Taken from author's site:
Colonel Devlin St. Just’s torn spirit calls to Emmaline Farnum, and in good conscience she cannot refuse his offer to provide a home for the little girl so dear to Emmie’s heart. As the adults forge a path to a better life for young Winnie, Emmie finds herself unable to resist the allure of a deeper attraction to Devlin. But resist she must, because decisions made years in her past are forcing her inexorably away from Devlin’s side.
After the previous book, I needed a pick me up, and this book was it. I read the first book of this series just last week, and I enjoyed it so much I had to read the second book as soon as possible. My expectations were high... I wasn't disappointed.
Devlin has a great sense of responsibility, and when the illegitimate daughter of the previous estate owner shows up, he feels obligated to take care of her and of her caregiver, Emmaline. He soon develops feeling for the little girl and the attraction to Emmaline is getting harder to ignore. Emmie is independent and very strong willed but when it comes to Winnie, she'll do just about anything. So when St. Just offers to take care of Winnie, she agrees but with some conditions of her own.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as the previous, but I did. I found that this book the story flowed better, and even though I had my doubts about Emmie and Winnie's relationship, I loved the way the author introduced it. It was beautifully done.
The series just keeps on getting better... Cannot wait to get my hands on the third book, The Virtuoso.
The Soldier by Grace Burrowes (4.5/5) Historical Romance; Published: Sourcebooks Casablanca (6/2011); Format: Ebook for Kindle; Series: # 2, Windham; Series: # 2, The Duke's Obssession; Keeper Shelf; Books 2013 (7);
Where do you run to when your life has fallen apart?
Lucy Jorik is a champ at never embarrassing the family she adores—not surprising since her mother is one of the most famous women in the world. But now Lucy has done just that. And on her wedding day, no less, to the most perfect man she's ever known.
Instead of saying "I do" to Mr. Irresistible, Lucy flees the church in an ill-fitting blue choir robe and hitches a ride on the back of a beat-up motorcycle plastered with offensive bumper stickers. She's flying into the unknown with a rough-looking, bad-tempered stranger who couldn't be more foreign to her privileged existence.
While the world searches for her, Lucy must search for herself, and she quickly realizes that her customary good manners are no defense against a man who's raised rudeness to an art form. Lucy needs to toughen up—and fast.
Her great escape takes her to his rambling beach house on a Great Lakes island. Here, she hopes to find a new direction . . . and unlock the secrets of this man who knows so much about her but reveals nothing about himself. As the hot summer days unfold amid scented breezes and sudden storms, she'll also encounter a beautiful, troubled beekeeper; a frightened young boy; a modern-day evil queen; and a passion that could change her life forever.
It may just be me, but I've been pretty disappointed with Susan Elizabeth Phillip's last couple books. Not sure if it's been too much of the same, but it's felt like too repetitive. Honestly I think it was the characters that weren't cutting it for me. So you can understand my hesitation with this book.
It took me forever, ok, exaggeration, but it took me days to read this book. Although I enjoyed the premise, pampered rich kid, having second thoughts about marriage to perfect guy, decides to ditch him at the last minute and discover herself; it felt too forced in my opinion... Out of the two main characters, I liked Patrick aka Panda much better as a character than I did Lucy. Yes, he had his flaws but he was likable, Lucy on the other hand was way too boring for my taste. At one point I was more interested on what was going on the secondary story lines that with what Lucy was going through....Argh! I'm so frustrated....
Am I alone with this opinion? Have you read this book? What do you think?
The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (2.5/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: William Morrow (7/2012); Library; Books 2013 (6)
Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!
I have two weeks worth of library loot! Here's what came home with me:
I found this book on the librarian suggestion shelf. I'll be reading Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann for the 2013 Colorful Reading Challenge.
I read Kelly O'Connor McNees' The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott a few years ago, which I loved by the way. So when I saw In Need of a Good Wife on the new titles shelf, I couldn't resist putting it in my bag.
Another book that was picked out of the new titles shelf. I love my cosy mysteries, and who doesn't love buttons? I'm hoping that Hot Button by Kylie Logan will satisfy my inner sleuth.
I can't remember the last time I read a novel by Luanne Rice. While I was browsing the paperback racks, I found The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners. I'll be reading this book for 2013 Colorful Reading Challenge.
The Lady Most Willing, historical romance written by Quinn, James and Brockway. Yep, automatic must read.
I'm trying to catch-up with this series. It's one of my all-time favorite paranormal cosy mystery series. Vision Impossible is book 9 of A Psychic Eye Mystery series by Victoria Laurie.
