historical romance

Combo review post…and yet, not

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OK, I have such a slacker in my postings. I would like to blame it one my fellow book lovers/enablers. And perhaps a bit of my OCD is leaking out. But these “friends” of mine tell me about series and then I get sucked in, and have to read every book in the series. I can’t seem to stop and post about any of them. I literally go from one book to the next, without even a breather. My poor family misses me.

Over the past month, I’ve been sucked into three separate series. All very good. All very addicting.

The first was the Kowalski series, by Shannon Stacey.
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Those were freaking hilarious!!! I mean it’s all this crazy loving family who do activities “of doom” and are super crazy, while doing them. They have just the right amount of sauce for me and I even shed a few tears. Perfect.

The next was The Outlander series.
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I’ve only read the first three books, so far. I started it on January 1, and I’m totally addicted now. I’m one of those crazy Heughligans!! I even have the shirt!! 🙂 I loved the story so much I even made a pin and keychain for it. Reading these make me wish I could walk through stones and meet Jamie Fraser. Although I;d miss my family dearly, IT’S JAMIE FRASER!!!! Sorry, spouse. 😉 Seriously, if you haven’t read at least the first one, you should give it a whirl. But fair warning, toward the end, you may die just a smidgen. But it’s a series, so you know it will get better, even though it doesn’t look like it. As for Dragonfly in Amber, I wanted to quite. I was getting so confused. But I held on and then lost my mind at the ending. Seriously, sobbed my frickin’ eyes out. Which made me go straight to book #3, Voyager. Now I was happy with the way this one ended and decided to take a break for a bit. Did I mention that they are 800+, 900+, and 1000+ pages each?? You can see why I needed the break.

I needed a mental vacation and decided to try out the Rock Chick books.

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Let me tell you, Kristen Ashley is an awesome author. She can make me cry, swoon, make me laugh and of course make me need to cool off a bit. 😉 I absolutely adored all these characters. I love seeing hot guys fall hard for their women. And these slammed. The chicks got into trouble all the time and the men just rolled with it. They’d do anything for them, including some not so legal things. Every book featured a new chick with new problems. Some were very hard to read about, but the guys always got revenge. So it all works out.

So now that I’ve got these out of my system, I hope to be on the straight and narrow now. NUTS!!! I just remembered the last Cat and Bones book release Tuesday!! So that means I have to do a reread of that whole series!! I am never getting back to normal. See ya on the flipside.

~Melpomene

Buy Exclusively Yours (The Kowalskis)

Buy Outlander: with Bonus Content

Buy Rock Chick

Review: The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan

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13489925 Something great over the Holidays I discovered was a lot of random giveaways from authors! So, I won this book directly from Courtney Milan herself via Twitter. I’ve been reading romance book a ton over the last year or so and just kind of assumed I had read this author. I’ve definitely heard of her and seen her beautiful book covers. So I was kind of stunned when I checked and realized I had not read a single Milan book! I triple checked and realized this series of books (The Brother Sinister) could be read as stand alones and not in order as the characters all know each other but are not super intertwined. So I dove right in.

I absolutely loved these characters. They felt incredibly real to me. Sebastian Malheur has a reputation of a rake and a womanizer of sorts. His brother is ill and he is unsure at leaving his son with Sebastian if he should pass, the excuse he gives originally being that Sebastian would be too busy to spend time with the boy. In response to this tender hearted Sebastian immediately chooses to stop a charade he’s been living so he can be at his brothers disposal. He soon learns that he still is not up to par for his brother and this crushes him.

Sebastian is a scientist who scandalizes society with his theories on genetics. He gives speeches and presentations which draw huge crowds and wild criticism. Generally, none of this bothers him as long as Violet Waterfield is accompanying him. But they share a secret he feels he can no longer keep – none of his scientific discoveries are actually his, they are all hers. Violet is horrified to learn he will no longer keep her secret. She doesn’t think her mother or sister will support her or her scientific ways since it is not proper for a lady. She doesn’t have to worry about her husband as she is a widow.

Meanwhile Violet is struggling with being exposed as the one behind Sebastian’s scientific discoveries. She is trying to understand if her family will stick by and support her. She has always felt lacking in every way except science and when she comes to realize that Sebastian wants more from her she doesn’t know if she can handle it.

I love Violet, her exacting ways and watching her trying to figure out emotions. Sebastian was the kind of hero that I adore – completely flawed, with real problems, but very patient and in love with the heroine. The two maneuver their individual family problems on their own and together and both was heart breaking and touching. The romance and courtship of these two was ridiculously pleasing and sweet yet didn’t lack passion.

This set me off on an immediate Courtney Milan read. I am now caught up on this whole series, including novellas and have started on her other back list books. So far what I can tell is that The Brothers Sinister books are truly great. The characters are all quirky and have interesting things about them and the books all seem unique to me. I completely loved this book the most though!

5 stars

~Clio

Buy it Now The Countess Conspiracy (The Brothers Sinister, Book 3)

Review: Edenbrooke, by Julianne Donaldson

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Normally, I don’t read historical romances. But a certain Muse told me about Ms. Donaldson and said that I must read her. Boy, am I glad I glad I listened to her. This is the second book I’ve read of hers and I am in love with her writing. This book was so full of sweet romance that my eyes were prickling the whole entire time. I fell in love all over again. I feel like twirling with my eyes closed.

Marianne has been away from home for 14 months. She wants nothing more than to be reunited with her twin, Cecily, and her father. But instead, she must endure constant affections from an unwanted suitor in a city that is the complete opposite of where her home is.

She has been invited to spend some time in Edenbrooke with her sister and some family friends. And after a horrible incident with a highway man and then being subjected to a very flirtatious boy, she wonders what else will happen on her visit.

The longer she stays at Edenbrooke, the more her heart strings get pulled. She starts to feel things for Phillip, the heir to Edenbrooke, but she knows that her sister wants him, so she tries to remain only friends.

Phillip was the perfect gentleman. He was sweet and adventurous and enjoyed making Marianne blush every chance he could. But he always seemed to be there when she needed him.

My heart broke for Marianne, while she examined herself and found it lacking. She always put herself in her sister’s shadow and never realized that she was perfect, not inferior. She tries to convince herself that someone will love her, even if it’s for her inheritance.

Little does she know that love is right in front of her.

“Where is your compassion when I need it the most? Open your eyes, love, and see what is right before you: that I am not merely a friend, but a man deeply, desperately, in love with you.”

*swoon*

Seriously swooning happened. Phillip did everything a gentleman would do. He was perfect.

“I will always want her…Always! There is nothing you could do to change that.”

~Melpomene

Buy it now Edenbrooke: A Proper Romance