Month: February 2018

Earl of Grayson by Amanda Mariel

On By BarbaraIn Author Collaboration Series, Barb's Reviews, Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Earl of Grayson (Wicked Earls' Club, #8)Earl of Grayson by Amanda Mariel

Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Wicked Earls’ Club #8
Publication Date: 2/27/18

Very well-written, but very short novella featuring two opposites with a past history together. He’s dark, she’s light; he’ll never marry, she wants a family; he’s scandalous, she’s not. This novella won’t take more than an hour to read. I liked it, but it just didn’t feel very fleshed-out – it could have been so much more.

Damien Archer, Earl of Grayson, comes from a home with a very abusive father and he fears that he may be just like him because he takes after him in other ways. Because of that, he is determined to never marry. Over a decade ago he loved Lady Charlotte Lawson enough to let her go before he ruined her.

Charlotte has spent the last several years trying to recover from her broken heart. Damien’s rejection had cut her to the core. She rejected all suitors for years and now is a wallflower. She’s lost all self-confidence and joy. She’s finally come to accept that she and Damien will never be and that if she wants marriage and a family, she had better learn to participate in the process. Where can she learn to seduce a man into wanting to marry her? Damien of course – because he owes her for breaking her heart and costing her all of those anguished years.

Damien is flabbergasted when Charlotte comes riding up to his home and asks him to teach her how to flirt and seduce a man into marriage. He almost refuses, but she lays a guilt-trip on him and he finally says yes. From that point on, he is sunk. She is determined to find a husband – and isn’t looking toward Daniel in any way. She doesn’t consider him at all. He can’t stand seeing her with others. Thus, the dance begins.

I did enjoy the story but would have loved for it to be a bit longer and the resolution a little harder won.

Are you interested in our reviews of the other books in the series?  If so — you can find the links below:

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The Rogue’s Seduction by Lauren Smith

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), NovellaLeave a comment

The Rogue's Seduction (Seduction, #3)The Rogue’s Seduction by Lauren Smith

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Seduction #3
Publication Date: 3/5/18

A rollercoaster of a read filled with heart-stopping suspense and sweet sensuousness. This novella is so fully developed, well planned and well written that you feel as if you’ve read an entire novel. I love that the villain is really vile and that the author didn’t shy away from delivering the justice he deserved. I absolutely hate it when an author shies away from true punishment for the villain.

I loved the characters – all of them. Each of them was so likable and relatable. I really liked our heroine’s parents. They were in love with each other and they wanted that for their daughter. I loved it when the father tells our hero that if he breaks his daughter’s heart he’ll “bury him in the woods where nobody will ever find him”. I also loved Mr. Craig, the butler, and would love to see more of him in other books.

Perdita Darby is the darling of the ton. She’s sweet, proper, brave and very intelligent. In her view, being a wealthy heiress was a terrible burden. It put a mark on her. When the vile Samuel Milton tries blackmailing her into marrying him, she doesn’t cower. No, she develops a plan to thwart the villain and then she goes about carrying out that plan. She’s heard some very troubling things about Milton and she certainly doesn’t want him anywhere near her. Milton didn’t care about her money, he cared about breaking her spirit and maybe even killing her.

Vaughn, Viscount Darlington, is known as The Devil of London. He’s sinfully handsome and sensuous – all of the ladies love him. He’s also poor as a church mouse, but that isn’t his fault. He’d been ignored by his parents his whole life because they doted on his older brother. When that older brother died, his parents went into a tailspin and ran up debts that were impossible to repay after their deaths. Vaughn has had chances to marry heiresses but just can’t bring himself to do it. Can you imagine his shock when he receives a midnight visit from the darling of the ton – unchaperoned – and she has a proposal for him? Oh! My!

Vaughn knows that it will take more than a betrothal to thwart Milton, but Perdita doesn’t know it. Vaughn also knows he wants to marry her – he finds her bravery, intelligence, and beauty enchanting. Reading this book just makes me wish I had the ‘author gene’ – some of the things that were thought and said made my heart sail. “We are twin souls curled around one another, always straining for that next kiss, that next lingering caress stolen at the right moment.”

What a page-turner! It is interesting and exciting right through the last page – and then – you wish there was more because you don’t want it to end.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion an/d given without any influence by the author or publisher.”