Reader’s Edyn

I always felt like I could do something more than just read. Finally, I have found both a creative outlet and a chance to do something meaningful with my reading. This blog was created in appreciation of and tribute to all of the authors who have brought me joy through their books. These reviews are my way of giving back to authors and providing recognition for the hard work that each one completes every day!

Friday, January 31, 2020

ARC Review: The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson



Title: The Love Scam
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Release Date: August 4, 2020  (
ARC Version)
Published By: St. Martin’s Griffin
Category: Contemporary – Romance – Comedy
Type: Digital – Paperback















Blurb: 

Rake Tarbell is in trouble. When the fabulously wealthy and carefree bachelor wakes up horribly hungover in Venice, it’s not something that would normally be a problem...except he has no idea how he got there from California. Or who stole his wallet. Or who emptied his bank account of millions. Or who in the world is Lillith, the charming little girl claiming to be his long lost daughter. For the first time in his life, Rake is on his own and throwing Benjamins around aren’t going to solve his problem. Now if only the gorgeous, fun, and free-spirited woman who brought Lillith into his life was willing to help the situation…
Claire Delaney finds Rake’s problems hilarious and is not in the least bit sorry of adding to them by bringing Lillith into the mix. A pretty Midwestern girl with a streak for mischief, Rake is not the kind of man Claire hangs around with. Even if he is drop-dead handsome and charming as all get-out. Even if he needs help and she has all the answers. But if this helps Lillith, she will go out of her way. And with a guy like Rake, she’s willing to bend her rules a bit for some fun. But when adventure-filled days turn to romantic nights as they search for answers, and someone starts following them through the streets of Venice, Claire realizes she's playing more than just a game. And maybe, just maybe, she isn't willing to let go of Rake or Lillith just yet.



By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.


Favorite Lines:

Unfortunately, I didn’t notate anything due to the difficulty getting through the format of this book. It was quite distracting.

Example:

In this case, I only included an example of what I am speaking of in the review below. Refer back as needed.

