Feb 21, 2018 | reviews, romance
She’s gone over the river and through the woods, but who will protect her from the Big Bad Wolf?
Rojita is in trouble; all she needs to do is get to Abuela in Everland, but she’s being chased by El Lobo, one of the West’s most notorious gunslingers. It isn’t until she’s thrown herself head-long into danger that she realizes the old adage about frying pans and fires applies. She’s in desperate need of a protector, and hires the first man who comes along to get her safely to Everland.
Bounty hunter Hank Cutter is more than ready to retire to a lonely little cabin in Arizona, to hang up his gun and find peace. He’ll begrudgingly help the reckless young woman get to the nearest train station, because he figures she’d get into even more trouble on her own. But when El Lobo struts back into his life–Hank still has the scars from their last encounter–he knows that he can’t leave Rojita at the gunslinger’s mercy. Maybe he’s nobler than he’d thought, because he’s soon setting a trap to save the lovely, impetuous Red. The only problem is that she’s still keeping a secret that could destroy his trust.
Little Red, by Caroline Lee
As things are busy around here, short has been the name of the game for the past few weeks. I can squeeze out an hour or two for a quick read. Anything more is …well, it hasn’t been happening. Honestly, finding that hour has been a challenge. But I’m a sucker for fairy tales and wanted a change of pace (like I have a lot recently, it feels like) and so Little Red fit the bill.
This is a Western romance, set sometime in Wyoming in the 1800s, and it’s advertised as “clean,” which means all the sexy-times take place off camera. (And oh do I have some opinions on that word as a descriptor, although I have no issue with books where the author chooses not to write sex scenes.) That being said, there are definitely strong indications that there is sexual interest on both sides. So if you don’t want any acknowledgment of men and women as sexual beings, this still isn’t the book for you.
If you’ve read my book, you know that this isn’t an issue for me.
Anyway, the story starts with Rojita on the run from El Lobo. It’s not going well, in part because she doesn’t really know much about traveling across open country on her own — but she can’t take the train because El Lobo will find her there. Impulsive doesn’t even begin to describe Rojita, but on the plus side the book doesn’t try to play this off. Even the hero Hank has to come to terms with it. He was a bounty hunter but is now looking forward to finally going to settle a piece of land to call his own.
He also has a heart, so he’s unwilling to simply abandon Rojita to the wilderness. Instead he plans to escort her back to the train, because there is no reason for El Lobo to be pursuing a young woman up in Wyoming. It’s only after they reach town and El Lobo finds Rojita that Hank realizes she was telling the truth — and that his conscience won’t let him do anything less than escort Rojita all the way to her grandmother’s house in Everland.
It’s fun to see how many fairy tale and nursery rhyme references you can spot in Everland, which is clearly aimed at being the setting for a number of books in this series. On the other hand, the sheer number of characters combined with the length of the book mean that it’s nearly impossible to get to know any of them, even those that play a slightly larger role. Likewise, the short nature of the book means there’s a strong case of insta-lust going on (and transitioning into insta-love) without a lot of backstory for Hank. We know he ran into El Lobo before, but the details are never clearly explained.
Still, this was a fun and fast read. I enjoyed this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and will certainly check out some of the others when the price is right. The writing was well done and I would gladly read something longer by the same author so she has a chance to do more character development. (Added bonus: this cover design is just gorgeous.)
Feb 13, 2018 | reviews, romance
Two sought-after sisters, a slew of suitors—and a vow to hold out for true love. How many proposals will it take to get to “I do”—especially when the stakes are high…
There have been six suitors so far, all vying for the attention—and generous dowry—of the beautiful, elusive Eleanor Sutherland. What does this woman really want? Who has what it takes to melt the heart of the so-called Lady Ice? These are the questions Camden West keeps asking himself. But rather than wait for answers, Cam takes matters into his own hands… for he has a secret weapon.
