Tag: Amelia Grey

The Earl Next Door by Amelia Grey #BlogTour

On By TracyIn Blog Tour, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

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ABOUT THE EARL NEXT DOOR:

The Earl Next Door_cover

What does a fiercely independent young widow really want? One determined suitor is about to find out…

When Adeline, the widowed Countess of Wake, learns of her husband’s sudden death, she realizes she’s free. At last, she can do, go, and be as she pleases. Finally, she can have the life she has always dreamed of. She doesn’t need, or want, to remarry. Especially not the supremely dashing future Marquis of Marksworth, who makes Adeline yearn for his desire…

Lord Lyonwood, son of a philandering marquis, will not be like his father. He wants to run his estates and watch them flourish—and find a wife who brings love to his life. When he meets spirited and self-reliant Adeline in a case of near-scandalous mistaken identity, Lyon feels he’s met his match. But Adeline isn’t interested in a marriage proposal. She will only accept becoming his lover—and Lyon finds it hard to refuse. Unless the fire of his passion can melt Adeline’s resolve…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amelia Grey_credit Marcia Reynolds

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author AMELIA GREY read her first romance book when she was thirteen and she’s been a devoted reader of love stories ever since. Her awards include the Booksellers Best, Aspen Gold, and the Golden Quill. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award. Her books have sold to many countries in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and most recently to Japan. Several of her books have also been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs. Amelia is the author of over twenty-five books. She’s been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida.

Connect with Amelia:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Connect with the Publisher:

SMP Romance Twitter: @SMPRomance or @heroesnhearts ~ SMP Romance Website

Tracy’s Review:

The Earl Next Door (First Comes Love, #1)The Earl Next Door by Amelia Grey

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: First Comes Love, #1

Release Date: May 28, 2019

Adeline, the widowed Countess of Wake meets Lyon Marksworth, Earl of Lyonwood when he barges into her home and mistakes her for a madam of a bawdy house. She is outraged and sets him straight right away. She along with her friends Julia and Brina lost their husbands two years ago when the ship they were traveling on sunk. Now that their mourning period has ended, not only are they preparing to reenter society, but they decided to open a school for girls, specifically the girls related to the workers on the ship that sank. Adeline’s marriage was not a happy one and after the nightmare she endured for two years ended, she has no desire to be controled by a man again – no matter how good looking he is!

Lyon is in equal parts intrigued and annoyed by his new neighbor, she is lovely and feisty, but intends to keep his distance. But when the school opens and the girls arrive, he once again has a run in with the fiery widow and becomes even more intrigued. When yet another incident with the school interupts his life, he confronts her again and they both give into the passion that has been simmering since they met. But when Lyon decides he wants more than just secret trysts, he learns how stubborn and singleminded Adeline can be – can he convince her that he loves her and that he would never treat her the way her late husband did? Or will she hold on to her fears and lose the man she has come to love?

I thought this was a cute story, but there really wasn’t a whole lot of depth to this book and I found a lot of it repetitive and it began to drag towards the end. There were also some things that puzzled me – didn’t any of the widows have family of their own? The only references to family were that of their husbands – Adeline is only 22 in this book, so I would think at least one of her parents is alive – why no mention of them? I thought the secondary characters – especially his father the Marquess of Marksworth – were great and I thought the author did a good job introducing the other widows and I am looking forward to reading their books. The book didn’t have a lot of action, but the love scenes were well done, Lyon was a wonderful hero, his father added comedic relief and the epilogue was sweet. Personally, I was not a fan of how the author decided to overcome their impasse to give them a HEA, I would have rather she had a bit more faith in him. Overall, it was a light, uncomplicated, easy read with likeable characters and a happy ending.

