[BOOK REVIEW] The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Title:  The Viscount Who Loved Me

Author: Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

Year Published: 2000

Number of Pages: 485 pages

Date Read: 9/11/2013

Series: Bridgertons #2   

Publisher: Avon

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Sex Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

After reading the first book in Julia Quinn’s fantastic “Bridgerton” series, “The Duke and I,” I just had to check out the second book in series “The Viscount Who Loved Me” and man, was I blown away by this book!

Anthony Bridgerton, who is well-known as being London’s most notorious rake, takes London by storm when he decides that he wants to get married and he has his sights set on Edwina Sheffield.  However, Anthony will soon realize that this is not an easy task as he has to impress Edwina’s older sister, Kate Sheffield, who refuses to let Anthony marry her sister due to his reputation as a rake.  Even though Anthony gets so annoyed with Kate at times, he will soon realize that he might have feelings for Kate whether he likes it or not!

Julia Quinn has done it again with writing a brilliant romance story that not only gives us the best back and forth bantering between the two lead characters, but also gave us a great insight on conquering our fears for the sake of love!  I loved the way that Julia Quinn wrote each character in this novel as they were truly memorable and they made me relate to the characters’ predicaments.  I especially loved the relationship that Anthony shared with his siblings, especially Colin and Benedict as there were several moments in the novel where Anthony was considering killing his brothers for annoying him to death, but it is clearly shown that he cares about them at the same time.  I also loved Kate’s relationship with her stepsister Edwina as it has been stated many times that Edwina is way more beautiful than Kate, but Kate still cares about Edwina’s well being and would do anything to make her happy.  Probably my most favorite characters in this novel were Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sheffield themselves!  I have to honestly say that Anthony Bridgerton is officially one of my most favorite romance heroes of all-time (man, I have been saying that for every romance novel I had read)!  Anyway, Anthony Bridgerton is just one amazing hero as he has sharp wit while being kind hearted towards anyone at the same time.  I loved his relationship with Kate as he often gets frustrated with her since he thinks she is annoying and yet, it is clear as day that he has feelings for her, but often has trouble trying to reciprocate those feelings to her.  Kate Sheffield is truly one of the best romance heroines I had ever read as she shows true determination in doing what is best for the people she cares about and I also loved her back and forth bantering with Anthony as she seems to be the only character (other than Anthony’s siblings) who can talk back to Anthony with such fire and wit!  As for the love scenes between Anthony and Kate, OH MAN, were they HOT and SIZZLING and I just could not stop reading those love scenes between Kate and Anthony without feeling deep anticipation!

For anyone who does not like sex scenes, there are plenty of sex scenes in this novel that are quite graphic and you can skim over them if they are uncomfortable to read through.

Overall, “The Viscount Who Loved Me” is truly one romance novel that every fan of Julia Quinn’s works and fans who love pure, raw romance should definitely check out!  Now, I am off to read the third book in the “Bridgerton” series, “An Offer From a Gentleman!” 

[BOOK REVIEW] Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Title:  Heaven, Texas

Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Year Published:1995

Number of Pages: 371 pages

Date Read: 8/18/2013

Series: Chicago Stars #2   

Publisher: Avon

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Strong Language and Sex Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

After reading “It Had to Be You,” I was definitely interested in checking out the rest of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ fantastic “Chicago Stars” series!  Lo and behold, I managed to pick up the second book in the “Chicago Stars” series, “Heaven Texas” and I loved it!

