Week-End's Minis XXVIII: Along Came a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle

Along Came a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle
published by Harpercollins Publisher (Avon) in May 2012

"A young lady with a fortune is subject to all sorts of untoward attentions by the worst sort of vagrants." Aunt Allegra

A lesson Tabitha Timmons, a penniless spinster, has never needed to heed. That is, until she is left a vast fortune payable only upon her marriage to the very respectable Mr. Barkworth--a match that offers little chance of discovering exactly what her aunt means by "untoward attentions."

But the same can't be said when the Duke of Preston happens along Tabitha's path. He spies a rebellious streak in her that matches his own and he makes it his mission to save her from such a passionless match, interfering in her life at every turn. All too soon, Preston--whose very name spells ruin--has Tabitha caught between the good fortune that guarantees her security, and his kiss, which promises an entirely different kind of happily-ever-after.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Rhymes with Love, Book #1

What do you need to know? Tabitha Timmons lives in the village of Kempton, which seems to harbor an unusually high number of spinsters. It seems young men have a tendency to leave the village and not return... Tabitha's father was the vicar and after his death, his brother took over his position, He and his wife were not keen on keeping Tabitha, but they did not have a choice and they quickly realize how useful she can be in helping out with the house chores. As for Tabitha, despite her friends' invitations to move, she stays on because it is home. She has also come to term that she will not marry and all right with the situation as she tells Preston, Lord Roxley's friend, who believes every woman is out to entrap men in marriage. However, Tabitha's future changes when she inherits a fortune from her maternal uncle... but this fortune also comes at a cost: marriage to the very respectable Mr. Backworth, heir of a marquess. Quickly, Tabitha is whisked to London to be introduced... but everywhere she turns, there is Preston.

Everywhere the Duke of Preston goes, he lives scandals in his wake. His latest frasque has left him almost persona non grata to most social events. His uncle and aunt have issued an ultimatum: Preston is to marry and become respectable or else, they'll move out. Having no choice, Preston is ready to court the girls on his aunt's list... but Tabitha is the one he cannot forget. Can his reputation withstand another scandal... one that will lead to happiness?

Why this book? Ms Boyle's books are usually miss and hit for me... and lately, they've been more on the miss side. I wasn't going to pick up Along Came a Duke; however, this is quite a striking cover and I've been reading good reviews for the book, so I changed my mind.

What did I like? I thought Along Came a Duke had a lot of potential. When I first started this book, I was hooked as the first few chapters were very strong in my opinion. However, I had to take a break reading this book because of the New York trip and then, books that I wanted to read more than this one... and when I picked Along Came a Duke again, I really had a lot of difficulty getting back into the story. Even now, I don't really know if this was due to the story or me... All I know is that once I picked up the book again, I just wasn't as hooked and that's really unfortunate :(

Here are the reasons why I thought Along Came a Duke had so much potential. First, I loved the fluffy and light tone of the book. It was fun and fit perfectly the setting of the book. I loved Preston's relationship with his uncle and aunt - Henry and Hen, short for Henrietta - who are twins and only 6 months older than Preston. LOL, I can totally see the bond between them and I thought this situation was quite unique. I actually wished I've seen more of their interactions. Yes, Henry and Hen are exasperated at Preston's antics, but you can see they still care about him. Preston's background was also very interesting and I wished Ms Boyle had elaborated more on it. I wished we've known how good a parent Preston's grandfather was. At least, what we were given gave really good insight into Preston's personality and why Henry and Hen's ultimatum was so grave for the duke.

I also enjoyed Preston's friendship with Lord Roxley and the friendship between Tabitha and  her two best friends, Daphne and Harriett aka Harry. It's clear that Daphne and Harriett are going to be the future heroines of this series and I enjoyed what I read of them. Especially Harry :) She was a lot of fun and I just can't wait to read her story.

Overall, I thought Ms Boyle did a great job with the setting and the characters. Where I had issues was which turns the story took.