I've been seeing Splintered alot around the blog world. I had to give it a try. Gorgeous cover, isn't it?
Finally! It's my turn to read The Casual Vacancy!
For more loot, visit here.
Anyone can arrange a marriage-but only the heavens can decree true love!
Her grandson, the Earl of Bradleigh, had just announced his engagement to a thoroughly unlikeable chit -- and Lady Bradleigh was determined to do something about it. Why, just about anyone would make a more suitable match...even her own paid companion, Emily Townsend! But if her dear, practical-minded Robert were to back out of the betrothal, the tongues of the ton would never stop wagging...
At the very least, the dowager decides, she will extract a promise from her grandson to find Emily a husband. But when the handsome, rakish earl comes to know the charms of Emily Townsend, he suddenly regrets his hasty engagement-and is sorely tempted to win her hand for himself.
It's been years since I last read a book by Candice Hern. I remember loving her books, but I can't remember why I stopped reading her. I'm a huge fan of romances set during the Regency period, and I have a soft spot for the traditional Regency that I read so long ago, I couldn't resist signing up for The Regency Romance Reading Challenge that is being hosted by Austenprose.
It seems like I'm on a roll, another book that kept me up at night. I began reading A Proper Companion shortly before going to bed, but I couldn't put it down. I was transported back to a time where the upper crust of society felt the need to meddle in their children and grandchildren's lives. I enjoyed all of it, Emily and Robert, started off as friends, they soon developed stronger feeling, but Robert being a gentleman could not give or promise anything more than friendship to Emily. I loved the way that he struggled with his feelings for Emily and the way she did as well for Robert, they both knew that it wasn't proper, but the feelings were still there. Even though I enjoyed Robert and Emily, the scene stealer of the book was the Dowager Duchess, she was a force of a nature, full of life and love for the people that mattered the most to her.
A Proper Companion by Candice Hern (4/5) Historical - Regency Romance; Published: Jove (1995); Format: Ebook for Kindle; Series: # 1, Regency Rakes; Regency Romance Reading Challenge (1); Keeper Shelf; Books 2013 (5);
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten consists of the settings you'd like to read or you'd like to see more in books.
I'm a huge historical fiction fan, I love reading books set in the Regency, Victorian and Edwardian times, but I also like to expand it a little more, my only complaint is that majority of books are in England, North America, France, etc... You get the point. Here are my Top Ten historical settings that I would love to see more in books:
1. American gold rush - it can be either western or even Alaska gold rush, not picky in that area.
2. Westerns - I can't remember the last time I read a western, I loved reading romances set in the west. Rugged gunslingers, cowboys, rangers...
3. South America - The countries in south America are full of turbulent political history, and there's a certain exotic feeling to that region.
4. South Pacific
5. Japan - I'm fascinated with Japanese culture
6. China - Great Wall of China, need I say more?...imagine the possibilities!
7. Scandinavia - I want me some Vikings!
8. Russia - Russia, is a country rich in history, I don't understand why there isn't more
9. Canada - I would love to see more, please.
10. Portugal - Another country that is rich in history and at one point in time it ruled oceans (and the world). ;)
If you have suggestions on books with these setting let me know, I'm always looking for more to read. Thanks!
To join in the fun, visit here.
Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should Be Reading. Here's how you play:* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall open to a random page.* Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.* You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
* Please avoid spoilers!
My teaser:
She'd tucked her hair into a fashionably untidy bun to accompany one of the few dresses she hadn't put up for consignment, a sleeveless caramel sheath she's accessorized with costume hoop earrings. Her arms still felt bare without her bangles.
~
taken from page 201, The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
For more teasers, visit here.
AN EARL WHO CAN'T BE BRIBED
Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, is the first legitimate son and heir to the Duke of Moreland. To escape his father's inexorable pressure to marry, he decides to spend the summer at his townhouse in London, where he finds himself intrigued by the secretive ways of his beautiful housekeeper...
A LADY WHO CAN'T BE PROTECTED...
Anna Seaton is a beautiful, talented, educated woman, which is why it is so puzzling to Gayle Windham that she works as his housekeeper.
As the two draw closer and begin to lose their hearts to each other, Anna's secrets threaten to bring the earl's orderly life crashing down - and he doesn't know how he's going to protect her from the fallout...
I would like to begin by thanking Ana from Aneca's World for introducing me to this author. It's been quite a while since I read a historical romance that has captured me as this has. So thank you Ana, I believe I have found a new must read author.