Bobby Tom Denton was once a legendary football player for the Chicago Stars until a knee injury cost him his career!  Even though Bobby Tom is no longer playing football, he is still well-loved by the people of Texas.  However, Bobby Tom’s life changes forever when plain wallflower Gracie Snow comes by to bring him back to his hometown Heaven, Texas to begin shooting his movie and yet, Bobby Tom just cannot understand Gracie Snow’s proper and prim ways.  But then, after Bobby Tom gives Gracie a makeover and they spend quality time with each other, both Bobby Tom and Gracie will soon realize the importance of true love (but not without some struggles along the way)!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has done it again with her stellar writing about the next character in the “Chicago Stars” series, Bobby Tom Denton!  I loved the way that Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote this story as the story is truly intense and yet heartwarming at the same time!  I loved the cute little bantering between Bobby Tom Denton and Gracie Snow as it is so humorous to listen to them bickering with each other, while clearly showing how much they really care about each other.  I also loved the sexual scenes between Bobby Tom and Gracie as I was clearly fanning myself with anticipation at these steamy scenes between these two unlikely lovers!  But, probably the best part about this book were the characters themselves as they all brought something unique and charming to the story!  I can proudly say that Bobby Tom Denton is on the list of my top favorite contemporary romance heroes as he is cocky, but also has a pure heart on the inside.  It was pretty emotional for me to see Bobby Tom struggle with trying to figure out the true meaning of love while dealing with not being able to play football again due to his injured knee and I was definitely hoping to see Bobby Tom actually try to figure out the true meaning of love.  Also, just reading about Bobby Tom having a muscular physique really made me giddy with anticipation!  Gracie Snow was a truly amazing heroine as she went from being a plain wallflower to being a spunky and gorgeous woman!  I loved the fact that Gracie is never afraid to speak her mind and that she tries so hard to make Bobby Tom see what true love really is.  It is the fact that Gracie is such a determined and optimistic woman that made me fall in love with her character!  I also loved the romance between Suzy Denton (Bobby Tom’s mother) and Way Sawyer (the town’s most feared businessman) as it serves to be a side story to Bobby Tom and Gracie’s romance story and I loved the way that Suzy and Way’s romance with each other sort of serves as an inspiration for Bobby Tom and Gracie’s relationship with each other.

For anyone who does not like strong language and sex scenes, this novel has some graphic sex scenes that anyone could skim over if they are offended by them.  Also, this novel has some strong language like the “f” word and the “s” word being uttered a dozen times throughout the book.

Overall, “Heaven, Texas” is a fantastic novel from Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ famous “Chicago Stars” series and anyone who is a huge fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ works or just loves contemporary romance novels in general, will definitely enjoy this novel!

[BOOK REVIEW] The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Title:  The Duke and I

Author: Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

Year Published: 2000

Number of Pages: 371 pages

Date Read: 7/17/2013

Series: Bridgertons #1   

Publisher: Avon

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Some Language, Sex Scenes and Attempted Rape)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

My first exposure into Julia Quinn’s romance novels was through a recent book “Just Like Heaven.” But, after I heard so many good things about the first book in Julia Quinn’s legendary “Bridgertons” series “The Duke and I,” I just had to give this book a shot and goodness, was I blown away by this brilliant romance novel!

Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, had a troubled childhood as his father, the former Duke of Hastings, had rejected him as a child due to Simon’s speech impediment.  Years later however, Simon Basset becomes a proper and well made man and the mothers of London are dying for him to marry their daughters.  However, Simon meets a spunky and independent young woman named Daphne Bridgerton who comes from a large family and it becomes apparent that these two have fallen madly in love with each other.  But, will Simon tell Daphne his deepest and darkest secret about his father or will their relationship be ruined by this secret?

Julia Quinn has woven a brilliant tale about letting go of the past and focusing on the future.  I loved the way that Julia Quinn wrote each character as each character had a spunky and independent personality that really made me care about them.  I really loved the fact that the Bridgerton family is so close to each other as they are willing to protect each other through hard times, especially Anthony, Colin and Benedict as they are EXTREMELY OVERPROTECTIVE of Daphne!  But the characters I really loved in this entire novel were Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton as they were truly interesting and complex characters.  Simon Basset is probably one of my favorite romance heroes as he has a tragic past that I can really sympathize with and yet, he was able to try to become a better person despite his tragic past.  I loved the fact that Simon is so intelligent and is able to talk smoothly with absolutely anybody (especially DAPHNE) and I also loved the fact that Simon has to battle with his inner demons at discovering who he truly is and letting go of his father’s scorn for him as it provides great character development for his character.  I really liked Daphne Bridgerton as she was a strong and independent woman and every time I see her punch someone, I was practically cheering for her!  I also liked the fact that she tries to get through Simon and make him see how he is a better person than his father, which really made her into a caring character.  I really loved the banter between Daphne and Simon as it is hilarious and witty to read.  One of my most favorite quotes from Daphne and Simon was this quote:

“You’re mad.”

