Anne Gracie - The Perfect Kiss

Grace Merridew's childhood has made it hard for her to trust men and in three years on the marriage market, her senses have never been stirred. So she makes plans for a life of adventure instead—to see the moon rise over the pyramids of Egypt and dance amid the marble ruins of Greece. But first she has to help a friend.
Grace's timid friend is being forced to marry Dominic Wolfe, who stands to inherit a huge estate if he weds. The Wolfes have a terrible reputation, and if there's one thing Grace cannot stand, it's a bully. Her friend begs for help to escape this marriage, so Grace acts as the plain and mousy chaperone on their visit to the groom-to-be. But when they arrive, nothing is as they expect, and Grace is scandalized to find herself being pursued by a big, bad Wolfe with dishonorable intentions.

Comment: This is the fourth and final installment in the Merridew sisters series. Grace is the youngest and has been a child throughout the other books, thus some time has passed since the events of the previous book and this one.

If there is one word people can say about Grace Merridew is that she is determined, and this is why she decided to help her friend Melly avoid a marriage she didn't want. Posing as her companion, she travels with Melly and her friend's father to the estate of lord D'Acre, the man Melly is promised to, but when they arrive, after some complications, everything is clearly not cared for and she gets into words with a man she believes is a employee.However,that man is actually Dominic Wolfe, Melly's intended, but he seems to become fascinated by Grace instead... is there any way out of the deal that would see the marriage of Melly and Dominic? Can he marry someone else when he is more than infatuated by Grace?

I had a great time reading the previous stories even though some had a few details I wasn't as fond of. In this book, since it is the last, I had hopes for a string finale but it turned out that there were, once more, a few details that stopped me from seeing this as wonderful read.

Grace travels with her friend to an unknown estate. It's true Melly's father goes too, but only in a romance novel Grace's disguise of clothes and fake freckles would deceive someone who knew her for years... still, as everyone knows, we see what we want so... that aside, though, I was quite taken by Grace's independent behavior and attitude, which is certainly not very realistic, but these books are not meant to be historically  accurate in all regards.

At first, things went well enough and I was quite happy with seeing Grace being a force to be reckoned with, but as soon as Dominic is introduced, I could see I would not like the overall romance as much as I wanted. The thing is, Dominic is one of those heroes bent on revenge and that reflects on his attitude towards other things, such as seducing Grace even though he knows he has a compromise with Melly. One could argue that he doesn't know Melly, cannot have feelings for her, but it's the attitude. Certainly, we learn he is actually a man who had privations as a child and father who didn't show love and a mother who was hurt emotionally by her husband and so on... I still did not fully warm up to Dominic, not even when he started to change.

The romance was not my favorite either because it was set on the premise that they were in different classes, even though Grace never behaved as of she was someone who worked as a paid companion. Of course that Grace, a young woman who saw her sisters finding everlasting love wanted the same thing but never found anyone at the balls she attended and now, finally, someone seems to suit her, but she is always thinking of her friend Melly. This means the romance development was always shown as being rather forbidden and only a case of attraction... I did not fully believe in their feelings although the author tried her best to make the reader see this.

Dominic is returning to the family estate wanting to restore it but only to sell it piece by piece as a revenge against his callous father. He thought that his mother, in her deathbed, warned him against the estate but as time goes by and he talks to people and visits the tenants and sees things through Grace's eyes, he realizes the estate is more than his inheritance, he does feel responsible. Obviously, we knew from the start that the point was for him to see the beauty of the land and how perfect for him it was. Thus, the whole idea of this story was a good one, but the attitude of the protagonists...

There's a secondary romance, as it happened with the previous stories. Melly finds happiness with Frey, a friend of Dominic from Eton, who stars working as the local reverend (or the correct equivalent if I'm not using the right word) but their side of things is very minimal. I also found Melly to be a little boring and annoying because if felt she was only concerned about babies... which I can accept might be likely for a young woman in this situation and period, but... it made her personality seem very thin.

All things considered, this was fine read, it was great to have closure on the series, we do have have some cute scenes at the end with the whole family together... but the actually story did not fully convince me.

Grade: 6/10

Mini - Comments

Busy summer season is always one of my least favorite moments of the year. I'm going to be 40 this year and it feels that, as with each new year behind me, my tolerance for heat waves and long hot days is getting smaller and smaller. I don't like a lot of cold but I hate this heat.
Anyway, these busy summer months, mostly due to work, can sometimes be tricky for my reading too!
Thus, a mini-comments post with my most recent reads, of which I don't have much to say...

