The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman

A princess in disguise is forced to live with a rogue in order to protect her from danger in this fun, sexy regency romance from Kate Bateman.

In The Princess and the Rogue, Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, doesn’t believe in love—until a passionate kiss with a beautiful stranger in a brothel forces him to reconsider. When the mysterious woman is linked to an intrigue involving a missing Russian princess, however, Seb realizes her air of innocence was too good to be true.

Princess Anastasia Denisova has been hiding in London as plain ‘Anna Brown’. With a dangerous traitor hot on her trail, her best option is to accept Wolff’s offer of protection—and accommodation—at his gambling hell. But living in such close quarters, and aiding Wolff in his Bow Street cases, fans the flames of their mutual attraction. If Anya’s true identity is revealed, does their romance stand a chance? Could a princess ever marry a rogue?

Review

Third and last in the Bow Street Bachelors, Sebastien Wolff enjoys his life of rakery and freedom, right until he meets a beauty at a brothel who kisses him once then turns him down. For her part, Anya has been hiding under an assumed name but her pursuer is closing in. Sebastien offers both protection and temptation, but do they have a future once her true identity is revealed?

I've enjoyed the two previous Bow Street Bachelor books (not necessary reading for this) but neither of them quite hit the spot. This one hits it dead centre. Royalty in disguise? Rake with FEELINGS (but he hates it)? Matchmaking friends with a light touch but much teasing? Banter and an emotional connection along with a physical attraction? LOVE

The story draws from the tale of Snegurka (the Snow Maiden) sprinkled with Anastasia (the most Disney princess tale not produced by Disney), but it's also a typical Regency Romance fantasy with a ball and the ton. I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it if any of the above sound like your cup of tea, though I do note it's a tad pricey for its genre.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The Viscount's Convenient Bride by Josie Bonham

Luke, Viscount Enstone’s, resolve to avoid a love match is tested to its limit when he accepts responsibility for the Davenport family.

Luke has found it hard to sort out his late father’s affairs. A dishonest secretary and ailing land agent have left the family estates in disorder. With new people in place, he sets off to one of his smaller properties to discover the extent of an obligation that seems out of keeping with the cold-hearted father he remembers. Who is the young woman living at Shepley Hall and what was her connection to his father?

Miss Kitty Davenport has waited for a long time to find out if the new Viscount Enstone will continue the support his father gave to her family and her patience is wearing thin. Will he carry on paying for her young brother’s education and even assist him in finding a career? For herself, all she needs is help to find a suitable position as a companion and to escape from the unwanted attentions of a persistent suitor.

Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Viscounts-Convenient-Bride-Reluctant-Brides-ebook/dp/B08MHH4M8Z
US - https://www.amazon.com/Viscounts-Convenient-Bride-Reluctant-Brides-ebook/dp/B08MHH4M8Z

Review

Impoverished and orphaned, Kitty's life and her brother's education are dependent on the late Lord Entstone's heir, a man who she has never met. Though first impressions are less than ideal, she quickly finds herself falling for Luke - but he has vowed to never to give his heart away. Will a proposed marriage of convenience lead to love or only more heartbreak?

This is a charming and enjoyable Regency romance between two lonely people. Kitty and Luke are both sensible and interesting, though Luke tends towards maudlin introspection and Kitty towards self-doubt. Despite Kitty's misgivings, Luke's sister and aunt are nothing but welcoming and supportive, and Luke has a support structure of his own even if it was at times too large for me to follow.

There are a few things that drew me back from loving this - the climax of the plot doesn't coincide with the emotional climax, so it feels like the book should end earlier than it does, and the mystery about Sir Sewell and Davenport Court fades away and could well have been cut without affecting the main plot at all.

The romance was engaging, the dresses were sumptuous, and the supporting cast convincing. Overall, a solid historical romance for anyone in the mood.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

Author Bio

Josie lives in the English midlands, surrounded by towns full of history such as Evesham, Stratford-Upon- Avon, Warwick and Worcester. Which is perhaps why her favourite reads are historical. Out of all the periods to choose from the Regency Era stirs her imagination the most. The true Regency lasted from 1811 until 1820 but dates as wide as 1789 to 1837 have been included in the extended Regency period. For Josie the true flavour of this period emerges after the iniquitous hair powder tax of 1795, unsurprisingly, scuppered the fashion for hair powder almost overnight.
Josie has always dabbled in stories but it took the combined efforts of her sister and eldest niece to set her on the path to writing novels. Her Regency romances, with a dash of adventure and intrigue, are the result.
There is more information on her website at www.josiebonhamauthor.com

Social Media Links
Twitter @BonhamJosie
Facebook  www.facebook.com/josiebonhamauthor/?view_public_for=105783611121433

