Audio: Devil's Daughter - Lisa Kleypas

Audible Audio, Unabridged, 9h

Published February 19th 2019 by HarperAudio

Series: The Ravenels #5

Mary Jane Wells, narrator

Historical romance

Thank you Harper for this review copy!

My Thoughts

Oh this one was really delightful! There is banter and then there is banter. These two just made each other laugh. It was flirting, it was fun, it was great.

Phoebe is a young widow with two boys. Such sweet fun boys too, and I loved her interactions with them.

West was, omg, ok so there are rakes and then there is West. He used to be a potbellied drunk who peed in fountains. To go near him is to court scandal. Now he is fit, hardworking and loving the job he does. But yes his rep will not go away.

They meet, they get under each other's skin, she gets mad, he wonders why. Honestly, delightful. There talks were amusing.

And, yes I loved how he played with her kids. He was such a freaking good guy!

I have not read the Wallflower series, but I am a bit in love with Phoebe's dad, rawr!

I kept waiting for them to get their act together. Him with his she is above me, and hers, I promised my dead hubbie to marry this boring guy!

Conclusion:

A cute tale with lots of passion too. Two people under the same roof. Love, shenanigans, and a cat.

Narration

I loved her voice for him! It was utterly perfection!

I also liked her voice for the rest too. Phoebe sounded fun and everyone had a distinct nice voice. It also made me wonder about a gentleman we met, I do want a book about him.

Great fun narration

Blurb

Although beautiful young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never met West Ravenel, she knows one thing for certain: he's a mean, rotten bully. Back in boarding school, he made her late husband's life a misery, and she'll never forgive him for it. But when Phoebe attends a family wedding, she encounters a dashing and impossibly charming stranger who sends a fire-and-ice jolt of attraction through her. And then he introduces himself...as none other than West Ravenel.

West is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, West is consumed by irresistible desire...not to mention the bitter awareness that a woman like her is far out of his reach. What West doesn't bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She's the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent—the most devilishly wicked rake in England.

Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure. Will their overwhelming passion be enough to overcome the obstacles of the past?

Only the devil's daughter knows... 

Audio: Someone to watch over me - Lisa Kleypas

Audio CD, 9h

Narrator: Anna Parker-Naples

Published October 23rd 2018 by Tantor Audio (first published December 1998)

Series: Bow Street Runners #1

Historical romance

Thanks to Tantor Audio for this review copy

My Thoughts

The blurb kind of makes it seem like any woman would love to marry Grant. But they would not. See Grant might be a famous bow street runner, but he is a commoner, so no noble woman would have him in the end. But hey do anyone else he is an excellent choice. Handsome, rich and famous. Not that he wants to marry, he has his hands full with his job. And frankly, he was sort of a d*ck at times. To Vivien that is.

See, these two met. Spoke for like 5 min, and then he is all revenge! Oh man, chill! He lost me a bit there, what a d*ck.

Next time they meet he saves her when someone has tried to kill her. Vivien is a famous courtesan and has slept with half of London and enjoyed it. Dang, this woman loves her "job". Good for you.

Alas, she has amnesia. So now I am stuck with D*ck Grant, and sweet Vivien who is nothing like the alluring woman she used to be. She was so sweet, innocent and kind. And Grant is all, she is lying! If I was her I would have run, but hey, someone is trying to kill her so sure it is safest with him. I just wish he hadn't been a d*ck in his thoughts!

But, yes when he does get over it they are perfect for each other. He needs that sweetness, and she needs him right back.

And there are seeeeeeeeeeeeeeecrets. Secrets I did not see coming! Dang! Not just about who tried to kill her, but more. SO much more. Oh la la.

There is some suspense too as  someone is still after her.

And passion as they can not say no to each other.

But the ending dragged out a bit. It was good, it was just long and then there was an epilogue on top of that. I felt it should have ended when the suspense ended, but then it was like 1 hour left.

Conclusion:

Still, fun with two people that so do not fit. And the secrets were so good.

Narrator

I was unsure at first, for the first 5 minutes. But after that I was hooked. I liked her different voices and her alluring Vivien was great.

Blurb

Grant Morgan is one of London's most eligible and unattainable bachelors. He's also a powerful member of the Bow Street Runners, and when he's called to the waterfront late one night to investigate a drowning victim, Grant is stunned to recognize the face of Vivien Rose Duvall, a well-known woman of the night. He's even more startled when he realizes that she's alive. With no one to care for her, Grant carries Vivien to his home and revives her, only to learn that she is suffering from amnesia.

