YotH: Love is Blind by Lynsay Sands

Blurb via lynsaysands.net: THERE’S MANY A SLIP…

He’d been warned that Lady Clarissa Crambray was dangerous. Stomping on toes and burning piffles, the chestnut haired beauty was clearly a force with which to be reckoned. But for Adrian Montfort, Earl of Mowbray, veteran of the Napoleonic wars, this was just the challenge he needed. He could handle one woman and her “unfortunate past”. Could any woman handle him?

‘TWIXT THE CHIT & HIS LIPS

Lady Clarissa Crambray wanted a husband, but maybe not as much as her mother wanted tone for her. Really! Doffing her spectacles might make a girl prettier, but how would she see? She’d already caused enough mayhem to earn a rather horrible nickname. Yet, as all other suitors seemed to shy away in terror, there came a man to lead her to the dance floor. A dark, handsome blur of a man.

Clumsy Clarissa was about to stumble onto true love. 
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I can't believe I'm actually making a contribution to this challenge this month. Yay!!! I've been reading historicals every month, but just haven't gotten up the oomph to post a real review.

I adored both the hero and heroine in this romance. They were sweet and totally adorable together and complemented each other perfectly. Just when it seemed the wicked stepmother got too over the top, she showed some vulnerability, so that went well for me, too.

Clarissa is practically blind without her spectacles, which her stepmother refused to let her wear (and in fact broke intentionally). She is afraid that if Adrian sees her with her glasses on, he'll think she's ugly. A notion brought on by her stepmother. Adrian, in turn, is scarred from the war, and is afraid that if Clarissa sees him with her glasses on, she'll be horrified and think he's ugly. So he does what he can to delay the return of a new pair of glasses. Each of them thinking that it's just until the other falls in love with them.

Of course, Adrian thinks she's funny, and honest, and refreshing, and sweet, and yes, beautiful. And Clarissa thinks he's wonderful, open, supportive, and handsome (hey - she's not completely blind, just very near-sighted!). For all the talking these two do, and they do a lot of it, they didn't share the fact that they loved each other. Grrrrr. But still, it worked.

I guessed the whodunnit in the very light secondary mystery plot very early on, but the fact that I had to open the book back up to refresh my memory on it tells me that it in no way overshadowed the romance. And the fact that I remember almost every detail about Clarissa and Adrian's courtship tells me it was a good romance.

I loved Adrian's family and Clarissa's father. He definitely wasn't perfect, but I thought his marriage showed some of the realities of the times. And Adrian's family was supportive, nice, and fun.

I laughed out loud at Clarissa's stepmother's wedding night description (seriously, you have to read it to believe it, but it ended with "enjoy your wedding night" after a horrific description - HA!), but thought that Clarissa's reaction to it was a little much once she and Adrian were actually together on their wedding night. Especially given how far they'd gone together before then. But I also know how little that girls knew back then, so was able to overlook it.

Sweet, wonderful romance. It's not often that I adore both the hero and the heroine. I believe it was Dev who first made a note about this book and made me want to read it, so thanks, Dev!

And I've also learned: I should not be posting reviews from my iPhone. Seriously, the typos in the original post over at Goodreads was disgusting. Even after I proofed it. Not good. So if you happen to read any of my reviews there, please know they are all done on my phone, and apparently, I suck at proofing entries there.

YotH: Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory

FEARLESS IN BATTLE

His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.

TENDER IN BED

Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in, Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to save their marriage, their land, and their very lives.
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This was a reread for me, and I enjoyed it even more the 2nd time around. I don't usually care for medievals but this struck all the right chords with me. The opening scene hooked me immediately, with Catherine's desire for a last bit of freedom before she does her duty to her father and the king, and with William's wish to be able to take her away from all her troubles. You see immediately that he is a man of honor, and she is also bound by her sense of loyalty and honor.

