Snowy Night With A Stranger

Readable historical romance

4 Stars

A HOLIDAY GAMBLE by Jane Feather

Newly returned from India to take his place as the Viscount Allenton, Ned Vasey finds himself at the mercy of the weather when he gets stuck in a snowstorm. To make matters worse he is accosted by highwaymen and must take shelter in nearby Selby Hall where he meets some unscrupulous people as well as Lady Georgiana Carey – a woman with secrets Ned is determined to uncover.

This was a readable story but I found it lacked any passion, excitement or sparkle. It really suffered from being a short story and silly little editing mistakes (such as at one point changing the hero’s name from Ned to Nick) didn’t help either.

WHEN SPARKS FLY by Sabrina Jeffries

Heiress Elinor Bancroft is on her way home for Christmas with her aunt and young cousins when their coach gets into an accident during a snow storm. They seek shelter at Thorncliff Hall, home to the notorious Black Baron, about whom there are some dreadful rumours. Despite Martin Thorncliff’s reputation, Ellie is determined to bring some Christmas joy into his heart for the season.

I love Sabrina Jeffries and found this story delightfully festive and sweet. I wish it could have been longer to develop the characters more but they still had some great chemistry together and it was perfect for a winter night by the fire.

SNOWY NIGHT WITH A HIGHLANDER by Julia London

Lady Fiona Haines must find her brother to protect him from scandal. Unfortunately for her, he’s hidden away in the Highlands of Scotland and she needs someone to take her there. Laird Duncan Buchanan is scarred after a terrible accident and agrees to take her even as he obscures his ruggedly injured face. But what will Fiona do when she realises the identity of her protector?

I liked the idea of this story and the writing was engaging and kept you reading. However, the story was enormously let down by the embarrassing attempts at Scottish accents (why do all American’s assume every Scottish person speaks with a Glaswegian accent?) and the constant inaccuracies – you won’t find woodchucks in Britain, for example.

Sabrina Jeffries story was the stand out story in this collection although all three were readable and quite enjoyable. If you like historical romance and are looking for something to read on a long winter’s night then you really can’t go wrong with this collection. 4 stars.

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer

Murder, Mayhem, Fun & Sex

5 stars

Food columnist, Agnes Crandall is having a bad week. She has the wedding of the century to plan all while someone attempts to sabotage it; she has dog-nappers appearing in her kitchen; the threat of losing her house and a fiancé who is more interested in making money than in her. And then Shane, the hitman, appears through her bedroom window and Agnes realises her old problems were nothing compared to what’s about to come.

This book is a deliciously chaotic but fun crime caper and really shows off Jennifer Crusie’s humour and how well she and Bob Mayer work together.

Agnes, given the moniker of ‘Cranky Agnes’, is more feisty than cranky and she is funny and despite her issues, someone you want to be like. Although this isn’t really a romance, her interactions with Shane (who himself is a gorgeous man’s man) are great and very sexy.

The body count in the book is high but the crime and murder isn’t particularly gruesome (despite the book being full of mobsters and hitmen!) and is more fun and entertaining than anything. There is so much going on that you really are kept guessing and I wasn’t sure exactly what was what until the very last chapter.

Overall, this is an entertaining and sexy romp of a read and certainly one that will have you turning the pages. Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer seem to be perfect writing pairing and I look forward to more of their collaborations in the future. Definitely recommended. 5 stars.

Cutting Loose by Susan Andersen

Passionate, exciting and fun romance

4 Stars

Jane Kaplinski is very proud of her cool, calm and collected persona – she grew up with drama and theatrics and she will not let that into her life as an adult. But all that goes out the window when she meets Devlin Kavanagh, the man that’s just been hired to work on the mansion Jane and her friends have just inherited.

Dev knows that uptight Jane is not as prim as she appears, despite the conservative way she dresses. The pair virtually shoot sparks off each other and soon they are embarking on a passionate affair. But Jane thinks passion isn’t for her, and Devlin doesn’t do commitment – so it’s probably time for them both to cut loose!