          Normally he would have apologized for ruining her sandals and offered to buy replacements, but that was when he came to another sickening realization. “My wallet! I forgot that, too!”He was patting his soaked pockets and realized it was worse than that. Because now that he gave it some thought, he wasn’t sure he’d forgotten it. In fact …“I lost my wallet!”
          “Naw, you didn’t.”
          “The hell I didn’t.”
          “Where was the last place you saw it?” the child asked helpfully. 
          “I. Don’t. Know.”
          “I said you didn’t lose it.”
          “How the hell would you know?”God, she was infuriating. Her good mood in the face of his very serious problem was aggravating—
          Aggravating beyond belief, Blake’s voice spoke up helpfully. 
          Well, it was! 
          It’s like she has no understanding of the seriousness of your situation. Thinks your problems are funny. 
          Well, she did! The only time she stopped grinning was when he threw up on her. And even then she’d left the child with him, resulting in an awkward chat 
          (“You’re having a bad day.”
          “I am having an unfathomably bad day, sweetie. Um. No offense.”
          “It’s fine. Sweetie.”
          “It’s nothing to do with you personally—”
          “It’s fine,” she insisted.) 
          ducked into the bagno delle donne and emerged a few minutes later with damp but clean( ish) feet while he and the kid set up camp in the lobby, near the enormous double beverage dispenser. Oh sweet, sweet beverage dispenser, one side lemonade, the other side cold water in which floated a dozen spring strawberries. He guzzled glass after glass, until he could no longer taste vermouth barf; the resulting Mr. Misty headache, in the face of his hangover 
          (“Aaaaaggggghhhh—”
          “Press your thumb against the roof of your mouth!”“
          —ggggggghhhhh—hey, that worked!”) 
          was no biggie. 
          Anyway, there was no, repeat, no parallel between this woman’s behavior and how he related to the rest of the world in general and Blake in particular, and what was with this kid, anyway? 
          “C’mon,” he said abruptly when the woman rejoined him, leaving a trail of wet footprints between the bathroom and the lobby. “Let’s talk.”
          “Oh, goody.”
          “Let’s go over here.”He (gently) jerked his head toward the ristorante to the left of the lobby. He might be able to get a single slice of bruschetta down his gullet without dying. Once he scraped off the tomatoes and olive oil and garlic. And crumbs. And crust. Maybe. Maybe he wouldn’t die. “Have a—” He swallowed a gag. “Snack.”
          Her ever-present grin reappeared. “My treat, I bet.”
          “I can pay,” the child said quickly. 
          He could feel his face get hot. God, when was the last time he’d let someone else pay for anything? Years. “I’m not a chauvinist,” he snapped. “It’s got nothing to do with my penis.”
          “Thanks for clearing that up. In front of a child, no less.”
          “Well, it doesn’t!”
          “I’m only a kid if you count in years. And I can pay.”
          “That’s not necessary, but thank you, hon.”
          The child didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”
          “I can’t believe I’m—look, it’s just we were poor for a long time, so we hated when other people paid.”
          She blinked, neutral. “Okay.”
          “It makes sense if you know the background.”
          “I think it’s nice that when you weren’t poor anymore, you treated other people.”
          “Thank you,” he told the kid, then glared at the woman. She was infuriating, standing there all calm and judgmental, judging him calmly with her judge face. “Look, let’s just go sit down and you can tell me—”
          “Nope.
          God, she was infuriating! “Nope, what?”
          “Nope, we can’t just go sit down.”
          “Why not?” he (almost) yelled. 
          “Because of that guy.”She pointed, and he turned and beheld a man wearing dark trousers, black belt, shiny black shoes, white shirt, dark blazer, name tag on one lapel (Matteo), small gold letters (Sicurezza) on a pin on the other. He was polite, he was professional, he spoke terrific English, and he made it clear that people who barfed and then drank half the lobby water could not linger in the bar scraping tomatoes off bruschetta unless they were paying guests. 
          “Well, you’re not,” she said once they’d been politely escorted back out to the sidewalk. “Guy hadda point, you gotta admit.”
          “I know.
          “You’re kind of a bum.”
           “Why?”
          “How should I know? Poor work ethic?”
          “No, I mean why do you—do you find everything funny?” he managed through gritted teeth, his temples pounding with every syllable. God, was this how Blake felt when they argued? How could he stand it? 
          “Naw.” Again with the smirk. “Just stuff you do, I guess.”
          “I don’t think you’re funny,” the kid said earnestly. At one point, she’d dropped the woman’s hand and was now clutching Rake’s. He found it oddly flattering. “It’s just, funny things seem to happen to you. A lot. Y’know, because…”She gestured at his (still) dripping clothes. 
          He blinked, sighed, and shielded his eyes from the spring sunshine. “I woke up in Venice, which is not where I was yesterday. I have no memory of the hotel. I lost my wallet. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
          “Yeah, I know.”She nodded at the kid. “We both do.”
          “You know?”
          “I mean, I got that. It’s basically all you’ve been bitching about since they fished you out of the canal. Speaking of, don’t take this wrong way or anything—”
          “Oh, this’ll be good,” he snapped. 
          “—but you’re kinda ripe.”
          “Of course I’m ripe!” he all but screamed. “I fell in that cesspool of a il Canal Grande! E sto incazzato!”
          “What?”
          “It’s Italian for ‘pissed off’! I’m also a polyglot, which my twin brother thinks is a polymath!”
          “Okay.”
          From the kid: “Why does he think—”
          “Blake thinks he’s so smart, but you know what?”
          “Naw, but I bet you’re gonna tell us.”
          “He’s not!”
          “Yep. Figured.”
          “Oh my God.” He clawed his fingers through his wet hair and shivered in the breeze. “Nothing’s gone right since I woke up.”
          “You said that already.” Argh. Hateful child. 
          “Actually, things were going wrong with you last night, and prob’ly earlier,” her companion pointed out with aggravating cheer. She had shrugged out of her light linen jacket and was now holding it out to him. He looked at it, puzzled 
          (Is she going to wave it at me? Like a bullfighter? It’s not red! What kind of a bullfighter doesn’t know the red rule?) 
          so she took it back, stepped forward, and started drying his hair with it with the impersonal efficiency of a hairstylist. “That’s what I gathered from what you were saying, anyway.”
          “Ack! Okay, this is decent of you and all, but I’m ruining your jacket, seriously.” And yet, doglike, he refused to move. He might have leaned into the jacket a little. It felt soooo nice to have that revolting water wicked from his hair. “You’re literally using your jacket to soak up the shit and germs in my hair. Thank you.”
          “You say,” she sighed, “the sweetest things.”
          “Aw, stai zitto.* That means—”
          “No need,” she said drily. “I can guess what it means. C’mon, let’s find a new place to sit down.”
          “And I’ll get ice cream,” the child announced. “My treat.”
          “Right. We’ll get comfy and get ice cream and I’ll tell you what you forgot.”
          “Starting with your name.”It finally occurred to him that she’d come to him when she recognized his voice, suffered to let him puke on her, stuck with him while he tried to gather his senses, came back to him after cleaning her weirdly long feet, and allowed the security guard to kick them both out. And all with a small, pale, black-haired child in tow. 
          She could have taken off at any time. Most people wouldn’t have gone near anything that came out of the canal, much less came out of the canal spitting and swearing and just generally being an enormo pain in the ass. Yeah, her constant amusement as he struggled through the worst day of his life was aggravating, and the kid was weirding him out a little, and he was beginning to suspect karma was, in fact, a bitch. This woman, though, didn’t seem to be one. 
          Like it or not, he was clueless 
          (and wouldn’t big brother love to hear him admit that) 
          and she, at least, had some answers. And not just about him. The kid—what was the backstory there? 
          “Yeah, your name,” he replied. “I forgot it. Along with everything else.”
          “No you didn’t.” She reached out and tucked her hand into his damp paw. “I never told it to you. And you never asked.”
          “I’m occasionally an asshole.”
          “No, just…”The child trailed off tactfully. “Um, stressed. And a smidge snappy.”
          “Now that I did know,” she said, and laughed. He wasn’t quite ready to find any of this amusing, but he managed to find a smile from somewhere.

