ARC REVIEW: His Pirate Seductress (Love on the High Seas #3) by Tamara Hughes

Title: His Pirate Seductress
Series: Love on the High Seas #3
Author: Tamara Hughes
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Published: November 9th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 164
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Tamara Hughes | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A woman of passion. A man of principle. And only one can win...

With her son's life in the balance, Catherine Fry is forced to locate and steal the priceless Ruby Cross of the Knights Templar. She knows who has it—it's just a matter of coercing Thomas Glanville, the handsome and incredibly stubborn captain of the ship she’s captured, into telling her the exact location. Fortunately, Catherine knows that there are many ways to get a man to talk...

Captain Thomas Glanville has the cross and he'll be damned if he's going to hand it over now that he finally has the means to buy a ship of his own. He's at the mercy of a fiery woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. But Catherine has no idea who she's dealing with—and Thomas has his own means of charming a woman into his mercy and his bed...

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

Even with my love of Historical Romances, I never thought that I'd be one for the swashbuckling and danger on the high seas. I really didn't think pirates would be my thing. Okay, sure. I admit that I may have had a fantasy or two about a certain captain with an affinity to rum and a very bird-like name but come on....Johnny Depp. Anyway. When the first book in this series, Tempting the Pirate, came across my path, the little book devil that sits on my shoulder and pressures me to read ALL THE BOOKS, was like "you really need to read this book." Well I listened. I've been hooked on the Love on the High Seas series ever since. With this addition to the series, and the promise of a female pirate I was the most excited I'd been to step into this world and lose myself. While it took me a minute to really get into the story, once I did I fell just as hard for this one as I did both it's predecessors.

I think the reason it took me a few pages to truly accept the storyline and get into the flow of things and really enjoy what I was reading was the fact that Catherine was more of a reluctant pirate. It definitely wasn't a choice or something she sought doing. I kind of went in blind because I prefer it that way when I'm working my way through a series. So I guess I was expecting more of a fierce, tough as nails woman. While she had strong, stubborn streaks she wasn't what I had pictured in my mind I was going to find. Once I embraced the story though, I think this is a very good thing. I don't think I would have found the romance between the type of woman I was expecting and someone as stand-up and alpha-ish as Thomas very believable. It ended up being more fun than I had been hoping for anyway!

Though I do feel like the previous book had more of a heart pounding intensity and danger to it, this one still had quite an edge of danger on it's own. Definitely enough to keep you turning the pages and make it nearly impossible to want to put it down.

There has been such a fun variety of characters within this series. They're all very well written and complex. Plus Tamara Hughes always does a fantastic job at making you feel as if you truly are on the high seas or sucked back in time. It's fantastic.

If you love Historical Romance and haven't read any pirate books before, but are curious, I highly recommend giving this series a go. They are so much fun and filled with banter, breathtaking romance, heart stopping danger and sexy swashbuckling men (and women). I've thoroughly enjoyed the Love on the High Seas series and can't wait to see what Tamara Hughes has to bring us next!

Huge thanks goes to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Undercover with the Earl by Robyn DeHart

Title: Undercover with the Earl
Author: Robyn DeHart
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Published: August 11th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 165
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Robyn DeHart | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

To capture the most eligible bachelor in London...

London, 1838

The handsome Earl of Somersby may just be the most eligible bachelor in London, but has no interest in a wife. As a member of the Brotherhood, Bennett Haile is far more vested in his undercover duties for the crown and protecting the Queen from would-be assassins. For now he has the perfect tool with which to lure out the villains-a young woman with an uncanny likeness to the queen.

The spirited Evelyn Marrington is about to live out every country girl's dream-becoming royalty overnight. Under the tutelage of the arrogant Earl of Somersby, she'll have to fool the entire court that she is, in fact, the queen. But as danger threatens from every side, Bennett realizes that his lovely little protegé isn't just placing her life in his hands... She's stealing his heart.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Sigh. Is there anything better than historical swoons? There's just so much about it to get your pulse racing. The propriety, the scandals, the fact that something that we simply think of as "just a kiss" these days was something that a proper unmarried lady just did not do! It makes those stolen moments between two characters who have been doing their damnedest to fight the attractions they have to one another a taboo-like thrill. I love it! I love it all!

In a time where women are considered delicate and weak and far more inferior than our manly counterparts, when their only job is to make an excellent match, regardless of age, attraction or feelings, in order to produce heirs and that's pretty much it. Nothing pleases me more than to have a main female character who is both very intelligent and has an independent streak. A woman who wants to be her own person without having to have a man to complete her life. Evelyn was exactly that kind of character. I absolutely adored her. She had dreams beyond being someone's wife and property. She wanted to write adventure novels, and maybe even have them, but mostly to write. Plus she was feisty and fearless and not in the least intimidated by Bennett. 

