The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian

I’ve been playing a fun game this week called “Let’s See How Many Cat Sebastian Books I Can Read”.  I’m winning.  I re-read The Ruin of a Rake.  Then started The Soldier’s Scoundrel.  Finished that in less than a day and then immediately downloaded, started, and finished The Lawrence Browne Affair.  I’m in love.

I do believe that this might be the first romance novel I’ve ever read where the main character suffers from a very evident psychological disorder—in this case a strong anxiety disorder.  It’s undiagnosed, given the time, and unfortunately everyone writes the strange Earl off as a mad recluse.  Becoming a madman is exactly what Lawrence Browne is afraid of, it runs in the family after all.  He spends all his time working on complicated inventions, is completely intolerant of other people, and relies on his loyal canine to get him through frequent bouts of anxiety.  And yet, beneath all that terrifying and mysterious exterior is a man with ragged self-esteem and no confidence in himself.  It was so terribly sad to watch Lawrence doubt himself time and time again.

Enter Georgie.  Georgie is a swindler through and through who has inserted himself in Lawrence’s life for two reasons.  First, the job opening for a secretary gives him the perfect excuse to leave London and escape the gang that’s hunting him down.  Second, the mad Earl is the perfect mark for yet another scheme of his.  When Georgie arrives at the ramshackle castle he expects to find a mad man, but is surprised to find a lonely, scatterbrained, brilliant—albeit misunderstood—man.  Georgie knows he isn’t going man, Lawrence is simply different.  But Lawrence doesn’t see it that way and he’s convinced that he must push others away in order to save them.  As Georgie learns more about Lawrence he begins to question whether he can actually go through with his plan to fleece the man.

Together Georgie and Lawrence explore one another tentatively and emotionally.  Lawrence is convinced that his feelings for men are shameful and sinful, but slowly Georgie’s love and attentiveness convinces him that he has nothing to feel ashamed about.  It was an absolute pleasure to watch Lawrence be accepted for who he was rather than looked down upon for his differences.  Their love was full of a tenderness that absolutely cannot be compared to any other relationship out there.  Brief respites of love for a man who spent his life receiving very little of it.

Every scene with Georgie and Lawrence left me feeling drugged and bothered.  However, there was plenty of excitement in the subplots to dampen some of my disappointment in the scenes not directly related to Lawrence and Georgie.  Smugglers, angry townspeople, Lawrence’s estranged son, and a rakish uncle will keep the readers more than occupied.  I was positively thrilled to uncover the mysteries the lay around the decrepit castle in Penkellis.

I’m telling you.  There was nothing about this book that I didn’t love with my whole heart.  It was some of the best writing combined with some of the best characters and those two combined equaled a book that I will read and reread time and again.  My heart explodes every time I pick up one of Cat Sebastian’s novels, whether it be the first of the fourteenth time.  Her books will never bore you.  They’re the sort of books you’ll think about late at night when you’re trying to fall asleep and early in the morning when you’ve just woken up.  Reading this books make you feel like you’re a part of something amazing and if you don’t buy them all up you’ll be missing out on something special and unique.

View Cat's Amazon page here.

Beyond Scandal and Desire by Lorraine Heath (AND GIVEAWAY)

Is it just me or is there something about the winter that puts you in the mood for some stuffy English dudes?  I certainly hope it’s not just me.  Thank goodness my Avon Addicts box came with not one, not two, but three copies of Lorraine Heath’s newest novel, Beyond Scandal and Desire, out January 30^th, 2018.  Also, do you see how beautiful the cover is?  I don’t usually judge books based on their covers but there’s something about these particular colors that makes it hard to ignore when it’s sitting there on your shelf.

It took me a few tries to get started on this novel—not because of anything that the novel did, but rather that’s just my usual pattern with historical romances—but once I fully invested myself I was sunk.  Beyond Scandal and Desire had a complicated revenge scheme, orphans, gambling dens, and wicked innocence.  So… basically everything I love in my historical romance novels.  It had a really wonderful flow to it that kept me interested and engaged the entire time I was reading.

