To Pleasure a Lady (Courtship Wars, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)Arabella and her sisters have worked hard to make a life for themselves since their parents' arranged marriage ended in a scandal that left the girls ostracized from society. They run and teach at their finishing school for young ladies. None of them have any desire to enter into a marriage like their parents had and are perfectly content to remain spinsters; unfortunately their new guardian has other plans for them. He intends to fulfill his obligation and find them each a suitable husband - he just hadn't counted on Arabella turning out to be such a worthy opponent - or such an enchanting one.
Marcus Pierce, the new Earl of Danvers, is well aware that finding the Loring sisters' spouses isn't going to be an easy task. He hasn't even met them yet and already he's butting heads with the eldest, Arabella. She insists that he release them from his guardianship and allow them to take care of themselves - like they've done for years. He has no intention of honoring her request, after all they are his responsibility and he does not shirk his duties.
Marcus isn't sure where he'll find suitable spouses for Arabella, Roslyn and Lillian. It would be very helpful if his friends and fellow escapees from the Marriage Mart, Andrew and Drew would be agreeable to consider marriage. He's having no luck convincing them to change their minds and certainly isn't about to get leg shackled himself. However, an unexpected appearance in his home by none other than the obstinate Arabella has him reconsidering his position. No woman has ever excited him the way Arabella does but she's determined not to marry and no amount of reasoning on Marcus's part is going to convince her otherwise.
Marcus is determined to persuade her to his way of thinking and so he issues a challenge. For two weeks he'll court Arabella and try to get her to accept his proposal. If he doesn't succeed then he'll release the sisters from his guardianship. Marcus isn't above using every technique in his sensual arsenal to show Arabella exactly what she'll be missing if she insists on remaining a spinster and he's very skilled in ways TO PLEASURE A LADY.
I just spent the whole day immersed in this story and don't regret a single second of the time I spent reading. TO PLEASURE A LADY beautifully showcases Nicole Jordan's talent as a writer. Readers will find themselves craving Marcus's seductive techniques, laughing at Arabella's attempts at evasion, and even gasping at the unladylike audacity of one of the students Arabella teaches. This book has so many enchanting characteristics that I simply didn't want to put it down and leave my `newfound friends.' TO PLEASURE A LADY is a book sure to be treasured by Regency romance lovers and a wonderful first book to what promises to be a delightful series.

Be sure to pick up copies of the next two books in the COURTSHIP WARS trilogy - TO BED A BEAUTY and TO SEDUCE A BRIDE which will consecutively available in March and April 2008.
Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

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Nicole Jordan spins a delectable tale of wit and exquisite sensuality in this mesmerizing Regency romance, the captivating first in a dazzling new trilogy, The Courtship Wars. Marcus Pierce, a strikingly handsome aristocrat with a wicked reputation, inherits guardianship of Arabella Loring and her two younger sisters–and immediately declares his intention to marry them off. But gorgeously defiant Arabella sparks frustration–and something deeply erotic–in Marcus. After matching both wits and swords with her, Marcus concludes that this beautiful and formidable foe must be his.Having sworn off marriage and men, Arabella wishes to be left alone to run her finishing school for young ladies. To that end, she boldly accepts Marcus's intimate challenge: If he can woo and win her within two weeks, she'll take her place in his bed as his wife. However, if she can resist his considerable charms, the Loring sisters will be granted their independence. Thus an extraordinary game of seduction begins. . . .

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Mistress Review

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(More customer reviews)Previously a schoolmistress, Iphiginia Bright has spent the last year fulfilling a dream by touring the classical ruins of Italy and Greece. Upon her return to England, she discovers that a notorious blackmailer, who is taking advantage of members of the ton, is now harassing her beloved Aunt Zoe. In an attempt to assist her aunt, Iphiginia decides to flush out the blackmailer by posing as a widow, and the paramour of Marcus Cloud, Earl of Masters. Marcus has a well-earned reputation as a master of seduction among the ladies, but Iphiginia believes him to be dead by the hand of the blackmailer.
Iphiginia takes London by storm, enchanting everyone she meets, and manages to collect a whole host of admirers. She even captures the attention of a certain man, who is very much alive at his country estate, and much to her surprise, Marcus makes an appearance at a ball to meet his newest mistress. She explains her reason for the deception, and although he's suspicious of her, he decides to play along. They together conduct an investigation, but Marcus has ulterior motives for not exposing her lie. He finds Iphiginia quite the enchantress, and sets out to make her his mistress in earnest, although he becomes suspicious whether there's been a Mr. Bright. Marcus has three rules he lives by: he steers clear of virgins, has vowed never to remarry, and he doesn't talk about his past. Iphiginia will end up testing all three of his rules, and after all, rules are made to be broken.
I have read a total of four books by this author, and this one remains my favorite. Her heroines tend to be very intelligent women, who are involved in some type of scientific study or intellectual endeavors, which is a unique angle in a historical romance. The only thing is, sometimes too much time is spent on the studies and endeavors, and the romance portion suffers. That is not true here. I felt this was an interesting, smart, sexy, and hilarious story with witty dialogue. There is a memorable scene that takes place in a hall of naughty statuary, which was quite steamy and funny at the same time. And who can forget "Dr. Hardstaff's Museum of the Goddesses of Manly Vigor"? To put that name on an establishment is too funny! This book is not to be missed!

