Tag: Paullett Golden

The Duke and The Enchantress by Paullett Golden

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

The Duke and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses, #2)The Duke and The Enchantress by Paullett Golden

Barbara’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Enchantresses #2
Publication Date: 3/1/19

Drake Mowbrah, the Duke of Annick and Charlotte Trethow have married only to find that not only do they not know each other, neither is who the other thought they were. She thought he was her knight in shining armor and he thought she was loving and sensual. Those sad discoveries began as soon as the wedding was over. None of it was anything that five minutes of honest communication wouldn’t have fixed – but then – there wouldn’t be a book.

One of the things I loved in this book was the music. The descriptions of the music, the composing and how passionate the performance and writing of it were.

Drake was raised without love in his life – not from his mother and not from his father. He once thought he was in love, with an older woman, but he learned that she didn’t love him. He’s had many debutantes express interest in him, but they were interested in his title and wealth. He’s young, devastatingly handsome, wealthy, and titled so surely, he could find someone who would love him for himself. Unfortunately, he had very little time to find her because his mother has given him an ultimatum – marry before the season ends or she’ll find a bride for him.

I didn’t care for Charlotte in the last book and I was looking forward to seeing how the author was going to redeem her. In my view, Charlotte was immature, naïve, stubborn, selfish, self-centered, and everything was ‘all about me’ and at the same time she had very low self-esteem and expected herself to be ‘perfect’ in every way. There was just so very, very much angst on Charlotte’s part – but — I kept seeing glimmers and thought ‘A-ha, she’ll have an epiphany now’, but – no. Even when her husband was bleeding from a wound, it was about her. It was her fault (it wasn’t), etc. She just made me very, very tired.

Their young and floundering marriage is beset with miscommunications, misunderstandings, and a mother-in-law from hell. Drake has to learn to trust Charlotte with his secrets and Charlotte has to learn to give her heart and body to Drake. I think the biggest thing though is that Drake had to grow a spine, at least as far as his mother was concerned. He allowed her to rule everything – even running the estate. He didn’t stand up to her nor did he defend Charlotte.

I really came to like Drake in the end, especially once he had his grand epiphany and learned that those deep dark secrets weren’t as cataclysmic as he thought they were. Frankly, I couldn’t understand why Drake would/could love Charlotte, I just didn’t feel it.

This is the second book by this author and her writing is smooth and flows easily. The main characters were supporting characters in the first book – The Earl and the Enchantress. It would appear that I misjudged Drake in that first book because I thought he was a crass, uncaring, boor and he was not – well – not exactly. Also, it was lovely to find that Lizbeth, Sebastian, and Aunt Hazel from the first book make an appearance. The better part of this story was filled with angst – mostly on Charlotte’s part – and I’m not a fan of angst.

The first chapter of the next book in the series is at the end of this book and it sounds like a really good read. I’ll be excited to see that one release.

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

The Earl and The Enchantress by Paullett Golden

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837)6 Comments

The Earl and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses, #1)The Earl and The Enchantress by Paullett Golden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The two very charming and compelling main characters in Paullett Golden’s debut novel have nothing keeping them apart but themselves. Each of them has very good reasons for avoiding love and marriage but they are also lonely and want more from life. Their journey to find their HEA is a lovely one where they have to learn to trust each other and open themselves to love. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and getting to know all of the characters. Each character was fully developed, robust and very relatable. I just knew I’d love aunt Hazel if I met her, she is so funny and caring, but I didn’t care for Charlotte or Drake. However, I understand there is more to Drake than meets the eye, so we’ll find him and maybe Charlotte redeemed in the next book – where they are the main characters. This book is well-plotted and well-delivered – an all-in-all excellent first book.

Lizbeth Trethow and Sebastian Lancaster, Earl of Roddam first meet when each steals away from a crowded ballroom looking for a moment of peace and solitude. Each is intrigued by the other, but since neither is looking for marriage, they know that this will be their only interaction. Neither of them could stop thinking of the other and when Sebastian’s cousin, Drake, Duke of Annick, decides to pursue Lizbeth or Charlotte for his bride, Lizbeth and Sebastian are thrown together more and more.

Lizbeth is a fixer, a healer of souls. She and her mother were very close and spent every day together frolicking on the beach, romping through the fields and delivering food to the workers at her father’s mine. When Lizbeth was seven years old, her mother died in childbirth and her whole world changed. Her happy, loving father withdrew into himself for years after his wife died and Lizbeth basically had the care of her father, the house and her sibling on her small shoulders. Now, she’s treated as a partner by her father and values her independence. She doesn’t have anything against marriage specifically, but she knows there isn’t a man out there who will treat her as an equal once they are married.

Sebastian had a horrible childhood with an abusive, mad father. Sebastian’s mother was sweet and loving to Sebastian, but she died when he was seven and from that point on he was abused both physically and mentally by his father. Those physical and mental scars run very, very deep. He feels unworthy and carries a huge load of guilt with him and he couldn’t possibly tie some poor woman to him for life. Besides, he has absolutely no idea how to love somebody, he’s never seen love and certainly hasn’t felt it. Sebastian is very, very, very slow to trust and very quick to see betrayal whether it is there or not.

Lizabeth is the balm to Sebastian’s wounds, but it comes at a price – he has to be honest with her and tell her all of his secrets. But, if he does, he knows he’ll lose her forever. Will he be able to conquer his demons and trust Lizabeth?

If you’d like to try a delightful new author, I hope you’ll give this one a try.

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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.”