She's discovered his secret.

Now the trouble really begins...

After three years of mourning—and turning her dear deceased husband's gazette into the ton's sauciest source of fashion and gossip—Hollis Honeycutt feels her life has been strangely bereft of late... Her sister is living abroad, and her best friend moved to the country. What must a young widow of rank and reputation do? Why, transform her society gossip sheets into serious investigative news, starting with a rumored coup...and the rather dashing, mysterious gentleman whom Hollis suspects might be the villain of her first real story, and she is the only one who can write it.

Marek Brendan is investigating terrible rumors of treachery and treason that threaten his home country of Wesloria, but he must proceed with caution. No one can discover the truth. After all, who would ever believe he is Wesloria's lost crown prince? Only Hollis Honeycutt's cerulean-blue eyes seem to know more than she's letting on—and worse, Marek can't seem to resist her curious charms. But even as betrayal threatens a nation and a throne, nothing is quite so dangerous as the lovely young widow who's determined to find the truth...and a prince of her own.

 

Title: A Princess by Christmas
Author: Julia London
Series: Royal Wedding Series - Book 3
Pages: 384
Genre(s): Historical, Victorian, England, Royalty
Hot Buttons: n/a


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Rich and detailed Christmas romance

4 Stars

This is the third - and possibly final - book in the Royal Wedding series by Julia London. The series, set in Victorian London for the most part, follows Eliza, Caroline and now Hollis, as they find their matches and discover some intrigue, alongside some royalty from the warring European nations of Wesloria and Alucia. Despite this book probably being a standalone, it is so chock full of detail in and of itself, if you don’t have the background of the relationships and political intrigue from the first two books (The Princess Plan and A Royal Kiss and Tell) then you might be a wee bit confused. But do go back and read the first two books. The Princess Plan is especially delightful and I still have a soft spot for Eliza and Bas.

Okay, onto this book…

Our heroine, Hollis, is a widow and now also the sister of a future queen. While she has some modicum of independence due to her status, she’s also very overlooked by the royal set that her sister and friend now live in. She also feels herself standing still while feeling everyone around her - family and friends - are moving on, changing and leaving. As if that wasn’t enough, Hollis is also dealing with the guilt and grief of realising that she’s finally moving on from her husband.

Hollis in the previous books seemed quite stoic and sensible. In this book, we really get to know her. She’s feisty, flighty, smart and acts on her feelings. She’s also sweet, kind and loyal. I couldn’t help but cheer her on and wish her well.

Marek, as a hero, was perfection. He was tough, strong and silent - and yet he is so desperately in need of love and belonging. I wanted to hug him so hard. He was absolutely delightful. He was so baffled by Hollis - how she treated him, how she made him feel, and how she just ‘got’ him. They were a perfect pairing. It made my heart happy.

As you can imagine, Hollis has a lot to deal with - as did Marek - and, at times, it got quite emotional. If you feel any kind of parallels with what Hollis is going through you, like me, will find it quite emotive. Hell, you’ll be bawling like a baby as you read. That’s not necessarily a bad thing - it shows how good the author is at making her characters real - but, alongside other things in the book, it’ll leave you with an emotional hangover once the book is done.

Like the first two books, there’s also the political intrigue that both Marek and Hollis get involved in, bringing them closer together. The plotting wasn’t as intricate and convoluted as in the previous novels, but it was still fun and well thought out. I enjoyed it, especially the bribery using cakes - as I myself can be bribed using baked goods.

As I mentioned, Ms London provides such rich detail of the world of her stories, that you are immediately transported to Victorian London - and better yet, Victorian London at Christmas time. There are only a smattering of Americanisms to pull you from the story - “sidewalk” being the one I remembered most vividly. I also noted that same anachronism in the previous book in this series. Pavement. It’s pavement, dammit!

So the book is as rich as plum pudding in the detail, with wonderful characters who are made for each other and a hugely satisfying love story. We also get cameos from Eliza and Bas and a cute, mini-hea for Beck which I was 100% here for. So why didn’t I give the book 5 stars?

Firstly, all through the first 2 stories I was waiting for Hollis and Donovan’s love story. This was, as you can see, not Hollis and Donovan’s love story. And I was mad. Especially when during the first chapter of this story, Hollis declared that she got butterflies when looking at Donovan but it could never be. What do you mean it could never be? This is romance - anything can be! So until things progressed and were explained, I still had that residual madness - even if I loved Marek and Hollis as a couple.

The other reason is that one of the major themes in the book is finding where you belong in the world. Hollis, especially, worries about being left behind. So the fact that, at the end of the book, the family and friends are spread all over, well, it hurt my heart. I realise that compromise and making choices is part of life - but I don’t want to read about real life. I want ridiculous, fantastical conclusions. As it was, I had happy / saddish tears towards the end of the book. Just more to add to my emotional hangover!