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A Seduction in Scarlet Review

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(More customer reviews)Lady Portia Ellerslie is a close companion of Queen Victoria at the end of the 1800's. Victoria had great admiration for Portia's late husband and that transferred to Portia herself after his death. As a result she is put on a pedestal by the Queen and the population alike. She is widely known as the Widow of the Nation's Hero. But she's is also a young woman who was married early to a much older man and now that he's gone she has...needs. Needs that won't be met unless she does something drastic. Which turns out to be a visit to Aphrodites, a high class bordello. She is lonely and only looking for a night of anonymous pleasure with no names and no consequences. Like that'll happen.
What a coincidence that the man who walks in the club and captures her attention is the man she used to be infatuated with when she was just the young shy vicars daughter. He doesn't recognize her of course, but she knows him. But after a wild night of passion they go their separate ways. If only it was that easy. They both find that they have such a burning need for each other that it obscures their common sense and they take one wild chance after another to be together.
Marcus starts off as an idle, good-for-not-much womanizer, but quickly begins growing up and eventually realizes he needs to do something with his life, especially if he's going to have a chance with Portia. He can't ask a national icon to come away with him if he has and is nothing. Watching him grow up was one of the best parts of this book and I loved the interaction between him and...everybody. He did have a tendency to act recklessly, but he was so filled with life and humor and love that I just fell in love with him. I can't blame Portia for falling head over heels for him too.
This was also a very Victorian story, about how repressed people felt and how Portia felt she was expected to adhere to a rigid set of rules. And it wasn't just a matter of her having her own fixed rules, but of society at large demanding the same thing. Breaking her out of that mind-set was tough going for Marcus, but ya gotta give him props for not giving up.
The sub-plot with Portia's sister-in-law and her traitorously evil husband, Arnold, wasn't strictly necessary, but they did give Portia a reason to run away with Marcus and it added some tension towards the end. I did have a bit of a problem imagining that Arnold could get the Queen of England to come to the wilds of Norfolk to talk with her lady in waiting and without that much security, but I'm willing to go with it since the outcome is satifactory indeed.

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Rogue In My Arms: The Runaway Brides Review

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(More customer reviews)Rogue in my Arms is the second book in Celeste Bradley's The Runaway Brides series regarding a three-year-old Melody, who is the main concern for Sir Colin Lambert. Colin believes he may be her father after Melody was left on the front steps of his gentleman's club with only a note pinned to her chest. Her mother could possibly be his former mistress and stage actress, Chantal Marchant. Colin searches for Chantal in the hopes she is Melody's mother and his dream will finally become a reality where he will no longer be alone and part of a family.
As Colin travels all over the English countryside with Melody in tow as he searches for Chantal, he meets Prudence Filby and her younger brother Evan. Prudence used to be Chantal's seamstress and is also looking for the elusive actress because she hasn't been paid what is owed her. Because Prudence and Evan are without funds and close to being in the poorhouse, she agrees to be Melody's nanny for the length of the journey. Their travels are met with a wide arrange of surprises, including an old lover of Chantal who wants revenge for her leaving him and expects Colin and Prudence to lead him to her. So much more is in store for this quartet as Melody thinks this is an amazing adventure, a broody Evan who hates authority and Prudence and Colin barely keeping their attraction to one another in check.
Rogue in my Arms has a nice on the road romance feel to it, although at times the actions and dialogue of the characters can be a bit too silly. But, fans of easy reading and of Celeste Bradley will probably enjoy her trademark humor, outlandish villains and near slapstick comedy. Colin Lambert is a very likable hero who adores Melody and only wants the best for her. Melody is an engaging little girl who you can't help but chuckle whenever she speaks. Prudence takes some warming up to, but she tends to be the voice of reason. When Colin and she banter back and forth, those scenes are well worth the read.
The mystery regarding Melody's true parents will keep readers interested and anxious for the next book. This is one book with even more laughs than you can count and some nice love scenes to tickle any romance enthusiast's fancy.
Katiebabs
Devil In My Bed: The Runaway Brides

