Category: Top Pick – Highly Recommended

The Scandalous Diary of Lily Layton by Stacy Reid

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

The Scandalous Diary of Lily LaytonThe Scandalous Diary of Lily Layton by Stacy Reid

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series (?): The Sweetest Taboo

Release Date: February 18, 2018

Wow! Just Wow…I was hooked by the dedication of this book and then the story just blew me away!

Oliver Carlyle, the Marquess of Ambrose is hosting a house party at his estate in hopes of finding a bride, his mother has invited several worthy candidates and he knows he should be meeting them, but he has found a diary, filled with secret, wanton desires and he burns to know who the author is. Oliver has been bored, his life while privileged is just not fulfilling. He longs for a wife and family, but he needs a wife who can be all to him, someone who can satisfy his darker sexual desires. He didn’t believe he could find such a woman, until he read the diary.

Twice widowed Lily Layton is currently working as a companion to the Marchioness of Ambrose. But she has just learned that the Marchioness has decided it is time for Lily to remarry and has hired a new companion. Lily does not want to remarry, two husbands was quite enough, she longs to open a modiste shop in London, but the Marchioness is not taking no for an answer. Marriage was not kind to Lily, her last husband was a vicar and belittled Lily constantly for her “wanton” ways. Lily began writing down her secret desires in a diary, which has gone missing. Terrified that someone will find it, she frantically searches for it, which leads her to a secret passageway in the house and into the arms of a mysterious stranger.

Oliver comes across Lily in the dark passageway, they keep their identities secret, but willingly share their sexual desires, all Oliver knows is that is mystery lover is the author of the diary. They share an erotic conversation and an incredible night of passion. Lily cannot believe that she allowed a stranger to do those delightfully wicked things to her body, she is torn between shame and arousal. She vows that she will not let it happen again and will hold the memory for the rest of her life.

The Marchioness plays matchmaker and insists that Lily allow Mr. Crawford to court her. Mr. Crawford walks her to her parents in the village and saves her when a reckless rider barrels towards them – the Marquess! Oliver stops to make sure Lily is alright and decides to join them, going as far as to insist that Mr. Crawford apologize to her when he turns nasty after she rejects his proposal. When Mr. Crawford storms off, Oliver offers to accompany her. They talk and enjoy each other’s company – when they return from the village and caught in a downpour, they take refuge in a hunting cabin. Oliver is attracted to Lily, but he will never engage in an affair with his employees – his father did and Oliver vowed to never repeat his father’s sins – he likes Lily and offers her a fortune to help him pick a bride and even more money if she will pose for him.

Lily agrees, excited that her dream of opening a shop will become a reality – she likes Oliver and has dedicated more than one entry in her diary to her fantasies about him, but she knows that she could never be anything to him. She wonders if he could be her unknown lover, but quickly discards the idea.

Days pass and finally the night of the Marchioness’ ball arrives, Lily has designed her gown and feels a bit out of place, but Oliver rescues her and asks her to dance. It is heaven and later she offers to pose for him. He is too tempted by her and sends her away, but instead of going to bed, Lily goes back to the passageway in hopes of encountering her lover. Oliver and Lily meet again and this time, he takes her to a darkened room, where they explore and pleasure each other – Oliver admits who he is and wants to know her – she is not willing to give up her anonymity – she knows his feelings about relationships with employees and doesn’t want whatever it is between them to end. But the truth does come out and by then Oliver is too far gone to object – he asks her to be his mistress and she agrees – but only until he takes a wife.

They go to London and she opens her shop, things between them are as hot as ever and she knows that she loves him, but she accepts that she could never be his Marchioness. For his part Oliver has never been happier, Lily is all he has ever hoped for, not only is she a perfect match for his darker desires, but she is his friend and confidant – he has stopped looking for a wife because he cannot bear the thought of losing her. When a near death encounter makes Oliver examine his life, he chooses Lily and asks her to marry him. At first she is opposed, she has a secret that will surely make him turn away, but he sincere declaration of love and her brother in laws words of hope lead her to accept.

They are gloriously happy for months, but soon Lily’s secret begins to weigh on her and she begins to pull away, sure that her secret will destroy their love. Oliver is confused by her withdrawal and wonders if he is to blame. Finally he learns the truth and is shocked and saddened – but it changes nothing in his mind, but can he convince Lily that she truly is his heart’s one and only desire?

This was an incredible read, the writing was great (there were a couple of typos and incorrect names, but I assume those will be corrected by publication), I will acknowledge that it is not for everyone, if you do not like explicit love scenes or cringe at certain “offense” words, this book is not for you. But if you like your love scenes SCORCHING HOT, then you do not want to miss this book. Oliver and Lily are both wonderful characters, their stations in life do make their HEA improbable, but not impossible. While the book has several love scenes, there is much, much more to this book than just sex, the obstacles that they must overcome to be together are just as well done and moving as the love scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it.

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

Captivating the Scoundrel by Darcy Burke #BlogTour

On By TracyIn Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

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Captivating the Scoundrel, an all-new historical standalone in the Legendary Rogues series from USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke, is available now!

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Daphne Foliot has always known she’ll be married off to a man who, like her, descended from one of King Arthur’s fabled knights. That doesn’t mean she wants to be, even if it is her beloved father’s wish. Raised without a mother, she owes everything to the man who encouraged and funded her education and supports her dream of becoming the first female member of the Order of the Round Table. But when she suspects her chosen husband is a traitor to the Order, she plans to expose his treachery, regardless of their extraordinary mutual attraction.

