Lucky Penny

Author: Catherine Anderson
Publisher: Penguin Group/Signet
Pub. Date: January 31, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0451236036
Pages: 432
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

To support her orphaned niece, impoverished Brianna O’Keefe accepts work with a Colorado rancher. To guard herself from unwanted attention, she resorts to a harmless little lie: that she’s married to a Denver gold miner named David Paxton. When her boss forces her to write her “husband,” hoping he’ll take Brianna off his hands, she can only pray that there is no real David Paxton who can expose her.

When Colorado marshal David Paxton gets a letter from a stranger claiming to be his wife and pleading with him to come for her and his daughter, he dutifully sets out to find this woman and the child he may have sired. What stuns Brianna’s wary attraction blossoms into deeper desire, David warms to the idea of a ready-made family. But can his dream survive Brianna’s lingering distrust—and his own secrets?

~*~*~

REVIEW

David Paxton’s pleasant life as a marshal in No Name, Colorado is disrupted when he receives a letter from a stranger claiming to be his wife and asking him to help her and their daughter. Brianna O’Keefe has make up a story that she is married to a gold miner named “David Paxton”. Suddenly, events spiral out of control and she agrees to live as David’s wife to keep custody of her orphaned niece Daphne.

I liked the character of David form the very beginning of the book. He is loyal, brave, tender, and tough. He reminds me of Rhett Butler, Indiana Jones, and John Wayne all rolled into one! I wasn’t as quick to appreciate Brianna. David says it best when he says she is “the human equivalent of a prickly pear.” I realize she was raised in a convent, but I got tired of her constantly correcting David’s grammar and complaining about his foul language. As David comes to care about Brianna, and I started looking at her through his eyes, I began to like her so much more. Her prim exterior hides someone that had to become tough to survive adversity and will do anything to protect Daphne, and this is admirable.

This isn’t the first time a plot of a romance novel includes a marriage of convenience that has the potential to lead to true love. However, I think Catherine Anderson puts a fresh spin on it. David is determined to do the right thing by his daughter and her mother, and doesn’t realize Brianna is really telling the truth when she tells him he isn’t Daphne’s father. It’s sweet to see them slowing becoming a loving, if unconventional family, even if it does take a while. There are some steamy love scenes toward the end, but David and Brianna spend most of the book arguing and misjudging the other, while sneaking in an admiring glance here and there.

I don’t mind the slow build and the romance works for me. However, the historical part of the book could be better. I’m not historian by any means, but many of the things the characters say and do don’t seem to fit with the times. I just don’t think things like “awesome” and “no worries” were common expressions in 1891. A great historical novel transports you to another time and place, but this book didn’t have that effect on me. It seemed more like modern characters put in costumes and placed on horseback. That being said, the book has an interesting plot and likeable characters, especially David and his family. So, overall, I think it is a good book even though the 1890s atmosphere wasn’t as realistic as I would have liked.

Rating: 3.5 (Good)

Heat-Level: 3.5 (Sensual/Hot)

Reviewed by Christine K.

Comment and enter to win your own copy of LUCKY PENNY.

Breakaway
Author: Deirdre Martin
Publisher: Penguin Group/Berkley
Pub. Date: February 7, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0425243688
Pages: 432
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

They had it all planned out: college, marriage, happily ever after. But it didn’t quite work out that way…

Erin O’Brien was everyone’s favorite in Ballycraig, while Rory Brady was the town’s golden boy: the local lad who moved to America and because a professional hockey player. Rory promised to return to sweep Erin away to the life of her dreams in New York. But the bright lights and late nights turned his head and he never came back.

Two years later, Rory realizes he’s made the worst mistake of his life. Heading back to Ballycraig, he’s confident that all he needs to do is flash his winning smile and Erin will fall back into his arms. But Erin’s moved on.

Racing the clock, Rory needs to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erik risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?

~*~*~

REVIEW

Breakaway is a romance about second chances. Erin and Rory were once the “it” couple and had their future all planned. Then everything fell apart and Rory broke Erin’s heart. She has moved on and has found her own path in life. Now Rory is back and Erin’s world is once again turned upside down by the sexy Irish hockey star.

This story worked for me on some levels and didn’t on others.

