The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay {Review}

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

Paperback, 320 pages

Published November 7th 2017 by Thomas Nelson 

Source: Borrowed from the library

 

 

 

After years of following her best friend’s lead, Mary Davies finds a whimsical trip back to Austen’s Regency England paves the way towards a new future.

Mary Davies lives and works in Austin, Texas, as an industrial engineer. She has an orderly and productive life, a job and colleagues that she enjoys—particularly a certain adorable, intelligent, and hilarious consultant. But something is missing for Mary. When her estranged and emotionally fragile childhood friend Isabel Dwyer offers Mary a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in Bath, Mary reluctantly agrees to come along, in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways. But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes that she lives in Regency England. Mary becomes dependent on a household of strangers to take care of Isabel until she wakes up.

With Mary in charge and surrounded by new friends, Isabel rests and enjoys the leisure of a Regency lady. But life gets even more complicated when Mary makes the discovery that her life and Isabel’s have intersected in more ways that she knew, and she finds herself caught between who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who stands between them. Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this triangle works out their lives and hearts among a company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation.

 

   

 

My Review: 4 Stars

 

I wanted a tale that mimicked another book with a similar premise--a jaunty trip to England to delve into all things Regency, with little side romances blooming up among the flowers. This story was entertaining and took some interesting turns, but wasn't what I was expecting..and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Although the more I think about it, this book does have characters patterned slightly after beloved book characters. 

 

Mary is walked all over by crazy Isabel and tied to her in inexplicable ways, yet she just can't break free. Isabel is the victim of neglect and only wants to be loved and accepted for who she is, going to extreme lengths to feel even a glimpse of those desperately longed for feelings. Nathan is amazing, but too vague in his Texas interactions with these two best friends, leaving a messy situation to be dealt with. However, the events gave way to a charming story that definitely entertained.

This author has a unique way of drawing classics into her contemporary offerings, giving them a slight depth, with good lessons and messages, mingled with fun.

Content: mild romance; vague talk of past neglect.

Romancing the Rake (Brotherhood of the Black Tartan #2) by Nichole Van {Review}

Romancing the Rake (Brotherhood of the Black Tartan #2) by Nichole Van

Kindle Edition

Expected Publication: February 18th 2020 by Fiorenza Publishing 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

 

    

 

Lady Sophronia Sorrow considers herself an unlikely heroine. Why, just her name alone proves this. Sophronia Sorrow sounds like a girl from a gothic penny novel—the foolish miss who falls prey to a rake and becomes an object lesson for the true heroine to avoid. No, despite her mawkish name, Sophie refuses to spend her life invisible and unwanted, relegated to the margin of the text. Despite her eccentric, bluestocking ways, there must be a place where she is wanted. If only she could uncover the identity of her natural father, perhaps she would belong there?

But one thing Sophie knows for sure—unlike that foolhardy miss in a novel, she will not succumb to a rake. No matter how thoroughly the rakish Lord Rafe Gilbert may tempt her.

Lord Rafe Gilbert longs for freedom—freedom from his controlling father, freedom to live his life as he chooses. He knows playing the rake keeps his autocratic father in check, but Rafe longs to determine his own destiny. Case in point, he fell in love with Lady Sophie years ago, but his father’s threats and his mother’s health prevent him from pursuing Lady Sophie in earnest. So when Fate thrusts Sophie into his path, Rafe knows he must turn her away and distance himself. But doing the right thing has never been so impossibly difficult.

Sophie and Rafe soon find themselves on a journey together from London to a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Along the way, can two kindred souls heal from past hurts and seize a second chance to write a love story of their own?

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

"Imagine living your life feeling like a cautionary tale." That's just how Sophie has felt and her tendencies towards categorizing nature only serve to contribute to her bluestocking ways. Sophie longs to belong--to feel wanted and loved--and she won't settle for less.

 

Although Rafe and Sophie come from different backgrounds, they share a commonality, which leads them to embark on the same journey to Scotland. Nichole Van has composed a delightfully beautiful story, full of spellbinding prose that completely enchanted me. The characters thoughts, words, and banter sang a hallelujah chorus to my soul and had me swooning, smiling, and eagerly devouring each and every single page. I love nothing more than immersing myself deep into a story and this one was so satisfying. 

 

I was captivated with the goings on in London, but Scotland is where my heart was really stolen. I loved the adventures and thought I knew exactly how things would turn out, but never fear--I was surprised. I loved the twists, the plot, the setting, the characters, and really, just everything about this tale.

Although this series can stand alone, there is a spindle of mystery that drifts throughout each of the books and it was gratifying to uncover another layer of it in this book. I'm anxiously awaiting the next story!