I am a huge fan of Susan Andersen and I’m really happy to see her back with the start of a new trilogy of books. This series, The Sisterhood Diaries, focuses on three friends, Jane, Poppy and Ava, who have just inherited a mansion.

In this book we get to meet all the girls, as well as Dev’s family, but it really is Jane and Dev that stand out. Jane is an independent, modern girl with enough faults and hang-ups that you can really support and love her. Dev is a typical Susan Andersen hero – strong, alpha, rugged and deliciously sexy. Together the pair are passionate, fun and burn up the pages.

As always with Susan Andersen, there is an element of suspense/danger in the story but it is minor enough to not eclipse the main story yet is interesting enough to keep the pages turning.

I wouldn’t say that this was Susan Andersen’s best book but it was still a fun, interesting and passionate read. The characters really stand out and I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the Sisterhood Diaries. 4 stars.

To All A Good Night

Sexy and entertaining romantic anthology

4 Stars

UNLEASHED by Donna Kauffman

Emma Lafferty has just landed her biggest job to date – pet-sitting for a multi-millionaire in his remote, palatial mansion over Christmas. What she doesn’t expect is her peace to be interrupted by the billionaire’s rather distracting and delicious great-nephew Trevor whose reasons for being there are definitely suspicious. And that’s before the pair get trapped together in the house during a snowstorm.

An enjoyable story with two likeable characters and a romance that you can suspend belief and just believe in. While being wintry and a perfect story for a night in by the fire, it wasn’t at all Christmassy and I was rather irritated to find that the ‘great mystery’, which was the whole reason for Trevor being there, was actually just the premise for another of Donna Kauffman’s books.

FINDING MR RIGHT by Jill Shalvis

Brilliant scientist Maggie Bell is an absolute dating disaster, always managing to pick men who turn out to be Mr Wrong. Sexy contractor Jacob Wahler, despite being gorgeous and sweet, definitely seems like a Mr Wrong, but Maggie has decided that a Mr Wrong might turn out to be oh-so right.

Again this story wasn’t Christmassy but it had wonderful characters and was fun, sexy and romantic. Jacob is a hero to die for while Maggie was someone most people could identify with. The story of the ‘mysterious potion’ was funny and kept the pages turning.

CAN YOU HAND ME THE TAPE? by HelenKay Dimon

One week before Christmas and Natalie Pritchard is in a complete panic. The sexy tape that she made for her ex-boyfriend is missing and she desperately needs help to get it back. Unfortunately the only person she can turn to is her nemesis, deliciously handsome and sexy defence attorney Spencer Donovan but will Natalie be willing to pay his price?

This was a cute story about a curvy woman who is still coming to terms with the way her last relationship ended and her insecurities about her body. Spence is a great hero and perfect for Natalie but the story really does suffer from being so short and the Christmas theme is quite thin on the ground.

This set of three, sexy Christmas stories is let down by the lack of festive content, but all of the stories are still fun, sexy and very readable. These will still warm you up and are perfect for a cosy winter night by the fire. 4 stars.

Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell

Endearing medieval romance

4 stars

Gytha Raouille has always known she is to marry the heir of Saiturn Manor but the day before he wedding she is told that the current heir has died and she is now to marry Thayer Saiturn – the one they call the Red Devil.

A battle hardened knight, Thayer has been scarred by battle and had his heart broken in love. So he is less than enthused by the prospect of wedding the beautiful and lovely Gytha but as a matter of honour he will go ahead with it.

As the pair come to terms with each other, and married life, they must contend with many twists and turns but they can only have a happy ending if Gytha can look past Thayer’s scars to see the lonely man inside.

This was the first book of Hannah Howell’s that I have read and I found that I very much enjoyed it. Both main characters were entertaining and endearing and had an excellent chemistry together. Gytha was especially interesting as she truly was feisty as well as being kind-hearted. And I always love a big, strong man – especially one that is slightly insecure, lonely and in need of the love of a good woman!

