A Dangerous Engagement

With her small dowry, Felicity Mayson begins to despair of ever making a good match.  When her aunt, Lady Blackstone, sends her an invitation to a house party and introduces her to the charming and affluent Oliver Ratley, Felicity begins to believe she may have finally found a man who does not mind her lack of fortune.  She accepts Ratley's abrupt proposal only to discover the alarming purpose of the house party and its guests.  Rather than a country getaway, Lady Blackstone has convened a meeting of a radical group of men and women bent on a violent overthrow of the British government.

Government agent Phillip McDowell has infiltrated the group, and soon discovers Felicity's dangerous position.  In order to gather necessary evidence against the group, Phillip convinces Felicity to continue her engagement with Ratley.  Will they each be capable of playing this dangerous game without any of the guests discovering their true intentions?  Will Felicity be forced into a hasty marriage to a terrifying revolutionary?  Will the respect and admiration Phillip and Felicity develop for one another ever have a chance to grow amid such intrigue?

Melanie Dickerson takes readers of a thrilling adventure in A Dangerous Engagement.  This was my first experience with Dickerson's Regency Spies of London series, and I found that the strengths and weaknesses in her various medieval series have followed her to this one.  Her historical descriptions and overall storytelling is, once again, excellent.  Character development?  Still flawed.  As always, I admire her male characters, and continually wonder what they see in the female love interest.  While Felicity manages to be function as a spy in a dangerous situation, she still makes stupid decisions (that of course require her to be rescued) and often faints.  Why can't one of Dickerson's female leads be strong and independent for once?  My inner feminist wants more to cheer for.  Overall, though, Dickerson's latest is a fun, entertaining story with a satisfying conclusion.

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!

No review this week (I'm working on some, I promise...) but here's a look at our family's first trip out to Albuquerque for Balloon Fiesta! 

Lies Jane Austen Told Me

Having "broken up" with Jane Austen in college, Emma Pierce does her best to live an a practical, grounded way-- always surpassing her inner romantic.  When her long-time boyfriend, Blake Hampton, invites her to his family home for a weekend, Emma lets her friends convince her that Blake intends to propose.  When Emma finds Blake dining with another woman, though, her romantic dreams come crashing down once again.  Determined to focus on her fast-paced job as the CMO of a growing gym franchise, Emma finds it difficult to forget Blake when her boss hires Blake's brother, Lucas.  Though a deep friendship develops and sparks fly between Emma and Lucas, Emma can't understand why Lucas continually tries to convince her to give her relationship with Blake another chance.  Will Emma decide to follow her heart and embrace her inner Jane Austen, or will she continue to maintain that romance itself is a lie?

Julie Wright tells an entertaining contemporary love story in Lies Jane Austen Told Me.  While I appreciated the concept of the plot and enjoyed Lucas and Emma's love story, Wright's writing was a bit casual and scattered for my taste.  I grew tired of the almost schizophrenic ramblings of Emma's mind.  Additionally, the conclusion of the story itself was satisfying, but it took an unreasonable amount of time to get there.  Too many characters made too many mountains out of molehills to be really believable.  I genuinely liked the book, but never really lost myself in it.

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.

The Regency Brides Collection

As an unabashed lover of all things Regency England, it shouldn't be surprising that I jumped all over the chance to review this wonderful little collection of seven novellas.  Michelle Griep and MaryLu Tyndall happen to be favorites of mine, so I was reasonably sure I'd love at least two of the included stories.  Luckily for me, I thoroughly enjoyed almost every single one!  Each takes a look at different aspects, regions, and peculiarities of a fascinating time in English history, while telling a host of lovely love stories.  I was least impressed with Susanne Dietze's Three Little Matchmakers, and Nancy Moser's When I Saw His Face, but Griep and Tyndal's additions did not disappoint, and I was particularly impressed with Amanda Barratt's First Comes Marriage.  I also may have re-read the end of Erica Vestch's Jamie Ever After an embarrassing number of times.  I'll certainly be adding Barratt and Vestch to my list of authors to watch.  Short and sweet, these seven stories kept me more than entertained on a rainy weekend a few weeks ago!

