Review: Between the Devil and Ian Eversea (Pennyroyal Green) - ARC

Author: Julie Anne Long
Original Title: Between the Devil and Ian Eversea
(Italian Title: La Resa)
Release Year: 2014
 
Literary Genre: Romance
Setting: England, regency
Series: 9° of the Pennyroyal Green


Vote:  8

In this novel there's a problem with Tansy, the heroine; the first impact wasn't very promising, at the beginning I wasn't really into her, she results a bit vain and shallow...but, with my immense delight, as the reading proceeded, my opinion easily and rapidly changed. She's a deeper character than what the reader might think initially.

Review: When The Duke Was Wicked (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James) - ENG

Author: Lorraine Heath
Original Title: When the duke was wicked
Release Year: February 2014
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England, Victorian age
Series: 1° of Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James

Vote: 61/2/10

Well...I've read heartbreaking stories (and with this adjective I'm not implying stories with tragic ending, but always romances with satisfying happy-ending, I wouldn't be able to go through the first kind), see Again the magic or Almost heaven which ripped my heart out for the perfection of their love stories...this one, When the duke was wicked, in my opinion tries really hard to have the same impact but exceeds in doing it. It's too sad!

Let's clarify that we are talking about one of my favourite author.

First, I really can't appreciate romances where one (or both) protagonist already found and sadly lost the love of his/her life.

Here, our hero, the Duke of Lovingdon, was before really, really, happily married and sooo much in love, but unfortunately he lost both his wife and their little daughter because of a illness. For pretty much the whole romance there is this strong presence of his dead-wife which really didn't permit me to appreciate the hero and heroine's love story.

Review: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart (Love By Numbers) - ENG

Author: Sarah MacLean
Original Title: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart
Release Year: 2010
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England, regency
Series: 3° of Love By Numbers series



Vote: 10+/10

This romance gave me thrills. It's splendid! And I actually don't know what to tell you more besides the fact that is an amazing novel, with extraordinary protagonists and an entertaining and charming plot.

Juliana Fiori is everything except an English lady. She's Gabriel, the Marquess of Ralston (Nine rules to break when romancing a rake) and Nick's (Ten ways to be adored when landing a lord) italian half-sister, who recently moved to England.

Juliana is a magnet for trouble, she refuses to follow society's rules and because of her behaviour she's precisely the kind of woman Simon Pearson, the Duke of Leighton, wants to avoid.

Simon is engaged to a proper lady, the kind of woman perfect for him and for the role of duchess but when he discovers Juliana he's lost and captivating by her recklessness and her mediterranean beauty.

Review: The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh (The Marriage Game) - ENG

Author: Ella Quinn
Original Title: The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh
Release Year: 2013
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England, regency
Series: 2° of The Marriage Game series



Vote: 7





(Presto il commento in italiano)

THIS NOVEL WILL BE RELEASED ON 7 NOVEMBER

I enjoyed The Seduction of Lady Phoebe quite a lot and I was waiting to read the second one from The marriage game with trepidation; Anna has already charmed me in the previous novel (more than Sebastian, which by the way, hates his name, and I actually can't understand his dislike, I love it) and I had to know how their long lasting, deep, sometimes difficult and undefined relationship would develop.

There could be some liiittle spoilers:

Miss Anna Marsh has always loved Sebastian Rutherford, since her childhood when she often followed him and his best friend, as well as Anna's beloved brother Harry, everywhere.

During her first season she has hopped and dreamed of Sebastian asking for her hand in marriage but unfortunately the worst tragedy landed on their life when Anna received the agonising news of her brother Harry's death in Spain, during a mission.

Review: A Lady Never Surrenders (The Hellions of Halstead Hall) - ENG

Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Original Title: A Lady Never Surrenders
Release Year: 2012
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England, regency

Series: 5° of The Hellions of Halstead Hall series

Vote:  10/10

I truly liked it, beautiful story, engaging implications, very well organised mystery and, at least for me, not that obvious and last but not least the characters are wonderful and charming.

Now, as always, I firstly read the last of the series and now, I'm definitely going through the others (probably not following the correct order), I most certainly love Celia and Jackson but I must say I found the rest of the principal characters quite interesting and catching too, especially the Sharpe family's males, see Gabriel (To wed a wild lord).

Celia Sharpe is the youngest of the Marquesses of Stoneville's five children, her parents are both dead several years before, in what is thought to be an homicide/suicide: the former marchioness would have murdered her faithless husband and then she would have killed herself.