Review: 

Claire is quite secretive about everything involving Rake as well as herself. She has the upper hand because she actually knows more than she’s letting on to and the longer she can delay Rake from discovering the truth, the better things will be for all of them. The billionaire playboy won’t be but a memory of a short time spent in Venice when all is completed. Except the man she believes she has pegged turns out to be anything but. The image thrust in the public’s face merely a facade. In a short amount of time, as she begins to form a delicate bond with Rake, she quickly finds herself in danger of much more than anticipated at the start of this journey. Her heart could very well be lost to her when they inevitably part ways; her resistance toward Rake rapidly crumbling. As long as she focuses on the importance of this Venice encounter, she will be able to hold her ground and resist his distracting charms…maybe.

Rake is a rich playboy. Rather than embrace responsibility, he shirks anything serious; running through life full of sass, booze, and women. His twin brother is the polar opposite and constantly taking the form of an annoying little voice in Rake’s head, admonishing him for the choices he makes as he flits through life with no purpose. After one drunken night of…unknown…Rake finds himself in Venice with no ID, no possessions, and no money. His bank has been drained of millions. The only clue available to him comes in the form of Claire. A conundrum to be sure, initially, he can’t quite seem to figure her out. There’s also the slight hiccup that she’s toting around a highly observant and intelligent girl who she claims is Rake’s daughter. Challenge accepted. He’s going to get to the bottom if this situation. Claire may think she holds all of the cards in Rake’s momentary loss of – everything, really – but he’s just as intelligent and observant as the young Lillith, if not more. Preferring to play the role he’s been cast in given his fast life, Rake soon unravels the mystery. Not only that, he plans to put his own spin on it and Claire will certainly hold a place in the new reality he chooses to create. He’s just got to make his plea believable and trust that she has had enough time getting to know his true self – one he never reveals to anyone.

