His Wicked Charm

His Wicked Charm (The Mad Morelands)- Candace Camp
HQN Books
Release Date: March 27, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Lilah Holcutt dislikes Constantine Moreland from the moment she meets him. He may be handsome, but he’s frivolous, rash, impulsive and, worst of all, a flirt. Now that Con’s twin brother has married Lilah’s best friend, she’s seeing way more of Con than she’d like. And when Con’s sisters are inexplicably kidnapped, Lilah’s own curiosity and stubbornness get the better of her, and she finds herself swept into Con’s investigation. 

Con knows that Lilah hates him—he just wishes she weren’t so devastatingly beautiful, that he weren’t so attracted to her. Especially since they’re working closely together to solve the kidnapping, an adventure that leads them to Lilah’s peculiar childhood home, Barrow House, which sits atop an ancient fen and features an eerie maze on its grounds.

The more Con and Lilah uncover, the more they’re convinced that the answers lie buried deep within Barrow House—answers to a mystery darker than either of them could ever have realized.

____________________________________________________

You knew from the first time Lilah and Con met in His Sinful Touch that they were meant to be together.  They bickered nonstop and went out of their way to avoid being alone together.  But since Con's twin Alex has just married Lilah's best friend Sabrina, they are sure to be thrown together often.  Con is impulsive, flirtatious, and more than willing to embrace the hint of mystic that clings to most of his family- his one complaint being that their mysterious gifts seem to have passed over him!  Lilah, with her stiff attitude, adherence to society's rules, and seeming lack of humor, constantly rubs him the wrong way.  But when Lilah doesn't hesitate to jump into a search for Con's family when they are kidnapped, he begins to think there may be more to Lilah than meets the eye.  The reader sees Lilah's layers mostly at the same time that Con does, knowing that there is plenty beneath her proper surface and getting hints but waiting along with Con until she reveals them to us.  Lilah is a wonderfully multifaceted character who tries hard to be the prim model of society her aunt has raised her to be, but finds herself chafing at the restrictions placed on her.  

When she and Con go to her childhood home, Barrow House, and we meet her eccentric Aunt Vesta, things get really complicated.  The Moreland family kidnapping seems to have less to do with the Morelands than with Sabrina and Lilah and their families.  All of Camp's Mad Morelands series touch on the supernatural or paranormal, some more than others, and His Wicked Charm twines modern Victorian ideas with a heavy does of the appeal of the paranormal that was popular during Con and Lilah's parents and grandparents time.  Past and present are inseparable though, because the puzzle they are trying to solve may have its origins two generations ago, but is very much alive in the present.  

Like the rest of the Mad Morelands series, this book can be read as a stand alone, although there are enough references to events in His Sinful Touch that readers may want to start with that book first.  His Wicked Charm is a fast-paced, brilliantly written thriller from start to finish.  Con and Lilah have smoldering chemistry that, when they finally allow themselves to give in to it, becomes a beautiful and passionate relationship that was one of the best I've read in a long time.  A perfect blend of logic and mystic, normal and paranormal, Lilah and Con balance each other and turn into a perfect team.  The mystery's twist at the end was shocking- and completely perfect. His Wicked Charm may be my new favorite Candace Camp book!   

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Secret of Flirting

The Secret of Flirting (Sinful Suitors #5)- Sabrina Jeffries
Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster
Release Date: March 27, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: The moment spymaster Baron Fulkham meets the stunning Princess Aurore of Chanay, he's positive her royal persona is a ruse and that she's actually Monique Servais, the mysterious actress he met three years before in Dieppe. But as he pursues his suspicions, he uncovers a plot of attempted assassination and betrayal that could very well destroy his career, expose his own secrets...and ruin the woman he's rapidly coming to love.

____________________________________________________________

When Baron Gregory Fulkham and actress Monique Servais first meet he's condescending and she's insulted.  Three years later he's helping hold the international conference that will choose the first ruler of an independent Belgium and she's playing the role of a lifetime: her nearly twin cousin Princess Aurore of Chanay and a strong contender for Belgium's throne. Fulkham is almost sure its the same woman, but why is the Chanay contingent calling her a princess? He needs to discover Monique's secrets, try to protect his own, prevent an international incident, and an assassination attempt all without falling for a woman who, as a princess or an actress, is completely wrong for a wife. And that's before things get complicated!

From the very beginning Monique defies all conventions- society's and those of a stereotypical actress. She doesn't want to meet rich and titled English lords who fall for her beauty on stage.  She wants to work hard and take care of her ailing grandmother.  When Fulkham, both rich and titled, claims tragedies are the only real theater after she's just professed to enjoy comedies (and just acted in one!) she doesn't keep her opinions to herself but lets him have it with no hesitation. When her great-uncle appears claiming he needs her to do him a favor, she doesn't want his money or connections- she just wants her grandmother taken care of.  Where most actresses would see playing a real life princess the role of a lifetime, she sees a disaster in the making.  Monique is realistic, loyal, brave, and intelligent- everything Gregory Fulkham needs.

