The Redemption of Philip Thane by Lisa Berne

The Redemption of Philip Thane (The Penhallow Dynasty, #6)The Redemption of Philip Thane by Lisa Berne

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Penhallow Dynasty, #6

Release Date: December 28, 2021

Philip Thane is known far and wide as a rake extraordinaire, he is handsome, charming, and with very few exceptions, he is practically irresistible to the female population, a fact he knows and routinely exploits, in short Philip is a jerk. But not every woman finds him irresistible, for instance, his aunt Henrietta Penhallow, when he comes calling for the family matriarch to bail him out of his financial woes, she agrees on one condition that Philip represents the family in a small country town and deliver a speech at in Plough Day. Philip grudgingly agrees and sets out, but life as he knows it will change forever upon meeting Margaret Allen.

Unlike other women, Margaret doesn’t immediately fall at Philip’s feet, so he sets out to impress her with his lackluster speech and fails, but no worries, Margaret is not the only fish in the sea and he turns his attention elsewhere, but when he wakes up the next day and realizes he is reliving Plough Day, he wonders if he can tempt the lovely Margaret into his bed.

When I read the blurb for this book, I was excited, I love the movie Groundhog Day and couldn’t wait to dive into the Regency interpretation. But sadly, unlike most times where the book is better than the movie, that did not hold true for this tale. I found the book to be repetitive, which I did expect it to be to a certain degree, but seriously, it was way more repetitive than I thought it would be. And if that wasn’t bad enough the book has ZERO steam, it is not even mildly warm – now I have read plenty of books with only kissing that have been so good that I didn’t even miss the razzle-dazzle, but that is not the case for this story, this book needed it, desperately. Overall this book was a miss for me, I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t read it again. This is the sixth book in the series, but you can easily read it as a standalone title with no problems.

*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.*

Cinderella and the Scarred Viscount by Sarah Mallory #BlogTour

Cinderella and the Scarred Viscount

Cinderella and the Scarred Viscount

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An imperfect proposal…
But a perfect match?
Major James Rossington, Viscount Austerfield, survived Waterloo, but can he survive the Season as London’s most eligible bachelor? Convinced his battle scars make him unlovable, and to escape Society’s matchmakers, Ross proposes a wedding in name only to shy, sensible Carenza Bettridge. Liberated from her cruel stepmother and bullying half-sisters, she blossoms into a confident, altogether desirable woman. He promised Carenza a convenient marriage, but inconveniently finds himself wanting more…

Purchase Links:

Amazon UKAmazon US

Author Bio:

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Sarah Mallory is an award-winning author who has published more than 30 historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon. She loves history, especially the Georgian and Regency. She won the prestigious RoNA Rose Award from the Romantic Novelists Association in 2012 and 2013. Sarah also writes romantic historical adventures as Melinda Hammond. Sarah lived for many years on the Yorkshire Pennines, taking inspiration from the wild and rugged moors. Then in 2018 she fell in love with Scotland and ran away to live on the rugged North West Coast, which is proving even more inspiring.

Social Media Links:

Website ~ Twitter

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Tracy’s Review:

Cinderella and the Scarred ViscountCinderella and the Scarred Viscount by Sarah Mallory

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: November 30, 2021

Scarred inside and out by the war, James “Ross” Rossington, Viscount Austerfield, is sure that he will never marry, but when his female relatives gang up on him, he grudgingly attends the season to hunt for a bride and becomes even more convinced that matrimony is not for him, but makes the mistake of telling his sister that the Bettridge girls have caught his eye. His sister wastes no time alerting Lady Bettridge and Ross finds himself agreeing to visit their country home. No sooner has he arrived than he is determined to leave, but then he meets the eldest sister, Carenza.

Carenza Bettridge is Lord Bettridge’s daughter from his beloved first wife and she carries her mother’s dark beauty, causing her to be reviled by her step-mother and half-sisters, who treat her like a servant. Her father is ill and Carenza worries for his health, so she doesn’t burden him with her troubles, but he knows, and that causes him to suggest that Ross marry her. An idea that Ross is against until he sees that sweet Carenza will be forsaken the moment her father dies, so he proposes a marriage in name only, one that offers her protection and that will get his relatives to leave him alone – it is a win-win, as long as Careneza remembers that a friendship is all it will ever be.

This was a well-written, nicely paced story with very likable characters who both suffer from insecurities and the belief that they are not good enough for the other and that are fed by people who are jealous of them. The book features a marriage of convenience trope, a hero with PSTD and physical scars and heroine with a heart of gold who has been led to believe she is unworthy of love and respect, some well-meaning and some not-so well-meaning relatives, some mild loves scenes, and a bit of drama and a HEA complete with an epilogue. This was my first time reading this author, but it will not be my last, I enjoyed this story and am happy to 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.*