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Saturday, March 20, 2021

Review: China Rose by Marsha Canham

Title: China Rose
Author: Marsha Canham

Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: July 2010
Publisher: Marsha Canham
ASIN: B003WQBINM

When China Grant arrives in Portsmouth, her wedding to Sir Ranulf Cross is two weeks away. The first night there her life is threatened, and as the days unfold, threads from a decade-old mystery on the high seas begin unravelling faster than her wits can keep apace. Soon China is forced to choose between a promise made to her dying father...and the reckless desire to follow her heart's destiny.

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Thursday, March 18, 2021

Review: Swept Away by Marsha Canham

Title: Swept Away
Author: Marsha Canham
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: July 29, 2010
Publisher: Marsha Canham
ASIN: B003XVZAB2

"They have to know the truth. Before it is too late."

Those were the half-naked stranger's only words as he opened his eyes, looked into her soul, then lost consciousness in the shallow tidal pool. Annaleah Fairchilde, heiress and noblewoman, soon learned the identity of the man she saved: Emory Althorpe, adventurer, accused traitor, and Napoleon's spy. Even as she bound the dangerous scoundrel's wounds, she fell deeper under the spell of a man handsome as the devil, sent to her by fate.

He remembered nothing. Only the need to escape. Emory Althorpe was wanted for treason, yet his only hope was a shadowy memory hovering just beyond his grasp, and beautiful Anna, who aroused unexpected passions. He had no choice but to abduct her, needing her to gain access to London's ballrooms, where he could prove his innocence. Together they raced into the face of danger, determined to find the key to his past and live—or die—together, as destiny decreed...


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Sunday, March 14, 2021

Review: The Mark of the Rose by Marsha Canham

Title: The Mark of the Rose
Series: Robin Hood/Black Wolf
Author: Marsha Canham
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: March 4, 2021
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
ASIN: B08Y62RB2B

This is the story of two women, born seven centuries apart, but connected by a series of mysterious and magical events.

Ellen Bowe discovers she is the sole heir to an estate in Northern England, complete with manor house, castle, and ghostly visitations.

Enndolynn Ware is being held captive by the Sheriff of Nottingham. She escapes with the help of four bold knights led by Rennwick de Beauvoir, a black-haired, green-eyed champion who has been charged to find the witch and take her to Burgundy.

The lives of the two women are bound together by the archaic writings in the rose folio, by a document written by Stephen Langton, and by a birthmark they both share: the mark of the rose.


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Sunday, March 7, 2021

Review: Mulan by Elizabeth Rudnick

Title: Mulan
Author: Elizabeth Rudnick

Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: September 29, 2020
Publisher: Disney Press
ASIN: B085WWTBKC

Curious and drawn to adventure, Mulan struggles to meet her village's traditional standards. After a disastrous visit with the Matchmaker, Mulan worries she will never be able to bring her family the honor they deserve. But when the Emperor decrees that one man from every family must join the army to face a dangerous threat to China, Mulan decides to disguise herself as a man take her father's place. Now Mulan must hide her secret as she trains alongside with fellow soldiers. With the enemy drawing nearer, will Mulan become the hero China needs?

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Friday, March 5, 2021

Review: The Most Eligible Viscount in London by Ella Quinn

Title: The Most Eligible Viscount in London
Series: The Lords of London
Author: Ella Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: March 30, 2021
Publisher: Zebra
ASIN: B08CBMS1WK

Viscount Gavin Turley is convinced that love matches cause nothing but trouble. Still, after months of courting, he's fallen for Miss Georgie Featherton. He's passionate about her, in fact. But words of love are not an indulgence he will allow himself. When he presents Georgie with his marriage proposal, he will lead with his head—not his heart. His qualifications as a husband are excellent, after all. What could go wrong?

No sooner does Gavin kneel on one knee than Georgie's heart goes aflutter with joy. Finally, the proposal she longed for had arrived. Yet Gavin seemed to be listing his credentials for a business partnership, not a romantic union. Without a declaration of love, Georgie can only reject his offer—unless the ladies of the ton, and Georgie's grandmama, have anything to do with it. For sometimes it takes a wiser eye to see the love behind a guarded heart—and a clever scheme to bring it out of hiding...


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Review: The Most Eligible Lord in London by Ella Quinn

Title: The Most Eligible Lord in London
Series: The Lords of London
Author: Ella Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: March 31, 2020
Publisher: Zebra
ASIN: B07R7S1P52

Handsome, rakish, incorrigibly flirtatious—Fredrick, Lord Littleton, is notorious. Lady Adeline Wivenly is resolved to keep him at arm's length during her first Season—until she overhears another woman's plot to trick him into marriage. Even a rogue is undeserving of such deception, and Adeline feels obliged to warn him—only to find herself perilously attracted...

In the past, Littleton's charm nearly got him leg-shackled to the wrong woman. Now he's positive he's found the right one, for Adeline is everything he wants and needs in a wife. Her sense of justice is so strong she agrees to help him despite her mistrust. But can the ton's most elusive lord convince the lady he is finally serious about marriage—as long as she will be his bride?


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Sunday, February 14, 2021

Review: Close Up by Amanda Quick

Title: Close Up
Series: Burning Cove
Author: Amanda Quick
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: May 5, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
ASIN: B07WCKL629

Vivian Brazier never thought life as an art photographer would include nightly wake-up calls to snap photos of grisly crime scenes or headshots for aspiring male actors. Although she is set on a career of transforming photography into a new art form, she knows her current work is what’s paying the bills.

