Tag: Isabel’s Reviews

Throwback Thursday Review: How to Abduct a Highland Lord by Karen Hawkins

Posted July 26, 2018 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 4 Comments

Throwback Thursday Review: How to Abduct a Highland Lord by Karen HawkinsReviewer: Isabel
How to Abduct a Highland Lord (MacLean Curse, #1) by Karen Hawkins
Series: MacLean Curse #1
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: January 30, 2007
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 313
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

It's hardly the type of wedding Fiona MacLean dreamed of. No family, no guests, just a groom who's been dragged -- literally -- to the altar. But if marriage to Black Jack Kincaid, the handsome wastrel she'd sworn never to see again, will avert a bloody war between their clans, so be it. Surely she can share his bed without losing her heart....

Known throughout Scotland and London as a wild rogue, Jack is accustomed to waking in dire situations, but...married? Long ago, he and Fiona reveled in a youthful passion. Now, the fiery, sensual lass is his once more. And though their marriage is in name only, Jack is determined to win her forever -- body and soul....

Every Thursday, we’ll be posting throwback reviews of our favorite and not-so-favorite books. Enjoy!

Rowena: Man, it’s crazy how long we’ve been blogging. I forget that it wasn’t always just Holly, myself and Casee. We’ve had a whole team here that has changed over the years and when I came across this review from our old friend, Isabel, I knew that I had to post it up again. Man, I miss our old friends!

This review was originally posted on July 27, 2007.

The Plot: Hoping to end the feud between their families, Fiona kidnaps Jack Kincaid and marries him while he is drunk. Will Fiona be able to tame his wild ways?

What I Liked: Fiona’s family is cursed. They can control the weather. Actually, they can make it stormy and rain. Kind of like Storm from the X-Men however, it only turns to bad weather when they are upset/mad/annoyed. So if someone is annoyed, there might be a little wind. If someone is downright pissed, you get a full-blown storm. When Fiona is upset, her stormy weather bears the faint smell of lilacs.

There is one scene where Jack’s former mistress confronts Fiona. Fiona tries to control her anger but to no avail. She doesn’t make it completely storm but jack remarks he thought he heard thunder and smelled lilacs. She ends up pouring a vase full of water on the mistress’s head. The next day, Jack learns there is a storm cloud over his former mistress’s residence.

I also like when Fiona gave Jack a dose of his own medicine. Jack was very upset with how Fiona married him. He made it clear he would not give up his freedom. He would continue to go out and have fun. Minus the mistresses. Well to teach him a lesson, Fiona decides to do the same thing which Jack doesn’t like.

What I Disliked: The ending was just too fast. I was reading along expecting more and it was done.

I’m guessing the brother’s will have a book and the last book will be the one where they break the curse. (To break the curse Fiona and her brothers have to do a good deed.) The brothers wonder if Fiona marrying Jack to end the feud between their families is her good deed.

I thought this book was set in Scotland. It’s not. They get married in Scotland and then they move to England. Towards the end of the book, Jack decides to move back to Scotland. Bummer, I wanted a Scottish highland story.

Would I recommend it: If you have nothing else to read. It does look like a promising series so I plan on reading the others later. Maybe the rest of books will be better.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

MacLean Curse

three-half-stars

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One Night With You by Sophie Jordan

Posted April 22, 2008 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 5 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

Anything can happen after dark . . .

Tired of being treated like a servant by her own family, Lady Jane Guthrie finally has a chance to escape . . . at least for one night. Attired in a daring gown, she arrives at a scandalous courtesans’ masquerade ball looking forward to her few hours of freedom. But when she sees Seth Rutledge, her skin begins to tingle with anticipation. Many years ago, Seth broke her heart by falling for her beautiful, title-hungry sister. But now here he is, right in front of her, offering her his lips . . .

Embittered by war, Seth returns home to inherit the title that would have once won him the woman of his dreams. Though duty demands he wed, he’s convinced passion no longer has a place in his life . . . until a masked siren sets his heart aflame. Desperate to find her again, he has no idea it’s his childhood friend Jane—and that after one night together their lives will never be the same.

Jane has been widowed a year. She’s ready to move on with her life. Her late husband’s brother and wife aren’t ready for to come out of mourning though. They’ve made her their own personal little slave.

One night, she sneaks out to attend a masquerade with her friends. It is there she sees the boy she once loved, Seth. But Seth is not the same boy she once knew and loved. Life, war and Jane’s sister has made him a bitter man. He see’s the masked Jane and because infatuated with her. The happen to meet in a room, (Jane is trying to escape from her brother in law, Desmond. He doesn’t realize it’s her and if he does, Jane will be in trouble) and Seth names her Aurora. Jane does nothing to correct him.

