Review: Emily's Christmas Gift: a Henderson's Ranch Big Sky story

Emily's Christmas Gift: a Henderson's Ranch Big Sky story by M. L. Buchman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It's Christmas in Montana and as Major Emily Beale begins to celebrate with her husband Major Mark Henderson, their two daughters and friends new and old she feels vaguely unsettled.

Maybe I need to read this again in the morning but I just didn't get it - or maybe what I did get I didn't like - Peter (former President of the USA) is worried about Dilya, a young woman who seems to get into the thick of things, and Emily seems equally as concerned that an intelligent, resourceful young woman who has already proved herself more than capable of uncovering political plots is somehow over her head.(view spoiler)[ I came away from this thinking that Peter and Emily wanted to restrict Dilya, which seems laughable given Emily's military history, and that Emily's new role is somehow to be a wife and mother and forget her incredible military career? Did I totally miss the plot? (hide spoiler)] I will reread.

I received a free copy of this novella from the author through the Ides of Matt monthly free novella.

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Review: No Dukes Allowed

No Dukes Allowed by Grace Burrowes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A trio of historical novellas featuring three widowed women spending the season in Brighton: Eugenia (Genie) Dowager Duchess of Tindale; Belinda Duchess of Winchester (the Double Duchess); and Diana Thompson.

Architect of My Dreams by Grace Burrowes
This book starts in London when Genie's peace is shattered by the noisy building works in the house next door. She confronts the new owner Adam Morecambe in a spirited exchange before heading to Brighton. They meet again by chance in Brighton where Adam, who is an architect, is looking for a house to establish a sister club to the one he is renovating in London, these clubs are for wealthy men, like himself, who are refused entry to the normal men's clubs which are reserved for the aristocracy. Adam and Genie enjoy each others company and Genie is happy to get entry for Adam to various buildings for him to enjoy the architectural features. Rather to the surprise of both of them, they start an affair. However, Genie is being blackmailed by the Marquis of Dunstable and he has the ability to ruin Adam as well.

Very enjoyable, loved Adam, loved the clever resolution of the plot, Grace Burrowes at her best. Four stars.

Pursuit of Honor by Kelly Bowen
Diana Thompson and Oliver Graham (youngest son of Viscount Hambleton) have been friends for many years, since they were children. He left England to make his fortune in India ten years ago and the two of them have corresponded ever since. Despite their friendship, Oliver is promised to Diana's BFF Hannah Burton. Having returned to England, Oliver discovers that his beloved sister Madelene is not, as he believed, in Boston but has been ostracised by his parents and siblings after becoming pregnant. His only clue is a letter from Brighton and so he travels there, only to run into his old friend Diana. Diana is a wealthy widow, after eight years gentlemen are waging bets on who will marry/ bed the wealthy widow and the Duke of Riddington is a firm favourite, helped no doubt by his own rumours that they are already lovers.

This felt very much like a comedy of errors novella. Diana and Oliver are in love but Oliver is promised to Hannah. Hannah is desperate to avoid Oliver and Diana is desperate to avoid the Duke of Riddington.

I enjoyed this, although not as much as the first novella. Three and a half stars.

The Double Duchess by Anna Harrington

Belinda Collins, the dowager Duchess of Winchester is being pursued by the Duke of Pomperly - this has earned her the nickname 'The Double Duchess'. Following her husband's death she has taken on many of his responsibilities, including being on the board of a veteran's hospital.

Ten years ago Belinda was in love with Maxwell Thorpe but was forced to marry for money to clear her family’s debts. Now Maxwell is in Brighton charged with building a new training centre for recruits on the site of the veteran’s hospital.

Sorry, tried again and still couldn't get into this third novella, DNF.

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Review: Cold Feet at Christmas

Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 75%.

