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
Hot Buttons: /

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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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Lady Anne is shocked when Captain Lord Hartley Corry - her former fiancé who left for India after her father forbade their marriage - returns to England and acts as if everything is all water under the bridge. He never fought for her hand or eloped with her as he promised and he thinks she'd still be willing to marry him? Not a chance.

Hartley is equally shocked to literally run into his past love upon arriving at his brother's house. Though he yearns to take advantage of this second chance to woo his beloved, he can hardly admit that he is secretly a spy - at least not until he can be sure he trusts her. But convincing Lady Anne to let him prove his sincerity by courting her respectably all over again might be his undoing. Because all he wants is to show her how much of a rogue he can be when the right woman is in his arms...

Title: The Risk of Rogues
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Sinful Suitors
Pages: 100-199
Genre(s): Historical, Regency, England
Hot Buttons: /

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As I count it, this is the eighth Sinful Suitors story - but since novellas are counted as ‘half books’ - this is actually book number 5.5.

As with all the Sinful Suitor books, you don’t have to have read any of the others to read and enjoy this one - although since many of the characters pop up in each others books (and not just as cameos), you probably will get the gist of things a bit easier - or more quickly - if you’ve read the previous books.

This is the tale of Captain Lord Hartley Corry and Lady Anne/Miss Anne Barkley. The pair were young sweethearts before a refusal for Anne’s hand, and youthful foolishness, drove Hart halfway across the world in the army. 11 years later, the pair bump into each other (literally) and the sparks are immediately evident again. Yet now that’s tempered with a healthy amount of distrust.

I remembered Anne from a previous novel of Ms Jeffries where she fleetingly appeared. Who could forget those hats and that hair? She describes herself as something of an oddity and certainly not the season’s greatest beauty. The fact that Hart sees her quirks and loves her for them - and also sees her as the prettiest thing he’s ever seen - well, it’s a triumph for all us weirdos out there!

Hart - well, he was a bit funnier in earlier novels although some of his humour did come through on occasion in this book. The peacock’s bum comment, for example, made me laugh out loud. I thought it was a bit rich of him to expect Anne to blindly trust him while he didn’t plan to do the same but some men don’t react well to falling in love so I’ll forgive him that one!

As usual, Sabrina Jeffries doesn’t actually write a book but rather invites you to join her in the story. You’re absorbed in the detail and the story of the couple so the pages just fly by.

This was a novella and took little under an hour to read all in. I would have liked to see a little more development from the characters in the first half of the story. It felt at times like we were being told that the only thing the couple had in common in the past had been lust. As much as I adore a second chance romance - I want the fairytale of their true loves having been lost and found. Not that they were randy teens and love only grows now they’re adults. The second half showed the pair had truly been in love but I wanted more from the first half. And some more sexy shenanigans wouldn’t have gone a miss either!

This is still an excellent book and one that kept me happy on a rainy afternoon. I wished it could have been longer - but I wish that of all Sabrina Jeffries’ books. She excels at storytelling, and at love, and I’m always happy to recommend any book of hers. 4 stars.

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When Khalid Abbasi grew up in the Las Vegas foster system, he had no idea he was a member of a family—and a royal one at that. Once he learns the truth, he is immediately summoned to rule a small exclave on the Persian Gulf. That very day, he leaves his fiancée Marissa with a kiss and a promise that he'll come back soon.

But Khalid breaks his promise to return for Marissa—and Marissa’s heart breaks in turn. She never tells him how close they came to starting a family together.

In the spot where Khalid used to hold love for Marissa, only ice remains, until the day he sees her in the Cairo Four Seasons hotel. Their passion comes rushing back, and it’s a passion they can’t resist. Now that Khalid has Marissa in his life again, he's unable to let her slip through his fingers again, no matter what his duty requires. Will they learn to trust each other again? Or will the secrets of their pasts overwhelm their second chance at love?

Title: A Tycoon's Secret
Author: Avery Laval
Series: Sin City Tycoons
Pages: 222
Genre(s): Contemporary, US
Hot Buttons: Miscarriage

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I am a huge fan of Avery Laval. Her writing is so effortless. It sets a scene and really draws you into the story. And that’s exactly what happens with this story. It’s the third in the Sin City Tycoon’s series but it stands completely alone so you don’t have to worry about reading other books to understand and enjoy this one.

The story focusses on the complicated relationship between Khalid and Marissa. Three years ago, things were going particularly well for the pair in their first throes of new love - until, out of the blue, Khalid learns that he is actually a sheikh from a foreign land and has to leave Marissa just as she’s getting ready to tell him some life-changing news. After losing contact, the pair reunite three years later in Cairo.

And that’s when my daydream of being captured by an enigmatic, taciturn sheikh comes right into play. Oh boy!