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My Irresistible Earl Review

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(More customer reviews)Lord Falcolnridge is a member of the Inferno Club which to the public seems like a club for debauchery and shenanigans but is actually a cover for the Order whose members are spies sworn to protect the King of England and their country from the Promethian's. When Jordan, Lord Falcolnridge is just twenty two he meets and falls in love with Mara. For Jordan this is a difficult time because he is about to be sent off on his first mission for the Order. So he leaves and never writes to Mara fearing that his letters might somehow endanger her with his enemies. He returns one year later to find Mara married to another man.
Flash forward twelve years, Jordan has just returned to London to work on a case for the Order. While at an auction Jordan and Mara run into eachother. Both experience strong feelings of anger towards the other. Jordan is still angry that she didn't wait for him and has held a torch for her for the twelve years he's been gone. While Mara has never quite gotten over Jordan and doesn't understand how he could have left and never wrote her. She is also mad at herself because she had a disasterous marriage and the only good thing that came from it is her son Thomas and her close friendship with the Prince Regent.
Eventually Jordan and Mara become lovers. Both have always carried strong feelings for the other and they just don't want to be apart anymore. The only problem with this is that Mara never fully trust Jordan because she senses that he is hiding something from him. Jordan, is hiding secrets from Mara but it's because he is in the Order. He doesn't want her harmed for knowing too much.
I really had a hard time finishing this book. There were a few times I put it down not wanting to pick it up again. The only reason I did is because I really wanted to know what was going to happen with Drake who was a secondary character. I felt that the romance in this book was overshadowed by the spying. It just seemed as if the romance was an afterthought. I never really felt Jordan and Mara connect. We the readers are repeatedly told that they both love eachother but never are we shown how it came to be. As for Mara, I never really grew to like her. She just seemed so selfish and everything was about her. I never really felt her love for Jordan. I had such high hopes for this book. I am a sucker for second chance loves stories so when I saw that this book had one I was very eager to read it. I was very disappointed. I honestly did not even care what happened with Falconridge and Mara.


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Rules of an Engagement (Avon) Review

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(More customer reviews)Captain Bradshaw Carroway is at a crossroads in his life. He loves his current mistress, the sea, but he is also hitting the beginning stages of burn out for his current life. When a sealed order from the Royal Navy and a request from the Duke of Sommerset send him on a mission he finds the perfect cure for his restlessness-a feisty, improper lady, Zephyr Ponsley. Miss Ponsley and her famous botanist father, Sir Joseph Ponsley are in need of transportation to the South Seas to examine the flora and fauna. Given the importance of their research, and with the power of the Royal Society, the Ponsleys receive one of the best captains in the biz.
Right from the get-go Shaw and Zephyr engage in a battle of words and wits. In their initial meeting, our heroine was more than willing to throw our hero into the "stupid brute" stereotype. Not one to turn down a challenge, Shaw came up with his fair share of witty retorts to her snobbish comments. Surprising Zephyr with his quick mind and quicker lips their verbal sword play became a highlight for this book. I found myself a few times at the droll banter of these two. Once these two establish that they are a match in the intelligence department they realize they are also physically attracted to one another. Shaw, an alleged rake does a very un-rake like thing and begins to court her like a proper lady. Well, at least as much as he can on a ship.
The real scene-stealer in this book was the action. You have cannibalistic, Dahmer-type natives on the islands, spiders the size of football fields in the jungles, and "The Perfect Storm" type weather on the seas. You wonder where they found time to fit in this courtship and the romance.
Well, Enoch really didn't. Didn't fit in romance that is. The action, subplots, and dialogue (even if it was witty and made me laugh) completely trumped any relationship developement/romance in this book. Now I'm not saying you can't have a fantastic plot and dialogue in a romance novel. That's not it at all. You just have to make sure you leave enough room for a little somethin'-somethin' to bloom, or you might as well just label it historical fiction. The sneak kisses and the passionate scenes just felt forced. It didn't work for me.
The other gripe I had with this book is Shaw's invitation to the Adventurers' Club. I know, I know...It is a somewhat petty and self-indulgent gripe to put in this review. But that invitation felt forced too! It was like Enoch wanted to bring in as many "blasts from the past" as she could, so she shoved Sommerset in this book. With it being Sommerset, she of course had to bring his club into it. If you bring his club into it, you might as well throw out an invite. Right? Silly! Then on top of it there was the little disgruntled speech from Mr. Thomas Easton about the only qualification needed to join the club nowadays was surviving rough seas. That just makes me think Enoch knew that Shaw had no business being in that club, but SHE decided to be self-indulgent and do it anyway.
If you are looking for an amusing tale with some engaging action and a smooch here and there...Buy this book! If you are looking for the next Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, you might want to keep on looking. This just isn't up to par with Enoch's usual work in the romance department.
Kiss or Diss? Too busy fighting natives, but meh...Give me a quick peck!
-Sarah of RomanticallyReviewed

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For proper young ladies, good behavior has always been the rule…

Captain Bradshaw Carroway loves the seafaring life-though he'd rather be battling brigands than his current assignment of ferrying a boatload of spoiled aristocrats. One passenger, however, has caught his eye: a bewitching young minx who definitely distracts him from the rules of shipboard decorum . . .

Some rules, of course, are meant to be broken.

Miss Zephyr Ponsley has traveled the world, but she's completely innocent in the ways of love. She's never learned to dance or flirt. But scientific observation has taught her that the laws of attraction have no rules, and that no adventure, on land or sea, is more dangerous-or delicious-than passion!

