Tag: Debra Mullins

Review: Too Wicked to Love by Debra Mullins.

Posted May 27, 2011 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins


Rowena’s review of Too Wicked to Love (Brides of Nevarton Chase, Book 2) by Debra Mullins.

Hero: John St. Giles
Heroine: Genevieve Wallington-Willis

Too wicked to love . . . but too tempting to resist!

Having already been deceived by a heartless fiancÉ, Genevieve Wallington-Willis knows better than to trust any man—which is why her attraction to John Ready is so very disturbing. Though devilishly handsome, he is far too mysterious—and a humble coachman, no less! But one inadvertent kiss and Genevieve is lost.

John dares not reveal his true identity to anyone or it’s the gallows for certain! He must concentrate on clearing his name—and prevent the fiend who sullied it, the notorious Raventhorpe, from working his evil on another innocent victim. But being this close to the clever, courageous, and exquisite Miss Wallington-Willis is driving him to distraction. And surrendering to his desire—not to mention to love—may prove the most dangerous risk of all.

This book is the second book in the Brides of Nevarton Chase series and for the most part, I enjoyed it. This book follows Samuel Breedlove’s best friend John Ready find his happily ever after. John’s got a mysterious past and is determined to do his duty assigned to him by his friend, Samuel Breedlove and then return to America so that he can live out the rest of his life in peace. It’s not the life he always dreamed he would have because he won’t be living in his beloved homeland of England but the rotten Raventhorpe has made it impossible for him to come home so he spends his life in hiding.

When we first meet Genny, the heroine, I wanted to punch her in her freaking face. She is the most annoying girl. She’s jumps to conclusions, she assumes and she, well she just annoyed me. I’m glad that I continued reading because over the course of the book, she did get better. While John had his secrets, Lady Genny had her own secrets as well.

Mullins does a great job of drawing the romance between John and Genny out. When I first started the book and John was so wanting to jump Genny’s bones, I kept thinking that she must have been real pretty to look at because her personality was crap. She always assumes the worst in John even though he saves her from being accosted in the library, she assumes that he’s trying to bag himself a rich heiress wife when she jealously catches him and Annabelle going off on their own. Those weren’t the only times when she assumed the worst in John and John had done nothing to deserve her assumptions. The first book is about Genny’s older sister who gets disowned by her family and Genny is angry at her for leaving, in this book we get the inside scoop on why she was so mad at Cilla. The more you read the book, the more you realize just why Genny is the way that she is.

She hasn’t had an easy time of it where men are concerned and as the book continues, she gets better and better that by the end of the book, you almost forget what a shit she was in the beginning of the book and start to like her.

John was framed for the murder of his wife and he hasn’t found the proof that will set him free so he lives in the shadows, trying to stay out of the limelight so that he doesn’t get sent to the gallows. John is one of those solid heroes that you just want to hold close to your heart and make him all better, any way that you can. He’s one of those stand up heroes that you come to adore. I enjoyed getting to know him and I enjoyed reading his story.

There were times when I wanted to beat him over the head with a club because of the decisions he made but overall, he was a great addition to this story. His martyr act at times got to be a bit much, especially since his plans were to give up the hunt and move to America to live out the rest of his life. The way that he was so hellbent on protecting Genny from himself got to be a bit much but in the end, the book ends the way it’s supposed to end and the overall journey was a good one.

If you enjoyed the first book then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one too. The ending is pure cheese but still, it’s an enjoyable read that fans of Debra Mullins will enjoy as well as fans of the historical genre.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Review: Tempting a Proper Lady by Debra Mullins

Posted June 9, 2010 by Holly in Reviews | 2 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

Holly‘s review of Tempting a Proper Lady by Debra Mullins

A Most Improper Alliance 

Two years ago, dashing Captain Samuel Breedlove disappeared without a word. But he’s resurfaced in London a wealthy man, only to discover his fiancÉe preparing to wed another. Now Samuel needs to restore his good name and expose a villain—and tempting, temptable Cilla seems an ideal accomplice. 

