Tag: Entangled Select Historical

Guest Review: A Lady’s Deception by Pamela Mingle

Posted September 22, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: A Lady’s Deception by Pamela MingleReviewer: Tracy
A Lady's Deception by Pamela Mingle
Series: Haslemere Men #2
Publisher: Entangled
Publication Date: August 28th 2017
Genres: Historical Romance
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two-half-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

Mr. Hugh Grey and Miss Eleanor Broxton share a scintillating liaison the night before he leaves for war in Canada. The memory sustained him for the years he was away. Now, the reputed rake is back, knighted, and he’s got enough money to right the estate his father left in ruins. What would make Sir Hugh Grey’s world perfect is the lovely Eleanor by his side.

Their attraction is sizzling, and the sweet way Hugh is wooing her—a kitten, kisses in the moonlight, and expert help in lighting her dreary work space—makes Eleanor dream of forever with her strapping knight. But she will not risk a scandal, which could ruin his newfound respectability and esteem, especially in her father’s eyes. When Hugh discovers what she’s been hiding, it could drive them apart forever.

Hugh and Eleanor met when Hugh’s mother threw a house party. They got on fabulously and even shared a kiss in the garden.  That had been earlier in the year and Hugh was now at a local assembly hoping to get a peek at Eleanor.  He is leaving for Canada in two days’ time and feels the need to see her.  He does run into her and plans to dance with her but her father give Hugh the evil eye (as the father believes that Hugh’s not good enough for Eleanor) so he decides to leave.  Eleanor ends up following him and they end up in the livery and their encounter goes much father than kisses.

Almost three years later Hugh is back from Canada.  He now goes by Sir Hugh as he was knighted and is remodeling his deceased father’s neglected home.  He is excited to see Eleanor again as he’s dreamed of her night after night since he’s been gone.  He does end up seeing her but when he does Eleanor isn’t as open to him as he feels she should be.  He decides to court her but Eleanor is giving him mixed signals.

Eleanor dreamed of Hugh as well but when she finds out that he’s been back in town for almost a month and hasn’t come to see her she’s pissed.  She’s been running a dressmaking business out of a cottage on her parent’s property hoping to have enough to eventually move away and live independently from her parents. She wants her two-year-old daughter living with her as she’s currently fostered out.  She knows that she should tell Hugh about his daughter but she’s not sure how he’ll react.  The longer she holds on to the information the harder it is to tell him.

The pair get closer and closer and eventually declare their love for each other.  When it becomes obvious that Eleanor can’t keep the information to herself any longer she hopes Hugh’s love for her will soften what she has to tell him.  It doesn’t, and Eleanor’s worst nightmares come to life.  She’s not sure that she can forgive Hugh for his actions and if she can, could they have any kind of future together?

So the story started off a little lackluster for me.  The time between the start of the story to when Hugh and Eleanor are doing it in the stable is so short I had no time to engage with the characters or find any romantic feelings between them.  Because of this I felt the sex scene was awkward and went way too fast.  Hugh seemed like a bastard for moving so quickly even though I know he felt he was out of time as he was leaving for Canada.  Still…I didn’t like him too much for treating Eleanor the way he did.

When Hugh gets back from Canada we read that he’s planning on courting Eleanor but then he doesn’t even go to see her for 3 weeks. I found this really odd.  It’s apparent that his childhood home and Eleanor’s family estate are very close to each other but yet the two never met before the house party three years earlier?  Strange.

I had serious issues with Hugh and his temper.  He would so get angry at Eleanor and then buy her things to make up for it, or do something nice.  She always forgave him but seriously?  How many times can that happen before you’re extremely leery of saying anything to the man for fear he’ll fly off the handle?  I didn’t care for the way he treated Eleanor once she told him of their daughter, either.  The things he said to her and what he called her?  Completely uncalled for.  Now, he did have his “mama” issue with his own mother so that explained a bit about his feelings with regard to their daughter but it didn’t completely excuse his actions, imho.

Eleanor was a strong woman and had gone through a lot in her short life.  I wish she would have stood up to Hugh more when he was yelling at her.  She had it in her but was cowed by Hugh’s mean forcefulness.  I understood, but didn’t like it.

Overall the book was decent but I’m not sure I’d recommend it.  I disliked Hugh too much to say that this book was “good” so I’ll go with “ok.”

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

two-half-stars

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Guest Review: Only a Duke Will Do by Tamara Gill

Posted February 17, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Only a Duke Will Do by Tamara GillReviewer: Tracy
Only a Duke Will Do by Tamara Gill
Series: To Marry a Rogue #2

Publication Date: February 20th 2017
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Without a Season, Lady Isolde Worthingham captured the Duke of Moore’s heart at a country dance. But on the eve of her wedding, a scandal that rocked the ton and sent her fleeing to Scotland alone and unwed, leaves her perfectly planned future in a tangle of disgrace and heartbreak.

Merrick Mountshaw, the Duke of Moore, loathes the pitiful existence he portrays to the ton. With a scandalous wife he never wanted, who flaunts her many indiscretions, life is a never-ending parade of hell. When the one woman he loved and lost returns to London, he knows he can no longer live without her.

But vows and past hurts are not easily forgotten. Love may not win against the ton when a too proper lord and lady play by the rules.

