Andrea Jenelle's Blog, page 8

Up All Night With A Good Duke

My Review: Artemis Jones seems innocuous. She loves giving others that impression, although her sly sense of humor and irreverence frequently confound them. Her primary goal is to remain unattached so she has the freedom and the resources to establish a school of higher learning for women, where they are welcome to pursue further studies in mathematics, the sciences and philosophy.Dominic, the widowed Duke of Dartmoor, is the exact opposite of the Gothic heroes Artemis portrays in her bestselling sensationalist novels. Even though he's not the ideal hero she imagined falling for, he devours the empty space of any room he enters, and from their very first meeting, when he relinquishes a cab to her, she can't stop thinking about him. Dominic can't stop thinking about the forthright, enticing woman who doesn't want a permanent relationship. His teen daughter Celeste is giving him all of the intrigue he can handle in his busy life, and he should be paying attention to restful things, not a woman who is both a constant whirlwind of motion and an unstoppable force. A fake relationship soon becomes the only feasible solution to the attraction neither one of them can banish or avoid. It's an added benefit that Artemis is now in the perfect position to instill some common sense in his daughter, while guiding her continued scholarly pursuits. Dominic is the Dastardly Duke, accused by the ton of murdering his first wife. Artemis soon decides that the rumor is completely unfounded. The kind, honorable, solicitous man she knows, a man consumed by with duty and overworked to the point of exhaustion, is simply incapable of a crime like murder. She loves nothing more than surprising him in his study, mussing his usually calm demeanor, and indulging in a mutual journey of sexual freedom and exploration. Neither one of them is looking for a permanent distraction. Until they fall swiftly, unexpectedly, irrevocably in love. This is the first book in a new series and includes the following tropes: opposites attract; bluestocking heroine; fake relationship.Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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Out of the Clear Blue Sky

This is a hilarious, snarky beach read perfectly paired with a mai tai and sand between your toes. Lillian literally catches her husband with his pants down. With a younger woman she’s convinced is the devil incarnate. But Lillian refuses to be victimized or shamed, and decides to plot revenge on the two of them. Lillie’s pranks are ingenious and hysterically funny. They make things smelly, uncomfortable, and difficult for her philandering husband and his new trophy girlfriend. Brad shows his true colors soon enough. He’s an egotistical, mansplaining idiot and the longer he’s out of her life, the more Lillie realizes she should have booted him a long time ago. The narrative alternates between Lillie and Melissa’s POVs. Melissa may have snatched up Lillie’s husband, but her life hasn’t exactly been sunshine and roses. Despite learning her backstory, Melissa’s character still came across to me as the manipulative, selfish other woman. One of my favorite characters was Melissa’s niece Ophelia - a sarcastic reminder of Melissa’s roots.The thing I loved the most about this story was its portrayal of a mature, strong career woman who finds the inner strength to embrace her identity and define herself as whole. As the mother to a college age son, she’s braving both singlehood and empty nesting. She rallies to the challenges of these changes in her life with grace and poise. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A Proposal They Can’t Refuse

My Review:I absolutely adored this sweet, sassy rom com!Two scheming grandpas are determined to save the future of the building they bought together decades ago. Half of the building belongs to a distillery run by the Kane family, and half of it belongs to a Puerto Rican restaurant run by the Vega family. The solution to save the building and the legacies of their families? Manipulate their grandchildren into a marriage of convenience. Kamilah knows that Liam can't stand her. The boy who was her shadow growing up is surly and angry and inscrutable. His distrust and disdain hurt her heart, but she'll never admit it. Especially now she's on the cusp of revolutionizing her family's restaurant with edgy new recipes. The only reason she agrees to the fake engagement is to ensure her family restaurant will remain afloat. Liam is determined to never show Kamilah how he really feels about her. She infuriates him. She tempts him. She haunts him. But Liam has a host of demons he needs to fight, and he doesn't need anything else on his plate. Especially the woman he doesn't think he deserves. Everything is in place to launch the family distillery into the stratosphere, and he doesn't need or want any distractions.  Liam and Kamilah fight the pull too hard. Until they can't contain it. And now Kamilah has overpromised and overcommitted and she doesn't know how she's going to emerge unscathed.  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this luminous, beautiful read! I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. 