After shooting crime scene photos of a famous actress, the latest victim of the murderer the press has dubbed the “Dagger Killer,” Vivian notices eerie similarities to the crime scenes of previous victims—details that only another photographer would have noticed—details that put Vivian at the top of the killer’s target list.

Nick Sundridge has always been able to “see” things that others don’t, coping with disturbing dreams and visions. His talent, or as he puts it—his curse—along with his dark past makes him a recluse, but a brilliant investigator. As the only one with the ability to help, Nick is sent to protect Vivian. Together, they discover the Dagger Killer has ties to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood royalty and high society. It is a cutthroat world of allure and deception that Vivian and Nick must traverse—all in order to uncover the killer who will stop at nothing to add them to their gallery of murders.


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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Review: Tightrope by Amanda Quick

Title: Tightropež
Series: Burning Cove
Author: Amanda Quick
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: May 7, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
ASIN: B07GD4WKRS

Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn moved to Burning Cove to reinvent herself, but things are not going well. After spending her entire inheritance on a mansion with the intention of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast, she learns too late that the villa is said to be cursed. When the first guest, Dr. Norman Pickwell, is murdered by his robot invention during a sold-out demonstration, rumors circulate that the curse is real.

In the chaotic aftermath of the spectacle, Amalie watches as a stranger from the audience disappears behind the curtain. When Matthias Jones reappears, he is slipping a gun into a concealed holster. It looks like the gossip that is swirling around him is true—Matthias evidently does have connections to the criminal underworld.

Matthias is on the trail of a groundbreaking prototype cipher machine. He suspects that Pickwell stole the device and planned to sell it. But now Pickwell is dead and the machine has vanished. When Matthias’s investigation leads him to Amalie’s front door, the attraction between them is intense, but she knows it is also dangerous. Amalie and Matthias must decide if they can trust each other and the passion that binds them, because time is running out.


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Thursday, January 21, 2021

Review: The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn

Title: The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After
Series: Bridgertons
Author: Julia Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Avon
ASIN: B00A6DHKDQ

Once upon a Regency time, an author created a family...

But not just any family. Eight brothers and sisters, assorted in-laws, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, (not to mention an overweight corgi), plus an irrepressible matriarch who's a match for any of them...These are the Bridgertons. Through eight bestselling novels, readers laughed, cried, and fell in love.But they wanted more.

And so the readers asked the author...

What happened next? Does Simon ever read his father's letters? Do Francesca and Michael become parents? Who would win in a Pall Mall grudge match?

Does 'The End' really have to be the end?

This is a collection of Julia Quinn's funny, heart-warming 'second epilogues,' which are included at the ends of each novel. This collection also includes plus a brand new novella about none other than the wise and witty matriarch: Violet Bridgerton herself. So get to know the Bridgertons all over again—because Happily Ever After is a whole lot of fun...


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Review: On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn

Title: On the Way to the Wedding
Series: Bridgertons
Author: Julia Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: April 25, 2017
Publisher: Avon
ASIN: B00UG8RP3G

A funny thing happened...

Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except...

She wasn’t the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except...

Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar...


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Sunday, January 17, 2021

Review: It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

Title: It's In His Kiss
Series: Bridgertons
Author: Julia Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: March 28, 2017
Publisher: Avon
ASIN: B00UG8RP6S

MEET OUR HERO...

Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth's sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past...and the key to his future. The problem is—it's written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word.

MEET OUR HEROINE...

All the ton agreed: there was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She's fiendishly smart, devilishly outspoken, and according to Gareth, probably best in small doses. But there's something about her—something charming and vexing—that grabs him and won't quite let go...

MEET POOR MR. MOZART...

Or don't. But rest assured, he's spinning in his grave when Gareth and Hyacinth cross paths at the annual—and annually discordant—Smythe-Smith musicale. To Hyacinth, Gareth's every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other...and that there is nothing as simple—or as complicated—as a single, perfect kiss.


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Friday, January 15, 2021

Review: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Title: When He Was Wicked
Series: Bridgertons
Author: Julia Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: February 28, 2017
Publisher: Avon
ASIN: B00UG8RP9U

In every life there is a turning point...

A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

But that was then... Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love... until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets...


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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Review: To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

Title: To Sir Phillip, With Love
Series: Bridgertons
Author: Julia Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Avon
ASIN: B00U6SFUVK

She wrote him a letter...and he stole her heart.

Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except...she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her...and more.

Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking...and wondering...and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except...he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled...and when he kissed her...the rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn't help but wonder...could this imperfect man be perfect for her?


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Sunday, January 10, 2021

Review: Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Title: Romancing Mister Brigderton
Series: Bridgertons
Author: Julia Quinn
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: November 24, 2015
Publisher: Avon
ASIN: B00U6SFUVA

Everyone knows that Colin Bridgerton is the most charming man in London. Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for...well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret...and fears she doesn't know him at all.

Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same—especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide...is she his biggest threat—or his promise of a happy ending?


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Thursday, January 7, 2021

Review: An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

Title: An Offer From a Gentleman
Series: Bridgertons
Author: Julia Quinn
Read copy: ebook (Kindle)
Published: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Avon
ASIN: B00UG8RP2W

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball—or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps, this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers her his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?


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