His Royal Christmas Revenge by Clare Connelly

 

His Royal Christmas Revenge is written by Clare Connelly and published by Mills and Boon Modern. This novel is part of their Christmas themed offerings. The heroine is Queen Astrid Thera of Norvenheim. She became Queen when she was still a teenager after surviving a car crash where her parents and older brother sadly died. The heroine is The hero, Javier Diamandi, sent away from the island as a child by his stepmother after both his parents died. They meet at the Starlight ball. Astrid is looking for a spouse who she can have children with. She considers Otto, Javier’s half brother but at the ball she is drawn to Javier. She decides this will be her time with no advisors telling her who is appropriate and they plunge into affair. Their affair appears doomed to failure due to their issues going back to childhood and Astrid’s determination to put her country first. Will they be able to overcome these insurmountable problems and have their HEA? 

This is the first book written by Clare that I haven’t enjoyed and that I struggled finish as it dragged. It lacked Christmas cheer. The front cover didn’t scream holiday season to the prospective reader, it was too dark and gothic. The characters didn’t gel or complement each other and the link to the holiday season was tenuous at best! There was something “off” about the whole novel as though the author hadn’t really enjoyed writing it or enjoyed developing the characters. In someways the story, even though it is fictional and set in yet another fictitious tiny monarchy, is relevant as most of the European Royal houses’  next monarch will be female, I wonder how they will choose their spouse? Anyway not her best work. I won’t be rereading it. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: Unexpectedly His After-Party Consequences (Billion-Dollar Bet) / Princess Bride Swap (Rebel Princesses) by Heidi Rice; Lorraine Hall

Unexpectedly His contains two Mills & Boon Modern novels, After Party Consequences by Heidi Rice (which is part of the Billion Dollar Bet mini series) and Princess Bride Swap by Lorraine Hall (part of the Rebel Princess mini series). 

After Party Consequences’ storyline focuses on a billionaire staying faithful over one summer, to prove he is not a playboy. This time it’s billionaire Cade Landry, if he remains single or with just one woman for the summer he will win ownership of the only place that holds memories of his mother. Instead of remaining single, he is caught in a one night stand with Charlotte Courtney, Charley. She is an ex teenage model who turned her life around, went to fashion college and trained to be a fashion designer. She is using her savings she earned as a model to fund her little flat in the East End of London. They first encountered each other 4 years ago when she was an out of control model/ socialite. Very embarrassing for her. Now she is a grown up 22 year old determined to achieve her ambitions. The press and everyone involved in the bet discover that they had a one night stand and he gets Charley to agree to faking a relationship. The chemistry between them makes this easy but then a third little person makes its way in to the mix! 

Both characters have childhood issues that have shaped their adulthood. He was abandoned, she had disinterested parents. It is interesting to see how the author makes these characters complex but likeable to the reader. Showing how they both grow and develop as they face parenthood. I enjoyed this book and would recommend. 

Princess Bride Swap is the second book in this mini anthology. Princess Beaugonia replaces her twin Zia in the arranged marriage to Prince Lyon Traverso after she has a rare night of freedom as end up pregnant. Beau arranges the new marriage contract between Lyon and herself before informing her father, the King of the Kingdom of Lyon, so he could not scupper her plans. Her father bad never liked Beau. Even though she is the eldest twin he made Zia his heir. Beau and Lyon have chemistry between them but will he support his new bride when he discovers her secrets that have kept her in the shadow of her sister? 

I didn’t enjoy this novel as much as the first in the duo. I found the storyline rather fanciful and this trope has been done so many times. The book, however, is well written and the characters, although not particularly believable, are interesting as the reader watches/ reads their interaction.

This duo of novels makes a good combination of storylines and makes for a good introduction to these authors writing styles.   

 I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: Fake Fling with the Billionaire by Rachael Stewart

 

Fake Fling with the Billionaire is written by Rachael Stewart and is part of the Mills & Boon True Love collection. 

Cassie is currently holed up in a Paris hotel, trying to recover emotionally and financially after divorcing Prince Serignone. The Duponts, the royal family seem determined to paint her as the one who caused her marriage to fail when in reality it was her husband’s fault. She first meets Hugo Chevalier, a billionaire teddy bear made of steel,  in rather compromising circumstances when he is locked out of his apartment after sleepwalking naked. They soon become firm friends and he escorts her around Paris so that she can see the sights, they enter into a fake fling so she can do this and slowly their friendship becomes more. Both of them have baggage from the past that could hinder their future together, will they overcome the barriers and have their HEA. 

