The Reluctant Duchess
922769
When someone is happy with their life it is hard to believe more could be better.  Hard as it is to believe love can really be the answer.
327947
The Admiral's Daughter has a clever although traditional plot, an intelligent heroine with bossy relatives, and a blackguard for a suitor.  She ties herself in knots over the handsome hero and there is some frustrating tension as she works things out, with the help of the Royal Navy. A nice little romance.
898992
This book seems rather weaker than most of Balogh's - compared to wonderful books such as Longing or Tempting Harriet, this just isn't up to her usual standard. Leaving that aside, however, the story is certainly entertaining.
Katherine, widowed and recovering from a brutal forced marriage, is determined not to be fooled by a man again. However, the circumstances of her marriage are not widely known, which causes Nicholas Seton to approach her very carefully. When he first meets Katherine he's in disguise as a smuggler, but she sees him without his mask. They instantly fall in love, but he is still cautious...
Then Harry Tate arrives on the scene, and despite his unpleasant treatment of her, Katherine finds herself drawn to him also. She therefore believes herself torn between two men, both of whom she loves.
There were aspects of the book which I found difficult to accept: that a virtuous widow would sleep with a man she believed to be a smuggler, and so early in their acquaintance, as well. She is equally free with Harry Tate, making herself appear quite promiscuous. I was also surprised that Katherine did not appear to feel more guilt about being attracted to two men - we may know, after all (from the cover notes and from being privy to Nicholas's thoughts) that Nicholas and Harry are one and the same, but Katherine does not.
Still, an entertaining read, even if it does not possess the haunting qualities of Balogh's better works.
631208
Why Do Dukes Fall in Love?
Every summer the cream of society gathers at the Dukeries, named for the ducal estates concentrated in one small corner of Nottinghamshire. While the entertainments include parties, balls, and a famous boat race, the ducal hosts and their guests find heartbreak, love and happy endings.
Four heartwarming stories from four bestselling historical romance authors.

Let me say right off the bat that its harder to rate a "book" when it comes to several different stories and authors.  But I will do my best on that.
MAY I HAVE THIS DUKE? by Grace Burrowes
My Thoughts? It was okay. Charming in its way. It was nice to see the very stiff appearing Duke had so much loneliness and tenderness in him. He had been fighting off his attraction for 3 years not recognizing what it really was until almost too late. Ellen was trying to live down a scandal of sorts by going far from home and becoming a governess. She was good at it too. She was smart AND kindhearted. Once Gerard made up his mind about her, she gave him quite the dance to really catch her.

DUCHESS OF SCANDAL by Miranda Neville
A good story with two people who have been at odds for 5 years. So many misunderstandings, mistaking motives and lack of trust generally. Linton started out the marriage so arrogantly, feeling that Althea should be so grateful that he married someone so below his station in life. Can you see the problems forming? When they thrown together because of that scheduling mishap, the reader gets to look at the fact that there might be some maturing going on. Wait for the twist at the end, Althea has quite the interesting take on how to solve some problems between the two of them.

WAITING FOR A DUKE LIKE YOU by Shana Galen
Promising storyline, promising start. it lived up to its promise. I loved it. Enjoyed every minute of it. Romance and danger.
I would give it a 5 Star Amazon Rating.

AN UNSUITABLE DUCHESS by Carolyn Jewel
There was just so much more to The Duke than anyone could see or understand. He appeared cold, strict, so restrained as to be unfeeling. Georgina or "George as she was called by her closest friends was the exact opposite. She was warm, open, and lived with her feelings wide open. She also faced a lot of disapproval because of it. She also had many friends both male and female because of it too. There is a sweet unrequited love and a beginnings of love in this story that was so charming. It looks like Georgina MIGHT just get to have experience with two loves in her lifetime in this story.