Leah Harvey finds her fiance boffing one of the bridesmaids at their wedding and runs off (in the groom's vintage car) only to find herself stranded in the Scottish countryside. Dressed only in a flimsy silk wedding dress and Jimmy Choo stilettos (does he even do flats?), she starts walking cross-country in the snow towards distant lights. The lights belong to a lonely cottage, rented for the season by Rob(erto) Cavelli, an American billionaire who hates Christmas and likes to spend the season alone, drinking whisky, in a scottish cottage he rents every year. One thing leads to another and Rob and Leah decide to have a no-strings attached holiday fling. But when Christmas is over Rob invites Leah to come to Chicago to start afresh, the deal being that they must go back to being just friends. Of course both Leah and Rob have deep dark secrets that colour their beliefs and behaviours, in Rob's case this makes him a hypocritical, judgemental, neurotic, unhinged, self-obsessed jerk. In Leah's case this makes her a bit of a doormat, although apparently irresistible to the opposite sex.

I was under the mistaken impression that this was a novella, I started reading it months ago, lost interest and picked it up again this week hoping that the Christmas season would make the book more engaging. Sadly it didn't, when Leah and Rob got to Chicago all I wanted to do was wring Rob's neck and give Leah a good shaking. Having read 75% of the novel I couldn't bear to read another page which is a pity because Debbie Johnson is a must-read author for me.

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Review: Sexy as Sin

Sexy as Sin by Rosalind James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Brett Hunter is a forty-something billionaire American property developer (seen in the previous books) visiting the site of his latest development in Byron Bay, Australia. Walking on the beach one morning (trying to face his fear of the sea) he witnesses a beautiful young surfer (Willow Sanderson) face a great White Shark and help get other surfers to safety. It's a beautiful, amazing, freaky morning in which Brett and Willow feel an instant connection, despite the obvious disparities between them - age, nationality, income, outlook on life. Of course, as always happens, Willow is the caterer for the kick-off sales event prior to breaking earth on Brett's new development. Willow has just bought into a partnership with Amanda in a catering company called Nourish and she is finding it a struggle to be accepted as a full partner by Amanda, her husband and the employees - all of whom appear to be more obstructive than supportive. As an added complication, Willow is the cousin of Rafe and Jace, neighbours of Brett in Sinful, Montana and the heroes of the first two books.

Despite their differences Brett and Willow become close, especially after Brett breaks his leg and Willow offers to look after him while he recovers but there are sinister forces at work as Willow and several guests get food-poisoning at an event she catered. Is it jealousy? Is Amanda cheating Willow somehow? Or is one of the guests the real target?

I read the first few chapters of this on Rosalind James' website and it didn't really grab me, unlike the two previous novels, but when it came up on special offer I bought it anyway and have only just got around to reading it.

There is a definite Pretty Woman vibe, something which Willow acknowledges, Brett is much older and an uptight billionaire businesswoman whereas Willow is the younger, free-er spirited woman who helps him to relax and metaphorically smell the roses. In return, Brett gives Willow the confidence to stand up to Amanda and assert her right to be heard.

Set against the stunning natural beauty of Byron Bay the reader is swept away by the descriptions of the landscape and the amazing scents of the countryside, enticed by the fabulous food that Willow prepares for Brett and her clients, the romance of a thoughtful billionaire and his impressive rental home.

From a dubious start I came to love this book, Brett and Willow. Although the mystery behind who was sabotaging Willow was not a huge surprise it was still a well-thought out plot and an engaging read, I especially liked the reference to the Australian soap!

Overall, a great addition to the trilogy, glad I took advantage of the sale.

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Review: Lies Sleeping

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this latest installment of the English police urban fantasy mystery series our hero Peter Grant is hot on the trail of his former colleague Lesley May and her co-conspirator Faceless Man II aka MArtin Chorley.

Dogged police work has led Peter and the rest of the police force in on the so-called Falcon-type incidents to follow up on all former members of the Oxford University Little Crocodiles society in the hope that one of the members might lead them to Martin Chorley. The book opens as Peter and Guleed are sitting outside the home of the latest Little Crocodile when all hell breaks out and one of the tall, thin high fae which Peter calls the Pale Ladies leaps out of the house after trying to kill the homeowner.