Fulkham is the shadowy spymaster friend we've met in previous Sinful Suitors books, but know almost nothing about- and here we find out why.  Fulkham battles demons from his childhood by trying to lock himself away from the world and the potential for being hurt again.  It was delightful to watch Monique get past all his defenses without even trying, and equally delightful to watch him come to grips with his emotions and work out how to save his job and reputation AND have Monique for a wife.  And of course, his friends are more than happy to watch him fall to their level: that of a man deeply in love!

I enjoyed reading about a moment in history I hadn't even considered asking about before: how did Prince Leopold become King of the Belgiums? Even a version with a bit of a romantic fictional twist to it was more than I'd ever thought of before and definitely makes me interested to learn more about it.  But even if you don't care about the history, or haven't read any of the rest of the Sinful Suitors series before, you'll love The Secret of Flirting.  Fast-paced, with sparkling dialogue, plenty of wit and delightful characters, Jeffries' newest succeeds in keeping you glued to the page from first to last!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Fast Burn

Fast Burn (Body Armor Series)- Lori Foster
HQN Books
Release Date: March 20, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis:  The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure—to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards. For Sahara, the agency always comes first, and Brand needs more. Yet when she’s kidnapped by men searching for her missing brother, he doesn’t hesitate.

Somewhere along the way, flirting with Brand for the sake of business turned very personal. Despite his refusal to join Body Armor, it’s Brand who steps up when Sahara needs him most. Now there’s no more time for games, and no point denying the hunger they both feel. They’ll escape together or not at all. But if they survive, can Sahara finally surrender control to claim this blazing passion?

__________________________________________________________

Sahara Silver has always been convinced that her brother Scott isn't dead- despite all evidence to the contrary.  She's sure she would feel it if he was gone and has always tried to look at inheriting his Body Armor agency as keeping it in trust until he comes back.  Of course, she doubts he'd agree with some of her decisions- like hiring sexy ex-MMA fighters as body guards.  One particularly sexy, not quite ex-fighter she hasn't succeeded in hiring is Brand Berry.  He's interested, and he likes her, but she hasn't managed to seal the deal.  When she gets kidnapped by men looking for her brother Sahara is thrilled to know someone besides her thinks Scott is still alive- but not so thrilled at the danger she's in now.  Brand and his friends come to the rescue, and now its up to all of them to keep Sahara safe and find out what is going on before it's too late!

Readers of the Body Armor series (Close Contact, Hard Justice, Under Pressure) have been waiting for Sahara and Brand's story for awhile now.  It's obvious where the sparks between the two should lead- but how to get them there?  Sahara is a tough woman who's used to always being in control, Brand's a confident man who uses control to win his fights.  Both have to learn how to give and take to make a relationship work.  I liked how well Foster balanced Sahara's being the boss of a male dominated agency with Brand's convincing her she didn't have to be the boss outside of work as well- and she was allowed to have more of a life than just work!  That she could be a strong woman but still compromise in her private life.  He made it clear to her that he stood behind her when it was work related, and he wouldn't try to take control from her.  It was hard for Sahara to find that balance, and I wish we'd seen a little more of the relationships in her past that made her the way she is now, but by the end we saw enough of her relationship with Scott to make her attitude pretty understandable.  But Foster continues to give us strong, likable female (and male) characters who learn to balance toughness with softer emotions like love and be better for it by the end of the book.

The mystery behind Scott's disappearance and Sahara's kidnapping gets interesting and twisted, and without giving anything away I wonder if we'll be seeing more of Ross- the ringleader behind the kidnapping.  Fast Burn is a fast-paced page turner full of Foster's usual blend of wonderful characters, witty dialogue, and intriguing suspense.  While readers new to the series won't feel lost starting with this book (each in the series is stand alone), long-time readers will be happy to see characters they already know pop up along the way.  

A great book to end the Body Armor series.  Can't wait to see what Lori Foster has in store for us next!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Duchess Deal

The Duchess Deal- Tessa Dare
Avon/HarperCollins
Release Date: August 27, 2017

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.

His terms are simple:
- They will be husband and wife by night only.
- No lights, no kissing.
- No questions about his battle scars.
- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.