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My Wicked Marquess Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me preface this by saying that after thinking it over I would actually rate this 2 stars, but amazon won't let me go back and edit my star rating.
You have no idea how excited I was for this latest book by Foley. Finally, the "Spice Trilogy" was over--which I did not enjoy much-- and we could go back to the usual high quality work I was used to from her.
Now this story started out good, but then the whole plot took a very odd turn and almost started to seem like it was going towards an angels/demons/supernatural theme. It definitely was not what I expected nor wanted. I was duped. Perhaps she's trying something new, but it just did NOT work for me. It seemed a little cliche. "The Inferno Club", "The Demon Marquess", "The Patron Saint of Newcomers"?! UGH, come on! I take it back--it wasn't a little cliche--it was about as cliche as it gets.
That wasn't even the worst of it. I would say a good 1/3 of the book was solely dedicated to setting up the next installments--which I have no interest in. Normally in romance novels the main plot is the romance and the sub-plot is the mystery/action. This novel was the exact opposite. The love story seemed to end so soon and then it just started to ramble on and on with the whole "axis of evil" plot. I could barely finish it and have to admit that towards the end I began to skim through some of it. Even in the epilogue the last 6 pages of the story isn't even about the main characters, it's a plug for the next book! It just seems so odd. Her books are never like this. What happened!? Did she even write this book? Foley was one of my absolute favorite authors. Now I don't know what to think.

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To restore family honor the Marquess of Rotherstone faces his most dangerous mission—finding the perfect bride . . .

To London's aristocracy, the Inferno Club is a scandalous society of men no proper young lady would acknowledge. But though they are publicly notorious for pursuing all manner of debauchery, in private they are warriors who would do anything to protect king and country.

The Marquess of Rotherstone has decided it's time to restore the family's good name. But as a member of the Inferno Club, he knows there is only one way to redeem himself in Society's eyes: marry a lady of impeccable beauty and breeding, whose reputation is, above all, spotless.

Someone quite unlike Daphne Starling. True, she's temptingly lovely, but a jilted suitor has nearly ruined her reputation. Still, Max cannot resist her allure—or the challenge of proving London's gossips wrong. He would do anything to win her hand . . . and show that even a wicked marquess can make a perfect husband.

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A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior Review

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(More customer reviews)It's not often that I am both entranced and repulsed by a heroine in a romance novel. Usually I either love them or hate them. Theresa (Tess) Weller is a heroine that I think might rub some readers the wrong way, but a character I both loved and wanted to smack upside the head.
Our hero, Colonel Bartholomew (Tolly) James is much more evenly appealing. The book opens with him--wounded quite badly and the sole survivor of a massacre-- hiding out in the Adventurers' Club, away from the sympathy and pity of his family. His family's persistent requests for his presence, though, force him back home where he encounters Tess Weller at a dinner party. Despite being rude and provoking a mild argument, he seems to capture the attention of Tess--someone who is never rude, always proper, and is somewhat obsessed with remaining a paragon of unexceptional behavior.The budding relationship between the two seems to confuse both of them. I found it very sweet that neither character was 'in pursuit.' There is no chase. Which seems appropriate since our heroine is very conscious of propriety and our hero is in a wheel chair or using a cane throughout most of the story. The romance is low key. No big dramatic betrayals. I found that kind of slow build refreshing.
Why did I want to slap Tess, you ask? Because she lacks backbone at a crucial moment. She can assist with a surgery and shave a man in his bedchamber, but she refuses to support Tolly when he needs it because it would harm her reputation. It sounds shallow--it is shallow--but Tess is obsessed with propriety for a reason. And she is aware of how cowardly she is being. Disgusted by it. But, for a time, she remains paralyzed by her fear of stepping outside the carefully constructed box of good behavior in which she's surrounded herself. What I found redeeming was that she wasn't really as shallow as most of society thought her to be. She was aware of her fear. Aware that she was failing a friend at a crucial moment. And ultimately, finally, shows some backbone by casting aside the rules she's governed her life by for a decade.
The mention of the Thuggee problems in India during British colonialism was something I hadn't seen a lot of in standard Avon historicals. I found it interesting that while there is some lingering PTSD issues with Col. James, the major emotional scars come from the destruction of his ability to trust. And the scenes with Tess helping him shave were more emotional than the love scenes--which, I admit, were fairly tame and not very imaginative.
Something only an Enoch fangirl would love: the brief mention of Bradshaw Carroway. I'm hoping this means that she's going to finally give us those books featuring the rest of Dare's family. (Originally seen in the Rake.)
One thing that I almost missed: the switch to 2nd edition excerpts at the chapter headings. I'm guilty of skimming most chapter headings, even amusing ones, but thankfully noticed this change and flipped back a couple of chapters to read the headings with the 2nd edition difference in my head.
Overall, I thought this was much better than the previous book featuring the Adventurers' Club, the Care and Taming of a Rogue. And while it did have some thematic echoes of London's Perfect Hero, those similarities were very superficial. Pretty much, just the wounded war vet angle and the fact that the War Office and Horse Guards seemed to be part of the conflict and interfering in a happily ever after.
The resolution of the 'threat' against Col. James seemed a bit rushed and superficial. As if an editor was a little too stingy on the page count. The necessary elements were there, but I would have liked to have the 'danger' element expanded on more just a bit. And I would have liked to see at least a portion of Tolly's editorial.
I found this book unexpectedly moving. Not quite as good as the Lessons in Love trilogy, but then few books are. And I'm still crossing my fingers that Bradshaw's reappearance means that we'll get more stories featuring the Carroways soon.