Speaking of handsome and hulking Earls...Bennett was just delicious! I loved how he wasn't just the average, run -of-the-mill aristocrat. He wasn't a guy who was going to be content with the idleness that titles and money usually afforded his counterparts among the peerage. He likes living a life of adventure of sorts and action, even a bit of danger. He protects the crown and that's all he ever wanted to do. I think his biggest fault is he doesn't have the slightest clue on how to communicate with a woman. I laugh as I type that because it seemed like, especially in the beginning, every time he attempted to tell Evie what they needed from her it would always come out wrong and they'd end up in an argument because without meaning to he'd end up insulting her somehow. It was quite comedic and fun.

I love those kinds of relationships though. The kind where verbal sparring is basically a form of foreplay and stokes the fires of sexual tension that's building between two characters. I think her fire and spirit are what really endears her to him. He's not used to anyone standing up to him let alone a woman half his size who doesn't back down for an instant. When those sparks of anger turn into sparks of desire...boom!

I was so pleased that there actually were moments of danger in this book. Not that I wanted Evie in danger of course, more that it added something dark and suspenseful to the story. I liked seeing the protective side come out of Bennett.

I have a hard time opening myself up to new Historical Romance authors which is something I'm trying very hard to break myself of. It's one of my favorite genres but I put myself in this box of just a few authors I will read from. After reading Undercover with the Earl, I feel safe in saying that my little list of approved HR authors has grown by one and I can't wait to see what else Robyn DeHart has to offer.

Thanks goes to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Beauty's Curse (Love on the High Seas #2) by Tamara Hughes

Title: Beauty's Curse
Series: Love on the High Seas #2
Author: Tamra Hughes
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Published: June 9th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 175
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Tamara Hughes | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

England, 1722

Amelia Archer will be the ruin of her family. Her extraordinary bad luck is burden enough, but her sweet, trusting nature often lands her in impossible scrapes. After the last straw, Amelia's harried father ships his unfortunate daughter off to the Colonies to live with her aunt. But wherever Amelia goes, bad luck is sure to follow...

Pirate David Lamont is taken with the lovely young Englishwoman the moment she's pulled aboard from her sinking vessel. But sailors are already a superstitious lot and Amelia is unwelcome. In a feat of chivalry, David defends and claims her for himself...

Now their fortunes—for good or ill—are invariably tied. But as much as she longs for him, Amelia cannot allow a romance. For a lady of misfortune can only bring ruin to those she loves…

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Ever since I picked up my very first one a number of years back, I have had this deep, deep love of historical romances. There's just something so enchanting and fascinating about stepping into the past and the propriety of it all. And the swoons. Oh my gosh, the swoons. Though I had never read any HR with a pirate theme to it. Then last year I came across Tempting the Pirate by Tamara Hughes and had the urge to put in a request for it. Now, while it didn't wow me with that omg-that-was-totally-amazing type of love, I did fall into a deep like with it. Just lingering on the border of love. It was enough so that when I saw Beauty's Curse, regardless of getting approved from Entangled or not, this book was going to be mine.

The one question that has been bugging me since finishing the first book was what on earth happened to James Lamont's brother and was he ever going to be found. So I was doubly excited to realize that this book was his story and that I was finally going to get all of my questions answered.

Beauty's Curse was intense from start to finish. It starts out on a sinking ship and immediately had me on the edge of my seat and rarely let up on the intensity from there. There were times when the characters would be in the middle of a crap storm that wasn't quiet yet resolved only to have something else happen to make an already bad situation incredibly worse. It keeps you hanging on and I couldn't have put it down if I wanted to!

I loved these characters so much! It was instantaneous with both of them. There's Amelia who has been told basically her whole life that she's cursed and that bad things follow her and happen to those around her. She's desperate to get to America and make it on her own and keep the people she loves safe from her. But despite all of that she's still able to be this very sweet and trusting person. She finds the positive in everyone but herself. And then there's David who has been through some horrific things in the year it's been since he was kidnapped by pirates. He's become a very dark person by the time he meets Amelia. But she instantly stirs his protective side to life, he's drawn to her light.

The romance between Amelia and David is one of those slow burning ones. The kind where the sexual tension becomes so thick that even a lingering look is enough to make your pulse jump and desperately need something to happen with them. That's one of the things I love so much about HRs. They perfect that slow build up of intensity and emotions so that the end result isn't just a tiny spark it's a full on bonfire.

