ARC Review: Why Lords Lose Their Hearts by Manda Collins

Why Lords Lose Their Hearts by Manda Collins 
Publication date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: St. Martins Paperbacks
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~~Reviewed by Evelyn~~

Why Lords Lose their Hearts, a new romantic mystery by Manda Collins to be released on July 29, 2014, begins with a plot that promises excitement and intrigue, and main characters that are likeable and sympathetic.  The heroine, the young and beautiful Perdita, the Duchess of Ormond, has endured years of abuse at the hands of her husband, Gevase.  When he is accidentally killed by falling on the same knife that he was holding at her throat seconds earlier, she feels genuine relief.  This quickly turns into fear, however, as there is someone out there who blames her for the Duke’s death and wants her to pay for it with her own.

After Perdita’s sisters are threatened and an attempt is made on her own life, Lord Archer Lisle, private secretary to her late husband, vows that he will do anything it takes to protect her and to find out who is putting her life in danger.  He is also secretly in love with Perdita, and is determined to prove to her that it is safe to love again even though she no longer trusts her own judgment when it comes to men.

This is where the promises ended for me.  I had high hopes for this book, but I found the first half very slow and, at times, bogged down by endless dialogue that seemed to over-power the action.  The pace of the book improved in the second half, however, and the events that happened became more compelling, but when I finally reached the finale, with its expected twists and turns, it just didn’t ring true for me.

I’m giving this book three stars. I did like the characters in very much.  I felt they were well developed and their reactions to events in the story rang true.  I could recommend this book to someone who would enjoy reading it for the love story between Perdita and Archer and would ignore the short-comings of the style and the plot.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ARC Review: What a Wallflower Wants by Maya Rodale

What a Wallflower Wants by Maya Rodale
Publication date: September 30, 2014
Series: Bad Boys and Wallflowers #3
Publisher: Avon
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~~Reviewed by Sharon~~

After reading the first two books in the Wallflower Series, I anxiously awaited Prudence's story; however, I believe I may have set my hopes too high, as it did not live up to my expectations.  This series is about three wallflowers and close friends who, after four years with no marriage prospects, strive to find a husband prior to Lady Penelope's Finishing School for Young Ladies Annual Ball since there has never been an unmarried graduate after four years on the marriage mart in the 100 year history of the school.  During their third season the "gentlemen" of White's had named them London's Least Likely's with Olivia being the least likely to cause a scandal (Book One:  The Wicked Wallflower); Emma, least likely to misbehave (Book Two: Wallflower Gone Wild) and Prudence, least like to be caught in a compromising position.

Although the book started out a little dark with what the reader will realize right up front is Prue's being raped at her first ball, the book lightened up and actually was entertaining for the next few chapters.  We find Prue eloping with Cecil, Lord Nanson, expecting to have a "white" marriage since Cecil's sexual preferences did not include women, but at least she would not be classed a failure when she attended Lady Penelope's Annual Ball.  After being overtaken by a highwayman and having her intended push her out of the carriage to save himself, we find Prue running through the woods, then walking to the nearest inn to take cover from the rain.  After getting to the local inn, she meets up with John, Lord Castleton, whom she had met previously on the road, but refused to take him up on his offer of a ride since she could not allow herself to be alone with a man.  This is where the story began to take a downward turn for me.  I realize the author was attempting to show Prue's reluctance to be near any man because of her previous rape, but the long, drawn-out episodes at the inn had me struggling to continue to read. There was Prue's reluctance to be in the same room as John, and also Prue's rapist showing up at the Inn and attempting to corner her again, but the whole thing just seemed to take forever for the author to explain.  John was a wonderful hero, but he, too, had a secret that he did not reveal till the very end of the book, so that in itself was also a turn-off for me.  I will say that after plugging away at this book for over a week (I usually read a book in one day), the ending was better written and had me cheering John and Prue on to their HEA.

Although the book wasn't as well done as the previous two books (in my opinion), I was happy to see Prudence get her story told and it was great meeting up again with the other wallflowers and their husbands.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: A Dangerous Madness by Michelle Diener

A Dangerous Madness by Michelle Diener 
Publication date: May 19, 2014
Publisher: Michelle Diener
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~~Reviewed by Ezrah~~

A Dangerous Madness is the third book in the Regency London Series by Michelle Diener and it is also the first book that I have read from this author. This book reads like a standalone and I was able to follow through with the story despite not reading the other two books in the series. I honestly had a hard time reading the first few chapters but as the story progressed, it became more interesting.

The story centers on James, the Duke of Whittaker - who is living a lie, pretending to be someone he is not because he works as a spy for the Home Office - and the newly jilted Miss Phoebe Hillier. These two get involved when Phoebe's ex-fiancé confessed that he had to leave the country due to the assassination of Spencer Perceval, the then British Prime Minister, and he feared for his life. James, on the other hand, had decided he wanted to end his spy career. Unfortunately, he was tasked by the Home Office to ferret out the mastermind behind the assassination. This brought him to Phoebe's doorstep.

I liked the story. The mix between romance and mystery is so well written that I felt a little bit like Sherlock Holmes trying to solve the mystery. The story is fast paced and is filled with obstacles throughout the book which doesn't make the book boring at all.

I also liked James. He has been pretending to be a rake and a libertine for a long time that reality and pretense blurred together. He felt sick of it all and wanted to leave the spying business behind. Because Phoebe was indirectly involved in the investigation, she jumped at the chance to partner with James and saw it as a way to be free from the strictures of her station.

While both characters are admirable as individuals, I did not feel that both connected with each other. I felt a kind of disconnect between the romance of the story because I felt there was more emphasis on the mystery rather than their romance.

All in all, A DANGEROUS MADNESS is an enjoyably fast paced read but I would have wanted more romance between James and Phoebe.  I will definitely be looking at Miss Diener's backlist, and looking forward to her upcoming books. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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