Review: The Price of Innocence by Susan Sizemore

Publisher: TKA Distribution
Imprint: None
Publication Date: December 12, 2011
ISBN: 9781937776091
Genre: Historical Romance
Received via NetGalley


The Blurb:


Sherrie Hamilton is a woman with a scandalous secret past. When she travels to London for a Season of helping to launch her cousins on the marriage mart, she runs into her past. Literally. In the one place she never expected to find a pirate, she encounters the sensuous rogue who kept her as his lover years before.

Jack PenMartyn, Earl of PenMartyn, seeks to put his wicked past raiding the China Sea behind him. One thing he can't forget is the young woman whose pure innocence he stole; the woman who is the mother of the child he never knew he had.

He knows that with one false word, Sherrie will expose the secrets of his past. But does he dare to hope that she will give in to the temptation of their reckless passion for a future together?


My Take:


I have mixed feelings as I write this review. I'm not sure what I think about it or the characters. It's a mixture of feelings I guess. On the one hand I couldn't stop turning the pages, Ms. Sizemore definitely had me captivated, on the other hand the hero is constantly man-handling the heroine. There's, what appears to be to be forced seduction of the sort that yes she enjoys it but she says "no" and tries to stop him and then there's the revelation at the end that even though the hero, Jack has been beating himself up because of his repeated raping of Sherrie when she was his concubine nine years ago and the one time he raped her in present day, that Sherrie did not believe she had been raped at all and that Jack is mistaken. Rather, all her resisting was foreplay. I'm not sure if I believe that it's true and that Sherrie really believes this or if I believe Sherrie is clearly confused about what defines rape etc. 


I'm mostly confused because it both bothers me and doesn't bother me. I have a feeling a lot of people will not like this story and hate the hero and at times I did too. I particularly didn't like how toward the beginning of the book he called Sherrie a bitch (not to her face and more as internalization) but I feel it uncalled for, regardless of whether he was jealous or not. 


To me, as long as you get past it, you get to see Jack's good qualities particularly with the daughter he never knew he had. You can see his immediate love and caring for the girl and he has these moments when you clearly can tell he loves Sherrie and things do make a little more sense once he reveals some truths toward the end of the novel. Like I said, my mind keeps flip flopping on my feeling for this book. I really liked it and I would read it again, but a lot of it made me mad. Not sure what that says about me :-/ 


All I can say is that clearly, the pair have a very complicated relationship and that while they love each other, I'm not sure that it's a healthy relationship. At least not through most of the book. The ending seemed to clean some things up so that they were able to get a past a lot of their history that was hurting each other and ultimately I did find myself rooting for the couple to make it and so that they could have their little family and make it a bigger family and I adored their daughter and loved that he hardly even questioned whether the child was his when he found out. He just accepted it and started playing the role of father as though he was meant to all along which for me was a big redeeming quality for him. Also, his need to protect Sherri and Minnie redeemed him quite a bit. There were also a lot of small "sweet" moments, mainly of dialogue, toward the end that I very much enjoyed.


I did feel the whole suspense portion of the story with Lord Summer's fell a little flat to me. It could have been amped up to be more action oriented, but I did like how he was ultimately dealt with. 


I guess, even though the book made me mad in parts, it did keep me reading and I did enjoy it and found myself rooting for the couple and I would honestly read the story again so confused on my feelings or not, I think that basically says it all. I just want to warn some readers that they may not be as forgiving on the forced seduction as I was.


My Rating: 3 Lattes 





All My Best,


Kayla

Review: The Devil of Jedburgh by Claire Robyns

Publisher: Carina Press
Published: February 6, 2012
ISBN: 9781426893162
Genre: Historical Romance

May I just say that I loved this novel. I didn't feel disappointed at any point during it. Claire Robyns' weaves a tale that has you unable to put the book down from the start. She's created vivid and lively characters that complement each other well.

The Blurb:


Raised on rumours of The Devil of Jedburgh, Breghan McAllen doesn't want an arranged marriage to the beast. The arrogant border laird is not the romantic, sophisticated husband Breghan dreams of, despite the heat he stirs within her.