This is the age-old tale of the revenge of the bastard.  Mick Trewlove is the bastard child of a duke who dumped him on the doorstep of a widow without a thought to whether he lived or died.  He has spent his entire life trying to make something of himself with the express purpose of taking revenge on the father who abandoned him.  Now he finally has that chance, but Lady Aslyn—with her impeccable reputation—must be an unfortunate casualty.  He tries desperately to keep a detached view of the situation, but Aslyn—with her kindness, beauty, and open-mindedness—is making it very difficult for him.

I will admit that I wasn’t smitten on Aslyn, our female heroine, right off the bat.  She’s uppity and posh, confused and cautious, judgmental and upptiy.  There were a few moments where I was certain that she didn’t deserve Mick.  But as the story went on and I got to see her spirit, her wit, her desire to do what’s right damned the consequences, she started to grow on me.  By the end I was totally Team Aslyn, especially with such a kick ass name.  On occasion regency women can be a tad boring with their rules and propriety.  And then sometimes they’re too far on the other end of the spectrum with their wild disregard of societal standards and penchant for making out with any men who cross their paths.  There’s a time for every sort of woman in my book, of course, but it was actually quite refreshing to find Aslyn who falls right in the middle of that equation.  She was witty and bold, but with a naivety about her that was incredibly charming.

Mick was the type of man you want to find behind the pages of any and all romance novels.  He’s the man every woman dreams about meeting when they’ve accessed the part of their brain that craves the forbidden.  Honestly, he’s the dream male protagonist in any historical romance novel.  He’s handsome, dark, brooding; the type of man who dominates a room without even trying.  He is dangerous and unforgiving, but he would do anything for his adoptive family.  That’s the sort of man who is the most attractive.  Rakes are all well and good, but there’s something really amazing about a guy who loves his family.  Mick has some wildly sexy moves that will have you leaning in and pressing your nose to the pages.

This story isn’t fast-paced, but most historical romance novels are a little slower in comparison to other subgenres.  It was a happy, tumultuous read and the best part is that I’VE GOT TWO COPIES TO GIVEAWAY.  Does the above sound like a novel that you’d like to get your hands on pre-release date?  Yes?  

To enter you can follow me on Instagram: @romantically_inclined or Like my Facebook page: Romantically Inclined Reviews.  OR you can do both and double your chances of winning as I’ll be giving one copy away on each social media page!  One winner from each page will be chosen at 12pm tomorrow (Saturday, December 30th).

The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

The Soldier’s Scoundrel is another male/male masterpiece by Cat Sebastian.  After my first venture into her works—The Ruin of a Rake—I was completely and totally obsessed with the way Cat weaves her erotic tales.  Not to be a broken record, but it seems positively nuts for me to spend money on books when I’ve got an entire shelf of my bookshelf dedicated to books I still need to read and review (and many of those have a time limit).  Still, LGBT romance novels are few and far between and Cat writes some of the best historical romance novels I’ve ever read (male/male or not).

The Soldier’s Scoundrel involves—wait for it—a soldier and a scoundrel.  The soldier is Oliver Rivington, a gentleman through and through.  He suffers from a war injury to his knee that limits his mobility and some bad memories of his time overseas that limits his emotional availability.  Looking for something to fill his time now that he’s back he finds himself embroiled in some shady business lead by business entrepreneur, and scoundrel, Jack Turner.  Jack moved up from the dark alleys of London’s slums and now runs a small business helping women solve their problems in a discreet manner.  The last thing he wants is some wealthy gentleman following him around and slowing him down, but Oliver isn’t as easy to get rid of as he’d hoped.  But the more time he spends with the handsome, polite, well-mannered Oliver the more his distrust of the elite seems to crumble and the more worried he becomes about these dangerous feelings stirring inside him.

This novel was amazing from start to finish.  And rather long, which is great because I never wanted this story to end.  I think I could read an entire life story of Jack and Oliver and never get bored.  I loved every little bit of background information that Cat fed me about her character’s and every interaction between Jack and Oliver send sparks of pleasure shooting through my body.  They had some incredibly genuine chemistry and a whirlwind romance from start to finish.  I waited with baited breath for every single interaction between the two of them and was constantly rewarded with page after page of some of the sexiest relations I’ve ever read.

