The Brunette Librarian

Showing posts with label CH - 2014 Historical. Show all posts

Thursday, April 24, 2014

"Knight of My Dreams" By: Lynsay Sands Review

Knight of My Dreams
By: Lynsay Sands

Synopsis

Originally appeared in the print anthology A Mother's Way, under the title "Mother May I?"
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynsay Sands comes a classic short story of a knight in need of a bride …
Lady Alice knows she is not the type to entice a man. She's too voluptuous, too intelligent, too strong minded. Why, she even reads! But then Jonathan, Earl of Fairley, arrives at court. Tall, dark and handsome, the knight is any woman's dream. And he has just been ordered by the king to find a bride … and Alice is to help him!
Jonathan has been evading his mother's matchmaking schemes for years, so why does she insist that Lady Alice isn't for him? Alice is only to aid in his search for a bride, yet Jonathan can't help but be distracted by her glorious hair—the color of a sunset—and a figure that is like a lush berry about to burst to full ripeness … Has Jonathan fallen prey to love?

My Thoughts

Jonathan has been ordered by the King to find a bride within two weeks. While he isn’t too keen on the idea, his mother is desperate to finally get him married. With his father’s death years before, he understands the need to marry and have an heir, but he doesn’t want to marry at all. So his mother puts a plan into place to put him in the path of several single ladies, and more specifically, Lady Alice.
Alice is his Mother’s best friend’s daughter and although they have never met before, Jonathan’s mother is determined her son and Alice will make an adorable couple. So through a series of mishaps and intentional pairings, Jonathan and Alice are paired again and again. Suddenly, a flare of awareness sets in and Jonathan and Alice find that they may be perfect together after all.
A super quick cute story, Lynsay Sands is known for her humor and it shines through loud and clear with this short story. Jonathan is your stereotypical bachelor but is absolutely dedicated to his Mother. Alice is sweet if a little naive. At under 100 pages, the story was paced rather quickly but it wrapped up nicely. Fans of Sands will enjoy this sweet short story, I know I did.

Book Details

Publisher: Avon

# of Pages: 100

Date of Publication: April 29, 2014

ISBN: 978-0062317247

Source: Edelweiss - for review

Challenges

2014 Ebook Challenge

2014 Where Are You Reading Challenge?

2014 Historical Reading Challenge

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

"Three Weeks with Lady X" By: Eloisa James Review

Three Weeks with Lady X

By: Eloisa James

Synopsis

Having made a fortune, Thorn Dautry, the powerful bastard son of a duke, decides that he needs a wife. But to marry a lady, Thorn must acquire a gleaming, civilized façade, the specialty of Lady Xenobia India.

Exquisite, head-strong, and independent, India vows to make Thorn marriageable in just three weeks.

But neither Thorn nor India anticipate the forbidden passion that explodes between them.
Thorn will stop at nothing to make India his. Failure is not an option.

But there is only one thing that will make India his—the one thing Thorn can't afford to lose...

His fierce and lawless heart.

My Thoughts

Lady Xenobia India (a mouthful right) or better known as Lady X, fixes problems of the aristocracy. Left almost penniless by her free spirited parents, India travels to different estates in order to refurbish them to their former glories. Having worked for years, India is known for having that perfect eye for decorating while also earning her generous wages. Desperate to never return to her former life of scavenging for food and not having enough for basic necessities, India saves money where she cans and works independently, unlike many of the women of her time.

Thorn’s stepmother, Eleanor, knows of India’s abilities and hires her to refurbish Thorn’s country estate. The illegitimate son of a Duke, Thorn (also known as Tobias) is brash, hardheaded, independent and smart, more from necessity than anything else. Spending much of his young life as a destitute ruffian, Thorn is now a successful businessman searching for his future wife. With a long list of desirable qualities, Thorn thinks he knows the perfect candidate, but as with everything in life, things never go as planned. Little does he know, India, his new decorator, may very well fit the bill.

Eloisa James is one of my favorite authors. She writes smart books with clever characters and enticing stories. I stinkin’ love her. That said, Three Weeks with Lady X rocked my socks!

My favorite thing about James’ books is how smartly written they are. Excellent use of words, they just are intelligent books that tell are really well rounded story. Thorn and India are polar opposites. She’s prim, proper, and believes everything has its place. Thorn is wild, has a devil may care attitude, but is intelligent and runs his own empire despite being a bastard. Steamy scenes and a completely believable ending round out an almost perfect story.

James has strong character driven novels and this one is no exception. Featuring characters from A Duke of Her Own, its feels almost as if you are coming home. All of our favorite characters have fantastic cameos. I devoured Three Weeks with Lady X in a few short hours over a weekend and have already begun my rereading. Brava Ms. James, I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Book Details

Publisher: Avon

Date of Publication: March 25, 2014

# of Pages: 384

ISBN: 9780062223890

Source: For Review from Publisher

Challenges

2014 Ebook Challenge

2014 Where Are You Reading Challenge

2014 Historical Romance Challenge