This book was a joy to read. It gave me SO many feels and so much vivid detail that for a while I was transported to Victorian London, and into the lives of Hollis, Marek and their family and friends. It’s sad that this might be the end of the series, but I’ve hugely enjoyed the love, romance and political intrigue that this series has given me. 4 stars from me.

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* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *


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A past kiss with adorably bookish Miss Olivia Norley should be barely a memory for Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock. After all, there are countless debutantes for a handsome rakehell to charm beyond a young lady whose singular passion is chemistry—of the laboratory type. But Thorn has not forgotten—or forgiven—the shocking blackmail scheme sparked by that single kiss, or the damage caused to both their names. Now Thorn’s half-brother, Grey, has hired the brilliant Miss Norley for her scientific expertise in solving a troubling family mystery. And the once-burned Thorn, suspicious of her true motives, vows to follow her every move . . .

For Olivia, determining whether arsenic poisoning killed Grey’s father is the pioneering experiment that could make her career—and Thorn’s constant presence is merely a distraction. But someone has explosive plans to derail her search. Soon the most unexpected discovery is the caring nature of the reputed scoundrel beside her—and the electricity it ignites between them . . .

Title: Who Wants To Marry a Duke?
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Duke Dynasty
Pages: 352
Genre(s): Historical, Regency, England
Hot Buttons: /

A hugely enjoyable story

5 stars


It’s been too long since I picked up a Sabrina Jeffries book - and after finishing this one, I seriously wonder why I haven’t been devouring every single thing she’s written. As such, this is actually the first book of the Duke Dynasty series that I have read, despite it being the 4th story in the series (after Project Duchess, A Perfect Match (in the Seduction on a Snowy Night anthology) and The Bachelor. While the romance element of this book stands alone, there is a larger mystery that appears to be running throughout the series that does not get resolved in this book. I didn’t have any trouble picking up and following that element - despite not having yet read the previous books in the series - but if you need all loose ends tied up between the covers of one book - this perhaps isn’t for you.

This book is about the romance between Olivia and Thorn. The prologue shows an interaction between our pair that happens nine years before the rest of the story - and explains why there might be a bit of animosity and distrust with our couple. Or at least on Thorn’s side, anyway. I admit to being a bit confused about why he was so angry with Olivia - but I’m sure that being a duke, with unmarried ladies flinging themselves at you every hour of the day, would make you a wee bit cynical and suspicious of people’s motives. That said, he does drop the animosity towards Olivia pretty darn quickly!

Despite his flip-flopping emotions, I loved Thorn. He’s basically just a growly, grumpy Duke, stomping all over the place and getting irritated because he can’t help but want the one girl who turned him down. But he’s protective, fierce and accepts and loves Olivia and all her quirks, too. Sometimes he has no idea what she’s talking about, but he loves the passion she has for her subject. That’s love right there.

Olivia is innocent in so many ways, but strong in many ways, too. She’s definitely not the stereotypical chemist that you might expect. She’s not much into society, and finds herself a wee bit awkward (same, girl!) but she’s perfectly capable - none of this ‘can’t even walk without making a fool of yourself’ type of nonsense that you sometimes see when a girl is described as awkward in society. She’s sweet and kind, and determined to prove herself worthy. I really enjoyed her and thought her the perfect partner for Thorn.

There was a little bit of danger and intrigue with regards to whether Thorn’s stepfather has been murdered - and if so, by whom. Someone’s out to stop the investigation before it even starts, which adds some fun to the romance even if it’s just ‘mild peril’. This is the storyline that won’t be resolved until future books, but honestly, it doesn’t feel like we’re left on a godforsaken cliffhanger, so all is good. With that in mind, there’s quite an intricate family tree with Thorn and his siblings, however we get a handy drawing at the front of the book to help us if we’re stuck. I thought that was a cute (and hella useful) idea.

As always with Ms Jeffries, the sex scenes are sizzling and there was enough chemistry (no pun intended) between the pair to keep things heated even when not in those scenes. Although I do wonder at Olivia not knowing what a penis looks like. As a chemist? Wouldn’t you have scene Michelangelo’s David? Maybe not - it just seemed odd to me.

This book reminded me how much I love Sabrina Jeffries and the stories she weaves. This is another 5 star read and I can’t wait to read the previous books in the series and those still to come. Recommended.

* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

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AUTHOR BIO!

Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas).

At home in front of a crowd, Jeffries is a sought-after speaker, as evidenced by her 2010 gig as emcee for the National Romance Writers of America’s 30th Anniversary Awards Ceremony.

Whatever time not spent speaking to organizations around the country or writing in a coffee-fueled haze is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music.

With over 9 million books in print in more than 20 languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics (she has a Ph.D. in English literature) for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world.

She always dreams big.

AUTHOR LINKS!

           

SERIES!