Celia has a recurring recollection about that sad night twenty years earlier, when she was five: she was ill and sleepy because of the medicines and she casually eavesdropped a quarrel between her parents, shortly before their death. Celia hasn't never seriously thought about it, believing it was just a child dream or imagination and she keeps thinking that way until the Bow street runner Jackson Pinter, employed by her older brother Oliver (the present Marquess) to find out the truth about their parents' departure, discovers some important news about the incident. These discoveries make Celia believes that maybe that unforgettable dream is, in truth, real.

Review: The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr Wright - ENG

Author: Tessa Dare
Original Title: The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr Wright
Release Year: 2012
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England, regency
Series: -

Vote:  9/10

This author is amazing. The scandalous, dissolute, no-good Mr Wright is a short story and it's truly enjoyable. 

 

“The devil didn't entice with perfection. He seduced with flaws”

The events unfold in the space of four years, from 1810 to 1814.

Eliza Cade is the youngest of four sisters and due to an unpleasant event occurred when she was fourteen, her father has prohibited her the debut until her sisters get married.

During the ball for her eldest sister's betrothal announcement, Eliza sneaks into the crowd but after a while, when she decides to come back to her room, is approached by the charming, scandalous and dissolute Mr Harry Wright, the Duke of Sheffield's son.

Review: Lady Hathaway's Indecent Proposal (Hathaway Heirs series)

Author: Suzanna Medeiros 
Original Title: Lady Hathaway's Indecent Proposal
Release Year: 2013
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England, regency
Series: 1° of Hathaway Heirs series


Vote: 71/2/10





(Presto il commento in Italiano)

It's a nice novella, maybe too short for the intensity of the story.

I liked Suzanna Medeiros' style, it's sharp, hot and captivating.

The Viscountess Miranda Hathaway has recently lost her husband and now twelve years have passed since she ended her courtship with Andrew Osbourne, the Earl of Sanderson, to marry the older, but much wealthier, Viscount Hathaway.

Unfortunately the Viscounts haven't had children and since her husband died only a week earlier she decides to ask the man she has never stopped loving to help her conceive an heir whom she means to pass off as the Viscount son.

But Miranda's motivation aren't that selfish and cold: unfortunately she is barren but she finally wants to have a taste of what she thew away all those years ago when she followed her parent's wishes and refused Andrew, the love of her life.

Review: Beauty And The Blacksmith (Spindle Cove series) - ENG

Author: Tessa Dare
Original Title: Beauty And The Blacksmith
Release Year: 2013
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England (Spindle Cove), regency
Series: 3,5° of Spindle Cove series

Vote: 91/2/10

Another novella from the lucky Spindle Cove series!

Diana Highwood is a gentlewoman from a good family and she's a real beauty; but it isn't only her look to make her an handsom person: she's kind, sweet, polite and generous. Unfortunately Diana is also really fragile, or at least she was before her arrival with her family in Spindle Cove and that's exactly the reason why she is the village, she suffers from asthma so with her widow mother and her two younger sisters, Minerva (A week tobe wicked) and Charlotte, she moved to Spindle Cove one year before hopping that, thanks to the village proximity to the sea, her lungs could work better.

Diana's mother has always hopped for a good marriage for her daughters, especially for the eldest, she wants an handsome and rich nobel man and she will accept nothing less.

Review: A Week To Be Wicked (Spindle Cove series) - ENG

Author: Tessa Dare
Original Title: A Week To Be Wicked
Release Year: 2012
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England (Spindle Cove) and Scotland, regency
Series: 2° of Spindle Cove series

Vote:  91/2/10

Minerva Highwood would do everything for her two sisters, Diana, the eldest, and the youngest Charlotte.

Diana (Beauty and the blacksmith) is the real beauty of the family, she’s sweet and unfortunately a bit dainty; there are rumours about the Viscount Payne's intention to court her but he, Colin Sundhurst, is not exactly the perfect man, he is a gambler with financial problems, he's a dissolute rake and he's a bit disturbed too. Minerva knows that and she decides that he definitely can't marry Diana.

Minerva is an extremely smart girl, her biggest passion is the geology; she spends the most of her time studying everything about the subject and during her research she finds out about some footprints that if demonstrate real might be considered one of the biggest discovery of the century. She wants to show the evidences of her study at the symposium settled in Edinburgh and hosted by the Royal Geological Society in a week time, but se needs an escort. To Achieve two things with one stroke, during a night she goes to the Viscount's home and, knowing that the man is in Spindle Cove against his will, Minerva makes him a proposal: five hundred guineas, so he could easly leave the place, in exchange of his promise to never marry Diana; but to gain the sum, Minerva has to win the symposium competition in Scotland and Colin should escort her through the journey.