While I liked all the stories, there is this. Probably my favorites out of all the stories
are :
WAITING FOR A DUKE LIKE YOU by Shana Galen and AN UNSUITABLE DUCHESS by Carolyn Jewel. And because of that I gave it the higher rating, of "really liked" on goodreads.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
408500
The  Famous Heroine was good but I preferred The Plumed Bonnet.  I loved the way Stephanie learned how to be a duchess but still managed to stay herself.  She is a delightful heroine.
361245
Lady Amelia Cavendish is the most scandalous of the upstart American sisters whose brother unexpectedly found himself an English duke. So far the family has not been successfully blending into the ton. The strictures of English society seem to be pressing Amelia into recklessly rebelling more and more each day. Her most heedless act places her in the hands of Alistair Finlay-Jones. In a somewhat believable coincidence, he has been ordered by his uncle to marry one of the Cavendish sisters. The magic of their perfect day together (including making love) is ruined when Amelia finds out and starts to questions Alistair's motives. While Amelia's stubbornness can be irritating at times, Alistair's determined efforts to woe Amelia and not force her into marriage makes the reader root for the couple's happily ever after.
1506604
"Slightly Sinful" continues the story of the Bedwyn family, first introduced to us in "A Summer To Remember" and now with their own "slightly" series.

"Slightly Sinful" follows Lord Alleyne Bedwyn, youngest brother of the Duke of Bewcastle, as he approaches the Battle of Waterloo as a courier for a diplomat. Injured when carrying a letter away from the Duke of Wellington he falls from his horse and loses consciousness.

He awakes not knowing who he is - and finds himself in a brothel. He was rescued by Rachel York, a young lady who happens to be staying in the brothel with her former governess, now a prostitute, and her three co-workers. The five ladies are all bound together by a shared disaster - a clergyman they trusted to carry their money back to England has absconded with it. This clergyman was also engaged to Rachel but they now know he was only interested in her inheritance. The ladies decided to go and loot some of the bodies after the Battle of Waterloo and this is where Rachel found Alleyne, his body already stripped as he was thought dead. She brought him back to the brothel as the only place to take care of him, with the help of a one-eyed sergeant, and waited for him to wake up.

The descriptions of the battle are excellent, as is the way that Alleyne deals with his loss of memory. His romance with Rachel is gently portrayed - in fact it's something that arrives very gently over time. Of course both of them are very attractive (as usual in this kind of book) but Mary Balogh seems to be trying to say that shared experiences of fear and rescue are what originally bind them together.

They return to England and Alleyne agrees to masquerade as Rachel's husband so that she can get her jewels from her aloof uncle - they will come to her on her twenty fifth birthday or when she is married. She arrives at her uncle's house with Alleyne, the four prostitutes pretending to be maids or companions and the Sergeant. But her memory of her uncle isn't true to reality and she has to start reconsidering his dealings with her in the past and viewing them in a new way.

In some ways this book is a little cold and gentle - there's not too much action after the initial Waterloo battle, most of the scenes are between Rachel and Alleyne and I liked that, and the lovers themselves aren't as warm and passionate as some of the other books in the series. In a way I liked that about this book - it felt more real, particularly the description of Alleyne's emotions. He's afraid in the battle and once he realises who he is, he is afraid to go back to his family. This rang true and I liked it.

Overall I think this was a well-written book but it wasn't the sort of novel that stays in your mind and that you want to read over and over again.
92137
I loved the book!  For me, getting to revisit her 'Duchess' series great characters was half the fun!  I would have enjoyed just a touch more Jemma Beaumont, but there were a couple of good scenes with Villiers and that was very satisfying.  The hero, Wade, was an idiot in parts of the book, but that just made it more realistic for a man in love!  I can't wait for Eloisa James' next release!
1049550
I have really enjoyed reading these stories of the desperate duchesss. I stumbled across this series in the middle and I have been reading the books both backwards and forward. Well worth reading the books of this series.
2995518
3.5 Stars
When the shy and plump Jane Huxley is made the subject of a bet that leads to her ruin, the last thing she expects is to be engaged to a duke. Especially that duke, the man who has made his disdain for her clear with his icy stare. As the brother of the man who ruined Miss Huxley, the Duke of Blackmore knows it is his obligation to marry the innocent girl, who just happens to be his sisters best friend. He isn't what he wanted for his duchess however, honour dictates that he must marry her. However, the dukes frosty exterior soon begins to thaw as Jane wiggles her way into his heart.