William was a wonderful hero who, while a fierce warrior, was filled with love as well as self-doubt. The times encouraged husbands to doubt their wives and wives to doubt their husbands. William's problem is that he's plagued by jealousy. And a right hand man who holds sway with him. William lets himself be talked into doubting and disbelieving Catherine, and she does not care for it at all. K, neither did I. Not one bit. When William realizes that he trusted Catherine implicitly all the years before, and why wasn't he trusting her now, it was like watching a light bulb go off over his head. I also loved how protective he was and how accepting he was of Jamie and Stephen.

Catherine is a strong heroine, yet also filled with softness and love. Her past experiences have taught her that she can rely on herself. Still, once she's married and has no say over her future, she'd rather share her life with William than not. Yet she gives as good as she gets when her loyalty is questioned. And is strong enough to save herself. Fiercely protective of her loved ones, brave in the face of adversity. A wonderful heroine.

It was definitely worth the reread. Oh, and perhaps my favorite cover of the year.

YOTH: The Prize by Julie Garwood

Back cover blurb: In the resplendence of William the Conqueror's London court, the lovely Saxon captive Nicholaa was forced to choose a husband from the assembled Norman nobles. She chose Royce, a baron warrior whose fierce demeanor could not conceal his chivalrous and tender heart. Resourceful, rebellious and utterly naive, Nicholaa vowed to bend Royce to her will, despite the whirlwind of feelings he aroused in her. Ferocious in battle, seasoned in passion, ROyce was surprised by the depth of his emotion whenever he carressed his charming bride.

In a climate of utmost treachery, where Saxons still intrigued against their Norman invaders, Royce and Nicholaa reveled in their precious new love...a fervent bond soon to be disrupted by the call of blood, kin, and country!
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How on earth have I been reading romance for 30 years, and I've never read a Garwood? What a shame. Holy cow, was this book good!

One of the things I like so much about this book was the dialogue - both between the characters, and even their internal dialogue. Garwood does a great job of showing how both Royce and Nicholaa are feeling, and how opposite that frequently is.

"She was pleased that her voice wasn't shaky. Her legs were. She didn't want Royce to know she was a little afraid and very embarrassed about what was going to happen. She was his wife now, not some silly little chit. Why, she didn't even think she was blushing now.

Her face was as red as fire. Royce let out a long sigh..."

They are so frequently on two totally different playing fields, yet they always manage to come together.

Their banter is terrific, too.

"Your William is determined to give me as booty to some man, isn't he?"

"Yes."

She shoved away from his shoulder and glared at him. A leaf fell out of her hair. Her face was bruised and covered with dirt. He couldn't contain his smile. Nicholaa looked as if she'd just lost a tug-of-war.

"I'm not a prize."

He agreed wholeheartedly. "No, you're not."

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"She stretched up and kissed him. It was a gentle, undemanding touch. "I will give you your explanation tonight, Royce. When you've heard it, I don't think that you'll want me to apologize. I haven't done anything wrong, and once I've explained, I'm certain you'll agree. You might even have to apologize to me. You do know how, don't you?"

She was smiling up at him so sweetly, looking so damn innocent, too. It was difficult to believe she was the hellion he'd been living with these past two weeks.

"Nicholaa?"

"Yes, Royce?"

"You could drive a man to drink."

Dear God, she hoped so. His insult thrilled her. She almost laughed out loud.

There was an absolutely wonderful scene where Nicholaa thinks to get Royce drunk, but ends up soused herself. It was adorable and funny, as Nicholaa determines to hide things from Royce and to seduce him, but ends up giving away all her own secrets. And I loved that Royce didn't take advantage of her in any way - either physically or by using her secrets against her.

What I loved was that even though both Nicholaa and Royce were obviously trying to fulfill their own agenda, things never quite went the way they wanted, and they good-humoredly accepted it, and even learned from each confrontation. They both were basically happy people forced into an unhappy situation. Neither could contain their true character.

