Review: His Sinful Touch (Candace Camp)

From Goodreads: A lost identity. A dangerous mystery. And a deep love that can conquer it all.

When a mysterious gentleman arrives on his doorstep, Alexander Moreland is astonished to discover that the stranger is not a gentleman at all, but a beautiful young woman disguised as a man, and in great need of assistance. The woman remembers nothing except her own name, Sabrina, and has only the contents of her pockets as clues to her identity: a handkerchief, a pocket watch, a leather pouch, a torn scrap of paper and a gold ring.

Sabrina is certain that she is on the run from someone, or something—how else to explain the bruises on her face and the pervasive sense of dread she feels? She’s also certain that she trusts Alex to help her, and she can’t deny the sparks that fly between them. As they race through the English countryside, Sabrina and Alex must solve the mystery of Sabrina’s past—before whatever she’s running from catches up to them.

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My Thoughts: I've read a number of Ms. Camp's books, but had somehow missed this series (earlier books were released 10+ years ago, this is a new addition to the series).  I REALLY enjoyed this book, so much so that I read it all in one day and could not put it down.  What made the book for me was the characters and this unconventional family for this time period that is the heart of the series.  I picked up the series here with Book 5, and despite that it is easily a standalone read.  (That being said, I'm working on finding the others to get the backstory!)

Sabrina and Alex are the focus of the story, and the book starts with a bang as we get glimpses of Sabrina's story, just enough to intrigue and set the tone for what's to come as she starts the search for herself in more ways than one.  As she finds Alex, we see him step outside his normal "role" and comfort zone to do what needs to be done to protect and help the woman he quickly is coming to love (it's always amazing how quickly that happens).  While the end result is never really in doubt, Ms. Camp makes the getting there interesting and not always predictable.  An enjoyable way to spend the afternoon, I'm anxious not only to read the next in the series, but the previous as well.  The Mad Morelands are wholly entertaining. (Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review this!)

Review: Wallflower Most Wanted (Manda Collins)

From Goodreads: THE PICTURE OF ROMANCE
A dedicated painter, Miss Sophia Hastings is far more concerned with finding the right slant of light than in finding Mr. Right. But when an overhead conversation hints at danger for another local artist, Sophia is determined to get involved. Even it means accepting help from an impossibly good-looking vicar who insists on joining her investigation—and threatens to capture her heart…

Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle knows that Sophia is no damsel in distress. But he won’t allow her to venture into peril alone, either. . .especially since he finds Sophia’s curious, free-spirited nature so alluring. But protecting her from harm is becoming more difficult than the vicar could have expected as he and Sophia confront their fiery mutual passion. Who could have known that the art of love would prove so irresistible?

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My Thoughts:  I had only vague recollections of the first in this series and realized I had not read the second.  Despite that, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed the third book in this series, full of smart (very smart) heroines and of course, the men who love them.  There are elements of mystery in each book in the series, and with each addition we learn a bit more about the benefactress of the four heiresses.  The mystery is always key to the romance within, but I also value reading about the struggles of being a woman in this period that had to justify talents and knowledge and abilities beyond the norm.  While not to the same extreme today, many parallels can be drawn between then and now when it comes to how women and knowledge and expertise are viewed and judged.  A fun, quick read that may also get you thinking about bigger issues, I recommend the series overall (I went back and read book two after this and look forward to the next!). Advance copy obtained through NetGalley - thank you!