Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflowers #1) by Lisa Kleypas

Blurb...

Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.

Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle's most intriguing--and persistent--admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition . . . but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.

Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon--and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon's passionate embrace and tempting kisses . . . and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.

Secrets of a Summer Night is a very entertaining story, and I'm adding Simon Hunt to my rapidly growing - but very exclusive - list of favorite heroes! That said, I can't tell you how many times I wanted to kick Annabelle to the curb. Hmmm...did they have curbs back then? Well, if they did, she would have found herself sitting on one, had I had my way. ;)

I enjoyed the devious banter between the Wallflowers, Annabelle, Lillian, Evie and Daisy. I thought they balanced each other and played off one another brilliantly! Best of all? I loved that they were not willing to sit idly by whilst life moved on without them. Their witty insights and plottings made this a laugh out loud read.

Simon Hunt should be given Sainthood for the amount of patience he showed while waiting for Annabelle to come to her senses and realize that he wasn't the bottom of the barrel. I was a tad disappointed in him and his readiness to make her into his mistress rather than make a marriage proposal, but hey, it all worked out in the end which is where it matters most.

Click here to purchase Secrets of a Summer Night from Amazon

Worth Any Price (Bow Street Runners #3) by Lisa Kleypas

Blurb...

What is the price of love?

Nick Gentry is reputed to be the most skillful lover in all England. Known for solving delicate situations, he is hired to seek out Miss Charlotte Howard. He believes his mission will be easily accomplished --but that was before he met the lady in question.
For instead of a willful female, he discovers one in desperate circumstances, hiding from a man who would destroy her very soul. So Nick shockingly offers her a very different kind of proposition -- one he has never offered before.

He asks her to be his bride.

And he knows that this will be much more than a union in name only. For he senses what Charlotte does not yet know -- that her appetite for sensuality matches his own. But what Nick learns surprises him. For while London's most notorious lover might claim Charlotte's body, he quickly discovers it will take much more than passion to win her love.

Lisa Kleypas is one of those rare authors who seem to be able to take mere words on the page and bring them to life, giving us characters who become real to us. They are people we would want to live next door to, people we would choose as our friends and no matter their circumstance, they are honorable, noble people who will always do the right thing—eventually ;)

One of the things I love most about Kleypas’ novels is that her stories are written so that they can be read alone, yet are intertwined in such a way that they can be read as a series. You always have your main hero and heroine in the current book, but in each subsequent novel we have the joy of revisiting those people who we came to love and care about previously. We get to see how their lives have progressed, how their families have grown and how much finding true love has blessed them. In this novel, we revisit Sir Ross Cannon and his wife, Sophia as well as Sir Grant Morgan and his wife, Victoria. What a pleasure it is to see them still so much in love and to watch their affections displayed in subtle ways. In this book, there was one paragraph written so perfectly that in those few sentences we were given a candid glimpse into the depth of the love Sir Ross holds for Sophia:

[Sir Ross had just joined Sophia, Nick and Lottie as they sat visiting and drinking chocolate:]

Sir Ross laughed as he bent to kiss her cheek. It would have been an ordinary husbandly gesture, except for the way he finished the kiss with a soft, nearly imperceptible nuzzle.

It was such a small gesture, yet so intimate. It’s moments like these, found in all of Kleypas’ stories, which mean so much to me. I love “seeing” these exchanges rather than being “told” about them. And as I said, in just a few words, we see the depth of the affection Sir Ross and Sophia feel for each other—and this isn’t even their book!

In Worth Any Price, we are given a tale of redemption, of coming to grips with a harsh past, of learning to deal with that past and leaving it behind. Not an easy thing to do for a man who is used to keeping his thoughts and fears to himself, but he finds that painful burden much easier to bear when he finally shares it with Lottie, the only woman who had ever managed to work her way into his heart—and she did so without trying, she was just....herself.

I’m not going to ruin your read of the book by giving away too many details. I’ll only say that Worth Any Price is a story filled with love, hope, trust and the importance of family. It is the story of John Sydney and Nick Gentry—the boys they were and the man they became.

Click here to purchase Worth Any Price from Amazon

Lady Sophia's Lover (Bow Street Runners #2) by Lisa Kleypas

Blurb...

Why is Lady Sophia looking for a lover?
And could she seduce the most marriageable man in London?

Lady Sophia Sydney would do anything to ensnare the unattainable Sir Ross Cannon. Her goal: to ruin his reputation and cause a scandal that would be the talk of all London. So she insinuates herself into his life by gaining his trust and living in his house.

