Review: The River Knows by Amanda Quick

The River Knows
by Amanda Quick

The first kiss occurred in a dimly lit hallway on the upper floor of Elwin Hastings's grand house. Louisa never saw it coming....

Of course, Anthony Stalbridge couldn't possibly have had romantic intentions. The kiss was an act of desperation meant to distract the armed guard from catching the pair in a place they did not belong. After all, Louisa Bryce, in her dull maroon gown and gold-rimmed spectacles, was no man's idea of an alluring female. The only thing the two interlopers have in common is a passionate interest in the private affairs of Mr. Hastings-a prominent member of Society whom they both suspect of hiding terrible secrets. Now, brought together by their ruse, Anthony and Louisa are united in their efforts to find the truth.

Each has a reason for the quest. Anthony's fiancèe was said to have thrown herself into the Thames-but Anthony has his own suspicions. Louisa-whose own identity is shrouded in layers of mystery-is convinced that Hastings has a connection to a notorious brothel. When Anthony successfully cracks Hastings's hidden safe-and discovers incriminating evidence-it appears that both their instincts were correct.

Genre: Adult, Historical

Publication Date: April 24th 2007

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Format: hardcover, 368 pages 

Series: no

Source: Used book store

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My Review

Amanda Quick is the kind of hit-or-miss author for me. Either I love her stories from the very first page, or I just instantly know I won't be interested enough to finish it.

Thankfully, this one was a delight from beginning to end. Very much like Mischief was. When Quick gets it right, boy, she gets it VERY right. Her heroines are all so very independent, self-suficient and practical about things, they are very fresh sights for sore eyes in the middle of the sea of too-young and too-silly heroines we usually find in historical romances. No, her heroines are in their middle-twenties, they are generally alone in the world and just have to be clever enough to survive in a world where women are nothing without a man to stand beside them. Or in front of them. 

When women found themselves alone and without means during that time, they were expected to do anything, ANYTHING, mind you, be it becoming a governess, a companion or even a prostitute, anything BUT go into trade. And that was what our heroine did. At least in the beginning of the book. Before she killed a man who was trying to rape and kill her. After that she was forced to fake suicide, and sometime later managed to reapper in Society as a widow called Louisa. She also managed to attract the eye of gentleman Anthony Stalbridge. But that was not all she managed to attract... now there's a killer on the loose and what started with the investigation of a couple of crimes soon becomes three, then four... and, if she is not careful enough, her murder might be next on the list.

Quick's heroes are always very likeable as well. They are the first ones to notice how much they care about the heroines, and then have to convince them to be with them. It's most unusual and diverting. Yes, Quick is very good with influencing her readers to use new/more 'archaic' vocab. :P

I loved Anthony and Louisa and their misadventures. I could almost feel their chemistry, they were so good together. Too bad Miss Quick isn't much of a fan for steamy scenes, because they sure would have been great at one of those. LOL!!! Anthony's family were delightful as well. Very unconventional, like most of her characters. 

That is the perfect word to describe Quick's books: 'unconventional'. That and 'unexpected'.

If you like books like that with strong, proud heroines and amazing, heart-warming heroes, then Quick is the author for you.

Review: The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh

The Ideal Wife (The Ideal Wife #1)

by Mary Balogh

In this classic tale, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh introduces a hero like no other: Miles Ripley, London’s most irresistible bachelor, who’s about to lose his heart to the last person he ever expected to love—his wife.

When Abigail Gardiner knocks at the door of Miles Ripley, Earl of Severn, the last thing she expects is a marriage proposal. Desperate, she’d come to this charismatic stranger’s home to plead for her future. Instead she shocks them both by saying yes. Her impulsive decision will have consequences neither she nor her new husband can foresee. For Miles has his own reasons for marrying her. And Abigail is harboring a secret of her own. As distrust gives way to desire . . . as, together, they give in to the pleasures of the marriage bed, a devastating scandal threatens their future. Now these two wary hearts will risk ruin and disgrace for a love that has changed them both forever—the kind all seek, but few ever find.

Genre: Adult, Historical Romance

Publication Date: June 24th 2008

Publisher: Dell

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 339 pages 

Series: yes, but can be read as a stand-alone

Source: used book store

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My Review:

So... the minute I read that blurb (and saw this beautiful and brightly blue cover -the three Bs this cover whore absolutely loves-), I decided to go ahead and ignore the surprisingly low ratings for this book and see things for myself.

