Tempt Me At Twilight, by Lisa Kleypas

With the third book in Kleypas’ Hathaway series, the author hits a high note.  The pairing of Poppy Hathaway and wealthy American hotelier Harry Rutledge is so much more believable to me than the stories of Poppy’s older sisters, Amelia and Win and their Rom husbands, Cam and Merripen. While Amelia’s story, Mine Till Midnight was good, I found the next in the series, Seduce Me at Sunrise, a tougher sell. With Tempt Me At Twilight, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Poppy and her unconventional family are in London for what is Poppy’s third London season and finally, she is having some success in finding a husband. They are guests at the Rutledge Hotel, owned by the enigmatic and mysterious Mr. Rutledge. When Poppy gets lost chasing down a family pet and meets Harry Rutledge, he doesn’t let on who he is, but his identity soon becomes clear. What also becomes clear is that Harry will stop at nothing to make Poppy his wife. She’s in love with another man, but with some interesting machinations, she winds up as Harry’s bride. Unfortunately, Poppy finds it difficult to forgive Harry for his perfidy, and it takes a lot of work, on both their parts, to make something of the marriage.

The best part of Lisa Kleypas’ stories are her secondary characters and their importance to the main characters’ relationships. Kleypas uses the hotel staff as the means to get Poppy and Harry on the same page in their marriage.  Each hotel character is engaging and adds rather than detracts from the story. She does the same thing with Poppy’s family. Her brother Leo has some sort of antagonistic relationship with Poppy’s companion, Catherine Marks. Cat also has ties to Harry.  As a plot device, all of these secondary characters (especially Miss Marks) give us an insight into why Harry is the way he is; unable to offer love and afraid to accept it in return. All of this is resolved to this reader’s satisfaction when Poppy forgives Harry and he, in turn, learns what it means to stop controlling and start loving. It’s a wonderful transformation to watch.

I cannot wait to read Leo and Catherine’s story, and after that, the younger Hathaway sister Beatrix’s. What started out as a “spin-off” from an earlier series has turned out to be a wonderful collection in its own right.

 

Letters to a Secret Lover, by Toni Blake

There’s several ways to relax on a five hour flight from Los Angeles to Newark. Some people plug into their iPods and some the in-flight entertainment. Some sleep, some drink and some actually just sit and watch the clouds drift by. I have my own system. I read Toni Blake.

I could say my last flight was the best ever, and it had nothing to do with the legroom, food or unusually calm air over the Rockies. As a matter of fact, I don’t even remember taking off.

In Letters to a Secret Lover, love advice columnist Lindsey Brooks has been dumped. Definitely, definitively and publicly dumped. Now, instead of planning her big city wedding, she’s escaping to Montana where her great aunt once set aside some property and a small business for her.

But the property and business now belong to Rob Colter – the man who took care of Lindsey’s great aunt Millie after Lindsey unkindly rejected her gift. Rob is the town’s established loner and as gorgeous and hunky as he is, not one woman in the small town of Moose Falls has succeeded in cracking his shell. That is until high maintenance Lindsey shows up on his doorstep, demanding the chance to buy back her aunt’s land. But Rob is not selling; his life on Spirit Lake is all that he has.

Lucky for us Lindsey and Rob find they have much more in common than the desire to own the modest canoe rental business. They also share a strong attraction to each other and, no matter how they fight it, one thing leads to another (this is where Ms. Blake shines) and our two opposites are attracting like nobody’s business.

But Rob has a secret – one so damaging it would change his life forever if revealed. And despite the growing affection between them, Rob refuses to spill and Lindsey finds herself wondering just who Rob Colter really is.

Letters to a Secret Lover has become one of my favorite contemporary romances. Ms. Blake literally takes you to that place – you know the one – where you actually feel the emotions experienced by the characters. Her scenes are vivid, the dialogue swift, sweet and real. I especially love how Rob is slowly uncovered (in more ways than one) – and you will too.

No need to wait until you’re 37,000 feet in the air to thoroughly enjoy this one. You’ll be off and flying after the first page.