This book should also have a disclaimer on its cover, one sitting read, reader beware you may lose sleep. Which I did, but I'm not complaining because it was a very good read. I loved the setting, the time period, the characters and the story itself wasn't too shabby either. I found that Anna and Windham suited each other very well, she caring and headstrong and Windham is a no-nonsense type of gentleman who adores his large family, even the meddling members of said family. I admit at the beginning I thought it a stretch that they would become involved, master and employee, but the author had a way in drawing me in and keeping interested in the book. I'm looking forward on reading more of her books.
The Heir by Grace Burrowes (4.5/5) Historical Romance; Published: Sourcebooks Casablanca (2010); Format: Ebook for Kindle; New Author; Series: # 1, Windham; Favorite Reads 2013; Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2013 (3); Keeper Shelf; Books 2013 (4);
Born in 1930 in a small town outside Winnipeg, beautiful Hope Koop appears destined to have a conventional life. Church, marriage to a steady young man, children-her fortunes are already laid out for her, as are the shiny modern appliances in her new home. All she has to do is stay with Roy, who loves her. But as the decades unfold, what seems to be a safe, predictable existence overwhelms Hope. Where-among the demands of her children, the expectations of her husband and the challenges of her best friend, Emily, who has just read The Feminine Mystique-is there room for her? And just who is she anyway? A wife, a mother, a woman whose life is somehow unrealized? This beautifully crafted and perceptive work of fiction spans some fifty years of Hope Koop's life in the second half of the 20th century, from traditionalism to feminism and beyond. David Bergen has created an indelible portrait of a seemingly ordinary woman who struggles to accept herself as she is, and in so doing becomes unique.
Hope is a woman living through years of the Women's Liberation movement in Manitoba. She questions herself, as a woman, a daughter, wife and a mother. She wonders if there's more to life than what she experiences everyday. She loves her children, even though at times she doesn't recognize them (especially during the teenage years), she loves her husband, but is that enough.
I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. For some reason I was expecting something darker. Yes, there are turmoils in Hope's life, depression, there's a breakdown that leaves her hospitalized, a bankruptcy and a run in with a religious cult. I found it understandable her envious feelings towards her teenage daughters, the freedom they had in comparison to her...she just couldn't pick up and leave. I found those emotions believable and real. I guess you can call this book, a real life novel. I enjoyed how well the book flowed, it didn't have any plot hiccups in my opinion.
I'm looking forward to reading more books by David Bergen.
The Age of Hope by David Bergen (4/5) General Fiction; Published: Phyllis Bruce Book (2012); New Author; Canada Reads 2013 (3); Library; Books 2013 (3)
I first read P&P ages ago, it's my favorite book by the author and it just may be my favorite book, period. I try to read it every year, I love the characters, setting, story, everything about it. A funny thing happens when the kids and the husband see me reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I get the eye-rolls, the giggles and my husband's not-again look. I knew what I was going to have to go through when I went looking for Pride & Prejudice on the bookshelf. I know I may go a little bit overboard with it, I'll read the book, then I want to watch any type of version of movies, mini-series, etc, that I can get my hands on...And that's the main reason for the eye-rolls, giggles and the not-again looks.
I cannot help myself. I lose myself within book with Lizzy and Darcy, and even I know the story so well, there's always something new that pops out at me. My husband says that I get a dreamy eye look, whenever I read or watch the adaptions of P&P. At first he thought it was because of the actors that portrayed Darcy, but I had to explain to him that even though they were great looking, it wasn't what kept me coming back for more and more. It's Darcy's character, his need to improve himself, it almost feels like an inner struggle. He knows his worth to and within society, but there's this singular girl that questions him in the most personal way. He is my favorite character of the novel. Lizzy is wonderful character as well, but I'm Darcy girl. I love the villains in this book, Lady Catherine and Wickham are quite a pair, delicious...
I did read the book during the weekend, and yes, I got the eye-rolls, the giggles and the not-again looks. I haven't watched any of the mini-series or movies, yet. Anyway, I read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for the Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge hosted by Austenprose. But I'm sure I'll be "suffering" throughout the rest of the year, when I explore other P&P versions out there. And I'll love every single minute of it.
Because it was a re-read, I won't add it to my reading totals for the year.
To see what other people are saying or if you want to join in the fun visit here.
A stunning, evocative novel set in Ireland and Canada, Away traces a family’s complex and layered past. The narrative unfolds with shimmering clarity, and takes us from the harsh northern Irish coast in the 1840s to the quarantine stations at Grosse Isle and the barely hospitable land of the Canadian Shield; from the flourishing town of Port Hope to the flooded streets of Montreal; from Ottawa at the time of Confederation to a large-windowed house at the edge of a Great Lake during the present day. Graceful and moving, Away unites the personal and the political as it explores the most private, often darkest corners of our emotions where the things that root us to ourselves endure. Powerful, intricate, lyrical, Away is an unforgettable novel.
