Title: A Defiant Maiden’s Knight
(Protectors of the Crown miniseries Book 1)
Author: Melissa Oliver
Published: June 2022
Genre: Medieval Romance, Mystery, Harlequin Historical, Mills & Boon Historical

Blurb:
A tense, dramatic medieval love story.

A knight’s protection…That she doesn’t want…or need?

Joan Lovent may be losing her sight but she refuses to lose her independence too. So when Sir Warin de Talmont tells her it’s too perilous to be out alone in the city, she doesn’t pay him any heed. But with threats surrounding them, she begins to value his protection and helps with his dangerous work in return. If only the powerful connection between them wasn’t so impossible to ignore!

My Review:

I had been captivated by this book once I read the blurb as Joan Lovent, the courageous, intelligent, witty and appealing heroine has vision impairment. What I adored about her is that despite her impediment, Joan doesn’t want to just give up her life by staying in her brother’s house and do nothing therefore she often visits All Hallows as a benefactor for the church. However on the day when Warin, a handsome yet brooding knight chasing an assailant whom is going to damage the city of London, she unwittingly disrupts his investigation when she screams and falls, consequently Warin has no choice but helping her.

I really took great pleasure in enjoying how Joan irritates Warin as much as their pleasant company. She often outsmarts her arguments against him meanwhile Warin is so over protective towards Joan although he believes that he does it because of her brother, who works for the Crown too. The more I turned the pages the more I was absorbed into the beauty of sensational London and the mystery that should be immediately solved before the damage escalates in London, the pains that have been hidden and the undeniable feelings they have to endure.

Furthermore Every time Joan proves that she can be helpful for Warin during the investigation, I kept saying toward myself ‘good job Joan, you’re utterly genius like some ancient and well-known detectives’ even if no one understood how excited I was when she shows that she is right and is needed despite her worsening eyesight. 

Aaaah I’d love to reveal lots of things about Warin because he had gradually melted my heart but alas, I couldn’t spoil more here but would thoroughly recommend it. I definitely savoured Melissa Oliver’s writing as it was so immersive, intriguing, and well written and deduced. The book is a captivating bundle of mystery, romance, and intrigue which is wrapped into an enjoyable and thrilling read. I look forward to reading the next story of Warin’s teasing friends. Thank you, Melissa Oliver, for the ARC which I voluntary reviewed.

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

Melissa Oliver is from southwest London, UK, where she writes historical romance novels. she lives with her lovely husband and three daughters, who share her passion for decrepit old castles, grand palaces and all things historical. she won the Joan Hessayon Award for new writers from the Romantic Novelists' Association in 2020 for her first book, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight. When she's not writing, she loves to travel for inspirations, paint, and visit museums and art galleries. If you want to find out more, follow Melissa on Twitter https://twitter.com/melissaoauthor

Title: The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love
(Regency Belles of Bath Book 4)
Author: Jenni Fletcher
Published: June 2022
Genre: Regency Romance, Historical Romance, Mills & Boon Historical, Harlequin Historical

Blurb:

A friends-to-lovers forbidden romance to warm your heart!

From forbidden love To forever?

Belles Biscuit Shop is more like a home than a place of work for Nancy MacQueen. The shared attraction between her and James Redbourne, the handsome owner of a nearby store, has been simmering for years, but she’s refused to trust his feeling for her. After all, they’re not remotely in the same social class. Until one day Nancy can no longer deny her love – only to find he’s become engaged to someone else!

My Review:

Oh, I couldn’t believe I finished this book in one sitting! You know the feeling when you didn’t want to finish a book because it was so diverting and you just wanted to enjoy the book as long as you could. After having been waiting for more than a year, Nancy’s story is finally out and Aaahhhh her story is so incredible! Thank you, Jenni Fletcher for having made the characters like Nancy and James! Nancy and James have appeared from the prior series of Regency Belles of Bath but I suppose you might be able to read it as a standalone.