Despite coming from a rich background and being an ex-princess, Cassie is an intriguing character. She seems to be a determined character who does not let the press intrusion phase her. She seems sad but philosophical about the (lack of a) relationship with her parents and is determined to rebuild her life. Hugo also has problems with his parents, not that they are disinterested but that they are overbearing, especially as they interfere with his love life due to his youthful mistake that nearly destroyed the family business. He comes across as a lovely down to earth character despite being a billionaire as he helps Cassie put her life back together.

I enjoyed this novel, the storyline was interesting and I love reading any novel set in Paris! I would recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Rachael Stewart and Book Funnel but this did not affect my review.  

Book Review: Her Secret Baby Confession by Juliette Hyland

Her Secret Baby Confession by Juliette Hyland is a Mills & Boon Medical romance and the second novel in the Hope Hospital series. 

Jackson Peters, a nurse anaesthetist and Dr Ryann Oliver, a trauma surgeon had baby Alya after a one night stand in Hawaii. Jackson never thought he would be a father and has lots of emotional baggage dating back to being abandoned as a very young child. but Ryann has spent the past year trying to firstly tell him sw was pregnant and then that she had had a baby girl. She finally tracks him down to Hope hospital Arizona where she obtains a job as surgeon so she can finally tell him. The story unfolds from there. 

 I enjoyed this book because for once the heroine is the surgeon and both main characters are 40ish with interesting backstories. As someone who lives in the UK I was interested to read this medical romance which very slightly touched on the issues that shape the US - more black women die in child birth for example which I don’t think has ever been addressed in any othe medical novel I have read. 

I disliked the lack of tension and chemistry between the couple. There was a lack of a build up between the pair. was focused on building the perfect family life, whilst one of Ryann’s dominant storylines  was that she was obsessively focused on her elimination diet so she could breast feed. 

A bland book that lacks something to make the characters likeable. A shame as the premise is great. 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: Brutal Capo by Lucy Munroe

Brutal Capo is the fifth in the Syndicate Rules Series. Bianca had grown up within the New York mafia but was thrown out when she was a teenager after watching her father getting killed. Her twin and mother move away leaving her on her own. She was working as a pole dancer but moved to being a server in a mafia owned bar. Salvatore, a capo, falls in lust with her and the story goes from there. His don finds out who she is and demands that Sal either marries or is killed.

A fast moving plot. Lots of blood, sex and humour between the characters. An enjoyable read but nothing like the Mills & Boon novels that she used to write!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Book Review:Bound By A Sicilian Secret by Lela May Wight

Flora Bick had an idyllic life working on the family owned dairy farm. She discovers a big secret about her past and runs to London for the night to consider what it means to her. raffele Russo owns the hotel she escapes to. She wanders into his orbit, they have a ONS and she runs back home. He tracks her down and together they discover she is pregnant. They go to Sicily and she realises the enormity of his wealth. She knows she lives him but can she get him to admit the same to her? 

These are two strong, determined characters who are divided by wealth but in their ways very similar. Both are tenacious, determined and stubborn individuals.  The storyline is well thought out and timed, the author doesn’t drag the story out and makes the characters believable and relatable to the reader. This is her second novel and I enjoyed it. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

 

Book Review: Seducing Her Scarred Boss by Natalie Anderson

 

Seducing Her scarred Boss is the second novel in Natalie Anderson’s Billionaire Bosses, Forbidden Flings. All the books in the series have a link to New Zealand, which is where she is from/ lives. This novel was originally a Mills and Boon Harlequin Presents Extra, Maverick Millionaires series but she now owns the copyright and has republished it so it can be downloaded on Kindle etc. 

Seducing Her Scarred Boss reintroduces and gives Lorenzo Hall, who is a secondary character in the first novel, the chance for his own romance/HEA.   Lorenzo is originally from the wrong side of the tracks, now a billionaire wine merchant, loner who avoids relationships, doesn’t show emotion or lose control and is the archetypal bad boy. For the first time he starts to lose control around Sophy and show his emotions. 