What did not work for me? I guess if I had to sum it up, it would be the romance ^_^; I liked the characters and I actually thought Preston and Tabitha had chemistry together... but the way their romance unfolded, it was simply frustrating. I liked the fact that it took so long for Tabitha to figure out that Preston was a duke LOL. What I did not like is how she stringed him along. I know she was not convinced of his character, she thought he was lazy and so on, but she was still attracted to him and I think it would have been good if she had been honest from the start. The two of them seemed to play a game, dancing around each other... but that game just wasn't good ^_^; I hated how Preston had such a bad reputation and that most of it was unwarranted :( That definitively did not helped. I also thought Daphne was a bit annoying, giving advice to Tabitha when she herself didn't get it. Finally, I felt that throughout too much of the book, Tabitha was a bit of a doormat, letting everyone lead her, listening to their opinions and advice. I mean, she just became an heiress, wouldn't it be time for her to stand up to her family and say what she wants? Time to really take the reins of her life instead of following the flow. That part was frustrating given Tabitha actually had a strong personality, ideas of her own, which is what Preston was attracted to. But that part of her personality didn't shine with the others and that's how she found herself in such a mess :( And that's why I found the romance lacking.

My Grade? C. I do believe that Along Came a Duke would have gotten a higher grade if I've read this book without taking that long break... unfortunately, I didn't. Overall, the book was enjoyable, but didn't measure up to the expectations I had based on the strong opening. The good news is that I did like the characters and they had me hooked and so, I am most likely to pick up the next book in the series :)

Monthly Reads: October 2010

I'm trying to get back into a blogging rhythm... hence, trying to get my monthly reads post on time... or almost LOL. It's hard though, because I'm still having troubles with my computer and basically, I don't feel like coming home and battling it out. As a result, I haven't been using it as much as I used to and so am spending less time online after work. On the good side though, I'm reading more :P

Enough though! I feel like lately, I've been whining and complaining a lot and I'm tired of it ^_^; So let's talk books :) October was a busy month for me. Lots of things happening and coming up unexpectedly. It wasn't all bad - got to go to NJ and meet Hilcia and Christine! - but it definitively was time-consuming. Quite frankly, I've almost thrown in the towel for October... I mean, half-way in the month, I've only read 4 books ^_^; Luckily for me, my reading mojo definitively picked up and I ended up with a decent month after all :)

Here it is, my reads for October:


1) A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries: B
Upcoming review.


2) Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch: A-
Upcoming buddy review with Ames at Breezing Through.

3) Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis: B

There are a lot of reviews floating around blogland (Holly and Leslie) for Simply Irresistible and since I don't really have anything new to add, I'll put my thoughts here.

Maddie Moore is at a cross-road in her life. With no job and no boyfriend, she makes her way to Lucky Harbor, a little coastal town in which her mother has left to her and her two half-sisters an inn. While her two sisters, perfect Tara and wild-child Chloe, want to sell the inn, Maddie sees it as a new beginning. Before taking any final decisions, Maddie is able to convince her sisters to make some renovations and thus turns to Jax Cullen, master carpenter and mayor...

My opinion of Simply Irresistible very much mirror Holly's, but I think I liked it a little bit less. Jax was a great hero in my opinion and he definitively made the book for me. He was everything a woman could wish for: nice, gentle, thoughtful, successful, etc. The list goes on and on. However, it doesn't mean he doesn't have issues. He does, but he deals with them as best as he can. All I can say is I wish I could meet a mean like him LOL. In comparison, I think that Maddie pales a little bit and ends up being only okay. I liked her trying to be more affirmative and stand for herself, she needs it. However, at times, I thought she didn't try hard enough. Also, there were scenes where I felt it was too much "me, me, me." I guess I felt the relationship was uneven. Jax did a lot of giving and understanding and it was reciprocated on the same level. It bothered me a little, because you have this great guy who gets you and is giving you time before making a move, because he wants a relationship with you... and every time she discovered something about him, she'd always react but too defensively, too much on the attack or blaming him.

