Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

In Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday, Daniela Martinez is an New York professor who studies 19th century literature, teaches, and is hoping to get tenure, soon. She's recently been stung by her husband's infidelity and decided she is "Post-Men". She has no interest in a relationship, has written a list of things she'll never do for a man again, and just wants her husband Vince to sign the divorce papers. Then she and her little dog, Max, can move on. 

Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the duchy of Aquilla is not actually a duke, not yet. He's a baron who has been dubbed the "Depraved Duke" and he honestly doesn't want to be a duke at all. But, he's at loose ends since his fiancée decided to marry someone else. As Duke, Actually opens, he's in New York to meet someone his parents want him to marry.

Max (the baron, not the dog) and Daniela have mutual friends who are going to get married and Daniela already met Max when she went to Eldovia to visit her best friend Leo, who is marrying Princess Marie, Max's former fiancée. She knows the baron's reputation but he's not really in the mood for a socialite's party and and would like to see Dani. And, Dani could use a bit of handsome arm candy at the faculty Christmas party, if only to show Vince she's not pining away for him.

The baron is happy to accompany her and stick to her terms. He likes Dani. She's got no interest in his money or title, unlike most people. After the faculty party, they start a long-distance friendship (by text and phone), make resolutions and help each other figure out how to fulfill them, and then slowly, slowly find that they're becoming best friends. But, when their friendship turns into the kind of attraction that neither was hoping for, what will happen?

Highly recommended - Duke, Actually is a little longer than most of the romance novels I think I've read but I loved that because I enjoyed the witty banter between Dani and Max and kind of wanted to stay in their world for as long as possible. Plus, I think the slow development of their friendship and even slower realization that they were becoming physically attracted to each other after about a year of platonic friendship felt more realistic to me than most romance novels. There's a lot of sex talk and some scenes I found uncomfortably graphic, but as I've said before . . . I prefer a book that tippy-toes around the bedroom scenes, so that's a personal thing. In general, I think romance lovers will enjoy this sweet, modern fairytale of a growing love between an ordinary gal and a peer of the Eldovian realm.

My thanks to Avon for the review copy! Duke, Actually was just released this week so you can find it online or in bookstores near you. 

Note: I avoid reading other reviews and don't read teaser chapters (there's one at the end of the book) so I didn't realize till after I read Duke, Actually that it's the second in a series. It obviously stands alone perfectly well. But, now I really want to go back and read about how Leo ended up with Princess Marie! 

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Mini reviews - They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple, Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler, and Her Other Secret by Helenkay Dimon

They Were Sisters is my first read by Dorothy Whipple, although I have several of her books because they come so highly recommended.

Just as it sounds, They Were Sisters is the story of three sisters, how their lives are shaped by the choices they make (particularly the choice of a spouse), and how the eldest is always the stabilizing force.

I don't know what I expected from a book by Dorothy Whipple but I confess I was a little surprised to find that the book was a bit of a soap opera and yet, in spite of the ups and downs of the characters, there was also something immensely soothing about the fact that Lucy's steadiness, her husband's sense of humor and the fact that they're so perfect for each other, and their idyllic cottage on a larger estate serves as a wonderful anchor for not only the characters but the story itself.

I also found it quite interesting that the males in the family are barely even mentioned. It's a story about women and the men in their immediate circle but Whipple isn't diverted by the larger family unit so much as they are satellites that orbit the women; the women are always at the forefront. In fact, you get the impression that travel was such a hardship at the time it was written that you could say goodbye to a brother who went off to seek his fortune and never see him again, at all, so why mention them once they're out of the picture?

Highly recommended - A fascinating story of the lives of three sisters, how their choices in marriage and childbearing affect their lives in both the short and long term, and the sister who is always there for the other two women and their offspring, whenever they need her. Loved it!

Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler is the story of a woman who has zipped up the proverbial ladder at an advertising agency and now, still young, has got a shot at becoming a partner in the Boston firm. But, she has competition and the one thing her boss has noted that she lacks is Christmas spirit. In order to secure the important account that will clinch her partnership, Haley needs that Christmas spirit. Otherwise, her boss says, it's very unlikely that whatever ad campaign she comes up with will succeed with the company she's targeting.

