Tag: Suzanne Enoch

Guest Review: Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch

Posted February 8, 2021 by Tracy in Reviews | 3 Comments

Guest Review: Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne EnochReviewer: Tracy
Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch
Series: Wild Wicked Highlanders #3
Also in this series: It's Getting Scot in Here
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: February 9, 2021
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 352
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The MacTaggert brothers have one task:Find English brides or lose their land!

Coll MacTaggert, Viscount Glendarril, is a big, brawny Highlander who doesn’t like being told what to do—not even by his exasperated English mother who is determined to see her eldest son wedded and bedded. However, when he comes to the rescue of an irresistibly beautiful woman, Coll discovers that he may have found his perfect match…

The challenge isn’t that Persephone Jones is famous, wealthy, independent, and smarter than anyone he knows. The problem is that she is not interested in marrying any man---especially not a hot-headed Scot—even if he is the only man who seems to understand who she really is even when she’s not sure herself. When Coll learns that Persephone is actually a lady-in-hiding and someone is willing to kill her for what she stands to inherit…Well, Coll has never been one to turn down a fight. When hearts are involved, nothing comes between a Highlander and his lady.

Coll McTaggert is trying to escape his mother’s matchmaking, once again, at the theatre.  He escapes backstage after greasing the doorman’s palm.  There he witnesses the amazing Persephone Jones.  The couple of times he’d been to the theatre he’s been running away from his mother so had never seen a production. Viewing it from the side stage gave him an interesting view of the woman he can’t take his eyes off.

Coll soon finds out that she’s “spoken for” but when he finds that she’s not as spoken for as the gentleman made it seem, Coll comes to the rescue.  He then devises a plan to protect her from her many admirers and keep his mother off of his back by telling her that he’s engaged to an actress. Oh, the horror!

What starts off as just a bit of a jest ends up turning to true protection when Coll and Persie find out that someone’s trying to kill her.  Not only do they have to find a killer but Coll has to figure out what his true feelings for Persie are the more time they spend together.

Ms. Enoch did not disappoint in this book.  I have to admit that throughout the series I wasn’t a huge fan of Colls.  I mean, I get why he’s so upset.  He’s being forced into marriage in order to save his people, which might be fine if it didn’t have to be an Englishwoman!  That’s the part that sticks in his craw.  Maybe if it was a Scottish woman he would be slightly less antagonistic, but probably not. Lol  Despite the fact that he wasn’t my favorite McTaggert, I liked this story a lot.

Persie and Coll were great together and their story was intriguing.  Their relationship and the mystery of who was trying to kill Persie kept me turning pages.  Top that with Coll’s mother’s reaction to Coll and an actress?  Fireworks. 😊

In the end I was quite happy with how the story turned out and I had a very enjoyable time reading it.

Rating 4 out of 5

Wild Wicked Highlanders

four-stars


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Throwback Thursday Review: A Touch of Minx by Suzanne Enoch

Posted February 4, 2021 by Casee in Reviews | 4 Comments

Throwback Thursday Review: A Touch of Minx by Suzanne EnochReviewer: Casee
A Touch of Minx by Suzanne Enoch
Series: Samantha Jellicoe #5
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: October 13, 2009
Format: Paperback
Source: Gifted
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 380
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Who says crime doesn't pay?

A year ago, Samantha Jellicoe robbed from the rich and gave...to herself! Now, though, she's using her larcenous skills for good as a private security consultant, trying to walk the high road for her sexy billionaire boyfriend, Richard Addison, and asking herself if there's anything more torturous than tracking down priceless artifacts (only to give them back!).

So when the Metropolitan Museum of Art asks for her help, she's only too happy to leap into the fray again: If nothing else, this adventure will help her avoid that little (not!) sparkly item Rick's been hiding in his pocket, and postpone another kind of walk down the aisle. It's only when she's targeted by a deadly adversary after the same treasure that Sam starts to think that "till death do you part" is maybe the lesser of two evils...

This review was originally posted on October 1, 2007

Suzanne Enoch is one of the few historical-turned-contemp authors whose contemps I like more than her historicals. The characters of Samantha Jellicoe and Richard Addison have intrigued me from the beginning.

Though not many people in the world have more money than Rick Addison, Sam’s bank account is nothing to laugh about. It was really the difference in their lifestyles and the instant attraction between the two that just flew off the pages. Both of them being so used to going through life alone, to see them both have to compromise for the other was (and is) engrossing.

The 3rd installment finds Sam fighting boredom as the owner and operator of Jellicoe Security. Though she’s promised Rick that she’ll stay on the straight and narrow, Sam will take her adrenaline kicks where she can get them. When the Met again contacts her to find Japanese armor that went missing 10 years before, Sam knows that this will be her last chance to make a name for herself in the art world as something other than a cat-burglar. Given a mere week to find the armor, Sam must ask Rick for his help. With his contacts in Palm Beach, Sam soon narrows her search down to three people, one man and a married couple.

