Review: Waking Up With The Duke by Lorraine Heath

They are masters of seduction, London's greatest lovers . . .

Renowned for his bedchamber prowess, Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owes a debt to a friend. But the payment expected is most shocking, even to an unrepentant rake—for he's being asked to provide his friend's exquisite wife with what she most dearly covets: a child.

Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one . . .

Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort, is furious that such a scandalous agreement would be made. If she acquiesces, there must be rules: no kissing . . . and, certainly, no pleasure.

Until love takes them by surprise.

But unexpected things occur with the surprisingly tender duke—especially once Lady Jayne discovers the rogue can make her dream again . . . and Ransom realizes he's found the one woman he truly cannot live without.

Waking Up With The Duke by Lorraine Heath was a highly anticipated read for me. I had a few doubts about the premise when I read the summary, but still there was hope. It could have worked.

Let's begin by summarizing the story. Walfort is crippled and impotent as the result of a carriage accident that occurred a few years back while carousing in Ainsley's company. Walfort feels Ainsley owes him a great debt since he was the driver at the time of the accident, and as repayment asks him to bed his wife so Walfort can have an heir, and Jayne a child. Jayne was pregnant at the time of the accident and lost her baby when she found out Walfort was injured, she dislikes Ainsley and blames him for the accident but agrees to bed him for a month to please her husband and to conceive a child. Ainsley feels guilt over Walfort's injuries, but his agreement is based on his secret attraction to Jayne and a desire to make her happy.

I really liked Ainsley in the previous stories and loved the way he was characterized. However, because of the way he was previously portrayed, I just couldn't see him taking such a passive role throughout this whole situation. In Waking Up with the Duke, Ainsley is still a likable character to a certain extent. Initially, he's deeply attracted, but evidently falls in love with Jayne quickly and although not quite seductive, Ainsley is both tender and passionate. However, even considering the guilt involved and the strong attraction he feels for Jayne, I still feel that he plays too passive a role with both Jayne and Walfort. They walk all over him and that's not the Ainsley I expected to encounter in this book.

Jayne's character is incomprehensible to me. She loves Walfort and dislikes Ainsley, but decides to go along with Walfort's crazy scheme to pacify him and to selfishly gain a child by using Ainsley. In the process she never really gives a thought as to how this will affect the man. In the beginning, I didn't care for her for that one reason alone. Jayne blames Ainsley for her husband's situation. Why? Even without having deep knowledge of what occurred the evening her husband was crippled, it was well-known that Walfort chose to go on that carriage ride and that he was known for his recklessness. Why didn't she place any blame on Walfort's shoulders?

Later on during their month together, Jayne certainly falls fast (and I mean fast!) enough for Ainsley's sexual seduction and supposedly falls in love with him. The bedroom scenes between Jayne and Ainsley are both sensual and steamy, and Ms. Heath excels in creating a personal intimacy between the two that for a while spells romance. But that feeling is quickly lost... because how the heck does that tie in to even later when Jayne, again, blames Ainsley for her husband's failings after finding out the truth, or when she selfishly won't think of their child's future, let alone Ainsley, yet she gives Walfort a pass after discovering his blatant betrayal and lack of respect?

Obviously, Jayne is not a favorite character and Ainsley didn't quite do it for me either. To top it all off, we never really get a real picture of how Walfort really feels. Some of his thoughts throughout the story don't make sense when taken into consideration how it all ends. The plot is highly implausible and the resolution even more so. I did like the resolution to the secondary romance, that of Leo (good for Leo!) and the Duchess of Ainsley who is my favorite recurring character throughout this series.

I'm glad that I was able to finish this series, especially since the first two books of Ms. Heath's London's Greatest Lovers trilogy were both highly enjoyable reads. Unfortunately, although Waking Up With The Duke has its good moments, overall it fell short of the mark for me.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: London's Greatest Lovers
Publisher/Release Date: Avon/July 1, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: C-

Visit Lorraine Heath here.