I also really liked how fair Royce was. You tend not to think of the conquering armies as fair, but they were made up of individuals, and the lines between right and wrong, good and bad, weren't always clearly drawn. Royce was simply a good man whose job forced him to be a badass. I loved it when he realized that having Nicholaa being all meek and subservient wasn't what he wanted, even after weeks of lecturing her on it. I loved how she wasn't afraid to show her true colors to Royce, and that he could appreciate her, even as he lectured her to change herself. That was truly funny to watch him get all tied up in knots.

I loved the lectures, BTW! Nicholaa pretending to listen to Royce while he went on and on about something or other... blahblahblah... and she's off in her own world daydreaming. Too funny!

For her part, Nicholaa was pretty believable. She wanted to do right by her husband, once they were married, because that was her job. Even though it wasn't the path she would have chosen for herself. But she wasn't a doormat at all. She was smart, and resourceful, defending her keep against 3 attacks until Royce came along. She also was great at making him think he'd won every argument or disagreement. She was the champion of nodding and saying "whatever you want, dear," and then doing (or certainly thinking) whatever she pleased. At the same time, she was very innocent and sweet, wanting Royce to be pleased by her.

The little details made this book extra special, like the chess piece, whose theme and symbolism carried throughout the 2nd half of the book.

The secondary characters were great as well - I loved Justin, although I'd have liked to know a little more of his internal battle from his perspective. And Thurston was an understandable, if not totally sympathetic character. Everyone, down to the servants, and the morally ambiguous Baron Guy was great. Although I don't care for "villains for the sake of villains", in a time of war, even Guy's vassals' actions were almost excusable.

There are so many other examples of how great this was - their handling of the Ulric situation among them - that I could go on all day. Just a fantastic book.

OK - what do I read next?

YotH: In Pursuit of a Scandalous Lady by Gayle Callan

The biggest secret in London is about to be . . . revealed.

Every gentleman is wondering: Who is the beauty in the scandalous nude portrait hanging in one of London's most fashionable clubs? Is it true that she's a member of the ton? Who would be so daring? So reckless?

Julian Delane, Earl of Parkhurst, has a good idea. So good, in fact, that he's willing to make a wager on it. If only the bet were all that's at stake…
Determined to clear the family name from a scandal that claimed his father's life, Julian believes the ravishing model will lead him to answers. Rebecca Leland—spirited, adventurous, with a bit of a wild streak—is just as determined to evade his questions. But when Julian finally corners his quarry, he may find Rebecca well worth the pursuit.
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This is the start of a trilogy. Julian and his friends come upon Rebecca and her sister and cousin trying to steal a portrait from their men's club. They claim that the naked portrait is of one of them. The men bet the ladies that they can figure out who is in the portrait.

This first story is about Rebecca (sister of the hero in Never Marry a Stranger) and Julian, Earl of Parkhurst. The woman in the portrait was wearing a diamond that belonged to Julian's family, and he wants it back. Since Rebecca was in possession of the diamond, he focuses on her. She received the diamond from the artist, and assuming it was paste, he gave it to her to keep. Someone else is apparently after the diamond as well, and when Rebecca is accosted, she and Julian go on the road to find the artist and determine how he came in possession of it.

This road trip story was pretty good. I wish the element of suspense hadn't been in there, or at least that the villain wasn't so obvious. It made what was an otherwise wonderful story somehow less outstanding.

Julian is remarkably open, as is Rebecca. One of the things I liked so much is that these two really talk to each other. And they take care of each other. On the road, they pose as husband and wife, but Julian is determined not to take Rebecca's virginity. She, on the other hand, is determined that they will make love, even though she's not exactly sure what that entails. As they become closer, and share more of their pasts and learn what drives each other, you can see the love bloom between them. The final scene really touched me and made me smile.