The Perfect Stranger by Anne Gracie is the third installment in her Merridew Sisters series. This time the focus is on twin sister Faith, whom we saw falling in love with a musician in the previous  book, believing him to be "her destined one". Well, of course it wasn't so and when this story begins, Faith is somewhat lost on what she can do somewhere in France and is helped by Nicholas Blacklock. Nick is traveling with two friends through France and Spain so he can think of what he aims to do when he reaches his destiny. He decides to help Faith out of chivalry but their connection is strong and he proposes a marriage of convenience, to save her reputation when she goes back home...
I did like this story and it was very easy to read and finish. Faith is a bit livelier than what I remember from he other books, but she is sweet and resilient and I liked the group's adventures. I think the story lost points at the end, by the way the author thought on how to solve the plot's biggest problem. Surely, there would have been a better way... still, it was entertaining, cute and I'm eager to read the last installment.
Grade: 7/10

Os Loucos da Rua Mazur by João Pinto Coelho could be literally translated into "the crazed of Mazur street" and is a fictional tale based on true facts. In Poland, during WWII, many Catholic people in certain places/villages were as terrifying to their Jewish neighbors as the Nazis in the the type of atrocities committed. In this story, the author used this idea to explore how things might have happened and how what seems one thing at one time, might turn into another with the right "setting",
This is the third book I read by this Portuguese author (actually born in England) and the one I liked less. The positive aspects in the other books were completely missing here and I struggled to follow the narrative and the amount of characters. My biggest problem was understanding who was who, so much that sometimes I had to go back and try to find where a specific character had been introduced. 
I also disliked the writing style here. It felt a little patronizing with so many fancy words and descriptions. I can't be certain but this didn't feel so obvious in the other books. I was also easily distracted by other things and not even the terrible last pages were enough to move me. I've turned the last page happily and the only reason why this doesn't have a lower grade from it is due to the theme, as always, quite well developed and researched by the author.
Grade: 5/10

Anne Gracie - The Perfect Waltz

He came in search of a convenient bride...
London's Ball of the Season is hardly the milieu for society black sheep Sebastian Reyne. But his younger sisters are in desperate need of care, and Sebastian is seeking a practical, down-to-earth wife. What he doesn't need is an effervescent sprite like Hope Merridew, a dazzling beauty and the darling of the ton.
...and found love instead.
Who was that mysterious man who devoured Hope Merridew with his eyes? Rumored to be dangerous and with a mysterious family heritage, the secretive Sebastian proves absolutely seductive to such an impetuous young lady. But was he really the one to make her dream of dancing the perfect waltz with the perfect man come true? Who'd imagine that one dance could ignite a passion so strong that it would seduce all into a delicious intrigue of sensuality and desire?

Comment: In January I've read the first installment in this Merridew Sisters series and liked it enough to keep going with the other books, thus why I've picked this one now.

In this second book we have the story of Hope, one of the twins. Hope is a bubbly, happy young woman despite the sadness in her childhood and of her sisters. She is now embracing life as best as she can and that includes dancing at balls and be as positive in life as she is able. It's at a ball that she meets Sebastian Reyne, a man others warn her about because he is in trade. But from that very first moment, she is smitten and he seems to feel the same which means thy could be a good match. However, Sebastian has his two young sisters to worry about and he believes finding a wife who is more practical should benefit them all, and he has his sight on someone else... but will he be able to let go of happiness?

These types of romance, where so many unlikely situations are presented as key to the future happiness of the couples should be seen as really superficial but the truth is they are also entertaining and sometimes, in a world of so much horror, reading sweet romances can be a relief. Perhaps this isn't the best writing out there, but it did offer a pleasant experience.

Hope Merridew is one of the twins, sister to Prudence from book #1, whose plot I thought was a bit over the top. This time, things aren't as confusing and Hope is a sweet young woman without many worries except finding a goof husband. The hero, Sebastian, is looking for a wife to help him with his sisters, whom he "rescued" recently from an orphanage, and he thinks a practical, quiet woman will be the best choice. He feels attracted to Hope, but thinks she isn't mature enough to know how to deal with the issues his sisters went through.

While this is ongoing, Sebastian's friend Giles is there to help him blend in with society and he sometimes has words with miss Elinor, the woman Sebastian claims would be the perfect wife. It's not that surprising to say Giles and Elinor, in a very secondary level, will become a match, and I also found that to be sweet on its own. It also helps that Elinor is a kind and vulnerable woman beneath all her more stoic and aloof manners. I'm mentioning this because the story has several layers and while it's not that complex, it was still fun to have several details to think of as in a bigger scheme.

As for Sebastian and Hope, they start off slowly and their relationship seems to hit all the obstacles we would find in an historical romance, but the interactions with others and with his sisters in particular, offer all the development necessary for things to progress. I never got the impression their romance was one of those larger than life things, especially since the focus is on their surroundings and notions of what they are dealing with, and not on the romance alone. I didn't mind this because I thought the situations they were dealing with were more interesting than them as a couple.

I liked Hope because she is likable, friendly and sweet but she had a bad childhood and this means she can hide her past under a congenial attitude. It was a good expectation to see how Sebastian would react to learn about what she went through but to be fair, this didn't have the kind of impact in the lot that I had imagined. Sebastian's back story was actually little more interesting, but this happened, perhaps, because we already had the background on the Merridew sisters in the first book.

I think the author lightly addressed interesting themes here, namely the way orphanages (mostly the girls') were managed, what it meant for some girls to be in one... but, of course, this is mainly a romance so the less good aspects were not as highlighted as they could, I bet. It does give food for thought, which is something I like in any book, even if it's a romance novel.

