A Night Like This - Julia Quinn

 

Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is . . .

But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge—in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy—no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be

But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten year old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending...

OH WOW two reviews in about a week I'm doing good, LOL!!!

Well I have to say that I'm a huge, huge, HUGE fan of Julia Quinn. I fell in love with her Bridgerton series and even more so with the Smythe-Smith's who were secondary characters in that series. I am soo glad to be reading about them now!!

Anne Wynter (aka Annelisse Shawcross) is trying to get on with her life after a choice she made while she was 16 changed her way of life completely.

Daniel Smythe-Smith is pretty much in the same boat. After a drunken night of cards and a duel at dawn he has been in exile for the last three years. 

The two meet because Anne is the governess to Daniel's three younger cousins. He is immediately enraptured by her beauty and is determined to get to know her.

Anne tries her best to keep a safe distance away from Daniel. She has finally found a position she loves and does not want to risk losing due to the attentions of Lord on Winstead.

Soon they are having to deal with the demons of Anne's past. The man from her past wants his revenge for her having physically scarring him even though all she was trying to do was defend herself.

I absolutely LOVED this book!! As I stated previously I'm a huge fan of Julia Quinn. Her books always make me laugh. I have to say the sparkling gem in this book were Daniel's three cousins - Elizabeth, Frances and Harriet (who by far was my favorite!! And I think she deserves her own book, LOL!!) I love her books because they are always so light hearted (even though this one had some danger) and just make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

So if you are looking for a book just to lift your spirits then you need to get A Night Like This because I do not think you will be disappointed. If you are well then I feel bad for you, LOL!!

Happy Reading,
Mindy

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Currently Reading -  A Game of Thrones  by George R. R. Martin
Up Next: A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

The Devil Wears Plaid - Teresa Medeiros

AN INNOCENT WOMAN

Emmaline Marlow is about to wed the extremely powerful laird of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor's prison when ruffian Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and abduts her in one strong swoop. Though he is Hepburn's sworn enemy, Emma's mysterious captor is everything her bridegroom is not--handsome, virile, dangerous...and a perilous temptation for her yearning heart.

A DANGEROUS MAN
Jamie expects Emma to be some milksop English miss, not a fiery, defiant beauty whose irresistible charms will tempt him at every turn. But he cannot allow either one of them to forget he is her enemy and she his pawn in the deadly Highland feud between the clans. Stealing his enemy's bride was simple, but can he claim her innocence without losing his heart?

I was sooo excited to get this book because one Teresa Medeiros has quickly become probably my favorite historical romance author and two it involves a Scottish Highlander...mmmmm yummy!! Not only was it a Highlander (oh those kilts...*swoon*) but a kidnapped bride to boot!! I love that storyline and for me it never gets old and Mrs. Medeiros makes it even more wonderful!!

Emmaline Marlowe had resigned herself to marry the rich Hepburn in order to not only save her father from the workhouse and give her sisters a chance at good matches but to atone for her so called sins when she was merely seventeen.

Jamie Sinclair wants nothing more than the Hepburn to admit his grizzly hand in the death of Jamie' parents and he thinks the only way to do this is to capture his bride-to-be and hold her for ransom...not gold nor diamonds but the truth.

The Hepburns and the Sinclairs are sworn enemies and when Jamie's parents (a tale of Romeo and Juliet - one a Hepburn and the other a Sinclair) fall in love and have Jamie out of wedlock they are murdered when they were allegedly heading to get married. Jamie's search for the truth will bring him the one thing he never planned on or thought he would ever want or need...true love. With Emmaline's strength and courage Jamie finds that icy heart of his melting at a mere touch of her lips and when the truth finally comes out it will only be Emma's love that will keep him grounded.

OH MY GOSH I so wish I could tell you guys what really happens but I do not want to spoil it!! I love, love, love Teresa Medeiros...she is the freaking bomb diggity schizzle!! She makes the plot fast paced but doesn't skimp out on any details which is AH-MAZING!! Also, her love scenes just have soo much more passion and feeling than a lot of others I read. She also has a lot of humor in her books which I love a lot because some books can get soo loaded down with drama and heavy things that there is nothing there to break it up but I love when every now and then you find yourself laughing out loud. Although when you are in a public place and people look at you oddly it might not be a good thing but then again who cares what others think when you are reading an awesome story!!

If you want to get your hands on Jamie and Emma's story then just go here --> The Devil Wears Plaid to get your very own copy!!!

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HOLY COW I still have forgotten my review on The Expendables I'm beginning to think I will never remember it!!

Twice Tempted by a Rogue - Tessa Dare

How long could she resist him?

Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur. His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his friend in the elite gentlemen’s society known as the Stud Club. Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper, who dares him to take on the demons of his past — and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love.
Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan. But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is torn between determination and desire. As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago.


Well Tessa Dare did it again! She followed the debut of this series with another wonderfully, touching, sweet, saucy, sexy tale.

OH MY how my heart bled for Rhys. Also, I loved Meredith. I thought she was strong, self reliant and pretty bad ace to take on huge drunk louts. But also, I wanted to bop her on the head a few times. I mean here was this guy she had loved all her life and he was standing there practically begging her to marry him and she wouldn't give the guy a shot...WTF? However, she did redeem herself in the end!! Also, there was someone in the town sabotaging Rhys at every turn and it was never someone I would have guessed and I will not reveal that here!!

Also, finally we got some more answers as to the murder of the founder of the Stud Club. It turns out the final answers will lie in the last book Three Nights with a Scoundrel. It seems that maybe Leo (the founder) was not the intended target but in fact Julian Bellamy...so soon I will find out that burning question as to what happened to Leo.

Also, sorry about the short review but I'm very tired right now and my bed is calling my  name!!  OH and before I forget to get your own copy of Rhys and Meredith's story just go here -->Twice Tempted by a Rogue

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One Dance with a Duke - Tessa Dare

True temptation begins at midnight…


A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members — yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke — until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?

This is the first book in Tessa Dare's new Stud Club Trilogy. In it we learn the foundations of what exactly is the Stud Club? No it isn't a club full of hot men (although that is not a bad idea) but it has to do with horses.
 
The Club's founder is found dead and thus starts the search for his killer. Was it just random? Or planned? We do not find out who did it in this book but I'm hoping that with the third book in the series Three Nights with a Scoundrel we will find out the who and why behind his murder.
 
In this book is Amelia...almost on the shelf, a bit plump and busy taking care of everyone else except herself. Then there is Spencer rich, handsome and a Duke no less. When he proposes marriage to Amelia she is thrilled but also a bit suspicious. In the end she agrees to do it as she says for her noble yet poor family. So not only is he trying to get what he wants (a horse) but he is trying to find a way to win over his wife which he never thought he would want to do. At first theirs is an arrangement but even in marriages of convenience silly things like hearts and feelings start showing.
 
Tessa Dare does a fantastic job setting up the rest of the series with this book and also the other characters. They have bleen outlined but I know with each book they will be fleshed out even more. Also, hotty toddy sparks literally fly off the page with this one but that is no big surprise. Mrs. Dare is a very (VERY) spicy writer indeed. All I can say is if you don't like graphic detail in a romance novel then this book (and her others) are definitely not for you...good thing I don't mind, right? Also, her books are fast readers and you get so caught up in them you are feeling soo much...practically everything the characters are feeling and to me that is a sign of a true gem of an author!!
 
Alright if you wanna read not only a sweet but a sexy romance then don't wait any longer and go pick up yourself a copy of this book...you can get one here -->One Dance with a Duke
Also just for fun you can check out her other series and the books in it are Goddess of the Hunt(this book is great especially the wardrobe scene...talk about scorching), Surrender of a Siren: A Novel(come on who doesn't love a pirate), A Lady of Persuasion (alas a jilted lover gets redemption).

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Mistress by Mistake - Maggie Robinson

Charlotte Fallon let her guarded virtue fall once—and she’s paid dearly for it ever since. She swore she’d never succumb to men’s desires again. But even a village spinster’s life miles from temptation can’t save her from a sister with no shame whatsoever. Or a heart that longs for more, whatever the cost.
Sir Michael Bayard found more than he expected in his bed when he finally joined his new mistress. He’d fantasized about her dewy skin and luscious curves, assured her understanding that what passed between them was mere dalliance. But he didn’t expect the innocence and heat of her response in his arms. Nor her surprisingly sharp tongue once she was out of them…
A few days of abandon cannot undo the hard-learned lessons of a lifetime. Nor can an honest passion burn away the restraints of society’s judgments. Unless, of course, one believes in nonsense like true love…

Okay guys this review is going to be very short and I do mean VERY short.
 
I loved the characters created by Maggie Robinson they feel real and not some sugar coated confection. I mean Charlotte has a few gray hairs even though she isn't 30 yet which is honestly realistic.
 
I honestly felt like their relationship progressed naturally and I never felt that it was foisted upon you unrelentlessly. Also, Maggie has some wonderful secondary characters which is the perfect set up to the next two books in this series. Also Michael's ex-wife (sort of) is a complete and total whacko and I enjoyed that element of it!!
 
