Series: Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James

Review: Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses by Lorraine Heath

Posted September 7, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses by Lorraine HeathReviewer: Rowena
Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #4.5) by Lorraine Heath
Series: Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #4.5
Also in this series: An Affair with a Notorious Heiress
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: August 22nd 2017
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 112
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Lord Andrew Mabry, the second son of the Duke of Greystone, has no desire to marry. As the spare, he has no obligation to provide an heir and he rather enjoys spending his days and nights in play with the demimonde. But more and more of late, he finds himself wanting to play naughty games with the American heiress, Gina Hammersley.

After her scandalous older sister marries a marquess, Gina Hammersley suddenly finds herself the darling of London with beaux a plenty calling on her, sending flowers, and filling her dance cards. Unfortunately, the one she desires most is the one who has no wish to be caught in the marriage trap: Lord Andrew Mabry.

But when they are discovered in a compromising situation, this unlikely pair must decide whether to face scandal or discover if the passion they’ve always felt is strong enough to lead them into love.

I was a bit bummed when I found out that Gina and Mabry’s book was a novella and not a full novel. I liked both of these guys in the previous books that they were in and was all for them getting their happily ever after in a full-length story but I went into this story confident that I would love their story whatever way I got it and I wasn’t wrong.

Lorraine Heath writes such great historical romances and it’s no wonder I won’t ever pass up anything she releases.

So Gina and Andrew know each other through their siblings. Gina’s sister married Andrew’s brother. Gina is thrilled for her sister and wants to find what Tillie has for herself. She wants love and the whole nine yards but the guy that she’s interested in has no plans to ever marry so she’s not about to get caught up with Andrew Mabry, no matter how hot he is. Andrew never planned on getting married because he didn’t have to. He’s the spare and now that his brother is married and will probably knock his wife up soon, he really doesn’t have to get married so why should he? He’s free to live the life that he’s always led. A happy and carefree one with no strings attached. He’s annoyed that he can’t seem to stop thinking about Gina Hammersley and wanting her. She was not part of his plans but a future with her is starting to look better and better the more time he spends with her. Too bad he doesn’t have the title she wants in a husband.

These two and their adventures had me laughing and sighing and just enjoying the heck out of reading their story. Lorraine Heath does a great job of stringing the reader along, making them a part of the story and not just a bystander.

Andrew was a great hero who really came to care for Gina and I really enjoyed getting to know him. I loved seeing him try to do right by Gina while at the same time helping her have adventures without getting caught. Gina was a great match for Andrew and I thought that their romance was super sweet without the lengthy drama of a full-length novel. Their chemistry was strong and the writing and pacing was well done and I just enjoyed it all.

I definitely recommend this one.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

four-half-stars


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Review: An Affair with a Notorious Heiress by Lorraine Heath

Posted June 1, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: An Affair with a Notorious Heiress by Lorraine HeathReviewer: Rowena
An Affair with a Notorious Heiress by Lorraine Heath
Series: Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #4
Also in this series: Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #4.5)
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon
Publication Date: May 30th 2017
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The son of a duke and an infamous mother, Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton, fought his way to respectability. Now, the most eligible bachelor in London, marriage-shy Rexton will take only a wife with an impeccable reputation, good breeding, and a penchant for staying out of the gossip sheets. But when he strikes a deal to be seen “courting” a sweet young debutante whose notorious older sister has blemished her chances for marriage, Rexton is unexpectedly drawn to the highly inappropriate, calamitous Tillie, Lady Landsdowne herself.

After a scandalous incident that sent shockwaves throughout society and disgraced her, Tillie refuses to cower in the face of the ton. Instead, she will hold her head high as she serves as a chaperone for her younger sister, but Tillie is convinced Rexton’s courtship is shrouded with secrets—ones she vows to uncover. However, doing so requires getting dangerously close to the devilishly handsome and forbidden marquess…

An Affair with a Notorious Heiress is the fourth book in the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series by Lorraine Heath and it follows Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton. Rexton has a bunch of siblings that we’ve come to know throughout this series. I have enjoyed every single book in this series and that didn’t stop with this one. Lorraine Heath is one of my go to historical romance authors because she writes historical romances that have that old school feel and I fall into each of her stories so very easily.

The Marquess of Rexton is no stranger to scandal. His mother wasn’t born into the aristocracy so when his father married her, she wasn’t really accepted but that didn’t stop his father from loving the hell out of her anyway. Rexton was bullied at school because of his mother. He grew up and had to deal with a scandal that was not his and he swore that when he grew up and took a wife, she would be above reproach. His children will never know the pain he endured when he was a child.

Lady Mathilda Landsdowne is a walking scandal. She’s a divorced woman who was caught kissing her footman and all this time later, she’s still paying for her actions. She has plans to leave England and return to New York to start over but first, she needs to get her younger sister situated and make sure that she marries someone who is worthy of her. Someone that will take care of her and make her happy, because Tillie knows all too well the misery behind marrying the wrong guy.

Rexton was approached by Tillie’s uncle to pay some attention to her younger sister, Gina in hopes that other gentlemen will take notice of her since Tillie’s divorce scandal has kept Gina from having the season she deserved. Rexton has no plans to marry Gina since she’s too young for him but when one of the best racehorses is dangled in front of his nose, he finds himself asking the young girl to dance…and then asking to take her for a ride in the park.

Tillie is suspicious of Rexton and she’s also attracted as hell to him. The attraction she feels for him is definitely returned and their story kind of takes off right when they meet. Rexton is immediately drawn to Tillie, to the strong front she puts up for everyone to the obvious love and support she has for her younger sister, Gina. The more time that Rexton spends with Tillie, the more that he wants her. Tillie is fighting her attraction to the man that is “courting” her sister but it’s a losing battle.

Lorraine Heath did such a great job of pulling my heartstrings with this book. Between Tillie not wanting Rexton to suffer from loving her and Rexton wanting to protect Tillie from everything and everyone around her, I was happy sighing all over the place. I completely connected with both of their characters and their situations. I wished for them to work things out and for them to find a way to be together and in the end, I got my wish.

Tillie was a strong heroine that was hellbent on making sure that her sister didn’t make the same mistakes she did and I really loved the relationship between the two sisters. Gina wanted Tillie’s happiness just as much as Tillie wanted Gina’s and I loved how Team Rexton Gina was. That was just too adorable for words.

Rexton was everything that I hoped he would be and I loved seeing him fall in love with Tillie. I loved seeing how close he was with his family and the way that they all came together to accept Tillie into the fold was just too stinkin’ good. The way that they banded around Rexton and his woman made my heart swell. He was such a good man and my bloodthirsty heart was satisfied with the beat down he gave anyone who dared to touch Tillie.

Heath worked her magic and it paid off because this was a fine romance and I’m super glad that I read it.

Grade: 4 out of 5

four-stars


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