Diane Whiteside does it… in an alternate universe of Regency magic where two lovers are threatened by a vicious mage and swept up in a turbulent war off the Cornish cliffs.
I really enjoyed this novella. The historical / regency setting is one that is seriously familiar to me at the moment (I seem to be diving into a lot of regency romances at the moment). But it had that great added twist of magic throughout. Something to provide a bit of a different spin on things that I haven’t quite seen yet. And definitely an enjoyable system / storyline.
There seems to have been a few books on my shelves lately that have featured a mysterious man being washed, naked onto the shore. Alright, the lead male in this isn’t actually naked (that I remember). But there is still that sense of the ocean brining true love to someone’s unwitting door. It gave the whole story a sense of joy and mystery that swept me away (like the pun there?). The windswept Cornish coast just added to that fantastic feeling throughout.
All in all, this was a seriously fun and enjoyable story. I have read one or two novellas (or were they short stories) by Diane Whiteside and always find them to be good fun. I’m glad that this story was not different. Definitely one that I would read again.
Title: Just Like Heaven Author: Julia Quinn Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Regency romance Dates read: 10th May 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Avon Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: “What did I say?”
HONORIA SMYTHE-SMITH IS: A) a really bad violinist B) still miffed at being nicknamed “Bug” as a child C) NOT in love with her older brother’s best friend D) all of the above
MARCUS HOLROYD IS: A) the Earl of Chatteris B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles C) NOT in love with his best friend’s young sister D) all of the above
TOGETHER THEY: A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake B) survive a deadly fever AND the world’s worst musical performance C) fall quite desperately in love
It’s Julia Quinn at her best, so you KNOW the answer is… D) all of the above
As always, I loved this book. There is just something fantabulous about Julia Quinn that draws me in each and every time. The stories may be beautifully simple, but they’re also seriously enjoyable. And this one is definitely no exception. The fact that it is the first of the stories about the Smythe-Smiths whom are frequently mentioned throughout the Bridgertons series… well, that just made it that much better.
I love how intricately Julia Quinn is able to weave her different series. Although they can all stand on their own, they are also interconnected. In the case of this, you have the Mad Baron story (which was authored by another beloved character) and a great conversation or two with some of the Bridgerton boys. That, and Lady Danbury makes another appearance (she’s my favourite) as does the infamous Smythe-Smith Music night.
Honoria is a great lead. She is witty and strong, but not necessarily going against the grain to be strong. She also is completely unhesitant to do the right thing for Marcus, even if she may be putting her own reputation at risk. I do love the scene with the mole hole the most though… it was both hilarious and adorable.
Marcus is the perfect quiet male lead. He just kind of plods along and then, when he realises that he’s in love, goes with it. There is none of the angst and painful denials in this story that seem to be in a lot of romances. And I entirely put that down to Marcus not being a numpty. That, and Honoria also just has faith in him and doesn’t get all bogged down in her own mind.
All in all, this was a great way to spend an evening / day and just… drift in the happiness that Julia Quinn is always able to inspire. Seriously fun and most definitely another one to add to the “favourites” shelf.
Title: First Comes Scandal Author: Julia Quinn Series: Rokesbys #4 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Regency romance Dates read: 25th – 26th April 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Avon Year: 2020 5th sentence, 74th page: “Certainly unethical.”
She was given two choices… Georgiana Bridgerton isn’t against the idea of marriage. She just thought she’d have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she’s abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her days as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.
Enter Option #3 As the fourth son of an eral, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to hart his own course. He has established himself in Edinburgh, where he’s close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time – or interest – to find a wife. But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton – his literal girl-next-door – is facing ruin, he knows what he must do.
A Marriage of Convenience It might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she’d say II no. II Georgie doesn’t want to be anyone’s sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends… or could they?
But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship, they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme. First come scandal, then comes marriage. But after that comes love…
As the final story in the Rokesbys series, I was kind of expecting a little more drama in this story… I was completely floored by the fact that there was pretty much no drama whatsoever in this story. As in. None. At all. Actually, it was one of the most pleasant, happy and drama free stories I’ve read in a long time. And even though it wasn’t fast-paced and there wasn’t much drama… I still couldn’t put this down and forget about it. It was just that amazing!
Nicholas and Georgie work so beautifully together. I love that of the four Rokesby stories, three ended up with Bridgertons. This is also the only one that mentions Violet Bridgerton, along with the three eldest boys from the Bridgerton series – Anthony, Benedict and Colin. It finally made this actually feel like the prequel series that it supposedly is and tied everything in perfectly. I love that there is this constant sense of interconnectedness throughout the series that makes you urgently reaching for the next book.