I liked Marissa a lot - enjoying especially that she wasn’t afraid to face up to her emotions and admit, at the very least to herself, what she wanted and what her feelings were. Of course I also liked Khalid - who wouldn’t? But I really would have loved to get some evidence of him acting a little more tender and friendly - before he learned of his true parentage and during the ‘ideal’ weeks that he and Marissa spent together. I like an alpha male - I just want the kisses and cuddles, too.

There’s definitely a level of distrust between the pair although you can completely understand the root causes. I wasn’t best pleased with Khalid later in the story when yet another trust issues rears its ugly head. I’m not saying it wasn’t realistic, I just felt inclined to shout at him to stop being such a stupid bugger.

The story races along and even with the false ending (where I found myself chastising Marissa for forgiving Khalid too quickly only to realise she hadn’t because it wasn’t the end at all!) I finished this book in super quick time.

I’m hoping that Ms Laval brings out books for all of Marissa’s brothers. Or just any books. Just write more books, please. This one is a light and fun sheikh fantasy that’s perfect for a lazy weekend or to read on holiday when you can imagine being captured by your own mysterious sheikh. 4 stars.

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

The Sin City Tycoons Series:

   

         

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The Duke of Greyland lost his heart – and a princely sum – to a charming, beautiful and destitute widow who, after one passionate night, vanished without a trace. Cassandra Blair grew up on the city streets, picking pockets to survive. Greyland was a rich mark – to be fleeced and forgotten – only she’d never forgotten him.

Years later, chance brings them together again, in a London gaming hell. Grayland is desperate to have her… never suspecting everything about his lover was a lie. But finding herself in dire financial straits, at risk of losing everything, Cassandra has no choice but to beg the man she betrayed for help.

The proud Duke will assist her under one condition: she doesn’t leave his sight until her debts are paid! But can the real Cassandra – the smart, streetwise survivor – steal his heart all over again?

Title: From Duke Till Dawn
Author: Eva Leigh
Series: London Underground / Scandalous Ladies of London
Pages: 389
Genre(s): Historical, Regency, England
Hot Buttons: /

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I’m pretty sure that this is the first book I’ve read by Eva Leigh - but it definitely won’t be the last. From the very first page I was hooked. I found myself trying to sneak in a few pages whenever I got the chance and even was quite pleased for a long hospital wait as it meant I had uninterrupted reading time!

This is a slightly unusual premise for a historical romance. We’ve normally got a virginal heroine - probably a lady or at least gentility - and heroes with varying degrees of experience and varying social class. This book pits a duke against a swindler raised on the streets. And one whose first meeting with him was when she fleeced him! I was a bit wary, if I’m honest. Would I like a heroine who wasn’t truthful and honest?

The answer is yes. Very much so in fact. Cassandra is a strong yet vulnerable heroine and while she had done things in her past that were less than savoury - she had a perfectly legitimate reason in her very survival. I loved her honest feelings for Alex and really wanted her to not just survive, but find her happiness, too. When she found herself straddling two worlds and belonging to neither - my heart broke for her.

Alex is my favourite kind of hero. Brooding and grumpy but also dedicated to, and willing to fight for his love. And boy did he love Cassandra. Especially at the beginning, it was swoon worthy stuff and gave your stomach that delicious clutch. As I said, he was strong and (likably) arrogant but he felt unworthy of being loved - and that gave me another reason to root for the pair.

The story was fast paced and very well written. There were only a few very minor Americanisms (sidewalks and blocks being two things that did jump out at me) and I felt the story was nicely absorbed in the time period (which is 1817, by the way).

The love story was great, as was the enjoyment as the two moved from lust and obsession into love. I did feel that once Cassandra moved into Alex’s home, the sexual tension tapered off a little. I would have liked to see some more scenes of simple domesticity between the pair, especially with Alex’s feelings on how people saw him. I was also a little disappointed that they covered up Cassandra’s true identity to pave her way into society. The whole book was about finding your true self and finding someone to love you for who you really are. It just felt a little wrong to then say we’ll now just pretend you’re someone you’re not.

But fear not, it was still a happy ending and the book as a whole was a very worthy read. I’m looking forward to the next in the Scandalous Ladies of London / London Underground series which I’m hoping is the books of Langdon and Ellingsworth.

A recommended read. 4 stars.




As an aside - I personally do not like the word till as a substitute for until. People might say it’s a completely different word to until and actually predates it. I do not care. Most people are using it instead of until and therefore I feel (ridiculously strongly, it appears) that you should write ’til. If I hadn’t been so generously gifted this copy, I honestly might not have picked up this book because of that small thing. No really - I actually am that pedantic and that sad! LOL!

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The London Underground / Scandalous Ladies of London Series:

       

         

       

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