Cam knows that Ellie’s sister, Charlotte, harbors a scandalous secret—one that could bring ruin to the Sutherland name. If Ellie marries him, Cam promises to keep mum. But is she willing to sacrifice her own happiness for her sister’s reputation?
To Ellie’s surprise, it becomes clear that Cam doesn’t need her money, nor is he interested in her status. Soon, what begins as a sham engagement transforms into something deeper, and more passionate, than Ellie could have imagined. Is it possible that all Cam truly wanted was her? And is that reason enough to say yes—or is handsome Cam hiding something else? Even for a lady in love, only the truth will do…
Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor, by Anna Bradley
I’ll start this review by being clear that I have some mixed feelings about this book, and much of that revolves around Cam. I feel like his actions are the elephant in the room that has to be addressed before I go any further, and it’s something the blurb leaves out. (It’s also in the first two chapters in the book so I don’t feel like this is a spoiler.) Cam doesn’t just know that Charlotte harbors a scandalous secret — he deliberately sets up the situation that would cause the scandal, prevents Eleanor from stopping it, and makes sure he is there to witness it, all so he can blackmail Eleanor into marrying him.
It is a measure of the writing that I could even come to feel sympathy for him as a hero by the end of the book, but I can also understand why some readers would be completely turned off by this and unable to get past it. Cam is a very flawed, damaged human being who makes mistakes and takes a while to recognize them and sometimes this is frustrating because Eleanor is an awesome heroine and at times you want to scream at the book that she deserves so much better.
That said, it was a delight to sink my teeth into a book that was so well-written and had such real people as characters. A little melodramatic, perhaps, but we all know people like that. I really liked both Charlotte and Cam’s cousin and look forward to reading their book enough that I will probably pick it up without waiting for it to be on sale. You can believe in the growth of the feelings Cam and Eleanor have for each other — it’s not just insta-lust, although there’s a teeny bit of that, but the relationship builds beyond it.
I can appreciate how hard it is to walk the tightrope between making the hero the villain and making the relationship believable and I think the reason it works for me (to the extent that it does — I wouldn’t say she pulled it off 100% but it’s close enough that I could enjoy the book in the end) is because we see Cam grow. Yes, he’s more than a bit of an ass at the start, but he actually seems to recognize that and learn from his mistakes. The biggest question then is what happens when those mistakes also impact other people, in ways you can’t easily make right, and that’s why I need to read the sequel soon.
If you think you can make it past the initial set-up, I highly recommend this one. It’s not perfect, but the writing is good and it made me think about the occasional disconnect between how we perceive ourselves and how others see us.
Feb 6, 2018 | fantasy, reviews, romance
A dutiful daughter. A prince forced to find a bride. If the shoe fits…
Once upon a time…
When the Emperor’s army comes recruiting, Mai signs up, seeing it as the perfect escape from her stepmother and a lifetime of drudgery. Armed with her mother’s armour and a pair of magic shoes, Mai marches off to war…only to find herself sharing a tent with the General’s arrogant nephew, Prince Yi.
The best swordsman in the Empire, Prince Yi wants to make war, not love, but the Emperor insists this will be Yi’s last campaign before he must marry. Prince Yi has never met his match…until now.
Can one woman win the war and the prince’s heart?
Dance: Cinderella Retold, by Demelza Carlton
I am a sucker for fairy tales.
This is not something new. And Cinderella stories? Well, you can ask my mother about how many times she had to play Prince Charming as I lost my shoe running away when I was 4. She’ll be thrilled to tell you all about it, preferably in a way to maximize my embarrassment.
Anyway, what I’m saying is that I am there for any Cinderella retelling you want to offer me. Which is how this book ended up in my to read pile. Since I don’t have a lot of extra time right now, the short length moved it to the top.