I had a lot of fun reading The Ideal Wife. Sure, some of the dialogues and actions of the characters were not perfectly 'agreeable' with the time period, nor was the ease with which Miles quickly accepted and fell for Abigail (it was almost insta-love, and it came from the guy first, a surprise in itself) and her oddities, and constantly stood by her side even when Society stated that he 'correct' her bizarre behavior. Yes, like I said, it wasn't very believable... but it does not mean it wasn't enjoyable. It's not always you see the hero falling for the heroine before SHE falls for him, nor is it very often that he turns out to be such an understanding, dear of a husband. The Ideal Wife was the kind of book that really brings out the meaning of 'romance' to mind: something sweet, a little bit too-perfect and, so, very unrealistic. What is better than THAT for when you need to escape real life? It was a great help during my finals. Something light, quick and easy to read that makes your brain relax a bit.

Abigail was a surprisingly strong and amusing heroine from the very start. I was quick to like her... only to almost hate her enough to want to give up finishing the book. I didn't give it up, but I simply could NOT believe some of her ridiculous decisions. How can someone be so smart and so freaking STUPID at the same time? Very annoying. There was no need for all that secrecy and drama and running around behind her husband's back when it was SO VERY OBVIOUS that he would gladly help with the (painfully simple) issue at hand. But then again, the story needed something more to the plot... it just seems to me that the author could have thought of a better way to write it. There was a (grave) surprise, that we never could have seen coming, unveiled at the end. THAT surprise should have been better hinted at, better developed, to make the seriousness of the book come through. 

Regardless of those problems, I liked the characters and the lightness of the story, the strength of their relationship. It was cute and funny. And that's pretty much it.

Review: Everything and the Moon by Julia Quinn

Everything and the Moon
by Julia Quinn

Published March 1st 1997 by Avon Books

Seven years ago she broke his heart...

When Robert Kemble stumbles across Victoria Lyndon in hedgerow maze, he can't believe his eyes. The girl who'd torn him in two, who let him plan on elopement and then left him standing by the side of the road, was suddenly within arm's reach, and even though his fury still knew no bounds, she was impossible to resist...

Seven years ago he left her all but ruined...

Victoria's father had told her an earl would never marry a vicar's daughter, and he was right. Robert had promised her marriage, then danced off to London while she suffered the shame of a foiled elopement. But even though Victoria doesn't particularly enjoy her new life as a governess, when Robert offers her a job of a different sort—his mistress—she refuses, unable to sacrifice her honor, even for him.

But Robert won't take no for an answer, and he vows to make her his, through any means possible. Can these star-crossed lovers learn to trust again? And is love really sweeter the second time around?

Genre: Adult, Historical

Publication Date: March 1st 1997

Publisher: Avon Books

Format: Pocket book, 384 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Bought

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My Review

The minute Robert Kemble, Earl of Macclesfield, set eyes on the raven-haired beaty that was Victoria Lyndon, it was love at first sight.

She was everything he never knew he had always wanted. And she would be his.

As soon as he let her know, that is.

Victoria couldn't be more suprised when the owner of the lands and the pond she was swimming in suddenly accosted her. That is, until he started to shamelessly flirt and kiss her. And promise her everything she could ever want. AND the moon.

Robert proposed and Victoria wants nothing more than to marry this wonderful, charming man she is rapidly falling for... but their fathers think differently on the matter. And thanks to them, a most horrid misunderstanding takes place, pushing the loving couple apart.

Seven years later, they meet again. Now they need to learn to forgive each other, and start accepting the old feelings that are now resurfacing. If only Robert can convince Victoria that this time he will, indeed, give her everything and the moon.

I just love Julia Quinn. It's very rare for me not to like the things she write... but when I read her introductory letter for this book, I somehow knew this would be one of those rare occasions.

How can an author expect us to believe in something she doesn't believe herself?

I've never been one for love-at-first-sight stories, but thinking this one would be like the others Quinn had so perfectly penned, I gave it a try. I don't know. Maybe if I hadn't read her letter saying she was writing about something she didn't believe, I would have enjoyed the story more. Maybe I still wouldn't have enjoyed it.  My point is: I couldn't finish it.

Yup, that's right. I abandoned this book. The beginning was super cute, I'll admit it. And there were some great (and awfully characteristic of Quinn's works) amusing moments... but I just stopped caring for the characters around the middle of the book. I didn't even care enough to jump to the ending. I simply gave it up. They were juvenile. Plain silly. And not believable.

However, I am enjoying the second book in the series immensely. But Brighter Than The Sun is very much in line with my other Quinn's favorites. :P I still love Quinn, we just had a bad moment.

