. I enjoyed Mark and Nichole’s relationship immensely. I specially loved their banter and how they were supposedly keeping each other at arm’s length. From the start I was intrigued as to how they would end up together when there appeared to be such animosity between them but in the end I was happy on how it was handled.

Mark’s relationship with his family plays in important role here. His desire to be the new Home Secretary derived from the fact that he wanted to make a name for himself without having to rely on them. That same estrangement makes him calculating and distrustful, particularly of members of the “ton.” But what one wants and what life wants out of one are two completely different things and he’s going to have to learn to make peace with his life if he wants a future with his independent, intelligent, self-reliant wife, Nichole. 

The suspense part helps the story move along but I thought we got stuck too much on it at times. That being said, I liked how it’s that same subplot that helped Mark understand Nichole better and learn to accept her for what she is. The reason they were apart for so long was pretty much pride and selfishness so to see the two grow from petty, zealous young lovers to discerning adults made for an enjoyable read. 

**I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher** 

Generally speaking, I usually pass on books where a woman disguises herself as a man in order to achieve her goals because most of the time they are so fantastically far-fetched that I end up with headaches from rolling my eyes in disbelief so much. Not here, not with Libby. She was such a unique woman to begin with that pretending to be anything but a woman of the ton wasn’t hard to believe. She was both endearing and sensual and her oddities make her a refreshing, different character, setting her apart from other bluestockings. As a matter of fact, Libby is on a whole other level of heroine archetype all by herself. 
Ziyaeddin became captivated by Elizabeth when they first met so when she asked for his help he knew there would be trouble ahead. In spite of their obvious attraction, he tries to keep their relationship as distant as possible, not only because he knows his future is yet to be determined but because he knows of her dreams and doesn’t want to be in the way of them (if that’s not sexy I don’t know what is.) All that sexual tension was just as frustrating for the characters as it was for me as a reader! Yet what I loved the most about his character was that his always cool demeanor was able to reel Libby’s mind back in from the chaos it sometimes was proving once more that a man doesn’t have to be dominant or possessive to be the perfect hero. 

Secondary characters were a true delight. They all added that perfect touch of variety to keep the story moving, and the fact that both Libby and Ziyaeddin had overcome many of their initial fears made the story even more memorable. And that epilogue! I don’t think I’ve ever read one full of so many emotions and feelings. With a heart-melting, enthralling storyline; complex and larger-than-life characters; and the perfect history backdrop this book is for sure an instant re-read. 

**I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.**

The Prince (Devil's Duke) - Katharine Ashe 

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