Romance Friday: Worth and You'll be the death of me

Consummate man of business and rake at large, Worth Kettering repairs to his country estate to sort

out his familial situation, trusting the ever efficient (though as yet unmet) housekeeper, Jacaranda Wyeth, will provide his family a pleasant summer retreat. To his surprise, his household is manage by a quick-witted, violet-eyed Amazon who’s his match in many regards.

As Jacaranda and Worth become enamored, the family she’s kept hidden from him, the financial clients Worth feels singularly protective of, and the ragged state of affairs between Worth and his estranged older brother, Hessian, all conspire to keep Worth and Jacaranda apart. Worth must choose between love and profit, and Jacaranda must decide between loyalty to her family and the love of a man who values her above all others. 

My thoughts:

I am afraid I found myself bored, and nitpicking. So I will nitpick.

First the name Jacaranda, really? Who would name their kid that, and then? And then I saw what it meant. Really?

Also, Worth's brother Hessian, really?

She is mid 20s. She got the job as a housekeeper to a rich man, without ever having worked a day in her life. Even I could not get that job and I have worked. I also have a hard time believing her family would have let her go. The whole deal was so weird.

But hey, that did not matter. What mattered was the dullness. They talked, they talked and I grew bored. I still read it, cos I like her books, but this one was lacking. He wanted to marry her, she pulled away, and I never understood why. Sigh.

Conclusion

Not one of her best.

cover

meh

Kindle Edition, 332 pages
Published May 4th 2014 by Grace Burrowes Publishing
Lonely Lords #11
Historical romance
Own

Meddling landladies, fashion-tortured canines, psychotic best friends - is that what it takes to bring two love-jaded people together, or will they be killed with good intentions? Allison Leavitt is great at living in a make-believe world - she'd created one in her best-selling mystery novels, home of her fantasy man, a hard-nosed detective with a granite-encrusted heart. It's taken years for an artist to finally capture his image, the one she's lived with in her head for far too long. Imagine her shock when she discovers him standing in her living room! When the shock fades, one question remains: now that she's found him, what is she going to do about making fantasy reality? Displaced Los Angeles detective Jay Cantrall isn't happy with his Spokane, Washington assignment, and even more disgruntled with his whacked-out apartment house. The landlady runs around in muumuus whispering sweet nothings to her bizarre canine companion, who hates Jay but has romantic tendencies toward his leg. One tenant thinks nothing of staging mock murders, another is a man-shark, and his next-door neighbor, Allison, although incredibly delectable, seems to be incapable of little more than fish imitations. Besides, he learned his lesson where women are concerned: nothing can bring a man's downfall faster than a woman's lies. It seems that whenever Jay and Allison are near each other, disaster strikes. And when one of the disasters leaves Jay injured, guilt-ridden Allison decides to nurse the cranky cop back to health. But will her ministrations heal the wounds deep inside both of them, or will it end in yet another disaster? 

My thoughts:

You can read this one in a heartbeat.

Allison writes mystery novels. She has bad luck with men, (they just wanna mooch of her). She has never had an orgasm.

Jay is a cop with a chip on his shoulder. His brother is famous. Women want to be with Jay cos of his brother. He made a mess of his private life in LA.

They are now neighbors. He thinks is weird. She is all OMG, since he looks like how she imagined her main character.

There is a weird landlady. A neighbor plotting. A dog getting into trouble. Will they wont they. Insert Drama and then happily ever after.

Conclusion:

Short and cute. 

Cover

bad

Trade Paperback, 186 pages
Published September 1st 2006 by Samhain Publishing
Contemporary romance
Own

Historical Romance Friday x2 reviews

Douglas Allen, Viscount Amery, hates having arrived to his title without knowing how to manage his properties. Guinevere Hollister is a distant family connection raising her daughter in rural obscurity while stewarding the estate. Douglas reluctantly puts himself in Gwen's hands for lessons in land husbandry and discovers beneath her prickly exterior a woman of passion and honor. Yet despite the closeness they find, she will not marry him.

When the powerful Duke of Moreland arranges an engagement between Gwen and his heir, Douglas knows the marriage is not what Gwen wants. In Douglas's eyes, Gwen deserves to make her own choices, and he will take on family, the meddling duke, and Gwen's own lonely, stubborn heart to ensure his lady's happiness. 

