Title: The Viking Chief’s Marriage Alliance
Author: Lucy Morris
Published: May 2021
Genre: Historical Romance, Mills & Boon Historical, Harlequin Historical, Viking

Blurb:

A Challenging wife for a warrior Viking

When Thorstein Bergson rescues a beautiful woman from a strom-tossed longship, he little expects to broker a powerful marriage alliance with her. This high-status ice queen is not the comfortable wife the warrior chief is seeking. But maybe the bittersweet pain in Gyda’s eyes hides another woman beneath? The one he tasted that first night when she’d kissed him with such pent-up longing…?

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

My Review:

Captivated by the encounter between Thorstein and Gyda, I was unable to put this book down (literally). The handsome divorced hero with crucifix facial scar and big strong muscled body, Thorstein, is attempting to help the occupants from the wrecked ship, he is fascinated by the beautiful, tall heroine, Gyda, with ash-blonde hair and cold blue-grey eyes whom refuses to be rescued before she seizes her precious saving. She has intended to start a new simple life in Jorvik after her disastrous marriage to a Jarl and is inclined not to leave the ship however when it is beginning to sink, Throstein is growing impatient, he lifts and puts her on his broad shoulder and flees to his ship. Unable to not to care despite her ungratefulness, he gently treats Gyda whom seems to be freezing. Afterward, Thorstein takes all the occupants onto his land and Hall.

This is the first Viking book I ever read and I wondered how the story would be like in the Viking period and Wow this book was beyond my expectation. I was utterly infatuated by over-growing emotion, historical affairs, superstitions and places that I never knew its existence, and also Gyda with her cold demeanour and arrogant mask to lurk the sweet devoted strong woman beneath, this isn’t because she is a Jarl widow and has a higher status but it’s because she doesn’t want to look vulnerable particularly in front of men after what she has been through, however Thorstein becomes increasingly irritated as she has never thanked him for saving her life so when they are having meal, he confronts her and likely misleads his intention because Gyda passionately kisses him instead.

As a debut writer, Lucy Morris has outstanding writing, she might have done her best to write this book and research for detailed history that wrapped in romance thus I take my hat off to her for her talent, she also was able to evoke the overwhelming emotion within when Thorstein refuses to marry Gyda to make alliance with her brother-in-law hence his best friend due to misapprehension, then after they get married when Gyda proofs that she can be a farmer’s wife and opens up her feeling and expression especially after the revelation of their past.

For me, The Viking Chief’s Marriage Alliance is emotionally compelling, gripping and attracting with delightful and impressive ancient historical description and strong superstitions, the leading tangible attraction between Thorstein and Gyda coping with the painful past towards uplifting and happy ending just make the book more enchanting. Thank you, Lucy Morris, for this ARC.

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

Lucy Morris lives in Essex, UK, with her husband, two young children and two cats. She has a massively sweet tooth and loves gin, bubbly and Irn-Bru. She is a member of the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association and is delighted to begin her publishing journey with Harlequin Historical in 2021 with her first release ‘The Viking Chief’s Marriage Alliance’.

She adores writing strong, passionate women and the brave honourable men who fall in love with them. Weaving her fascination with the dark age of medieval Europe with her compulsion to give her characters a happily ever after. But only after they’ve had an adventure along the way. Follow her on twitter @LMorris_Author

Title: The Marquess Next Door
(The Talk of the Beau Monde Book 2)
Author: Virginia Heath
Published: June 2021
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency, Mills & Boon Historical, Harlequin Historical

Blurb:

A dashing new neighbor …

Temptation on her doorstep!

To avoid an unwanted suitor at a ball, Hope Brookes asks another gentleman rescue her. He obliges – with a surprisingly passionate kiss! He’s revealed as her sinfully handsome new neighbor, Lucius, Marquess of Thundersley, and they forge a friendship over their balconies. It’s refreshing that Lucius is more interested in her writer dreams than her looks, so why can’t she stop thinking about that kiss?

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

The Talk of the Beau Monde

My review:

Here is the second book of The Talk of the Beau Monde, Yuhuuu, finally!

Before I read the book, I scrutinized the cover and the blurb then I found the parallel line of the book, Yupz, how the hero, Lucius and the heroine, Hope establish their romantic story over the balconies. Isn’t that quite captivating?

Indeed, this is the story of Hope meeting her match, the Seventh Marquess of Thundersley, Lucius Nathaniel Elijah Duff. Typically the column gossip, The Whisper from Behind the Fan unfolds the story of Hope Brookes that scandalously throws the frozen desert over a suitor’s head. Hope has lots of admirers that she greatly resents because those admirers just see her unwanted seductive body not her intelligence and wit. She always eschews any gentlemen asking her hand to dance. When she attends her sister engagement’s party, an irritating persevering suitor, Lord Harlington, chases after her in spite of her scathing refusal. She eschews him by going to a garden that has a fountain. There she encounters the new Marquess of Thundersley, Lucius Nathaniel Elijah Duff, a sinfully handsome broad-shoulder with unusual height and long-shoulder length hair whom has beard and an earring (oh my, I couldn’t stop admiring the hero, he was defined like dissolute pirate!).

At first, they just sit on the wall fountain and enjoy the night then Lord Harlington calling her, she asks Lucius to help her so that he would go. Well, Lucius took me by surprise, he instinctively kisses Hope before Lord Harlington and as you could guess, Hope is furious and shoves him into the fountain and that affair becomes the gossip. Following day, Brookes family knows that they have a new neighbor but they do not know who it is, surprisingly when Hope wants to enjoy her writing on her special private balcony, there she meets the new naked neighbor, Lucius and begins establishing their friendship over.

