Dirty Little Lies (Men of Summer #3)

Dirty Little Lies Summary:
THE HEART HAS ITS SECRETS.

Zack Richards knows he’s asking for trouble. Trying to protect a member of the notorious Maddox family could get a man killed—even a battle-scarred, muscle-ripped alpha like Zack. But the woman who has captured his wildest fantasies is nothing like the rest of her power-hungry clan. She’s innocent, beautiful, and has quickly become the one shining light in his dark, desperate world. The only woman worth fighting for…and dying for…

BUT PASSION NEVER LIES.

Her name is Grace Maddox—and everybody knows that she is a marked woman. Targeted for her family’s sins and hunted like a wild animal, Grace has no choice but to accept Zack’s protection. In his arms, she finally feels safe. In his eyes, she sees an insatiable desire that mirrors her own. But the truth is dangerous—and could end up tearing them apart. Will surrendering to Zack end up being the biggest mistake of Grace’s life?

Dirty Little Lies Review:
This book was a fast paced and interesting read. It had all the makings of a great series with a first book that grabbed your interest and curiosity. The whole book was enjoyable but looking back at it, you start nitpick some of the problems with it. Saying that the character didn’t have as many problems that are typical in Adult Romance, the plot was interesting and the book was very fast-paced.

It was nice to see that Grace does not want others to save her. She understands what her life means and knows her limits but won’t let other control what she can do. Even if she can’t fight, she won’t be the damsel and let others, even if they are physically stronger than her, tell her what she has to do to be safe. The only fault with her is that she doesn’t fully realize the danger she is in. She constantly fails to protect herself and her others but she doesn’t want to put anyone else in danger. It leads her to be in denial when trouble arises. Other than that she proved to be a strong heroine that didn’t break under the pressure, just a tad too much on the naïve side.

"She stared back at him resolutely. 'It was good, Zack,' she surprised him a second later. 'It was real damned good, and I'm sure it can get better.' And not once did she bat an eyelash. 'And I'm sure I'd promise you anything you want once you started touching me, just to have it again. but don't doubt, I'll lie straight to your face and once I'm out of this bed, I'm going to do exactly what I want to do, and exactly what my job entails I do. consider that before you try to use sex to control me. The control lasts only while we're in the bed.'"

Zach was another intriguing character. He started and ended the book really well, but it seemed he lost his footing in between. He turned from this calm, rational alpha male into a domineering, sex-addicted one. Every time there was a conversation needed, he used sex to get her mind of topic. It left her in the dark and unable to make decisions that could help save her life. Closer to the end, when all the secrets were coming out, he was still protective but let Grace call more of the shots. He turned much more loving and less authoritative.

"'Are they ever going to leave?' she whispered, suddenly terrified they wouldn't.
'I love you, Grace.' There was an air of desperation in his voice amid the comedy. 'I love you so much.'
'You can't kill family, Zack.' It wasn't the first time she'd told him that in the past three days.
'I love you, Grace...'
'I love you, Zack,' she promised. 'But trust me, there're laws against it.'
'Justifiable homicide,' he muttered at the sound of Clyde bellowing up the stairs again about steaks and seasons. 'Really justifiable.'
'Don't kill him, Zack,' she giggled, then winced at the tug of pain in her ribs.
'Why shouldn't I?' he growled.
She smiled, "Be nice and when I'm all better, I'll show you why you shouldn’t.'...
'Many times?'
'Many...'"

The action was incredibly fast paced, as I have said before. From the moment the book starts off amazing. We are thrown into this world with the initial attack against Grace. From there we meet suspicious family members, surprising acts of violence against Grace, moments of love and a bunch of action. It was really great to meet the main guys. Sawyer, Deacon, Cord, Jazz, Kenni, Slade and a bunch of others. They really brought up the humor and enjoyment of this book. I will be glad to read more of their stories as they are a very interesting bunch. Sawyer and Deacon especially because those two are definitely are my favorite.

