#Review: HOW TO FALL FOR A SCOUNDREL by Kate Bateman

 

5 of 5 stars

I adore Kate Bateman books and "How to Fall for a Scoundrel" is one of the best ones yet. The chemistry between our shy wallflower Eleanor and the ever charming Harry was so much fun. I loved Harry's easy-going style and how he gave Ellie the confidence to come out of her shell. Ellie and her crime-fighting partners have another case to solve, but what they find out along the way of solving one case leads them directly to solve another case involving Harry. The plot flows along nicely with a couple of good twists and turns, and can be read as a stand alone story. I love this series and am looking forward to reading the next book. 

#Review: ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR by Virginia Heath

 

4 of 5 stars

I enjoy Ms. Heath's books, and this one was no different, although I did have a few issues with it. Mostly with Flora, Harry's sister. She seemed more than a bit flightly to me, as that's how she's been described throughout the book. But that bothered me because what mother would go and abandon her children to go on an adventure. How very selfish, especially since she didn't even have the decency to tell Harry or write to him. 

I did very much like Harry and Georgie. At the beginning of the story they were like oil and water, but through a series of misadventures, Georgie begins to see Harry in a different light. He's not the uptight, strait-laced man she thought he was when he hired her. This story was also about Georgie's realization that her self-doubts and loathing about the way she looked were not really true anymore. Granted, she was probably an awkward 16-year-old, but now she was a full-grown, desirable woman. I loved it when she finally realized that.

The children's characters were cute, and, of course, Norbert was the star and the bane of Harry's existence. I thought the ending was just a little rushed, but finally, Harry and Georgie got their HEA.

Interview with Bethany Rosa, PURSUIT OF INNOCENCE

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?

It’s not mythical, but I would love to have a bobcat as a pet. Really, though, I don’t want any more pets. After raising four daughters, I've decided that I don’t have any desire to be needed around the clock by an animal.

 

How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?

That’s an interesting question because I don’t think you should be too different in the romance genre. It’s sort of what got me to start writing. I kept looking for what I liked and wasn’t finding it. I kept coming across these books that were so out there, and all I wanted was my virgin discovering passion and an alpha male discovering love. I adore that storyline and could read it repeatedly with different characters and circumstances. So that’s basically what I did. I realize I have to be a bit different in my future books, but starting with the basics was good for me. I think what sets a book apart is the author’s voice. Their writing style. The settings and characters, along with side plots, along with the basic romance formula. Some readers like what they like and gravitate toward other books with similar styles, and that’s okay.

 

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?

I can’t say I’ve received any bad advice. Everything is helpful in some kind of way, whether you apply it or not. The best advice I’ve received is to set an attainable minimum goal each day. I’m hard on myself; it comes with having a type A personality, so lowering my standards is hard, but it sure makes me feel better some days.

 

Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know or events in your own life?

Of course, I get asked this question a lot! Everyone wants to know if the passionate scenes are from my own experience. From now on, I’ve decided to respond, “No, I’m saving my personal life for my murder mystery novel.” All joking aside, I use a lot of my childhood in the books. It’s unavoidable, it’s easy, and I know it. So, there is a bit of me in there, and it’s not in only one character. Lily has many of my traits, but Sebastian also has sailing experience with his dad from me. And getting back to the passion, no, it’s not personal. It’s from the hundreds of books I’ve read and what does it for me when I’m reading.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

“I’m done waiting around. You’re mine. No more games or pining over someone else when it’s me you want. You won’t remember his name after I get through with you.”

 

Lily knows exactly what she wants in life. To graduate, land a high-paying job, and forge her own way. Nothing will distract her. Until the ultimate playboy, billionaire Sebastian Dubree, barges in. Not to be overlooked, Lily’s longtime crush, Jackson, decides she’s worth the fight.

Reluctant to succumb to either, she quickly becomes a challenge to conquer.

Lily must decide between the familiarity of her childhood longing or the newly discovered  passion ignited by the dominant CEO. But can she surrender without losing herself in the process, or will someone take matters into his own hands?

Boundaries blur between desire and resistance in this gripping coming-of-age romance, leaving readers yearning for more.

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVHM9VG7

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt :

“So, do you take all your new hires to lunch?” she asks in jest.