Every morning, her lush presence tempts him beyond all reason . . . the way she bends over the table to serve him the meals she has prepared . . . the way her hands oh, so gently—yet sensuously—brush against him. Every night, she promises with her eyes—and her body—that the hours before dawn could be spent in unbridled passion instead of restless sleep—if only he'd let her share his bed.

She knows he is falling more in love with her each day. But she never counted on falling in love with him. And she never dreamed he might very respectably ask for her hand in marriage.

I’ll make this short and sweet: This book was a pleasure from the first page to the last. As always, Lisa Kleypas gives us amazing characters, exciting yet believable situations and lots and lots of sexual tension, written only the way she can write it – sizzling hot! Who knew antique exercising furniture could be so much… fun?!?

Click here to purchase Lady Sophia's Lover from Amazon

Someone to Watch Over Me (Bow Street Runners #1) by Lisa Kleypas

Blurb...

Grant Morgan is one of London's most eligible and unattainable bachelors. He's also a powerful member of the Bow Street Runners, and when he's called to the waterfront late one night to investigate a drowning victim, Grant is stunned to recognize the face of Vivien Rose Duvall, a well-known woman of the night. He's even more startled when he realizes that she's alive. With no one to care for her, Grant carries Vivien to his home and revives her, only to learn that she is suffering from amnesia.

Vivien hesitantly accepts her handsome rescuer's claim that she is his mistress, despite her misgivings about her true identity. Nevertheless, she can't deny the marks on her throat that prove her near-drowning in the Thames was not an accident, and now she must trust the man who claims her as his paramour, for her life is in danger. As Grant searches for Vivien's attacker, the two find themselves falling in love, all the while struggling to stay one step ahead of the evil forces that will stop at nothing to see Vivien dead.

I’ve been indulging myself in Lisa Kleypas’ books for the past few weeks and have come to appreciate her story telling talents. Perhaps because this is the first book in the Bow Street Runners series, it didn’t grab me quite the way her Wallflower series did. I didn’t find the characters quite as charismatic as those in her other books.

It has an interesting plot – a courtesan with amnesia being pursued by someone who is trying to kill her and the man who saved her life and is now protecting her, bent on revenge for some wrong she did him in the past. There was definitely a lot to keep the pace of the story moving quickly which is a plus because it can be tough to lay the ground work for a new series and still keep the reader’s attention. There were only a couple of instances when I wanted to skip through some of the foundation details and get back down to the nitty-gritty of the story.

Someone To Watch Over Me is a story filled with likable characters, though (with the exception of Sir Ross – but that’s another story) I didn’t feel a connection or attachment to any of them. Honestly it wasn’t until the very end of the book that I had my first “Awwww, how sweet” *sigh* moment. It occurred when Grant showed up unexpectedly at White Rose Cottage, surprising Victoria:

“What are you doing here?”
“You took too long,” he muttered with a scowl.
That statement brought a surprised laugh from her. “We agreed I would stay here a week.”
“It’s been a week.”
“It’s been precisely two and a half days,” she informed him.
“It seemed like a bloody year.”
They exchange a few more words then he asks, “And our engagement,” he asked with a set face. “Do you have an answer for me?”

I loved those few sentences more than any others in the entire book because it gave me a real glimpse into him – an overgrown boy used to getting his own way and not sure what he would do if he didn’t. I could really see that frown/scowl on his face as he nervously (though he masked it well) awaited her answer. I wish we had been given more candid peeks into the man who is Grant Morgan. I didn’t find him exceptionally charming but the sexual tension in this book was amazing. Their intimate encounters had me *fanning myself* and checking to make sure no one was reading over my shoulder and what Grant Morgan lacked in charisma, he more than made up for in heat. He is one sensual, sexual man.

Click here to purchase Someone to Watch Over Me at Amazon

Cold-Hearted Rake (Cold-Hearted Rake #1) by Lisa Kleypas

Blurb...

A twist of fate...

Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.

A clash of wills...

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny—and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?

Lisa Kleypas is back, and back in a big way with Cold-Hearted Rake, her first historical romance in years, and it's everything we long time fans have come to expect from her storytelling: It's romantic, poignant, funny, and oh, so very sexy!

I have to say, I was over the moon when I learned Ms. Kleypas had teamed up with Avon Books again and would be giving us a new historical romance series. Many will agree with me when I say she's easily one of the best romance authors out there - and it's stories like Cold-Hearted Rake which bear proof of that.

Devon is a bastard, and I couldn't believe I'd ever come to love him. But love him I do. He's honorable, sexy, compassionate - but before those things surfaced he had to open his eyes to the world around him to find that he's not the only person who matters. Fortunately, there was a red-haired beauty to help him see the err of his ways.

