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Always a Temptress by Eileen Dreyer

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today I’m posting a review for a book that I got from the publisher.  Always a Temptress was supposed to be part of a blog tour, but I didn’t get the book until 12 hours before the review was to be posted and I never did get the interview questions/answers.  I was pretty sad about the last part!  This is the first book that I’ve read by Eileen Dreyer and I was amazed!  I loved it!  Ms. Dreyer is certainly on my must buy list!  I really would have been interested in finding out more about this wonderful author!

If you return tomorrow, I’ll be giving away my copy of this outstanding book in the latest Giveaway hop that I’m entering.

Always a Temptress by Eileen Dreyer
ISBN: 978-0-446-54205-0
Publisher: Forever Romance
Release: October 2011
Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to read and review

His greatest battle is just beginning…..
Major Sir Harry Lidge has done his duty. After losing too many good men in battle he’s ready to live a life free of care. But first he has one last mission: kidnap the same woman who betrayed him nearly a decade earlier – and find out what she’s concealing before her secrets take down the crown.

Her heart is the only thing she won’t risk…
Surrounded by ardent admirers and a few loyal friends, Lady Kate Seaton glides through the ton armed with nothing but couture gowns and bon mots. No one suspects that beneath her lighthearted facade lies a sorrow so scandalous she’ll do anything to keep it hidden. But only when she trusts Harry with the truth can she begin to heal. And only when Harry trusts her with his heart can he protect both his country and the woman he loves.

Always a Temptress is the first book of Eileen Dreyer’s that I have read. I was thoroughly delighted by it! There is nothing better than a Regency romance and this one had some outstanding characters to recommend it!

Always a Temptress is the third book in the Drakes Rakes Series. I would suggest that readers read the books in order. I spent the first couple of chapters trying to figure out what had gone on before. Major Sir Harry Lidge is a man beset with nightmares from time served in the war. He has a loyal group of friends and servants that take care of him. All he longs for is to get away – to travel to distant places – ones that will help him heal from the horrors of war. It seems, though he has one more job to perform for king and country before he can escape. Someone or a group of someones is trying to overthrow the crown. A secret group only known as the Lions are trying to kill certain key members and put their people in charge. This seems to be something that has been a theme in the other books of this series. Harry has been given orders to kidnap Lady Kate Seaton as she has been identified as a person who has an important code. He and Lady Kate have an old history. They were once almost lovers until she was married off to the Duke of Mathers. He left to join the military and was unaware of what has happened in the intervening 10 or so years. Lady Kate is still the bright, beautiful woman he almost married, but she seems brittle, somehow. More private, somehow. But it is his job to determine if she has the code and then it becomes his job to keep her alive after yet another attempt on her life.

I don’t want to give away any of this story! Once I got the hang of the story and sort of figured out who the characters were and settled in to read, I was thoroughly engrossed in the telling of this story. The main characters are outstanding. Harry and Kate are both thoroughly tortured characters and have alot of healing to do. They have to wade through all the lies and misinformation that is now years old. They have to help each other heal from the damage decisions from years ago did to both of them. As the story unfolds, more and more layers are revealed, putting more and more pieces in the puzzle that is their history.

The huge cast of secondary characters are what push this story from being a delightful, engrossing read to a thoroughly outstanding one. There are so many to talk about, but I’ll mention a few, Thrasher is Kate’s long time servant and serves as her tiger. He speaks in a thick Cockney accent and is totally devoted to her. It’s insinuated that she rescued him from the streets after he lost his whole family in a fire in the slums of England. He is frequently referring to Kate as “Y’r Graciousness” and “Y’r Worship”. He has a quick sense of humor, but is probably the most protective of her servants while being just a child. Kate’s butler Finney was also rescued from the street and makes an unlikely but loyal butler with his thick accent and his absolute devotion to Kate. When he first meets Harry, Finney makes it clear that he doesn’t tolerate anyone messing with his Katie.

This story is beautifully written with more and more layers of detail being revealed as the pages turn. The action scenes are well written. They allow the reader to picture the activity without being overly descriptive. The chemistry between the main characters sizzles and pops. The scenes between them are hot enough to steam your glasses!
My only complaint is not a true complaint. I read the third book first and I feel that this series really needs to be read in order. This is a situation of my own making as I agreed to read and review this book without having read the first 2 books. This is the first book that I have read of Ms. Dreyer’s and I will be searching out more of her work! I highly recommend this series!

For more information on Ms Dreyer’s work, have a look at her blog, her website, or Facebook.

Ten Ways to be Adored when Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Welcome also to Series Sundays. 

This is the day that I get to celebrate my most favorite thing – books written in series!  Last week we started the latest series being written by Sarah MacLean.  Today is book two!  Sit back and enjoy.  Although I always say I love books in series, the characters in this book are outstanding!

