historical

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah Maclean

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Earl
Grade-A-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Genre-Historical
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

William, the Duke of Lamont lost everything he had when he was a young man. Everything but his title. One night that he can’t even clearly remember changed his life forever. A woman who disappeared, bloodied sheets and him standing accused of her murder. He became Temple, a bare knuckled fighter at the Fallen Angel gaming hell, where he is a partner with his three friends. All of which were exiled or shunned as well. All Temple wants is his life before that night back.

Mara Lowe is the woman from that night. She ran away all those years ago and reinvented herself. But now she has to face the past, hers and his. She offers him redemption in exchange for something she requires. But the cost of his redemption is her ruination.

I loved this book! I really needed to also. I was craving a historical and it was everything I needed it to be. This is a really good series. I didn’t classify it as that above because it isn’t really listed as one. Clear as mud? Temple and Mara’s story touched me in so many ways. Two tortured souls finding each other. Both victims of their childhoods and being under the control of everyone. Mistakes made in youth that cost them both everything. And both of them realizing that the road to redemption isn’t ever what you think it’s going to be. A sweet, moving and passionate love story. My favorite quote is as follows.

“Without the past, there would be no present. No future. I don’t regret a moment of it. It all brought us here. To this place. To this moment. To this love.”

The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

The Scandal Before Christmas (The Reckless Brides, #3.5)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-The Reckless Brides #3.5
Genre-Historical
Reviewed by Kay

Since Ian Worth has to take bride, he asks his superior officer about his situation. See, his older brother has been injured and isn’t expected to recover fully. Ian is a Navy man and still active in his commission. His father the Viscount wants him to cancel his commission and marry so he can train him as the heir now. He knows he has to marry but he doesn’t want his father’s choice for his bride. Ian wants a quiet, unassuming girl. As he tells his superior about this, the man says he has a daughter, who is a spinster, who fits the bill. Ian is very interested. He tells himself that she needs to be pretty enough so he’ll have no problem getting her pregnant.

Anne Lesley is the daughter/bride to be in question. She knows that she is plain and not pretty. She sees this possible marriage as her way of escaping her mother’s over powering presence. She is very shy and doesn’t talk much due to her self ego. After arriving at Ian’s house, she overhears him saying hurtful but not unexpected things.

This was an okay read for me. It started off great but honestly, the setting was in the country and I prefer the city. I missed the ton and the shock value of their match it would’ve caused. Ian was a straight up ass in the beginning but finally redeemed himself. I don’t know if I’ll go on in the series as the sex scenes were kind of Meh for me.

The Sum Of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #3)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Smythe-Smith Quartet #3
Genre-Historical Regency Romance
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

Julia Quinn, Julia Quinn! Why do I always push your books to the bottom of my to be read pile, only to be put in my place time and time again by your wit, writing and story telling? I don’t know.
Hugh Prentice made a terrible decision in his younger days and has paid the price ever since. He challenged his friend to a duel and it left both men changed mentally and physically. Hugh has a lame leg and he shot his friend in the shoulder. His friend was exiled by Hugh’s evil father until Hugh could figure out a way to bring him home. Hugh is very clever and quite obsessed with figures and sums.

Lady Sarah Pleinsworth wants to marry, not only to love but to escape having to play in the family quartet. She’s a Smythe-Smith and that’s what the unmarried females in her family do. The only way to escape it long term is to marry or die. She can’t stand Hugh Prentice because of all that she and her family have lost due to him.

These two polar opposites made me laugh so hard. I mean laugh out loud laugh. Belly laugh! It was such a delight to watch them to fall in love. Despite their families’ problems these two realized that sometimes the best things in life are right in front of you. If you haven’t read Julia Quinn, you really should.