Title: 50 Ways To Ruin A Rake
Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the
Mellie has a plan…Trevor has a problem…
Trevor Anaedsley’s grandfather has cut off his funds until such time as he gets engaged. Trevor escapes to the country—ostensibly to visit his old tutor, Mr. Smithson, but actually to duck his creditors—where he meets Smithson’s lovely daughter, Mellie. The obvious solution is suddenly before him—but the lady has ideas of her own, and Trevor’s going to have to measure up…
Wedded In SinSynopsis
The dazzling wedding fashions of A Lady’s Favor dress shop are guaranteed to make any girl the talk of the ton. But the brides aren’t the only ones falling in love…
With her parents murdered and her inheritance stolen, all Penny Shoemaker has left is her job designing handcrafted shoes for A Lady’s Favor dress shop. But that’s not enough for her to support herself or her young brother. Her only chance to regain what is rightfully hers rests with a strange but brilliant gent with a weakness for damsels in distress.
Samuel Morrison is a dispossessed younger son searching for his place in the world. When Penny’s predicament literally lands at his feet, he sets his keen detective skills to solving her mystery. But she fills more than his time—she fills his heart. How can a lost man solve the mystery, win the girl, and create a life not only for himself, but for her as well? The answer may be just a favor away…
My Review
Penny, has struggled trying to keep herself and her infant brother afloat. With her father dead, no one seems to trust her in her ability to be a shoemaker. Even though Penny is very talented and in the past couple years her father was alive, she was the one being the “real” shoemaker. Then out of the blue, a Constable arrives, saying that her business and home has been sold, and that she wasn’t mentioned in her fathers will. She barely escapes with a few of her things and her brother, being left on the street when a gorgeous stranger swoops in to save the day. Samuel is a younger son, and is looking for something to give his life meaning. When he sees a damsel in distress, he can’t help but go in to save the day. When he learns that her life has been turned upside down, he offers his assistance in getting down to the truth. As Samuel and Penny investigate and endeavor to reach the truth and get her home back, a flaming desire threatens to overwhelm them. Will Samuel and Penny be able to find a future together??
Wedded in Sin was a charming romance, and even though it is a regency romance, neither of the main characters are members of the Ton. Samuel is a gentleman, served in the military, and now is looking for a way to make his way through life on his own. Samuel was a interesting hero. Even though he enjoys pleasure and going his own path, he also craves a future. His character seemed very genuine and authentic, and it was fun seeing him interact with Penny and I do love a hero who is as caring as this one, but is still a bit of a rake. Penny was your average heroine, she was likable at times, and even though she did have a strong will, I felt like it didn’t completely match up with her personality. I did think that she could have had a strong spine at times, but I did feel like she was a solid match for Samuel.
Overall a a fun and charming regency romance with a unique setting. Characters to bring a smile to your face, vivid details to draw you in, and a story to satisfy any romance craving you may have. ENDEARING ROMANCE!!
My Grade
4 Blossoms
Heat Rating
Warm
Other Books In Series
Engaged In Wickedness
Wedded In Scandal
Engaged in Passion
Wedding in Sin
Winning A Bride
What The Bride Wore
The Groom’s Gamble
What The Groom WantsSynopsis
Wendy Drew, co-owner of A Lady’s Favor dress shop, is working at a gambling den to help pay off a relative’s debt when she catches the eye of the den’s owner. Wendy is attracted to his dark, dangerous ways, but she has no idea how far he’ll go to make her his.
Seaman Jacob Teel has been in love with Wendy from the first time he met her. Now he’s home, done with the seafaring life, and has recently inherited a Welsh title. Finally, he can court Wendy for real—if he only he knew about his deadly competition.
My Review
Wendy has been working hard for months to pay off her brothers gambling debt, and the man she owes money to she despises. He is cold and hard and cruel. Wendy is exhausting herself working days as a seamstress for the shop, and then nights at the gambling hell. The last man she expects to walk through her door is Jacob Teel. Jacob has always wanted Wendy for his wife, and now he is about to have his own ship after being on the sea for years hoping to save enough to start a life with Wendy. When he returns though, circumstances change. His true desire is to have Wendy and convince her of his honest intentions, but he is shocked to discover he has inherited a title, a title he doesn’t want a part of ,but has little choice. The only problem, convincing Wendy that the title changes nothing, he still wants her as his, and goes about proving to her his devotion. But Wendy will be forced to make a difficult choice, a choice that could threaten every one she loves even Jacob.
What The Groom Wants is the fourth in the Bridal Favors series. I was able to get this ARC through Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley. I have read the first book in the series, and that was when I fell in love with Jade Lee. Her stories are fiercely passionate and wildly fun. So when I started reading What The Groom Wants I was expects a fast paced regency romance. But what I got was far different than I expected. There was a bit of a darker theme to the story, and probably the only character I really loved was the hero, he was bright and loving and good. There was such a frank honesty to his character, and he is so sweet with Wendy. He is the type of hero you want to crawl into his life with and never let go. The heroine, however, well I had a few issues with. Don’t get me wrong, Wendy is a very strong heroine, and has a tough exterior, however she has made some decisions that are a bit darker than you would expect. There is some intense twists and turns involving the villain that made this story be much more darker than you would expect when looking at it first glance. There was quite a few moments I had to take a breather, and get some sunshine and chocolate and get to my happy place, before returning to this story.
