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. 

Let There Be Love (Sled Dog #1) by Melissa Storm

Here's the blurb

Lauren Dalton’s world shattered the day her father died. Now she’s willing to move four-thousand miles away from the only home she’s ever known in hopes of discovering the truth about his hidden past.

Shane Ramsey’s reputation says all anyone needs to know. He’s an amazing racer, but a terrible person. When an injury leaves him unable to work his dogs, he must swallow his pride and accept help for the sake of his team.Will Shane open his home and his heart to the young woman who already shares his greatest love? Will Lauren find her place—and the truth about her family’s past—in helping the cantankerous Shane? 

This book was really nice. I came to it with a chip on my shoulder because I bought it, and about two or three weeks later the author started giving it away for free, and that annoyance  had me putting off this book until I felt guilty about it. 

Lauren and Shane are both wonderfully complex characters, with complicated back stories and deep feelings about what they care for. Although Shane could have used more softening up in the pages (most of his change was kind of in a timeskip), as I think his personality change was way too abrupt, and the jump from friends to lovers even more so. 

However, I was a most bothered by Lauren's relationship with Barbara. I understand the reason for her reaction (choosing to forgive for herself), but I find the "always forgive bad parents who seek redemption" trope to be sad, especially when being forgiving can come to great emotional cost to a child, and could allow the parent to cause more harm. I think her character was set to be absolutely pitiful in a way that would allow for Lauren's forgiveness to be acceptable. And Barbara's actions were horribly selfish, in every single point. Even if Lauren could forgive her, she's a character I came to hate in a chapter or less.

Although I had a bit of a lengthy complaint, that doesn't mean I didn't find the book to be enjoyable, it means I am done with abusive parents being forgiven by virtue of belonging to the genetic code of the child. Shoutout to Edward Dalton, a deserving, wonderful literary dad.

An Angel for Emily by Jude Deveraux

Here's the summary from Goodreads

Emily Jane Todd has just found her guardian angel. Actually, the small-town librarian had just been stood up by her fiancé when she ran into the errant angel with her car. And while he appears to be unscathed, "Michael" continues to insist that his pedigree is quite legitimate. Emily just hopes his brain hasn't been scrambled in the accident; besides, she's not inclined to believe that an angel could be so dangerously sexy. 
Yet Michael quickly reveals the most astounding things about her, and makes her laugh in a way she never has before. What's more, he declares that he's been sent to save her. At this point, the only rescue Emily has in mind is her upcoming marriage, and she's ready to bid her most attractive angel good-bye. But when he lets slip that he also looks at souls -- and hers is a rare beauty -- Emily's ready to risk heaven in his arms. Their journey will break every angelic and earthly rule before it yields her one wish: a love divine.

It wasn't bad. Emily was a kind, nice, girl next door kind of character, who suddenly comes by an angel called Michael (who isn't archangel Michael) who want to protect her from a mysterious evil. Michael was kind of exasperating at times, and it was so focused on the relationship between Emily and Michael and Emil and Donald that you could almost forget there was an evil they were supposed to be looking for. 

It was overall enjoyable, but I had higher expectations. 

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.

Regifted: Three holiday romances by D.J. Jamison

here's the blurb from Goodreads

This box set includes three previously published holiday romances by DJ Jamison: Winter Blom, Chance for Christmas, and Yours For The Holiday. 

Winter Blom: Lane Cross works construction to pay the bills, and makes metal art to … also pay the bills. As a single dad, the enjoyment of his art has taken a backseat to making ends meet. And his love life has taken a back seat to caring for his son, especially when Zach, age 6, sabotages every babysitting attempt Lane makes. Then Lane meets news intern Andy Blom. The man’s Swedish name meaning bloom is perfect for him: Andy is refreshingly sweet and vibrant. But when Lane moves too fast, will he scare away the surprisingly innocent young man – or will Andy’s journalistic ethics end them before they ever begin? 

Chance for Christmas: Chance Rasmussen returns to Ashe, Kansas, eight years after his high school crush humiliated him with a sext that went viral. He's low on holiday spirit with his personal ghost of Christmas past haunting him, but when his BFF asks him to attend a party as her fake date, he reluctantly agrees. The last person he expects to see there is Joe Stewart, the compassionate prosecutor he hero-worshipped during the lowest point of his life. The spark of attraction is still there, but Chance isn't planning to stay in Ashe past the holidays and the specter of his past still looms large between them. Can they find a way to build a future together or will Joe only have Chance for Christmas? 

