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.

 

Title: Queen by Royal Appointment
(Princesses by Royal Decree Book 1)
Author: Lucy Monroe
Published: May 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mills & Boon Modern, Harlequin Presents

Blurb:

They say that duty and desire don't mix...and they're about to collide spectacularly in this royal romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Lucy Monroe.

Fifty dates to decide ...

If she will wear his crown!

As a naive teenager, Lady Nataliya signed a contract promising her to a prince. Now, to release them both, she causes a scandal by going on fifty dates for a magazine. It works… Until her betrothed’s brother, widowed King Nikolai, insists she honor the marriage agreement—with him!

Her first duty? Finishing those dates with Nikolai. Their whirlwind courtship may be thrilling, but no matter how irresistible Nikolai is, Nataliya can’t forget she was never his first choice of queen. His wounded heart will always be off-limits…

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

My Review:

I was a little tense when the first chapter unfolded with the heroine, Nataliya Shevchenko, the genius computer hacker is confronted between two royal families, Mirrus and Volyarus in a private meeting of Volyarus Palace. The feeling of propriety that well-defined within the book made me a bit tense like I was there and also faced with both royal families.

Long time ago, Nataliya was obligated to sign a contract that she had to marry a prince from the Mirrus hence Prince Konstantin. She did that to save the reputation of both royal families and merge the business association however the contract breaks when she hacks that Konstantin is not celibate during the promised time because Nataliya detests infidelity thus she intelligently commits to fifty dates for magazine, a scandalous act that can make Konstantin renege the contract yet it does not go as she wished. The oldest son, a widowed King, Nikolai Merikov encourages Nataliya to marry him instead. Oh my, that was so sweet.

Frankly I am always fond of a heroine who is genius, loyal, independent, faithful and sassy, virgin included, thus Nataliya is the heroine I admire. Yuuhuuu ….

On the other hand the hero, Nikolai is not a typical hero you will find in Harlequin present like ruthless, uncompromised and so on. Here you will find him sweet, affectionate, persevering, protective albeit arrogant. Practically the typical hero I fancy J

Both Nikolai and Nataliya have known each other since they were kid and Nataliya has had a childhood crush toward him yet Nikolai married to another woman and the wife of his died in skiing accident. Nataliya has conclusively presumed from the convincing media and Nikolai’s demeanor that Nikolai loves his wife thus she resolutely refuses the proposal. Well indeed Nikolai will not back down, he rather begins courting and approaching Nataliya in compelling and lovely courtship that attracts the passion and sexual desire between them. (I wish I were Nataliya, sorry)

I have to admit that this book is unlike any other Harlequin Presents I have read despite the troubling, violent father of Nataliya’s who wants to destroy her, arguably the hero will have preconceived notions upon what the media says after the father’s ugly conference and the drama would follow, but this one is beyond my presumption.

Queen by Royal Appointment is appealingly passionate, charming and might be sweet for me from the way Nikolai treats Nataliya. The quick comments within Nataliya’s remarks made me smile throughout reading the book. Thank you, Lucy Monroe, for this ARC which I voluntarily reviewed, I greatly enjoyed reading this.

Rate: 5 of 5

USA TODAY bestselling author Lucy Monroe lives and writes in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. While she loves her home, she delights in experiencing different cultures and places in her travels, which she happily shares with her readers through her books. A lifelong devotee of the romance genre, Lucy can’t imagine a more fulfilling career than writing the stories in her head for her readers to enjoy. Follow her at lucymonroe.com or twitter @lucymonroe.

 

Title: Stranded for One Scandalous Week
(Rebels, Brothers, Billionaires Book 1)
Author: Natalie Anderson
Published: April 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mills & Boon Modern, Harlequin Presents

 

Blurb:

The innocent, the playboy…

And their seven-night passion!