All things considered, this was a cute story, had all the necessary ingredients to make this a good read if someone appreciates the genre, but the author could have gone further. Still, perhaps the result was better for me than int eh previous book, which I think went too far. Ah, a reader is never fully happy!

Grade: 8/10 

Anne Gracie - The Perfect Rake

Fate has lavished beauty on the Merridew sisters—that is, all save the eldest. But plain Prudence bears no grudge; she loves her four beautiful sisters infinitely. So when their abusive grandfather is laid up with an injury, she seizes the opportunity to concoct an ingenious plan that will allow all five of them to escape the clutches of their legal guardian. All it will take is a little matrimonial deception...
A renowned rake, Gideon, Lord Carradice, has a way of making ladies swoon. But when Prudence arrives at his doorstep and mistakes him for his cousin, the Duke, it is Gideon who’s infatuated. The delightful spitfire claims she and the Duke are engaged—although a taller tale was never told. In spite of the lies, Gideon is so taken with charming Prudence that he’s eager to join her game, especially if it will award him a stolen kiss or two. Now, Prudence’s plot is about to go terribly, albeit deliciously, awry...

Comment: This is the first installment in yet another series by author Anne Gracie, which I've decided to read since I've enjoyed another series by the author last year.

In this new series we meet the Merridew sisters, whose parents died and they were taken to live with their grandfather Theodore, but he is a rigid and violent man, always punishing them for any little thing, such as the color of their hair. The five sisters, Prudence, Charity, twins Hope and Faith and child Grace have suffered a lot but when their grandfather has a fall and needs to lay in bed to recover, they decide to take a chance and go to their uncle Oswald's house in London. The deceit is planned so that uncle Oswald isn't castigated by their grandfather and they hope they can last until Prudence is 21 to inherit money... but the more Prudence wants to protect those that become involved with their scheme, the more complicated the situation becomes...

Anne Gracie, I've come to realize, is the type or historical writer who takes several liberties with her historical settings and "rules". I would not go as far as to say she disguises her stories under the historical label when they are not, but perhaps it's close to that. The characters have behaviors and find themselves in situations that just don't seem likely... nevertheless, things don't go as far as I've seen in other authors' work, and I've found her books to be very entertaining, so...

This is the first installment of a series featuring five sisters, but two of them (Prudence and Charity) have their romances both developing in this book. The attention is on Prudence, though, and Charity is clearly a secondary character, and this might be one of the reasons why the overall plot felt too busy, there were too many things going on and several characters and situations to accept and understand, and then two sisters to consider. I have no idea why this was planned this way, but it certainly made some plot situations feel a little silly.

This series was written before the other one I've read recently (the marriage of convenience one) and perhaps it's only an impression, but it did feel as if the more recent series was better edited or outlined...perhaps it's only a matter of honing one's skills. Anyway, Prudence and her sisters find themselves in a very unlikely scenario and things even get worse when Prudence recklessly names a certain duke, whom she thought was in distant Scotland, as her secret fiancé. It just happens that the duke and his cousin lord Carradice are actually in London, for the season and uncle Oswald goes there to demand explanations. Prudence arrives first, has no idea who the duke is and when Gideon, lord Carradice appears, she believes him to be the person she seeks... thus, their adventure begins.

I think it would be too difficult to explain all the necessary details in order for the plot to make sense, without using spoilers or asides for everything. Let it be said that Prudence and Gideon are a good match, even though she believed herself promised to another man and he is considered a rake. Of course, this isn't really a real rake, as he doesn't show that type of behavior on the page, I'd even go as far as to say, thankfully. The goal is to show him as a worthy partner for Prudence and he does prove to be such, maybe in a slightly unrealistic way, but this is a romance and I wanted them to see how good a couple they could be.

It's a given they don't believe this right away, but we see plenty of their adventures to realize they are meant to be. Perhaps I can accept Gideon's real considerate attitude more easily than innocent Prudence's proactive choices, but they do work on their HEA, more or less. As for Charity and Gideon's cousin, the duke, their romance is very subdued and it seems it was love at first sight. If this secondary romance was to be suppressed so much in this book as well, I wonder why bothering at all.

As predictable, all ends well for everyone except the bad guys, and some things that are revealed later kind of twist other assumptions further (I'm thinking of the situation regarding the grandfather, the uncle, the money of the family, etc), which means a lot of what happens through the novel is a bit silly and could have been fixed in a different way. I also think a bit more angst and less comedy in specific scenes/moments would have enhanced the experience and would have made the story richer.

Still, shenanigans and silliness aside, I was entertained and I feel curious enough about the other sisters to, very likely, finish the series. Probably in a few months.

Grade: 7/10

Anne Gracie - Marry in Scarlet

When a duke denied . . .
The proud and arrogant Duke of Everingham is determined to secure a marriage of convenience with heiress, Lady Georgiana Rutherford. He's the biggest prize on the London marriage mart, pursued by young unmarried ladies and their match-making mamas, as well as married women with a wandering eye. He can have any woman he wants. Or so he thinks. . .
...Hunts an independent lady . . .
Lady Georgiana Rutherford--irreverent and unconventional--has no plans to marry. Having grown up poor, Lady George has no intention of giving up her fortune to become dependent on the dubious and unreliable goodwill of a man. Especially a man as insufferable as the Duke of Everingham, whose kisses stirs unwelcome and unsettling emotions . . .
...Sparks are sure to fly
The more she defies him, the more the duke wants her, until an argument at a ball spirals into a passionate embrace. Caught in a compromising position, the duke announces their betrothal. George is furious and when gossip claims she deliberately entrapped the duke--when she was the one who was trapped--she marches down the aisle in a scarlet wedding dress. But the unlikely bride and groom may have found love in the most improbable of places--a marriage of convenience.