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own. 

A Dangerous Legacy

Associated Press telegrapher Lucy Drake loves her job at the very heart of the American news industry.  During her free-time, however, Lucy and her brother spend most of their waking hours and hard-earned salaries on a court case involving a contentious and complicated family feud.  When Sir Colin Beckwith arrives to manage the Reuters-- the AP's rival news agency-- Lucy can't help but enjoy his company, and eventually finds a way for him to gather vital information for her court case.  

On the hunt for an American heiress to help save his family's home and tenets, Colin uses his British title to rub elbows with America's gilded elite.  Though enchanted by Lucy's tenacity and gumption, Colin cannot afford to fall in love with a fortune-less woman.  Will their deepening friendship and undeniable attraction to one another lead them to follow their hearts, or will Colin and Lucy continue to sacrifice their own desires for family obligations and money?  

Elizabeth Camden takes readers on a compelling journey in A Dangerous Legacy.  As a devoted fan of Camden's work,  I had been somewhat disappointed in her last two novel attempts, but am more than happy to assert that this latest work may be one of my new favorites.  Both Lucy and Colin were believable and flawed, but still likable as protagonists-- which had been my primary complaint in To the Farthest Shores and From this Moment.  I truly enjoyed their individual journeys to let go of past expectations and disappointments in an attempt to finally embrace the lives they'd been given.  I have always loved America's gilded age, and the depictions of unabashed fortune-hunting European aristocrats, the fast-paced world of the burgeoning news industry, and even the field of mental health were fascinating.  With her typical talent, Camden brings a lovely story to a beautifully satisfying conclusion that leaves the reader ready for yet another journey into the past. 

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.  

Too Far Down

While trouble has been following the Boden family and their ranch for years, their powerful and well-connected enemies seem to have begun targeting the profitable CR Mining Company too.  When someone purposely detonates dynamite at the entrance of several mines and kills five men, and the life of patriarch Chance Boden is threatened again in far-away Denver, the Boden children decide to find and eliminate their elusive enemy once and for all.  

Having served as the mine's manager ever since he returned from Harvard, the destruction at the mines hits Cole Boden particularly hard.  Will the love of his family and his confusing feelings for his neighbor-- Melanie Blake-- be able to keep Cole in the New Mexico territory, or will the rugged danger send him back to the intriguing world of business he left behind back East?  Melanie Blake grew up with the Boden children, and has been a friend to Justin and Sadie for years.  More interested in horses and guns than silk dresses, Mel has never quite understood her infatuation with Cole.  When Cole begins to show an interest in her, will she have the strength to protect her heart from a man who hasn't truly decided what he wants in life? 

Mary Coneally brings her Cimarron Legacy trilogy to an exciting and satisfying conclusion in Too Far Down.  Much like the second installment, this novel takes place just weeks after Long Time Gone, and the plots of all three novels are intricately intertwined.  Readers should view The Cimarron Legacy as a three-part story, rather than a series of three individual novels.  Having made the mistake of not re-reading No Way Up when Conneally released her second installment, I brushed up on the Boden family before starting this newest addition.  I'm certainly glad I did.  In re-reading the first two installments, I also decided that the first and last novels are superior to the middle one.  Cole's struggle to find his identity and reconcile his two lives is compelling, Melanie's need to protect herself from Cole's indecision shows wisdom and strength, Chance and Veronica's mistake in making unfair demands on their grown children is (finally) addressed, the chance to see Sadie, Heath, Justin and Angie in their first weeks of marriage is enjoyable, and solving the mysteries surrounding the CR's enemies was sufficiently satisfying.  As a resident of New Mexico these days, I particularly enjoyed this glimpse into American history.  

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.  

101 Days

No reviews this week... the boys and I have been busy celebrating the return of a certain pilot after a 3-month deployment!

It was a lonely summer... but definitely not boring!