Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

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romancing the duke by tessa dare

 

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde
Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens.
She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks
offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

No, no, and… Heh.

Now Izzy’s given up yearning for romance.
She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over
for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been
kissed?

This one.

MY REVIEW

Why did I not listen to other people when they were raving about this book?! I have seriously been missing out on one of the BEST Historical Romance Reads of 2014.  Not only is the writing phenomenal, but the characters were amazing to read as they bickered, kissed, played nice, and everything in between. I have so many pages marked with favorite quotes that I might as well just mark the entire story as one.

“No man deserves a woman like that. He mortgages his very soul to win her and spends his life paying off the debt.”

Isolde (Izzy) Goodnight has not only missed her chance at finding a husband due to being ordinary, but she has also lost her family and fortune.  While she still has her dignity and the respect of her Fathers fans from his written books, Izzy is alone and broke.  When her Godfather passes away and leaves her a castle in horrible conditions, she thinks of it as a way to start fresh and have her castle she always dreamed of.  Oh, and she is still a virgin at 26 years old.

“Oh, but this gift isn’t the same as an ermine. This is property. Don’t you understand how rare that is for a woman? Property always belongs to our fathers, brothers, husbands, sons. We never get to own anything.”

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those women with radical ideas.”

“No,” she returned. “I’m one of those women with nothing. There are a great many of us.”

Ransom William Dacre Vane, the 11th Duke of Rothbury, has been hiding away in his family castle for months.  After his intended bride ran away with another man, Ransom went looking for them. When he found them, he was bested in a duel and left blinded from the wound.  He now hides from everyone so they don’t have to see his ugliness and he can lick his wounded, injured pride.  When Izzy arrives to claim her castle, Ransom refuses to believe his home has been taken from him.  Together they make out a deal to where she stays and becomes his secretary while they figure out who has taken advantage of him.

“Sometimes he wondered if women were all lawyers, with an extensive code of Romantic Law that they kept stubbornly hidden from men.”

Not only did I fall in love with Ransom, but the strength and determination that Izzy had standing up to him, made me enjoy this couple so much more. Izzy refuses to back down from him and it does bring about many memorable scenes and dialogue. Izzy can certainly hold her own against the stubborn and rude Duke of  Rothbury!

“Every time you wake up, you let fly the most marvelous string of curses. It’s never the same twice, do you know that? It’s so intriguing. You’re like a rooster that crows blasphemy.”

The side characters were wonderful as well! I loved the characters of Duncan and Abigail. I enjoyed them so much that I do hope they are featured again in future books — maybe as main characters even. If you are looking for a wonderful tale full of knights, honor, laughter and suspense, Ms. Dare includes it all in Romancing the Duke. A true fairy tale romance to read and be swept up in.

MY RATING

[sc:rate5 ]

AUTHOR WEBSITE / GOODREADS / AMAZON

Review: Rule by Jay Crownover

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17866388Rule
Series: A Marked Men Novel #1
Author: Jay Crownover
Release Date: 10/22/2013

SUMMARY
From Goodreads

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight-A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want—and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess—and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw—even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

MY THOUGHTS

I have been seeing good things about the Marked Men Series by author Jay Crownover.  I was anxious to start the series and see what the hype was all about.  The first thing I want to say is that the guy on the cover that is suppose to represent Rule, fits the image in my head except for the lack of piercings he is suppose to have.  With that in mind, I beg that they never change the cover image since it was done perfectly this time!

The two main characters in this story is Shaw Landon and Rule Archer.  Shaw is the typical blond and beautiful virgin heroine.  She comes from money and her parents are paying her tuition for college.  They will use this said bribery of college payments to try and keep her in line and even use it to keep her from Rule.  Oh and they will even push another boy into the picture as her boyfriend whether she wants him or not.  *insert eyeroll*  In case you can’t tell, I was not a fan of Shaw Landon.  I didn’t like her attitude, her behavior, and most of all her better than thou persona.

Then we have Rule Archer.  Rule lost his twin brother, Remy, years ago.  His brother happened to have been best friends with Shaw when he was alive. Everyone believed that Shaw and Remy were a couple even though she told everyone they were just friends.  Come to find out, Remy was believed to be the golden boy even with secrets of his own that were hidden from all of the family including Rule.  Rule was the black sheep of the family.  He is a tattoo artist with his own tattoo’s covering his body.  Throw in a bunch of piercings — including ones in the, uh-hum, private area — and a new hairdo color and cut each week, and you have the typical bad boy.  Plus we can’t forget the revolving door of women each weekend in his bed as well.  I liked Rule in this book.  He didn’t care what people thought of him and didn’t put up with crap from anyone.  Rule has had no clue that Shaw has been in love with him since the first day they met.  Everyone else could see the hearts in Shaw’s eyes except Rule.