"'And I know the signs of a man that's just as hot for some woman. That boy's been known to leave a gathering within an hour to of your arrival simply because of one us had to punch him in the gut for the way he looked at you.'
She was shocked. She'd had no idea her cousins ever did such a thing. 'Why would you do something so idiotic?' she asked in disgust.
Sawyer rolled his dark green eyes in amusement. 'Sweet cousin, every man you've went out with has gotten a punch in the gut and a warning not to play with you. Hell it's the only way to keep men like that in control. If they really liked you, they would have come back.'
Where the hell had they gotten that idea? She could only star at them in disbelief, amazed that they had come up with something so infantile."
The only thing that I would really change about this is the introduction that the side characters got. For most of the book I was lost about who was related to who and who was on the right side. Also, it didn’t help that I hadn’t read the books before this Loving Lies and Wicked Lies because I thought this was the first book in this series as it was originally said to be.

Overall, this is a really good book and a four star read. I enjoyed the story and the mystery that came along. I definitely was not expecting who was the co-conspirators and murderers were. As I continued to read this story I found little problems here and there, but the story continued to flow seamlessly and was still very enjoyable.

Thank you to Lora Leigh for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jeff Madison and the Curse of Drakwood Forest (Jeff Madison Series #2)

Jeff Madison and the Curse of Drakwood Forest Summary:
“Punch fear in the face. Be a true friend. Do what matters.”
 
Jeff Madison--dream catcher, loyal friend and fearless teenager--must save his best friend Rhed from a devastating spell which was cast on him during their last visit to Drakmere.

But from this dark kingdom, two evil witches send forth unspeakable horrors. Can Jeff overcome Wiedzma’s terrifying screatures and Zorka’s flesh-eating shadowraiths?
As Wiedzma’s screatures endanger Jeff’s family and Zorka’s Zombies call for blood, the curse on Rhed becomes life threatening … time is running out.
By fine-tuning the dream-catcher abilities that can save his friends who journey to Drakwood Forest in search for Rhed’s cure, Jeff unknowingly sinks ever deeper into darkness.
In this new action-packed fantasy adventure, we meet up again with the brave Sandustian warriors Rig and Madgwick, new warriors Khrow and Horrigan, the cranky and hilarious witch Angie, and the very hungry dragon Watroc.
Ultimately it is Angie who must negotiate for Rhed’s life. Will she succeed or will Rhed be lost to the Prince of Drakwood Forest forever?

Jeff Madison and the Curse of Drakwood Forest Review:
How on Earth is it that the best books have so few review? I don’t mean that this is the best book in the world but it is amazing! It is special and sad to see that it only has three reviews. I would highly recommend this series (this is the second book), especially this book. The first book was not as captivating, comparatively, because we are getting into this new world. Fischer has clearly found her writing style that builds and strengthens this fantasy world.

From the moment this book starts, we are off to a fast start. Full of action and adventure right in the first chapter, and boy is it good! Contrary to the first book, this isn’t such a light hearted read. With Rhed becoming a tree no matter what Jeff chooses, plus all the perilous encounters the unlikely group encounters it seems like a hopeless journey. That is the best part of this book because we start off with no hope but Jeff manages to brings us up. With the gang’s quirky humor, the mood was uplifted and with it the hope that the would come out alive.

The one scene that is really memorable to is in the final chapter. It is fitting that the final chapter is the most memorable and the first chapter started the whole adventure off, itself being remarkable. It is a really funny scene that will put a smile on your face. You realize at this point that this book is for kids because of the childish way it ends, but it works in this novel. It’s has a satisfying element that is sometimes lacking from adult or young adult books.

Warning: Spoiler below in the quote.

"'Rhed!' Jeff laughed as he grabbed his friend and phoebe collided with both of the and they hooted and yelled while they jumped around in a circle. They had to hold Rhed up has his balance was not very good yet. The warriors had wide eyes as if they three of them had just lost all their senses.
'You're alive,' Rhed called to Jeff.
'You're not a tree,' Jeff hollered at Rhed.
"I still have all my blood,' Phoebe yelled to both of them.
'Man, you missed so much!' said Jeff. 'You should have seen Madgwick and Rig fight. They were phenomenal.'
Phoebe said, 'You should have seen Angie, Harley and Watroc. Watroc ate the Shadowraiths. It was gross!'
'I want to hear all about it but,'' his voice dropped low and he asked, 'Who's the cute girl with Rig?'"