 

The Untamed Bride, by Stephanie Laurens

Setting aside Laurens’ love of her thesaurus, I was very happy to hear she was coming out with a new series.  Her storytelling is excellent and I fell in love with all the Bastion Club gentlemen, and this series looks to be just as entertaining.  However, we aren’t completely finished with the Bastion boys, as they make prominent appearances throughout the entire series, along with the Cynster clan.  The series revolves around four British officers stationed in India in 1822.  They are attempting to unravel the mystery of the Black Cobra, putting themselves at risk as they investigate.  At the heart of the matter is a letter with a very condemning seal, one that could bring down a very influential member of the aristocracy.  One comrade has already died to get this information, and the series revolves around getting the letter in the right hands.  To do this, three copies of the letter, and the original, are spread between the four remaining comrades in an effort to mislead the foe and get the letter into the correct hands.   All have their fallen friend on their minds as they make the trip across the sea to England.

The Untamed Bride is the story of Colonel Derek Delborough and his journey back to England with his copy of the letter.  Upon arriving he learns he is to escort a young woman, Miss Deliah Duncannon, back to her parent’s estate.  Irritated with the added task, when is already undertaking a dangerous mission, he attempts to dissuade Miss Duncannon to accept the escort of servants, to which she vehemently refuses.  Del has no choice but to bring her along, and hope that he can protect her along the way.  A run in with a would be assassin while still in port prompts Del to be on his way quickly, as Miss Duncannon’s view of the killer puts her in immediate danger.  They set off for London for some addition investigation, putting on the pretense of being in town for pleasure.  During balls, the theater, and museum trips, he learns more information of who the elusive Black Cobra may be.

Deliah has secrets of her own, and is making her way back from Jamaica to her parent’s estate.  Raised a parson’s daughter, her spirit clashed with her parents views of what a young lady should be.  After a scandalous affair, she flees to Jamaica and her Uncle, and lives there for several years before coming back to England.  She is no typical young miss; Deliah is bold, courageous and smart, assisting the gentlemen several times with their mission, and pointing out flaws in their plans.  She finds kindred spirits in the women of the Cynster clan, ladies much above her in station, but much alike in temperament.  She loses her heart to Del despite all she does to keep it.

The pair find love along the way as they search for information and fend off a rather unrealistic attack where they all come out unscathed.  Their goal is to make it to the Duke of St. Ives and his estate, where they attempt to work out who the Black Cobra is and the person behind the violence.  With the assistance of several of the Cynster women, a few Bastion Club boys, Del and Deliah get one step closer to revealing the Black Cobra with a daring set up.

And that’s where the book ends.  I believe, and I could be wrong, that each book in this series will end without a complete “ending” for the hero and heroine.   At the end of this book, Del and Deliah have promised themselves to each other, but the story is left wide open at the conclusion.  I’m assuming (and hoping and praying) that at some point in the series, we will see a happy ending for all the heroes and heroines.  Despite the odd end, the book is very, very good, and as usual, Laurens tells an intriguing story that keeps you hooked until the last page.  Her portrayal of the military precision of the time is flawless, and her story of love against most all odds is very endearing.

The Untamed Bride will be in stores October 27, 2009.  Be sure to pick this one up!

 

Barefoot, by Elin Hilderbrand

The last book I read and reviewed by Elin Hilderbrand, A Summer Affair, left me a bit cold, but I forged on and read her next, Barefoot. I will tell you straight out. Skip the first and start this one. They are not a series, and they are as different as night and day. I identified with it, I cried when I read parts of it. In short, I loved it.

The story revolves around three women, two sisters and a friend, who head to Nantucket for the summer, each with their own disaster story. Vicki has lung cancer and must undergo chemo before life saving surgery. Brenda, her younger sister, has just been fired from her coveted university job because she had an affair with her male student, who, while a year older than she is,  is still off limits. Melanie, Vicki’s best friend,  rounds out the trio. She’s pregnant after a long bout of infertility, and is  separated from her husband, who is having an affair with a work colleague. Have I lost you yet? I hope not.

Their story is wound together in an interesting tapestry by Josh Flynn, a college senior who is hired to babysit Vicki’s kids while she undergoes treatment. What Josh doesn’t expect is to have feelings for all three women, and one in particular. His role as surrogate mother, father and lover in that little cottage on the beach  pulls the story neatly together and makes it all real.

Elin Hilderbrand redeems herself in my eyes in this novel. The one thing I look for when I read a novel is to be pulled into a story and to be able to relate, in some way, to the characters and their dilemmas.  And the greatest compliment I can pay to a book and its author is that I didn’t want to see it end. In this case, I wish this summer would have gone on forever.

