Sugarbeat's Books

The Home of the Romance Novel

book

So Wild a Heart by Candace Camp

By

ISBN: 1-55166-877-7
Publisher: MIRA Historical Books

So Wild a Heart is the first book in Candace Camp’s “Heart Trilogy.”  This book begins with us meeting the hero of the book – Devin Aincourt – the Earl of Ravenscar.  He is a drinker, a womanizer and a gambler, having been cast aside by his father years before; Dev is happy to live out his life in a hedonistic fashion.  His mother begs him to restore the family name and fortune by marrying a rich American heiress.  It seems that the family needs money and Dev’s reputation is such that no respectable English family would have him!

Miranda Upshaw, the American heiress, is much more than Dev has bargained for!  She is the daughter of a wealthy fur trader; she is feisty, independent, business-minded and completely unimpressed by the English aristocracy.  She and her father are interested in restoring “Blackwater” the earl’s estate and have the money to do it!  Although Miranda refuses Devin’s offer of marriage at first, she eventually realizes that there are advantages to a marriage of convenience.

As in all good romances, Miranda and Dev’s relationship eventually becomes intimate.  It is entertaining to see Miranda extricate Dev from the clutches of his former debauched mistress and win his heart while putting his estates in order and encouraging Dev to become involved again with painting – his true passion in life.

Candace Camp just keeps getting better!  Miranda is one of the best heroines that I’ve met in some time.  She is smart, self-confident, knows what she wants and how to get it.  Devin at the beginning of the story makes my hair curl with the level of his debauchery.  Devin at the end of the story is a wonderfully grounded person who has truly found his place in life with an admirable love by his side!

RT Reviews says the following of this book: “Candace Camp brings drama, suspense, a bit of humor and plenty of passion to her exciting first novel in a new trilogy. She delights us with her remarkable characters and keeps us engrossed in their warm and fast-paced love story.”
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=sugsboonoo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0373771606&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare

By

ISBN: 978-0-345-50686-3

Publisher: Ballentine/DelRay

Tomboy Lucy Waltham has imagined herself in love with her older brother’s friend, Sir Toby ,since she was 11 years old and he crowned her “Diana, Goddess of the Hunt” with a crown of ivy.  Like many younger sisters, she bidded her time until she was older and the object of her affections would take her seriously.  Our story starts 8 years later when Lucy is all grown and her brother and his friends arrive for their annual hunt.  For the first time, Sir Toby is interested in another woman.  The gossip is, that Sir Toby is going to ask this other woman to marry him.  Lucy feels she has no option but to seduce him before he becomes engaged. She has a instructional book, but no practical knowledge. So she turns to her brother’s friend, Jeremy Trescott, Earl of Kendall, to practice kissing and other seduction techniques.

Jeremy has always treasured his visits to Waltham Manor and his time with his friends.  He has grown up in a home where his parents show no love for him or each other and because of this he has shut his emotions off.  The only person who has been able to get a rise out of him over the years has been Lucy.  Imagine his surprise when he opens his bedroom door one evening to a kiss from Lucy followed by the request to help her practice seduction techniques.

The story that follows leaps from the pages.  The characters are wonderfully written.  I can absolutely imagine Lucy as a tag along little sister, trying desperately to be taken seriously.  This book is  a “fall in love with brother’s best friend” story, but no where is it mundane or seemingly following a formula.

I found the following review on Amazon and it sums up my feelings of this book. “Every year there seems to be one debut author who bursts upon the scene and absolutely knocks my socks off with her superb writing skill.  This year, that author is Tessa Dare.  …Dare showcases her command of the English language with exquisite prose that sings across the pages with a lyrical quality that is a joy to read.  Her characters are so vividly drawn that they practically leap from the pages and her story unerringly hits all the right notes.”

Tessa Dare is a relatively new author, with Goddess of the Hunt being her first book.  It was well received and reviewed: “A daring debut….Dare is on the path to stardom.” Romantic Times

“Debut author Tessa Dare bursts upon the scene with a high-energy and high-drama romance.  She tells the story with provocative words and feverish action.  Her cast of secondary characters is unforgettable and set the stage for  the next book in this back-to-back series.” Fresh Fiction

“Highly original…Tessa Dare is an author to watch!” Romance Reader’s Connection

“It’s been a long while since I’ve enjoyed a debut novel as much as Goddess of the Hunt. With a cast of refreshingly realistic characters, a spicy love story, an irreverent sense of humor, and some truly funny dialogue, this is a book certain to cheer up jaded readers of historical romance.”  The Romance Reader

I also, am looking forward to reading not only the next books in this series, but some of the other books she has written.  She is currently on my ‘must buy’ list!

An Unwilling Bride by Jo Beverley

By

 

We start the second book in the “Company of Rogues” series with Beth Armitage – a woman who is content with her life as a school teacher – finding out that the life as she knows it will change.  It seems that 20 years ago the current wife of the Duke of Belcraven had an affair with an old flame while her husband was away.  The result was a son – a third son – Lord Arden.  When his two other sons die tragically, the Duke finds himself in the position of having another man’s son as his heir. To add to the mix, it seems that the Duke, himself, also has an illegitimate child – a daughter – Beth Armitage – who he now will force to marry his remaining son, so that the “Belcraven blood line” will continue.

This sets the scene for the development of the rocky relationship of “Lord Arden – a full blooded aristocratic male who is finding out for the first time that he is illegitimate and Beth Armitage – an early feminist with republican inclinations”! (as it is phrased on the book summary)  As you can well imagine, this book in the series explores the area of women’s rights with Beth being a fiery follower of Mary Woolstencroft.  An Unwilling Bride was the winner of: the RWA RITA award for Best Regency, the Golden Leaf Award  for Best Historical and Romantic Times Best Regency Romance.

I found this book in the series to be very enjoyable!  I didn’t really like Lucien, Lord Arden.  At one point he actually backhands Beth.  He is a pretty unlikeable character for most of the book.  Even in future books, he comes off as stiff and unlikeable.  I like to think about him having the label of “No Fun Zone”!  I felt a great deal of empathy for Beth.  It seems that women in Regency England REALLY need woman’s rights!  Although I am aware that this is a fictional book, it make me thankful for the rights that I have!

That being said, experience tells me that a Jo Beverley novel is not a nice and easy read.  I may not like Lucien or how he orders Beth around, but I can appreciate how Jo Beverley takes some very unlikeable characters and weaves an incredibly wonderful story around them.  The Company of Rogues aspect adds a nice background to Lucien’s earlier years, provides a support system for him and also helps us understand him a bit better.  Definitely a rewarding read!

The Romance Reader says: “the first four-fifths of An Unwilling Bride is delightful, and historical romance readers who haven’t sampled Jo Beverley’s work would do well to pick this one up.”

Review of book 1 here.