Blog Tour: the Heart of Doctor Steele by Colette Dixon

Are the rumors about him true? She intends to find out.
The mysterious Dr. Steele has taken up residence next door, and scandalous rumors about him are spreading through Margaret Landeau’s small Massachusetts town. Rumors of women he’s ill-used and exploited for his experimental surgeries. Never one to believe gossip, Margaret arms herself with a basket of baked goods and ventures to discover the truth from the man himself.
John Steele has lost everything. His parents, his aunt, too many women he intended to save, and his good name. All he has left is his aunt’s home in a far-flung village and a library he’s stocked with whiskey. He has nothing to offer anyone. Especially not the bold woman next door whose passion for healing reminds him of the man he once was.
But when a dangerously ill girl arrives on his doorstep, pleading for help, Margaret is thrust into his world. She will learn who the real Dr. John Steele truly is, and soon, not even his dark past can stop her from fighting for the brilliant doctor she now loves. But he must deny his crushing desire for her—loving a man like him can only cast a shadow over her own bright future.

Purchase Link www.books2read.com/heartofdrsteele

Review

Margaret Landeau has a passion for healing and a terrible curiosity about their new neighbour. John Steele is an expert (for the time) at women's health, particularly surgery, at a time when women's problems were mysterious maladies to be treated with laudanum and bloodletting. However, his cutting edge (heh) surgical techniques make him unpopular with his peers and suspicious to the uninformed, so he retreats to his aunt's home, his reputation in tatters. If only his blasted, beautiful neighbour would leave him alone with his whiskey.

I'm not a huge fan of medical romances, but I am a sucker for historical romances, especially when they deal with the untitled common folk whose lives and problems are far closer to our own than the aristocracy of the day. Margaret faces institutionalised sexism in the medical industry and John is pit against the anti-medicine crowd who won't believe in ailments or treatments they do not understand.

I really enjoyed that while the attraction was there from the start, they grow to appreciate each other's minds. John does not denigrate or dismiss Margaret's dream of medical training and is in fact incredibly supportive, and Margaret does support John in his own troubles but insists that he also stand up to his problems and fight for their relationship. I did find her a bit inconsistent in the matter of Winsome Michaels and too easily swayed by rumour but this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I will note that there is a bit of surgical gore, so faint-hearted, beware!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources, all opinions are my own.

Author Bio
Colette Dixon writes steamy stories with heart and humor about slightly tortured people who learn how love can heal. For more years than she cares to admit, she worked in a hospital while dreaming up love story plots. A farm girl who landed in Chicago, she loves to eat (food made by others), drink tea, and sun herself at every chance she can get to survive the Midwest winter.

Social Media Links
https://twitter.com/CDixonBooks
https://www.instagram.com/cdixonfiction/
https://www.facebook.com/colettedixonauthor/
 

Blog Tour: Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Hellenic Abduction by Columbkill Noonan

 Zeus is used to getting what he wants...but that was before he met Barnabas Tew!

Barnabas and Wilfred, the unluckiest detectives ever, are happily enjoying their time in India, working on mastering their emotions, and learning how to do all sorts of interesting yoga poses. They're having a splendid time, and feel as if they've finally found some peace in their lives. Everything changes, though, when Zeus suddenly whisks them away from their idyllic retreat and demands that they solve a case for him.

Having no choice, they reluctantly accept the job, but quickly come to realize that nothing is as it should be. Zeus' motives are suspect from the beginning, the rest of the Greek gods and goddesses are untrustworthy at best, and Barnabas' temper hasn't improved at all during his time in India. And, most importantly, who is the mysterious lady who keeps popping up just when they need her? Is she friend, or is she foe?

To make matters even worse, both Barnabas and Wilfred have unresolved feelings of their own. Can they settle their own emotional affairs, once and for all? Will they figure out what's right and what's wrong in this topsy-turvy world of lies, intrigue, and trickery? Or will the Greek gods and goddesses prove too much for them?

Purchase Link - mybook.to/Hellenic

Review

Two Victorian-era detectives bicker their way through mythological Greece.

Caught up by a cyclone, bumbling detective Barnabas Tew and his assistant-turned-partner Wilfred are instructed by Zeus to rescue a princess. Anyone with a passing familiarity with Greek myth or a modicum of reading comprehension (whose numbers include Barnabas and Wilfred) would be able to guess that Zeus's intentions are less than honourable, yet in the interests of self-preservation, they agree to take the case.

