Review: How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days by Laura Lee Guhrke

They had a deal . . .

From the moment she met the devil-may-care Duke of Margrave, Edie knew he could change her life. And when he agreed to her outrageous proposal of a marriage of convenience, she was transformed from ruined American heiress to English duchess. Five years later, she's delighted with their arrangement, especially since her husband is living on another continent.

But deals are made to be broken . . .

By marrying an heiress, Stuart was able to pay his family's enormous debts, and Edie's terms that he leave England forever seemed a small price to pay. But when a brush with death impels him home, he decides it's time for a real marriage with his luscious American bride, and he proposes a bold new bargain: ten days to win her willing kiss. But is ten days enough to win her heart?

Edie Jewell needs a marriage.  As an American heiress with new money, she's low woman on the totem pole in British society, and she's also running away from a scandalous non-betrothal haunting her.  Stuart, Duke of Margrave, needs a marriage.  His family is in debt and could possibly lose everything except the entitled estates.  They meet at a ball, and Edie shockingly proposes a marriage of convenience -- if he marries her, she'll provide all the funds he and his family could ever need.  Even more surprising is that Stuart accepts.  They marry, and Stuart leaves for Africa on safari.  

It's on safari and expedition that Stuart is confronted by his immortality.  He dreams of Edie and makes a plan to return to her and turn their marriage of convenience into a real marriage.  Edie, however, is 100% against this plan.  She likes her life just as it is.  When Stuart suggests a bet of sorts, Edie cannot say no.  

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed How To Lose a Duke in Ten Days.  Romances about reconnection are hit-or-miss with me.  Edie and Stuart have a great connection, despite spending so little time together prior to their marriage.  And of course, Edie doesn't lose the duke -- she gains a husband!  

(A very special thank you to Avon Romance, HarperCollins, and Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days.)

Review: A Match Made in Texas by Katie Lane

Living with four over-protective brothers is enough to make a good girl go bad. But the day Brianne Cates hits the road for a taste of freedom, she gets more trouble than she bargained for when she's arrested by a sexy sheriff in mirrored shades. Now doing a stint of community service, she's not going to let a cowboy cop like Dusty Hicks mess with her newfound independence-even if he awakens every wicked fantasy she's ever had.

In Bramble, Texas, Dusty is the law. That means no leniency for the gorgeous rebel whose highway antics almost got them both killed. The divorced lawman doesn't need another rich, pampered princess, even if Brianne has the lushest body and sweetest smile in the whole darn state. But even as Brianne proves that she lives to walk on the wild side, Dusty begins to wonder if maybe he has what it takes to tame her....

It's nice to see the people of Bramble, Texas, haven't changed one bit! 

Brianne Cates doesn't know what hit her when she arrives at the Henhouse to escape an Internet scandal of her own making.  Well, she's actually run off the road by an Elvis lookalike; then she flees arrest, so needless to say, she's in just a little bit of trouble. 

Dusty Hicks has no time for those who abuse and misuse the law.  When he pulls Brianne Cates over, he expects to make an arrest.  He just didn't know he would have to chase her to do it -- or that he'd lose his heart to her in the process. 

This series is a lot of fun -- the secondary characters in Bramble continually crack me up -- and I'm interested to see what will happen in the next book of the series. 

(A very special thank you to Forever Romance, Hachette Book Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Match Made in Texas.)

Review: The Trouble with Honor by Julia London

Passion and scandal collide in New York Times bestselling author Julia London's brand-new series about four sisters determined to rescue themselves from ruin…

Desperate times call for daring measures as Honor Cabot, the eldest stepdaughter of the wealthy Earl of Beckington, awaits her family's ruin. Upon the earl's death she and her sisters stand to lose the luxury of their grand home—and their place on the pedestal of society—to their stepbrother and his social-climbing fiancée. Forced to act quickly, Honor makes a devil's bargain with the only rogue in London who can seduce her stepbrother's fiancée out of the Cabots' lives for good.

An illegitimate son of a duke, George Easton was born of scandal and grows his fortune through dangerous risks. But now he and Honor are dabbling in a perilous dance of seduction that puts her reputation and his jaded heart on the line. And as unexpected desire threatens to change the rules of their secret game, the stakes may become too high even for a notorious gambler and a determined, free-spirited debutante to handle.

I had Ms. London's historicals on my To Read list several years ago but took them off because I never thought I'd get to them.  When I saw The Trouble With Honor, I decided I'd give this book a chance.  I'm certainly glad I did! 

Honor Cabot, the daughter of a bishop and stepdaughter of an earl, is an opinionated and bright young woman.  Her stepfather is ill, however, and she worries for the health of her mother and what will happen to she and her sisters when their stepbrother becomes the new earl.  She meets George Easton at a poker game and decides that he will be instrumental to helping her keep she and her sisters safe -- and in funds -- when their stepfather dies.

The one thing I could not understand is how Honor can conduct such schemes and sneak out at night and arrive unescorted in the daylight to a man's home and still retain her place in society.  The Trouble With Honor is a great way to spend an afternoon, and I'm looking forward to continuing this series.  And while Honor and George are both delights, how could some gossiping member of the ton not watch Honor like a hawk?  What about Monica's mother, who is clearly a busybody? 

I was able to suspend disbelief of Honor's reputation, so I'm interested to see what will happen to Grace in The Fall of Grace (July 2014).

(A very special thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Trouble With Honor.)

Eagerly Anticipating -- April 2014