Still, overall, I think the book was cute and enjoyable. The dynamic between the sisters was interesting. I'm not saying I enjoyed it all, because there are definitively issues between the three of them and they're not very close... especially Maddie. It seems she has spent less time with her mother and sisters than Tara or Chloe. I do admit I'm a bit tired of the siblings coming together under some circumstances theme (and this one strongly reminds me of Montana Sky by Nora Roberts and the Sisters trilogy by Leanne Banks) and so far, I haven't warmed up much to Tara and Chloe yet. Still, I'm going to keep an eye open for the next two books... especially since Ford and Sawyer seem to be swooning-worthy hero material :P


4) The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan: B/B+
Upcoming buddy review with Isabel at Breezing Through.


5) Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie: B
Upcoming review

6) Mad About This Duke by Elizabeth Boyle: B

While Mad About This Duke is part of the Bachelors Chronicles series, it's also the 2nd book in the sub-trilogy, Marchionesses Standon (or something like that LOL). Mad About This Duke picks up right after How I Met my Countess, where Lady Elinor Standon hires the service of James Tremont, the Duke of Parkerton, whom she mistakes as a solicitor (due to his ill-fitted jacket). In order to protect her younger sister from a lecherous marriage who will only benefit their stepfather, Elinor has to marry well and she's decided the only way to go is to marry a duke. Thus, she charges James to find out as much as possible from the list of candidates which she has narrowed down to two names.

The Tremont family has been plagued with madness, but so far, James seems to have escaped the ill-fate. He is everything a duke should be - haughty and respectable. Initially, James wants to come clean to Elinor and reveal his identity and thus, not being able to undertake the job she has given him... However, he is outraged to find out that she has not retained him as a candidate and so the deception continues.

Another cute book. I enjoyed Mad About This Duke better than How I Met my Countess and I think it's one of Ms Boyle's best effort in recent releases. I think it's because the book was fun - the deceptions, some situations... and the interactions between the Tremont brothers. James' younger brother, Mad Jack - the hero in This Rake of Mine - is the one who was usually involved in crazy situations and it's nice to see the reversal of role :P James wondering if that's what Jack felt... and everyone worrying that James has finally gone mad LOL.

Character-wise, I'm not sure I got to know the real Elinor. I felt it was quite superficial... I mean, she hopes for a husband that will be a better man than her previous one. What she's looking for is safety, not necessarily love and it all makes sense given her situation. However, is that all there is to Elinor? The whole revelation to the deception was okay, but I felt the ending was very rushed. I wished there's been a bit more closing between Elinor and James. I have to admit though, what really surprised me in this book was the ages of the H/H. Elinor is in her early thirties and James, forties. These are not ages that I'm used to for characters and it did bother me a little - especially since James has a daughter old enough to get married. It's simply an age-category I don't tend to read. Obviously, in our times, it's not old... but in books and in romances, it sometimes feels like it.

Still, like I said, it was cute and fun... but I think it had the potential to be more.

7) Healer's Choice by Jory Strong: C-

I picked this up after reading Tori's review over at Smexy Books. I was intrigued by the storyline and I found that I have a weakness for shapeshifters books :P

Rebekka is a healer and she's made a choice of helping the shapeshifters who work in the Red Zone with her gift. Aryck is a jaguar shifter (IIRC) and his clan's enforcer. He's been sent to retrieve Rebekka in order to save the lives of 5 little cubs. As soon as Aryck meets Rebekka, he realizes that she is his mate; however, the human side of him balked at the associate, etc, etc, etc.