Series:
Passions of a Wicked Earl, #1
Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman, #2
Waking Up With The Duke, #3

Review: What I Did For A Duke (Pennyroyal Green, #5) by Julie Anne Long

For years, he's been an object of fear, fascination . . . and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that shadow the formidable Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge, the ton knows one thing for certain: only fools dare cross him. And when Ian Eversea does just that, Moncrieffe knows the perfect revenge: he'll seduce Ian's innocent sister, Genevieve—the only Eversea as yet untouched by scandal. First he'll capture her heart . . . and then he'll break it.

But everything about Genevieve is unexpected: the passion simmering beneath her cool control, the sharp wit tempered by gentleness . . . And though Genevieve has heard the whispers about the duke's dark past, and knows she trifles with him at her peril, one incendiary kiss tempts her deeper into a world of extraordinary sensuality. Until Genevieve is faced with a fateful choice . . . is there anything she won't do for a duke?

What I Did For A Duke by Julie Anne Long is a May/December romance with one of those memorable, hilarious first chapters that hooked me. What I found after that is a historical romance with some fabulous wit and snappy dialogue between the two main characters that kept me reading. That hilarious first chapter sets the stage for subsequent scenes that continue in this same amusing vein, although not as extreme or memorable, but then there's more.

What happens in that first chapter? Well, Ian Eversea messes with the wrong Duke by seducing his fiancee, and gets caught with his hands in the wrong cookie jar. What a scene! Moncrieffe doesn't kill him but decides to make Ian sweat by obtaining an invitation to a house party taking place at the Eversea's country home. His plan is to seduce Ian's younger sister Genevieve to get even. Surprisingly, Genevieve turns out to be a smart cookie and figures him out, but there are other reasons for Moncrieffe and Genevieve to team up, and for seduction to take place... plus Ian still needs to suffer.

Moncrieffe is old, and by that I mean he's almost forty! He has the "been there, done that" type of attitude and frankly, he has done it all. He's a Duke, rich, doesn't owe anyone anything, has loved and lost and knows tricks the younger men and women around him can't even fathom. He has a reputation for being intimidating, arrogant and calculating and he loves it. Moncrieffe is actually a mature man who knows himself and his own nature quite well, both flaws and vulnerabilities. He is ohhhh so seductive and passionate, and sneaky and lovable. I fell in love with the man. Once he sees Genevieve for who she really is, his yearning and passion for her are sigh worthy. Best of all the two of them sizzle when together.

Genevieve is a young woman, but she gives Moncrieffe a run for his money when it comes to being brilliantly cunning. I love that she figures him out and calls him out on all of his crap. Genevieve doesn't let him get away with anything, even when she's kind and naive to a certain extent. She's slowly seduced by Moncrieffe and doesn't even realize it, while still pining for her one and only love Harry. Genevieve's one flaw is the longevity of her self-imposed blindness when it comes to her feelings for Harry and his feelings for her.

What I Did For A Duke is a passionate May/December historical romance where Julie Anne Long effectively combines angst, yearning and humor. I laughed out loud more than once throughout the story while loving the seductive dance, the passion and romance. And even at the end when the romance is at its peak, the fun didn't stop. (Bastard!)

Category: Historical Romance
Series: Pennyroyal Green
Publisher/Release Date: Avon, February 22, 2011
Grade: A-

Visit Julie Anne Long here.

Series:
The Perils of Pleasure, #1
Like No Other Lover, #2
Since The Surrender, #3
I Kissed An Earl, #4
What I Did For A Duke, #5
How The Marquess Was Won #6 - Releases January 2012

Review: Silk Is For Seduction (Dressmaker Sisters, #1) by Loretta Chase

From the Design Book of Marcelline Noirot:
The allure of the perfect gown should be twofold:
ladies would die to wear it . . .
and gentlemen would kill to remove it!

Brilliant and ambitious dressmaker Marcelline Noirot is London's rising star. And who better to benefit from her talent than the worst-dressed lady in the ton, the Duke of Clevedon's intended bride? Winning the future duchess's patronage means prestige and fortune for Marcelline and her sisters. To get to the lady, though, Marcelline must win over Clevedon, whose standards are as high as his morals are . . . not.