 

A Summer Affair, by Elin Hilderbrand

Just how perfect does one’s life have to be before it’s perfect enough?  Elin Hilderbrand attempts to answer this question in A Summer Affair.   After reading this book, I’d say it’s obviously never perfect enough. But is that a realistic answer, even for a novel?

The story revolves around Nantucket Island and resident artist Claire Danner Crispin, the thirty-something wife of Jason (repeatedly described as a handsome blond with a six pack ab) and mother to four children, aged ten and under. There are undercurrents running through the marriage, specifically relating to Claire’s profession of glass-blowing, from which she has taken a forced hiatus after an accident.

Claire is asked by Lock Dixon, a wealthy resident with a wife whose car accident leaves her with no social tact to speak of,  to co-chair the Summer Gala for Nantucket’s Children, a local charity.  She is hesitant at first but because she can’t say no to a request, she accepts the job. Her acceptance of  the position comes with two obligations. She must return to glass blowing to create the auction piece for the gala, a chandelier, and she’s asked to procure the entertainment for the evening in the form of  Max West, formerly known as Matthew Westfield, now an international rock superstar, and Claire’s first love from high school.

The story takes a funky twist when Claire begins a torrid affair with Lock Dixon. At this point, I was having trouble understanding the attraction between the two, and why, even with some tension at home, Claire would want to endanger her family life and marriage with this particular man. This is not based on any moral high ground.  The author simply never really makes this point with me. And any affection I had for Claire as a character went out the window at this point.  Hilderbrand then throws Max West into the mix. He’s still in love with Claire and needs her to rescue him from his twenty year old demons. He practically proposes to her the night before the gala (does anyone remember Claire is married?).

No, near perfection is definitely not enough for Claire. And while the author makes you feel the desperation that Claire feels as she’s caught up in her obsession with Lock,  it never quite rings true for this character. The way Claire’s story unfolds  reminds me of one of her failed attempts at blowing the glass that would form the perfect chandelier arm; the result is too fragile to support even itself.

I have one more Elin Hilderbrand to try. We’ll see if that one holds any weight.

 

My BFF by Ruth Phillips Oakland

Elizabeth Bennet was a child prodigy whose life went drastically off course as a teenager.  Thrust into adulthood much too soon she learned to cope with life by keeping everyone at arms length.  Now as a successful university professor her life is finally on the right track and the last thing Elizabeth wants is to fall in love and lose control again. 

Enter Fitzwilliam Darcy, powerful, brilliant, and absolutely gorgeous.  He hasn’t had a real relationship in years and isn’t about to start looking for one.  He learned early on that real love comes at a much higher price than simply paying for the imitation.  With a company and a foundation to run and a sister to watch over, Darcy can’t afford to lose his heart.

When the two meet things don’t exactly go as planned.  Neither Elizabeth nor Darcy wants to admit how attracted they are to the other, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other either.  With both of them thinking a romantic relationship would be a disaster, they decide to forge a friendship.  Soon the two are inseparable and the fine line between friends and lovers is blurring at a rapidly increasing pace.  But can Elizabeth ad Darcy overcome their fears and find happiness or will they never be more than just best friends?

My BFF is a fantastic story.  Ruth Phillips Oakland does a great job taking Jane Austen’s most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, and creating a wonderfully modern story.  The language and imagery are superb, and each character is so well written they all find a way into your head. I highly recommend this book, not only to those who read Jane Austen fan fiction, but to anyone who loves to read well-written novels.

 

Lavender Morning, by Jude Deveraux

Yes, I do read books that aren’t set in Regency England!  However, this was does have some bits from Word War II, so I’m still in the historical context.

I came across this book when my mother in law finished and asked if I wanted to take it with me.  She said it was a little historical, with a bit of mystery mixed in, so I said why not.  I’m so glad I did!

Jocelyn is surprised when Miss Edi’s will is read, and she is the proud new owner of Edilean Manor.  Having spent most of her life listening to Miss Edi’s stories of her past, her love David, and her time in the war, she is anxious to see her new home.  However, she arrives to a practically empty house, both wings rented out to tenants, and a mouthy, yet gorgeous gardener-Luke- that seems to know more about her and her circumstances than she does.  Add to this Ramsey, a handsome lawyer, and competitive cousin to Luke, that Miss Edi mentioned in her letter as the perfect man for her, and Jocelyn is quite disheartened with her new home, minus the lawyer.  Her tenants are lovely and one is quite eccentric, and make her feel somewhat welcome.  Jocelyn discovers there are no real secrets in the town of Edilean, except the ones that Miss Edi left behind.  She realizes that the woman who practically raised her was not who she thought she was, and had never been very forthcoming with her.  Jocelyn is determined to find the story behind the manor and why Miss Edi kept things from her, only to learn much more than she bargained for.