Review: Once Upon A Winter's Eve (Spindle Cove series) - ENG

Author: Tessa Dare
Original Title: Once Upon A Winter's Eve
Release Year: 2011
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England (Spindle Cove), regency
Series: 1,5° of Spindle Cove series


Vote:  10/10

Splendid, absorbing, touching.

Another Dare's short story, from lucky Spindle Cove series.

Violet Winterbottom is the daughter of a wealthy and respectable family, her dowry is remarkable and she is beautiful; so she has everything it takes to be a good catch, instead she lives in Spindle Cove for a year, the place where many noble girls go to live a quite life far from London society where they don't feel comfortable. Violet is there on her own initiative: she was regardless seduced and then abandoned by the man she has always loved and worshiped, the man she grew up with; that's why she moved to the peculiar village in Sussex, to heal her broken heart.

During a ball hosted by Lord and Lady Rycliff (A night to surrender), where as always the young Winterbottom act as a wallflower, happens the unthinkable: a man, covered in blood and severely wounded, bursts into the room, falls at Violet's feet and then faints. Shortly after he wakes up, surrounded by a crowd, and is immediately obvious that he's a foreigner who doesn't speak english at all and Violet, surprisingly good with languages, comprehend that the handsome man is Breton...and in the Continent the napoleonic war is erupting so isn't safe to keep a french nearby, that's why he, although beaten, is locked and tied up and Violet, who's the only one who can understand what he says, has to discover his identity and it's pretty clear that moreover he is taken with her and wants her company.

Review: Untamed - ENG

Author: Anna Cowan 

Original Title: Untamed

Release Year: 2013
  

Literary Genre: Romance  

Setting: England, regency 

Series: - 

Vote:  81/2/10

This is definitely an unusual novel and that's why I think it probably won't be really appreciated by everyone, and that's a pity.

Having said that and if you haven't already figured out, I really liked it, it's sweet, funny and sometimes tragic and especially entertaining.

As an aside: I read many Untamed reviews and I completely disagree with some of them, is a unique story, I believe it's quite difficult to find something like this settled in the same period (XIX century) and honestly I think that, also if it was contemporary, someone could have turn up his nose and that's way, before “we” give opinions maybe “we” should reflect more...I'm going to explain myself better at the end of the review, firstly I'm going to write the plot, otherwise it might be a bit difficult to understand what I mean...

From here on, there are some spoilers, especially at the end.

Review: Miami Nice (The Liberated Wife series) - ENG

Author: Danica Boutté  

Original Title: Miami Nice 

Release Year: 2013
  

Literary Genre: Romance  

Setting: U.S.A., contemporary  

Series: 1° of The Liberated Wife series

Vote:  91/2/10

 

Il Profumo delle Pergamene officially has “The liberated wife fever”.

I warmly suggested Seatbacks and tray tables to my dear friends, and this blog co-authors, so I could share my exasperating wait for Miami nice release date (and for the record they enjoyed the prequel as much as I did); about that, with a bit of embarrassment, I must say that yesterday, convinced that it was the 1^st of August, with J.J.P. we were looking for Miami nice on Amazon and when we realised that instead was the 31^st of July (congratulations! We lost one day…), besides the realisation of our premature dotage, we also felt quite the distress thinking about another day of  delay; that’s just to let you know where we are…

Ah, anyway it’s too short…I’m suffering, like “nooo, it’s already finished :( ", how am I supposed to peacefully wait to know what will happen to Taylor, Christopher and Jim (and I think I could speak in J.J.P.’s name too)?!

(Before you read this review, or to understand it better, maybe you should read Seatback and tray tables)

Review: What The Duke Desires (Duke's Men) - ENG

Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Original Title: What The Duke Desires
Release Year: 2013
 
Literary Genre: Romance
Setting: England and France, regency
Series: 1° of Duke's Men series

Vote: 10+/10

I adore Sabrina Jeffries, she's really good, her style is distinguishable and lively; her stories are not that predictable or ordinary (and considering the genre is definitely a good thing). The pirate lord, The forbidden lord and A lady never surrenders are splendid and this romance, the first of the Duke's Men series (which by the way looks rather promising), is as good as them.

Tristan and Lisette Bonnaud are the Viscount Rathmoor's illegitimate sons, born from the union with his mistress, the french actress Claudine; the Viscount has always loved his bastard children as much as the legitimate ones and is her mistress his true love.