The fellow she's competing with has buckets of Christmas spirit and Haley tries, but she's just too bent on business. Christmas doesn't even interest her. The boss is firm. She needs to develop some Christmas spirit and he's going to make sure of it by sending her to Christmas Camp, where she'll do normal, Christmasy things and learn about the real joy of the season. Haley is horrified but she wants that partnership, so off she goes. What she finds is a lovely house run by a widower and his handsome son Jeff, who also happens to live in Boston and who is trying to convince his father to sell the house and move near him.

Haley and Jeff get off to a rocky start but there's clearly a spark between Haley and Jeff and they have a good bit in common. Will Haley be able to stick out the entire week of camp or will she get ants in her pants and hustle back to Boston? Will she discover the joy of Christmas? And, if she does, will she come up with the perfect advertising campaign and win the job she desires?

Recommended when you're looking for a fun, romantic, seasonal read - Christmas Camp reads like a Hallmark movie and-- what do you know? --it actually is one. In fact, the movie apparently came first and then Schaler, a screenwriter, was hired to write the book. I was disappointed that I couldn't find the movie for streaming. I liked the book and I'm pretty sure I remember getting a little teary at one point. I'll keep my eye out for the movie and hope I get lucky, next Christmas season.

Her Other Secret by Helenkay Dimon was an unsolicited gift from Avon Books and it sounded intriguing, so I gave it a shot when nothing else was appealing to me. Tessa and Hansen live on Whitaker Island, an island off the coast of Washington (the state) where people go to get a fresh start or just hide out for a time. Tessa has fled a scandal; Hansen won't talk about why he's there.

Tessa and Hansen are on the beach when a mysterious stranger emerges from the water and walks into the woods . . . fully clothed. Tessa suspects something fishy is going on. And, when the man turns up dead and Hansen admits he knows him, Hansen becomes a suspect. What happened to drive Hansen to the island? Why was someone Hansen knows nearby? Who murdered the stranger? And, why can't Hansen and Tessa stay away from each other?

Well, huh, not sure what to say about his one. It didn't work for me but I don't even remember why, so I'm hesitant to give it even a verbal rating. I do remember that I found it overly wordy and confusing. In fact, I was very surprised to find that the author has so many books under her belt. Beyond that, I'm not sure what I disliked about it. I've got the follow-up book (again, sent unsolicited) and I'll give it a shot but I'm not going to stick it out if it doesn't work. However, I think the author deserves a second chance.


©2020 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Say No to the Duke by Eloisa James + Giveaway

Lady Betsy Wilde worries that her mother's lascivious reputation has rubbed off on her after the duchess left her family for a blond Prussian man when Betsy was a child. So, for her first season she has put on a sweet, demure face and garnered a large number of proposals. She's rejected them all and lives with the fear that her mother's behavior may be hereditary. Best to find a boring husband, she thinks, rather than to awaken her sexuality.

Jeremy Roden served in His Majesty's Army during the American rebellion and lived through a tragic battle. While recovering from a gunshot wound and an episode of PTSD, he's been living in Lindow Castle, the Wilde family estate. Lady Betsy is accustomed to seeing him slouched in a chair, drinking whiskey, or laid out on the floor unconscious in the billiards room. He's certainly no prospect for marriage but at least he's interesting.

When Thaddeus, Viscount Greywick and a future duke, proposes to Betsy in the billiard's room, Jeremy encourages her to marry him. They're friends from school and Jeremy knows the future duke is trustworthy, plus you can't do better for titles than a duke. But, Lady Betsy yearns to go on an adventure in breeches, sneaking in where women are not allowed, just once before marriage. Jeremy offers a wager. If she wins a billiard's game, he'll take her where she wants to go. If not, she is his for the night.

But, when Jeremy begins to fall for the real Betsy — not the society facade but the billiards-playing, beer-loving, slightly wicked and adventurous Betsy — he's unsure what to do. He is a wounded soul and likely has been cut off from the title of marquess after a row with his father. Can Jeremy overcome his unexpected yearning or will he gain the confidence to ask for Betsy's hand in marriage? When Betsy finds herself becoming attracted to Jeremy, will she go the safe route and marry a kind but stuffy future duke or give in to attraction and marry the exciting man she's falling for?