I started reading this book a few days ago, and whenever I sat down to read I lost track of time. It's a beautifully written book, and I cannot understand why I haven't read this book before. I have read books by the author before, but not this one.
The story starts in Ireland in a fictional island. A young girl is "taken away" by the spirit of a dead young man. She comes back, but she is not the same girl as before, gone is Mary and now she is Moira. The inhabitants of the island are both scared and enthralled by Mary/Moira. The priest is concerned about the turmoil that she is causing the men so he asks a young friend, Brian, to marry her. Brian and Mary seem to hit it off, he's kind and understanding and she feels a connection to him. The potato famine hits and Brian and Mary leave for Canada. And so the myth continues with the women of Mary's family. I don't want to give too much of the story, you need to read it for yourself. The pain and the sorrow is there in the story but also the hope in the New World. But the most significant part of this book is the mystical feeling to it. The magic is all throughout the book.
Away by Jane Urquhart (4.5/5) Historical Fiction; Published: McClelland & Stewart (1993); Canada Reads 2013 (2); Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2013 (2); Library; Books 2013 (2);
Another challenge! Yes! I couldn't resist joining this one. The 2013 Portuguese Historical Fiction Challenge is being hosted by Ana from Aneca's World.
Here's the info on the challenge (taken from Aneca's World):
The challenge runs from Jan 15th to Dec 15th 2013. You can join in at any time.
The books chosen for this challenge should be historical fiction written by a portuguese author or historical fiction set in Portugal. You can find a list of reading suggestions here.
Levels of participation: Curious About It - 1 to 3 books, What a Fun Idea - 4 to 6 books, Perfect for Me - 7 to 9 books
Leave a comment on this post to sign up. Please use the Mr Linky below for your reviews - put your name and the book title and link to your review post.
Reviews in portuguese are fine too.
If you don't have a blog you can link to your reviews on Goodreads or other sites where you post reviews.
Prize: At the end of the challenge I will giveaway one book of Portuguese Historical Fiction published in 2013 (feel free to suggest titles). Each review on Mr Linky counts as an entry for the giveaway
I'm going with the What a Fun Idea (4 to 6 books).
My books:
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6.
As Darling's town librarian is fond of saying: "Naked ladies' is not a respectable name for a plant." A lily by any other name would certainly smell as sweet -- and look just as beautiful as the naked ladies decorating Miss Hamer's lawn...
It seems Miss Hamer's house may also be home to naked ladies of a different sort. Her niece, Nona Jean Jamison, and Nona's friend Miss Lake have come to Darling to stay with the elderly recluse. But rumors sprout that these visitors are actually the Naughty and Nice Sisters from the Ziegfeld Frolic, specializing in dancing nearly naked.
When Nona denies her vaudeville past, the Dahlias begin to suspect that it may be more than modesty that's causing both women to lie low. Why has Nona gone to the beauty parlor to change her hair color? Why has Miss Lake not been seen without a veil? And who is the well-dressed from Chicago who's just arrived, asking about Nona? The Dahlias are convinced that someone is covering up something sinister...
This is the second book of the latest mystery series written by Susan Wittig Albert. This series is set in Depression era Alabama. Susan Wittig Albert is one of my favorite mystery authors, I love both her historical and her contemporary books. She has a wonderful sense of humor that show in both settings. Humor in a cosy mystery is must have for me, and I think that is what keeps me reading the authors books.
The Darling Dahlias are getting ready for the annual talent show, when two ladies move in with recluse Miss Hamer. Miss Hamer not only is a recluse but also is a very hard woman and not too many people can deal with her. And that's the main reason for the curiosity on the two woman. One is beautiful and flamboyant, the other is shy and keeps herself covered up. But when a strange man comes to Darling looking for the ladies, the Dahlias are convinced that something is going on. Not only were the Dahlias busy with finding out about the Miss Hamer's guests but one of their own is dealing with her own mystery. After years of wondering what happened to her fiance, Bessie, is more determined to find what happened. Even if it means asking difficult questions that she may not want to answer to.
I enjoyed the book, it is what I was expecting. The characters, setting and humor. What I wasn't expecting was enjoying the secondary story more than the main one. I also enjoyed seeing Liz stand up to her mother. It was an enjoyable read and I recommend this series to any cosy mystery fans.
The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies by Susan Wittig Albert (3.5/5) Historical Mystery; Published: Berkley Prime Crime (11/2011); Series: # 2, Darling Dahlias; Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2013 (1); Library; Books 2013 (1);