Not having read the previous books in the series, I can't tell if it is normal for this detective series to contain quite so little detecting. Rather than solve a mystery, Barnabas and Wilfred are bounced between figures and places of Greek mythology on a series of hare-brained quests and dead-ends with what seems like very little agency but a lot of bickering. I did feel like the dynamic between Barnabas and Wilfred began to get repetitive and can almost imagine practically everyone they meet looking into the camera like The Office with Barnabas and Wilfred scuffling in the background. There are some funny moments as characters are bewildered by Barnabas's cavalier approach to, well, everything.

I enjoyed how the author wove together different stories, often with a unique spin. I really liked how Barnabas called out how many of them involve Zeus cheating on Hera with unfortunate results for the mortals involved. There was an added layer of depth there with both men mourning lost loves from previous books while judging if closing the case for Zeus was really the right thing to do. The ending, while solid, seemed like quite the deus ex which felt unsatisfying though perhaps thematically appropriate?

Overall I enjoyed reading this book but the story didn't quite hit the spot for me.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

Author Bio

Columbkill Noonan is the author of the best-selling Barnabas Tew series, which features a proper British detective from Victorian London who ends up solving mythological cases for gods all around the world. She was was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, and teaches Anatomy and Physiology at a university in Maryland. Her writing is mostly speculative fiction (especially stories that involve mythology, or the supernatural, or any combination thereof). Some of her work is a bit on the spooky side, but usually there is a touch of humor (who says the afterlife has to be serious?) 

When she's not teaching or writing, Columbkill can be found with her rescue horse (whose name is Mittens), hiking in the woods, or doing yoga of all kinds (aerial yoga and SUP yoga are particular favorites). She is an avid traveler, and can't wait to get back to seeing the world again. You can visit her on Twitter @ColumbkillNoon1, or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan.

Social Media Links –

@ColumbkillNoon1

https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan

Blog Tour: Meet Me in the Treehouse by Kelly Tink

In their secret tree house, nine-year-old Emma and her best friend Chris made a promise: ‘You and me forever’.

It’s been five years since Emma left her hometown with her soon to be ex-husband and eight years since the tragedy that taught her and Chris that nothing lasts forever. 

Now thirty, Emma is an unemployed nurse living back on her parents’ farm, her life in tatters. Chris, however, is finally healing and making a success of his family’s country estate.

They step into their old friendship as if it were yesterday, but as Emma sets out to rebuild her life, will their past and Chris’s future throw her further off balance?

Or will she find the happiness she left behind by returning to the treehouse?

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JCLHYSG

US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCLHYSG

Review:

 

Fresh from the ruins of her failed marriage, Emma is back in her hometown and reconnecting with old friends. Chief among them is Chris, for whom she held a torch many years before. As Emma rebuilds her life, will she find happiness with Chris? Or has their time passed and she's missed her chance?

 

This was a really sweet book. I loved how it foregrounded friendship over romance, not only the leads but also Chris's sister, Emma's workmate, and the old gardener, now a widower. The small cast of characters kept the characterisations vivid and relationships natural as each had a part to play.

 

I appreciated the handling of potential infidelity (both Emma and Chris spend time in relationships with other people but in my opinion do not cross that line even when pining) and there was sensitive discussion around miscarriages and how people handle them differently. There was also a theme of loss which brought me near tears at one point but never became maudlin or preachy.

I do feel the villain was a little obvious once revealed fully and would've preferred them to get a bigger comeuppance, but that arc was cut short to finish Emma's emotional arc which felt very sudden and a little contrived. The ending however was sweet and satisfying.

 

Overall, I really did enjoy this tale of childhood friends to lovers because it made me believe in the friendship before it became anything more.

 

Author Bio:

 

Kelly Tink is a cancer nurse, writer and hopeless romantic, living in Cambridgeshire. She enjoys exploring fun outdoor places with her husband and two sons, especially if it involves eating ice cream by the sea.

She’s an avid reader, loves a good film or TV series and drinks lots of tea. Meet Me in the Treehouse is Kelly’s debut novel. She can be found tweeting at @kelly_tink or on Instagram: kelly.tink

It would mean the world to Kelly if you would consider taking a few moments to write a review. These reviews let new readers know what you thought of Meet Me in the Treehouse. Thank you.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @kelly_tink  

Instagram: Kelly.tink

Facebook page @Kelly.tink3000

Blog Tour: The Tokyo Bicycle Bakery by Su Young Lee

Fluttering cherry blossoms, gorgeous kimonos and sweet and sorrowful love.

For cake-loving college girl Hana, Japan was the romantic destination of her dreams. With boyfriend Jin she planned an exciting new life in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. But when she finally arrives after months of planning, Jin isn't there. 

Hana is left broken-hearted on a rainy Tokyo street. Jin left no note. One day he just walked out of classes and disappeared. 