Highly recommended - I liked the characters and their backstories in this book but didn't find it quite as far-fetched as I often do with romance. Jeremy and Betsy are constantly worrying about whether or not they're breaching convention and risking their reputations, whenever they're thrown together and end up alone. Oh, and come to think of it, I liked all the other characters  — or had fun disliking them — as well. Lord Greywick is believably stiff, his mother zany. Betsy's aunt is both charming and delightfully surprising. Say No to the Duke is the 4th in a series (it stands alone fine) and I don't know if my local library carries romance but I'm tempted to hunt down the first 3 books.


*****GIVEAWAY*****

I don't normally do giveaways because I don't have a thematic blog and my following has dropped off significantly in recent years (my own fault) but this review book came with an extra for giveaway purposes. Bottom line: your chances are excellent if you follow the rules. Skip a rule and find yourself disqualified, sorry. No exceptions.

RULES:

1. You must be a U.S. resident.

2. Tell me your all-time favorite romance novel, if you have a favorite. If not, what's the best book you've read, this year?

3. Include your email address for contact purposes.

That's all! Not a difficult contest. Drawing will close next Friday, the 5th of July. I will not announce the name of the winner; the winner will be contacted privately by email, so be sure you write that email address. It's OK to leave blanks to avoid whatever technical nastiness can happen from leaving your email the normal way.


©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long

First things first: Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long is a bit offbeat as romance novels go. I like that but I think it's worth stating because most of the regular romance readers I know crave consistency. There's a feminist bent to Lady Derring Takes a Lover, a bit less focus on attraction between the two characters who fall in love (it's more of a slow burn, which I prefer, in spite of instant attraction), and more on the business she starts up with two other women. I personally loved the uniqueness of this book and the lack of lengthy, gushy narrative; it was a 5-star read, for me. On to the description.

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring has just been widowed. Her marriage was arranged for the opportunity to pull her family out of poverty; it was not a love match and she feels somewhat freed by Lord Derring's death. That is, until the lawyer explains that Derring was heavily indebted and that, since they had no children in their six years of marriage, the estate is entailed to the closest male relative. Delilah must find alternative lodgings. Everything in her home is being reposessed and it's only through the determination of her ladies maid, Dot, that she is able to salvage her jewelry and clothing. Only one item is not attached to the estate: a building on the Thames, right by the London docks. It's a seedy part of town and the name of the building is the Rogue's Palace (which doesn't bode well) but it's all she's got.

Lady Derring and her loyal maid travel to the dockside building and stop for a drink in the pub next door, where Delilah discovers her husband's mistress, Mrs. Breedlove, seated at the table where she met Lord Derring and where he suddenly died. She, too, is destitute and has been ill used by men. But, after they get to know each other, Delilah decides to include her in her plan to turn the Rogue's Palace into a boarding house called The Grand Palace on the Thames.

Captain Tristan Hardy is the Captain of the King's Blockade, a hard man who worked his way up from poverty. His investigation into the smuggling of cigars by the deadly Blue Rock Gang has led him to suspect the involvement of the deceased Lord Derring. But, could Lady Derring be involved? In order to find out, he moves into The Grand Palace on the Thames. He will check out the building while his men observe the comings and goings of those in and around the boarding house and track down other leads. The last thing he's expecting is to fall for the beautiful proprietress in half-mourning.

Highly recommended - I was immensely entertained by Lady Derring Takes a Lover. Both Delilah and Angelique (Mrs. Breedlove) are in their 20s but they've already spent their lives serving men in loveless relationships, living well only to be cast back into poverty. Their venture is risky and, at times, absolutely hilarious. The characters in Lady Derring Takes a Lover are wonderful. Most of the romance novels I've read recently have had some sort of a rogue tamed by a young lady. Captain Hardy is quite the opposite. He's the strong, silent type but he's also a very good man who arose from hardship, himself. The maid, Dot, is a hoot. I don't even want to tell you about her for fear you'll miss out on the joy of learning about her quirks. I loved the way Lady Derring and Mrs. Breedlove, who first bristled at each other, learned to work together and eventually became friends. And, the hodge-podge of lodgers are absolutely delightful. I love everything about this book and highly recommend it. Expect uniqueness and a charming set of characters.

Lady Derring Takes a Lover is the first in The Palace of Rogues series and I can't wait to see what Julie Anne Long comes up with, next. I'm hoping the next book will be Angelique's story. I received an advance reader copy of Lady Derring Takes a Lover from Avon Books for review. Many thanks!!