Yours For The Holiday: Remy Wells is in no mood to share a room with his brother's best friend during a holiday stay. Jason Hendricks has always treated him like a little brother to tease and taunt, all the more embarrassing because Remy has secretly crushed on the jerk since puberty. But when Jason confides he's bisexual, Remy realizes the crush he loves to hate could be the perfect rebound. 

Two of the books in this set are from the Ashe Sentinel Connections universe, but each romance introduces new characters and can be read on its own. 


Definitely worth it.
Winter Blom: the story of Andy, a young adult in his first (unpaid) internship falling for a widowed man with a son. A bit fast for me in the falling for each other part, but overall really cute.
Chance for Christmas: super adorable. I loved the way Chance's trauma was dealt with, and Joe's character is really nice, and quite different than what I'm used to see by DJ Jamison. Really liked it.
Yours for the Holiday: my absolute favorite of the three. The way Remy and Jason slowly learn to trust each other in a way that goes beyond the relationship of frenimity they'd kept so far is so sweet, and the general hardships they go through are so relatable it makes the story all the more endearing. Totally loved it 

I totally recommend this set. If you don't feel like getting all the books, then at the very least get Yours for the Holiday. 
Note: I have read all the previous Ashe Sentinel books, but both Chance for Christmas and Winter Blom can be easily read as standalones, and are easy to understand as such. 

Sing Roses For Me by Ben Marney

Here's the blurb from Goodreads

A tragic love story methodically woven around a fallen country music star, a beautiful dancer, a 13 year old child genius and a powerful, psychopathic judge. 

A friend pulls out a Ouija board and asks you to play. It's just a game, right? But when the Ouija board reveals a secret you've never disclosed, then "the spirit" asks you to warn his living sister that she is about to be murdered. What would you do? This is the scenario that tragically entangles the lives of Max Allen, Carla Cecil and Bradford Doss. 

Max is a disgraced fallen country music star trying to survive his ignominy by escaping to the islands to find a new direction and purpose for his life. In the islands, he meets and falls in love with, Michelle, a beautiful cruise ship dancer. Bradford Doss, is a revered Texas State Court Judge. He is also a serial murderer. Carla Cecil, is a child genius. At 13 she is the youngest person to ever attend Rice University, the spirit's living sister and tragically... the judges next prey.

So not my cup of tea. First, the timeline is a mess. You can't gauge what is happening when in comparison to what happens to the other characters. Also, it jumps from character narratives, so you can be seeing a scene in the present from a point of view and the next chapter you are seeing events in another place, another point in the timeline, and another narrator. And it can go from 100 to 0 as far as excitement goes really quick. Literally jump from a close murder scene to a peaceful beach in the caribbean and you have no idea how it is all related.

Second, it takes at least half the book to reach the moment told in the blurb. I spent half the book waiting for the board to come out, and after it did I was too tired of the rest of the things to take much of the excitement in. All the messy timeline made it very unsurprising when things finally started happening, and as we knew what was happening from moment one (they hide nothing in the mess) there are no surprises left. 

Three, I found it slightly disturbing that most of the relationships in the book (healthy and unhealthy both) were between a young attractive woman and an older man. Like in one of those the male met the girl as a child, time skip, she is barely legal and he's in love with her, though he's about 8 to 10 years older. Of course, relationship ensues. Max, same story, but he's in his late 40's and she's in her early 20's. I just think it's icky that it's EVERY relationship that's actually portrayed in the book. 

Based on the blurb, it had serious potential. I'm kind of sad of how it actually went. 

The Lion and the Crow by Eli Easton

Here's the summary from Goodreads

In medieval England, duty is everything, personal honor is more valued than life itself, and homosexuality is not tolerated by the church or society. 

Sir Christian Brandon was raised in a household where he was hated for his unusual beauty and for his parentage. Being smaller than his six brutish half-brothers, he learned to survive by using his wits and his gift for strategy, earning him the nickname the Crow. 

Sir William Corbett, a large and fierce warrior known as the Lion, has pushed his unnatural desires down all his life. He’s determined to live up to his own ideal of a gallant knight. When he takes up a quest to rescue his sister from her abusive lord of a husband, he’s forced to enlist the help of Sir Christian. It’s a partnership that will test every strand of his moral fiber, and, eventually, his understanding of the meaning of duty, honor, and love.

This book makes me so happy, because not only does it have a cute romance story, but said story is historically accurate, really exciting, and very emotional. I have read it twice now, and I can't discount the possibility of another reread!

Definitely worth the time. Then again, it's by Eli Easton, so of course I love it. The lowest I've ever given her books are four stars, after all ;)