Determining who actually has the armor is another story entirely and will take a few of Sam’s “special skills” to figure out. Though she doesn’t want to outright lie to Rick, she doesn’t want him to worry, either. She also admits to herself that she doesn’t want him tagging along or trying to stop her. She’s sure that he’ll do one or the other. Breaking and Entering is harder when you have a novice tagging along.

In between Sam trying to find the armor, she’s also trying to help Tom Donner’s (Rick’s lawyer) daughter, Olivia, find something that went missing out of her 5th-grade classroom. Though it’s not her usual type of job, Sam finds that she can’t turn Livia down when she’s asked to locate “Anatomy Man”. A life-sized doll, Anatomy Man has removable organs and was going to be part of a class project that Livia’s class was really looking forward to. The interaction between Tom and Sam in this book is highly amusing, especially when Sam takes Tom’s Wife, Katie, on a little afternoon B&E.

All this going on and Sam can tell that there is something on Rick’s mind. Having just past their 1 year anniversary together, Sam can’t exactly figure out why Rick is so uptight. What she doesn’t know is that every day Rick still worries that Sam could easily take off. Though he’s sure of her feelings for him, she still has her emergency backpack in the closet so she can take off at a moment’s notice. When he decides to propose to Sam, he’s both elated and terrified. All he knows is that he’ll do anything to keep Samantha in his life.

What I love about these books is that I can laugh and find humor in them, but it doesn’t detract from the intensity of the emotion between the two characters. I also love the interaction between the secondary characters. Stoney and Sam’s relationship is at once heartwarming and humorous. Stoney’s reluctance to completely end his career as a fence is in direct contrast with Sam’s persistence to stay straight. When Stoney disappears, Sam can’t help but be worried, especially when shit starts hitting the fan with her armor deal. I think one of the funniest parts of the book was when Stoney kept referring to Rick as the “English muffin”. LOL. Sam’s receptionist, Audrey, also plays a more prominent role in this book. As an escort during the season, Audrey has ins into certain houses that Sam finds very useful.

The ending to the book was perfect. I highly anticipate the next book in the Sam/Rick series. Sam’s laid-back personality is a perfect compliment to Rick’s uptight British ways. I always know that I’ll be satisfied after I read about these two characters.

4 out of 5

Samantha Jellicoe

four-stars


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Guest Review: It’s Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch

Posted August 29, 2019 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: It’s Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne EnochReviewer: Tracy
It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch
Series: Wild Wicked Highlanders #1
Also in this series: Hit Me With Your Best Scot
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: February 26, 2019
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 320
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

HAPPILY-EVER-AFTERLondon socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody’s fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal―and won’t try to tame her wild heart...

IN THE HIGHLANDSRough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall’s eldest brother just isn’t interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.

JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HOTTER.Instead it’s Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won’t make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn’t like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out...

The Earl of Aldriss and his London wife head to his home in Scotland after they marry. She hates Scotland. He hates London. The wife has three sons and all is good, until she has child four, who is a girl. The wife declares that there’s no way she’s bringing up a daughter in the wilds of Scotland because it’s completely barbaric. She takes off for London with the girl, leaving her husband and three sons on their own. Oh, and she controls all the money. She agrees to keep sending money as long as hubs lets her leave.  Nice mom. Not. Her oldest is 12 years old and the other two just a few years behind that. What impressionable ages to just up and leave! This pissed me off.

Seventeen years have gone by and the absent mom decides that her sons have to come to London and get married or shall stop sending money. What kind of asinine plan is that? Not only that, but one of those wives need to be of her choosing.   Does she really think that if they marry women from London that they’ll stay? I don’t think so. Oh, and on top of that they have to get married before their younger sister or they lose everything. The sister is already engaged, so they are on a strict time limit.

Anyway, the woman the mom chooses for the oldest son isn’t his cup of tea. Niall, the second son, ends up escorting her places saying that Coll, the oldest, will be there anytime. Of course the more time Niall and Amelia-Rose spend together the closer they get.

I really liked both Niall and Amelia-Rose. I thought that individually they were great characters, but together they really were something special. The mom’s intentions were horrible, but it ended up working out for the both of them.

I really liked this book and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars


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Throwback Thursday Guest Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch

Posted July 11, 2019 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Throwback Thursday Guest Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne EnochReviewer: Tracy
A Beginner's Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
Series: Scandalous Brides #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 352
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

All of London is abuzz with the return of the utterly alluring, recently widowed Diane Benchley. Will she remarry? What will she do with her late husband’s fortune? Society is shocked by her announcement—at the Grand Ball, of all places!—that she plans to open an exclusive gentleman’s gaming club in the family mansion. But no one is more stunned than the Marquis of Haybury, Oliver Warren.

Years ago, Oliver and Diane shared a private indiscretion. Now Diane threatens to reveal Oliver’s most ungentlemanly secrets…unless he agrees to help her. A notorious gambler—and rake—Oliver is overqualified to educate Diane in the ways and means of running her establishment. But striking a deal with Diane might just be the biggest risk Oliver has ever taken. This time, the only thing he has to lose is his heart…

Diane Benchley wants to get back what she feels was taken from her and that was a decent life with a husband who wasn’t a complete ass. Her husband died but left her penniless and in a ton of debt because of his gambling. Diane took up with Oliver very quickly thereafter but he up and ran out on her without a word. Now Diane is back in London and looking to start a Gentleman’s Club that is run strictly by women. Her backer falls dead but she has something on Oliver and blackmails him into helping her with the money she needs.