“Quite possibly,” he agreed, “but I have excellent taste.  And you” – he leaned down quite suddenly and nipped at her mouth- “taste quite good.”

Daphne giggle, quite unable to help herself.

Simon wiggled his brows, “Dare you mock me?”

“Normally I would,” she replied, “but not when you’ve got both my arms pinned over my head.”

For anyone who does not like language and sex scenes, there are some sex scenes in this novel, although they happens a bit towards the end.  There is also some language, but it is not strong as the only words really muttered are the “d” word, the “h” word and the “b” word.  

*****SPOILER ALERT!!!!*****

Also, the scene where Daphne seemed to force herself on Simon when Simon was drunk did unsettled me a bit since it made her look manipulative since she was so desperate in wanting a baby.  What was so problematic about this scene was that the rest of the book seemed to go through this like it did not happen and I cannot help but wonder why this scene was not taken more seriously.  I probably would have taken a point off this book if it did not go over so quickly and was forgotten about later on. 

*****SPOILER ENDED!!!!*****

Overall, “The Duke and I” is a truly brilliant romance novel that I think that every fan of Julia Quinn’s works or romance fans in general should definitely check out!  Now, I am about to read the second book in the “Bridgerton” series called “The Viscount Who Loved Me!”

[BOOK REVIEW] Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Title:  Married by Morning

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Genre: Historical Romance

Year Published: 2010

Number of Pages: 321 pages

Date Read: 9/10/2011

Series: The Hathaways #4

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Sex Scenes)

After reading "Tempt Me at Twilight," I was dying to read the next book in the series, “Married by Morning” and I was so glad to get the chance to read this little gem of a novel!  This time, it is Leo Hathaway’s turn to fall in love and what other person could he ever fall in love with than the Hathaways’ uptight paid companion, Catherine Marks!  As usual in all of the “Hathaway” series, this novel is filled with drama, mystery, suspense and hot sizzling romance that will have any romance novel fan vying for more hot stuff out of the romance!

For the past two years, Catherine Marks has been the paid companion to the Hathaway sisters and even though she gets along quite nicely with them, she is always arguing constantly with the older Hathaway brother and lord of the estate, Leo Hathaway.  One terrible day however, the Hathaways received a letter from the original owners of the Ramsay estate telling the Hathaway family that they will take the estate away from them unless Leo marries someone and produces an heir within a year to save the estate.  Can Leo find someone to marry before time runs out and does Catherine truly love Leo?

Wonderful, wonderful work Lisa Kleypas!  Lisa Kleypas has certainly done an excellent job at writing a story full of drama, mystery and sizzling romance which made this novel worthwhile for any romance novel fan!  I also loved the character development that Lisa Kleypas incorporates into her characters as I truly sympathize with their situations and it was also nice seeing all of the Hathaway family together again and the mischievous antics they get into.  But the two characters that I was most fond of were Catherine Marks and Leo Hathaway as they were the two most unusual yet interesting hero and heroine I have ever read about.  Catherine Marks was an extremely interesting heroine as she has plenty of spunk and independence that put anyone to shame, but she also harbors a dark past that makes her distant towards any kind of men, especially towards Leo and it was that part of Catherine’s personality that I found the most interesting about her character since I rarely read about heroines whose dark pasts makes them have trouble trusting anyone.  Leo Hathaway is definitely one hero that is one of a kind and he is currently on my list of my top romance heroes!  Leo Hathaway is a truly unique hero because he can be so hilarious, charming and dangerous all at the same time and I especially loved his smart comments he says towards Catherine that drives her insane all the time! I also loved how Leo can be so caring and intuitive when it comes to Catherine’s past and it was interesting and dreamy seeing him comfort Catherine through her times of need as it shows that Leo is a truly kind-hearted character despite his scandalous past.  Also, the best part I liked about Leo is how his body is described as being lean and muscular and that is an aspect that I loved reading about in all my romance heroes!  Romance fans will definitely love the sex scenes between Catherine and Leo as it was hot and spicy and I have enjoyed every scene with them together!

