Book: Susanna Carr - Her Shameful Secret

Rating: 7/10

This one was surprisingly interesting. Although the secret was spilled quite early, I am not too disappointed because it was an interesting twist in the relationship between the two main characters. They not only have a child on the way, but the child isn't even the main guy's! In fact, it is his brother's child! So how is the author or the romantic hero supposed to overcome this shock and forgive the heroine? Well, love conquers all doesn't it? The story had just enough conflict between the characters to keep the story interesting, but not too twisted or long.

Book: Sara Craven - Wife in the Shadows

Rating: 5/10

Not much to say besides the fact that it was an ok read. I have found that most of these Harlequin stories to only be decent reads. They seem to be missing something. It is either the fight/struggle to realizing the attraction or it is the element of surprise. It is kind of disappointing since many of them have such promising summaries. *sigh*

Book: Anna J. Evans - Devil Take Me

Rating: 5/10

Another interesting summary, but only a decent read. Also another post without much to write about. How disappointing.

Book: Alexandra Hawkins - All Afternoon with a Scandalous Marquess

Rating: 8/10

I rated this a 10/10 at first, but then I had to subtract some points because the plot was a bit jumpy which was a shame since there were so many amusing parts I liked about the story.

Favorite Parts:


Anna came up from behind and embraced her. “Though I’ll admit Sainthill is rather pretty to look at.”
Catherine softly snorted at the understatement. “His body is quite admirable, too. You never know until a man disrobes if one should thank God or the man’s expensive tailor.”


Isabel slipped her arm around him and encouraged Vane to sit. “Were you fighting?” she asked, casting wary glances at Reign and Frost.
“If we were fighting, we would have taken it out of the house,” Frost said, rolling his eyes in disgust as Vane leaned against his wife and savored her tender inspection of his feigned injuries. “Past incidents have proven that you ladies are awfully protective of your furniture.”


“A servant arrived with a note from Hunter. He sends his apologies for being unable to join us. Something required his immediate attention,” Sin explained as he toyed with the pearl necklace his wife wore.
“If Hunter has any sense, that something is blond and naked in his bed,” Frost quipped.
Regan rolled her eyes at her brother. “Must you always be so vulgar?”
Without any hesitation, Frost replied, “Why shouldn’t I when I excel at it?”


Hunter’s left hand tightened on the balustrade as he tossed his head back and laughed. “And I should listen to the sage advice of a man who has never kept a mistress longer than four months?”
“Three months.”
“Three, then.” Anger glittered in Hunter’s eyes as he struggled to mask it with humor. “And your father … tell me again: What sport was he engaging in when he collapsed and died?”
Saint’s lips thinned at his friend’s cruel reminder. “Women. He was bedding his current mistress when his heart failed him.” Saint had been six years old when it happened. His mother had weathered the scandal with her head held high, though privately she was thoroughly humiliated. “Why do you ask? If you are planning to be unfaithful to your wife, you might want to let your physician examine you first to see if your heart is sound.”
“My heart is fine, Saint.” Hunter emptied his glass and set it on the table. He turned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
The duke absently shrugged. “Since we have missed the little gathering at Dare’s, it would be a pity not to sample the delights of the Golden Pearl. I’ll let you know if my heart gives me any trouble.”
The duke patted his heart and smirked.
“Arse,” Saint muttered under his breath.


“If this is subtlety, Lord Sainthill, I find your execution somewhat lacking.”
Saint started, caught unawares by the blonde’s approach. He recovered quickly by saying, “Spying, Anna? I thought you preferred to participate?”


The lie will suffice. The truth will only lead to trouble.


“I trust this will suffice for your silence.”
Mr. Royles tugged on the opening and pulled out a coin. He held it up to the lantern and grinned, exposing a missing eyetooth. “Aye, this will do, poppet. For a time, that is.”
“For your sake, make it a long while, Mr. Royles. If you ruin my business, there will be no point in paying you to keep my secrets.”
“Have you forgotten who is in charge?”
“Not in the slightest.” The corners of her mouth curled into an unpleasant smile as she revealed the pocket pistol she had been concealing. Ignoring his curse, she aimed it directly at his black heart. “I am willing to be generous because I have unfinished business in London and I am not prepared to leave as of yet. However, mark my words, Mr. Royles. There will come a day when your silence will no longer be necessary.”
“You wouldn’t pull that trigger on an unarmed man.”
“You would be amazed what I would be willing to do to protect myself,” she said, her finger tightening on the trigger. “Don’t try my patience. Such a miscalculation regarding my daring or affection for you would be quite fatal.”

Book: Kresley Cole - Shadow's Claim

Rating: 10/10

A fun, exciting, and steamy read. Definitely one of my favorites. I think I am going to seek out more of this author's writings and see if she can keep my interest.

Favorite Parts:


Resisting Morgana was impossible—and for others, deadly.
Raum had once asked Bettina, “How can you even tell your godmother loves you?”
“One, because Morgana keeps visiting me in a realm she hates. Two, because I keep surviving the visits...”


"...my style is to under-promise and over-deliver..." - Morgana


“Shut it, Leo.” She’d nicknamed him that, an acronym for his name. He was one of the most feared fiends in all the Lore—and yet she ribbed him with ease.
Lothaire, in turn, loved it.
They were about to kiss when Trehan cleared his throat.
“Ah, Cousin Trehan.” Though Lothaire’s red eyes were uncanny, today he looked rational—and very cunning.
“I’ll let you two boys chat.” Elizabeth extricated herself from his arms, earning a growl of displeasure. “And once you’re done, Leo, come on up and see me.” She winked and began sauntering toward the exit; like a male possessed, Lothaire rose to follow her.
Then, making a visible effort to restrain himself, he sat once more. “I know what you’re thinking, Cousin. Lothaire keeps a tight rein on her,” he said, looking immensely pleased with himself. “Indeed I do.”
From the anteroom: “Oh, please! I’ve got you locked down tighter than a gopher’s ass in flood season. And we both know it!”
Lothaire gazed with utter longing in Elizabeth’s direction before turning to Trehan. “She’ll pay for that comment later.”
“Brang it, Leo.”

Book: Fenella J. Miller - The Duke's Reform

Rating: 5/10

The synopsis held such promise, but I felt it was a so-so read. There wasn't anything noteworthy and I didn't have anything interesting to add so no "Favorite Part" section.

Book: Anne Mallory - Seven Secrets of Seduction

10/10

Favorite Parts:


“There is still our challenge.”
“Did you seduce your governess before she finished your lessons on mathematics?” She plopped a stack of books onto a shelf. “The week has long since passed. And you won.”
“Not in my heart, I didn?t.” Not in the seeds of his demise.
“If I believed in its existence, perhaps I could concur.”
“Oh, it is there. Shriveled and bound. Just waiting for you to set it free.”
“You are an unrepentant tease, your lordship.”
“As I said previously, a tease doesn?t follow through.” He stretched a finger along a strip of softly bound leather.
“An emotional tease. You are physically quite happy to follow through, but you make far too many empty promises concerning your feelings.”



“Do you hate yourself?”
“No.” She looked from the window to him again. There was a strange calmness to her gaze. “Do you?”
“Hard to hate perfection.”