Review: Loretta Chase's My Inconvenient Duke

 

MY INCONVENIENT DUKE
Historical Romance

 

 

AUTHOR:
Loretta Chase

RELEASE DATE:
January 21, 2025

PUBLISHER:
Avon and Harper Voyager

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9780063111387

RATING:
4.5

AUTHOR LINK:
https://lorettachase.com/

 

 

Lady Alice Ancaster is the sister of one of the three Dis-Graces. She wants to safeguard her future by finding a respectable husband. Alice has a perfect candidate in mind. When trouble arises, the wrong one keeps appearing when she needs him most. Giles is all wrong for Alice, but she cannot ignore how scintillating he is to be with. Which duke will Alice choose? The upstanding one? Or the scandalous one? Will she regret her choice?

Giles Lyon, the eighth Duke of Blackwood, is known as one of the three Dis-Graces. He dislikes the many rules and regulations his social class must abide by. Blackwood offers to discreetly look after Alice during the Marriage Mart. Giles knows he is the wrong sort for her, but he cannot resist playing the hero for Alice. Can Blackwood give up his wild and reckless ways for Alice? Or will he give her up a second time?

The main reason I picked up this book is because of the heroine’s name. Alice was my late grandmother’s name. She has always been my hero and staunch supporter. It is why I like reading stories with heroines that share her namesake. This Alice did not disappoint. She annoyed me near the end by choosing her causes over Giles. It is good to have something you are passionate about, but I feel she could have devised a better balance.

Giles made the story entertaining. I understand his reasons for shucking Polite Society’s strict rules and regulations. However, Giles never really forgot them. He knew the right time and place to employ them. I only have one nitpick about Giles.  I disliked how he felt that he needed to be his friend’s caretaker in the end. It is good to worry about your friends but not at the expense of your marriage.

MY INCONVENIENT DUKE is the third and final book in Loretta Chase’s historical romance series, DIFFICULT DUKES. This is my first foray into this author’s works, so I have not had the pleasure of reading the previous two. Something I plan to remedy. Even though I started late, it did not hinder my ability to follow the characters and storyline.

Honestly, I believe this series could be read out-of-order. The first half of the book takes place way before Ripley and Ashmont encounter and fall for their partners. It is not until close to the end that the three books mesh in the same timeline.

The story’s momentum fell off during the second half of the book. Most of it was told through letter-writing between Blackwood and Alice. It got boring quick, not enough for me to quit reading.

Review: Ella Quinn's "A WORTHINGTON WEDDING"

 

A WORTHINGTON WEDDING
Historical Romance

 

 

 

AUTHOR:
Ella Quinn

RELEASE DATE:
November 26, 2024

PUBLISHER:
Kensington Publishing / Zebra

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9781420156959

RATING:
3.5

AUTHOR LINK:
https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/

 

 

Charlie Carpenter, Earl of Stanwood, disapproves of any gentlemen willing to gamble away their dependents’ home. He enters a particular card game with plans of signing the property over to the man’s family. Charlie discovers the place does not really belong to the gentleman but to the man’s cousin. Miss Ognon is everything Charlie wants in a wife. First, he needs to win the wary lady’s trust before he can properly court her. What other trials stand in Charlie’s way?

Miss Oriana Ognon comes from a family of gamblers, a fact that she despises. She inherits property from her maternal grandmother that is not a part of her late father’s estate. That does not stop her cousin from attempting to gamble it away. When yet another gentleman comes to collect, Oriana promptly shows ownership and sends him on his way. Charlie proves to be different from the other men. Can Oriana trust Charlie with both her heart and her property?

Charlie came off as “too perfect”. I understand, being raised and surrounded by sisters, he would understand a woman’s likes, dislikes and worries. Sometimes what he did, like the hair and picking colors best suited for Oriana, felt too much. What I admire the most about Charlie is how he insisted Oriana maintain her belongings, even after marriage.

Oriana often got on my nerves. She played hot and cold. I get that she has trust issues with men. Who wouldn’t be in her situation, aka her gambling father and cousin. Oriana got hurt or angry at the smallest mishap or opposition. I would think she would give Charlie the benefit of the doubt, especially how she surmised “how different he was to other gentleman.” No, she instantly thought the worst.