With a trail that leads all around the City of London (not to be confused with London, which is a much larger area) centered on St Paul's Cathedral and West Smithfield Peter investigates a series of random clues involving King Arthur, Excalibur, the origins of Punch and more information on the mysterious Molly this book is just as clever, funny and convoluted as the previous books. Sadly there isn't nearly enough of Peter's mother but otherwise this is just as sublime (and confusing) as ever.

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Review: Last Good Man

Last Good Man by Theresa Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cooper has hated Willa ever since he found her cheating on his best friend Liam and he can't understand how Liam can remain her best friend. Since then everything she does irritates him, the way she nags Liam, the way she mothers all their friends, the way she crushes all the joy out of everything. Then on Liam's last night before he leaves for New York, he gets stupid drunk and Cooper and Willa have another argument at a party, Cooper was supposed to give Willa and Liam a life home but she storms off into the woods and he thinks good riddance. But when Liam makes Cooper promise to look after Willa and make sure she gets home safely he's moved by his conscience to go and find her and give her a lift home - instead he finds her lying by the side of the road having been hit by a car. Wracked by guilt, when the ambulance crew refuse to allow him to accompany her in the ambulance he tells one small lie and says they are engaged. Only trouble is, it's a small town and soon everyone knows.

Now Cooper and Willa are living a lie to all their friends, family and the media, who love the idea of a young man saving his fiancee's life, but forced to act a part it doesn't seem as difficult as they might have thought.

This is stock YA/NA romance, complete with a teenage boy who is a skilled and thoughtful lover, parental angst and small town gossip. The reason for Liam and Willa's break-up is blindingly obvious to anyone who has read NA/YA. It's not bad, the writing is good, the characters are likeable but it's nothing new or different.

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Review: Chasing Fire

Chasing Fire by Pamela Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Not recommended unless you have read the Colorado High Country/ I-Team novels.

Scarlett Springs is on alert, the hot dry weather in Colorado combined with the high winds have increased the chances of a devastating forest fire which could wipe out the small town. When a camper lets an illegal campfire get out of control it's up to the brave men and women of Scarlett Springs to save the people and animals they love.

This is like a Christmas ensemble special, every couple you've previously read about features in this novel, most of them are pregnant or have just had babies, each family faces danger. Whilst I enjoyed the novel, much of the first third seemed to be introducing character after character and giving a precis of the book in which they featured with a quick catch-up on events since then - it would be unintelligible f0r a new reader (in my opinion).

But we finally find something out about Bear's background!

As with the other Pamela Clare novels there is plenty of excitement, plenty of thrills, a small town with its own billionaires, gorgeous firemen, a climbing wall, a local brewery and Chicago deep pan pizza.

This feels like the end of the Colorado High Country series, everyone is married and producing children, together they fight the wildfires that could destroy the town.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: The Age of Misadventure

The Age of Misadventure by Judy Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Georgie is a divorced Liverpudlian single mother, a beautician whose business is in her house. Her daughter Jade is 24 years old and runs a personal fitness business from the basement. Georgie's younger sister Bonnie is married to slimy cheater called Adie, Georgie has tried to get Bonnie to leave him time and again but Bonnie loves him and believes him when he says he loves her. Added to the mix is Georgie and Bonnie's Aunt Anne, known always as Nan or Nanny.

When one of Adie's shady business deals goes wrong Bonnie and Georgie are threatened by a shady gangster so Georgie comes up with a plan to hide from Adie and his business associates by spending a few weeks in Brighton where Jade's new boyfriend, a Spanish footballer called Luis, lives. But travelling with your aunt, your sister and your daughter isn't always the Thelma and Louise road-trip it's cracked up to be. What with the moaning, the constant toilet stops, the sobbing and the sulking. Rather than bring the family back together enforced proximity seems more likely to drive them further apart. Until Adie's associates find them.