Oliver isn’t sure what he thinks about this “new” Diane. She knows her mind and isn’t going to put up with anything from Oliver – including suggestions about the club. In fact she hates him. He can understand why but when he realizes that she holds his heart he’s determined to do anything he can to get the woman he loves to see him as a man and not just a bank.

Diane has her hands full getting the club running and keeping her former brother-in-law from taking her to court to prove that the house that the gentleman’s club is in is actually legally his and not hers.

This was a pretty interesting book but I had a couple of issues with it. While I really liked the thought of Diane starting the club I really didn’t get to know Diane all that well. We definitely got more thoughts from Oliver than Diane. Also, because so much of the book was focused on getting the club up and running I thought that the romance suffered for it.

I very much liked Oliver and I thought his part in the book was really good but I just didn’t see Diane falling for him. She did, in the end, but I just didn’t feel like she had completely forgiven her for her part in their past.

Like I said, the setting up of the gentleman’s club was quite well done. With Diane’s former b-i-l making waves the plot to get him to stop was pretty clever and I very much enjoyed watching that unfold.

So while I thought the book was very good it was pretty light on the romance, imho. I did read the excerpt from the next book and it sounds quite good as well – can’t wait to read it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Scandalous Brides

four-stars


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Throwback Thursday Review: A Lady’s Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch.

Posted September 13, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 9 Comments

Throwback Thursday Review: A Lady’s Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch.Reviewer: Rowena
The Care and Taming of a Rogue (Adventurers’ Club, #1) by Suzanne Enoch
Series: Adventurers' Club #1
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: October 27, 2009
Format: Print
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 371
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: five-stars

New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch kicks off a new Regency romance series, in which adventure and heart-stopping romance go hand in hand, in The Care and Taming of a Rogue. Rugged adventurer Bennett Wolfe, once presumed dead, has returned to London. He only has eyes for the exceedingly proper Philippa . . . and so she must teach him some manners before temptation sweeps her away . . .

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

This review was originally posted on May 11, 2010.

Suzanne Enoch is fast becoming one of my go to authors for witty historical novels. To date, I’ve read 4 of her books and have enjoyed each book immensely. This book was no different. It’s weird how I’ll read three books in a row that have the same kind of storyline going on and once again, this time it was no different.

I just finished reading Rachel Gibson’s Nothing But Trouble where the hero was in a horrible car accident and he was unable to walk without the aid of a cane. In this story, the hero, Bartholomew “Tolly” James is recovering from being injured while fighting for his country. He’s not the same Tolly that his family remembers from before the war and to be honest, he’s not. He went through some stuff that nobody should have gone through and he survived it and the events that led him to where he was changed him irrevocably. All he wants now is to stay at his club and to be left alone but because his family is searching for him, its bringing unwanted attention to his club so he has to go home and make nice with them so that they know that he’s alive and as close to well as humanly possible.

He goes home to dinner and tries to be the most obnoxious toad he can be so that they’ll be scandalized and he’ll be able to disappear and suffer in peace but it doesn’t work because his sister in law’s cousin, Theresa Weller puts him in his place and piques his interest and he can’t help but be drawn to her. So he finds himself going to this ball that he knows she’s going to be at so that he can find out what about her intrigues him so much aside from her obvious beauty and it’s while they’re trying to find out why they’re so drawn to each other that I absolutely fell in love with both Tess and Tolly.

I thought they were perfect for each other and Enoch did a fantastic job of keeping me excited for more. I mean, you could tell that these two didn’t even like each other to begin with but the more they were around each other, the more curious they became of the other and the more they couldn’t stay away from each other. I loved the way Tolly didn’t trust anyone but for some unexplainable reason, he trusted Tess and then I loved the way Tess slowly came to life with every moment she spent with Tolly. They brought out the best in each other and I loved that about them.

Tolly was a surly bastard but with ample reason. He’s been through Hell and now he’s back and trying to get accustomed to being back. He spends his days and his nights in pain, he can’t walk right and he just wants to be left alone but when Theresa Weller comes into his life, it’s like she breathed life back into him because it’s through her that he realizes he’ll get a second chance at living. It’s through her that he realizes he actually wants a second chance at living.

I thought this book was sweet and too cute for words. I adored both Tolly and Tess and I can’t wait to read more from this series. I wonder who’s going to get their book next. I’m actually pretty stoked about it too. I want more! I’m hoping the Duke that helps Tolly out gets his own book, he sounds like he’d be dangerous and smexy. So yeah, being the greedy bitch that I am, I want more! This book was great and it had all of the makings of an entertaining read. You won’t want to miss it!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Adventurers’ Club

four-half-stars


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