She later runs into Seth and his sister Julianne at the park. Julianne is excited to see Jane again ands asks her over to tea. Jane accepts but she has to sneak out. Because she’s kind of hesitant Seth sees it as something against his sister. Julianne is blind. Something he feels responsible and blames himself for.

Julianne explains Seth is looking for a bride. The only bride who will do is someone who likes Julianne. Should anything happen to him, he wants to know his wife will look after Julianne. When he was presumed dead, their cousin tried to have Julianne locked up in asylum. Seth doesn’t want that happening her again.

Jane learns that Seth is going to Vauxhall to look for a bride. She decides to attend as Aurora and have one night with Seth. And boy does she have that one night with Seth. She ends up preggers. She tells Seth about the baby therefore revealing herself and Seth is upset. He accuses her of planning the thing. No, she says. I mean, she did plan to be with him but not to end up pregnant. She believed herself barren.

Seth claims they will marry. However, their is a marriage of convince. He tells her he expect nothing from their marriage. Jane realizes she’s stuck in another loveless marriage after she seeks his company one night. Of course, Seth being man becomes frustrated and changes the rules on her. She will share his bed.

For the most part I did enjoy the book until the end. It just happened to fast and it didn’t satisfy me. Seth was a major butthead to Jane. Jane is finally sick of his treatment and leaves. He catches up with her, says he’s sorry and that he loves her. that’s it. Nothing else. She goes home with him. I’m sorry, i need more than that. I want the grand gesture. I want Jane to make Seth squirm. But it didn’t happen.

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Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Posted March 12, 2008 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 11 Comments

Ok, when I recommened this book to Carolyn, I had to pull this out and do a quick reread. I love this book. Love it!

But I cheated a bit. I took my old review from Sanctuary. LOL. Not much has changed. But I love me Derek Craven!

She stood at danger’s threshold-

then love beckoned her in.

In the shelter of her country cottage, Sara Feilding puts pen to paper to create dreams. But curiosity has enticed the prim, well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven and into Derek Craven’s dangerous world.

A handsome, tough and tenacious Cockney, he rose from, poverty to become lord of London’s most exclusive gambling house a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy, but hardened and suspicious. And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper “mouse” can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion. . .and the promise of love.

I love this book. Love it. I fell in love with Derek Craven when I read this.

A man who grew up not knowing love, trust or friendship. Derek meets Sara but feels unworthy of her. He sstrongstong, unfeeling,invunerablerable but really, he craves to be loved by Sara. He wants her like no other, but knows he does not deserve her.

He forces her to leave believing its for her good. While she is gone, Derek is short tempered and hostile. He runs into Sara at a mutual friends house and meet in the garden. Sara confesses her love for him.

“You can’t change the truth. You can act as if you’re blind and deaf, you can
walk away from me forever, but the truth will still be there, and you can’t make
it go away. I love you.”-Sara to Derek

She asks him to stay with her and he walks away from her. She is then later attacked and Derek asks her to marry him. They have a happy marriage. Derek adjusting to having a wife. But then his jealous ex lover (who is jupsychoyscho slut) burns the club and takes Sara hostage leaving Derek to believe she’s dead.

“I love yocouldn’tdln’t say it before. I couldn’t-“
“I love you,” he repeated hoarsely, burrowing against her. “I would have
given my life to have one more day with you, and tell you that.”-Derek finding out Sara is alive.

Derek is my favorite hero of all time. He’s my lobster. When he got scared and protective when Sara teased on how she may not marry him cause he’s so rich touched my heart. How he ached for her so much. I mean the man stole her glasses and kept them near his heart. Sigh….

I love Derek Craven. I know Holly doesn’t understand why I love him so. And that’s ok, cause I don’t get the Ben Lewis attraction. But Derek is my ultimate hero and this is one of my favorite books.

Grade: 5/5

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Untouched by Anna Campbell

Posted March 7, 2008 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 5 Comments

Beautiful Grace Paget has no reason not to believe these words. After all, she was kidnapped, spirited away to a remote country manor, and told she is to grant this man his every desire . . . or lose her life. But Grace is no common trollop. So she risks everything to save her virtue by planning a daring escape, even though she finds herself tempted by this handsome man. There is something in his eyes that makes her wonder if he is as dangerous as he would have her believe.

Sheene knew nothing of the plan to bring him this woman. Locked up as a prisoner, called “mad” by all of the world, he will do anything to reclaim his life, and Grace’s sensuous beauty has distracted him from his goals. And although he finds her irresistible, he is horrified to hold her against her will. Now, together, they must both revolt against the strange set of circumstances that have forced them together—for only then will Grace truly surrender to him . . . forever.