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

It’s All About the Duke by Amelia Grey

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)6 Comments

It's All About the Duke (The Rakes of St. James, #3)It’s All About the Duke by Amelia Grey

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Rakes of St. James #3
Publication Date: 5/29/18

I enjoyed this third and final book in the Rakes of St. James series. The series is based on a really lame scandal, but the books are all nice reads even if they are a bit prosy. You can read each as a stand-alone if you wish to do so. I loved the last names of all of the heroines in the three books – Swift, Quick and Fast.

The big scandal is a wager made by three young friends – all dukes. They would write ‘secret admirer’ letters to all twelve of the debutants who were in their first season. The letters would say that they had long admired the lady and hoped she would meet them at a certain place and time. Whichever of the dukes had the most ladies actually show up would win the bet. When all twelve of the ladies show up and word of the wager and the ladies all going to the meeting places leaks out – well – SCANDAL. The dukes immediately felt remorseful, but there wasn’t anything they could do to change things. Someone decides that the duke should be punished for what they did and starts a scandal column that only talks about the scandal and the dukes.

Rath, Duke of Rathburne, was the one who suggested the cursed wager and he’s felt guilty about it ever since. He’s come to a point in his life, he’s almost thirty, where he feels he should become the gentleman his father always wanted him to be. I know he was described as a rake and scoundrel throughout the book, but frankly, I just didn’t see it. Yes, he had mistresses and widows on occasion, but he wasn’t a letch and he didn’t chase innocent ladies. Seems he was just a normal gentleman of the time – and maybe better than most.

When Rath received a letter from Mr. Olingworth, a very good friend of Rath’s father, his first inclination was to turn down the request it contained. Then, after he has finished a bottle, he pens a letter to Mr. Olingworth saying that he agrees to be the guardian of Miss Marlena Fast. When he awakens the next morning, he regrets penning his acceptance, but it is too late – the letter is already in the post – thanks to his efficient new butler. Mr. Olingworth is quite ill and can no longer properly see to Marlena’s care. Rath had met Marlena once when she was about twelve and holding a frog. He was sure it was going to be a challenge because ‘ruffian girls rarely, if ever, become decorous young ladies’.

Marlena Fast has been an orphan since shortly after she was born. She’s been passed from place to place and never had a real home that was hers. First, she lived with an aunt and uncle, then Mr. Olingworth, then her cousin Justine. Now, it seems, she is being passed on again – into someone else’s care. But, it can’t be – not HIM – one of the Rakes of St. James. He’s one of the despised men who helped make her friend’s life miserable – she can’t be his ward.

I liked both Marlena and Rath and I liked the way their insta-lust grew into solid attraction and love. Now, I’ll be honest – I did skim-read some of those long prosy descriptions/conversations – but it was still a good read. The book often refers to the conversations as banter, but I think more often than not it was either bickering or arguing – there is some lovely banter too because they both had quick wits and a lovely sense of humor.

The secondary characters are a hit-or-miss bunch. I loved the other Dukes of St. James and their families that made an appearance – especially Lady Vera. Then, there are Marlena’s best friends, Eugenia and Veronica, I never did like them – they seemed more like users than friends to me. They did, however, redeem themselves a little in the end – well, Eugenia did anyway. When it comes to Marlena’s cousin, Justine, well – nobody has enough time, space or energy to deal with her!

One of my favorite scenes is of Rath in a ladies shop – he was looking for smelling salts. Yes – where else would you go to buy something ladies use except Miss Lola’s Lacy Linens? His interactions with Miss Lola and then a couple of unexpected customers are delightful. Definitely shows his humor and irreverence.

We also finally unmask Miss Honora Truth, the person who has been taunting the dukes in a scandal sheet for the last three years. Will her identity surprise you? Probably not – but it sure surprised the duke!

If you are looking for a hold-your-breath, action-packed read, this isn’t it. But if you are looking for a nice, steady read of two people coming together, finding love and dealing with obstacles, then you have found a good one here.

The first two books in the series are:
Last Night With the Duke— Duke of Griffin and Esmeralda Swift
To the Duke, With Love — Duke of Hawksthorn and Loretta Quick

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”