Tag: Adrienne Basso

Every Bit A Rogue by Adrienne Basso

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

Every Bit a Rogue (The Ellinghams, #4)Every Bit a Rogue by Adrienne Basso

Tracy rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Ellinghams, #4

Release Date: February 25, 2020

Emma Ellingham knows heartbreak and unrequited love, years ago she confessed her love to Sebastian Dodd, the Earl of Tinsdale, who told her he loved her too, as a sister. When Sebastian fell in love and married another, Emma was devastated, she closed off her heart and concentrated on her art, but even that seems to have deserted her. So when Jon Burwell, Viscount Kendall is jilted at the altar, Emma knows his pain and feels empathetic but she doesn’t really give him another thought for almost a year, when their paths cross again.

While exploring her brother in laws property, Emma finds a path she has not taken before, one that leads to an unfamiliar building, her curiosity gets the best of her and she approaches, she knocks and enters, she finds two men working on a machine, one of them is Jon, but it is not Jon that captures her attention – it is his machine, for the first time in years Emma feels the overwhelming desire to draw, she is overjoyed, but her joy is short lived when Jon asks her to leave. She returns home and sketches from memory, but really wants to see the machine again. She returns to the workshop and lets herself in and begins to draw, Jon finds her and sends her away, refusing to let her draw his machine. She leaves, promising not to return until she is invited. But, she hasn’t given up, she will find a way!

Jon is finally beginning to get over Dianna, the woman he loved, the one who left him at the altar and ran off with another man. He has poured all the passion he felt for her into his invention – a threshing machine. His experience with Dianna left him hurt and unable to really trust anyone, which is why he denied Emma. He is in the village when he runs into Dianna, literally. He is shocked to see her and tries to be polite, she is married and her husband inherited a barony with a nearby estate. Jon is not happy to learn she will be living close by and even more upset when Dianna’s husband joins them and is nasty to her. Despite everything she did to him, he still feels outraged on her behalf and has to stop himself from defending her. He is returning home when it begins to rain and he finds Emma lost in the woods. The rain intensifies and they take shelter in his workshop, they share a drink and he tells her of seeing Dianna in the village, she moves to comfort him and trips, he catches her and they share a kiss. She is surprised by the feelings it invokes – but they agree it was a mistake. They fall asleep and Emma wakes at dawn – she bolts, hoping to return home before anyone knows she is gone.

Jon is home getting ready to go see Emma when her brother in law arrives – he thinks it is about Emma, but is stunned to learn that Dianna’s husband had been killed the night before and servants at the house named him as the murderer!! To save Jon, Emma confesses to being with him all night. Her confession saves him, but to save their reputations, they must wed. Can they find happiness or will their past experiences with love keep them from trying to find love again?

This was a well written, well-paced story with likable characters, cameos from previous couples in the series, a murder, steamy love scenes and a HEA complete with an epilogue. I was loving this book right up to about the 85% mark and then it tanked for me. I didn’t care for Emma’s deception, I wasn’t thrilled with resolution of the murder and I was really not happy with the “punishment” the villain got. This is the fourth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone title. I enjoyed the book even though the ending was not what I was hoping for and I would be happy to recommend it.

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

The Bride Chooses a Highlander by Adrienne Basso

On By TracyIn Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Scottish/HighlanderLeave a comment

The Bride Chooses a Highlander (The McKennas, #3)The Bride Chooses a Highlander by Adrienne Basso
Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The McKennas, #3

Release Date: December 18, 2018

Katherine McKenna is the only daughter of Laird Brian McKenna and still unwed at 22, much to her father’s dismay. But Katherine has finally agreed to a match, Sir Hamish Drummond. Overjoyed, her father quickly makes plans to visit the Drummonds and sign the contracts. Katherine had hoped to find love like her parents and older brothers, but she is sure she will be content and grow to love Hamish. But when she learns that Hamish is in love with another woman, nothing will make her marry him and she bolts.

Lachlan MacTavish is Laird of the MacTavish clan, a poor, disgraced clan that was punished for choosing sides against the Bruce. He has tried hard to redeem his family and has worked twice as hard to keep his people from starving. He has petitioned the king for the return of his lands and hopes that he service to the crown has been enough. If Lachlan didn’t have enough problems, his younger half brother Robbie has been missing for almost a year, his other half brother Aiden thinks he should be leading the clan and his step-mother wants him to go to the McKenna’s and retrieve Robbie. Lachlan refuses to go after Robbie, so Aiden says he will go – Lachlan forbid him from doing anything to upset the powerful McKenna laird – they cannot afford to offend the man.

As luck would have it, Aiden comes upon Katherine fleeing and takes her captive. But when she escapes him, Lachlan knows they must find her and return her to her father – untouched and unharmed. He finds her in the woods, nearly frozen and ill, he plans to take her to a nearby convent, but the weather prevents it. He finds a hut and nurses her back to health himself. They only exchange first names, but she feels safe with him. When they share a kiss, Lachlan tells her the truth of who he is. She is upset, but understands his dilemma and agrees to try and calm her father.

They travel back to his castle and encounter Archibald Fraser – sworn enemy of the McKennas, thankfully Lachlan is able to convince Archibald that Katherine is just a cast out serving girl and they go on their way. When they reach his home, she is shock at the condition of the keep and the people. As she spends more time with Lachlan, the more she likes him and want to help him. But not everyone is happy that Katherine is there and a betrayal by Lachlan’s kin brings Archibald back looking for Katherine. Lachlan defeats him and makes a powerful enemy. Convinced he can no longer wait to return Katherine to her family, they make plans to leave, but before they do, Katherine’s younger brother Graham and her spurned betrothed show up.

Hamish demands Katherine marry him, she refuses and marries Lachlan behind his back to prevent her father from forcing her to marry Hamish. They arrive at the McKenna keep and will have to stand up to her father. The McKenna is not happy and tries to bribe Lachlan into setting aside the marriage and when that fails, he throws him in the dungeon.

Katherine has never been at odds with her father, but when she learns what her father has done, it doesn’t seem like they will ever find peace again. Katherine confesses her love to Lachlan and he to her, they vow they will find a way to be together, but they will still have a lot to overcome before they get their HEA.

This was a very good read, I loved Lachlan and Katherine! The book is well written and flows perfectly, there is action, betrayal, steamy love scenes, great secondary characters, a villain who finally gets his comeuppance and a very, very sweet epilogue. This is the third book in the McKenna series, but this book could easily be read as a stand alone title.

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