Also talk about some steamy love scenes...YOWZA!! They were very sexy in deed!
 
If you want to read Charlotte's and Michael's story just go here --> Mistress By Mistake to get it for yourself!

Also I need to do a blog on my review of Tessa Dare's first book in her Stud Club trilogy One Dance with a Duke and then I need to review the movie The Expendables!! Alright I'm off to bed...so sorry for the short and probably not all that helpful review I just wanted to get it up!!

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A Kiss at Midnight - Eloisa james

Miss Kate Daltry doesn't believe in fairy tales…or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince…and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.
Gabriel likes his fiancée, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn't love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.
Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.
Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble…
Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune…
Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

This is the first book I have ever read by Eloisa James...although I am still trying to acquire all of her books in her Dutchess series I think I got like 2 or 3 more to go!! Also isn't that cover just devine?? I think so!!

This is a take on the tale of Cinderella although there is an evil stepmother there are no ugly stepsisters. In fact I liked it like that because I found Kate's stepsister to be a joy so I'm glad that the book was not overrun with meanies, LOL!!!

I simply adored this book. The relationship of Gabriel and Kate is totally believeable. Also the pressures of real life and what one must do was also very real. It is the tale of falling in love but not exactly with the right person! Gabriel knows he should be enamored with his Princess bride to be but she doesn't stir his blood quite like the kind yet strong Kate. Kate is from a noble family but has been relegated to "not quite" a servent!!

But enter her long lost godmother and things in Kate's life finally start going to way she always planned before her father died.  Also the secondary characters are an absolute treat. From Kate's godmother Henry who even after three marriages still believes in love and loves love, hahaha!! Also there is Toloose whom I must say I garnered a bit of a crush on in his short face time, LOL!! I love a book where not only the primary characters are a delight but the seconary characters can make you smile. Because if they were like pieces of wallpaper in the background well the story would probably be a snore.

As I said before the love you feel between Gabriel and Kate is pure and real and does not feel forced down your throat.

Overall this was a very pleasant and enoyable read and I would recommend it highly for anyone looking for a sweet, caring romance but with a little bit of steam thrown in!!

If you want to get your hands on this book and read the heart warming story of Gabriel and Kate you can just go here --> A Kiss at Midnight

OH yeah I completely forgot to post my review of Maggie Robinson's Mistress by Mistake so I will try to get to that tomorrow (but you guys know me it will probably be Sunday, LOL!!)

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Sex and the Single Earl - Vanessa Kelly

Description:

Their marriage was convenient...
Simon St. James, fifth Earl of Trask, knows he could do worse in the marriage of convenience department. Sophie Stanton may be a bit of a social liability, with her ungovernable ways and flighty nature, but Simon has responsibilities as an earl that far outweigh happiness in the household. And as for happiness in the bedroom...he has to admit he sees Sophie's potential in that arena...

Their passion was not!
But Sophie isn't some bargaining chip to be traded, and she's not about to let Simon St. James tell her how to live her life-even though she has nurtured a crush on the handsome young earl for as long as she can remember. If his idea of courtship is telling her what to do, then she is not interested, or at least she is trying not to be. But when his scolding words turn to scorching kisses, suddenly Sophie starts paying attention...

First of all this is my first book by author Vanessa Kelly. I am glad to find out that she only has one other book published therefore making the reading of her backlist very simple indeed, LOL!!


I completely adored this book!! I loved how Simon was all "I'm a great big Earl...grrr" and how he absolutely wanted to refrain from any scandal but in the end he ends up falling in love with a girl who can't seem to keep gossip from following her but ultimately has a big heart and loves him very much.


He also is determined to only care for her and want to keep her safe being how their families are generations old friends. BUT he also wanted the lands which is part of her dowry. As we know in the end everything about her from her spectacles to her resolve in wanting to rescue two poor children makes his icy facade crumble and he becomes madly in love with her.


With witty and sometimes goofy secondary characters and a villianess who I would have liked nothing more than to "box her ears" was the perfect combination!!


This in all does not even mention the HOTNESS of this book...WOWZA talk about steamy, LOL!!!


Also I'm instituting a new rating system which will be as follows:

Overall Rating:


* WTF??
** meh whatevs!
*** Not awful but not great!
**** Greatness *squee*!!
***** Sheer and utter awesomeness!!!

 Now the next rating system will be for romances ONLY!!

Sexiness:

* Sweet
** Sweet and spicy
*** Naughty
**** Third degree burns
***** HOT DAMN!!

 As for this book the rating is as follows:


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If you want to get your hands on this book (be careful I am not responsible for any burns) then click here --> Sex and the Single Earl to pick up your own copy!!