I have to be honest, I can't think of four more unpleasant women in one book who weren't serial killers. Bonnie is totally self-obsessed, a grown woman does not make a single cup of tea or coffee, or make dinner for any of the others for weeks and weeks. It all falls on Georgie. Despite being told by Georgie not to use credit cards so that Adie can't trace them Bonnie frequently goes out shopping buying make-up and other essentials. She also blithely tells Adie where they are hiding. Jade is 24 going on 13, I don't think I have ever wanted to reach into my Kindle and slap someone quite as much as I wanted to slap Jade for her constant criticism and moaning and blaming everything on her mother. Goodness only knows what a sweet man like Luis saw in her! Georgie is a 55 year old doormat, scurrying around trying to placate everyone and waiting on them all hand and foot. Then when she meets a man it's instalurve and she starts acting like a teenager, sneaking out and lying about where she's going. Finally Nan, her biggest problem was that she was clearly intended to be the comedy character but her constant malapropisms were wearing.

Overall, the plot was quite good, I liked the pace and the writing was good, although a little too much "I ..., I ..., I ..." for my taste but sadly the characters all seemed a bit two dimensional.

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Review: The Happiness Project

The Happiness Project by Pippa James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three friends, all mums, make new year's resolutions: Alison the hyper-organised perfect wife and mother wants to get fit; Kate the pregnant mother of two is feeling a bit overwhelmed and just wants to be a bit more zen; and Frankie, the single mother, just wants to be able to hold down a job and 'adult'. These three unlikely friends have to combat their own high expectations (Alison), boyfriend's ex-wives (Frankie) and newly pregnant friends who judge their parenting skills (Kate).

I liked this, three unlikely friends each with their own problems, each with their own resolution as they meet their resolutions in unusual ways. It's a reminder that what we look like on the outside isn't always how we feel on the inside, the carefree fun single mum who breezes through parenting may feel like a complete failure on the inside when compared to the mum who prepares homemade packed lunches, labels her childs clothes properly and is a member of the PTA.

Recommended for fans of Katie Fforde.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.


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Review: Luna and the Lie

Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Luna Allen has been dealt a rough hand in life. Her birth mother died in childbirth, her father hated her, her step-mother was a drug addict and she did her best to bring up her three younger sisters, stealing from her father's wallet if necessary to buy them food. After a big showdown when she was 17 years old Luna left home and didn't return for years, her grandmother looked after her sisters until she could provide a home for them.

Now she has a job she loves, respraying cars at a custom car workshop, working for the man who gave her a break when she was down on her luck. Two of her sisters have graduated and moved away to college and her youngest sister is days away from graduating. She has her own, very small, home and thanks her luck every day. In fact Luna is a modern day Pollyanna, always looking for the bright side, always giving thanks for the good things in her life, always turning the other cheek.

Luna lusts after the new part-owner of the custom body shop, a huge tattooed guy called Lucas Ripley who constantly argues with her old boss. Luna tries to take it on herself to act as peacemaker, making the two of them coffee and generally defusing arguments. She's also dealing with her sister's losing ex-boyfriend working in the same bodyshop and causing her problems, but she remains relentlessly cheerful, counting her blessings and baking birthday cakes for her fellow workers.

This is a difficult review to write or maybe just to decide on a rating.

I have loved some of Mariana Zapata's books, but recently the last couple I have read (which are not necessarily the last two books she has published) left me cold and/or disappointed. But I had read great reviews and when I started reading I was immediately drawn in. As a reader I could see that Ripley might be gruff and sweary but he obviously liked Luna, she seemed to be the only one oblivious.

Several years ago Luna did Ripley a favour and ever since he's been asking her what she wants in return. When Luna's grandmother dies and she is contacted by a lawyer to attend the funeral Luna decides to call in her favour, she doesn't want to see her toxic family without some serious muscle beside her. But everyone's got secrets and they could cause untold pain for those closest to Luna.

So, I love a slow-burn, in love with your boss, Pollyanna meets the grinch romance. I liked the slow development, but at some point I just lost patience with everyone. (view spoiler)[Luna was pathologically determined, despite all evidence to the contrary, despite what Ripley says to her face, despite what her best friend says, despite what friends and family say, that Ripley's only interest in her is from guilt. On his part, Ripley appears to think that demanding his employee come shopping for custom pain/ attend car auctions is some kind of wooing, sure he makes her food and drives her to/from places and drives off her blind dates but he can't just say the words "Luna would you like to have a drink with me after work one night" or similar. At some point I just thought the comedy of errors factor got outweighed by the sheer dumb stupidity of both parties. (hide spoiler)]

Also, I had the feeling that Luna and Ripley were characters I had read before, not necessarily by Mariana Zapata, maybe Scarlett Cole, but they definitely felt familiar.

