Heather and Velvet by Teresa Medeiros

Most historical romances are pretty straight forward. There is a hero. There is a heroine. They either hate each other at first glance and it takes the entire book to get them together, or it's love at first sight and problems just get in the way of the happily ever after.  This book, by Teresa Medeiros, has a little of both.

Prudence Walker is the demure orphaned daughter of a scientist who blew himself up during a gunpowder experiment. She is sent to live with her father's sister, Tricia, who collects husbands and titles like a stamp collector collects stamps. Prudence has a chance encounter in the woods near her Northumberland home with the Dreadful Scot Bandit Kirkpatrick, a notorious Scottish highwayman. When she helps him out of a painful bind, the sparks fly.

Sebastian Kerr, bastard son of a Highland laird, turns to a life of crime when his ancestral home is "stolen" after the death of his abusive father. He has turned to robbing the rich in order to regain his rightful inheritance. When Prudence helps him after an injury,  he fears for her life. She has seen his face, and his maternal grandfather, the ringleader of Sebastian's band of not so merry men with a secret of his own, orders her death.  Sebastian sends her away, despite his strong attraction, only to find her months later in the house of his betrothed (you guessed it), Prudence's Aunt Tricia. Sebastian has become Tricia's latest addition to her collection.

Thus begins this beguiling story of love and intrigue in late 18th century northern England and Scotland.  There are so many plot twists and turns that you'll find yourself anxiously waiting to turn the page, and at the same time, covering your eyes and peeking through your fingers at the next.  The wonderful thing about this story is the entire cast of  secondary characters. From Sebastian's loyal men to Tricia's comically funny friends and on to  Lord Killian MacKay, the man Sebastian has sworn revenge against but who has a surprise of his own for the Highland bandit, the book just overflows with colorful, lovable characters.

The love story is sweet and sensuous. You can almost physically feel the pull between Prudence and Sebastian. Teresa Medeiros has a writing style all her own.  She writes with a sharp sense of wit and an affinity for finding ways to put her characters in untenable situations that they invariably find their way out of.  Her books are always a roller coaster ride of the very best sort. And the fact that kilts and plaids and a very sexy Scottish burr find their way onto every page certainly does not hurt matters in the least.

To Beguile A Beast, by Elizabeth Hoyt

Reader beware, once you start this book you will have multiple problems putting it down! I packed it to work with me, and had to wait until lunch to crack it open and continue. This is such a spell-binding tale, you won't want it to end!

To Beguile a Beast is book three in The Legend of the Four Soldiers series. The beast is Sir Alistair Munroe, an acclaimed naturalist who found himself with the soldiers of Spinner's Falls when they were ambushed by Native American warriors. Sir Alistair was among those who watched their comrades be tortured, and endured torture themselves. He is disfigured; missing an eye, a few fingers, and has several scars on one side of his face. Children and women scream at the sight of him, so to avoid such uncomfortable occurrences, he hides in his castle, away from the world and anyone who might pity him. His life is spent in solitude, writing about nature and illustrating what he sees, until the day the lovely Helen Fitzwilliam and her two children knock on his door on a rainy night.

Helen, the former mistress to the Duke of Lister, is on the run. The Duke is possessive, and she longs to be free and out from under his thumb and the control he has over her life. The Duke does not like for his possessions to run off without his permission, so Helen, with the help of Lady Vale, presents herself to Sir Alistair to be his housekeeper with the hope that the Duke would never find her at such a remote location in Scotland. She and Lady Vale have created a back story, where Helen is a widow and looking for employment as a housekeeper. Lady Vale doesn't relate to Helen that Sir Alistair is a recluse and has a castle that hasn't seen a broom in well over twenty years. Helen is determined to make the castle habitable, and sets out to win over Sir Alistair and his uncivilized manner towards everyone, even after he banishes her from his home.