OK guys … all I can say is that I I sincerely hope that between now and August, this book gets some serious edits. My review copy is an ARC, so some things can be forgiven as ARCs frequently have a few issues. Not near this many typically, but generally speaking, you can be a little less stringent on editing errors within an ARC. There is so much wrong with this fantastic plot. It’s maddening!

The first thing that I immediately disliked was that Rake’s twin brother is named Blake. No. Stop it. My first impression was, “Are you kidding me?” Second, there are so many internal monologues going on. Some of the pages appear as though the keyboard barfed italics and refused to revert back to the standard font. Due to this issue, much of the writing became confusing. Many times, I was sure that the text appeared to be an inner thought, but had been spoken instead. And vice versa. There are also several side comments contained within parenthesis. The moral of the story here is to make up your mind. Write the inner monologue as part of the scene instead of creating so much separation. I could have read this book twice as quickly had I not been forced to keep track of where the text was attempting to take me. Third, whatever the descriptions are, they should remain consistent. Rake’s initial description of Claire did not bring me to believe that he found her attractive. In fact, one portion of the description included that she had big feet. What? The? Hell? Not a couple of chapters later, he’s describing her as gorgeous. By this time, I’m seriously contemplating stamping a humongous DNF on this book. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that it was an ARC and I argued with myself that I was being too hard on the plot due to a large percentage of my complaints encircling…yep. Editing. I persevered. Fourth, Claire is clearly annoyed by everything Rake. His dashing looks, his blasé attitude, his money, his inability to take anything serious. Yep. Everything Rake annoys her. All of a sudden, we find her giggling at something he’s said or done. This ends up happening several times. But giggling? She’s clearly some sort of bad-ass investigator. Maybe. Giggling just took her badassery down a notch. I didn’t care for it at all. Fifth would be the language and by language I am referring to the Italian and whatever else is used. Now this would not regularly annoy me, but the fact that the author felt the need to translate what was being said, did. In fact, several chapters have footnotes explaining either the translation or something else. For example, stating that something that occurred is referring to a previous book. Huh? Never in all of the books I have read have I come across an author that actually referred to a previous book. Adding to the muddle, if this story is part of a series, it is not indicated anywhere. I mean nowhere. I searched and I couldn’t find it. I didn’t even turn up the book the footnote referred to. Aggravating! Sixth was the fact that Claire – I mean Delaney – she doesn’t go by Claire and pretty much all of the text refers to her as Delaney. What? But I digress. Claire leaves Lillith with Rake, not even knowing for sure if he is her father. I didn’t at all care for this action. It was later explained, but still didn’t sit well with me; especially given how Claire feels about Rake at the time. Ugh. I was literally about to end the book right there. This thing has fifty-three chapters! Fifty-three! And some of them are maybe ½ a page. Why? I don’t know. All mentioned thus far occurred by the conclusion of chapter thirteen. Thirteen you guys! And you know what kept me going after that? No lie. I was literally about to shut off the e-reader. It was the last flipping line of the chapter. I’m not even kidding! So maybe start reading at chapter fourteen at this point. Blessedly, once I got past those first thirteen chapters, everything got so much better. There was still a bunch of the editing, italics, parenthesis, etc. occurring. However, it was much less than initially. So those are the problems.