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The Rules:

A lady should always make polite conversation . . .

Theresa Weller understands the rules of decorum, and is appalled when Colonel Bartholomew James disrupts a perfectly civilized dinner. This rude, insensitive man is the complete opposite of everything a gentleman should be-but with one searing kiss, Tess can think of no one else.

A lady should never lose her temper . . .

Aggravated beyond bearing by a man who speaks his mind, Tess wishes there was a guide to men like Bartholomew. Surely, with such an assortment of handsome, polite suitors to choose from, Tess should not ache for him.

And a lady should never pursue a gentleman.

She invites him on carriage rides and dares him to dance, and almost makes him want to return to Society. Bartholomew knows Tess wants to be seen as a proper miss, but deep down, he knows she is precisely the sort to spark his desire . . . A most improper lady.

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Beyond Seduction (A Bastion Club Novel) Review

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(More customer reviews)Beyond Seduction starts hilariously with an interesting and fun hook. Very playful in the beginning, the romance does take some time to really build. Teasing us into just glimpses of the individualistic nuances of her characters, Laurens livens up a rather insipid meeting of her romantic leads. Once compatibility plays into the picture, the usual possessiveness most Lauren heros exhibit masterfully comes into play.
Gervase Tregarth, may be the fifth Earl of Crowhurst, a former spy for the British government and a force to reckon with all the matchmaking mammas in London, England, however, these skills are of no use to him when he cannot ever spend longer than a week in London before being summoned home to clean up some mess or another unknown vandals in his home town keep causing. After discovering it's not worth running back and forth, Gervase just gives up and decides to combine his Earldom duties and wife hunting into one. Looking around the community, he stumbles upon Madeline Gascoigne, someone he has known for years but never really assessed as a woman. Once he does, the idea sticks with him so much so that he becomes obsessed with determining their compatibility.
Madeline, on the other hand, quite at ease with her spinster role and guardianship of three young brothers doesn't really look upon Gervase's interst with much enthusiasm. Of course, most romance readers know how much this turns off the high and mighty Earl. Not a wit, of course. Soon the entanglements of two strong, stubborn individuals has the whole town keeping mum about their future as earl and countess. The final decision will be Madeline's to make and with her brothers' lives at stake, how can she refuse?
This book does borrow characters from the former Bastion Club books as well as hinting at the futures for Dalziel and Christian and the ever present traitor that always pops up in these books to cause trouble. In fact, it sounds like both these men will get their own books and readers are finally close to discovering the true identity of the enigmatic Dalziel. My bets on the traitor and Dalziel are relations of some sort... cousins, brothers even. Also, one of the other readers mentioned a tin mine scam. The details of this character and the result of his misdeeds are continued in the Cynster novel, "A Taste of Innocence."
A fun, romantic read, "Beyond Seduction" delivers where it should. Granted there are times when it dragged with a bit too much character development, but overall the plot, conversation, characters and humor flowed easily and entertainingly for anyone just coming into the series. However, it is a must read for those who have been following the Bastion Club series because it offers new insights and future intrigues for the upcoming books.


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A Fine Passion (A Bastion Club) Review

