Publisher: Entangled Scandalous

Review: Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy Reid

Posted November 4, 2020 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy ReidReviewer: Holly
Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy Reid
Series: Wedded by Scandal #1
Also in this series: Accidentally Compromising the Duke, When the Earl Met His Match
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Publication Date: May 30, 2016
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 256
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2020 Goodreads Challenge, Holly's 2020 Reading Challenge
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

England, 1817. Miss Adeline Hays is out of options. Determined to escape marriage to a repugnant earl, Adeline plans to deliberately allow herself to be caught in a compromising position at a house party with the much kinder man she’d hoped to marry. Instead, Adeline accidentally enters the wrong chamber and tumbles into the bed of the mad duke.

Edmond Rochester, the duke of Wolverton, is seeking a wife to care for his two daughters. A young lady of sensibilities, accomplishment, and most importantly, one who he is not attracted to—a complete opposite of the bewitching beauty who traps him into marriage. But despite the lust he feels for his new duchess, Edmond is resolved to never allow them intimacy, refusing to ever again suffer the tormenting loss of a loved one.

When Adeline’s father says she must marry an old lecher who attacked her in a garden, instead of the man, Mr. Atwood, she’s formed an attachment to (because he’s untitled and therefore isn’t acceptable), she decides to take matters into her own hands. With the help of her friend Evie, she orchestrates it so she’s caught in a compromising position with Mr. Atwood. Only she ends up in the wrong room and accidentally compromises the Duke of Wolverton instead.

Edmond is in town to find a bride. His wife and lady love died 3 years prior. He vowed never to wed again, until he realized his young girls need a mother. He’s determined to marry a woman he could never care for. Only he ends up in a compromising situation with Adel instead, and knows he must do the honorable thing and marry her..even if she does set his blood on fire. Adel is determined to draw Edmond out of his dark despair, and Edmond is just as determined to keep himself separate from his family.

I liked this book, but not as much as My Darling Duke. Edmond was pretty much a jerk until close to the very end of the book, and I wanted better for Adel. I also didn’t love that the main conflict centered around them having children, as that’s one of my least favorite tropes. Even so, I liked Adel and Edmond separately, and I really loved his girls. I also enjoyed the romance. Not Edmond pushing her away, but those times he actually let her close. The way she drew him out and helped him enjoy life was wonderful.

I’m on the fence about continuing the series, however, since I didn’t love the secondary characters who are featured in the next two books. I’m going to take a break and come back to the series later.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Wedded by Scandal

three-half-stars


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Guest Review: When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy Reid

Posted October 26, 2020 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy ReidReviewer: Tracy
When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy Reid
Series: Wedded by Scandal #4
Also in this series: Accidentally Compromising the Duke, Accidentally Compromising the Duke
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Publication Date: September 14, 2020
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 249
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

When Hugh Winthrop, the future Earl of Albury, decides to advertise for a wife in the London paper, he never expected an anonymous response from a woman who matches him wit for wit. Their back-and-forth letters on the true nature of love, something they disagree on wholeheartedly, leave him shocked—and intrigued. But then the woman he’s been corresponding with shows up on his doorstep, enticingly beautiful and offering a marriage of convenience in exchange for his protection…

Lady Phoebe Maitland expected to marry for love and nothing else, until the man she gave her trust betrayed her. The more intrigued she becomes by the mysterious and devastatingly handsome Hugh, however, the more she realizes he’s holding back from opening his heart due to long-held secrets she struggles to understand. As passion flares wickedly between them, their marriage bed is quick to heat up. But when Phoebe’s past threatens to destroy the fragile bond they’ve formed, even a budding belief in love might not be enough to save them.

Lady Phoebe, a duke’s daughter, is in love with a man who doesn’t live up to her lofty father’s expectations.  He’s a commoner, and that just won’t do.  When Phoebe is betrayed by her love, she’s devastated, but makes a plan to resolve her issues.

Hugh is an Earl and has written an advertisement for a wife.  He describes what he’s looking for and he is quite succinct in the ad that this marriage will have nothing to do with love.  Phoebe is outraged and write’s this anonymous man to tell him her feelings about his ad.  They start a correspondence that while still vaguely about the ad, becomes a bit of a friendship and they both look forward to the letters.