In need of an heir, Arran has finally agreed to take a wife, but when he sees Breghan's fragile beauty, he's furious. He will not risk the life of another maiden by getting her with child. Lust prompts him to offer a compromise: necessary precautions, and handfasting for a year and a day, after which Breghan will be free. For a chance to control her own future, Breghan makes a deal with the Devil.


Passion quickly turns to love, but Arran still has no intention of keeping the lass, or making her a mother. He loves her too much to lose her. But when a treasonous plot threatens queen and country, Breghan has to prove only she is woman enough to stand by his side.


My Take:


Breghan, right from the beginning you can tell she's independent and full of life and imagination and even when confronted with her biggest fear, being married to the Devil of Jedburgh (just one of many names her betrothed has all referring to how evil he is), she takes him on only to find that though he can be infuriating, he really isn't evil and is in fact just what she's been looking for her.

Arran, what can I say about him, he's sexy and kind and authoritative and totally alpha without being too overbearing. You can truly feel his emotions and love for Bree and see his mind and heart tearing him in two different directions as he realizes that because he doesn't want to hurt her or see her killed, he can't bear to be apart from her either.

Both are afraid to fall for each other, knowing that eventually they'll have to part ways and I enjoyed the experience of watching these two grow both individually and as a couple.

This story kept you turning the pages and I don't believe I found a dull moment in it at all. If I did, then all the great parts far outweighed the dull parts so much so that they've left my mind. The author has a gift with words and the perfect voice for a historical romance. Normally, I have a hard time reading historical's that take place in Scotland due to the fact that some authors go a little heavy on the accents of their characters to the point of distraction. Ms. Robyns did not. She weaved just enough of their accents in so that you could hear the voices in you head and still enjoy the story.

The brief side stories of Bree's ladies maids finding their own romances were cute and charming and did not take away from the main storyline at all. I, for one, cannot wait for another story by Ms. Robyns.

My Rating: 4/5 Lattes




All My Best,

Kayla

Review: A Waltz at Midnight by Crista McHugh

Publisher: Carina Press

Available: February 27, 2012

What can I say about this Short Historical Romance other than I absolutely loved it. Seriously. The story, even in it's shortness, did not feel rushed or incomplete at all to me. Rather, it was a very satisfying and emotional read.   

                                                                                                                                      

Here's the blurb:     

                                                                                                

New York, 1866 

When her mistress receives an utterly unromantic letter from a potential suitor, servant Susanna Parkwell is asked to craft an appropriate response. Though hesitant to take part in the deception, Susanna agrees, never dreaming the scorned suitor will write back.

Theodore Blakely abhors being pressured by his family to marry, but he's intrigued by the witty refusal he receives from "Charlotte". After exchanging more letters, Ted believes he's found a soul mate in his thoughtful and understanding correspondent, and asks permission to formally court her.

Though racked with guilt over her lies, Susanna can't resist the opportunity to meet Ted in person. So she poses as Charlotte at a holiday ball, where she vows to tell him the truth. But when the clock strikes midnight, will Susanna have the courage to reveal her identity and risk losing the man she loves?

The witty and thoughtful letters exchanged between both Theodore and Susanna, to me, are a large reason as to why this story was so satisfying. Susanna is such a strong and independent heroine who does what she must to survive in post-civil war life, even if it means getting her once delicate and soft, Southern Belle hands, dirty to help pay for her brother's bar exam. There is nothing I like more about a heroine than when she is strong-willed and independent without being overbearing and Susanna is the perfect example of this.

Even in this short space of time, the author really ensures that the reader connects with her characters and Theodore, well despite his reluctance in writing his original letter, soon discovers that love can sometimes be found in an unlikely place. 