I know this is really disjointed, and I really need to stop writing reviews late at night, LOL. Bottom line is overall I really enjoyed this book. There were a few things that seemed contrived (like the villain), but otherwise this was a beautiful character study of Julian and Rebecca. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series

YotH: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

A lady does not smoke cheroot.
She does not ride astride.
She does not fence or attend duels.
She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing. But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .
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What I liked: I really liked both Callie and Ralston. They made a great heroine and hero. Callie is sick and tired of being on the shelf, and having no adventure in her life. An offhand comment from her sister about how passive she is makes Callie sit up and take notice. She begins to write out a list of things she would do if she could. First is to kiss someone… passionately. Ralston had been kind to her years ago, and she’s been in love with him ever since. So she finds herself in his bedroom late at night to ask for a kiss.

Ralston, finding himself in one awkward situation after another with Callie’s adventures finds himself in the unlikely role of the “sensible” one, pointing out how close Callie is to ruining her reputation should she be caught in one of her adventures. However, they make a trade. She will help his illegitimate sister with her entrée into society, and he’ll help her fulfill her adventuresome list.

I really liked the friendship that developed between Callie and Juliana, and the sibling relationship that developed between Juliana and Ralston and Nick. Sure, there were misunderstandings, but that served to make them all human. I also loved the relationship between Callie and her siblings – Mariana and Benedick.The love there was obvious, and Benedick’s shock and horror when he realizes he put the idea of being adventurous into Callie’s head was priceless.

Through the course of the book we see growth in Gabriel – he becomes so much more than just a rake. A loving brother, a protective suitor, and a fun-loving all-around great guy. Callie grows into her own woman; unafraid to do what she pleases, willing to flout society’s rules. I thought all the secondary characters were well-fleshed out also.

There was plenty of humor (always a huge plus for me) and a lot of love to go around; tender and sweet at times, and volatile and all-consuming at others. I’m looking forward to Nick’s book as well – he seems to have some sort of secret or trauma in his past, but it doesn’t stop him from being a terrific guy as well.

I definitely recommend this one. Self-awareness and growth, some good laughs, some love & tenderness, some intrigue, a duel, and just lovely writing.

YotH: The Hellion and the Highlander by Lynsay Sands

Only one man could set her heart ablaze . . .

Lady Averill Mortagne learned to control her fierce temper as a young girl. But if her father insists on parading her before one more English lord who looks askance at her flame-colored hair, she'll simply scream! Her only respite is the time she spends with Kade Stewart, the wounded Scot her brother brought home from the Crusades. Who could have imagined a Highland warrior would be the only gentleman around?

Lady Averill helped save his life, and for that Kade is truly grateful. She is also almost unbearably beautiful, but he could never subject such a sweet and gentle lady to the rough life of a Stewart laird's bride . . . or could he? When she braves an unexpected danger by his side, Averill will prove to Kade that her heart is as fiery as her hair . . . and that submitting to their scorching passion would be heaven indeed.
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I read and really, really liked the first two books in this series. And for the first 100 pages or so, I loved it! I thought it was funny, and smart, and touching. When Averill slugs her suitor, OMG, I laughed my butt off. That helps Kade realize she's not some easy-going woman, but a strong, self-sufficient survivor. He was worried that he couldn't take her home to the Highlands because she wasn't strong enough to survive.

Averill has some self-esteem issues because she has a birthmark on her face (described as small - Kade thinks it looks like a dimple), has red hair,  and because she stammers with people she doesn't know or when she's uncomfortable.

The first 100 pages were by far the best part of the book, IMO. When sitting for yet another suitor (who thinks he's doing her a HUGE favor) and his mother, the mother says the following, talking about the Averill's shortcomings: "Besides, once you snuff the candle, it will not matter what she looks like, and you can always fill her mouth to keep her from talking. Just think of the dower as you do your husbandly duty." I laughed - such a turnabout on the ol' "Think of England" line.