The prize seems well worth the risk—but this time Marcelline's met her match. Clevedon can design a seduction as irresistible as her dresses; and what begins as a flicker of desire between two of the most passionately stubborn charmers in London soon ignites into a delicious inferno . . .and a blazing scandal.

And now both their futures hang by anexquisite thread of silk . . .

Well, I loved Silk Is For Seduction by Loretta Chase. This first book in her new Dressmaker Sisters series is a rich, lush installment that left me wanting more, now.

Marcelline Noirot and her sisters, Sophie and Leonie, built their dress shop Maison Noirot from the ground up to ensure a future for themselves and that of Marcelline's daughter Lucie. Marcelline is a designer and an artist, and as such she's not content with the mediocre. No. She considers herself the best modiste in the world and wants everyone to know it. When the news hits London that the Duke of Clevedon will soon return to propose to his intended Lady Clara, the Noirot sisters come up with an elaborate and risky plan to dress the beautiful, but dowdy, future Duchess. They calculate that once the new Duchess is a patron at their shop, the rest of the aristocratic ladies will follow.

The plan takes Marcelline to Paris and the Duke of Clevedon. The idea is for Marcelline to approach him directly, and while modeling her gorgeous, fashionable designs at different functions, convince him that his future Duchess must exclusively wear designs by Maison Noirot. Clevedon is stunned when he meets the gorgeous Marcelline, and although her intent is always to sell her gorgeous gowns, she's the one who leaves an impression as sparks fly between the two. The stage is set in Paris as Clevedon begins by making an error in judgment and ends up taking Marcelline, a dressmaker, to a ball sponsored by the Parisian aristocracy, making this the first of many instances during the story where he breaks with society's rules as this unlikely relationship progresses.

Events continue to escalate between them once they arrive in London and Clevedon is due to propose to the insightful and very likable Lady Clara. Rumors abound about Paris, Marcelline and the ball, plus circumstances, Marcelline, and eventually his feelings keep getting in the way of a proposal to Clara. As an effective side story, the competition attempts to steal original designs from the Noirot sisters.

Marcelline as the female protagonist is portrayed as both passionate and down to earth. The fact that she's one of the terrible DeLuceys makes her a con artist at heart, however she turns out to be straight forward and honest about her motives from the beginning. Quite an interesting lady! I really like her and love the way she puts Clevedon in his place and doesn't let him get away with anything.

Clevedon is a bit of a rake that needs to be taught a few lessons along the way. His character is less unique: good looking, arrogant and selfish to a certain degree, with a sad family history. As a man and a Duke, Clevedon has little to show as he's basically led a dissipated life and ignored his duties since inheriting the title. He wants Marcelline, and even though there's a planned engagement in his immediate future, he must have her no matter the consequences. He's impulsive and doesn't always consider how his actions will affect Clara, Marcelline and/or even himself in the long run. However, what makes him stand out in this story is the fact that he shares the pages with a great heroine like Marcelline, and that there's character growth so that by the end the changes in him are quite apparent.

Passion and sexual attraction between the main characters hit the reader almost immediately after the two first meet, however the romance is developed at a slower pace. Chemistry and sexual tension are abundant and the passion between Clevedon and Marcelline steam up the pages. I love the dialogue between them and was convinced that Clevedon was so dazzled with Marcelline that he couldn't help but to fall in love with her despite the differences in class. And Marcelline? Well, she just fell...

Clevedon:

"The scent of you," he said so softly. "Heaven help me the scent of you."

Marcelline:

"His hands, his hands."

I particularly liked the way Chase incorporated Marcelline's daughter Lucie and made her part of the romance. Most importantly, to make this romance work, the engagement issue between Clara and Clevedon was resolved satisfactorily. The meticulous dressmaking details are lovely and add richness to this story. Ms. Chase uses snippets from different books, trades, ads and guides of the times to illustrate life as it was throughout the 1800's.

Silk is for Seduction is an excellent beginning to what I hope will be a favorite series by Loretta Chase. I loved this first book! I'm hoping that Lady Clara will find her happily ever after with her own story, however Sophie Noirot's romance is next. Lord Longmore, Lady Clara's brother, is slated to be this cunning woman's victim beau. I can't wait to find out how their story will turn out.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: Dressmaker Sisters
Publisher/Release Date: Avon/June 28, 2011
Grade: A

Visit Loretta Chase here.