Overall, it was a fantastic, four star read. It wasn’t perfect but it is a spectacular fantasy read. If you want to try out the fantasy, try out this series. It has a childish simplicity that is great for all ages! Also, don't worry if you don't remember much from the first book because Fischer does a wonderful job recapping what previous happened as she moves the plot along. Again, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to try out something new!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Again the Magic (Wallflowers #0.5)

Again the Magic Summary:
She gave him her innocence…

Lady Aline Marsden was brought up for one reason: to make an advantageous marriage to a member of her own class. Instead, she willingly gave her innocence to John McKenna, a servant on her father's estate. Their passionate transgression was unforgivable—John was sent away, and Aline was left to live in the countryside…an exile from London society.

…and he took her love.

Now McKenna has made his fortune, and he has returned—more boldly handsome and more mesmerizing than before. His ruthless plan is to take revenge on the woman who shattered his dreams of love. But the magic between them burns as bright as ever. And now he must decide whether to let vengeance take its toll…or risk everything for his first, and only, love.

Again the Magic Review:
Again the Magic the prequel to the Wallflowers series because it is the story of Marcus’ sisters. The book has the love story of both his sisters, Olivia and Aline. Aline’s love story is with McKenna, which is the main love story and the in the summary. Livia’s story is with Gideon Shaw who is the best friend of McKenna. Both were really sweet stories and had just enough development to show the love. Could it have been longer? Of course! A story this good could have been extended a little to show us a few more sweet moments.

From Dreaming of You, you can see that Kleypas found her place in HR. There is not a moment in this book where you are bored or feel separated from the story. Kleypas is one of the few authors that makes you feel in all of her stories, and this one was written spectacularly. It didn’t have the fluff that comes with romance, instead used the romance clichés to write a heart melting romance.

While we had two separate stories, you can see the connection (not only the obvious one) between them and also see the contrast (obviously). One is more of a lighter love (no less serious) while the other is dark and revenge filled. Without Aline’s story we wouldn’t see Livia’s. And without Livia’s ending, Aline wouldn’t have done what she did. The interwoven stories really heightened the enjoyment for each of them.

All of the characters were spectacular and real. Many romance novels tend to make the endings and characters fluffy, almost like a fairy tale. Here they chose to make decisions that we would make in their situations. The only character that is weak at times is Aline. She was irritating but with McKenna, Olivia and Marcus helping her out, she became a strong heroine. McKenna was her polar opposite. Completely revenge filled, ambitious and angry, it definitely raised some questions on how he would fall in love with Aline. The change from angry man to doting lover is spectacular.

The other two are Olivia, who is recovering from the loss of her husband. We get to see her come out of her shell and fall in love with a man who doesn’t always have the best principles. She is really sweet but not stupid or naïve. Aline can be looked as a bit stupid in the beginning. Livia is her contrast because she is practical in what she wants and will fight for what is right. That includes pushing her sister to choose McKenna and realize her mistakes. Gideon was the opposite everyone. An alcoholic rake who doesn’t place much value on life. He is one of my favorite characters here because he wasn’t irritating or stupid in the beginning. And he changed for the better without anyone else near him.

“She watched him without blinking, rapidly calculating…yes, it had been six months, almost to the day. But Gideon had made it clear that he wouldn’t come for her unless he was certain that he could be the kind of man he felt she deserved. And I’ll come armed with honorable intentions, he had written—more’s the pity for you…A slow smile began on Gideon’s face, and his blue eyes sparkled. With a shake of his head, he put his hand on his chest, as if the sight of her was more than his heart could bear.”

The last character I have to mention is Marcus. While we don’t see him very often in this book, we can already see he is an amazing character. He is a sweet, protective brother and a man of unquestionable honor (considering how he was raised). He knows when to follow the heart and when to follow logic.

"Marcus did not believe in aristocracy of any kind. He would have disclaimed his own title, were it legally possible. It was not that he minded responsibility, nor did he have an aversion to inherited money. It was just that he had never been able to accept the concept of one man’s innate superiority over another. The notion was inherently unfair, not to mention illogical, and Marcus had never been able to tolerate a breach of logic."

The romance and relationships avoided the fluff that is so common in romance, leaving us with a beautiful show of reality. When Aline finally tells McKenna her secret, he does not accept her decision with a few choice words. He yells at her for devaluing him and not trusting their love. It’s amazing to see how he doesn’t let Aline hide her legs and to build up her confidence.