Archivist Merle’s dream job in an abandoned mansion on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island gives her the isolation she craves and the freedom to delight in its extravagance. Then infamous owner Ash arrives without warning…

Used to women falling at his feet, Ash is ever so intrigued when he interrupts virginal siren Merle in his bath—and she tries to conceal her shock…then her red-hot reaction! He’s back for one week only to lay his tarnished past to rest. Might he find solace in the intriguing Merle instead?

 

My Review:

Wow, at the first chapter I was mesmerized by how divine and well-written the setting was then I was captivated by the heroine, she was a complete heroine I adored. As an archivist, Merle was hired to sort out all the documents and other things within an inherited mansion in Waiheke, New Zealand. On the day when she wanted to over-indulge and relax herself in a bath while having fancy champagne then the notorious billionaire playboy hero, Ash who inherited the mansion from his father unexpectedly came and encountered Merle in bath and he wrongly presumed that Merle was an entertainer for him whom sent by his half-brother. Ash came to the mansion to hide and need a quiet surroundings so after Merle informed who she was, Ash asked her to leave the mansion. However, after having struggled to look after her grandpa and pay the debt for her grandpa’s insurance, Merle had been homeless thus she persisted to stay and promise that she would be invisible that Ash would never know she stayed and shared the mansion.

I was utterly infatuated by the sexual chemistry between Ash and Merle. Merle was determined not to be seduced by Ash. She had been reserved and always stayed unseen due to her upbringings on the other hand Ash, the notorious playboy was determined to bring out every single passion within Merle, especially he was lured by Merle’s red-hot expression. Despite the determination, both eventually were willing to share one intense week together. The genuine emotions when Merle and Ash revealed their past painful conditions seized the feeling within me, particularly before the one promised week was over.

Stranded for One Scandalous Week was a complete delight from the beginning, the witty comments between Ash and Merle was the entertainment I looked for. This book would make you over-indulge into both passion and wittiness and bring you to the uplifting ending. Thank you to Natalie Anderson for this ARC which I voluntarily reviewed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. 

Rate: 5 of 5

Reviewed by Sabilla

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: In Debt to the Earl
Author: Elizabeth Rolls
Published: 2016
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency

Blurb:

"If you wish, I can take you out of all this."

In his quest for revenge against a disreputable card sharp, James, Earl of Cambourne, discovers the man's innocent daughter. While her surroundings are impoverished, her dignity and refinement are unmistakable, and James faces an unsettling question—what will be her fate if he brings her father to justice?
Although yearning for love and comfort, Lucy resists the earl's surprising offer of protection. That is until a price is made on her virginity, and James is the only man who can save her.

 

My Review:

Never have I imagined that I would be fascinated by this book. What made me attracted is the heroine who is, albeit delicate, innocent and impoverished, strong, independent and respectable. The first encounter between the hero, James, Lord Cambourne and the heroine, Lucy Heinsleighs a disguised name that her father has been using, is in the filthy lodging where Lucy settles in. James urges Lucy to tell where Hensleighs’ whereabouts but Lucy has no notion where so she tells him to leave and return when her father does too. However James wrongly presumes that Lucy is Hensleighs’ mistress and insults her as well. Lucy counters the insult by proclaiming that she is his daughter and irritably demands James to leave because whatever her father owes, she can’t afford to pay back. Feeling bewildered, James lies to Lucy that he is the one who owes to her father and will be back again.

Since the encounter, James cannot forget Lucy, he even seems intensely possessive and irritated to know that she disguises herself as a lad to play violin on the crowded narrow street so that she could feed and pay the lodging herself. To protect Lucy, James offers his hand by telling Lucy that she could be his mistress yet Lucy’s response neither approves nor disapproves.

The story line is immeasurably delightful, especially when James is informed by Fitch, a little pickpocket whom Lucy associates with that Lucy has been abducted and is going to be auctioned by Kilby, the villain within this book then the ending is what I expect. After having read this, I might contemplate reading others Elizabeth Rolls’ books.

Rate: 4 of 5

Reviewed by Sabilla