Review - The Scoundrel in Her Bed by Lorraine Heath

The Scoundrel in Her Bed by Lorraine Heath
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Scoundrel in Her Bed is the third book in Lorraine Heath’s Sins for All Seasons series, and tells a much different story than the previous two books. The focus of the series is the Trewlove family - a group of individuals who were sold to a “baby farmer” in infancy. The practice was common at the time as a means to rid the nobility of unwanted illegitimate children. For a fee a woman would take in the child, and often the child perished soon after. This book focuses on Finn Trewlove and Lady Lavinia Kent. The two fell in love despite their very disparate social positions, until circumstances separated them. Now, eight years later they have reconnected.

In this book the main characters have to deal with the issues that caused their separation and the repercussions from it. After eight years they are both very different people than the young couple who fell in love without a care. Can they rebuild on that, do they even want to? At one point the heroine muses “They’d changed once, and they would change again, and she didn’t know how one remained in love when people constantly changed.” This is an question that is not exclusive to a historical setting, but all relationships everywhere.

Amidst the relationship issues there are other, darker themes in the book that are dealt with as well. The other books in the series have touched on the issues of baby farming in more roundabout ways, but this book tackles it head on. The book is good, but heavy. Parts of the narrative are definitely tearjerkers, and while of course there is a happily-ever-after, Heath takes us on a very long route to get there.


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Review - Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath

Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Surrender to the Devil, the third book in the Scoundrels of St. James series, Lorraine Heath focuses on the characters of Frannie Darling and Sterling Mabry, Duke of Greystone. The book sits in the middle of the series, and while it is possible to read it alone, much of both the central, as well as peripheral characters is influenced by the events of the previous two books in the series.

The protagonists of the story, as in the previous two books in the series, are of very different social classes - Frannie grew up on the streets while Sterling has always been the heir to a dukedom. While it would be easy to think that this difference would be the key to the story, it is in fact relegated to a back burner of the romance between the two. Although omnipresent, and in many ways shaping their romance, it isn’t the cornerstone, which is refreshing. Frannie, as with the the others of “Feagan’s lads”, who grew up on the street, makes it a goal to help others less fortunate. She opens an orphanage to try to help the children, and it gives her drive and passion. Sterling has spent his life in pursuit of his own pleasures, and gives little thought to others needs, until he meets Frannie. The conclusion is somewhat predictable, yet altogether satisfying, as is the book as a whole.


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Review - The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Earl Takes All, the second book in Lorraine Heath’s Hellions of Havisham series, tells a singularly unique story that is at once tense, romantic, and heartbreaking. It is truly deserving of the phrase “emotional rollercoaster”. While Edward Alcott’s identical twin brother is dying in the jungles of Africa, he begs Edward to “be me”, in order to protect his wife from the grief that could cause her to miscarry their baby. Upon returning to England, Edward must pretend to be his brother, the Earl of Greyling until his brother’s wife, Julia, gives birth. Edward and Julia have never gotten along, except for one stolen kiss in a garden years ago that neither can forget.

Heath does an exceptional job of dragging readers through ups and downs throughout this story. The emotions and actions of the characters felt completely utterly believable, even in the middle of an unrealistic situation. Heath did an excellent job of letting the readers into both the hero and heroine’s thought processes throughout the story, rather than telling a more one-sided story, which helped flesh out all the currents running through each scene. Even knowing that a romance novel must have a happy ending, I was seriously doubting that things could ever work out for the protagonists. Overall, a great read that you won’t be able to put down.


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Review - Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The final book in Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaways series, Love in the Afternoon, focuses on the youngest Hathaway sibling, Beatrix. In a family of unconventional characters, Beatrix has always been singularly peculiar. She has a great love of nature and animals, and a great amount of empathy. When her friend receives a letter from a soldier of their acquaintance, she can’t overlook the plea for connection that he writes. So she begins writing to Captain Christopher Phelan under the guise of her friend’s name. When simple letters turn to something more, she knows she can’t continue the charade. However, when Christopher returns from the war, he is set on finding the author of the letters, who has stolen his heart.

Kleypas does an outstanding job addressing modern issues in a historical setting in this book. The hero suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and she tackles this head-on. The main characters must find a way to deal with it amid a burgeoning romance.

The story was good with a satisfying conclusion, although it seemed very self-contained. As the final story focusing on this family, it would have been nice to see more of the characters from the previous books as well. Overall, a great read.

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Review - Mine till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mine Till Midnight is the first book in Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaway’s series. Readers are introduced to the slightly eccentric Hathaway family, headed by wayward Leo and his four younger sisters. Amelia, the eldest, has stepped in to take care of everyone. In doing so she meets Cam Rohan, a mysterious manager of an upscale gaming club and half Romani (Gypsy). Cam has found himself unsettled with his life and vows to give it up - until he meets Amelia.

In this book Kleypas introduces a lot of fun new characters that promise to have interesting stories to share, while also bringing back some familiar faces from her previous books. While having read the Wallflowers series is helpful in understanding some of the interplay between characters, it isn’t necessary to enjoy this book. Kleypas also does an excellent job of setting the stories - returning to Stony Cross Park, home of Lord and Lady Westcliff feels like coming home.

The protagonists of this story, Amelia and Cam, are both compelling characters in their own right, and together they are electric. Both must put aside long-held beliefs about themselves in order to be together, but Kleypas does an excellent job of it. Also interesting is her attention to detail in describing an oft-maligned group of the Romani - it is clear that she has done a lot of research in order to accurately portray them and their beliefs. It will be interesting to see if that continues in future books.


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Review - Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Devil in Winter, the third in the Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas, focuses on Evie Jenner, a horribly shy member of the group of four women who have dubbed themselves the Wallflowers and vowed to help each other find husbands. Evie’s temerity and stammer have made her chances at a match almost nonexistent, and her mother’s strict family refuses to allow her to see her ailing father. Desperate, Evie turns to the one person she knows to be equally as driven to change his circumstances, Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, possibly the most dissolute rake in London.

In this book, rather than focusing on social disparities as she has in the past two books in the series, Kleypas examines the relationship between two people of far different temperaments and expectations of life. Interestingly, the reader asks how two such different personalities could possibly make a relationship work. In what ways may they influence each other, and if they change for the other can they still stay true to themselves?

Evie and Sebastian are both endearing characters who you can’t help but root for. The book is fast-paced and introduces some interesting new side characters, while including some from the previous two books as well. It directly follows the events of the second book, It Happened One Autumn, and draws very heavily on many of those events and relationships.


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Review - It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflowers series, It Happened One Autumn, is a delightful read. The story follows Lillian Bowman, American heiress, and Marcus Marsden, Lord Westcliff. Lillian’s parents have brought her and her younger sister, Daisy, to England to find husbands among the peerage. Their American attitudes have made their hunt fruitless, since they lack the necessary poise to attract a noble gentleman. Marcus knows that eventually he will have to marry and fully expects to wed an English woman who can fill the role of his countess. Both Lillian and Marcus must examine their own personalities and expectations in light of their unexpected attraction to each other.

In this book Kleypas does an excellent job of putting a new twist on the old adage of “opposites attract”. The interactions between the two lead characters are fun and playful, and the romance seems to evolve very naturally. The ending of the story contained an unexpected but exciting twist. Kleypas does a good job showing the story from multiple perspectives, which gives readers insight that would otherwise be lacking. Her descriptions of the setting, Stony Cross Park, are so vivid that it feels like a real place.

Overall this was a fun book with enjoyable characters.


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