A storm. A stranger. A secret.

After a storm leaves handsome stranger Bryn Morgan stranded at Charlie’s farmhouse she plans to keep her distance! But the night forges a bond between —until Bryn reveals is in fact Lord Carlisle! Can he show Charlie that their differences can bring them closer?

Title: English Lord on Her Doorstep
Author: Marion Lennox
Series: /
Pages: 256
Genre(s): Mills & Boon True Love, Contemporary, Australia, UK
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Everyone knows that I love a good Mills & Boon and that I also love a bit of aristocratic shenanigans. You don’t often find a contemporary romance with some blue blooded English gentlemen running around it - so this book sounded perfect for me.

However, as soon as I started to read this book I immediately became extremely wary.

There were dogs. Lots of dogs. Seven dogs to be precise.

And we were in Australia. Yet Bryn Morgan - our debonair aristo - was very much English (or maybe Welsh).

What was going to happen to the dogs when the couple likely moved to England? And the cows - Cordelia and Violet? Where were they all going to live?

And this is why I tend to avoid books with animals in them, as I end up far more concerned with them all surviving to the last page rather than what I should be focussing on which is the love story of Bryn and Charlotte aka Charlie.

But as time passed, I started to put the worry to the back of my head and concentrate on the burgeoning romance. As this is part of the True Love line, it’s clear from the outset that the pair share a special, instant connection. It’s sweet, heart-warming and believable, despite the short time-frame the pair have known each other.

Sadly for me, we get only kisses in this book. I know the pair had sex but the bedroom door doesn’t even shut when the going gets good. Because we didn’t even see the bloody bedroom door. And I get the feeling that this author would have been really good at writing sex scenes, too. Bryn kept on thinking thoughts of feudal laws of old and wenches and maidens. Oh my! It made me laugh but it also made me want more naughtiness. Or just some naughtiness. Any naughtiness at all, really.

Not to worry - Bryn and Charlie are now back in England and while Charlie was having trust issues over Bryn’s lies - I’m still expecting them to work things out and us to get a lovely happily-ever-after.

And then Flossie - the best dog of the pack of seven - goes and makes my heart almost stop. We also get a couple of chapters of seeing things from Flossie’s point of view and I nearly couldn’t cope. Good God - you made it to 89%, Flossie - just hang on a few percent longer.

Without spoiling the outcome, you’ll be happy to know that all dogs (and cows) survive this book - even Flossie and Bryn’s dog who was introduced as ancient. (Red flag! Red flag!) Well, at least you don’t have to go through the trauma of not knowing, like I did when reading.

And as for Bryn and Charlie - true love really does win in the end and Regency fairytales of barons and their Australian maidens do happen in modern times. And you finish this book feeling happy, satisfied and hugging your own doggies all the bit tighter. 4 stars.

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

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Scandal at a society wedding!

Can he resist the runaway bride?

After helping Nikki Lucas flee her high-society wedding, privacy-loving best man Max Conway never expected to be accused of having an affair with the bride! As the media scandal dies down, he escapes to a remote island—and comes face-to-face with Nikki! Their connection is undeniable but she’s completely off-limits. Yet as the sun sets in paradise, both are struggling to resist…

Title: Best Man and the Runaway Bride
Author: Kandy Shepherd
Series: /
Pages: 192
Genre(s): Mills & Boon True Love, Contemporary, Australia
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This book is one of a fairly new series from Mills and Boon, called True Love. Books in this series promise sparkling romances that will make you laugh, cry and fall in love over and over again.

Well, I’m not sure I ran the whole gamut of those emotions but this book definitely delivered on the true love in a sweet and gentle way. It’s the first book that I’ve read from this series and I certainly wouldn’t be against picking up another again when I’m feeling in the mood to remember that true love really does exist - no matter the odds.

Nikki was a great character. She’s smart, sharp, knows what she wants and goes out and gets it. She does have a vulnerable side - particularly evident when deciding whether she wanted to sleep with Max - which makes you relate to her and root for her some more.

Similarly, Max is a hero that you can’t help but love and want for yourself (sorry Nikki). He’s a former tennis player with the body to match (swoon) and while he’s got a reputation as a bad boy, he’s actually a bit of a sweetheart.

The story moves on at a leisurely pace. The writing style flows well and makes you want to keep reading. One thing I did note was that the way the story is told, you really believe that Nikki and Max are falling in love. And it’s gosh-darned adorable.

I would have liked Nikki to be a wee bitty more assertive with her feelings and her wants with Max. And while Max was a bit of a muppet when he accused Nikki of breaking his trust - at least he managed to catch on to his mistake pretty quickly.

And in the keeping of the book being a sweet and romantic tale - we get a few kisses and when the time comes to do the deed, the bedroom door firmly shuts us out. Not even a peek. Nor a rundown of events after the fact either. Oh well, at least I have my imagination!

This was a lovely, sweet tale of two people who are so right for each other - just with the wrong circumstances and the wrong time. It’s a book any Mills and Boon fan will enjoy reading and I’ll be looking out for more stories by Kandy Shepherd in the future. 4 stars.

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