The things that worked:

I loved Erin. She has been hurt and she let it get her down for a while, but now she is back and better than ever. She is moving forward no matter what anyone says. I love how she doesn’t cave to Rory like everyone expects her to. She makes him work to get back into her good graces.

I loved the community that surrounds Erin. The people in her town are there for her 100%. They don’t want her to be hurt by Rory again and aren’t going to give him a chance.

I loved Erin’s best friend, Sandra. She knows what Erin needs and wants almost more than Erin does. She makes sure that Rory gets the opportunity to be around Erin and work toward patching things up with her.

The writing is fantastic. Deidre Martin is one of my top ten contemporary writers and I love the way she tells a story.

What didn’t work for me:

The story seemed to go on and on. After the HEA is achieved there are several “misunderstandings” that felt as if they were just for the sake of prolonging the book and adding words. I would have liked the story more if it had ended without the silliness.

I also didn’t like Rory much. He dumps Erin because of his ego. He doesn’t need his hometown girlfriend now that he is a big shot hockey player in New York. I didn’t feel that he had really changed enough to realistically be back in Erin’s life. He still thinks he’s God’s gift when he comes back to Ireland. I didn’t see any growth in the character.

As an addition to the NY Blades series I found this book lacking. There wasn’t the interaction with the hockey team until the end of the story and it just felt as if the vibe from the first books in the series wasn’t there.

Rating: 2.5 (Fair)

Heat-Level: 3 (Sensual)

Reviewed by Carrie

Comment and enter to win your own copy of BREAKAWAY.

Secrets of an Accidental Duchess
Author: Jennifer Haymore
Publisher: Grand Central/Forever
Pub. Date: February 1, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0446573153
Pages: 432
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

With her pale hair and slim figure, Olivia Donovan looks as fragile as fine china, and has been treated as such by her sisters ever since a childhood bout with malaria. But beneath her delicate facade, Olivia guards a bold, independent spirit and the kind of passionate desires proper young ladies must never confess…

It was a reckless wager, and one Max couldn’t resist: seduce the alluring Olivia or forfeit part of his fortune. Yet the wild, soon-to-be Duke never imagined he’d fall in love with this innocent beauty. Nor could he have guessed that a dangerously unpredictable rival would set out to destroy them both. Now, Max must beat a Madman at his own twisted game-or forever lose the only woman to have ever won his heart.

~*~*~

REVIEW

Secrets of an Accidental Duchess is a sweet and romantic story.

I loved the couple in this book. Their romance is sweet and one of the best I’ve read in a while.

Max is instantly mesmerized by the beautiful Olivia when he spies her at a ball. He will do whatever necessary to meet her. In a moment of distraction he makes a wager with his rival that he can seduce the elusive beauty.

Olivia longs to be treated like a normal woman, but due to a childhood illness that left her prone to fevers, she is treated like a fragile flower. She has sworn never to marry, but when she meets Max everything changes.

Their relationship progresses at a slow pace. They spend actual time together – playing tennis, going for walks, etc. – which is actually kind of rare in historical romances. The attraction builds and there is a lot of sexual tension between the couple.

Max gains his title and all hell breaks loose. His enemy comes after him and Olivia, setting out to destroy the relationship that has developed between them. The test will be if Max and Olivia are willing to fight for their love.

The writing is what you would expect from a Jennifer Haymore novel. It flows seamlessly and keeps the reader enthralled in the story. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series – Pleasures of a Tempted Lady out in July 2012.

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3.5 (Sensual/Hot)

Reviewed by Carrie

Comment and enter to win your own copy of SECRETS OF AN ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS

My Wicked Little Lies
Author: Victoria Alexander
Publisher: Kensington
Pub. Date: February 1, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1420117066
Pages: 352
Digital Price: $4.96
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

Evelyn Hadley-Attwater has it all—a genteel Victorian life replete with loving husband, ball gowns and elegant parties. No one, including the man she married, suspects that she was once “Eve,” a spy for England’s most enigmatic intelligence agency. Summoned for one final assignment, the excitement of her former life and memories of her mysterious, flirtatious boss “Sir” prove too tempting…