“My God.” The blood rose higher in his face. “What if the situation were reversed and I was the one who had been hurt? Would you have left me?”
“No!”
“Then why did you expect anything less of me?...
“He shook his head, staring at her like a condemned man who beheld the face of his executioner. "Aline," he whispered, "Do you know what hell is?"
"Yes." Her eyes overflowed. "Trying to exist with your heart living somewhere outside your body."
"No. It's knowing that you have so little faith in my love, you would have condemned me to a lifetime of agony." His face contorted suddenly. "To something worse than death.”

Just as McKenna says his feelings to Aline, Olivia tells Gideon that she won’t be in a relationship with him until he gets over his drinking. It is this kind of response that is real. They both love each other, but she won’t sacrifice a part of their relationship to feed one of his problems. She pushes him to make the right decision but recognizes it was what he wants. She cannot choose for him and by letting him decide what is more important to him shows what a real romance should be about.

“I won’t subject myself to the process of losing you little by little, until you’ve either killed yourself or become someone that I don’t recognize”

The love story between Olivia and Gideon started to overshadows really did start to overshadow the Aline and McKenna's. With the way Again the Magic ended, it was impossible for me to not root for their story a little big more.

Overall, this book is a 5 star read! It is great intro into the Wallflowers and to the location that is pivotal for all the books. The series only picked up in enjoyment from here leaving it as one of my favorite books. If you ever want to read Historical Romance, this is where to start off as it will ensnare you from the very beginning.

Against the Odds (Gamblers of Craven #2.5)

Against the Odds Summary:
When eminently sensible Lydia Craven decides to marry for security rather than love, she doesn't calculate on the determination of devil-may-care doctor Jake Linley to rewrite the romantic formula, in Lisa Kleypas' charming romp... Against the Odds

Against the Odds Review:
Let me start off by saying that this was waaay to short. The characters were nice but without enough history, character development or time for the story to develop their love. It was really sweet but not enough to actually believe in their love story. I wish that Kleypas had done what Larissa Ione does with her short stories. They are almost the size of a book so that we get to see the proper development and leaves us with a feeling of satisfaction.

The heroine, Lydia, is different from any of Kleypas' other heroines because she doesn't want to marry for love. She believes there is no such thing and is hoping to mark for companionship and sensibility. She is also crazy smart. Following in her mother's footsteps, she wrote many scholarly essays on Statistics and Probability.

The hero, Jake, is also different from previous heroes. He has no care for money nor does he have a lot of it. He believes living with necessities and no more, and needs to make money through his own ways. He is really sweet but once again, we see that he is a womanizer. Something to note about Jake is that his father, Jacob Linley, comes from the Bow Street Runners series. That means that this book is happening alongside the Ravenals series since the BSR and Gamblers are right before the Wallflowers/Hathaways.

My favorite part of this novel is seeing Derek and Sara. Sara is still as devious as before, absolutely set on her kids finding love. It is this determination that pushes forward the plot and creates the best scene in the novella. Derek was still the same man as he was in Dreaming of You. It was wonderful to revisit him as a father and see him struggle with letting Lydia get married. He was hilarious and kind of stole the show!

Overall a 4 star read. Three stars for the book and one star for seeing Derek and Sara again! Hopefully we get to see more their kids because they are an amusing bunch.

Dreaming of You (Gamblers of Craven #2)

Dreaming of You Summary:
She stood at danger's threshold—then love beckoned her in.

In the shelter of her country cottage, Sara Feilding puts pen to paper to create dreams. But curiosity has enticed the prim, well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven—and into Derek Craven's dangerous world.

A handsome, tough and tenacious Cockney, he rose from poverty to become lord of London's most exclusive gambling house—a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy, but hardened and suspicious. And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world—with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress—and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion...and the promise of love.

Dreaming of You Review:
Warning: There may be mild spoilers below, but don’t worry, most of them are obvious because this is a romance novel.

What an amazing book! By far the best in this series and one of Kleypas’ best books! It started off as a typical romance but ended off with a beautiful romance that truly takes you on a journey. Kleypas found her place in this series because there was a much stronger connection between the characters and the story telling has definitely improved. Both characters were REALLY different and that made the classic tale that opposites attract into a remarkable love story.

“Derek returned her gaze, idly stroking her hair and back. “What is it, angel?”
“You told me once you didn’t know how ‘happy’ feels.”
“I remember.”
“And now?”
Derek regarded her for a long moment, then pulled her flat against him, locking her in his arms. “It’s this,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse. “Right here and now.”
And she rested against his heart, content.”

