Days of Rakes and Roses by Anna Campbell

4 romantic, sexy, lovely stars!

With her amazing story, Claiming the Courtesan, Anna Campbell instantly became one of my favorite historical romance authors! The way she tells a tale, I become part of the story; living the life, the hopes, the dreams, the passion, and getting caught up in a world I never want to leave. And she’s doing it again with her Sons of Sin series.

The Story -

Days of Rakes and Roses is book 1.5 in the series, and a truly lovely second-chance-romance, the second chance coming 10 years after Lady Lydia Rothermere’s father catches she and Simon Metcalf in a nigh unto compromising position. Lydia’s moment of indiscretion cost her dearly in her father’s cruelty towards his daughter, the slut, and Simon disappearing from her life. Now, just weeks before her marriage to an ambitious politician several years her senior, who should make his way back into her life but the man she never stopped loving, Simon.

Simon never forgot the stolen kisses shared with Lydia, and the passion that burned between them. In some ways it was a blessing that her father came upon them when he did – before he’d ruined her – because as a second son, Simon couldn’t give Lydia the kind of life she deserved. But after all these years, receiving a letter from Lydia’s brother, Cameron, the Duke of Sedgemoor, telling him that she’s about to marry and urging him to come home and stake his claim, Simon’s back, intending to do just that.

My Review -

Any novel you pick up by Anna Campbell is sure to be wonderful, so I expected nothing less than that with this one. But what makes Days of Rakes and Roses truly brilliant is the way Ms. Campbell has taken characters we’ve not been introduced to before and given them a story that doesn’t feel or read like a novella. Despite the shorter page count, Lydia and Simon are fully developed people I can’t help but care about, whose story I couldn’t put down, and whose happily ever after I was cheering for.

It’s stories like this that make Anna Campbell’s books irresistible!

My thanks to Forever Yours and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

  

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell

Will a week of seduction...

Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic—even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.

...Spark a lifetime of passionate surrender?

Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

*********

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed is the first book in Anna Campbell's Sons of Sin series. It's a gothic-esque romance with a Beauty and the Beast feel, and is a very passionate, very sexy story.

Anna Campbell is one of my favorite Historical Romance authors. She writes compelling characters living in complex worlds. They're tortured souls with tragic pasts, people in need of the kind of redemption and salvation that can only be found in the arms of their one true love.

But for some minor issues I had with pacing and flow, there's so much to love about this story! Jonas and Sidonie are wonderful characters and from the start I couldn't help but care for them and want them to be together. And while I do like Sidonie, I fell especially hard for Jonas, the scarred, bitter man. His life, his loss, his seemingly empty future... he's the kind of hero who captures my heart in a big way.

I'm looking forward to reading more in this series!  

Under The Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

 

 Just one more kiss….

There's no place like home for the holidays. And the Lucky Harbor Bed & Breakfast is bursting with festive lights and good cheer. But for Mia, Christmas is turning out to be anything other than merry and bright. Her recent break-up with her boyfriend Nick has made her return bittersweet. But then a surprise arrives, when Nick follows her to town bearing gifts-and asking for forgiveness.

Nick grew up without a family of his own so he's overwhelmed by the love that Mia receives from all her relatives, gathered together to celebrate the season. Under their watchful eyes, Nick finds earning back her trust the hardest thing he's ever had to do. If he succeeds, he will receive the greatest gift of all, Mia's love for a lifetime.

*****

Romantic, sexy, sweet… Under the Mistletoe is a Christmas novella from the Lucky Harbor series and, like everything Jill Shalvis writes, is a very charming story. And, it's the perfect way to kick off my holiday reading!

I truly enjoyed this book, but I wish it had been longer. It takes place five years in the future and Mia – Tara and Ford’s daughter from The Sweetest Thing – has been away at college, growing up and falling in love. It would have been nice to have a deeper glimpse into this part of her life, but all-in-all, it’s a great story. It’s a happy for now tale with the promise of a beautiful happily ever after down the road, and because Mia and Nick are young and just starting their lives and careers, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This novella took no more than an hour to read, so if you're looking for a Jill Shalvis fix, or needing something quick to read for a Christmas themed challenge, then this is a great book to choose!

My thanks to netgalley.com and Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, for giving me a copy of this story for review. It was such a pleasure!