This heart-felt short story is definitely a must read and I have no problem recommending it to anyone who loves historical romances and is short on time, it only took me about an hour and a half to devour this story. I'm am so glad I was given the opportunity to review this galley thanks to Carina Press and NetGalley.com

My review:

Without a doubt 5/5 lattes

All My Best,

Kayla

Review: Under Her Brass Corset by Brenda Williamson

Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: February 27, 2012
ISBN: 9781426893292
E-Book


This review was interesting to write, and I must say, truthfully, that I really did enjoy the novel, but there were just some parts I feel as though I couldn't help but shake by head on. Overall though, it was an enjoyable read.

I encountered this novel on NetGalley and was very excited to start reading it right away. This story seems to have it all: romance, adventure, steampunk, paranormal, I mean how could I go wrong when so many of my favorite romance sub-genres were included in the story. Oddly, enough, despite how much I enjoy steampunk, I haven't read too many stories in this sub-genre, and this particular novel, though categorized as steampunk, fell a little flat on that front in my opinion.

From the blurb:  Since the loss of her father, Abigail Thatch's life has been in turmoil. Her social status is in shambles, her finances depleted, and she's on the verge of losing her beloved home. But everything changes when she meets the dashing flying machine captain, Jasper Blackthorn. Not only does he introduce her to a world she though only existed in myth and legend, he awakens sensual feelings deep within her...

Jasper may be immortal, but he hasn't truly lived in years. Having secretly watched over Abigail as  favor to her notorious grandfather, he can't resist arranging a "chance" meeting with the beauty. But he has an ulterior motive: to retrieve the mystical Crystal Compass hidden in her house before it falls into the wrong hands. He never imagines he'll be tempted to love again...

When Abigail learns the truth, she and Jasper embark on a journey that will change both of their lives and possibly the world...

Abigail fell a a little short on the heroine front for me, particularly with how easily she gives in to Jasper even though she truly believes he is lying to her during the course of well, almost the entire story. She believes he is with her only for the Crystal Compass and that he is lying to her about his immortality and about, well, almost everything else for that matter which kind of got annoying to me. I mean, why would a woman with a strong mind such as her, willingly concede to the hero sexually over and over again when she believes he is constantly lying to her? It baffled me really. But she's been alone for a while now, with her father gone, her mother gone, her fiancé gone and despite her belief that Jasper is always lying to her, she truly believes that he does at least care for her, and this for me, is what allowed me to continue reading on despite Abigail's wishy-washy ways.

Jasper is well...yummy, to say the least. An immortal and just over four hundred years old, he's had adventure after adventure in his life, including finding one of the Springs of Avalon, and has befriended many, including Abigail's grandfather, Blackbeard. However, after a tragedy he had been unable to stop one hundred and fifty years ago, he did his best not to befriend too many mortals. That is until, he met Abigail's father, and in turn met Abigail. I liked Jasper a lot. I liked that he tells Abigail the truth about everything, (even though she refuses to believe him) and I love how much he really cares about and loves Abigail.  And what a clever man he is to have spent his life creating steam powered inventions including his ship, which can also fly. One of the things I love about the steampunk genre are all the cool contraptions that go into making the world come alive.

Speaking of steampunk, the story lacked a lot of description other than the flying machine and one or two other contraptions for me to really feel that this was an actual steampunk romance, the world itself appeared normal aside from the flying machine, so normal in fact, that despite the style of dress, and the mention of the civil war having ended some time ago, and the fact that Juan Ponce De Leon is four hundred years old, I didn't feel as though we were in the past. The dialogue for the most part as well as the setting, in my opinion, could just as easily have taken place in a contemporary setting and as such I had a hard time pinning down what time period this took place in.

The love scenes were great, aside from a few comments in terms of the authors word choices which did at times, pull me out of the story. The chemistry between Jasper and Abigail was through the roof. And I loved Abigail's little encounter with Jasper's jacuzzi tub. Also, I have no problem with the mention of birth control in a love scene, but when the author does so like this:

"The next time she'd prepare herself with a sponge dipped in vinegar and inserted into her vagina."