So Nancy and James apparently have known one another since their youth when Nancy was coerced by her stepfather to steal an orange for her mother from James’ father’s shop. James instantly falls for her at first sight. Well I couldn’t blame him as Nancy is so physically attractive with her curly red hair, blue eyes even though she is a shrew. Because of her good for nothing stepfather, Nancy loathes all men and doesn’t want to be helped by any men, but being in the near neighborhood, Nancy and James occasionally come across until Nancy realizes that James has grown into handsome and honorable man and then their first kiss, oh my gosh, how sweet! Yet after years of being rejected, James eventually and decisively wants to move on and court another woman.

To be frank, having spent on reading this, I felt all the mixed feelings. From being ridiculous, angry, regret, heartbroken and hopeless, but seeing all Belles’ characters, being reunited into very awesome last series, it was so delightful and uplifting. Jenni Fletcher’s writing is utterly compelling and so entertaining I just loved everything within it and the epilogue! I’m just hoping I can read their children’s story! Thank you, Jenni Fletcher, for this ARC which I voluntary reviewed.

Rate: 5 of 5

Jenni Fletcher was born in the north of Scotland and now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and two children. She wanted to be a writer as a child but became distracted by reading instead, finally getting past her first paragraph thirty years later. She’s had more jobs than she can remember but has finally found one she loves. She can be contacted on Twitter https://twitter.com/JenniAuthor or her page https://jennifletcher.com/

 

 

Title: Out of Her League
Author: Natalie Anderson
Published: May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Blurb:

Can he convince her to forgive him while avoiding falling in love with her?

Bella Cotton didn’t rescuing. She was fine with being the family disappointment, the knot-like-the others bridesmaid, fine with them all forgetting her birthday… But when the impossibly hot dude at the bar dared her to take him as her fake date to her sister’s wedding the next day? Well yeah, she was tempted to do for more than have him at her side tomorrow – she’d have him every which way tonight!

But next morning he’d gone – had all he wanted and ditched her before the fake date bit!

Now she’s collided with him again in the most humiliating circumstance and it turns out he isn’t an every day klutz like her. He’s some sort of billionaire genius and he wants to ‘rescue’ her all over again?

Tech titan Owen Hughes didn’t mean to hide his identity fro the gorgeous woman he met that night on Waiheke island. He also didn’t mean to leave her so soon. But business always comes first for him. It has to.

Still, letting her down had left him with a bad feeling. Now the sweetheart seems to be in another spot of bother and he’s only too happy to help out. That’s if she’ll let him. And this time he’ll make his position clear: Pleasure? Yes. Permanent? Never.

At least that’s what he thinks…

One click for a badluck butterfingers heroine, comfort food, steamy banter, a hero fighting hard to hide his heart, wine spillage, a car named Bubbles, seriously hot bathroom stuff, a plush soft toy tiger, and an ending that will make your heart soar.

Fans of Jill Shalvis, Lucy Score and Megan Quinn will love this happily ever after from USA Today Bestselling author Natalie Anderson.

Steamy romance that’ll make you smile, and sigh.

My Review:

It’s a truly hot steamy romance that melted me from the beginning. Bella and Owen’s first encounter is in the bar where Bella’s big family stays for her sister’s wedding. She has low self esteem because of her perfect family’s propositions. She thinks that she is a failure in the family but she has a great fondness for being an entertainer as a fairy in children’s party. When Owen sees Bella steps in the bar, he is sexually intrigued and can’t let her go and so they start flirting, bantering and entertaining one another until they have one-night stand.

Despite the no string relation and their strong mutual desire, both misinterpret the next morning situation until Bella decisively takes over her life to be independent and relies on no one. Well I loved how their relation works contrarily, Owen tenderly cares for Bella and is willing to help whatever she needs yet Bella is determined to be independent and will not, let anyone even Owen, help her. After denial and resistance, they succumb finally to their hot-temporary-relation.

