Book Review: Lady Amelia's Scandalous Secret by Eva Shepherd

Set in Victorian England Lady Amelia Lambourne secretly owns and writes for the magazine The Ladies’ Enquirer, a magazine aimed at educating women. Her Aunt gave her the money to set the magazine up but now she is in need of extra finance. 

Amelia’s father wants her to be married and keeps escorting her to dinners and debutante balls, on one such octahedral meets Leo Devenish, a self made man who wants to buy her magazine. He isn’t aware she owns it. She becomes his friend influenced by the premise jeep your friends close and your enemies closer! Soon a gentle romance develops but will this be jeopardised when her secrets are uncovered? 

This is a well written book that gives an insight into his restricted life was for women in Victorian England. The book, however, does lack a wow factor and I wouldn’t rush to reread it as it drags slightly in the latter half of the book.

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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: 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: From Duke Till Dawn by Eva Leigh

The first book in the London Underground series, From Duke Till Dawn is written by Eva Leigh, published by Mills and Boon and is a Regency romance. The Duke of Greyland, Alexander  Lewis first met Cassandra Blake two years ago in the spa Cheltenham. They had one night together. Not realising he was just a "mark" to her he lost both his heart and £500 which he naively gave her, believing her to be a vulnerable widow when in reality she was a con artist and thief.   His engagement to Lady Emmeline has just ended as she ran off with a cavalry officer.  His first reencounter is a glimpse of her in a carriage. He then meets her in a gaming hell in a seedy part of Piccadilly.  Cassandra Blake has gown up in poverty and crime ridden existence.  Her mother deserted her when she was a young child. She had to live in Marshlea prison when her father was sent there for not paying his debts.  When he died she was left to scrabble a living on the streets of London which is where she met her mentor and partner in crime Martin Hughes/Hamish.

When her mentor of 15 years and partner in crime takes off with all their money she has no one apart from Greyland who she can turn to for help. She needs to repay the gaming hell investors, the wages of her employees and the £500 she fleeced off Greyland.  He agrees to help, but she has to stay with him until the debts are repaid in full.  The rest of the book recounts their exploits  as they search for Martin.

From Duke Till Dawn is not your traditional Regency romance.  It is the heroine, not the hero, Who plays the anti character.  Historical romances usually tell the story from the "rich" person's perspective.  In this novel, however, Leigh tells the story from Cassandra's perspective and point of view,  revealing and detailing the poverty and reasons who she she has fallen into a life of crime. An erotic romantic thriller, Leigh is more explicit when she describing sex scenes and the visit to the sex club - the Orchid Club than other authors have been.  I enjoyed this book, it's a busy book, detailing the influences and experiences that have shaped the characters, especially  Cassandra, the poverty and crime that is seen as the norm in parts of working class London, how being abandoned by your mother and father dying etc all combine to make this book an enjoyable, fast paced read.

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

Available from:
Amazon UK

Mills & Boon