As Jocelyn asks questions and researches the house, Ramsey finally comes clean and tells her there is no money for its upkeep.  Shocked, this only motivates her to search harder for the truth behind Miss Edi.  She is completely lost and heartbroken.  This brings her closer to Luke, despite her picnics with Ramsey, and his attempts to win her.  Luke’s grandfather holds the key to the entire Miss Edi story, one that has been twisted over time and pieces lost.  The grandfather was Miss Edi’s former fiance, and the story goes that he left her when she went to war, but in reality, they mutually broke it off and went their separate ways.  Luke and Jocelyn read a story that was written by Miss Edi years ago, which is missing pieces and very confusing to those not around in 1941.  Jocelyn finally learns the truth about the house, Miss Edi, the entire town, and about Luke, but not without some angst and humor along the way.  Pureed spinach cupcakes anyone?  It finally comes out that the real man Miss Edi intended for Jocelyn is Luke, and not Ramsey.  It seems like everything Miss Edi told her had a bit of a twist with it.  But will Jocelyn find the romance she wants, or just another mystery?

Having never read a Jude Deveraux novel before, I was pleasantly surprised by the intriguing storyline.  Lavender Morning is the first novel in the Edilean series, with Days of Gold, a romance set in 1766 being the second.  I will definitely be reading the second in the series.  The characters in Lavender Morning are well written, from the town that knows everything to the man who keeps his deepest secrets from her until the end.  All in all, it’s a great story and I can’t wait to see what Deveraux has in store for the next installment.

 

Mastered by Love, by Stephanie Laurens

The last time I reviewed a Stephanie Laurens book, I told myself it would be the last. The one overriding reason for this is Ms. Laurens’ tendency to write with an open thesaurus tuned to every paragraph (or so it seems) on every page.  She finds many ways to write the same exact thing more than once. Right after the other. Repeatedly.  It’s annoying.

That being said, I just couldn’t resist the last of the Bastion Club novels, and the story of Dalziel, the spy ring’s enigmatic leader, now known as Royce Henry Varisey, Tenth Duke of Wolverstone.

The story opens with Royce returning to his ancestral holding, after a sixteen year exile imposed by his father for his refusal to give up his service to the Crown. Upon his father’s passing, Royce has become the next Duke of Wolverstone and is woefully unprepared for the task.  Enter Minerva Chesterton,  a resident of Wolverstone since her early childhood and more recently, chatelaine to the estate.  Minerva guides Royce through the early days of his reign, explaining the workings of the castle and the surrounding land, introducing him to his people, and getting him to involve himself in his ducal role. While doing all this, Minerva hides a secret. She’s been in love with Royce since that childhood, and now realizes that as the new Duke, he will need to marry, and soon. When that happens, she knows  she’ll have to leave Royce and  the only home she’s ever known.

Royce, meanwhile,  is pressured into declaring an intended bride. What he has come to realize is that there is a perfect candidate for the job right under his nose. When feelings between Royce and Minerva begin to grow, they are both riddled with doubt as to Royce’s ability to fashion a marriage of more than convenience. When both are threatened by an enemy that is closer to home in more ways than they can imagine, Royce realizes that deep feelings are not beyond his capability, and the spymaster and ring leader finds a love match of his own.

Despite prior misgivings, I really enjoyed this latest novel. Intrigue and dangerous situations are kept to a minimum. The story is, to put it bluntly, highly sexual, and what I find interesting is that for the spymaster, Laurens decides to concentrate on the story of the  courtship as opposed to the action and intrigue  found in the earlier Bastion novels. A wise choice, this, as it ultimately humanizes Dalziel, and finally makes him a Bastion boy we can all love.

 

The Earl Claims His Wife, by Cathy Maxwell

Cathy Maxwell is a new author for me (I just realized I’m on a new author kick!) and when this book landed on my door step, I was intrigued by the titled and anxious to find another great author.