“Only the ones I’m trying to date.”

“You do this often, then. Oh wait, you don’t date. You’re a one-and-done kind of guy.” Ah, the feistiness I’ve come to look forward to.

“Exactly, so I guess you could say you’re my first… pursuit, that is. See, we each have firsts to give each other.” The look on her face is priceless. I think I just stunned her into silence, but alas, I should know better.

“Oh no, you can give me all the firsts you want, but you won’t be getting mine.”

“I intend to claim them all, Lily. Whether you’ve come to that realization is irrelevant because I plan to start soon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Bethany Rosa raised four amazing daughters before fulfilling her dream to become a writer. Her goal is to ignite passion in readers through her erotically charged stories. When not immersed in writing, Bethany finds joy in life traveling the world alongside her husband of 25 years. Home is divided between the mountains of Montana and the Arizona sunshine.

 

Website: http://www.bethanyrosa.com/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Bethanyrosa.author

TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@authorbethanyrosa

 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway 

#Review: WHEN THE BARON BROODS by Darcy Burke

 

3.5 of 5 stars

I'm a fan of Ms. Burke, and her stories are always enjoyable. This one didn't quite give me the same warm feelings as some of her previous books though. Tasmin was a sweet, eternally happy young woman, although her happy personality seemed a little over the top at times. She suffered a great deal in her young life but chose not to dwell on the fact that her mother abandoned her. That seemed counterproductive to me, and it should have caused her "forever" happiness to fade a bit. She was entitled to be angry, and it would have made her seem more real if the author had let her show her unhappiness at times.

As for Isaac, at first I felt bad for the guilt he carried around. Denying himself any sort of pleasure for the past ten years seems a bit extreme. I understand that the incident with Mary happened when he was still very young, but as he got older, he could have fought harder to find out what happened to her instead of just forcing himself into a gloomy existence because of his guilt. It seemed an extreme reaction to an unpleasant and unsettling experience.

I did like the interactions with Tasmin and Isaac once they were married. The fact that he finally confessed to her his deepest, dark secret relieved him somewhat of the guilt he'd carried for so long. They were sweet together, and I'm glad they finally got their HEA.

Interview with Dana King, OFF THE BOOKS

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Off the Books is my sixth novel to feature Chicago-based private detective Nick Forte; he also appears in two of my Penns River police procedurals. In Off the Books Forte is hired by a wealthy businessman whose wife witnessed a fender-bender in a small Illinois town while visiting their grandchildren. Nothing special there except that the driver who rear-ended the car in front of her was obviously drunk and came out of the car brandishing a weapon; the client wants to know why the local police aren’t doing anything about it. Forte quickly finds his client has not been straight with him and there’s a lot more wrong in Lundy, Illinois than sloppy police work. 

 

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?

I’m in my late 60s and decided after eight or nine years with a publisher I wanted more freedom and control over what would be left of my career. By self-publishing I can set my own release schedule and marketing plan (such as it is) without worrying if I’m doing right by my publishing partner.

 

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

This is a good story. The seventh novel in my Penns River series, White Out, was ready to go out  for blurbs before we had a cover. The Beloved Spouse™, who is a wizard with Photoshop, dummied up a placeholder in black and white that was supposed to be only for the ARCs, but we liked it so much we kept it for the general release. “Branding” is a big deal these days and it occurred to us we could use the simple, stark covers as a kind of logo for my books. The Nick Forte novels now all look like what you see here and the Penns River books will be re-covered over the next year so they’ll all look like White Out. My two standalones will be similar but different enough so folks will know they are not part of either series.

 

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I was a professional musician until I was about 35, so the problem for me with having music around when I write is my mind tends to focus too much on the music and not enough on the writing, so I now write in silence. Or at least without music; background noise doesn’t bother me much.

 

My process varies from draft to draft as I refine the work. The first draft is two or three sessions of 500 words each; the goal is to get the story on the hard drive. Parts may even look like a screenplay, as dialog tends to come easier to me than action, so I sometimes put a slug in place to remind myself what has to go there and will tidy it up on the second draft.

 

The second draft is a true re-write, where I type everything out again., Substantial changes, additions, and deletions can be made. Authors are taught to “kill your darlings” when editing. I have found it’s easier to leave them along the side of the road and just not type them in again.