Sara Fielding was such a weird heroine in the beginning (In the best way possible). She is an amazing author who writes about social and political issues in Victorian Society. It’s a courageous and daunting task especially because she is a woman. The job requires her to travel to dangerous parts of London for research and that’s how she stumbles upon Derek, as he is getting attacked in an alley. It is her innocence, curiosity and naiveté that is astounding and endearing, especially to Derek.

“She wondered if the men coming and going from the gambling hell would be able to answer her questions. Most of them were quite disreputable, with unshaven faces and poor hygiene. Perhaps it would be unwise to ask them anything—they might not welcome an interruption in their evening revels. On the other hand, she needed to talk to them for the sake of her book. And Sara was always careful not to judge people by outward appearances.”

Derek Craven is the exact opposite. Hardened by life with no hopes for a good future Derek is crass, rude and cynical. He puts on a careless façade to defend against others who could come to care for him.

“He stood there frozen in defeat, with all the warmth and promise of her in his arms…and he couldn’t allow himself to take what she offered. He’d never felt so worthless, so much a fraud. Perhaps for a day, a week, he could be what she wanted. But no longer than that. He had sold his honor, his conscience, his body, anything he could use to escape the lot he’d been given in life. And now, with all his great fortune, he couldn’t buy back what he’d sacrificed. Were he capable of tears, he would have shed them. Instead he felt numbing coldness spread through his body, filling up the region where his heart should have been.”

He erected this barrier because he feels that the doesn’t deserve anything good and that flaw in his character is the opening for Sara to blindside him. Before he can realize what has happened, he has fallen in love with Sara and is ruined to all other women. We see the golden, but deeply broken heart that lies within him, and when awakened shows his vast potential for love.

“He was so far from the gallant knights in her romantic fantasies ... He was tarnished, scarred, imperfect.
Deliberately he had destroyed any illusions she might have had about him, exposing his mysterious past for the ugly horror that it was. His purpose had been to drive her away. But instead she felt closer to him, as if the truth had bonded them in a new intimacy.”

Alex and Lily come back into this novel and they make a stunning pair. Their book was not very strong but you can see their love shine through in this novel. They did not steal the show, instead worked in the background to help Sara and Derek. It was really great to revisit their new family.

Alex sighed with tremendous relief. “Thank God,” he muttered, and went to his carriage. He couldn’t wait to tell Lily the good news. In fact, he might decide never to let Lily out of his sight again. He rubbed his tired eyes and spoke to the coachman. “Well, Craven’s got his second chance. As for me…I’m going home to my wife now. Step lively about it.”
“It’s like that, is it, m’lord?” the coachman asked cheekily, and Alex gave him a wry grin.
“Let’s go.”

This will be a spoiler when I talk about this. The last thing that was spectacular about this book was how Derek treated kids. He loved Sara because she found a way into her heart. And because Derek never had any parental figure or someone to take care of, you would think that he wouldn't know how to deal with kids. For Derek, his baby comes at a bittersweet moment and shows how his character has changed.

"Sara had expected that he would be a kind but uninvolved father. He had never known the relationship between parent and child before. She had thought he might preserve a careful distance between himself and the baby. Instead he loved his daughter with open adoration. Often he would tuck her in the crook of his arm and parade her before guests as if a baby were a lovely miracle none of them had ever seen before. He thought her prodigiously clever for holding his finger, for kicking her legs, for making adorable sounds, for doing all the things that babies usually did…except that in his opinion his daughter did them far better."

Okay, the spoiler is over.

Overall this book is a 5 star read, duh! Everything about this book was perfect, a splendid way to end this series! It was beautiful, passionate, realistic and shows what romance is really about. This book shows when Kleypas found her place in HR and demolished all standards. It is this standard that made her so popular and made the Wallflowers and the Hathaways captivating.

P.S. Did anyone else get Jane Eyre vibes after the climax of the book? With the fire, redemption and new love?

Then Came You (Gamblers of Craven #1)

Then Came You Summary:
A woman with a secret...

Reckless beauty Lily Lawson delights in shocking London society. She will break any rule to get what she wants . . . and she is determined to stop her younger sister from marrying Alex, Lord Wolverton, a handsome and arrogant earl who has vowed never to fall in love.

A man who will do anything to possess her...

To Alex's fury, the headstrong hellion presents a temptation he can't resist. He vows to make her pay dearly for her interference—with her body, her soul, and her stubborn, well-guarded heart.