Sir Alistair is taken aback, to be sure, but a growing fondness for Jamie and Abigail, Helen's children, and his attraction to Helen herself, starts him on the path to becoming human again. Helen is also drawn to Sir Alistair; ignoring his scars and flaws, she sees the man underneath and realizes that he can see the woman hidden inside. Their mutual desire for each other plays out beautifully as they give in to their longing. Their relationship is strained when the children are taken by the Duke, and Helen is forced to reveal her true story. They both head to London to rescue the children and Sir Alistair is determined to find out a little more about the traitor of Spinner's Falls. In a comical scene, where Sir Alistair outsmarts the Duke by forcing him to disclaim his children in front of His Majesty King George, the children are rescued and returned to their mother safe and sound.

There are so many things I could say about this book. As always, Elizabeth Hoyt's characters are intriguing; they are flawed to perfection and written in such a spell-binding way that you cannot help but be drawn in and fall in love with all of them. This book will be available in April of 2009, so be sure to pick it up!

A Dangerous Love by Sabrina Jeffries

So here I am, a few months later, and still stuck on Sabrina Jeffries.  I have one more review to do, and then I promise, I'll move on. Soon. At some point in the future. Eventually.

A Dangerous Love is the first novel in a series of three about the Swanlea Spinsters, three sisters  happily resigned to their lives as quirky spinsters, tucked away on Swan Park.  Their father, the Earl of Swanlea, has been on his deathbed for months.  As heir apparent to the Park (if he can prove he is the rightful heir), Griff Knighton has decided  to visit his future holding.  The visit  is prompted by the present Earl's promise to provide Griff's proof  of legitimacy which has been denied him all his life.  Not one to give up on his lifelong dream, Griff journeys to Swanlea with his man of affairs, Daniel Brennan, in tow.  The ultimate purpose? To get his hands on his parent's marriage certificate, and to avoid marrying one of the daughters as a condition of obtaining that certificate.

What ensues is a a delightful comedy of misunderstanding and error brought on by an identity switch, a very suspicious daughter-spinster, one Lady Rosalind Laverick, and the need for revenge and redemption on the part of Griff. Oh, and some very inventive scenes, one of which involves the very creative use of a tree swing.  Don't even bother using your imagination on this one. You have to read it to believe it.

I love Sabrina Jeffries' stories. So far, the ones I have read all seem to have a similar theme.  There's the rogue who needs a lesson in humility and love, and the heroine, who has no compunction about telling said rogue what to do with himself, while falling in love with him, foibles and all.  While some of the plot points may sound a bit contrived, and at times you want to yell at the women to stop being so stubborn (after all, their men are trying their hardest), Ms. Jeffries seems to wring the best out of her male protagonists. By the end of the novels, they have all had their pertinent revelations and find themselves free to love the women who love them.  It's a very neat trick. It makes you love those rogues even more.

So, if you are looking for  quick reads that are  filled with more than just a bit of frustration and soul-searching before the happily ever after, I can highly recommend this series.  You can have your angst and eat it, too.

All Shook Up by Susan Andersen

Excuse me while I turn off the fans.

All Shook Up by Susan Andersen is a contemporary romance with more heat than a self-cleaning oven.  Really.

Dru Lawrence is a thirty year old single mother who lives and works with her aunt and uncle on a mountain resort outside of Seattle.  Aunt Sophie and Uncle Ben are part owners of the place along with Edwina - a great aunt who has just passed away.  And Edwina has left her half of the resort to a former foster son who she hadn't heard from  in years. That would be J.D. Carver who is, quite simply, sex in a tool belt.

J. D. is not going to be an absentee owner; in fact, he packs his belongings and heads off to Star Lake Lodge intending to stay.  But that decision is not made out of  love for the great outdoors. He simply has nowhere else to go because Carver has just blown the lid off of a construction company scam. That would be the same construction company where he was foreman and the same one where most of his friends used to work. Now the company's out of business, his friends are on the street and the boss is in jail.  No one back home is too thrilled with him so needless to say, Edwina's bequest comes at a very good time.

But smoldering, simmering J.D. has led a transient life and is understandably wary of anything homey. Especially Star Lake. And everything he experiences there - the welcoming warmth of Uncle Ben and Aunt Sophie, the hero worship of Dru's ten year old son, and his growing attraction, both physically and emotionally, to Dru - well, it's all under suspicion. Things are just too good to be true and he's just not deserving.

