Tag: #HistoricalRomance

To Redeem A Highland Rake by Collette Cameron

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella2 Comments

To Redeem a Highland Rake: A Historical Scottish Romance (Heart of a Scot Book 2)To Redeem a Highland Rake: A Historical Scottish Romance by Collette Cameron

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Heart of a Scot #2
Publication Date: 12/12/18
Number of Pages: 176

One of my favorite things about this novella is that neither of the main characters has a title. Both are commoners and the hero isn’t rich – and the heroine doesn’t come with a huge dowry.

Nineteen-year-old Arieen Gillian Kinna Fleming is determined to break her betrothal to the odious, womanizing, pompous, wiley, snake-in-the-grass Viscount Quartermain. She didn’t choose to be betrothed to him and the more she has learned of him, the more she has become determined not to become his wife. She only has a week left before the wedding. The night of the masquerade ball will be her only opportunity to do anything to cause a break in the betrothal. Her plan – well – she’s going to wait until he sneaks out for an assignation and then she’ll ‘discover’ them and cry foul. Then, he’ll be forced to end the betrothal. (Yes, she is that naïve). When that plan goes horribly, horribly awry, she finds herself disowned, homeless and with no funds at all. Now, what is she going to do?

Coburn Lain Calan Wallace wasn’t meant to wed. He likes his life just as it is. He is second in command to his cousin Logan who is Laird of his clan. No, he isn’t rich, nor is he likely to be and that is just fine with him. His only valuable possession is his horse – and again, that is fine with him. So, why is he finding himself so drawn toward that winsome lady pirate across the room? He’d love to have a dance, but the dragon of a woman who is her companion made it quite clear that he was not welcome to make the lovely pirate’s acquaintance. Since he’ll be returning to Lockelieth Keep tomorrow, he’ll probably never find out who she is.

When Coburn tries to be gentlemanly and stop her from stumbling upon an assignation, she is furious and does all she can to escape from him. Goodness, she is a spitfire. After an unfortunate set of events occur, Coburn finds himself trying to do his best to save Arieen.

I enjoyed this story, but somehow, I just didn’t feel the romance and I didn’t care overly much for Arieen. She was definitely naïve, and she just never seemed to get it. By that I mean, she never really seemed to grasp the seriousness of her situation. There was also a scenario that was brought up in the epilogue that just didn’t make sense because we are left wondering – well, what happened? Had that point been introduced earlier and then the epilogue could have further fleshed out those relationships, it would have left me with fewer questions.

Anyway – I enjoyed the story and I hope you will as well.

Please check out my reviews at:
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“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.”

Taming A Christmas Wallflower by Tammy Andresen

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820)3 Comments

Taming a Christmas Wallflower (Taming the Duke's Heart Book 7)Taming a Christmas Wallflower by Tammy Andresen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Taming the Heart #7
Publication Date: 12/4/18
Number of Pages: 90

This is a delightfully romantic short novella. The story is excellently told. Being a short novella, you might think that you’d feel as if you were missing a part of the story, but you don’t. You feel as if you get to know the characters and can understand their connection. We actually got a romance and a half, so I’m hoping that we get the other half in a later novella. Otherwise, I’ll be sad to have missed it.

Lady Amelia Chase is a wallflower because she is very shy and very, very intelligent. She spends her time reading books and she tends to quote facts from those books when she is nervous in a social situation. When she does that, eyes glass over, people glance around and soon find an excuse to leave her company. So, she is happy to spend her time against the wall conversing with her friend, Lady Ethel Stark, who has a physical deformity from a childhood illness. Both ladies are lovely, well dowered and they come from excellent titled families – yet, nobody seeks them out.

William Maddox is the oldest son of a very wealthy shipping company owner. He hadn’t been thinking of marriage, but he has been thinking that some of his activities and friendships need to change since they are getting stale – particularly his friendship with Lord Riley. He might even have to re-think his friendship with Michael Wayne unless his attitude changed.

Will and Michael are attending a house party near Will’s country estate for some Christmastide entertainment. Will let himself get suckered into a bet with their friend Lord Riley and regretted it as soon as it happened. However, it was done and he’d keep his word – at least he thought he would before he met the lovely Lady Amelia. The bet was to manage to get a kiss from either Amelia or Ethel.

Will is immediately drawn to Amelia and Michael is drawn to Ethel. As Will and Michael spend time with the ladies, they find that they want more than just winning a bet. Will the bet come back to haunt them? Can they court and win the ladies of their choice? It is a really delightful and romantic read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but, as always, it is filled with errors of one sort or another. The author also uses a monetary (or other) term that I just don’t understand. The wager was for one thousand galleons. What is that? Surely it isn’t a wager for ships – that would surely be a whopper of a bet. So, is it some kind of money? I don’t know, but it just jarred me a bit every time I read the word.

I hope you will enjoy the story.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
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.”