Love on a Battlefield by Posy Roberts

Here's the blurb!

Not every compass points north.

Andrew Summers is forced to spend his vacations reliving Civil War battles with his father. He hates every minute, until a blue-eyed, red-haired boy behind enemy lines catches his eye.

Shep Wells would much rather travel the world than play at boring war reenactments. He never dreamed a Texan boy would capture his heart.

Real life and years separate them; Andrew is forced onto real battlefields, but for Shep the world is a playground. They’re opposites, but writing letters closes the distance, uncovering their hopes and dreams. When Shep visits Andrew, they get to see if the tug they’ve felt for years is the compass pointing the way home.

This is the first book by Posy Roberts I've read, and it left me wanting a bit more by her, to be honest.
This book is so sweet it most likely gave me cavities. Shep and Andrew go through a lot before being able to be together, and the hardships are so realistic that they hurt, but that makes their joy more sweeter. The story flows smoothly, no bumps or slow patches. It had such lovely flow I was a bit surprised when I noticed it was over. I finished it so fast!

A very addictive read, and a wonderful introduction to Posy as an author.
Disclaimer: I recieved this book as an ARC, but all opinions are my own. 

Earl of Wainthorpe (Wicked Earls' Club) by Collette Cameron

Here's the blurb

He didn't gamble on losing his heart when he won her at the gaming tables.

Pierce, the Earl of Wainthorpe has finally thwarted his worst enemy. Except he can't revel in his victory after winning his foe's ward in a winner-takes-all wager. If Pierce refuses to assume Bianca Salisbury's guardianship, the fiery-haired beauty with a matching temper may very well find herself sold to the highest bidder.

The shameful secret she guards makes it impossible to love a rogue.

Desperate to escape her blackguard cousin, Bianca Salisbury ventures to London to find a husband or employment. Instead, she's bartered to a notorious rakehell. She either risks being compromised and accepts The Earl of Wainthorpe's protection, or flees him and her guardian. But without money and a place to go, she fears she'll face the same tragic fate as her mother.

The wicked Earl's Club is a series written by multiple authors, one book per author, that tells the story of a reforming rake falling in love. This is the book by Collette Cameron, that tells the story of Pierce and Bianca. 

This book is absolutely lovely! Both Pierce and Bianca are well rounded characters, with their own demons to explain their actions. With plenty of funny and cute moments, this book is a wonderful way to spend the time. 

My only complaint could be that it was a mite too fast for my taste, but that isn't a real deterrent to me recommending it. All in all, I am yet to read a book by Collette Cameron I do not like. 

Kind Ella for the Charming Duke by Bridget Barton

Here's the blurb from Goodreads

Following the death of her beloved father, Ella Winfield is devastated when her mother, a woman with untamed social aspirations, hastily marries the Earl of Dandridge. He is a humorless man, and one whom Ella does not trust for a moment. Leaving her beloved Longton Manor behind, Ella is cast adrift in the large and unwelcoming Dandridge Hall, despite her desperate plea that her mother need not marry at all.

The Earl's daughters, Lady Patience and Lady Georgiana, are spoiled and manner less young ladies, used to their own way in all things and fiercely competitive with one another. But when the Duke of Hillington is reported to be searching for a suitable bride, the tension between the sisters reaches new heights. With Ella's simple beauty, intelligence, and fine manners, the Earl seeks to hide her away from the world and, more importantly, the Duke of Hillington himself.

When he determines that Ella not attend a masquerade ball to which the whole family has been invited, Ella takes it upon herself to attend in disguise and spy on the ambitious little family for her own amusement. When she finds herself in anonymous conversation with the Duke himself, she realizes that there is more to him than a man who would seek nothing more than a pretty bride with a large dowry. He is open and amusing and she finds herself quite captivated.

Rufus Darnley, the Duke of Hillington, cannot shake from his mind the curious and exciting young woman who appeared at his masquerade ball uninvited, and he can no longer find any enthusiasm for his search for a wife with whom he might provide an heir to the Duchy. When he finds the discarded mask of the mysterious woman who left the ball without a word, he holds on to the hope that he might one day discover her true identity.

As the Earl of Dandridge plots the most appalling schemes to keep the Duke interested in his own daughters, Ella Winfield must do what she can to stop the man she is fast becoming attracted to from being steered in the direction of either Lady Patience or Lady Georgiana, all without being discovered by the family who have, one by one, turned their backs upon her.



I really liked this book. Ella is a wonderful main character, a sensible young girl who is practical and a bit adventurous at the same time. She ends up in a horrid situation because of her mother, but tries everything in her power to make her situation bearable. I loved the variation on the "best friend character" that's always present in Barton's books, as this time it is not another girl if the same social status as Ella, and in case of the duke it isn't a man of the same age as him. The only reason for not giving this book five stars is because the extended epilogue isn't part of the book, and it took me a bit to find it in the web (it's free and it's lovely, but having to look for it elsewhere was a bit annoying).

It has certainly unseated A Bride for the Betrayed Earl as my favorite by Bridget Barton.