Comment: This is the final installment in the Marriage of Convenience series by Anne Gracie, which I have been following, and that is now concluded.

In this final story, it's finally the time for Georgiana "George" Rutherford's HEA. George was brought into the family after her uncle Cal (hero book #1) discovered she was living alone with a servant/friend and he decided she would have a season, just like his half sisters (heroines books #2 and #3). George was easily accepted by the other family members and she is very glad she has someone she now cares about, but her true wish has been to live alone with her animals at a country estate. Things change when she catches the eye of Hart, the duke of Everingham, who was betrothed to her aunt Rose, but that wedding didn't happen. Now she is in the path of the duke but can't seriously think he would want to marry her, so when he starts making it obvious and a compromising situation forces to be wed, can George find any happiness in this future?

I was quite eager to read this story. After getting to know George in the previous books, I was taken by her very quickly because she is one of those unlikely heroines in historicals who behaved as if society didn't matter much. She is seen as an "original" for her ways and almost genuine naivete of what is supposed to be acceptable and not, and although this might seem far fetched, I was still interested in reading the romance and how she and the duke, whose personality is so different from hers, would match.

George has been determined that once she is allowed to take over her inheritance, she will go to the countryside to live alone with her animals and she believes the family she gained is enough to make her feel happy if she needs company. She has also refused marriage proposals and told everyone she would not marry, but when the duke, for curiosity's sake, kisses her, she can't help but realize that there's some reason, certainly, for why her aunts have been enjoying their marriages so much but her decision is only swayed when circumstances make her accept the duke's proposal.

I did like her a lot, of course she has a personality more suited for a contemporary period, but it's always fun to see the reactions when in certain scenes. The fact she had been dismissed by her late father and had no help for a long time, made her be resourceful, think for herself and if she couldn't solve a problem, she would not feel despaired. Once she had her family, she felt happy and comfortable in knowing someone would be there for her. Seeing her fall in love with her duke, despite her reticence and a few weaker scenes, was not always perfect, but certainly consistent to her character.

Hart, the duke, had showed in the previous books, mostly the third, and we only had glimpsed his "cold, stoic" persona, as described by some characters. Now that we can learn more about him and his past, of course he starts being more interesting and, after a while, not that badly suited for George. There are always a few details I'd change to my personal preference, but when things were almost over, I think the duke realizes one or two things in a rather convenient way, and this, too, could be done more realistically, but I won't complain much.

Some of the situations that Georgiana and Hart deal with are obviously product of romanceland, and not really believable, but that is what makes some of these "light" historicals so fun and captivating. I was quite dedicated to see the evolution of their relationship, which begins in a rather reluctant way, considering Georgiana's attitudes. However, as time went by and as they got to spend some time together and dealing with the need to be married to avoid a social scandal, they slowly realize they actually like one another and start seeing in each other traits that make them someone they can care about.

This is what I love the most about a romance, how the protagonists face the possibility the other person is more than a name or a position, and they can be special for them. There are plenty of shenanigans before they admit this to themselves, and to one another, but I kind of went with the flow and really liked how they slowly fell in love. The author did include a few scenes where we could see them "bond" and this was key to show instead of tell how things were progressing. Closer to the end, I think there was a situation that came out of nowhere and was a bit too obvious that the intention was to "force" Hart and George to face the reality of their feelings... I think the author could have done this in a better way.

As expected, the HEA is sweet and romantic and I liked how geroege never lost her personality, never changed her ways and that Hart loved all sides of ehr. Is this a little cheesy at times in the very end? Yes, but it's still cute and I will cherish the series a lot.

I will now investigate other series by the author, perhaps they can be as generally good for me as this one was.

Grade: 8/10

Anne Gracie - Marry in Secret

Lady Rose Rutherford—rebel, heiress, and exasperated target of the town's hungry bachelors—has a plan to gain the freedom she so desperately desires: she will enter into a marriage of convenience with the biggest prize on the London marriage mart.
There's just one problem: the fierce-looking man who crashes her wedding to the Duke of Everingham — Thomas Beresford, the young naval officer she fell in love with and secretly married when she was still a schoolgirl. Thought to have died four years ago he's returned, a cold, hard stranger with one driving purpose—revenge.
Embittered by betrayal and hungry for vengeance, Thomas will stop at nothing to reclaim his rightful place, even if that means using Rose—and her fortune—to do it. But Rose never did follow the rules, and as she takes matters into her own unpredictable hands, Thomas finds himself in an unexpected and infuriating predicament: he's falling in love with his wife....