I have been waiting for Hope’s story because she is a typical heroine I enormously admire, red-haired, intelligent, termagant, cannot be charmed by any gentlemen despite her attractive look and a ghotic writer story. She is a perfect match for Lucius, the kind-hearted humorous hero whom is amusing with his clever remarks. Hope and Lucius have been unwittingly attracted to each other since after the kiss and gradually they begin developing their trust to each other over the balconies despite the flaw and at the end succumb to admit their feeling. Yupz, this is what makes this book so gripping, because the insecurities and the flaw that are owned by both characters without omitting the humor.

Heath is a brilliant writer, despite the perfect-beauty within the hero and heroine, she oftentimes sets insecurities and insights beneath the characters, that is what I praise for, like how insecure Hope is because of her unusual size of cleavage and seductive body, she is also anxious that she doesn’t possess any remarkable talent like her sisters however she continually grabs her dream of having thriller book published as a woman author, then Lucius who has coped with his mother’s fragile illness. Heath has succeeded in defining the unfair prejudices in attentive writing and that is how the story eventually evolves.

For me, The Marquess Next Door holds an irresistible attraction wrapped in clever wordplay and quick wit that amuses me over and over with undeniable passion between the charming sinfully handsome hero and natural attractive heroine albeit termagant. Thank you, Virginia Heath, for this ARC which I voluntarily reviewed. I totally and thoroughly enjoyed reading this!

Rate: 5 of 5

Reviewed by Sabilla

About the author

When Virginia Heath was a little girl, it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated – sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. One day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twenty books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep. Follow her at virginiaheathromance.com or her facebook page Virginia Heath.

 

 

Title: Stolen in Her Wedding Gown
(The Greeks’ Race to the Altar Book 1)
Author: Amanda Cinelli
Published: May 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mills & Boon Modern, Harlequin Presents

Blurb:

The Greek needs a wife…and he thinks he’s found the perfect choice! This passionate marriage of convenience romance from Amanda Cinelli is filled with drama!

When the something borrowed…

Is the bride!

About to walk down the aisle of her Manhattan wedding, determined Priya realizes it’s impossible. After the news Greek playboy Eros has just shared about her convenient groom, she can’t go through with it. To save her father’s business, she flees in her white dress…and weds Eros instead!

To beat his brother to the family inheritance, Eros must stay married for one year. Stealing Priya as his wife was the first step. Then he discovers her deepest secrets – and a burning mutual desire. What started as convenient suddenly got very complicated…

From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion no bounds.

Read all the books in The Greeks’ Race to the Altar miniseries

My Review:

I must admit that I was entirely preoccupied with this book from the beginning! Cinelli must have had active imagination whilst writing this book because her compelling writing could conjure up my imagination of the story like a movie. She is also good at introducing the characters thus I don’t have to guess who is who from the beginning. Well, the title and the cover are absolutely divine and so captivating and do represent the story. Firstly I was introduced with the Greek playboy hero, Eros Theodorou, a dark blonde-hair with cerulean blue eyes hero meeting his mother to inform the stipulation which his cruel father gave before he passed away. The stipulation announces that his father’s sons must remain married for one year to inherit all his wealth. I was assuming from Eros’ demeanor and inner state that he seems cruel and despises both his father and brother. At first he doesn’t care with the stipulation, but her selfish mother begs that he at least does something to prevent his brother’s forthcoming wedding to Priya Davidson Khan, a beautiful socialite heiress.

Secondly Priya, the heroine that I thought was a spoilt princess is not a princess at all. She has been acting as socialite heiress to pleasure her socialite mother. Frankly I like the heroine so much, she is clever, remote and a visionary heroine. Priya is determined to save her father company from her corrupt uncle and mother thus she agrees to marry Xander, the aforementioned brother of Eros’. When she is going to the wedding venue, she is thwarted by Eros, and willingly gets into the car because she thinks he is a delivered driver. In the Car, Eros reveals his identity and his brother’s cruelty and lures her to walk away from the aisle publicly. At the beginning, Priya does not believe in Eros, but after meeting her uncle, she believes it and flees (This scene was so compelling that I could imagine myself Priya’s feeling and emotion). When Priya is walking aimlessly and feeling devastated, Eros comes, takes and asks her to wed him instead (that’s why the title is Stolen in Her Wedding Gown ;)).

I grew somewhat impatient with Eros and Priya’s marriage of convenience, both actually have strong both physical and sexual attraction but Eros wants Priya to come to him willingly however Priya, she is so remote and determined not to be charmed by Eros, she doesn’t want to be attached in temporary relationship and she builds high wall around her. Eventually after spending their honeymoon on Eros’ private island, Priya succumbs to the temptation and I understood Eros’ intention and his attraction towards Priya.

For me, Stolen in Her Wedding Gown is so alluring and has compelling writing from the beginning. The charming, cooking-talented, left-handed hero and the icy heroine are what I love from this book so much. Thank you, Amanda Cinelli, for this ARC which I voluntarily reviewed, I presume Cinelli is also left-handed like me. This book is highly recommended if you want something rather dramatic and want to escape onto stunning Greek island!

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

Amanda Cinelli was born into a large Irish Italian family and raised in the leafy-green suburbs of County Dublin, Ireland. After dabbling in a few different career paths, she finally found her calling as an author upon winning an online writing competition with her first finished novel. With three small daughters at home, she usually spends her days doing school runs, changing diapers and writing romance. She still considers herself unbelievably lucky to be able to call this her day job. Follow her at www.amanda-cinelli.com or her twitter @AcinelliAuthor.