As Alex and Lily challenge each other at every turn, they are caught up in a white-hot desire that burns through every defense and exposes the mystery of Lily's past . . . and together they discover that love is the most dangerous game of all.

Then Came You Review:
I am going in order of the books series, that I have read so far, not the order in which I read the books. That is why I talk as if I already know what’s happening in the plot, because I do J So I can say without a doubt that this was definitely not one of Kleypas’ best books. It lacked a likable heroine and hero which resulted in a weird romance story, but the plot was interesting to say the least!

Beware, there may be spoilers below.

The story was based on Lily trying to find and get back her daughter. It was an incredibly interesting context of it’s uniqueness and Kleypas always brings out incredibly strong emotions when she writes a story. Kleypas handled some extremely dark moments and topics with ease. She never made the scenes completely emotional. The same was done to the rest of the plot. The emotion was there but it was layered perfectly with the idea and the writing style. The world building was really nice, and made me excited for the next novel even if this was not amazing.

The heroine, Lily was a strong heroine. With the bad hand she has been dealt, how could she not. She was constantly facing disappointment with family and friends abandoning her, not being able to protect those she loves and being forced into horrible/desperate situations. Yet, she lives the life of a single, 21st century women. Pretending to owe her life to no one, everyone mistakes her for a carefree spirit that has no care for life. But it is all an act that she holds onto for most of the book. She is one of the few Kleypas heroines that has been hardened by life. I loved seeing this dark side to a female character and to, once again, not be overly emotional. The only flaw with her character was the she was too untrustworthy. She did not talk about her problem to Alex until the VERY end of the book. It got to the point that Lily was just creating more unnecessary problems and drama.

“I can’t help you if you won’t trust me,” he said with quiet intensity. “I can’t protect you from shadows, or keep you safe from dreams.”
“I’ve told you everything…I…I don’t know.”
There was a long silence. “Have I ever mentioned,” he said coldly, “how much I hate being lied to?”
She averted her gaze, looking at the carpet, the wall, the door, anywhere but his face. “I’m sorry.” She wanted him to hold and cuddle her as he always did after her bad dreams. She wanted him to make love to her, so that for a little while she could forget everything but the powerful warmth of him inside her. “Alex, take me back to bed.”
With impersonal gentleness, he eased her away and turned her in the direction of the bedroom. “Go on. I’m going to stay up for a while.”

While Lily had one problem, Alex was just a huge problem. He took Alpha male to a new level. Instead of changing from the overbearing man he was in the beginning, which can be excused, he stayed the same until the very end. He constantly looked down at Lily because he was too close to his ex-wife’s memory. He devalued her over and over again, and refused to look beyond the exterior to find out her reasons. He constantly made assumptions about her character and repeatedly tried to own her.

“You'll be my wife," he said inexorably.
"You want to own me!" she accused, trying to crawl away from him.
"Yes." He flung her down on the bed and flattened his weight on her. As he spoke, his hot breath fanned
her mouth and chin. "Yes. I want other people to look at you and know you're mine."

There were two good things about Alex that saved him from being a total dick. First, his love for Henry. He is insanely protective of Henry and almost beats down another man, because he hurt Henry. It was sweet. Another thing was how he treated others. While he wasn’t respectful to Lily, he amazing to Penelope, Nicole and others. And will never stop protecting them from harm. This was shown a lot near the end of the book, and that’s why the book ended on such a high note.

“Lily.” He took her shoulders and pulled her to him gently. The unanchored sheet fell to her waist, baring her slender body. “You know I’d rather you didn’t hunt—I can’t stand the thought of a single scratch or bruise on you. But I don’t want to deprive you of anything that makes you happy. I know how you love to hunt. As long as you’re careful, and walk the horse around the more difficult jumps, I don’t have any objections.”

There was one other character that this book absolutely needed and that was Derek. With his Cockney accent and ruthless demeanor, he swept into our hearts making us excited for his book, Dreaming of You. I hope at least in the next book that Kleypas takes away part of the accent because I couldn’t understand half the dialogue with him. He is another tortured hero, which makes him all the more exciting to reach his happy ending. But there’s one thing I do have to say. He left Lily when she needed him the most so that he could protect his heart. I don’t like that he did it, but I understand why he did it. (I just wanted to try and explain his situation)

One thing before I conclude this review is a mini rant on the heroes. In all of Kleypas’ novels there is always a domineering alpha that is the hero. He is always a womanizing, arrogant, rich male (Sir Ross doesn’t fit into that). Why is it that only those people can showcase their love? What about the quiet, bookish types who can be just as “passionate” as the alphas. But then again, every author has their “type”. But still I would like to read another book without the same old alpha.