If you’ve never delved into a male/male romance novel before then I strongly suggest you check out Cat’s works.  The Soldier’s Scoundrel is the first in the Turner Series, so you can start right away and you won’t have to catch up! They’re filled with such heat and passion that I find myself thinking of them long after I’ve finished.  Hell, I think about The Ruin of a Rake at least three times a week and I read that book months ago.  I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get over this one…maybe not as long, given that I’m about to hop online and purchase the second in the series as soon as this review finishes.  As a blogger and bookstore employee there’s little need for me to buy books when there are so many opportunities to receive them for free, so that should tell you exactly how much I love Cat Sebastian and her books.  I actually paid for them.

Purchase all of them and don’t think twice.

2 For 1: "The Art of Running in Heels" and "Simply Irresistible" by Rachel Gibson

When I received my Avon Addicts package in the mail I was over the moon.  A box full of books from a variety of authors and genres is a blogger’s dream come true.  When I received the box I was a hairbreadths away from moving out of our apartment and it seemed as though every other item of mine was packed away in some sort of box.  So, I opted for the e-book included in the box, The Art of Running in Heels by Rachel Gibson.

The Art of Running in Heels is the classic story of a runaway bride.  Lexie Kowalsky entered a competition much like The Bachelor and won herself a husband.  Only… when the time comes to marry him she leaves him standing at the altar, hops a seaplane, and meets Sean Knox, hockey player for the Chinooks.  Lexie isn’t looking for a new husband, but she can’t help but be drawn to the closed-off knight in rusted armor.  Too bad Sean isn’t interested in getting to know the bubbly blonde who has been forced into his life.

I think that this novel will be particularly alluring to fans of dating shows who love the drama that comes along with competing to date another person.  It was big boobs meets small dogs which probably won’t make any sense until you read this book.

Lexie was brash, bold, and unapologetic.  Sean was a cocky basted who wasn’t looking for anything past a one-night stand.  Together they made quite an oddball pairing, but in the end they seemed to work out, building off one another’s strengths and filling in each other’s weaknesses.

I don’t know that I particularly related to either character.  Lexie was over-the-top all the time and it got rather tiresome hearing about her boobs all the time (from her and from Sean).  Lexie also enjoyed preaching her opinion all the time, repetitively.  Honestly, though, despite the fact that it bothered me I think it was actually rather realistic and I can’t exactly fault Ms. Gibson for that now can I?  Sean was sort of an asshole, but you know, I’ve enjoyed assholes before and I could enjoy them again.  Their faults don’t make them bad people… I suppose it just makes them seem most like people.

There were parts I liked and parts I didn’t like about this novel, but I really think this is one of those times that the reader is going to have to decide for themselves.  I didn’t put it down, but I don’t know if it’ll go on be shelf to reread.

Funnily enough, after reading The Art of Running in Heels I picked up Simply Irresistible to discover that it is the story of Georgeanne Howard and John Kowalsky… parents to Lexie.

Though I didn’t necessarily love The Art of Running in Heels I very much enjoyed Simply Irresistible.  It was dramatic, hilarious, and full of awkward missteps between both characters.  Georgeanne, it turns out, is the original ‘runaway bride’, leaving her rich fiancé—twice her age—at the altar and hitching a ride with the oblivious John Kowalsky, player on her would-be husband’s hockey team.

Georgeanne has spent her entire life using her wit and charms to cover for her learning disability.  She knew she would never be the smartest one around, but she worked hard to ensure she’d always be the prettiest and most well-mannered.  Only… John doesn’t think so.  John only sees a ditsy, buxom blonde good for the bed but not for a partner.  After a quick one night stand he dumps Georgeanne off at the airport and says good riddance.  But seven years later he discovers that Georgeanne never went back home… and she has a secret she’s been keeping from him.