This was a seriously quick friends to lovers moment. I was expecting a little more resistance to the idea, but I kind of like how quickly Nicholas and Georgie fell for one another. It made me smile frequently and happily throughout. Definitely the kind of quick falling in love that I prefer – one that is built on years of friendship and camaraderie. It also meant that those frequent moments in which Georgie is being independent and pig-headed are totally expected by Nicholas, and kind of endearingly loved.
As with many of Quinn’s books, I loved the epilogue at the end. I love how Georgie’s interest was nurtured by Nicholas and helped them grow into the perfect pair. I kind of want to see them in more Quinn books in the future… they’re just so simply glorious together.
Title: Marry in Scandal Author: Anne Gracie Series: Marriage of Convenience #2 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Regency romance Dates read: 18th – 24th April 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Berkley Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: “No, of course not.”
Shy, young heiress Lady Lily Rutherford dreams of true love and a romantic courtship. But when disaster strikes, she finds herself facing a scandal-forced marriage to her rescuer, Edward Galbraith, a well-known rake. In the gamble of her life, she agrees to marry him, hoping to turn a convenient marriage into a love match.
As heir to a title, Galbraith knows he must wed, but that doesn’t mean he has to share his secrets with his tender-hearted young bride. When he spurns Lily’s efforts to get close to him, she retreats to the place he’s avoided for nearly a decade: his childhood home. To reclaim his new bride, Galbraith must confront the darkness of his past, face a future he never expected – and discover that love is the ultimate prize.
Lily had a great introduction as a character in Marry in Haste. Which meant that reading her novel was always going to be seriously looked forward to. Really, same as Rose and George, but they’re next in line… I did wonder how Lily would get her happily ever after. And honestly, it was nothing like what I expected. Which I’m not really sure why that’s surprising… that seems to be the trend with many of the stories that I’ve been reading lately.
Lily’s greatest flaw and failure is hinted at in Marry in Haste – she can’t read or write properly. It was interesting how this was built upon in Lily’s story – after all, this is all set in a time that would make this seriously inconvenient and horrible. Yet, she is a great female lead. She is filled with patience and understanding, this great sense of hope and wonderful wisdom. Alright, she’s also a little naïve. But that naivety stems from her hope that things will work out perfectly. I think that all of us jaded people could take a page out of her book…
Nixon and Sylvia were both brilliant and horrible villains in this tale. Which, ultimately is what a villain should be in my books. The poetic justice that they receive at the end is brilliant. It’s bloodthirsty and kind of horrible. But it left me grinning (let’s not think too deeply about what that says about my psyche)…
This is yet another great Regency romance – light, easy and fun. With just enough horribleness and intrigue to really pull you in and make it impossible to put down. Definitely falling for Anne Gracie’s writing more and more with each story that I read.
She’s a widow who finds herself falling for an angel. And the angel is falling for her. But, then the rules get in the way and things take a slightly more difficult turn….
I enjoyed this short story. It’s not the kind that I will wax on and off about it’s awesomeness. But it was most definitely enjoyable. And a wonderful diversion from reality, study and just general adulthood for a little while. Which is honestly what I’m mostly looking for in a short story…
The idea of an angel falling for a mortal and having his wings clipped is a kind of frequent trope in some of the books that I’m reading. But it still is one that I really like. I mean, giving up everything for love? That’s well worth it in my books… although, the punishment received and the reality that is thrust upon the angels in this is kind of seriously harsh…
I really enjoyed this short story, but it’s not the most memorable story that I’ve ever read either. It was fun, light and easy. It also felt nicely finished out with the ending… even if the punishment for rule breaking was yet to come.
Title: Marry in Haste Author: Anne Gracie Series: Marriage of Convenience #1 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Regency romance Dates read: 20th February – 1st March 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Berkley Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: Miss Wind-whatever!
Major Calbourne Rutherford returns to England on the trail of an assassin, only to find he’s become Lord Ashendon, with the responsibility for vast estates and dependent relatives. Cal can command the toughest men, but his wild half sisters are quite another matter. They might just be his undoing.
When he discovers that Miss Emmaline Westwood, the girls’ former teacher, guides them with ese, Cal offers her a marriage of convenience. But strong-minded and independent Emm is neither as compliant nor as proper as he expected, and Cal finds himself most inconveniently seduced by his convenient wife.
Emm knows they didn’t marry for love, yet beneath her husband’s austere façade, she catches glimpses of a man who takes her breath away. As pride, duty and passion clash, will these two stubborn hearts find more than they ever dreamed of?