All my broken pieces by Hollis Shiloh

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Tim is a small wolf shifter, partially disabled, not good at confrontation, and very alone. Life isn't easy at a precinct where he's never been fully accepted. He spends far too much of his time trying not to overhear coworkers mocking him. His best friend (okay, pretty much his only friend) is a drug-addicted fox shifter. 

And Tim certainly knows better than to fall in love; that didn't work out so hot before. These days, he sticks to anonymous encounters. He doesn't believe in mates or true love, not for someone like him. 

But he's worked for the cops almost a decade now, and really, there's no reason at all why he should have to go through a stupid certification course. They didn't even have those when he started! 

Life takes an unexpected twist when one of his anonymous encounters turns out to be attending the same certification course. Levi is a big, sweet guy he'd never expected to see again. 

Tim doesn't want to let Levi see the flaws and cracks that anything more than a quick hookup would reveal. He certainly doesn't plan to spend any more time with the guy, much less get feelings for him... 

I swore I had reviewed this book a while ago, but it seems like I forgot....oops

Levi and Tim, such a cute couple. Tim is insecure, having a crooked back, chronic pain and having been shunned by his pack both because of his back and because of being gay. Having to do the certification course is the cherry on top of his problems, as he really doesn't want to deal with having a partner, a must of the program. Levi (the dream guy) pretty much comes as part of a package to make Tim's life better, if he allows himself to hope for that of course.
The plot is both exciting and cute at the same time. Definitely better than My Partner the Wolf (in my opinion), and making me rethink my stance about not reading that many books.

This book is a roller coaster of feelings from start to finish, and totally worth the time.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book.

A Beauty for the Scarred Duke by Bridget Barton

Here's the summary from Goodreads

As young girls, Lady Isabella Tate, daughter of the Earl of Upperton, and her friend, Esme, told each other terrifying tales of the monster. But not just any monster. This monster was alive and living in his old mansion behind a tangle of overgrown hawthorn trees in the very same county. This monster was none other than Elliot Covington, the Duke of Caldwell.

The Duke of Caldwell, scarred for life in a fire which claimed the lives of those dearest to him has been hiding in his mansion for almost eighteen years. He knows he is a figure of fear and speculation in the county and chose many years before to live a life of self-imposed isolation. But he is the loneliest Duke in all of England. When the Earl of Upperton sells his daughter off as a bride for the disfigured Duke, Isabella has never been more terrified. Due to marry a man she has never met and always believed to be a monster, she truly believes her life is over.

But is life with the Duke really something to be afraid of? Will Isabella be able to get past her own prejudice and see the man beneath the scars? And will the Duke be able to let go of the pain and guilt that has swallowed him whole for almost two decades and find a new life with a new love?

It took me a while to read, because at the beginning of the book the only thing that truly labeled the duke as a monster was the fact that he was disfigured. The rest of the book was good, but it made me feel like Isabella was very vain, and I found it exasperating. Also, the fact that she couldn't get over the fact that not all of his face was handsome! Like, honestly, it doesn't seem like such a ridiculously huge scar, truth be told. For him to be self.conscious is reasonable, but I couldn't understand why she had such a hard time getting over it! Had there been a rumor about a beastly character to go with Elliot, then her fear would've been more believable.
Other than that, it was a sweet, enjoyable romance. Certainly cute, this time with a more realistic view of the lord's duties than in Bridget's previous books.

A bit tiring at times, but quite enjoyable as a whole.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book

The Body in the Backyard by Hollis Shiloh

Here's the summary from Goodreads

Clarence Collin is pushing up daisies—in Abe's bed of zinnias! 

When the caustic critic of a TV gardening show winds up murdered in Abe's well-groomed backyard, both Abe and his hunky-but-irritating neighbor Gregory might be on the suspect list. 

Abe starts amateur sleuthing in self-defense...and to spend time with Gregory. When the two green thumbs look into their neighborhood's dirty little secrets, who knows what they'll dig up? 

An interesting change from the author, it is quite enjoyable. Abe isn't the regular criminal hero, being not young (I'm guessing in his 40's, but the author never says), very nervous, not always logical and cool and not very brave. That makes him more likeable, in my opinion. His ex cheated on him, and they got divorced, which also means his self esteem isn't much (which is one of the things I like so much about Hollis's books, that not all of the characters are confident badasses).  His detective partner, Gregory, is also a very human character, with flaws, strong points, obsessions.... I like him. 
The mystery itself is not evident, and you get to suspect everyone before you get to the criminal. Well written, quite enjoyable, and it leaves you guessing everytime you let the book go. 

If Hollis Shiloh ever decides to write mystery again, count me in!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review

The Clockwork War by Katy Haye (Clockwork War #1)

Here's the summary from Goodreads

Imagine that Queen Elizabeth I never ruled. 
England and Scotland never unified. 
It’s 1845 and the two countries are once more at war. 

