Category: Tracy’s Reviews

The Laird’s Christmas Kiss by Anna Campbell

On By TracyIn Christmas, Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Yearly FavoritesLeave a comment

The Laird’s Christmas Kiss (The Lairds Most Likely, #2)The Laird’s Christmas Kiss by Anna Campbell
Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Lairds Most Likely, #2

Release Date: October 27, 2018

In this installment of the Lairds Most Likely Series, rakish Brody Girvan, Laird of Invermackie meets his match in the shy, bookish Elspeth Douglas, sister of his friend Hamish.

Elspeth Douglas is with her family at Achnasheen with Fergus and Marina for the Christmas holidays. Brody is also there, but this year will be different, Elspeth has decided that the handsome laird will never be interested in her and is determined to end her silly girlish infatuation once and for all.

Brody has grown tired of his libertine lifestyle and has come to Achnasheen to spend the holiday with his cousin and his new wife, see them so in love just reiterates his discontent. When he meets Elspeth in the breakfast room, she ignores him – WHAT? Lassies NEVER ignore him, why that intrigues him, he doesn’t know, but he wonders how he missed really seeing her in all the years they have known each other. He flirts with her and invites her to go for a ride, but they are interrupted by her cousin Diarmid before she answers. Later Elspeth has a conversation with Marina that ends with an offer to give Elspeth a makeover. The results are amazing – gone is the little brown mouse, now she is dressed to emphasize her lush figure and her gorgeous hair. Everyone notices, especially Brody.

For days Brody has been consumed with thoughts of Elspeth, he even asked her brother for permission to court her. He is not sure what he feels for her, but it is like nothing he has ever known before and he can’t imagine marrying anyone else. But his reputation will cause problems, with Elspeth and their family and friends. When they are caught in a heated kiss and he proposes, she turns him down flat – even at the risk of being disowned by her mother.

Can Brody prove to Elspeth that his proposal was more than duty? That she is the light of his dark life and without her, nothing seems to matter? Or will her insecurities blind her to his love?

I absolutely loved this novella, it was well written, paced nicely, gave glimpses of Fergus and Marina’s HEA, had witty banter, steamy love scenes, great secondary characters and a sigh worthy declaration. It is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title.

The Duke’s Suspicion by Susanna Craig

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

The Duke's Suspicion (Rogues and Rebels, #2)The Duke’s Suspicion by Susanna Craig
Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Rebels and Rogues, #2

Release Date: December 18, 2018

After reading the first book in the series – A Companion’s Secret and absolutely loving it, I couldn’t wait to read this installment of the Rogues and Rebels series. This book features Cami’s younger sister Erica Burke, an aspiring botanist and Major Tristin Laurens, the new Duke of Raynham.

Erica is traveling with Cami and her new husband on their wedding trip, Erica left Ireland after the failed rebellion that killed her betrothed and came to England to start anew. She is studying the flora she has seen and tracking her findings in her journal. Her most prized possession. But when she enters the carriage after a quick stop at an inn, she realizes she left the book in the dining room. Without a word to anyone, she races back into the inn and gets her journal – when she returns to the yard, she learns that they left without her. She sets out on foot and is caught in a storm, she manages to make her way to an abandoned cottage – but it isn’t really abandoned, Tristian is there waiting out the storm.

Tristian never imagined he would be the duke, his life is in the military and he works covertly collecting information (AKA a spy). He has delayed returning home as long as he can and now he is mere miles from his home, he could have pushed on but he needed a little more time before facing his new life – one he doesn’t plan on keeping, he wants to return to his work in France as soon as possible. When Erica bursts in the cottage, he is surprised and a little suspicious, but he offers to help her reunite with her sister. The next morning, they walk to his home, she is shocked to learn he is a duke. His stepmother, is gracious and kind to Erica, especially when she learns that she will have to stay for awhile, the bridge has been washed out. But Erica is not the only guest, several local gentry have been visiting to welcome Tristian home, including his late brother’s assumed bride (they were never formally betrothed).

Tristian gets several shocks, first he learns that the Pilkington’s expect him to marry Caroline in his brother’s place and then he learns from his friend Capt. David Whitby that there might be a spy in their midst, as several rumors concerning Tristian have been circulating.

Whitby plants a seed in Tristian’s mind that Erica might actually be a spy and he becomes obsessed with finding out what is in her journal. When he is caught trying to take it in the middle of the night, he proposes. She of course declines, but wants to know why he wanted it. When Whitby confronts her, she decides it is time to set things straight with Tristian and catch the real spy.

I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as I did the first book. Erica was flighty, immature and impetuous, the author did try and explain her actions and personality to the reader, but for me, it wasn’t enough and I really never warmed up to her. I also never really “felt” a connection between Erica and Tristian, when Erica reveals to herself that she loved him, I was surprised and when he thinks the same, I couldn’t believe it – I have no idea when or more importantly why they fell in love, it seemed completely random and out of the blue. The writing was good, the mystery of the spy was interesting and surprising and the love scenes were steamy, but the romance fell completely flat for me. This book is the second in the series, but it can be read as a standalone.

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