Regency romances are the kind of books that are slowly gaining traction on my bookshelves. It’s one of those shelves that a year ago, there wasn’t much on it… but then I started buying more and more. Now, it’s a fairly big collection. This is my first foray into the stories of Anne Gracie. And I must say, I am so glad that I bought some of her books – they are awesome and beautiful!
From the prologue, I was intrigued about Emm’s past – after all, it starts with a rumor and her father trying to force her into marriage. Yet, you don’t quite know what happened and why. Which is one of the many sub-plots that will keep you reading throughout this story. You just want to know what sent Emm’s life so drastically off track. And it takes about three quarters of the book to find out the answer to that…
Cal is a bit of a reserved lead. I love that he is trying to do what he thinks is right – but can’t quite figure out what that actually is. He’s so very, very lost. Which just makes it all that much sweeter when Emm comes into his life and just… fixes all of the bits that have been turned upside down. Sometimes people just need a little bit of guidance, and Cal gets that constantly through his “marriage of convenience”.
It’s hard to imagine the world that Emm lives in – but, I love that she is able to maintain her sense of self, even when she gets kicked down again and again. She also makes sure that she protects and cares for the women under her protection. From the girls at the school, to the sisters and niece of Cal. They are constantly bolstered by this amazing woman and find a way to be themselves in a society that doesn’t necessarily support them.
I may love the romance aspect of this story, but I also love the feeling of women banding together. Not just in the way that Emm protects the girls, but also how they protect her. When rumors and horrible things come to light, it is the girls that ultimately protect and bolster Emm, her students and the women she’s befriended. We have way too many stories about women tearing each other down, so it’s nice to have one that features women supporting one another.
Title: The Other Miss Bridgerton Author: Julia Quinn Series: Rokesbys #3 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Regency romance Dates read: 27th January – 11th February 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Avon Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: Brown or Green would have been acceptable – Andrew had known both of them long enough to know that they’d not imperil her safety – but he doubted either one of them wanted anything to do with her.
She was in the wrong place…
Fiercely independent and adventurous, Poppy Bridgerton will only wed a suitor whose keen intellect and interests match her own. Sadly, none of the fools from her London season qualify. While visiting a friend on the Dorset coast, Poppy is pleasantly surprised to discover a smugglers’ hideaway tucked inside a cave. But her delight turns to dismay when two pirates kidnap her and take her aboard a ship, leaving her bound and gagged on the captain’s bed…
He found her at the wrong time…
Known to society as a rascal and reckless privateer, Captain Andrew James Rokesby actually transports essential goods and documents for the British government. Setting sail on a time-sensitive voyage to Portugal, he’s stunned to find a woman waiting for him in his cabin. Surely, his imagination is getting the better of him. But no, she is very real—and his duty to the Crown means he’s stuck with her.
Can two wrongs make the most perfect right?
When Andrew learns that she is a Bridgerton, he knows he will likely have to wed her to avert a scandal—though Poppy has no idea that he is the son of an earl and neighbor to her aristocratic cousins in Kent. On the high seas, their war of words soon gives way to an intoxicating passion. But when Andrew’s secret is revealed, will his declaration of love be enough to capture her heart…?
It took me a little bit to get into this story. Not because of anything intense, but Quinn’s stories are that simple and pleasant that they don’t always throw me in the deep end of the story. They’re just so pleasant and fun. Plus, you know that the couple is going to come together in the end. In this case, Poppy is so much like her cousin Billie that you felt like you knew her from the very beginning.
Although this was a fairly consistent and typical Quinn story, it does take a completely different spin – there’s pirates. I mean, they’re kind of sanctified pirates. But they’re still pirates. And the whole story takes place on a ship. With a kidnapping and other sorts of drama. It may have taken me a little to get past that first chapter or so, but once I realised that the pirates were taking front and centre… I was a very, very happy girl.
From the title I knew that there would be another Bridgerton girl making an appearance in this story. The awkwardness of the whole situation just left me smiling and giggling again and again throughout this story. After all, regardless of which series you read… the Bridgertons are a force to be reckoned with. I love that Andrew is almost fearful of the response that the Bridgertons will have when they find out that he kidnapped one of them. After all, if I had a family of that size and loyalty after me… I’d feel pretty damn intimidated and concerned too.
There is no better cure for a bad day than a good Julia Quinn book. I love that even though this story / series isn’t about the Bridgertons (my favourite regency romance family ever), it still features them. You can see where the next generation gets their spunk from. And the Rokesbys? Well, they’re amazing too. I can’t wait to read the last book in this series and fall head over heels for this family yet again.
Title: The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband Author: Julia Quinn Series: Rokesbys #2 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Regency romance Dates read: 1st – 2nd January 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Avon Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: She took his arm, and then slowly, without a word, they made their way out to the street, where a carriage awaited to take them the short distance to the Devil’s Head.