There were a lot of funny parts in this one. Once Kade and Averill get married, she's gotten some advice from her maids about the wedding night, including info on how men like to think their "piffle" is big and how you should compliment them on it. Leading to Avy saying this on their wedding night: "Oh my. What a large piffle you have, my lord. Why, I would wager it's the largest and handsomest piffle in all of England!"

There's a running gag after Kade and Avy get married that every time he tries to make love to her, they are interrupted somehow. That was very cute, except they never seemed to attempt it at night in their own bed, and I wondered why. But I couldn't get past this: from the time they are married on about p 100, they almost never use each other's names again. They called each other Kade and Averill before the wedding. Once they were married, they only called each other "husband" or "wife". I've seen these names used before in other books, but there is usually a mix of that plus the character's name itself. It was like all of a sudden they both ceased to have a name. It annoyed me so much that I lowered my grade on Goodreads from a 4 to a 3.

Much of the focus in the 2nd half of the book also turned away from the main couple and onto external conflicts. Had Sands kept the focus on Kade and Avy, the book would have benefitted. Also, Kade was a POW for some time, and didn't seem to have any lasting effects from it. I would have liked if somehow that was imprinted on him.

Overall, I think this had the potential to be my favorite, but the 2nd half focus on the external rather than the couple and the incessant use of "husband" and "wife" in lieu of names irritated me enough that it's my least favorite of the three.

The Devil Of The Highlands series goes in this order:
Devil of the Highlands
Taming the Highland Bride
The Hellion and the Highlander

YOTH: All Night With a Rogue by Alexandra Hawkins (Lords of Vice, book 1)

IT BEGAN AS A FAVOR

Seduce Lady Juliana Ivers and then cast her aside: Those are his sister’s instructions. Alexius Braverton, Marquess of Sinclair--known as Sin to the ton--is happy enough to oblige, especially when he catches a glimpse of his target. Juliana is completely unlike the empty-headed chits who barely hold his attention for a week. A true gentleman would leave her to find a worthy suitor. But then, a Lord of Vice would never claim to be a gentleman.

WOULD IT END IN FOREVER?

Juliana is expected to marry well to improve her family’s finances, even if she secretly longs to make a living through her musical compositions. A dalliance can only complicate matters, though not even practical Juliana can help succumbing to the aptly named Sin. But one unforgettable night will draw her into a scandalous affairand a seduction begun as sport will soon become deliciously, dangerously real
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This book addresses the reformed rake theme. I do love that theme, because a guy with a bit of the wicked in him? Yum. The Lords of Vice take the rake/rogue thing to the extreme, engaging in all sorts of illicit behavior. We are actually shown this on a few occasions, not just told about it. In fact, at one point, Alexius tries to convince himself that he’s over Juliana by getting amazingly drunk and attempting to bed a prostitute. Thankfully, he passed out before he could do the deed. But this happens before he admits what she truly means to him, and he never actually cheated, even though it was his intent. I thought the action fit his character completely.

Alexius begins the pursuit of Juliana before he realizes that she’s the girl that he agreed to ruin for his sister. The scene where Alexius and Juliana meet is terrific. She is caught up a tree and he’s down below having a quickie at a ball. I liked that she wasn’t in the tree for the usual “hoydenish” behavior that is usually the reason for this, but that she was escaping a too ardent suitor and then got stuck, literally. Alexius decides to pursue her without knowing who she was. When he realizes she’s the girl he’s supposed to ruin, he figures he got lucky.

He quickly seduces Juliana into an affair, and she enjoys it as much as he. When Juliana is basically sold into an affair by her mother to satisfy her gambling debts, Alexius goes wild. He only knows that she is with another man who is known for treating women poorly. They have a huge fight, and he leaves after punching his rival in the face. Juliana neglects to tell him the reason that she is with Gomfrey, since secrecy of the reason for the affair was a condition of the payout.