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Review: More Than Distance: A Billionaire Romance

More Than Distance: A Billionaire Romance by Elizabeth Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

I was convinced I had read this before, perhaps I just got part way and dropped it?

Carla Jackson was madly in love with her brother's best friend Ryan Evans. She was the annoying younger sister who tagged along everywhere and Ryan was so sweet to her until the night she huilated herself. That night she left home and moved to New York where she's been studiously avoiding Ryan ever since. A successful model the world is at her feet until in quick succession her spot as a judge on America's Top Model gets cancelled, she loses her boyfriend and her apartment. When she is offered a spot as a contestant on the reality tv show Road Trip Race as a consolation she jumps at the chance to win a million dollars, drive round the US and star on her favourite show. The only problem is she needs a reliable partner and the only person available is Ryan.

Told in alternate POVs by Carla and Ryan we gradually find out what happened that night all those years ago and why each of them did what they did. But with each of the suffering from that YA/NA 'I'm not good enough' angst there's a lot of push-me, pull-me before our star-struck lovers get their happy ending.

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Review: A Darkness Absolute

A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite reading this series out of order (and remembering who the murderers are) this is a gripping series.

A brief recap. Casey Duncan is a former homicide detective. As a young woman she was brutally beaten and left for dead after her boyfriend tried dealing drugs on another dealer's turf. Later when she confronted him she accidentally killed him and covered up the crime. When her boyfriend's father seems to have tracked her down and has her current friend with benefits beaten up she decides to flee for a remote settlement in the Yukon called Rockton where people can hide off the grid with her best friend Diana. In the first book we find out that things were not what they seemed and Diana had conspired with her abusive ex-husband to embezzle from her employers and used Casey to get access to Rockton.

Now Casey is 'dating' the sheriff, a local called Eric Dalton but Rockton isn't just a refuge for those being stalked or threatened, it is also a place where white collar criminals can buy their freedom. All residents must stay five years and the life is hard, no internet, no entertainment, no cell phones and very little electricity. The town is run by a syndicate of investors called the Council, they are more concerned about a return on their investment than the safety of the residents. Some residents didn't like living in Rockton and moved away, they are the settlers, some have reverted to savage-like behaviour and are termed 'the hostiles'. To safeguard residents they are not allowed to leave Rockton's town limits alone.

When Eirc is away on business, the only person in Rockton allowed to leave, Casey and Will Anders, the deputy sheriff, are tracking a resident, Shawn Sutherland who has run away from Rockton three times. Whilst tracking Shawn a blizzard hits and while seeking shelter in nearby caves Casey and Will find another Rockton resident, Nicole Chavez, who disappeared over a year earlier, trapped in a hole where she had been kept, raped and abused by a shadowy man.

In search of clues as to the identity of Nicole's abductor Casey stumbles across the bodies of two other women who had disappeared from Rockton and were presumed dead. Now there is a serial abductor and murderer to catch. But is he a hostile? A settler? Or a resident of Rockton.

I don't really read thrillers any more because I find that in the search for a new and unusual murderer/ motive they have to think up ever more grotesque ways to torture their victims and they got too gruesome for me. And yet, Kelley Armstrong writes such great characters that I have been drawn in despite myself.

I was enthralled and at times confused as Casey considers and discards suspects, is the crime too well-planned and intelligent for one of the hostiles? What would be the motive? How would a settler know enough about Rockton to kidnap Nicole?

Then Nicole goes missing again, but this time is she bait to entice Casey to the murderer?

In a town where everyone has a secret identity, and people lie about their pasts and the reasons for living in Rockton can Casey and Eric uncover the real murderer?