It’s a splendidly entertaining romance which has strong sizzling sexual tension from the beginning then I was truly impressed with wonderful and uplifting characters at the end, and indeed with its ending! Thank you, Natalie Anderson, for this ARC which I voluntary reviewed.

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author Natalie Anderson writes emotional contemporary romance full of sparkling banter, sizzling heat and uplifting endings – perfect for readers who love to escape with empowered heroines and arrogant alphas who are too sexy for their own good. When she’s not writing, you’ll find Natalie wrangling her four children, three cats, two goldfish and one dog … and snuggled in heap on the sofa with her husband at the end of the day. Follow her at natalie-anderson.com or her Instagram account authornatalieanderson.

 

Title: To Yield To A Highlander
(The Sutherlands of Dornoch Castle Book 3)
Author: Callie Hutton
Published: May 2022
Genre: Historical Romance, Highland

Blurb:

This could be the best mistake of his life…

Laird Duncan Grant doesn’t want his neighboring clans, the MacIntoshes and the MacPhersons, to form an alliance by the planned marriage between their offspring. It would make for a dangerous situation for his clan. Since he is in need of a wife, he decides to seize the bride on her way to the wedding and keep her for himself.

But he takes the wrong lass. 

Lady Elsbeth Johnstone is tired of living in her twin sister’s shadow. She loves her dearly, but it is time for her to have her own life. With no prospects for marriage, she decides a convent in Perth is the place for her.

In the dead of night on her trek to Perth, she is dragged away from her escort by a band of men who think she is someone else. Furious at how life is now out of her control again, she demands Laird Grant bring her to the convent in Perth.

Angry at the mistake he made, he agrees, but he can’t help but wonder if he could tame the spirited lass and convince her to stay.

After all, he is in need of a wife. 

My Review:

Elsbeth’s story has surprisingly enticed me! I love how it works. It’s a thoroughly quick engrossing read. Living in Dornoch Castle with her family by marriage and witnessing how besotted the husbands are with their wives make Elsbeth feel utterly miserable. After having careful thought, she decisively intends to go to convent to serve those who are in need despite her beauty and marriage offer from Haydon’s cousin. If she can’t have love in the marriage, she would rather not marry. On her way to the convent, she is mistakenly snatched from her tent and brought to Duncan’s castle.

Elsbeth’s characters have gradually changed, she is still charming, kind, obedient, and another character evolves as she lived in Dornoch, she is braver and has her own wits. I was wholly enamored by her new characters here. Meanwhile Duncan is so protective and charmed by Elsbeth that he wants to make her his wife despite the mistake but he can’t give what Elsbeth’s want in marriage.

I love how Elsbeth is so determined not to allow everyone to dictate her life again and how Duncan is unwittingly besotted with Elsbeth and wants to make her his, additionally Elsbeth’s father! I was wholly led into the wrong assumption regarding her father. It is splendidly enjoyable read and I always love the unexpected twist from Callie Hutton’s book. Thank you, Callie Hutton, for this ARC which I voluntary reviewed.

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

My historical romances are full of heat, and quirky characters. I’ve always loved history, which was my college major. Things of the past fascinate me. Not those boring history classes in high school, but the history of people. How they lived their lives, what they ate, what they wore, the challenges they faced, what they worried about.

I have recently delved into Historical Cozy Mysteries. My very first one, For the Love of the Baron, a Historical Suspense novella, spurred me to try a full length, non-romance focused cozy mystery. A study in Murder released this year from Crooked Lane Publishing, and the reviews have been very good. The second book in that series, The Sign of Death, will release in April of 2021.

Although those books are not strictly romance, the main characters, William, Lord Wethington, and Lady Amy Lovell have formed a friendship while solving a murder mystery. Who knows where that will take them?

Take a look around my website and check out some of the books I write, and their lovely covers.

Please consider signing up for my newsletter to keep up to date on new releases, sales, and special offers. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week! (This text refers to the Amazon edition). Follow her on http://calliehutton.com/newsletter/ and Twitter @Calliehutton