Sophy Brathwaite is a law school dropout who runs round after her high flying legal family. She is a people pleaser who is desperate to become a jewellery designer. She agrees to volunteer at the Whistle Fund Foundation after her sister, Cara, goes into labour early. When she gets to the Foundation she discovers it to be in disarray.  She finds Lorenzo and realises he is sick. She organises his medical care which he is not thrilled about. There is definitely chemistry between the pair. After a period of neither one making the first move despite a sizzling attraction, they agree to one night together where the sparks really fly. Her plans for the future now include Lorenzo but will he let her into his heart?

I found it difficult to relate to and like Lorenzo and Sophy which is a shame as I liked him in the first book. Even when taking into account his appalling childhood he doesn’t come across very well to the reader, sneering and acting like a bully. Sophy comes across as a snivelling wimp so not a great combination of characters. The novel does show how their characters improve but I think I prefer Tempting Her Forbidden Boss as it has aged better (both were originally published in 2010). 

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange a honest review.

The Secret She Must Tell The Spaniard by Clare Connelly

The Secret She Must Tell The Spaniard is written by Clare Connelly and published by Mills and Boon Modern. The novel combines several themes including secret baby, young love, betrayal, abandonment and reconciliation. 

Alicia was 16 and Graciano, 18,  when they had an affair. Alicia’s father, a minister for the church, accuses Graciano of assaulting Alicia and she stays silent. Graciano leaves, lives on the streets for a while and then slowly builds a financial empire. Alicia is thrown out by her father and sent to live with her Aunt and has a baby. She rings Graciano to tell him that she is pregnant but he rebuffs her. Her father tells her that if she ever has contact with Graciano  he will have him arrested for sexual assault. She has established a charity and is a well known event planner.

They meet 10 years later at Alicia’s charity event. She is auctioning her services as an event planner to raise money for her charity. Graciano wins the auction and takes her to his private slabs to plan his event. 

The attraction between the pair is still there and as they compare notes over what happened in the past they realise both have made mistakes and misunderstandings are ironed out. They succumb to the attraction but Alicia has to rush home when her daughter has accident. This is when Graciano discovers he has a nine year old daughter. He threatens to take Anne away then he reads the baby book Alicia has made for him and declares his love for her. 

Reading back the synopsis I have just written I should have enjoyed this book but I didn’t. The characters weren’t particularly likeable. Even by the end of the book Anne (the daughter) didn’t know Graciano was her father. The daughter is hardly mentioned throughout the book which is strange considering it is a secret baby trope book. Alicia made one phone call to tell him he was going to be a father then for the next nine years didn’t bother making contact, but she thought about it every day. The ending seem very rushed without the characters properly processing the fact that all their lives had changed now Graciano was in the picture. I think this is the first one of her novels that I have struggled to reach the end of. 

 I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: One Night With Her Viking Warrior by Sarah Rodi

Raedan and Rebekah  are both Saxons who lived at Reystone Keep. Lady Rebekah had been sent there after the Danes attacked her home. She was burned but survived and went to live with her Uncle Cynerik. He wants her to marry her cousin, Lord Atol but she has fallen for Raedan, the stable boy. They have one night together then he vanished. Her Uncle told her that he is dead. As she sees no happiness in her future she agrees to marry Atol. Her Uncle does a few months later and Atol refuses to marry her unless she has a son. She has a daughter. 

Years pass and Rebekah is essentially the Lady of the Keep, without a marriage and forced to be Atol’s leman. Years pass and the Danes invade again, led by Halfdan. She is captured during the battle and realises Halfdan is actually Raedan. 

Raedan is devastated that Rebekah agreed to marry Atol so soon after she had been told he had died. In reality he had been captured and sold into slavery.  Years pass and he is bought and released by Jarl Knud and his sister. He became Halfdan and trained to be a warrior who quickly rose through the ranks. 

He leads the attack on the Keep and captured Rebekah. He thought he was over her but realises the chemistry between them is still there. Their secrets start to come out: he had been a slave, she had no part in his banishment or being sold into slavery and Atol had abused her. He decided to take her back to Nedergaard and returns to the keep to rescue her daughter Gytha from the Keep. 

Atol gives chase but they escape. Raedan takes Rebekah and her daughter to his home and they marry so he can protect them. There are still secrets to be uncovered, misunderstandings and enemies waiting to attack so the road to their HEA will not be easy!  