Series:
Silk is for Seduction, Book 1

Mini: Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey

Hello! This gorgeous, hot summer is playing havoc with my blogging. I'm busy at work, reading, reading, reading, and well... slow blogging these past few weeks.

What am I reading? Well, I've read a few contemporary romances that worked for me and a couple that didn't, although this past week historical romances have been the preferred fare for me.

Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey is one of those contemporary romances that really worked for me. The story of the Kowalski cousin, Sean who comes back from the service and is ambushed by Emma Shaw when he's asked to pose as her fiancee to reassure her grandmother that all is fine in her world. See, Emma lied to her grandmother by telling her that Sean's her fiancee... she even sent her photoshopped pictures of the two of them and has them spread out around the house! After thinking about it for a while Sean agrees, moves in with Emma while grandma visits from Florida and the rest is history.

This was just a plain fun, sexy contemporary romance. He thinks she's crazy... she thinks he's yummy... they have to sleep in the same bedroom, and drive each other nuts! She gives him a book with notes about herself that he calls a "manual," and he writes these wonderful little post-it notes that he leaves stuck on the bathroom mirror, telling her his likes and dislikes. These two rather stubborn, sexy people were meant for each other. Even with the rather improbable story line and the photoshopped pictures that initially creeped me out, I quickly fell in love with Sean, Emma and grandma Cat.

I really enjoyed the fact that Yours to Keep is a true contemporary focused on the main couple with excellent secondary characters that complement the romance. Grade B+

2011 Mid-Year Recap

I'm a bit late posting my mid-year recap, but it's still July, so not too late. :)

It's not easy choosing top new releases for me. I don't give away too many A's (8), and some of those are either for re-reads or older publications that I've read. So when it comes to choosing favorites, I do go to the top grades but then have to dig into my pool of B+'s (19) and B's (23) which are more abundant.

Since I don't have that many top reads so far this year, I've decided to make it easy on myself. I'm choosing the top 3 A's & 1 B+ for new releases, top 3 A's for backlist reads, and 3 honorable mentions that, although they didn't receive an A grade, were highly enjoyable for me personally and are books that I highly recommend.

Total New Books Read January through June: 83
  Contemporary Fiction/Romance: 28
  LGBT Fiction/Romance/Mystery: 17
  Historical Romance: 16
  Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance: 10
  Science Fiction/Fantasy: 8
  Mystery: 2
  Poetry: 1
  Anthology (mixed genres): 1

Favorite new releases to date:

• Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling, #10) by Nalini Singh (Berkley) Grade A: This is a book that was highly anticipated by me personally and didn't disappoint. I love that Singh hasn't lost her touch when it comes to her tight world building in this long paranormal romance series, and that she continues to focus each story on the main couple. Hawke and Sienna were da bomb! Loved, loved their slow-building courtship and of course, their happily ever after. I'm not the type of reader who likes to invest in long series, so it says a lot to me personally that I can't wait to read the next book and the next book in this series by Ms. Singh. (Paranormal Romance)

• The Sweetest Thing (Lucky Harbor #2) by Jill Shalvis (Forever) Grade A: A contemporary romance that took me by surprise, especially since I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The Sweetest Thing is a book that I enjoyed from beginning to end. I loved the combination of Tara's tart personality with Ford's super sexy persona. The community of Lucky Harbor, Tara's sisters and the fun events that developed made this a fun, sexy and romantic read that I just loved and will most definitely re-read in the future. (Contemporary Romance)

• Slant by Timothy Wang (Tincture, Lethe Press) Grade B+: This gay fiction read was Wang's first novel and, with minor exceptions, it was a magnificent debut. The writing, characterization and plot were all excellent, with a narrative voice that kept me wanting more until that last page was turned. I loved his multi-layered approach to the subject at hand, where he confronts one Asian gay man's confusion and struggle on different fronts: sexuality and ethnicity on a personal level, as well as within the gay community and mainstream society as a whole.  (LGBT - Gay Fiction)