 

The next draft is the hard core editing. I like to think the book is essentially done when this is finished.

 

Last I have a three-step process:

Day 1: Read a chapter or two. Just read them. Nothing else.

Day 2: Edit what I read on Day 1. Read the next chapter or two.

Day 3: Have Word read back to me what I edited yesterday to make sure it’s right. Edit what I read on Day 1. Read the next chapter or two.

Then repeat until I’m done.

 

I think of each draft like this:

Draft 1: Producing  the raw materials.

Draft 2: Refining the iron ore from the bauxite.

Draft 3: Turning it into steel.

Draft 4: Tempering the steel.

 

This process is a little different every time, but after sixteen books it’s now pretty well set.

 

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

Outline, though usually little more than a sentence or fragment to remind me what needs to happen in each scene. How it happens is a game time decision, and those decisions sometimes force me to revise the rest of the outline.

 

I tried to write a couple of books without an outline and ended up throwing away 25,000 and 35,000 words. I’m one of those writers who needs to know the story before I do it justice, almost as if I’m reporting on things that have actually happened. 

 

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

Yes. Chris Rhatigan has been my primary editor for years and he never fails to improve the books.

 

A word of advice about editors: Make sure you have one who shares your vision for the book and isn’t going to remake it into something they think will be better. Maybe they will; then again, maybe they won’t. In the end, it’s your name on the cover, and you’re paying the freight, so make sure you get someone you’re comfortable working with. That doesn’t mean you’ll always agree. You want an editor’s suggestions, not your mother’s.

 

Is your book(s) in Kindle Unlimited or is it wide? What percentage of royalties does page reads represent if in KU?

All the Nick Fortes are now Kindle Unlimited, mainly because I lack the energy and discipline to regularly keep up with multiple markets. I honestly do not know what percentage comes from KU page reads, as the book only came out a couple of weeks ago.

 

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

Make sure you’ve written the best book you can before you start worrying about formatting or marketing. You only get one chance to make a first impression with readers, so you want them to see the best you got. Marketing might sell this book, but it’s not going to generate repeat business.

 

Also, be meticulous about the formatting, by which I mean how the book looks on the page, to include pagination, typos, margins, paragraph indentations, and all the other things we take for granted when buying a professionally-published book. Get a proof and compare it to a book on your shelf. It doesn’t have to be as polished, but you also don’t want anything to scream, “I don’t know what I’m doing!” The key is to present yourself as a professional.

 

Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?

Dogs, no question. Cats are assholes.

Chocolate. I love French vanilla ice cream, but with chocolate syrup.

Tea. I’ve had two cups of coffee in my life. The first was such a bitter disappointment I knew I wasn’t going to like the second before I even tasted it. This post is already longer than I planned, so if anyone wants to know about that first cup, ask me in the comments section.

Talk. Interactions are too slow and clumsy in texts. I’m also a lousy typist.

Day. There are few things I enjoy more than being outside on a beautiful day. I’, also more productive during the daylight hours. To me, nights are for winding down to prepare for the next day.

 

What’s next for you?

Lunch. After that I’ll move things along in Phase 4 of my first Western, which I hope to have finished by the time this interview appears in print. After that I plan to move right into the next Nick Forte novel; the outline is already 95% finished.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Nick Forte has lost his detective agency and makes ends meet doing background checks and other paperwork. He pays for everything else through jobs he takes for cash and without any written contract. What starts out as a simple investigation into a traffic accident exposes Forte to people who have truly lost everything and have no viable hope of reclaiming their lives. That doesn’t sit well with Forte, leading him and his friend Goose Satterwhite to take action that ends more violently than anyone expected.

 

“The return of Chicago private detective Nick Forte, the tough protagonist of two Shamus Award nominated novels, is well worth the wait. Nick’s latest escapade Off The Books—the first in nearly six years—will surely earn additional praise for the acclaimed series.”

-J.L .Abramo, Shamus Award-winning author of Chasing Charlie Chan.

 

"Nick Forte reminds me of Robert B. Parker's Spenser: a PI with a finely tuned sense of justice who doesn't take anyone's s***. Any fan of hardboiled detective fiction is in for a helluva ride."