Ten Ways to be Adored when Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean
ISBN: 978-0-06-185206-0
Publisher: Avon Historical
Source: I purchased this book to read and review
Release: Oct 26, 2010

“Lord Nicholas is a paragon of manhood.  And his eyes, Dear Reader!  So blue!”
Pearls and Pelisses, June 1923

Since being named “London’s Lord to Land” by a popular ladies’ magazine, Nicholas St, John has been relentlessly pursued by every matrimony-minded female in the ton.  So when an opportunity to escape fashionable society presents itself, he eagerly jumps – only to land in the path of the most determined, damnably delicious woman he’s ever met!

The daughter of a titled wastrel Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money.  Though she is used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father’s recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to pretect her young brother’s birthright.  the sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.

But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless and foolish….like falling madly, passionately in love.

Ten Ways to be Adored when Landing a Lord is the second adult romance written by Sarah MacLean – one of my new favorite authors.  For the purposes of this review we’ll shorten it’s lengthy name to “Ten Ways”.  Lord Nicholas St. John is the younger twin brother to Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston whome we met in Nine Rules (to Break when Romancing a Rake).  The most popular Ladies magazine in London has published an article called “Lessons in Landing a Lord”  and has named Lord Nicholas as “London’s Lord to Land”.  Although Nicholas had always attracted a fair amount of attention, he is now the subject of fierce pursuit.  After fending off several aggressive young ladies, he decides to take a friend up on an assignment and leave London for a while.  His assignment is to track down the missing sister of his friend, the Duke of Leighton.   Leighton has funded Nick’s jaunts in search of antiquities in the past, and is aware of his “bulan” or tracker capabilities.

His arrival in Duscroft, Yorkshire corresponds to Lady Isabel Townsend’s decision to sell her “marbles” or statue collection in order to bring much needed money into the house.  She is actually on her way into town to post a letter requesting an antiquities expert come and evaluate her collection for sale when Lord Nicholas saves her from an out of control wagon.  Pickly as always, instead of thanking Lord Nicholas for saving her life, she yells at him for crushing her into the ground during that save!  When she realizes who he is, she invites him to Townsend Park the following day to begin his evaluation.  Since Nick is as contrary as Isabel, he and his friend Rock (also known as Durukhan), show up that afternoon, they find Isabel in breeches on the roof trying to repair the areas that are leaking.  He becomes increasingly suspicious the more that Isabel tries to hide things from him.  The battle of these two stubborn people begin!

I found Ten Ways to be just as delightful a book as Nine Rules was.  The characters were just as compelling, but different in so many ways.  I found this story to be more evocative.  I was reaching for the tissues more often.  I loved how strong Lady Isabel was.  She weathered so much and continued to keep it together for the women she was protecting and for her brother’s inheritance.  It really brought home how vulnerable women were in that time period.  Their lack of rights makes me thankful for the freedoms I have!

This book sizzled with the chemistry between Nick and Isobel, and simmered with the gentle attraction between Lara and Rock.  This book was also funny as only Sarah MacLean can make it.  The opening scene of the book has a man – Mr. Asperton – showing up at Townsend Park to collect his bride – Lady Isabel.  It seems that he won Lady Isabel in a card game with her father.  The butler, stable master and cook (all women disguised as men) are standing in the front hall to greet him after he has been turned down by Lady Isabel.  The stable master (Kate) is slapping her coiled horse whip against her thigh.  The cook (Gwen) is swinging a heavy rolling pin and the butler (Jane) is casually inspecting the sharp edge of a sabre.  The sight of Kate with her horse whip gives Mr. Asperton concern, but the sabre striking the ground has him mounting his horse and leaving the property in a hurry!

A thoroughly enjoyable read that has me eagerly anticipating the next story in the series!

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Today is a review for a wonderful book!  In my humble opinion, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish is the best of Grace Burrowes’ series so far.  I loved Lady Sophie.  Drop back by on December 6th and enter to win a copy of this book!

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes
ISBN: 978-1-4022-6154-1
Release: Oct 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: I received a copy of this book to read and review from the publisher

All she wants is peace and anonymity….
Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent.  Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.

But Sophie’s Holiday is about to heat up….
With his estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas.  His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits – but when Sophie’s brothers whisk her away, Vim’s most painful holiday memories are reawakened.

It seems Sophie has been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true…

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish is the fourth book in Ms. Burrowes’s Regency series.  I have read and reviewed The Heir and The Soldier a few months ago and The Virtuoso was reviewed last week!  This series follows the lives and the loves of the various members of the Windham family – a Ducal family.  The Heir was about Westhaven – the brother destined to inherit the dukedom when his father passes on.  The Soldier is about St. Just the eldest, but illegitimate son, who as the title suggests is back from years being a soldier.  Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish is obvious about Lady Sophie, one of the sisters.  She is described as the most level headed of the family.  She is the one who organizes all her siblings and apparently can take credit for several marriages in her family.  She is a collector of the lost and hurt.  As such, she has quite the menagerie of animals in the stables that she cares for.  She has decided that she needs some “me” time in London before she heads to the family seat for Christmas.  While taking one of the household maids to catch a stage to go home with her baby, Sophie finds herself alone outside the inn, holding the baby who is growing increasingly upset.  It seems that the maid has changed her mind about going home with the baby, and has left young Kit with Sophie, knowing she will take care of her son.  The problem is that although Sophie has taken care of many animals, she doesn’t know the first thing about a human baby!