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Every prince has his secrets. And she’s determined to unravel his…

Every dashing young man in London’s ton is vying for Lady Caroline Hawke’s hand—except one. Handsome, delectable roué Prince Leopold of Alucia can’t quite remember who Caroline is, and the insult is not to be tolerated. So, Caroline does what any clever, resourceful lady of means would do to make sure a prince remembers her: sees that amusingly risqué morsels about Leo’s reputation are printed in a ladies’ gossip gazette…all the while secretly setting her cap for the rakish royal.

Someone has been painting Leo as a blackguard, but who? Socially, it could ruin him. More important, it jeopardizes his investigation into a contemptible scheme that reaches the highest levels of government in London. Now, Leo needs Lady Caroline’s help to regain access to society. But this charming prince is about to discover that enlisting the deceptively sweet and sexy Lady Caroline might just cost him his heart, his soul and both their reputations…

 

Title: A Royal Kiss and Tell
Author: Julia London
Series: Royal Wedding Series - Book 2 (Standalone)
Pages: 384
Genre(s): Historical, Victorian, England, Royalty
Hot Buttons: intrigue involving the sex trade/people smuggling  <-- highlight to reveal (may contain spoilers)


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Enchanting and engrossing regal romance

5 Stars

I was very much looking forward to this book having read and adored the first in the series, The Princess Plan. This book follows a separate couple than the first book, and while it does stand alone, I think you will enjoy this much better if you read the first book before reading this one.

You will also more likely have a better opinion of Caroline at the beginning of the story if you’ve “met” her before. She is definitely not the usual type of shy, retiring, modest heroine that we find in a historical novel - this one being set in Victorian times. I liked her, and enjoyed her spirit and fire - but I have to admit, from seeing her first through Leopold’s eyes, she could be seen as quite brash, vain and possibly unlikeable.

Equally so, however, Leo isn’t exactly a paragon of virtue at the beginning of our story. He’s not the heir but the spare, and has led a dissolute and drunkenly rakish lifestyle that only a royal prince could probably lead. But he’s tall, handsome, cocky and arrogant so I obviously fell in love with him. As you do. More so as the book progressed and his character grew.

At the beginning, he has no real interest in Caroline - a fact I admit to finding as vexing as Caroline herself did. Caroline noticed him from the first moment she saw him and was slightly infatuated - and expected him to be the same of her. It may sound vain and arrogant on the part of Caroline but, as the book progresses, we begin to understand that while she does enjoy the attention, it’s also a sort of defence mechanism - or a test - as she’s become aware people only ever like her for her looks rather than her personality. Likewise with Leo, there’s a bit of an epiphany with regards to himself and his life. So we have equal growth and depth in our main couple which makes it all the more satisfying as they fall in love - and know that the other is falling in love with their true self.

It definitely was a satisfying love story. I enjoyed watching Leo and Caroline as they moved through a whole gamut of emotions and it was very clever the way Ms London managed to slowly and subtly change all the things that each of them disliked about the other into the things that they loved. It made me sigh. There were a couple of delicious sex scenes - actually maybe just two if I remember correctly - but they weren’t missing from the book as there was a lot of kissing. And when the secret smiles between our pair are as emotive as a full-on sex scene - you know you’re doing something right.

For those that have read the first story, we also get to see Eliza and Sebastian’s wedding which gave me so many feels that I need to go back and read their story again. I might even have done some cheek dabbing with a silk ‘kerchief during those parts!

As with our first book, we get a bit of intrigue to go alongside our romance. This time, it’s not as pivotal to the plot - apart from how the consequences of Leo’s actions with regards to that intrigue affect his relationship with Caroline. The romance is very much central to the book and as such, we don’t really get to see the ending of the intrigue in real time - just a ‘and this is what happened’. I didn’t mind this approach at all but I did think it was worth a mention.

This story really absorbs you into the Victorian era and into the lives of our characters - both the royals and the commoners. I’m no fan, and have no time for, the actual royals - so I’m happy to report that this definitely isn’t a book that rides on the coattails of recent modern royal marriages. So if you’re not a royal fan - don’t let that put you off this book. But  equally, I’m sure if you like the royals, you’ll delight in this novel, too.

A few Americanisms are dotted throughout the text which always pull me out of the story (and annoy me greatly) Gotten, off of and sidewalk are those that stuck out in my mind although there were others more in the manner of speaking and sentence structure. I didn’t let them affect my rating, however, as overall the book was entertaining and I still loved getting lost in the story.

I’m hoping to hear that there will be stories for Beck and Hollis (and Donovan) - so we can catch up with these characters and those from The Princess Plan, and also so I can come back to this engaging and engrossing world that Ms London has created for us. A delightfully enchanting romance with a smidgen of intrigue - I highly recommend this story. 5 stars.

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* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *


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The Royal Wedding Series:

               

   

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Click to see other books by Julia London