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Review: Christmas at the Little Village School

Christmas at the Little Village School by Jane Lovering
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lydia Knight is tasked with creating a Christmas play for her small village school in Yorkshire, even worse the play needs to be performed before the residents of the local old people's home. The irritating Jake immingham keeps trying to 'help' despite all of Lydia's attempts to give him the cold shoulder. But not everything is as it seems in this sweet Christmas novella with bite.

I enjoyed this, it was saved from being too schmaltzy by Lydia's own behaviour and some shocking revelations.

Another winner.

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Review: The Art of Christmas

The Art of Christmas by Jane Lovering
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Argh, left the review while I did a full day's work and the computer ate it.

Glorious, feel-good, Christmas romance novella.

Harriet is a widow, after two years where she felt unable to celebrate Christmas without her husband she finally feels able to go into the attic and get down the decorations. Whilst up there she finds a previously unknown parcel of graphic novels (one of her husband's secret pleasures). When she contacts the local comic book shop to come and value the novels she strikes up an unusual friendship with the owner. But can a shy comic book shop owner bring romance to Harriet's life? And what does the stash of graphic novels uncover about her husband's secret life?

Like Mary Poppins this book was practically perfect in every way. I loved it.

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Review: Spark

Spark by Devon Monk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am loving this new series from Devon Monk.

The series is all about an ice hockey league for non-humans aka the 'Marked'. The first book featured Random Hazard the first wizard to join the West Hell Hockey League. This book features his adoptive brother Duncan Spark, a wolf shifter. In the first book Random got caught in the crossfire between the coach of their hockey team, the Thunderheads, and that of their rivals the Tide. Now, under a special rule enacted years ago, the Tide as the bottom ranked team in the league can choose to transfer in any player they want from another team and the coach has chosen Random - not because he wants to play him but because he wants to spite Random and the coach of the Thunderheads, he also hates Random so much that he might intentionally try to get him injured or killed on the ice. So Duncan steps up and offers himself as Katniss-like tribute instead.

Sparks walks into a broken team and a bad atmosphere. Trying to make the best of things all he wants to do is play, but that's the last thing his coach will allow. How does a tactile wolf shifter cope when he is shunned by his teammates and brutalised by his coach? Well if you're Sparks you just suck it up and move along.

This is very much a hockey novel, barely a sniff of a romance. I loved watching Sparks grow up from that immature motor-mouth with an over-protective streak into a strong man/shifter who steps up to the puck.



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Review: A Secret Garden

A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A multi-strand romance set in the English countryside.

Lorna is over 50, single mother of a son in his early twenties and gardener at a manor house in the Cotswolds. Philly is a young Irish woman living with her grandfather who grows plants which she sells to Lorna and at a local market. The owner of the manor house, Peter, has been Lorna's secret crush since she was 7 years old - until he meets a much younger woman online and falls crazy in love. At the dinner party he arranges to introduce his new love Kirstie to his mother (Lady Anthea) and his friends Lorna meets local stone mason Jack and Philly, engaged as a waitress for the evening, is finally introduced to Lucien, the boy who sells cheese at the local market who also happens to be the chef for the night.

I was prepared to brush this off as one of Katie Fforde's earlier novels so I was shocked to see that this was published in 2017.

I don't recall ever seeing so many instances of instalove in one novel before. In fact at times it is downright creepy, particularly the way that Jack seems to leech onto Lorna immediately - it is not normal to invite a woman to coffee, lunch and dinner all on the same day, it's borderline stalker behaviour. In fact, having just written a review of another of Katie's books, I wonder if Katie Fforde has trouble getting into the heads of her male characters, they seem so wooden.

Anyway, this was okay but both Lucien and Jack's actions were a bit odd and could have done with more thought, at times Lucien came across like a teenage girl. Even Philly's grandfather was overly secretive for no reason.

Maybe I've overdosed on Katie Fforde and need to cleanse my palate.

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Review: Love Letters

Love Letters by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

I'm having a bit of a Katie Fforde binge instead of reading my NetGalley arcs, aided and abetted by Amazon who keep offering them at 99p or £1.99.

I liked this story of the shy librarian Laura Horsley who ends up organising a literary festival at the local stately home and persuades Ireland's greatest living author, heart-throb and notorious recluse Dermot Flynn to turn up.