--Chris Rhatigan, former publisher of All Due Respect Books

BUY LINKS 

http://tinyurl.com/4w2avye3

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Off the Books is Dana King’s sixth Nick Forte private investigator novel. Two of the earlier books (A Small Sacrifice and The Man in the Window) received Shamus Award nominations from the Private Eye Writers of America. Dana also writes the Penns River series of police procedurals set in a small Western Pennsylvania town, as well as one standalone novel, Wild Bill, which is not a Western. His short fiction appears in numerous anthologies and web sites. He is a frequent panelist at conferences and reads at Noirs at Bars from New York to North Carolina. 

 

WEBSITE

https://danakingauthor.com

 

BLOG 

One Bite at a Time https://danaking.blogspot.com

 

TWITTER

@DanaKingAuthor

 

FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/dana.king.735/

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

#Review: HERE COMES MY EARL by Anna Bradley

 

3 of 5 stars

"Here Comes My Earl" is the story of Euphemia, the last unmarried Templeton sister. I thought the beginning of the book was great when she and James, Lord Fairmont, were doing nothing but butting heads, but I had expected more of the "enemies to lovers" trope with these two interacting much more. One of the things that was very confusing was that there were too many "F" names. Harriet's suitor, whom James wanted her to marry, was also an "F" name, and it was hard to keep track of who was who.

 

The side plot of Harriet and Gilly hardly had any conflict at all. They met, developed feelings for each other and then James approved the match. That was disappointing, to say the least. I also would have liked more scenes with just James and Euphemia like the chess match and the dancing lessons, and without those extra interactions, the book seemed a bit rushed.

 

I enjoy Miss Bradley's books, but this one was a bit of a miss for me.

#Review: THE DUCHESS by Sophie Jordan

 

3 of 5 stars

Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, has spent most of her adult life waiting--waiting to see if her husband was in a good mood that day, waiting for the slap that usually came if he was displeased, waiting, waiting, waiting. All that ended with the death of the duke. Valencia could finally take a breath and not have to look over her shoulder every minute of the day. All that changed, however, when the new Duke of Dedham, Rhain, and his six unmarried sisters invaded the ducal townhouse. Valencia's days of waiting are over, but now she's been banished to the dower house in Yorkshire until an offer from the duke keeps her in London. 

Rhain did not want to be duke. He preferred his life in Wales, but he would not deny his sisters' chances for a good match, so they all went to London. Seeing Valencia in the ducal townhouse sends him into a tailspin. There's something about her that calls to him, but he refuses to act on it. He proposes a deal--Valencia help launch his sisters into Society and he'll give her enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life. Can these two come to a mutual understanding, or will the tension between them spill over into something more?

This was a slow-burn romance, and I usually like them, but this one took way too long. There were too many flashbacks to her time with the previous duke and not enough time devoted to her and Rhain. Most of the book is taken up with Rhain's sisters and not so much interaction between H and h. There is a twist in the story at the last 10% that seemed a little far-fetched. I thought the villain was someone else, and that would have made much more sense to me.  I do enjoy Ms. Jordan's writing and will probably read the next book in the series. 

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy, and all opinions are my own.

#Review: DAMNED IF I DUKE by Anna Bradley

 

4 of 5 stars

I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, and Ms. Bradley delivers with this book. I really enjoyed the banter between Prue and Jasper. She was wild and exasperating, and he was arrogant—a match made in heaven. Can these two overcome their animosity and get what they both want?

Ms. Bradley weaves a good story of what love can do to a person, from denying one's feelings to resisting the one person who can make your life better. When they are forced to marry, it's the last thing either of them wants, but as more time goes by, their feelings for each other change. Before they could acknowledge their feelings, in marches a vindictive ex-mistress to try and break them apart. And she nearly succeeds when Prue retreats to the country. Can Jasper convince her that his love is true or has he lost his spirited wife forever?

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy, and all opinions are my own.

Interview with Robert A. Walker, SIX MOONS, SEVEN GODS

 

 

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Six Moons, Seven Gods is the first book in “The Legends of Baelon” series. It’s a medieval fantasy adventure with shades of romance and grimdark. 

 

The skilled thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon, but when their plans are thwarted by a prescient woman and her brooding daughter, they must turn to the League of Assassins for assistance. Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. When they all cross paths–and swords–in the dark shadows of Fostead’s south end, nothing is as it seems and the murder count rises quickly.