A WORTHINGTON WEDDING is book one of Ella Quinn’s new historical romance series, HERE COMES THE GROOMS. It is a spinoff from her THE WORTHINGTONS and WORTHINGTON BRIDE series. This is my second jaunt into this author’s works. I only read the last book (THE GROOM LIST) from the latter series (WB). The story can standalone. It felt like all the couples from the prior books made an appearance. It bogged down the story’s pacing, especially when their titles are constantly mentioned.

I like to give new-to-me authors two or three chances. There is always one or two books in a series that just does not appeal. I understand that. However, I just could not get into Ella Quinn’s writing style. It did not click with me.

The first half of the book I moderately enjoyed, enough to continue reading. The second half, however, lost my interest completely. I had a lot of nitpicks that kept me from liking the story or the characters.

 

Review of Hono Natsuna's "PUPPOSITES ATTRACT" volume 1

 

PUPPOSITES ATTRACT, Volume 1
Romance, Manga

 

 

 

AUTHOR:
Hono Natsuna

RELEASE DATE:
August 6, 2024

PUBLISHER:
Kodansha Comics

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9798888772898

RATING:
4.5

 

 

Chiharu is a petite elementary teacher who owns a large yet timid Rottweiler. She has a problem controlling her strength. Kiyotaka is a tall and strong firefighter who adores his small yet energetic Pomeranian. He is shy and tentative. The two meet by accident in the dog park. Then they start to run across one another more frequently.

What I enjoyed the most about this manga: I like how the mangaka shows the natural fear (and prejudice) people show towards Rottweilers. People assume, just by their appearance, they are aggressive and scary. This is untrue! It all depends on the dogs’ upbringing and owner.

I also adore how the dogs’ personalities are opposite of their owners! It is cute how Chiharu and Kiyotaka treat their canine babies, especially Kiyotaka. His entire world revolves around Monjuro.

This manga is so cute and heartwarming! It is a nice change-of-pace for me. The romance between Chiharu and Kiyotaka is slow, which is fine with me. I cannot wait to see how these two canine parents’ relationship evolves. I plan to add this series to my collection. It is a nice series to re-visit for a pick-me-up.

 

Review: Jill Shalvis' BETTER THAN FRIENDS

 

BETTER THAN FRIENDS
Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction

 

 

 

AUTHOR:
Jill Shalvis

RELEASE DATE:
January 21, 2025

PUBLISHER:
Avon and Harper Voyager

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9780063353381

RATING:
4.5

AUTHOR LINK:
https://www.jillshalvis.com/

 

 

Olive Porter owns and runs her own PR firm in the UK. She returns to Sunrise Cove, California to help her childhood best friend. Being home again brings a tumult of memories, especially ones about Noah Turner – her high-school crush. When Olive cannot contact her eccentric parents, she needs to rely on Noah to help locate them. Can Olive let go of the past to start anew with Noah? Or did they both miss their chance to be together?

Noah Turner works as a special investigative agent for the National Park Service. When his brother-in-law is severely injured, he decides to return home and help his sister. Noah never expected to run across Olive there. He cannot forget their past nor his dormant feelings for her. Noah feels he cannot offer Olive what she desires most: stability and security. Will Noah be forced to let Olive go again? Or will he grasp his chance with her?

Both Olive and Noah are haunted by their shared past and regrets. However, they both drop everything to help Katie through her ordeal. Even if it meant being around the other.  I love that about them!

What I like the most about Noah is how he looked after Olive in high school. He may have been the “golden boy”, but he did not behave pretentiously like most do. I adore Olive’s patience with Katie’s neurodivergent tendencies. Other people would not be so understanding or patient. Instead, Olive loved that about her best friend, often teasing her about hugs or sense-of-humor things.

BETTER THAN FRIENDS is the seventh book in Jill Shalvis’ contemporary-romance series, SUNRISE COVE. This story, like its predecessors, can easily stand alone. It is not necessary to read the series in order. The only aspect each book shares is the setting: a charming small town on/near Lake Tahoe in California. Sometimes I do wish the author would allow characters from past books to make a small cameo or honorary mention.

I am not a fan of second-chance romances. They always leave me dissatisfied. However, I adore Shalvis’ approach with Olive and Noah. Certain chapters start with a flashback to their high school day. Those passages satisfied my need to “experience” the start of their feelings.

Shalvis never disappoints me. I love the humor she weaves in each book, especially the dialogue between the characters. And the animals – they always add a great (and sometimes personal) touch to the story.