Adrian Hadley-Attwater is a respectable, dignified gentleman. But even the most proper gentlemen have secrets of their own. Secrets from the rest of the world, from their families, from their wives. Secrets that have a price. Now, as a veil of secrecy frays, a tantalizing game of cat and mouse will test the bounds of unfailing love…

~*~*~

REVIEW

“…but at the length truth will out.” – William Shakespeare

Evelyn Turner Hadley-Attwater, Countess of Waterson, has the perfect life. She is in love with her husband Adrian, his family and her responsibilities as a Countess. Since Evelyn’s parents died when she was young, leaving her to the care of a distant relative, Evelyn finds herself content in her settled and “normal” life. Normal life is appealing to Evelyn, who has a past full of secrets that threaten her marriage and life as she knows it, should her husband ever uncover the truth. Little does she know, he knows more than she knows, he knows.

Adrian Hadley-Attwater, Earl of Waterson has become slightly anxious since leaving his rogue lifestyle and assuming the position of Earl after his brother’s death. Adrian, who married the love of his life, has noticed Evelyn’s recent change in manner and is determined to find out what is causing her distraction and inattentiveness. Convinced his wife is having an affair; Adrian continues to search for the truth, only to uncover hidden secrets of the past that could ruin life as he knows it.

My Wicked Little Lies is a deliciously original story that kept me turning the pages in order to discover the truth of the past. The novel focuses on Adrian and Evelyn’s marriage and the lies of omission that are festering beneath the surface of their relationship. Both characters are extremely likeable, well developed and interesting, to say the least. The heat between these characters is evident without the in depth love scenes or spicy content. In fact, the first sexual scene is not revealed until the last half of the book. This enables the reader to feel the sexual tension and desire between the two characters before actually reading about their steamy interactions.

While I had this book figured out for the most part, I was still sitting on the “edge of my seat” waiting for the climax and, surprisingly, discovering it more than once. The author threw in a nice surprise near the end that I enjoyed and didn’t expect. Victoria Alexander has written an exciting and original historical romance that holds mystery, suspense and secrets that are sure to entice most every reader. I highly suggest reading this book. When you finish, come back and comment on this post. I’m itching to discuss the book!

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3 (Sensual)

Reviewed by Tiffany

Comment and enter to win your own copy of MY WICKED LITTLE LIES

A Secret in Her Kiss
Author: Anna Randol
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: January 31, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0062025807
Pages: 384
Digital Price: $4.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

SHE WOULD GLADLY RELINQUISH HER LIFE OF INTRIGUE…

A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the mysterious East, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately, there are those who think otherwise – and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the game.

Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed “minder” to ensure that she completes – and survives – one last mission, Mari is incensed…for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood is simply too dedicated, too unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will have to do the unthinkable and break the rules – rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.

~*~*~

REVIEW

A Secret in Her Kiss is a unique and wonderful debut historical romance.

A Secret in Her Kiss takes place during the regency period, but instead of the glittering ballrooms of London the hero and heroine find themselves risking their lives and falling in love in Constantinople.

I’m always a little leery about regency romances that aren’t typical. I’ve read some fantastic ones. (It’s a personal preference that there are drawing rooms and balls.) I was wonderfully surprised by A Secret in Her Kiss. The setting plays such an important roll in the story and it is wonderfully written. There is a touch of mystery and intrigue that surrounds the couple.

Mari Sinclair’s only real goal in life is to help the Greek people. Her mother, once a slave, had taught her the importance of helping her people. Mari is willing to do whatever it takes, including spying, to accomplish her task. She doesn’t want to put up with a stodgy English soldier. She knows that he will only get in her way.

Major Bennett Prestwood wants nothing more than to get home to his family. His sister is in an untenable marriage and he knows that he must get home soon to rescue her. Bennett wants nothing to do with the beautiful spy. These two go through so much together and find themselves falling in love around the way.

I love the relationship between Mari and Bennett. It evolves from them merely tolerating each other (and not well) to them being unable to live without the other. Ms. Randol does an excellent job of making their relationship progress naturally and in a realistic manner.

A Secret in Her Kiss is a fantastic debut novel and I can’t wait to see where Ms. Randol takes us next.

