Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean

Entertaining novel but a little lacking

4 stars

Lord Nicholas St John is determined to get away from London and the simpering misses determined to catch him since he was named London’s Lord to Land. So when he’s hired to find a missing heiress in Yorkshire he jumps at the chance.

What he doesn’t expect is to find Lady Isabel Townsend – daughter of a nefarious wastrel and the most enticing and infuriating woman he’s ever laid eyes on.

Isabel has serious money worries and serious secrets that she’s determined to keep. What she doesn’t expect is that Nick could be the solution to all her problems and might uncover he secrets one kiss at a time.

Like another reviewer said, this book suffers massively when compared to MacLean’s previous novel, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake, which I agree was a truly wonderful read.

Having said that, I did actually quite enjoy this book on its own and although it didn’t set my world on fire, it’s still a well-written and fairly enjoyable tale to pass the time.

This book features Nick, the twin brother to the hero of Nine Rules… although the books do stand alone quite nicely and you don’t have to have read the first one to read this one. Personally, I would have liked to see more of Gabriel and Callie from the first book but that’s just me.

Both Nick and Isabel were likeable and sympathetic characters although I didn’t feel any deep or memorable emotions either for them or from them. Regardless, I liked their interactions and thought they went well together as a couple.

I think the main problem with the story was that there was too much going on. With Minerva House, the love story, the secondary love story, the Duke, the boy Earl – there wasn’t enough time dedicated wholly to Nick and Isabel to make me truly believe.

After all I’ve written I’m beginning to wonder whether I’ve been too generous with my 4 star rating. But when I look at the book as a whole I enjoyed reading it, it was well written and it captured my attention so I’ve decided to stick with the 4 stars. It’s not the best but it’s worth a look if you have it on your shelf or you enjoyed MacLean’s first book. I also look forward to reading MacLean’s next book Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart which I’m hoping will be Leighton’s story to continue the series.

Star Crossed Sweethearts / Secret Prince, Instant Daddy!

One great story, the other disappointing

3 Stars

Star-Crossed Sweethearts – Jackie Braun

Hot shot baseball star Angelo Casali is back in Italy to simultaneously recover from a serious injury and meet with his estranged father. The last thing he expects is to find Hollywood starlet, Atlanta Jackson, hiding out from the media and a future he never contemplated.

I have come across Jackie Braun before and really enjoyed the emotion and understated passion of her writing. This was no exception as the story of Angelo and Atlanta grabbed me from start to finish. Both characters were rich and had good depth. I was surprised to find myself really rooting for the pair and really liking them both individually and as a couple. With this being from the Cherish line we only get a few kisses rather than anything more descriptive and while that’s not what I usually like, it worked with this story and didn’t take away from the romance and sensuality of the story.

Overall, excellent writing and a sweet, enjoyable love story that I very much enjoyed. 5 stars.

Secret Prince, Instant Daddy! – Raye Morgan

David Dykstra has big plans to reclaim his rightful place as prince of the small country of Ambria and doesn’t have time for distractions. Unfortunately, Ayme Sommers’ arrival with her neice Cici makes things complicated. And even more so when she claims that the baby is his!

At first, I was really enjoying this book. It was fast paced and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened, especially regarding the lost kingdom of Ambria. But after a while it got quite monotonous and we only ever heard about Ambria rather than about David and Ayme. Even then, there was zero spark between the couple and I felt no emotion or romance whatsoever. The baby might has well have been a sack of potatoes for all the point she played to the storyline and in the end the Ambrian storyline was left wide open which I’m assuming means that this is the first book in a series.

Interesting to begin with but seriously fizzling out in the end – a little disappointing. 2 stars.

It seems a shame to have to star this book so low as I very much enjoyed the first story. As it is, combined, I can only give the book 3 stars. Worth it for the first story alone.