Gillian has spent the last few years being married, and yet, having no husband.  Brian, Lord Wright, left their wedding bed to go to his mistress, Jess, whom he claimed to love, and then onto war.  Sadly, he decides to tell his new wife this and expects her not to be upset.  Gillian is left to live with his parents, who have no morals whatsoever, and finally leaves to live with a cousin after a note from her husband demanding her return to London, which she ignores.  A handsome Spainard has caught her eye, and she his.  They are in love, and the only thing standing in their way is her marriage.  Brian does come for his wife (hence the title) which results in an almost duel and many angry words between Gillian and Brian.  She does decide to go with him, but under the condition that she live with him for 30 days, being the perfect wife.  Brian is hoping for an appointment on Liverpool’s staff to help his fellow comrades in arms, and needs Gillian with him to host dinners, parties, etc. 

Gillian all but gives into Brian on the way to London.  Evidently the anger she has had for years is no match for Brian and his charm.  Neither trust each other, especially when Gillian discovers a half-starved baby at her husband’s London home.  Not his, but the product of Brian’s father, and his “loyal” mistress, Jess.  Neither wanted the baby, so Brian found the babe and took him in before he was left to starve in an orphanage.  Their relations are strained, except in the bedroom, of course.  By day, they barely speak a word to each other, and by night, they can’t keep their hands off each other.  Gillian’s ex-love returns, provoking jealousy from Brian, neither tell each other how they really feel until almost the end, and it takes a while for these two to air out their differences and live happily ever after.

The Earl Claims His Wife is a good read if you’re looking for is an afternoon of entertainment- it won’t take you much further.  Do not expect much in the way of a plot or charactertization.  This is not to say that the story and writing isn’t good- it is, but not thought provoking and I never did become very involved with any of the characters.  The story really could have used an epilogue, not because it ended abruptly, but because the story needed something more at the end.  This is formula romance, not at its worst, but not at its best either.   Just a pleasant story to spend an afternoon with.

 

What Happens in London, by Julia Quinn

I just adore Julia Quinn.  Every time I read one of her books, I finish it with a smile on my face, and a warm, cozy feeling.  Quinn’s character’s are fun to read as they get themselves into one mess after another!

 

What Happens in London tells the story of Sir Harry Valentine and Lady Olivia Bevelstoke. (If you’ve read The Secret Diary of Miss Miranda Cheever, then you’ve already met Olivia)  Harry is an ex-military man who is fluent in Russian and French (thanks to his Russian grandmere) that works for the War office translating Russian documents.  Poor Harry grew up with an alcoholic father, and an emotionless mother that paid no attention to him.  After one too many embarrassing moments at school with his father, Harry decides on a whim to follow his cousin Sebastian into the Army.  Ten years later, Harry is back in London and letting a house in Mayfair, which happens to be next door to the residence of the Earl of Rudland, and his daughter, Lady Olivia Bevelstoke.

 

Olivia is a charming, beautiful girl, who loves gossip, gowns, and reading the newspaper front to back every morning.  She has turned down several offers of marriage and is in her third year as an unmarried woman. During a morning gossip session in her drawing room, she learns that her new neighbor supposedly murdered his fiancee, which leads her to keep an eye on him from her window.  She is positive he may be a danger, and decides it is best if she keeps watch.  Besides, he could never see her behind her curtains, and she is very stealthy.  Of course, Harry does see her.  Harry makes a point of introducing himself to her at a musciale and the two do not particularly hit it off. 

 

When Harry is given an assignment to keep an eye on a Russian prince, he learns that this prince is all but courting Olivia.  His orders to keep an eye on her as well cause him to spend more time in her company, and the two develop a strong friendship that turns into something more, much to the annoyance of the prince, with whom Harry does not get along. With daily talks from their windows, Harry can follow his orders while embarking on an informal courtship.  Of course, Olivia isn’t aware of any of this, only that she enjoys Harry’s company, and is very uneasy around the prince.  When Harry is ordered to cease watching the prince and Olivia, and after a hilarious performance of a very ridiculous “lurid graphic novel” the friction between Harry and prince subsides.  Things threaten to go wrong for our couple during an evening at the Russian ambassador’s house, and there is some action and a little angst.  What would a romance novel be without that?

 

Definitely pick up this book!  Julia Quinn writes in such a light-hearted way that even her heroine in danger is amusing.  Her characters are so charmingly written, even the villains, and it makes this book so very lovely to read.  Poor Harry and his past with his alcoholic father taint him slightly, but even that has some amusement to the story.  If you’re looking for a fun read, this is the book for you.