This is a second chance at love romance. The pair were ripped apart years ago and both have been treated very badly ever since then. When they meet again they are enemies but this transcends from barely standing the sight  of each other to slowly turn to trust and love as their secrets are shared. The plot line moves extremely quickly and includes themes of betrayal, battle, lust, love, and adventure. The story switches from seeing the story from the viewpoint of both the main characters. I don’t always enjoy novels with scenes written in the first person but it was well done and enjoyable to read. 

The characters, even the villains are full of character and larger than life. Rebekah is very determined and controlled whilst Raedan is a proficient warrior he shows another caring side when playing and interacting with Gytha. I wish the villains had been more severely dealt with by the author, they almost seem superfluous and forgotten  by the end of the novel. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review Falling Again For The Brazilian Doc by Luana DaRosa

Yara Silvia and Salvador Martins first met as teenagers 30 years ago. They fell in love but Yara’s parents disapproved and bribed her by paying for her medical school tuition if she dumped Sal. Sal was broken hearted but has moved on with his life. Yara is now a well known diagnostician, Sal a radiologist. He is bring up his nephew, Felix, as his brother is in prison. Sal’s long term relationship fell apart as hos partner couldn’t cope with Felix, whilst she is a commitmentphobe after a traumatic divorce. 

This is a second chance at love romance but with a twist. They meet when Yara returns to  work at the same hospital as Sal - the Centro Medico Juliana Amala Brasilia to work on a consultant on a case that is proving very difficult to diagnose.  There is still chemistry between the pair but as Sal’s last serious relationship was with Edinho he is concerned she will seem him differently whilst she doesn’t she still remains committed to being anti commitment. 

Yara solves the case and despite being offered a full time job at the hospital remains undecided. Felicity is admitted to hospital after falling off a wall and tells her that his uncle had been the happiest he has seen him in the past two weeks for a long time. Sal, however, feels guilt for his nephews’s accident and tells Yara it’s over. Will his nephew manage to persuade him to go after her? 

This is the first  time when  reading any Mills & Boon imprints bisexuality has been a mention or a (very brief) part of the plot line. The question to ask is: Did it add anything to the storyline or was it merely to broaden the appeal of the novel to a larger audience?  The whole issue of queerness, bisexuality and new relationships fitted into the storyline without feeling forced but it didn’t really add anything to the storyline. Maybe if Edinho had actually been a character who the readers could relate to, rather than merely mentioned in passing Sal’s bisexuality would have become a stronger  secondary storyline. 

The characters don’t really gel together. They seem superficial and don’t seem to warm to each other outside the bedrooms even though their respective backstories which shape their characters are outlined in the first few chapters. 

The artwork on the front of the book is unfair both the main characters are both Doctors from Brazil. Yes the photo is a handsome middle aged male but why couldn’t there have been a photo of a middle age ish woman on the front Of the book or a photo of two middle aged individuals as both are Doctors who fall in love again, or would that have been a step to far? 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: Miracle Twins For The Midwife (Mills & Boon Medical)

Miracle Twins for the Midwife is a Mills & Boon Medical romance written by Louisa Heaton.  Natalie a midwife  has escaped her past in rural Montana to try to heal her broken heart and come to terms with the fact that due to a terrible accident she may never be able to carry her own child. She has a new job in a busy NYC hospital and goes out on New Years Eve and has a one night stand.

Her one night stand only happens to be Dr Henry who as she she discovers the very next day works in the same dept. He too has his own demons. His daughter was still born and he is now divorced.

After their past experiences both individuals have deep reasons to guard their hearts. Will Natalie’s surprise twin pregnancy thaw Henry’s frozen heart or will Natalie  take her broken heart back to Montana and bring the babies up alone?

An enjoyable read. Well written, characters are engaging, likeable and catch the reader’s attention. Nothing ground breaking but a comfortable easy read.

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: The Guilty Die Twice by Don Hartshorn

 I was asked if I would like to review this book and I agreed as the synopsis sounded very interesting. The Guilty Die Twice is a mystery thriller written by Don Hartshorn.