Mechanical genius Clara Lissing cares little for the war. She just wants to keep her five brothers safe. But when her youngest brother Tom enlists with the army everything she’s worked for starts to fall apart. 
Clara goes to London to work with Duke Murgatroyd building a device that will bring an end to the fighting. Clara is determined to do her duty, help win the war and send everyone’s brothers home to safety. 
But life in London brings with it the distracting presence of Gordy, Murgatroyd’s 18-year-old nephew. Gordy is a loose cog, twisting her clockwork life out of shape and making her think of things that aren’t work and duty. 
Then Clara discovers Murgatroyd’s true plans for the army, the city, and England itself. With war reaching to the heart of London, Clara and Gordy must match duty with determination if they’re to save a nation


I really liked this book. It was engaging and exciting, and I could hardly put it down. Clara is (to me) quite relatable, and I officially declare Gordy a cinnamon roll. Clara can be a bit dense sometimes, but given he fact that she's human and not that used to human company, generally prefering machines, it's understandable. I am really curious to know what really happened to princess Myrtle (and McAllister), as I'm sure it's a story worth hearing, and I hope it's touched in the next books.

You can get this copy in the Shattered Worlds anthology (which has 20 other novels!) or in paperback. I really hope I get to read the next one soon!

(I bought the anthology, but received a copy of this novel for review as well)

A Bride for the Betrayed Earl by Bridget Barton

Here's the summary from Goodreads

When Hunter Bentley, the Earl of Addison, returns from Scotland, it is to find that the love of his life has married another. On a mission of mercy to see his beloved father through his final days in the country he loved, Hunter is unaware that the woman he was set to marry, feeling neglected by his absence, has accepted a proposal of marriage from the Duke of Galcross. Still, Lady Felicity Morgan was always a little spoiled and a little ambitious.

Weeks later, Emmeline Fitzgerald suffers the worst humiliation of her life. Just months after the death of her beloved father, the man she is set to marry publicly announces his engagement to another. Feeling all eyes on her, Emmeline almost turns to run, but her dignity is saved by none other than the Earl of Addison. Within days the Earl, a man she barely knows, makes her a most unusual proposal; a marriage of convenience. He is looking for a wife so that he might produce an heir to his title and estate. She needs a husband of means to save her, her mother, and sister from financial ruin when her second cousin, Kent Fitzgerald, finally inherits her father’s estate some months after his passing.

Finding they have more in common than they could have imagined, can Hunter and Emmeline find the path to true love? Or will the constant interference from Felicity and Kent Fitzgerald drive a wedge between them?

So, I wasn't very excited about reading this book at first because of how horrid A Lady for the Brazen Earl was for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. This book is good, simple, if a bit predictable, but certainly enjoyable. Both Emmeline and Hunter have been betrayed, are hurting, and find the solution for their individual problems in each other. The thing is, they promise each other to not involve feelings in their deal. Also, there's people that aren't happy with their arrangement and would rather see them apart. And, as the author promises, there's a guaranteed happy ever after, so you kinda know where the book is headed but that doesn't make it bad.

The characters (all of them!) have dimensions, which is one of the things that annoyed me the most with A Lady For The Brazen Earl, as most of the characters were flat and one dimenional. It still seems a bit like the lords do nothing but socialize all year round, which it can (kind of) be forgiven as a little annoyance, but not a turn off from this book. 

It won't win any prizes, but it was certainly enjoyable and WAY better than the previous read by Barton. More of a book for relaxation than excitement, but if that's what you're looking for, go ahead and get it.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book

Discord (Echoes of Earth #1)by Katy Haye

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Beth forgot her past. What if there’s nothing to remember?

Beth has spent six months at remote Steptoe House in the English countryside and still can’t remember a single thing from before her car accident. The doctors say that’s normal. They say traumatic brain injuries heal at their own pace and insist the music therapy they prescribe to their patients is the key to recovery. 

But something is off at Steptoe House and Beth can feel it. There’s a wrongness there — a discord between what is and what should be. Strange voices echo down the halls at night and shifting shadows beckon. And Beth doesn’t dare tell anyone she’s been talking to ghosts.

So, when new patient Toby arrives, she’s relieved to find a friend she can trust, a confidant to share her ghosts with. Plus, he’s really cute. Together, they will tackle the mystery of Steptoe House and uncover more than either of them ever bargained for.

I want to start by saying I really like this book. The characters are well rounded, varied and likeable. You get a bit of everything as far as physical appearance and personality go, and you might find someone you can relate to easily enough. I can't say there's anyone among the patients at Steptoe House I don't like, but among the couples the ones I like most are Beth and Toby and Ivo and Oshi (the pain... but they're just too much!). I'm quite sure that if  I ever had to spend time around a real life pair like Jack and Maggie I'd end up getting cavities, but I quite like them in a book. 

Also, brownie points to Katy, for managing to make two characters fall head-over-heels in love with each other in just a pair of chapters without making it seem unreasonable, an afterthought or too hurried. First time I've seen this done, and my HUGE "Read" shelf on Goodreads is my witness (767 books to this day).

 The storyline is exciting, giving enough clues to have you waiting for the answers without giving anything away, and when things go down there's no excitement lost. And things do go down big time. The mystery is greater than you guys imagine. 

And that ending! I REALLY want to read the next book, as there is still too much that needs to happen and the need of knowing is definitely not gone. 

I really recommend this book, and hope I can get my hands on the sequel soon!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review