Rating: 4 (Very Good)

Heat-Level: 4 (Hot)

Reviewed by Carrie

Comment and enter to win your own copy of A SECRET IN HER KISS

Gift of Magic
Author: Lynn Kurland
Publisher: Penguin Group / Berkley Trade
Pub. Date: January 3, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0425245200
Pages: 320
Digital Price: $9.99
Print Retail Price: $15.00
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

Sarah of Doìre knows the pattern of spells is no accident. With each page, each powerful rune, she and Ruith are being led somewhere, to someone-but by whom, she cannot tell. Sarah’s gift of sight only allows her to see the spells themselves, not the person behind them.

A reluctant sorcerer still learning to trust his own magic, Ruithneadh of Ceangail knows he’s woefully unprepared for the adversaries they’ll face. But he and Sarah must collect and destroy his father Gair’s spells soon. Many mages seek their power, and in the wrong hands, Gair’s magic would plunge the Nine Kingdoms into an eternity of darkness.

But as they pursue the final spells-acquiring strange companions, welcome allies, and unexpected foes along the way-Sarah and Ruith realize that their true quest has only just begun. The real enemy is closer, darker, and more power hungry than they ever imagined; and until he is defeated, the fate of the Nine Kingdoms hangs in dire peril.

~*~*~

REVIEW

Fantasy is delicious in this final novel of Kurland’s Spellweaver series.

Ruith and Sarah are on the last steps of their mission to gather the spells created by Ruith’s father. The course of their journey has been incredibly long, and this last leg has Ruith and Sarah wondering who is truly a foe or a friend. Of course spell weaving is a devious art, and secrets are about to be shed that will finally shine some light on this incredible tale.

Upfront and honest, this is my first Lynn Kurland novel. Coming in on the last leg is an absolute, horrible thing. The story is interesting, but I felt completely disconnected because I didn’t have the inner details from the other books. Kurland does a decent job of keeping readers informed about previous events that are important to the current plot points, and the characters are fully visualized. I was easily absorbed into the dialogue and personalities.

Unfortunately lengthy, hard to pronounce names and a large cast made it difficult for me to keep up at times. I continually had to reverse track and see if a character was mentioned in a previous chapter or was related to someone, etc. The book was challenge from that angle. Yet, the developed relationship between Ruith and Sarah is extremely enjoyable. Their romance is not a key part to the story, with more efforts focused on the plot to save the world from impending doom at the hands of a ruthless man.

Regretfully, I have to say that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I probably would have if I’d read the previous novels. It’s still a good story and has a satisfying conclusion. Kurland doesn’t leave anyone hanging and readers of the series can rest easy knowing that the author wraps up each character’s place. Overall, if you’re thinking of jumping into this book I recommend getting a hold of the previous ones.

Rating: 3 (Satisfactory)

Heat-Level: 1 (Inspy)

Reviewed by Landra

Any Given Christmas
Author: Candis Terry
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Pub. Date: November 22, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0062133298
Pages: 368
Digital Price: $3.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

Dean Silverthorne’s mother may be dead, but she still has matchmaking to do.

When an injury dashes NFL Quarterback Dean Silverthorne’s Super Bowl dreams, he heads back to Deer Lick, Montana, with a chip on his wounded shoulder, more determined than ever to get back in the game. He loves his kooky family, but this trip home is going to be a very brief Christmas visit.

His game plan doesn’t include an instant attraction to Emma Hart, a feisty kindergarten teacher who seems to be the only person in Deer Lick not interested in the hometown hero. Or his dearly departed mom popping up with mistletoe in hand and meddling on the mind. Now Dean can’t help but wonder if there’s more to love than life between the goal posts.

~*~*~

REVIEW

Any Given Christmas is a contemporary romance set in a small town with interesting characters.

Emma is a small town teacher who dreams of settling down and starting a family. The only problem is that she can’t seem to find the right man. The only man that she has found herself attracted to in a long time is the one man that she knows wouldn’t be in a committed relationship with her.

Dean is dealing with the recent death of his mother and a career ending injury. His whole life has revolved around football and now he has to find some other way to fill the hours of his day. He returns to his hometown for the wedding of his little sister and finds that there may be something and someone for him there.

