Review of My Lady Quicksilver

MY LADY QUICKSILVER may be purchased here.

MY LADY QUICKSILVER

Bec McMaster

Sir Jasper Lynch, Master of the Guild of Nighthawks and a blue blood, has been ordered by the Queen's Consort to find the elusive Mercury, who is a revolutionary leader of the humanist cause.  Mercury, aka Rosalind Fairchild, has been searching for her missing brother, since he disappeared during a failed attempt on the upper Echelon blue bloods.  Knowing that Jasper is investigating the failed bombing, Rosalind goes undercover as Jasper's secretary to find out what he knows.  

MY LADY QUICKSILVER is a fabulous steampunk romance with complex world-building and interesting, multi-dimensional characters.  The third book in a series, MY LADY QUICKSILVER, continues in the great world Ms. McMaster has made, and she seems to have really hit her stride with this book.  While I greatly enjoyed the previous books, this one has become my favorite, so far.  Sir Jasper Lynch is a sigh-inducing hero, who I fell a little in love with.  Jasper tries to keep himself aloof from everyone else, but he doesn't quite succeed.  Even so, he has erected a cold, steely facade, which Rosalind penetrates in no time.  There are some great humorous scenes between these two.  Also, Jasper is something of a genius, who has a great interest in studying many things.  I find this very appealing in a hero.  Rosalind is prepared to hate Jasper, because he is one of the despised blue bloods, but as she gets to know him, she realizes that he is a truly remarkable man with a good heart.  Even when circumstances in the book point to Jasper being able to hurt Rosalind, he can't do it.  Jasper won't hurt Rosalind and is willing to sacrifice himself for her.  

If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for?  MY LADY QUICKSILVER is a keeper and highly recommended. 

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an unbiased review.

Spotlight and Giveaway of Against the Ropes

My review of AGAINST THE ROPES is here.

                                                                   EXCERPT

Run. I should run. But all I can do is stare.

His fight shorts are slung deliciously low on his narrow hips, hugging his powerful thighs. Hard, thick muscles ripple across the broad expanse of his chest, tapering down to a taut, corrugated abdomen. But most striking are the tattoos covering over half of his upper body—a hypnotizing cocktail of curving, flowing tribal designs that just beg to be touched.

He stops only a foot away and I crane my neck up to look at his face.

God is he gorgeous.

His high cheekbones are sharply cut, his jaw square, and his eyes dark brown and flecked with gold. His aquiline nose is slightly off-center, as if it had been broken and not properly reset, but instead of detracting from his breathtaking good looks, it gives him a dangerous appeal. His hair is hidden beneath a black bandana, but a few tawny, brown tufts have escaped from the edges and curl down past the base of his neck.

A smile ghosts his full lips as he studies me. A lithe and powerful animal assessing its prey.

My finely tuned instinct of self-preservation forces me back against the ropes and away from his intoxicating scent of soap and leather and the faintest kiss of the ocean.

“Excuse me…Torment. I…thought you forgot to buy a ticket, but…um…I don’t think you really need one. Do you?”

“A ticket?” His low-pitched, husky, sensual voice could seduce a saint. Or a young college grad trying to supplement her meager salary by selling tickets at a fight club.

My heart thunders in my chest and I lick my lips. His eyes lock on my mouth, and my tongue freezes mid-stroke before beating a hasty retreat behind my Pink Innocence glossed lips.

He steps forward and I press myself harder against the springy ropes, wincing as they bite into my skin through my thin T-shirt.

“Are you Amanda?”

With herculean effort, I manage to pry my tongue off the roof of my mouth. “I’m the best friend.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “Does the best friend have a name?”

“Mac.”

“Doesn’t suit you. Do you have a different name?”

“What do you mean a different name? That’s my name. Well, it’s my nickname. But that’s what people call me. I’m not going to choose another name just because you don’t like it.” My hands find my hips, and I give him my second-best scowl—my best scowl being reserved for less handsome irritating men.

His gaze drifts down to the bright white “FCUK Me” lettering now stretched tight across my overly generous breasts. With my every breath, the letters expand and retract like a flashing neon sign. I hate my sister.

He leans so close I can see every contour of bone and sinew in his chest and the more intricate patterns in his tribal tattoos. The flexible ropes accommodate my last retreat, and I brace myself, trembling, against them.

“What’s your real name?” he rumbles.

“Makayla.” Oh, betraying lips.

He smiles and his eyes crinkle at the corners. “Makayla is a beautiful name. I’ll call you Makayla.”

Heat roars through me like a tidal wave. He likes my name. “So…about that ticket—” 

                                                   ABOUT THE AUTHOR

                                                                 

Recovering lawyer,karate practitioner, and caffeine addict, Sarah Castille worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home near the Canadian Rockies. Her steamy, contemporary romantic tales feature blazingly hot alpha heroes and the women who tame them.