 

“One must be careful practicing deception. The easiest to deceive will always be one’s self.” Welcome to the world of Baelon, where loyalty and treachery live under the same roof; where friendships are tested, true love is made to wait, and dangerous secrets are held close to allegiant hearts!

 

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

I did, but I was clueless at the time. I thought that someone would just read my manuscript and consider it for publication. I had no idea that most publishers only work through agents, nor did I realize how difficult it would be to get an agent to take an interest in me. When I first started querying, I had no website, no social media presence, no polished outline of my novel. I received a ton of rejections based solely on my lack of preparation, so I eventually decided to self-publish my first book. 

 

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?

I’ll be self-publishing the sequel to “Six Moons, Seven Gods”, but following that I hope to be in a much better position to seek representation from agents. Depending on how successful the first two novels have been, I may try the traditional publishing route again. 

 

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover? 

I was quite involved. I had a pretty good sense of what I wanted the cover to look like, so I provided the designer with a crude sketch and description. He took a first cut at it, which was very good, and we went back and forth a few times from there.

Do you regularly send out a newsletter? How are you recruiting new subscribers? Do you have a reader magnet?

I don’t have a newsletter yet (just another example of my steep learning curve). It’s something I’m actually working on now. I’ve just created an account with MailerLite, and I’m looking forward to adding an email subscription popup to my author website.

 

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I write best when I’m alone, and there are no distractions, and I tend to be more productive at night. The words flow more freely then, especially if I’m listening to music; I have a favorite playlist that I’ll write to, and it’s mostly sad ballads. I also know that if I’m working on a storyline, or trying to figure out some tricky plot twist, I’m most successful when lying on my back in the dark. Not sure why that is!

 

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I’ve worked both ways. I don’t want to be too restricted by a formal outline, but I have found it helps to have a general sense of where things are going. My first draft of “Six Moons, Seven Gods” was strictly “write as you go”, and that got me into trouble on several occasions, as I would write my characters into predicaments even I could not help them out of!

 

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book? Do you try to write everyday or carve out certain times during the week?

It’s super challenging for me. There’s never enough time to write, and the marketing effort is quite time-consuming and addictive in its own way. I try to carve out time for both each week, if not each day. But there are definitely days when one is neglected due to my being absorbed by the other.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

Three pieces of advice: first, writing’s a journey. Don’t look too far ahead. Focus on your passion and the here and now. Write, write, write, and enjoy the traveling, one step at a time. Had I known early on what it would take to be published, and all the work involved in getting one’s book into the hands of readers, I might never have finished my first novel, let alone started it. I was so naïve to think that--you know--if you write something worthwhile, someone’s going to want to publish it, and people will then read it. Simple, right? The truth, of course, is so much more complex and challenging, regardless of whether you are trying to secure the representation of a traditional publishing firm, or you have decided to self-publish. Unless your intended audience is limited to friends and family, finishing your novel (quite the accomplishment in and of itself) is only half the battle. So my advice is to take it slowly and enjoy the journey—don’t peek too soon or too closely behind the publishing world’s thick curtain lest that cause you to turn back. Tackled one issue at a time, none of it as overwhelming or intimidating as the big picture first appears; there’s lots of support out there, and if you persevere, all those little challenges just make reaching your destination that much more rewarding. Carry on!

 

My second counsel is to listen to your heart while you are writing. Mine will generally tell me when I’m on the right track, and when I’ve gotten lost. The characters and scenes that I have been most engaged with during the creative process typically turn out to be those that readers also find most entertaining. So now, when I find myself slogging through some piece that I don’t find particularly exciting or enjoyable to write, I ask myself: why is that? Am I asking the reader to suffer with me? Is there not something I can do to the storyline or character to make writing (and reading) this more entertaining?

 

Lastly, I strongly suggest that you read your work aloud and slowly, either to yourself or to an interested listener. You’ll be surprised at the number of errors and opportunities that expose themselves. This advice was given me by my father, a professional editor by trade, and I have benefited from it ever since.

 

Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?

