Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

I was fully prepared to not like this book.  I had read all of the previous books in the series and definitely liked some more than others.  What I didn't expect was to actually find humor or even to find the plot the least bit believable.  Fortunately I was wrong on both parts, although, it still is a little bit of a stretch to believe that a Duke would marry a poor serving girl/shopkeeper.

As to the two lead characters, Griffin and Pauline did work well together.  Griffin's mother was perfect as the dowager duchess who just wanted grandchildren.  I thought her knitting was a perfect way to show that she wasn't perfect and it really gave her and Pauline a chance to get to bond a bit.  

So, I guess I would describe this a cute, funny read as long as you truly get in line with the silliness of the bet between the Duke and his mother.  I do have to mention that this book contained one of the funniest scenes near the end that I have ever read.  It rivals Sebastian reading out loud a trashy novel in Julia Quinn's What Happens in London easily.  I laughed so hard I think I broke a rib!!!

I would definitely recommend it as a quick read and a definite renter from the library.  I now own it, but I'm not sure I will feel the need to re-read it anytime soon.

I am looking forward to a story about Delacre if Ms. Dare will write one.  I think he might have been passed off as a bad guy a bit, but I really think there is more to him.

Enjoy!

Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James

I think Eloisa James has regained a bit of her swagger with this latest book. I found myself very much intrigued with a hero and heroine who not only obviously loved each other, but also found themselves with a pretty common problem for a newly married couple or new lovers in general. Ms. James actually allowed the second half of the book to center around how very difficult it is for many women to not only realize that there is a problem, but also that the issue is so touchy, difficult and slightly embarrassing to talk about. It can be so difficult that it has the potential to cause great stress to a new relationship. I think a lot of regency based books touch lightly on this issue, but mostly to prove how masculine and worldly the current hero is compared to the heroine's previous husband/lover.

If you haven't read the book, then I'm sure the previous paragraph is confusing, but I'm not sure how much I want to get into the plot lines. I just want to say that it is a new concept and Ms. James handled it extremely well with each character acting very much acting in an understandable way. It wasn't precisely predictable, but interesting to read the words that so often are never said.


The secondary characters are a wonderful addition to the story, although the character of Susannah seemed a little forced. I highly recommend this story and I'm happy to report that Ms. James is back!!!


4 1/2 stars.

Minor Indiscretions by Barbara Metzger

Okay, so this is another perfect regency romance from the great Barbara Metzger.  Melody Ashton is a hilarious heroine who may be young, but boy does she have spunk! Meanwhile, Corey is hero of all heroes.  He is brave, manly, but just sensitive enough to care deeply for his sister...and loves children even if he won't admit it at first.

The secondary characters are a hoot and the plot is well-thought out.  At no time was I bored. I read a lot of books, so I have an awful habit of skimming when things slow down.  But this book I devoured word for word.

This book takes the place of Miss Lockharte's Letters as my all-time-favorite Metzger book.  And I really loved that book.

5 Stars plus 10!!!

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Elizabeth Hoyt is definitely one of my auto-buys.  I really, really like the Maiden Lane series and strangely enough, I am not yet bored and was surprised that this is already book 5.  Each book is centered around the same theme of the Ghost of St. Giles, but through Ms. Hoyt's writing skill, each book seems completely fresh, each introduces interesting characters, and I am always surprised at the ease she closes each book without it feeling rushed.

In this case, Godric (love the name) and Megs are two people with a heartbreaking past love story.  What is interesting is that Megs is the one who wants to move on and live, while Godric (again, LOVE the NAME) just is pursuing his cause with a tenacity that will surely leave him dead.

While this book is definitely steamy, it is also full of great dialogues, surprises, and interaction with characters from the previous series.  Everyone stays in character and Ms. Hoyt pretty much accomplishes a rare feat...she successfully introduces the characters in the next book.  And I can't wait until November!!!!!