I loved Dean as much as I disliked Emma. Emma couldn’t get over something from her past and held it against Dean even through it really had nothing to do with him. Plus, she gets upset when he doesn’t focus on how something terrible that happens to him would affect her. Dean does things for her that matter and she just pushes him aside. He even buys her a cat, although he is allergic to them. In the end I couldn’t help but think that there was someone better out in the world for Dean and that their relationship wouldn’t last. The happily ever after just wasn’t very believable.

Rating: 2 (Fatally Flawed)

Heat Level: 3 (Sensual)

Reviewed by Carrie

Affairs of Steak
Author: Julie Hyzy
Publisher: Berkley
Pub. Date: January 3, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0425245835
Pages: 304
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

White House executive chef Olivia Paras just wants to create first class cuisine for the First Family. Unfortunately, dangerous politics keep spoiling her recipes…

Assigned to work with her arch nemesis, Peter Everett Sargeant, the White House Sensitivity Director, Ollie must find a venue for an event to honor the Secretary of State. Instead they find one of the First Lady’s assistants and the Chief of Staff, both murdered — and Ollie and Peter may have witnessed the killer making his getaway.

News reports suggest that the assistant and Chief of Staff were having an affair, but no one on the staff believes the rumor. Now, with their jobs–and their lives–in jeopardy, Ollie and Peter must depend on each other to learn who killed their colleagues and why–before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda…

~*~*~

REVIEW

For fans of: Diane Mott Davidson, Dorothy St. James

White House Executive Chef Olivia “Ollie” Paras has been tasked with the impossible: she must collaborate with her archenemy, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, to select a location for the Secretary of State’s birthday gala. Trudging around Washington with the whiney, ill-tempered man is miserable work, but the pair is somehow able to come to an agreement regarding the fourth place they visit – a venue called Lexington Place.

At first blush, Lexington Place seems perfect: gorgeous, spacious, and completely state-of-the-art, it’s the ideal location for an elegant, high-profile affair. All Ollie and Sargeant have to do is take some pictures and write some notes and they can finally go their separate ways. Or so they think, anyway. Then they stumble across the corpses of two White House staffers stashed in the facility’s kitchen, and it becomes clear that their shared ordeal has only just begun.

Affairs of Steak is the fifth of author Julie Hyzy’s fabulously entertaining White House Chef Mysteries, and in my opinion, it’s her best book to date. Part thriller, part culinary cozy, it’s one of those rare tales where the plot is driven equally by character and by action, making it impossible to put down. The sense of atmosphere is strong, the pace is breakneck, and the plot is marvelously well-constructed. Hyzy’s prose reads effortlessly, and she makes sure to show you the world she’s created through all of Ollie’s senses, making for a completely immersive reading experience.

The story starts with a bang, and the first twenty pages have more action, tension, and drama than the climaxes of most traditional mysteries. By page forty, you’ll be on the edge of your seat and snarling at anything and anyone that threatens to distract you. I intended to read this book over the course of a weekend – to read it in small chunks so that I could savor it – but once I started, there was no stopping, and I wound up devouring the entire thing in a single sitting.

Hyzy’s character work is top-notch, as always. Ollie’s a strong, smart, determined heroine for whom you can’t help but root, and the fear and paranoia she feels over the course of the book is so effectively conveyed by Hyzy it’s practically contagious. By using the central mystery to turn sworn enemy Peter Everett Sargeant into Ollie’s reluctant ally, Hyzy manages to give depth – and dare I say warmth? – to a character I spent four books wanting to bash over the head with a frying pan. And the appeal of Ollie’s dark and mysterious new love interest, Special Agent in Charge Leonard “Gav” Gavin, continues to grow.

I’d be remiss if I ended this review without giving a nod to the skill with which Hyzy writes the relationships between her characters. Particularly spectacular is Ollie’s bittersweet and occasionally antagonistic relationship with ex-lover and former confidante Tom MacKenzie; their shared scenes are realistic, nuanced, and charged with emotion, and they help push the book past excellent to extraordinary.

Rating: 5 (Perfect!)

Reviewed by Kat

How the Marquess Was Won
Author: Julie Anne Long
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: December 27, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0061885693
Pages: 384
Digital Price: $4.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

The Scandal Sheets call him Lord Ice.

