Month: March 2020

Sexy Scot by Julie Johnstone and Cecelia Mecca #ReleaseDayBlitz

On By TracyIn Author Collaboration Series, Blog Tour, Book PublicityLeave a comment

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Sexy Scot by Cecelia Mecca and Julie Johnstone

A modern man, a medieval woman. Fate brought them together, but will history tear them apart?

When his older brother disappears before his eyes, Greyson McCaim is determined to find him—even if he has to travel back in time. Because it turns out their “crazy” father was right: their mother didn’t leave them willingly. She’s a time traveler, and someone pulled her back to her original home in medieval Scotland. Now Rhys is there too while the other McCaim brothers are stuck in modern-day New Orleans. They keep reciting the chant that sent Rhys back, and it finally works—but only for Greyson. Miserably unprepared for medieval life, he is saved by fate’s choice to dump him at the feet of the uncle he never knew he had. The two set off to learn what happened to Greyson’s mother and brother, but their mission is derailed when they encounter an earl’s daughter in need of help.

Marian is sent from the only home she’s ever known to marry a stranger—a Scottish noble with a poor reputation. But her fear of the unknown is soon replaced by a completely different terror when her traveling party is viciously attacked by reivers. The Scot who saves her is unlike anyone she’s ever met—his accent is strange, his words stranger, and he’s completely oblivious to etiquette. And yet this man awakens something in her, as does her newfound freedom from her father.

Greyson’s secret opens a whole new world for Marian, and her love makes him a stronger man. But Greyson’s family is at the center of a conspiracy that promises to change Scotland forever, and from the perspective of history, he knows it doesn’t turn out well. Can Greyson and Marian possibly find a happy ending?

If you love sexy bad boy heroes with hearts of gold, heroines with the courage to fight for what they want, and love stories across time, then you’ll love this sweeping romance series.

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The Making of a Marquess by Lynne Connolly

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

The Making of a Marquess (The Society for Single Ladies, #2)The Making of a Marquess by Lynne Connolly

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Society for Single Ladies, #2

Release Date: March 31, 2020

As a member of the Society for Single Ladies, a crime solving club headed by Angela Childers, Dorothea Rowland is thrilled to be assigned a case. She is currently at a house party at Cressbrook House, being given by Louis Thorpe. Louis is planning on having Benedict Thorpe, Lord Brocklebank declared dead and have himself declared the successor to the title of Marquess of Belstead. Ben disappeared after he and Louis dueled over Lady Honoria. Thinking he had mortally wounded Louis, Ben fled to the colonies and hasn’t been heard from in years.

Dorothea is sadden to learn that Ben is to be declared dead, once upon a time, Ben and Dorothea’s families had proposed a match and Ben was happy to oblige, until he met and fell in love with Honoria. Dorothea had loved Ben, but she was gracious when he proposed to Honoria without even telling her and she was heartbroken when he fought the duel and disappeared. So she is shocked and is not sure how to feel now that he has returned from the dead.

Ben is not the same man Dorothea loved, he has matured and has become a successful business man in the years he had been away. He would have been content to let Louis inherit, but his friend Hal, who has been the only person he stayed in touch with has told him of the decline in the estate and the debts Louis has amassed, draining the estate and endangering the livelihoods of his tenants. Despite his desire to stay in the colonies, duty to the title has been ingrained deeply in Ben and he couldn’t let the estate suffer. When he returns Louis tries to claim he is an imposter and that the title belongs to Louis. Ben turns to Dorothea for help proving he is in fact who he claims to be.

Dorothea agrees to help him and they both begin to develop stronger feelings and Ben decides that Dorothea would make a perfect partner for him, but it is soon clear that someone doesn’t want Ben to inherit and they are willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that he doesn’t!

This was a good story, albeit wordy and stuffed with random facts that did nothing to move the story along. I enjoyed the relationship between Dorothea and Ben, it was not “instalust” and developed in a believable fashion, the mystery was decent and not immediately obvious (but the villain didn’t really come as a surprise), the love scenes were on the warmer side and the epilogue is very heartwarming. As I mentioned, I did find the book a bit wordy, it also dragged a bit and then the ending was rushed and anticlimactic. I didn’t love the book, but I didn’t hate it either – it was an “OK” read and I will definitely continue with the series.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provide to me by NetGalley and the Publisher.*