An Affair at Stonecliffe

An Affair at Stonecliffe- Candace Camp

HQN

Release Date: May 24, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Noelle Rutherford would do anything for her young son, Gil. A fiercely independent woman recently widowed, Noelle is determined to raise Gil alone. After all, her late husband Adam Rutherford married her for love, which infuriated his aristocratic family. Gil is Noelle’s whole world, and she will not have him wrested from her by haughty nobles.

But she may not have a choice unless she’s prepared to run.
 
One awful night, Noelle is confronted by Carlisle Thorne, a handsome yet severe, irascible man sent by the Rutherfords. Noelle is horrified when Carlisle offers her money in exchange for taking Gil to be raised at the Rutherford estate, Stonecliffe. Knowing that Carlisle will use any means necessary to take her son from her, Noelle flees, Gil at her side.
 
Thus begins an epic rivalry that spans five years—a battle of wits between two unforgettable characters bound together by fate and fortune. However, when danger threatens, these enemies must come together to protect what matters most… even if it means losing their hearts.

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This book in a new series by Candace Camp was so wonderful to read, I ended up not being able to put it down and read the whole thing in one day! You instantly connect to the emotions of Noelle, a young widow trying to raise her infant son, cope with her grief at her husband's death, her fear of being destitute, and then in comes Carlisle Thorne, a friend of her husband's aristocratic family, wanting to buy her baby and take it away from her to her husband's family. She runs and is on the run for the next five years, avoiding attempts of kidnappers to take her son. When Noelle and Carlisle meet again her fear and his exasperation come across as if you are feeling them yourself, and the reader starts to wonder (before the main characters) if there is something else going on- because if Carlisle is not behind the kidnapping attempts, who is? 

There are some excellent plot twists right up to the end to keep you guessing. Every secondary character is well done, and essential, and you instantly want to know more about them. I can't wait for characters like Nathan, Annabeth, and Sloane to have their own books to discover their secrets! Noelle and Carlisle shift from enemies to lovers with what felt like the right amount of timing and tension, and a delicious amount of chemistry and misunderstanding. Noelle may be one of the strongest characters I've read in awhile- she takes everything life throws at her and refuses to break under any of it. 

Beautifully written, well paced, and delightful characters, this is an absolute must read for romance readers. Candace Camp fans will rejoice in the start of this new series!

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

Her Scandalous Pursuit

Her Scandalous Pursuit (Mad Morelands Book 7)- Candace Camp
HQN Books
Release Date: January 28, 2020

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Thisbe Moreland is used to men not taking her seriously. As a scientist, she’s accustomed to being the only woman at lectures and meetings, her presence met with scorn and derision. So it comes as a pleasant surprise when she sits next to a handsome young man who is actually interested in having a conversation about science.

Desmond Harrison cannot believe his good fortune when he sits next to Thisbe—she’s intelligent and incredibly beautiful. He longs to see her again—but he’s ashamed of his low birth. Not to mention his employment with the infamous Professor Gordon, a formerly respected scientist who turned to spiritualism and is now deeply scorned.When Professor Gordon demands that Desmond recover an artifact for him—an ancient object reputed to have terrible power, known as the Eye of Annie Blue—Desmond realizes that only Thisbe holds the key. Desmond must choose between his love for Thisbe and his loyalty to his mentor…but humanity’s very future will depend on his choice.

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Finally, Candace Camp has written the prequel to her Mad Morelands series! Thisbe and Desmond have been married since book one, but how did they meet?  Each of the Mad Morelands books (His Wicked Charm) has included a hint of the supernatural, but Desmond and Thisbe are both scientists who don't believe in ghosts or magic- just what they can see and measure.

Thisbe Moreland has had to be strong and stubborn since she decided to become a scientist.  She has several marks against her. One: she's a woman, and everyone knows women can't think rationally or analyze anything.  Two: she's the Duke of Moreland's daughter, and everyone knows aristocrats might dabble in things, but they don't have careers.  Three: she's the Duke of Moreland's daughter and everyone knows that family is odd at best, mad at worst. She's never felt a connection to a man before, but when Desmond Harrison sits next to her at a lecture everything changes.  They develop a sweet romance based on mutual respect and appreciation- and attraction- but Thisbe doesn't want to tell him she's an aristocrat and have him change the way he sees her.  Desmond is shy and lives in his head, always wanting to know the why's behind everything.  He doesn't want to admit to Thisbe his low birth, or that his father was sent to Australia for theft.  