                                                                          CONTACT

                                                           LINKS

Website http://www.sarahcastille.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook/sarahcastilleauthor.com

Twitter (@sarah_castille): http://www.twitter/sarah_castille.com

 Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6920675.Sarah_Castille

Newsletter: http://sarahcastille.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=873de882785693c01f022e6a1&id=55ccf58aa3

Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/author/sarahcastille

                                                                      GIVEAWAY
                                                       DETAILS

                

The author has kindly offered a copy of AGAINST THE ROPES to one of my lucky readers. (US/Canada only) All you have to do is leave a comment with a way to reach you. The winner will be chosen on Nov. 5th at which time I will notify them and get the info to send the the author's representative, who will handle the sending of the book. Good luck!

Review of A Lady's Secret Weapon

A LADY'S SECRET WEAPON may be purchased here.

A LADY'S SECRET WEAPON

Tracey Devlyn

Ethan de Beau, Viscount Danforth, is a spy for Nexus and his most recent mission is to find a missing boy.  Before this mission Ethan mostly used his seductive powers to seduce information about the enemy from women.  While scoping out a foundling home, Ethan notices a lady, who appears several times, and he makes it his business to check her out.  Miss Sydney Hunt knows, that there is something going on at the foundling home, and she is determined to uncover it and aid the boys.

A LADY'S SECRET WEAPON is a suspense-filled regency romance with an intriguing plot and complex characters.  Ethan isn't the ordinary regency hero, in that he seems a little more emotional than most, which is a refreshing change.  Ethan is a great guy, who loves his friends, family, and country and will do what he must to protect them.  Sydney is a strong, intelligent heroine, who has faced great obstacles and has survived to come out scarred but stronger.  Ethan shows her, that she is lovable and helps her to heal.  These two make a great couple, and I love their chemistry.  I have one small quibble with the book, in that the ending seems rather abrupt.  With that said, there is a surprising twist at the end, that is unexpected.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an unbiased review.  

Tour and Review of Lord Laxton's Will

LORD LAXTON'S WILL may be purchased here.

LORD LAXTON'S WILL

Julie Tetel Andresen

With the reading of Lord Laxton's will, Adrian Marton, the new Lord Laxton, and his sister, Lady Wynchwood, discover that they have an illegitimate half-sister.  Adrian and Lady Wynchwood, also, discover that they must sponsor their half-sister in society and see her well-married, in order, to receive their inheritance.  When Lady Wynchwood and Adrian's sister arrives calling herself Mademoiselle Sophie Saint-Vire, they decide to say that Sophie is a relative of Lady Wynchwood's husband, so that she will be accepted in society.  The Marquis of Laleham, Adrian's best friend, comes upon Sophie in Adrian's room and mistakes her for Adrian's mistress.  Later, after hearing the tale spread by Adrian and Lady Wynchwood, Laleham is still suspicious of Sophie.  Thus, begins a battle of wills between Laleham and Sophie.

LORD LAXTON'S WILL is a nice regency romance with a spunky, intelligent heroine.  Sophie is bright and used to taking care of herself, and she is more than a match for Laleham.  Laleham is rather aloof and used to having his own way, and he finds a worthy opponent in Sophie.  It is fun watching these two spar and realize, that they belong together.  I have one small quibble with the pacing of this novel, in that, the ending seems a little abrupt.  However, this doesn't detract much from the overall enjoyment of LORD LAXTON'S WILL.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an unbiased review.

HERE'S A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HER BOOKS.

Biography of Julie Tetel Andresen

 Julie Tetel Andresen’s seemingly disparate writing activities – fiction, non - fiction and essays in foreign languages – all arise from a un ified sense of her writing self. As a professional linguist, she loves language, while as a romance writer she loves the language of love; and when learning a foreign language, she loves nothing more than exploring the limits of her ability to express herself in that language on paper. In her academic writing, she has long been devoted to exploring the history of linguistics, and this disciplinary exploratio n parallels her devotion to writing historical novels. In her most recent academic work “Linguistics and Evolution” (Cambridge 2014), she shows the ways that the history of linguistic theory and practice informs the current state of the discipline, and this sense of the past pressing on the present informs her time - slip series . Her writing activities have alway s been entwined temporally. She wrote her first historical “My Lord Roland” while writing her PhD dissertation “ Linguistic Crossroads of the Eighteenth Century ,” and all her early acade mic articles were written mostly in French. Twenty novels and dozens of journal articles later, she wrote her Regency novella “French Lessons” while waiting for the 2012 autumn meeting of the Cambridge Press Syndicate to decide to issue her a contract for “Linguistics and Evolution.” At the same time, she happened to be in Ho Chi Minh City learning Vietnamese and happily writing her Vietnamese essays . She firmly believes that one type of writing strengthens the others. Her historical novels have honed her craft of plotting and sub - plotting, while her time - slip series has given her the Kraft (in the German sense of the word 'power') to handle the long historical arc and multiple characters involved in “Linguistics and Evolution.” Her professional study of language, in turn, makes her sensitive to the vocabulary and rhythms of speech in other places an d time periods; while writing in a foreign language – be it French, German, Romanian, or Vietnamese – is to her like the pianist warming up with scales and arpeggios or the yogini trying out a new asana . Can she get her leg behind her head in Romanian? No? Well, then how about triangle pose? Can she get into full lotus in Vietnamese? Again, no? Let’s see about half - lotus. Andresen grew up in Glenview, Ill. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Duke University and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She has taught at Duke University for the past 20 years where she specializes in linguistics.