Oh, but John David, you are so wrong - as Drucilla Jean tries to convince him.

The attraction between Dru and J.D. is instant and the plot sizzles along until these two finally get it together. But life isn't as easy as all that, as J.D. can tell you - and does - when a dark shadow from his past arrives at Star Lake to cause trouble.

The story follows the formula of a typical romance -the requisite happy ending is a given.  But the plot is well conceived, the characters completely believable and the heat ... well, I'll let you borrow a fan or two. If you ask nicely.

Get this one. It's a winner.

Tempt the Devil, by Anna Campbell

It was a definite squee moment when the Amazon box arrived with this book. Ever since I devoured Campbell's last book, I've been not-so-patiently waiting for her next, and she does not disappoint. As a fan of Regency Noir, it's a great delight to find a writer that pulls you into her characters like Anna Campbell does.

Tempt the Devil is the story of Olivia, the most sought after courtesan of the ton. Stories of her prowess are known throughout London and the man who wins the role as her lover is one to be envied. However, Olivia is the master in these liaisons, requiring control in all aspects, and with her charms, she has no problem getting what she wants from her lovers. Until she meets Lord Erith.

Lord Erith, Julian, is a powerful earl and notorious rake; his exploits renowned across Vienna and most of Europe. Once he sees Olivia, he knows he must have her, no matter what the cost. He is a dark man, used to getting what he wants, while running from his past. He is surprised by his desire for Olivia, and has little control over himself in her presence. Determined to win her, he discovers one of her shocking secrets, her inability to feel pleasure. He then sets out to show her pleasure, whatever it takes.

Their relationship is purely a battle of wills in the beginning, with both wanting to be in control over the liaison, but the darker secrets come out as the story progresses, and their relationship takes on an entirely new level. The two open up to each other about their unfortunate histories, and begin to feel more than just what the basic relationship between lover and mistress usually entails. Erith is such a dark character that you only begin to see the lighter side of him in slow bits as he coaxes Olivia into trusting him. He fights with himself over dominating Olivia, and wanting her to desire him at the same time. Olivia becomes more than just a courtesan to him, she becomes a confidant as he confesses to things in his past that he is back in London trying to rectify. Olivia begins to trust Erith and admits part of her painful past that she has kept hidden since she was a girl. Her facade of a cool, detached courtesan is nothing like the real person underneath. Olivia is still a frightened little girl, dealing with her fear and throwing up walls around herself that only a select few can breach. Letting Erith in is something she resists at first, but eventually her guard comes down to reveal her vulnerability. But with their own stations in life, can they be anything other than lover and mistress?

I won't go further into the story, as it would reveal the plot and I want you all to read it for yourselves. The characters in this book, down to Erith's daughter, are all flawed and emotional in their own way that brings such reality to the tale. Erith fights to forget his painful past and let go of the guilt that has followed him for years, while Olivia deals with her own demons while wishing for her birthright. Olivia's pain runs so deep that it's hard not to cry along with her. Anna Campbell is the master at creating deep, emotional characters whose stories make you weep with sorrow for them, despite how deplorable they are acting at the time. This story of love above all costs is so beautiful! Tissues are recommended for this one!

Crossed Wires, by Rosy Thornton

There are  books you read that leave you with a smile on your face for quite some time after you turn the last page and close the cover.  Still smiling, I can say that Crossed Wires, by Rosy Thornton, is one of those books.

"Autocare Direct Motor Insurance.  My name is Mina, how may I help you?"  So begins the story of Dr. Peter Kendrick, a Professor of Geography at Cambridge and Mina Heppenstall, a call center operator.  After Peter calls  to report a second small accident, there is  something in his hesitant conversation that makes Mina dig a little further, and she discovers that Peter is a widower whose wife died in a car accident 4 years previously.  Against company policy, Mina takes Peter's number and calls him after hours, on her own.  The story evolves from there, but on parallel courses, tied together on Sunday nights at 9pm, when the conversations take on a weekly regularity.

