{Book Review} How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne

These men are dark, bold, and brave. And there is only one woman who can bring them to their knees...

Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past—one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.

LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS

Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.

I loved it. I loved it. I looooved it. I actually received this as an ARC via NetGalley but enjoyed it so much I purchased a kindle copy. How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is my first Kerrigan Byrne read and I’m so hooked on her writing style I can’t wait to read more. I really enjoyed her story telling! Y’all! They are both so full of attributes I love in a romance character. I wanted to devour this book so quickly but I made myself savor it. This book is the first in a trilogy and follows Alexandra and Piers (I love his name!). Alexandra is a strong, smart, sassy heroine and Piers is a strong, scarred, grumpy hero. Between Piers’ mommy issues and Alexandra’s men issues I wanted to hug them both. There’s nothing I like more than two tortured characters making their way into each other’s hearts. From the second they met I felt their chemistry and couldn’t wait to see where it went. If these two characters had ended up with other significant others it just wouldn’t have been the same for me. I could see them slowly falling for one another. Alexandra is hiding something and Piers is distrustful of...everyone, and some twisted part of me was so excited to see all of that play out. Misunderstanding and miscommunication is such catnip for me! The sex scenes were fantastic. I loved that we got foreplay multiple times before they consummated. Yay slow burn! I really could ramble all day about this book and this couple and even the secondary characters. I’m really looking forward to more of them in the future. Trigger warning for rape.

{Book Review} Wrong Bed, Right Guy (Come Undone #1) by Katee Robert

I really wanted to like this one because it has a lot of the tropes I love. Unrequited love!!!! Y'all, it's my favorite. But I just could not get into these characters. Ok, I take that back. I could not get into Elle. I liked Gabe! I like Nathan! I did not like Elle. This book starts out with Elle climbing into bed with her boss. Except it's not him she's seducing, it's his brother, who has blown into town. Normally I'd be all about that in a book but for some reason it just did not work for me this time. I'm sad about it. I think my issue with it is that Nathan (Elle's boss) didn't give her any reason to think he was interested but yet she sort of broke into his place at night to climb into his bed! Consent, man.

I spent a lot of time yelling at Elle. Every single thing Gabe did seemed to be not good enough for her. Because of his appearance (hello tattooed dude) Elle judged him. She also judged herself for being attracted to him, all because she had history with "bad boys" and it never turned out well. I get that, mostly, except she kept on and on about it and Gabe did nothing but try over and over to prove himself to her. Every little thing that went wrong, Elle blamed Gabe for. Of course he wasn't perfect and made mistakes, but compared to how Elle treated him he was fine, in my opinion. It made me crazy. There were times that I really wanted Gabe to walk away and be done with her.

Like I said, I really wanted to love this because I'd heard rave reviews about Katee Robert books but I just could not.

Combined book blog with personal blog... Amanda M Graham

I can also be found on Goodreads.

{COMING SOON} The Rake by Melanie Marchande

I’ve had it up to here with billionaires.
Devon Wakefield, founder of a billion-dollar sleaze empire, is certainly no exception. He doesn’t see the problem. I might be the most successful matchmaker in the business, but even I can’t find a partner for somebody who founded a “dating website” populated exclusively by dirtbags and lowlifes looking for some kind of illicit action. Sure, he puts on a classy front, but how the hell am I going to convince anybody else that’s who he really is, when I don’t believe it myself? He’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants. And this time, what Mr. Wakefield wants is a bride. But what kind of woman would fall for a man like that?

Our heroine, Cassie, is a matchmaker. Not just any matchmaker, THE BEST. The last thing she wants to do is take on Devon Wakefield as a client, but eventually he wins her over...but he turns out to be an even more difficult client than she anticipated.

In this scene, she's trying to get him to talk about his preferences, so she can find just the right woman. She has a photo book of glamor shots for people who have trouble articulating what they want, because picking their favorites usually helps her get a good idea of what they like - but Devon manages to derail the conversation....

-

I reach into a desk drawer and pull out the binder labelled “Women.” Yeah, yeah. Like I said, I do feel kind of gross about it. But it’s a living.

I make a serious effort to soften my tone as I push the binder across the desk to him. “Why don’t you go ahead and pick out some of your favorites from these shots? That’ll help me get a better sense of who I should be looking for.”

He glances at me, a little suspiciously. He thinks this is some kind of test. I don’t know why he’s so determined to work with me, but I should probably try to tone down the judgment, in the interest of professionalism. Even if he does have almost exactly the personality type I was expecting.