Vivien hesitantly accepts her handsome rescuer's claim that she is his mistress, despite her misgivings about her true identity. Nevertheless, she can't deny the marks on her throat that prove her near-drowning in the Thames was not an accident, and now she must trust the man who claims her as his paramour, for her life is in danger. As Grant searches for Vivien's attacker, the two find themselves falling in love, all the while struggling to stay one step ahead of the evil forces that will stop at nothing to see Vivien dead. 

Then came you - Lisa Kleypas

Reckless, wild, and beautiful, Lily Lawson delights in shocking proper London society -- and now she is determined to rescue her sister from an unwanted impending marriage to the notorious Alex, Lord Raiford, by fair means or foul. But while she succeeds outrageously, Alex is a master gamesman who is not to be undone.

Alex has lost one bride, yet he is enchanted by this remarkable lady who is willing to break any rule to flaunt her independence. When Lily offers him only scorn, he counters with kindness, and he parries her blistering barbs with gentle words and a soft, tender touch. The spirited miss will pay dearly for her interference -- with her body, her soul, and her stubborn, unyielding heart. But will Alex's own heart be the prize to be won in this sensuous game of love? 

My thoughts:

This book...omg, what a heroine. Yes I liked reading about her, but would I want to be friends with her? Gods no. She was exhausting! A hurricane by the name Lily.

Lily does not give a damn. If she wants to jump in the river she does so. She lives on her own thanks to her aunt's money. Her family does not speak of her and every man wants her. A whirlwind that speaks her man, hunts and gambles like a man. And now she must rescue her sister from a loveless marriage.

Well duh, we all know she and Alex will fall madly in love. But the road there is long. First she needs her sister to get some courage and not enter a loveless marriage. Then she must stop Alex from wringing her neck. And then she must stop herself from falling in love with him.

Seems Alex really needed a whirlwind and not a doormat.

Were we supposed to feel sorry for her? Sure I did. But there are better ways to go about that thing I shall not spoil. It did make me see why she was like she was, but she would be like that anyway.

She sure was one of a kind.

Cover

boring

Paperback, 371 pages
Published June 1993 by Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins
The Gamblers #1
Historical romance
Library

Review: Sugar Daddy - Lisa Kleypas

Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas---if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them. 

When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty finds herself under the spell of a billionaire tycoon---a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family's past. 

Two men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her. A woman you'll root for every step of the way. A love story you'll never forget.

My thoughts:

I usually know that yes everything will be all right, but here I was unsure. I knew there would be a HEA, but would I get what I wanted? I just did not know.

The beginning was slow. Yes I know we had to see her grow up in the trailer park, meet first crush Hardy who she can't forget, and get a new sister. But the whole start was moving slowly and then I realized this was more a book about her whole life..to a certain point. Also the title seems misleading, there is no real sugar daddy. Disappointing.

It's more a story about Liberty who is a strong young woman and who wants to make it on her own. She is protective of her sister, has a major crush on Hardy (which I never really got, no sparks there), and we see her grow up and start a life. Also seeing her sometimes unlucky in love, not a lot of romance in this one. Which makes me unsure what to make of the genre, it can't be contemporary romance when there is no romance.

Conclusion:

But when it picked up it picked up and I kept wishing the best for her and when the end came around I was happy.

Cover

Eh

Travis Family #1
Contemporary romance
Hardcover, 371 pages
Published March 6th 2007 by St. Martin's Press
Own

Review: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor - Lisa Kleypas

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE 

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC… 

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE 

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…

My thoughts:

This book is short, short, short and utterly lovely. Longer than a novella but still only 200 pages. It does work, because it's a holiday story and things get to move fast then.

Mark is, well, quiet, I liked him. He takes good care of his niece. Sure he has some silly ideas, but he is good. Maggie , whom he meets is sweet, but has mourned her husband for 2 years. Things just click, and even if things do not happen then at once, there is just magic and love in the air. These two fit, and the would be excellent parents to Holly.'

It's a fast friendship turned into a fast romance. It's a cute book that I read in a day, in one sitting. It's light and lovely.

Conclusion:

After having finished it I also wanted more about this family, his brother Sam who works too much, and Alex who is getting a divorce. Yes I want them to find love too. A nice holiday book.

Cover:

Eh, nice I guess

Series: Friday Harbor #1
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pages: 211
Published: 2010 by St Martin's Press
Source: My own

As we celebrate xmas on the 24th here up in the north today is the day where I wish you all

MERRY CHRISTMAS!