This book was drama and southern charm done right.  At the start of the novel Georgie was a rather immature young woman with a romanticized view of the world and John was a jaded asshole with a large number of personal issues.  I absolutely adored the character progression when the story fast forwarded seven years.  Georgeanne found her confidence and became more than what she’d been labelled as a child with a learning disability and I was so excited to see that.

I don’t want to spoil too much, so I won’t go into depth about the secret that blows both their lives wide open, but it’s quite a riveting twist that will keep your nose to the page.  Overall, I really enjoyed this novel with its quirks and hilarity.  I guess it isn’t so strange that I would adore one novel in a series and be lukewarm regarding another series.  It happens all the time.  I would definitely recommend Rachel Gibson’s work for fans of sports romances, despite the fact that it’s light on the sports and heavy on the romance.

Rock Addiction (Rock Kiss Book 1) by Nalini Singh

Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh is your typical ‘opposites attract’ story with an exciting twist of rock star meets librarian.  Molly has spent her entire life trying to stay out of the limelight, but when Zachary Fox, lead singer for the band Schoolboy Choir, sets his sights on her she finds herself powerless to resist his dirty words and charm.

Those who love their men large and in charge will enjoy Fox’s bold personality and unapologetic sexuality.  He’s the rough and tumble sort who enjoys being in control of every aspect of his life, including his women.  This isn’t an erotic novel with whips and chains, however, so if you prefer your readings to be something you can read in public without blushing too much then you’ve found your book.

Molly was a tiny bit eye-rollingly naïve, but sometimes that’s what you’re craving out of your characters.  She’s incredibly insecure and unexperienced, but understandably so given that she’s trying desperately hard to forget a damaging experience from her past.  Her insecurities get the best of her often throughout the novel and, at times, it can get a little frustrating to watch her talk herself in circles.  Still, the insecurities weren’t at all outside the realm of possibilities with someone as sheltered as Molly.  I only wished that she might develop more of a healthy self-esteem as the story went forward, which she eventually, sort of did.  Maybe I've just been spoiled lately with strong, empowered women.

Rock Addiction was a very exciting read.  It was a whirlwind of anticipation, emotions, and drama and I took great pleasure from the experience.  I kept thinking that the story would end—quite possibly because the story moved wonderfully quickly—but to my delight it kept going and going and going.  It’s nearly impossible to be bored reading about Fox and Molly.  I think that anyone who loved their novels fast-paced, intense, and filled with tattooed men will find Rock Addiction to be a thrilling read for a cold, winter day.

Out now and freeeeeee on Amazon for Kindle.  I'm not sure how long it'll last so don't delay!

Wrong by Stevie J. Cole and LP Lovell

Title: Wrong

Author: Stevie J. Cole & LP Lovell

Wrong by Stevie J. Cole and Lp Lovell is exactly that.  Wrong.  It was so kind of the authors to give you a warning of what’s to come right there on the front cover.  Because dear lord almighty, this book will have you, at times, feeling as though you may be going to hell for your reading choices.  In.  The.  Best.  Way.

The characters are morally questionable.  Especially Jude, the dangerous bookie who rules his ‘kingdom’ with an unforgiving hand.  He’s handsome, yes, but cruel and, in fact, a murderer.  Readers must be able to put aside their scruples for the greater good of an unbelievably sexy story.  Victoria actually starts off with all her ethical ducks in a row, but it isn’t long before Jude’s corruption wisps away whatever goodness she once had inside of her.

This is not the romance novel that will have you feeling warm and giddy.  Wrong will have you sitting there running a hand over your neck and vaguely wondering whether it’s possible for one book to set the feminist movement back seven steps all on its own.  It’s that ridiculously wrong, but god, for some reason I wanted to keep reading and reading and reading.

The passion between Jude and Victoria is explosive, abusive, and, at times, confusing.  Your mind is telling you that what you are reading is wrong, but you keep reading anyways because you have to know what happens.  You have to know if these characters are truly as bad as they seem.  If there’s any chance of redemption for Jude and any chance of getting back on the right path for Victoria.  Or maybe their bound for mutual destruction.  You have to know one way or the other.