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Strictly Business

Jesse is convinced that the oil company trying to buy his brother’s farm is trying to perpetrate a ruthless swindle. And he’s the hard-nosed businessman, not his soft-hearted twin brother. So he takes his brother’s place for the negotiations. The negotiator sent by the oil company doesn’t seem ruthless at all. Crystal’s beautiful, but seems unware of the impact her looks have on others. She’s capable, but not the calm, tough as nails person he expected her employer to bring to the fight. He’s clueless about what it takes to run a rescue farm, or why the oil company is so keen to buy the property. And his twin is being extremely cagey about what he’s actually working on. When he discovers that the Crystal owns a hot shot lab, is actually a genius, and cannot be allowed anywhere near whatever it is that his twin is working on, he is even more intrigued and frustrated. He just happens to be intrigued and frustrated by the gorgeous woman who’s supposed to be his enemy. After an unforgettable night, he can’t stop thinking about her. But their whole relationship is based on his deception. This was a steamy, insta-love, enemies-to-lovers story with just the right dash of industrial espionage and scheming. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart

My Review: Prudence accepted her ruined status. She’s finally made her peace with her status as an outcast and has figured out a way to claim her future. The only hitch in her plans is that she must become larcenous to make that happen. She’s on her way back to London when a handsome stranger offers her the use of his carriage in exchange for conversation. So Prue tells Leo her life’s story, or at least the whimsical, entertaining bits. Leo is enthralled by her forthright innocence, and once he finds out her status as a ruined woman, offers her the opportunity to become his next mistress. Prue is both tempted and affronted by his offer. She turns him down cold but remembers him fondly. When her salacious reputation begins to affect the social standing and matrimonial prospects of her friends, she begins to rethink her refusal. This is compounded by the fact that all of her attempts to reclaim her inheritance have been disastrous. When she knocks on Leo’s door one night, she has reluctantly reached the conclusion that he is her only answer. She is determined to offer her companionship in exchange for his assistance finding all of the items that were stolen from her, The bargain seems simple. Sexual congress in exchange for everything she needs to retire to a cottage in the country. The bargain becomes more when the intimacy between them colors every interaction. Their resistance to love, and their disbelief in happy endings, will drive a wedge between them that no amount of kisses can overcome. The hero finally wins the heroine in an epic bout of groveling. I loved the complex dynamic between this hero and heroine. The hero helps the heroine reclaim her own right to enjoy her own sexuality, and empowers her to appreciate her own charms. The heroine helps the hero realize that his empty existence will never bring him peace.Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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Dukes Do It Better

My Review: This book was utter perfection.The gorgeous, tattooed, pirate gave her one night of excitement when the world seemed too heavy and she wanted the comfort of someone else’s arms around her. A reminder that she existed outside of her role as responsible single mom. A reminder that she was still a woman underneath the mask of duty and sacrifice. Emma’s story rang so true. When you are a single parent, as I once was, any time you seek pleasure for yourself or a brief respite from the thousand and one things you have to worry about on a daily basis, there’s a morning of recriminations and guilt. Reconciling the need to keep yourself intact, present a brave face to the world no matter what, and be a fortress against the night for your child, is a challenge all moms face, whether we are single or not. Bethany’s newest book gloriously captures this struggle, and gives us a heroine we can empathize with, cheer for and fight for. This is a second chance romance after a one-night-stand neither of them can forget. A one night stand that fueled hundreds of turbulent, torrid fantasies. A one night stand that was a warm halcyon blanket and bulwark against long, cold, lonely nights.Emma can’t afford the distraction of the newly minted, gorgeous, tattooed duke who was a devil may care sea captain that left her replete with satisfaction the last time she indulged her fascination.Malachi hasn’t stopped thinking about her. She has the power to bring him to his knees, both literally and figuratively. He’s been dreaming and pining since their magnificent night together. He wants to muss her and unravel her and show her that he can give her what she needs. That he can cherish and ravish, protect and please. That he can be a father to her son. That her past doesn’t matter because if it hadn’t happened the way it did, they wouldn’t have this chance. My Favorite QuotesEvery promise, every hope, every touch, bound them together in the antithesis of a no-strings affair. And it was glorious. “Speaking from experience,” she said, squeezing Adelaide’s hand, “there’s nothing better than knowing you’re loved for who you truly are. We all have some version of a social mask. But the people in our inner circle get to see behind the mask. If you want to let him closer, you’ll need to give him a peek.”