Heir to the thirteen treasures of Britain, Gideon Kersey vows to do anything to protect his family’s legacy from a secret society bent on exploiting the items for personal gain, including marry a woman he doesn’t love. Except she ignites a passion he was certain died with his first wife, and when the truth behind the Order’s objectives threatens everything Daphne knows, Gideon must fight to save her—and any future they hope to share.

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Excerpt:

Daphne took the opportunity to peruse the bookshelves in case something spectacular leapt out at her—such as the name Anarawd. As if Bowen would keep such a valuable item out in the open or that it would be so clearly labeled.

Instead, what leapt at her was the stoic Earl of Stratton. Well, not leapt, precisely, but he did approach her. “You look as though you’d like to spend the next week in here with Rhys’s books.”

She pivoted toward him. “I would, in fact. I see your interest is similar.” She inclined her head toward the book in his hand. His forefinger was inserted between the pages to keep his place. “What are you reading?”

“Just an old poem.”

“Is that like Cate’s ‘old sword’?” The words fell out of her mouth before she could censor herself. “Pardon me,” she murmured, turning from him and edging away along the bookshelf.

“Are you suggesting this book and Cate’s artifact are more than what we say?”

She shrugged. “I find with antiquarians, you can never be quite certain they speak the truth.” She cast him a cautious look, thinking she should probably stop talking entirely. Better still, she should take her leave before she said something truly regretful.

He surprised her by chuckling. “You are, of course, correct. But this really is just an old poem.” He opened the tome and showed it to her. It was written in Middle English.

“‘Pierce the Ploughman’s Crede,’” she said, recognizing the lines.

“Very good. Tell me, if I pull a random text from the shelf and read a few lines, will you be able to guess what it is?”

That sounded like a terribly fun game. And she wanted to play it—with him. Her heart picked up speed. “Probably.”

“Astonishing,” he whispered.

About Darcy:

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her reader club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit.

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Tracy’s Review

Captivating the Scoundrel (Legendary Rogues, #4)Captivating the Scoundrel by Darcy Burke

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Legendary Rogues, #4

Release Date: January 29, 2019

Gideon Kersey, the Earl of Stratton (for now at least), direct descendant of Sir Gareth and sort of villain in the previous books, has turned over a new leaf, he no longer blindly follows Timothy Foliot, his former mentor and leader of the Camelot Sect with in the “Order”. His sole mission now is to find the 13 treasures and hide them away – from everyone. He goes to see Foliot and gives him Dyrnwyn, the Sword of Rhydderch Hael. He needs a dagger that is in Foliot’s possession to give to his half-brother Penn, so Penn can retrieve the Heart of Llanwllch, another one of the treasures. He promises to give Foliot the Heart to gain his trust. He has a plan, he just needs to find one more item – the Cloak of Morgan, which will render him invisible and enable him to reclaim the sword and the heart. Then he plans to find Sir Gareth’s resting place (which is said to contain the other treasures) and return the cloak, heart and sword to him and protect them from ever being used. Foliot agrees to give him the dagger, but wants more, he wants Gideon to marry his daughter Daphne and orders him to return for his house party.

Daphne Foliot is searching for the Cloak of Morgan to prove that Morgan Le Fay is not the evil witch she is portrayed as in Arthurian lore. She believes Morgan made the cloak and gave it to King Arthur to protect him. She wants to find the cloak before her father’s house party and use it as a bargaining chip to further her research. Currently, she is at the home of Rhys Bowen under an assumed name, hoping to find a clue to the cloak’s whereabouts in his library. Gideon arrives while she is studying a poem, which ends up being a dead end. They chat, she doesn’t understand the odd effect he has on her and Gideon flirts with her (shocking himself). When she leaves shortly after, he wonders who she is and what she is looking for, so he reads the poem she was studying – the cloak! Later Rhys and Penn discuss the ongoing search for the vicar who wants to testify that Penn, not Gideon is the Earl of Stratton and Rhys remembers that he has something for Gideon, a chest left to him by his Grandfather. Is it possible that the cloak is there? They check out the contents, no cloak, but there is a list of items that his mother brought with her to Stratton Hall, he would love to investigate, but cannot afford to upset Foliot by missing his party.

When Daphne arrives at her father’s home, he tells her he has found her a husband, she has no desire to marry, but is willing to at least meet the man. Gideon on the other hand has zero desire to marry, he was married before and the grief of losing Rose almost crushed him, and he will not marry again until he has to – which may be never if Penn is declared the earl. He brings Foliot the heart and is disgusted when Foliot orders him to use the heart to make Daphne fall in love with him. He pretends to do so, but hopes it doesn’t work. Later it seems like Daphne is enamored with him and he is horrified, but then learns she was just trying to make her father happy, they talk and he tells her what her father did, she is shocked and a little hurt, they decide to work together to find the cloak, but to do so, they have to appear to be betrothed. He pretends to leave to obtain a license for them to marry, but in reality goes to visit Lord Septon and his mother. Lord Septon provides him with some valuable information and he doesn’t plan on including Daphne in his quest, but when she shows up at Lord Septon’s and refuses to be put off, he has no choice but to take her along.
What follows is a well written story that is the adventure of a lifetime, complete with a hasty marriage, secret societies, life and death moments, steamy love scenes, secrets, lies, betrayal, heartache, treasure and true love. This is the last book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone, but do yourself a favor and read the books in order (they are all fantastic) so you will really learn about the “Order” and Gideon’s transformation.

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