I found that overall, this story was intense, passionate, and fast paced with tension and suspense. It does have many great and tender moments, especially between this couple, that you can’t help but continue forward with the story. But it is definitely the type of story you need to mentally prepare for. The side characters were fun and we see the couple from previous books, which made me excited to read their stories. The plot was very intriguing, and has the feeling of spiraling out of control, but at the same time, makes you feel as if you are soaring. There are many ups and downs throughout the story, but I found I enjoyed the story way more than I normally would, due to this authors stellar storytelling abilities. INTENSELY WILD AND FULL OF DANGER!! I would recommend this to any historical romance lover, especially if you are a fan of Jade Lee!!
First Line
Wendy Drew clutched the small satchel tight to her stomach.
Favorite Quote
“I came home to court you, Wind. That doesn’t change, whether I’m a duke, a captain, or a plain old seaman. I want you.”
My Grade
3.5 Blossoms
Heat Rating
Steamy
Other Books In Series
Engaged In Wickedness
Wedded In Scandal
Engaged in Passion
Wedding in Sin
Winning A Bride
What The Bride Wore
The Groom’s Gamble
Wedded In ScandalThe dazzling wedding fashions of A Lady’s Favor dress shop are guaranteed to make any girl the talk of the ton. But the brides aren’t the only ones falling in love…
Lady Helaine’s father was cast out of society as a liar and a thief—a scandal which renders her unfit for marriage. In order to provide for herself and her mother, she adopts an assumed name and runs a dressmaker’s shop that specializes in bridal wear for ladies of high society. Helaine is happiest immersed in silk and satin, but she lives in terror that someone will learn her true identity and she will lose everything…again.
Robert Percy, Viscount Redhill, is entranced with the mysterious Helaine and weaves a web of seduction sure to ensnare the delectable dress designer. Yet too late he learns the heartbreaking truth about who she used to be. Now he must find a way to overcome the past to claim Helaine as his own. But what chance has love when a secret mistress becomes a scandalous wife?
My Review
Lady Helaine was once a member of the Ton, and was raised in society, but then when it became a scandal that her father was stealing from others, they were cast out. Her father disappeared, and she and her mother were forced to provide for themselves. So in order to keep them from starving and living on the streets, Helaine’s takes a new identity as a “Mrs. Mortimer” and she then designs gowns for young ladies in high society. When put in a hard position of asking for money instead of credit, since she will need food and more supplies in cloth and accessories, she decides to go to the Viscount Redhill. Robert is outraged when the Mrs. Mortimer comes to call and demands that he pay for his sister wedding trousseau, and believing the amount to be way more than he thought it would cost, he forces her out of his home, and threatens to call the magistrate on her. When Helaine returns home, she knows she will have to take swift action, but then Robert’s sister, devises a plan for Helaine to get supplies. Helaine has been forced to take certain measures to get credit at certain suppliers, but when Robert and his sister demand to come along, she concedes reluctantly. A disaster ends up happening, and Helaine has lost her one and only source of materials. Then Robert declares his intentions to have her as his mistress. Even though that is the last thing that Helaine could ever desire, she finds she can’t resist his tender embraces, or the way he heightens her senses with his kisses. When Helaine’s past comes to light, he wonders if there will be a way to overcome the past and build a future together as husband and wife.
Over the years I have heard so many great things about Jade Lee. When I found Wedded In Scandal on the shelves of my local library, I couldn’t resist trying it out. Especially since this whole series was there, and I wanted to try out the first one in the series. I don’t always have the chance to read a series in order, but I do want to try in this series. I do love Regency romances that have a setting of a hidden identity and where a character has to get creative to survive. I truly fell in love with Helaine for the most part, strong and independent and smart. She had spunk and fire to her personality, she didn’t just give into any demands, but went after what she desired. Robert, is like most hero’s from this time period-Handsome, Arrogant, Stiff and proper. But underneath is a man that has a secret that could ruin him just as Helaine’s secret could destroy all that she has built. Even though they seem to be from opposite worlds, they both have a unique bond with each other, and seem to connect because underneath the surface they are more alike than different.
I found the style of this story, very original in its own way. There were certain things, such as the basic story line that was very similar to many other Regency era romances that I have read. However, as I read Wedded In Scandal I found that it was way more intriguing than I thought it would be. I found it to be so captivating and witty and charming that I couldn’t put it down, having only read it under a couple of hours. Yes it is slight shorter with only 300 pages, but I flew through the pages faster than I have in a book for a long time. There was a certain detail to the story that pulled me in from the beginning. I couldn’t help but admire the compelling writing of Jade Lee as she weaves a tale of in depth characters and a plot with fast paced tension to sweep you away into a beautifully crafted love story of passion and desire.
Overall I couldn’t help but fall in love with Jade Lee and the first installment in the Bridal Favors Series of Wedded In Scandal. A truly sensational read that is refreshing and emotionally driven!!! A WONDERFUL STORY!!! WOW!!
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Favorite Quote
“Thank you for your wisdom,”
He blinked, his mind only slowly shifting away from the sight of her lips. “You make me sound like a old cleric sitting on a dais. You know, some women find my quite spry”
“Some women would find aged cheddar cheese to be spry.”
He Blinked. “Did you just compare me to cheese?”
“I did, my lord.” Then she leaned forward and touched his hand. “But never fear. I have quite the fondness for cheddar cheese.”
My Grade
5 Blossoms
Heat Rating
Warm
Other Books In Series
Wedded In Sin
What The Bride Wore
What The Groom Wants
Addicted To Romance 