Since I started with no expectations beyond the title, it was an interesting read. I often think of medieval as referring to European settings, but in this case the book was set during a roughly similar time period in China. I don’t have the background to judge how authentic the history was or how accurately the culture was represented, so I want to be really clear about that. (This review is giving the benefit of the doubt that it is at least reasonable. If new information comes to hand I reserve the right to change my opinion.)
In true Cinderella fashion, Mai lives with her father and stepmother. Her father is a retired general and country lord, shunning the courtly life and mourning the loss of his true love, Mai’s mother. Mai’s stepmother has two daughters and is raising them to fit in at court, something Mai has no interest in. Mai prefers to dance the martial dances with her father and looks on in horror as her stepmother breaks her daughters’ feet to bind them.
Over time, Mai becomes proficient at martial arts. When an envoy comes requesting her father go and serve in the emperor’s siege, he refuses. Wanting to keep her father from dishonor and being told by her stepmother that she will never marry well because her feet are too large, Mai agrees to impersonate a man through a small enchantment cast on her by her stepmother and goes off to take her father’s place. There, her skill with the sword earns her a place on the battlefield — and a bunk in the prince’s tent.
I liked the way this story took on and tweaked the standard Cinderella tropes to set itself apart. I’ll admit that my brain kept trying to add in Mulan references (unsurprisingly if you’re a Disney fan). The hero and heroine are reasonably well developed, given the length of the book. Although it’s billed as a standalone book, there are a few characters that definitely give off the vibe of “recurring character where questions are answered in another book.”
All in all, it was a fun and quick read. I don’t think it’s made it into the category of “would reread” but it hit all the notes that I look for in a Cinderella story, so if that’s your cup of tea, I’d recommend giving this one a look.
Jan 30, 2018 | reviews, romance
When Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy is ordered to South America on Diplomatic Business he parks his only daughter, Sophy, with his sister in Berkeley Square. Forward, bold, and out-spoken, Sophy sweeps in and immediately takes ton by storm.
Upon her arrival, Sophy can see that her cousins are in a sad tangle: Ceclia is in love with a poet, Charles is engaged to a dour bluestocking, her uncle is of no use at all, and the younger children are in desperate need of some fun and freedom. They all need her help and it’s providential that Sophy arrives when she does.
The Grand Sophy, by Georgette Heyer
How does one even go about reviewing a Georgette Heyer book? She’s regarded as the mother of Regency romances and for good reason, in my opinion. Her books fall into the category of ‘clean’ romance in that it is rare for the hero and heroine to kiss.
But really, her books fall into a category all their own, where the romance is subtle, the dialog both archaic and witty, and the characters far more opaque than those found in a modern romance novel. There are signs of the times she wrote them in — for example, it’s hard to believe that the sadly casual anti-Semitic characterization that shows up at one point in this book would be acceptable to an editor today. Likewise, the fact that the heroine and hero are first cousins can be a turn-off for a lot of modern readers.
Still, if you wanted me to name one book that was my favorite to go back and reread in the Regency category, this would be it. I didn’t discover Heyer’s books until I was in graduate school and The Grand Sophy wasn’t my first — that honor goes to Frederica. But on a trip to Germany for a short course, I stopped by an English language bookstore and picked up the Heyer book I didn’t recognize. This means I have incredibly fond memories of the story unfolding over an afternoon in Salzburg.
The heart of this book is Sophy. She has grown up abroad with her father, a diplomat, and as such has been given an unusual degree of freedom. She knows the conventions of polite society and exactly how far she can push things and she’s not afraid to do so when she thinks it will help the people around her be happier. That’s certainly the situation she finds when she moves in with her aunt because her father is being sent on a diplomatic mission to Brazil — the household is in a fine mess and someone needs to straighten them all out. Fortunately for them, that’s just the sort of thing Sophy excels at.
