Review: The Duke (Katharine Ashe)

From Goodreads: Katharine Ashe continues her lush and sensual Devil’s Duke series with a sweeping story of unbreakable love

Six years ago, when Lady Amarantha Vale was an innocent in a foreign land and Gabriel Hume was a young naval officer, they met . . . and played with fire.

Now Gabriel is the dark lord known to society as the Devil’s Duke, a notorious recluse hidden away in a castle in the Highlands. Only Amarantha knows the truth about him, and she won’t be intimidated. He is the one man who can give her the answers she needs.

But Gabriel cannot let her learn his darkest secret. So begins a game of wit and desire that proves seduction is more satisfying—and much more wicked—the second time around…

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My Thoughts: I've found this series by Ms. Ashe to be unique and interesting with strong characters and good story lines.  The Devil's Duke, the mysterious person we see in the previous books in the series, get his turn here.  We've gotten the idea going into it that he's not what rumors would have him to be, and here we get the full story.  We see a much different side of our Duke here and learn how and why he became what he is now.  The same is true of our heroine, Amarantha.  More than what she appears to be, you see her internal strength and determination and independence start to shine as they work towards their happy-ever-after.  The interesting cast of characters helps throw a few twists and turns into the story, and in the end we find a story of lovers reunited, looking at people beyond what you see on the surface, sacrifice for others, justice served, and two people finding themselves before they could find another.  

I need to go back and re-read the previous books in the series now, especially with the context this one provides.  I think it's a story one could enjoy independent of the other books, but having the background may help bring out some nuances and a better understanding of the story and the people.

(Advance copy provided by publisher)
 

Review: The Texan Duke (Karen Ranney)

spins the tale of a reluctant duke who must choose between his life in America—and the Scottish woman he’s destined to love…From Goodreads: New York Times bestselling author Karen Ranney’s third book in her Duke series

As the ward to the late Duke of Lothian, Elsbeth Carew resides at the ancestral estate of Bealadair. Fiercely attached to the manor, she loves it more than anyone else. When Connor McCraight—the new Duke of Lothian—arrives, Elsbeth does not quite know what to make of the American who has inherited the title but has never even set foot on Scottish soil. The tall, ruggedly handsome Texan sweeps through Bealadair with an air of authority Elsbeth has never encountered.

Connor has no intention of making Scotland his home and hopes to sell the estate as soon as possible. But his plan is jeopardized when he meets Elsbeth. A sweet, gray-eyed beauty, she tempts him in ways no other woman has. As word spreads of Connor’s intention to sell Bealadair, his life is threatened—and the only woman who can save him may be the one he has hopelessly lost his heart to.

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My Thoughts: Not too far into this story of the unexpected and unwilling American heir to a title, I started to make assumptions about the future of the story, the characters, and the inevitable resolution of the angst.  I sort of worked my way through the book in a few sittings, and the more I read, the more I realized that I perhaps I DIDN'T in fact know where all this was going and "know" the characters as well as I thought I did.

 Connor, our unwilling Duke from Texas, has no plans to stay in Scotland any longer than it takes to sell the land and settle the estate.  Of course, it's never that simple, and the story follow his path to understanding that there's some positives in his inheritance and new role.  Elsbeth is the former Duke's ward now trying to find her place in a world where she no longer feels part of the family.  There's a lot of family dynamics and drama involved, and in the end the resolution isn't what I expected from this theme.  Some danger, some drama, and some unexpected character development made this a much more enjoyable read in the end than I expected at the start.

(advanced copy obtained from publisher)

Review: It's Hard Out Here For A Duke (Maya Rodale)

From Goodreads: In the fourth novel of Maya Rodale’s tantalizing series, a newly minted duke spends one night with his perfect woman...but can he win her for a lifetime

Some Mistakes…

When American-born James Cavendish arrives in London tomorrow, he’ll become the Duke of Durham. Some might be ecstatic at the opportunity. Not James. He’s a simple man, fond of simple pleasures. And right now, nothing could be more pleasurable than spending his last night of freedom with a beautiful stranger.

Are Far Too Good…

One wild night, Meredith Green, companion to the dowager Duchess of Durham, said yes to a man she thought she’d never see again. Suddenly, they’re living under the same roof, where Meredith is expected to teach James how to be a duke—while trying not to surrender to temptation a second time.

To Be Forgotten

For a duke and a commoner, marriage would be pure scandal. Yet nothing has ever felt as right as having Meredith in his arms…and in his bed. Soon he must choose—between a duty he never desired, and a woman he longs for, body and soul…


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My Thoughts: I started this book one night when I couldn't sleep...and that was a huge mistake as it turns out I also could not put the book down.  This has been a fun series, and I've been waiting for this final book to turn to the story of James and Meredith.  You catch glimpses of potential story of these two characters in other books, but the focus on them in this story was much more enjoyable and emotional than I expected.

James is the unplanned Duke, and the previous books focused on his sisters and their trials and tribulations meshing with British society.  This book in particular though really brought out the emotions of this situation...the love and frustration between the family members, their struggles, sense of duty to each other and the situation, and just a well done story of the pain that love sometimes puts a person through.

It's a romance novel and you now there isn't really any option other than a HEA in the end.  This one though, I found myself wondering if the happy ever after I envisioned was going to be the end result.  I found myself actually crying at points in this book, not a normal situation for when I read this genre. 

All in all, I'd say Ms. Rodale is quickly moving up the list of authors I will seek out.  From start to finish I was hooked in the story, in the emotions and the characters.
 

Review: The Trouble With the Twelfth Grave (Darynda Jones)

From Goodreads: Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the twelfth installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series.

Ever since Reyes escaped from a hell dimension in which Charley accidently trapped him, the son of Satan has been brimstone-bent on destroying the world his heavenly Brother created. His volatile tendencies have put Charley in a bit of a pickle. But that’s not the only briny vegetable on her plate. While trying to domesticate the feral being that used to be her husband, she also has to deal with her everyday life of annoying all manner of beings—some corporeal, some not so much—as she struggles to right the wrongs of society. Only this time she’s not uncovering a murder. This time she’s covering one up.

Add to that her new occupation of keeping a startup PI venture—the indomitable mystery-solving team of Amber Kowalski and Quentin Rutherford—out of trouble and dealing with the Vatican’s inquiries into her beloved daughter, and Charley is on the brink of throwing in the towel and becoming a professional shopper. Or possibly a live mannequin. But when someone starts attacking humans who are sensitive to the supernatural world, Charley knows it’s time to let loose her razor sharp claws. Then again, her number one suspect is the dark entity she’s loved for centuries. So the question becomes, can she tame the unruly beast before it destroys everything she’s worked so hard to protect?

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My Thoughts: To be honest, I'm probably going to read everything that comes out in this series because our heroine makes me laugh.  She's snarky, she's a coffee addict, and she'd do anything for her best friend...what's not to like?!  That being said, while I've enjoyed the series, I wasn't sure where it was going and thought maybe it was losing a bit of its punch after 11 books.  I was hitting the dreaded series fatigue, and while I was still a fan, I wasn't sure the eagerness to dive into the next book was quite the same.  I take all those thoughts back after reading book 12. Wow. Hit me in the emotions in ways I didn't expect, and definitely sets the series up for some new and interesting directions.  I don't think there's ever a true doubt about where Reyes falls in terms of good vs evil in this book, but the story itself, the buildup, it all comes together to keep you wondering and eventually in tears and then angry that you have to wait for the next book to come out to find out what the heck happens next.  Well worth picking up, even if you found yourself in a bit of series fatigue up to this point.  

(advanced copy obtained through Edelweiss)