It Happened One Midnight by Julie Anne Long

Wow is all I can say about this latest book from Julie Anne Long.  This is book #8 in her Pennyroyal Green series and I can seriously say this one is very close to the wonderful book #1 The Perils of Pleasure.

Tommy is a great, do-it-herself kind of girl who is not only beautiful on the outside, but downright amazing on the inside.  Her life story is one of trial, success, sacrifice and finally...reward.  I want to be her.  Jonathan is the seemingly complete opposite, except for the beautiful part.  He has been raised in a wealthy household, but also needs to fight for any respect.

Their first meeting was a scene I will look forward to reading every time I pick up the book.  For this one time, I am not going to detail all the aspects I liked or disliked.  I just recommend you buy or borrow this book from a library.  It is that good.

Five Stars!!!!

The Proposal by Mary Balogh

I consider myself a Mary Balogh fan. No, I don't love everything she writes, but almost every book has something that brings me back to it again and again. Her characters are always well-written, unique, and described in detail. I have never known her characters to be mysteries. The readers always know why someone in her books act the way they do.

Ms. Balogh continues this in her latest story, The Proposal. Hugo and Gwen are marvelous main characters who have traumatic histories. They meet and fall in love but are unsure if they would truly suit in the long-term. Most of the story is about their journey to happiness. I really loved the premise of this story. Because the characters are older, they really do want to look before leaping into a lifetime of potential unhappiness. I think more people, real and make believe, should make this journey.

So why the three stars? Well, I think I am guilty of comparing this story to all her others so it may be harsh, but right now it is how I feel. So, the problems I had are the following:

- Hugo really needed to stop telling Gwen that he wants a wife so that he can have sex all the time without paying for it. He needs to stop thinking it too.

- I was really getting tired of Hugo's endless conflicts...his step-mother who ran him into the army, the soldier who spit at him all the time, the nasty viscount who also happened to be the bane of Gwen's existence. Also, we never really find out what happened to that dirty dish.

- I had suspected since first meeting Gwen all those books ago that her marriage wasn't as rosy as she pretended, but I am still confused as to why she hid it from her family.

- I think it was clear from the beginning these two were kindred souls, I just wish Hugo hadn't strung her along for as long as he did.  I mean, I am glad he was honest with her about his concerns, but sometimes it really sounded almost like a game to him.

There are some great things in this book too:

- The members of the Survivors club are great. I am looking forward to the next stories.

- The families were nice, and supportive. I like to read about nice people.

- The writing was terrific, especially the dialogue.

So, I would recommend this book. It is good:)

The Sandalwood Princess by Loretta Chase

I have wanted to read this book for years but just got the chance this week thanks to ebooks. I didn't know exactly what to expect, just that it was well reviewed and not a typical regency romance.  I can honestly say that this was definitely a different read.  It was unique, surprising,  alternately fast and slow paced, and contained some of the best writing I have read...ever.  I have put off writing this review a bit because I just didn't know where to start.

First off, Ms. Chase has taken a relatively simple plot of revenge and thievery and turned it into what felt like to me, the shortest epic ever written.  When I finished I felt like I had just put down an 800 page dynasty.  The change of locations were taken with so much care that I felt like I was in India, on a ship for almost a year, and hidden away in the English countryside.  The writing was so descriptive that the scenery almost became characters themselves as they drove the story forward.  I've read a lot of books, but I have never read one transported me so completely to a ship.

Of course when you have such magnificent locations, the characters must keep up.  Phillip and Amanda are wonderful as they both alternately use and succumb to each other.  Neither is perfect or outmatched.  They both use what talents they have at their disposal to get what they want and make the tough decisions as needed.  I was continuously reminded of The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne throughout due to the excellent prose, snappy dialogue, and fully-developed characters that made me wish they were my neighbors ( well except for the whole thievery stuff).  The roles of the servants were well-defined and they stayed true to their characters throughout.