While you were sleeping…
With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He’s unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier’s life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie…
I told everyone I was your wife
When Edward comes to, he’s more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he’d always assumed he’d marry his neighbor back in England.
If only it were true…
Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.
This is one of those books that I’ve been really dying to get into, but keep getting distracted before I actually start it… I can be a little too easily distracted at times. But, once I finally actually got my butt into gear, I finally managed to completely sink my teeth into this. It was amazing, brilliant and, filled with Quinn’s brilliant wit and humour.
I think that one of the reasons I found it a little hard to pick up this book was because, just from the blurb you could see all of the things that could go terribly wrong. After all, the woman is pretending to be a man’s husband. And even though he wakes up and doesn’t quite remember things, he believes this. It’s not a great recipe for a romance. Or at least, so I thought. Since, once I read this… I realised that it was actually the perfect romantic recipe.
Cecelia might be doing something kind of horrible in this story (pretending to an amnesiac that she’s he’s wife). But all of her motives are honourable. And, ultimately, I love that Quinn created a heroine who is soft, sweet and delicate. She has a backbone of steel and bravery that, even at the end of this story, she isn’t able to own up to. But, ultimately, she is more of a typical heroine for a regency romance story. Yet, one that I didn’t find tedious and irritating.
The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband was fun and beautiful. There were so many moments of awkwardness and fun throughout the story that had me smiling and giggling. It was such an easy, fairly light-hearted read. One that included just enough emotional and personal upheaval that you felt seriously personally connected to the characters. And completely unable to let them go. There’s nothing like a few pulled heart strings to make you emotionally invest in such a beautiful romance…
Where are my heroes? Whenever I’m reading a book by one of my favorite authors I find I’m falling for the wrong guy — not the hero, but the other man — and what I really want is for him to have his own story.
Like Jake Linley, from Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas…that doctor could sit by my bedside if I ever got sick. And Ned Blydon in Splendid by Julia Quinn…he makes me want to learn to waltz! I never thought living in a drafty castle would be much fun until Simon of Ravenswood in Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor came along.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that these are my men — when do they get their stories?
Sincerely, A Romance Fan
Some books are so special that there is more than one hero to love, but only a single story is told. So if you find yourself asking, “Where is my hero?” you’ll discover the answer right here in this delicious collection by New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn and USA Today bestseller Kinley MacGregor.
I figured that I would finish the year of 2020 that has been absolutely insane with some nice, pleasant romances. Normally I really enjoy dystopian fictions, but this year that just didn’t feel quite suitable. Romance was the way to go. And as one of the last books of the year, this was most definitely a great fit.
I am already obsessed with Julia Quinn but discovering Lisa Kleypas and Kinley MacGregor through this anthology was such an amazing experience. There is something uniquely wonderful about each and everyone of these authors. Late nights curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and my dogs made their words come to life. Sinking me into a happy little world where true love always wins.
I love that this collection is about well-loved secondary characters in each of the authors’ series. There have been a number of romances that I have read where you really want the story of a secondary character. A story that often doesn’t come. So I loved that there were three novellas that managed to hit that nice, sweet spot.
This is most definitely a collection that I will want to read again. It is also filled with stories from series that are now filling my wish list. I can’t wait to get further and further into the writings of these authors… I suppose that that could be a bit of a New Years Resolution for next year…
Dashing Ned Blydon is in a most unenviable predicament—he’s engaged to one Thornton sister, while being secretly in love with the other—in Julia Quinn’s sensuous A Tale of Two Sisters .
From reading the blurb for this story, I was feeling a little bit… icky. I mean, it’s a man who is engaged to one sister, and in love with another. I always have issues with those kind of horrible, blurred lines. I mean, I can’t imagine my sister taking the man that I’m involved with… but as usual Quinn took me completely by surprise and spun this story in a way that just wasn’t… icky.
Ned was a fun hero. He spends half the time trying to escape his female relatives because they’re giving him unsolicited advice. And then, when he finally does find out that they are right, he still refuses to acknowledge it out loud. I recognise a lot of this in my own activities. I am the queen of denial and tend to avoid my family when I think they won’t like my own activities. This factor probably made me connect with him a lot quicker than many other heroes who fill the pages of my books.
This storyline was fun, light-hearted, and brilliant. It finished out the Where’s My Hero? collection completely beautifully. No matter how many times I pick up a story by Quinn, I’m completely in love. And then I always have to try and find another one of her books to sink my teeth into…
![First Comes Scandal [Large Print] :HarperCollins Australia](https://i.harperapps.com/hcanz/covers/9780062979438/x293.jpg)
Earth and Skye 