After her love’s betrayal (and other reasons) Phoebe heads to Hugh’s and offers a marriage of convenience.  He’s shocked that this woman has shown up to be his wife, as he hadn’t made a decision about who he would pick of the women who had answered the ad.  Hugh is honest with himself that he’s not totally mad/sad that Phoebe is there as he has enjoyed her letters immensely.  They also each have issues that are not necessarily accepted in society and Hugh decides to go through with it. Phoebe is shocked when she realizes that Hugh is mute, but quickly decides it doesn’t matter.

Despite getting married, Hugh is determined to nip love in the bud before it can begin.  His mother took off with her lover when Hugh was young and he doesn’t want his heart on the line if Phoebe decides to leave as well. Can Phoebe get him to see that love is something they should strive for rather than avoid?

I enjoyed this book. One of the reasons was Hugh and his wonderful attitude towards life.  He accepted Phoebe for who she was, and all her issues.  He didn’t let the fact that he was mute stop him from living and I loved that.  He was so good to Phoebe for the most part and I really enjoyed them together.  I also really liked Phoebe and her determination to live her life the way she wanted to, and not the way her parents and brother thought she should live it.

Phoebe was the other reason this book was good.  She made some mistakes in her life but for the most part she had such a good heart.  I loved her vibrancy!  At one point in the book she takes a poor woman and her children into the carriage and takes them home because it’s raining.  How many women of the nobility would do that?? Not only that but she gives her jewelry she can sell to buy food. Hugh then goes a step further and tells her that money and help finding a job will be available to her the next day.  Good people!

That said, I have a bit of an issue with one aspect of Reid’s heroes (and this happened in all of the Reid books I’ve read).  It seems that the heroes, at some point, are angry at the heroines or trying to push them away because they’re trying to deny that they love the women. When this happens, they are purposely cruel to the heroines and say some of the rudest, meanest things to them!  I hate that!  Surely their feelings can be expressed without being cruel. Anyway, that’s a pet peeve I have with Reid’s heroes. They can be amazing, but they can also be complete bastards.

Anyway, despite my love of Hugh and Phoebe the story dragged in a few places, which was disappointing.  Still a good book, but it brought my rating down a bit.  I still recommend this book, as I definitely think it one that needs to be read.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

three-half-stars


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Guest Review: Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy Reid

Posted July 29, 2020 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy ReidReviewer: Tracy
Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy Reid
Series: Wedded by Scandal #1
Also in this series: When the Earl Met His Match, Accidentally Compromising the Duke
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Publication Date: May 30, 2016
Format: eBook
Source: Library
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 259
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

England, 1817.

Miss Adeline Hays is out of options. Determined to escape marriage to a repugnant earl, Adeline plans to deliberately allow herself to be caught in a compromising position at a house party with the much kinder man she’d hoped to marry. Instead, Adeline accidentally enters the wrong chamber and tumbles into the bed of the mad duke.

Edmond Rochester, the duke of Wolverton, is seeking a wife to care for his two daughters. A young lady of sensibilities, accomplishment, and most importantly, one who he is not attracted to—a complete opposite of the bewitching beauty who traps him into marriage. But despite the lust he feels for his new duchess, Edmond is resolved to never allow them intimacy, refusing to ever again suffer the tormenting loss of a loved one.

Adeline Hays was once attacked by an Earl.  When she went to her father, expecting him to be furious, he ends up promising her hand in marriage to the bastard. How could he?! She has a fondness for a man, Mr. Atwood, who will one day be a barrister.  Unfortunately her father won’t accept his suit, even though he’s asked several times.  Adel knows that she has no other choice but to take matters into her own hands. While at a house party Adel gets the keys to Mr. Atwood’s room from her best friend, and with a bit of liquid courage heads off to do some compromising.

Adel only planned to be caught in Mr. Atwood’s room, but after tripping she ends up in bed with him.  He’s much more muscular than she thought, and wow, he smells better than she remembered, too.  They end up kissing but when she realizes that she is not, in fact, kissing Mr. Atwood, she tries to get away.  Too late, they are discovered, as Adel had planned, but instead of just her best friend’s mother, it’s half of the people in the house!