After the Viscount's wife death (with whom he has two other sons: the heir and sly George and the good and kind Dominick), he tells Claudine that they will marry so that Tristan, Lisette and herself can be seen as respectable people. Unfortunately Rathmoor won't honour his promise, always finding excuses for his lack; when he finally dies because of a tragic accident, George, who deeply hates his step-brothers, has now the chance to ruin their lives: he banishes the three Bonnauds and accuses Tristan of horse theft; Dominick, who instead always loved his step-brothers, defends them and because of that the new Viscount banishes and disinherit him too, forcing him to leave his studies.

TWELVE YEARS LATER:

Review: How The Marquess Was Won (Pennyroyal Green series) - ENG

Author: Julie Anne Long
Original Title: How The Marquess Was Won
Release Year: 2012
 
Literary Genre: Romance
Setting: England, regency
Series: 6° of Pennyroyal Green series

Vote: 8/10

I think the author should improve her novel starts: by what I've read so far, I have the impression that the stories beginning share a not particularly captivating factor, clearly isn't the same in every Long's romances. Truth be honest, when the plot increases, the opening dissatisfaction is forgotten, becoming much more interesting, more thrilling and surely more fascinating.

How the marquess was won is a good romance, Long's ironic style is quite interesting, she describes thoughts and embarrassing and tragicomic circumstances, creating really funny moments for the reader.

Phoebe Vale, beside her young age, is a teacher with and impressive culture and a remarkable inclination for foreign languages; grown up in a not particularly happy context, now she lives a lonely but gratifying life: she teaches in renowned school, she has a really good relationship with her pupils and she is going to fulfil her dream to go to Africa and work there. However Phoebe isn't quite the calm girl, she is exuberant, cheeky, smart and sharp, and when she meets the notorious “Lord Ice”, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, she becomes involuntarily the subject of a wager between the above-mentioned lord and the Viscount Waterburn: the latter bets that Drydan can't get a kiss from the young teacher.

Commento: The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright

Autore: Tessa Dare
Titolo Originale: The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright
Titolo Italiano:  inedito in italia  
Anno di Pubblicazione: 2012
 
Genere: Romance
Ambientazione: Inghilterra, Regency
Serie: -


Giudizio:  9/10




(To read the review in English click here)

Quest'autrice è proprio brava e a quanto ho visto è anche da poco che scrive, per il pubblico almeno.
The scandalous, dissolute, no-good Mr Wright è un racconto, più che un romanzo ed è veramente molto piacevole.

"The devil didn't entice with perfection. He seduced with flaws"

 (Il diavolo non aveva allettato con la perfezione. Aveva sedotto con i difetti)

La storia si svolge nell'arco di tempo fra il 1810 e il 1814.
Eliza Cade è la più giovane di quattro sorelle e a causa di una spiacevole vicenda avvenuta quattro anni prima, quando aveva quattordici anni, le è stato vietato il permesso di essere presentata in società finché tutte le sue sorelle non si siano sposate.

Review: Lord of Wicked Intentions (The lost Lords of Pembrooke serie) - ENG

Author: Lorraine Heath
Original title: Lord Of Wicked Intentions  

Release Year: 2013

Literary Genre: Romance
Setting: England, victorian age
Series: 4° of the Lost Lord's of Pembrooke



Vote:  10/10

Wonderful, it's my first Lorraine Heath's romance and I must say, she has a beautiful style; beside I like the historical context, which is my favourite after the medieval one.

The book opening, that could generally be slow, exclusively descriptive and therefore not particularly compelling, here is splendid, I was capture at the third line; moreover the early pages are highly moving.

Rafe Easton is the younger of the Lost lords of Pembrooke; the three brothers (the oldest are the twins Sebastian and Tristan) who, after their father's death, the Duke of Pembrooke, were ousted by their evil uncle; this dramatic event forced the three kids (Rafe was only ten and the twins were four years older) to divide their paths for more than a decade. Unfortunately Rafe didn't accept the separation well; left to his fate, at the beginning he was subjected to the workhouse owner's brutality (where his brothers left him) and, after his successful escape from there, he lived for several years in the filthy of St. Giles, where, to survive, he had to make many compromises, often brutal.

Commento: Beauty And The Blacksmith (serie Spindle Cove)

Autore: Tessa Dare
Titolo Originale: Beauty And The Blacksmith
Titolo Italiano:  inedito in italia  
Anno di Pubblicazione: 2013
 
Genere: Romance
Ambientazione: Inghilterra, Regency
Serie: 3,5° della serie Spindle Cove


Giudizio:  91/2/10




(To read the review in English click here)

Altro racconto della fortunata serie Spindle Cove che non vedevo l'ora di leggere.