For those of you who do not like sex scenes, this book has plenty of it.  So, if the sex scenes make you feel uncomfortable, feel free to skip over these scenes.

Overall, “Married by Morning” is easily one of the most emotionally driven novels in the famous “Hathaway” series and Lisa Kleypas fans will definitely enjoy this timeless tale of trust and true love!

[BOOK REVIEW] Seduce Me At Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas

Title: Seduce Me At Sunrise

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Genre: Historical Romance

Year Published: 2008

Number of Pages: 382 pages

Date Read: 7/22/2011

Series: The Hathaways #2   

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Sex Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

After reading all of Lisa Kleypas’ popular “Wallflower” series and reading her first book in the “Hathaway” series, “Mine Till Midnight,” I was definitely going to try my luck in reading the second book in the “Hathaway” series, “Seduce Me at Sunrise.” This second installment in the fantastic “Hathaway” is just as brilliant as the first book as it is full of forbidden secrets, an undying love and hot sizzling romance that will have you flipping over with anticipation!

Winnifred Hathaway was always ill ever since she was affected by the scarlet fever years ago that nearly took her life.  Now, Winnifred finally has the chance to get well again by going to a well-known clinic in France that is run by Dr. Julian Harrow and when she comes back home from her treatment, Winnifred has become a changed woman!  Kev Merripen, the handsome and strong Romany Gypsy that the Hathaway family has taken in ever since he was a boy, has always loved Winnifred, but because of his dark past, he refuses to confess his love for her.  However, when Winnifred gets well again and her doctor, Dr. Julian Harrow starts romancing her, Kev and Winnifred will soon realize that their love might be more powerful than any dark secret can hold back.

Wow! I just have to say “wow” because this novel has totally blown me away with its dramatic writing and its brilliant title characters!  Lisa Kleypas has definitely done a fantastic job at writing this novel about forbidden love and dark secrets and I thought that the “dark secrets” aspect of the story was woven into the story extremely well because it brought more drama to the story and it made the characters much more interesting to read about.  What I really loved about this book were the characters themselves as they all have their dark secrets that they like to keep hidden from their loved ones, but they also know that if they keep those secrets hidden, they might risk losing the one they love.  I really loved Winnifred Hathaway in this novel as she may seem weak because of her illness, but I started seeing a different side to her that I have never seen in the previous book and that was her determination to make Kev hers!  Winnifred Hathaway has definitely shown so much courage and compassion for others in this book and that really made her stand out as a character that now she is on my list of favorite heroines and I really loved the way that she tries to help Kev open up his dark past to her because it showed how much she truly cared about him.  Now, the hero of this story, Kev Merripen, is just awesome beyond all reason!  At first, when I read “Mine Till Midnight,” he was shown to be always grumpy for no reason and it was a little hard for me to like his character.  But, the moment I read this book, Kev Merripen is now officially one of my favorite romance heroes ever!  I actually felt sorry for Kev whenever he had to come to grips with his dark past and how he was always worried about hurting Winnifred and that truly showed how caring and compassionate he really is despite his gruff nature.  I also loved the mention of Kev’s massively muscular body since I love my romance heroes to be muscular and strong and Kev has got all the characteristics of a muscular and strong hero!  I also loved seeing the continuing love of Cam and Amelia as it was just as dramatic in this story as it was in the previous book and I loved how Cam supported Kev throughout his trials of confessing his love towards Winnifred which truly made him into such a brilliant character and it was also great seeing Leo, the drunkard brother, regain his dignity in this book and he even helped out Kev with his relationship troubles.  For romance fans, there are hot sizzling sexual scenes galore between Winnifred and Kev and they are just as steamy as Cam and Amelia’s and these scenes will make your romantic senses tingling as you read them!