After the twists and turns the story took, I was beginning to fear for any sort of happily ever after.  It all worked out in the end with a couple more surprises thrown into the muddy waters.  I was left with a feeling of certainty that the drama was done, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Rani Simha had a few more enemies to deal with.

I highly recommend this book with a five star rating.  It is better than anything I've read lately.  And it was only $2.99 on Kindle :)

Married by Midnight by Julianne Maclean

All righty then...It has been several years since I have read a Julianne Maclean novel and I am remembering why I stopped.   Her American Heiresses series started out all right with To Marry the Duke but by the time the 4th out of eventual 6 books came out, I was pretty much done with it even though I did buy and read all six.  Sometimes I am a glutton for punishment.  I also tried the first 2 books of her Highlander trilogy, but they lost my interest even sooner so I didn't bother with the 3rd.  I say all this so that no one can accuse me of not giving an author a chance.  When I saw that this particular book was free through I-book, I decided to give it a try anyhow.  Who can turn down a free book that seems interesting?  I can't!

I realized within the first couple of chapters that I may be in the middle of a series, so I looked it up on GoodReads and found that yes, this is the 4th out of 6 book series. Ms. Maclean does a good job of not making the reader feel that there is more of a back story so I decided to continue on with the story.  The beginning is really well done.  I felt that the prologue was a good teaser, the first two chapters where we meet the heroine and hero are interesting, and even though the family is large (hence the six books!!!) I didn't feel the least bit lost or confused.

My issues really started about halfway into the story and it was all about the plot.  I was having a real problem believing that the mother would bring an ex-lover/father of her last 2 children into the house to care for her elderly husband.  I also wasn't buying the instant lust/sleeping together that was going on between Garrett and Anne.  Yes, they were going to be married within a week or so, but after listening to both of them go on and on about how they refused to be trapped it just seemed a little out of character that they would decide to do the opposite.  In the midst of all this, we have a dotty father who apparently has become all sweet and saintly as opposed to mean and gruff which is how he spent the first 70 years of his life, a maybe haunted house that never really gets explained (maybe book 6?), a not so surprising reveal that the doctor is more than he appears, a race to have a marriage by Christmas Eve to satisfy terms of a will, and a series of memories from Garrett about a boating accident he was in.

Garrett's lamenting about the boating accident is understandable - at first -  especially since several people passed away in it including his pregnant fiancee and her young nephew.  I was feeling very sorry for Garrett since I am sure it would be traumatic for anyone and definitely a cause for bad dreams.  I stopped feeling badly for him when he tells Anne that the only reason he was engaged to the girl on the boat was because she "became conveniently pregnant".  OK, for me that just crossed the line into jerkdom.  This is the 1800's we are talking about.  All the power of a lady becoming pregnant, OR NOT, laid solely with the man.  This wasn't a case of her lying about taking birth control, he made her pregnant.  So apparently we are to believe that is since one woman tricked him (by this I mean continued their mutual affair until the inevitable happened) into marriage, he decided that he would still marry to get his inheritance but only if he lived apart from the bride.  I also lost all respect for Anne at this point since she spent time telling him how honorable he is and of course she understood why he was keeping her at arms length since he has trust issues.  Of course, she is doing this while she is in bed with him!!!!

So the book ended on a bad note for me.  I'm not going to touch on the whole Christmas Eve marriage/not marriage thing.  How can a will have repercussions when the guy isn't even dying? And why didn't the sons just fight it in court since the dad was clearly having major mental issues?  And lastly, why have a prologue that has nothing to do with the end of the story when it supposedly takes place?  I mean, it is possible I missed it, but I don't think so.

In the end, this is a two star book for me.  Good writing, very good beginning, terrible plot, and ultimately, not a likable hero.  I am happy it was free, though.  Now I just need to delete it off my I Pad!