Diana Highwood è una gentildonna di buona famiglia ed è la vera bellezza di casa...e probabilmente anche di tutta Spindle Cove; non è solo l'aspetto fisico ma anche il portamento, la grazia, la dolcezza e la femminilità, a renderla così eterea. Purtroppo Diana è anche una ragazza molto fragile: soffre di violenti attacchi d'asma ed è questo il motivo per cui, con la madre e le sue due sorelle minori (l'intelligente e studiosa Minerva - A week to be wicked e l'adolescente, divertente e briosa Charlotte), si trasferisce a Spindle Cove, paesino nel Sussex che grazie alla sua vicinanza col mare, rappresenta un toccasana per i polmoni della ragazza.

Commento: A Week To Be Wicked (serie Spindle Cove)

Autore: Tessa Dare
Titolo Originale: A Week To Be Wicked
Titolo Italiano:  inedito in italia  
Anno di Pubblicazione: 2012
 
Genere: Romance
Ambientazione: Inghilterra e Scozia, regency
Serie: 2° della serie Spindle Cove


Giudizio:  91/2/10




(To read the review in English, click here)

Minerva Highwood è la secondogenita della famiglia ed è molto affezionata alle sue due sorelle per le quali farebbe di tutto: Diana (Beauty and the blacksmith) è la più bella delle Highwood, ma è anche una ragazza molto dolce e delicata e rischia di finire sposata con il giocatore incallito (e per questo molto a corto di finanze), donnaiolo, dissoluto e anche un po' disturbato Colin Sundhurst, Visconte Payne e di certo questo non è il futuro che Minerva vuole per sua sorella.

Commento: Once Upon A Winter's Eve (serie Spindle Cove)

Autore: Tessa Dare
Titolo Originale: Once Upon A Winter's Eve
Titolo Italiano:  inedito in italia  
Anno di Pubblicazione: 2011
 
Genere: Romance
Ambientazione: Inghilterra (Spindle Cove), regency
Serie: 1,5° della serie Spindle Cove


Giudizio:  10/10




(To read the review in English click here)


Magnifico, appassionanete, commovente.

Un altro racconto breve della Dare, questa volta facente parte della fortunata serie Spindle Cove (che mi sta piacendo un casino).

Violet Winterbottom è figlia di un'ottima e ricca famiglia, possiede una considerevole dote ed è molto bella, avrebbe quindi tutte le carte in regola per avere uno corteo di pretendenti ed invece vive a Spindle Cove da un anno, che come tutti sanno, è la meta delle ragazze di buon nome ma che la società ha in qualche modo marchiato come "inadatte"; in realtà Violet vi si trova di sua spontanea inziativa: dopo aver subito il durissimo colpo di essere stata sedotta ed abbandonata, senza alcun riguardo, dal ragazzo che ha amato ed adorato per una vita, decide di voltare pagina e di rimettere insieme i pezzi, e decide di farlo nella particolare cittadina dell'Sussex (a sud di Londra, sulla Manica).

Commento: Any Duchess Will Do (serie Spindle Cove)

Autore: Tessa Dare
Titolo Originale: Any Duchess Will Do
Titolo Italiano:  inedito in italia  
Anno di Pubblicazione: 2013
 
Genere: Romance
Ambientazione: Inghilterra, Regency
Serie: 4° della serie Spindle Cove


Giudizio:  10/10




(To read the review in English click here)


Bellissimo.

Miss Pauline Simms è una ragazza testarda, orgogliosa, impertinente, responsabile e perché no, a volte poco rifinita (per la società inglese del XIX secolo; dubito che ai giorni nostri dire "accidenti" o "balle" potrebbe essere considerato scurrile). Nata e cresciuta a Spindle Cove, meta delle giovani lady che non hanno riscontrato grande successo in società, lavora sodo da tutta la vita, per lei e per sua sorella Daniela (purtroppo minus) per cercare di guadagnare e mettere da parte il necessario per realizzare il suo sogno di aprire una libreria che possa permettere loro di lasciare la casa dei genitori: il padre è un uomo violento, risentito e deluso per non avere dei figli maschi e la madre è un'assoggetata cronica.
Durante una giornata cominciata male e che promette di finire peggio, Paulina si imbatte, ricoperta di zucchero, trasandata e sciatta, nel particolare e affascinante Duca di Halford.