Isolde and Merrick are so excited to get married.  He saw her on the dance floor at a country dance a year ago and knew that she was the one for him.  He wants nothing more than to get married to Isolde and start their life together.  Unfortunately Isolde’s friend is a jealous bitch and finds a way to drug Merrick and make sure that Isolde finds her in his bed.  The little bitch then goes on to force Isolde and her family to watcher her marry Merrick the next day while Isolde’s heart breaking.

Five years have passed and Isolde, who has been living in Scotland at a family property, decides that it’s time to face life again.  She knows that she may run into Merrick and her bitch of a friend who’s now his wife, but she decides that she wants to get married and have a family.  She knows that she can never love a man like she loves (yes, she still loves him) Merrick but she can be comfortable with a man and will be happy to have children.

Isolde doesn’t plan on having such strong feelings about seeing Merrick again but she’s determined to ignore her feelings and move on.  Many men are interested in Isolde, including Merrick’s best friend.  Merrick and Isolde obviously still love each other very much and both were betrayed horribly but as much as they love each other how can they ever be together when he’s still married to the evil bitch duchess.

This was a great story of love and betrayal.  The sadness and angst was heart-wrenching and I totally understood the pain that both Isolde and Merrick felt.  We only got to see Isolde and Merrick as a couple for a very short time at the beginning of the book before it all went to shit but in that short amount of time the author did a great job of showing us how much the couple loved each other. It was so sad to see them separated.

Merrick was a great character.  I really liked him.  He had been wronged so badly but despite that he was a great father to his son.  His wife was, of course, an evil witch but he couldn’t leave her because she threatened to spread rumors about their son.  He wouldn’t allow that to happen so he stayed miserable.  I had to give him props for his love for his child and putting him first.  He was a strong man and I really liked him.

Isolde was pretty damned strong as well.  To have to live with the betrayal of her best friend and then the man she loved.  Not fun.  Despite it all she wasn’t too, too bitter and I liked her a lot as well.

Overall the book was really good and one I recommend.  If you don’t like highly angsty books then you might not like this one but if you do then this will be right up your alley.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars

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Guest Review: How to Play the Game of Love by Harmony Williams

Posted December 27, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: How to Play the Game of Love by Harmony WilliamsReviewer: Tracy
How to Play the Game of Love by Harmony Williams
Series: Ladies of Passion #1

Publication Date: October 17th 2016
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three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

He’s everything she thinks she doesn’t want.

When Miss Rose Wellesley’s father threatens an arranged marriage, she knows she'd better settle on a choice quickly or end up having no say in who she marries. Fortunately, she's garnered a rare invitation to Lady Dunlop's "Week of Love" house party, an annual affair notorious for matchmaking. Her plans to expedite a proposal would go smoothly if not for the brash younger sister she must chaperone, her outspoken, disagreeable best friend, and the bullish Lord Hartfell who seems determined to dog her every step.

Lord Hartfell embodies every last thing Rose dislikes in a man. He’s domineering, tenacious, argumentative, and a little too casual with his nudity for her tastes. Worst of all, Rose can't seem to get him—or his kisses—out of her mind.

Rose is determined to find a more appropriate husband, even if her heart disagrees with how unsuitable the stubborn lord is…

Rose, her sixteen-year-old sister, Daisy, and her friends Francine and Mary are all at a house party.  This is what Rose thinks of as her last chance.  Her father has said that if she doesn’t choose a husband soon that he’ll choose one for her.  She’s had marriage proposals but she hasn’t loved any of them.  She wants love – is that so wrong?  Her father wants her married before Rose’s sister has her first season and he’s not about to take no for an answer.

The house party that the girls are at are is a notorious week-long party that supposedly is the week of love.  Many couples get married after meeting at this party every year and Rose wants that too.  The first night Rose sees Captain Frederick Paine and falls in love.  He helped her out of a mud puddle once when she was younger and she found him honorable.  Now he’s not only honorable but a soldier and good-looking.  Unfortunately when Rose starts to make her move it seems that Frederick isn’t interested in her and she’s thwarted by a man named Lord Hartfell.  She tries to get away from him throughout the week but it seems they’re paired together quite often.  As much as Rose doesn’t want to admit that she likes him she seems to be falling for him.  When she finds out who he really is, she’s incensed and hurt and wants nothing to do with him.  In the end will the love she feels conquer the hurt?

Cute book, I must say.  I liked the whole idea of the story and the set-up.  It had a happy feel to it and Rose’s friends were supportive and just lovely people.   That being said I really didn’t like Rose for most of the book.  There, I said it.  It’s horrible to say but she just annoyed me to no end.  She was set on Frederick even when he almost gave her the cut direct.  I think it was more like she wasn’t even on his radar despite she how hard she was trying to get noticed.  Lord Hartfell had his quirks as well but he didn’t really deserve the nastiness that spewed from Rose’s mouth.  She would kiss him then tell him off.  It got old after a while.

I can’t give any spoilers away about the end of the book and what was kind of the big reveal.  I will say that I thought it was well done and enjoyed how the author softened Rose up a bit in the end.  It was a little too late for my liking but it was nice to see.

The story was good and I liked the writing if not the heroine.  I think I’ll check out the next book in the series in the hopes that I find out some information that was left out of book one about another couple.

Rating: 3 out of 5

three-stars

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