Set in America the main two characters are brothers - Jake and Travis Lynch. Both brothers are attorneys. The eldest, Jake,  is the DA for Texas whist Travis runs a mostly pro bono practice. 10 years ago the family was split in two by a capital murder case. The author uses flash backs to explain this case, Travis hid vital evidence to stop Sutton, the accused, from being executed. His brother finds out and Jake resigns from his job at the DA’s office. They haven’t spoken since then.

This new case features three victims: two teenage boys shot dead in a car whilst the third has life changing injuries. A drug deal gone horribly wrong there were were three shooters.  As the DA Jake is prosecuting this case whilst Travis is trying to prevent his young client, Sam, from being charged with the death penalty. The two brothers attempt to figure out who pulled the trigger whilst a secondary storyline is woven in which is full of political intrigue and backstabbing as elections for both the DA and Governor are imminent. 

This book is beautifully thought out. The flashbacks and different storylines are cleverly woven together. Travis is a likeable character, Jake is not. The secondary characters, the wives, Claire etc do not hinder but add to the storyline. The book is not sanctimonious when expressing Travis’s opposition to the death penalty merely presenting thoughtful and considered arguments. I enjoyed this debut novel and would thoroughly recommend it.  

Publisher website link:
https://www.tckpublishing.com/

author’s website:
https://donhartshorn.com/

I was #gifted this novel from TCK Publishing but this does not influence the views expressed in this blog post. 

Book Review: Revealing Her Nine-Month Secret by Natalie Anderson

Revealing Her Nine Month Secret is written by Natalie Anderson and is part of the Jet Set Billionaires Mills & Boon Modern mini series. 

Carrie Barrett and Massimo Donati-Wells enjoy one night in Auckland after she is stood up on a blond date. She realises her period is late and face times Massimo to tell him. The day after this she thinks she has miscarried the baby, so leaves a message for him not realising he is on a plane coming to see her and travels to Fiji to start her dream job. Several months later she sees Massimo in a market in Fiji, collapses and goes into labour. He takes her to hospital where she stays for the next three weeks. He only finds out he is a father/ there is a baby when a receptionist tells him that they are both stable. 

He whisks Carrie and baby Ana to his private Fijian island and they negotiate a contract marriage so Carrie can get Australian residency. Carrie is rather shocked as she didn’t know she was expecting a bay and Massimo is rather sceptical of this claim. Both Carrie and Massimo have been shaped by their childhood problems. Will they be able to overcome the lasting barriers created by these influences and create a forever family?

I enjoyed this novel. The backdrop of both Auckland and Fiji were both described in detail and provided a nice change from the traditional Venice/London/New York etc M&B location. It is also interesting to see the childhood factors that have shaped their adulthood choices: Carrie’s need to please due to feeling and being treated as inferior to the rest of her sporty family whilst Massimo’s aversion to a family is down to to his father abandoning him when he discovers he is not biologically his child. 

I would recommend this book and others by this author as they are all enjoyable to read. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I was sent an advance copy by Natalie Anderson but this does not affect my review. 

Book Review: The Woman at the Gates by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

The Woman at the Gates by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a historical novel set in the Ukraine during World War 2 and their subsequent resettlement in their country after the war ended. The storyline is based upon diaries and recollections collected from Chrystyna’s relatives.

The novel follows the life of Antonia Kozak, formerly a University lecturer turned resistance fighter and her extended family, the Mazur as she is taken into a concentration camp by the Gestapo, not knowing whether Victor, her fiancé, is alive or dead to their ultimate relocation to the US after the War had ended. 

The book has so many themes and the reader can imagine through the retelling of the memories the horrors that the Mazur family and other Ukrainian families went through. Antonia isn’t always a likeable character but she is a strong character, determined to fight for her family. I won’t say it’s an enjoyable read because it’s about a family’s suffering but it is an interesting read that I would recommend. 

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Greek Heir to Claim Her Heart by Jennifer Hayes

 

Greek Heir To Claim Her Heart is written by Jennifer Hayes and published by Mills & Boon True Love. 

Hermione Kappas is the manager of a luxury hotel on a  Greek island. After losing her family she regards the other staff as her new family and the resort her home. Atlas Othonos recently inherited the resort and now wants to sell it. He is a loner who doesn’t depend or befriend anyone. Hermione has two weeks - Valentines Day is the deadline - to persuade Atlas to change his mind. 