Here’s what I liked. This book wasn’t at all what I expected. Aside from all of the confusing aspects, it was generally a very good plot. The jocular dialogue and thoughts were quite entertaining. Lillith was unlike any child I have read about and I enjoyed her out-of-the-box character development. I wouldn’t say I became overly attached to Claire and Rake. However, by the time Rake put in his two cents as to what was occurring over the course of their time in Venice, I fell just a little bit in love with him. With the way he handled everything and his solution to each curve ball thrown at him, I was impressed. Want to know the dumbest thing? Corresponding to Rake’s disaster in Venice, Blake is going through his own turmoil. We glimpse a bit of it as Rake communicated with Blake. Shockingly, I became curious about what Blake was enduring! What? I’m not even sure how that happened. I’m really not. I suppose in some small way, despite all of the glaring snags, somehow this author got to me. For that, I have to give her kudos. Pretty freaking amazing given my determination not to finish the book originally. Or crazy. Maybe both. I am a bit dismayed that Ms. Davidson has so many published books and yet the ARC has so much formatting difficulty. It looks as though many of her books are a part of one series and involve vampires. So perhaps this is a new writing journey into less than uncharted territory. I am unsure. Come to think of it, I don’t know how much my review will help anyone. But this is the way I see it currently. An ARC is not the final copy. If I am not honest about the negative areas, then I shouldn’t be reviewing. And if I let everything remain in the negative without speaking to those instances that I ultimately enjoyed, then I am doing everyone a disservice. From this review I am taking away the following: The ARC needs a lot of work and likely will not bring this author a new following; might actually cause her to lose some of her current following. However, with the adjustments made – and I find it truly unfathomable to entertain the thought that there wouldn’t be a deep edit prior to publishing in August – it’s actually quite an entertaining read. If you are a reader and you don’t tend to review, then just wait for the final copy to be released later in the year. That way, hopefully, none of the above problems I encountered will become your burden. If the book does not get cleaned up, then I wouldn’t come back. Despite my curiosity in the companion book (if there is one), there are just too many issues that interfere with my reading enjoyment to allow me to knowingly go through anything like this again.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review.



Thursday, January 30, 2020

ARC Review: A Good Rake is Hard to Find by Manda Collins (Lords of Anarchy 1)






Title: A Good Rake is Hard to Find
         Lords of Anarchy 1
Author: Manda Collins
Release Date: March 31, 2015 (ARC Version)
Published By: St. Martin’s
Category: Historical Romance - Regency
Type: Digital – Paperback – Audio












Blurb: 

A DANGEROUS GAME

Heartbroken by the loss of her brother, Miss Leonora Craven vows to uncover the truth about his "accident," which seems to have been anything but. Jonathan Craven was involved with the Lords of Anarchy, a notorious driving club, and Leonora can't help but suspect foul play. But the only way she can infiltrate their reckless inner circle is to enlist the help of Jonny's closest ally, Lord Frederick Lisle. If only he didn't also happen to be the man who broke Leonora's heart…
AN UNDENIABLE DESIRE

Frederick isn't surprised to find gorgeous, headstrong Leonora playing detective, but he knows that the Lords of Anarchy mean business—and he has no choice but to protect her. A sham engagement to Leonora will allow Frederick to bring her into the club and along for the ride. But it isn't long before pretending to be lovers leads to very real passion. With everything to lose, is their tempestuous affair worth the risk?



By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.


Favorite Lines:

“I suppose there are some things that will forever remain a mystery to us poor ladies. What with our feeble minds and sensible emotions.”  ~  Leonora

“By refusing to tell me the truth you did the same thing you’re always railing about when it comes to men’s treatment of women. You made the decision for me. As if I didn’t know my own mind and hadn’t the sense to make the right choice. You robbed me of agency in the matter.”  ~  Frederick

Excerpt:

