Sophie Jordan

Loved this one!

The premise was definitely unique--heroine, who was handfasted (I guess? I don't think they actually used that term, but she definitely wasn't a traditional wife for the seven years she raised his children and ran his house) to a much older man is sold at an auction when the old guy decides it's time to move on with a widow his own age instead (now that Alyse has done all the heavy lifting, of course). The childhood friend who's supposed to come for her instead books it out of show more town at dawn, and a duke who's passing through (after waking up face-first in horse dung!) manages to swoop in just in time to prevent the lecherous tanner from buying her for 16 pounds.

Essentially this is a road trip romance, as Alyse and Marcus spend most of the book traveling through Scotland to get to his Scottish property, where he's never been and where he tells Alyse she can be his housekeeper. He wants to brood in silence, she feels conversation will make the time pass faster. (Anything's better than the tanner, she reasons, but at the same time she's constantly planning ahead for some way to gain future freedom.) Naturally there's all kinds of forced proximity issues, an illness, an abduction, family drama, and a recalcitrant mule to add drama. His stodgy stuffiness is nicely counterbalanced by her feistiness, and their back-and-forth is what really makes the book.

This is the third in the series, but worked just fine as a standalone. The couple from book one make an appearance and Marcus complains at one point to Alyse about the couple in book two, but you don't have to have already read their stories to understand the underlying issues--Alyse doesn't know them either, so Marcus gives her the pertinent deets. (Word bookstore's Kiss Club had the audio of book two, The Scandal of It All , on sale this month, so I snapped it up ASAP. And book 1 was on my TBR the second I realized it was a historical romance version of While You Were Sleeping...)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. show less

Wicked in Your Arms
5 Stars

At the end of years of civil war, Prince Sevatian Maksimi’s country is in dire need of stability and he is determined to do his duty and marry a suitably well-bred heiress. Grier Hadley, the illegitimate daughter of one of London’s wealthiest yet most unsavory underworld denizens, has nothing to recommend her except for an enormous dowry. Grier and Sev couldn’t be more wrong for each other, but that fact cannot stop the undeniable passion and desire that spark show more every time they touch …

This is my first Sophie Jordon book, but it will definitely not be my last. Grier and Sevastian’s love/hate relationship is captivating and the minor suspense plot only enhances their chemistry and romance.

Sevastian starts out as one of the more obnoxious heroes ever to grace the pages of historical romance. That said, as the story progresses and the extent of his attraction and subsequent devotion toward Grier becomes evident, he more than redeems himself and becomes one of my favorite heroes in the genre.

No stranger to social stigma and ostracization, Grier is a strong and resilient heroine who faces the petty cruelties of the ton with dignity and pride. She is well aware that her only asset in the eyes of society is her father’s wealth, but she has a nobility of spirit and a profound sense of self-worth that makes her all the more appealing.

Sev and Grier’s chemistry is sizzling and their sparring is delightful. The story moves along at a rapid pace and the suspense and excitement of the climax and resolution are an added bonus.

In sum, a sensual and steamy romance with well-developed and engaging characters. Looking forward to continuing with the series. show less

Evie Cross, newly evicted from The Penwich School for Virtuous Girls, returns home to discover a case of compromised virtue. Not hers, mind you, but that of her well loved sister, Linnie who foolishly found herself in the bed of a man she thought she loved and subsequently got herself pregnant. Linnie was her parents last hope of weaseling their way into better society and if her condition is discovered, all of their nefarious scheming has been for nothing.

Having been out of the country for show more long enough not to rouse suspicious, Evie takes Linnie's child to raise as her own, masquerading as a widow to protect Linnie's reputation and more importantly, her child.

Years later, her sister having died and any potential scandal along with her, Evie has established a safe, quiet, albeit poverty stricken life for herself and her adopted son. Out of the blue, a man arrives asking after Nicholas. Spencer Lockhart, Lord Winters, is the cousin of Nick's father, who died on the battlefield but not before securing Spencer's promise to look after Nicholas and Linnie. For years Spencer has lived with the dream of Linnie, visions of her loveliness planted in his mind by his cousin's stories of her. Now he has returned and means to protect both Linnie and her son with his name by making the woman of his dreams his wife. Fearing that the truth could mean Spencer taking Nicholas from her, Evie plays along with his assumptions that she is her sister and agrees to marry him, hoping that he doesn't discover that his bride to be isn't exactly the woman of his dreams.

Loved this story. I had no idea what kid of man ol' Spence would ultimately turn out to be so I had no idea what would happen to Evie or her son. you don't go around duping influential members of the nobility and expect to get off light. He might turn out to be a real asshole. All in all, a great little story. No instant fairytale love, but some marvelous instant sexual tension. Evie, you go girl.

I've ordered five more of Miz Jordan's books. She has even written a YA novel that I'd love to get my greedy little hands on. show less

After I finished Firelight, I was so eager for the follow up that I purchased this one at full price on my Kindle. I needed to read it asap! That is quite a testimony in and of itself as I have a TBR pile 100 books deep, no exaggeration. "Vanish" has Jacinda, her twin Tamara and her mother heading back to the Pride. Jacinda has broken the biggest rule in all of the draki world and has revealed herself to humans. Now she must face her kind and pay the price. Cassian, the draki leader's son, show more has always wanted Jacinda. In "Firelight", I never liked him much and hated the scenes with him featured actively. Since Cassian is the only draki other than family willing to stand up for Jacinda, I felt like I got to know his character much better. I still don't care for him and I am still a Will fan, for the record.

There is much less Will here but he is the same character that I remember from the first book. I can truly feel his love for Jacinda. I was also very pleased with the relationship between the twins in "Vanish". In "Firelight" I couldn't ever got a good read on their relationship. It felt many times like Tamara hated Jacinda. She certainly resented her for always having a prominent part in the pack, as she was a firebreathing draki.

The story takes on some twists and turns. There is a new development involving the hunters and some issues come back up regarding Jacinda's long lost father. There are some very close calls for Jacinda and her friends. When one of them gets kidnapped, the frantic pace surges to a new level. The characters learn more about what happens to the draki after they have been sold by the hunters. Also, there is a shocking development that I didn't believe would actually occur in regards to Jacinda and her punishment. This is an author that isn't afraid to take risks.

I find it very difficult to review five star books. In my mind a five star book is just about perfect. "Vanish" easily falls in this category. I can't find anything to truly complain about. I don't want to give a single detail away to potential readers. Sure some things happen I didn't personally want to see, including Cassian and Jacinda getting closer. Yet the story is worth any developments I don't personally agree with because it is written so well and these characters and their world as so fully and realistically developed. My only disappointment is that the third book hasn't been published yet and so I couldn't immediately download it for my Kindle! show less