Tag: Darcie Wilde

Guest Review: An Exquisite Marriage: Regency Makeover Part III by Darcie Wilde

Posted May 18, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: An Exquisite Marriage: Regency Makeover Part III by Darcie WildeReviewer: Tracy
An Exquisite Marriage (Regency Makeover #3) by Darcie Wilde
Series: Regency Makeover #3
Publisher: Intermix
Publication Date: Mary 17th 2016
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

An Exquisite Marriage

Everyone knows Helene Fitzgerald will never marry. She and her wallflower friends may be on the rise socially, but Helene is still nothing but a sharp-tongued bluestocking who very publically renounced her only marriage offer. Worse, her family is in serious financial trouble. So, how is Helene suddenly attracting the eye of Marcus Endicott, the Duke of Windford and one of England's most eligible aristocrats?

Trapped by his father's long legacy of mistakes, Marcus never thought he'd find a woman he'd want enough to risk his heart. But what began as a contentious friendship has transformed into a passion beyond anything he dreamed possible. Now, Marcus’s old secrets are threatening to destroy everything Helene and her friends have worked for. Can any passion be strong enough to carry Helene and Marcus away from their pasts?

Helene was once engaged but after finding out some horrifying details about her fiancé she ended the engagement loudly and very publically.  After that she constantly spoke her mind whether it was proper or not and was then labeled a bluestocking.  She doesn’t regret her decision to end the engagement but the money that her fiancé would have brought to her titled but destitute family would have been a godsend.

When she makes a plan with her two friends to increase their social standings she still doesn’t plan on marrying but her friend Adele’s brother, Marcus the Duke of Winford, ends up catching her eye and her heart.  When he proposes to Helene and she hears his profession of love she can’t help but accept.  Marcus, however, is hiding a big secret and when it comes out it may ruin their budding relationship forever.

This was a sweet novella.  I liked all three parts of the Regency Makeover as all the men and women involved in the stories were deserving of the other.  Adele, Madelene and Helene were lovely women who had been overlooked by society and I loved that they were doing something about being wallflowers.  Not accepting your lot in life and striving to be better is one of my favorite things to read about – especially if it’s a story about women who people have dismissed as “not good enough.”

My only issue with this story, and really with the other two books as well, is that I wanted more from the romance.  This was very sweet but it all happened rather quickly.  Granted Helene and Marcus interacted well together and once engaged moved their encounters to the bedroom which went well, but I just wanted more.  More of that build-up and tension between the two MC’s.

The rest of the story was a good one and one I enjoyed.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Regency Makeover

three-half-stars

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Guest Review: The Accidental Abduction by Darcie Wilde

Posted January 8, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: The Accidental Abduction by Darcie WildeReviewer: Tracy
The Accidental Abduction by Darcie Wilde
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: September 2nd 2014
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars

Harold Rayburn is about to be taken for the ride of his life…

After having his proposal rejected by a beautiful but flighty woman, Harry vows he is done with unpredictable and impetuous women for good. Until beautiful and fierce Leannah Wakefield barrels into his life, inadvertently kidnapping him while on a wild carriage ride and leaving him all too eager to get back in the saddle…

Leannah would sacrifice everything to protect her family. So upon hearing of her sister’s intended elopement, she races across London to stop the ill-advised ceremony before it can happen. However, when her mad journey picks her up an unlikely stowaway, one who ignites her desire beyond all reason, she’s the one who ends up hastily wedding a handsome and secretive stranger.But as Leannah and Harry immediately encounter opposition, jealousy, and suspicion of their hurried nuptials, they begin to doubt that their unquenchable passion can truly lead to a happy marriage—especially when both the bride and groom have devastating secrets to hide…

Tracy’s review of The Accidental Abduction by Darcie Wilde

Harry is devastated when he asks the woman he thinks he’s in love with to marry him – and she laughs in his face. He just wants to be alone and after a talk with his sister he heads to his club. He gets his drink on in a big way and when he leaves the club he’s not really firing on all cylinders. When he sees a carriage flying down the street and realizes a woman’s driving he believes she’s lost control. Despite his drunkenness he manages to clamor onto the carriage and attempts to save the woman. He soon realizes that she’s not lost control but is very much in control of her team. Eventually, however, one of the horses throws a shoe and the mad dash comes to an end. This is when Harry gets to see his “captor” for the first time and he’s entranced. He soon finds out that the woman is trying to go after her younger sister who she believes has headed off to Gretna Green with the wrong man and she intended to stop them. Harry feels horrible about her predicament and he can’t exactly leave her in the middle of the night on a dark road so he ends up walking to team to The Three Swans – an inn right by the London gates.

