The prince who loved me - Karen Hawkins

Prince Alexsey Romanovin enjoys his carefree life, flirting—and more—with every lovely lady who crosses his path. But when the interfering Duchess Natasha decides it’s time for her grandson to wed, Alexsey finds himself in Scotland, determined to foil her plans. Brainy, bookish, and bespectacled, Bronwyn Murdoch seems the perfect answer—she isn’t at all to the Duchess’s taste.

Living at the beck and call of her ambitious stepmother and social butterfly stepsisters, Bronwyn has little time for a handsome flirt—no matter how intoxicating his kisses are. After all, no spoiled, arrogant prince would be seriously interested in a firm-minded female like herself. So…wouldn’t it be fun to turn his “game” upside down and prove that an ordinary woman can bring a prince to his knees… 

My thoughts:

This was a Cinderella story where she actually liked her stepsisters and stepmother.

Brownyn is a bookworm (yay for that), she is on the shelf (and does not care). She is helpful and good.

Then there was Alexsey, I was unsure about him. He only wanted her for a quick fling. He did not care if he ruined her and by association her sisters. But it was hard to dislike him since I knew they would live happily ever after. Still, in the beginning, he was an asshat, one that started to fall for the person he meant to seduce and leave.

Alex's gran want him with a pretty woman who can move in society. Bronwyn is not really that.

But you know, they dance around each other. There is passion. There is drama and there is a HEA.

Conclusion:
Good, cute.

Cover
cute

ebook, 384 pages
Published September 23rd 2014 by Pocket Books
The Oxenburg Princes #1
Historical romance
XoXO after dark monthly read

The Prince and I - Karen Hawkins

Gregori Romanovin, Oxenburg's warrior prince, is escorting his grandmother to a ball deep in the Scottish Highlands when he and his entourage are robbed at sword point by a group of ruffians. Led by a man dubbed the Scottish Robin Hood, battle-savvy Gregori senses that something's amiss - that 'he' is really a 'she'.

Lady Murian is a young, beautiful widow seeking revenge against the powerful earl who murdered her husband and stole his birthright. Living in the woods, she and her banished band of men rob wealthy nobles visiting the evil earl.

But when Murian ambushes the Prince's golden coach, she gets far more than she bargained for. And she's left fearing that he is the real thief...of her heart. 

My thoughts:

I have never read one of XoXos free reads, and now I did, and was all omg why did I not do this before! Arghhh, the books I have missed that have been free!

I have read, like 2 novellas in this series, but I do think this is the first full-length book. And yes it's part of a series, and no I did not read in order. But this is historical romance, a man meets a woman, they fall in love, in lust and live happily ever after. I do not need to see his brother fall in love to follow along with that. Which means, yes it works as a stand-alone, never read a HR that did not.

Murian is a widow after an ass of a Lord killed her husband and stole her castle. Now she robs people.

Max is a general and prince of his country, and he is bringing his grandma to the ass of a lord for some reason he does not understand.

They fall in love, they do it, there is drama with the ass of a lord, and they live happily ever after.

Conclusion:
The next book sounds fun too.

Cover
Good.

Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages
Published August 25th 2015 by Pocket Books
The Oxenburg Princes #2
Historical romance
XOXO free read

The Princess wore plaid - Karen Hawkins

Royal princess Tatiana Romanovin is the beautiful, wealthy, and spoiled favorite of the King of Oxenburg. On her way to her cousin’s wedding in the Scottish highlands, she and her entourage are held up by a gang of ruffians. Frightened, her servants flee, and Tatiana soon finds herself alone in an inn with no servants, no funds, and no proof of her identity. Destitute, she accepts the offer from a sympathetic (but unbelieving) innkeeper to work for her room and board while she waits for an answer to the missive she’s sent to her cousin Prince Nikolai. With no other recourse, Tatiana scrubs floors and dirty linens, waiting for her prince to come…

After a brutal, bloody battle with the French Navy left Lord Buchan limping and surly, abandoned by his betrothed because of his twisted leg, his lordship hides away at his manor house in the countryside. He leaves only once a week to eat at the local inn, drawn by the expert cooking of the innkeeper’s wife. One day, Buchan arrives to find that the innkeeper has a new servant, a beautiful scullery maid with a queenly air, and flashing green eyes that leave him breathless and increasingly aware of his lonely existence…

The challenge of winning his way into Tatiana’s heavily protected heart stirs Buchan back to life…but can he and his twisted leg—and broken heart—win a proud princess whose only goal is to leave Scotland and return to the court where she’s the crowning jewel? 

My thoughts:

A short novella about a princess and a Scot. I have not read the other books in the series, but it did not matter (though I am positive I have read something, or maybe not.) Anyway, this is a novella in that series and you can jump right in.

And when you do you meet Princess Tatiana who was in an accident and works at an inn. The inn people were so nice. She got lucky there. But no one has come for her yet, strange.

In comes Lord Buchan. A limp, a lingering sickness. Cranky. And sure enough he falls for her.

And she for him, after being arrogant like a princess to him at first.

But she is a princess! He is just a Scottish Lord.

And then they lived happily ever after. Well duh, of course they do.

A sweet novella. 

Kindle Edition, 125 pages
Expected publication: March 21st 2016 by Pocket Star
The Oxenburg Princes #2.5
Historical romance
NG

What happens under the mistletoe anthology

Stunned by the heat of an unexpected kiss on a cold winter’s eve, two strangers from vastly different worlds turn hotheaded principles into burning passion in Sabrina Jeffries’s delightful yuletide story, The Heiress and the Hothead. In the snowy Scottish countryside, Karen Hawkins’s rakish duke has an unforgettable holiday encounter in Twelve Kisses when the alluring lady he surprises under the mistletoe is not who he expected, but a long-lost love with a score to settle. In By Any Other Name, Edinburgh is aglitter for Christmastime as Candace Camp sends a curious gentleman in hot pursuit of an intriguing lady in disguise—one who refuses to reveal her true identity, though she fears he has already stolen her heart with his kiss. In Sweet Ruin, will the festive spirit of the season sweep Meredith Duran’s feisty heroine beneath the mistletoe—and back into the arms of the dashing rogue whose carelessness soiled her reputation and sent her into exile in London?

My thoughts:

The heiress and the hothead by Sabrina Jeffries

Lord Stephen writes angry news articles about mills. Amanda owns mills. The whole mill thing was not exactly romantic (only North and South can do that.) But they will dance around each other and fall in love.

But that smexy scene, seriously. No, not then and there. Ugh.

Twelve kisses to midnight by Karen Hawkins

I have a problem. I forget short stories SO FAST. Luckily I had written lovers trapped by snow cos I can hardly remembering that the story ended. Just general feelings now by those words.

So yes former lovers meet, are trapped, and realises they still like each other. I'd read more of her books.

By any other name by Candance Camp

A woman in disguise is trying to help her brother. And a man finds her fascinating and tries to find out more about her. And that is the story, he searches, he finds, he searches, he finds

Sweetest regret by Meredith Duran

I liked this one. A couple that used to be in love meet again. They are angry. Something went wrong. Everything happens during a house party. Def the best of the novellas in this anthology. A nice holiday feeling too. 

Conclusion;
An anthology where I actually liked all the stories ;) Yes that does not happen a lot. But to be fair there were only 4, and I do like holiday novellas so that helped. They were cute and nice stories.

Cover

Nice, but heads would be better

Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Expected publication: October 27th 2015 by Pocket Books
Sinful Suitors #1.5
Historical romance
NetGalley