Snowdrops and Scandalbroth by Barbara Metzger

Wow!  I am convinced that Barbara Metzger has truly channeled the late Georgette Heyer in this oldie, but GREAT regency from the nineties.  The Hero, Courtney, was just somebody I would love to know.  He was honorable, brave, a little crabby, and he just loved his old nanny.  He seemed so out of place in the regency world where most men his age just went about haphazardly through life until they were forced into marriage.  The writing was so good that we could see by his deeds all his qualities instead of being told how great he was.  Ms. Metzger writing also let us experience how jaded and unbelieving the rest of the ton were when presented with his actions, so they instead resorted to believing the very worst (at that time, thankfully not now) of him.  I also admired how he stood by his principles and refused to change.  Sometimes stubbornness is a good thing - at least that is what I tell my husband!

Kathlyn as a heroine was almost as good a character.  She was definitely spunky and never seemingly at a loss no matter what situation she was in.  I truly admired her grit and I really got the sense that she was just as nice and honorable as Courtney (I really liked his name too).  Kathlyn was a realist who had ideals that she tried to live by, but she made peace with sometimes making decisions that weren't her first choice.  Sometimes life throws lemons at us :)

The plot did take a few funny turns, funny as in What??? as well as funny as in hahahaha.  For example:  I really didn't like how Kathlyn truly believed that she could open a school after pretending to be Court's mistress, but it was appalling that our nice, considerate hero was okay with letting her continue under that delusion.  And why would the Nanny go along with such a scheme too?  Court's friends were also a little much, but the scene where they kidnap Kathlyn was truly a hahahaha moment.

The moments of looking into the life of Court's first fiancee (who is pretty much the cause of all his
problems) were genius and I found myself looking forward to them.  Another scene that is great is the meeting of his mother and her aunt.  I am lucky that I get along with my in-laws and so does my mother, but when the families don't mesh well there are situations ripe for amusement.  I need to
think about some examples that I have read and will add them.  If anyone else can think of some, please feel free to drop me a comment.

I would give this a firm 4 1/2 stars and I look forward to reading it again and again.

Lord Heartless by Barbara Metzger

I am currently on a Barbara Metzger kick and have just finished Lord Heartless on my IPad.  I had been wanting to read this book for years, but the used copies were always a little pricey for me.  This is one of the reasons I broke down and started reading ebooks, but that subject is best left for another time.

Anyhow, this is a cute, well-written book that is completely in style with the author's early books.  Lesley, Viscount Hartleigh, is another great beta hero.  I'm beginning to think that Barbara Metzger is the best at writing these types of heroes.  Lesley is a typical, young lord-about-town who has taken residence in a run-down house on a respectable street in order to escape his step-mother and her family.  Unfortunately for the neighbors, he has also brought his very disreputable dog and manservant.  Now Lesley isn't a Saint by any sense of the word.  He regularly drinks, gambles and intermingles with the ladies.  In fact, it is some of this intermingling which results in a baby being deposited on his doorstep one morning.  

This is where our heroine enters the story.  Mrs. Kane is a widowed housekeeper a few doors down from the Viscount.  She also has a young daughter who as Lesley puts it "seemed happy and healthy and devoted to her mother.  That was enough recommendation for the desperate peer".  Lesley takes the baby to Mrs. Kane and convinces her to help.  Now Mrs. Kane has all sorts of trouble herself including being cheated out of an inheritance, her long-thought dead disreputable husband coming back to life, and her growing attraction to the completely impossible Viscount.

The resulting story is a fun read with the colorful secondary characters that always show up in a Barbara Metzger novel.  The dialogue is perfect and believable, the plot moves along a a good pace, the characters act and react as they should to stay in character, and the ending is completely believable.  What more could a regency romance junkie ask for???  I loved that Lesley reminded me so much of my brothers - good, decent men who are just a tad bit intimidated and exasperated with women.  I often say that the hero almost always will make or break the plot for me and this is no exception.  Mrs. Kane is a fine heroine, but it is her interactions with the Viscount that had me turning the pages (or swiping the screen in this case).

