Tag: Candace Camp

An Unexpected Pleasure by Candace Camp

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

An Unexpected Pleasure (The Mad Morelands, #4)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Mad Morelands #4
Publication Date: 1/15/18 by HQN Books (first published 7/28/2005)
Number of Pages: 432

The Moreland family is off on another wild and exciting adventure and this time Theo is the one at the center of things. Is he a murderer? Well – hang on to your hats and read the book to find out. The entire Moreland clan is on hand and it was fun to get to visit with all of them. There were wonderful visits with The Greats – twelve-year-old twins Con and Alex– who are featured in the next two books.

Theo Moreland, the heir to a dukedom, has always been a restless soul. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, but he’s traveled all over the world and still hasn’t found it. He’s home in England, but he’s feeling restless and unsettled, yet he makes no effort to plan his next expedition. That is so unlike him.

Megan Mulcahey comes from a large Irish-American family. While they aren’t wealthy, they do well enough. Megan is a successful reporter and she had to work hard to get there and to be able to write the kinds of stories she does. The only cloud in her life is the fact that her brother, Dennis, died ten years ago in the jungles of South America. He was murdered and they know who did it – but he is an English Lord and there is nothing they can do – especially from New York.

One night, Megan’s sister, Deirdre, has a dream about their brother Dennis. She’s had these dreams all her life and her father knows that they are prophetic. Dennis appeared in the dream begging for help – he needed something very precious recovered. That dream set them off on a mission to find this English Lord, to recover the precious item that had been taken from Dennis, and to see that this English Lord gets his punishment.

Megan and her family soon decide that the best way to infiltrate the Moreland household and find proof against Theo, is for Megan to pose as a tutor for the young Moreland twins Con and Alex. Megan doesn’t actually expect, as a female, to be hired for the position, so she is shocked when the duchess offers her the position.

Megan doesn’t expect to like the Moreland family – and certainly not Theo. However, that is exactly what she does – she likes them all very much – and she’s strangely drawn to Theo. He murdered her brother; how can she possibly be attracted to him?

The investigation takes many twists and turns before the mystery can finally be solved and Megan and Theo finally get their HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beyond Compare by Candace Camp

On By BarbaraIn Barb's ReviewsLeave a comment

Beyond Compare (The Mad Morelands, #2)Barbara’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Mad Morelands #2
Publication Date: January 8th, 2018 by HQN Books (first published April 1st, 2004)
Number of Pages: 416
**4.5 Stars

Rafe McIntyre had the love of his life drop right into his lap – literally. He didn’t know she was the love of his life at the time, but goodness, what an introduction. This book starts off with a fun-filled, antics laden visit at the home of the Morelands. Their home is filled with guests who are attending Olivia and Stephen’s (Mesmerized) wedding and what a varied lot of misfits we have.

We met Rafe in the last book when he was helping his best friend and partner solve a mystery at his estate. Now, he’s at the Moreland home to attend his friend’s wedding and then he’ll head on to the continent for a tour – and beyond that, well he doesn’t have any plans. We learn more of Rafe’s past and why he feels that his emotions, especially love, are long dead and buried.

Kyria Moreland is the middle daughter of the Duke of Broughton. She’s not scientific like her older sister, Thisbe, and she’s not a born investigator like her younger sister, Olivia. Kyria is the organizer, she’s the one who keeps the household operating smoothly – even down to planning and executing every step of Olivia’s wedding. Whatever happens domestically with the Morelands, Kyria is the one to handle it. So, when her younger twin brothers parrot escapes, she’s the one to climb the tree to rescue it. But – well – she didn’t count on the limb breaking from beneath her.

The adventure begins on the night of the wedding. As Rafe is taking a smoke break outside the house, he notices a man walking up the drive – holding to the shadows. Then, another man dashes out of the shadows and stabs the first man. Rafe runs to the rescue, but he’s too late. The man is dying. He is carrying a small bag tied to his waist and begs Rafe to get it to. . . well – Kyria. Kyria has no clue who has sent the object, but guesses it might be from their older brother Theo.

People who want the object start coming out of the woodwork – they are everywhere – and they seem to be willing to do absolutely anything to get it – even kidnapping and murder.

Note that all of these books contain a bit of mysticism along with the ‘oddities’ of the Moreland family. Also, be aware that this author butchers – absolutely and totally butchers – titles and forms of address. That really aggravates me because there is absolutely no excuse for it – it is the easiest thing in the world to research titles and forms of address.

At any rate, I really enjoyed the read and hope you will as well.