A Mistake, A Prince and a Pregnancy by Maisey Yates

Romance that falls a little flat

2 Stars

A mistake at an IVF clinic means that resolute singleton, Alison Whitman, now finds herself having a child with a man she knows nothing about. When she turns up to tell him about it, she finds that he’s Maximo Rossi, Prince of Turan and she’s now carrying his royal heir,

Whisked off to Turan and finding herself engaged to Maximo, Alison is determined to keep her distance. But she can’t hide from the burn of desire whenever she’s near Max and soon she finds herself with a royal problem – love.

Maximo was the perfect hero for the Modern line – sexy and strong while also arrogant and headstrong. Alison was a little bit more of a puzzle as she was by turns indpendent then shy and needy - I didn’t really understand her but I did want to like her. The pair had chemistry but it wasn’t anything special that made you sigh.

The storyline was a little far-fetched and relied on a lot of coincidences. But it’s much more interesting to read a fantasy romance than read about real life so that’s fine for me.

Unrelated to the actual content of the book, I did quite like the new cover designs for the Modern line. They’re not as cheesy as they used to be which is always a good thing!

I’m only going to give this book 2 stars as it didn’t really capture my attention from beginning to end. The writing is good and all the elements are there for a Modern M&B but it just lacked sparkle. Not one to pass up if it’s on your book shelf but also not one that I would go out of my way to recommend.

The Ex Factor by Nancy Warren

Readable but ultimately disappointing romance

3 Stars

Wedding planner extraordinaire, Karen Petersham, can take on any challenge when it comes to planning dream weddings. What she can’t deal with is the unexpected arrival of the devastatingly hot, and infernally annoying Dexter Crane – her ex husband.

Karen is determined not to fall for Dex again – especially with how badly things ended the first time round. But she can’t help but find herself in his arms and bed once again but this time he seems unwilling to let her go.

I feel quite bad about only giving this 3 stars as I love a romance where a couple have a second chance at love so this story was right up my street. When I first started reading I absolutely loved it. Karen and Dexter had such chemistry and I really enjoyed their bickering and banter.

Things were progressing nicely when suddenly the secondary love story kicked in and Dexter and Karen were suddenly gone for chapter after chapter. Then came a rather pointless bit about Chelsea and David from Warren’s previous book, My Fake Fiancee (although this book follows that one, each can easily be read as a stand alone). When we finally got back to Karen and Dexter they had lost their spark and the ending was concluded so quickly that the author seemed to have forgotten that the pair still had issues to work out. Of course it was a happy ending but I didn’t feel that the pair were truly over all the problems that were between them.

It could have been such a good book but it just lost its sparkle with the secondary romance. Disappointing but still a readable book and fine for a lazy afternoon. 3 stars.

One Winter's Night by Lori Borill

4 Enjoyable Christmas treats

4 stars

I love a good festive romance and this one has four short stories that you can manage to fit in no matter how busy you are. All four stories take place at the Christmas party for Stryker & Associates and involve a little bit of Christmas magic.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Monica Newell is an uptight workaholic so nobody would guess that she indulged in a hot one night stand on a recent business trip. But what will she do when the sexy cowboy of her recent encounter turns up at the office Christmas party and offers her a repeat performance?

This was an okay story but seemed a little far fetched and lacking in romance. Both Monica and Kit were fine enough characters but not people I felt particularly drawn to or much cared for which put a bit of a dampener on the story for me.

Sleigh Ride

Nick Castle and Allie Madison have been rivals for most of the time they have known each other. But when someone points out that Allie could be Nick’s soulmate, he’s determined to see what he’s been missing.

I love a story where a couple have an antagonistic relationship that turns into something more. Nick and Allie are both sharp, delightful characters making this my favourite story of the bunch.

You’re All I Want for Christmas

Anna Cole is down on her luck and facing the prospect of returning home to Idaho so crashing a Christmas party sounds like her last chance at some fun. So she is surprised when she finds herself hooked up with none other than John Stryker Jr, heir to the company whose party she has crashed. But will it change her fortune?