The plot meandered along nicely and there were enough twists and turns to make you want to keep reading and to hold your interest to the end. The two negative points I would have to make were that the constant head-hopping between different characters’ perspectives at the drop of a hat was slightly confusing. The other was that having two characters with such similar names (Robert and Roger) made me really have to pay attention!

Despite this, the book was fun, lively, romantic and certainly a book I would recommend if you’re looking for an interesting medieval romance where love conquers all! 4 stars.

Seduced by Christmas

Enjoyable romantic stories

4 stars

Mills and Boon bring together two authors for a pair of stories about love and the Christmas season.

THE SICILIAN’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE by Sandra Marton

Three years ago, Taylor Sommer disappeared out of Dante Russo’s life, leaving just a brief note to thank him for their passionate affair. Sicilian tycoon, Dante, has never got over the fact that someone left him so he hires an investigator to track Taylor down. When found, the pair still have that essential spark but all Dante wants is her in his bed so he can sate his desire for her once and for all. However, things have changed in three years and the pair must learn to put the past aside as well as revealing their deepest secrets, even at the risk of their new-found relationship.

While not being a particularly new or innovative plot, I still very much enjoyed this story and the characters in it. Dante was a strong, passionate, alpha male who also had a tender side while Taylor, or Tally as she’s known, is a feisty and independent woman who will do anything to protect her family. The story was interesting, readable but you can’t look too deeply into the emotions of the characters as in one breath they hated each other and the next they loved each other, and so on. Without particular festive touches, the story didn’t work as a Christmas tale for me, but as a romantic, love story it worked well.

THE BOSS’S CHRISTMAS SEDUCTION by Yvonne Lindsay

Virginal Holly Christmas has loved her boss for years but high-flying Connor Knight has never noticed her in that way. Until the Christmas party. Their fiery, passionate night surprises them both – especially when they learn that Holly is pregnant. But Holly feels she doesn’t belong in Connor privileged world, while he needs to be sure that she really does want a family, him included.

The standard plot line of the secretary and her boss is used here but it still stands out as an original tale. Holly is a woman with a past that has managed to pull herself through and become somebody yet she still has a lot of demons from what happened to her as a child. Connor is a typical alpha male – strong and passionate but at times I was uncomfortable with how controlling he became. Despite that, the pair still worked well together and you are really pleased that they get their happy ending. Again, this story didn’t feel Christmassy enough for me, but it was still an enjoyable tale.

Overall, if you’re looking for festive stories then there are definitely more Christmassy ones out there. Yet these stories are still readable, enjoyable, sensual and most importantly, romantic. 4 stars.

Lessons from a Courtesan by Jenna Petersen

Engaging and exciting Regency romance

5 stars

The ton is abuzz with the mystery and beauty of "Ria". The men and consumed with desire for her and the woman are all jealous of her. Each needs to find out all they can about the lady that has been dubbed 'England’s greatest courtesan'. All except Justin Talbot, the Earl of Baybury. He knows very well that the mysterious "Ria" is actually his estranged wife.

Three years ago, the day after their wedding, Victoria Talbot was abandoned in the country to live on her own. Now she is in London on a mission to help her friend but if she also manages to drive Justin a little mad with lust and jealousy, then that's all he deserves! Justin is determined to find out her secrets and as the pair spend more time together they realise that the games they are playing with each other might just be leading to something a whole lot more.

I very much enjoyed this well-written and very engaging story. Both Justin and Victoria were intelligent and drawn-out characters that had fabulous chemistry and very real emotions. I loved the pair together even if they both had to, at times, work hard for their happy ending.

As I said, the plot was really engaging and it made you want to keep reading to find out what happened next. There were lots of twists and turns and secrets to be revealed that meant there were no dull moments from beginning to end.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was exciting, well-written and reminded me of books by Debra Mullins or Sabrina Jeffries. If you're looking for a book to escape with then you should definitely give this one a try. 5 stars.