Category: Christmas

Seduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries & Mary Jo Putney

On By TracyIn Author Collaboration Series, Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

Seduction on a Snowy NightSeduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter
Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Duke Dynasty / Redeemed Rogues

Release Date: September 24, 2019

This is a delightful anthology with a Christmas theme and if you follow these authors you will recognize many of the characters from previous books!!

A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter – 4.5 stars – Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill is on his way to celebrate Christmas with his cousin Nigel, the Marquess of Haverdale and if all goes according to plan, he may be announcing his betrothal to a wealthy debutante. But all does not go according to plan and when Adam tries to help a young woman he thinks is being assaulted, he finds himself abducted at gunpoint. Caroline “Caro” Dunham is trying to keep what is left of her family and their legacy together, so when she learns that her younger sister Amelia has been compromised and pregnant at the hands of well-known rake, she does what any older sister would do, she abducted the scoundrel and will make him marry her! This was a cute story that was paced nicely, has a little bit of steam and a HEA

A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries – 5 stars – Cassandra “Cass” Isles has been tricked before by fortune hunters and is extremely distrustful of the men on the marriage mart, so much so that she lets everyone believe she is a poor relation. She has also made it her mission to protect her cousin Kitty, who is sweet and kind, but not quite as savvy as Cass. Currently she is attending a ball and is trying to put off one of Kitty’s suitors, Capt. Lionel Malet, Cass is sure he is a fortune hunter and will do her best to keep Kitty away from him. While searching for Kitty, she stumbles upon Col. Lord Heywood Wilde, son of the late Duke of Armitage and younger brother to the new duke – he is also a close friend of Kitty’s brother Douglas. Heywood says he must speak with Kitty on an urgent matter and asks Cass to locate her for him. Heywood is attracted to Cass, but the woman he wants to marry is Kitty – the heiress. This was an excellent story with a lot of depth for a novella. It was also the steamiest of the three offerings. If you have been reading the “Duke Dynasty” series, you will recognize most of the characters and enjoy catching up!

One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney – 4 stars – Lady Diana Lawrence is the black sheep of her family, she left England 7 years ago after a doomed love affair and spent years traveling, finally ending up in India. But a letter from her niece Rory has Diana returning to England, she believes that at 30, she is a spinster and the man she loved is probably long ago married with children and she is in no danger of meeting up with him. Anthony Raines, the Duke of Castleton is bullied by his sisters to attend the Masked ball at Vance’s townhouse and is mesmerized by the woman who performed an Indian dance – he approaches her and they share a dance and a kiss, which causes both of them a bit of shock when they realize who it is they are kissing! Anthony wants answers as to why she left him after he proposed and she just wants to forget and carry on with her life. When she tells him to leave her alone and never call again, Anthony is forced to resort to abduction to get the woman he loves to talk to him. This was a great second chance romance, but it did feel a little rushed, had very mild love scenes and the issue keeping them apart was resolved way to easily, but the ending was wonderful.

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

The Merry Viscount by Sally MacKenzie

On By TracyIn Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews3 Comments

The Merry Viscount (Widow's Brew, #2)The Merry Viscount by Sally MacKenzie

Tracy’s rating: 3/3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Widow’s Brew, #2

Release Date: September 24, 2019

Caroline “Caro” Anderson is the brewer of the Widow’s Ale at the Benevolent Home for the Maintenance and Support of Spinsters, Widows and Abandoned Women and their Unfortunate Children. She is returning from a disappointing trip to London when the mail coach she is riding in becomes disabled, stranding her and several other passengers, including a small boy and his infant sister in the snow. Knowing the children will not survive the cold, she takes the baby and goes for help at a nearby estate. The estate is owned by a man she knows well, or at least knew well, Nicholas St. John, Viscount Oakland. Nick was friends with her older brother and was a frequent visitor to her home. She has not seen him in 17 years, but hopes he will offer shelter to them.

Nick is at the estate and is hosting an orgy, he however can’t seem to find the enthusiasm to join in, he blames it on being back at the estate. Nick was born in Italy, his father was the younger son of the Viscount and a painter, he fell in love with an Italian woman while on his grand tour and never returned to England. But when they died, his uncle, the new Viscount demanded that Nick come to live with him in England – his uncle was a dour, bitter man who Nick blames for all his unhappiness. Being at the estate, especially at Christmas, brings back all his memories and has him feeling out of sorts. When Caro comes banging on the door, Nick has no idea how much his life is about to change.

This was a sweet story with characters who have some very potent emotional issues. I loved seeing Nick grow as a person and begin to start taking responsibility for his own life and to stop blaming his uncle. I also enjoyed seeing Caro begin to let go of the pain in her past, she was hurt badly by a man and then to add insult to injury, disowned by her family. Watching them help each other to see the truth of their pasts and move on was very well done. I like the story, but there were just some things that didn’t really work for me, I never understood why Caro went into “service”, her family wasn’t poor and she was 17 and the only daughter, why didn’t her father try to find her a husband? It just didn’t make sense. I also felt like the book ended too abruptly, it really needed another chapter or at least an epilogue to show the reader their HEA as well as letting us know what happened with the secondary characters that were also stranded at the estate. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title.

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