I normally don’t request to review the True Love series novels as I find that they can be sugary sweet and very slow paced storyline wise. I did, however, enjoy this novel.  I enjoyed the contrasting characters: Atlas is a loner whilst Hermione is a people person who always looks to see the best in people and help out wherever needed. With Hermione’s help Atlas also begins to see the good in people and starts to enjoy life for itself rather than just making money. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review Desert Prince’s Defiant Bride by Julieanne Howells

Desert Prince’s Defiant Bride is Julieanne Howell’s debut Mills & Boon Modern novel and it certainly doesn’t disappoint the reader!

The Crown Prince Kahled has earned the moniker the sad prince as he never appears to smile or look happy when out in public.  Kahled, future King of Nabhan meets Lily Marchand when she sneaks into his rooms in his English countryside mansion order to steal Nate Marchant, her brother’s laptop to prove his innocence - £10 million has disappeared from a charity run jointly by Kahled and his best friend from childhood, her brother.  

Kahled catches her in the act of stealing the laptip and whisks her off to his desert kingdom, in the process blackmailing her into becoming his temporary fiancée, or he will surrender her to the police. Kahled hopes to flush out her brother so the money can be recovered. Lily persuades Kahled that her brother may not have siphoned off the money and he starts investigating who may have done so if not Nate. 

Slowly Lily and Kahled fall in love and he starts to wish they could be together forever. He needs to make an alliance with a neighbouring country and has already virtually agreed to an alliance there. The most he can offer Lily is an affair with house etc. A coup, led by the villain who stole the money happens whilst Lily us in the process of having her heart broken but will Nate be able to tell/ show Lily that it is her that he really wants to be with.

This is a solid, humorous read. The characters gel well together. Both Nate and Lily are complex characters due to their childhoods. Thee are no holes in the storyline which I found to enjoyable. A great first novel, setting a high bar for future books. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

 

Book Review: The Return of Her Long Lost Husband by Joanna Johnson

 The Return of Her Long Lost Husband by Joanna Johnson is. Mills & Boon historical romance with a second chance at love storyline. 

Nathaniel Honeywell is expecting to be met by his wife, Hester Honeywell, with open arms after returning from the dead. Persuaded by his father, Nat left Hester when she was very ill, to go on a voyage.  Nate’s ship, Celeste,  sank and he was captured. Enslaved in Algiers he lost his eyesight in one eye and a finger but gained a friend, Jacob Marrow. He has been missing, presumed dead, for 5 years. Obviously Hester is now not thrilled to see him, she is loving her new life as a widow and sees no need to find someone else, although her sister, Diana, thinks otherwise. Nate married Hester because his father wanted him to. He treated her very coldly during their short marriage and valued money over… well her. Can Nate redeem himself, rid himself of the perceived shame of being a slave, get out from under his father’s control and ultimate attempt to blackmail him to go back to sea voyages and save their marriage or is their marriage doomed to be like his parents? 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: The Prisoner’s Wife by Maggie Brookes

Based on a true story, this novel follows the story of a a British POW, Bill, imprisoned in a Czech concentration camp during WW2. He meets Izabela whilst working in her family’s small holding and they fall in love and marry . She disguises herself as a young man and joins him as they travel between concentration camps. She manages to hide that she is female from the guards and other prisoners and they struggle through the snow, freezing cold and prison brutalities. A few of Bill’s friends know who she is and protect her.

This is a heartwarming story in the face of terrible atrocities and brutality. Love can survive and flourish at a time of horror and cruelty to other human beings.  I found this story compelling to read. 

 I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. #netgalley #gifted

#AD Book Review: Untamed Billionaire’s Innocent Bride by Caitlin Crews

Untamed Billionaire’s Innocent Bride is written by Caitlin Crews and published by Mills & Boon Modern. Lauren Clarke is the PA to Matteo Coombes. She has been given the task of tracking down his long lost brother in Hungary and bringing him back to London in order to avoid a PR disaster. She tracks Dominick down to the woods, where she assumes he is living hand to mouth in a shack whereas in reality he is a billionaire! In order to avoid a scandal she marries him, but will they get their HEA?

This book is based upon the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. In the opening pages Lauren is depicted as walking through the woods in her high heels and red outfit, whilst Dom is depicted as the big bad wolf. Although the imagery is cleverly done, I just found this book hard to get into and it didn’t capture or hold my attention as other Crews novels have done.

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley