Pre-Release Review: Beckman (Lonely Lords #4) by Grace Burrowes

Secrets, secrets, secrets is what Beckman by Grace Burrowes is about. Everyone has a secret to keep not just their secret but others as well.

Sara Hunt is a master of secrets. She has had her fair share, but as long as she is a housekeeper of a run down estate no one will know her secrets. Sara is a strong independent woman who has to take control of ugly situations trying to make the best life for herself, daughter Allie and sister Polly. However, having these secrets weighs her down with guilt she wears daily.

Beckman Haddonfield is a troubled second son of an Earl. He spent his early twenties self-indulging after his young wife and child dies. He nearly kills himself as he feels he isn’t worth anything and no one cares about him. He finds his way back to the living (after big brother Nicholas rescues him) and will embrace the journey of doing what’s right. Luckily for him his step-grandmother has an estate that needs to be looked after, so to the country he goes to make things right.

When Beckman meets Sara he is intrigued by her resistance to say things, but see she wants to say them. He notices that there is a lot that isn’t being said around the house and it isn’t just Sara that is keeping her lips sealed. When he finds the bright light of Allie painting she tells Beckman she isn’t supposed to be paining and it’s a secret.  Secrets is the name of the game and they aren’t the only ones hiding secrets. Beckman  has his fair share, but a house of secrets is a lot like a house of cards… It only takes one secret to be reveled before they all tumble out…

I found this love story to be very romantic and sweet among all the secrets. The secrets that everyone are keeping are to help protect one another. It’s a circle of secrets to keep their love ones protected and happy. Beckman is a true Haddonfield (if you have followed this series Ethan and Nicholas are his brothers), romantic and truly loves to help and protect woman of all ages. He is a sweetheart with Sara encouraging her to trust him and believe in him. Also, Beckman is a good friend to Gabriel, who has his own sets of secrets. The secondary characters in this story I believe steal the show. They are fun and a great addition to the story. Waiting for the all the secretes to be revealed is fun and will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a great story about trusting in people you care about to trust in yourself.

Beckman will be available on July 2, 2013, but you can pre-order now on Amazon.

You can read more books by Grace Burrowes by visiting Amazon or Barnes Noble.

Reach out to Grace via her website or Facebook.

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this book pre-release.

-Romance Reader Girl

Advertisement

Book Quote for Tuesday

“You can’t change the truth. You can act as though you’re deaf and blind, you can walk away from me forever, but the truth will still be there, and you can’t make it go away. I love you.” She felt an involuntary tremor run through him. “I love you.” She repeated. “Don’t lie to either of us by pretending you’re leaving for my good. All you’ll do is deny us both a chance of happiness. I’ll long for you every day and night, but at least my conscience will be clear.” Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

HELP! Romantic Comedy, Anyone?

Readers, I come to you for suggestions today. I have had some crazy life changing developments happen this week and I need some romantic comedy reading. Don’t get me wrong I love my historical’s and I will always read them, but I need some major laughter right now. If I could find historical romantic comedy that would be even better, but I need some laughs.

Thank You! Happy Friday!

-Romance Reader Girl

Review: Bargaining with a Rake by Julie Johnstone

Readers, a friend of mine recommended I read this book and I am so happy she did. It was a great read! Books recommendations from friends are usually good finds and Bargaining with a Rake is a good find!

Spitfire, Gillian Rutherford is a daughter of a recluse duke. She is has been running from a dark sad secret for the past eleven years, and she is tired of running. She has one shot to have a happy life and make sure his sister Whitney, has a happy life. Gillian must marry to make this reality. She has set her sights on an successful American businessman. This will be her ticket out of England. What she doesn’t count on is her heart telling her the American’s business partner and best friend is the man she should be with and not the American.

Alexander Trevelle, Lord Lionhurst is all things handsome and wicked. He lives a rakes life. Breaking hearts as the day is long among the Ton. Behind the rakes facade Alex is troubled, haunted and desperately faking his way through life. When his sisters sudden death throws him into overdrive, he finds he must ruin and help the woman that makes his blood boil with passion into the arms of his best friend and business partner the American, Drake Sutherland.

It’s simple really… Gillian Rutherford must marry the American Drake Sutherland and go to America, taking her sister, Whitney with her. She can do that. She’ll just need to have the American fall in love with her. She is beautiful and witting, what’s not to like? What she doesn’t count on is the rake known as Alex Trevelle, Drake’s business partner and best friend. A sad turn of events will take place and Alex and Gillian will team up and find a way to get Drake to marry Gillian. This will seek revenge for Alex and give a fresh start for Gillian and her sister. What they both didn’t see coming are the sparks that are between them. Can they both ignore the spark to accomplish their goals?

This was my first read by Julie Johnstone and I really enjoyed it. This book has quite a bit of suspense just waiting to be discovered. The villain in this book is nasty, and you can’t wait for him to get what’s coming to him. Great secondary characters as well. Auntie is funny and a strong force to be reckoned with. The chemistry between Alex and Gillian is electric and it was a joy to read it unfold. You’ll be on the edge of your seat until the very end to see what happens. Fun read. 

You can purchase this book and other by Julie Johnstone on Amazon or B&N.

Reach out to Julie via her website.

-Romance Reader Girl

Tuesday’s Quote

“Bad news alters the world at once. It changes the air. A human heart knows grief is coming as surely as a horse senses an approaching storm.”

-The Rules of Seduction by Madeline Hunter

Review: Any Duchess Will Do (Spindle Cove #4) by Tessa Dare

Readers, who challenged Tessa Dare to a book off? Because let me tell you, she put pen to paper and brought it! Oh my goodness! She rocked it in Any Duchess Will Do. I am a HUGE fan of the Spindle Cove Series and this one was stellar! This is a book you will want to read this summer. See why in my review below.

Pauline Simms is a serving girl in Spindle Cove. She is all things sassy with a keen mind. She is the daughter of a farmer and older sister to Daniela, a woman who has some challenges. Pauline has big dreams of working hard and opening a lending library in Spindle Cove, getting Daniela and herself out from underneath her bully of a father. When a grumpy duke wonders in and points to Pauline and says, “I pick her” her whole world is turned upside down and the chance of owning her lending library may be more of a reality than realized, but what will she give up to have her wildest dreams come true?

Surly, Griffin Eliot York, 8th duke of Halford has been drugged and taken to Spindle Cove to find a wife. Griff has no need or want for a wife. He wants to live his remaining days alone (he has a painful secret). However, the duchess (his mother) has other plans and wants grandchildren. She demands Griffin to pick any woman and she will train her to be the next duchess of Halford.

Griff strikes a deal with Pauline, if she goes along with plan for the duchess to put her in ‘duchess training’ and utterly fails, she will earn 1000 pounds. That is enough money to start her lending library and take care of Daniela. It’s an easy offer, essentially be yourself for a week, get some new gowns, eat fine food and at the end go home with 1000 pounds. How hard could it be? Add in a handsome duke hiding behind an emotional wall and a duchess that is hiding behind a hardshell, what could go wrong? Can both Pauline and Griff part ways after a week discovering that fate intervenes at the most inopportune of times?

One word for Any Duchess Will Do…S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R! This story is Tessa Dares best to date. I was laughing out loud within the first few pages and kept laughing throughout the story.

“A duchess might contemplate all manner of cutting remarks and frustrated oaths. But even in the face of extreme annoyance, she stifles such ejaculations.” “My,” Miss Simms said, wide-eyed. “I do hope dukes aren’t held to the same standard. Can’t be healthy for a man, always stifling his ejaculations.” -Pg 59 Any Duchess Will Do

Pauline’s fiery personality and Griff’s sarcastic point of view leaves them both perfectly match for awesome word duals. With the fire between them there is great passion and wonderful sweet tender moments. Oh and duchess is fabulous. This book is really about being true to yourself and own who you are. There will always be people out there that do not understand you or want and that’s ok, as long as you are happy with yourself, there is no reason to change for anyone. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this book, it is just that great. The Spindle Cove series is wonderful and this book just makes it irresistible. I would highly recommend this series and book. 

A Week to be Wicked was previously my favorite of this series, but it now comes in at a close second to Any Duchess Will Do.

Spindle Cove Series:

You can purchase Tessa Dare’s book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Reach out to Tessa via her website or Facebook.

-Romance Reader Girl

Heather Snow’s Veiled Seduction Series

Happy Friday Readers!

Have you ever a moment while reading a book where you stop and think, “oh my, this author really gets me. They wrote this book to connect with me.”? I have had those moments with just a handful of authors. I hold them dear to my heart and among my favorites of all time. They go on my must buy and recommend reading lists. Readers, I added a new author to my special list by the name of HEATHER SNOW. Her writing is fresh and captivating. I will drop everything to read her stories. In one word she is       A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! The heroines she creates are strong, intelligent and funny. Sometimes in the historical romance world we get bombarded with the heroine that is shy and timid, with the big strapping hero that comes and plucks her out of the crowd and they fall in the love. Don’t get me wrong those happily ever afters are fun, but sometimes you need a little more spitfire and creativity to pull you through the story. Heather Snow brings that wonderful creativity in her Veiled Seduction series.

I was captivated in Sweet Enemy by the 24 year old scientist Liliana Claremont. When he stumbles upon evidence that perhaps her fathers death wasn’t random, but planned, she turns to science to help solve the crime. Finding letters from the late Earl of Stratford she realizes that she needs to get to the late Earl’s estate to find clues to her fathers death. She luckily has an aunt and cousin invited to a house party hosted by the current Earl of Stratford, Geoffrey Wentworth and she is on her way to Strophsire to find what evidence she can.  When she arrives to house party Geoffrey Wentworth zero’s in on her and realizes she is up to something. Most the women that are attending the house party of their to snag him, for a husband. However, this enchanting young lady is showing no interest in finding a husband. Geoffrey is determined to find out what she’s about. Though, doing so might lead them down a path they both were not ready for. 

I was intrigued in Sweet Deception by Emmeline (Emma) Wallingford, as she is a mathematics and puzzle solving wizard. Emma has been acting in secret as the magistrate for Derbyshire since her elder brother had a stroke. She has been doing a fantastic job all these years solving crimes, while giving her brother all the credit. However, that becomes difficult when a man from her past wonders back into Derbyshire. Lord Frederick (Derick) Aveline has not been home in nearly a decade. He has been a spy for both the English and French. He has been asked to go back to his roots to find a traitor. When getting back to his home he finds Emma as the beautiful spitfire hiding something. Old feelings surface for both that they both have a hard time ignoring them or one another. These two have a lot of fun (vocal and physical) trying to understand one another and find who the hidden traitor is. Who’s mysterious secret will be discovered first…. Emma’s or Derick’s? 

I was left speechless in Sweet Madness. Widow, Lady Penelope Bridgeman, Baroness Manton uses her husband’s death to help others suffering from emotional distresses. She has studied maladies of the mind and spirit, spending most of her time with returning soldiers from the war. This is her way to give back and honor her husband. Penelope wears the wound of not being able to help or save her dear Michael. Gabriel Devereaux, the Marquess of Bromwich was the cousin to Penelope’s late husband. Gabriel’s mother has asked Penelope to visit him in a private sanatorium to help him. Gabriel has more clear moments of sanity than emotional distress, when Penelope is with him. He feels he is not worth the time to save, but Penelope see’s more than the distresses. She sees a brave and strong man underneath waiting to return. In turn Gabriel see’s Penelope as a woman that is not fulling living life, hiding behind the distress of others to not overcome hers. Can they both overcome their struggles to find happiness? 

All three of these books have strong heroines that are stepping outside the box to be more and give more to the world. All three of amazing and different. They are role models and I want to grow up and be them. The three stories are written beautifully and there is emotion of all kinds. Heather Snow is a brilliant writer. She writes with passion and as reader you are captivated, intrigued and often left speechless.

You can buy any one of these books on Amazon or Barnes Noble.

Reach out to Heather Snow via her website or Facebook.

-Romance Reader Girl

The Crystal Cabinet by William Blake

I recently read a book with part of this amazing poem. I had to know the rest and I thought I would share it. Oh and I’ll have that book review up next week. 🙂 

The Maiden caught me in the wild,
Where I was dancing merrily;
She put me into her Cabinet,
And lock’d me up with a golden key.

This cabinet is form’d of gold
And pearl and crystal shining bright,
And within it opens into a world
And a little lovely moony night.

Another England there I saw
Another London with its Tower,
Another Thames and other hills,
And another pleasant Surrey bower.

Another Maiden like herself,
Translucent, lovely, shining clear,
Threefold each in the other clos’d
O, what a pleasant trembling fear!

O, what a smile! a threefold smile
Fill’d me, that like a flame I burn’d;
I bent to kiss the lovely Maid,
And found a threefold kiss return’d.

I strove to seize the inmost form
With ardor fierce and hands of flame,
But burst the Crystal Cabinet,
And like a weeping Babe became–

A weeping Babe upon the wild,
And weeping Woman pale reclin’d,
And in the outward air again,
I fill’d with woes the passing wind.

William Blake

Review: A Rogue for All Seasons (Westons #3) by Sara Lindsey

There are books that you just cannot put down, because you are so entranced by the story. This has happened to me a few too many times in my reading world, but it happened this past weekend while reading A Rogue for All Seasons by Sara Lindsey. Not to mention many of us were not certain Ms. Lindsey would finish this series, but she has and it is simply wonderful.

Diana Merriweather likes to be invisible. It’s easier to be invisible then to be out there having a good time. If no one sees her she can’t possibly be hurt by them. However, being tall and a redhead doesn’t make it easy for this quiet beauty to hide. She has been running and hiding since she was a child. It was a game to hide and have her parents seek her out until one day her hiding led her to hear a conversation between her parents, that closed her off to anyone trying to get in. She has spend the last sixteen years believing she was not good enough for anyone and hid her true self. If her family couldn’t love her why would anyone else? 

Henry Weston the golden boy of the Ton. He is all things charming and dashing. Henry knows how to get what he wants with a charming smile and everyone knows it. Hal as he is known to his friends and family is trying to find his purpose in life. There is more than just having fun. He must find purpose as he is heir to a Viscountancy; his father is no where near death (thankfully) and he needs to do more than spend his evenings doing unsavory, but fun things. He needs to have a purpose.  Life is easy, but maybe it’s time to try something that might not be so easy. Henry wants to become a stud owner. He wants to start a breeding program. Though, his family is going to make him work for investors. At the same time is wonderful mother is trying to match make a match for him. He might be ready to invest in horses, but not in a bride or marriage. 

Henry has known Diana Merriweather for years. His mother has made him dance with her at every ball for years now. However, at one particular ball he discovers behind the proper all rules facade that is Diana Merriweather there is a spitfire looming to be set free. Henry becomes fixated on this firery personality of hers and wants to know more about her. Diana is not sure why THE Henry Weston is seeking her out, but it isn’t so bad. It doesn’t mean anything. Striking a deal of a pretend courtship; Diana will help Henry recover his reputation making it easier for investors to invest in him and Henry will help Diana’s reputation as being a notable chit for men to show interest for marriage. It’s a win-win what could go wrong? By the end of the courtship Henry will have his horses and Diana will have a husband. Though, the plans begin to go astray when Henry realizes that the only husband Diana should have is himself. Diana may want Henry, but has a very hard time believing his actions are sincere. After all if her own father didn’t want her, why would the ever charming Henry Weston want her? 

“She’s everything I never knew I wanted, never knew I needed. She’s the part of me I didn’t know was missing, but fi I lose her now, I’ll forever have a Diana-shaped hole in my heart. There’s something comfortable, something enduring between us. I lust after her, God Knows, but it’s different with her.” -Henry Weston 

This was such an enjoyable read. I was happy to read Henry get his happy ending. It’s always interesting to read about the happy go lucky ones and what really lurks beneath that facade of happiness. Of course, what was great about the Westons is the family themselves. The large clan that is the Westons are very entertaining with their sneaky ways of getting what they want. It’s hilarious as they all know someone with the name Weston is usually involved when something seems just a bit strange. 🙂 Diana is Henry’s perfect match and he hers. He helps her overcome some self worth issues and that is really what is at the heart of this story; understanding ones own self worth. It was beautiful and I am so happy that Ms. Lindsey finished this series. She delivered a wonderful happily ever after.

You can purchase A Rogue for All Seasons and other books by Sara Lindsey on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Reach to Sara Lindsey via her website.

-Romance Reader Girl

Tuesday’s Quote

“I always say that love is like the meat in a pie,” Freddy put in. “The crust is what people see—the practical things that hold a couple together. But love is the important part—without it you’ve got a meatless pie, and what’s the point of that?” How to Woo a Reluctant Lady, by Sabrina Jeffries

Sometimes the least likely person will have the best thing to say in a new creative way.