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Flirting With Fifty

Paige and Jack had a thing.
A long time ago, under the starry sky of Paris. She’s never forgotten that night — the magic and promise of it, the abandon and empowerment of claiming what she wanted.

A lot of time has passed. She’s older and wiser and finally making strides in her career.
She has grown children and a contented life. She has enough, and even if she might long for the warmth of an embrace, or a foot rub every now and then, or someone to dance barefoot in the kitchen with, she’s resigned to the fact that she has a full life.

And then she’s voluntold she’s co-teaching a class with the hot shot visiting professor. Who just so happens to be the man she experienced that one magical night with. She’s mortified until she’s convince he either doesn’t recognize her or doesn’t remember her.

When Jack finally connects the dots, he can’t believe it’s the girl from Paris. The girl who crossed his mind every so often even though she faded into the morning fog like a wraith.
He’s raw and scarred from his losses, and he shouldn’t be yearning for the inherent promise of an encounter he should have forgotten a long time ago.

They say that there is a season for everything. The season wasn’t right all those years ago, but it is now. And neither Paige nor Jack can resist its inexorable pull.Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A Daring Pursuit

My Review: Hate isn’t the opposite of love – apathy is. This book is the historical equivalent of The Hating Game…. a stoic hero who hides the way he feels because deep down he knows the woman he’s secretly in love with could never see him that way. He purposefully buries his unruly emotions behind a mask of disdain. But Tristan is about to discover that Carys has been hiding things as well.Carys loves to goad her stern, immovable neighbor to reveal what’s he’s thinking. She knows still waters run deep, (after all, he resembles nothing so much as a frigid Welsh stream), but she wants to know if she occupies his dreams. Because he definitely figures very prominently in hers. Even though they have been enemies their whole lives. He just returned from the battlefield, and he seems more fierce and more stern and more unapproachable than ever. And she wants nothing more than to ruffle his feathers.Carys has been a thorn in Tristan’s side since they were children. She’s daring and fearless and completely impervious to the dictates of propriety. She has a style uniquely her own that accentuates her passionate nature and her recklessness. The diaphanous gown she wears to the masquerade of the season is the last straw. He can’t look away. And not because he wants to chastise her. Because he wants to devour her. Because he finally acknowledges that he is jealous of every other hand that touches hers. Every other pair of feet that tangles her into a dance. All it takes is a single waltz and it becomes even harder to remember why they’re enemies. All it takes is a fortuitous rescue and he takes on the role of her dragon slayer. An unplanned kiss leads to the realization that they are the instrument of each other’s torment in more ways than one. Carys makes Tristan a proposal he can’t refuse because he no longer has the willpower to deny her. A proposal he accepts against his better judgment because he’s convinced they are polar opposites. Escaped bears, cunning ravens and muddy rescues bring them inexorably closer. The lines between what they should want and what they do want blur even more, until they are forced to admit they are each other’s perfect complement. MY FAVORITE QUOTES:He’d spent a large part of his twenty-seven years perfecting the art of ignoring her, of appearing cool and indifferentto her inflammatory presence when his entire being prickled with awareness whwnever they were in the same room.Heat flashed through her. He was so strong, so solid. She felt like Odysseus, lashed to a mast in a storm. How tempting it would be to melt against him, to surrender to the siren call of sensation. The darkened tent was full of people, but awareness of him obliterated everything else. He smelled of vetiver and spice, masculine and delicious. She wanted to turn around and press her nose into his shirtfront, to sniff at him like a truffle-hunting pig. Why was needling him her favorite occupation? It was like poking a tiger with a stick - or a leopard with a parasol. One day the big cat would pounce.Why would I add to my menagerie? A husband would be less loyal than a dog, less affectionate than a cat, and less amusing than a monkey. Not to mention less obedient. Animals are cheaper than husbands too. If I marry - even someone like Ellington- I’ll lose the right to manage my own money. I’ll become a possession, thanks to the laws of couverture. I’d be the one in a cage. Why put myself in that position?I love you. I’ve loved you for years, even when I couldn’t admit it to myself. Why do you think the walls in my bedroom are green?

