Review: When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

In the first of a dazzling new series, USA Today bestselling author Laura Lee Guhrke introduces London's most renowned matchmaker—and a scoundrel intent on seducing his way to the altar.

She's the matchmaker . . .

Lady Belinda Featherstone's job is to guide American heiresses to matrimony, and away from men like Nicholas, Marquess of Trubridge. But the charming, disreputable marquess needs a wealthy bride, and he hires Belinda to help him find one. Her task seems easy: find that scoundrel the sort of wife he so richly deserves. But Nicholas's hot, searing kiss soon proves her task will be anything but easy.

He's the perfect match . . .

Nicholas plans to wed a rich, pretty young darling to restore his fortune, and he's happy to pay a marriage broker to help him. But one taste of Belinda's lips and Nicholas's sensible scheme to marry for money goes awry, and he yearns to show his beautiful matchmaker he's the perfect match . . . for her.

Lady Belinda Featherstone married for love.  She thought the feeling was mutual with her new husband.  When he dies, she discovers love of her inheritance is what he was passionate about (that, and a string of mistresses).  A engaging American woman, she puts her gumption to the test and decides to help other young American heiresses avoid the trap she fell into.  

The Marquess of Trubridge is in search of a young American heiress and is consistently foiled by Lady Featherstone.  They kiss, however, and now the marquess can think of nothing but her. 

I really enjoyed Belinda and Nicholas's barbs.  They both protest too much concerning their mutual attraction, so it was fun to watch them finally give in to temptation. 

(A very special thank you to Avon Romance, Harper Collins, and Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of When The Marquess Met His Match.)

Review: The Rogue's Proposal by Jennifer Haymore

BOUND BY DESIRE
 

Lukas Hawkins, the second son of the troubled House of Trent, is on a mission: find his missing mother and her alleged kidnapper, a brute named Roger Morton. If bringing the villain to justice means breaking a few laws, then so be it. But when he encounters a mysterious stranger with the face of an angel and a body made for sin, Luke suddenly finds his task-and his heart-in peril.

Emma Curtis knows of Lord Lukas's rakish reputation-and hopes to use it to her advantage. While most men of honor would never travel alone with an unmarried woman, Luke is quite willing to take Emma on the road . . . and into his bed. As their journey carries them to unexpected places, Luke and Emma indulge their every passion and share their most private fantasies. But just when their deepest desires are finally within reach, a secret is revealed that threatens to end their love forever . . .

The Rogue's Proposal continues the storyline set in motion in The Duchess Hunt.  While I liked this book, the major mystery subplot -- finding the Dowager Duchess -- seems to develop much more slowly than necessary.  

Lukas Hawkins is the second son of the House of Trent.  His older brother, the current Duke of Trent, newly married, has assigned him to pick up the search for their mother.  Lukas does so, and he manages to pick the widowed Emma Curtis as well.  

The pacing picks up considerably in the final third of the book, when Lukas and Emma are chasing Roger Morton to Scotland, then back to London.  And though Lukas and Emma have great chemistry, their pairing seemed too convenient and easy.  Still, I'll continue this series because I want to know what exactly happened to the Dowager Duchess and how those pieces fall into place. 

Review: Born Wild by Julie Ann Walker

She's got three rules:

1. Trust no one… Eve Edens has been abandoned, used, or manipulated by almost everyone she's ever met. Born into ridiculous wealth, she's dealt with the petty jealousies and sordid little resentments for nearly thirty years. But after three botched attempts on her life, she can no longer ignore the truth. Someone wants her dead.

2. Avoid the bad boys at all costs… William "Wild Bill" Reichert, the wonderfully sexy boy who abandoned her years ago, is back in town. Only he's no boy. Now he's a covert operative - and he's all man. When Eve hires Bill to help her discover who is behind the attacks, Bill soon comes to suspect it's someone much closer to Eve than she dares to believe.

3. And never fall for the same ruse twice… The search for the killer takes Bill and Eve deep into the dark secrets and strange world of the rich and famous, and into the heart of red-hot passion re-ignited by the peril that threatens to consume them both. But does Eve dare risk her heart on Bill a second time?

Finally!  The book I've been waiting for almost the entire series -- Bill and Eve's story.  There were enough sparks between Bill and Eve when they were in the same room to keep me reading each and every book, hoping for more from these two.  As drawn out as their romance was, I felt ultimately disappointed when I reached the end of Born Wild.  I didn't believe the reasons keeping Bill and Eve apart, and I kept getting tripped up over who the real villain would turn out to be. 

(A very special thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Born Wild.)

Eagerly Anticipating -- November 2013