I have a problem. This was a little much for me, a little too detailed, not to mention, right in the middle of a love scene. The author's word choices during the love scenes were causes for some head shakes and giggles on my part, I say the love scenes are hot because they are, but I had to insert my own words for female parts etc. to help with it as some of the common phrases the author uses come out funny or scientific. IE: vagina, penis, and nether lips. At one point, she even describes the oral sex as :"Relentless, he persisted in torturing the hard bud harboring a million nerves." To me, this sounds as though Abigail is not enjoying the sexual relationship, but rather hates it. However, her actions speak otherwise.

The dialogue is fun and witty and rather than me describing it I'll post a small tidbit that I particularly enjoyed in which they are deciding which bunks they can each sleep on.

“You can have the bottom.” He smiled.

The mischievousness twinkle in his eyes offered a new chance. Quickly accessing the situation, she said, “I’d prefer on top.”

“On t-top?” The words sputtered from his lips.

To hide her smile, she turned her back to him and pretended to access the condition of the upper bunk.

“Is that a problem?” She stroked the wrinkles from the coverlet.

“Not at all. You’ll find I can be very accommodating. Although I would think you’d prefer lying on the bottom. It doesn’t require as much effort.” He tapped the rungs of the ladder as if suggesting he meant climbing to the upper level.

The little game of innuendoes fascinated Abigail, encouraging her to continue to play along. “Maybe so, but I’m young and agile. I don’t think I’ll have regrets getting on top or dismounting. The workout helps keep me fit.”

“And I appreciate your endeavors.” He tilted his head to the side and looked her up and down as if assessing her shape. “Some women aren’t as aggressive.”

“Some women aren’t me, Captain. I’m aware of all the benefits to my position on top.”

I never really understood the purpose of Jasper wearing an eye patch when they first meet, or the purpose of the brass corset aside from the fact that Abigail found it and enjoyed wearing it and Jasper enjoyed taking it off of her. And it felt like some things were just thrown in for the heck of it without any real purpose such as the troll, the sorcerer trapped in an animal's body, etc. These things didn't seem to serve a purpose at all.

At the beginning of this review when I said it was an interesting one to write, I wasn't lying, despite all these mixed feelings I seem to have, the story was light hearted, enjoyable and an easy read and I will definitely be looking forward to another of Brenda Williamson's titles. 

My grade: 3/5 lattes



All my best,

Kayla

Review: Heart of Deception by Jenna Jaxon

Heart of Deception by Jenna Jaxon

Historical Romance-Short Story
June 3, 2011
Books To Go Now

Reviewed by Kayla

Favorite Quote: "Scandal, my love. But it would make sure that we could marry."

Blurb:  Celinda Graham—young, naïve, passionate—is head-over-heels in love with Andrew Finley, Viscount Hurston and insists on marrying him. Unfortunately, Andrew’s family has been feuding with Celinda’s for generations.  When her father refuses to allow the marriage, Andrew proposes a scandalous way to get his approval.  But Andrew has a secret that may spell disaster to his plans if Celinda finds out he is not what he seems.

Jenna Jaxon's Heart of Deception is a short Historical Romance coming in at only five pages on my Kindle. The story is sweet and a little sexy and, despite how short it is, packs an emotional punch. In fact, my only real complaint about the story is that I wish the author would write a full length story involving these characters because in such a short space of time she truly created memorable characters that I would have loved to explore more. 

Jenna has a talent for bringing you into the story, making you feel as though you are there experiencing everything with the characters and in five short pages she managed to really, truly make me see and feel that the story took place in 1860 London. 

With each page you truly get a sense for what Celinda and Andrew feel for each other, and Andrews secret, well it's both cute and clever and I won't give it away. You'll just have to read the short story for yourself. 

If you're looking for a quick read that won't take you more than ten minutes to read and leaves you with a happy, satisfied feeling at the end of the story, then Heart of Deception is the story for you.

Over all rating: 4/5 Lattes

Recent Reviews:

Goodreads- 4.29 stars

Atlantic City Book Examiner- 5 stars

Amazon Reviews- 4.4 stars

Author’s Website 

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