Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz

Enjoyable, light read

3 stars

New York attorney, Brooke Miller, is in a bit of a bind. She’s just been invited to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding to Hollywood’s latest It Girl and she’s agreed to go. It won’t be too bad as she’ll have her gorgeous boyfriend, sexy Scot Douglas, to keep her company.

Only Douglas decides to dump her just days before the wedding. Rather than face the humiliation of attending her ex’s wedding along she enlists her best friend Jack to fill in as her boyfriend complete with kilt and Scottish accent. All she wants is to get through the wedding with her dignity ever-so-slightly intact. But even that might be a bit of a stretch with all the chaos that’s about to ensue.

This book is written in first person as if you are a friend of the main character and she’s chatting away to you. It took me a while to get into this style and, if I’m honest, sometimes it was like listening to a bubbly friend that never shuts up, which got a little irritating at points.

The book did warm up towards the middle and I really started to get into it. It would be hard not to like the character of Brooke as she is fun, silly and likeable. I also really liked Jack and the relationship he had with Brooke. While being more chick-lit than romance, there was still enough romance to keep me happy.

The book was amusing although I didn’t find it laugh out loud funny. There were things that got a bit old (like the constant ‘kilt is skirt’ thing!) but at least we didn’t have to suffer any cringe-worthy attempts at Scottish accents.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable, light and fun read. Despite the slow start, it picked up and turned out to be a worthwhile read if maybe not the best. There is a sequel to this book (Jack With A Twist) and I still might take a look at that as well. 3 stars.

Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife by Michelle Styles

Readable and enjoyable Viking romance

4 stars

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When Sela sees the Viking war ships full of warriors descend on her home, she doesn’t fear the threat of conquest, but rather the reappearance of the rugged warrior Vikar Hrutson – her ex-husband.

It has been four years since Sela walked out on their marriage, and Vikar has put it all behind him. Yet as the pair are forced to survive together they begin to realise that perhaps the past is not as far behind them as they might expect. But things have changed and secrets are being kept that might change every aspect of their lives.

I had not read the first book in this series, Taken By The Viking, and although I do think this particular book stands alone, I didn’t know some of the characters and situations that were referred to which I might have done had I read the first book.

This book was an enjoyable, romantic tale. Both Sela and Vikar are well-rounded, likeable characters who have deep emotions that are expressed well. I do enjoy a couple that spark off each other and these two certainly did that.

The story never let up and there was always another adventure or occurrence that kept the pages turning. There is no big evil and nothing mighty to overcome which makes the romance the main focus of the book despite the many things Sela and Vikar had to defeat together.

Overall, this is was an interesting and readable story filled with little tidbits of information that give you a greater understanding of the Vikings and their world. If you enjoy Viking romances then you really can’t go wrong with this one. 4 stars.

Ms. Match by Jo Leigh

Wonderful uplifting and hot romance

5 stars

Hot, successful and hunky PR man, Paul Bennett can have any woman he wants. Except for the one he really wants. In order to score some points, he agrees to take the girl’s rather plain sister out for a night.

Gwen Christopher isn’t as drop dead gorgeous as her sister and so Paul’s more than a little surprised to wake up, near naked, in a hotel bedroom next to her so soon after they meet. Gwen may be fun, smart, interesting, exciting and downright amazing in bed – but she’s not the kind of girl that he goes for. So why is suddenly being near her the only thing he can think of?

This story was a really fabulous read and I absolutely devoured the book from beginning to end.

Gwen wasn’t your stereotypical ‘plain-Jane’ heroine. She knew she wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous and didn’t have any hang-ups about it. She was lively, interesting, exciting and I loved her! Paul too was a great character. Starting off as a shallow man, he transformed into someone we would all love to have. The way he fell for Gwen was delightful. Together the pair had good chemistry and there were some nicely sexy moments to the story too.

Overall, this story was a great tale of two people that shouldn’t have been perfect for each other, but were. If you’re looking for a fun, sexy and uplifting read then I would recommend this book to you. 5 stars.

Too Wicked to Wed by Cheryl Holt

Enjoyable erotic romance

4 stars

Helen Mansfield’s idiotic brother has done the unthinkable and gambled away her virginity in order to save the family estate. When Helen goes to find the man who has won her and beg for mercy, what she finds is Luke Westmoreland, illegitimate son of a duke and a lusty, wildly attractive pirate.

Luke is an infamous smuggler and thief but thanks to an act of bravery on the high seas he is now hailed by society as a hero. Despite his elevated status, he is still a low-born pirate and is intrigued by the pure and delightful Helen. As the pair spend more time together, Luke realises that their encounters are more adventurous and abandoned than all his previous high seas adventures and perhaps he has finally found the best treasure. But there is someone that is determined to own Helen and they’ll stop at nothing to have her.

This book features the common character of the Duke of Roswell as seen in Cheryl Holt’s previous books, My Only Love and My True Love, yet despite this connection there is no common storyline and this book is a stand alone novel.