Comment: This is the third installment in the Marriage of convenience series by Anne Gracie. Since I've enjoyed the previous two books, I'm eager to read the complete series.

In this book we have Rose's story. Rose is the boldest and most determined of the Rutherford siblings, but she is hiding a secret which only comes to light the day she is about to marry the duke of Everingham. Although everyone is expecting this to be the wedding of the season, the problem is that Rose is already married and told no one about this, thinking Thomas, the young man she married when she was only 16, had died at sea. Thomas isn't dead, though, he has been detained for four long years as a slave in an Arabic country after being apprehended by pirates, along with his mates. He finally escaped and arrived back in England just in time to stop Rose's wedding, but she seems to not even recognize him. Rose could not believe her eyes, but she never stopped loving Thomas... after they finally talk, is there any hope for their relationship after so long?

These books have been very entertaining escapism. Those types of historical romances which are a mix of sweetness and character-driven situations, rather than historical accuracy. I think this must be much more difficult to accomplish than many readers would think, and I can only say this series in particular must have been quite well thought b the author because while the stories are apparently easy and light, they still touch my emotions and make me feel happy I'm reading them. I had once read other books by the author and wasn't as fond of them, and I also have another series by the author, which i hope will be a good one as well as this one has been. 

The premise of this story is a little unlikely, but I think the author did a good enough job portraying the situation, after all Rose and Thomas were young and idealist when they became a couple. I still think that, even bearing in mind this is not meant to be historically accurate, Rose being  so young and marrying in secret was a little hard to accept, and even more when they can't be together. I suppose the set up of Thomas being in the navy and returning and why only now had to be strong enough to merit the development, but I wasn't really into the whole idea. I mean, I liked their cute romance as it is now, but the indication this would be a lovers reunited plot and how they separated feels really flimsy and too convenient.

Well, I suppose there are other even more convenient situations to sustain this plot (it's really amazing Thomas arrives the very day Rose is marrying) which felt a little too obvious, but from the moment they reunite and talk and share what they went through, the story was more about them becoming a real couple, of them dealing with past missed expectations and dealing with things that happened to them while they were apart. I usually don't like these plots that much, but I think the author did something really clever in this series: a lot is set on characters' dynamics and seeing Rose's family so often makes this a cozy story, with friends and family members being part of something larger than life.

Thomas went through something traumatic and, since this is a sweet historical romance with low angst, he can bounce back rather quickly from his experiences. I think the author could have done something better with the potentially emotional content, and even more so after Rose shares what she went through as well, but... I feel conflicted. I would have liked more complexity to these elements, but I also liked the author didn't jump too heavily into them and focused on showing how they can be a happy couple in the present... tricky thoughts...

Once things become more or less understood between them and they decide to give their marriage a go, things start to fall more easily into what we would expect. Of course Thomas ship going under and the pirates and everything related to this was hard to imagine, but certainly not impossible. But Thomas arrives back and wants to help his friends, still trapped there, and part of his intention is to go back himself. This isn't as easy for monetary reasons, thus bringing up a whole new set of situations related to Thomas and his family, and his connection to Rose's inheritance too, which seems too complicated but it turns out it's simpler than it looks.

The romance itself is sweet, has interesting moments, but the author could have developed the estrangement and the return in a different easy, to make this situation more credible. There were times I felt Rose just accepted his return so easily, and after a sudden initial shock, she behaves as if things never had issues. I'd suppose she would struggle a bit more to accept it's really Thomas and their feelings could not be simply switched on and off, as if feels like.

Despite my opinion and the things I think could be better, this was still a good story to read, very entertaining and I loved watching scenes with the Rutherford family, they really see to be a solid, helpful group. I'm so eager to read the final story, for the pairing seems so unlikely, but I'm super curious to see what the author makes of them.

Grade: 7/10

Anne Gracie - Marry in Scandal

A shy heiress and a well-known rake face a scandal-forced marriage that might be true love in the latest irresistible romance from the national bestselling author of Marry in Haste.

Shy young heiress, Lady Lily Rutherford, is in no hurry to marry. She dreams of true love and a real courtship. But when disaster strikes, she finds herself facing a scandal-forced marriage to her rescuer, Edward Galbraith, a well known rake. Despite his reputation Lily is drawn to the handsome Galbraith. In the gamble of her life, she agrees to marry him, hoping to turn a convenient marriage into a love match. As heir to a title, Galbraith knows he must wed, so a convenient marriage suits him perfectly. But there is a darkness in his past, and secrets he refuses to share with his tender-hearted young bride. All Lily's efforts to get close to him fall on stony ground, and in desperation she retreats to his childhood home--the place he's avoided for nearly a decade. Must Lily reconcile herself to a marriage without love? Or will Galbraith realize that this warm-hearted, loving girl is the key to healing the wounds of his past--and his heart?

Comment: Practically one year later, I'm finally keeping up with the Marriage of Convenience series by Anne Gracie. I enjoyed the first book and I'm quite hopeful for the next ones.

In this second story we follow the story of Lily, one of Cal's sisters we've met in the first book. Lily is a dreamer, she wants to marry for love, especially now that she can see her brother is so happy with his wife, whom he married for convenience but the match evolved into love. The problem is that she feels she might not find a special enough man, for she is heiress and that attracts a certain type, and also because years of listening to her aunt saying she should diet makes her feel self conscientious.

