Unwrapping a Guest Review by Connie Fischer of THE MARQUIS SHE'S BEEN WAITING FOR, a Marriage Game novel by Ella Quinn

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of THE MARQUIS SHE’S BEEN WAITING FOR, a Marriage Game novel by Ella Quinn, published September 3, 2019.

Blurb for THE MARQUIS SHE’S BEEN WAITING FOR:

Lady Dorcus Calthorp, daughter of the Marquis of Huntington, loved and lost during her first Season, leaving her suspicious of gentlemen. Now Dorie finds herself with no marital prospects in sight—until Alexander, the newly elevated Marquis of Exeter, arrives in town. Handsome, charming, and an interesting conversationalist, he at first seems to be her perfect match. Then Dorie discovers he may not be seeking a wife so much as a land steward and mother to his sisters…

After learning of his father's death, Alexander returns home to find his mother has run off with his land steward, leaving his younger sisters with their governesses. The most expedient solution is a wife who will take the household and estate in hand while he assumes his role in parliament. Lady Dorie meets all the requirements—until she makes a surprising proposal. Instead of marrying Alexander, she will tutor him in his duties, freeing him to find his heart's match. Yet the more Dorie teaches him, the more he longs to change their course of study—to love. And with the end of the Season nearing, he doesn't have much time...

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Connie’s Review:

Alexander (Alex), the Marquis of Exeter, is sitting with his sisters, Lady Phillida Endicott, age 14, and Lady Penelope Endicott, age 16. They are enjoying tea. Alex has just returned from Paris and is now learning to take over his duties of the Marquis now that his father has passed away. He is the guardian of his two sisters. His mother has married the new Earl of Portmore and they have left for Scotland. Alex’s two older sisters are unable to care for their younger sisters as they have other pressing family matters to attend to. So, it all falls on Alex’s shoulders.

Lady Dorie Huntington is a neighbor of the family and has been helping care for the girls until Alex arrived. Dorie is the daughter of the Marquis of Huntington.

Alex knows nothing about running the estate and now has to learn quickly. He calls upon Dorie and her mother to thank them for their help with his sisters. Dorie had had a bad experience with another man and is shy of wanting a relationship, but she is quite taken with Alex’s looks as he is of hers.

Dorie begins to explain a lot about estate management to Alex and he is amazed at her knowledge. She thinks she needs to introduce him to young ladies to help him find a wife. But, he wants to marry Dorie, but she’s not interested in marrying him. Determined to win her love, Alex does all he can to prove to her how much he cares.

I have read a number of Ella Quinn’s books and find that she introduces a LOT of characters from her other books. This plot tended to get bogged down with extra characters and their stories. The end result always ends in a HEA, but I hope that future books will edit out the unnecessary “stuff”.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

THE MARQUIS SHE’S BEEN WAITING FOR, a Marriage Game novel by Ella Quinn, Lyrical Press, available now in ebook and print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. 

Unwrapping a Guest Review by Connie Fischer of THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS, a Brides of St. Ives novel by Jane Goodger

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS, a Brides of St. Ives novel by Jane Goodger, published July 9, 2019.

Blurb for THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS:

The charming seaside town of St. Ives is hard to leave—but to save her family from ruin, one young woman must face a frightening unknown...

Orphaned young, Oliver Sterling, eleventh duke of Kendal, lives in seclusion in his massive home, Horncliffe Manor. Convinced since childhood that he is monstrous, his only company is his guardian, Mr. Winters—a man who perpetuates Oliver’s self-loathing. Still, Oliver is only human. One day, he sees a beautiful young woman in a painting titled “St. Ives Girl.” Captivated, he asks Mr. Winters to find her, marry her by proxy, and bring her back as his bride...

Rebecca Kane is shocked that her squire father has agreed to marry her off to a duke in exchange for payment of his gambling debts. But with no option, she submits. Rebecca fears this husband she has never seen in the light of day—yet in the marriage bed, her husband is kind and gentle. And though they remain in darkness, she detects nothing odd about him. She wonders what he is hiding and soon finds there are more mysteries to uncover—about the unsettling noises coming from deep within the manor, about Mr. Winters, and about love—of oneself and one’s beloved...

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Connie’s Review:

1879

Oliver Sterling, eleventh Duke of Kendal, Horncliffe Manor, is age 28. He has been raised in isolation by Philip Winters. He had been born with a freakish appearance and is known as The Ghost Duke. When his parents first saw him, they did not want him around and thus, sent him to Winters be raised.

Oliver enjoys art and is taken by a girl in a painting. He demands that Winters find her because he wants to marry her. Winters is instructed to have their marriage done by proxy and then bring her to Horncliffe.