This book wasn't just heart pounding intensity and unbelievable swoons though. There was a bit of sadness and heartache to it as well. It deals briefly with slavery and the horrid treatment of slaves and the abuse of them. It was heartbreaking but I liked the fact that Tamara Hughes didn't shy away from tough subjects that were relevant to the time period this book is set in.

Overall I loved this book. It was so much better than the first one! It was exciting and gripping and full of swoontastic yumminess! I can't wait to see what Tamara Hughes has in store for this series next! From what it says in the author's note at the end, the final book in the trilogy is going to focus on a female pirate. How exciting! It can't get here fast enough in my opinion.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

REVIEW: Truce: The Historic Neighbor from Hell (Neighbor from Hell #4) by R.L. Mathewson

Title: Truce: The Historic Neighbor from Hell
Series: Neighbor from Hell #4
Author: R.L. Mathewson
Publisher: R.L. Mathewson
Published: October 30th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 291
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

R.L. Mathewson | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Elizabeth knows what’s expected of her, perfection. She’s the daughter of an Earl and expected to marry well, say and do the right things with a smile on her face when inside she's dying for a chance to escape. Thanks to an inheritance her godmother left her years ago, her chance will come with her next birthday. Her hopes of escape abruptly end when Robert, her childhood nemesis that she hasn't seen in over fourteen years, comes back into her life and does everything he can to drive her out of her mind even as he steals her heart. 

He hated her. 

At least, he tried to hate her, but it was so damn difficult to hate someone that he couldn't live without. He tried to ignore her, tried to focus on anything but her, but nothing worked. Somehow she made her way into his heart and started to make him want things that he never thought possible, made him smile and laugh even while she drove him out of his mind and started a legacy by turning him into….. 

A Bradford. 

Author's Note: 

This is first and foremost a historical novel. This novel is written differently than the other Neighbor from Hell books. Truce is about a man who takes everything too damn seriously and can’t let go of the past until the woman that he would love to hate comes back into his life and brings out the Bradford within. 

This book was nothing short of perfection. It perfectly combines my love of both the Neighbor from Hell series and my love of Historical Romance. I was slightly nervous before starting because I am extremely picky when it comes to my Historical Romances. It didn't take but a few pages of jumping into the past to realize that I never wanted Robert and Elizabeth's story to end!

I started reading this series long before I started blogging. I instantly fell in love with R.L. Mathewson's writing style and characters. The Bradford family are truly some of my favorite characters I've read or will read in the future. They're the types of characters that have me constantly grinning as I read each book in the series. This historical edition was no exception.

I think what's made me instantly love this series is the fact that they are quirky and so full of humor on top of all the swoon worthy steaminess. The males in the family line all seem to have this laugh out loud funny food quirk where not only do they eat more than anyone you would ever meet but they're very territorial about their food as well. They will curse at each other and get into fights when food is involved. Calling each other greedy bastards and thieving bastards is very common. It's actually quite hilarious. I have no idea why the Bradfords and their loud and obnoxious behavior amuses me so but I just cannot seem to get enough of them.

The wonderful and fantastic thing about Truce is you go back all the way to 1809 in London and meet the couple who was the start to all these love/hate relationships and watch the origins to this fun family legacy unfold. Watch them go to war and then fall in love just like their future generations all end up doing. I loved seeing all that family history. I loved how in the first chapter you get a taste of Elizabeth and Robert as children and that one defining moment that turned it from simple annoyance and teasing and pranking each other to an all out hatred basically.

Elizabeth was exactly the kind of female heroine that I love to read in my Historical Romances. She doesn't follow the rules that society dictates women should be like from that era. She desires independence and she doesn't want to be under the thumb of some guy for the rest of her life. She has interests and hobbies that are frowned upon by someone of her stature. She's smart wouldn't think twice about stopping on the street to help someone in need, all the while those around her freak out and chastise her about how associating with people like that will look for both herself and her family.

I have loved all the Bradford men so far, but there's just something about Robert, the one who starts it all, well he's become my favorite. I think what it is that really does it for me with him is, in a time when most men would look at someone as outspoken and with all the desires and ideals that Elizabeth has built up for herself, well most males would be outraged or not want anything to do with someone like that. But Robert not only accepts the type of person she is but encourages her. He doesn't love her in spite of those things he loves her because of them. Plus he's incredibly swoon worthy.

Overall I can't get enough of R.L. Mathewson's writing. It's been so nice getting back into a series that I loved so much before I started blogging. I would jump at the chance to read more Historical Romance by her in the future because this one she really knocked out of the park!