Book Review: "The Scoundrel's Honor" by Christi Caldwell

***** - Lady Penelope Tidemore is determined to cultivate a proper, scandal-free reputation and score an appropriate yet romantic husband in her first season. Caught in a compromising position with the scandalous Ryker Black, this regency romance is turned on it's head when it begins with an unlikely wedding.

This story begins when the curtain usually falls, and the stakes are higher. Penny and Ryker have to make this arrangement work, and though unlikely, they just may succeed if only they can come around to each other's way of thinking.

This romance is fast-paced, action packed, and full of likable characters. I didn't always feel the chemistry between the hero and heroine, but I found myself genuinely hoping that they could find love with one another. The setting of the Hell and Sin Club was intriguing in The Rogue's Wager and we see more of it here.

'The Scoundrel's Honor' is another refreshing change from the regency romance standard, highly enjoyable and a satisfying read.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Book Review: "Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1)" by Julia Quinn

***** - The Bridgertons and the Rokesbys have lived on neighbouring estates for centuries. Their children, through proximity, have grown up together. Billie Bridgerton has always been best friends with Edward, Andrew and Mary Rokesby and assumed she'd marry one of the boys when the time came.

Billie is unlike any other English miss. She wears breeches around the estate, handles her father's management affairs, climbs trees and throws herself at any task with abandon. The eldest Rokesby, George, has always found Billie to be intolerable, and they have enjoyed a long history of sniping and baiting one another.

When Billie inconveniently finds herself in need of rescue one afternoon, she is dismayed when it's George who happens upon her and must provide aid. But so begins their story as they discover that there's more to each than meets the eye.

I adored both of the main characters in this book. Billie is an excellent heroine, strong but soft in places, very relatable. I was surprised that I liked George as much as I did, I tend to find in regency romances the hero of the story is very two dimensional. But his passion, propriety and morality were in perfect combination, and he was charmingly realistic.

This book has passion, it feels romantic, and the whole story is made sweeter by the fact that these two have a history. This isn't some spur of the moment fascination with one another. They know the other's faults before their love story even begins. Finding this sort of foundation in a regency romance is rare, and this story almost feels like it could have unfolded in any era.

I loved it, so 5 stars it is.

Book Review: "The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress" by Erica Ridley

*** - Jane is smart, well-read and heading towards spinsterhood, which makes her an interesting and new kind of heroine in this regency romance. She places Xavier on a pedestal and he is just the right mixture of tortured and honorable, the perfect romantic hero.

Jane decides to seduce Xavier and he predictably resists. There isn't much else to this novel until the inevitable happily-ever-after. Cute, a quick read, and I imagine fans of the series will enjoy this one.

I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for this review.

Book Review: "An Earl's Guide To Catch A Lady" by Tanya Wilde

* - Sorry in advance. This book is abhorrent. I didn't even want to finish it but I was committed to giving it this review.

The heroine, Evelyn, is your typical pretty English lady caught up in convoluted circumstances that she makes worse. I couldn't relate with a single one of her decisions. She is keenly aware of her position in society and is determined not to marry; she wants her freedom and loathes the idea of being owned by a husband. Knowing this, she still goes about putting herself in positions where she knows she may be forced into a marriage she doesn't want.

Our hero isn't even a Hero. Matthew is a reclusive, handsome, headstrong Earl, who decides he wants Evelyn and relentlessly stalks and pursues her throughout the countryside and the city. No matter how many times she refuses him, he attempts to strong-arm her into doing what he wants, and throughout the story is bewildered that she won't fall in line. He shows up at her home, corners her in public, man-handles her and does the classic kisses-her-to-shut-her-up move.

Spoiler alert - despite all of this, Evelyn never once appeals to anyone for help. Despite his relationship with the Earl, her brother would certainly have intervened if she had told him the full extent of his pursuit. And somehow, despite still not really "getting it", Evelyn still falls for Matthew hook, line and sinker. I am creating a new tag for this kind of book: "Stockholm Romance."

I hated the Hero, I hated the story, Evelyn's friends were shallow and unnecessary. And the book just goes on and on forever. The events seem so unlikely for a regency romance that it is probably better categorised as fantasy. Unless you like the idea of being manipulated and steam-rolled by every authority figure in your life, I can't recommend this one at all.

Book Review: "The Rogue's Wager" by Christi Caldwell

**** - Christi Caldwell's stories make up well over half of my personal recency romance collection. They are reliably good fun, with leads who have great chemistry. They are the perfect books to pick up when you need to switch off and just enjoy a romantic story.

Even though I anticipated a good read, I was pleasantly surprised with The Rogue’s Wager. The heroine, Helena, is not the perfect society miss. She has had a hard life on London's streets and is more familiar with the city's underbelly than the ton, in her role as bookkeeper for the Help and Sin Club. She is tough, knows how to defend herself, and wants her independence in an era when women have none.

The hero, Lord Robert Dennington, knows personally that all women want from him is his title. As such, he has no interest in settling down until he is good and ready to give up his roguish lifestyle and settle into a safe, political and mutually beneficial marriage. When he stumbles into Helena’s bedroom one night, he turns her world upside down and leaves, oblivious to the tumult left in his wake.

This is not your typical recency romance. Somehow, the characters are more compelling. The Marquess still has his trademark “unfashionably long” hair, and Helena is still a “spirited minx” who catches the imagination of her beloved. But the story is partially set in the intriguing dark side of London, there is less dazzling society and more of the grit of the streets, and it rings truer for it. The story has a bit of a Pride and Prejudice vibe as the leads find their long held beliefs challenged, and Caldwell shows off some brilliant writing, especially with her scene setting.

Netgalley provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, and I am thrilled that they did because I would definitely have bought this one for myself. I recommend this one for recency lovers - you can purchase it from the 25th of October.