Winters goes to Rachel’s home and offers for her to marry the Duke via proxy. It appears that Rachel’s father is in debt for gambling making the family members have to do without. Winters says that if Rachel marries the Duke that the gambling debt owed him will be forgiven. In addition, her father promises to never gamble again. It repulses Winters to have to do this because he considers Rachel just a commoner and now she will become a Duchess. He confesses his true feelings to Rachel as they travel through the cold to Horncliffe.

When Rachel finally meets Oliver, she is not repulsed at all for she understands his affliction. As they get to know one another more, will Rachel be able to bring Oliver out of his shell and back into the light?

I really loved this book. Rachel and Oliver are perfect for one another. Rachel is a strong and loving woman with compassion galore and lots of love for her new husband. The cruelty to which Oliver has been treated is appalling and she wants him to be a part of the world again. But, with her commoner background, it is a struggle for her to keep up. Ah - but there’s more and Mr. Winters is hiding some vicious secrets. There is lots in this story and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS, a Brides of St. Ives novel by Jane Goodger, Lyrical Press, available now in ebook and print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. 

Unwrapping a Guest Review by Connie Fischer of LORD BREDON AND THE BACHELOR'S BIBLE, a House of Lovell novel by Mia Marlowe

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of LORD BREDON AND THE BACHELOR’S BIBLE, a House of Lovell novel by Mia Marlowe, published April 30, 2019.

Blurb for LORD BREDON AND THE BACHELOR’S BIBLE:

With the dowries of all the season’s debutantes exposed in its scandalous pages, The Bachelor’s Bible is a handy tool for an earl in need of an heiress . . .

Edward Lovell, newly minted earl, bears a weighty responsibility: to restore his family’s estate to its former grandeur. The task requires not simply a wife, but a wealthy one. Thanks to The Bachelor’s Bible, he already has a particular lady in mind. He has only to convince her sponsor that he will make a suitable husband. There’s just one complication: the sponsor is none other than the only woman he’s ever loved—and inexplicably lost. Now a young widow, Lady Anne Howard is more beautiful than ever . . .

Anne is not about to be taken for a fool a second time. When they last met, Edward was Lord Bredon, the man she adored—the man who destroyed her dreams of a happy future. Now he is pursuing the hand of the young lady Anne must keep safe from unscrupulous suitors. But who will protect Anne from the earl who still possesses her heart?

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Connie’s Review:

London - 1817

Lady Daly and other friends of Sir Erasmus Howard are attending the man’s funeral. They comment on how young the man’s wife is and to herself, the young widow is thankful that she is finally free.

At age 30, Edward Lowell, Earl of Chatham, only recently came into his title after his father’s death. Unfortunately, his father had not managed the estate's funds well, so Edward is in need of marrying a rich heiress.

Edward’s friend, Sinclair, Earl of Ware, is married to Edward’s sister, Caroline, who is expecting a baby. He has confided in them that he is finally going to look for a bride. To that end, he has a copy of “A Register of Ladies of Means", or "The Bachelor’s Bible". Miss Martha Finch, daughter of a wealthy baron, is his top pick as her dowry is 80,000 pounds. Her dowry would help his dwindling funds. He is also in need of an heir. Problem is she’s very young and a bit silly.

When Edward sees the lovely Anne, 28, Sir Erasmus Howard’s widow, he is sorry that he did not marry her himself. But he soon finds that she has been a widow for several years. When he learns that Anne is the sponsor for Miss Martha Finch, he’s quite surprised. Behind the scenes, Anne is Mrs. Hester Birdwhistle who writes anonymous articles. Edward is still drawn to Anne. But when he learns that her husband may have died of poisoning, he needs to investigate. Could Anne have killed her husband? Has Edward fallen in love with a murderer?

My goodness! This book offers treason, murder, lots of twists and turns, and many nail biting moments. The ending is very clever in how it wrapped up a big dilemma. I enjoyed the story and many of the characters that were very well-written.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

LORD BREDON AND THE BACHELOR’S BIBLE, a House of Lovell novel by Mia Marlowe, Lyrical Press, available now ebook and print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

Unwrapping a Guest Review by Connie Fischer of A LADY'S VIRTUE, an Everton Domestic Society novel by A.S. Fenichel

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of A LADY’S VIRTUE, an Everton Domestic Society novel by A.S. Fenichel, published March 19, 2019.

Blurb for A LADY’S VIRTUE:

Sylvia Dowder had almost made it to the altar when her fiancé unexpectedly became a viscount, and dropped her like a stale crumpet to make a more "suitable" match. Though Sylvia's heart has been crushed, her spirit has not. She puts her wits and social savvy to use as a secret gossip columnist—and as the Everton Domestic Society's party planner to the ton. Luckily, she's not in danger of ever falling for an aristocrat again…

Especially not one like Anthony Braighton, Earl of Grafton. Raised in America, Anthony sees no reason to marry when he can enjoy all the perks of being an eligible earl. Determined to convince his family he doesn't need a wife, he hires Sylvia to act as hostess and decorator for upcoming parties. Yet Sylvia is as adept at captivating his interest as she is at beautifying his home. And despite this Everton lady's aversion to titled men, some attractions can't be denied—and love rarely does go where it's told.