The Duke of Wolverton, Edmond, thoroughly enjoyed kissing this mystery woman and though he’d had a list of women to check out to be his new bride and mother to his children, he decides to do the honorable thing and marry her. His first wife died in childbirth and while the Duke needs a mother for his children, he doesn’t want any more children.  He has no plans to consummate the marriage, nor fall in love with Adel.

Can Adel break through the hurt of Edmond’s past and make him see that she’s not his previous wife?  Can Edmond keep his distance from Adel?  You have to read the book to find out! 🙂

This was a good story.  I really like the Reid books that I’ve read so far and this one is included in that list.  In this story I really liked Adel.  She was straightforward and knew exactly what she wanted (his love) and how to get it.  She was honest (for the most part) and just a lovely person.  How could Edmond not fall for her? There was a part of the book where Adel isn’t completely honest with Edmond and I had an issue with this.  It was just so not in her character that it was hard for me to believe that any of it would have happened.  Luckily Reid did a great job of making everything right for me.

Edmond was cold at first, then very warm…hot actually, and then a right bastard.  I liked him for a portion of the book and felt his pain, but I thought he took things a little too far.  The author did a good job of making me dislike/like/hate/like him in turns. Lol

When my friend, Nikki, first told me (and our friends, while on a Zoom call) about this book I laughed at the title and didn’t plan on reading it.  Accidentally compromising?  Really?  I said, “What, they’re in a carriage that hits a bump and the heroine accidentally falls on his dick? Oopsie.” Lol  We then affectionately retitled this book Accidentally Falling on the Duke’s Dick. Of course, after Nikki shared the premise with us we were all intrigued and I ended up reading this Reid story as well as another.  I’m glad I did and definitely recommend it.  I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and I’m quite happy it’s already out (this one was published 4 years ago).

Rating: 3.75/4 out of 5

four-stars


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Guest Review: How to Ensnare a Highlander by Michelle McLean

Posted February 6, 2018 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: How to Ensnare a Highlander by Michelle McLeanReviewer: Tracy
How to Ensnare a Highlander (The MacGregor Lairds #2) by Michelle McLean
Series: The MacGregor Lairds #2
Also in this series: How to Lose a Highlander
Publisher: Entangled, Entangled Scandalous
Publication Date: February 12th 2018
Format: eARC
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 227
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

When Lady Elizabet Harding’s family is targeted by the notorious Highland Highwayman, she finds herself wounded and an unwelcome guest of the charming outlaw who’d ruined her reputation earlier that day. Elizabet only wants to get even for her family’s downfall, but the more time she spends with the scoundrel, the more complicated her feelings become.

By day, Laird John MacGregor graces the court of Charles II. By night, he exacts revenge on his enemies – one of whom is betrothed to the fiery heiress who has, quite literally, fallen into his arms. The daughter of one enemy and promised to another, Elizabet should be the last person John wants. Yet even as she exasperates him, she is all he has ever desired for himself. When her life is put in danger, he will do anything necessary to protect the women he never expected to love…even if it means they cannot be together.

Lady Elizabet’s family is set upon by a notorious highwayman and then when Elizabet is accidentally shot, he takes her with him when he leaves in order to heal her.  He has no idea he’ll fall in love with her.  Elizabet is charmed by the man called Jack but he’s after her father and the man she’s supposed to marry.  She doesn’t care about her supposed betrothed but ruining her father will ruin her mother Elizabet won’t stand for that.  Jack wants Elizabet to turn on her father, but she won’t.  Jack is stuck in revenge mode because of the smuggling that Elizabet’s father and betrothed are involved in.  Because of that smuggling his brother was killed and he’ll stop at nothing to ruin the men.  Except…when it comes to Elizabet he’s not sure that he can do it if it makes her unhappy.  He falls in love with her and she with him but she’s all but married to someone else. How can they ever be together, especially when truths come out and people go to prison?

This was such a good story.  I was really on the edge of my seat for most of the book and the end made me very happy. I loved how McLean didn’t wrap things in a pretty little bow at the end.  She made things more like they might have been in real life and I appreciated that.  I would have liked to have seen her father and betrothed pay, but I understood why that never happened.