Things change when a former school mate introduces her to her cousin and somehow this man kidnaps Lily, hoping to marry her to take over her inheritance, She is finally rescued by mr Edward Galbraith, a friend of her brother, and despite his fame of being a rake, he is considerate and helps her. However, the wrong witness on their way home starts the gossip and they decide to marry. But will this man prove to be as special and hero worthy for a marriage as Lily found when he rescues her?

Again, this was a fluid, sweet story, mostly light in tone even bearing in mind certain themes (Edward feels guilty over some war situations), and I had a great time reading. I would say some things are a bit too simplistic and I'd have preferred another direction for how the author dealt with that, but overall this was captivating and easy to read.

Lily is a shy young woman who is likely dyslexic because she hasn't learned how to read. The story starts with a prologue where we see young Lily and young Rose (her sister) reporting to their father and the governess claims Lily can't be taught. This, and their father's words, left Lily feeling down and worried her future will always be marked by this "failure" of hers and her self esteem isn't healthy. She is also, as indicated by other characters, not that thin and even tried diets, which clearly paints a picture of how she is seen, but I found it so amazing she is still a sunny person.

However, those who know her "flaws" usually defend Lily and protect her, but when this story begins, she reconnects with a former school mate, whom we learn was not a friend at all, but Lily is too agreeable to refuse speaking with her, and this leads to Lily being abducted because she can't read a supposed message her sister had sent, and thus she is deceived. While all this happens, we can follow some of her thoughts and we see how amazing and sweet-natured she is and how much she deserves to find her happiness, which makes her a very likable heroine and someone one wants to root for.

The "rescue" is one of those coincidences of romance and the hero, supposedly a rake, or at least not the most suitable for a sweet young lady, is actually a wonderful man. He has had his past indiscretions, and has been at war, which is often linked with this weird secret vibe because he doesn't talk about it, whose explanation is actually not that surprising to any lifelong romance reader and I only wonder why the author felt like keeping it up for so long until the end.

It is also true the development of this story is predictable and a reveals to us a slightly too naive Lily but I think these elements are easily overlooked when I think the intention here was to present a sweet romance, more about their relationship than the solution of their "personal demons". In fact, I would say I found it a little disappointing that Edward's valid reasons to not want to talk about the war times or to go back to his grandfather's estate were so quickly solved at the end. Even more surprising was how Lily's illiteracy was not more obviously mentioned and I confess, I hoped for someone to help her somehow in trying again and in finding a way for that to make sense to her.

The romance is actually very sweet because Edward is very considerate and he thinks about Lily as someone he should respect and cherish. I did find it tremendously irritating, however, how he kept thinking he should keep her at an emotional distance, in the sense she should not expect him to fall in love with her as she have always said she would want to love a husband, thus, himself. I mean, it is more than obvious this is what would happen and I think for such a clever and resourceful man, despite his emotional fears, this should not be that hard, considering his personality. If had really been a terrible man or an actual rake... but since he isn't, I've found his behavior only a way to delay their HEA.

Still, despite the little things I'd change and some ridiculous choices when it came to catch the man who kidnapped Lily, this was a very predictable but enjoyable read and, to be honest, sometimes this is a better option than more incredible stores which perhaps are more complicated to read... well, perhaps depends on one's mood...

Grade: 7/10

Anne Gracie - Marry in Haste

Major Calborne Rutherford returns to England on the trail of an assassin, only to find he’s become Lord Ashendon, with the responsibility for vast estates and dependent relatives. Cal can command the toughest of men, but his wild half-sisters are quite another matter. They might just be his undoing.
When he discovers that Miss Emmaline Westwood, the girls’ former teacher, guides them with ease, Cal offers her a marriage of convenience. But strong-minded and independent Emm is neither as compliant nor as proper as he expected, and Cal finds himself most inconveniently seduced by his convenient wife.
Emm knows they didn’t marry for love, yet beneath her husband’s austere facade, she catches glimpses of a man who takes her breath away. As pride, duty and passion clash, will these two stubborn hearts find more than they ever dreamed of?

Comment: I had this book in the pile since 2017 when, I bet, I saw a positive review somewhere. I've finally got the chance to read it and I actually feel happy enough because I liked the book and I know there are three more in this series, so now I have those to look for as well. At last: a situation where the first book of a series proves to be enticing enough to want me to read more.

In this historical romance we meet major Calbourn Rutherford who recently inherited the earldom after the death of his brother. However, Cal wants to go back to his military life, namely the search for an enemy who caused the death of a friend, but this new duty turns out to be much more tiresome than what he imagined, especially because not only does he have his two younger sisters to take care of but also an unknown niece to worry about as well. Cal thinks the teacher he randomly meets at his sister's previous school would be able to help but upon refusing, Cal decides to be bolder and asks her to marry him.

Emmaline Westwood has a past and she believes living at the school where she was a student and now a teacher is the best she can have so a marriage proposal is everything she could dream, for it would give her stability. But the more the knows about her new husband tells her she might be brave to hope for more, or will her past be that much of an obstacle?