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(More customer reviews)Notice I said Liking it, not Loving it, hence the four stars instead of five. But don't let that deter you. It was still a good book. I really did start out almost detesting this book. I almost threw it down in disgust during the first several chapters, but ordered myself to persevere. I was very glad I did. About half-way through the book, I realized that somewhere along the way, unbeknownst to myself, I had started to like it. I laughed then, too, thinking that the author was pretty sneaky. Laurens made me almost hate both the hero and heroine at first, she being too much the uppity ice queen for my tastes, and he being seemingly much too interested in just sex. Then, somewhere along the way, they changed for the better.
By she and he I mean the heroine and hero. Clarice Altwood comes fom a very powerful family of the Ton. Despite this influence, she is disgraced by a past misdemeanor in which she refuses the marriage request of a certain unscrupulous man. Cast out , she believes, by her whole family, she retires from tonnish life to the country to live with her older cousin, James, who happens to be the only other black sheep in the family. She meets the hero, Jack , Baron Warnefleet, through distressing circumstances when he helps her rescue a familiar man from a phaeton accident on the side of the road. Though she treats Jack with icy disdain, he is instantly intrigued by her calm composure and confidence (her obvious charms don't hurt her here either) and is determined to find out more about her, and yes, to have her. It just so happens that he knows her cousin James very well, which is fortunate when James comes under suspicions of treason by a fellow collegue in the Bishop's palace. Together, Clarice and Jack set out to prove James's innocence, and in the process, discover enough about one another to build a relationship upon. It's a relationship that builds nicely, if somewhat frustratingly at times, throughout the book.
At first, I believed Clarice and Jack both to be too underdeveloped, too pigheaded and selfish most of the time to be likeable. As the story goes on though, you begin to see good reasoning behind Clarice's behavior. She has an unhappy experience with another man and is rightfully cautious of any in his social class, like Jack. Too, I felt Jack just wanted the typical one thing that a lot of romance heros only seem to want. You know what I mean. But then, at that half-way point I mentioned, I had to hand it to Stephanie Laurens; she had hooked me. I found myself "looking" back and forth at Clarice and Jack, seeing who would throw the next good verbal punch. These two went at eachother like they couldn't stand eachother at first, but eventually developed into a pair that had genuine feelings for eachother.
My two real and only gripes are about the actual scenes where you have Clarice thinking about Jack or vice versa or scenes where they are interacting, just the two of them. I hate to say that most of these scenes were terribly overwritten. There were just too many descriptive words used to describe what was only one real emotion in many cases. Where one to two good sentences would have sufficed, Laurens used whole paragrpahs sometimes. I felt like I'd never get to a point in the book where I wasn't constantly frustrated with Clarice and Jack. Thankfully though, once the secondary characters figure more into the story, it began to pick up nicely. The only other thing I didn't like was the nickname that Jack had for Clarice. Yes, I know, it's pretty picky, but I just couldn't help it. Nine times out of ten, instead of referring to her in his thoughts as Clarice, he calls her by this ridiculous nickname. It may seem unreasonable to some because he did have a reason for it, but I couldn't stand it whenever I came across it.
All in all, a pretty satisfying read in Laurens's latest series, the Bastion Club. If you haven't read the others in the series, I highly recommend you give them a try. While they didn't satisy all my wants for a great book, they were still good reads and worth the time.

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The men of the Bastion Club are powerful, loyal, and not averse to overcoming danger if they must. Now, after years of loyal service to the Crown, they each -- one by one -- must face that greatest danger of all ...love.

The last of his line, Jack, Baron Warnefleet, has fled London after nearly being compromised into marrying a dreadful female. Turning his back on the entire notion of marriage, he rides home to the estate he has not seen for years, determined to set in motion an alternative course of action.

But then in the lane before his gate, Jack rescues a startlingly beautiful lady from a menacing, unmanageable horse. However, while he begins by taking command, the lady continues by taking it back. Lady Clarice Altwood is no meek and mild miss. She is the very antithesis of the woolly-headed young ladies Jack has rejected as not for him. Clarice is delectably attractive, beyond eligible, undeniably capable, and completely unforgettable. Why on earth is she rusticating in the country?

That enigma is compounded by mystery, and it's quickly clear that Clarice is in danger. Jack must use every ounce of his cunning and wit to protect this highly independent and richly passionate woman ... who has so quickly stolen his heart.

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A Lady of His Own (Bastion Club) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although I've already read close to 200 romance novels this year (historical, medieval, erotic, contemporary, paranormal, etc.), this is the first book I've ever had the guts to write my personal opinion on...
Girlfriend (SL) is all that AND the bag of chips! I didn't think she could match the sensuality of "Devil's Bride", but she dun did it again with her seductive exchange of Charles' and Penny's pent up sexual desires for each other, which spans 13 years of abstinence for Penny and maturing into manhood for Charles. Although neither will openly admit loving the other, their individual exploration of each other's passions, expresses their love not just physically, but blissfully includes their hearts and souls. Something the two were too inexperienced to understand 13 years earlier when Penny surrendered her heart and virginity to Charles. Now a grown woman, spinster at 29, and him a bachelor, Earl in need of a wife at 33, Penny offers Charles another personal "invitation"; one in which she never extended to any other man since her first and only time with him. By continuously intensifying each kiss and embrace, they are awakened to each other's sensual growth and ripened maturity that only the nurturing of time and experience could hone; they welcome their differences as man and woman vs the experimenting adolescents of their past relationship. Their new relationship gradually develops, which now transcends the physical plane and drives deeper into their hearts. Penny and Charles are satisfyingly surprised by one another when they recognize their coupling isn't quite the same as they remembered that afternoon they tumbled in the barn when they were youths of 16 and 20 years old.
Charles slowly builds his plan of seducing Penny into surrendering her heart to him and becoming his wife. She relinquishes her stubborn attitude of `I am in control and call all the shots of my life' and little by little allows him to be the man in her life; friend, lover and protector. Her fervent moments of passion burst out as he guides her to "heaven" again and again by candle light and moon light; saturate his personal pleasure along slide ensuring hers. SL articulates very well their maturity, as well as the soul satisfying giving and taking of pleasure betwixt the found again lovers. SL had me in Penny's spell when Charles whispered a moan, succumbing to Penny's ravenous hungry eyes and seeking hands, "Whatever you wish, however you wish. I'm yours. Take me." Ohmigod...
The `who done it' murder mystery plot of the story will keep your mind contriving trying to out wit the author between the love scenes. Charles and Penny constantly share their ideas and are basically honest with each in their joint efforts to clear her family name and find a brutal murderer and spy. Therefore, leaving little room for blatant deceptions (lies), allows them to `go hand and glove' in impromptu situations they face during their investigations.
This is definitely a "deep read" - more than the surface of words in a book...mysteries of the heart's desires and yearning for the other half of its soul mate to "complete" the longing to be loved as no other can possibly do. -Nadine "Madame Jazze"


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The seven members of the Bastion Club have served loyally in the perilous service of the Crown. Now they've banded together to support one another through their most dangerous mission of all: getting married.