If you do like love-at-first-sight stories in a historical setting, then this will most likely be a hit for you. I hope you enjoy it!

Early Review: Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle / Reading Romances August Challenge

Reading Romances August Challenge

4) Read a book that has a character that is involved in any type of arts (music, dance, literature, theater, etc).

Kissing Shakespeare
by Pamela Mingle

Expected publication: August 14th 2012 by Random House Children's Books

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school's staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide.

Fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks if she'd like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he's a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to 16th century England—the world Stephen's really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world will lose its greatest playwright.

Miranda isn't convinced she's the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Reluctantly, she agrees to help, knowing that it's her only chance of getting back to the present and her "real" life. What Miranda doesn't bargain for is finding true love . . . with no acting required.

Genre: Young Adult, Time Travel

Publication Date: August 14th 2012

Publisher: Random House Books

Format: eARC, 352 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

Miranda is a young actress, but lately she has been thinking of herself as more of a 'failure'. After she blew her part in the school play of The Taming of the Shrew, she decides to let everyone know (including her super perfect actress mom) that she's giving up on acting. That is, she intended to do that, until Stephen Langford, a weird crew member who never hangs around much, tells her he needs her help and drags her to the school's roof, spouting some nonsense about Shakespeare all the way up..

Miranda soon discovers that Stephen may be eccentric and all, but he was not that crazy. He actually meant everything he said to her, and he proves that by somehow traveling back in time, to when Shakespeare was still a teen, and bringing her along for the ride. He explains to her (in incredibly vague terms), that it is his responsability to make sure things in the past happen as they should. And that includes making young Will become a poet as he should, and NOT become a Jesuit, which would ruin our future as we know it. For that (and we still don't know why) he needs Miranda, who is posing as his sister, to seduce him.

Miranda now needs to deal with strange things from the past, such as too many clothes, little privacy, no drinking water, balls and religious conflicts. Oh, and she needs to bed William Shakespeare before it's too late.

As you may probably have noticed, I wasn't very satisfied with this book, for many reasons.

I expected something else, after reading the synopsis. Especially after this bit:

"Fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks if she'd like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he's a total nutcase."

The last thing Stephen did was ask something. He kidnapped Miranda, and the dim-witted thing let him. >.>'

I expected a fun encounter with a young version of a great idol, some fun moments trying to adjust to the time period... things like that. But there wasn't much of that in there, I'm afraid.

Miranda was pretty boring and obtuse at times. She kept going on and on about the same things, kept asking the same stupid questions (when she had already had the answers to them) and just following Stephen's plans too blindly, in my opinion. Plans that were quite ridiculous, if you ask me. 

I simply cannot understand why it is that Shakespeare would ever become a Jesuit, if obviously he never did in our present time. And even if he almost did, and Stephen really had to interfere before that happened, couldn't he have just chosen someone from that time to seduce him? A practiced, mature mistress or something? Did he really HAVE to go all the way to the future to choose one silly, plain, nobody of a teenager? I understand that's why YA books are supposed to be so much fun, but in this case this was not a very good idea at all. 

And, to top it all off, the constant religious babble was a huge turn-off. I understand that during the Elizabethan times all Catholics were forced to become Protestants, and the whole thing was pretty violent... but was that really important to the story?

This book felt sooooooooo long. I just took a look and it's supposed to have 352 pages, but they really felt like 1072. O.o It was very, VERY tempting to just give it up and label it as DNF, but I kept going... and I'm afraid to say it didn't get much better.

What I liked the most about the whole book were the final author's notes, about Shakespeare's life and curiosities. About the book itself I enjoyed Shakespeare's quotes and the hardships Miranda had to got through to fit in that time period. I always like to imagine how I'd act if I had the chance to time travel and see how things were back then. I know, I'm silly like that.

If you like time travel stories and would like to imagine a young, flirty William Shakespeare, you might want to give this book a try.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare / Reading Romances February Challenge

This month I chose a book that happened to fulfill a couple of the options given:

-Read a book that has a predominantly color “red” cover, that has a kissing/embracing couple on its cover, or whose title has either the following words: kiss, heart or love.

and:
-Read a Historical Fiction (not limited to Historical Romance) – read a book that takes place in some notable period of history.

Twice Tempted by a Rogue

(Stud Club #2)
Tessa Dare
  
The daring members of the Stud Club are reckless gamblers and no strangers to risk—until love raises the stakes in Twice Tempted by a Rogue.

Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur. His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his good friend in the elite gentlemen’s society known as the Stud Club. Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper who dares him to take on the demons of his past—and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love.

Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan. But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is torn between determination and desire. As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago.

Genre: Adult, Historical

Publication Date: June 2010

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Format: paperback, 363 pages 

Series: yes

Source: bought

Heroine: Slim, dark hair, gray eyes

Hero: Tall, muscled, dark hair and eyes

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My Review

I really enjoyed One Dance With a Duke, so I went back to the book store and got Twice Tempted by a Rogue, hoping it would be just as good, but it was even better! It's surprising (and a bit disappointing) that this author is still not very famous, because her writing is just fantastic. :)

Rhys St. Maur has survived every disgrace thrown his way in life by Fate. His luck is a thing of wonder. After spending years away from home, he returns to the moor of Devonshire as a war hero with an infinite number of scars, inside and out. He hopes to redeem himself by making the village profitable again, giving work and a way to survive to everyone who still lives there. After all, that is his job as the new Lord of Ashworth. Problem is, nobody wants him there, and they make it very clear, with angry mobs, threats and just plain trouble.

But Meredith Maddox may just be the only exception. When he meets little ol' Merry Lane again, a girl was once nothing more than freckles and bone, but is now a beautiful and independent widowed innkeeper, he suddenly decides to marry her.

Meredith believes Rhys wants to try and make things right for the village, but she's also sure that he'll leave just as abruptly as he appeared. She's been in love with him ever since they were just teens and she used to help her father out in old Lord Ashworth's stables. Now she has the chance to seduce him... but he comes up with this marriage nonsense and how he wants to wait until their wedding night! (even if itkills him).

In this second volume of the Stud Club mystery, we see more of the still unsolved murder of Leo Chatwick. Julian Bellamy has located the only witness, the whore Cora, who ends up staying at The Three Hounds, Meredith's inn, for protection. The girl turns out to be more helpful than Merry expected her to be.

The funniest thing about the book is the title. 'Twice Tempted by a Rogue'. Sure, here Meredith has her second chance with Rhys, but it's actually her who does most of the tempting during the first half of the book. LOL. The poor guy was doing his best to save themselves until theit wedding night, but the girl sure made things harder. Quite literally. LOL!!! Sorry, sorry...

I'm not really that big a fan of historicals, but once in a while I find a wonderful gem like this one. Rhys is such a dear character, he makes you want to take him in his arms and try to cure all his wounds... he's now one of my favorite characters ever. And Meredith is so, so strong. She's done everything she had to do to survive, and never depended on anyone else but herself. It was lovely to see how the two of them came to be together, accept each other's dreams and plans and just... be happy.

 If you like heart-touching romance, pure fun, mystery and lots tension (of all kinds), then try Twice Tempted by a Rogue. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

Review: Waltz of Seduction by Natasha Blackthorne

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're all having fun!

Here's a great, romantic read that could very well be read by two... it's an excellent choice for today. :P

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Waltz of Seduction
Natasha Blackthorne


A painful personal experience makes Lord Lockhart believe that a gentleman doesn't inflict his passionate desires on a wife. The marriage bed is for begetting heirs, not animal lust. No matter how much he desires his wife. But under Lady Lockhart's shyness is a determination to tempt her handsome husband, to satisfy them both and spend every night together in her bed.


Innocent waltzing lessons in their chambers soon become indecent, and may lead the newlyweds to overcome their preconceptions and learn to be lovers, as well as man and wife.

Genre: Adult,  Historical

Publication Date: 2011

Publisher: Ellora's Cave Legend

Format: e-book, 42 pages 

Series: no

Source: review copy from publisher

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My Review

Lady Sarah Lockheart wants nothing more than to tempt her husband. But nothing she tries seems to do the trick. Lord Colin Lockheart remains distant. He actually pays more attention to his clocks and star-gazing than he does her. 


Sarah thinks herself very plain and comes from a commoner's family. She wonders if the only reason her husband married her was because of the money she brought from her family. Why is it that hardly ever visits her chamber, and why are his visits so brief? It seems as if he's always avoiding her or when they're together he's often eager to leave her presence. Sarah is afraid he regrets marrying her, and that he might find himself a mistress.

Colin  finds his wife very beautiful in her own way. And almost too tempting. So much that he wants to bother her with his 'marital rights' more often than he thinks is acceptable. As a gentlemen, he believes he shouldn't treat his wife as a whore to sate his needs. He is convinced it might even affect her fragile female nerves. LOL.