The ending was beautifully written and wrapped up the novel in a splendid way. To say the least, it bumped this book up a star. I wish the romance from the last part replaced the first part so that the whole book could have been amazing. The two have their own quirky way of romance that really shone through in the end!

What do you want to wager that it’s a boy?”
Alex bent his head to murmur in her ear.
Lily laughed throatily. “That’s all?” she teased provocatively. “I thought you were more of a gambler than that.” Smiling, she drew him down to her, her hands clasping his broad back. “Come closer, my lord,” she whispered, “and we’ll see if we can’t raise the stakes.”

Overall this book is a 4 star read! It had a mix of complex and diverse characters filled with an intriguing plot and interesting concept. There were flaws here and there, but the book is not the worst of Kleypas’ HR. While it doesn’t compare to the start of the Wallflowers or Hathaways’ series, it helped open up our eyes to another wonderful series.

Worthy Any Price (Bow Street Runners #2)

Worthy Any Price Summary:
Nick Gentry is reputed to be the most skillful lover in all England. Known for solving delicate situations, he is hired to seek out Miss Charlotte Howard. He believes his mission will be easily accomplished - but that was before he met the lady in question.

For instead of a willful female, he discovers one in desperate circumstances, hiding from a man who could destroy her very soul. So Nick shockingly offers her a very different kind of proposition - one he has never offered before.

He asks her to be his bride.

And he knows that this will be much more than a union in name only. For he senses what Charlotte does not yet know - that her appetite for sensuality matches his own. But what Nick learns surprises him. For while London's most notorious lover might claim Charlotte's body, he quickly discovers it will take much more than passion to win her love.

Worthy Any Price Review:
Worth Any Price is around the same enjoyment level as Lady Sophia’s Lover. It wasn’t as good, but still not as bad as Someone to Watch Over Me. This book concludes the Bow Street Runners series which, in comparison to the Wallflowers/the Hathaways, needed some work on the characters and world building. In Worth Any Price, the plot was interesting, the characters were unique and we got to conclude the series in the best way possible.

This book had some really sweet moments, adequate character development and interesting plot. First, I’ll talk about the two main characters. These two started off really strong, but throughout their romance, their character flaws became really pronounced.

You could see most of this change in Charlotte, or Lottie as she prefers to be called. A normal girl couldn’t run away from home to protect herself from a controlling male. She chooses to become a servant instead of living in comfort so that she can live her own life. It was this act of courage that started the story and showed the type of steel that Lottie has inside her. This is what makes you rally behind, to hope that she gets her happily ever after.

“Yes, come along.” She gave his athletic form a deliberately challenging glance. “I only hope that you’ll be able to keep pace with me.”
“I’ll try,” he assured her wryly, falling into step beside her as she continued her walk.
They approached the trunk of a huge oak that had fallen across the path. Insects buzzed lazily through the rays of strengthening sunlight that streamed in from above. “Look,” Lottie said, gesturing to a dragonfly as it flew and dipped before them. “There are more than a dozen varieties of dragonfly in this forest, and at least a hundred different moths. If you come at dusk, you can see purple hairstreak butterflies— they gather right there at the tops of the tr—”
“Miss Miller,” he interrupted, “I’m a Londoner. We don’t care about insects, except to consider how they may best be exterminated.”
Lottie heaved a theatrical sigh, as if vexed by his lack of interest in the subject. “All right, then. I will refrain from describing the many varieties of aquatic beetle we have here.”
“Thank you,” came his fervent reply.

As soon as she moves away with Nick, we see her first flaw come out. She is too trustworthy. Even though she knows to be wary of men, she lets Nick kiss her repeatedly and walks alone in the forest with him, this is really soon after she meets him. From there we see her live with Nick and try and get used to him. When she tried to love him, I felt as though she was pitying him. It did turn into a really sweet love story, but in the beginning it was a lot more of pity. Another problem I had with her character was the significant changes in her personality. She went from being strong to weak as she always felt sad when Nick turned away from her. Instead of using a scheme (not in the bad, manipulative sense) to get Nick to understand her. It left her pushing Nick around for answers instead of listening or helping him because he clearly doesn’t want to be around others. The one good that she did in the relationship is refuse to kiss him. She didn’t jump into this relationship and valued herself over what he wanted to do with her.

