Book Review: Until Morning: A Prequel to Breaking the Rules of the Beau Monde by Shannon Gilmore

FIVE STARS

I mentioned in my review of Until Spring, which was a story in the Christmas Belles anthology that I wanted to read Rochester’s story. This wasn’t it. This is the prequel to the upcoming novel For a Scandalous Wager, which is his story, but he was a secondary character in this particular book. I wanted to see him again.

It’s a Christmas house party. Everybody should be on their best behavior. Well, that’s the idea of it all anyway. Evelyn can’t come unless her brother, Winn, comes. He’s back from a three-year exile in Bath with his friends and isn’t too keen on going, but agrees as long as Rochester and Hugo can come too.

Evelyn and her two best friends, Adeline and Clover, have decided to break the rules. They’re going to do whatever men do without fear of retribution. It’s just a week; games, frolic, and fun. How far would they take it?

Winn is taken with Adeline and has been for a long time. She was enamored with Winn and had been for years, even after he disappeared for three years. When she kisses him square on the lips, it shocked him, but it was a game-changer. It opened up possibilities for both of them that did not exist until that moment.

I usually poo-poo Christmas stories for a variety of reasons, but I enjoyed this one. It had Christmas as a setting, but it wasn’t overboard. I liked the story, loved the characters, and thought the ending was stellar.

Book Review: The Fiercest Pirate in Surrey by Anne Knight

FOUR STARS

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I thought the premise of the story was great and I enjoyed that. Hester is driving along in her cart when her childhood friend, Benjamin, emerges from the woods. She acts upon a childhood fantasy of being a pirate and kidnaps him.

It was pretty fun in that aspect and even though he protested, he didn’t do anything to gain his freedom. He didn’t want to. This was Hester, his childhood friend. She’d made it clear that she was a pirate and was abducting him. He had nothing to fear…or did he?

Some of this was predictable. Close proximity and all of that, but that isn’t why I’m giving this four stars. The reason for that is when Hester called him “Benji”, I pictured a spoiled little girl, whining for her mother to give her some candy and then pouting when she didn’t get it. I hate whining almost as much as I hate giggling (if you follow my reviews, you know how much I despise giggling). Instead of it making her look cute, it made her look childish. There’s a time and a place for it and in the throes of passion is not one of them.

The plot was good, the characters were great, there was some angst and some steam, and a happy ending. However, I thought the love scene in the epilogue was gratuitous, but the rest of it was satisfying. I wanted these two to make it.

*I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.

Book Review: Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams, #1) by Allie McCormack

FIVE STARS

Awhile back I went on a binge where I read a bunch of vampire novels. I was absolutely captivated by them and still think every girl needs a vampire in her life. Now I think every girl needs a genie in her life too. A mage, djinn, genie, whatever. I want one. Not just any will do, though. I need one like Julian.

I loved this book. I have never read anything like it, but I am hooked. I want to throw all of my other books aside and keep reading this series. I might just do it.

The book starts out with Julian, our hero who is sort of a hybrid between being a genie and a human, fulfilling the wishes of a selfish woman. He’s not only gorgeous, he’s got a huge heart and it’s what she doesn’t wish for about breaks him. But it also allowed him to bend the rules and ultimately meet the love of his life. After basically being enslaved for the past 600 years, he deserved something really good to happen and he deserved to be free.

Alessandra was the black sheep of her family. Her father was a control freak and decided what careers his daughters would have, if any and even who they would marry. It worked for the others, but it did not work for her. She was left out of many family functions, but when her nephew is dying, she reunites with her sister, Laura, who needed her desperately. In addition to that, she meets Julian and the game changes for everybody.

When Alessandra becomes his next master after finding his bottle, they fall in love. She holds his future in her hands, but has no idea that does and he can’t tell her what to do to release him from the bottle. She is granted three wishes, of course, so why couldn’t she just wish him to stay with her? It was so simple, but it isn’t that easy. I was so hoping it would be. I thought of other alternatives to keep them together that were also thrown out with the window.

I was involved with this book on an emotional level that I haven’t experienced in a long time. I laughed. I cried. I cheered. I caught my breath a few times. The author did a fantastic job of keeping the suspense of Julian’s outcome until almost the very end of the book. I was hoping there wouldn’t be a cliffhanger. There isn’t.

I loved Julian and I loved Alessandra, but I also loved Jacinth, Laura, and Jackson. The way these characters interacted and the changes that they made kept me turning the pages. I loved the magic, the camaraderie, and the beautiful ending.

I will close this review from one of the things Julian said that nearly swept me off my feet:

“And I’ve waited centuries for you. But know this, Alessandra. I will love you always. No matter where I am, no matter when I am, you will be in my heart, my soul. I will always remember you… always love you. Always.”

It still makes me want to swoon…and cry. Such a great moment in the story.

Superb read!

Oh, I almost forgot. If you subscribe to the author’s newsletter, you get a free short story that precedes this book and gives some background on Julian, although it’s more centered around a young boy who is learning the ropes of living a life of magic. It was wildly entertaining and didn’t take long to read.

Book Review: Secrets of a Highlander’s Heart (Return of the Highlanders Book 1) by Julie Johnstone

FIVE STARS

This book captivated me from the beginning and kept me enthralled to the end. Brus and Grace are so good together and the secondary characters added flair to the story and kept me turning the pages.

Brus is not yet a sworn member of a group of men who are loyal to the king and protectors. They were asked to escort Grace, her sister, and Laird Errol and their entourage across an area of land that is thick with marauders and miscreants. It’s dangerous and when they’re late to meet with their party, Errol makes the decision to go on without them, thinking they were stood up. He’s got a party of men with him, he’s a man, there are just two women with them, what could go wrong?

Grace enters this story with a bang and didn’t slow down. She was on a mission to see her father, whom wasn’t expecting to see her or her sister, and to deliver a message to him from the king. She’s forthright, candid, courageous, and surprisingly open minded. I usually dislike heroines like her, but I didn’t find her to be abrasive. They’re usually overbearing know-it-alls and think they’re smarter and better than a mere man. That wasn’t the case here. She was true to herself, her sister, and even to Brus and respected those around her.

This was an exciting book with plenty of action, some angst, and a part that actually made me call it out verbally and raise my fist in the air, “PLOT TWIST!” I won’t go on about that because I don’t want to put any spoilers in my review, but it was a great moment.

I do wish there had been more descriptions of the characters. I never did get a good look at Brus and Grace was sort of sketchy. Character descriptions do help me connect with the characters and make the story much more enjoyable, but this is still a five star read.

*I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.

Book Review: Boxing with my Duke by Anna St. Clair

FIVE STARS

This was a short, fun read with great characters and a great story. There was no angst to it, which was a nice change for me, but what I didn’t care for is Catherine giggled…a lot. I hate giggling from adults. Once or twice is fine, but it was a bit much this time.

Catherine is on a rampage in Carlton, the Duke of Richmond’s place of business, searching for her brother whom she thinks is in a private room with a woman. Her family has seen some tragedy and she thinks her brother isn’t thinking clearly. When Carlton intercepts her, they figure out something much bigger is at hand and head to Gretna Green together.

I did enjoy this story. It was nice to see Damon again (see his story in The Trouble with Her Duke) and to know that his children are doing well under Lydia’s care and guidance. He wasn’t there long but I like it when characters from other books make appearances in my current read. But there are other secondary characters that added a punch to this story and put a smile on my face.

Despite my loathing of giggling, this is still a five star book.