He loves her and wants to show the world just how lovely she is, how much he cares and respects her, and that she means much more to him than just a trust fund.


He wants to waltz with her, in front of everybody. He just needs to convince her.


This was one of the most beautifully written short stories I have ever read!


The love between the characters was almost palpable! The sex scenes were so romantic, so cute, so right! (most books have some very vulgar, exaggerated scenes, but not this one.). Everthing was very tasteful and fit perfectly in the story.


I was really surprised with the quality of the writing! The author has such a great way with words! I really liked the alternating POVs, too! It's always nice to see how each character really feels, not just how the others see them.


I just wish it was a bit longer... I wanted to keep on reading about them!!! :) The story was short, but it was so well done it was able to show us perfectly just how sweet and complex the characters were within those few pages. 


Really, I can't stress how great and entertaining the writing was. I'll certainly look for Natasha Blackthorne's other titles.


If you like erotica with some actual backgroung story and meaning, then you'll love Waltz of Seduction!


I'd like to thank the author and the publisher for the chance of reviewing this jewel. 

Review: Mask of the Gladiator by Georgie Lee

Mask of the Gladiator

by Georgie Lee 

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: January 30th 2012 by Carina Press

Rome, 41 AD

Livia Duronius is driven to seek out a gladiator after watching him triumph in the Colosseum. His touch arouses a sense of hope she hasn't felt since Rome fell under the tyrannical rule of Caligula—and her late husband betrayed her. Though in danger of losing more than her heart, she vows to see him again, even after she learns her uncle has arranged her marriage to a senator.

Senator Titus Marius cannot resist indulging in a passionate encounter with the veiled woman who waits for him after the games, though he faces execution if his true identity is discovered. Bound by honor to wed another, and embroiled in a plot to free Rome from madness, he never expects to see the mystery woman again.

When the fates reunite them in the marriage bed, Titus vows to protect Livia at all costs—even from the lecherous eyes of the emperor...

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Review

I really like historicals, and I've always been a sucker for the old Roman empires, so this book was a must-read for me.

Livia Duronius has been very disappointed by her ex-husband, Decius. He promised to love her and protect her, but ended up abandoning and betraying her when she needed him the most. She vowed never to marry or love again, but her uncle has different plans for her...

After watching a gladiator fight, she goes to see the winner. The strong, powerful and attractive warrior awakens in her a passion she wasn't aware she still held inside of her. But he is a slave, and she a patrician. They can never be together, and if their encounter is ever discovered, their lives could be ruined.

Titus Marius is a senator, soldier and gladiator, but the last one must be kept a secret, because it a crime punishable by death for a Roman senator to fight as a gladiator. After one of his fights, a matron comes to talk to him. Expecting the same treatment every other matron has given him: interest only on his body, he is surprised by the timid, voluptious woman who commends him on his courage and offers him money to buy his freedom. He loses himself in her purity and kindness and kisses her. They share a moment of passion and then are reminded of the place and their positions.

Titus is very sad to see her go, but he knows he must forget this mysterious woman because he is already promised to marry someone else.

This is a very short story, but also very interesting and complete. The author portrays very well some of the horrors Caligula brought to Rome, how he terrorized the population and how he came to be assassinated as the result of a conspiracy involving officers of the Praetorian Guard and members of the Roman Senate (in this case, Titus and his friends).

I liked the romance and how happy they made each other, but maybe if the book was a little longer it would have been more believable.

All in all, this is a great book for those who enjoy quick, romantic historicals with action and tension.

*I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Seduction by Brenda Joyce

Seduction (The Spymaster's Men #1)

by Brenda Joyce

Expected publication: January 31st 2012 by Harlequin

Dominic Paget, the earl of Bedford, will do anything to resume spying upon Britain's enemies. Badly wounded, he is put will do anything in the care of a beautiful gentlewoman, Julianne Greystone, only to discover that her sympathies lie with his enemies. Yet he can't help but seduce the woman who saved his life—hoping she never learns of his betrayal.

Julianne is captivated by the wounded stranger she believes is a revolutionary hero. Until she discovers the truth…her "hero" is the privileged earl of Bedford. Devastated and determined to forget him, Julianne travels to London. But when she finds herself in danger, it is Bedford who comes to the rescue. Now Julianne must navigate the intrigues of a perilous city, the wild yearnings of her own heart and the explosion of their passion….

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My Review

Seduction is the second title I've read by Brenda Joyce. The first one was The Masquerade, which I loved. So I hoped I would like this one just as much. 