Priscilla Burke knows the marriage of her charge, Annabelle Bailey, to the Earl of Raventhorpe must be perfect. It would be madness for her to even consider doing anything that would mar this beautiful day and destroy her fledgling career as a wedding planner. Why then is she so drawn to this irresistible stranger who insists she help him sabotage the impending affair? 

But a proper lady’s desire is nothing to toy with. And a man whose character has been questioned cannot allow himself to dream of happily ever after. This not-so-innocent seduction may have unforeseen consequences . . .

I wasn’t sure about this one after reading the blurb. I’m not a huge fan of love-triangles and I thought this might head that direction. I’m happy to report Mullins took it somewhere else.

Cilla was a strong woman who had really fought to get where she was. I think I liked that she was from a wealthy family who had a high place in society, but made it on her own. Her father disowned her and she had to survive. I really liked that Cilla no longer trusted her judgment about me, but didn’t hate all men. She didn’t trust herself to choose a good one, but she knew they were out there. That was a refreshing change from so many other romance heroines who hate all men because they were mistreated by one.

Samuel was a very noble man. He was very honorable and did his best to be honest in all things. His disappointment when he realized his surrogate family didn’t believe in him was heartbreaking. And still he kept trying to do the right thing. I loved that once he committed to something he threw himself in it full boar.

I really liked the way the relationship between Samuel and Cilla developed. At first they didn’t care for each other and she was very suspicious of him. It didn’t take long for each of them to realize they needed to work together – in more ways than one.  Once they committed to each other the story really progressed. I understood both their reasons for holding back, and appreciated the way they came together.

While the romance and family dynamic aspects worked extremely well, the mystery plot fell short. The villain was very stereotypical and didn’t really seem all that scary to me. At first he did, but the longer the book went on the more he seemed to morph from a coldhearted man into a somewhat laughable one.

I did really enjoy the secondary characters. The Bailey’s were excellent characters and really added depth to the story. I truly felt for all three of them. I’m also very curious about John Ready, Samuel’s partner and sometimes coachman and the mysterious highwayman who showed up several times throughout the story.

4 out of 5 

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Review: To Ruin The Duke by Debra Mullins

Posted July 2, 2009 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins


Holly’s review of To Ruin The Duke by Debra Mullins

A disreputable duke

All of London is abuzz with the shocking exploits of Thornton Matherton, Duke of Wyldehaven, a man as sinful and wild as his name. He plays fast and loose with money, drink, and women. Or does he? An impostor has tarnished Thornton’s good name, and the real duke will not rest until he has proven his virtue.

A righteous lady

Abandoned by her aristocratic father when she was a child, Miranda Fontaine despises the nobility. Despite her distrust, she visits the Duke of Wyldehaven on an urgent mission. Determined to keep a deathbed promise, Miranda will do whatever it takes to pin down the notorious duke . . . even if it means seducing him herself.

Passion’s ruin

Desperate to escape the web of deceit and clear his name, Thomas cannot bear the distraction of Miranda’s supple skin and alluring eyes. Her beauty will be his undoing . . . and her bed will be the site of his most wicked ruin . . .

Years ago I read Three Nights by Debra Mullins. It was a sweet story that immediately grabbed my attention. I was so impressed with it I went out and bought her entire backlist. Sadly none of the others I read lived up to my expectations. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall feeling very strongly about the last one I read. Disillusioned, I wrote her off. Even so, each time a new book is released, I feel compelled to check it out. This one tempted me, despite my experiences with her in the past.

The Duke of Wyldehaven, Wylde, has been hidden away at his country estate for the past two years, mourning his late wife. In his absence an impostor – who resembles Wylde enough to pass for him – has been gallivanting around London, ruining his good name. Unfortunately Wylde doesn’t discover this until much damage has been done to his reputation. Although he initially plans to stay in London only a few days – he’s there to attend the funeral of one of his best friends – he decides to stay and get to the bottom of the issue.

Miranda Fontaine has arrived in London with one goal in mind – to get the Duke of Wyldehaven to acknowledge his son. He seduced her best friend and then abandoned her, where she fled to the country to have his child. Sadly she died in childbirth, but not before securing a promise from Miranda that she’d take her baby, James, to London and make sure he received his rightful place in society.