In fact, the book seems to have a duality theme.  The lives of the two protagonists are explored individually and fully.  Mina is the mother of a 10 year old named Sal, a confirmed bookworm whose teacher fears for her social development. Mina also has responsibility for Jesse, her 17 year old sister, who seems to float on the periphery of the story, but is central to the female relationships in  Mina's family.  There seems to be an emphasis on the mother-daughter relationship in Mina's story which recurs between Mina, Jesse and their mother, as well as between Mina's mother, Mina and Sal. It's quite a layered scenario and one full of satisfying outcomes for all.

Peter's household, on the other hand, has its own hand in the duality theme. He is the father of identical twin daughters, and has raised them alone, with help from friends, since the age of 5.   As an identical twin myself, I found the description of the girls' relationship eerily reminiscent of my own with my sister, down to the silent language, the mirror-handedness and the exclusionary nature of their relationship. I also felt Peter's pain as the girls start to develop their own individuality. It is truly  the thing parents of twins  long for and dread at the same time.  This was brilliantly described by the author.  Peter's life is rounded out by his supportive relationship toward his doctoral student-baby sitter, Trish, and his good friends, Jeremy and Martin.

Each main character could have their own novel, as far as I'm concerned. Their stories were that absorbing and descriptive. However, we get the bonus of getting two for one.  The narrative switches  easily between the two separate lives, and when a near-tragedy strikes one, the other reaches out and the stories really connect for the first time.

I could say that all ends well here, but I won't.  You have to keep reading to get the ending that you are hoping for.  And Ms. Thornton delivers, in the sweetest way possible.  It's a wonderful story, well conceived, well written and beautifully executed.  I'm still smiling.

Let Sleeping Rogues Lie, by Sabrina Jeffries

I must say that I may have a new favorite author; at least for today. Sabrina Jeffries combines intriguing situations, likeable characters, and strong sexual attraction to make her stories page turners. In short,  I like her style.

Let Sleeping Rogues Lie is one of her novels in the School for Heiresses series.  This series revolves around students and teachers in Mrs. Harris' School for Young Ladies.  When Anthony Dalton, the new Viscount Norcourt, wishes to enroll his newly orphaned niece in the school, he meets with some resistance. First, there is no room for her and second, and  more importantly, Anthony does not really have custody of her, his brother's child. His aunt and uncle, the same evil people who raised him by punishing him for normal bodily urges, ie; masturbation (yes, it's mentioned quite frequently in this book) are fighting to keep her.  And due to Anthony's reputation as a rogue and a rakehell, he needs to enroll Tessa in order to strengthen his claim to her guardianship and keep her away from them.

Anthony meets Madeline Prescott, teacher at the school and  daughter of a physician wrongly accused of killing a woman by administering nitrous oxide during a medical procedure.  In order for Tessa to be enrolled, Madeline needs something from Anthony in order to clear her father from the accusations of murder brought on by this same uncle.  It's a convoluted, somewhat twisted plot, but it seems to work.  Anthony is talked into giving "rogue" lessons to the girls in the school in exchange for Madeline's recommendation to the headmistress to enroll Tessa.  This is probably the funniest part of the book.  Surprisingly, Anthony finds his niche in instructing the innocents in the ways of avoiding the "beasts masquerading as gentlemen" such as himself.  I laughed out loud at his lessons.

There's something intriguing about an author of historical romance who tackles some tough issues. After all, why bother?  Isn't it all about the romance and the sex? Sabrina Jeffries tells us that there is something to be learned while indulging our passion for romance. Laugh at that statement if you want, but I certainly learned about the use of nitrous oxide in this time period, as well as the prevalance of disdain for masturbation and the misunderstandings regarding depression (which Madeline's father suffers from) during this time.  In other words, I actually learned something new!   If not a first for me, then something that does not usually happen when I read this genre.  So kudos to Ms. Jeffries. And I will be reading the rest of her series. I like having my happy endings  embellished with a little something extra.