          Some sixth sense told him that someone causing a scene at the door of Brooks’s was not going to bring glad tidings of great joy. 
          And when he reached the door, followed close behind by Trent and Mainwaring who were not willing to miss such a diversion, he knew he was right. 
          “I might have known I’d find the three of you together,”Miss Leonora Craven said, her generous red lips tight with annoyance. “Though you needn’t have brought your little friends with you to the door for protection, Lord Frederick. I’ve no intention of harming your person no matter how you might deserve it for getting my brother killed.”
          Keenly aware of the curious glances they were getting from the club members who stood on the steps just behind her, Freddy turned to Ned. “I realize that ladies are not allowed in the club, Ned, but is there some small anteroom where we might be private for a few moments?”
          It would do Leonora’s reputation little good to be seen going into a room alone with the three of them, but then again, if her reputation was her first concern, she’d not have come to St. James Street at all. 
          “Of course, my lord.”Ned ushered them to a door just off the hallway. “I’ll bring some tea for the lady.”
          He didn’t think Leonora would be there long enough for tea, but Freddy agreed, then shepherded her into the small sitting room, surprised, as he always was, by how tiny she seemed considering how large her personality could be. 
          The chamber was outfitted with a few club chairs, a settee, and a low table. Leonora stalked into the room, her dark head held high, while Freddy followed and took a place before the fire. Trent and Mainwaring, perhaps sensing that this was a private matter, had slipped away with Ned. 
          “Well, Nora,” he said, once the door closed behind them, “you’ve got me here and made a hash of your reputation in the process. I hope it will be worth it.”
          Her green eyes flashed with anger, and Freddy couldn’t help but notice the shadows beneath them. Her dark hair was just as glossy as ever, and framed her heart-shaped face in a halo of loose curls, one caressing her cheek like a kiss. But she looked thinner than the last time he’d seen her. The day she’d broken off their engagement and sent him on a reckless tear that ended with his leaving England for the freedoms of the Continent. 
          He’d expected their first meeting to be difficult, but to his surprise, much of the resentment he’d felt had dissipated in the years since they’d parted. It was true that she had not been particularly kind in breaking things off between them. Indeed, she’d never told him the true reason for it. Had tried to fob him off with some silly tale of being afraid of giving up control of her own life. It was something that had not once come up between them, so when she declared it to be why she was ending what had up to that point been a perfectly agreeable connection, he had been dumbfounded. And hurt that she would dismiss him without any more explanation than that. 
          Even so, in the intervening years, he’d had a great deal of time to think. And he’d come to realize that whatever her true reason for breaking things off, it had been something serious. Something that was more important to her than her own happiness. For they had been happy before she ended things. 
          And though he was not yet sanguine about what had happened, he was no longer consumed with bitterness over it. 
          Which did not mean he wasn’t annoyed that she’d sought him out in Brooks’s without a care for either of their reputations. It was the sort of reckless gesture he’d have been prone to in his wilder days, but now he was trying to mend his reputation. Having a woman pursue him to St. James Street was not going to help things. 
          Leonora, however, obviously did not care. 
          “You know as well as I do that my reputation is able to withstand more than that of the usual society lady thanks to my writing,” she responded, waving off his concerns. “And besides that, in this instance, I wished to make a scene. I relish it, in fact.”
          “To what purpose?”Freddy demanded, growing tired of her taunts. “My reputation is already not what it should be. So if you’re thinking to ruin me, you’re missing the mark.”
          “Of course I know that,” Leonora said, her eyes bright with emotion. “But I’m not all that concerned with such things at present. I want only justice for my brother. And I wish to know what you plan to do to make your cousin, to whom you introduced my impressionable brother, pay for Jonny’s death.”
          Ah. That’s where all this came from. 
          “I’m not sure what you mean, Miss Craven,” he said with stiff formality, despite the fact that he and his friends had been discussing this very matter only moments ago. 
          “Oh, give over, my lord,” she said sharply. “You know as well as I do that Jonathan’s death was no accident. He was murdered by that vicious club and I can prove it.”

Dialogue Highlight:

          “Is that any way to treat your dearest siblings, Freddykins?” asked Lord Benedick Lisle wickedly, his clerical collar shining white against his dark coat. “We wanted to meet this paragon who has agreed to leg-shackle herself to you for the rest of her days.”
          Freddy glanced at Leonora to see what her reaction was to the crowded room. To his relief she seemed to be taking the surprise family reunion with aplomb. 
          Turning to Benedick, he frowned. “You’re a vicar, for pity’s sake,” he protested, his arm tightening around Leonora’s waist. Damned fellow was too handsome by half. It was a wonder he’d not been killed by the husband of some lovesick parishioner. “I would expect this sort of remark from Cam, because he’s a heathen scientist, but you? I thought it was against the church code or some such to embarrass one’s siblings in front of their fiancées.”
          “You’d be surprised about what is and isn’t against the church code, old fellow,” retorted Benedick as he stepped forward and bowed over Leonora’s hand. Only Freddy noticed that his eyes lingered on her bosom as he did so. 
          Vicar or no, he was going to bloody his brother’s nose as soon as his knuckles healed. 
          “I hope you’ve been warned about this one, my dear,” Benedick said to Leonora with a grin. “I’m afraid he might be the least civilized among us. Though I do suppose he’s right about Cam, who lives in primitive surroundings and collects rocks, being a heathen. Really, I’m the best of the lot, as you have doubtless noticed.”
          “They are specimens,” Cam interjected, edging out his elder brother so that he could kiss the back of Leonora’s hand. Like Benedick before him, his eyes brushed slowly over her bosom. 
          Mentally, Freddy added Cam to his list of future victims. 
          “Lord Cameron Lisle at your service, Miss Craven,” his brother said, the gold highlights in his light brown hair glinting in the firelight as he held Nora’s hand a bit longer than entirely appropriate. “I hope you will give me the chance to prove to you that not all of us are—”
          “I apologize for these barbarians, Miss Craven,” interjected another brother, elbowing Cam out of the way. “I’m Lord Archer Lisle, my dear. The handsome one.”
          “The newly married one,”Freddy said with a growl as his youngest brother bowed over Nora’s hand. So far, he’d been the only one of the Lisle brothers to keep his eyes to himself. 
          He supposed he could thank Perdita for that small wonder. 
          Even so, he wasn’t going to put up with any funny business. “Don’t think you’re going to turn her head with your diplomat’s tongue, Archie. I don’t care how handsome you are.”
          Leonora sniggered beside him but Freddy couldn’t stop himself. “Nor you, Cameron. No lady wants to talk about rocks all day. She’d die of boredom in the first quarter-hour.”
          “Speaking of rocks,” Benedick said as Freddy led Leonora to a chair by the fire. “Who’s been throwing them at your face?”
          Freddy was saved from replying by the arrival of yet another Lisle. 
          “Boys,” the Duchess of Pemberton, matriarch of the House of Lisle, said as she stepped into the room and surveyed it until her eyes lit upon Leonora. “All of you are being boorish. Stop it at once. You know how to treat a lady better than that.”
          In unison, as if they were all still in the schoolroom, the brothers said, “Yes, Mama.”
          “You must tell me later how you manage that,” Leonora quipped, looking round the room in wonder. “It is a rather impressive skill to have in one’s quiver.”
          Freddy just bet she’d like to be able to quiet him as easily as that, he thought grimly, remembering their argument earlier. 
          “They are a rowdy lot, but my own,” his mother was saying as she handed Leonora a glass of sherry. “And here is my husband to show you where they got their charm.”
          Turning, Freddy saw that his father had indeed entered the room. A still handsome man in his fifties, the duke’s brown hair was shot through with silver now, but no one would mistake his age for feebleness. The Duke of Pemberton had been a man of power for some years, and would be for several more to come. 
          “It’s my pleasure, Miss Craven,” he said as he crossed to take Leonora’s hand in his. Fortunately, his back was to Freddy, so the bosom test was not possible. Which was all well and good, because if he caught his father looking at her bosom, he’d just have to blind himself with one of Cam’s rocks. 
          “I’ve long wished to meet the lady who has the power to tame Frederick,” the duke said to Leonora. “He’s the most troublesome one, you know.”
          “I’m still here,” Frederick said sulkily from his post against the mantelpiece. To Leonora he said, “Pay no attention to these people, my dear Miss Craven. They have a fondness for exaggeration and half-truths.
          ”Before Leonora could respond, Archer spoke up. 
          “Did you hear something, Cam?” he asked with a puzzled frown, cupping his ear. “It’s like a bee buzzing.”
          “Now that you mention it,” Cam said, cupping his ear, too. “Yes, I may have heard a wasp.”
          “You are hilarious,” Freddy said in a flat tone. “Really, you must be loads of fun at children’s parties.”
          “My dears,” said Perdita, coming to his rescue. “You mustn’t tease your brother. Or his fiancée. You’re being very rude to mob her like this on her first visit to Pemberton House.”
          “Hardly mobbed, Mrs. Lisle,” Leonora said with a laugh. “Though I can see now where Lord Frederick gets his quick wit. It’s rather overwhelming to be in the room with five of him.”
          “I quite understand, Miss Craven,” Perdita said with a smile. “They can be intimidating, can’t they?”
          Freddy had yet to see the day that Miss Leonora Craven proclaimed herself to be intimidated. He knew quite well that it wasn’t today.