I love a plain Jane romance, which is what had me reaching for The Truth about Cads and Dukes, it was just what I love; a seemingly plain and unassuming heroine and an icy aloof hero. And, although this book wasn't perfect I did have great fun reading it. I also didn't realise at the time I started this book that it was actually part of a series, but that didn't seem to affect this book and I found this could easily be read as a standalone.

This book was a slow starter as it sets up the scene for Janes ruin at the hands of the heros brother. We watch as she is deliberately befriended and manipulated into a humiliating and ruinous position. Along the way though, you get a real sense of the shy, plump and bookish Janes character and see the funny and strong person she is. This came across all the way through the book and I loved that our shy heroine took control and there is an excellent and sexy scene where she plans and executes a seduction on her stubborn husband. In comparison, although I liked the very self contained hero, I found that his character got a bit eclipsed by Jane. But their romance was great and they had good chemistry.

I am now intrigued enough to read the next book in the series, the caddish brother of our hero was an interesting character and managed to almost redeem himself and I would be interested to see the next part of his story. There were also some other characters I would be interested in reading more about so I will be picking up further books in this series.

Dont let the slightly dubious cover put you off reading this, it was a sexy romance with a great heroine and a lot of potentially interesting heroes for future books. If, like me you are a fan of the plain Jane troupe this is one I would recommend giving a whirl.
3748245
Justin Ambrose, dashing cavalier and close companion to Prince Rupert, was bored with life in the Royalist garrison in Banbury, until he met the sister of a local merchant.  Famous for his romantic conquests, Justin had never before let a woman touch his heart.

But Abby was no ordinary woman.  She was beautiful and she was brave. She was also young and terrfied of her brother, a religious fanatic and self-sworn enemy of all Royalists.

When the rebel army unleashed its might on the castle, Justin fought tirelessly to break the siege.  But even his closest friends did not know what tormented him.  And Abby, as she sat with the rebel commanders at her brother's table, dreamed of a man she could not, must not love...

(this is from the book's back cover)
2161563
Summerset Abbey by T. J. Brown takes place near London in 1913.  Sir Philip Buxton defied the rules of Edwardian tradition in rearing his two daughters, Rowena and Victoria.  Prudence, the daughter of the governess, was reared alongside Rowena and Victoria who considered her a sister and Sir Philip loved her like a daughter.  When Sir Philip died, the girls were forced to leave their beloved home and go to Summerset Abbey to live with their uncle.  He did not accept Prudence as a "niece" and forced her to become a ladies maid for the two sisters.

As the older sister, Rowena felt that it was her duty to free Prudence from being a servant but she was troubled as to where her true loyalties were to be placed. Victoria suffered from asthma but did not let that hold her back.  She had worked with her father in his study of botany and her dream was to attend the university and become a botanist.  After moving to Summerset Abbey, she learned of a family secret that could change all their lives forever.  Prudence does not belong downstairs with the household staff but she also does not belong upstairs with the sisters and she is beginning to wonder if she will every belong at Summerset Abbey.

The author did an excellent job of developing the plot and the characters.  The characters were so real that I felt I was in the story and going through their troubles and happiness with them.  Many times when reading scenes that dealt with the servants, I would find myself angry at the way the servants were treated.  The romance in the book ended with a big surprise at the end, at least it was a surprise for me.  When Victoria learned of a family secret I thought I had it all figured out but I had a couple of facts switched.

This was a very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction and a well written story.

I received this book free from Net Galley in exchange for a review.
1251161
The Seduction of a Duke has some flaws, namely a slow moving story and the age old plot devise of miscommunication.  Yet I found myself enjoying the characters too much to let these problems hinder my overall view of the book.

Fran Winthrop is the very rich daughter of an American Industrialist.  Her ambitious mother has neatly maneuvered her into an arranged marriage with the impoverished Duke of Bedford.  Fran despises that her mother has done this and tries to find a way out of the marriage.  She first attempts to run away, and then she sets up an assignation with a handsome gentleman so she will be so scandalized the Duke will cry off.  Both of these plans are foiled by the Duke.