I’m not giving you all this information because I want you to put aside this novel in favor of some light hearted Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Nora Roberts.  Not at all.  I just want any reader to be going into this novel with their eyes wide-freaking-open.  There are a good number of people who would find themselves incredibly turned off by a novel of this sort.  Even the open-minded should be cautioned.  This is Fifty Shades of Grey on crack.  This is Fifty Shades of Grey but with all morality eliminated.  The characters have few redeemable qualities.  The romance is violent. This story will make you hot, but it will not make you feel good.

Only a specific reader will be able to stomach the chaos of this novel, but that reader will find themselves quite pleased with what they find in the first book of the Wrong series. The first book is free on Kindle.  Reader beware.

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren

Title: The Ones Who Got Away

Author: Roni Loren

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Publication Date: January 2018

Blurb: Twelve years ago, tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a small number of students survived, a group the media dubbed as The Ones Who Got Away.

Now, web designer Liv Arias, along with the rest of the survivors, have returned to the small Texas town to tell their stories for a documentary. Which means Liv seeing former star-athlete and old flame Finn Dorsey. A lot happened between them that night and Liv is ready to end their decade-long riff and move on. But when her attempt at closure turns into a steamy kiss, moving on proves much more difficult than either of them thought...

Review:

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren is a daring tale about the courage it takes to survive and who doesn’t love a story about survivors?  I certainly do.  Roni Loren told a dark tale that many wouldn’t have dared touch and she did so with the respect it deserved.  This story starts off at 100 miles per hour and keeps at that speed throughout its entirety.  I had my nose pressed to the pages from start to finish.

Getting to know Olivia as a character was a real treat.  She was bold, brash, and completely unapologetic.  She said what she meant and she meant what she said.  It was quite refreshing.  Her feelings for Finn and the honesty with which she expressed them made for an amazing, emotional read with which I really connected.

And Finn.  Oh lord, Finn.  My only regret reading with this novel is that it didn’t really delve into Finn’s time between high school and the present and I imagine Finn has experience some tough shit.  Not only that, but some more backstory would have been fabulous simply because Finn is such an honorable, respectable man who has clearly spent his life trying to make up for a few high school mistakes.  I wanted to know everything about his life. 

It’s a beautiful thing to watch two people meant for one another find each other.  Finn and Olivia were written together by fate and only their own stupidity could keep them apart.  I appreciated that they didn’t play around with one another but rather opened themselves up to their need and passion.  The story moved quickly, for two people who haven’t seen each other in ten years, but it wasn’t so quick that I didn’t believe it possible.  It had just the right balance.

I’m very excited for more stories by Roni Loren.  It’s clear that this book is not the last time we will see these characters and I’m especially excited for Rebecca’s story, Finn’s prom date that fateful night and the reason Olivia ended up with a gun pointed at her head.  She has some major secrets she’s hiding and I’m eager to watch her explore them.  The Ones That Got Away was a fabulous, contemporary read with dark emotions and some incredible story-telling.  It will be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.

Breathless (a Love Serial) by Maria Luis

Title: Breathless

Author: Maria Luis

I downloaded Breathless by Maria Luis for one reason.  It was free.  That’s one of the best reasons to download a book, in my opinion.  Yes, I have a million and a half novels on my shelves waiting to be read.  Yes, I have almost no time to read those books, let alone a new one.  But yes, I have no self-control, so basically I thought fuck it and downloaded it anyways.  It was a quick, breezy read that took no more than two hours, though I’ll admit I’m a quick reader.

Breathless was wonderfully unique.  Author Maria Luis wrote this ‘love serial’ novel chapter by chapter pausing between each to allow her readers the opportunity vote on what happened next for her characters Jake and Claire.  The best part of the whole thing is that you can’t even tell that the story was a mix of different reader’s votes.  It flowed just as perfectly as any novel out there which is certainly a testament to Maria Luis’ talent regarding this writing business.   I would have loved to be a part of the voting process, but hopefully I can be a part of the next go around.  I’ve got some ideas.