Nick also was a conflicting hero. On one side he was the typical romance hero. He was incredibly sweet (maybe charming is the better word) to everyone that he cared about. He was not abrasively arrogant, nor was he overtly emotional. He was a tortured hero, and from reading Kenyon’s books I can say the Kleypas did pretty good job with Nick. He was always brooding and contained with what he did, but it worked with his past. On the other hand, he was constantly reminding us of his sexual prowess and his utter machoness (No that isn't a word). That got irritating quickly.

His lips quirked wryly. “No viscountess I’ve ever seen looks like you, Lottie.”
She smiled. “Is that a compliment?”
“Oh, yes. In fact…” Nick took her gloved hand and assisted her down the last step. He held her gaze compulsively, his fingers tightening around hers, and he answered her light question with a gravity that stunned her. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world,” he said huskily.
“The world?” she repeated with a laugh.
“When I say you’re beautiful,” he murmured, “I refuse to qualify the statement in any way. Except to add that the only way you could be more so is if you were naked.”
She laughed at his audacity. “I am afraid that you will have to reconcile yourself to the fact that I’m going to remain fully clothed tonight.”
“Until after the ball,” he countered.

Other than that, the book was really interesting to read, the romance was cliché but this is Romance so it has to be that way. The bantering or communication between the main couple was incredibly enjoyable to read. It was amusing and sometimes, very heartfelt.

“I finally know what to wish for.”
Puzzled, she gazed down at him while the long locks of her hair trailed over his chest and shoulders. “What?”
“The wishing well,” he reminded her.
“Oh, yes…” Lottie lowered her face to his chest and nuzzled the soft fur, recalling that morning in the forest. “You wouldn’t make a wish.”
“Because I didn’t know what I wanted. And now I do.”
“What do you want?” she asked tenderly.
His hand slipped behind her head, pulling her mouth down to his. “To love you forever,” he whispered just before their lips met."

The climax was weird. It was incredibly suspenseful but was cut short by what happened to Lottie. It felt to easy, but we got to see Nick realize this love for Lottie so it wasn’t all bad.

Another great thing we got from this book were the side characters, mostly Cannon and Grant. I loved seeing him interact with the two older men and try to understand their life advice. They forced Nick to own up to his position which was hilarious! The humor from their interactions was a great way to counteract the romance and drama from the couple.

“No matter how strong our resolve, we eventually find ourselves enslaved by the compulsive preference for one particular woman. You’ve been caught, my friend. You may as well reconcile yourself to it.”
Nick did not bother trying to deny it. “I was going to be so much smarter than you,” he muttered. Sir Ross grinned. “I prefer to think that intelligence has nothing to do with it. For if a man’s intellect is measured by his ability to remain untouched by love, I would be the greatest idiot alive.”

Overall this book is a 4.5 read. I originally but it at 3 but the Cannon and Grant brought it up .5 with their humor. Another star came from Marcus. This book made me realize that book the Gamblers series and BSR are happening right before The Wallflowers series!!

In A House Made of Bones and Teeth (The Lovegrove Legacy #3)

In A House Made of Bones and Teeth Summary:
London is under attack.

Can Emma, Gretchen, Penelope find their way back to each other in order to defeat the Seven Sisters once and for all?

In A House Made of Bones and Teeth Review:
I just looked at the excerpt so this review is going to be REALLY short!

The excerpt itself is incredibly short and that's saying something because the book itself is a novel, therefore very short. The excerpt was cute. There was tons of action for such a small section but we are left on a cliffhanger so that's bad. I'm sad that Godric is dead! I have a knack for finding a favorite character that ends up dying. It was really nice to revisit these old characters, and honestly it's been so long since Whisper the Dead so I kind of forgot some of the characters. Thankfully, this was a great way to recap on what has happened.

I'm kinda angry that Harvey didn't get to finish her series because it is really good and deserved to be finished. On the other hand, I understand that this is a competitive business, I just wish she got to finish her story first. Anyways, really great book, five star rating, and I hope to finish the rest of the book soon!

Told ya this was going to be short :)