But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:
- They will have dinner together every evening.
- With conversation.
- And unlimited teasing.
- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…

________________________________________________

Returned from Waterloo scarred both physically and mentally, the Duke of Ashbury has decided he needs an heir.  When his fiancee drops him because of his scars and her seamstress shows up at the ducal residence demanding payment for a finished wedding gown, Ash decides she'll do.  Emma at first thinks he's making fun of her, but she's desperate and before she knows it, she's the new Duchess of Ashbury.  Emma doesn't mind Ash's scars but she does refuse to fall in exactly with Ash's plans.  She won't be a wife in bed only.  She's determined to push Ash back into enjoying life, and before she knows it, she's fallen in love with him.  Will Ash break her heart or learn to love again?

The Duchess Deal takes the familiar romance trope of a poor but genteel woman who enters into a marriage of convenience with an obscenely rich nobleman and gives it a refreshing, fun reboot as only Tessa Dare can do.  Emma may be alone in the world, but she refuses to let life's trials beat her down.  She hides her fears, whether she's facing down a strange duke or admitting that she loves him.  Few women, no matter how desperate to get paid, would show up at the home of a duke who has just had his betrothal ended and demand that she pay for his former fiancee's gown.  Fewer still would show up wearing the dress- and then not kill the man who compares her creation to "unicorn vomit". When Ash snaps at her or tells her she can call him 'Duke' if she has to be familiar, she starts keeping lists of the most ridiculous pet names she can come up with to call him. 

Ash is a deeply wounded hero who tries to retreat from the world to protect himself.  He's listened to a few people tell him he's a monster and so he refuses to believe he could be anything else.  He tries to keep Emma at an impersonal distance, rejecting her before she can reject him.  He fights her every step of the way as she drags him back to being himself.  But his wicked sense of humor and basic decency still manage to come through- like when he pretends to be a demon and menaces Emma's vicar father.

Tessa Dare (Do You Want to Start a Scandal?) gives us another gift with The Duchess Deal: delightful characters, sparkling wit, and her trademark brilliant sense of humor.  This fast-paced enjoyable read will captivate you from page one and refuse to let you go. August's release of the next book in this series (The Governess Game) can't come soon enough! A must read for Tessa Dare fans, romance fans, and everyone looking for a good book!

Burn Bright

Burn Bright (Alpha & Omega #5)- Patricia Briggs
Ace/Penguin Group
Release Date: March 6, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok's pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf--but can't stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills--his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker--to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn...

_____________________________________________________

With the Marrock out of town, werewolves Charles and Anna are in charge of their pack- which means when trouble arises, they're the ones who have to deal with it.  Someone is making trouble for the most damaged of their pack members, hunting them, and killing them.  Charles and Anna will have to use all their skills and trust in each other to solve the problem because something even worse than death is stalking them now.

I ended up having very mixed reactions to this book, which surprised me.  I'll start by admitting, I haven't read all the books in the Alpha and Omega series yet.  The short story that started it off ("Alpha and Omega" in On the Prowl) is a favorite of mine, although I've only followed it up with the first two books in the series so far.  So it was frustrating reading Burn Bright when things would get referred to that happened in one of the earlier books (or Briggs' Mercy Thomson series) but Briggs never filled out what those events were, so you were left not sure if it was important or not. There were also a lot of things happening that I never figured out if they were red herrings or actually important: why were there so many surveillance devices hidden around Jonsey and Hester's home? How did the people planting them never get caught when werewolves are supposed to be so sensitive? Was it a coincidence that Anna knew several of the attackers from her time in Chicago or was there something else going on there that I never figured out?  Was some of what was happening so subtle and tricky I wasn't smart enough to figure it out, or did it leave everyone confused?

The beginning of Burn Bright got off to a slow start- strange because we start with an attack on a werewolf and a Fae.  I kept waiting for Hester, and especially Jonsey, and their pasts to become more important to the story.  Jonsey had a house full of hoarded Fae artifacts after all!  By the end of the book I still had no idea if some of the loose threads to the story were going to be picked up in the next book or were just never going to be dealt with, which was frustrating.  Nearly three quarters of the way through the book I was still waiting for things to really get started.  But when things got going it was impossible to put the book down until the last page.  You figure out pretty much at the same time as Anna and Charles who the bad guys are and I was just as surprised as they were!  

There was a lot of unnecessary repetition throughout the book, although as much as some things were explained over and over there were other things that seemed to be dropped.  I think the reader would definitely get more out of this book if they read the rest of the series first.  If you're like me and dropping into this series late in the game I think you have to just accept that you're not going to follow all of it completely and enjoy the book for what it is- a book you'll understand more the second time around, after reading the rest of the series.  But for all its frustrating bits, Burn Bright was very clever and compelling, with some wonderfully dry and witty humor, and made sure that once you got caught in its spell, you didn't want to come out.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review