Review - Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

This book, Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, was amazing! I read this one because of all the rave reviews floating around the web, and I was still blown away! Luc has never met his famous rock-star father but has lived in his shadow nonetheless, with tabloids taking any chance to paint him with the same bad-boy paintbrush as his father. When his latest exploits threaten his job, Luc must find a "respectable" boyfriend in time for a big event. As it turns out, straight-laced barrister Oliver also has an event looming that he'd rather not attend solo, so they decide to fake a relationship until then. All too soon, though, their fake relationship starts to feel more real than any of their recent real relationships, but can they stop pretending?

Ugh, this book. Seriously soooo good, and just thinking about it gives me the warm and cuddly feels. Luc and Oliver are super different in so many ways - Luc is a total slob, Oliver is a neat-freak; Oliver is a vegetarian, Luc loves meat; Luc thinks one-night stands are perfectly fine, Oliver would rather not kiss someone he doesn't like. However, they are both so damaged by family and romantic relationships that they are actually so great for each other. I loved the way Hall slowly built the relationship, and how authentic it all felt. The side characters were also all amazing - Luc's friends, Oliver's friends, and Luc's coworkers all felt fleshed out - like if you were wandering down the street you might bump in to them.

This is a single-POV romance told from Luc's point of view. The intimacy mostly happens off-page. I definitely recommend this book and will be looking forward to reading more from Alexis Hall!

Review - Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell

I've been waiting for Lenora Bell's Wallflowers vs. Rogues series since reading For the Duke's Eyes Only. The Mayfair Ladies' Knitting Society is secretly a front for a group of women who dare to dream of more for themselves than what society says they can have. They are a varied group, all bound together by their aspirations. This book focuses on Lady Beatrice Bentley, sister to a duke, who wants nothing more than to live at her brother's Cornwall estate and write an etymological dictionary. Her mother is unwilling to let her out of society events so easily, and so Beatrice escapes to Cornwall for a brief stay to work on her dictionary. Her plans go astray, however, with the presence of carpenter Stamford Wright. Ford is too loud, too brawny, and far too handsome for her to concentrate on anything. She thinks she'll be rid of him upon her return to London, however when she learns she has inherited a derelict bookshop she knows she'll need a hard working carpenter, and luckily Ford is in town as well. Together they repair the bookshop and build a relationship in the process.

I couldn't put this book down! Bell does an excellent job at creating relatable characters, and Beatrice and Ford are no exception. They both have to deal with challenges both internal and external - not the least of which is vast difference in their stations. The chemistry between them sparks immediately and is so fun to read.

I definitely recommend this book, and can't wait to see what Lenora Bell does next! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Review - The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe

Joanna Shupe finishes her amazing Uptown Girls series with The Devil of Downtown. Set in Gilded Age New York, the book focuses on uptown do-gooder Justine Greene, who spends all of her time helping the less fortunate. Her current cause is tracking down wife-deserters, and her search leads her to the lair of Jack Mulligan, the downtown crime boss who has united nearly all of New York's gangs into a criminal empire. What Justine isn't expecting, however, is that Jack is cultured, handsome, and surprisingly honorable. Jack agrees to help Justine with her investigations, and in turn is captivated by her. However, can they bridge the rift between their two worlds?

This book was astounding! Joanna Shupe writes the most amazing characters, and no matter how unlikely their circumstances seem, she always pulls it off. Justine is capable and strong without being brash. She is unapologetic about who she is and what she wants, which is so refreshing to read. Jack is completely considerate of Justine at every turn - consent in this book is explicit all the way through, and it is sooo sexy.

I really enjoyed this book, as well as this whole series, and can't wait to read what Shupe has in store next!

Review - The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd

The Light at Wyndcliff is Sarah E. Ladd's third book in her Cornwall series, however it works perfectly well as a standalone novel as well, as I hadn't read any of her other books but had no trouble jumping into the world.

The world Sarah E. Ladd builds in this book is mesmerizing. Liam Twethewey has finally come of age to claim his inheritance, Wyndcliff Manor and the surrounding estate. He has big plans to open a china clay mine on the land to increase the estate's income and improve the life of its tenants. However, he faces a less-than-warm welcome from everyone. Everyone, that is, except for Evelyn Bray, the granddaughter of his steward. Evelyn has spent her whole life being told by her mother that she must marry well, and to that end will move to be with her mother, if she is ever summoned.

This story is a wonderful blend of mystery and romance. Part of Liam's responsibilities include watching out for shipwrecks along the rocky coast and managing the wreckage that washes ashore. However, more is happening on the beach than either Liam or Evelyn know.

The romance in the book is very sweet and definitely G-rated - at one point the characters embrace briefly but that is the extent of the physicality in the book.

Overall this was a very enjoyable book to read and was very well written.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Review - Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

Eva Leigh's Union of the Rakes series continues in Would I Lie to the Duke, which features Noel, the Duke of Rotherby and Jessica McGale. Jess is desperate to save her family business, so she masquerades as an aristocratic widow to gain entrance to an investors event to try to gain funding. There, she meets Noel, who is jaded with having sycophants follow him around all the time. Jess' no-nonsense attitude is a breath of fresh air and he is instantly drawn to her sharp intellect. Jess is also attracted to him, but knows that while she is deceiving him they can never have anything real together.

After reading the first book in this series, My Fake Rake, I was very eager to read Rotherby's story. This book was good, but also very unexpected. Jess and Noel were both very well-written, and the story moved quickly. Leigh added a lot of subtle nods to current trends (the Bazaar was very reminiscent of Shark Tank, and one of the prospective businesses was a communications organization making use of sparrows - called "Chirp") which was amusing.

Overall I would recommend this book, and am looking forward to the next book in the series. The group of gentleman - the Union of the Rakes - is such a great idea, and I love reading about how this group of men from very different walks of life are so supportive of each other over such a long time.

Thank you to Avon/HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review!

Review - My Kind of Earl by Vivienne Lorret

Vivienne Lorret’s books are automatically on my-must purchase list, and My Kind of Earl shows yet again why that is. Her books are consistently amazingly well-crafted stories with tight plots and well-developed characters.

My Kind of Earl features Jane Pickerington, plain, wallflower, bluestocking, eldest of eleven children. She and her friends are writing a book on how to determine a gentleman from a scoundrel, and in her research Jane meets Raven. Black-haired and silver-eyed, Raven is the second-in-command at a very successful gambling club, and he’s fought his way to be there. Abandoned as a baby at an orphanage then sold to a workhouse, Raven has learned the hard way that you can’t rely on anyone. When Jane learns about Raven’s odd birthmark, however, she believes he could be connected to a family of aristocrats with a mysterious past, and together they search for the truth.

I loved both of these characters so much. Jane is so refreshingly different. Her quirks, which set her apart from society endear her to Raven, who is himself so different from your garden-variety rogue. Both are outsiders, which is relatable to almost anyone, as is the longing they both feel to belong and to be valued. This is a truly heartwarming story that packs just enough heat!

Overall this book is amazing. I’m loving the Rules of Scoundrels series, and I can’t wait to see what Vivienne Lorret comes up with next!

Thanks to Avon Romance, HarperCollins and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book!