Okay, so...the book is set during the French Revolution.

It starts with Dominic Paget, son of a French viscountess and a British earl acting as a spy in France for the British government, being ambushed by an assassin. He is very near death's door when his friend Michel Jacquelyn and the brothers Lucas and Jack Greystone arrive to save him. They take him to Greystone manor, where he is tended by Julianne Greystone, a simple woman who has never had a day "of leisure and frivolity", in Joyce's words, having grown up doing chores a servant is expected to do.

The problem lies with Julianne being an active rebel, a Jacobin, and the co-founder of a society that supports the French revolution, in favor of a new political reform and social change... from Britain. She's seen by most people as a traitor to her country, even if the only thing she wants is equality. A home, food and clothing for every man and woman, not just for the wealthy.

Dominic is the earl of Bedford and a Tory (British agent). He has seen for himself all the horrible things happening at France because of the war. The bloodbath with innocent people dying every day. The reality of the Jacobins and how they started to control their own people and forced them towards violence (seemingly having forgotten their initial ideals)... yet, he can't say any of it to Julianne, because she thinks he is a fellow radical, a poor French army officer healing from a gun wound in enemy lands. He uses the alias Charles Maurice.

She falls in love with Charles and feels completely betrayed when she finds out how much of it all was a lie. But it's him she calls for when she's arrested for sedition and the suspicion of treason. Dom comes to her aid like a knight in shining armor, taking her to his place and showering her with beautiful clothes, jewelry and parties. Things she never even dreamed off.

The couple goes through a lot of drama. Julianne find out his old fianceé is not dead like he told her, she is threatened by a radical (who was supposedly on her side) and forced to spy on and betray Dom or have her family hurt, Dom kicks her out of his house and goes back to war...

Brenda Joyce is very historically accurate, providing a lot of information so we can keep up with the dates, locations and events... however I think maybe historical spy books based on real facts may not be my thing. To me, the book felt too long at times, even though the writing was excellent and I liked the characters.

Also, I couldn't help but notice all the similarities between Seduction and The Masquerade. Both heroines suffer a LOT because of the heroes. Both heroes get mad for thinking they were horribly betrayed by their loved ones, but find out they were wrong (NO!) and ask for forgiveness. Both heroines get pregnant and hide it from the heroes. Many things sounded familiar.

The thing is... I loved all that drama on The Masquerade, being my first read from her and all, only now I'm wondering if those similarities were just a coincidence or some kind of pre-made formula for writing... But I can't say much more until I check other books by Ms Joyce (which I very well intend to do, regardless of how this one made me feel).

All in all, if you're interested in historical romances with a great narrative, a lot of drama and hot spies, or simply want to know more about the French Revolution, this is your book. ;)

*I received an e-arc from the publisher by Netgalley in exchange from an honest review.*

Review: Priestess of the Nile by Veronica Scott

Priestess of the Nile

by Veronica Scott

Expected publication: January 23rd 2012 by Carina Press

Egypt, 1500 BC

Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile God is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?

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Review:

Loving all things egyptian, as soon as I read the book synopsis, I knew I had to give it a try. Priestess of the Nile was a very short story, with 21,000 words, but all of them with a poetic touch to  them.

The writing really makes you think you're back in old Egypt. The vocabulary and the descriptions of clothing and places make it all more believable.

I liked the story, I read it in one sitting before going to bed, but I wasn't very impressed. 

Bek, the mighty Crocodile God went from conceited, vain and somewhat heartless, to warm and caring. But still I didn't really get a true feeling of the love he repeatedly claimed he felt. Sure, I felt sorry for him many times, but his heart didn't really reach out to me, I guess.

Merys was a very sweet, innocent woman. Her family was very crappy (which made me like her even more for all that they put her through) and she seemed to really fall for Bek, but, again, I didn't get the impression of the real thing from the writing. 

I think I just didn't like it more because the dialogues were so formal, and there weren't many descriptions  of what was happening half the time (I like to read things happening, not just being told about them, I guess).

I really enjoyed the scenes with the old Egyptian Gods in them, such as Osiris and Isis. I loved every mention about them.

I expected a more... well, hot read from the cover, but the book was surprisingly tame. LOL. There were sex scenes, don't get me wrong, but they weren't very sexual, if you get my meaning? They weren't explicit at all. Like I said before, the book sounds very poetic to you as you read it.

If you like quick reads, sweet romances and egyptian tales, go for it. ;)

*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*