Favorite book from backlist or previous year's releases:

• Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (St. Martin's Press) Grade A: I was introduced to Crusie's backlist last year and this was a book that everyone seemed to love. I loved it too. I fell in love with Min and Cal, after all what is there not to love? But most of all I liked that Crusie focused this book on the very sensitive subject of women, weight and romance. Specifically, I liked that she showed both sides of the coin -- those who find beauty and truly love the person for who they are (Cal); and those who "claim" to do so, but whose love turns out to be the "toxic" kind (Min's mother). I've seen too much of this type of "toxic love" not to recognize the truth of it... so needless to say the whole story resonated with me. (Contemporary Romance)

• The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay (Bold Stroke Books) Grade A: This touching contemporary tale about the struggle a family experiences when one of two sons comes out of the closet stayed with me for quite a while. It was complex, entertaining and true to life. This is a book that I recommended and think should be read by all those who are interested in helping family, neighbors or friends that are going through this struggle. (LGBT Contemporary)

• Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty (Carina Press) Grade A-: Now here's a book that took me totally by surprise. I won this book at DIK and read it off the cuff without really knowing what I was in for... and boy did I enjoy it! I don't have a lot to say about it besides all the praises I sang to it in my review, except to repeat that I really appreciated the true passion and the historical details found in the story. I read the second book in this series Portrait of Seduction and it was a B+ for me, not in the A category but a winner nonetheless, making Carrie Lofty a must read author for me in the future. (Historical Romance)

Honorable Mentions:

• Dust by Elizabeth Bear (Jacob's Ladder, #1) (Spectra) Grade B++: The first book in this science fiction opera trilogy turned out to be a total obsession for me. I couldn't put it down until I was done with it. I gave it a B++, but it really should have been an A-... it's one of those books where the grading needs to be adjusted. Really! This book's world building was complex, but the story itself was quite absorbing and just the fact that I was obsessed with it says a lot. At least for me. :) (Science Fiction)

• A Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear (Tor) Grade B+: This fantasy story by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear was another one that really stayed with me for a while. The way the authors interpreted the bond between animal and man was quite unique and absorbing. However, what I find interesting about this story is that although most of the main characters are male and in the surface males rule, there's a distinctive undercurrent of female power in the story. There's a second book releasing in the fall and I'm certainly curious as to where the authors will go with the story. (Fantasy)

• Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D'Alessandro (Berkley) Grade B: Here's a contemporary romance that I enjoyed so much that I ended up writing two posts about it. It's a book that I recommend if you want to read a fun romance this summer. There's romance, heat, sand, a great beach front community and an adorable dog that will win your heart in about a second. Yes, I'm still talking about that dog, lol! It's interesting because although I gave this read a solid B, it really should have had that + sign at the end based on the fact that I enjoyed it so much. (Contemporary Romance)

Needless to say there are other books that I loved and recommended throughout the first half of the year. I really DO hate to simplify my favorites to such a short list because there are many books that stay with me. I cannot end this post without mentioning the following:

Within contemporary women's fiction/romance there are two such books:
Slow Dancing on Price's Pier by Lisa Dale: B+, and
Sunset Bridge by Emilie Richards: B+

In contemporary romance, I'll go with
A Lot Like Love by Julie James: B+, and
Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas: B+

Then there's historical romance where I "discovered" and highly enjoyed:
The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser: B+, and
Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell: B+

In addition, within the M/M romance sub-genre, Harper Fox became a favorite author with the titles:
 Driftwood: B+ and
 The Salisbury Key: B+.

And last, but not least, I decided to place this top pick separately because it's not romance or fiction. Although I rarely indulge my love of poetry in this blog, I do put up a post here and there. As a result I can't end this post without mentioning one of my favorite books this year so far, a small book of poetry I reviewed back in February, Empire by Xochiquetzal Candelaria. This is a book I truly enjoy -- because I still re-read it -- and which received one of those rare A's from me.

That's it for the first half of the year. I've already read some wonderful books in July! How about you? What book was your top choice for the first half of 2011?