I hesitate to say anything more because part of the joy of this book is the first discovery. Some elements will be familiar to any reader of Regency novels but it feels like they are distilled to their purest essence here, in part because they weren’t tropes at the time this book was written. As you would expect for a romance, all turns out right in the end. Sophy’s visit might leave one feeling confused and bewildered, but it will also leave one’s life immeasurably better — and it will ultimately be your own decisions that make it so because Sophy achieves her aims making the end result of one’s choices clear.
Of course I love the other characters are well. In my opinion, this book is Heyer at her best and if you can get past the relationship between Sophy and Charles, there is so much to enjoy here. Every reread is just as wonderful; the only thing I regret is that I can’t read it again for the first time. It’s not perfect and I don’t want to gloss over the anti-Semitic characterization of the moneylender in the book in particular (more-so than the cousins, that is the one thing that makes me cringe every reread), but it still one of the books that I can’t get enough of. If you haven’t read it already, do yourself a favor and enjoy one of the classics the genre has to offer.
Jan 23, 2018 | reviews, romance
First a Marine, then a black ops agent, Victoria Morgan knows the military is where she belongs…until a sniper’s bullet changes her life. Trying to prove she’s not washed up, she rescues a young man from kidnappers. When the dying boy transforms into a cougar—and bites her—she learns of an entire hidden society. He begs her to inform his grandfather of his death and to keep the secret of the shifters’ existence. She can’t refuse, but what if the creatures pose a danger to the country she swore to protect?
As guardian of the shifter territory, Calum McGregor wields the power of life and death over his people. When a pretty human female arrives in their wilderness town, he and his littermate become increasingly concerned. Not only is the little female hiding something, but she is far more appealing than any human should be.
While investigating the shifters, Victoria begins to fall in love with the werecat brothers and the town as well. For the first time in her life, she might have a real home. Her hopes are crushed when a deadly enemy follows her from the city, and the shifters discover she knows their secret. Now nobody is safe—least of all Victoria.
Hour of the Lion, by Cherise Sinclair
I should preface this review by saying this is far from the first Cherise Sinclair book that I’ve read (and enjoyed). Still, I didn’t pick up this book until it came through as a sale on Bookbub, because (and stop me if you’ve heard this before) paranormal romance can be hit or miss for me and while I don’t dislike menage books, they’re also not something I tend to seek out.
I’m also saying that I should have had more faith in Cherise because wow, this book was outstanding.
Victoria is a Marine and black ops agent who’s been forced to take a medical leave of absence after being shot. She’s itching to get back into the field and prove that her injuries aren’t going to keep her down, which is probably why she gets herself in over her head trying to rescue a woman from being kidnapped. She fails to save the woman but is determined to save the severely beaten and malnourished young man trapped in the basement with her, even after he shifts into cougar form and bites her.
Unfortunately, she’s too late to do that either, but she can’t deny his request to inform his grandfather of his death and to keep his secret. Her quest to do so takes her to the small wilderness town his grandfather lives, where she meets the local sheriff, Alec McGregor — while attempting to break into the cabin she’s planning to rent, since the realtor was running late and she desperately needed a bathroom. His brother, Calum runs the local bar where Victoria ends up looking for work.
He also happens to be the guardian of the territory, responsible for making sure humans don’t discover the existence of shifters and maintaining order within the community. Victoria’s presence in town is complicated enough without the fact that something about her sets every one of his possessive instincts on high alert.
I won’t go too much more into detail because I don’t want to spoil the plot, but suffice it to say that things move along at a good pace with believable characters and character growth, particularly for Victoria. Her past has left her scarred and not just physically, and she has to move past that in order to find her “happily ever after.” Alec and Calum might have less obvious scars but they still have some growing to do in order for the relationship to end up working, especially when Victoria’s past comes back to haunt them all.
I also like that there are reasons why the shifters end up in menage relationships that make sense in the context of the world. The world-building as a whole is well done and while there are definitely some unanswered questions, that just gives her something to work with in future books — books I definitely intend to read. If you’re looking for a hot (hot!) read with well developed characters and a plot that makes sense, I highly recommend this book.