When Charles St. Austell returns home to claim his title as earl, and to settle quickly on a suitable wife as well, he discovers that experience has made him impatient of the young ladies who vie for his attention—with the exception of Lady Penelope Selborne. Years ago, Charles and Penelope's youthful ardor was consummated in an unforgettable afternoon. Charles is still haunted by their interlude, but Penny refuses to have anything more to do with him.

If controlling her heart was difficult before, resisting a stronger, battle-hardened Charles is well nigh impossible, yet Penelope has vowed she won't make the same mistake twice, nor will she marry without love. But when a traitorous intrigue draws them together, then ultimately threatens them both—will Penny discover she has a true protector in Charles, her first and only love, who now vows to make her his own?

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To Distraction (Bastion Club) Review

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(More customer reviews)I read all of Stephanie Laurens books, and will definitely read the next, but she has done better work and I really hope the next one is better. If I were to catagorize this volume, it would be a bodice ripper. Her hero is "male", "primitive", even "dangerous". To the point that I started counting the number of times she used the words. Eventually even that got old and I would just turn the page to get on with the story. Her heroine is "intelligent", "capable" and "independent", yet justifiably afraid of this dark large Alpha male :shiver:. Yeah right!
I agree with the other reviewers who felt that the book was 100 pages too long, most of it used for the tripe above. It almost felt like she was stretching it.
However, it does wind up nicely with two interesting little cliff hangers at the end. But at least the one about Dalziel seems to be tossed in as if she just remembered it. Apparently we will see the real villian of this place somewhere else as it seems she still has work for him.
If you have read her other novels, including Captain Jack's Woman, then this is one for you. But if you are just starting, I'd start elsewhere.

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The gentlemen of the Bastion Club have proven their courage while fighting England's enemies, but nothing has prepared them for dealing with that most formidable of challenges: the opposite sex.

Deverell, Viscount Paignton, is in desperate need of a wife. Unmoved by the matchmaking "herd,” he seeks help from his aunt, who directs him to a lady she vows is perfect for him. Dispatched to a country house party to look the lady over, he discovers her not swanning about among the guests but with her nose buried in a book in the library.

Phoebe Malleson is tempted to distraction by Deverell, but marrying him isn't part of her plan. Moved by an incident in her past, Phoebe has a secret cause to which she's committed. Unfortunately, telling Deverell to go away doesn't work, and he quickly learns of her secret. But someone powerful has her cause targeted for destruction—and her in their sights. Phoebe must accept Deverell's help…though the cost to them both might be dear—and deadly.

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Mastered By Love (Bastion Club) Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally, after so many wonderful stories we come to Dalziel. And that may be the source of some of my difficulty with the finale. Expectations that are raised way too high to be met. I like Dalziel so much that of course I expect much of his story. Fortunately I was very satisfied with his lady. Minerva Chesterton was raised by his parents from the age of six and for the last eleven years she has served as Wolverstone's chatelaine. But she has been fascinated and infatuated with Royce nearly all her life. As a little girl she followed him all over the estate and even got a bit of early sex education when she was eight by spying on him with the blacksmith's daughter. She loves every inch of Wolverstone and its people. Since Dalziel has been banished for 16 years she knows more about the running of Wolverstone than he does. She has also made deathbed promises to his parents to bring him up to speed and see him settled as Duke. There could be no better duchess for Wolverstone than Minerva.
My problem was with the plot. Dalziel is told that he must marry immediately because Prinny is so short of money that he is tempted to kill Dalziel so he can take back all his estates and his money. This is the thanks he gets after serving for so many years! I thought this was the most ignorant plot device I have ever read bar none. How can Prinny possibly pull this off since the whole ton knows about it? Nevertheless all the grand dames tramp out to Wolverstone to demand he marry immediately. They actually make up a list of women and tell him to pick one right this minute. This is Dalziel we are talking about. I expected him to raise one eyebrow and give them the Ducal glare. Let's not forget that Dalziel has not socialized in 16 years so doesn't really know any of the current crop of women. He was just expected to choose a woman and announce her name without asking her how she felt about it either. The grand dames were so adamant about it that they actually sat on their suit cases and threatened not to leave Wolverstone until he obeyed them.
Every time these woman made a new demand I was just outraged. Completely outraged. Dalziel would NEVER stand for such a thing. But Ms. Laurens has him meekly agree to let them know the name within one week. I really hate it when an author has a character act completely out of character. Not only was the plot device too stupid for words but Dalziel would never have tolerated being given an ultimatum from anyone, much less a pack of meddlesome women. This almost ruined the story for me. Dalziel had to rush his romancing of Minerva because these women kept sending messages about what they were going to do next if he didn't comply. And he never makes a peep about how dare they, or what right did they have, or who did they think they were or anything else. Is this the Dalziel we know?
I just had to close my mind to all that and concentrate on the developing love story. That was reasonably satisfying, more or less the typical Laurens. There were no surprises. You know the man is going to be surprised to find himself falling in love and the woman is going to refuse to marry just because he took her virginity. Many times I was reminded of Devil's story, probably one of my favorite Laurens novels, second only to his father's story. Just because I don't think the author was completely true to the character we know as Dalziel doesn't mean the book isn't worth reading. This is just my personal opinion and shouldn't keep anyone else from enjoying the latest offering from Stephanie Laurens. (Unless you're as outraged as I was, then all bets are off.)
Several reviews have also mentioned disappointment with the way the last traitor was handled. I felt the same way but this didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story the way the above mentioned ultimatum did. Actually the resolution of the traitor was kind of thrown in at the last minute. The identity of the traitor is revealed to us early in the story. He seems so weak and ineffective that you will find it hard to believe he has evaded the great Dalziel and the Bastion Club members for so many years. The last traitor also leads me to my last complaints about the book. These are spoilers so don't read the next paragraph if you want to be surprised.
The end of the book feels very rushed. Minerva ends up actually saving Dalziel's life yet he never mentions it or even thanks her. Also thrown in at the end--Dalziel has guessed that their lovemaking has had the predictable result but Minerva never tells him the happy news nor is that discussed between them. These are conversations I would have liked to hear. With so many complaints you may wonder why I still give it four stars. It IS a good book and I doubt Laurens many fans will be disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high and others will not have any problems with the plot devices. I didn't think her rating should suffer just because I believed Dalziel would have acted differently than she did. Too bad we can't ask Dalziel! It is a testament to Ms. Laurens skill that her characters come so alive for us and that we grow so attached to them as to argue about how they would behave.