Content: mild+ language; mild violence 

Suffering the Scot by Nichole Van {Review}

Suffering the Scot by Nichole Van

Kindle Edition, 386 pages

Published April 26th 2019 by Fiorenza Publishing 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

 

    

 

Lady Jane Everard cannot abide the new Earl of Hadley. The unmannered Scot is a menace to genteel ladies everywhere, what with his booming laugh and swishing kilt and endless supply of ‘ochs’ and ‘ayes.’ Jane wishes Lord Hadley would behave as an earl should and adhere to English rules of polite conduct.

Andrew Langston, the new Earl of Hadley, knows that the English aristocracy think poorly of his lowly Scottish upbringing. This is hardly new. History is littered with the English assuming the worst about Scotland. By living up to their lowest expectations, he is simply fulfilling his civic duty as a Scotsman.

Jane sees Andrew as an unmannered eejit. Andrew considers Jane to be a haughty English lady. But, as the saying goes, . . . opposites attract.

And what if beneath his boisterous behavior and her chilly reserve, Andrew and Jane are not nearly as different as they suppose? Can Scotland and England reach a harmonious union at last?  

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

I'm all over a meet-cute and this one was fabulously charming! Jane and Andrew are so opposite,  and Jane is very quick to form rigid opinions of this strapping Scotsman. Andrew capitalizes on her assumptions and has a blast playing them up with his friend, Kieran, especially after he witnesses her fiery passion in that first encounter and is longing to see it again.

 

I found the Scottish language sprinkled throughout to really add to the story, once I got the hang of what words were supposed to mean and could almost hear the brogue wafting off the pages. The character voices make them life-like and enabled me to vividly picture each one of them--their mannerisms, their manners of speech, their facial expressions, and more. As with any good book, there were delightfully wicked characters that I hated, but they, too, were real.

 

I was also lured into the story with a slight mystery, which gradually unfolded in a surprising twist. Andrew is not only set to take over this English manor, but he is out for revenge and is in a secret quest to fulfill this vengeance. I loved the significance of the tartans and colors.

 

The romance was subtle, but the embers occasionally sparked to life, leaving me longing for more. This opposites-attract story completely hit the spot. I'm looking forward to more in this new series!

 

Content: mild language; mild violent descriptions; mild romance

Review: I Need a Hero by Emma Bennet

I NEED A HERO a fun summer romance you won't want to put down by Emma Bennet
163 pages, July 2015 by Joffe Books romance and suspense novels
Source: I received a copy from Netgalley, via the author, in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars


Description:

A lovely summer romance read that you won’t want to put down
 
Romance writer Bronte Huntington has vowed she will never settle for anything less than ‘the one.’ When pleasant red-haired dentist Ryan moves in next door he just doesn't fit the bill. They have plenty in common but Bronte wants nothing more than friendship with him.

Then it looks like Bronte’s dreams have finally come true when dashing Sebastian Fairfax rescues her on his horse after she has an accident in the countryside around her idyllic little cottage. Sebastian is tall, dark, handsome, and heir to a massive country estate!

But is Sebastian the one? Or will Bronte’s romantic dreams of the perfect hero turn out to be as fictional as her novels? And will Bronte's temperamental cat ever stop getting in the way?!

My Review:

This is a delightful, yet predictable, clean romance. Bronte is a romance writer and for all of her ideas, she sure can't seem to realize just where her true inspiration comes from. She has very high expectation, because of her books, and just won't settle for anything less. She has an ornery cat, Mr. Darcy, and I loved reading about his antics and the almost human-like way he had of conveying his opinions of people. Bronte goes to such lengths to impress people that it's humorous and I had quite a few chuckles over the predicaments she found herself in.

Ryan, a red haired Irish dentist, is a new neighbor, living in his aunt's house, and he doesn't fit Bronte's profile for the perfect man at all. So...they become good friends. I couldn't help but like him. Looks aren't always everything because Ryan's a really great guy and a true gentleman, unlike our next character.

Sebastian has it all--a title, money, and definitely good looks--yet he's kind of a jerk, even though he did rescue Bronte after an accident. I had fun reading about the dinner at his house and the food his "mummy" cooked. Ugh. He acts like he's all that, but he's really just a spoiled little boy.

The journey Bronte takes to realize who she really wants is definitely a fun one. The author is from the United Kingdom and I enjoyed reading phrases and words that aren't common to my area. I really felt immersed in the story because of that.

Content: mild romance (talk of sharing a bed with nothing inappropriate happening, very mild kissing); a few expletives; no violence or religious elements. Clean!

Buy Link:

About the Author:

Emma grew up and lived in London, before falling in love and moving to Wales to marry her own hero. Emma now lives with her husband, children, and many animals in a small Welsh market town, fitting in her writing around the many demands of little people and cats.The beautiful landscape around her home gave her the inspiration for ‘The Green Hills of Home’.

Her second novel, ‘His Secret Daughter’, is available now.

Emma likes (in no particular order): cake, books, Cary Grant films, prosecco, chocolate, guinea pigs, knitting, quilting and happily ever afters! 

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