Anna St. Claire

Another good entry in the Lyon's Den series. In this book, we have Priscilla, a young woman suffering at the hands of an overbearing mother. Mom has her ideas of what her daughters need/should do to catch husbands, and her actions have made Priscilla and her sister Jane the laughingstock of the ton. Her only bright side is the card games she plays with her father. Pricilla has a knack for the cards and rarely loses. Desperate to get out from under her mother's thumb, Priscilla hatches a plan to win enough money to set herself up in her own home. With Mrs. Dove-Lyons's help, she disguises herself as a young man and gambles at the Lyon's Den.

After years at war, Alex returned home after his father's death to find the estate in financial ruin. He suspects that his father's greedy mistress found ways to fleece his father of everything from money to a townhouse in London. A skilled cardplayer, Alex goes to the Lyon's Den to win enough money to repair his fortunes. There he encounters a mysterious young man whose card skills match his own.

When Alex is attacked on his way home after another winning night, it starts a rollercoaster of events. There is a link between the attackers, the Lyon's Den, and his father's mistress, and Alex is determined to follow it. He also meets Priscilla and almost immediately connects her to the mysterious young man at the Lyon's Den. Fascinated by her talent and bewitched by her beauty, Alex finds his protective instincts aroused. Though I didn't care for him ratting out Priscilla to her father, it opened the door to them spending time together. It isn't long before Alex's pretend courtship turns real. The attraction and connection between Alex and Priscilla are undeniable, and I loved watching them get to know each other.

The romance sometimes seems to take a back seat to the mystery surrounding Alex's father. I enjoyed seeing Alex unravel the truth behind his father's death and finances. The twists and turns of this mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. The resolution was intense, with a surprise heroine saving the day. I loved seeing justice done.

As always, Mrs. Dove-Lyons manages to bring together two people who are perfect for each other, though, in this case, it wasn't preplanned. I also liked her scene with Priscilla's mother near the end of the book. Priscilla's mother had quite the wake-up call, and I was happy to see its effect on her.

There are some possible lead-ins to further books with these characters. I liked Alex's friend Montgomery and would love to see a book with him. A line at the end indicates he is interested in Priscilla's younger sister, Jane. There is also Maggie, the younger orphan girl that Priscilla rescued. Comments about her resembling someone (currently unknown) show a mystery that needs to be solved.

#netgalley… (mer)

A Duke in Winter
A Historical Romance Collection

Ten novella length historical romances by ten authors gives the reader the chance to read authors already or yet to be read for the first time. With half of the stories read so far, I eagerly look forward to reading the rest after I post this review.

As with any collection of stories, some will appeal more than others and yet at least one or more will no doubt be just what you needed to read in that moment that you sit down to do so. You can see how others live, what motivates them, how your life differs from theirs, try on a character or two to see if any are ones you could play the part of, and perhaps meet an author that will see you looking for their work again.

Emily Royal’s THE TAMING OF THE DUKE has a side bet instigated that sees a fake courting become real but not without a bit of drama. A spinster will meet her match and so will the duke that begins a fake courtship with her.

Anna St. Claire’s’ ONCE UPON A WINTER’S TALE is a bit darker tale of a love left behind with fear the motivating force but driven also by the desire of one man for an heir.

Sandra sookoo’s MUCH ADO ABOUT A STORME sees the matriarch of the Storme family, now widowed, finding a second chance at love.

Elizabeth Keysian’s THE TEMPESTUOUS DUKE is almost Gothic in feel with a young woman washed ashore after a capsizing faced with two brothers that are at odds with one another due to what happened in the past. A Talking parrot, wonderful canine, and a mystery to solve are only part of the story.

Caroline Warfield’s THE SIXTH HENRY might have been my favorite with a bit of a Capulet’s and Montagues feuding families feel to it but…this couple lands in a better situation than poor Romeo and Juliet. This story made me think about how difficult it would be to step into the shoes of a Duke without having training to do so.

Did I enjoy the stories I read – yes
Will I read the authors again in the future – yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 – 5 stars… (mer)

This was an excellent collection of short(er) Gothic love tales. Each one was about eight chapters, longer than a short story, but shorter than a typical novella. Many featured ghosts, but other supernatural creatures made appearances as well. My top five favorites were:

The Others of Ochil, by Mary Lancaster

Into the Night, by Chasity Bowlin

The Haunted Hart, by Emily Royal

The Dauntless Boy, by Whitney Blake

Moonstone Landing, by Meara Platt


Other stand-outs for me:

Percy’s Perdition, by Aubrey Wynne

Grey Lady of the Manor, by Elizabeth Keysian

Rohaise the Red of Delgatie Castle, by Heather McCollum

White Lady Lost, by Maggi Andersen

The Bridge to Love, by Alexa Aston

Haunted Knight, by Elizabeth Johns

Blind Faith, by Anna Markland

Once Upon a Haunted Heart, by Anna St. Clair

Cute, sweet, funny, and/or moving…there is something in this huge book for every romance fan, I’m sure :).… (mer)