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The men of the Bastion Club proved their bravery secretly fighting for their country. Now their leader faces that most dangerous mission of all: finding a bride.

As the mysterious leader of the Bastion Club known as "Dalziel," Royce Varisey, tenth Duke of Wolverstone, served his country for decades, facing dangers untold. But as the holder of one of England's most august noble titles, he must now take on that gravest duty of all: marriage.

Yet the young ladies the grand dames would have him consider are predictably boring. Far more tempting is his castle's willful and determinedly aloof chatelaine, Minerva Chesterton. Beneath her serene faÇade lies a woman of smoldering sensuality, one who will fill his days with comfort and his nights with sheer pleasure. Determined to claim her, he embarks on a seduction to prove his mastery over every inch of her body . . . and every piece of her heart.

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The Edge of Desire (Bastion Club) Review

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(More customer reviews)What starts off as a rather slow book developed into something that was interesting and enjoyable, if flawed in places. Lady Leticia Randall's husband is murdered and her brother Justin is the only suspect - he was at the house that evening and has fled the scene, leaving behind bloodstained clothing at his rooms. Yet Leticia knows Justin wouldn't have killed Randall and so she goes for help to one man she can trust, her former lover, Christian Allardyce, the 6th Marquess of Deane.
Christian and Leticia's history is complicated. Everyone thought they would marry but twelve years before Christian went off to serve King and country and whilst he was away Leticia married Randall. They've barely seen each other since but Christian immediately comes to Leticia's aid.
As they begin to search for clues to the murder they discover that Leticia really didn't know a great deal about her husband. As his private affairs are slowly unpicked Leticia and Christian find that he is a man of many secrets and that it will take more expertise than they have to get to the bottom of them. At the same time as the search for the truth of Randall's murderer, Christian has to try to convince Leticia to trust him and to come to see that her place is by his side. But if they get too close to the truth of the murderer, might they not be risking their own safety?
This was a surprisingly long book and it moved quite slowly. The interest built step by step as the layers in the plot were brought to light. After the first few chapters the book settled into a rather uneasy format where we followed Christian and Leticia's murder investigation during the day and then spectated on their bedsport at night, then on to the next day. As the book made progress we spent more time on the investigation and less on the romance and this was rather an improvement. As far as the romance side went, it was understated in some ways as it was a rekindling of love between people who had been incredibly close in their past. The characterisation of both Christian and Leticia was sparse at times - Leticia has a temper, we learn, and Christian is very controlled and calm, but this reader never felt like she really got to know them.
Although I did enjoy this book I was rather dubious about some of the behaviour of the main characters in that historical context. The lead couple spending pretty much every night in bed in each others' houses, with Lady Randall a widow of just a few days and still theoretically in deep mourning, felt rather too unlikely. Where were all the servants in a Marquess's house who would normally have noticed this kind of thing. It appeared necessary for Laurens' romance side of the plot but it all felt a bit too modern for the Regency period.
Despite this the rest of the book was a good read and I didn't guess the murderer until the end when they were revealed. Although part of a series this book worked well on its own and set up the reader for the next and last in the series, featuring Royce Dalziel.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

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