However, it wasn't without its faults. I don't understand why Dermot suggested that Laura sleep with him to get him to attend the festival, nor do I understand why he was prepared to have sex with her, drunk as she was, until she passed out. I found both of those things distasteful. In fact, I found Dermot's behaviour to be inexplicable generally and I think the novel would have benefited from the reader having better insight into Dermot's motivations - you know where everyone can see the reasons for his actions except Laura. As it was, by the end of the book I felt I still had questions over Dermot's behaviour.

Nevertheless, this has all of Katie Fforde's trademark English charm, country houses, glorious countryside, engaging characters and a fun plot.

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Review: Once Upon a Duke

Once Upon a Duke by Erica Ridley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Benjamin, the Duke of Silkridge returns to the small town of Cressmouth (Christmas) for the reading of his Grandfather's will. He hates the town but desperately wants his mother's locket, which was taken from him by his grandfather before he was banished from Cressmouth. After the deaths of his beloved mother and father and his grandfather's behaviour Benjamin has devoted himself to his work in the House of Lords, after all if you don't love anyone they can't hurt you when they leave. What he isn't looking forward to is seeing the girl he loved before he was forced to leave Cressmouth.

Noelle Pratchett has lived in Cressmouth all her life, she was desperately in love with Benjamin until he left without notice and never came back. Since then she has clung to the town and its people, and to Benjamin's grandfather who embraced eccentricity and was beloved by all the townspeople.

This started off very like A Christmas Carol, I must be one of the few people who loathes and detests A Christmas Carol in each and every format, Hallmark remake? Hate it. Muppet Christmas Carol? Hate it. Black and white version? Hate it. Book? Hate it. So it didn't bode well.

But I do like Erica Ridley's books, so I persevered and I can say the less it felt like a retelling of A Christmas Carol, the more I liked it. As Benjamin comes to know Noelle better and engage with the townsfolk in order to meet the terms of his grandfather's will he sees a new side to the town. But can there be a future for the man who won't stay and the woman who won't leave?

Overall, it was sweet and schmaltzy and Christmassy, full of eccentric characters in a small town that prides itself on being Christmas 365 days a year.

I received a free copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: The Boys of Christmas

The Boys of Christmas by Jane Lovering
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mattie Arden has left her overbearing boyfriend and is hiding with her best friend Toby when she discovers she has inherited a house in Christmas Steepleton from an elderly aunt. Thrilled at the chance to escape from her ex and London Mattie and Toby travel down to the seaside village just before Christmas. The house comes with a strange proviso, Mattie must scatter her aunt's ashes over 'The boys of Christmas' - if only she knew who these boys are/were!

Watch as Mattie gets over her abusive ex, finds love, finds her way and finally finds out who/what are the boys of Christmas.

If you like the idea of an English romance in a gothic cottage, Christmas carols, and a new beginning you'll love this feel-good romance.

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Review: The Christmas Stocking and Other Stories

The Christmas Stocking and Other Stories by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An anthology of six Christmas short stories/novellas by Katie Fforde.

I don’t intend to review each novella separately. Suffice it to say that there are rock stars and members of the British aristocracy, power cuts, heavy snowfall, cancelled flights, absent parents, Christmas Fairies (as a profession), chefs, actors, babysitters, Frenchmen, dogs, a ghostly honeymoon, new beginnings and lots of Christmas romance whether in London or Scotland, town or country.

If you like Katie Fforde I’m sure you will like this collection. If you’ve never read Katie Fforde before then picture a quintessential fantasy English Christmas with family and snow and dogs and crises which all miraculously get averted. With glamorous and yet friendly people who help out and pitch in. Where dogs are always adored and everyone has an abundance of candles and oodles of artistic talent.

Anyway, I loved it.


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Review: The Captains' Vegas Vows (Mills & Boon True Love)

The Captains' Vegas Vows (Mills & Boon True Love) by Caro Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Captain Helen Pallas is driving from Seattle to Fort Hood, Texas to take up her new posting, she has detoured via Vegas and wakes up in the honeymoon suite of the MGM Grand with no clear recollection of the events of the night before, or how she ended up married to a complete stranger only a few weeks after her divorce came through.