Although Miranda is determined to honor her friend’s wishes, she’s not sure the Duke is the right person to care for little James. Since Miranda’s own father refused to acknowledge her, she knows what it feels like to be cast aside. She wants better than that for James. When she arrives to hear awful tales of the good Duke, she’s even more dubious. And when he flat denies that the child is his? She convinced. But then he spins a fantastical story about some impostor acting like him. Although Miranda doesn’t believe his tale for a moment, she is willing to let him do right by his son. That does not mean, however, that she’ll become his mistress. Despite the growing attraction between them, she’s vowed never to be put in a position where she must be at the mercy of someone else.

One of the things I loved best about Three Nights, the other Mullins book I enjoyed so much, was that the focus is on the relationship between the hero and heroine throughout most of the book. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for this one. Much of the focus is put on the situation with Wylde and his impostor, plus a separate mystery that arises when Miranda begins receiving threatening notes.

Even so, I did feel a deep connection between them. They really seemed to compliment each other. Miranda really reminds Wylde that he didn’t die along with his wife and he reminds her that there’s more to life than being alone. I thought it was sweet they way they leaned on and drew strength from each other. Even though they didn’t have as much time together as I would have liked, I still believed totally in their love for one another.

I especially loved Miranda. She was practical and levelheaded. Although she knew she wanted Wylde, she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she became his mistress. She was also very practical about her personal safety. Unlike many other historical romance heroines, she didn’t rush headfirst into danger, or insist she could care for herself and spurn all offered help. She was careful to guard her heart, but equally as careful with her personal safety.

Wylde’s character was hard to pin down. At first he comes off as very tortured and almost self-pitying. It isn’t long before we see another side of him, however. He was very suspicious of Miranda’s motives in the beginning and therefore somewhat callous to her. After he got to know her, however, he became very tender toward her and we saw the true person underneath his gruff exterior.

I wasn’t very impressed with the mystery angle. It isn’t a secret who the villain of the piece is (he’s introduced fairly early on) and really felt that part of the story served only as a purpose for conflict between the hero and heroine. I didn’t really see the point otherwise. The ending came about rather quickly, which left several loose ends dangling. I’m hoping she plans to make this a series, and that’s why she left things as open as she did. If not I’ll be seriously disappointed.

Although I found the mystery to be less than impressive, I really enjoyed the characters. They really drew me in and made me care about them.

Overall the mystery lacks, but the romance definitely makes up for any shortcomings.

3.75 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

Posted January 19, 2009 by Tracy in Features | 18 Comments

Ok – so it’s really What I Read Last Week. I’m a little behind in posting this. I blame my husband. I swear to God sometimes that man drives me up a fuckin wall I love that man with all my heart. So last night I’m thinking about doing this post (I’m in the middle of Kiss of the Demon King so it was hard to pull myself away anyway) when I notice my hubby’s just gotten on the computer.

It’s about 7pm and I walk into the office:
Me: Are you going to be on the computer long?
Hubby: No, not long.

At 8pm
Me: I thought you said you weren’t gonna be on there that long. Are you going to be much longer?
Hubby: No. (a man of few words, my husband)

At 9pm
Me: Just tell me, are you gonna be on there all night?
Hubby: Chill Trac, I’ll be off soon.

I finally gave up trying. At 11:30pm he walks into the bedroom
Me: I thought you weren’t gonna be on there all night.
Hubby: I wasn’t looks at clock there’s still a 1/2 hour of night left.
Me: Fucker
Hubby: I love you too, baby.

So – I’m behind and it’s all his fault! lol Anyway – I now have coffee in me so I’m ready to post!