Dogs over cats. My best friend growing up was a beagle, and there’s almost always been a dog or two in my house (currently a Labradoodle and an Australian Cobberdog). Chocolate over vanilla for sure—one of my “go to” snacks during writing is a handful of cashews with one or two chocolate raisins in the mix! And there’s nothing better than a hot fudge sundae, right? I’ll pass on coffee and tea, despite my British heritage. Talk instead of text, as the latter tends to increase the opportunity for misinterpretation; and despite my penchant for writing at night, I’m more of a morning person overall.

Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/MOONS-SEVEN-GODS-Legends-Baelon-ebook/dp/B0CJ5ZG487

Barnes and Noble buy link:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-moons-seven-gods-walker/1144209306

Target: https://www.target.com/p/six-moons-seven-gods-by-walker-paperback/-/A-91007114

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551750255281

 

Author Bio:

Robert A. Walker grew up in Northwestern Massachusetts. After graduating college, he packed his scant belongings in a car with rusted-out floorboards and headed west. He’s lived in California ever since, and now resides along the Pacific Ocean with his wife and dogs. When not fabricating stories, he can be found roaming local tennis courts or working on a never-ending list of DIY house projects. Information regarding Robert’s current writing projects can be found at rawalkerwriting.com.

 

 

#Review: IN WANT OF A VISCOUNT by Lorraine Heath

 

5 of 5 stars

I always enjoy Ms. Heath's books and this one is no exception. The chemistry between Rook and Nora is off the charts. I loved the tension between them as Nora tries to find investors to save her late father's factory. She was so strong and independent--a woman who knew what she wanted, and yet, she was soft and vulnerable as well. I really loved Rook. He was such a tower of strength and respectability until he lost his heart to Nora. These two were willing to do whatever they could to help each other, even walking away, but in the end, Rook and Nora got their happily ever after.

I really disliked Nora's mother. I think the author went a little overboard on how awful she was, and her brother wasn't better as far as I'm concerned. I think with Sam, though, it was that he hadn't found his own true passion yet--the factory was never that for him so at least he redeemed himself a little at the end.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

#Review: WRITE FOR ME, MARQUESS by Kate Archer

 

3 of 5 stars

Rupert Doncaster, Marquess of Hamill, has decided it's time he married and he intends to court Lady Juliet Bennington, although he could hardly understand her when she was spouting off her poetry. Her beauty more than made up for her quirkiness, he thought, but her heart seemed set on marrying a fellow poet, which he decidedly was not.

Lady Juliet Bennington knew in her heart that she was destined to marry a fellow poet. When she meets a fellow poet, Mr. Roundbat, she wants to fall in love with him, but she keeps being drawn to Rupert, and it confuses her. Could she marry someone who didn't share her love of poetry?

This was a kind of bland story. I didn't feel much chemistry between Rupert and Juliet, but I did love Tattleton, Miss Mayton, and, of course, the rooster Marvin. The secondary characters made the story in my opinion. While I did enjoy the previous stories in the series, this one kind of fell flat for me especially since it took me more than a week to get through it.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy, and all opinions are my own.

#Review: HOW NOT TO HATE THE DUKE by Jennifer Haymore

 

3 of 5 stars

Theo St. Clair, the Seventh Duke of Desborough, has found it far easier to run away from his father's cruel influence than to try and mitigate the previous duke's obnoxious ways. It's no wonder the people of the village and the ducal tenants have a hard time warming up to Theo. All they've ever known is cruelty from the duke. 

Georgiana Milford's home is adjacent to the duke's property, and all her life she's heard her parents say what cruel and vicious people the St. Clair's are, including the current duke. When she finds out that Theo will be attending the same house party, she isn't sure if she should stay or go. Her parents would be furious to know that the duke was in attendance, but despite that, Georgiana decides to stay. Will she take the time to get to know the current duke and judge him on his own merits instead of listening to others?

I really liked the premise of this story, but I wasn't enamored with Georgiana. She came across as bratty and too opinionated without listening to her own mind. Theo did not deserve her disdain especially since she kept saying that she knew how to judge whether men were interested in her beyond her substantial dowry. I was especially disappointed by her behavior at the chapel. Where was her backbone, especially since she professed to love Theo. I thought that excuse to drive the couple apart didn't make sense. I would have liked them to have struggled to make the tenants' lives better together. There are a couple of teasing scenes in the story that were very well done, but not enough to lift the book to 4 stars.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.