Ok, i have been reading just not having time to review. Then hubby’s great grandma, who turned 100 in January, passed away on Saturday. So we’ve been dealing with funeral arrangements and all that.

In between all that I finished this book. This is how I described the book to Rowena:

ok. Grace is abducted by these two creeps. She wakes up after being drugged to see the hero of the book, Matthew. Matthew has been locked away at the family estate for like 10 years i think. His uncle made everyone believe Matthew was mad and unfit to man the title. Of course that’s a lie. The uncle just wants control of the money. Because Matthew has been trying to escape, uncle thinks getting Matthew a whore will kind of settle him down.

Except grace isn’t a whore. She got lost looking for her cousin. Grace is a widow from a respectable family. Her first husband was a way older man.

So then Matthew and grace succumb to passion. What was different in this book was that their first time having sex, grace was like… meh. LOL! But Matthew makes it up to her.

They fall in love and Matthew has a plot for grace to escape. Cause the guys who kidnapped her are trying to get at her. in fact one guy almost succeeded in raping her. So she’s in danger if she stays.

Grace makes it out and 4 months later she returns with her father and god father to free Matthew. Which they do and Matthew proposes. Grace says no. even though she loves him, she thinks he loves her just because she’s the first woman he’s been with and they were held captive together. So Matthew says he’ll return in a year for her to prove he really does love her. A year later, he returns and Grace is all “does he love me?” ugh.

The end kind of bugged me. Well Grace did. I understand what she was feeling but a year? The good part about that is we didn’t have to read about them being apart. The chapter ends with them going their separate ways and then the next chapter picks up a year later. We do get to hear what Matthew has been up too. Which was nice.

Anyways, I enjoyed reading this book. I love the cover too. I’m not sure what grade to give it. Maybe a B. Cause once I started I couldn’t put it down. I thought Matthew was a yummy hero. A virgin hero to boot! I hardly ever see that in romance. He was kind of buttheadish when he didn’t believe Grace really wasn’t a whore but I slowly forgot about that.

Grace was kind of…… I don’t know. I liked her but again how she was at the end. I think someone mentioned self sacrificing… I can’t remember.

Good story.

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Succubus Blue by Richelle Mead

Posted February 1, 2008 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 3 Comments

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Succubus (n) – An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men.

Pathetic (adj.) – A succubus with

great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants. The wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid’s life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven’t stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess get-up complete with whip and wings. And she can’t have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy’s life. At least there’s her day job at a local bookstore—free books, all the white chocolate mochas she can drink, and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can’t.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle’s demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won’t help because Georgina’s about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny…

Chantal reviewed it first. Then Ames reviewed it. Both of them did great reviews.

First of all, this was an e book I had. You know I don’t read e books. I can’t curl on the couch or get comfy in bed to read. I don’t have a lap top or an e reader, so I’m stuck reading e books on the computer. Not comfy.

I meant to read a chapter or two. Next thing I know I finished the book. I could not stop reading. My shoulders, neck and back hurt but it’s ok. I loved this book.

I loved Georgina. I loved her two suiters. Both were equally great guys and it was hard to figure out which one to root for. Loved her friends. Two which are vampires. I was laughing out loud at this scene:

“Well, you know how they’ve got those computer programs in salons that will show you what you’ll look like with different colors and cuts? I was thinking you could be like a living one. You could morph into me and show me what I’d look like with different hairstyles.”
Silence hung in the room for a full minute as Cody and I stared at him.
“Peter,” I told him at last, “that’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”
“I don’t know.” Cody scratched his chin. “For him, it’s not bad.”
“We have too many other issues to deal with right now,” I warned, having no patience to humor Peter with niceties. “I’m not wasting my energy on your vanity.”
“Come on,” pleaded Peter. “You’re still brimming from that good virgin guy. You can spare it.”
I shook my head, slinging my purse over one shoulder. “Succubus 101. The farther a transformation takes me from my natural form, the more energy it expends. Cross-gender changes are a pain in the ass; cross-species ones are even worse. Playing salon with you would burn through most of my stash, and I’ve got better things to waste it on.” I eyed him dangerously. “You need some serious counseling for body image and insecurity, my friend.”
Cody regarded me with new interest. “Cross-species? Could you, like, turn into a Gila monster or …or … a sand dollar or something?”
“Good night, boys. I’m out of here.”
As I departed, I could just barely hear Peter and Cody debating if it would take more energy for me to change into a really small mammal or a human-sized reptile.

This is a must read.

Grade: 5/5

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