Hana begins her new life alone. Watching cherry blossoms fall into the Tokyo river. Working hard and delivering her lovely home-baked cakes by orange bicycle. Then she meets handsome young farmer Hikaru, and glimpses a new way forward - in an alien place where she doesn't know a soul.

The Tokyo Bicycle Bakery is a sweet romance with a hint of magic realism. It's a perfect book to carry with you and read on holiday or weekends.

Purchase Links - Amazon US here / Amazon UK here

Review

Hana loves baking and her boyfriend Jin, but when she arrives in Tokyo to join him, he's vanished. Lost and alone, she slowly makes new friends and builds a life there. But is working in a vegetable shop what she really wants?

This is a magically sweet novel, filled to the brim with dreamy prose and delicious food. I was initially annoyed by Hana's passivity - going overseas to find your boyfriend missing generally invites a stronger reaction - then again, my mom was so mad at my dad for being late to pick her up from the airport, she missed the way his entire bumper was caved in by the old guy who'd turned in front of him, so my family's tolerance for overseas abandonment is obviously quite low. Nonetheless, I appreciated how Hana slowly built herself up, making connections and choices that brought the book to a satisfying conclusion.

I'm not sure how I feel about Jin. Without spoilers, he seemed like more of a catalyst than a character. Regardless, his poor communication skills left Hana in the lurch and I feel like she deserved a bit more of a resolution on that front.

The cast of characters - mainly Hana's parents and her new friends in Tokyo, all get minor arcs as well, as if their own stories are peeking around the corner. Some felt a little rushed, but that's understandable given that this is Hana's story, not theirs.

This dreamy novel is like a meringue, airy and sweet though perhaps light on substance. The only thing it's missing are recipes because Hana's cooking has left me seriously hungry!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

Author Bio

Su Young Lee is a Korean romance author who lived in Tokyo, Japan for 10 years and now lives in London, England with her husband and two lovely cats.

Su works in academic publishing and loves baking, playing piano and working on her calligraphy.

Check her blog here: https://suyoungleesblog.wordpress.com

Release Day: Sherlock Holmes & the Ripper of Whitechapel by M. K. Wiseman

I am afraid that I, Sherlock Holmes, must act as my own chronicler in this singular case, that of the Whitechapel murders of 1888. For the way in which the affair was dropped upon my doorstep left me with little choice as to the contrary. Not twelve months prior, the siren’s call of quiet domesticity and married life had robbed me of Watson’s assistance as both partner and recorder of my cases. Thus, when detective inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard required a lead—any lead—I found myself forced to pursue Jack the Ripper alone and without the aid of my faithful friend. And all for the most damnedable of reasons:

Early on in my investigations, Dr. John H. Watson, formerly of 221b Baker Street, emerged as my prime suspect.

Purchase Link

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sherlock-Holmes-Ripper-Whitechapel-Wiseman-ebook/dp/B088P92XWC

US - https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Ripper-Whitechapel-Wiseman-ebook/dp/B088P92XWC

Review

In this book, we find the two fascinations of Victorian mystery enthusiasts: Sherlock Homes and Jack the Ripper. However, this take is a little different.The investigation is narrated by Sherlock himself because his chief suspect is Dr Watson.

This twist carries with it a number of points of interest - first, Watson is beloved and familiar, yet the author cleverly creates doubt in both Sherlock's mind and the reader's. Second, the deductions that so impress Watson are matter-of-factly unremarkable to Sherlock, and thus are skimmed over in his narration. Lastly, the shift from whodunit to didhedoit changes this from less of a mystery and more of a thriller. The friendship between Holmes and Watson, usually so foundational, is truly put to the test as the body count rises. All in all, this is not your usual Sherlock Holmes story at all! 

The characters are either Holmes canon characters or real life players in the Whitechapel murders, which is a nice touch. It was good to see how Watson's marriage and move from Baker Street strained his closeness with Holmes, yet Holmes is exceedingly complimentary towards Mary and not jealous. 

I will say that I found the ending confusing and a bit rushed. A lot happened and I had to reread it to understand how everything panned out. There are several items that I thought were left unexplained and so let the book down a bit.

If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes and would like a slightly different twist on a previously undiscussed portion of his life, do pick this up.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources, all opinions are my own

Author Bio

M. K. Wiseman has degrees in Interarts & Technology and Library & Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her office, therefore, is a curious mix of storyboards and reference materials. Both help immensely in the writing of historical novels. She currently resides in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Social Media Links

http://mkwisemanauthor.com

https://twitter.com/FaublesFables

https://www.facebook.com/FaublesFables/

https://www.instagram.com/faublesfables/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073540.M_K_Wiseman