Breathless follows Claire Halloway, an aspiring actress, as she takes odd jobs from investigating cheating boyfriends to wearing a chicken costume and handing out samples outside a restaurants.  Her most recent gig as a chicken has put her directly in the path of Jake Matthews, rich attorney with a handsome face and a sweet car.  She enjoys looking at him—who wouldn’t?  He’s hotter than sin--, but she’s not willing to let herself go any further than that, until one night when Jake shows up at her home with an interesting proposition.

Claire is a stubborn, independent young woman with a past that she’s trying to keep firmly in her past.  Her internal dialogue had me laughing out loud multiple times as I read.  Jake was sexy, cocky, and in desperate need of a woman to shake up his life.  He wasn’t an insufferable asshole though, which I so appreciated.  I loved the banter that Claire and Jack shot back and forth as they desperately fought to ignore their feelings for one another (however short-lived that fight way).

The whole story was pretty short, which obviously meant that there were some sacrifices regarding plot, but overall the story had a great pace and an enjoyable amount of action, sexual and otherwise (wink).  I think that nearly all romance readers would appreciate this speed read with all its quirks and hilarity.  And it’s free for two more days (until December 18^th).  Order here.

Cowboy, It's Cold Outside by Lori Wilde

Title: Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside

Author: Lori Wilde

Blurb: Wearing a too-tight “Santa Baby costume, held in by a double pair of Spanx, Paige MacGregor runs headlong into a gorgeous, gray-eyed hunk of a long, tall cowboy.  And not just any cowboy, but country-western star Cash Colton, visiting Twilight to perform in a charity concert.  Most women would melt at his feet, but Paige knows all too much about self-assured men with cocky attitudes, so she tells him to get lost.

Cash is in town, nursing his own broken heart, but Paige has knocked him off his feet.  He’s convinced she’s perfect—someone to inspire his music and share his now-empty bed.  True, he’s not marriage material, but he’s determined to convince her that they’re perfect together—at least for a while.  But what he doesn’t count on is falling in love with the one woman who isn’t about to give him the time of day.

Review:  I haven’t really felt much in the Christmas-y spirit lately, so I thought that Lori Wilde’s Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside in red and gold with the wreath on the cover might be just what I needed.  In a little disappointing turn of events I totally forgot, until this moment, that I’d thought the book was going to be holiday themed.  Other than taking place during the Christmas season, there wasn’t much to remind me that I’d originally sought out the novel to be immersed in snow, Santa, and singing Christmas Carols.  Not that this wasn’t a delightful novel… it just wasn’t the winter wonderland I’d expected it to be.

If you can believe it, in my twelve years as a romance reader I’ve never read a Lori Wilde novel.  I have the hardest time finding new authors to enjoy (I’m picky and super judgmental), but being an Avon Addict has really created a wonderful opportunity to discover some fantastic new books/series/authors, etc.  I’m blessed, truly!

I have found that I really enjoy Lori Wilde’s writing style and characters.  I have no doubt that this book was a member of a family (there seemed to be an understanding that I would know who certain characters were), but I liked those characters that I was able to meet.  I felt that her writing style came across very natural and not at all flowery and romantic like some of the novels I’ve read lately.

Paige was a down-to-earth, charming woman who was average without being boring.  She was so incredibly relatable that a few times I found myself wishing that she was a friend of mine.  There was nothing outright spectacular about Paige, but by the end of the novel I was absolutely convinced that she deserved the sun, the moon, and stars—and most importantly a break in life.

Cash was your typical attractive, too cock for his own good superstar with a troubled childhood and difficulty expressing his emotions.  He should have come across as an overdone trope, but honestly I enjoyed reading about his troubles, his faults, and his dreams for his future.  I wanted to know more about him and, eventually, I wanted to see him happy with Paige (though it took some time for me to trust him).

I think that anyone looking for a light read this holiday season would be pleased with their choice should they pick up Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside.  The drama was to a minimum and the sarcastic, witty remarks were at a maximum.