When they arrive they find that they were expected – only it wasn’t really them, it was Leannah’s sister, Genevieve, who is expected. Despite their traumatic beginning Harry and Leannah start talking and realize that there’s an incredible attraction between them. Neither want to give it up so after lots of events that happen at The Three Swans the end up getting married!

Their both thrilled but Harry’s parents definitely aren’t and think he’s a dupe. Leannah finds herself falling for Harry but she realizes that once he hears about all of her family and their background that things will end. She just wanted something of her own to love and Harry seems to be it.

I’ve got to hand it to Ms. Wilde – this is certainly not your average way to fall into a hasty marriage. I really appreciated her imagination with the whole beginning and how Leannah and Harry meet. I can’t say I blame Harry’s parents for having some misgivings but I do believe they were a bit too harsh without having all of the facts. Harry believed in Leannah and their relationship until almost everyone he knew started bad-mouthing her. Then he couldn’t help but start to doubt his own decision making. I got that but I just wanted him to actually talk to her and ask her rather than keep it all inside. Typical man. lol

Leannah was so used to taking care of everyone in her family that she’d never really taken anything for herself. When she meets Harry it’s a whirlwind start to their relationship but one she covets. Despite that she knows that all good things must come to an end. That’s how she’s lived her life and she expects nothing more than for it all to fail which ends up being a self fulfilling prophecy.

I did wonder why Leannah never was bothered by the fact that Harry was so soon off a marriage proposal. Did you never think she was “rebound woman?” I would have thought that that would be an issue but it was only an issue with her family, in the end.

I very much liked the writing in the book but I can’t say that I always liked the story itself. It’s filled with secrets and whispers and evasions that did annoy me at times, I must admit. I just wanted everyone to be truthful! There were also two villains involved in the book but they played a minor role in the book. I think it was meant to have more of an impact but for me it really didn’t.

Overall a good read but definitely a different type of romance, imho.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This title is available from Berkley Sensation. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

three-half-stars

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Review: Lord of the Rakes by Darcie Wilde

Posted January 31, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

So it’s no wonder he’s called the Lord of the Rakes. Rumor has it he’s the most dangerous seducer in the city, with quite the extensive list of conquests. Talk of his prowess as a lover and his ingenuity in the bedroom are enough to make even the most prudish of ladies succumb to temptation. But as of late, Phillip has found himself a bit bored. Until he sets his eyes on a fiery newcomer.

New to independence and London, gorgeous heiress Lady Caroline Delamarre wants to make the most of her life. And when Phillip meets her gaze, she knows the perfect place to start: in his arms …and in his bed. But what begins as a long night of breathtaking passion leads to more than the two bargained for. Haunted by troubled pasts and inescapable family entanglements, each of them must decide if they can risk a gamble on what might be true love.

Lady Caroline is more than a bit surprised when she finds out that her now deceased mother left her a trust and she had no clue about it. Caroline had been practically imprisoned in her home all her life with only short forays out into country society. She sees this trust as her way to freedom from her overbearing brother and she’s going to take it. Her best friend is getting married in London and then she plans on heading to the Continent, possibly forever.

In London, at her very first ball, she sees Phillip. She’s immediately told to ignore the man as he’s known as the Lord of the Rakes and she should have nothing to do with him. Caroline knows that she never plans on marrying but after being cooped up she wants to live and that includes experiencing passion. She sends Phillip a note and they meet in the garden. From that moment they both know that they will continue the tryst in private.

Phillip is immediately taken with Caroline. He can’t stop thinking about her and wants her in so many different ways. He was getting bored with his life and Caroline opens new doors to excitement, except, he starts to want to see Caroline constantly and wants no other woman. This is perplexing to him but he goes with it. As he gets to know Caroline better he starts to really look at his life and what he sees isn’t something he’s happy with. For both his own happiness and hopefully that of Caroline he decides to make a change. Unfortunately Caroline may be forced back into imprisonment if Phillip can’t help her out.

This is a new book by a new author and I have to say I enjoyed almost every minute of it. I was immediately engaged in the story from page one and couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

I think I liked Caroline so much in this book because she was so different. I suppose I thought as she had been out of her home so little that she would be shy and not know what she wanted but that wasn’t the case at all. She may have been sheltered but she knew exactly what she wanted and went after it. She had some misgivings a time or two but for the most part took the bull by the horns.