©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A Duke Changes Everything by Christy Carlyle (The Duke's Den #1)

When Nicholas Lyon's father rejected him, he did so in an extraordinarily painful way. Now, years later, Nick is the owner of a successful gambling establishment and happy to strip the wealthy of their holdings when they lose at his tables. But, then disaster strikes. His brother is killed in an accident and Nick inherits his family's ducal holdings. Nick has never planned to return to his childhood home; it only holds terrible memories for him. But, as the Duke of Tremayne, Nick is responsible for his family's estate, Enderley Castle, the home he and his mother escaped many years ago.

When Nick arrives at Enderley, he intends to only remain at the castle long enough to sell off many of the valuables in preparation for leasing it out while he returns to his London home. He's not expecting to find that the steward of the estate is a trouser-wearing woman with a similar need for order. As he gets to know his steward, Mina Thorne, Nick is surprised to find himself dragging his feet and even enjoying his ability to improve the lives of his tenants. But, Nick was traumatized by his father's abuse. Will he be able to overcome the pain of his past?

Recommended to a specific audience - I read A Duke Changes Everything for the change of pace (thanks to a slumpy couple of months) and I was not disappointed. I thought it was surprising how quickly the duke softened, but the author managed to characterize him as a man with a softening heart and yet still retain the challenge of dealing with his childhood trauma while he was slowly falling in love with his steward. And, there were plenty of little surprises. There was one scene in particular that I felt was more authentic to what I'd expect of the time period than what you often find in historical romance. There were a couple historical anachronisms, but that scene helped to balance things out a bit and, anyway, I just enjoyed the reading. Mina is a likable character and the way Nick's heart is softened by doing good makes sense to me. And, the ending is incredibly satisfying.

My thanks to Avon Books for this unexpected gift. The next in the series is going to be the story of one of Nick's gambling business partners and I found him very appealing so I hope to read the next in the series, as well.

©2018 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis (Heartbreaker Bay #6)

In Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis, Molly and Lucas work together at a security firm. When he wakes up in bed with Molly, Lucas is a little freaked out. He remembers feeling compelled to take a single drink, the night before, and then . . . nothing. What happened with Molly, last night? Molly is behaving more than a little bit shifty. Lucas has recently been shot, hence the blackout. Even a single drink with his painkillers was too much. But, Molly is not saying what happened.

Bored with being off work, Lucas insists on returning without clearance from his doctor. Molly is the office manager but she wants to get involved in the investigation side of the firm. To that end, she's brought up a case to her boss. Some elderly women who work as elves at a local Christmas Village are concerned that Santa is not sharing the profits as he usually does. They think he's being greedy and keeping their bonus money.

Molly's boss, Archer, says they're overbooked and that's not their kind of case, anyway. But, Molly is determined. To keep her safe, Archer asks Lucas to keep an eye on her. He'll have to pretend to work with her. But, before he gets around to offering to help, Molly asks for his assistance.

Now that Lucas thinks he's slept with Molly, he realizes just how much he's attracted to her. Molly feels the same but she has secrets and works hard to keep them close. But, now that the wall between them has been broken down, will they be able to stay away from each other? What will happen when Molly goes undercover as an elf and discovers that Santa's story is a lot more dangerous than she could have imagined?

Hot Winter Nights is a romance, so you know the answer to that first question about whether or not they'll be able to keep their hands off each other is a flat "No." But, neither one of them is the type to commit. Molly has been hurt in the past and Lucas has suffered two shocking losses that have convinced him he must never give his heart away, again.

Recommended to a specific audience - Hot Winter Nights contains a favorite blend for romance readers: an alpha male and a plucky female who is every bit as capable as the guys. I liked the story and I sighed at the ending. Romance readers will love it. I was a little disappointed that it was light on action. I'm not a typical romance reader, so the bedroom scenes honestly just bore me, and there are a lot of them. Fortunately, there are some terrific scenes toward the end -- an exciting concluding scene with plenty of danger, followed by a heartwarming ending. So I closed the book happy. It might not be a favorite because I like more action and less romance but Hot Winter Nights left me satisfied, in the end.

Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis is the 6th book in the Hearbreaker Bay series. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but it stands alone fine. Back when I was involved in a romance writers group, Jill Shalvis was one of my favorite romance writers for her sense of humor. This particular book was less lighthearted than the Jill Shalvis stories I read back in the 90s but every now and then you get a glimpse of her sense of humor.


©2018 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.