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Starry-Eyed Love

My Review: What guy hits on you in a bar with an offer of a hot air balloon ride? Especially a guy that looks rumpled and completely without the resources to offer such a rare and wonderful escape?A guy that seems to too good to be true. Especially if you’re just emerging from a relationship, and you don’t do rebounds. So London turns down the rumpled hottie’s offer. She has too much on her plate anyway.And then the stars align in one of the weirdest coincidences ever…Holt Media contacts her because she runs the business side of the family-owned boutique event hotel she and her sisters are trying to make even more of a success. They’re interested in a partnership and she’s the only one with time to attend the meeting. Everything’s going swimmingly, until he shows up in the middle of her pitch. The guy she turned down cold. But Jackson doesn’t hold her rejection against her. Quite the contrary. She intrigued him. She intrigues him even more now. So he takes on a very active role in managing the partnership and finds himself even more wrapped up. And London is having a really hard time remembering why she said no, and can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. This time she asks him out - and he rejects her. And now she’s mortified. But he keeps showing up unexpectedly, and showering her with thoughtfulness, and teasing her via a snarky Google doc. Jackson is conscientious and charismatic and caring. London wants to be carefree - when she’s always been cautious. I loved this sweet, sultry slow burn romance.  

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The Marquess Makes His Move

My Review: She’s a woman trapped in a marriage of convenience, a mapmaker hiding her talents in a world of men, singlehandedly keeping her family business afloat.He’s a man out of his element, despised by society for his Middle Eastern heritage, disguised as a footman to uncover a plot to cheat him of his property.He’s convinced she’s her husband’s pawn, a boring, vapid merchant’s wife. She’s convinced he’s nothing more than a strong capable distraction – on hand to lift heavy objects and carry parcels.And then her oblivious husband makes the mistake of assigning the strong, capable, long, tall, drink of water footman to her. The proximity from the relationship is exactly what he wanted- now he’ll have even more opportunity to explore the house and find what he needs to reveal the fraud perpetrated against him. The distance between them becomes narrower with each hour they pass in each other’s company. Until they become fixated on lips, and hands, and loaded glances. Neither one is looking for the missing piece of their soul, the one person that will accept them in their flawed entirety. And yet they find that one person in each other. The reasons I loved this book:1.       Rose is an unconventional working class heroine, who must make her way by her wits and her cunning and her talent rather than her dowry. 2.       She wants Alex with a ferocity she’s tired of denying.3.       Alex is an alpha male who will toss you onto the bed and then follow you down and guarantee you bliss. A man both confident and considerate.4.       The vulnerability both characters reveals to each other alone. 5.       The slow burn, inexorable path to intimacy and acceptance. 6.       And last, but not least, the exquisite tub scene.I absolutely adored this story, and purchased the previous book in the series, The Viscount Made Me Do It, so I can revisit the world from the perspective of a different couple.

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