I did like this book. The writing style here reminded me a little of Mary Balogh, another author whose work I like. This wasn't the first book I've tried by Anne Gracie but her style probably changes from series to series (of from earlier to later work), because I didn't enjoy the other books by her I've tried as much. Of course, some things don't work out as well as others for many possible reasons, but nothing like trying!

The plot of this book is very simple, Cal wants his sisters taken care of, so that he can return to this usual life. He thinks he can let things organized and solicitors and other people might do their job while Cal returns to his work but that is obviously not as a simple as he thought.His sisters are a handful, his two aunts have opposite personalities but neither can be left in full control, and he even "discovers" his brother - with whom he didn't have a good relationship - even went as far as to marry in secret and have a daughter, although abandoning them very soon after, so now he has a niece added to the family. 

There are too many things he needs to worry about, besides his work, so he decides to see if the girls can go back to school for a bit longer, which the headmistresses immediately refuses. He happens to meet miss Westwood, a teacher who might become the new headmistress as the other one is getting old and tries to unsuccessfully get her help. After a while Cal decides the best course of action is to marry and leave his new countess to deal with everything related to the girls, including their coming out. He thinks a marriage of convenience is the perfect solution.

What I've written above is pretty much one third of the novel and I must say I felt it took a bit too long. I understand the need to set up things and, paradoxically, I liked it that we got to settle in to the events in development and get a notion of the story's tone, but it kind of delayed the main characters' budding relationship. While this didn't end up being too much of a problem, considering the type of trope and my overall enjoyment, I still think there was too much of a few details and now enough of others.

The romance is quite balanced and I did love this option. they start of as two people who need the other for something but since both are likable and mature, they get along well enough and even when some issues or things they struggle with get in their way, they talk and decide to overlook doubts, doing their best to accomplish what they intended, which is for their marriage to offer stability to those they will be taking care of. It also helps they they like each other and like being together, even intimately, which makes everything feel sweeter.

Both the romance and the plot have some obstacles to overcome before the HEA is established, but I feel the author planned the elements to use in a competent manner and the result was a very well paced novel from the second third on. I was interested in what happened, I liked it that the marriage got to have central stage and we got to see how they became better people by being married and by falling in love, and the secondary plot issues were done tastefully too.

I liked the overall effect of this story and I feel curious about the stories of Cal's sisters, which will come next. I hope the relationships in those future books prove to be as balanced as the one here was, for that made the book feel even better structured and appealing.

Grade: 8/10

Anne Gracie - The Stolen Princess

The estranged younger son of an earl, Gabriel Renfrew earned glory and honor on the battlefield, but now, without purpose, he finds himself deliberately courting danger at every turn. Then one night he races his horse along a dangerous moonlit cliff—and stumbles upon a beautiful woman obviously in need of saving.
A princess on the run, Callie has disguised herself and her son, the crown prince, as commoners, hoping to protect him from those intent on stealing the throne. She has no choice but to trust the handsome ex-officer who's come to her rescue, even when he insists that only a marriage of convenience will provide her the ultimate protection. But while her new husband may keep Callie and her son safe from assassins, what will he do to her heart?

Comment: This is the first book I've read in 2016. It is also a book I was given for this past Christmas, therefore a new book to me and something not on the TBR pile precisely. I don't know why I decided to pick it, but my thought was more in the lines of "why not" and what better way to start a new reading year but with a gift given with friendship?

 

This book tells the story of Callie, a princess running from her country with her young son because she fears for their lives. She arrives in England and is rescued by Gabriel Renfrew, an important enough man, brother to an earl, was in the army, fought in the war...somehow, Gabriel is now bored and meeting Callie makes him feel busy again so he decides to help her because that will give him something to do. The two of them seem to be attracted to one another but Callie has had a bad past when it comes to relationships and she wants to focus on her son instead.

Callie and her son are disguised and on the run but soon Callie realizes to accept Gabriel's help is the quickest way to secure security and time to decide what to do. And if Gabriel turns out to be a man she can't stop thinking about, well...

 

Overall, I liked the book. It was entertaining and had some scenes I liked. But to be truthful, the main couple didn't seem captivating enough and I didn't feel chemistry nor the type of connection I expected between them. I think they almost seemed caricatured to me.

 

Callie isn't a weak female but she acts like it here and there and although that's not reason enough not to like a character or for her to eventually grow up or prove her character, I still feel the author didn't give her enough life to sustain the sort of story presented. I wouldn't say Callie is TSTL but her experiences didn't make her realistic enough. For someone with her past, even she kept on being a nice and friendly person, I think she was too soft and too dreamy for the sort of life she has.

 

Gabriel too had some issues in my opinion. He is a brave man and sometimes my idea of him would be positive. But he thinks and acts a certain way and that sort of annoyed me, especially when he thinks that seducing Callie - when she's clearly reticent and doubtful - is a good idea to make her feel more used to him and willing to trust him and stay with him. I mean, it's not even close related to rape, she is willing in that, but it feels like someone taking advantage of someone else's more innocent behavior and ideas... I just think their relationship wasn't balanced, no matter how in love they could seem towards the end.