William Chambers, the Duke of Bedford is not happy to be marrying an American heiress but he knows his duty.  He feels himself lucky indeed that Fran is a beautiful woman but she is not schooled in the art of being a proper British Duchess.  Pompously he believes that her social graces can be rectified by his snobbish Aunt and he lets Fran know this.  Fran does not appreciate these little criticisms and when she is faced with trying circumstances she develops what can only be described as a cold hard shell around her person.  This is one aspect of the book I found strange as she really transforms into her mother, a person she has no desire to become.

At first William comes across as way too arrogant and he jumps to many conclusions about Fran.  To his credit, he realizes his ridiculous demands are overbearing and he is not afraid to apologize.

Fran does not like being away from her beloved homeland and cooks up a delicious little scheme to find a way back to New York as soon as possible, but this involves seducing her husband.  She reads a courtesan's book to give her some helpful ideas and inspiration. But this couple's romance moves a little too slowly, especially as they are making their Atlantic Crossing.  They needed a little more time together and more romantic moments.

There's a lot of irony in this story and it works well with the development of the characters.  The author does a good job of giving her hero a well developed past to explain his actions.  This is not so true of the heroine.  Still Fran was interesting, inventive and resourceful.
157806
A Proper English Woman by Eloisa James
It's the story of a reluctant bridegroom (engaged since childhood, and hasn't seen his fianc&eacute;e in years), a bride who's losing her patience, and a wild night in which the said bridegroom meets a wicked, delicious Frenchwomanor is she?
**
Eloisa James does not disappoint in this delightful novella involving misinterpreted comments, scandalous gossip and a masquerade.  This story is well plotted and sensuous. Rating:5-stars

The Vicar's Widow by Julia London
 In 1816 Darien wildly kisses Kate, the Vicar's wife at a holiday party.  Three years later, he is the toast of the Ton and she is a widow that he still desires. However,(debutante) Emily wants Darien to offer for her, so she spreads rumors to eliminate her rival by turning the Vicar's Widow into the TALK OF THE TON.
**
Emily is young, nave and has her sights set on Darien, Lord Montgomery but she notices his interest in Kate, the vicars widow, and sets about to create scandalous gossip so that she can be successful in her pursuit.  This is another delight of a novella and romance at its best from a genius of the genre. Rating: 5-stars

Clearly a Couple by Rebecca Hagen Lee
Lady India Burton has just returned from years of captivity in a sultans harem, her reputation is in ruins.  But she proves a seductive challenge to a staunchly single member of the Free Fellows League.
**
Darker than the previous two novellas, Ms Hagen-Lees offering concerns a woman who had been kidnapped and forced into slavery and her unlikely return and acceptance into the Regency society.  Not my favorite although well written.  Rating: 4-stars

Miss Jenny Alts First Kiss by Jacqueline Navin
Companion to her aunt and cousin, Jenny does not see marriage in her future.  With many believing that she is a man-hater and bluestocking, Jennys dance card remains quite emptyuntil a handsome earl comes to London in search of a wife.
**
Rather predictable but still a light and lovely novella. Once again we have a young nave woman spreading rumors that she hopes will give her an advantage with the handsome lord.  Of course this tactic fails and the hero and heroine manage to get together. Rating 4-stars

Overview:
It seems that in anthologies there are always some exceptional offerings and some not so exceptional offerings.  In this anthology we are treated to four novellas that will keep the reader engrossed from the first until the last. I highly recommend this anthology to all romance readers.
353399
It's 1818 and Earl of Xavier has created a problem for himself. He's agreed to a bet he never should've agreed to, but a renown rake and gambler must keep up appearances. Oh, well, he could always manipulate the circumstances in his favour by rewriting the Christmas celebration guest list to ensure Louisa Oliver and her aunt would stay the full two weeks. Fortunately, reputations deceive. Louisa is as little a bluestocking as Xavier is a thoughtless philanderer, but it turns out both of them are seducers.

A few wagers later Louisa owes Xavier hours of her time and they start discussions beyond normal scope of society gossip and imminent scandals that are so closely associated with both of them. As Xavier reluctantly tempts Louisa's virtue, she seduces him into showing the man behind the numbered expressions.