Ruthless, cold, precise, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, tolerates only the finest— in clothes, in horseflesh, in mistresses. And now he’s found the perfect bride, the one whose dowry will restore his family’s shattered legacy and bring him peace at last: the exquisite heiress Lisbeth Redmond.

She’s about to play with fire…

But one unforgettable encounter with Lisbeth’s paid companion, Phoebe Vale, and the Marquess is undone. This quiet girl with the wicked smile and a wit to match is the first person to see through the icy façade to the fiery man beneath. But their irresistible attraction is a torment as sweet as it is dangerous, for surrendering to their desire could mean losing everything else they ever wanted.

~*~*~

REVIEW

An unconventional woman is bound to inspire the abandonment of propriety in a man…

Looking forward to a life of missionary pursuits and teaching young girls, Phoebe Vale spends her spare time inhaling the scandal sheets, and dreaming about the life of the ton. She doesn’t truly wish to join their ranks, but years of reading books inspire a longing to experience the decadence. When her previous student, Lisbeth Redmond, invites her to country house party to act as a paid chaperone Phoebe accepts—a chance to earn the last of the funds needed to begin her own adventure. What she doesn’t know is that her adventure has already begun.

Marquess Dryden, known as Lord Ice, has descended upon the Redmond house party with the goal of marrying Lisbeth, and regaining the last piece of land his father lost in gamble. His intimates call him Julian. He’s the epitome of propriety and the ton’s adored playboy. Julian is known for his determination, and his calculating control. Yet, when he meets Phoebe the hold on his control suddenly derails. She’s everything bright and untainted, possessing wit that rolls of the tongue, challenging and taunting his very beliefs. Can he push aside his sudden awareness of a woman that he can only obtain through secrecy or will he abandon his goals for a chance at something wonderful?

Long’s next tale in the Pennyroyal Green series is decidedly delicious. At first I was a little taken aback by the idea that this book’s main characters did not feature a Redmond or an Eversea, but my fears were quickly put to rest. The characters of Phoebe and Julian are a pure delight. Phoebe is no simpering miss, she’s keen and intelligent. While Phoebe is not entirely knowledgeable about the ways to move within the ton, she’s quick to determine motives and ferret out secrets hiding in a person’s eyes. These traits, along with her ability to speak her mind, quickly endeared her to me. Julian, of course a tortured hero, was an immediate favorite. At first he appears arrogant and dismissive to those beneath him, but early on, this initial assessment is thrown to the rocks. His duty and desire to redeem his family name is just one facet of this character.

Secondary characters are just as absorbing. I found that Long portrayed the ton action’s similar to those obsessed with the trends of celebrities, quickly adopting any practice, insane or not, for the sake of appearing at the height of fashion. The determination of who leads the fashion movement are just as entertaining, with Julian, unfortunately, being at the forefront. The main characters interactions together and apart create plenty of tension and hilarious moments. Let’s just say that I’ve never known a marquess to scream, unless in pleasure, but Long changed that for me.

My only issue with this story is that I didn’t feel that Phoebe received justice when all the events played out. Her character goes through a rough ride, and I wanted more redemption on her behalf at the end. An HEA just wasn’t enough for me. Long has also primed everyone for more Pennyroyal books as more hints to Olivia and Lyon’s estrangement are scattered throughout the story. This left me in shambles because I have to wait for it!

Overall, this book has intelligence, a well-paced plot, and characters that seem to jump off the pages; even if the events don’t turn out the way one expects. While, it’s not my favorite Pennyroyal Green book this one definitely takes points for going outside the box, and gives us a unique way to see the ‘popular boy’ fall in love with ‘the geek girl’.

For those who enjoy Anna Campbell.
Rating: 4 (Very Good)

Heat-Level: 4 (Hot)

Reviewed by Landra

Comment and enter to win your own copy of HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON

Colorado Dawn

Author: Kaki Warner
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Pub. Date: January 3, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0425245224
Pages: 304
Digital Price: $9.99
Print Retail Price: $15.00
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBookstore

The next in Kaki Warner’s sweeping new series about unlikely brides who make their way west-discovering newfound freedom and rediscovering love…

After only three letters and one visit during her six-year marriage to a Scottish Cavalry Officer, Maddie Wallace decides to build a life without him. Accepting an assignment from a London periodical to photograph the West from a female perspective, she sails from England, determined to build a new life as an independent woman.

