Review: Mini Reviews of Four Books by Grace Burrowes

Morgan and Archer, A Novella by Grace Burrowes
Publication date: November 2013
Series: Windham #8.5
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
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~~Reviewed by Sharon~~

It is a short but sweet story. We first met Morgan in The Heir, she being the younger sister of Anna, Duchess of Westhaven. Morgan lost her hearing in an accident, but has regained partial hearing and she also can read lips. Archer is the cousin of Benjamin Hazlit, Earl of Hazleton, and an investigator trying to solve a plot against the Crown. Loved the interaction between Morgan and Archer and also how Morgan assisted Archer with solving the mystery. This is a novella so it moves along quickly, but I would recommend this book as well as the others in the Windham series.  

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Andrew: Lord of Dispair by Grace Burrowes
Publication date: December 3, 2013
Series: Lonely Lords #7
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
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~~Reviewed by Sharon~~

Andrew has lived with guilt for years after a boating accident that cost him the life of his father and his brother Gareth's fiancée and feels that he is unworthy of anybody's love, including Astrid, his brother's sister-in-law. This story picks up a few years after Gareth's book where we saw Andrew leave England for a tour of the continent, leaving Astrid behind. Astrid loves Andrew, but when he leaves her and England, she knows she needs to move on with her life so she marries Herbert, Lord Amery, who ups and dies, leaving her in the family way. Andrew returns shortly after Herbert's death and although he is very much in love with Astrid, tells her that he can never marry her. Watching these two very lonely people go through the trials and tribulations of their past had me sobbing like a baby at times, but there was also the joy of seeing them work through their past guilt to get to their HEA. If you enjoy historical romances, then I highly recommend you adding Grace Burrowes to your list of authors.

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Douglas: Lord of Heartache by Grace Burrowes
Publication date: January 7, 2014
Series: Lonely Lords #8
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
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~~Reviewed by Sharon~~

Douglas, Viscount Amery, came into his title upon the death of his older brother and finds that the not only is his estate in financial difficulty, but he knew absolutely nothing about how to go about making them profitable. Guinevere Hollister, who oversees her cousin's estates in his absence has an illegitimate daughter, Rose, who is the granddaughter of the Duke of Moreland. She is happy, but lonely, with her life and just wants to be left alone. Douglas is thinking about purchasing a property of Gwen's cousin, so he persuades Gwen to travel with him to the property to see if she thinks it would be a profitable purchase and to teach him about land husbandry. Gwen is awkward and uncertain around Douglas, but he is so gentle with her that you just want to swoon. There are a few tense moments when the Duke of Moreland sets out to have Gwen marry his heir, but Douglas knows that he is the only man who could ever make Gwen happy and is just as determined to win her love for himself. Once again, Grace Burrowes has written a story that will stay with you long after the book has ended.

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David: Lord of Honor by Grace Burrowes
Publication date: March 4, 2014
Series: Lonely Lords #9
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
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~~Reviewed by Sharon~~

Grace Burrowes has once again written another magnificent Lonely Lords book.  David, Viscount Fairly, has inherited a high-class brothel, which he wants to be free from.  Letticia (Letty) Banks was a former mistress to David's late brother-in-law.  When David offers Letty the position of Madam at the brothel, she knows that it is not the life she wants, but must accept or be forced to find another protector, which she has no interest in doing.  Loved the interaction between David and Letty and the way they overcame the hurdles set in front of them to get to their very own HEA.

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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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