Reading about Jack and Elizabet falling in love was a pleasure.  There were extenuating circumstances when Elizabet got shot and he didn’t want her to die so that’s why he took her with him.  His friends told him to take her home but he was so attached to her by that time he couldn’t bring himself to do it until he had no more excuses.  I loved the way that they talked and came to trust each other, despite the fact that Jack never took his mask off.

I really enjoyed my second read by this author and will look into reading more from her.  I just saw that she writes contemporary romance under the name Kira Archer so I’ll have to check those out as well.

The MacGregor Lairds Series

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars


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Guest Review: The Highlander’s Accidental Marriage by Callie Hutton

Posted December 2, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: The Highlander’s Accidental Marriage by Callie HuttonReviewer: Tracy
The Highlander's Accidental Marriage by Callie Hutton
Series: Marriage Mart Mayhem #6
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Publication Date: November 30, 2015
Format: eARC
Genres: Historical Romance
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

She never intended to take a husband...

Scotland, 1817

The Duke of Manchester's sister, Lady Sarah Lacey, always abides by the rules of etiquette. Fate, however, has no such confines. On a journey to the Scottish Highlands, Lady Sarah is set upon by misfortune-leaving her without carriage or chaperone, and left to the mercy of a kind and handsome gentleman. Whom (in order to secure a room at an inn) she announces is her husband.

When she proclaims they're married in public, Professor Braeden McKinnon can't bring himself to correct the lovely Lady Sarah. After all, her reputation would be ruined. Nor can he tell her that her proclamation is not only legally binding in Scotland, but sharing a room is considered to be an act of consummation...

Now they are bound together until death do they part-even if Sarah has no intention of becoming any man's wife.

Lady Sarah Lacey is on a trip to the Highlands to visit her sister who is about to give birth.  On the way she runs into a horrible storm and her carriage is run off a cliff, killing her driver and footman.  Luckily Sarah and her lady’s maid were thrown from the carriage and their lives were spared.

Professor Braeden McKinnon is also on his way from Edinburgh to the Highlands to wait for a letter letting him know if he has been accepted on an archaeological expedition.  That’s really the only thing he’s thinking about so as much as he wants to help the ladies on the side of the road he’s exasperated at having to delay his trip.  Braeden and his friend end up traveling with the ladies until a series of events makes it so that only Braeden and Sarah are traveling alone.  They manage until they come across one inn that’s very crowded and instead of two rooms there’s only one and Sarah doesn’t want to let it go.  Braeden had decided that they were to pose as brother and sister but when the innkeeper recognizes Braeden Sarah decides to claim they’re married so that they can have the room.  Unbeknownst to Sarah declaring you’re married in front of a witness is as a good as a wedding in Scotland.

Braeden doesn’t tell her their married in the eyes of the law until they reach her sisters house but that doesn’t stop them from consummating the marriage (whether Sarah knew that’s what they were doing or not).  Once she finds out she’s not happy at all. She never plans on getting married as she’s an author who is about to be published and she plans on that being her life.  She knows if she’s married her husband will either stop her from writing/publishing or in Braeden’s case make her go on his expedition with her to Rome rather than go back to London to do book signings and make appearances.  When Sarah finds herself in love with Braeden she’s still torn on what to do and it may tear their relationship apart.

This was a very cute though highly unlikely story.  I couldn’t seem to wrap my brain around Sarah, who at first seemed highly proper and unlikely to travel alone with a man, not only does but then sleeps with him as well (and takes the chance of getting pregnant which was strange when she said she didn’t want kids).  As much as that furthered the story it didn’t match up with my knowledge of how women acted back in the 19th century.  Of course this is a romance and fiction so I let that go after a bit. 🙂

Sarah and Braeden were very sweet together if a bit odd. He was so worried about his expedition and she was so worried about her publisher that though they fell in love they were both so stubborn that they couldn’t work out their issues.  I did think that Sarah was much more stubborn than Braeden but then Braeden’s expectations of what would happen now that they were married were a bit prosaic – but fitting with the times.

Overall the story was very cute and I was happy when the pair finally worked out their differences.  They each came to a compromise and I loved seeing that not just one of them, but both, had to give up something in order to find a middle ground. This was my first book by Callie Hutton but it was a good one and I’ll be reading more from her in the future.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

three-half-stars


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