First up was Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James. I really liked this book. At first I thought that it was going to really annoy me. When Colby is telling Channing “da rules” and says “you will get me off any time I want” I was like – whoa buddy. And I hate the word tits. Lol I don’t know why – it bugs me. When someone is saying it in a degrading way it doesn’t seem to bother me cuz normally those people are scum of the earth and have no brain. But when the hero is saying it to the heroine – it just annoys me. But it end it didn’t have any effect on how much I enjoyed the story so I easily let those things drop. It really was done well. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. (warning: this story does have an HEA but there is menage action as well as a littl m/m)

Next up was The Night Before the Wedding by Debra Mullins. This was a historical but with a paranormal twist. There’s a curse on 2 Scottish families from centuries back. The clans chief of the MacBraedon’s must always marry the “marked” woman from the Farlan family. The one female from Farlan family that has a dagger birthmark. If the MacBraedon does not marry The Bride then both families lands will suffer greatly and the Farlan woman will go mad. This was a great story. I loved that the hero was going to do anything he could to get his bride, but he was doing it for a noble cause so his caveman type attitude was easily overlooked. And for all that the heroine thought she was going mad and was resisiting the MacBraedon she was also kind and giving. They sound sappy – but they weren’t at all. Good book.


Next up was With Love by J.L. Langley. This was a novella – the start of the With or Without series and a great m/m werewolf story. I didn’t love Laine – he was a little too giggly for me. (I wouldn’t have liked it in a female either). But I really liked Dev, his mate, and I thought the story was a great set up for the rest of the series – which I’m very much looking forward to reading.


Next up Breaking the Silence by Katie Allen. A story about a solitary man who sees a woman walking her dog every day and finally decides to talk to her. He’s painfully shy and isn’t quite sure what to do. I thought he was almost too freakily shy, but I really began to enjoy his character after a while. I really enjoyed Jenny’s character as well. She was just fun-loving and just the kind of person you’d want as your friend.

Biting Nixie by Mary Hughes was next. See review below.


Demon’s Hunger by Eve Silver was my next read. I’ll be doing a review The Book Binge so keep your eyes peeled. Let me just say that I liked it better than the last one.


The Long Way Home by Z.A. Maxfield was my next book. This was a very interesting m/m story about a police detective and a psychic coming together. It had a slower pace than I normally like in my books but it was still very good. I liked it.


Last but not least a novella that has 4 short stories in it. What Legends Are Made Of by Heather Beck. Again, read this for The Book Binge so keep your eyes peeled for the review.

Happy Reading!


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Review: The Night Before the Wedding by Debra Mullins.

Posted May 15, 2008 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments

Review: The Night Before the Wedding by Debra Mullins.Reviewer: Rowena
The Night Before The Wedding by Debra Mullins
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon
Publication Date: January 1st 2008
Genres: Historical Romance
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four-stars

To win the woman destined to be his bride . . .

Catherine Depford is the wealthiest heiress in London, and she is all but promised to a proper English lord . . . so why is she having dreams of a Scottish warrior claiming her for his own? She can't imagine that her heated fantasies would come true . . . until she locks eyes with the stranger of her dreams in a crowded ballroom.

A Scotsman will do anything

Highland chief Gabriel MacBraedon has come to London in search of Catherine, the woman an ancient curse dictates to be his bride. But he can't very well sweep the English beauty into his arms and carry her off to Scotland in the dead of night. Or can he? Nothing is impossible when a Scotsman's passion is making the rules . . .

It’s been quite some time since I last read a Highland historical and I’m glad that I picked this book up. I’m very wary of trying new to me authors because I always expect the worst which could work out for me in the end if I really end up liking the book, as was the case with this one. Debra Mullins weaves a magical tale of a Scottish Chief hell-bent on securing his destined bride who will put an end to the curse that has befallen his people and their lands.

His chosen Bride, Catherine Depford is a wealthy heiress from London who is half Scots and scared that she’s losing her mind just like her mother did before she died. She’s been having these dreams of a Scottish warrior who makes sweet love to her and speaks of a curse that she’s needed to help satisfy so that it can bring prosperity back to his people. There are voices in her head that are telling her that she needs to marry to save the people and all that goodness and she thinks she’s going crazy when the man of her dreams shows up at a ball in London. When she sees Gabriel across the floor, she thinks he’s not real so she makes quick work of filling her dance card so that she won’t have time to see people she thinks only she can see.