Phillip was a tad bit stereotypical as the rake but his character was well written and I found myself rooting for him. I wanted him to be with Caroline and the way the author had him growing in the book may have been a bit predictable but it worked.

Overall I found Lord of the Rakes to be a very good book and I’m looking forward to reading what Ms. Wilde writes in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Darcie Wilde
 

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What I Read Last Week

Posted January 29, 2014 by Tracy in Features | 0 Comments

Howdo neighbors!

Sorry, I’m so behind this week!

We had my daughter’s sweet 16 b-day party this past Saturday and while I thought the kids weren’t having that much fun it turns out that they all said it was the best party ever. I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand teenagers before, now I’m positive. lol

Since then that same daughter has done something to her leg – possibly a pulled muscle? – and the doctor has her on crutches for a week, poor thing.

Other than that there’s not much happening in Tracyland. 🙂

So, what did I read last week? Let me tell ya:

I started off the week with The Billionaire Banker by Georgia le Carre. This is the story of a woman desperate for money so that she can pay for her mother’s cancer treatment. She starts to sell her body to one man but ends up with a different man by the end of the night. Lana and Blake have an incredible attraction but after 3 months is up, what will happen to her and Blake – especially when she figures out she’s in love with him. This was a decent read but ended on a cliffhanger. Good thing the 2nd book was almost out by the time I read it! 3.5 out of 5

The next book in the series is Forty 2 Days. Lana took off and broke her agreement with Blake. She’s now back in London and Blake is pissed that she left in the first place. He insists that she complete the 42 days that were left on her contract. Unfortunately his family wants her to have nothing to do with Blake and they’ll stop at nothing to get what they want. This was again, a decent read but I had issues with the end of the book. You can read a single post with reviews of both book 1 & 2 at The Book Binge by clicking here. (There’s also a giveaway going on as well until 2/24/14). 3 out of 5

Reckless by Skye Jordan was a freebie I got off of ARe at one time. The story is about a dress designer who is flying to NY from LA. She sees a guy she thinks is hot and with the help of an app from her friend is able to text him anonymously. They strike up a conversation and end up planning a tryst once they get to NY. They have a great time – in a completely darkened room – and he still has no idea who she is. He’s a stunt man and she designs for big stars. Both of them are leery, from being previously burned by ex’s, of getting into a relationship and trusting. Unfortunately this aspect of the story brought it all down for me. They were both so suspicious of each other constantly and the trust wasn’t there. I can’t see the kind of relationship the author was trying to give us happening with no trust. Yes it all ended with an HEA that was pretty satisfying but I just wasn’t sold enough to believe it would work in the long run. 3 out of 5

Next up was Friends Without Benefits by Penny Reid. This is the second story in the Knitting in the City series and was Elizabeth’s story. Elizabeth is a doctor in Chicago and meets Nico after not seeing him for 10 years. Nico was a friend when they were kids but then used to bully her somewhat. There was history with him and her now deceased boyfriend that cased a bond…and a rift. Nico wants to be friends but he’s been in love with her for years so his friends without benefits offer is a little strange but Elizabeth goes with it. This was a very good book that I really enjoyed. I loved the characters – both main and secondary and it was fun and funny. 4 out of 5

No If, Ands or Bears About It by Celia Kyle is the story of a woman who moves to a Bear shifter town to live her in now deceased grandfathers home. On the first day she finds a bear cub shifter in her pantry and when she meets his belligerent and violent uncle she decides she’s not giving him back. The Sheriff, and Itan of the Bear clan has something to say about that but he’s almost more interested in the woman as she’s his. The story is about Mia’s resistance to Ty as she thinks it’s just chemical and not love, and the fight with the Uncle and therefore another Itan over the keeping of the bear cub, Parker. It was a fun, cute book and I really liked it. 3.75 out of 5

Last for the week was Lord of the Rakes by Darcie Wilde. Sheltered and practically imprisoned all her life, Lady Caroline finds out that her deceased mother left her money that is all hers – money her brother can’t touch – which means she’s now free. She heads to London with the plan to be in her best friends wedding then move to the Continent but she soon meets Phillip and her plans go awry. I’ll give you my thoughts on this one later this week when I post my review. 4 out of 5 

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
Hope Flames by Jaci Burton
Torn by Kim Karr
The Billionaire Banker and Forty 2 Days by Georgia Le Carre
Guilty as Sin by Jami Alden

Happy Reading!

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