This was where the book lost me a bit. Almost the entire second half of the book involves Juliana being basically traded from one man to another, with very little if no interaction between her and Alexius. He interacts with her family, with his friends, and with her captors, but almost nothing at all between the two of them. During this time, he realizes how much she means to him, that he loves her.

It was interesting that although she basically sold her daughter into prostitution to settle a gambling debt, Juliana’s mother is not a villainous figure at all. Her daughters still love her, and she comes off as a loving, albeit selfish mother. I was torn about this. On one hand, I appreciated that she wasn’t one dimensional. On the other hand, none of the daughters seemed to be angry with their mother for putting them in this predicament.

Another character that gave me pause was Sin’s sister, Belinda. She originally wanted Alexius to ruin Juliana because she viewed her as a rival for a man’s attention. She had no conscience, in fact seemed to relish the idea of her being ruined and publicly humiliated. Yet, I couldn’t really determine if it was simply a case of spite, or if she truly had feelings for Kyd. And Kyd? I never really figured out what he saw in Belinda. He did at one point comment that he knew her faults, but loved her in spite of them. Still… he was such a nice guy. What was he doing with her?

I thought it was a singularly unflattering picture painted of the behavior of the aristocracy, but each character was portrayed with depth, with perhaps the exception of Gomfrey. Even Juliana’s cousin, the second man that she was “sold off” to, had depth. We learn of his obsession with Juliana from the time she was 13, and how he’s now proving himself to be superior to her and worthy because of it, after her father refused to give permission for him to court her years before. So most of the characters, while unsavory and selfish to the bone, had redeeming qualities of some sort, or at least I was able to understand their motivations.

One other thing that bothered me slightly, was the nicknames that the Lords of Vice have. Sin, Reign, Frost, Saint… all plays upon their names, but it still seemed a little hokey to me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would have liked more focus on the couple in the second half of the book, and less “rescuing”, but I enjoyed Hawkins’ voice and the overall feeling the book gave me. The next book, Til Dawn With the Devil, about Reign, Sin’s friend, is due out in August.

YotH: Royal's Bride and Reese's Bride by Kat Martin

Yay! Another year, another challenge. This month for the challenge, I read the first book in the Dewar bride trilogy.

Royal's Bride is the story of Royal Dewar, who came back to England when his father was on his deathbed. He makes a promise to his father to marry Jocelyn, a wealthy heiress whose dowry would help restore the family's wealth. The day of Jocelyn's arrival, she has a carriage accident and Royal rides to her rescue. He begins to believe that marriage to Jocelyn won't be too bad - he is attracted to her, and she feels good in his arms. Once awakened, it's revealed that the woman is Lily, Jocelyn's cousin, serving in the companion role.

What I liked so much about this book was that Royal and Lily are truly determined to do the right thing. Although they are tremendously attracted to one another, and are falling in love, they try so hard to stay away from each other. They just can't. I liked that Royal was completely honest in his feelings toward Lily - with her, his friends, and most importantly, himself. His sense of honor wouldn't allow him to go back on his word and his father's wish that he marry Jocelyn. Of course, that didn't mean that he could keep his hands off Lily - he couldn't.

For her part, Jocelyn is a selfish girl - out only for herself and her own pleasure. She begins a sexual relationship with another man; one who dominates her in bed and refuses to be ruled by her out of it. She discovers that she really wants him, not her fiance.

In the interim, Lily helps Royal to find the man who defrauded his father and stole the family fortune. Her uncle and his cronies, from the stews, are con artists, and Lily used to be, too. They concoct a plan and it goes well until the very end, when they are found out. In the end, of course, it all works out, Jocelyn jilts Royal, and they all live happily ever after.

There was a great dynamic between Royal, his brothers, and his friends. Lily was a terrific heroine. Although the ending was a little cliched with the climax of the money scheme, the majority of the book was filled with good, strong emotions, and good characters I really liked.

ETA: I was planning on reviewing both books 1 & 2, but got lazy *g*