After injury ends his military career, Angus Wallace returns home to find his wife gone, his family decimated by fever, and himself next in line to an earldom. His new mission is clear–find his wife and sire heirs. His search takes him across an ocean and half a continent, but he finally tracks her to Heartbreak Creek, Colorado. There his biggest challenge awaits–to convince his headstrong wife to return home as his viscountess.

Amidst statehood struggles, claim jumping, and railroad disputes their passionate battle rages…until word comes that Angus has become the earl. Now they must decide between a life in the mountains of Colorado, or in the glittering ballrooms of London…and between duty and desire.

~*~*~

REVIEW

In Colorado Dawn, Kaki Warner’s trademark humor, grit and attention to detail come together in a beautifully vibrant, entertaining, and emotionally gripping story.

Maddie and Angus Wallace have spent only a few nights together in their six-year marriage. The last time Angus deserted her to rejoin his regiment, Maddie struggled unsuccessfully to make a life with his family in Scotland. She finally leaves and strikes out for Colorado Territory, where she becomes a celebrated photographer introducing the world to America’s west through a female eye.

She tells her new friends in the failing mining town of Heartbreak Creek that she’s a widow, a lie that catches up to her when Angus (now Viscount Ashby, or Ash) seeks her out because he needs an heir.

But how can she even think about forgiving him, much less giving up a meaningful career, for a lazy life among the backbiting aristocracy? And how can Ash give up centuries of duty for a life thousands of miles from his family and heritage?

I’ve read all of Kaki Warner’s novels, and they go from strength to strength. Colorado Dawn is the second in her Runaway Brides series (Heartbreak Creek is first), and this novel cements Kaki’s place as one of my favorite novelists.

For me, one of the great pleasures of reading a Kaki Warner novel is the voice she gives her heroes. They’re rough, rugged and funny, but they’d do absolutely anything for their heroines. Unlike their Victorian England counterparts, there’s nothing polished about them. They’re survivalists, and it’s a good thing because hoo-boy! Kaki throws a hell of a lot of conflict their way.

Though Ash is a new member of the British aristocracy, he has much more in common with the sheriff and ranchers of Kaki’s previous novels than he does with English toffs. Ash is a Highland warrior, a soldier, who has suffered grave injuries and losses. Although he devoted most of his life to his career, and was devastated to lose it, he has managed to keep his sense of humor, as shows in this scene when he’s driving Maddie back to town after a night of passion.

They spoke little. It was one of those highly charged female-type silences that eroded a man’s confidence and had him scanning through recent events to determine what he might have done wrong. Ash tolerated it as long as he could, then looked over at his wife. “It was the uniform, right?”

In the slanted light, her eyes were as brown and clear as the medicine bottles that had lined the windowsill beside his hospital bed. Filled with promises and hope. Addictive.

“Uniform?”

“That caught your eye.” When she still showed no understanding, he explained. “I can feel you drifting away, lass, and I’m seeking a way to draw you back. The ladies always seemed taken with the uniform. As once did you. Shall I send for it?”

“Drifting away? You can say that after what we—you and I—when we—after last night?” She clasped her gloved hands in her lap and looked away, her cheeks as red as strawberry ice in a paper cone.

“So it went well for you then, love? You dinna say, so I wasna sure. But with all the squealing and carrying on, I should have known.”

Her head whipped toward him. “I did not squeal or carry on.”

“No? Then it must have been me.”

And the scene just gets better from there.

I love that Ash is a man of his time, completely befuddled at first by the fact that his wife doesn’t want to give up her photography for a lifetime of leisure and balls. But I also love that he learns how important her career is and strives to find ways to support her in it.

If you haven’t read Heartbreak Creek, I recommend you start there to get a feel for the friendships and the secondary romance that run through the series. I highly recommend this series.

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3 (Hot)

Reviewed by Kat Latham

Comment and enter to win your own copy of COLORADO DAWN