Review: 

Leonora (Nora) knows her brother was murdered, and she aims to prove it but she needs help. Frederick is the perfect solution, past history notwithstanding. Nora broke their engagement five years previously for a reason she felt was justified, except she never told Freddy why she jilted him. Their reunion instantly sparks the passion they shared in the past and obviously never lost. But the engagement is a sham, created simply to gain access to those who assassinated her brother. When it comes time to part ways, it’s much harder than Nora anticipated, and Freddy isn’t letting her go so easily this time. But the truth may end all chances for them to have a future together and she isn’t sure she can handle a permanent rejection. At least if she makes the break, she still holds a bit of control because Lord knows when she is in Freddy’s arms her wits tend to disappear.

Frederick (Freddy) knows that the only explanation surrounding his friend’s demise is foul play. When Nora brings him proof of his suspicions, he quickly ponders a way to ferret out the truth. It won’t be easy and the people they will be associating with are nothing short of dangerous. He knows he will have to protect Nora and the only way he can do so effectively is to keep her close under the guise of a fake engagement. Parting with her the first time nearly destroyed him – a second time will seal his fate. Once the culprits are found and brought to justice, he vows to find out what drove her away from him. He has no intention of letting his second chance with Nora slip through his fingers and he will fight relentlessly to make her see just how perfect they are together.

And, just like that, another series has been born that I will definitely be a part of. Positively enchanting. True to form, Ms. Collins has brought us another wonderful story, sure to please all lovers of historical romance. Freddy is the perfect example of a rake, but with more freedom, because he isn’t the heir apparent. And as suspected, his heart could only be conquered by a woman as strong as he is. Nora is his match in every way. I enjoy that Ms. Collins always presents her female leads as those who are intelligent and mold breakers in the face of societal expectations. In this case, Nora is a writer and strong-minded about the rights of women. Her biggest flaw being that despite her independence and convictions, she takes Freddy’s ability to make his own decision away in a very serious subject which causes her to reflect over her actions. Many authors have successfully portrayed strong female leads for their counterparts, but Ms. Collins surpasses by placing her women in positions that allow change – maybe small change in some cases, but change none the less. Additionally, the dynamic within the Lisle family draws you in completely, leaving you longing to be a part of it yourself. I absolutely adored the Lisle’s simply from their whimsical dinner scene and will definitely be back to find out more about each of them.

In constant motion, and never stalling in action, this book engages the reader completely. I have never once been disappointed with any of Ms. Collins books in any way. She is my number one go-to author for historical romance. I’m am completely entranced each time I read a book she has written; once begun, always completed within the same sitting. The detail in every single scene is unique and vibrant; her characters perfectly splendid. I don’t know how she maintains such consistency from story to story, but she has a gift and I could not be happier to have discovered her work. Each character is invaluable to the story and created in such a way that the reader feels kindred; as if they are a part of their lives and could be living just down the street. The wit and snark are completely refreshing, making the characters that much more loveable and relatable. I was going to show a different highlight, but the comical prowess displayed in the portion of the scene I chose was too fantastic to pass up. You should be able to get a great sense of compatibility with Ms. Collins writing style by those passages alone. If I had a complaint, it would be that somehow, I failed to understand the timeline of how Nora came to realize the reason for breaking her engagement with Freddy. Trying not to provide spoilers here. It would have had to occurred prior to their engagement but would have been a situation that triggered ruin – so that part was a bit off. However, the complaint is minuscule in the grand scheme of the book and not nearly enough to turn me off from the series. I will be back very soon to experience the rest of the Lisle family as well as the daring Lords of Anarchy.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review.