This is definitely a four star story and well-worth the $3.99.  In fact, if I could have found it for twice as much in paperback, I would have paid it.

Cupboard Kisses by Barbara Metzger

This is a classic Barbara Metzger romance. It has everything that I love about her: humor, likable main characters, secondary characters that steal the scenes, and new twists on an oft-used plot. Cristabel is naive, but not stupid and Kenley is definitely cynical, but not so much that he doesn't appreciate good when he sees it. Yes, it was a little far-fetched that Christabel didn't catch onto Mac's racket sooner, but it was fun to watch the occupants of the house go about their daily (and nightly) business all the while trying to keep her in the dark.

My one major issue with this story was the whole Captain Chase/Lord Winstoke identity thing. I don't think the story needed it to go as far as it did and it was really unnecessary. I just don't understand why he didn't tell her that he was Captain Chase. And while I am usually against people holding grudges for long, I think she really let him off the hook too easily at the end when she found out.  However, they did wrap everything up quickly and moved onto their Happily Ever After.

I would rate this book a solid four stars. I can see myself reading it again next year and still being entertained by the witty dialogue.  My all-time favorite Barbara Metzger is definitely Miss Lockharte's Letters which has a heroine that is pretty similar to Cristabel.  But if you want a not-so-typical read that is very well-written then The Hourglass is my recommendation.

The Rake to Ruin Her by Julia Justiss

I think this would have made a great short story. I say that because after they married, the plot really dragged. I understand the drama about a pregnancy and why she decided to not worry about it anymore, but it just wasn't a compelling read. In fact, I was pretty bored with Max and Caro by the end of the book.  It seemed like their sparks had dimmed.

There were some good things like Max and Caro's interactions at the house party at the beginning. They were both so full of life, even if Max was whining a bit about Vienna and his ruined career.  I mean, he made a pretty stupid mistake.  Don't they teach that in diplomat/foreign service school that you NEVER trust unknown damsels in supposed distress!!!!! I also liked the family support (except for his father, of course) that they received, but I didn't understand why the step-mother wouldn't have come to help out Caro during her confinement.  To be fair, I was starting to skim pages a bit so maybe I missed that point. 

I am  intrigued about the other 3 Ransleigh cousins. I don't know if I would buy their stories, but I would definitely get them from the library.

So, in short, I would give this 2 stars but I wouldn't give up on the entire series yet.

To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke

This is was an interesting book that I'm not quite sure about.  Ms. Guhrke's writing is excellent and the plot is definitely inventive.  I found the detail of starting a new business and keeping that business running fascinating.  In fact, the business almost overshadowed the entire romance, but this is not necessarily a bad thing.  Nathanial was stereotypical beta hero who just wants to build toys.  Mara is a tough cookie who has pulled herself through life with sheer determination.  As you can imagine, Nathanial was easier to like, but it was Mara who truly shined as she fought her distrust and fears to embrace Nathanial's vision.  In a movie, it would be the actress who played Mara who would be nominated for an Oscar because it would take a truly stellar performance to pull her off as likable and sympathetic.

I think the inclusion of the secondary characters really help this plot from becoming too intense.  Billy and the kitten give Mara emotion, while the incredibly unlikeable brother gives Nathanial a chance to show some alphaness.  I really didn't like the way he caved at the end only to be saved by Mara, but I guess it moved the plot along.  Personally, it would have been more interesting to see him beat his brother up and then rat him out to his fiancee.

So I am giving this a three star rating, but I think it is probably better than that.  I will save it and read it again next year to see how I feel.  BTW, the period this story takes place in (1899) is as much a character in this story.  It kind of reminds me of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.  I hope a screenwriter finds this story because I really think it would translate well onto the big screen.

Viscount Vagabond by Loretta Chase

I really liked this book and would rate it a strong 4 stars.  This is definitely where Ms. Chase learned her ability to make characters, both male and female, interesting and unique.  Max was perfect!  He was, to me, like most young men...a little selfish, kind, easily spooked, and decent.  Catherine was a perfect match for him.  His sister was a great character also, it is nice to read about supportive families.  The friend Jack was also great and I enjoyed his book as well.

The boy Jemmy was a great addition to the book because he really brought out the best in both Max and Catherine, even if they didn't see it.  Loved the ending and the way everything was tied up with the various fiances that were hanging about.  This is definitely an old throw-back novel without much heat, but a very nice story.

Knave's Wager by Loretta Chase

Cute book. This is one of Ms. Chase's earlier books and I definitely enjoyed it better than the last couple. The writing alone is worth the 4 stars, but the plot is a good one. Lillith and Julian are perfectly written as older, wiser guides to the younger couple of Robert and Cecily. I wasn't thrilled at the plot that had Lillian blaming Julian for her husband's death for awhile, but I think it came together pretty well at the end. 

I really like Robert's transformation and it was nice that Cecily wasn't the typical brain-dead debutante that seems to populate regencies. I also liked that Lillith was so kind to her nieces and intended to continue helping them. Her engagement was a little bit of a distraction, but I'm glad that Ms. Chase didn't vilify Thomas. I was a little surprised that Julian offered Elise a chance to go with him to France when he was supposedly in love with Lillith. It may have been the author's attempt to show that Julian had no intention of staying in England with Lillith married, but I think it also showed a little bit of cowardice on his part. Why wouldn't he stay and fight? 

The last scene where Lillith confronts Julian is how more novels should end. Reminded me of a good old-fashioned Georgette Heyer novel. Air is cleared...everyone loves each other...over! No epilogue, no last-minute sex scene, just done. Perfect.

The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare

This was an interesting plot-line that was a good choice for a novella as opposed to a full novel.  Ms. Dare did a great job at the beginning setting the story, introducing the characters and moving the plot along in a way that didn't seem forced at all.  I really liked Harry from the beginning and was pretty tolerant of Eliza and her "all about her" attitude since she was acting exactly like any normal teenager would.  I also liked how this story moved along in terms of years instead of days like most stories.  It made me really look forward to their next encounter and made me wonder where they would run into each other next.  The way that they really didn't know too much of what was going on each other's lives seemed completely plausible since they couldn't correspond, they weren't in any way related and didn't even share the same circle of friends til later.  Also, the last meeting was really well-written and a fun scene to read.

So why the three stars only?  I just didn't like the back story that came out in the middle of the story about the characters.  I think it would have been better if Ms. Dare hadn't tried to make both Harry and Eliza martyrs.  One martyr per story please!!!  But, many kudos to the author for not dragging it all out (one good thing for novellas - the painful parts are short).

So, in short (no pun intended), well-worth the $.99.

A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan

Kudos to Ms. Milan! She has written two of the best novellas I have read in a very long time (the other being The Governess Affair). Short stories seem to be very hit or miss usually, but this author has nailed down the perfect formula. Yes, it helped that we had been introduced to the hero and heroine in The Duchess War, but I don't think that she drew much on that back story much at all. In fact, she was able to weave a story that hardly mentioned anyone else, but still kept it full and rich.

I LOVED Jonas! Usually it is either the girl who is portrayed as unbecomingly blunt or a jaded rake who is just rude to the point of being insufferable (although, in the case of St. Aubyn in Suzanne Enoch's London's Perfect Scoundrel, it was just hilarious). Ms. Milan is able to make Jonas forgivingly blunt because it is his job as a doctor to be so. His dilemma with his father seems so current with today's world that it was heartbreaking to read as many of us have the same issues with our parents (although hopefully not to that degree). Jonas also knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to go after Lydia. I loved his analogy that she made him a "smiling little dark raincloud".

