Category: Book Publicity

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven

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

Convergence of DesireConvergence of Desire by Felicity Niven

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Lovelocks of London, #1

Release Date: September 1, 2022

All Harriet “Harry” Lovelock wants is to be left alone to work on proving Fermat’s conjecture, a mathematical theorem that has baffled mathematicians for two centuries. But her stepmother insists that she participate in a London season in hopes of finding a husband. Harry has no desire to marry, she is brilliant but socially inept and has health issues that will most likely prevent her from having children, not to mention she has no desire to have a physical relationship – so what man would even want her, not to mention, the social whirl is taking time away from her work. She thinks that Mama Katie will realize that Harry is not meant for marriage, but it soon becomes clear that her stepmother is not going to give up and when the opportunity arises, Harry takes matters into her own hands and brokers a marriage of convenience with the fortune-hunting rake that was just rejected by her stepmother when he proposed to her.

Thomas Drake, Earl Drake is in desperate need of a fortune and hopes that the beautiful and very rich widow Mrs. Lovelock, a former actress, will be swayed into marriage by the thought of gaining a title. But she makes it clear that she knows he is only after her money and that she is not interested. He then turns his attention to finding another heiress without much success, he is starting to wonder if he will ever find a bride when he is surprised by an unexpected visitor in his room. Harry offers him a marriage of convenience, she will give him her fortune and in return, he will leave her alone to work on her mathematical theorem – there will be no physical relationship between them and he is free to continue the hedonist life he has always lead, including taking lovers. And though he finds Harry odd with her blunt speech and the way she takes everything very literally, he agrees and they wed.

They go to his estate and he insists on Harry taking care of her health, and slowly her health improves and an unlikely friendship develops between them. Eventually, Thomas realizes he wants more from Harry than she agreed to give, but can they renegotiate their terms, or is he doomed to endure a loveless marriage?

OK, this book had a lot going on and I have mixed feelings. The story itself was good, and Harry instantly reminded me of the character Dr. Temperance Brennan from the TV show Bones which delighted me to no end. And I thought that Thomas was a very complex character and while he projected a jaded, pleasure-seeking playboy, he was actually a very sensitive man who hid his pain and insecurities behind his rakish mask. However, I was really turned off by a scene not long after they married in which Thomas is frustrated with Harry and runs off to London and sleeps with a prostitute – on page and in graphic detail. I can’t abide adultery in romance stories and while the author did mention certain triggers, she did not mention cheating (and I know that they agreed to him having lovers – but I didn’t expect to have to read about his escapades and I certainly didn’t want to read that “after he had penetrated her for the third time”) If cheating had been in the triggers and I really think it should have been – I would not have requested the book. Honestly, I almost decided to quit reading the book at that point, but I felt obligated to finish as I had committed to a review. Thankfully, that was the only incidence of cheating and in regards to the other triggers mentioned, while difficult to read, they were well done and thoughtfully executed. Overall, this book was an interesting read and I would consider reading more by this author.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Highland Prize by Julie Johnstone

On By TracyIn Book Publicity, Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Highland Prize (Of Mist and Mountains, #3)Highland Prize by Julie Johnstone

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Of Mist and Mountains, #3

Release Date: August 30, 2022

Isolde Fitzalan’s life has been anything but easy, her mother died when Isolde was young and she was never taught how to use the magical powers she inherited from her, then her uncle was beheaded as a traitor leaving her shamed and shunned, and if that was not enough, her father gave her and her sister Mackenna to Lord Carrick as payment for his back taxes. Lord Carrick wasted no time in dishonoring and discarding her sister before turning his attention to Isolde. When Lord Carrick is called away, she is desperate to escape and find Mackenna, but Lord Carrick’s jealous wife has other plans for her and tricks Thor MacLeod into marrying Isolde. But when Lord Carrick returns unexpectedly and demands the wedding be dissolved, Lady Carrick claims that Isolde is a traitor and has her locked in the dungeons. But when Thor goes down to interrogate her, for the first time in her life able to weld her powers and conjures a dagger and stabs him, then she casts what she thinks is a protection spell, to keep him from her and escapes.

It is months before Thor finds Isolde again and this time there will be no escape. With the help of his disgraced friend Rolland, he captures her and her friend Mari. Vowing that he will return her to Carrick and dissolve their marriage, he makes it clear that he doesn’t trust her or any witch and that he has no more desire to be married to her than she has to be married to him. But the more time they spend together, the more he realizes he was wrong about her and wonders why she is lying and who she is protecting. When her life is in peril, Thor realizes his feeling run deeper than he wants to admit and he regrets promising to return her to Carrick, but if he doesn’t Carrick will bring war to his family’s door, and that he cannot allow. But neither can he let her go to be used by Carrick. By the time he comes to terms with his feelings and finally accepts he loves her and cannot turn her over to Carrick, it may be too late.

What a great story, it is well-written, fast-paced, and very hard to put down. I loved the slow-burning romance between Thor and Isolde, they had such chemistry between them, but they had both been hurt before and had a hard time trusting in love. As a bonus, many readers will recognize Thor’s parents from their love story – When a Laird Loves A Lady. This book is filled with emotion, betrayal, lies, magic, great secondary characters (some who are begging for their own stories!), steamyish love scenes, a bit of heartbreak, familiar faces, and finally a very hard-earned HEA complete with an epilogue. This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title. I enjoyed this story and happily recommend it!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*