Audio: The Duchess in his bed by Lorraine Heath

Narrated by: Kate Reading
Series: Sins for All Seasons, Book 4
Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 08-20-19
Language: English
Publisher: HarperAudio
Historical romance
In exchange for an honest review

For once I was not sure how this would end, I mean it is romance so I knew they would end up together but how?

Aiden is the bastard son of a nobleman who sold him to a babyfarm. Lucky for him a wonderful woman raised him and his other siblings. He now owns a gambling den, and one that caters to women. Women need to relax too and have some fun. And you know what, I liked all about Aiden, he was rather wonderful.

Selena is a widow and in dire straits. Her family is poor and she wants to give her siblings the freedom she did not have. But for that she would need to be raising a ducal heir, and she is not. Selena was played with this cool, calm voice and it fit her so well. She was the quintessential Duchess. I also liked that she had actually not had a bad marriage, no her husband had been kind, but they had been friends only. That is why her choices had me wondering, and  I did not know what route I wanted her to take.

Sparks fly, they really want each other.

We meet the other Trelowe bastards, an interesting bunch to be sure!

But she is a Duchess, he is a commoner. She needs money to back her siblings in society. So that is the drama.

I enjoyed it.

Narrator

I did have to up the speed to 2x, but that is only a good thing in my book. I liked her calm Selena voice like I mentioned before, she was marvelous. She also had nice voices for the rest too. A good reading

As owner of the Elysium Club which caters to women’s fantasies, Aiden Trewlove is accustomed to introducing adventurous ladies to sin and vice. But he is uncharacteristically intrigued by the mysterious beauty who visits his club one night, yearning to indulge in the forbidden - with him. Drawn to her indomitable spirit, he breaks his rule of never becoming personally involved with his clientele and is determined to fully awaken her desires.

A recent widow, Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing, has never known passion, not until Aiden’s slow, sensual seduction leads her on a journey of discovery and incredible pleasure. But her reasons for visiting the notorious club are not all that they seem.

As Selena’s motives become complicated by love, she finds herself with a most unexpected choice: forge ahead with a secret plan that could secure her future - or follow her heart which could prove ruinous.

TMST

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

September 17th: How do you handle writing reviews for books that you didn’t love?

Well, yes sometimes I do forget my own advice and finish a book that I do not really like. But I would not say that it is harder to write that review than any other. Sometimes I even have more to say .

But it is hard if it is a series I like, or an author I like. Then it pains me to go negative and I try to only see the positive, which is wrong in a way cos you should have both.

SO yes it can be hard, but I push through. I mean positive ones are hard too, the ones where I go all
LOVE
OMG
LOVE
See, yeah, those are hard!

I just read Karen's TMST post and she said it SO much better. So go read that one instead ;)

Carole's Monday : The Princess Plan

Author:  Julia London 
Title: The Princess Plan
(A Royal Wedding #1)
Genre: Historical Romance & Mystery
Pages: 208
Expected publication: November 26th 2019
Where I Got It: My shelf (Netgalley)




Nothing gets the tongues of London’s high society wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefited from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective—and an even greater interest in Eliza.

With a trade deal on the line and mounting pressure to secure a noble bride, there’s nothing more salacious than a prince dallying with a commoner. Sebastian finds Eliza’s contrary manner as frustrating as it is seductive, but they’ll have to work together if they’re going to catch the culprit. And when things heat up behind closed doors, it’s the prince who’ll have to decide what comes first—his country or his heart.




Been meaning to read a book by this author and I was really needing a fun HR. 

The story follows Eliza who is merely a daughter of a judge who writes for a gossip gazette. The biggest story of the year has landed right in London. A prince from a small country has come to make a trade and find a wife that will help cement the alliance to England. Things happen and the two fall for each other. But duty is duty...right?

This was a hoot. I do get a little worried when the author makes up a country and tries to blend it with real life countries, but when it works it works well and this certainly did. I want to see more of this made up country. I wonder if book 2 will follow Eliza and the prince or we'll get another couple in the country. mmmm. We shall see. 

Yes, the characters. I liked them. I was not a fan of other of them at first, but around 35% I grew to like them and want them to be together even though it was impossible of course. However, it is HR and they do find each other (no spoiler there). What I liked was how possible it was at the end. It was a realistic solution that I didn't see coming. I thought it was going to be lame and unrealistic, BUT I was pleasantly surprised that they made it realistic on how they got to be together. Huzzah!

The cover is very pretty but so not accurate. SHOULDERS AND WRISTS! Queen Vicky would've fainted. Too prom-y, BUT I love the dress if you take off my historical hat and put my girl-y hat on. Cute. 

OooOOOOoo totally called who the murder was. The mystery WAS good. I did doubt my guess though here and there, but I was convinced on who it was and I was right. 

Let's see...mmmm...the beginning was a little hard to get into mainly because (like I said above) I really wasn't a fan of our H/h. They grew on me as I got to know them and then I fell for them and wanted them to succeed and get that HEA and that murderer. 

Overall, I did enjoy this quite a bit even though it took a hot minute for me to like our couple and I wish the cover was a touch more realistic. The mystery was good and I loved the ending. It was actually realistic and made sense. Duty IS duty after all. I'll stamp this with 4 stars. I must read more by this author for sure! Fun!

18 out of 16/25

A very Austen Valentine Anthology

Six beloved authors deliver romantic Valentine novellas set in Jane Austen's Regency world. Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, and Barbara Cornthwaite, together with Susan Kaye and Mandy Cook, share variations of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, featuring your favorite characters in sequels, adaptations, and spinoffs of Austen's adored novels. 

Experience uplifting romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant regret as these authors deftly tug on your heartstrings this Valentine's Day. 

Kindle Edition, 479 pages

Published December 29th 2018

Series: Austen Anthology #2

Jane Austen variation

Own

I Dream of You by Robin Helm

A P&P sequel

Darcy is working too much, I should have written this review when I finished this short. I guess ok?

Sir Walter Takes A Wife by Laura Hile

A Persuasion sequel and P&P variation

This was interesting, Sir Walter is courting Lady de Bourgh. LOL. Funny

My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis

A P&P sequel variation

A rather sweet story

Pretense and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite

A P&P variation

They both think the other one is a spy, I also liked that they met during other circumstances 

My Valentine by Mandy Cook

A P&P and a S&S sequel

This one was really dull, and was about lizzy and Darcy's kid

The Lover's Ruse by Susan Kaye

Persuasion Variation

Another boring one.

Some good, some not so good. You know, like all other anthologies.