All that could get straightened out if it wasn't for Desmond's work.  His mentor is determined to prove that ghosts exist and to do that he wants Desmond to steal a relic called Annie Blue's Eye.  Desmond doesn't want to steal anything- and then finds out that Thisbe's grandmother has the relic! Now he's afraid Thisbe will think he made up to her just for the Eye and he'd rather lose his work than Thisbe. But spiritualism can lead people down dark paths and when Thisbe is threatened, Desmond has to decide how to protect her- even if that means giving her up.

Her Scandalous Pursuit brings long-time readers back to the world of the Morelands, where romance and mystery blend with a hint of supernatural in a way that shouldn't put off too many readers of "regular" historical romance.  The writing and characters are strong and flow well, and emotions run high, making for a book you won't want to put down.     

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

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.

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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 

His Sinful Touch

His Sinful Touch (Mad Morelands #5)- Candace Camp
HQN Books
Release Date: January 30, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: When a mysterious gentleman arrives on his doorstep, Alexander Moreland is astonished to discover that the stranger is not a gentleman at all, but a beautiful young woman disguised as a man, and in great need of assistance. The woman remembers nothing except her own name, Sabrina, and has only the contents of her pockets as clues to her identity: a handkerchief, a pocket watch, a leather pouch, a torn scrap of paper and a gold ring.

Sabrina is certain that she is on the run from someone, or something—how else to explain the bruises on her face and the pervasive sense of dread she feels? She’s also certain that she trusts Alex to help her, and she can’t deny the sparks that fly between them. As they race through the English countryside, Sabrina and Alex must solve the mystery of Sabrina’s past—before whatever she’s running from catches up to them.

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The infamous Moreland twins Alexander and Constantine are all grown up and continuing the family tradition of being unconventional.  Con runs the family investigation agency and Alex is an architect.  When a young woman shows up at the agency dressed as a man and with no idea who she is, it's a case that's impossible to turn down.  Especially when the young lady is someone Alex instantly feels a connection to.  It's said Moreland men fall in love at first sight, but can Alex help Sabrina recover her identity, her memories, and stay safe from the hidden threat chasing her long enough to convince her to give him a chance?

I've always loved the Moreland family (Mesmerized, Beyond Compare, Winterset, An Unexpected Pleasure) for their egalitarian approach to people, their unusual interests, and their joy in life. Readers of the series have watched the twins growing up and knew if they ever got their own books they would be just as unconventional in their love lives as the rest of their family.  Alex goes first, with characters in His Sinful Touch clearly setting up Con's book (His Wicked Charm out March 27).  As in most of the Moreland series there is a touch of the psychic to Alex- he has a form of psychometry that allows him to gain information about people based on touching objects.  But readers who aren't interested in a heavily paranormal theme will still enjoy Sinful and won't have to worry about paranormal elements overtaking the book.  It's a genuine adventure story as Alex and Sabrina try to trace her movements and her past, discovering surprises at every turn while very naturally building the bond of friendship, respect, and love between them.  

Alex and Sabrina are a perfect match right from the start.  Although it might seem natural for Alex to shelter Sabrina and keep her safely locked up at home, he doesn't.  From the beginning Alex proves himself a true Moreland, treating Sabrina as an equal and including her every step of the way.  Sabrina has the backbone to demand she participate and even when she's being threatened she manages to stand up to the fear instead of hiding and letting Alex do all the work. 

Readers new to Candace Camp don't need to have read the rest of the series to enjoy this latest adventure.  Although the rest of the family make appearances and some events are mentioned, you don't need to be familiar with them to enjoy Alex's story (although it is fun for readers familiar with the Moreland to catch up with favorite past characters).  His Sinful Touch contains all the elements of a first rate Candace Camp book: fast-paced action, sparkling humor, and perfect romantic chemistry.  Brilliantly written and impossible to put down, His Sinful Touch keeps readers enthralled from start to finish and leave them eagerly awaiting the next book! 

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