Sorry for the poor synopsis. Perhaps the one from the back of the book would be better... it's just hard for me to explain the complex part of the story. It has a lot to do with power struggles and Rebekka's gift evolving and her identity.  I didn't catch everything and it's mainly my fault at jumping into the middle of the series. Healer's Choice is the third book in the Ghostland series and it is definitively a series. It seems that the book picks up right after the events of the previous book and those events definitively impact the story of this book. Also, another thing that didn't help is that Healer's Choice is a bit of a departure of my usual reading style. Ms Strong's style is a lot more raw and crude than what I'm used to (yes, yes, I'm quite the vanilla romance reader LOL)... This is not a bad thing, but it doesn't suit me. So quite frankly, it was a poor pick by me ^_^;

All in all, there were parts that I did enjoy. I liked Rebekka's strength and the friendship she had with some of the characters and the loyalty she inspired. The plot was actually quite complex and there are some elements I didn't understand, but that's my fault for picking up a book in the middle of the series. I have to say I found the romance a bit lacking. Basically, Aryck meets Rebekka and he's immediately attracted to her. He tries to fight it, because she's not a shapeshifter. I thought the mate destiny was a too easy way to bring the H/H together. I wished they had more connection, chemistry with each other aside from lust.

Really, the book isn't bad or badly written... it simply didn't suit me. And huh, I though that Jory Strong was another pen name for Colleen Gleason which is one of the main reason I've picked up this book,  but I just realized while writing this mini-review that I'm completely wrong ^_^; Oups!!

8) Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon: B
9) A Dangerous Thing by Josh Lanyon: B
10) The Hell You Say by Josh Lanyon: B
11) Death of a Pirate King by Josh Lanyon: B-

Okay, no recap or mini-review for each book. I mean, you can find plenty of reviews in blogland for Mr Lanyon's books and they'll probably be better than what I'm going to write. Instead, here are my impressions of the four books together. I know I still haven't read the last book and so I'm not saying series...

Personally, I think Josh Lanyon and Adrien English series hype got to me. I've seen so many good reviews and good comments for the author and his books - and from some of my best blogger pals (Ames, Hils and Li)  that I really, really, really wanted to love Mr Lanyon's writing and the Adrien English series... and it just didn't happen.

Adrien was an interesting protagonist and I like reading from his POV. He was quite an honest character and it seems to me, comfortable with who he was... and that is important. What I like the most about this series is the realistic feel to Adrien's relationships - his lovers, but also his family and entourage. I like that Adrien's relationships with his lovers are not "romanticized." As a romance reader, I'm not really happy that Adrien hooked up with other guys than Jake or that he can accept that Jake is seeing other people. However, this is probably closer to reality and less idealized and I appreciate that. Adrien and Jake relationship is definitively not an easy one, but they are navigating it. I definitively saw things from a different perspective because of the way Mr Lanyon presented it. Because I craved reading about Adrien's relationships, I didn't pay much attention to the mystery part and the sleuthing and as a result, felt the books were dragging at times. Knowing some of the spoilers definitively did not help in this case either.

It's really unfortunate that I did not love this series as much as everyone else seems to do; however, I'm really glad I finally read some of Mr Lanyon's books :) And I'm definitively not giving up on him :)

12) Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt: B

Hmmm, this is a book I hesitated picking up. I've read some of Ms Hoyt's books and they just don't seem to work for me ^_^; I finally did pick up Wicked Intentions as it got great reviews (Leslie and Holly), but once again...

Temperance Dews is a widow who helps her younger brother running the orphanage their father has founded in St. Giles, not the best part of London. However, their previous patron has recently died and thus, the orphanage is in dire need of a new patronage if they want to maintain it.

Lord Caire - Lazarus Huntington - is obsessed with the murder of his mistress two months ago and is hunting for her murderer. However, he is unfamiliar and not welcomed in St. Giles and thus needs a guide. For some reasons, he reaches out to Temperance who strikes a bargain with him: she will serve as a guide if he'll introduce her to potential new patrons for the orphanage.

Okay, so let's put it out there right away: I don't think I was really in the mood to read this book when I picked it up and as a result, I probably didn't enjoy as much as I would have. Now, the book itself. Everything about Wicked Intentions was fine: the plot, the characters, the writing. I can see why so many readers enjoyed this book and I applaud Ms Hoyt for writing these characters, especially Temperance. It makes them flawed, but deep and real. However, I just didn't connect with them; I didn't feel it. Sometimes, you just don't click with an author and that's what happening with Ms Hoyt and me.


13) Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie: B-

14) Play of Passion by Nalini Singh: B+
Upcoming review.

15) Somewhere Along the Way by Jodi Thomas: A-
Upcoming review.

Books bought: +32
Books read: -15
TBR pile: +17


Phew, okay, I'm done!! LOL, you can see as the post gets longer, the mini-reviews get shorter ^_^; It's just getting late, but I think I shared my thoughts well in this post. I have a lot of reviews planned and I hope I'll be able to get to them, because my list is getting quite long ^_^; I'm really happy with the number of books read, because as I said earlier, it was really bleak in the beginning of the month. I'm also happy with the quality of the books. I was pleasantly surprised by a book or two while others met my expectations :P As for the number of books bought, well what can I say? I'm a lost cause LOL. That number does not reflect the books I got from Hils, so the number going towards my TBR pile is actually even bigger... but in my defense, if I haven't gone to NJ, I wouldn't have bought as many books either :P I guess it balances out, right? Or at least, it does in my twisted mind :)

So that's it for October! Woohoo :)

Monthly Reads: March 2010

I can't believe the long week-end is already over!! Where did all my time go?!? I really don't want to back to work tomorrow. Seriously, I'm not rested enough :(  At least, I will have blogged! I hope to find back my blogging mojo and rhythm... as well as reading mojo. Long week-end and I only read one book :( Ah well.

At least, I can look at my March reading list and feel good :D I read quite a bit this month and that surprised me a little, considering the last few weeks I've had at work. Then again, most of the books were read before things started getting really busy...


1) Roadkill by Rob Thurman: B+/A-
 Buddy review with Hilcia and Leslie coming up for Breezing Through .


2) All Night with a Rogue by Alexandra Hawkins: C-
 Buddy review with Ames and Monroe coming up for Breezing Through.


3) My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger: -

This was a re-read :) I was feeling a bit down and needed something to cheer me up. Plus, it needed to be light after Roadkill :P


4) When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn: B


5) How I Met My Countess by Elizabeth Boyle: B-

 The past few books by Ms Boyle have been hit and miss with me. Still, I like her style, so I gave this one a try. It was better than Confessions of a Little Black Gown, but I still had some issues with it.

Years ago, when Justin Grey - the Earl of Clifton - and his illegitimate brother chose to serve their country, they decided to become spies and were thus trained by Lucy Ellyson's father. Back then, Lucy helped and taught them everything she knew to make sure they would come back safely. Eventually, Lucy and Justin fell in love and Justin swore he would come back for her if only she waited. However, things have a tendency to go awry and circumstances change. Seven years later, Lucy is one of the dowager Marchioness of Standon (there are three :P) and Justin is coming back to a decrepit earldom. The only way he can escape marriage with an heiress is if Justin can find his brother's money which was left to an heir under the care of the dowager Marchioness of Standon...

I have to admit, it's the storyline that made me pick up the book. It sounded good and it actually was. The story was well thought out with a few good twists. The characters were likable and the three dowagers Marchionesses of Standon situation was quite funny. I especially like the beginning when Lucy and Justin meet again after 7 or so years and Justin has no idea Lucy is the dowager Marchioness of Standon that he is looking for. My only problem was the flashback that started after the meeting where we see Justin undergoing his training under the tutelage of Lucy, their attraction, etc. It was just too long - about half the book, and it took away from the whole book. I'd have liked to see the characters be a bit more developed in the "present," see them really reconnect. Once we come back to the present, everything unfolds too quickly - even though it all ties up - and as a result, it felt a bit rushed and not enough substance... and that's too bad because How I Met My Countess could have been more.

Still, Ms Boyle set up Mad About the Duke very well in this book and I'll be looking forward to it.


6) Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas: B+


7) What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss: B

Picked this one up because of the buzz around blogland. Many have reviewed it already and I agree with the majority. I thought the book was very well written and there was a lot going on for such a short book, perhaps a little bit too much. However, I enjoyed the subject matters in What the Librarian Did, because they're not often written about. I also really liked Devin, he was one yummy hero... but I wasn't too thrilled about Rachel. I didn't like the fact that she was using Devin. I think she should have been a little bit more honest and straightforward - it would have saved everyone a lot of pain.


8) The First Sin by Cheyenne McCray: D

Sigh. I bought this book and the second one believing they were paranormal romance - I don't know why. Perhaps because this author's other books are. This turned out to be a difficult read for me...

Alexi Steele used to be a sniper in the army until an op went wrong and she was court-martialed and found guilty. Then, she was kidnapped and broken by an unknown group and forced to kill whoever they wanted. Luckily, she was saved by the NSA's clandestine Recovery Enforcement Division for which she now works and specializes in human trafficking and sex crimes. She is currently investigating a human trafficking ring that is taking place in Boston's exclusive S&M clubs and her new partner, Nicholas Donovan, has a vested interest in this investigation as his younger sister has recently disappeared.

Human trafficking storylines are never the easiest to read about and The First Sin is no exception.There was little I enjoyed about this book, mainly because it wasn't believable to me. I guess Alexi Steele is an ultra tough, kick-ass heroine... but seriously, is there really someone this strong? It's easier to believe in these kind of heroines in urban fantasy and paranormal romance when they can heal faster or live longer... but Alexi is just like you and me. I just think there's a limit to what someone can endure. I'm not saying that Alexi should be crumbling... but seriously, it's hard for me to imagine she'd stay in the business. Of course, I'm a far cry of an army person so perhaps, I just don't get it. Anyway, let just say that Alexi has went through a lot in the past and she undergoes a lot here as well... and her recovery rate is unbelievably fast without much psychological trouble. The First Sin is also quite grim and some of the scenes, a bit too descriptive to my taste.


9) Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop: -
10) Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop: -
11) Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop: -

After reading Shadalor's Lady and re-reading The Shadow Queen, I realized how long it's been since I've read the Black Jewels trilogy, especially since many characters from the trilogy make an appearance. So I decided to re-read them. This wasn't a proper re-read, as I skipped some parts - mostly the very serious and depressing scenes, which is why I'm not writing a complete review... Although I should. Anyway, this is a really a great series, I still love the humor in it :) It's also nice to see how the characters have grown :)


12) Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper: B
13) Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper: B
14) Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper: B

This is the Jane Jameson trilogy. Picked it up after Isabel reviewed them (here, here and here) - I actually had the first book and needed someone to give me a nudge :P I'll try to do a proper post for it, but to sum it up, it was a fun trilogy. There is quite a lot of drama going on though, so these books are a bit exhausting :P


15) A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner: B+/A-
Review to come.


16) Spiral Hunt by Margaret Ronald: D

Hmmm, my attention was actually caught by the back blurb of Wild Hunt, but I figured I should read the first book before getting into the second. Logical right? Not sure it was a good decision though, but ah well. Too late now.

This is an urban fantasy series based on celtic mythology featuring Evie Scelan as the heroine. Evie has the "scent," kind of an extremely well developed sense of smell which she can use to smell the well-being of someone or track things down, etc. She gets a phone call from her first love who tells her he is getting out. He sounded a bit weird, so Evie wants to follow up on it and finally finds a dead body. Things then get complicated with the brotherhood he was involved with - they're been laying low for the past couple of years, but have decided to make a come back and for some reasons, are after Evie...

Okay, my summary was not clear, but can't help it because I felt so lost while reading Spiral Hunt. I kept waiting for the author to explain her world building such as the undercurrent, why people cannot get out of Boston, etc. but I waited in vain. Then, Evie wasn't the brightest heroine... From what I understood, in the past, those who could do magic were either recruited or eliminated by the brotherhood. Evie was always under the radar until recently... but seriously, if you know there's such danger near you, I would think you'd find out as much information possible to protect yourself, right? Also, you don't trust just anyone who helps you when you're in such situation. Anyway, just didn't feel it with this one.


17) Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs: B++
Review to come.

18) Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs: -

Felt like re-reading Hunting Ground after Silver Borne :P Still love it to pieces and it really sucks we won't get an installment in the series this year. I wonder how that will affect the timeline as well.

19) Lois Lane Tells All by Karen Hawkins: C+/B-

This is the second contemporary romance book by Ms Hawkins. The first one is Talk of the Town which was okay. Once again, Ms Hawkins starts strong but just can't seem to wrap it up as strongly.

Susan Collins now works for The Glory Examiner which Roxie has bought in Talk of the Town. She's really into her work and resent Mark Tremayne, Roxie's brother, management. However, she can't help but find him attractive à la Clark Kent way. Meanwhile, Mark is doing his best to save the newspapers and make it profitable in order to help his sister's out. This is all temporary however, once the newspapers is in the black, he's returning home to Raleigh where he has his accounting company to take care of.

Basically, that's what the book is about ^_^; Two persons that are trying their best to make a newspapers with two different visions. What I liked about Lois Lane Tells All were Susan and Mark. These are two grown-up adults, regular people and so, they are reasonable!! Once Mark explains what's going on with the newspapers finance to Susan, she stops being annoyed by Mark and starts working with him to find solution. Also, Mark realizes that Susan knows the newspapers business better than him and starts opening up to her suggestions. So yeah, I really like the H/H in this book and that is why I wished the book would have focused more on them and their relationship. Instead, Ms Hawkins brought back the Murder Mystery Club - a trio of old people who are fanatics of CSI and trying to find murder cases to solve. I mean, the idea wasn't bad, but this time around, the Murder Mystery Club was less funny and more in the way of the storyline instead of helping it. I mean, Lois Lane Tells All is 379 pages, quite thick, but I felt Susan and Mark's relationship really went nowhere. I mean, they are attracted to each other, share a couple of good kisses, lust after each other... then, finally, they have sex and you think, finally, the story is starting to shape up. Instead, they decide to keep it as a one-time deal because Mark is going to go back to Raleigh and Susan can't leave Glory... and you don't get anymore interaction between them till the end! This is a contemporary romance, the H/H and their relationship should be at the front and never take the back seat! I also wished Mark's character was more developed. Readers get a lot from Susan's viewpoint, but very little from Mark and whenever we do, it's never something really deep or personal. I'd have liked to see more of his personal side. The set up and build up was good, but the characters and story just didn't go anywhere :(


Yep, 19 books! Woohooo! It's been a while I haven't posted such a high number. Although I think what helped was that a number of the books were re-reads :)  They're always a bit quicker reads, don't you think? There were definitively some good books that I can't wait to review :) However, there were also some bad books... and that's a surprise... Doesn't happen to me often since I'm quite selective. I know what I like and what I enjoy... but seriously, you have to fall on a lemon from time to time, right?

Also, was I a good girl with my book buying? That was a goal I set out for myself starting from March, since I'm going to the RT convention. I want to try avoiding double copies ^_^; This pretty much means waiting till the RT to get some books... but I'm happy to say I was indeed a good girl!! Especially given the number of releases in March!

Books bought: +20
Books read: -14 (not counting the re-reads)
TBR pile: +6


As numbers go, it's not bad :D So there you have it, my month of March...

Review: Something About Emmaline by Elizabeth Boyle

I had this book in my TBR mountain for a while... I can't really remember when I bought it, but I'm pretty sure it was because I was bored, LOL :P Then, last week, I was looking in my historical box for books that would fit any categories in the Fall Challenge... Although Something About Emmaline didn't fit, the blurb had me hooked and so I read it during the week-end :)


Something About Emmaline by Elizabeth Boyle
published by Avon in January 2005

Inventing a wife was the perfect solution...