A list of Julie's books may be found here.

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Review of Against the Ropes

AGAINST THE ROPES may be purchased here.

AGAINST THE ROPES

Sarah Castille

Makayla, who has exorbitant student loan debts, is working at the door of a mixed martial arts club to make some extra money.  While there, Mikayla meets the owner and participant in the fighting, Torment/Max.  Max hires Mikayla to work as a medic in his club, and she accepts the position, even though she has problems with violence.

AGAINST THE ROPES is a hot,contemporary, adult romance with intriguing characters and steamy love scenes.  Max is a very alpha hero, who has a batman-like vibe about him.  Issues from Max's past have made him very protective and controlling, and there are a couple of times, that he almost crosses the line into jerk.  However, once Max's trauma is explained, his actions can be forgiven, and he learns and grows into his relationship with Mikayla.  Mikayla is a bundle of contradictions, who reminds me of a more tortured Bridgette Jones.  Unfortunately, Mikayla has a few TSTL moments, but she has  issues to overcome from her past.  It is only after she works through these issues, that Mikayla can truly have a relationship with Max.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an unbiased review.

Review of Geek Girls Don't Date Dukes

GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES may be purchased here.

GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES

Gina Lamm

Leah Ramsey is in something of a funk after her ex-boyfriend asks her to be a bridesmaid at his wedding to another woman, and to top this off, her beloved grandfather starts talking about her finding a husband before he dies.  When Leah gets the chance to travel to the past and find love, she jumps at the chance.  Avery Russell, a valet to a duke, doesn't know what to make of the beautiful woman, who lands in his arms, but he knows that he must help her.

GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES is a time travel romance with some amusing scenes and interesting characters.  Leah is an intelligent, head-strong woman, but she is a little too impulsive for my taste.  While I did like her character, I was a little annoyed about her lack of prudence in certain situations.  Avery is a non-typical hero, in that he is not particularly tall and is from the commoner class during the regency period.  Avery is a wonderful hero, who has something of an inferiority complex, because of some traumas from his past.  However, Avery is a really good person, who is caring for his ailing aunt.  Avery makes for a great leading man.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an unbiased review.

Review of To Wed a Wicked Highlander

TO WED A WICKED HIGHLANDER may be purchased here.

TO WED A WICKED HIGHLANDER

Victoria Roberts

Sybella MacKenzie, daughter to the MacKenzie Laird, is something of a tomboy, and she wants to prove herself as worthy as her brother to her clan.  When her father makes arrangements for Sybella to marry their enemy, Alexander MacDonell, Laird of the MacDonell clan, Sybella agrees to the marriage but isn't happy about it.  Sybella's father wants her to gain Alexander's trust and search for a treasure, that the MacDonells stole from her clan, but Sybella finds herself growing closer to her husband.

TO WED A WICKED HIGHLANDER is an entertaining historical romance with complex characters and some very amusing scenes.  Sybella is torn between her duty to her father and her clan and her love for her husband.  Sybella has a tough decision to make, and either way she turns may be considered a betrayal to those she loves.  Sybella is full of spunk and determination, and I quite like her as a heroine.  Alexander is a great hero, who dotes on his ailing aunt and clan.  Alexander doesn't try to stifle Sybella's independent nature, in fact, he is attracted to that quality in her.  The secondary characters are interesting and realistic.  I, especially, like Alexander's aunt.

All in all, TO WED A WICKED HIGHLANDER is an enjoyable read, which I highly recommend.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an impartial review. 

Review of Bad Nights

BAD NIGHTS may be purchased here.

BAD NIGHTS

Rebecca York

Former navy SEAL, Jack Brandt, goes undercover for the security company, that he started with his two friends, Max and Shane.  Jack infiltrates a militia group called RAM, but he is caught while investigating the militia leader's computer.  The militia leader tortures Jack, trying to find out what he knows.  Luckily, Jack makes his escape, when the leader leaves.  Jack makes it as far as the woods outside Morgan Rains' cottage.  Morgan has come to the cottage to pack up, in order to put the cottage up for sale.  Since the death of her husband during a robbery, Morgan has been going mostly on autopilot, and she wants to sale the cottage, that reminds her of her late husband.  When Morgan hears a noise outside and investigates, she finds a naked, injured man and helps him, little knowing that she is putting herself in great danger from a radical militia group.

Filled with action, adventure, and a steamy love story, BAD NIGHTS is an entertaining romantic suspense with complex characters and a thrilling plot.  Jack is a great hero, who has been through great trauma and is very protective of Morgan.  Even though Jack is protective of Morgan, he works with her to survive and they become true partners.  Morgan is a strong, intelligent heroine, who holds her own with Jack.  It is great to see a capable heroine, instead of the TSTL heroines, who sometimes appear in books.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed BAD NIGHTS, and I highly recommend it.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an impartial review.