 

What I really liked were the secondary characters. But some of them seem to exist to fulfill a cliché and of course that removes part of the fascination. Two characters caught my eye, apparently there's a romantic connection between them, but at the end of the book that connection wasn't addressed again and I wonder if they will be together. I was actually sad I couldn't see more of them, perhaps in future books, but it tells you something when you prefer glimpses of secondary couples instead of the protagonists.

 

This is the second book I try by this author and both got the same grade out of me. In terms of writing style nothing to say, it's an easy, fluid read, but this particular plot wasn't very imaginative. Ok, maybe imaginative it was, just not the best well executed one. I don't know, I didn't dislike it and there were certainly parts I was interested in reading, but for the most part it's a collection of clichés and redundant scenes I wasn't amazed at. I suppose the idea was to make this plot amazing, an adventure culminating in a HEA but despite having enjoyed many parts, the whole wasn't as fascinating.

Something definitely lacks in this book...

Then the character building felt incomplete. Characters are described as one thing but their actions and decisions imply another. I wonder if they aren't as knowledgable as they are described by the author or if they choose to act less than smart just to impress us negatively. Like being so intelligent while in the war and then not acting it in civilian life, I mean...

 

All in all, this book has interesting ideas but the way things happened didn't win me over. It seems the second book is more well liked by most readers and I'll try that one day just to compare things and see if I'll keep up with this author.

As for this one, it's entertaining if one isn't sure about what to read next or if just wants a silly entertainment choice, but as a whole it wasn't as strong and interesting as it could.

I wish I could think it was nicer, but in the end it lacked some good key points to be good.

Grade: 5/10

Last Two Books of 2014: Anne Gracie / Elizabeth Chadwick

Miss Thalia Robinson, a destitute orphan, was fortunate that she had been allowed to look after her cousin Laetitia's three adorable children. Tallie usually spent her quiet life lost in daydreams, but the arrival of a house party to aid Magnus, Earl of d'Arenville, to find a wife, turned her world upside down.
Magnus's cold facade had been pierced by a delightful small girl, and now he'd decided he wanted children of his own. For that, he needed a wife. But things didn't go according to Laetitia's plan, for he ignored all the debutantes that were presented to him, and, taken with Tallie's loving treatment of the children in her charge, decided that she was the one he would marry... 



Renard, Lord of the Ravenstow estate and Crusader knight returns from Antioch, but he does not

return alone. He brings with him a mistress, Olwen, a beautiful but untrustworthy dancing girl. Renard has returned home because of his father's ill health and imminent death. Also there is tension locally caused by the dispute over the succession to England's throne. He must also think about his arranged marriage to a nearby heiress. Though he is preoccupied with the political battles going on around him, Renard is pleasantly surprised by his new wife and soon becomes disenchanted with Olwen, his mistress. But her scheming poses danger not only to his marriage, but everything he owns. 

Comment: So...life goes on and time doesn't stop....

These were the final stories I've read in 2014. They are both historicals, although different time periods. I've given them both the same grade because neither seemed to be as good as I expected based on the blurb's promise for one and previous experiences with the other.

Tallie's Knight is the story of a man who wants a wife after realizing he is at the perfect time to have children. He is rich and arrogant and asks a cousin to round up a bunch of proper ladies to pick one as his future wife. However, they all bore him and it isn't until his cousin poor relative rescues a child from an undeserved punishment that he manages to find the type of woman best suited to rear his own children. After a very cold proposal, everyone's lives change and with each new chapter, more adventure and lessons start to come forward...

I thought the blurb was quite promising but in reality the characters never engaged my attention to the point I couldn't wait to read more. Actually, I had to push myself to keep reading. The story line isn't new and had all the usual elements to make this a good historical, reticent heroines, arrogant heroes, bad villains, distressed children to be rescued, among several other things, but the way the story was developed didn't win me over either. I think it's a case of interesting possibilities getting lost among so many things, too many details. I think the point was to enrich the story, but to me it felt cluttered and the romance wasn't as amazing as that. All in all, not the best romantic story I've read... This was my first book by the author, so I might try another one in the future.

Grade: 5/10

The Leopard Unleashed is the story of a man who is fighting for his crown in Africa but returns because war is ahead in England and his father is very sick, so there's no time to loose. Despite an arranged marriage on his head as soon as he arrives, he still takes a mistress with him to his home. Things don't go as smoothly as expected, though, and personal issues are the least of his problems...but that doesn't last longer, for everything is connected and only true affections can guide the best intentions of someone in need to make choices. 

I've read the previous two stories in the sort of Wild Hunt trilogy in which this book is part of, and both of them were better than this one. The historical settings, customs and explanations are still as well structured and researched as one should expect from the author, but in this case, the fictional aspects weren't as fascinating or romantic as the other ones. In fact, I didn't like the hero much, nor his behavior towards his wife, his mother and even his mistress. I had some trouble being engrossed in the romance and it was a relief to finally finish. How sad, considering the level of the other stories in the trilogy. Nevertheless, I still believe in the author and will read more by her.

Grade: 5/10