For those of you who do not like reading about sex scenes in a novel, this book has plenty of sex scenes between Winnifred and Kev, so it would be best to skim over these scenes if they are too uncomfortable to read through.

Overall, “Seduce Me at Sunrise” is definitely a romance novel you cannot pass up and it is a brilliant sequel to the fantastic story “Mine till Midnight!”

[BOOK REVIEW] It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Title:  It Had to Be You

Author:  Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Year Published: 1994

Number of Pages: 376 pages

Date Read: 11/9/2011

Series: Chicago Stars #1  

Publisher: Avon

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Strong Language and Sex Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

To be honest, I have always been a huge fan of historical romance since it takes me to a time that is so completely different from the current times.  However, after reading this little gem of a romance novel, I started to gain interest in the world of contemporary romance.  “It Had To Be You” was the first romance novel I have read from author Susan Elizabeth Phillips and after I had read this book, I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her wonderful books! “It Had To Be You” is full of hot, sizzling romance, pure football fun and drama that will set any romance fans’ heads spinning!

When Bert Somerville, the owner of the prized football team, the Chicago Stars, dies he left in his will that his estranged daughter, Phoebe Somerville, will inherit the football team after his death.  Unfortunately, since Phoebe and her father never got along, there is a condition that Phoebe must follow in order to be successful in inheriting the football team.  If the Chicago Stars are able to make it to the AFC Championships, then Phoebe will be able to inherit the football team and earn one thousand dollars, but if the team fails to win, then Phoebe’s cruel cousin, Reed Chandler, will inherit the football team.  Things get more complicated when Phoebe meets the head football coach, Dan Calebow and at first sight, the two of them never got along.  However, Phoebe and Dan will soon discover how true love can work in mysterious ways…especially on the football field!

Alright, so now that you saw the cover of this book (a blown up photo of a woman’s chest) you are probably thinking that this book would turn out to be too kinky for anyone’s taste in romance novels.  NO, that is not so!  Susan Elizabeth Phillips has not only written a romance novel full of hot and sizzling love scenes, but she wrote a romance novel that is full of drama and love!  Susan Elizabeth Phillips made the characters come to life in this novel, especially Phoebe Somerville and Dan Calebow!  Let me just say that I just love Phoebe Somerville to death! Not only is Phoebe truly attractive to the boys, but she is extremely independent and I loved the way that she handles the football team with so much confidence, despite the fact that she does not know anything about football.  I also loved the fact that Phoebe is always so determined to do everything right, no matter how hard the task is and I loved her relationship with her younger half-sister Molly and her attempts to make Molly see her as a good person, which truly makes Phoebe into such a caring heroine.  It was also heartbreaking in hearing about Phoebe’s childhood and how she was raped at such a young age.  I truly felt for her character when she experienced that horrible event and it was understandable why she would not let Dan near her in the first place.  Now onto the good part and that’s the all handsome and all muscle hero, Dan Calebow!  Dan Calebow is clearly one of my favorite romance heroes of all time because even though he has a terrible temper, he can be so caring and funny towards Phoebe and his dedication to football is truly inspiring in his nature.  Also, his dream of marrying a woman who loves children and wants to start a family with him, is just so sweet and dreamy!  I just love men who are so caring about having a family of their own to take care of!  And do not forget the love scenes between Phoebe and Dan! They are truly smoking and romance fans everywhere will definitely be fanning themselves once they read through these love scenes between Dan and Phoebe!

For those of you who do not like strong language and strong sex scenes, this novel has a lot of strong language and the sex scenes might be too explicit, so it would be best to skip over these scenes if it becomes too problematic.

Overall, “It Had To Be You” is easily one of the best contemporary romances ever written and anyone who is interested in reading romance novels that deal with the love of sports has got to check this novel out!