Regardless of how attractive her new husband Tom Cross might be, Helen has to be in Fort Hood within 24 hours for her new position and so she runs out on their honeymoon breakfast with a vague promise to call him to arrange an annulment or divorce.

When Helen arrives at Fort Hood and meets her new commander she is surprised to find Tom in his office, the two of them are both Captains at Fort Hood. Her new commander insists that the two of them share Tom’s quarters and attend marriage counselling as the laws of Texas require an individual to be resident for at least six months before they can file for divorce.

I liked this Mills & Boon romance, it approached a well-worn trope with a new twist – Tom recalls everything from that night, he and Helen talked for hours and shared their thoughts and dreams. For him this wasn’t some drunken whim but meeting the love of his life and pledging solemn vows. He is totally thrown when Helen remembers nothing from that night and demands a divorce.

This is the second book by Caro Carson I have read, both of which were military romances featuring MPs. I really enjoy the novels although they feel very short, almost novella length, the characters are intelligent, honorable, thoughtful people with a strong sense of duty and I enjoyed the way that each of them viewed the other’s actions through the perspective of their previous relationships.

I will continue to look out for Ms Carson’s novels in future, she writes delicious heroes that I would love to meet and strong, clever heroines that I wish I could be.

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Review: Becoming A Vincent

Becoming A Vincent by C.M. Owens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Tomahawk is a crazy town in the middle of nowhere. The men have been running a beard challenge for the last nine years (first one to trim their beard has to swim the lake naked) and the four craziest families in town are known as 'The Wild Ones'.

Lilah Vincent is a Wild One, the only girl of triplets she thinks she probably got all the brains, she and her brothers are in a constant pranking/teasing contest, the latest 'jape' involved nailing all of Lilah's underwear to the outside of her cabin!

Lilah's BFF is the enigmatic Benson Nolans, a fairly recent addition to the town no-one knows anything about him, what he does for a living, who his family is, where he came from. Nevertheless Benson has entered into the spirit of Tomahawk, growing a big ugly beard and rescuing Lilah from some of her brothers' worst excesses.

But when Lilah decides to end the beard challenge a whole new group of attractive men emerge from the bushes and suddenly Lilah's friendship with Benson doesn't quite seem enough.

If you like extreme practical jokes, wacky townspeople and bringing the cray-zee then you will love this. I enjoyed the book but I wasn't sold on Lilah and her family.

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Review: Prince of Air and Darkness

Prince of Air and Darkness by M.A. Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Phineas (Finn) Smith is a human at Mathers School of Magick, in his final year he has still to learn how to control his rare and unusual ability to tap into unlimited magick (I have to confess I found that out from the blurb as I don't think it was described like that in the novel). All known humans with his ability have died young, unable to control their power, ripped apart by the magic.

Unseelie Prince Roark Lyne, third son of Queen Mab, is Finn's room-mate and he always seems to be hanging around sneering at Finn and his fae friends. What's worse is that Finn is a target for supernatural creatures seeking magick and Roark is constantly rescuing Finn from attacks by creatures, using his power only makes matters worse for himself.

But as the peace between the Unseelie and Seelie courts starts to disintegrate Finn and his power could be a weapon for either court, can he learn to control it before it destroys him?

This is an intriguing mash-up of different genres. A magic school like Harry Potter (although it reminds me more of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series in feel) yet it has some quite graphic torture scenes, a YA m/m romance (even though Roark is over 200 years old), a fantasy involving the Kings and Queens of the faerie courts and college campus parties. As a result it's hard to pin this book down to a single genre.

I liked the way the reader is thrust straight into the action right from the start with Finn being tortured by Queen Mab to reveal how he uses the ley lines of magick power. Told in alternating POVs between Finn and Roark we see the simmering sexual tension right from the start.Finn is fighting to stay alive long enough to save his parents' farm, Roark is fighting to avoid being made Queen Mab's Winter Knight, a position which will destroy him from the inside as soon as his takes up the mantle.

Loved it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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