When these two finally hook up, not much really happens between the two.  There are a few plot progressions that lead to problems in the relationship, but not too big of ones that the reader is left with their jaw dropped.  I found the story to just be okay and needing an infusion of thrills to make it a real winner.  I am intrigued though by the side characters in the story and will more than likely continue in the series to see how their stories will play out.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE

“Look I have somewhere I have to be and I don’t particularly love that I have to go, but you freaking out and making a scene is not going to do anything other than piss me off. I hope you had a good time last night and you can leave your number but we both know the chances of me calling you are slim to none. If you don’t want to be treated like crap maybe you should stop going home with drunken dudes you don’t know. Trust me we’re really only after one thing and the next morning all we really want is for you to go quietly away. I have a headache and I feel like I’m going to hurl, plus I have to spend the next hour in a car with someone that will be silently loathing me and joyously plotting my death so really can we just save the histrionics and get a move on it?”  —- Rule Archer, page 5

MY RATING
[sc:rate3 ]

AUTHOR WEBSITE / GOODREADS / AMAZON

Cover&Blurb Reveal: A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers

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a little too far desrochers web

 

A LITTLE TOO FAR
Author: Lisa Desrochers
Est. Release Date: 9/17/2013

SUMMARY

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother.In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for better part of the last few years…and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to Confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt…and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy on the eyes deacon…only eight months away from becoming a priest. As Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

 —”More than a ridiculously sexy, HOT read, Desrochers takes you on a wild ride of self-discovery and bittersweet romance.” —Jennifer L. Armentrout (J. Lynn), New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You 

Teaser: Crave by Monica Murphy

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Crave CVR

CRAVE

by Monica Murphy

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy launches her sexy Billionaire Bachelors Club series with the story of Archer and Ivy: a lavish bet, a night of carnal desires, and a forever they never thought possible…

Ivy

“What is this?” I take the wadded up fabric from his hand, our fingers accidentally brushing and heat rushes through me at first contact.

“One of my T-shirts.” He shrugs those broad shoulders, which are still encased in fine white cotton. “I know you didn’t have anything to wear to…bed. Thought I could offer you this.”

His eyes darkened at the word bed and my knees wobble. Good lord, what this man is doing to me is so completely foreign, I’m not quite sure how to react.

“Um, thanks. I appreciate it.” The T-shirt is soft, the fabric thin, as if it’s been worn plenty of times, and I have the sudden urge to hold it to my nose and inhale. See if I can somehow smell his scent lingering in the fabric.

The man is clearly turning me into a freak of epic proportions.

“You’re welcome.” He leans his tall body against the doorframe, looking sleepy and rumpled and way too sexy for words. I want to grab his hand and yank him into my room.

Wait, no I don’t. That’s a bad, terrible idea.

Liar.

“Is that all then?” I ask because we don’t need to be standing here having this conversation. First, my brother could find us and start in again on what a mistake we are. Second, I’m growing increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that I’m completely naked beneath the robe. Third, I’m still contemplating shedding the robe and showing Archer just how naked I am.

“Yeah. Guess so.” His voice is rough and he pushes away from the doorframe. “Well. Good night.”

“Good night,” I whisper but I don’t shut the door. I don’t move.

Neither does he.

“Ivy…” His voice trails off and he clears his throat, looking uncomfortable. Which is hot. Oh my God, everything he does is hot and I decide to give in to my impulses because screw it.

I want him.

Archer

Like an idiot, I can’t come up with anything to say. It’s like my throat is clogged and I can hardly force a sound out, what with Ivy standing before me, her long, wavy dark hair tumbling past her shoulders, her slender body engulfed in the thick white robe I keep for guests. The very same type of robe we provide at Hush.

But then she does something so surprising, so amazingly awesome I’m momentarily dumbfounded by the sight.

Her slender hands go for the belt of the robe and she undoes it quickly, the fabric parting, revealing bare skin. Completely bare skin.

Holy shit. She’s naked. And she just dumped the robe onto the ground so she’s standing in front of me. Again, I must stress, naked.

My mouth drops open, a rough sound coming from low in my throat. Damn, she’s gorgeous. All long legs and curvy waist and hips and full breasts topped with pretty pink nipples. I’m completely entranced for a long, agonizing moment. All I can do is gape at her.

“Well, are you just going to stand there and wait for my brother to come back out and find us like this or are you going to come inside my room?”

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Find out more on Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17852029-crave) and on avonromance.com (http://www.avonromance.com/book/hush)