Cheryl Holt brings another erotic romp as an uncouth pirate meets his match in the virginal yet feisty Helen. Helen was a likeable and believable character but it was Luke as the arrogant alpha male that really stole the show. The way he is so arrogant yet manages to be brought down by love is great to read. There is also a nice secondary romance between two people who are adept at keeping secrets!

My reasons for only giving the book 4 stars was that the villain was so disgustingly vile that, at times, it was quite creepy. I suppose it shows that it was well written but it freaked me out a little!

Overall, the book was interesting, erotic and involved enough to keep you reading from beginning to end. If you’re looking for a sexy historical novel then you should enjoy this one. 4 stars.

My True Love by Cheryl Holt

Engaging and romantic story

5 stars

Penelope Westmoreland was a renowned beauty and belle of the ton. But with two failed engagements and a new fiancé who is an aging, lecherous wretch, Penny is desperate for an escape. When she meets handsome, muscular and 100% male Lucas Pendleton, Penny realises that the desire between the pair is something she must act on. Impulsively, she agrees to an elopement.

American Lucas Pendleton has a score to settle with the philandering Duke of Roswell but seducing his daughter was never part of Lucas’s plan for revenge. But as Lucas continues his charade the pair grow closer, and with every tryst the pair have, Lucas starts to realise it might not be a charade after all. But what will Penny say when she discovers the lies and will she ever believe in Lucas’s declarations of love?

This book follows Penelope, the ditched fiancé of Adam St Clair from Cheryl Holt’s previous book My Only Love. Despite the connection, there is absolutely no need to have read the first book to enjoy this one.

I found this book to be delightful despite getting off to a rather slow start. I loved Penny and how she started off a little spoiled and feisty and managed to change into a character you really could admire. Lucas was the perfect tortured hero as he did what he thought was right for his family but couldn’t help but be troubled over what he was doing to Penny as he fell for her. Their chemistry was nice and spicy despite the book not having as much heat as many of Cheryl Holt’s newer novels.

Overall, this book was exciting, romantic and very engaging. If you’re looking for a book to capture your imagination that has all the elements you need for a great love story – this is the book for you. 5 stars.

My Only Love by Cheryl Holt

Romantic and dramatic love story

5 stars

Maggie Brown, daughter to a courtesan, has struggled much during her short life, especially since her mother’s recent death. When she and her friend Anne, herself a former courtesan, visit the seaside to decide what they are going to do to survive, Maggie is delighted to meet a handsome stranger and embark on her first, but brief, love affair.

When she returns to London, she is forced to try to become a rich man’s mistress and is more than stunned when her mysterious stranger returns and is the highest bidder. Adam St Clair, Marquis of Belmont never wanted and mistress but he can’t help but want Maggie. Leaving her once was bad enough and he never wants to do so again. But duty, family and life are all conspiring to keep the pair apart and with every day their love will be truly tested.

Unlike many other of Cheryl Holt’s novels, this one really isn’t very erotic but that isn’t a complaint as this book is filled with love, passion, betrayal, murder, romance – it has it all.

The story, while not being complex, manages to keep you gripped as there is constantly something happening that makes you want to keep turning the pages. It also manages to continually surprise with a multitude of twists and turns.

All the characters, from Maggie and Adam to the more minor characters are well drawn and very interesting. The way that Adam seamlessly changes and grows throughout the book is a delight to watch as we realise he has become the perfect tortured hero!

There are so many facets to this book that it really is a joy to read. And despite all the drama, it still manages to be wonderfully romantic with an ending that will leave you smiling. Definitely recommended - 5 stars.

Who Needs Mistletoe? by Kate Hoffmann

Tropical Festive Romance

3 Stars

All that pilot Sophie Madigan wants for Christmas is a man, so she’s delighted when her last minute fare on Christmas Eve turns out to be gorgeous and wealthy Trey Shelton. Before she can think about how much she’d enjoy unwrapping her gift, she’s forced to make a crash landing on a deserted tropical island.

Trey is equally delighted by his pilot and personal tour guide and despite it not being the way he usually spends Christmas Eve, he isn’t exactly heartbroken at being stranded alone with Sophie. Soon their inhibitions and clothes are left behind – but can what starts out as a holiday fling really turn into something more when the pair get back to civilisation?

This was a festive story with a twist as there was no snow, ice or any of the usual Christmas bits and pieces. I didn’t think it embodied much Christmas spirit but this had little to do with the tropical setting.

It took me a long time to warm up to the story and this was largely to do with the characters. Sophie was confident and had absolutely no hang-ups or inhibitions. While this is admirable, it didn’t make her a very real character in my eyes and I never felt that I could identify with her at all. Trey too wasn’t really very desirable to me and I felt he developed little from the ‘male equivalent of Paris Hilton’ that he was dubbed near the beginning of the book.

The story and emotions were believable despite the romance being set over such a short period of time (24 hours) and the writing flowed naturally. There was enough heat between the characters and a good number of sex scenes. The book was just let down by the fact that the two main characters weren’t hugely likeable. Good for a quick read or if you’re a fan of Kate Hoffmann, this book just isn’t a keeper for me. 3 stars.