arranged marriage

Highlander Taken by Juliette Miller

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Highlander Taken (Clan Mackenzie, #2)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Moderate Kink
Series-Clan Mackenzie #2
Reviewed by Kay

Let me explain the hotness level thing first for this book. Inferno is our hottest rating and for good reason but you generally don’t find it in historical romance. At least, not in the historicals I read. I have very specific guidelines for historical romance and erotica has no place there for me. There were multiple sexual situations in this book but no penetrating sex until the end of the book but scenes of non-penetrating sex were explicit as well as some bondage and spanking with a leather strap. That’s where the inferno rating comes from.

Kade Mackenzie has to wed for an alliance to strengthen his clan’s army and holdings. He is a third son. His oldest brother is widowed and not ready to remarry yet. His second brother was all but betrothed and then met his meant to be bride, so his betrothal to a Morrison daughter had to be broken. In come Kade and Stella Morrison to fill the vacancy spot the broken engagement left. Kade has desired Stella even before he met her because she had a feisty reputation. When he sees her, he falls for her beauty. He accepts the fact they have to get married and looks forward to his marriage bed.

Stella Morrison has been abused by her father or his men physically for years. She looks like her dead mother and her father for some reason takes his grief out on Stella. She doesn’t want the marriage but wants to protect her clan. She has heard her husband is a beast, so she is apprehensive to say the least.

I liked this book but not as much as I wanted to. I wanted to love it. It drug a little in the middle for me. Good story telling otherwise. My big problems with it were no full blown sex until the end of the book and in one sex scene he used a leather strap on her. The later is not my cup of tea. Personal preference but I rate based on what I like and I did not like that part. Good voice of the author and she’ll probably get better as she goes on.

Lover Be Mine by Nicole Jordan

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Lover Be Mine (Legendary Lovers, #2)
Grade-D-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-Legendary Lovers #2
Reviewed by Kay

Sophie Fortin is a pretty girl whose family lost their place in line for a title because of the Wilde family. She is facing a loveless marriage to a duke, who as far as we can tell will be good to her. She wants to marry for love but her loyalty to her family and their shot at redemption made her decision easy.

Jack Wilde is a rake and a rogue. He also knows about family loyalty and it’s importance. He agrees to meet Sophie to shut up his cousin Skye. His female cousins have decided that they will all marry in a way that is reminiscent to legendary lovers. He thinks this is crazy but goes along with their plan just to show it’s idiocy.

They meet at a party and share a very steamy moment. Jack then thinks maybe there is something to this legendary lovers stuff and decides he wants a chance to court Sophie. He knows that he will have to do it on the down low because of the family feud.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t finish this novel. I was bored to tears, never could connect with the two main characters and had to force myself to read as far as I did. It makes me sad because I LOVE Nicole Jordan’s previous series and the novel The Lover. I don’t feel that this series is a proper showcase of her talent. If you want a good example, read her Courtship Wars series. It was fantastic.

Ten Reasons To Stay by Sabrina Jeffries

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Ten Reasons to Stay
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-Schools For Heiresses
Reviewed by Kay

This novella was previously published by Sabrina Jeffries. It will be re released on May 6, 2013.
This is the story of one of the heiresses from the school, Eliza Crenshawe. She was picked up from the school by her uncle under false pretenses. He takes her home and says he is going to marry her off to his friend.

Colin Hunt, an earl, has just arrived at his newly inherited estate. He sees a boy sneaking into his stables. This worries him because he has a lot of impressive horseflesh. He confronts the boy only to find out it’s a girl. The girl is trying to make it back to her school to escape a forced marriage.

Colin and Eliza are precious together. Eliza as she fights for her dignity, virtue and survival, all by herself. And Colin as he fights for acceptance because he’s a foreigner and he fights the demons of his past.

This is a great, short read. I loved every second of it. I’m a big fan of Sabrina Jeffries, so this just solidified that for me. It was moving, tender and hot. Three things I just adore. And when he counts the ten reasons she should stay….sigh.