My thoughts:

This book takes place before the Windhaven books, and now when you mention it, I do remember Gwen from that first book. I remembering wondering what her deal was.

But read this one before, afterwards, where ever. Cos I have not read a single book in the series to which this book belongs. Some Lords thing, oh well, it did not matter. It truly is a good stand alone book.

Douglas lost two brothers in a year, older brothers who made a mess of the family money. Now he wants to buy a new estate but needs advice. He was a nice man, he wanted to do the right thing. He loved deeply.

Gwen could have been broken, but was not. She stayed strong for her daughter. I did like that in her and her need to protect her child.

They fall in love. But oh no, the family of her daughter's father shows up. What do do? But do not worry, love always win in the end.

Conclusion:

Nice. 

Cover

Ugh, no

ebook, 384 pages
Published January 7th 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Lonely Lords #8
Historical romance
Own

When Quentin Blackwell, Earl of Devlyn, discovered the woman he loved was carrying another man’s child, he refused to marry her. In retaliation, her father ruined Devlyn. When Sophie Hamilton, the man’s eldest daughter, comes to him with an unexpected offer, Devlyn seizes the chance for vengeance. What he doesn’t bargain on is how revenge could cost him the one thing he wants the most. Sophie’s love.

All her life, Sophie’s tried to earn her father’s love to no avail. Even her one chance for happiness was crushed beneath his tyrannical thumb, leaving her firmly on the shelf at forty-one. Sophie accepts her fate until she impulsively uses her father’s criminal activities to escape a life of servitude and right a wrong at the same time. She never really expected the Devil of Devlyn to actually accept her rash proposal, and she certainly hadn’t planned on falling in love with a younger man.

My thoughts:

The thing that was different in this one was her age, ok, brace yourselves...she was OLDER, and not just by a year, but by like, what was it, 9? I know, scandalous! 

Sophie hates her dad, her sister, her home.

Quentin hates her dad, and her sister.

Sophie comes to him and tells him that he can get revenge, and her.

He is all, hm, a trick? But I can do her, and I do want that revenge.

So tadaa, they marry. He introduces her to the pleasure that she wanted.

But oh no! Her sister does NOT like that he turned her down but married Sophie.

Her father is not happy.

Her brother is not happy.

I liked this one. Sophie wanted to live and to get away from her bitch of a sister and her effing dad.

Quentin was known as the devil. But he was a nice guy. Sophie's sister wounded him deeply but he still falls for Sophie and does some chasing.

Conclusion
There is a bit of drama (her bitch of a sister!), they get it on, they start to fall for each other and they live happily ever after.  Nice.

Cover

Something is off with the neck, but otherwise good

ebook, 244 pages
Published February 19th 2013 by Maroli SP Imprints
Historical romance
Own

Review: Darius - Grace Burrowes

Desperate, penniless, and shunned by his wealthy father, Darius Lindsey begins offering himself secretly to jaded society ladies. He hangs onto his last shreds of honor, but he's losing ground financially each month.

That is until the aging Lord William Longstreet makes Darius an offer he can't refuse: get the Lord's pretty young wife-of-convenience, Lady Vivian, pregnant discreetly, and he will earn enough money to never want again. But problems lie ahead when the stunning Vivian captures his heart, and his clients refuse to let him go. Can Darius untangle himself without scandal and offer himself to Vivian heart and soul?

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this one,  a whore falls in love, awww true love. But they sure gotta work for it.

Right, the whore, ok escort, cos there are certain things he just wont do. Until the right price. Darius must knock up Lady Vivian, cos her nice husband pays for it. Drama!

Lady Vivian is so sweet, so kind, a bit clueless, not seeing what she is worth and I liked her. Because she is just so innocent. She will also do whatever her husband tells her (to save the title when he dies).

Darius is an escort *coughs whore*. He is kind too and he does want to do right by her. But the situation he is in, sticky. I felt sorry for him. Poor guy. Sometimes you just do too much.

This book is, well I do not want to say too much. She needs to get pregnant. She is married. This is a month only thing and then they will part. Darius has his own problems. There is an ass waiting in the shadows (isn't there always). And there will be more drama, heartache and happiness promised.

Conclusion:

A very sweet story about longing.

Lonely Lords #1
Historical romance
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published April 2nd 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
For review