Lydia is a great heroine. She is the perfect foil to Dr. Jonas without falling into the stereo-typical, happy-go-lucky girl with a horrible secret. She honestly, with the help of her wonderful family, has moved on with her life. She did have a moment of stupidity with the Captain, but she moved on in a completely healthy and satisfying way. 

I truly believe that this couple will be great together always. Makes me want to live in their little town...with modern amenities, of course.

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

Ms. Milan is starting to really climb on my favorite author list.  She writes consistently good books and this is no exception.  The prequel novella, The Governess Affair, was amazing and I was more than ready to embrace Robert, Oliver and Sebastian as the next heroes in my life.

I loved Robert as a hero.  He is the ultimate Nice Guy who turned out that way by the Grace of God because it sure wasn't his parents' influence.  His father was a horrible specimen of a man and I really wish he had died alone.  His mother wasn't much better, but Robert was able to make peace with her.  In fact, I think his interactions with her made me love him even more since he gave her chance after chance to do the right thing and in the end he was rewarded.  (I won't give it away, but the epilogue was AWESOME!  It may surpass my all-time favorite from Promise Me Forever by Lorraine Heath).  I didn't love Minnie as much at the end.  I think she freaked out a little at her great-aunts unnecessarily when everything was coming to a head and it kind of colored my opinion of her.  She did redeem herself eventually, mostly by being completely reasonable and supportive of Robert's decision at the end.  Oliver and Sebastian continue to be great characters and I loved seeing Hugo and Serena again.  I think Serena's reaction to Robert the first time was a little bit out of character for her and I wish that there had been resolution about that sooner, but I still love them.

The only slight quibble I had with the story that kept this as a 4 1/2 star book and not a 5 Star offering was the ending court drama.  I understand why she had it work that way since it gave an opportunity for all the loose ends to be tied up...I just didn't like the way it broke up the warm and fuzzy feelings I was having with Robert and Minnie in Paris.

I recommend this book whole-heartedly.  I do suggest reading the prequel first, though.

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

This was a great short story.  It started out with an enticing hook and just kept reeling me in.  The quality of this story makes me wish more short stories were written.  Ms. Milan was able to stay away from any unnecessary drama and stick to the main story.  After reading the samples at the next books in the series, I am so happy that she decided write this prequel so that when Robert's and Sebastian's books come out we don't have to waste time reading about their history.  This is a great example that if the backstory is compelling enough, definitely write a story about it even it is just a novella.  What happened in the past should never overtake the present...usually.  There are always exceptions, of course, but the author should be prepared for it.

Hugo is the hero of my dreams and I love that Serena has taken hold of her own life.  Yes, she was very lucky that Hugo was drawn to her and her plight, but I think the journey that she went through was inspiring.  At the end I truly believed that they would have a great life.  I also believed that Hugo would love the child as his own, which is always a worry when the heroine is already pregnant.  I do think the relationship between Serena and her sister was a bit strange, but maybe that will be explained later in another book.

Great story.  Highly recommend it.  Am looking forward to meet Robert, Oliver and Sebastian all grown-up!

The Conquest of Lady Cassandra by Madeline Hunter

Madeline Hunter has been an auto-buy for me for many years, but I'm sorry to say that I wish I had waited to check this one out of the library instead of buying it. Based on the first book in the series, The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne, I was really looking forward to Cassandra's story. She had all the qualities I usually like: older, wiser, calm, little mystery, etc. Unfortunately, there was way too much mystery (most of which could have been solved with a short and sweet conversation with her Aunt) and whole lot less of wise. 

I admired Cassandra for her calmness and lack of hysterics, but it seemed to me that she was too willing to wait and let Ambury dictate terms. I think a little hysteria and urgency would have solved everything much quicker, but then we would have missed the great descriptions of Amburys tight bum over and over again. By the middle of the story, I was frustrated at the slow pacing of the story. This is weird because I am usually thinking that things happen too fast, but the constant back and forth of Ambury and Cassandra to their family members seeking out information but yet coming up with nothing was very frustrating...at least to me but not to them.