Or so it seemed to Alexander Denford,Baron Sedgwick, when he made up Emmaline for the sole purpose of deterring the ton’s marriage-minded ladies and their infernal matchmaking mothers--thereby enabling him to enjoy his carefully planned life in peace. So imagine his surprise when a stunning stranger appears in his private bedchamber…and brazenly announces that she is "Lady Sedgwick!"

Until a tempting lady turns his life upside down...

This "Emmaline" has been living by her wits her entire life--and dearly desires what the dashing, much chagrined rake can provide: an entry into good society. In the meantime, she is plunging his household into chaos and, worse still, wreaking havoc with his heart. For there’s something about her spirit and fiery sensuality that Alex is finding impossible to resist. But before he can make his perfect love his actual bride, he’ll have to somehow become the ideal husband he never dreamed he could be.

Genre: historical romance
Series: The Bachelor Chronicles, book #1

The Story: For 5 years, Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick, has duped his family as well as the ton. Indeed, to deter all those matchmaking mothers and put a halt to his grandmother's nagging, he has invented himself a wife... Lady Emmaline. How does it work? Easy... when Alexander is in London, then his frail wife is in the country, resting and when he is in the country, his wife stays in London... again, resting and recovering from whatever illness ails her. Quite a clever plan... until Lady Emmaline materializes and takes over his home and life. Then, nothing goes right anymore in Sedgwick's ordered, organized, calm... and dull life... and suddenly, Sedgwick doesn't know if he wants to remain... so dull anymore.

My Opinion: Okay, so I've read a lot of books where the hero makes a deal with someone and pretend to be engaged or married to avoid all the matchmakings... but I've never read a book where the hero makes up a wife!! LOL :) That's what made me read Something About Emmaline during the week-end. It sounded like a good book and it was :)

So you have Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick, who has basically invented himself a wife. He thinks he is oh so clever, till he reads in the gossip sections about Lady Sedgwick finally appearing in London and when he receives the bag of bills, he immediately rushes to his London residence. Anyway, I thought the whole idea of the book was brilliant and really entertaining. Of course, in such a case, you need a witty heroine and Emmaline certainly is witty. She has a quick mind, a quicker tongue, a strong personality, is not afraid and knows how to bluff her way. Basically, I thought that Emmaline was a great heroine and really entertaining. I enjoyed seeing Alexander and Emmaline interacting with each other and how she always had the upper hand, the right excuse. LOL, it was also funny that everyone thought that Alexander was dull, even his grandmother!! LMAO :P

Of course, the first quarter of the book or so, Alexander spends his time being confused by Emmaline as well as trying to find how she discovered his secret and who sent her. I did think that Alexander fell for Emmaline a bit too quickly... the whole story takes place over a week or a bit more... That was way too quick to me. What I liked though is that Emmaline had already spent a month in Alexander's house and so, all the servants were already on her side. It was fun to see Alexander's staff trying to matchmake Alexander and Emmaline and I understood them... They all wanted Alexander to produce a heir so his cousin wouldn't be the heir anymore. I liked how the butler in this story wasn't so stuffy :)

So I thought the whole storyline was quite enjoyable and Emmaline was really fun to read. She really made the book. I would have liked to know a bit more about Alexander. I thought he wasn't as developed as Emmaline... not that I think I would have enjoyed the book more... Just to satisfy my curiosity. I did think the story took place a bit too quickly and would have preferred if it has taken place on a longer time period... There were quite a few twists at the end that I did not expect - all pretty good and cleverly included and worked in :)

Another complaint I would have though is there were a bit too many characters... and not everyone seemed to be necessary. For example, Templeton... Was he really needed? If I'm not wrong, this book was the first in the series; however, I felt like I missed the first book... Also, there was one or two loose ends in the book... Why did Templeton get Emmaline's father a pardon? However, those are small details and aren't too important to the storyline...

My Grade: B+. Definitively a good read, entertaining and funny :)