As he flips through the pictures, a little too quickly, shaking his head a bit, I wonder if this is going to work at all. If he can’t give me some concrete idea of what he’s after, besides this centerfold bio bullshit - I mean, I’m shocked he didn’t put “likes long walks on the beach” on there - I really can’t help him. I can’t even try. He’s too guarded. And maybe that’s a little bit my fault, but really. What matchmaker wouldn’t balk at this task?

“You know, I always used to wonder if gynecologists get desensitized,” he muses, out loud. His finger’s marking the halfway point in the binder, but he’s not really looking at the pictures. “I always thought, what a terrible sacrifice that would be to make. Who would choose that profession? I mean, if you didn’t like vaginas to begin with, that’d be one thing…”

“Here’s a hot tip,” I cut in. “Don’t open with this conversation on a date.”

He chuckles. “We’re not dating, Cassandra,” he says, glancing up at me with sparkling eyes. It’s all I can do not to acknowledge the little flutter in my chest.
God damn it. Why does he have to be the sexiest client I’ve ever had?

“I know that,” I snap. My patience has already worn thin; he has that effect on me. “Do you have a point, or did you just want to see how many times you could get away with saying vagina in a business meeting?”

“This is hardly a traditional business meeting,” he points out, catching his lower lip between his teeth for a brief moment and then releasing it. “Vaginas are kind of central to the whole thing.”

“That’s two.” I raise the appropriate number of fingers. “I think you broke the world record. Can we move on?”

--

LINKS

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25391834-the-rake
iBooks Preoder - https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-rake/id991344891?mt=11&uo=6

{Book Review} 50 Ways to Ruin a Rake by Jade Lee

50 Ways to Ruin a Rake by Jade Lee
Published May 5th 2015 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Good Reads - Amazon - B&N

Mellie has a plan…
Mellie Smithson is trapped in the country with no suitors and no prospects on the horizon except, perhaps, the exasperating—although admittedly handsome—guest of her father. She's looking for any excuse to go to London to meet more eligible men.
Trevor has a problem…
Trevor Anaedsley's grandfather has cut off his funds until such time as he gets engaged. Trevor escapes to the country—ostensibly to visit his old tutor, Mr. Smithson, but actually to duck his creditors—where he meets Smithson's lovely daughter, Mellie. The obvious solution is suddenly before him—but the lady has ideas of her own, and Trevor's going to have to measure up…

Adult, Romance, Sex
Such a fun read! I laughed, I teared up, I swooned, I rolled my eyes. These characters were so enjoyable to get to know. Not only were the lead characters great but so were the secondary.

I rooted for Mellie and Trevor both; as characters that I wanted to see become successful in their scientific endeavors as well as their romantic relationship. I was so happy to be reading a strong female lead that wasn't full of the usual cliches. Don't get me wrong, I love a good cliche romance novel but 50 Ways was such a refreshing take on the genre.

One thing I can tell you, dear Reader, if you love a strong female romance character that is into more than just finding a husband, is smart and witty, Mellie is for you.

Trevor wasn't the 'usual' hero either. Both he and Mellie were straight forward about their intentions. Their determination to help one another was one of my favorite parts, as was the chemistry and friendship between Mellie and Trevor. Our handsome hero only a nice looking face himself. I loved that he discovered just how brilliant Mellie was and did not treat her like we so often see men treating women in that era.

As much as this story was about Mellie and Trevor's love story, it was also largely about Mellie spreading her wings. I believe that is part of the reason I connected so well with her. I enjoyed this read so much I didn't want to reach the end. Ms. Lee wraps it all up nicely, for all involved.

I can't wait to see this series continue. *gobble gobble*

I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review. 

Recent purchases

I have a book problem. As in...I have hundreds and hundreds on my kindle I have yet to read. That doesn't even count the print books on my bookcase. These are a few titles I have recently purchased or pre-ordered.

 

{Waiting on Wednesday} The Scorch Trials Movie

The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2)
by James Dashner

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. 

Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.

The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.

There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive. 

I don't know if you know this, but the Scorch Trials movie is due September and the trailer premiered yesterday.. and well, it looks amazing. I have yet to read the books but ever since I watched The Maze Runner in theaters I've wanted to. I've made a promise to myself I'll read the books before seeing the next movie and this trailer has definitely motivated me.

Here's the trailer... What do you think?

Waiting on Wednesday