Gabriel, on the other hand is trying to hurry up and find The Bride, take her back home, marry her and save his people. He knows that Catherine is The Bride because she bears the birthmark and is of Farlan blood. She grew up in England though, grew up in an English household and knew nothing about curses or clans or anything until the voices started, right after her 18th birthday.

Gabriel is determined to bring Catherine back to the family and Catherine is determined on finding out about her Mother’s family and why she’s hearing voices and dreaming of Gabriel. She doesn’t believe in curses or magic or anything that Gabriel is talking about which is understandable to me since she didn’t grow up with the tales and she has never been to Scotland so she’s never seen the destruction the curse has brought to Gabriel’s people.

The thing about this story was that I saw where everyone was coming from. I saw how desperate Gabriel was to get Catherine back home and married. I saw his frustration at trying to woo her into marriage the English way so that he didn’t scare her, I felt his frustration when he thought that Catherine was playing games with him. I really felt his need to have her, even though he didn’t want to have her. The lust he was battling along with the longing he was dealing with for his one love, Jean Farlan was all told in such a way that I felt for him, I wanted things to work out for him.

Same thing with Catherine. Only, I saw and felt what Debra Mullins was trying to get me to feel. I felt the craziness she thought she was going through but I also felt the selfishness in her as well. I felt the madness that Gabriel and Brodie felt when she would not give in and marry Gabriel, even after she was in Scotland and saw the destruction herself. I felt their desperation and then their anger over everything.

Catherine was a spoiled princess who got everything she wanted. Her father doted on her and her mother died so long ago that she hardly remembers her…all she remembers of her mother was that she was mad and it scared her too because it seemed as if she was going to be taken by the same madness but when she went with Gabriel, I thought things would have gotten easier for the both of them, only they didn’t because Catherine was more worried about finding and fixing HER, she didn’t really pay much attention to Gabriel’s problems.

And seriously, could you blame her? The way everyone came down on her when they found out that she wasn’t sold on marrying Gabriel yet. She doesn’t believe in any of the curses they talked about. All of it was so new to her that I didn’t blame her for being cautious over it all. I got so pissed off at the clansmen when they all made her feel like an outcast because she hadn’t yet given her agreement to the marriage. I know that Brodie was only speaking because he was hurt because of his son but his words still pissed me the hell off.

And then there was Jean. When we first read about Jean, when Gabriel tells Catherine that she wouldn’t have been his choice if he could have chosen because he was in love with Jean, I was like…ugh, why did this have to be written into the story but I was glad for it because it added a bit more drama to the book and made it just a little more interesting to keep reading. I liked Jean because Gabriel did but then I met her.

And immediately, I didn’t care for her. I felt betrayed by Gabriel when he went up and sang with her and then the little bit in the hallway but I was so hot damn proud of Catherine for having more faith in him than I did because I was pissed to high heaven. She knew that Gabriel wouldn’t be unfaithful to her, even though he wasn’t sure if he married her or not and the way she handled coming upon then in the hallway, totally had me rooting them on.

I loved seeing Gabriel fall in love with Catherine. I loved how he was around Catherine. The way she was around him, I admired that Catherine was refreshingly honest about the things Gabriel made her feel even though she was a virgin. She never lied about the way Gabriel made her feel, the way she just laid it out and was like, “Aye, I want you too even though I shouldn’t.” I liked that about her. So many times, we read historicals where the heroine plays dumb and it was just good to finally read about a historical heroine who told it like it was.

Gabriel was a great hero. He was your typical Scottish Laird hero, fierce, strong, handsome and just everything yummy and hunkalicious. I loved seeing him with his family, with Catherine and I just enjoyed HIM. I loved reading his Scottish brogue, even though I’ve never heard people talk like that, I think it’s hella sexy. At Church, one of the missionaries serving in my area is from Scotland and his brogue is definitely sexy so I just pictured his voice in my head whenever Gabriel talked.

Overall, this story was good. I enjoyed the story, I enjoyed the characters and it was an entertaining read. I think that if you’re in the mood for a good Scottish romance, this is the romance for you.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars


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