Season for Surrender starts slowly and I had trouble getting into the story. I did come to like both Xavier's and Louisa's voices, but unfortunately I wasn't ever fully captivated. That isn't to say I didn't like the story--I did--but I have the attention span of a gnat and I need to be continuously lured into turning the page and starting a new chapter. Most of the time, the chapter titles did that by reminding me of Gail Carriger's wit and hinting just enough to what was was coming. There were a couple that could have been considered as mild spoilers, but I didn't mind them.

I liked the fact that Louisa's interest in books wasn't something to be taken on faith; it was shown and it helped to provide her an organic connection with Xavier. It also helped me to suspend disbelief long enough to accept the sexual aspects of their encounters.

Their discussions over the state of his library and literary in general helped to mirror the progression of their relationship. I usually hate when authors start quoting other people's works, but here the quotes were used sparingly and chosen for the maximum impact--it is to say I didn't feel the need to automatically skip them and that I did in fact read them through.

More than just the quotes, though, some things about this book reminded me of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. It wasn't just the descriptions of regency era festivities with a bigger company than three or five, but also a few--one in particular--specific scenes in the end that made me imagine Colin Firth striding across a long room thinking of Jennifer Ehle.

I also liked Lady Irving and Xavier's cousin, Jane, whom I suspect could be the heroine of a future Theresa Romain novel. More than that, I'd be interested in seeing whether or not the author can turn the villain, Marquess of Lockwood, into a character with a bit more depth.

***I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for this review.***
3806094
This story felt like a gentler version of Romeo and Juliet but set during the Regency period. I found the historical information interesting, the fight between the millers and the weavers as technology encroached on traditional ways of doing things. Both Henry and Kate are likable characters--not too flawed really--and you get to see events from both viewpoints. There was a mystery about Henry's grandfather but it wasn't too suspenseful. I thought some parts were unrealistic like Henry insisting his sister tell others she was pregnant out of wedlock especially considering the repercussions for unwed mothers in that society. Also, I didn't think including Frederica's point of view was necessary unless she will be a character in a future story, it didn't add to the story. There isn't direct spiritual content (except going to church) but moral concepts such as forgiveness and love shine through. Overall, I thought this was a sweet gentle story for readers who like learning about historical events without too much angst involved in the romance. I listened to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator's accents and voices.
4486221
Falling for the Governess, by Abby Ayles. This is a gentle romance with a gnarled plot dropped right in the midst of it which shows how vulnerable Regency women were in the matter of succession and inheritance when their male parent dies without making proper provision for their children's, particularly their female children's, welfare.

Isabella Watt, the heroine, is left with nothing when her father's unscrupulous partner Mr. Smith claims his whole estate, house, contents and all--even her personal jewellery--as payment for a fictitious debt, and proceeds to blacken her name as a thief in the process. Fortunately she has some good friends, including her father's old lawyer who finds her a position as a governess far from London and the machinations of Mr. Smith.

She comes to enjoy her position as tutor to the young bastard daughter of the Duke of Wintercrest's eldest son, and begins to form warm relationships with the Dukke's family. But the family has its own problems and though the position seems to be her salvation, and she is drawn to Lord Bellfourd, the Duke's second son, Mr. Smith continues to stir up such trouble for her that she is in danger of being sent to debtor's prison. Suffice it to say that
Christian Grant, Lord Bellfourd, now Duke of Winterest following his father's death,  has fallen in love wiith Isabella, and has other ideas

What started out as a gentle romance becomes so complicated that it dominates the rest of the book. l love Regency Romances, and think the mostly women that write them brilliant at what they create. Almost every one of these women, without exception, has some background in history, and all of them are writing about the historical culture of the time.

Although women had some power back then, they had no vote, no professions, no property rights, no ability to escape their often stultifying roles as chattels and brood mares for the continuation of aristocratic famiy names. It may have been an age of elegance, but if you were female you had limited opportuinities, and if you were poor you were nothing and had no help at all.

Abby Ayles is able to portray these times without fallingvictim to depression, but there is no doubt the Regenchy period,, with all its elegance, was not favorable to women. That's why, when I recover from reading such stories (and I loved this one with its dual epilogues) I look around today and see women--at long last--beginning to assume their rightfully equal place in society. You may not agree with me, but I think it's at least in part becuse women like Abby Ayles are writing such stories.