Emma V. Leech

“‘I’ll ruin everything. I’ll do it on purpose.’

As warnings went, it was stark and to the point, and yet he should not have been surprised when she clutched at his lapels and stood on her toes, pressing her mouth to his…”

Good grief this was a good book! It’s not as light as most historical romances I’ve read lately; the hero had some serious problems, which the author didn’t skirt around. But it was such a wonderful story of life-long obsession and loyalty, self-sacrifice, show more and unconditional love. Crecy is a generally happy girl with a chipper personality who is nevertheless drawn to the dark and morbid. In other words, a heroine after my own heart :). I loved how kind and patient she was with Gabriel. And the ending just slayed me; it was so cute. I know it’s only January, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be one of the best romances I read all year. Or maybe ever. Crecy and Gabriel forever! show less

It had been a while since I’d read anything by Emma V. Leech, and this reminded me that I need to get back to her books. She writes some of the most satisfying stories!

Winter Rogue is a fairly short, super-cute marriage of convenience tale that takes place at Christmas-time. It features a loveable rogue with Hidden Pain (Justin) and a resourceful heroine with a level head and a soft heart (Bea). So, in other words, just my kind of thing 😊.

The story made me laugh, particularly near the show more beginning, when Bea and Justin first meet. And I loved that Bea was willing to take a huge risk on Justin, just for the sake of choosing her own destiny and thumbing her nose at her evil guardian. She was a nice mix of bold and sweet, while Justin was an endearing combo of disreputable and heroic. I liked them both, enjoyed their story, and loved the ending. show less

I never want to read about a wedding on Christmas ever again.

I am so so so glad I am FINALLY done with this. The relief! While I actually enjoyed more of the stories than I expected, this went downhill when I read the whole second half over the last week.


THINGS I LEARNED FROM THIS ANTHOLOGY (in categories cause I'm just that sick of everything)
Plot & character things
- All men speak in a rich baritone
- A woman's hair is always long and usually curly
- Every blonde woman is an angel (twice the show more angel if her hair is also blonde & curly)
- Scotsmen are always rugged and we'd forget they're Scottish if they didn't call the heroine "lassie" in at least every second sentence
- Epilogues only exist to show us that the heroine is pregnant
- Isn't it funny to call this heroine in Christmas romance anthology Holly? So original!

Sex things
- "It's called a cock."
- There's always oral sex before the virgin is deflowered (or "claimed", as most stories put it. By his rod.)
- "What was that?!" - "It's called an orgasm."

Actual serious criticism
- People of color didn't exist in 19th century England, not even as servants (except for that one story)
- Neither did queer people
- Beta readers for spelling and grammar? We don't need them cause we're just THAT good. 99% of these mistakes were things spellcheck should've picked up on, what are you even doing?!
- Apparently spanking is so sexy that there's no need to distinguish it from abuse. Hard disagree.


INDIVIDUAL RATINGS (to be taken with a grain of salt, especially those at the beginning - when I wasn't sick of the premise yet - and those at the end, when I was too sick of the premise. I've also got an update with a mini review after every single story for you to enjoy...)
Hell's Wedding Bells - 4 stars
Two Lady Scoundrels and a Duke - 1 star
A Wicked Wedding - 5 stars
The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem - 1 star
The Russian Betrothal - 4 stars
Beautifully Reckless - 2 stars
The Mistletoe Mistress - 3 stars
Deeds Not Words - 2 stars
Holly and the Beast - 3 stars
The Winter Bride - 3 stars
Mistletoe Kisses - 3 stars
The Christmas Countess - 2 stars
Mischief and Mistletoe - 2 stars
Kidnapped With the Knight - 1 star
The Russian Prince's Bride - 4 stars
Christmas Charity - 3 stars
The Angel of an Astronomer - 4 stars
Wassail, Wagers and Weddings - 3 stars
Highland Yule - 1 star
Marrying Miss Bright - 3 stars
Kiss Me, Macrae - 3 stars
Holly and Old Lace - 1 star
Home for Christmas - 2 stars
A Spinster at the Highland Court - 2 stars
The Holiday Hussy - 1 star
December Debauchery - 3 stars
Wedded in Winter - 2 stars show less

Under tremendous pressure from the queen to find a wife and produce an heir, , Prince Corin of Alfheim flees to the mortal world The problem? Between having loved and lost himself and watching his father, the king, lose his heart ... and his power to the queen, Corin vows never to let anyone to have his heart again. Unbelievably handsome and seductive, he should have no trouble finding a willing woman. After all, Corin has everything to offer ... except his heart. And Corin has the perfect show more woman in mind. The witch, Jéhenne Corbeaux’s best friend, Claudette. Sweet, kind, pretty, and pliable, she is the perfect choice. All he has to do is get her to accept three gifts and she will be his to command. But commanding their hearts is a completely different story.
The Dark Heart by Emma V. Leech is the second book in Les Fees: The French Fae Legend. Having read the first book, The Dark Prince, I have eagerly awaited this book. I was not disappointed. It is no secret that I am a huge Emma Leech fan, and this book shows why.
Emma breathes amazing life into the french countryside, the fae lands and all the characters and despite the shows of magic throughout I completely forgot I was reading a fantasy novel. The entire story moves along at a wonderful pace and I was kept on a rollercoaster of emotion from start to finish. Predictably, (having read her other books) I found myself laughing and crying with and for Corin and Claudette as their journey progressed. Parts were difficult to read through the tears and I was really hoping I didn’t short out my kindle! And at other parts I laughed out loud and received a few eye rolls from my family. Yet other parts had me screaming into my pillow!
The biggest thrill for me was to make this journey with Corin and Claudette and to experience the changes in each. Corin began to realize what Claudette truly meant to him and with each experience Claudette metamorphosed into a strong and confident young woman.
Flipping the last page in the story, I not only felt emotionally drained, but bereft; as if I was saying goodbye to cherished friends. That, readers, is the sign of not just a good book ... but a GREAT book! A rousing 5 stars all around!!! show less