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Connie’s Review:

Sylvia Dowder lives in Everton House and works for the Everton Domestic Society. Secretly, she also writes articles about people of the ton for the Weekly Whisper under the name Mable Tattler. Sylvia has a twin sister, Serena. Sylvia had once been engaged to Hunter Gautier. But shortly before the wedding, he inherited the title of Viscount of March. He immediately broke off the engagement to Sylvia because she was not good enough for his new title. Hurt and angry, Sylvia decided to work for the Society. She is no longer interested in looking for a husband. This angers her mother greatly.

Rushing down the stairs to send out her latest article, she runs into a man. He is Anthony Braighton, an American, who has recently become the Earl of Grafton. He is looking to hire someone from the Everton Domestic Society to be a hostess to help him with events with regard to his new title and status. Jane Everton, head of the Society, wants Sylvia to take on the task. In addition, he needs help decorating the townhouse he inherited on Grosvenor Square.

Sylvia impresses Anthony with her decorating and social skills. He is a man who has said he is not interested in marriage. Having been hurt and embarrassed by the Viscount of March, Sylvia feels she would not measure up to marry a titled man. Yet they cannot deny their attraction to one another. They go their separate ways, but will they stay away from one another?

Another well-written romance novel by this author. I have enjoyed a number of her books and look forward to reading more in the future. I’m sure other readers will enjoy it as well.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A LADY’S VIRTUE, an Everton Domestic Society novel by A.S. Fenichel, Lyrical Press, available now in ebook and print at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

Unwrapping a Guest Review by Connie Fischer of THE WAYWARD BRIDE, a Besotted Scots novel by Anna Bradley

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of THE WAYWARD BRIDE by Anna Bradley, published February 26, 2019.

Blurb for THE WAYWARD BRIDE:

In only six weeks, Isla Ramsey is due to marry Henry Northrup, the sixth Earl of Sydney. But she remains haunted by memories of the dashing Hugh Courtney, the Marquess Pierce. The handsome aristocrat had hinted at forever and then tossed her aside, leaving Isla with few viable options. Now, as she awaits her new fiancé's arrival from London, she rides her horse past Hugh's estate at Hazelwood every day, pining for a man who was never truly hers.

Hugh Courtney may have left Isla's life, but he can't erase her from his thoughts. When he rescues her from a sudden snowstorm, they are forced to take shelter together at his private estate. In such close quarters there is no escaping each other. Yet no man wants a reckless wife—or a woman promised to another. As fate draws Isla further into his world, Hugh vows to keep her out of his bedchamber. However, some vows are meant to be broken.

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Connie’s Review:

Huntington Lodge, Buckinghamshire - 1818

Isla Ramsey’s sister-in-law, Hyacinth, has caught her just as she is planning to take a morning ride. Hyacinth insists that the weather is getting bad and it will likely snow soon. But Isla wants to be outside to see her betrothed, Henry Northrup, the sixth Earl of Sydney, when he arrives. In truth, Isla likes to ride past Hazelwood, the estate of Hugh Courtney, the Marquess Pierce. Some time ago, she had been caught in a library with Lord Sydney and now Lord Pierce wants nothing to do with her.

When Hyacinth decides to take a rest, Isla chooses to slip out for a ride. The weather quickly grows bad causing her horse to bolt. Now, she and her horse are lost in the worsening weather. When a frozen branch falls in front of them, the horse throws Isla and she then passes out. Hugh finds her outside and takes her inside his home. She doesn’t have any injuries other than the severe cold temperatures she was subjected to, but the weather has gotten so back she has to stay at his home for several days before she can go back to Huntington Lodge.

The time together allows Isla and Hugh to discuss what happened to their relationship and what went wrong. They also simply have time to truly get to know one another.

In the meantime, Sydney has had a severe carriage accident and is taken into the home of a farmer named Lucas who treats his injuries and nurses him back to health.

Duty calls Isla and Sydney even though their hearts are drawn in different directions. Will they follow duty or their hearts?

What a totally delightful love story! I loved every word of it. Isla is such a sensitive person and has a way of getting people to open up. Sydney’s is the first I have read of an M/M love story and I was so touched at how beautifully the author wrote it. Very well done! This is a wonderful novel and I hope lots of people will read it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

THE WAYWARD BRIDE, a Besotted Scots novel by Anna Bradley, Lyrical Press, available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.