I didn’t much care for this story if I’m honest. It was all a bit bland and neither John nor Anna were particularly sympathetic characters. It was okay but nothing special.

Merry Christmas, Baby

Jeannie Carmichael does her job and gets little praise for her efforts. So when she gets a secret admirer, she feels like her luck might change and she might get a man for Christmas. But will it be the man she’s always dreamed of?

This was a cute story about not realising what’s right in front of your nose and what you do when you realise what’s really there. Troy and Jeannie were both lovely characters and this was a sweet and enjoyable story.

If you’re looking for a little Christmas romance then these four stories are perfect little treats to read on a cold night. I loved the addition of ‘Santa Claus’ and overall it was a book that I enjoyed and would recommend for those that like Christmas and Blaze romances. 4 stars.

A Hellion In Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries

A great addition to the series

4 stars

Determined to get out of his grandmother’s scheme to see him and his siblings married or disinherited, gambler Lord Jarret Sharpe agrees to run his family’s brewery for a year and stay as a bachelor. But that doesn’t mean that he can resist one last wager with the tempting Annabel Lake.

Annabel is determined to save her family’s own brewery so she makes a scandalous wager. If she wins then Jarret must help her save her brewery but if he wins she’ll agree to a night in his bed. The outcome sets off a chain of events that will reveal long kept secrets and destroy the best laid plans. But who will end up gambling with their heart?

This is the second book in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series and while you probably don’t have to read the first one (The Truth about Lord Stoneville) before reading this one, I do think it will help with the back story of the Sharpe family and the ongoing plot of their parents deaths if you read them in order. The book that follows on from this one is How to Woo a Reluctant Lady.

I love Sabrina Jeffries and while I really enjoyed this book and the romance, it didn’t knock my socks off like I wanted it to. Having said that, both Jarret and Annabel are great characters and I really enjoyed their scenes together and rooted for them to work things out. They had good chemistry and there were some nice sensual moments throughout the story. The plot was interesting and never got bogged down in brewing terminology. I would have preferred it if Annabel’s ‘secret’ hadn’t overshadowed the final parts of the book but I still got a good, romantic conclusion which is always a good thing.

If you’re a fan of Sabrina Jeffries, are reading the Hellions of Hallstead Hall series or just want to read an engaging and engrossing romantic story then I would definitely recommend this one to you.

Nerds Like It Hot by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Likeable but far-fetched romance

3 stars

Make-up artist Gillian McCormick’s life just took a turn for the worse when she was the only witness to a mafia murder. Hiding out on a cruise for nerdy singletons sounds like the perfect place to hide, especially since she’s donned a blonde bombshell disguise that’s worlds away from her usual self.

P.I. and bodyguard, Lex Manchester, isn’t too keen on a singles nerd cruise but he is keen on Gillian and the sparks that are flying between the pair. His first mission is to protect Gillian at all costs and it’s only right that he stay very close to her at all times even if that means never letting her go.

This is another of Vicki Lewis Thompson’s Nerd Series although each book stands entirely alone. Having said that, despite this being billed as one of the series and set on a Nerd cruise – neither the hero or heroine were actual nerds or even particularly geeky which made it different from the other books.

This book was entertaining and if you can put aside the sheer implausibility of the plot then it’s an enjoyable read. However, I didn’t think that any of the characters acted the way they should have if they had really been in the situations they found themselves in and the unlikeliness of this started to grate on me after a while.

Both Gillian and Lex were enjoyable characters but there wasn’t really any romance between the pair. I believed in their relationship well enough but didn’t really feel the passion or love that they supposedly had for each other. There was a large cast of supporting characters and while I liked them too, some of them were really only fillers and had little point to the actual storyline.

All in all, this was an fantastical and amusing read but not one of the better Nerd books. 3 stars but still worth a read if it’s sitting on your book shelf.