Review: Lady Whistledown Strikes Back by Julia Quinn

Synopsis: Like the first, this is another collection of four stories framed by the musings of Lady Whistledown (first introduced in The Duke and I). These take place surrounding a Dinner with a Theft and a Festival at Palace.

Review: Again, this was marvelous! I loved that characters in one story often popped into another stories. I loved the unique touch each author gave on their story, but maintaining the over all feel - light, romantic and witty. I highly recommend. Oh, and I would read ALL of the Bridgerton Series before this - those characters make appearances also and if you know who Lady Whistledown is, it makes it even more fun!

Prude Note: Each story has varying levels of sex scenes - from graphic to none at all. Most can be skipped if you wish, without impeding the story.

Bookmarks: 8 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished: 8-3-2012
Pages: 387

Review: The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown ed. by Julia Quinn

Synopsis: Framed by the musings of Lady Whistledown (first introduced in The Duke and I), this is a collection of four stories set in the same time frame, all settling around a skating party and a Valentine's Day Ball.

Review: This was marvelous! I loved that characters in one story often popped into another stories. I loved the unique touch each author gave on their story, but maintaining the over all feel - light, romantic and witty. I highly recommend. Oh, and I would read ALL of the Bridgerton Series before this - those characters make appearances also and if you know who Lady Whistledown is, it makes it even more fun!

Prude Note: Each story has varying levels of sex scenes - from graphic to none at all. Most can be skipped if you wish, without impeding the story.

Bookmarks: 8 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished: 8-1-2012
Pages: 391

Review: The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton

Synopsis: Marked by tragedy, traumatized at the age of eight, Michael, now eighteen, is no ordinary young man. Besides not uttering a single word in ten years, he discovers the one thing he can somehow do better than anyone else. Whether it's a locked door without a key, a padlock with no combination, or even an eight-hundred pound safe ... he can open them all. It's an unforgivable talent. A talent that will make young Michael a hot commodity with the wrong people and, whether he likes it or not, push him ever close to a life of crime. Until he finally sees his chance to escape, and with one desperate gamble risks everything to come back home to the only person he ever loved, and to unlock the secret that has kept him silent for so long. (from the back of the book)

Review: I heard Hamilton speak at a writer's conference. He signed my book. And I am so glad I picked it up. This is a marvelous story. The characters have depth, roundness and flaws. The plot, jumping between two time frames, keep the mystery and made me stay up late to finish it. The puzzle-plot reminds me of Agatha Christie. I highly recommend - even if you aren't a mystry fan.

Bookmarks: 8 of 10

Awards: 2011 Edgar Award for Best Novel

Date Finished: 7-31-2012
Pages: 314

Review: The Maid-at-Arms by Robert W. Chambers

Synopsis: George Ormond leaves his plantation in Florida and travels to his distant relatives in the North. There, he finds them facing the Colonies rebellion against the Crown and the possible massacre by the Native Tribes. He also find his true love, only to hear she is engaged to another. Ormond joins with others to face the Tribes and find his place in war.

Review: Written and published in 1902, this is a wonderful fictional account of a small bite of a the Revoultionary War. Sweet romance, elegant prose, daring action and mystery make this an excellent novel. If you enjoy older books, I highly recommend.

Bookmarks: 7 of 10

Awards: None

Date Finished: 7-25-2012
Pages: 342

Review: Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas

Synopsis: Their marriage lasted only slightly longer than the honeymoon—to no one’s surprise, not even Bryony Asquith’s. A man as talented, handsome, and sought after by society as Leo Marsden couldn't possibly want to spend his entire life with a woman who rebelled against propriety by becoming a doctor. Why, then, three years after their annulment and half a world away, does he track her down at her clinic in the remotest corner of India? Leo has no reason to think Bryony could ever forgive him for the way he treated her, but he won’t rest until he’s delivered an urgent message from her sister—and fulfilled his duty by escorting her safely back to England. But as they risk their lives for each other on the journey home, will the biggest danger be the treacherous war around them—or their rekindling passion? (from the back of the book)

Review: This story intrigued me, and I was not disappointed. The characters are well-rounded, flawed and have a real feel. The plot is good, and I enjoyed the use of real histroical events as a backdrop. My qualm with the novel was the frequent use of sex as interactions between the hero and heroine. It caught me off guard, and felt gratuitous. However, aside from that, the story has a marvelous, sigh-worthy ending, one I enjoyed more then most books.

Prude Note: The sex scenes are early, frequent and sometimes graphic. Despite the good story, this may not be the book for you if you wish to avoid extensive sex scenes.

Bookmarks: 6 of 10

Awards: 2010 Rita Award for Best Historical Romance

Date Finished: 7-22-2012
Pages: 340

Review: Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Synopsis: Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life. But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible (from the back of the book)

Review: As the second in Milan's Turner Series, I would have read this one on the strength of the first alone. However, the premise intrigued me and I was interested to see how she handled it. I was not disappointed. Milan did a superb job of making Mark chaste without being a prude. I would highly recommend this book as a satisfying read, unusual in a good way.

Prude Notes: The first two sex scenes are masturbation, although there is not actual body parts described. Those, along with the two regular sex scenes, are easy to avoid. However, given that the whole story hinged on the hero being a virgin, you might not want to avoid some of them.
Bookmarks: 7 of 10
Awards: None

Date Finished: 7-20-2012
Pages: 422

Review: Unveiled by Courtney Milan

Synopsis: Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family—and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance….
Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy—the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion (from the back of the book)
Review: This is my first Milan novel and I rather enjoyed it. Her characters are well-rounded, intriguing, flawed and witty. I enjoyed the plot, although occasionally it was a bit flippy-floppy for my task. In the end, this is a satisfing novel, one I would recommend.

Prude Notes: The sex scenes are ordinary and avoidable, and not important to the story.
Bookmarks: 7 of 10
Awards: None
Date Finished: 7-19-2012
Pages: 378

Review: How to Marry a Marquis by Julia Quinn

Synopsis: When James Sidwell, Marquis of Riverdale, offered to help Elizabeth Hotchkiss find herself a husband, he never dreamed that the only candidate he could propose would be himself. (from the amazon description)
Review: As with all Quinn books, this one is delightful. Full of wit, humor, romance and love, the story follows a young girl torn between her heart and her family. The secondary characters are marvelous, as always and I enjoyed seeing the hero and heroine from To Catch a Heiress appear. I highly recommned as a light, summer read.

Prude Notes: The sex is sweet and ordinary, and easy to avoid if you wish too. The story won't be affected.

Bookmarks: 7 of 10
Awards: None
Date Finished: 7-16-2012
Pages: 375