Kathleen has had it rough, but that's only served to make her a strong, independent woman; the kind of woman who can stand up to a rake like Devon Ravenel.

I could be wrong, but this might just be the steamiest book Ms. Kleypas has written. Kathleen and Devon's sexual chemistry sizzled throughout their story and made this one very sexy read.

The supporting cast - Helen, Cassandra, and Pandora - are all ladies needing their stories told, and I can't wait to read their happily ever afters. Helen is up next and wow. Just wow. I can already tell her's is going to be one roller-coaster ride of a tale!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.

Mine Until Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

There’s something just so special about a historical romance done the Lisa Kleypas way. Light, yet with substance. So much sexual passion and yet such tender love. Her books are always a delightful escape and her heroes are always so sigh-worthy.

This is a touching story about a tight knit, albeit quirky, family consisting of four sisters, Amelia, Win, Poppy, and Beatrix; their one brother, Leo, and Merripen, who as a young boy was wounded and left for dead following a Gypsy hunt. He was brought into the Hathaway family by the siblings father and although they considered him one of them, he always kept himself apart - more than a servant, yet not quite part of their family.

In Mine Till Midnight, while there are many, many things happening involving all of the siblings, the romantic focus of the story is on Amelia, the eldest of the Hathaway siblings, and Cam Rohan who we met in Devil In Winter. I’m not going to go into plot details, because there are several sub-stories going on and it would be too complicated, so I’ll just touch on the things I loved – or not so much – about this book.

What I loved: I’ll start with Cam Rohan because I am, after all, a mature, red blooded woman with healthy desires who loves a hot, sexy man who wants to take charge in the bedroom and give as much pleasure as he gets. I especially love it when he… umm… errrr… that is to say… forgive me, for I digress. As I was about to say, I love how comfortable Cam is with who he is and who he isn’t. He knows what he wants and is willing to give up all his wealth to try and find it. He’s not a tortured soul in need of fixing, which is probably why I didn’t connect with him on some deeper level, but I wanted to bring him home and love him up all the same.

What I loved and didn’t love: Amelia. Dear, sweet Amelia; what an interesting character she turned out to be. In fact, the very thing I admired most about Amelia is that which I also disliked about her. She’s a take charge kind of woman, getting the job done no matter the cost to her own happiness. Willing to set aside any hope for a marriage for herself, she set about trying to ensure the best possible future for her brother and sisters. She was very protective of the family, which in some ways is good, but we all know that you have to let people learn lessons on their own, sometimes. Amelia was so concerned about protecting them that she wasn’t letting them live. She was suffocating them. And even when Cam came along, offering to help share her burden, she kept refusing. She had some twisted sense of obligation and responsibility for the family that made me want to throttle her with my bare hands! Fortunately, that didn’t last too long and she eventually saw the error of her ways.

Interestingly enough, the things that touched me the most about this book were not even related to Amelia and Cam, but Win and Merripen, which is who I felt the most connected to. It was heart wrenchingly clear that they care for each other – I’d even go so far as to say that they love each other.

**Spoiler**In one heart breaking scene, Merripen has been badly burned in a house fire and infection has set in. Cam knows of a poultice that he’s certain will help, but would be very, very painful to apply. So despite Merripen’s hatred of morphine, knowing he’d refuse to take it, Win devises a plot to sneak it to him in mint tea. They make the tea very strong and overly sweet to try and mask the flavor of the drug, but Merripen can still taste it. In his weakened, delusional state of mind, he’s certain that Win is trying to give him an overdose to spare him any more suffering.

I sobbed:

Dying in her arms…cradled against her as he relinquished his scarred soul to the darkness…Win would be the last thing he would ever see, hear, feel. Had there been any tears in him, he would have wept in gratitude.

He drank slowly, forcing down every swallow. He drank part of the next cup until his throat would no longer work, and he turned his face against her chest and shuddered. His head was spinning and sparks were drifting all around him like falling stars.

Win set the cup aside and stroked his hair, and pressed her wet cheek to his forehead.

And they both waited.

“Sing to me,” Merripen whispered as the blinding darkness rolled over him. Win continued to stroke his head as she crooned a lullaby. His fingers touched her throat, seeking the precious vibration of her voice and the sparks faded as he lost himself in her, his fate, at last. **End Spoiler**

I'd have never thought to find that kind of emotional connection or torment in a secondary relationship, but that scene, the way it was so poignantly written, will stay with me for years and years to come.

I'm so thankful to have found Lisa Kleypas' historicals because, regardless of which novel I'm reading, I finish the story with a smile on my face.