Along comes Vim Charpentier who can’t get a room at the inn and goes to investigate the sound of unhappy baby.  Seeing the bewildered Sophie, he decides to help her with a few essentials before continuing on his journey.  This is the start of a heart-warming, thoroughly delightful story!

Vim is a world traveler, compelled to travel to his family home for Christmas.  Somewhere he hasn’t been for years and is reluctant to go.  It seems that his aunt and uncle are getting older and some odd things are happening that he needs to look into.  His reluctance is allowing him to justify continual delays.  Since he is the eldest of several siblings, he is quite proficient at feeding care of babies.  He genuinely likes babies and his calm manner allows Sophie to learn what she needs to to take care of Kit.

Sophie considers herself to be on the shelf.  She has decided that she won’t marry, but devote her life to her family and her animals, yet she is determined to experience the marriage bed at least once in her life.  Since there is no one around to stop her, and they seemed to be snowed in by the snowstorm of the century, she makes her Christmas wish happen.

I don’t want to give away any more of the story!  This is a beautifully written story.  The subject matter is delicate – the freedom of an unwed woman in Regency England and the fate of illegitimate children during the same time period.  This subject matter is handled in a sensitive fashion – creating a story that has the reader reaching for the kleenex box on numerous occasions!  Although this is one of a series, it isn’t necessary to read this series in order.  The author allows the characters to fill in the reader on what they’ve missed.

Since these stories are romances, one can assume that they end in marriage, but Ms. Burrowes creates a tapestry of a story, that is much more than just the inevitable marriage at the end.  There is so much depth to her stories.  So many levels that are woven into this story.   The secondary characters – the brothers, the Duke and Duchess and Vim’s aunt and Uncle are all carefully woven into this tapestry.  My favorite secondary character is the Duke.  He’s a dude!  Totally unrepentant!  His Grace is present in all the stories so far and is a delightfully colorful character!

I love this passage:

“Now this is odd.”

Percival Windham folded the copy of The Times he’d been enjoying with his late afternoon tea and peered at his duchess.

“What’s odd, my love?” He topped off her tea and passed her the cup.

“Murial Chattell has written to say they just made it out to Surrey before the storm struck London, and the weather is being blamed for her daughter’s early lying-in.”

“Popping out another one is she?  Old Chattell will be bruiting that about in the clubs until Easter.”

His bride of more than three decades gave him the amused, tolerant look of a woman who could read her husband like the proverbial book.  “Don’t fret, Husband.  Devlin and Valentine are both putting their shoulders to the wheel, so to speak.  There will be more grandbabies soon.”

And Emmie and Ellen were mighty fetching inspirations for a man to pull his share of the marital load.  Her Grace, as always, had a point.

The point she’d been trying to make belatedly struck him.  “Sophie was supposed to be spending time with Chattell’s middle girl, wasn’t she?”

Her Grace took a placid sip of tea.  A deceptively placid sip of tea.  “That was Sophie’s plan.”

“Oh?”
What a wealth of meaning a married woman could put into one syllable.

“You, my love, are subtle.  A braver man might even say devious when you want to achieve your ends.  You agreed to Sophie’s plan to linger in Town with friends because the Chattells boast a houseful of empty-headed sons whom Sophie could wrap around her dainty finger, where she so inclined,”

“But Sophie is not with the Chattells, Percy.” A small frown creased Her Grace’s brow.  Had they been anywhere but His Grace’s private study, she wouldn’t have given even that much away.  “Muriel mentioned how crowded the traveling coach was with the two younger girls and all their winter finery, and she goes on and on about the difficulty of traveling in such bad weather.  She does not mention Sophie.”

His Grace enjoyed very much the machinations necessary for parliamentary schemes.  He enjoyed advising the Regent on national and foreign policy when that overfed fellow deigned to listen.  His Grace enjoyed very, very much the company of his grandchildren, and there was no greater joy in his life than his marriage.

He did not always precisely enjoy being the father much less a father ten times over, much much less the father of five single females, all of whom were arguably of marriageable age.

……”Percival Windham, you are proposing to go haring off in the dead of winter with a storm of biblical proportions raging just to the north and west, while I sit here and do what?  Worry about you in addition to the four of our offspring who are not now under our roof?  I think not.”

“Just making sure, my love.  More tea?”

She smiled at him, his reward for helping her make up her mind.  If Sophie were up to mischief, His Grace was privately of the opinion it was about damned time, provided the mischief involved a suitable swain.  Sophie was wasting her youth tending the halt and the lame when she sought to be about snabbling a handsome specimen to help provide her dear parents with some chubby little…to help her fill her nursery

His Grace opened the paper to the financial section.  An attempt to read the contents thereof was about as soporific as a that of the poppy, but it was a fine excuse to let his mind drift off to which young men of his acquaintance he might consider worthy of his more sensible daughter.

If any.

This story simply must be experienced.  Although these stories are set in a series, each one can easily be seen as a stand alone book, not dependent on the others for the history that they provide.

I highly recommend this story to all Regency fans!