Month: February 2020

How the Lady was Won by Shana Galen

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

How the Lady Was Won (The Survivors, #7)How the Lady Was Won by Shana Galen

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Survivors, #7

Release Date: February 11, 2020

Lady Daphne has not seen or heard from her husband, Colin FitzRoy in seven years, as he went off to war shortly after their very lackluster wedding night, even though he has been back in England for over a year. She was angry and hurt by his desertion and is not thrilled that her mother the Duchess of Warcliffe has harassed him into helping her out of her current spot of trouble.

Colin FitzRoy is known as the Pretender in the Survivors, he is able to blend in anywhere, a trait he is using to its full advantage as he watches his wife at a ball. Daphne is a lovely woman and is revered in the ton as one of the three “suns”, a trio of very popular and influential women. She is dangerous to his peace of mind, so Colin’s plan is to solve Daphne’s problem as quickly as possible and then disappear again. It isn’t that he dislikes his wife, in fact the problem is that he does and that she makes him feel things, she stirs up feelings that he doesn’t was to think about or feel. So the sooner he can help her, the better. But Daphne isn’t going to make it easy and when you throw in a duchess hell-bent on seeing her daughter settled, a Scotsman on the hunt for a wife, fellow survivors insisting on discussing feelings, an aging pug, a very nasty villain and a sassy street urchin, it is clear that Colin’s life is never going to be the same.

This was a well written, fast paced, fun read. I loved Daphne and Colin, they were both likable and intelligent, I loved that even though Colin’s first impulse was to bolt, he tried to consider Daphne’s feelings, even though “feelings” clearly terrified him. It was amusing watching Colin convince himself that he wasn’t in love. And Daphne was a delightful heroine, she is not perfect, but she is forgiving, patient and kind. I love that she didn’t give up on Colin, but neither did she turn into a doormat or waste away pining for him, and while she was angry and hurt, she didn’t become petty and hurtful in return. I also liked that she wasn’t stupid enough to think that she didn’t need Colin’s help, but it was her problem, she owned it and while she would accept help, she wasn’t going to let him push her aside to take care of it. This was a great book with witty dialogue, steamy love scenes, great secondary characters, kidnapping, a heroine who can hold her own and finally a very HEA. This is the seventh book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone title. I loved this book and I happily recommend this entire series.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me*

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)2 Comments

Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels, #6)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Ravenels #6
Publication Date: 2/18/20
Number of Pages: 384

OMGoodness! I loved this book. I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved the romance. Well, you get the picture. One of the things I liked most is that the heroine just wanted a home and a family to love. She didn’t want to flaunt society, she wasn’t out to blaze new trails, she just wanted a family with a husband who loved her. Cassandra was a delightful change from the current batch of heroines who would fit perfectly into our modern society. She wasn’t weak or cowed by the world, she just knew what she wanted and wasn’t willing to settle for less. Hmmm – so maybe she is actually the perfect bridge between the two worlds.

Tom Severin was raised rough – and raised isn’t the right word, because he basically raised himself. When he was ten years old, Tom got work at the railway station and took care of his mother and sisters from then on. Now, he is a self-made gazillionaire. Tom is totally pragmatic and takes everything quite literally. Tom has totally closed himself off from emotions – feelings – as he calls them. He has only ever allowed himself five feelings – and love isn’t one of them. The previous few years have become sort of lackluster for him – making money isn’t as much fun as it used to be. At thirty-one he thinks maybe it is time to marry, but he has to choose carefully because it has to be someone who doesn’t expect him to love her. (You are going to fall in love with Tom yourself.)

“Damn it, that makes six.” “Six what?” Devon asked in bewilderment. “Feelings, I’ve never had more than five feelings, and they’re hard enough to manage as it is. I’ll be damned if I’ll add another.”

Lady Cassandra Ravenel is the opposite of Tom. She feels ALL of the feelings and revels in all of them. Her biggest worry in life is that she is a bit overweight and she’s self-conscious about it. She is bright and loving and wants a home and family of her own. She doesn’t want just any husband though – she wants one she loves and who loves her in return. She’s had many offers of marriage, but they were all typical ton marriage proposals – more a business arrangement than a loving partnership. She’s refused all of the proposals because none of those men stirred her soul or her body. Then, she meets Tom Severin who stirs ALL of her senses – but he tells her upfront that he can’t/won’t ever love whomever he marries. The woman will just have to understand and agree to that upfront.

One of the fun elements in the book is Cassandra getting Tom to read a novel. He’s never read one – after all they aren’t practical, have no use, and are about pretend people. His reactions and the ‘lessons’ he learns from the novels are so funny.

Watching Tom come to be all he can be was an absolutely wonderful process – even though he fought it – but not too hard. Softhearted and sweet Cassandra really worked a number on him and it was wonderful to see when he finally learned the real ‘lesson’ from ‘Around The World In Eighty Days’.

“You’re saying if I gained another stone, or even two stones, on top of this, you’d still find me desirable?” “God, yes,” he said without hesitation. “Whatever size you are, I’ll have a place for every curve.”

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.